Savages

16: Sisters and Brothers

Sannah had woken up heavy with the dream she was pregnant with Saint's baby, and it took her a good few minutes to convince herself she wasn't.

Surely we've got to go, now, she thought. If Lintie's going to have a baby. Surely we'll go to Albia soon.

The fire had almost gone out in the night and the house was cold. Sannah dressed quickly and rebuilt it, but it was taking a while for the heat to catch up with the flames. Judit was still asleep, curled up heavy breathing in her box bed.

Sannah thought about talking to Hegri the night before, and suddenly felt shy. What if he doesn't like me any more? She felt inexplicably anxious. Making friends was stressful.

There was a loud rap at the door. Because she was thinking about Hegri, Sannah was convinced it was him. She slipped on the rubber boots and pushed through the byre, opening the door with a smile. She was surprised, but not displeased, to see Deera smiling back at her.

"Hello," Deera said. "I come to talk. Is good time?"

"Yeah, of course," Sannah replied. "It's nice to see you. Judit's sleeping though. Can I just get my coat, and we'll go out? I have to go to the well anyway."

"Yes, is good."

Sannah grabbed her coat and a bucket, and stepped out into the day. The sky was grey and cloudy and the light was so weak it almost felt like dusk, even though it was morning.

"Is dark today," Deera said, and Sannah nodded agreement. "Baby," Deera went on. "That is big news."

"I know," Sannah said. "I can't believe it. Poor Lintie. She must be scared, no hospital or anything. Terrifying, really."

Deera shrugged. "In Tvena, hospital only be for rich, people from government. All other baby is born at home. Sometimes is bad, but many times is good. We pray for good."

"Yeah," Sannah said, and felt like an excruciating idiot for not knowing that. She realised that not only were the Native kids' pasts a mystery to her, but Deera, Lulu and Pii's lives too. She mentally upbraided herself and made an internal oath to be less self-absorbed from now on.

"I want... I have question for you," Deera said, pulling up short as they reached the well. "You and Gaen go to Albia soon, yes?" Deera fixed her eyes on the woods behind Sannah's head, bit her lip. Her voice was serious. "I want... I want to come with you."

"Oh." Sannah was taken aback. "Yeah. Yes, of course. I mean, we should talk to Gaen, but I can't see why not." She smiled at Deera encouragingly.

Deera didn't smile back, her face twisting into a frown. "Is more," she said. "There is thing I want–thing I need to do. In Albia. Is... is..." She hesitated, still frowning. "You know of place, of people, where... where you found us."

"Yeah?" Sannah felt nervous. She didn't know where this was going.

"In Tvena, people promise us safe passage, and job with many digits in Albia. Our parents pay much money for us to come, and then..." she faltered.

"Yeah," Sannah said quickly. "I understand. It was a trick. They tricked them."

"Yes," Deera said. "But... for me, it is... It is more. Those bad people... my parents did not pay them only for me. They pay..."