A TALE OF CAGES AND VINES (COMPLETE)

PART 2 - THE OTHERLANDERS

The Other Landers

The feeling of someone shaking her shoulder roused her from her sleep. Dev blinked and turned in her bed to look and see Jayl leaning over her. His brow was creased and he looked scared.

"Jayl, w-what's happening?"

"Get up. Start packing your things," Jayl ordered her as he crawled over to wake Prika.

Dev looked around and saw her mouchim collecting her things while Yang helped to roll up their mats. Sitting up, she could hear the sound of feet moving, animals being called and men shouting.

At that moment, her fader entered the tent and urged them all to hurry.

"We must leave at once," her fader ordered.

Dev rubbed her eyes and stood up so she could roll her bed up. Yang, who was finished with the mats, scooped them up and rushed outside. Dev looked to Prika who was pouting but packing her things.

"Dev!" Her mouchim called out, making her turn and frown as she was gesturing to her bag," Pack now, my child."

Nodding, she rubbed her eyes and tried to pack as fast as she could. Something had happened. Something big. It had to be something big if it got everyone in her camp moving around this dark in the night. When she was done, she rubbed her eyes before standing up with her bag. Jayl had her move out so he and her older siblings would pack the last of their things before taking down their tent. As she stood outside in the morning cold, she shivered slightly and watched as everyone moved around in a state of urgency. Some tents were already down and everyone was saddling their horse. What was confusing to her was that all the fires and torches were put out.

"How will we be able to walk in the dark?" Dev whispered to herself. Her fader coming up to her to take her bag shook her from her thoughts.

"Devina, come, "Yousef ordered his daughter. The little girl stumbled after him in the dark before they stopped behind their cart. He put her pack on the back before turning to lift her up. After gently depositing her on the cart, he kissed her forehead and leaned back," Help to put the things your brothers bring."

Dev nodded before Yosef left to help his wife.

Jayl came up to her and handed her wrapped skins and bags for her to put into their cart. She knew which item would be placed. She was aware of how they did things when they needed to move their camp but still, something did not feel right.

They only moved when it was time for them to move, not out of nowhere in the middle of the night. This was very odd. She moved their things around finally their tent was brought down and packed into the cart. Once everyone was ready, they moved left without so much as blessing to thank the land. This was even odd for her. The sun still wasn't up and the places was cold. So cold that even her shawl wasn't enough to keep her warm.

Dev huddled in the back against Prika who didn't mind. In fact, she had put her arm around her and pulled her in close.

Jayl and her fader were both riding their horses while her mouchim and Yang sat in front driving the cart. They were running. She could see no other reason why their entire camp had to move so suddenly in the night.

It wasn't until later that she would find out the reason why they were running. She heard her fader whisper to her mouchim in the night. They were called the Other Landers. They were making them run because they were harming her people every time they came across any of their clan's people.

For weeks, they have received messenger raven's about attacks on the other clans. The attacks were frequent and with more of their people being captured the Chief was adamant that they keep moving. Further away from the Blue. Dev had overheard her fader saying that perhaps they move to Ulsa. The Tree Fortress where the God Inka was rumored to be living. It was sacred land and they would be safe if they were near the home of their God.