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Authors: Shayna Krishnasamy
Tags: JUV037000
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the little boy wasn’t so easily cleansed. As she led the way with a quick step, Liam trailed behind, glancing back at the dark woods they’d passed through.
They fell into sleep early that day, laying their blankets out at the foot of a small hill. They’d covered a good stretch of the path in this new wood and Shallah felt their way bending west, around the steeper hills. Once they’d rounded those hills her knowledge of their route would be scanty at best, which should have filled her with worry, but instead she felt serene. The creatures tracking them were now all but forgotten.
As night fell, Shallah was sleeping peacefully, snuggling Liam close.
It seemed like no more than moment had passed when she was rushed awake by the sound of a strange voice. She felt for Liam in the covers beside her but couldn’t find him. Turning carefully onto her stomach, she lay tense, listening for more. Soon, she heard the voice again. It was an old woman’s voice.
“Well, hello there,” it said. “Have you lost your way?”
At first Shallah thought the woman was speaking to her, then realized she had to be addressing Liam.
“I know these parts better than any around, I’d say,” the woman said. “Yes, indeed. Lived here all my life, I have. Bore children and had them grow up and leave me, though none were quite as sweet looking as you, my child. Such lovely dark skin. My, how I would love to keep you. Could use some company out here in the lonely forest. Are you all on your own?”
Shallah rose to her feet, her shift falling loosely to her ankles. “I am with him,” she said. Though she tried to sound firm, her words came out in a croak.
Liam came to her side and took her hand. She gripped it tightly.
“Oh, you did give me a start,” the woman said. “Well, do come here and let me have a look at you. My sight isn’t quite what it used to be.”
Shallah took a few steps forward, but found that in her rush to come to Liam’s aid she’d disoriented herself. She couldn’t picture the way before her. Seeing her distress, the old woman came to meet her.
“Have you no sight, my dear?” the woman asked.
“None at all,” Shallah replied.
The old woman looked down at Liam. A ray of sunlight fell through the web of boughs above, dappling his cheeks, and his tunic was wrinkled from sleep. He scratched at the back of his head and gazed back at her. The old woman watched him for a long moment, then said, “Ah,”as though she’d just recalled something.
“Come with me,” she said to them both.
She led the pair to her home. It lay to the south, in a portion of the forest so dense that to manoeuvre through it one had to know one’s way instinctually. Though Shallah knew they were leaving the path behind and following a stranger into a foreign part of the wood, she felt no concern. In fact, as they delved ever deeper into the trees, a feeling of intrinsic trust bubbled up from her core, and she felt quite positive there was nothing to fear. The old woman seemed a familiar friend, one she must have forgotten, but was glad to find again. She was glad to be led and hoped there would be warm food.
As they walked, the old woman spoke about her life in the forest and her husband, Jerome, god bless his soul, who’d passed away years before. She wasn’t more than a foot taller than Liam, but she was sprightly for her age. She wore a green man’s tunic tied at the waist with a length of woven reeds. The grey kerchief on her head bobbed before Liam as she hopped over logs and small bushes, rushing along as though they were all late for some fantastic feast. Liam watched in fascination as she pulled ahead of them. She moved so quickly that at times she seemed to be floating.
Her house was a structure of wattle and daub, and might have resembled the homes of Trallee if it hadn’t been nearly overcome by the hemlock tress surrounding it. The trees were packed so densely that it was difficult to discern the house at
They fell into sleep early that day, laying their blankets out at the foot of a small hill. They’d covered a good stretch of the path in this new wood and Shallah felt their way bending west, around the steeper hills. Once they’d rounded those hills her knowledge of their route would be scanty at best, which should have filled her with worry, but instead she felt serene. The creatures tracking them were now all but forgotten.
As night fell, Shallah was sleeping peacefully, snuggling Liam close.
It seemed like no more than moment had passed when she was rushed awake by the sound of a strange voice. She felt for Liam in the covers beside her but couldn’t find him. Turning carefully onto her stomach, she lay tense, listening for more. Soon, she heard the voice again. It was an old woman’s voice.
“Well, hello there,” it said. “Have you lost your way?”
At first Shallah thought the woman was speaking to her, then realized she had to be addressing Liam.
“I know these parts better than any around, I’d say,” the woman said. “Yes, indeed. Lived here all my life, I have. Bore children and had them grow up and leave me, though none were quite as sweet looking as you, my child. Such lovely dark skin. My, how I would love to keep you. Could use some company out here in the lonely forest. Are you all on your own?”
Shallah rose to her feet, her shift falling loosely to her ankles. “I am with him,” she said. Though she tried to sound firm, her words came out in a croak.
Liam came to her side and took her hand. She gripped it tightly.
“Oh, you did give me a start,” the woman said. “Well, do come here and let me have a look at you. My sight isn’t quite what it used to be.”
Shallah took a few steps forward, but found that in her rush to come to Liam’s aid she’d disoriented herself. She couldn’t picture the way before her. Seeing her distress, the old woman came to meet her.
“Have you no sight, my dear?” the woman asked.
“None at all,” Shallah replied.
The old woman looked down at Liam. A ray of sunlight fell through the web of boughs above, dappling his cheeks, and his tunic was wrinkled from sleep. He scratched at the back of his head and gazed back at her. The old woman watched him for a long moment, then said, “Ah,”as though she’d just recalled something.
“Come with me,” she said to them both.
She led the pair to her home. It lay to the south, in a portion of the forest so dense that to manoeuvre through it one had to know one’s way instinctually. Though Shallah knew they were leaving the path behind and following a stranger into a foreign part of the wood, she felt no concern. In fact, as they delved ever deeper into the trees, a feeling of intrinsic trust bubbled up from her core, and she felt quite positive there was nothing to fear. The old woman seemed a familiar friend, one she must have forgotten, but was glad to find again. She was glad to be led and hoped there would be warm food.
As they walked, the old woman spoke about her life in the forest and her husband, Jerome, god bless his soul, who’d passed away years before. She wasn’t more than a foot taller than Liam, but she was sprightly for her age. She wore a green man’s tunic tied at the waist with a length of woven reeds. The grey kerchief on her head bobbed before Liam as she hopped over logs and small bushes, rushing along as though they were all late for some fantastic feast. Liam watched in fascination as she pulled ahead of them. She moved so quickly that at times she seemed to be floating.
Her house was a structure of wattle and daub, and might have resembled the homes of Trallee if it hadn’t been nearly overcome by the hemlock tress surrounding it. The trees were packed so densely that it was difficult to discern the house at
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