tales Boneman had told about the Long Land began to stir her imagination. It was terrifying to know that such a place, filled with such things, could exist, but it was also exciting. To know that all the beauty and the terror was dying and that she would never see it as it once was gave her an ache inside.
Jonas was drawing ahead, so she ran after him as he carved a path through the long grass. It occurred to her that if part of surviving in the Drift was to be carefulwho you trusted, then she was putting her faith in Jonas far too easily. He turned to grin at her as she tumbled up behind him, panting.
‘Come on, kid, there’s no time for wool gathering, you know.’
For a moment he sounded just like Grandad. It’s all right, thought Nin, and whatever he says, I’ve got to trust someone.
8
Words to Wake
hen Nin’s feet were too sore for her to go much further, they settled at the top of a low hill to rest, not far from a small stream.
To her dismay Jonas had stopped on the way to pick up some rabbits caught in a snare, and had been walking the last few miles with their cleaned and gutted corpses dangling in a bundle from his pack. They would be passing beyond the boundary of his hunting territory soon, so this would be the last free food ready and waiting. Past this point, Jonas told her, was an afternoon’s walk to the Drift town of Hilfian where his friend lived. Then came the long journey to the Savage Forest and the Heart of Celidon before she could even think about making it to the Terrible House of Strood.
Turning it all over in her head, Nin watched as Jonas built a fire and began cooking the rabbit. She didn’t fancy the Savage Forest at all, though the Heart of Celidon didn’t sound too bad. She went cold inside when she thought about the bit where they reached Hilfian and she went on without him.
But she didn’t have to leave Jonas yet, so she tried to put it out of her mind and set about making a mudman according to Dandy Boneman’s recipe. She wanted to see the Land work its magic, but also she wanted to learn, to understand it better. She was going to need that knowledge.
Digging up a pile of earth with her bare hands, she raked through it to turn out some of the larger stones. The soil wasn’t sticky enough so she scooped up mug after mug of icy water from the stream that seemed to whisper in her ear as she leaned over it.
‘Streams, rivers, they all do that,’ Jonas told her. ‘People call it the Voice of the Land. It always says the same thing, too – Doom and Death. Death Without End. Sometimes, rivers sing at night – you should hear it then!’
‘No thanks!’ said Nin with a shiver.
She mixed the water with the earth, adding a little at a time to make sure it didn’t get too runny. It reminded her so much of cookery classes at school that she got a fit of the giggles. Once she had it just right she began to push it into shape. The mud felt cool and soft under her fingers, but making it do what she wanted was difficult. Jonas watched her with an amused look, but didn’t interfere.
When she had finished she dug her finger into its round head to make eyes and used a twig to scratch a mouth, then stepped back to take a look. Her mudman was lumpier than Dandy’s had been. It was lopsided andits arms were too long.
Next came the baking part. She realised that if she tried to pick the mudman up and move it to the fire it would fall apart, so instead she took the fire to the mudman. She gathered some branches and twigs and made a kind of pyre over it, which she set alight using one of the twigs as a taper.
By now, the rabbit was coming on nicely and the smell made Nin’s mouth water as she settled down to watch her mudman cook. She wondered what she would live on once she had left Jonas. Berries and things would have to do. She made a mental note to talk to Jonas about berries. And things.
Nin shivered as a surge of longing for her mother rushed through her. Suddenly she felt
Jonas was drawing ahead, so she ran after him as he carved a path through the long grass. It occurred to her that if part of surviving in the Drift was to be carefulwho you trusted, then she was putting her faith in Jonas far too easily. He turned to grin at her as she tumbled up behind him, panting.
‘Come on, kid, there’s no time for wool gathering, you know.’
For a moment he sounded just like Grandad. It’s all right, thought Nin, and whatever he says, I’ve got to trust someone.
8
Words to Wake
hen Nin’s feet were too sore for her to go much further, they settled at the top of a low hill to rest, not far from a small stream.
To her dismay Jonas had stopped on the way to pick up some rabbits caught in a snare, and had been walking the last few miles with their cleaned and gutted corpses dangling in a bundle from his pack. They would be passing beyond the boundary of his hunting territory soon, so this would be the last free food ready and waiting. Past this point, Jonas told her, was an afternoon’s walk to the Drift town of Hilfian where his friend lived. Then came the long journey to the Savage Forest and the Heart of Celidon before she could even think about making it to the Terrible House of Strood.
Turning it all over in her head, Nin watched as Jonas built a fire and began cooking the rabbit. She didn’t fancy the Savage Forest at all, though the Heart of Celidon didn’t sound too bad. She went cold inside when she thought about the bit where they reached Hilfian and she went on without him.
But she didn’t have to leave Jonas yet, so she tried to put it out of her mind and set about making a mudman according to Dandy Boneman’s recipe. She wanted to see the Land work its magic, but also she wanted to learn, to understand it better. She was going to need that knowledge.
Digging up a pile of earth with her bare hands, she raked through it to turn out some of the larger stones. The soil wasn’t sticky enough so she scooped up mug after mug of icy water from the stream that seemed to whisper in her ear as she leaned over it.
‘Streams, rivers, they all do that,’ Jonas told her. ‘People call it the Voice of the Land. It always says the same thing, too – Doom and Death. Death Without End. Sometimes, rivers sing at night – you should hear it then!’
‘No thanks!’ said Nin with a shiver.
She mixed the water with the earth, adding a little at a time to make sure it didn’t get too runny. It reminded her so much of cookery classes at school that she got a fit of the giggles. Once she had it just right she began to push it into shape. The mud felt cool and soft under her fingers, but making it do what she wanted was difficult. Jonas watched her with an amused look, but didn’t interfere.
When she had finished she dug her finger into its round head to make eyes and used a twig to scratch a mouth, then stepped back to take a look. Her mudman was lumpier than Dandy’s had been. It was lopsided andits arms were too long.
Next came the baking part. She realised that if she tried to pick the mudman up and move it to the fire it would fall apart, so instead she took the fire to the mudman. She gathered some branches and twigs and made a kind of pyre over it, which she set alight using one of the twigs as a taper.
By now, the rabbit was coming on nicely and the smell made Nin’s mouth water as she settled down to watch her mudman cook. She wondered what she would live on once she had left Jonas. Berries and things would have to do. She made a mental note to talk to Jonas about berries. And things.
Nin shivered as a surge of longing for her mother rushed through her. Suddenly she felt
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