Read Online He Who Lifts the Skies by Kacy Barnett-Gramckow - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kacy Barnett-Gramckow
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that’s nothing; you have to bite your tongue every time you to talk to your sister.”
Keren laughed, then winced. She covered her mouth with her hand again, hating the acrid taste of the blood.
“Here.” One low, abrupt word made Keren turn and look up. Zehker leaned toward Keren, his smooth brown face expressionless as he offered her a small, clean piece of soft leather. She stared at him, bewildered.
Tsereth, practical as always, took it and pressed it to Keren’s bleeding mouth, thanking him. Zehker nodded silently, returning to the horses as if nothing had happened.
“You have no other injuries?” I’ma-Annah was asking.
Now the ancient I’ma-Naomi was beside them, peering down at Keren with a worried look. “Can you walk, Karan-child?”
“Her tongue is bleeding, and her chin is scraped, but they’ll heal quickly,” Tsereth told them. “Now, little one, let’s see if you can walk. We need to go clean the dirt off your face.”
Holding the soft piece of leather to her mouth, Keren stood. Her mother was now hugging Mattan and crying, while her other sons and her husband hovered about her uneasily. They hadn’t noticed Keren’s fall. Sighing, Keren turned to go into the lodge with Tsereth, Sharah, I’ma-Annah, and I’ma-Naomi. At the doorway, she glanced atZehker again, wishing she had thanked him for his help. She caught his eye for an instant, but he looked away. As if he doesn’t want to see me , Keren thought, feeling his rejection even more acutely than the wound in her mouth.
“I don’t think that Zehker likes you very much,” Sharah told Keren as they sat down inside the lodge. She sounded pleased.
Zehker unstrapped the thick leather bundles from his horse and piled them on the ground quickly, his nerves on edge. Everything about this place unsettled him.
No. He forced himself to be honest. I’ve been uneasy ever since we entered the encampment. This First Father, this Shem, his presence, his kindness—he’s not what I expected. This entire family is more than I expected. More than I should consider. I think I’ll ask Neshar to allow me to leave before the snows set in. If I stay here—with them—until spring, I’ll go mad . Grimacing inwardly, he thought, I might even join the Ancient Ones in offering sacrifices to their Most High. What would our Ra-Anan say then? He’d say I’ve regressed. As if Ra-Anan’s way is any easier to bear .
With an effort, Zehker pushed his dangerous thoughts into the darkest, most hidden portion of his mind, where they had hovered for twenty years. It was safer to ignore their existence. Swiftly he unloaded all the horses, covering each animal with a protective layer of fleece. Soon Lawkham was working beside him, rubbing the horses with a thick swatch of soft leather, crooning to them, irritating Zehker with his unending, good-natured noise.
All at once Lawkham slapped Zehker with the horse-scented swatch of leather, saying, “See there? You worried for nothing. The child’s perfectly fine—happy as ever.”
Suppressing a scowl, Zehker glanced toward the lodge. The youngest girl, Karan, or Keren—they called her both—had emerged from the doorway to visit her parents and brothers, who were still talking. The child’s face was clean; a reddened abrasion on her chin was the only evidence that she had fallen at all. Her expression was contented as usual—a sweet daydreamer’s face, untouched by fear or grief. And when her brother Eliyshama began to tease her, threatening to tickle her, she laughed and skittered away, coltishly thin and joyful.
I’m glad you aren’t hurt , Zehker thought unwillingly, looking away from the child. But how I envy you your joy . With an effort he pushed away his renewed doubts, telling himself, I’ll leave this place soon and never return .
“Our reunion has gone better than I expected,” Neshar sighed into the darkness as he, his brothers, and their friends left the evening fire in the lodge to
Keren laughed, then winced. She covered her mouth with her hand again, hating the acrid taste of the blood.
“Here.” One low, abrupt word made Keren turn and look up. Zehker leaned toward Keren, his smooth brown face expressionless as he offered her a small, clean piece of soft leather. She stared at him, bewildered.
Tsereth, practical as always, took it and pressed it to Keren’s bleeding mouth, thanking him. Zehker nodded silently, returning to the horses as if nothing had happened.
“You have no other injuries?” I’ma-Annah was asking.
Now the ancient I’ma-Naomi was beside them, peering down at Keren with a worried look. “Can you walk, Karan-child?”
“Her tongue is bleeding, and her chin is scraped, but they’ll heal quickly,” Tsereth told them. “Now, little one, let’s see if you can walk. We need to go clean the dirt off your face.”
Holding the soft piece of leather to her mouth, Keren stood. Her mother was now hugging Mattan and crying, while her other sons and her husband hovered about her uneasily. They hadn’t noticed Keren’s fall. Sighing, Keren turned to go into the lodge with Tsereth, Sharah, I’ma-Annah, and I’ma-Naomi. At the doorway, she glanced atZehker again, wishing she had thanked him for his help. She caught his eye for an instant, but he looked away. As if he doesn’t want to see me , Keren thought, feeling his rejection even more acutely than the wound in her mouth.
“I don’t think that Zehker likes you very much,” Sharah told Keren as they sat down inside the lodge. She sounded pleased.
Zehker unstrapped the thick leather bundles from his horse and piled them on the ground quickly, his nerves on edge. Everything about this place unsettled him.
No. He forced himself to be honest. I’ve been uneasy ever since we entered the encampment. This First Father, this Shem, his presence, his kindness—he’s not what I expected. This entire family is more than I expected. More than I should consider. I think I’ll ask Neshar to allow me to leave before the snows set in. If I stay here—with them—until spring, I’ll go mad . Grimacing inwardly, he thought, I might even join the Ancient Ones in offering sacrifices to their Most High. What would our Ra-Anan say then? He’d say I’ve regressed. As if Ra-Anan’s way is any easier to bear .
With an effort, Zehker pushed his dangerous thoughts into the darkest, most hidden portion of his mind, where they had hovered for twenty years. It was safer to ignore their existence. Swiftly he unloaded all the horses, covering each animal with a protective layer of fleece. Soon Lawkham was working beside him, rubbing the horses with a thick swatch of soft leather, crooning to them, irritating Zehker with his unending, good-natured noise.
All at once Lawkham slapped Zehker with the horse-scented swatch of leather, saying, “See there? You worried for nothing. The child’s perfectly fine—happy as ever.”
Suppressing a scowl, Zehker glanced toward the lodge. The youngest girl, Karan, or Keren—they called her both—had emerged from the doorway to visit her parents and brothers, who were still talking. The child’s face was clean; a reddened abrasion on her chin was the only evidence that she had fallen at all. Her expression was contented as usual—a sweet daydreamer’s face, untouched by fear or grief. And when her brother Eliyshama began to tease her, threatening to tickle her, she laughed and skittered away, coltishly thin and joyful.
I’m glad you aren’t hurt , Zehker thought unwillingly, looking away from the child. But how I envy you your joy . With an effort he pushed away his renewed doubts, telling himself, I’ll leave this place soon and never return .
“Our reunion has gone better than I expected,” Neshar sighed into the darkness as he, his brothers, and their friends left the evening fire in the lodge to
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