Shadows Beyond

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

‘Who be you?’ Emtani asked distrustfully.

‘My name,’ the stranger said, picking up a skin full of water, ‘is Zeff Esterhausil.’

He had the same surname as Tagg. ‘Brothers?’ Emtani asked, looking from one to the other. Tagg was younger and scruffy by comparison and did not have the stranger’s confidence, at least not around her, but the family likeness was obvious now she knew.

Zeff held the water-skin towards her. She eyed it uncertainly, longing to drink, but not quite daring to trust him. Tagg must have understood because he took the water-skin and drank his fill before offering it back to Emtani. She nodded, wiped it clean and gulped some down. Then she looked towards the twin while drying her chin with the back of her hand. ‘Who be that one?’

‘We call him ZefShad,’ Tagg said.

It was a strange name, but these brothers were weird. Tagg crouched down and lit a fire before gutting a rock-rabbit that was lying on a slab. He carefully put the skin and guts into a bag that ZefShad picked up and took with him as left the cave.

‘He’ll dispose of the waste where no one will find it,’ Zeff explained to Emtani, ‘and keep lookout tonight while we sleep.’

‘It be bitter out there,’ Emtani said. She lived in a home that was often shrouded in river mists and was used to the cold, but even she had been struggling on the plain.

He shrugged and glanced at Emtani’s damaged boots. ‘Your feet must be a mess.’

‘They be fine,’ she said, suddenly realising they hurt badly. ‘But I be shiver’d,’ and she edged towards the fire, grateful for its warmth, but maintaining a safe distance between herself and the brothers.

Zeff asked Tagg in a low voice, ‘Can we trust her?’

‘She’s Nye’s sister,’ Tagg replied, as if this was explanation enough.

‘You were knowing Nye?’ Emtani asked, peering at them through narrowed eyes.

Zeff nodded. ‘Knew him, respected him and,’ he paused, ‘loved him.’

This made no sense. Why would someone living in a cave out in the rocky plains know her brother? Nye never left the village. These brothers were liars as well as thieves. ‘I bain’t believing you.’

‘Whatever else we Esterhausils may be,’ Zeff said with a wry smile, ‘we’re not liars.’

‘He,’ Emtani jabbed a finger towards Tagg, ‘stole’d my full best headlet and then were saying it weren’t he. If that bain’t lying, I bain’t knowing what be.’ Then she added, ‘And why bain’t you wearing one? It bain’t natural.’

Zeff scratched his head, as if trying to decide what to say. ‘You will have been told by your mother that we need headlets to prevent inevitable aggressive madness.’

She resented being spoken to as if she was stupid. Everyone knew why headlets were worn. Before a baby could walk, he or she was fitted with a metal headlet. New links were added as the child grew. Although Emtani had nearly stopped growing, Nye had checked hers only a few days before.

‘Well, as you see,’ Zeff went on, ‘I’m not violent.’

‘A fish bain’t having teeth, but it bites just the same,’ she said bluntly.

‘You think I’m pretending?’

‘You be saying headlets bain’t having a purpose, when I be knowing different.’