Rise of Qancin

Chapter 4: Meeting Reed

I quickly awaken to find myself lying on the rocky ground. I look over to find a fire light near the entrance of the alcove. My head is pounding, and my entire right shoulder is on fire. Out near the river I see small figure – is that a child or a woman? The sunlight reflects off the water making it harder to distinguish between the two. I look to my right shoulder and see the wound dressed in long thick grasses. Exhausted and hungry, I call out to the figure in the distance, “Come here, please.” The figure turns and quickly comes towards the alcove. The figure gradually grows smaller until I see a small boy with a reddish-brown bushy tail and ears. This boy looks no older than eight years old – tan skin, emerald eyes, messy brown hair, and wearing baggy worn clothes with no shoes.

He smirks at me and begins to talk, “…see you awake. I…did not…you…make it. My name is Reed.” I stare dumbfounded, not fully understanding what he is saying. He then looks concerns and says, “…name?”, pauses expecting a reply, but continues on, “I…you to village. Can you walk?” I nod yes and reply, “Food.” He stares for a bit as if he were trying to understand what I said and then laughs. “…course! You cannot…without food. I will…fish.” I nod as I partial understood what he meant. He begins to run off towards the river seeming overly happy. I lay there watching as I wonder – was that a dream I experienced last night? I think on my dream and eventually push the dream to the back of my mind – no, that could not have been a dream. The dream was too vivid and then I think back those people chasing me. What happened afterwards? Should I try to ask Reed?

I see Reed at the river stabbing something into the water. Eventually he begins shouting in joy and comes running back to the alcove to see him with a fish in hand. He shouts, “I… a fish! I finally…it!” He laughs and continues, “I…not good…fishing”. He pulls out a knife from his back pouch and begins gutting the fish. He eventually wedges the fish on a stick and fries it over the fire. I watch him kick his feet much like a child does, and I ask, “Reed. How did you find me? What happened to the men who were chasing me?” He stares for a second and begins thinking before nervously responding. “Ah, I do not understand.” He pauses and continues, “You said…about…men.” Then the thought hit him, “You…about…the men…last night?” I nod. Reed scratches the back of his head, “I…watching the men…the tree…there.” He points to a tree across the river. Reed continues, “The branch…and I fell.”

Finally, the pieces all fit, and he was the one who incidentally saved me from my chasers last night. Reed hands me the stick with the fish and comes towards me to help me sit up. For his size, he has more strength than I ever did, and Reed had no issues helping me. I take a bite of the fish and savored the taste of food for the first time...in however long in which the Creator only knows. “Thank you, Reed.” I say after finishing the fish. He smiles and replies, “You are welcome. Now, I…help you…my village. The villagers…help you. We…walk.” I nod and Reed walks off to find something. I hear a tree falling and quickly hit the ground. Reed strains and snap proceeds afterwards. Reed comes back with a broken branch and gives it to me. “I help you get up. The branch…help you stand and walk.” I nod. Once up, he jumps around excited and shouts, “Follow me…we…to village!” I begin to slowly follow him and realize that my body is sore all over.

At first, we follow the river for a long while before coming to some plains. At this point, it is dusk, and I can see the village not too far from us. The village sits near a lake and is surrounded by farmland. I hear Reed softly say, “Mom…be mad.” He looks up at me with these soft yet sad eyes. I smile as we continue to walk, yet I wonder on his race. Reed looks familiar to the Foksan race, but I only remember reading about them in the past. “Reed, are you a Foksan?” He looks up at me and thinks before saying, “I do not understand what…Foksan. Grandmother…know.” I nodded. We walk on the dirt path through the miles of farmland before I see a man and a woman standing at the entrance of the village. The woman shouts, “Reed!” She comes running up to him and snatches him up with tears in her eyes. I stop to see the two hugging and see the woman begin crying. Through her tears, she says, “We waited…you…home all day. Where…you…?”

Reed stares at me and the man comes up behind Reed and the woman. He says, “Reed, …he your…?” Reed nods and replies, “I found him…the forest…an alcove wounded.” The man sighs and gestures us to follow him. The woman continues to hold Reed as we are led to a small wooden house with a thatch roof. The man holds open the cloth in front of the door as we slowly walk in. The house contains two rooms – one large room with the kitchen, living space, eating space, place to sleep, and the other small room must be the restroom. I see an elderly woman sitting on a mat puffing on a pipe. Reed shouts, “Grandmother!”, and jumps out of the woman’s arms. The elderly woman smiles and hugs Reed with one arm. Reed and the elderly woman begin chatting before the man says, “Please, sit down…rest…tonight.” I nod.

I sit down on the floor and lean against the wall near the restroom. I listen to Reed and the elder woman speak trying to make out with what they are saying, but they speak incredibly fast for me. I stare at the lantern sitting on the floor in front of us beginning to dose off before I hear Reed say, “Mom, he needs help. His shoulder…wounded. There…deep cut.” She responses, “I…make…medicine…treat him.” I look over to her in the kitchen pulling out herbs and begins crushing them together. I quickly fall asleep.