The Ancients A Tale of Survival

Meeting of Strangers

Ƒáeláƞ led the way into the forest.  He was acutely aware of Mỷrἇ and Jåcóbӱ following him.  He could feel Jåcóbӱ's censoring gaze as it bore a hole in his back.  Mỷrἇ's gaze was just as heavy, but it made Ƒáeláƞ feel like a boy who had just passed his trials to become a man.  He wasn't sure why he felt that way, he just did.

"Where are we going?"  Mỷrἇ's strong soprano echoed up from behind Ƒáeláƞ. 

Ƒáeláƞ turned and looked back over his shoulder at the exotic strangers behind him.  "I am taking you to our camp.  We have things to discuss."

"Will there be food?"

Äɱďėƞ's liquid laughter was light and airy compared Jåcóbӱ's deep earthy voice.  "Yes there will be food."

Jåcóbӱ grunted.  "Good, my dear sister has barely allowed us anytime to rest.  We have traveled west for many days."

Mỷrἇ's trilling laughter followed Jåcóbӱ's words.  "If I remember correctly, you did the same thing when we traversed the Southern Prairie.  Turn about is fair play."

Ƒáeláƞ listened to the siblings bantering back and forth.  He mentally shook his head and hid a smile as he listened to the two of them.  Even though he just met them he could already tell the difference between them.  Jåcóbӱ had more of his father in him than Mỷrἇ did.

Maŗŗők pushed past Ƒáeláƞ which caused Ƒáeláƞ to frown at him.  Ƒáeláƞ knew that Maŗŗők had been in love with Äçåçiå and even though Mỷrἇ had the dark coloring of her father, she looked remarkably like her mother.  Ƒáeláƞ was curious as to how Maŗŗők would react around Mỷrἇ.  Mỷrἇ looked like Äçåçiå, but Ƒáeláƞ could already tell that Mỷrἇ was more like Dárkmëre than Äçåçiå.

The camp opened before Ƒáeláƞ abruptly.  He nodded greetings to those he saw.  Many of them greeted him back.  Curious eyes were turned upon Mỷrἇ and Jåcóbӱ.  Whispers ran through the camp like wildfire.  People showed up to stare at the two siblings who looked so much like their parents that it almost seemed that they were still alive.

Mỷrἇ peered about her in curiosity.  There were so many people that it seemed as if the entire camp had come out to stare at them.  The man with the yellow eyes seemed to be some sort of leader.  The blue skinned woman seemed to be well liked to.   Mỷrἇ wondered why the other man seemed to be in a bad mood.  She watched as the people in the camp moved away from him and watched him wearily.

Mỷrἇ  and Jåcóbӱ were led through camp till they reached what appeared to be the center of camp.  The yellow eyed man sat down and motioned for them to sit.  Mỷrἇ sat gracefully down across from the yellow eyed man.  He watched her and it made Mỷrἇ self conscious which was something she wasn't accustomed to feeling.   Jåcóbӱ sat down next to her and Mỷrἇ noticed how he watched the blue skinned woman.  The other man sat down next to the yellow eyed man and glared at them.  Mỷrἇ  glared back at him before she pointedly ignored him.

The golden eyed man motioned to himself and then his two companions.  "My name is Ƒáeláƞ and these are my companions Maŗŗők and Äɱďėƞ."

Jåcóbӱ touched his chest and then laid a brotherly hand on Mỷrἇ's shoulder.  "I am Jåcóbӱ and this is my sister Mỷrἇ."

Ƒáeláƞ bowed his head in greeting.  "I am honored to meet you."

Mỷrἇ gazed at Ƒáeláƞ contemplatively.  There was something about him that triggered a long buried memory.  It was hard to grasp, but Mỷrἇ was finally able to put together her memories.  "Father spoke of you."

Ƒáeláƞ nodded.  "I knew your father.  He was my elder and helped train me for my passage to manhood."

"Did you know our mother too?"

"Yes Mỷrἇ.  I was there the day your parents met.  Your father looked at no other woman once he saw Äçåçiå.  He was captivated with her.  To him she appeared exotic.  He had never seen red hair before.  I haven't seen it since I last saw your mother."

Äɱďėƞ shifted beside Ƒáeláƞ.  She leaned forward and spoke to Mỷrἇ and Jåcóbӱ.  "Tell us how you found us.  Start from the beginning."

Mỷrἇ sighed and heard Jåcóbӱ echo her sigh.  "That is a long story," Jåcóbӱ said.  "It started years ago when our Mother took us her family."

Ƒáeláƞ shrugged.  "We have time."

Mỷrἇ looked to Jåcóbӱ.  Jåcóbӱ sighed and ran a hand through his long loose hair.  "We were both little when Father left and never returned.  Mother woke us up in the middle of the night and whisked us away to the Southern Plains.  We never saw her again after she dropped us off with her family.  They were unwilling to have us, but Mother threatened them and they reluctantly agreed.  We stayed with them until Mỷrἇ was 11 and I was 15."

"Why did you run away?"

Jåcóbӱ was angry.  "They meant to separate us.  Our aunt was uncomfortable with how close we were."

Mỷrἇ interrupted Jåcóbӱ.  "Jåcóbӱ and I have always slept back to back.  I woke up the one night to discover that Jåcóbӱ was gone.  I knew right then and their that my brother had run away.  I followed him."

Jåcóbӱ smiled at her before he went back to his story.  "We traveled across the Southern Plains for many weeks till Ştårbrîghţ found us.  He took us to the forest and trained us up until a few months ago.  We found out that Ştårbrîghţ had murdered our parents.  Ştårbrîghţ had planned on having us murdered.  We murdered him and have been fleeing his companions.  Mỷrἇ said that we had to go west so we have gone west clear up until you found us."

"What made you go west?"

Mỷrἇ shrugged at Ƒáeláƞ's question.  "It's a feeling I get.  I've always had it just like Jåcóbӱ always knows when someone is following us."

Ƒáeláƞ nodded.  "What you speak of makes sense.  Both of your parents had those abilities."

"Can you tell us about our parents?"

Äɱďėƞ smiled.  "Listen well my children.  I will tell you the story of Äçåçiå and Dárkmëre."