A TALE OF CAGES AND VINES (COMPLETE)

PART 3 - THE CAPTURE AND THE CAMP

They had stopped. Because two of the women were going to have their babies. It wasn't her mouchim but it reminded her that her mouchim's time was close. The women had to make two small shelters while everyone settled down to wait.

Prika told her that they didn't know how long until the babies would come but the women couldn't be moved. Her fader had gone to help the women with her mouchim beside him. Prika was fixing her shawl while Yang sat in the back of the cart with his eyes closed. Jayl was on the ground feeding his horse and for some reason, he refused to take off his satchel.

Dev was in the middle of playing with her anklets on the grass when she heard someone call her name.

"Devina!" a man called out.

Dev stopped fiddling with her anklet and turned to look for who called for her. Everyone in the other carts weren't looking at her. Her own siblings were busy doing their own things.

"Yes?!" She called out.

"I didn't say anything," Jayl told her.

"Not you, the man," Dev said as she stood and craned her neck to see if someone was looking for her or calling for her.

"What man?" Prika asked from the cart.

"The man that called for me. I was answering him," Dev huffed.

"What man?" Yang asked again from the cart.

"No one was calling for you," Jayl said as he turned from his horse and frowned at his sister who shook her head, "I did hear someone."

"Maybe you're hungry," Prika suggested as a way to show that maybe she was hungry and hearing things.

"I'm not," Dev insisted as she turned to her sister. Prika shrugged while Yang went back to napping. Dev pushed her hair back from her face and looked down for her anklet. She then froze and she realized that both her anklets were gone," Where did they go?!"

Yang groaned, "What now?"

"My anklets!" Dev yelled as she spun around and scanned the grass for her anklets. She then looked further around the cart until something in the distance caught her eye. Her anklets on a tree branch in one of the trees near the forest. The amber beads were shining as if they had been bathed in oil.

"My anklets!"

Dev then took off running towards the forest. The other tribespeople watched her run off and shook their heads.

"What- Devina!" Prika yelled as she stood on the cart and watched her sister run off.

"I have her!" Jayl yelled as he ran after the youngest girl in their family. She was already up head and running into the forest. She then stopped to pick up a fallen branch and began to jump up. Jayl reached her in time to see the anklets which made him frown.

"Weren't they in your hands?" He asked his little sister.

"Don't ask me, just help me, please," Dev pleaded.

"I will, "Jayl turned and saw that they were hidden from the camps view but if they looked closer, they would see the anklets glittering under the sun. When his sister's whining got worse, he took her branch and used it to get her anklets. In about five seconds they dropped down and he caught them with one hand. Dev laugh and clapped as he threw the branch away.

He then handed over her anklets before a scream tore through the camp behind them. Turning they heard other screams as flying creatures came swooping down the camp and riders in blue came around the side.

"Other Landers!" Dev cried out. When she tried to run to the camp, Jayl stopped her and pulled her back. Her older brother turned and then they ran. Dev tried to turn but her brother wouldn't let her.