Link to AO3 for easier reading: https://archiveofourown.org/works/56595415/chapters/143847463
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“I think we lost them,” Takiv attempted to say as he struggled to catch his breath.
The two brothers stood for a moment, expecting to see a glimpse of the Carja soldiers chasing after them. They didn’t dare say anything to each other as they waited to see what would happen. Minutes passed without either of them spotting any sign of the raiders pursuing them.
“Thank the Forge it’s over,” Takiv sighed with relief.
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Tavim told him cautiously, his eyes now focused on the rest of the surrounding environment, “We’re in Nora land now. If they don’t know we’re already, they soon will. We’ll have to be careful to step carefully. A Nora Brave can track a mouse on stone should they want to. We better find somewhere to camp for the night.”
Takiv felt his sense of relief immediately vanish upon realizing where they were. The Nora did not tolerate outsiders, regardless of their tribe.
Night fell as the two brothers prepared for the long journey back west the following day.
“I suppose we should be lucky we haven’t encountered any Nora yet,” Takiv said with a dulled sense of relief.
“Don’t be too sure,” Tavim told him, “They’re probably watching us from a distance. Too much effort to kill, or perhaps they don’t want to bother with us when they don’t have to.”
“How would you know?”
“I came here a few years ago, remember? Looking for scrap with Boland and his crew.”
“At least we got a warm fire for a change. Where are we anyway?”
“Maybe half a day south of Devils Grief. We’re next to the mountains that border the eastern most part of the Nora Sacred Land. I hear there are vast planes of grassland and wind so strong it can lift herds of machine into the air beyond these mountains.”
“By spit and fire you come out with the dumbest goat shit. There ain’t no wind strong enough to lift any machine, not even a watcher.”
“That’s just what I heard. Remember Kevah? Bolands sister? Apparently she went beyond these mountains a year before the raids began.”
“Whatever happened to her? She ever return to the Claim like she was supposed to?”
“No. Her caravan was raided last year. She was killed, along with six others. Rest went to Sunfall. She got lucky.”
The Red Raids had been going on nine years too long. Both brothers knew plenty who’d been killed, or worse taken the Carja city of Sunfall to fight in the Sun Ring. The Carja claimed it was to appease their precious Sun, not that the reasons mattered to anyone. It was merely understood by everyone that it was better to die fighting than be sent to the Sun Ring.
“Shame, I liked her,” Takiv noted quietly.
“Sure you did, not like you had a chance.”
They had both lost so much in the last few years. Sure, it had made their bond stronger than the one most siblings shared. But it had also caused them to forget what it meant to never struggle to survive. The last nine years had been difficult, with not even the Claim safe from the Carja and their apparent lust for needless slaughter.
“When was the last time we went home,” Tavim asked with a quiet sadness.
“Couple of years, I think. Why?”
“Just thinking about everyone we left behind. Wondering if any of them are still around.”
“Well don’t. No good thinking about the forge when the fires too hot to touch. Besides, they all know what they’re doing. I’m sure they’re keeping themselves safe.”
“Still, I’d like to visit sooner, rather than later. Just to see for myself.”
…
Takiv woke the following morning to an unexpected surprise.
“Who’s that,” he asked, pointing to the sleeping stranger next to the campfire.
“Don’t know,” Tavim answered while focusing more on packing up the few supplies the two brothers had left to them.
The stranger didn’t appear to be a member of any tribe he was familiar with. He clearly wasn’t Nora, or Carja. Maybe Banuk, but even that seemed to be a stretch as he didn’t have the expected blue cables inserted into his skin as a Banuk would have.
“Could he have come from beyond the eastern mountains,” he asked out loud.
“Unlikely. There are cannibals and Nora exiles beyond those mountains. I doubt they’d let someone like him through unharmed,” Tavim explained, “He’s not from the west either. I’ve met both Tenakth and Utaru and he’s neither. I don’t know his tribe, if he haves one.”
Beyond the strange clothing, the stranger also appeared to lack any weapons or supplies. He couldn’t have come from very far without either.
“We should at least see if he needs help,” Takiv told his brother, “After all, he does seem to need it.”
“No. We already don’t have enough to get us out of the Sacred Land, let alone making that far with some stranger. We need to keep moving to avoid both the Nora and the Carja.”
“Oh come on Tavim, look at him! We can’t just leave him here.”
The two brothers were backed into their own stubborn prides and refused to admit defeat. They knew both of the were right, but they only cared about being more right than the other.
“Fine,” Tavim finally gave in, “I’ll wake him up, but we need to get moving quickly.”
Tavim woke the stranger with a rough shake, causing him to jolt upright with the unexpected shock. The stranger looked around without saying a word, and to the two brothers it looked like he was attempting to look for a danger that wasn’t really there.
“Hello,” Takiv spoke with some small degree of charm, “Nice to finally see you awake. My brother and I were just about to leave.”
The stranger didn’t immediately respond, instead he continued to keep his eyes on the world as he sat up. He scanned the trees, the grass, the sky looking for a threat he thought should be there.
“You looking for something,” Tavim asked.
“No, I… just had a nightmare. Wanted to be sure I am where I thought I should be.”
Tavim and Takiv looked at each other with a shared concern.
“You’re not from around here, are you,” Takiv asked politely, “Mind if I ask where you’re from?”
The stranger seemed to calm a little before continuing the conversation.
“No…,” he answered carefully, “I came from the far east after my tribe was destroyed. I was hoping to find somewhere new to start again.”
“Well, you came to the wrong place for that. These days we have more endings than beginnings,” Takiv explained, “Probably a good thing we found you before someone else does. People just aren’t as friendly as they used to be.”
“I see. Well, at least you two seem friendly enough. My names David, if you’re needing to know.”
“David. Strange name that. Well, I’m Takiv and that miserable old bastard over there is my older brother Tavim. Don’t mind him, he’s always been like that.”
Tavim simply grunted his response, not caring about the insult casually thrown his way.
“It’s time for us to go,” Tavim said almost immediately after packing away the last of the supplies.
The sun had risen enough that they were an obvious target to anyone passing by and he was anxious to get moving again before they were found.
“Hey, David, why don’t you come with us,” Takiv quickly offered, “It’d be nice to have pleasant company for a change.”
“Hey! I already told you we don’t have enough supplies for all three of us!”
David remained silent while he considered it. Somehow he knew he could trust them, that following them would be the right choice to make. But he second guessed the feeling. He didn’t know them, not enough to know for sure if he could trust them. But the feeling was one he had been all too familiar with and he had learned to trust it when it came to making choices.
“Okay. I’ll come with you,” he finally told them with a smile, “It’ll be nice having some company for a change.”
“Fine, have it your way,” Tavim sighed in defeat, “But we’ll need to gather what supplies we can along the way, even if that means looting it. That okay with you?”
“No problem,” David agreed, “Not like any of us have a choice.”
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