If I am worrying about the river crossing, I cannot listen to the other thoughts that stalk my mind. In the colony it is easy to be busy, but out here it is much harder to ignore my doubts. I question what is wrong with me that I cannot find the same happiness as my brothers. That if I had been a first or second son then I might have had a mate, but would I be happy, or would I be cursed with a longing to explore?
Perhaps I would not be happy in any life.
Or with any mate, human or Honey. Male or female.
I’m not sure what I’m seeking.
I can say that I want a home, but what is a home? Is it a blanket by the fire with my brothers? A room given to me by the colony? If it is about safety and companionship, then I already have that, and perhaps I should be satisfied.
But if I relax, and settle in, and it is taken away…
That is the fear that is always chewing at the edges of my sleep. And in the forest it is so much easier to hear the gnashing of its teeth.
The trees thin, and then the river is in front of us. I stare up at the waterfall and the rainbows made in the mist.
“Wow,” Alisha says, her voice filled with awe. “I guess this is the reason they don’t come further downstream.”
She keeps her voice low, but I doubt anyone is going to hear us, unless they are right behind us, in which case it’s too late, and I should have been more vigilant.
I’m glad we are beneath the waterfall instead of up top, as we are less likely to be seen crossing. “A waterfall will not stop them from coming downstream, and it is possible their hunters are in the forest.”
“But they farm?”
“Not enough to feed a tribe. It is always supplemented with hunting and gathering.”
“So they could be watching us from up there?”
“If they are, I cannot sense them…which means they cannot sense us either. It is why we should remain hidden in the trees for as long as possible.”
She presses her lips together. Her gaze on the top of the waterfall as if expecting warriors to appear.
“We need to find a place to cross,” I say, dragging her attention back to the river in front of us.
She gives a single nod as if resigned. “We cross and then eat.”
“I will feel better on the other side of the river.” For no good reason other than it is between us and the settlement.
“The camera needs to be on the other side of the waterfall.” She points up the steep incline, and I wish I didn’t agree with her.
But I grunt my agreement and crouch to remove my socks and boots.
“What are you doing?” She frowns as she watches me.
“I am not trekking through the forest with wet boots and socks.” I don’t want to trek far without my boots and socks on either, but taking them off in full view of the waterfall is a mistake.
Alisha eyes up the river as if not trusting that it is safe to cross.
“This area is calm. The pool at the bottom of the waterfall takes a lot of the force.” I point across the river. “And this stretch here is wide and shallow.” I point further down where it sweeps around a tight bend. “The river is going to be much faster and deeper there.”
“So what you’re saying is that we should run across the river here where we might be spotted, instead of adding time to the mission and potentially not finding a better place to cross.”
I pause, my laces undone as I consider my answer. “If we hike past the bend, we don’t know how fast the river is moving, or how steep the ground is. Then we still need to walk uphill past the waterfall to set the camera.” I like the way she doesn’t discount my ideas immediately. We are both used to leading, but sometimes leading means listening to someone else’s advice. I don’t like following people who don’t listen, as they tend to lead people into trouble. “The original plan was to be back at the ship by dark, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. The terrain is working both for us and against us.”
She mutters a curse and shakes her head. “There is a perfectly good bridge up there.”
“And we’ll be caught before we are close enough to see it.” I’m not sure she appreciates just how close we are to the settlement. They will have scouts, as well as hunters and gatherers, roaming the area. There could be banished warriors nearby, or worse, a raiding band from another tribe. For all we know, this tribe isabout to host a gathering of several tribes. So we don’t know how many Honey are in the area.
There is a headache building at the back of my skull from being on alert, and I cannot switch duties with one of my brothers as I am the only one. I have forgotten what it is like to be on my own. While Alisha is at my side, and I trust her to fight at my back, she cannot sense danger the way I can. It is my duty to protect her, because without her, none of us are going home.
