NIRIAN- chapt. 4

(chapt. 4)

Two hours later, my strange new companion and I come to a breathless halt. In front of us, nearly invisible in all the foliage, lies a sturdy, rounded hut, made of woven branches and mud.

"I'm guessing this is where we stop?"
"Yep," the girl replies. "I think we lost 'em." She looks over at me, standing awkwardly with my still-dead leg. "Well, go on in, then. I'll start a fire once we're inside, and I suppose you can stay the night. After that, though, you're on your own. Got it?"

"Okay," I agree, too tired to argue. I lift a ratty quilt that serves as the door and duck inside. It's dim, so I can't see much, but I figure the girl will light a fire soon. She slips in after me with some dead grass and branches in her hand, which she tosses into a dip in the ground. Then she pulls something shiny and slim from her pocket and kneels next to the little hole, pressing it against the center. There's a little click, and then a flame leaps suddenly upward, illuminating the small room with a warm glow.

"A lighter!" I gasp, looking at the girl with surprise. "How'd someone living in the woods get a hold of that?" Suspicion creeps into my voice, but if she'd wanted to hurt me, surely she would have done so already. She notes my tone, though, and her voice is defensive as replies.

"My dad gave it to me." She opens her mouth, like she was going to say more, then closes it again. An awkward silence hangs heavily between us. I look around the room absently, noting a mound of old quilts that lie slumped in a corner, and a row of herbs and meats that sit neatly organized on the other end of hut.

"So..." I begin, not sure what exactly you say to some random stranger who saved your life for no apparent reason. "What's your name?"
"It's Arisse," she replies lightly, tucking a long blonde strand of hair behind her ears. "Yours?"

I hesitate. "... Kaia." She looks up at me with those piercing eyes, and a shiver runs down my back.
"No," she says bluntly. "It's not."

I start, looking at her in surprise. "... You're right," I admit. "It's... it's Emery. How'd you know?"

"I'm a feeler," she says, her eyes softening a little. She shrugs and adds, "That's what I did back at the edge of the forest. I felt you. I got enough to know that you were in trouble, that you were scared, but most importantly, that I could trust you, at least for a while. Now, let's look at that leg of yours." She gestures to the blankets and I limp over and sit down. She sits next to me and puts her hands on my leg, then closes her eyes. I open my mouth to ask her what she's doing, but she opens her eyes before I can.

"There's some bruising, but not much else. They were using those Hypodermic rays, lucky for you. The feeling should return in a few minutes." She looks up, then adds a little hesitantly, "So... what about you? Where'd you come from?"

I pause, not sure how much to tell her. But then, I've heard of feelers, and she'll probably know if I lie anyway. Besides, she's just saved my life. I at least owe her some answers.

"My name is Emery Winters," I begin. Her eyebrows shoot up at the name.

"I knew that sounded familiar!" She crows. "No wonder the Variants were chasing you. You're that Jumper girl they're always offering money for!" Her blue eyes light up. "Can you really do it? Jump, I mean?"

I grin a little. "Yeah. It's really hard, and I get a massive headache, but it's pretty cool."
"You think? Getting the Jumping Rietae is, like, one in a million!"
I smile at Arisse, offer to continue my story, and she agrees happily.

"I was born in Enduras. It's a small village, tucked inside a valley in the Okias. I lived there with my parents until I was six." I smile sadly at the memories that arise with the sentence. "When they discovered I could jump, they were so happy. They were positive the Variants would value a Jumper, that life would become better for all of us. They were just village folk like most people; they didn't realize just how corrupt the Variant rule had become. Most people don't even realize what freedom was like, back when they had it. That this used to be a prosperous country, not... not the messed up evil it is now. Then one day, they just showed up on our doorstep. They wanted me," I look down. Arisse nods in understanding. "I ran that night, and they just kept chasing. I've been running ever since."

"I'm sorry," Arisse says after a moment.

"Yeah," I mutter. I give a harsh little chuckle, then add, "Me too. So... You got any depressing inner turmoil you feel the need to get off your chest?"
She smiles at that. Her eyes darken for a moment, but she shakes it off.

"Naw," she says offhandedly. "My dad's all high up in the Variant rule. I'm sure he and mom are fine."

"Your dad's a Variant?"

"Mmhm. Brother, too. Just passed initiation."
"Then... what are you doing out here?"
Her eyes get this far off look, and she pauses. "I... I followed my dad to work one day. I was ten; it was only a few years ago. It was pure luck that I got through... I still don't know how I managed to get in there with him. When I caught up with him, he was in a dark room, standing beside a man with a thin face and cold eyes. They were interrogating a woman, I don't know what about. She was crying and pleading, and they... they tortured her." Her voice breaks. "She died, Emery, right there in front of me. And my father never did a thing. I ran crying from that room, and of course they caught me, but dad smoothed things over, and they let it go.

" I'm not sure if he knew what I saw, but that night, I had horrible nightmares. I woke up crying and knew I couldn't live with it any more. I pilfered some stuff from the house, took off, and never looked back. I miss him, sometimes, but then I remember that day. He's not the dad I thought I knew and loved. I couldn't live with that. So I left, and here I am now. I'm sure they looked, but they never did find me. And..." Her voice hardens. "And I'm glad."