Shame. Embarassment. Inferiority. All of the degrading emotions that had spiralled through Jed’s mind before increased exponentially with each passing second his father stared at him. His father, Chief of the Ferals. Chief of the entirety of the tribe. Dad.
“H-hi Dad.”
Jed stared sheepishly at the ground, a flush spreading across his face.
“Did you run off and hide after failing the trials, hmm?”
Jed’s face turned from pink to luminescent red.
“I-I was just spending some time with Ava. There’s n-nothing wrong with that, r-right?”
Jed’s father knitted bushy greyed eyebrows. His square jaw was taut with an expression crossed between rage and a grimace. His eyes, hazel with gold flecks, pierced Jed’s invisible armour. They cut him right to his core, immobilised him. He was stuck, unable to move.
“The problem here is you are still a Prentice.”
Burly, rugged arms crossed in front of a portly torso.
“What a joke. The son of a Chief is still a Prentice, even after all his peers have moved up in rank. How do you intend to justify that?”
Jed began to stammer out a response, his eyes fixed upon his feet.
“I-i-i couldn’t p-pas-“
“Look me in the eyes! Is the son of the Chief a coward?”
Jed lifted his gaze. "
“I couldn’t pass. I can’t aim a bow. There. You have my answer.”
The Chief opened his mouth, but Jed continued speaking, his tone growing stronger with every word.
“I’m a terrible archer. That’s right. The son of the Chief cannot pass his father’s trials. I accept that. You should too. But I know there’s a trial I can pass. The alternate trial. I know I can take a prisoner from the Scree. So that’s what I’m going to do.”
The Chief snorted, closing his eyes and shaking his head.
“You’d never survive. You have no idea of how tough it is to live outside the cosiness of the tribe.”
“Oh really?”
Jed’s words were filled with conviction.
“Well then, there should be no harm in letting me try then, should there? If I’m expected to fail, you won’t lose respect anymore.”
“I cannot allow you to take on the alternate trial. Not even the strongest of our Warriors passed it. It’s impossible for a failure like you to pass.”
“Let me try.”
Three simple words, combined with Jed’s desperate expression, finally won over his father. The Chief sighed, the battle lost.
“As you wish. I will announce it to the tribe. You will depart at sunrise tomorrow. I suggest you prepare yourself.”
With that, Jed’s father turned around and left Jed alone. I’m really going to do this. I’m really going through with it. Even through his doubts, a new conviction had formed somewhere in him. I will survive this, and escape with Ava.
Ava turned her head when she heard the bellow of the Chief.
“LET ALL THOSE WHO ARE FERAL GATHER BENEATH THE TALLROCK.”
Confusion clouded her mind for a few moments, before a realisation hit her. This must be a result of the Chief and Jed’s little talk. She followed the flurry of Ferals past the sleeping tents to the center of camp, where the Chief stood upon a high-arching rock. The tallrock. In truth, she admired him, but the uneven mop of hair that sat atop the Chief’s head was slowly turning grey, and even Ava felt that it would not be long before a new Chief was chosen to lead the Ferals. The tribe surely would not tolerate their aging leader for much longer. Regardless, there had been no challenges as of late. The Chief started speaking, and Ava’s attention was drawn towards the Tallrock. At the base of it stood Jed. His scruffy hair was tousledby the breeze, and his slender yet vaguely muscular figure could be made out through his thin t-shirt and skinny jeans. She smiled to herself. Soon, nobody will keep us apart. It’ll just be us two, and nobody can tell him he’s not good enough anymore. Also... Ava’s smile widened. I’ll be able to finally fulfil my promise to her. She slowly tuned into the Chief’s speech after averting her eyes from her boyfriend.
