Another summer had gone by and she was heading towards her seventieth summer. Yang was getting worried. The effects of the Makena were going to wear off soon and they would need a replacement. She needed to eat some more otherwise their hopes of keeping her male looking was going to forfeit soon. Her face was looking softer again and more than once, he had caught Kalen staring intently at her from the corner.
The solider was bound to notice that each day, his 'brother' was turning more and more feminine looking. Even the act of keeping of her hair short wasn`t going to help them anymore.
They were both sitting with the other prisoners outside of a cage. Last summer, they had ceased the operations of digging for diamonds and were now focusing on refining Witchka. Dev`s hands were still burning from mishandling a pot which led to accidently burning her hands.
She had no doubt that when Kalen found out, he would try to bring some herbs to heal her and that was when Yang suggested that they tell the young guard to bring her some Makena.
"Why don`t you ask your friend to get us some?" Yang asked with a drawl.
Dev glared at her brother over her burning hands, "He is not my friend! He shows us a little kindness but that is as far as he will go."
"Dev, we need this plant," Yang stated. It was a fact. They needed it and they needed it soon.
"Do you think I don`t know that?" Dev exclaimed before her brother shushed her as the other prisoners turned to them. Yang waved his hand to show that they were fine before they all looked away. Thankfully, there were no guards on their side to catch them. Otherwise, it would mean another beating.
Dev stood and went over to their pot to check on the heat. She made sure the firewood was good to last them another hour. She didn`t like doing this to their sacred tree but she didn`t want to risk another beating. Especially if they planned to strip her of her clothes and beat her like they had started to do to the others who were caught 'misbehaving.'
She shuddered and leaned back against the wall of the fire house. There were serval pots in top of stoves with two prisoners set on watching the pots.
"Maybe we should consider growing it within the walls of the prison? Somewhere hidden."
"Like our cages or the fire house? "Yang asked with a mocking tone. He then shook his head, "Even if we wanted to, the Makena are only grown near a river and right now, we are far from any."
Dev slumped and pulled her legs up to chest, "Then we are doomed."
"I refuse to believe that."
"Well, our only other option is…," She paused and scanned the area for guards before whispering, "Escaping."
Yang gave a curt nod. Even he had been toying with the idea since Jayl and their fader`s death.
But the question was how? They could not fight.
None of them knew how and even then, their vows were iron clad. The moment they raised their hands to hurt someone, they would fall ill, go crazy with delirium for a time before passing out and slipping away into death.
He had watched it happen to some of the prisoners the last few summers.
But still, there must be something they could do.
"Dev. Yang," A voice greeted them from the side. They both looked up to see Kalen and Jun, the other guard that was starting to follow him around. Jun checked their pot while Kalen kneeled to scan Dev`s hand.
He then shook his head at the boy," You really should be careful."
Yang wanted to say something in his brother's defense but Dev shaking her hand made him hold him tongue. Kalen then whispered," I`ll bring something for your hand tonight. Don`t fall asleep."
"Many thanks," Dev whispered with a curt nod. Kalen offered him a smile as Jun cleared his throat and spoke," Everything looks good. Keep an eye on the pot."
They all knew that Jun had to say something so the others wouldn`t suspect that there was something amiss. Both guards then left. Dev turned to watch them go with a small smile before her eyes caught sight of a new cart coming into the yard.
The guards got off their horses and they all laughed before greeting one another. One of the guards tapped the carts and told some of the prisoners to start unloading the carts carefully.
"What is that?" Dev asked her brother.
Yang turned and glanced over his shoulder before sighing, "Fire powder."
"Fire powder?"
"I witnessed the guards using it to show off. You can use it to make a large explosion or fire. They are planning to use it to blow up another mountain for us to mine," Yang told her.
Dev frowned. Another mountain for crystals to dig out? Haven`t they taken enough already?
Yang moved to check on the pot as Dev sat twiddling her unburned thumbs to pass the time. When the pot was done, they carefully began the process of scooping up the liquid and pouring it into barrels that would be transported tomorrow at first light.
Yang and her finished six barrels before they put out the fire and sealed the barrels. Once that was done, they began to move the barrels one at a time to carts waiting near the camp entrance.
Kalen and the other guards stood by watching and Dev winced as her back nearly gave way. Yang was behind her and pushing her forward. They each carried three barrels but the strain of standing, stirring and the pain in her hands made the weight of the barrels unbearable by the last barrel.
Once they and the others were done loading the Witchka barrels. They stood in line as the guards checked to make sure everything was secure before they dismissed them. As they made their way towards their cages, the first of many raindrops fell and Dev groaned.
She didn`t like it when it rained. The place always got too cold for her.
Rubbing her arms, she trudged after Yang as they entered the cages and made for their own corner before sitting down. Yang offered to look at her hand to assess the damage again as they waited for dinner and for Kalen. He tiled her hand side to side and hummed thoughtfully as Dev ran a hand over her shaved head.
At least they didn`t need to shave her head for another three months.
"Two of you. I have news," One of the prisoners said as he sat down next to them. Yang let go of her hand and they both looked to the man.
"What is it?" Yang asked.
The man scanned the cages and once he was satisfied that there were no guards near them or any other prisoners listening, he leaned forward to speak, "Some of the people here are planning to escape soon and we wanted to see if you both would be willing to help."
"What?" Dev muttered.
"How?" Yang asked, genuinely interested.
"Yang?!" Dev asked, shocked at her brother`s impulsive question.
"Let us just hear him first," Yang told her.
Dev nodded and they both turned to the man who kept his eyes at the cage doors but spoke softly, "The two of you work in the fire house, yes?"
Both siblings nodded and muttered 'yes'
"We need you to get us one kindle of fire."
Yang frowned, "A kindle?"
"But a kindle would die as soon as the sun set, we won`t be able to keep it going for long," Dev reasoned out.
"We won`t be leaving at night, just before sunset, when they are all tired and weary."
Dev shoulder`s fell as a thought occurred to her, "What of the guards and the tower guards?"
Their camp was surrounded by a wall that had tall towers. Each with at least two guards holding weapons that could hurt them.
"We have a plan to take care of that. All we need from you is the kindle and you need to be ready to run out of the gates," the old prisoner said with confidence.
They both exchanged glances before nodding reluctantly.
"I will come to get you both when it is time," He said before he left. They both sat still for a moment before she leaned closer to Yang, "I don`t know about this."
"Same here."
"So…?"
Yang rolled over thoughts of escaping before sighing, "If things look bleak, you run to the guard and stay by his side. A least he will be able to protect you from the backlash."
Dev nodded but then paused, "And you?"
Yang looked straight at his sister, "I need you safe."
Sensing that he might end up doing something very bad, she reached out to grab her brother`s hand, "If you fall…"
He turned his hand over and cover it with another hand, "I won`t. But I need you safe."
Dev looked down at their entwined hands before reluctantly nodding. She then moved to sit beside him and they both waited for the guards to come with their dinner. They did come in another hour. Three hours later, everyone was asleep but Dev remained awake and was now drawing a pattern on her arm.
She was almost seventeen, that was age where her parents would consider matches for her or let her go off to find her path in life. She couldn`t be a Medicine Man as her Jayl was supposed to do that but she could marry one so she would still be able to deal with herbs. That would mean finding a match in another tribe.
Marriage and life with herbs. That was the life she was supposed to have now.
Sighing, she leaned back and pulled her legs up to her chest. Because she was skinny, her stomach didn`t get in the way of her legs and her arms could go around her legs with no problem.
Yang was worried. They were both malnourished and only through small mercies they had not died from any food poising or illness. No. Not mercies. It was Kalen. It was him keeping them alive.
The sound of him calling her name had her relaxing and moving to the edge of the cage where he kneeled, waiting for her. He gave her a small smile as he held up a bag of medicine before turning to nod at Jun who was keeping watch behind him.
"Hold out your hands," He instructed her.
Dev nodded and wriggled her hands through the bars and held them out for him to heal.
Kalen sat near her and applied the medicine to her hands before she pulled her hands back with a sigh.
"May I ask a question?" Kalen asked after a while.
Dev looked up at him and nodded, "Of course."
"What was your mouchium like?"
Dev flinched and looked down at her healing hands, "Why would you ask that?"
Kalen grimaced and looked away," I miss my mother. I haven`t been away this long. I guess, I`d rather hear about yours and see if she`s anything like mine."
Dev sat still. Should she even talk about her mouchium to him?
He wasn't responsible for her death but still, talking about her felt like she was betraying her memory to him.
Kalen continued to talk, "She writes me letters."
Dev licked her lips before whispering, "Do you reply?"
Kalen shook his head and looked down, "All she says is that she wants me back so I can get married."
Dev nodded. She had heard Jun mentioned his sister who was waiting for the young guard back at their home. Maybe he should go back and be with her? And take all his people as well so they can clear off her land. Wishful thinking on her part.
"You should reply," She whispered back.
"What?"
"I said, reply to your mouchim. You don't if…," She stopped and looked away as her own memories of her mouchim washed into her mind's eye. Stiffening slight, she stood, "Talk to her while she is still with you."
With that, she left and with a muttered thanks for the medicine. Moving back to Yang, she leaned beside him and tried to sleep.
She might have upset him but the subject of her family was now a very touchy one. Especially when his was safe across the Blue and hers was half dead.
The next morning as Yang and her began to set the fire for their next batch of Witchka when they heard a shout. Yang went out to investigate while she got to work setting the fire place.
When he came back, he looked grim as he kneeled beside her at the pit.
Dev frowned at his face, "What happened?"
"Some of the others knocked over a barrel of fire powered. It`s spread across the place. The guards are scared that one spark will set the place on fire."
Dev`s eyes widened and Yang nodded slowly as he was thinking the same thing. One spark. Like from a kindle. Hearing the guards move around, barking orders, they busied themselves with work.
If things worked out, they would be free by nightfall.
When it was noon, little things started to go wrong around the camp. Dev heard that somehow the guards had gotten food poisoning so the guards that were always with them were now being called into the Warden`s office to receive new orders.
The gate`s pulley system was damaged when one of the guards got sick and attacked his comrades in a haze of anger.
Carts were falling apart and guards were arguing with each other. One by one, the older prisoners fell sick as well. That`s when Dev realized that they had gone against their vows and caused all the accidents. They were going to die soon.
As the sun set and Dev got down on her knees to prepare the fire for their last batch of Witchka, the old prisoner came running into their section of the firehouse and Yang reacted.
He broke a piece of his cloth and picked up a kindle before grabbing Dev. They all ran out before the old man took the kindle and threw it at a cart which exploded with everyone screaming. Dev jumped and watched in fascination as the fire spread across the ground to the towers, the guards house and the Warden`s office.
The powder had scattered but they had also managed to get it across to the strategic places. Yang grabbed her hand and they started to run with the others who were heading for the gate which was wide open. Everyone cheered and they ran as well. Pushing against the guards.
"Dev!"
Dev turned and saw beyond the flames that Jun and Kalen was standing there with their weapons drawn. Kalen was looking straight at her.
"We had to," Dev mouthed as she turned and ran with Yang out of the gate.
They were free. Out of the gate. Out of that horrible place. Dev sobbed and tried to keep up with her brother. The sound of horses galloping made her heart stop. Three horses and their riders were ridding towards them from the forest.
Yang pushed his sister towards the trees where the others were running towards," Run!"
He then stood in the way of the horses along with several others. They were staying behind to buy the others time to escape. He didn`t last long. A sword went through his chest and he fell. One of the riders struck him down. Two other soldiers brought him down.
An arrow hitting her left shoulder brought her back to her senses and made her start running again.
Dev cried as she ran. And ran. And ran as fast as she could. She didn`t have the energy to but she wasn`t going to be killed off near the camp. Once she was deep inside the forest, she fell down and passed out from exhaustion.
This was it.
It was her time to die.