Retreating shadows

CH2

Later that day, a small group of four shadow clan members met in the shade of a fire clan-built sun temple (That they would think to honour the sun by blocking her out, Sunchild had thought the first time she saw it, baffled, only proved their madness). After all, in only a week, the fifteenth peace meeting of all six clans would take place.

Agon's green-clad form joined them, completing their temporary council of four decades. They were only four: Wartorn Erok, an expression on his face that gives the impression that he stepped off of the battlefield only this morning. Eib, the flour on her dark apron nearly a bright as her near-permanent smile. Agon, his fishing rod still in hand. And Sunchild herself, her white sunhat flopping into her face with the wind.

"Sorry, guys. The clouds tricked me into seeing ships where there weren't any again," Agon said, managing to not sound very apologetic at all.

"I did catch three extra salmons, though." He handed them to Eib.

"It's been fifteen years, you'd think they'd've found something by now," Erok remarked with frustration and a large amount of fear.

"We will have to wait. They will return. In the meantime, we need to indulge the fifteenth peace meeting," Sunchild said.

Fifteen years of peace hadn't been nearly enough to dull the memory of over a century of war that had preceded it. Not for Sunchild, and not for any other member in the clan. In the five years between the successful rebellion and the first meeting, the shadow clan had built as many ships as the little remaining unburned wood could. When it became clear the fire clan would not suffer any meaningful consequences and the peace consisted only of insincere apologies and poorly disguised rage, most of the clan had left.

All that the peace had changed, was that a small group of shadow clan representatives had to stay behind, to honour a peace they couldn't trust.

"Any news on our four other members?"

"Nox is willing to come with again. He's not happy about it and told me he'll refuse to talk to anyone, but he'll be there," Agon said. Year after year, his brother acted as though he wouldn't ever join them. Eventually, he always changed his mind. Sunchild and the other two only nodded.

"One of those in the caves asked me about seeing members of the other clans a few days ago," Erok said. "They are on of the ones guarding our fire clan prisoners. They saw one type of unfamiliar creature and got a craving for more. The name is," Erok made a noise best approximated by the sound made by rock, which has lain undisturbed for eras, when it is suddenly tossed into a very large, very sturdy blender, and is most unhappy about it, "or Veice."

This bit of news was rather shocking. The last time any of those in between had taken any sort of initiative had been forty-four years ago, to rid them of the fire occupation. Before that there were centuries of nothing.

"That's unexpected but not unwelcome," said Sunchild, "Anyone else?"

There wasn't.

Eib sighed and vocalized what all four of them didn't particularly want put into words.

"Pirocessa says she and Piroce both want to go. I don't think we can stop them, really."

"All other clans have been sending their war heroes for years, and there's not been any murdering yet. The fact that our rebellion leader acts like an idiot shouldn't change that," said Sunchild. She felt tired.

"She is our official ruler. More importantly, she kicked the fire clan's asses back to their own pathetic plot of burning ashes. I'd love to see the smug looks fall right off of their fucking faces when the warrior who threw them out acts like an unusually enthusiastic child whenever she isn't standing on a battlefield," said Erok. He himself looked rather very smug.

"That definitely doesn't hurt." Eib smiled with anticipation. "It might shake up that meeting a bit. Maybe this time it won't remind me of watching the shifts of the deepest-cave shadows."

Agon shifted, "We don't want to draw attention. Remember that."

A tense silence followed. They all recalled with brutal clarity and unwished for accuracy what it was that happened when one got noticed by the fire clan. As a clan, it got you war. As a prisoner of said war, it led to fire brought in very close proximity to where no one would want it.

"It's decided, then," Sunchild said. "We meet in two days, at the same time and place. All eight who are going to the meeting should be there."

The next morning, Sunchild welcomed the sun on her own. What with the approach of the summer solstice, her light rose above the horizon earlier than the children were usually awake. Not all bad, Sunchild thought. There was little point getting the two of them excited about a new project when she would be leaving so soon.

She let her imagination flow about arbitrarily. Her next attempt at catching the suns likeness in art would be of great proportions. It was the time, she felt.