Hide2

The hushing wind stopped in her ears and she could feel the temperature change from the biting cold to a slight warmth. She held her eyes closed and used her ears and nose to see what she could figure out.

The new area was slightly smoky and had a familiar sent of sweat to it. As her heart started to race in her chest she could feel a hand touch her arm. “She is scared. Let me explain to her.”

There was a small grunt of understanding and she could feel the male placing her down softly onto a soft raised platform. His heat and smell pulled away from her and the comfort she had grown used to in sleep was being torn from her again.

A few moments passed and she could hear the Nan shift in her spot. What was she waiting for?

Maybe I should run again. “I wouldn’t if I was you. You may have not broken it but it is hurt pretty bad.” The Nan’s raspy voice cut into her thoughts.

How was she doing that? She had never heard of anyone who could read someone else so well. Maybe it is just the power of Nan’s to know when someone is in need of information. “You could think of it that way. Do you really know so little of your elders?” The Nan’s voice now had a surprised but slightly amused tone to it.

This was enough, she had to see who was making a mockery of her. She snapped open her eyes and took in the view of the room around her. The smoky air came from the fire in the middle of the room where most of the smoke escaped out of the hole in the roof. The walls were covered in a form of cloth that was thick and colorful. Blankets maybe? The floor was mostly dirt but some areas had been covered with woven rugs. Flowers hung down around her now, their dried out bodies telling of time spend in the world and usefulness yet to come. Vennessa almost missed seeing the Nan who was sitting quietly watching her visitor scan the room. She was covered in many layers of rags all normal colors that would blend well with the outside. her hair was braided with a dark fabric twisted into it. Leaves and twigs from the run were caught in the now wind blown mess of her head. The Nan had the brightest Green eyes that Vennessa had ever seen. It suddenly called to mind a memory of a young child who developed such bright eyes on her 3rd year. The Keepers had called her True Sighted and taken her away. Vennessa thought she was surely dead but had seen her days later all clean and dressed so very pretty, walking with lots of people who seemed to have a keen interest in her. They kept petting her head and touching her face. It was more like how a beast would treasure a sweet it rarely got.

The Nan smiled brightly, “Ah, you have seen someone with my eyes. I am a Seer. I can see the true heart of someone and tell what they want. I can also see into their past, not far, but far enough to know if they mean me harm.” She smiled warmly. Her teeth showed normal except for two of them… they were pointed.

Before Vennessa could cry out the Nan rushed to her, “Quiet child this is not as it seems, if I had wanted to hurt you I would have already.” Vennessa knew it was true, “Because they take most of you young and leave only one elder you don’t know what we are. My teeth are for show. So I can walk among them and buy supplies to help our camp.”

Vennessa sat up slowly. She still wasn’t quite sure what to believe. She knew that Keepers always took the oldest for Dinner before they could reach their 17th year. Vennessa looked at the Nan, could she be truthful? She is right, they wouldn’t have let her live very long if she was a Feeder. Feeder’s weren’t known for waiting for anything.

“That’s okay child, you may not trust me now, but I don’t need you to trust. I need you to sleep right now. Sleep and heal.” The Nan stood closer and Vennessa could smell a sweet aroma, she tried to fight the heavy feeling in her head now but it was to much and she collapse into darkness.