Before the River Stops Again

A PLACE AMONGST THE IVY

Ghia around at the thick vegetation around her trying to take note of so many plants she was unfamiliar with. Mayin forests let in less light, took in more heat and were so very different than those she'd grown up with and she hadn't seen those since before the war.

The journey to this point had taken four days. They'd all woken up early in the morning and started walking slowly through the forest taking a path that only Teshnikam could really see. Their leader would often stop at trees covered in moss or ivy to orient himself and trek on.

The forthcoming meeting wasn't much wanted by either side, but desperate situations made strange allies. Ghia knew her role in this as part of Teshnikam's five-man retinue representing the Kanu-Maru. In plain terms she was someone meant to look tough and observe, but not to speak.

The sun was directly overhead now, but still occluded by the forest's thick canopy. Suddenly, the Kanu-Maru leader stopped and gave the signal for silence.

They listened.

The forest remained an amalgam of blurred noises - falling dew drops, falling leaves, and rustling insects. It was hard to disentangle the different sounds from one another. She'd begun learning when she'd joined, but she recognized how much she had yet to learn.

Ghia listened to the wind and the scurry of animal feet. When she heard the call of a karas-bird, she understood. It was long low whistle. And it was far out of season for a spring day.

She heard it again and watched Teshnikam fold his hands to make it in return.

The fake call came from different place this time and when Teshnikam whistled back the second time, Ghia noticed the leaves moving. They were far closer than she would have been comfortable with.

A voice from behind shouted in Mayin, then in Kel-Kolova.

"Makikunata! Hands above! Hands above!"

Several figures rose up from the bush around them, each of them armed and camouflaged. A woman rose up from a bush in a crouching position with gun in her hands pointed squarely at Teshnikam. It was the leader of the Monegare had come herself. Marekoa was rigid, dogmatic, and even barking order and threatening their leader she was still somewhat awe-inspiring.

The two rebel leaders spoke quickly and quietly and Ghia could hear almost nothing of the conversation, but soon after, Marekoa called out in Mayin and the fighters pointed their weapons at the ground.

"This way," she said. "You all must be tired from the journey."

Marekoa led them to the camp, walking with a confidence that Ghia wished she could one day imitate. As the Monegare leader walked through, Ghia observed everyone's reaction to the infamous tigress. Backs straitened, hands hastened, and paces quickened. Ghia had been to the Monegare camp a year before, but she could see that their numbers had grown substantially. Now the camp had the strong pulse of young mule.

Marekoa led them to a table, called out something in Mayin, and the group was given coffee and lanni cakes both of which Ghia was quite grateful for. Normally, the easy part would during coffee, but between the two retinues talk at the table came slowly. The Kanu-Maru were mostly from the borderlands between and Donletha and Molendi while the Monegare seemed be mostly Mayin. With no other common tongue, the two groups were forced to make pleasantries in the language of their oppressors. The irony of which was not lost on Ghia.

"This lanni cakes are good. The taste is very...good." Yvelhion said in broken Kelovan with a handful of sweets.

"Thank you. Our chef takes a lot of pride in his work." said a clear-eyed man at Marekoa's left.