Savages

18: Competition

Imbolc, Island of Hirta

Sannah lifted her hands to protect her eyes from the rain, and scanned the horizon again. She finally caught sight of Gaen, wet and wind-whipped, standing on a rock by the edge of the bay. His figure looked tiny and lonesome with the storm raging around him. She ran towards him, pulling her sodden hood against her face. It made her skin wetter and colder where it touched, and gave scant protection from the weather.

"Today?" Sannah panted as she arrived next to him. He didn't turn, his eyes still set on the white peaks of the geometric sea. Sannah followed his gaze, and shuddered. Even in the sheltered bay, the tethered boat was pitching from side to side like it might break into smithereens at any time.

"Today?" Sannah repeated louder, though she knew what the answer would be.

Gaen heard her this time. When he turned to her, his face was slick with water, pale and drawn.

"It's not going to be today, is it?" Sannah said, knowing the answer.

He didn't say anything, his expression speaking volumes.

"Thirty-seven days," Sannah said, struggling to hide her dismay. Thirty-seven days. For thirty-seven days she'd had her bags packed, and they'd been ready to go. For thirty-seven days the weather had bested them.

First storm, then wind, then fog. Then a few quiet days when Gaen refused to make a move in case the storm came back. It did.

Then more storms. The waves were so big the spray hit the back of their blackhouse, far from the shore. The weather like this was bleak, awesome, terrifying. It made you feel like your grasp on existence, on living, had the strength of a blade of grass.

Nature is not a mother, Sannah thought. Nature doesn't care about humans at all. Nature would annihilate us with more brutality and indifference than any murderer.

***

"Today?" Deera looked up from her little stool when Sannah entered the store shed, dripping rain everywhere. She took in Sannah's expression and shook her head. "Not today."

"Nope."

Deera sighed and shrugged, casting a weary eye over the provisions. Pii was curled up next to her, weaving reeds into little mats. It looked more like she was doing it for fun than any useful ends. The mats were tiny and pretty pointless.

"So what's today's ration?" Sannah asked in her best positive tone, following Deera's gaze to the provisions.

Deera pushed eight potatoes, two large, emerald green cabbage leaves and a gnarled red chunk of dried meat towards her.

"Lavy again?" Sannah's positive tone faltered as she looked at the fishy, sinewy dried bird-meat.

"Is only protein left," Deera said apologetically. "Not enough chickens now. Until we kill sheep."

"No problem." Sannah tried to sound as bright as possible. "It's better than nothing, isn't it?"

She scooped up the food and pushed it into her voluminous pockets, taking care not to get the meat too wet. The edges of the cabbage had been nibbled by slugs into a delicate lacework. She wasn't looking forward to this meal.

Her stomach rumbled, and she ignored it.

"Have Hegri or Jaddy been for theirs yet?" Sannah asked.

Deera shook her head. "You want to take?"

"Yeah. I'll nip it round to them."

Deera pushed the extra rations into a grubby cotton tote bag and passed it to Sannah.