The Burning Ground

Chapter 3

Thann huddled in the corner where a section of house wall still stood while the sniper in the hills sprayed pellets along the street; xe could feel Isaho getting farther and farther away, picture her scurrying like a mayomayo pup along the ruined streets. At least she was still alive.

Silence.

Thann crept from xe’s corner and started on. Xe’d been careless before, too focused on Isaho and frightened for her to remember line-of-sight; the pellet burn across xe’s shoulder was painful reminder that kept xe from forgetting pain. Bent over, black braid falling past xe’s ears to tickle xe’s chin, xe quickened xe’s pace to an awkward trot, scuttling from shadow to shadow along the battered street.

Shots ahead. A squeal and a blast of pain and fear from Isaho.

Mouth working soundlessly in xe’s distress, Thann straightened and raced toward xe’s daughter.

Xe saw her finally, a small figure with a dangling arm, trotting by an open space as pellets rattled round her. Xe held xe’s breath until Isaho was swallowed by a wall’s shadow, then plunged across the gap and pinned her to the bricks with xe’s body.

Isaho started struggling, whimpering, “nanny, Anyameami, Linojin,.I have to go to Linojin. Mam and Baba and Keleen, they’re waiting for me.”

By the time Thann quieted her, the sniper had stopped shooting and the big guns were silent. It was near sundown, the shadows were long and thick, the wind rising, whipping grit and debris against them, against the walls, scouring clown the streets between the hulks still standing.

“Thanny, I’ve got to go to Linojin. Nobody listens. I’ve got to go.”

Thann patted her. +When you’re healed, Shashi. I promise you, we’ll go together.+ Wincing at the pain in xe’s shoulder, xe slipped xe’s arms under xe’s daughter and grunted back onto xe’s feet. Xe lumbered across the open space, then began working xe’s way back to the shelter they were sharing with Cousin Mikil.

Her shoulders rounded, her face weary, nothing in her eyes but fatigue, Mikil watched while Thann bandaged the pellet wound on Isaho’s arm. She turned her head at a weak whistle from the other room, but she didn’t move.

Thann cupped xe’s hand across Isaho’s brow, sighed.

“Fever?”

Thann got to xe’s feet. +A little,+ xe signed. +The wound is clean now, and she’s strong; I doubt there’ll be trouble.+

“What about you?”

+It’s just a burn, barely broke the skin.+

Mikil rubbed at her eyes, then reached out, touched Thames ann. “I don’t…”

Thann lifted a hand, stopped her. +I know,+ xe signed. +As soon as my baby’s well, we’ll find another place.+

Mikil started to speak, then shifted to signing after another glance over her shoulder. +It’s Ankalan who’s fussing. He says you’re not his clan, so why should he have to give you room and feed you. When he hears about this… he told me if that femlit runs off once more and makes fusses for us, she goes. And our anya…+ She quivered her hand in a “what-can-I-do” gesture. +Seeing you reminds xe too painfully of what xe has lost.+

+I know, Mika. These are hard times and they make for hard choices.+

Thann bent over Isaho, bathed her face and arms, got her to drink some bitter halaba tea, tucked her in again, and sat beside her trying to decide what they should do.. More and more even the clan-bond was being broken. The people in Khokuhl were turning into scavenger gangs picking over the dead city, chancing death each time they left their holes to forage. How long before they were feeding on each other?

Would it really be worse to leave the city and try to reach Linojin? At least Isaho would be happier. And if they had just a little luck and were very, very careful.. Xe slid xe’s fingers into xe’s shirt, touched the flesh about the pellet burn. A little heat. Not bad, though. Maybe stiffness in the morning.

Isaho muttered in her sleep. Thann smoothed xe’s hand over the child’s hair, brushed back a curl that had crept across her eyes, left xe’s hand tucked up against xe’s daughter’s face while xe whistled very softly an old lullaby.