Fugitives: Chapter 7

    Elijah and I huddled down in the wagon, with straw covering us. Kielle was crouched between us, grasping her book, and whimpering occasionally. Duryis was driving the horses.

    “We're here,” he murmured after a while. He drove up to a barn, and said, “Wait here, you guys. I'll be back.” He headed toward the house, and we heard him knock at the door.

    It opened. “Duryis? Are you alright?” a female voice asked in alarm.

    “Yes, ma'am. Cargo for you, Miss Donita.”

    “Ah. Put your wagon in the barn, and I'll deal with it in the morning. You should stay the night.” Duryis agreed, and came back and opened the barn doors, and drove the horses through.

    When he closed the doors behind him, he called out softly, “Zeric? Razel?”

    “Duryis? That you?” a low, handsome voice asked.

    “Yeah, Razel. It's me. I got three runaways for you.” There was a soft thump! and footsteps approaching.

    “Three?”

    “Yes, sir. I have to go in, so can you take care of them please?” Duryis turned to us. “Nice meeting all of you. Hope we meet again, in better circumstances.” He turned back to Razel. “We've had a bit of trouble with slavecatchers, but I'll let them fill you in.” He walked out through the barn door, and closed it behind him.

    “All right; you can come out now,” Razel said to us. Elijah and I climbed out of the straw, and I reached back in and picked up Kielle. Razel looked us over, while we did the same to him. He was tall, with skin like an oak tree, uncommon here in Dermen and Lythel. People with oak skin live far, far across the sea. There was only about a hundred here in these two countries. He had warm brown eyes and handsome features.

    “Who are you?” Elijah asked.

    Razel smiled at us. “I am Razel, as you may have guessed.”

    “No, I mean, were you a slave?” Elijah shifted his weight to the other foot impatiently.

    Razel nodded slowly. “I was a slave to a man called Urek, far, far to the south of here, past the capital, even, toward the sea.”

    “My name is Elijah, and I came from Rymon's farm.” Elijah shook hands with Razel. A shadow passed through Razel's eyes.

    “My name is Kya, and I escaped a couple days ago from Taraketh's farm. This is Kielle; she escaped with me,” I lied.

    Razel inclined his head to us. “Pleased to meet you both.” His eyes studied me intently, and I blushed but met them. He sighed. “I hope we will be able to trust each other on this trip.” Blushing even more, I looked down at Kielle, who looked back up at me.

    Razel turned away. “So, I hear you had a bit of trouble with slavecatchers.Would you like to tell me about it?”

    Elijah explained about the slavecatchers looking for us and about Prince Esryn. When he heard about Prince Esryn, Razel jumped, then snapped his head to look at Kielle. He then lifted his head to look at me. Horror was in his eyes. A cold hand clutched my heart. He knew.

    “You say that she was a slave of Taraketh?” he asked quietly.

    “You can't tell anyone,” I said softly, begging him. He hesitated, then agreed.

    “Razel?” a feminine voice called. A pale woman appeared next to him. She had dead looking black hair, and sad, sad blue eyes. Her belly bulged with an unborn child. “Zeric is looking for you.”

    “Miss Cadalyn sent these slaves along; they'll be joining us,” he told her. Razel looked to us. “This is my wife, Naya. Naya, this is Elijah, Kya, and Kielle.” She nodded her hellos to us.

    I smiled at her, shocked that someone could look so sad. “I'm Kya. Nice to meet you.”    

    Razel beckoned. “Come; we must meet the others.” He led us toward the back of the barn, and through a door. Apparently, the barn had a false back; there was a whole huge addition to the barn through the door, where people were milling about, children were crying, and everyone was bleary-eyed and worried.

    A tall, handsome man with black hair and a matching mustache came forward. “Razel, who are these children?”

    Razel gestured toward us. “Runaways. Cadalyn's son just delivered them. The older two are Kya and Elijah, and the little girl is Kielle.”

    Zeric nodded toward us. “Pleased to meet you. Feel free to eat and sleep, because we'll be moving out in the morning. We'll be leaving for Lythel!” Several runaways cheered.

    A familiar-looking woman came out of the crowd and put a hand on my shoulder. “Why, Kya, I do believe you've grown taller.”

    “Methisia?” I asked in disbelief. Methisia smiled, and tucked a lock of her raven-black hair behind her ear, her warm blue eyes surveying me. She nodded. “Oh, Methisia!” I hugged her, putting Kielle down, and she squeezed me back.

    Methisia showed where Kielle, Elijah, and I could eat and sleep. After eating a hearty meal, Kielle and I bunked down in the straw, while Elijah went to talk to some of the other runaways. Kielle snuggled into me, and I tucked the blanket more securely around her.

    “T-Trasean? He's here?” I heard Elijah gasp, and I lifted my head in time to see a small young boy lead Elijah to a pile of straw tucked in a corner. Gently setting Kielle down (who was already asleep), I followed them, and stood beside Elijah.

    The young runaway bent down, and shook a dark shape huddled in the middle of the straw. “Trasean? Elijah's here. Your brother is here.”

    Trasean blinked open huge dark eyes and stared bewildered at the runaway. He emitted a stream of garbled words, and struggled to get up.

    Elijah knelt beside him. “Trasean?” he asked, tears in his voice. I put a hand on his shoulder, and he seemed to draw strength from me. “Trasean, do you remember? It's me, Elijah.”

    Trasean threw up his hands, as if to ward off an attack, and screamed in one unbroken, piercing note. Zeric and Razel were at our sides in an instant. “Trasean! Ssh! You have to be quiet!” Zeric ordered.

    “TRASEAN! Please! It's me! Please, Trasean! Don't you remember me?!” Elijah begged, shaking his shoulders.

    Trasean fought him, screaming and screaming. Zeric was there in an instant, putting a hand over his mouth, and struggling to make him stop fighting. Razel gently caught hold of Elijah and steered him away. Elijah was crying, tears falling down his cheeks.

    “What's wrong with him?! Why doesn't he remember me?!” Elijah demanded.

    Razel shook his head, pity in his eyes. “One week ago, Trasean was brought to us. He had been whipped so hard and long that his mind doesn't work right anymore, and he is locked in his own world. When you first came here, I thought that you must be brothers, 'cause there is so much alike with your looks. Then I heard that you were from Rymon's farm, and I knew. I'm so sorry, Elijah.”

    Elijah turned and stumbled over to our bit of straw, and I followed. He cried his heart out, hardly making a sound, and the straw and his shirt was soaked. I put an arm around him, and sat next to him. He seemed to take comfort from the presence of another person, to let him know that he was not alone in facing the cruel, bleak world that we lived in.