When Daylight Turns To Starlight

Chapter 2

Tayen's POV:

The hunting party was usually gone for hours, but they were gone for much longer this time. I was growing worried- my brother was part of the hunting party.

We finally heard from them, a scout called from his position in a tree. But he called that they were carrying a girl- not toting deer or baskets of fish to eat.

We all went to see, and she was frightfully pale. I'd never seen someone so pale. She had to be near death's door. Her dark blue eyes fluttered open and closed, so she was alive, but they didn't seem to see anything.

The high council leaders urged everyone to clear a path for the party, as they wanted to lay her next to the biggest fire. I managed to squirm my way to the front, using the excuse that my brother was there.

I found him, he was next to the fire, by the girl's feet. She was dressed strangely, a long black dress covered her from her shoulders to her ankles. I didn't understand how she could be cold, but the goosebumps on her exposed arms proved her chill.

Her head turned, eyes squinting into the fire before looking around more. She caught the gazes of many people, and she brought her knees up towards her chest, wrapping her arms around them.

She stared unblinking into the fire, a mixture of thought and worry on her face. She tried to stand, but anyone who looked at her could tell that she was in no walking shape, so those of us close to her rushed to keep her down.

Plenty of them told her that she couldn't walk even if she tried, so it was best that she stayed there, but she just turned her head and squinted her eyes. Wait... she didn't look like she was from here, perhaps she didn't understand us.

She met my gaze, and she could tell that I had put two and two together. I turned to the other and said "she doesn't understand us, I don't think she's from here."

Understanding dawned on their faces, and they felt horrible that she didn't understand. The village healer came then, bearing his healing brew. He put the cup near her lips, but she pulled her head back, probably wary of what was in the cup.

I said to him, "she can't understand us. You should let her have the cup. I don't think she knows what's in it. She can refuse it if she wants."

He nodded, and handed her the cup, making a motion to drink it with his hands afterwards. I doubt she needed it, it was pretty obvious that it was meant to drink.

She inspected it, sniffing it and rolling it around to see what was in it. Then she cautiously took a sip. Most people hate the taste of it, but aside from the initial little burn, she seemed to like it. She drank the rest quickly, and Takoda took the cup and immediately refilled it.

She gained some color back with each cup, though instead of her skin darkening, it turned pink. Three cups later, Takoda decided that since she could keep the brew down, it was okay to let her eat. He gathered a big bowl full of berries, and the second the girl saw it, her eyes widened and she snatched the bowl from him. She ate quickly and left no food behind.

By the time she finished the bowl, the sun was beginning to rise and her eyes were beginning to droop. Takoda wanted to be safe though, and made sure she had one more cup. She took it and drank it quickly, then laid back, interlacing her hands above her stomach, and within a minute she was asleep.

We weren't sure what to do with her now that she was asleep, but we smelled rain coming, so we decided to move her into the closest house. Just so happened to be mine. She didn't seem to notice that she was being moved. She must've really been asleep.

They laid her on a borrowed sleeping mat, allowing me to have mine. My eyes were also starting to droop- I wasn't used to being awake so long. I laid down and fell asleep on my side, not having a single dream.

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I was awoken by rustling coming from the girl. She was trying to sit up, but i didn't think she was any better, and I put my hand on her shoulder to stop her. She nearly jumped out of her skin- I guess she didn't know I was here.

I figured it was putting her on edge not knowing anything, so I thought I'd introduce myself. I pointed to myself and said my name: "Tayen."

She understood the gesture immediately, and did the same. "Cadence." She said.

A funny name; we were named after how we were. I had no idea what 'Cadence' meant. Tayen meant 'new moon', as I adored how the moon changed its shape. I was named when I was five, after it became clear that I loved the moon.

I smiled at the reminiscing, and the girl named Cadence smiled too- I had always been told my smile was the best in the world. When I smiled, everyone else smiled.

She said some words, a hopeful yet pained look on her face. I think she was hoping that I'd understand, but I didn't, and I felt bad. I couldn't meet her gaze.

She stood up, a determined look on her face. Maybe she thought that someone else would understand. I was about to stop her, but she looked confused, clenching and unclenching her hands. Her face suddenly widened, a shocked and terrified expression contorting her features.

She bolted out of the house, turning around and inspecting everything she could see. She fell down in front of the fire after looking, her face looked like she was in pain. I knew I should have stopped her. But then she bolted-back in the direction she was brought from.

Instinctively, I bolted right after her, as did every other able body in the village. She was a fast runner, that's for sure, but so were we.

The hunting party caught up with her first, my brother's lean form catching her by the arms in a clearing and pulling her back. I saw tears in her eyes, and she started crying, she was reaching useless hands to the water... had her family drowned in the lake? That would explain a lot of things. Her cries echoed through the forest. Painful, agonizing, coming from her heart. I heard others sniffiling, and I pulled her into a hug, not knowing what else to do. She hugged me back, nearly cutting off my breathing.

My brother carried her back off to the village, her eyes closed but tears still dripping from them. He set her back in my house and she curled up into a ball, the crying ceasing not long after- she had fallen asleep.

We weren't sure what to do with her, I voiced my thoughts to everyone else, that her family had died in the lake and she was alone, and they agreed, for only the death of a family could cause someone that kind of pain.

We settled on not letting her be alone, and inviting her to stay with us. She slept for nearly two days -an awfully long time- but Takoda said it was alright and she'd get everything she needed when she woke up.