Tabidaque

An Unusual Mourning

They say the spirits swarm there
Singing the song of dark
Don't let their calls tempt you there
Singing the song of dark

Chiqu knew Jagas was cold. But she had not prepared for the frozen wasteland, devoid of creatures and life.

She clutched to edge of Tikaani's long brown coat, staying close to her side as her aunt stepped off the ship, onto a narrow rocky ledge. Her uncle, Arrluse, would stay behind with the ship. The traders led the way up the ridge, with Tikaani, Chiqu, and her cousin Juase close behind.

Juase was younger than she was by a few years, still a little boy. This was the first time either of them had been to Jagas. Tikaani thought it would be an interesting visit for all of them. She had, of course, been to Jagas before, on many trade visits. She was the captain of the ship, after all. Chiqu wished she could be like her aunt on the ship, confident and in charge. She loved looking out at the sea, the waves that gently rocked the deck. Juase had spent most of the journey below deck, complaining of seasickness.

Chiqu braced a hand on the rocky wall as they climbed. She could hear Juase whimpering in fear behind her as he glanced down at the sharp rocks that surrounded them. It had been difficult to bring the ship close enough to the cliff without crashing into those pillars of rock, but Tikaani was experienced in navigation and had managed to do it successfully.

As she walked, Chiqu examined the cliffside. Tiny bits of quartz seemed to be embedded in the rock. The cliffs were, for the most part, bare, unlike in Sviros, where the branching shajara trees grew. Their roots were long and winding, reaching down towards the sea, and each plant had only two or three tall, waxy leaves. Tikaani had told her the roots took in seawater and filtered out the salt somehow. Though she was primarily a muralist, her aunt enjoyed studying plants as well.

There were no trees in Jagas. No real plants, either. And, when they finally reached the top of the cliff, there were no people in sight. The barren land stretched out into the distance, covered only in a thin layer of brown, scrubby moss.

Thunder rumbled in the distance. "Oh, no," Chiqu whispered. "Is it going to storm?"

"That isn't a storm, Chiqu," Tikaani told her. "That is a herd of Vandrender."

Chiqu frowned at the odd word. "What?"

Her aunt didn't elaborate, only smiled and nodded towards a shape in the distance. It grew larger quickly, and as they approached, Chiqu could make out the strange creatures. They were slender, covered thick fur that was mottled grey and white, with long twisting horns that curved downward over their faces. Their four legs were short, but their thin paws were fast nonetheless, almost seeming to fly over the ground.

The herd seemed endless at first. The animals didn't run at them, as Chiqu had feared, curving around as they approached the cliff. The noise they made, screeching and galloping, was deafening. Chiqu held her hands up to her ears, but it barely did anything to block out the noise.

Finally, the herd began to thin out. Then Chiqu saw a figure dart between them. It was a person, a woman with pale white hair braided away from her face. She rolled beneath one of the creatures and stabbed a wooden spear into its side, causing blood to spray out. The animal screeched in pain before falling to the ground. The beasts that had been surrounding it paused rather than continuing on, and several other hunters take them down with spears.

Chiqu watched in awe at the way they moved, so graceful and agile. They were clearly experienced hunters. She remembered what Tikaani had told her, about the tribes of Jagas migrating where their food went. Now I know she meant.