LITMIR.BIZ

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looked at her. “You want Aiyu carry?” he asked.

      “No, I just need a moment.” To give herself more time she asked, “Why don’t these buildings have windows?”

      “They store food,” he said. “Auchs store for longnights. No can work on farms in longnights. Snow cover all farms.” Her memories of the snow made her shiver. She asked him why the city was built on poles. His simple response of “snow” still left her confused. By now she had caught her breath and allowed him to lead her further into the city. About twenty minutes later Aiyu stopped in front of a door to a small home. To Camille it appeared no different to any of the other doors they had passed.

      “This home of Obiri,” he announced as his fist rattled the massive timber door. Camille heard movement inside before the door opened to reveal an auch of obvious years. He was much larger than Aiyu but the folds of loose blue skin hanging from his body suggested that he had been even larger in his prime years. One eye was clouded over and he walked with the aid of a solid cane. The blue of his skin was mottled with patches of white.

      A broad smile lit the old auch’s face. “Aiyu,” he said. “Welcome home.”

      Aiyu smiled back. “Good see Obiri again.”

      CHAPTER 5

      The small fire burning in the iron hearth cast flickering shadows on the walls of the room. Obiri sat in a large padded chair and considered what he had been told by Camille. He was not surprised. He had known that humans could be dangerous and cruel from the histories passed down through generations and more recent stories he had heard had convinced him of their truth. The story of the auch’s fight for freedom was still told around the fires during longnights, though Obiri feared that many did not believe the tales these days. This was the reason that auchs had isolated themselves from humans for the last seven centuries. “I very sad for you,” he told Camille. “I not know your mother but meet you. Hear truth in your story. Make Obiri sad.”

      Camille thanked Obiri but told him the time of grieving had passed. “For now I need to rest and stay away from the men who hunt me,” she told him. “In time I would like to see those responsible brought before the king for justice.”

      Obiri poured fresh glasses of minted water for his guests while he considered what he would do next. “I no think auchs able help seek justice. Auchs no do this,” he finally told her. “Many years auchs stay away from humans. No put people at risk for you get revenge. But Camille stay Konungssonur, be safe.”

      Aiyu spoke up. “Lowlanders chase Camille. Holdbori bring her to auchs. He protect her. Holdbori tell Aiyu help her. Auchs should help.”

      Obiri looked at him and Aiyu squirmed under the gaze. “I no say Auchs not help Camille,” he told Aiyu. “I say auchs stay away from humans.” He turned to Camille and smiled. “You stay at Konungssonur. There more like you live here.”

      “More like me?” she asked.

      “Yes, four come last four seasons,” Obiri explained. Camille’s head spun with the news - four others driven from their homes and finding their way here! From what she had overheard she had believed that hers was an isolated case driven by greed.

      “Something happen in lowlands,” Aiyu said. “Auchs do nothing, more come. Auchs be found. We can no hide now. World begin change. Time for auchs change too.”

      Obiri ignored the comments and instead asked Aiyu how Bhata and the children were managing and if they were still enjoying their time on the farm. While they chatted, Obiri considered Aiyu’s comments about Holdbori and what the spirits wanted. Aiyu was in the middle of a question about friends in the city when Obiri interrupted and asked him to open the door. The conversation had barely started again when a young auch appeared in the opening.

      “Obiri need something?” he asked.

      “Yes, Urak. Find Kallu, tell I need her call Torkeen. Next bring Alayna here.” Urak left, closing the door behind him.

      “Who are Kallu and Torkeen?” Camille asked.

      Aiyu answered her. “Kallu next clan elder. Obiri teach her lore of auch people. Torkeen no auch. Torkeen meeting of clan elders. One elder speak for one clan. Important decisions affect all auchs need more elders talk. Torkeen speak for all Sysla. Now must wait for elders gather and talk.”

      Obiri told her, “I no think auchs can help but hear Aiyu words. I speak at Torkeen and say this. You will speak too, and Aiyu. Then Torkeen decide.”

      “I understand and thank you,” she told Obiri. “I will not ask that auchs put themselves at risk for me and I do not seek revenge. I know there will come a time when these men will be forced to stand to account for their actions.”

      The door opened to reveal Urak. “Kallu organise messengers to leave in morning. Alayna here,” he said stepping aside to allow a woman to enter. She was tall and thin with long grey hair flowing down her back. She wore a long sleeved red velvet dress with a high collar, drawn at the waist and falling to the floor. The top was patterned with yellow jagged flashes. Her drawn face was clear of any marks and Camille, guessing her age to be nearly seventy, thought that she had once been a beautiful woman. Alayna’s eyes widened when she saw Camille though she said nothing.

      “Alayna, this Camille. She will stay Konungssonur. See she comfortable,” Obiri asked of her.

      “Of course,” she said, turning to Camille. “Follow me.” Camille rose and thanked Obiri before following Alayna and Urak out of the room.

      As they walked, Alayna said to Camille, “Girl, I have many questions but there are three others who would hear your story as well.” Urak led them over a series of galleries before stopping in front of a door carved with the image of a crescent moon. Alayna told Camille that the auchs had made the symbol on the door in the hope of assisting her and the others in finding their own rooms. “We know when we are here,” she admitted, “but we still have no idea of how to get here.” She opened the door and entered followed by Camille. The furniture in the house was smaller than she had seen in Aiyu and Obiri’s homes, more suitable for people of her size, which she found comforting. The front of the room held a plain table and chairs with a cooking fire set up at one end. The back of the room was divided into curtained cubicles.

      “Is that you, Alayna?” a voice called from behind the curtains.

      “Yes,” Alayna replied, “and I am not alone.”

      An olive-skinned face wrapped in blonde curls appeared through the curtains. “Well, I’ll be a flea’s backside,” it said before disappearing. Moments later a woman joined them still buttoning up the yellow dress she had obviously rushed to put on. It was decorated with a similar pattern to the dress her mother had worn. “Who is this, then?” she asked.

      “Girl, this uncouth woman is Marie. She joined us last year. I have been here for three years. Marie, this is Camille. I know no more than that Obiri has asked us to care for her. Now, where are the others?” Alayna asked.

      “They should be back soon. They have gone to collect supplies,” Marie told her.

      “Then we will wait for them. Marie, make us some tea. Come and sit down, Camille. There will be more than enough time for your story when the others return.” Camille asked them where they get their supplies.

      “The auchs treat us well and see to our needs,” Marie told her.

      Alayna went on, “We only need to go out and tell the first auch we see that we need food and they take us to the storehouses and give us what we want.”

      “What do they want in return?” Camille asked.

      Alayna said that in the three years she had been in the city the auchs had asked for nothing. She explained that the auchs were a very communal society. “Everything is there for the whole community. It seems that they need the close contact with each other that their society creates,” she said. “Each auch only takes what he or she needs and if anything

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