Rami

Chapter 5

At dusk, when the adults have disappeared into their tents and colours are fading into smoky greyness, five of us slip out into the night.  The last sunlight has faded to a crimson smudge above the canyon.  Wind murmurs in the dark.   I hold an oil lantern that casts shadows across our faces.

"This is exciting," whispers Ryl, or perhaps Ann.  They walk together, silhouettes against the darkening sky.  I haven't a clue how to tell them apart.

"It is!" says a little girl.  She runs ahead, laughing and bouncing on the balls of her feet.  I screw up my face in an effort to remember her name; is it Lea?

Meg grins. "I hope we don't get caught."

Mischief gleams in her eyes.  The other girls laugh.

I walk in silence, breathing in lungfuls of frozen air and searching for the first stars on the Eastern horizon.  Some unknown creature howls to the night.  The girls chatter, their breath coming out in white puffs, but I barely pay attention to their conversation.

We reach the bridge and dash across with our heads lowered, wearing heavy cloaks and skulking like thieves.  Meg gasps beside me as the festival comes into full view.

The streets are lined with stalls.  Merchants and travellers boast about their wares to throngs of people.  A thousand candles bathe the stalls in flickering red light.  The night air smells of frying garlic, soot and molten metal from Arl's many forges.  Some of the stalls sell stranger things than I've ever imagined: vines laden with golden fruit, luxurious electrical trinkets, parchment and fabric.  Some even have ancient, broken weapons strewn across their counters.

I wander over to a stall selling little mammals in bird cages.  They snarl at me when I come too close.  Each is about the size of a ferret.  They have ginger pelts and hawklike wings.  I've never seen anything like them.

I go towards the nearest one and reach through the bars of its cage.  It snuffles at my hand, then gives a low growl.  Its tail flicks against the bars.

"It's alright," I whisper, fascinated, "I won't possess you, I promise."

It regards me for a moment.  Its eyes narrow, then it inches forward.  I smile and stroke its neck.  Its fur is coarse and thick under my fingertips.

Meg laughs beside me.  "There you are, Rami!  What is that thing?  It's so cute."

"I don't know," I say, scratching behind its ears.

I wonder what kind of world it sees through those yellow eyes.  Then I realise, with a cold stab of guilt, that a part of me does want to possess it.  I grind my teeth and wonder why; I'm ashamed of myself.  Sometimes I posses animals out of desperation, because I need to escape, because I crave the simplicity of the creature's life and want to run from being human.  But why would I want that now? 

"Hey, sir!  Merchant!  What are they?"  Ryl says, dragging my thoughts back to the present.

"They come from another land," the merchant says.  He's a tall man with dreadlocks and a battered tunic.  A long dagger is sheathed at his belt,  "They cost five hundred each, if you want to buy one."

Meg snorts and makes a face, "The elders would be furious."

"Then run along, you little brats."

Ryl laughs and leans on the counter.  "Why are they so expensive?"

He glares at her.  She laughs harder.

"It's because they're useful, alright?" he says, "You can train them to do just about anything.  Now get out of here!"