Wherever I Am

Chapter 27 - Part 4

It was a cave opening, hidden by scrub. You had to climb up to get in, which made it quite defensible. Sinense had taken Sorina and Tansy back to camp, saying, "I've seen it," while Cornelia stayed at the ruins talking with Belisa and Arkir. Calara and her babies stayed with them to return to the cave later.

Ellie, Nathan, Birdy, Reginar, and I followed Ishen while Sir Lucian brought a contingent with him to stand guard outside while we used the footholds to climb up and in.

I wondered if Sinense had slept at all last night, not having Mara to sleep with. Maybe she was going to nap with Sorina as her sleeping companion. Still weird. I chuckled. At least Sorina was an excellent choice for that.

Birdy seemed terrified and excited to return to the cave, answering Nathan's questions about it along the way. His limp was from a bruised thigh, but he ignored it to fulfill his duties as a squire.

We had to bend over to go in, but after several feet, it opened up into a taller expanse where we could stand. Children were stationed along the path keeping small fires burning so we could see.

"I had these prepared in case you decided to visit," Ishen said. "Maid Sinense had some problems with the darkness yesterday."

We passed Sobecks who carried spears with them inside the cave. That was concerning, even though they bowed awkwardly as we passed. We had our weaponry, so if this were an ambush, we'd at least make them pay dearly. Our swords and short blades would be easier to use than spears in these confines.

The women carried knives at their hips, many of both sexes wearing only belts. The few hybrids wore at least loincloths, and some of those were fully dressed. At least some of the clothing I saw here came from my villages. They likewise curtsied or bowed poorly as we passed. I supposed their fur was sufficient inside the cave.

We came to a shallow pool of water where some of both sexes were washing off. "Most wash in the morning or before bed," Ishen said. "Maid Sinense declined to join in."

"I don't doubt that," Ellie replied. "She's a rather private person and wouldn't bathe in the presence of men. This is the norm here?"

"Either here or at the river, Lady Elexus. There is another pool higher up where we collect our drinking water. It flows to here and then through a crack to some lower level we can't get to."

"Where did Sinense sleep?" Ellie looked around at the small fires as she asked this.

"Follow me," Ishen said, "but understand that she did not sleep alone."

"She slept with you?" Ellie sounded incredulous.

Ishen laughed...a strange mixture not unlike coyote mixed with human. "I offered, but she declined. Maid Sinense chose my sister instead. Tansy said Maid Sinense slept well even if it was strange for my sister, but she slept, too. She's used to sleeping with children, not an adult. Will she be sleeping with Lady Cornelia as well?"

"I don't think so," Ellie responded. "Sinense has always had someone sleep with her, but the rest of us grew up sleeping alone."

"Mother said it wasn't, but I grew up here and have had very little contact with real humans, and most of that was in battle or afterward." He glanced at Birdy.

"Sir Ishen," Birdy said, his voice tight. "You were gentlemanly, giving Maid Elspeth back her clothes. Orvin was a crude beast taking them from her. We are lucky he gave us to you."

"I gave your clothes back to you, too."

"I keep my honor without clothes. Maid Elspeth doesn't. Orvin took her honor. You at least attempted to return it, even if it was too late." Birdy stared at him before continuing. "When you brought us here, you told us you would have sex with her every night until she was pregnant, but you didn't. Why did you tell her that when you weren't going to do it? Was Orvin still listening somehow?"

Again that smile which I wasn't sure was fully a smile.

"He has spies here. If I hadn't found Lord Kevin or Lord Boian, I would have done Orvin's bidding, and also made sure you got my sister pregnant. Understand?"

Birdy's eyes went wide, but he didn't stop. "What stopped you?"

"Lord Kevin showed up. He accepted my father's challenge, but to talk instead of fight."

"And if Kevin had fought?" As usual, Ellie hopped in before I could find the words.

Ishen looked at me. "My father would've pinned you but not hurt you badly, and Mother would've come out to talk to you. We didn't think you would talk otherwise."

Ellie laughed. "That's not too unlikely, and if Kevin hadn't stopped me, I would've just put an arrow through your dad's heart."

"It was a risk he was willing to take. I saw your arrows take out my feint before Suata. I should've called my men back sooner."

"You didn't fight."

"No. I controlled the fight and was to bring in reinforcements, but I would've lost more fighters than I wanted to. Your archery was too devastating. There was no good moment to send in reinforcements." He shrugged. "We didn't gain weapons, but you did leave horses behind, so we still gained food."

"So when is the right moment here?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your men carry spears and your women knives. If the children put out their fires, we won't be able to find our way out."

Ishen bowed and began unbuckling his sword belt. "I understand. They guard against Orvin and his people. Once he knows what I've done, he will attack. I have betrayed him. You may have my weapons to show that my life is forfeit to you if I speak falsely."

Ellie took the belt and slung it around her neck. "If Orvin attacks, you get these back. He'd bring torches, wouldn't he?"

"He would." He bowed to Ellie again, then turned to lead us forward around a few turns past the drinking water pool and into a flat, wide area with a pallet and two women standing nearby.

"This is my chamber," he said. "These are my mistresses."

They wore dresses and made their attempts at a curtsey. I bowed slightly in return, as did the others.

"Come, and we will go to the river," he said, continuing the tour.

This second cave opening was smaller and came out onto a ledge with an overhang, similar to the one Boian brought us to before the storm. That seemed so long ago. I half expected someone to try to chop my head off as I crawled out, but there was only Ishen and some children who smiled up at us. The smiles were similar to Ishen's, so I guessed they were natural, which meant his were too. There was a half-dozen keeping watch, it seemed. Some did look more human than others, and they spoke rapidly in a language that included yips and coughs. He responded in kind and rubbed one child's mop of dark hair, who reminded me of Oana.

"This one is descended from Bassani's program. The others are full Ilyen children who came here with their parents."

"Ilyen?"

"It's what they call themselves...the ones who don't have human blood in their veins like we Sobecks do. Left foot first to climb down," and he started down a set of footholds to the bottom of the ravine.

I followed, with the rest behind me.

As I got to the bottom, Ishen said, "We used the Ilyen males to attack the villages and you." He sounded wistful. "They don't understand fire, and their language is limited, but they knew how to use their spears and were eating all of our food. We needed food, and the full humans had it. We had to attack if we were all going to eat. And the battles helped with the food problems, too. Those who died wouldn't eat." He hung his head. "But we've still stripped all of the nutritious plant foods in the area. We live on fish. There are no deer. We've hunted them out, and the rabbits, too. Bison would feed us for a long time, but they rarely come here. Lord Protector Kevin, we need food to serve you, or you can watch most of us die."

Nathan asked, "So you come to your enemy instead of getting your ally Orvin to help you?"

"If many of us die, he can take us over when we're too weak to resist. He was our ally against you, but he didn't care if we lived. If he cares so little, he is not my ally, so I turned to my former enemy to be my ally. Will you help my people?"

"Yes," Ellie said and handed his belt back to him. "If you are true to us, we will be true to you."