Chapter 2

Tala emerged from the forest still riding on Kitchi's back. She perked up as the village came into view and noticed everyone seemed wound up, many of them looked terrified like they saw something unreal. They whispered to each other in hushed urgent tones. 

Then she remembered that the boy was brought to the village, she squirmed to get down but Kitchi held her still.

"Hold on there, kid." He teased her with the baby name he liked to use, knowing it irritated her, "I'm taking you to Naalnish."

Tala froze at the mention of the village doctor, then she huffed impatiently but she knew it was pointless to struggle. Kitchi was stronger and wouldn't let go if his life depended on it. Whatever mission he accepted, he saw it through to the end, even if it was his own. She grumbled quietly and thought of payback. She hated being babied and he knew it.

She looked at the villagers again hearing words float amongst them like, "demon", "evil" and "curse from the ancestors". She couldn't believe what she was hearing. He was just a boy who was gravely injured. Maybe it was just easier for adults to blame the unknown when they feared something they didn't understand, or better yet they did understand, but still would rather believe, or blame, the unknown. They had to of seen with their own eyes what was the truth? Tala wished she could understand the way adults see, and sometimes she was glad she didn't.

As they approached the village doctor's hut, more people crowded around and Tala suspected that the boy was inside. She could smell the strong medicine as Kitchi made his way closer. He waded through the crowd.

Some of the villagers looked their way and caught sight of Tala with worry, although most didn't look surprised, and wondered what was going on. Kitchi lifted the tapestry covering the entrance and slipped inside the hut.

Tala's eyes adjusted quickly to the dimly lit hut. Something was bundled up in the back and she recognized him instantly. The doctor was beside him working quickly. He wafted a smoke pipe over the boy and chanted low, trying to draw out the infection inside his body. 

The doctor rubbed a salve over the boy's wounds, and instantly the boy's face reflected agony, beads of sweat pooling on his forehead. The doctor turned away and tsked, shaking his head as he walked toward Tala and Kitchi.

"Yes? "Well, what do you need?" He asked impatiently.

Tala stared at the old man, his grey hair frizzed outward in clumps like he had been zapped by lightning. She reflected that her hair would spark with static whenever a storm was coming.

The man looked as crazy as he was, but Tala knew better, Naalnish was the best village doctor, due to his passion and energy. She thought of her mother briefly, sadly she was one of the few he hadn't been able to save. He'd grown wiser since then and if anyone could save that boy, he would do it.

Naalnish cleared his throat, bringing the girl out of her daze and back to the world. She ducked her head shyly behind Kitchi. He sighed and spoke for her.

"She hurt her ankle running in the forest, I thought you might have a moment to look at it, but if you're busy I can tend to her myself." He spoke hurriedly. 

The doctor scoffed and waved a hand toward him, "Nonsense, though I appreciate the help, if I let everyone do my work, what am I supposed to do?" He patted a firm surface for Kitchi to place the girl down on, "Besides, the lad needs rest now, I've done what I can for him." 

"Such a kind man you are to this girl, you look after her very well, don't you?" Naalnish admired Kitchi's kind heart as he watched him place Tala gently on the table.

"Someone has to keep this one out of trouble," He ruffled her hair affectionately as she spoke and laughed as she pushed his hand away.

Tala folded her arms and scowled with embarrassment, shooting deathly glares at him, and making him laugh some more.

Kitchi said his farewells as he headed out of the hut, saying he had some things to check on. He told Tala he'd be back later to see how she was doing. Tala waved slightly as he turned his back and slipped back out of the hut. She turned her attention to the doctor as he examined her ankle. Her eyes drifted to the boy, sleeping in the back.

"The young are such curious creatures, aren't they?" He raised his eyebrows and looked at her with keen eyes and a gentle smile. "I think he'll be alright, he has a strong spirit, that one." "He'd be thanking his ancestors, he would have died if he hadn't come here." The doctor rambled on.

Tala reddened slightly but she also felt herself relaxed as he mentioned he would be alright. The doctor seemed to be reading her every thought.

Naalnish continued, "Now listen to me, I know you're curious but he needs to rest and so do you. I put some ointment on for the swelling on your sprain, you are not going to go running. You were lucky it didn't break, and that would have taken much longer to heal." He continued to lecture her, and she tuned him out a little as she had heard this conversation before having been to the healer numerous times. 

The doctor gave her a vile and told her to put a couple of drops of ointment on her foot whenever she felt the twinge come back. 

She slid off the table and he gently ushered her out of the hut. As she made for the tapestry, she turned once more to glance towards the back of the hut.

"You can come back tomorrow if you want to, although I don't foresee him waking anytime soon, his wounds are severe, and right now the best thing for him is to get as much rest as he can." He made another shooing motion toward the tapestry. 

Tala stood outside of the hut, it was still crowded but not as much as before. Most of the villagers moved on, either bored or they were more interested in filling their bellies as much as their curiosity. She wandered away from the hut, some of the villagers asked if she was alright and she politely responded to them that she was fine.

The center of the village bustled as the villagers gathered for the feast. Tala hadn't realized she was hungry until she whiffed the stewed meat coming from the large iron pot sitting over the blazing fire.

Tala looked at the darkening sky, though the sun hadn't fully set, the moon was already bright in the sky. A sharp wolf's claw cutting into the sky, which is why it was called the Wolf's Claw Moon. It would be the Wolf's Moon soon. The villagers were preparing for the large feast, a celebration of the great harvest before the cold settled in. Everyone prepared for it, with all sorts of entertainment, food, and dancing in honor of the ancestors. The villagers all put on their best clothes of many dyes for the occasion. Tala's eyes twinkled with excitement, she loved it when the harvest came around.

Someone bumped into her and pushed her aside.

"Hey, move out of the way! Some of us, would like to eat!" A shrill voice exclaimed.

Tala immediately recognized her friend and beamed at her.

"Oh, Tala it's you! I'm sorry." 

Tala laughed, "Sometimes I think your stomach does the talking for you."

Her friend smiled, "Maybe you're right." 

They both laughed until someone else bumped them from behind, causing them both to calm down and resume their place in line. Tala was next to getting her food.

"So I'm hearing a lot of stories in the air today, something about how a curse was brought to us, and a demon that's now in the village, do you know anything?

As Tala grabbed for her food, she nearly dropped it, caught off guard by what her friend just said. She smiled apologetically to the cook and hurried away with her food and sat down at a nearly empty table save for a few kids at the other end. Her friend trailed behind her and sat on her left side.

Tala turned toward her and glanced her up and down, Shania was always one of the first to catch anything about everything. If something was up in the village, she knew it. Her amber skin glowed in the dim sunlight and shined on her chestnut-brown hair. 

She sighed and told her friend what was going on, "First of all, it's not a demon, it was a boy and he was not cursed, he was just attacked by wolves."

Shania's eyes lit up even more, and her curiosity blazed in her eyes.

“That means you've seen him? What's he look like? Some of the villagers said you were found with him when a patrol found you, is that true?" The questions were endless as her nosy friend dug for all the juice.

After a few bites from her meal, the warm food reminded her of her exhaustion and she sighed as she remembered the day's events and grew even more so with Shania's questions. She was about to answer them when she saw Kitchi heading towards the table and she felt herself relaxed.

He seated himself to the right of Tania and grumbled, "Let her catch a break, Shania." 

Her friend's eyes were on him like a hawk that found its prey. Kitchi sighed as her attention shifted to him, but he glanced at Tala trying to ignore the other one, "Is your ankle better?"

Tala nodded as she showed him her ankle and he nodded approvingly. She was grateful for him, but sometimes she felt bad about how he brushed her friend aside, although she was not shy about her affection for him, however much it annoyed him. Shania was also just curious about what was going on. 

Tala couldn't blame her, between the wolves and what has happened now. It was stirring up the rest of the village as well.

Everyone around her started to hush and whisper to each other, Kitchi stiffened beside her and Shania quieted.

Tala was already aware of her father's presence.