The Phoenix People

Chapter Forty-Six

I was woken by Jack's cries. At first, I was concerned - he was usually such a quiet child that I assumed something was wrong. Then I remembered that there were other reasons for a baby his age to get upset.

"What's the matter?" I mumbled sleepily. "You hungry? Thirsty?" My stomach growled impatiently. "Me, too."

I stood, hugging Jack to my chest. As an afterthought, I hesitantly lifted his bottom to my nose and sniffed.

"Oh, gods," I gagged. "That's powerful."

Poking my head out of my tent flap, I saw that it was evening. The sun was nearly below the horizon, painting the sky beautiful colors. I drank the sight in, awestruck. I hadn't been able to appreciate the raw beauty of the Outlands before then.

I walked out onto the wooden planks carefully. Hugging Jack, I decided that the safest way to get to the desert floor would be to sit on the planks and hop off.

Even though we were moving at a slow pace, I still stumbled as I hit the sand. Adjusting Jack in my arms, I started toward Sky's tent. My legs protested, spikes of pain shooting through them with every step, but this time, my destination was concrete and nearby. It was doable.

Sky wasn't in her tent. Unsure of what to do, I saw outside on the wooden beams. After Jack squirmed enough, I allowed him to crawl around just inside the tent, watching him fondly.

The kindly older woman finally returned when the sun had dipped below the horizon and the first stars had begun to appear.

"Hello, Alexia. What do you need?" she asked cheerily.

"I hate to be such a hassle, but Jack needs to be changed again," I explained.

"Did you check your dresser? I'm sure there are some clothing and wraps in there."

"I hadn't even thought to look," I replied apologetically.

Sky beckoned for me to follow her inside of her tent. She saw Jack, lolling lazily on the floor, and carefully picked him up, rocking him. He yawned contentedly, snuggling into her.

"You look good in our clothing," Sky complimented me as Jack reached up to tug weakly at her hair.

"Oh! Thank you." I looked down at my outfit. The blouse was colorful and nearly awkwardly tight - while it was soft and stretchy material, it highlighted my curves. The pants were baggy, but tight at the ankles and waist, allowing for air flow while blocking out most of the sand.

As Sky sat on her bed, still holding Jack, she asked, "Would you like to take off your shoes? We could get you a pair more accustomed to the desert."

I glanced down at my delicate dancing shoes, still miraculously strapped to my feet. "Sure," I said, noticing that Sky's feet were so weathered that she wasn't even wearing shoes. Sliding mine off, I cringed as small piles of sand poured out onto the floor.

"I"m sorry."

"I'm an Outlander. I'm used to a little sand," Sky replied dryly, grinning. "You can leave your shoes here with me."

I gripped them tightly, suddenly quite possessive of the small reminders of home. "No, thank you. I can keep them in my tent. Speaking of, it's Jack's bedtime and he still needs to be changed. I should go now."

Sky stared at me for a moment. "Are you sure you don't want to leave your shoes here?" she finally asked, her voice strangely soft.

A strange, irrational fear that I would have to trade the shoes for Jack swept over me. I held out my arm for him as the others pinned my shoes to my body, shaking my head wordlessly.

Stop being ridiculous. Sky saved you - she wouldn't steal Jack. It's just a pair of shoes.

After another tense second, Sky handed me Jack. His chubby arms wrapped around my neck in their familiar hug and he rested his cheek against my collarbone, completely unaware that anything was wrong.

"I'm going to return to my tent," I said as lightly as possible. Despite Sky's kindness, I couldn't help but feel uneasy. Something was off. I backed out of her tent and wasted no time in returning to my own.

Lying on my bed, I stared into the fading light, my heart beating. The sooner I got out of the Outlands, the better.

*

I hadn't even realized that I had fallen asleep until Jack's cries once more woke me. I jolted upright, once again thinking something was wrong. However, after smelling the odor in the tent, I remembered that I had completely forgotten to change Jack's wrappings. Wincing, I did so.

Babies were challenging.

After we had both changed clothes, I left Jack to play on the floor of the tent while I glanced outside.

The sun was just peeking above the horizon. Glad that it was a new day, I sat and relaxed until Moonhopper came to fetch me.

"Ready to begin your training?" he asked.

"Of course." I turned around and called into the tent. "Jack! Come here!"

Jack smiled at me and crawled over, allowing me to scoop him up. Grinning at my small victory, I told Moonhopper, "Let me just change my clothes."

He shook his head. "It's no use. You're going to get very sandy."

Shrugging, I jumped to the ground and prepared to follow him.

"This will be difficult with Jack," he said slowly. "There is a tent where we keep our young - we showed it to you on the way into camp. He can spend time with others his age while you work with the Skimmers."

I was tempted to say yes. After all, constantly worrying about the child was draining physically as well as mentally. My arms ached from carrying him everywhere.

But I had promised Grace that I would keep Jack alive and safe, and the best way to do that would be constant vigilance. If the Phoenix People had taught me one thing, it was that my trust should not be easily gained. 

I shook my head. "I am so sorry to inconvenience you, but surely you understand. After all we've been through..."

Moonhopper managed an obviously forced smile and nodded. "Fine." He spun on his heel and started walking away from me.

Now, this annoyance I understood. After all, Jack would hinder us. But I had gotten one too many strange feelings from this Outlander tribe to allow Jack to be alone with them.

He would stay by my side for now.