Chapter 1 part 3

I awoke to Shari tapping my foot with her bow staff. It was a beautiful weapon of aspen wood wrapped in a band of hiding at the tips where the string attaches. The middle also had a beast hide for gripping when bent into a bow. Her eyes are the same color as the dark brown stained wood. With a glimmer of humor, she disguised by making a stern face said a few words I failed to catch.

"What was that I'm afraid I didn't hear you over the noise."

"What noise? Your snoring or the wind as we stopped a bit ago!" Was the immediate response behind me.

Of course, Cile.

"It's fine Cile, he's just waking up. I'm sure he meant nothing so could you be a dear and see if the scouts want us harvesting or wait till the first patrol reports in."

Cile looks at Shari and smiles real big." I can do that" he looks at me with hostility and proclaims. "I better not hear you being rude to Ms. Sarah or else." Thinking me cowed he runs to see one of the convoy wranglers to do as asked.

"Sorry about that, he means well but I can't get him to stop acting like that." The shrug and half-smile flirting to soften the situation were so her it makes holding a grudge against them impossible.

"It's fine I'm used to his behavior now. Thank you for waking me up. I would have felt bad if I missed out on a harvesting spot." Harvesting is very important for us youths if we want to gain clan merits. With enough merits weapons and skills can be earned. For weapons, we need to trade for materials or find them then pay more merits to a specialist for them to be refined and produced. Minimum amounts need to be done first and foremost. Only then can merits be earned. Usually, convoys have routes between resource nodes or are searching for new ones when forced to detour. Woodland like these we are in have plenty of animals for hunting and plants for varying usage in trades. Spices and fruits are more likely to be in different areas. Sometimes we only have a few hours to gather before a return call is given so every moment can matter.

Looking around, we are in a large clearing that could hold a hundred wagons and signs of stone huts and other structures near the wood line tell me this is a normal rest area for the Convoy. We must have just stopped as most haven't disembarked from the wagons and the beasts were still being hitched for now. Until the all-clear is given we need to be ready to move out at a moment's notice. Looking to the north I can see what looks like a small farm field with blue leaves beginning to sprout.

Are those Andria tears? If so, that field would be worth two wagons of enriched iron. A hefty price indeed. Why here in the wild and not a protective village or town I couldn't figure out how they were kept from being raided by beast and man alike.

It was then I saw an old man leaving a burrow in the middle of the field and wondered what else could be hidden over there. His movement showed none of the signs of his age as he quickly watered and sprinkled a reddish-brown powder over each plant.

"Well, I now know why we are here. I bet we need to donate to the field before we leave. I just hope we can search the area for merit items beforehand." My downturned expression was easy for her to read. Her laughter was very soft but sounded like bell chimes to me making me blush.

"You just hate seeing your blood despite the vigor with which you push yourself. Why I bet, in the last few months you spilled more than any other kid in our family convoy." A moment of silence then "well except James his dad is very strict."

"Well if I don't spar with those better than me how can I improve quickly.!" My retort was not received well as the look on her face scrunched and as I should have known. I was blasted with scorn for being reckless on a few occasions.

"Taking time to heal is worthwhile and important to prevent hidden injuries as you very well know.!" Her finger like a dagger pierced my side between the ribs. How she always seemed to hit the same spot I haven't figured out yet.

Unfortunately, I lost my balance in my failed dodge and landed in the grass. Fortunately, this meant that I could quickly get away from her before the second hit could be given to my ego. Without looking back I head to the guard and request what I could do to help with camp preparation.

The movement of wagons and supplies was done with precision turning the once empty field into a full camp compound. This means the convoy was expected to be here for a few days. Soon the wagons were in an array with the tents in the center area and extra defensive array flags were placed throughout the clearing.

The gathering jobs were assigned by wagon. "Ours are fern veins and leaves." The driver informed us. We quickly got in and were in the perimeter of the woods. Most ferns in this area showed prior harvesting which required us to move deeper.

To harvest these huge ferns is simple but takes teamwork, two to climb and one to three others with ropes to keep them steady as they twist in the wind or from the weight of the climbers. To safely harvest the upper branches without killing the plant you have to shave every other branch. Bottom left, second right, third up left, and so on. If the fern has red highlights then the full fern is to be brought back roots and all. Our goal was a red tip fern or a hundred branches. Any additional would count towards merits.

It can take several years for a fern to grow its leaves back so to prevent killing them we looked for an untouched area to harvest a lot without having to keep moving the wagon after each harvest. The driver is our guardian while we work. We finally found a great spot with several ferns close together. With us having been in the same convoy, we quickly assigned roles and began our harvesting. Everything was going well until William shouted.

"Beast, lookout Cile" his frantic shouting gave Cile just enough time to dodge the first strike from a giant snake.

Cile unfortunately was still trying to anchor the rope holding the fern steady as he moved away from the giant snake. I felt the fern bending over due to William and my weight as the siblings tried to help steady the fern but they were on the wrong side and they were forced to let go as the snake switched targets.

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The snake was over twenty feet long with a flat head and was colored in shades of green and brown to blend into the forest floor. Its body was as thick as an adult's waist. The yellow eyes with a vertical slit showed what I could only think of as fierce hunger suddenly pierced by an arrow. More arrows followed but were unable to penetrate deep enough to kill it outright. The snakes thrashing soon drove my friends away from the ropes. James and Cile got struck by the tail and were launched into the underbrush many feet away. Shari was with the driver and both were launching arrows at the snake. Shara had tied her rope to another tree as she climbed up its branches.

Our yelling was confusing the snake but soon William and I had to focus on holding on to the fern as it bowed over. A second arrow pierced the last eye and hit something vital. The snake reared up and fell sideways into the fern dislodging William. A scream is all I could give as the fern slingshot me into the air.

Now I'm sure flying would be a great experience but being whipped by branches some as thin as a finger or as thick if not thicker than my leg really, really hurts. I must have hit my head on something to be so detached as I'm experiencing such pain. Had there been more trees or one directly in my path I'm sure I would have died. But the ferns' broad leaves and spring-like nature saved my life. As for my dignity, I was more than ready to toss that aside under these circumstances.

Umm, why am I still rolling? Oh, shards a ravine, I'm falling into a ravine. What next? Each strike of my elbow caused pain in my left shoulder as I realized it was dislocated and I felt nauseating waves of pain from it. After a few seconds, I slam into a large rock or boulder and pass out.

An unknown amount of time passes before I can control the pain my body is in. With a blurry look around I try to take stock of my surroundings. It's not a ravine. It's a large sinkhole. A dull reddish powder and faint small markings on the walls tell me, I'm in a cave or collapsed mine. While there is a crevice I could squeeze through to explore I am in no shape to do so. A pool of murky water has nourished a vine of some kind. I'm not sure I can climb it with a dislocated shoulder and other injuries. Worried about what might live in the crevice or beyond it I take drastic measures. I place my hand into a wedge of rocks and twist violently to pop my shoulder joint back in. The pain is excruciating.

Vomiting, I am forced to take deep breaths to clear my head. It doesn't work. Head still spinning. I will try again. This time I misjudged the rocks shredding my skin but as I am falling back my shoulder impacts the wall of carved stone hard and pops it back into position. While not ideal, it's the best I can hope for under these conditions. I groped a bandage out of my kit bag on the right leg and began to treat my lacerations as best I can.

Half of my kits are missing or too damaged to have much I can use. Regardless, some branches and twine make a good sling for my left arm. I also wrap my knees and ankles with spare bandages as a precaution. Scaling a drop with my five-foot frame would be tough under these conditions. Though having a vine and a steep decline to help makes it feasible. Unfortunately, it's closer to twenty feet as the vine is on the higher side of the pit.

Each step I feel certain the vine is relinquishing its grip on a tree overlooking the pit. Loose gravel keeps making me slip and put more weight on the vine. Some of the tree roots I dislodge from the soil make for handholds as I climb. The painful throbbing becomes a beat that keeps the rhythm of my movement constant. If I stop to rest I know I'll have to start all over and there is no guarantee that the vine will still be able to hold me after I have been using it so much. What feels like hours and could have been minutes sees me ascend out of that pit. Crawling away from the edge I am so exhausted.

Knowing that if I pass out here a beast could find me I need to hide but leave a sign for any searchers. With a look around I see a thicket of thorns at the base of some trees and ferns. I spy what could be an old burrow or den. Putting a few branches together I make a sign for aid. Moving towards the burrow I can tell it hasn't been used in a few seasons. The molt of fur and small bones are old and brittle. I crawl in and find to my surprise a tunnel created by the brambles further in. Moving very slowly, I smell a scent similar to rosemary and cinnamon inside. Before I can go much further I feel very lethargic. After the day of harvest and injuries, I'm spent.

The sounds of the forest wake me up. I spend a few minutes listening to the sounds hoping to hear a call of my name or the pounding of a kern's feet. Nothing but birds and insects, I hope the others are ok. Both James and Cile took hard blows from the tail. If a search party is sent out finding me, It won't be easy as there is no way to track me in the air. I will need to find my way back or leave a trail they can trace. Normally I would stay put. The time to leave was not given though and if raiders are nearby the convoy will have to move on without me.

Why is that smell getting stronger? The scent of herbs growing stronger could be a sign of herbs' maturing or a threat moving closer. Taking a risk I move further into the brambles and see a skeleton wrapped around a pot with a dark red fern. The smell of rosemary and cinnamon is growing stronger. I can feel the energy of heaven swirling around the plant as it seems to twist and turn in the wind I can't feel.

I begin to do my meditation in hopes that the plant will aid me and focus on absorbing as much as I can. The energies are so dense just breathing is helping me absorb some inherently. While I guide the smallest bit into my blood and flesh I can feel the transformations happening faster than ever before, in my life. My blood seems to be more in tune with these energies, so I ease the energy to focus on my blood. I lost track of time and failed to consider the danger I was in. A beast's sense of smell is far more developed than a human's. How this plant was allowed to remain undetected is a mystery I should have considered. All I can say is my injuries and situation must have caused me to overlook such a basic truth.

Later when the energies slowed down and disperse I awoke without any pain from my injuries. My shock and amazement were quite profound as it should have taken a week or more to heal my shoulder and other injuries I may not have been aware of. Looking at the fern I can see its size has been reduced by a quarter. The color was even darker and a purple band could be seen near the root line on the stem. The pot it was in looked too big for such a small fern. Shapes were carved into the rim and base. For some reason, I couldn't describe them as they shifted if I looked away. The skeletal remains were of a youth with many broken bones and what looked like an arrowhead lodged in the ribs. I send a quiet prayer to the lady for the remains of the youth as a sign of respect for those who died due to violence. Hopefully, she can guide his soul on the path of reincarnation.

The pot was larger than me but the red fern was so valuable I had to bring it to the convoy. In an attempt to gauge its weight I try to move the pot. To my delight, the pot was incredibly light for its size. Dragging it with me I crawl out of the den and try to orient myself to find our camp. I can see a few broken ferns I may have impacted and compare the sun position to get a rough idea of where I need to go. Using chalk I mark a few trees and ferns as I travel. The harvested ferns soon help me know I'm going in the right direction.

The pot has been getting heavier as time passes and I'm concerned I won't be able to hold it much longer. My left shoulder has also started to throb and all I can think is to put one foot in front of the other. A haze of pain soon blocks out my vision and senses. I don't even feel it when walking into something and falling unconscious.

My head is pounding and I can hear moans of pain and discomfort. A cooling cloth is placed on my head giving me relief from the burning I hadn't yet noticed. Voices called, shouted, and whispered to me but I couldn't understand anything said. A cup is held to my lips and blessed water cools my raw throat. Was I the one screaming? Something in the drink calms my mind and I drift to sleep.

End of part 3 chapter 1