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| Avo, unfinished |
She woke up in the dim light of morning to a heavy green tentacle tightening slowly around her neck. Tarna tried to scream, but it came out as barely a squeak. Another tentacle wrapped in vines and leaves moved around one of her arms, pinning it in place. She pulled desperately at the tentacle around her throat. Her body grew weak quickly and her eyelids grew heavy, the last light fading from her vision. Tarna slackened in the avo’s embrace.
Her head pounded when she awoke again. She gasped hoarsely. Rough hands grabbed her face and forced her eyelids open. Tarna’s vision swam, darkness and light resolved into a face like a branch. Verdant eyes searched her face wildly for signs of recognition. Tarna tried to speak, but her efforts sent her into a fit of coughing.
“I’m fine,” she croaked, coughing again.
Leif sat her up. “Fine? You’ll be fine in a bit. You ain’t fine now.” He handed her a waterskin and got up, walking towards a pile of bloody pieces of green where Tarna had slept. “That avo managed to get away with most of its arms intact. I wonder if they’ll grow back,” he mused as he prodded the chunks of tentacle.
“Grow back? I hope it crawled away to die in some hole!” Tarna spluttered and coughed, “I told you some avo would come kill me while I slept!”
Leif laughed heartily. “Somehow I know you’d say that. You seem to have regained your strength quickly, or, at least, your lungs are working fine. Let’s get moving, shall we?”
He began to move around the little camp, making sure everything was in his place. “I suppose we’ll just have to leave this here” he muttered at the bloody mess. After a couple minutes, the camp looked as though they had never been there - except the pile of tentacles under one of the roots.
Leif pulled Tarna up carefully and asked, “are you ready to go? We should be there before the sun is too high.”
“I’m alright.”
Leif nodded and walked over to one of the rootways. Tarna lingered, staring at what had almost been her final resting place. She shivered, then quickly walked away after her guide.
The sounds of the forest filled the silence between them as they walked from root to root. Bright birds glittered in the light of the rising sun, calling one another with short melodies as they hunted for breakfast. After a while, the travelers stopped for a few moments for some bread and water. Tarna sat in silence as she chewed, admiring the raw beauty of the forest. The trees grew tall and wide this deep in the forest, their branches brushing the wisps of cloud above. A soft feeling of peace grew within Tarna, deepening her reverie for a moment before Leif’s voice drew her out again.
By the time they reached the hills, the sun was high, almost at its zenith.
“I thought you said we’d be there by now,” Tarna panted heavily.
“That was before I knew how slow you were! All you City dwellers are soft and weak. Soon, you’ll be strong like me. Now let’s go! We’re almost there.”
At the top of the hill, Tarna stopped, staring at the next hill. Small huts made of wood filled the hilltop. She could see people moving around the village, many more than she had imagined. Tarna blinked and strained to make out some of the figures.
“Are those children?” she asked incredulously.
“Sure! Why is everyone so surprised by the little ones? We have families, just like in the City. Except, here we actually care about each other.”
Tarna looked at him, confused. “I don’t think I understand,” she said slowly.
“You will, you will. Let’s go! I can smell Madre’s cooking from here!” Leif ran down the hill, Tarna trailing behind him more slowly. He slowed down as he reached the edge of the village to wait for Tarna to catch up.
Tarna collapsed on the ground at his feet. “Can we wait a moment?” she breathed.
Leif smiled. “How about I go ahead.”
Tarna nodded, turning her head to hide the fear in her eyes.
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