THE WIND RUSHED through Traphis’ dark, brown hair. Neha bolted along the dirt road. Trees blurred at the corners of his vision and the ground streaked under him like a coursing stream. Neha must have recognized the smell of panic in him because she charged forward without a moment’s hesitation.
What was he so afraid of? He wanted to be confident, in charge, and in control. He wanted to be strong like his father had been, but all he could do was run.
A sense of shame filled his mind. His grandfather must have thought he was crazy for running off like he did without saying a word. But if he stood there in front of his grandfather any longer, he didn’t know what would have happened, or what he would have said.
It was true that Traphis wanted to leave the farm life, but he never expected it to feel like this. He couldn’t put his feelings into words, nor could he find a reason behind his emotions. It was only land, only wood, only lifeless objects.
Traphis felt dampness on his legs. When he looked down, he saw sweat pouring over Neha’s back.
“Whoa,” he shouted.
Her pace began to slow and her sides heaved with exhaustion. Traphis’ stomach dropped. He had pushed her too far. How could he have done this to her? Neha was his closest friend, perhaps his only real friend, and here he was running her into the ground. The very thought amplified the sickness in his gut.
When Neha finally came to a halt, Traphis dismounted and hurried to face her. “I’m so sorry, girl,” he said. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
He pressed his head against hers. “Why didn’t I tell him goodbye?” The words surprised him. They came out as if a stranger had spoken them, but no one else was there. The words were from somewhere within. From a place that normally kept silent. It was just as well it happened here and now; no one would see his weakness, and no one would laugh at him. Neha was there, she was always there, and she understood.
Without moving, Neha stood steady as Traphis held tightly around her neck.
* * *
The familiar smell of greenery filled the forest air. Unlike in town, there weren’t many landmarks to go by on the path. Even if there were, Traphis rarely found himself this far from the farm. If his mother found out where he was, she would be angry. It was true that she let him ride Neha all the time, but only with the understanding that he would stay close to home. The last thing he wanted now was to give her another reason to be mad at him. The prospect of going back and facing her made his stomach twist, yet, sooner or later, he had to. He had to find a way to make everything right.
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, or how far they traveled, but if it wasn’t for Neha, he’d be lost. Walking beside her, he allowed her to lead the way, deciding to remain on foot until she had ample time to recover from the harsh ride.
Not long after, they ascended the familiar path that led up to the farm. When he arrived at the top, he looked around for his grandfather, but only the man’s horses were within sight.
He brushed past the horses—who were now resting with their eyes closed—and led Neha into the barn. The stall seemed to be a relief to Neha, who trotted over and took a long drink from her water trough. Watching her made him feel thirsty too, so he hugged her one last time, and then headed to the outside well. Once there, he grabbed a bucket and dumped the refreshing liquid over his head. It flowed through his hair and down his cheeks, bringing a rejuvenating wave of energy. He felt lighter for some reason, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Yet, what that weight was, he couldn’t tell.
It was another moment or two before Braun and Anjetta appeared around the edge of the barn. They looked dirty, apparently from working in the field.
Their arrival startled him at first, but he took comfort in knowing that there would be an end to the matter. It wasn’t until he noticed the immense look of horror creasing their faces that he began to worry.
“Traphis?” His mother sounded confused. “What happened to you? How did your face get so red?”
His heart jumped. Traphis looked down at the bucket. The water must have washed all the mud off him, which had been covering his burns. His magical burns. How could he have been so forgetful? His latest outburst made him completely forget the earlier incident with the flame in the book. What could he tell her? She would be even more furious if she knew he had rescued the magic books and then tried to use them.
Braun narrowed his eyes, giving Traphis a knowing glare. “It must surprise your mother to see you so clean for once. All these extra hours in the sun must have really affected you.”
Anjetta’s features softened. “I’m sorry Traphis. I know I’ve worked you hard this year. I’ve really had to depend on you.”
“It’s all right,” Traphis said. His shoulders dropped with relief.
“Glad you could make it back,” Braun said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do before the day is over. What do you say we get back to it?”
Traphis nodded. His mother looked as if she wanted to say something else, but then turned and headed toward the field. Traphis followed behind her and was thankful that nothing more was said about his childish departure, and even more thankful for not having to come up with a lie about the magical burns.
* * *
The tara bird’s call resounded in the cool morning air. Traphis rolled on his bed and groaned.
The bird persisted as if knowing its victim had not yet awakened. “Karoo, karoo, karoooooooooouk!”
Traphis opened his eyes and blinked at the light from his bedroom window. A pulse of pain shot down his aching limbs. The three of them must have worked until sundown.
“Karoo, karoo . . . KAAAAALAKKKK!”
Traphis never heard the bird produce a noise like that before. It sounded as if it was in pain.
Then a voice came from the next room. “Be quiet you obnoxious fowl!”
A window closed, and shortly after, footsteps pounded across the floor. A moment later, his door opened and an elderly and disheveled looking man walked in.
“That will teach him,” Braun said as he sat on the edge of Traphis’ bed—the whole thing leaned to one side. “Next time I’ll bring in something heavier to throw. Perhaps that war axe will do.”
Traphis felt a drowsy smile form at the corners of his mouth, but was too tired to think of a good response.
“There are no tara birds in the city,” Braun continued. “You won’t have to listen to that noise every morning. Have you given any thought to what I said yesterday?”
Traphis’ smile wilted. The truth was that he had given it a great deal of thought, but no matter how much he wanted to leave; there was something he had yet to understand. “You don’t think it would be betraying him do you?”
“My boy, whatever would make you think that?”
“It’s just that he worked so hard to keep this place going. And if we abandon it—”
“You fear you will be abandoning his memory,” Braun said, finishing the sentence for him. “I understand what you are going through. We all miss him. I let him marry my daughter, didn’t I?” Braun put a hand on Traphis’ arm. “Why do you think he worked so hard? What was he doing it for? It was you, Traphis—you and your mother. Mardin loved you both and wanted to make sure you had a good place to live. Your father’s memory will always be with you; you don’t have to worry about that. This is just a place, it’s not as important as your well being. Mardin would have wanted you to do what was best for you and your mother.”
Traphis turned toward him. “Will we be able to come back?”
“Of course, you can come back anytime. It’s only a few days ride, and we should check on the place now and again. The lorax will have to be sold once we get to Rema; we won’t need cattle in the city. And I’m sure we can find a buyer for the tara birds in town—I bet you’ll be happy to get rid of them,” he gave him a wink. “And you can bring Neha with you. I know better than to try and separate you two. Now what do you say we get ourselves some breakfast? We’ll need our energy to load all those potaras today.”
Traphis nodded his head in agreement. He knew his grandfather was right. It really was time to go, even if it did mean leaving his cave behind. He would be sure to find another place to continue his magical studies, and who knew; maybe he would find someone there to help him.
Braun assisted Traphis out of bed and they made their way down the stairs. The familiar smell of cooking eggs met them at the bottom.
“It’s about time you two got out of bed,” Anjetta said.
“That’s my daughter. She spends hours working outside and still has plenty of energy.”
“Sleep will do that for some people,” she said, giving them an accusing smile.
After breakfast they spent the rest of the day carrying buckets of water, washing potaras, and loading them into the carts. Though tired and sore, smiles and cheerful banter were exchanged. Braun’s presence lightened Traphis’ spirit and made him feel like a unit of three once again. By the end of the day they finally completed the job. All that was left was to acquire a good night’s sleep, for tomorrow they would leave for the festival.
* * *
A cool breeze glided through the forest trees. Creatures arose to a new day and scampered about in search of food. A skimpit darted from rock-to-rock, snatching up bugs with its long, red tongue, and the sound of a droning lorax filled the air.
“Sweeeme!” Braun shouted at the beast. The big, black hulk moved backward at his command. “Traphis, get that rope tied securely to the cart.”
Traphis pulled as hard as he could, fighting against the stubborn creature.
“It needs to come back a little farther,” Traphis said. “It won’t reach.”
“Sweeeeeeme!” Braun nudged the lorax with the tip of a rod. The creature thrummed a deep throaty noise and then moved another few steps.
It was enough; Traphis knotted the rope as fast as he could and then looped it around the metal bracket. “That should hold.”
“Good job, my boy, now just one more to go.”
“Do we really need to bring two carts?” Traphis asked.
“We can’t let all our hard work go to waste now, can we?”
Traphis had to agree. The last two days of increased labor were enough to motivate anyone. He rubbed his red palms together in preparation.
The two of them made their way to the lorax corral. As the gate opened, the creature’s eyes rolled to the side of its head and glared at them.
“I’ll leave this one to you, Traphis.” Braun handed him a rope.
A strong wind blew loose dirt and sand across the corral. Traphis reluctantly took the rope and approached the beast with caution. He felt like an expert, having done this all year on his own when plowing the field, but that didn’t make the process any more desirable. The lorax stood still, gazing at Traphis as he drew nearer. The rope soared through the air and landed around the beast’s neck. Traphis quickly wound the end around his wrist and pulled to tighten his hold.
“Sweeeme!” The beast obeyed Traphis’ command and followed behind him as he tugged on the rope.
When Traphis neared the gate, Braun said, “Nicely done.”
Traphis’ proud smile vanished when a sharp cry pierced his ears. “KERROooooOWL!”
Before Traphis knew what was happening, the lorax leapt forward. Not knowing what else to do, he held tight onto the rope, but soon found himself flat on his face. Another cry forced the beast forward in a run, dragging Traphis behind. Dirt rubbed against his skin and ate into his already reddened flesh. A sweet metallic taste filled his mouth as muffled yells echoed in the distance.
He tried to look up, but dust—kicked up by the lorax—forced him to lower his head in order to shelter his eyes. The ground vibrated from the weight of the pounding hooves and a heavy thumping throbbed in his ears.
His burning fingers fumbled down his leg until they wrapped around the hilt of his dagger. When he pulled it free, he forced it forward and cut the tangled rope from his wrist.
The binding released and the hammering hooves faded into the distance. Traphis lay still, sharp pain throbbed throughout his body, and a ringing echoed in his head. He rolled onto his back and took a deep breath of air. A peculiar sensation washed over him and he suddenly felt warmth. Not against his flesh, but against the inner walls of his consciousness. A bright glow of light flooded the corners of his hazy eyes, and then there was a sound like gentle waters flowing over stones in a brook. The harder he focused on the noise, the more it sounded like a voice.
Haunting, yet elegant words floated in the air. “Traphis, Son of Truth. Stand up.”
Bewilderment befell him. Was he unconscious? Was he dreaming?
“Prepare yourself,” the feminine voice continued. “There is one who seeks. One who wishes to destroy. Be on your guard. Traphis, you must stand. Stand to your feet.”
A blurry round shape appeared before his eyes. The glowing light faded and the warmth turned into an icy chill. Fear struck his heart as he blinked harder to see the form before him. A low growl rumbled and the shape increased in size. Traphis held his breath, trying to keep still, but his trembling legs wouldn’t stop shaking.
He tightened his muscles and tried to move, but he felt a force holding him down. Was it invisible? His eyesight was so cloudy he couldn’t tell, but this felt like something unnatural, something extraordinary, something mystical. He strained and flexed his arms, but they wouldn’t lift. He told his legs to kick, but they didn’t respond. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t move.
A dark shape streaked over him and the growling stopped. The blurry figure disappeared, and a moment later, two more shapes became visible.
“Traphis, are you all right?” Braun spoke in his ear.
He felt a soft hand grab his. Was it his mother’s?
Traphis’ vision was clearing, as if some supernatural force had blinded him. He leaned forward without resistance and turned his neck to look around. Pain shot through his spine. His limbs throbbed and his head pounded.
Lifting a hand, he instinctively swept at the dirt covering his hair. Blood trickled down his chin from scrapes on his face, and when he touched his burning skin, he pulled back from the pain. He imagined how he must have looked to his mother and grandfather, but rather than feel embarrassed, a smile of triumph creased his face.
Anjetta release her grip on his hand as he staggered to his feet.
“I think I just need to clean up and I’ll be fine.”
Traphis noticed a knife lying on the ground a few feet away, but it wasn’t his. He looked down and saw that he was still clenching the dagger.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Braun said. He bent over and picked up the knife. “Who ever heard of a learcat appearing in broad daylight? Never before in all my years.”
Traphis gasped. “A learcat?” His mind raced back to the other night. Had there really been one following him in the woods? Waiting for him, stalking him all this time?
“Yes, and it nearly got a piece of you,” Anjetta said. “If it wasn’t for your grandfather throwing his knife when he did . . .” She trailed off, perhaps forcing herself not to show any weakness.
“What bothers me more,” Braun said, “is that the creature wasn’t after the lorax. I figured once you were free of the rope, Traphis, the learcat would forget about you and go after the beast. But it didn’t. Odd behavior indeed.”
Why would it turn down a luscious piece of meat and go after a skinny boy? Traphis thought. Not only was it rare to have a learcat out in the daytime, but it seemed to be after him.
Traphis took a step forward. His knee buckled and he went down.
Braun helped him back up. “Are you sure you will be all right?” he asked.
“I think I just need to rest.” After all, it isn’t every day a learcat tries to maul you. He kept this latter comment to himself.
After a short, but painful march, they reached the well. Braun fetched a bucket of water and washed Traphis’ wounds. Anjetta leaned against the side of the barn, watching, seemingly holding back her motherly instincts. She bit her lower lip as Traphis flinched in pain. He watched her, sensing that she wanted to take him into her arms and comfort him like she used to, but he was becoming a man now, and she knew it.
“There now,” Braun said. “The blood made it look worse than it was. You just have a few scrapes. How do you feel?”
Traphis stood and took a few steps. “I’m better. We should get going or we’ll be late.”
“Are you sure you are up to it?” Anjetta asked.
“He looks good to me,” Braun said, giving Traphis a wink.
There was a pause, as though Anjetta was going to argue the point.
A movement came out of the corner of Traphis’ eye. He jumped and snapped his head around to see what it was. The escaped lorax strolled through the corral and wandered to the far end. It lowered its head and started eating a patch of grass as if nothing had happened.
“I knew the lorax would return before long,” Braun said. “Domesticated beasts like them don’t have anywhere else to go. Now let’s try that again. Don’t worry, Traphis, I’ll fetch him this time.”
Traphis was more than willing to let Braun retrieve the lorax. He had enough pain for one day. The prospect of moving to a new home seemed more desirable than ever.
Braun brought the lorax to the cart. Anjetta tied the rope that attached them together. Once everything was ready, Anjetta climbed onto the cart, grabbed the reins, and looked back at Traphis.
He stood up, staggered to the second cart, and climbed on.
Braun hopped into his carriage and looked back. Once everyone was ready, he flapped the reins to signal his horses. They jolted forward and headed down the path on their way to the festival.