Confrontation..

Mira was sitting on a bench of woven reeds, watching the girls play in the water. The water lapped gently at her feet as she leaned back and stared up at the sun through the canopy of trees overhead. She felt good today; it had been a long time since she'd felt this way. A warm breeze played through the branches above, and just for an instant, she could almost imagine that she was back home in the woods of The North. But then she shook her head and smiled ruefully to herself. No, this was not The North, she reminded herself. This was The South, and there were no wolves here. There were people who hunted her kind though, and they would have little trouble finding her if they wanted to. They might be looking already, or soon enough, but she knew better than to look like prey.

She looked up again and saw the woman walking toward her from a distance. The woman's hair was tied back in braids, and she wore simple clothing of linen and cotton, but Mira didn't know where the woman had come from until the woman sat down beside her.

"I'm sorry," said the woman after a moment. "You seem so far away."

Mira nodded, keeping her eyes on the forest around them. "The water is nice," she replied. "It helps me think."

"That must be hard sometimes."

"Sometimes," Mira agreed. "But I find it does help me when I need to think about something difficult."

"You've got some scars," said the woman quietly. "Are you all right?"

Mira shrugged. "It doesn't bother me anymore."

The woman nodded slowly. "Then why do you hide them? You don't have anything to be ashamed of."

Mira glanced over at the woman, taking in her plain brown dress. "Do you have any children?"

"No."

"My mother did," Mira explained. "When I was five years old, we were attacked by men who thought they could take what belonged to us. My mother fought them off, but one man held me down while my father killed him. That night, a wolf came into our camp and saved me."

"A wolf," repeated the woman softly.

"Yes," Mira answered. "He was larger than any other wolf I'd ever seen before, and he carried me out of there. He took care of me for a couple of days, feeding me and making sure I was safe. Then he left. When I was well enough to travel, I headed south."

"And you don't know what became of him?"

"No," admitted Mira. "Not really. It's funny—it seems silly now, but I was afraid of him. And then, when he was gone, I missed him terribly. I still miss him."

"I'm sorry," said the woman. "I didn't mean to bring back bad memories."

"That's okay," said Mira. "Maybe one day...maybe someday I'll see him again."

"I hope so," said the woman. Her voice caught slightly.

Mira looked over at her again. "What happened?"

"Oh, nothing," said the woman quickly. "Just thinking about how I never told my daughter about that night."

"Your daughter?"

"She passed away several months ago," replied the woman. "She was only four years old."

"I'm sorry," said Mira. "What was her name?"

"Lila."

Mira nodded. "I'm sorry, Lila," she said, remembering the first time she had met the girl. She had been playing with the other children when the wolf appeared. He had watched her curiously, then approached Lila, crouching low so she couldn't see him. He had put his mouth close to her ear, then whispered something in her ear. Lila turned to Mira and asked, "Is he talking to me? Are you listening?"

Mira smiled. "Yes, honey, I'm right here."

"I wish you could be here," continued Lila. "We're having fun."

Mira laughed. "I can't stay, Lila. I have to go."

"Why?"

"Because I have a job to do."

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know yet, sweetie. We just have to keep moving."

"Can I come with you?"

"No, Lila. Not this time. Maybe another time."

"All right."

Mira stood up and hugged Lila tightly. The wolf had crept closer and placed his paw on Lila's shoulder. Mira heard a soft whine, and then Lila let go of her and ran happily back to the other children.

"See you soon, Lila," said Mira softly.

"Soon," agreed the wolf.

***

"How long do you think it will be before we reach the river?" asked Mira, leaning forward against the small boat as she looked up at the tall cliffs rising high above them.

"I don't know," replied the man steering their small craft. "We haven't crossed it yet. But I don't think we'll run into trouble."

"Good," said Mira. "I'm not looking forward to crossing the river."

"It's only dangerous if you fall in," pointed out the man.

"I won't fall in," said Mira. "But I don't like being on the water."

"Well, you've got to cross it sometime," said the man. "If you want to get home, that is."

Mira sighed. "What's your name?"

"I'm Jorgen," answered the man.

"I'm Mira."

Jorgen grinned. "Well, Miss Mira," he said, offering a hand, "you must be tired after your journey from the city. Why don't you rest for a few minutes and then we'll try to make some progress?"

Mira shook his offered hand. "Thank you, Jorgen," she said.

They drifted along for a while longer, and then Jorgen cut the oars loose. "Take a nap, Mira," he suggested. "We'll wake you when we need the oars again."

Mira sat down on the wooden bench across from where Jorgen stood. She gazed ahead at the cliffs rising high above them until the sun began to set behind the mountains. A breeze picked up, and the sound of rushing water came to her ears.

"I remember this place," said Jorgen. "I used to come here with my father when I was younger."

"You grew up nearby?" asked Mira.

"Yes," said Jorgen. "My family has lived here all our lives, except for my grandparents. They were born in the city, but they moved to the country before I was born."

"That must have been nice."

"It was," said Jorgen. "I used to love coming out here with my dad. His parents had a farm not far from here, and my grandfather would take care of it whenever my father was away."

"Really?" asked Mira. "Were your grandparent's kind people?"

Jorgen shrugged. "Kind-ish," he said. "They worked hard. My grandfather sometimes had a temper, especially with me. He didn't like me much. I wasn't very good at taking orders, and he always wanted me to do things a certain way. It's funny—he never had any problems with my father or anyone else. But he sure did have a problem with me."

"Maybe it's because you're a boy?" suggested Mira. "Or maybe because you're his grandson?"

"I suppose," admitted Jorgen. "It doesn't matter now, though. He died a few years ago."

"And your grandmother?"

"She died last year," said Jorgen. "Got sick suddenly one day, and she was gone by nightfall."

"I'm sorry," said Mira.

Jorgen smiled sadly. "Don't worry about it," he said. "She'd be mad at me for worrying about her. And since I'm not allowed to talk about it, there's no point in getting upset over it anymore. Besides, there are plenty of new people around who need to be taught what to do."

"Your parents still live near here?" asked Mira.

"No," said Jorgen. "My mother died when I was young, and my father remarried. Now he's working at the mine. He's a foreman now."

"Mine too," said Mira. "But I quit."

"I can understand why," said Jorgen. "Is that why you're heading home?"

"No," said Mira. "I'm going to follow the river upstream to see if I can find my sister."

"Ah," said Jorgen. "You might be able to help. There are rumours of a dragon somewhere on the river."

"A dragon?" asked Mira.

"Yeah," said Jorgen. "Rumours say that a dragon went missing a few weeks back. Supposedly, it killed some people and destroyed a village near the river. That's how the rumours started, anyway."

"I have an idea," said Mira. "Could you tell me where that village is? I might be able to find my sister there."

"I could show you," said Jorgen. "But I don't know exactly where it is."

"I don't either," said Mira. "But I bet my sister would be living in the closest town to the village."

"How does that help us?" asked Jorgen.

"I'll go get my map," said Mira. She pulled out her pack and unrolled it, then rummaged through the papers inside until she found a folded sheet of paper. "This map shows the towns that are close to the river."

"I think we should wait until morning," said Jorgen. "The sun will be up soon, and I don't want to spend another night in this boat."

"Okay," said Mira. She handed him the map.

"What's that?" asked Jorgen. "Where are those two towns?"

Mira pointed to the names written on the map. "Those are the only towns on the river," she said. "If she's not there, then we should probably head downstream."

"Sounds good," agreed Jorgen. He took the map and carefully unfolded it. "I hope we find your sister, Mira. You're a good friend."

"Thanks," said Mira. "I wish I knew what happened to her."

"Me too," said Jorgen. "We'll look for her together."

***

Mira walked back to the boat. Jorgen had already prepared the fire and was roasting some fish he'd caught earlier. When he saw Mira, he tossed the fish onto a piece of wood and placed it on the coals.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," said Mira.

"Something's bothering you," insisted Jorgen.

"I just… I miss my sister," said Mira. "I haven't seen her since I left home."

"That's understandable," said Jorgen. "You were pretty young when you left."

"I know," said Mira. "But I feel guilty that I didn't try harder to find her before I decided to leave home."

"There's nothing to be ashamed about," said Jorgen. "You had a good reason for leaving. Most people aren't given a choice in the matter."

"I guess," said Mira. She sat down next to the fire and tried to light a stick of wood with her flint. The flame wouldn't catch, so Mira put the stick aside and blew on the embers instead.

"How are we going to get to that village?" asked Jorgen. "It's probably at least half a day from here."

"I don't know," said Mira. "I thought I could figure it out once I got there."

"Do you want me to come along?" asked Jorgen. "I'm sure we can make it there faster than by boat."

"No thanks," said Mira. "My sister isn't stupid, and I don't like the idea of putting her in danger."

"I understand," said Jorgen. "But we should really hurry. We don't want the sun to set before we're there."

"I know," said Mira. "Let's eat dinner first."

Jorgen nodded. They gathered the rest of their supplies and cooked up the fish they'd caught earlier. When they finished eating, Jorgen laid back on his bedroll while Mira built a small campfire using a handful of twigs and dried leaves.

"I've never been on a long journey before," said Jorgen. He turned away from the fire and looked at Mira. "I'm worried about you."

"Don't worry," said Mira. "I made my decision to leave home a long time ago."

"And now you're on the run," continued Jorgen. "Are you being pursued?"

"I don't know," said Mira. "I can't tell if someone's chasing me or not."

"You shouldn't stay in one place too long," said Jorgen. "People might notice you."

"I'm fine," assured Mira. "I know how to hide."

"Don't you trust me?" asked Jorgen.

Mira hesitated. "Of course I do," she said. "It's just…"

"Just what?" pressed Jorgen.

"I don't want you getting hurt," admitted Mira. "What if something happens to you? What if I lose you?"

"You won't," said Jorgen confidently. "I promise."

Mira sighed and looked into the fire. "You say that now," she said. "But I wonder if we'll ever see each other again."

"We'll meet up eventually," promised Jorgen. "Even if we don't end up in the same town, we'll both have the map and directions to get there."

"Right," said Mira. "So what do we do tomorrow?"

"We start walking," said Jorgen. "We'll get to that village as quickly as we can."

"Great," said Mira. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," replied Jorgen.

"Do you think your parents will be disappointed in you?" asked Mira.

"I don't know," said Jorgen. "I don't know them very well."

****

The next morning, Mira woke up early and started packing their things. Jorgen was still asleep, but Mira knew he would wake up soon. She gathered their camping equipment and tied it all together with vines. Then she went over to Jorgen and shook him awake.

"Good morning," said Mira. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah," said Jorgen. "I did. Why?"

"I'm ready to go," said Mira. "We should probably get moving."

"I was hoping we could wait until after breakfast," said Jorgen. "If you don't mind, that is."

"Oh, fine," said Mira. "But I want to get going as soon as possible."

"Okay," said Jorgen. He rolled onto his side and pulled himself to a sitting position. "You can cook breakfast, then we can pack everything else."

"Sounds good," said Mira.

She took the fishing gear off of her father's belt and handed it to Jorgen, who chuckled.

"Is this yours?" asked Jorgen.

"No," said Mira. "That belongs to my dad."

Jorgen stared at the fishing line and hook for a moment. Then he smiled and picked up the pole. "I guess I can use it," he said.

After breakfast, they packed up the tent and left the campsite behind. Jorgen had been right; the journey to the village went smoothly. There were no more encounters with animals, and the weather remained sunny and warm. By midday, they reached the village where Mira's parents lived. It wasn't much different from any other village Mira had visited in the past. The buildings were made of wood and plaster, and people walked around carrying baskets and talking. Mira spotted a few familiar faces, including her mother. She ran up to the group of women and hugged them before turning to face her brother.

"Hi, Jorgen," said Mira.

"Hey, sis," said Jorgen. "What are you doing here?"

"This is my new home now," said Mira.

"Your old home doesn't want you anymore?" asked Jorgen.

"Not exactly," answered Mira. "I decided to leave."

"Why?" asked Jorgen.

Mira shrugged her shoulders and kept walking towards the center of town. The villagers stopped and followed Mira, staring at her as she passed. They didn't seem to notice Jorgen standing beside her.

"Mira," said Jorgen. "What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it," said Mira. "Let's keep moving."

When they got to the center of the village, Mira saw her parents waiting for her. Her mother had tears streaming down her face, and her father was trying to hold back his own emotions. Mira felt a wave of guilt wash over her. She hadn't even thought about her parents since leaving her old life behind. Had she forgotten them so easily?

"Daughter, why did you leave?" asked her father.

"I needed a change," said Mira. "A fresh start."

Her father nodded his head slowly. "And this is it?" he asked. "You came to us because you wanted a different place to live?"

"Yes," said Mira. "I just… I need to make sure this is the right decision."

"Of course, it is," said her father. "You're our daughter. You belong here."

"It's not that easy," said Mira. "I need to know if this is really where I want to stay. If it isn't, then I'll be coming back."

"Very well," said her father. "But promise me one thing."

"Anything," said Mira.

"Please come back to visit," said her father. "Even if you don't end up staying with us permanently, we'd like you to stop by and say hello every once in a while."

"I promise," said Mira.

"Don't worry," said her mother. "If it doesn't work out, you can always return. This is your home. We wouldn't have brought you here otherwise."

"Thank you," said Mira. She looked down at the ground and shook her head. "I just feel bad about leaving."

"Don't be sad," said her father. "This is only temporary. After all, we haven't seen each other in years. You've changed, and we need to accept that."

"I suppose you're right," said Mira. She turned to Jorgen and gave him a hug. "Thanks for letting me do this. I owe you big time."

"My pleasure," said Jorgen. "Now let's get going. I'm starving."

The rest of the journey back to the camp was uneventful. As they approached the edge of the forest, Jorgen sighed loudly.

"Are you okay?" asked Mira.

Jorgen shook his head. "I hate camping," he admitted.

"Me too," said Mira. "But I guess there's nothing we can do about it."

"Right," said Jorgen. "We should probably find a nice spot to set up the tent."

They found a small clearing near a stream and quickly began setting up the tent. It was smaller than their previous tent, but Mira knew the extra space would come in handy. Once everything was ready, they sat inside and ate some of the food from their packs. Jorgen pulled out his fishing pole again and cast it into the water, hoping he might catch something good.

"Do you think we'll see any monsters on the way back?" asked Mira.

"Probably not," said Jorgen. "But that doesn't mean anything. We're still in the middle of nowhere, and there aren't many places to run to if things go wrong."

"Yeah," agreed Mira, nodding her head. "I guess you're right. Monsters could be anywhere."

She looked around the tent and thought about the last few days. Everything seemed like a dream now that she wasn't surrounded by monsters. The sun beat down on her skin. The cool breeze blew through the trees. The sound of running water. Even the smell of the forest was different.

"What do you think those monsters were made out of?"