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Northern Haven: Rana
Even though the Crowned Ones were sending her long-distance healing, she struggled to think clearly. The small spiky things that had flown into her were a strange weapon. They hadn’t hurt much but had made her groggy and clumsy.
With the netting off, she took a moment to pull the sharp things from her furs. Biting her lip, she yanked the fourth one out. Sweat trickled down her back as she attempted to rise and check Digga. The pup hadn’t moved since their capture, but at least no one had separated them.
Struggling to untie the clasps on her furs, she startled at a sudden yelp. Blood dripped from Atsushi’s nose, and she was again trapped behind the bars. Except, this time, there were three others trapped inside with her.
She turned to Girak. What now?
His eyes were closed, and he shook his head. She wasn’t sure if that was a communication, but hopelessness emanated from him. She needed help to find her way out of here, and the Crowned Ones hadn’t completely cleared the effects of the spiky things.
“Help us,” she screamed to Atsushi. He was injured, but he was the only one free.
Everyone turned in alarm to stare at the noise she had made. Oh. They don’t understand my speech...
“Shut up, you vile thing! You can’t control my mind. You’re done for.” The angry one—was his name Prig Boar?—glared at her like a hungry predator and then hurried toward the door.
She had to stop him. Girak had said no one could know of her escape, but how could she stop Prig Boar from in here? All the strange facts she had learned about these children flew through her mind. Earlier, the guards had responded to love. Except for the Walled One, Savas. Instinctively, she opened herself fully to the One In All, and sent a wave of love over the man.
He froze.
Rana smiled. Maybe escape was possible without any more violence. She created a ball of love energy and tossed it between the angry man and the door.
Prig Boar backed up and examined the orb between him and the exit. Then he stopped and extended his arm toward the hovering light. A mix of fear and curiosity bubbled from him.
Rana willed the orb to grow. She was vaguely aware of Atsushi approaching their barred room and that Girak handed him something. Focus on the orb.
Suddenly, Atsushi leapt, arms outstretched, like a soaring bird onto the back of the now-enchanted man. As he made contact, he quickly wrapped Prig Boar in the net and tumbled him to the floor.
Rana yelped and turned in fury toward the others. Why are you always violent?
Girak cringed at her mental scream. “I’m trying to get us out of here before the others rush in.”
Rana glared. My method worked and was not violent.
Atsushi tied up the stunned man, who was still angry his hunting stick hadn’t worked.
“We brought in fake guns. That wasn’t violent.” Girak exuded pride at this.
Rana had no idea what he meant by fake. She teemed with frustration. Why bring any hunting sticks even if they were “fake guns”?
Atsushi ran to the bars and grabbed them, looking at Girak.
“How do we open it? Can she?” Atsushi and the others all turned expectantly to her.
I will not help you fight. I will not... She had helped them hurt that man. Her stomach twisted. Can he breathe? They all turned toward her as her outstretched arm directed their attention to the torn clothing that Atsushi had shoved in Prig Boar’s mouth.
The woman who had been hugging the young girl turned to Rana. “Yes, he can. If we didn’t stop him, he would have gotten the others, and they’d kill you and Girak. We need to get this door open... Do you have any way to open it? We must hurry.”
How would I open it? Do you believe I can do whatever I want? She stamped her foot in frustration, her exhaustion making her wobble. She now understood why Sohana had called them children.
Girak stepped forward, his face sorrowful. “Rana, I’m sorry. I thought you were distracting him to help us get out.” The sadness and desperation coming off him was palpable. She sensed his sadness was related to something bigger than what had just occurred, but she didn’t have the energy to figure it out.
She met his sorrowful gaze. I cannot do whatever I want, but I may have an idea.
Rana again began untying her furs. She sensed their stares, but her full attention was on uncovering Digga. Please, let her be unharmed. As she opened the skin carrier Desna had made, she gently cooed to the striped mound of sweaty fur. The crowd around her collectively sucked in air and leaned in closer.
There was no movement. Tears stung Rana’s eyes, as she stroked her charge. “Digga... Digga, wake up.” Her right hand flared golden as she caressed the pup’s back.
Nothing.
Tears streamed down Rana’s face. “Digga.”
She’d risked her life meeting this lovable troublemaker, and Kalakanya had said that journey meant something. She had to be okay.
Frantic, Rana pulled the still pup completely free of her furs. She was still warm, but Rana worried that was due to her own body being overheated in this sweltering box. But Digga’s body wasn’t stiff...
“Oh my Oneness, you can’t be dead. Please.”
They all stood around her in a circle, spellbound by the motionless furred one. Digga sniffled, her mouth yawning open with a squeak. Her lethal, canine teeth snapped back together.
“Oh, Digga.” Rana clasped her furry love to her chest. “What were you doing? Making up for all the lack of sleep before?” She laughed in relief.
“What is that?” Ayanna leaned closer.
“She has a pet,” Atsushi said, grinning in wonder.
Rana looked up at Girak. This is my idea. She held up Digga’s small, front paws. Five sharp claws protruded from each one. Digga could save them all.
The others were unimpressed. They looked from the claws to each other. Rana chuckled. These humans lacked experience with cave digger claws.
They slice through everything. I’ll show you.
She shifted in the crowded and barred box to the nearest metal rod. She whispered to Digga and held up the pup’s paw. Digga scraped it as if uninterested. A huge gauge mark now covered the metal.
She scowled at the bars. How could she interest Digga in clawing with more force? She came up with nothing. Could she move her claws for her? Would Digga tolerate that? Was it worth the risk? The sharp claws could slice through her gloved fingers. She glanced at the unconscious men beginning to stir outside their enclosed space. There wasn’t much time.
She turned to the others. Do not make any sudden noises or movements.
They nodded.
Rana whispered to Digga and then firmly clasped her paw, holding the nails by their base. She paused, concerned the tactic might hurt the young pup. Given the violence she had already witnessed, she and Digga’s only option was to escape or be killed. If this hurt Digga a little, it would hurt less than being hunted by the humans.
She sliced the longest claw against the bar at chest level. The bar separated where she had sliced but stayed in place. Good work, Digga.
Rana knelt and repeated the same motion lower on the bar. It clanged to the ground. One of the guards stirred. Atsushi cautiously approached, tied, and gagged the guard.
She turned to Ayanna, who now stood quietly beside her mother. The girl was petite enough to reach around Rana in this small room without brushing against Digga. Can you hold the next bar and prevent its fall?
“Yes.” Ayanna approached, never taking her wide eyes off Digga.
Rana repeated the slicing movements on two more bars, then looked at Girak and decided to do another one. Finished, she tucked Digga back into her furs. As the others scrambled out of the hole, she passed Digga a piece of dried meat from the pouch attached to her belt.
Quiet now, Digga. She climbed through the bars and eyed Savas, but he remained still.
Now that she had to walk, her legs wobbled with each step, and her brain remained garbled from the needle weapons. She couldn’t Call to reach the Crowned Ones.
They must believe I’m sleeping like they told me to do. If only I could sleep... Her eyelids weighed heavy, but danger still surrounded her.
Atsushi and Girak tied up the Walled One. His hate-filled eyes snapped open and shot daggers at Rana, making her stomach flip. She yearned to flee this box, but the idea of running was ludicrous. Her knees might buckle at any moment.
She shuddered as Girak picked up Savas’ gun. What are you doing?
Girak’s face was somber. “Planning ahead. I’m taking his real gun for up on the Surface.”
Rana narrowed her eyes. I will not help you kill.
He shook his head. “I don’t want to kill anyone. It’s in case we meet any dangerous animals.”
Animals don’t need to be hunted. No hunting sticks. Rana shook her head vehemently, almost falling over again. Digga snarled.
“But the dangers...” Girak sighed. “Rana, we can’t do what you reapers do. We need protection.”
No. Get me out, and I’ll show you. And stop calling me reaper. You have horrid associations with that word. We’re star beings, and I won’t travel with weapons.
Girak grimaced as his energy tangled within him. Rana strived to read his conflicted energy and thoughts, to understand what she was up against. He seemed caught between his experience of the world and wanting to believe hers was possible.
Trust the One In All.
“What?” His face contorted even more as if his conflicted energy had wrapped itself so tightly, it now twisted his facial muscles.
The connecting love that unites the universe.
Girak’s eyebrows rose.
We need to hurry. Trust me, no hunting sticks.
Girak sighed, shook his head, and placed the hunting stick on the ground, well away from the tied men. “We need the fake ones to get you out. These,” he said, holding up other weapons. “They don’t shoot. They’re for playing games.”
You play games with hunting sticks? Rana could not understand these strange humans.
She consented only because her limbs trembled with weakness, and she feared wasting any more time and energy on communication. She stumbled after the others toward the box opening, grateful for the mother’s supporting arm around her.