Page 14 of The Song of Sunrise
“Look at them, Leaf. They are starving,” I whisper then turn to Castor. “Aren’t the WatchGuards supposed to be delivering rations?” I say more forcefully than I intended.
Leaf hands me the satchel of dried meats and berries.
I hold out the bag, and two larger men in ragged clothing lurch forward, shoving one another. “This is all we have. Please, take this.”
“Harven and Raven, stop this instance!” An older woman steps forward, arms crossed in front of her tattered robe. An authorityfigure amongst the nomads by the way the crowd parts for her. The men stop fighting, heads turned down in shame.
The woman steps forward, and I hand her the bag of supplies.
“Thank you,” she says, accepting the satchel.
“We are headed to the Watch. We will inform the Elders that rations have been skipped in your area,” Castor says.
She laughs somewhat eerily. “Sure, son. We will believe it when we see it. Thank you again for your generosity, but I would advise you to leave here before nightfall. Others aren’t too keen on visitors.” She glares at the men behind me. “EspeciallyWatchers.”
Leaf keeps his arm locked in mine as we leave the WatchTower and mount our horses.
I cannot believe that they are just left there, starving. What is the Watch doing about it? Just because they are considered nomads, free from community protections, doesn’t mean that they don’t deserve to eat.
Castor pulls himself atop Lux in a single fluid movement. “If we ride fast, we can get to Redrock by nightfall.”
Leaf loosens his grasp on my arm, but I squeeze him tighter, clinging to his warmth and support. He hoists me up on Tiny then settles behind me before racing away from the WatchTower. If he wasn’t holding me, I think I would untether and unwind into the sky until I join the stars.
My life has changed so much in the past few days. It’s almost too much to bear. What if becoming a nomad is what’s in store for me? No home. No place to go. I feel the wetness on my cheeks before I realize that I am crying. Mostly for those starving nomads.
But a little for me too.
After a while of riding in silence, Leaf begins to hum short and sweet little anecdotes. His music is a tether to my consciousness, allowing me to slowly return to myself.
I had always ridden with Castor, which felt safe, but not as warm and comfortable as when I am with Leaf. I can’t help but compare the same familial comfort I have with Leaf as I did with Row or Bane. He just seems to understand my needs without explanation.
We ride west past more rolling Midland forests and small farming communities until the sun is low in the sky and the earth begins to flatten out across the expansive Grass Plains.
“What have you been singing?” I finally ask Leaf as he finishes another song in my ear. Almost eerie tunes that conclude differently than traditional hymns I have studied.
“Just some lullabies from when I was younger.”
“They are beautiful. I’ve never heard anything like them. Thank you for sharing them with me.”
“Always.” He squeezes my waist a few times. And I let myself smile, the feeling foreign.
“Akemi,” Leaf begins, “I know it was hard for you back there. To see the state of the nomads. Do you want to talk about it?”
Years flash before my eyes in seconds. Living in the woods. Pandering for food off the streets. Working hard labor for a month only to receive a single copper coin. “It’s just hard to see folks living that way. Brings me to a dark place. If it weren’t for Rosie taking me in… I would have been just like them. I was trapped, spending the majority of my childhood in a cycle of just trying to survive. I was so alone.” I whisper that last part.
Leaf takes in a slow breath. “While I cannot claim to know how you feel, I too was trapped in a cycle growing up. One not of poverty, but of another kind that stole my freedom. Though my family had resources aplenty, it was… not a loving household. That’s why I joined the Watch.”
We ride silently for a while, letting our truths absorb into the gentle swaying of the horse.
Castor pulls Lux closer to Tiny. “We are nearing Redrock. We can make camp—”
“Oh, no. No, no, no.” Leaf shimmies so violently behind me that I almost fall off the horse. “Tonight, we are going to stay at an Inn in Redrock. I insist.” Leaf pats the chest pocket of his clock, jingling the coins within. “I'm not sure if you’ve seen yourself lately, but we are definitely in need of hot food and a proper bath.”
Castor grunts. “You’re paying then.”
“Deal.”
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