The Boy in the Field (5 page)

“You’re Ethan,” you said, smiling.

Ethan’s smile grew. “Come in. We waited for you, but you never
came.”

“Well, I’m here now.”

You stepped inside the house and followed Ethan into the living
room. Spread out on the floor was a pack of cards. Ethan gathered them into a
pile and shared them between you.

“Do you know how to play Tagi?”

You shook your head and Ethan explained the rules. The game was
simple; line up your cards in numerical order before the other player to win.

“So,” Ethan began once the game was underway. “What’s the real
reason you didn’t come back? I don’t believe you got lost.”

You shrugged. “I don’t know. I just…” Your voice caught, but
you continued anyway. “I just didn’t come back.”

“Are you going to cry,
masuki
?”

“No. It’s just…” You shook your head and looked up. “
Masuki
? 
When did you learn to speak country? I thought you said I spoke funny.”

“I asked my mother. She says you speak the same as she did when
she was a girl in Ethigos. She said it was a nice thing to call you.”

“It is.” You nodded. “Wait… Ethigos?”

“That’s what she said.”

“So you mean I’ve been speaking foreign all this time?”

Ethan nodded. “Yep.”

“
Saa
. I never knew.” You smiled.

“So,
masuki
. Do you want to tell me what’s up?”

“My father was mad at me for being out late. He said I’m not
allowed to leave the house anymore.”

“But you have.” Ethan tilted his head. “Won’t he get angry
again?”

“I don’t know. I’m hoping that he’ll be at work again when I
get back. He trades with the desert people.”

“Taatars?” Ethan straightened. “You shouldn’t speak to Taatars.
They’re dangerous.”

You nodded. “Sometimes, they come back to the house. They drink
and smoke and get into fights.”

“You’ve had Taatars in your house?” Ethan dropped his voice.
“That’s really bad.”

“At least he never stays home long. Sometimes he’s gone for a
really long time.”

“Does your mother get cross with him?”

“I don’t have a mother.”

Ethan frowned. “So looks after you when he’s away?”

“I do.” You glanced around the room. “You’re home alone now,
aren’t you?”

“Yeah, but Ma’s only at the market with Noah.”

“Where’s your father?”

“Oh. He died when we were younger.” Ethan sighed. “He was a
soldier.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. It’s been a long time. What happened to your
mother?”

You shrugged. “Dunno. Never had one.”

When Noah and Adina arrived home, you decided that you wanted
to spend as much time as you could with the Wicker family. Adina made delicious
food and playing cards with the boys was the most fun you had ever had. The
more you learned about them, the more you liked them. The boys went to a school
in the town during the week where they learned to read and write and do sums.
Your reading wasn’t very good – you could recognise the words on jars in the
shops and markets, but Ethan and Noah had books. Suddenly, they weren’t just
city boys – they were superheroes.

You put your plan into action the next day, setting out into
town early in the morning after doing your chores to look for ways to earn more
money. While the boys were at school, you delivered newssheets and fetched
groceries for elderly people. Once a week you would help a man to sweep the
streets clean of the market’s litter and even cleared the roads of therin
droppings. In the afternoons, you bought yourself some dinner and then went to
visit the brothers, staying at their house until Adina said it was time to
leave.

It worked for a few months, until you were walking home with
the brothers late one night. Your father was in the town square, shouting at
another man. The boys saw him too, hesitating as he turned to look at you.

The two boys moved in front of you, but it was too late; he had
seen you. He stood, his interest in the other man lost.

“Oi! Come ‘ere!”

“Let’s go,” you hissed, moving quickly to get away from the
square.

“Don’ walk away when I’m talkin’ to ya! Get back here.” He
began to follow you, swaying with each step. “You two oughta get home. It’s too
late for little boys.”

Ethan stopped and turned to face him. “Who are you calling
little, drunkard?”

His eyebrows rose and he bared his teeth. “
Vasa
. You’re
either brave or stupid and you’re going to regret that!” He took another step
towards Ethan.

Choice:
25.
Intervene
or
26.
Take Father Home

“I think I killed him,” you replied. “I think he’s dead.”

“Come on. We’ll go back to mine. Ma will know what to do.”

You nodded, but didn’t move. Noah held out his hand.

“Where are your coat and shoes?”

“I don’t know.”

“Never mind. Let’s just go.”

He took hold of your hand and led you down the stairs and out
of the front door. The wet grass was cold between your toes as he took you
towards the therin field. He helped you onto the back of a therin and held you
between its horns the same way you had done for him when you first met.

The creature started to move as Noah kicked it in the side, its
pace too fast and its path erratic under Noah’s rookie control. Its hooves
clipped the fence as it jumped, jolting you to attention. Taking hold of the
therin’s horns, you tried to calm the creature, relieving Noah of control. You
rode together in silence, not even speaking when you reached Noah’s house.

Adina opened the door, her smile quickly disappearing from her
face when she looked at you.

“What happened?” she asked, helping you both from the therin’s
back. “Who did this?”

“Her father,” Noah said. “He hit her and then she tried to stop
him hurting me and he fell and there was blood…” He helped you inside. “I’ll
get the kit.”

As Noah disappeared up the stairs, Adina guided you into the
kitchen, turning your head to look at the mark where he hit you. Noah returned
with a small wooden box. Two perfect stone spheres sat inside, pale and
pearlescent, one green, the other pink. Adina took out the pink one and wrapped
it in a towel before pushing the back of her hand against your skin. As soon as
she touched you, the pain began to dampen.

“What happened?” she asked, closing her eyes and breathing
deeply.

“I hit him with a jug and he’s on my floor. We just… We left
him.” You stared into your lap. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for anyone to get
hurt.”

“Where’s your mother?”

You shrugged. “Ain’t got one.”

She opened her eyes and turned to look at Noah. In the light of
the kitchen, you could make out the shadowy outline of a hand cast in bruised
grey around his throat. Adina’s nostrils flared as she examined him. She calmed
as she put the towel to his skin.

“How does that feel?” she asked when she opened her eyes,
looking first at Noah and then at you.

You touched your cheek but felt nothing. “Better,” you said.
Noah’s reply was the same.

She dropped the stone back into its box. “I’ll get your brother
to run over to the law hall. That man should be locked up.”

“It’s too late for that. I think I killed him.” You looked up
at her. “Please don’t tell them. I don’t want to go to prison.”

“You won’t go to prison,
hani
.” She stood up, shaking
her head. “Don’t worry.”

She left the room and went upstairs. Noah smiled, rubbing his
throat.

“I think you saved my life. Again,” he said.

You prodded your cheek, still feeling nothing where moments
before it had been burning in pain. “What did she do to me?”

“Radust.” Noah shrugged. “Ma always uses it when we get hurt.”

“I can’t feel it.”

“But that’s good, right?”

“I guess.”

“Ethan must have gone out,” Adina said when she returned. “You
two stay here.” She smiled and placed a small key on the table. “Only if her
father comes back. I’m going to find someone. I’ll not be long.”

She kissed him on the top of the head and pulled on her shoes.
You sat in silence until the door shut behind her.

“What is it?” you asked.

“Come and see.” Noah picked up the key and led you from the
kitchen to a glass fronted case in the hallway. “It belonged to our father,
when he was a soldier.”

Through the glass, you saw a long, silver sword, the blade
sharp and clean. A tiny keyhole marked the position of the lock that kept the
weapon secure.

“I bet you wish you hadn’t looked for me now,” you said. “I bet
your life was better before.”

“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “We missed you when you didn’t
come back. And Ma really liked you too. You’re not like any of the girls I’ve
ever met.”

Ethan came in almost an hour later and suggested a game of
cards. You were glad when he didn’t ask about the bruises; you didn’t want to
relive the story. He and Noah exchanged a few peculiar looks. You wondered if
being twins meant they could communicate without words or if they were just
cheating at the game; you lost every single round.

Adina returned after your fifth consecutive defeat, her face
halfway between happy and worried.

“You didn’t kill him,” she said, pouring cups of tea. “He
wasn’t there when the soldiers went to look.”

“He’s not dead?” You sat up. “Then he’ll look for me. And he’ll
be angry.” You stood. “I should go.”

“You’ll go nowhere.” Adina put her hand on your shoulder.
“Tonight, you’ll stay here and in the morning, we’ll try to find somewhere safe
for you to live,
hai na
?”

Choice:
31.
Stay with Them
or
32.
Leave Landia

“I think I killed him,” you replied. “I think he’s dead.”

“Come on. We’ll go back to mine. Ma will know what to do.”

“No. We have to move him. We have to get rid of the body.
They’ll arrest me if they find out.”

Noah shook his head. “Ma will know what to do.”

You sighed. “Just go home. I’ll deal with this by myself.”

“Are you sure? Ma will help us.”

“It’s got nothing to do with you, Noah. Just go home.”

Noah nodded and went down the stairs. You saw him to the door
and let him walk away before you went back to move the body. The floor was wet
from the contents of the jug and the sheet you used to wrap his body soaked up
the liquid, turning the fabric a nasty shade of pink.

He was heavy – far too heavy to lift. Instead, you dragged him,
his skull thumping on every step on the way down, leaving a trail of red in his
wake. You paused when you got to the door, taking a moment to breathe and
consider what to do next. You could easily drag him to the woods and leave him
to be eaten by the landsharks. However, he was less likely to be discovered if
you took him just a little further, weighed down the bundle and pushed him into
the lake.

Choice:
28.
Dump Him in the Woods
or
29.
Dump
Him in the Lake

You stepped in front of the two boys. “Don’t speak to them
like that.”

“Or what?” He stepped forward and shoved you in the chest. “Are
you going to stop me?”

“Yeah.” You nodded. “I am.”

“Come on then.” He shoved you again. “I would love to see you
try.”

As you stumbled, you became aware of other footsteps in the
square, more men shouting and blades being drawn. Ethan and Noah pulled you to
your feet as the argument turned into a brawl, other men from the tavern moving
to your defence, dragging father away from you. As they fought him, more men
joined to fight against them.

“Come on,” Noah grabbed your hand and pulled. “Let’s go.”

Ethan was right behind you as you began to run, taking the
shortest streets back to their house, hoping that no one would look for you or
follow. Noah unlocked the door and the three of you bundled into the hallway of
the house, Ethan slamming it shut behind you.

“What the—what happened?” Adina had her arms crossed over her
chest, but her expression changed as she looked at the three of you, panting
and groaning in the doorway.

“Her father…” Ethan puffed, putting his hand on your shoulder.
“And a fight… Ran…”

“Go into the kitchen,” Adina said, starting up the stairs. “Sit
down and wait for me.”

Your hands stung as you pushed yourself to your feet. Ethan put
his arm around your shoulder to help you into the other room. Noah sat at the
table and laid his head down on his arms. You looked at Ethan’s shirt to see
blood on his sleeve.

“Are you hurt?”

He looked down and shook his head. “You are.”

He turned your hands over to reveal bright orange grazes across
your palms. The blood on his sleeve was a handprint from where you had touched
him.

A minute later, Adina appeared in the doorway, a small wooden
box in her hand. Inside it was a series of small glass vials and two pale,
pearlescent stones, perfectly spherical in shape, one green and the other pink.
She took out the pink and wrapped it in a kitchen towel before pushing the
bundle against your grazed skin.

“What is that?” you asked, as the pain dulled.

“Lenius,” she replied. “Is anyone else hurt?”

The two boys shook their heads and Adina returned the stone to
the box.

“What’s lenius?”

“It’s a kind of radust. You use it to stop injuries from
hurting so much.” Adina cocked her head. “You must know about radust? Surely
your father uses it when…” She trailed off.

“He’s usually the reason I’m hurt,” you said. “How does it
work?”

Adina smiled sadly. “Like bottled medicine, I suppose.” She
stood up. “You should wash your hands to make sure there is no dirt in there.
Noah, go and find some blankets. She’s staying here tonight.”

Noah went upstairs as you went to the sink to wash your hands.
Adina’s sink was one of the best things about their house; it had clean,
running water, cool and fresh. You let the water fill your palms and then
rubbed carefully to get them clean. Back home, whenever you wanted water, you
had to trek down to the farmer’s well and there was never any guarantee the
water would be okay to drink right away. Sometimes it needed to be filtered
several times to remove all the dirt and insects.

When Noah returned, Adina began setting up the blankets in
piles on the floor, making a bed for you beside the fireplace. She sent the two
boys to their beds and made sure you were settled before she too went upstairs.
You snuggled into the blankets, staring up the ceiling. Part of you wished you
could stay forever, but somewhere, at the back of your mind, you could hear a
little voice telling you to run.

Choice:
32.
Leave Landia
or
33.
Settle In