No. Avlym can’t be gone. No. Would Becker really set fire to it all? Of course, he would, they already did it to the tribe so why not us. I’ve never hated the man more, that is of course assuming that you don’t need humanity to be a man. I have only been to Tarrin a couple of times, even though it is barely more than an hour’s walk from Avlym. I’ve never meet Thoren either, I hope Arthur’s faith in the village’s leaders wasn’t misplaced.
I think of our little patchwork huts, modest and always needing repair but still, it had been our home. The single place of safety in a world that had suddenly been tipped upside down. They didn’t even go after just our family for harbouring Orrian, they went after the whole village. All our crops, all our supplies, how will they all eat this winter?
“They took me here straight away, at least the others had managed to get away. Becker wasn’t too bothered by them anyway, it was you two that he was after,” my mother finishes.
I take a moment to absorb the news. I need to try to accept that the Avlym I know is gone, but at least from the sound of it most of its people are safe. Of course, Becker had gone straight after my mother. If he had found us before the army did on the beach, I have no doubt that he would have used her against me. I’m beyond grateful that her and I weren’t put in the same position as Edwyn with Orrian.
My poor sister. She’ll be safe with Arthur, I know he’ll take care of her, but we shouldn’t be here whilst she’s left without a family.
“What about-?” I start.
“Robyn’s fine too,” my mother finishes, anticipating my question. At her words, the last of my nervous terror is released with a soft sigh of relief.
“Where were you?” asks my mother, wiping her eyes. The question nearly breaks me.
“Orrian, he’s-” I hesitantly catch my words not knowing quite where to start, “The colony started a war with his tribe, they live in the forest. They burnt down their home like they did with Avlym but Orrian escaped and managed to find us. His parents were killed which means he’s now their king which is why the Colony have been hunting him.”
I pause waiting for my mother to say something. I’ve deliberately left out the part about Theodluin killing her husband, she shouldn’t be told like this and I know I’m not capable of causing her anymore pain than I’ve cost her so far. Her eyes widened slightly when I mentioned king, but she stays silent. Orrian tries to interject and fearing that he’s about to cause her the agony she’d be better spared, I immediately cut him off to proceed.
“One of his people found us just after Rhys did,” I continue, “Orrian was unconscious and I didn’t know that he knew the man so I couldn’t just leave him. We found the rest of his people but eventually the colony caught up and they-”
My throat tightens. I can’t carry on, I can’t tell her about what happened on the beach. How will I ever be able to tell the woman who banned me from fighting that I have become a killer?
“And they captured us and brought us back here,” I finish lamely. Her eyes narrow slightly like she knows I’m not giving her the full story, but she doesn’t press the matter.
“I really am sorry Dana, I never wanted to drag any of you into my people’s fight,” Orrian apologises again, thankfully he doesn’t say anything further.
“It’s alright,” my mother says eventually, “you would’ve died out there if you hadn’t.”
I sigh with relief. If my mother can forgive the tribe for the pain they’ve brought with them, then maybe the rest of Avlym may be able to as well. That is of course if we will all live long enough to reunite with Alice and the rest of our people.
“And you-” my mother turns her attention back towards me, I squirm nervously. “You did the right thing going with him, I’m proud of you.”
The backs of my eyes blaze and the dungeon dissolves into abstract blurs as she gifts me with alleviation from days of pent-up guilt and worry. I nod back mutely as all words catch in my throat, unable to express my gratitude for her understanding. I may be in an enemy’s cell deep underground, far from the open air, but suddenly I feel less confined than I ever remember.
I’ve lost track of how long we’ve been down here now. A warden brought us some stale bread and water at some point so I would guess that the sun has at least risen. Occasionally a hunched hooded figure scuttles past the bars, keeping their head low. They tend to each of the torches between the rooms and sweep a broom over the path floor, kicking the thick layer of dust into the air. Apart from them and the warden, we have been left alone down here since arriving.
My mother has spent the morning so far fretting over my injuries until finally an elderly man I’ve never met volunteered to clean the worst of them for me with a little of our precious water. Now I sit in the corner of the room as he drags some damp cloth gently over my back.
Meanwhile, Orrian and Horas are left to answer the questions that have finally arrived at the tip of my mother’s tongue. They talk of our travels before we were caught and share tales of Avlym and of the tribe before all of this began, comparing the differences between the two groups.
Listening to the three of them from my corner I learn things about the tribe that I was still yet to discover. For example, Orrian is confused
