Zerakis Forest - Present Day “What do you mean you 'can’t find him'?” Throwing down a set of tools, the man turned to the young girl standing behind him, hands on hips.
She mumbled something while gesturing with her hands.
“Not in the house? Not in bed? Where did he go this time? This is the fourth day…” A heavy sigh escaped the man as he rubbed his forehead. “Shira, I don’t care how you do it, find Roun and bring him back here. If he does this again, he’s disqualified from entering the festival. You tell him that, Shira.” Muttering in harsh undertones to himself, the man turned away from the girl, picked up his tools, and walked away to resume whatever work he was doing.
And the young girl was left alone to complete this quest.
They say that everyone knows everyone in a small town. At this moment, the young girl stared down at the village below and felt the sentiment of this statement twofold. She could point out every home in her Family Area, name who lived there, which family they were from in the clan, and what they did for a living.
For example, the house behind her, known as the Main House, was currently inhabited by Jaanes of the Tiuruh Family, who worked as a police officer when he wasn’t in the village.
Right now, her task involved finding a certain person.
A person everyone knew – and knew well.
Maybe someone could tell her where he was.
In this village nestled deep within the Zerakis Forest, someone had to know.
She went forth to see out her mission.
***
“Roun?”
Two young kids at the first house making floral wreaths stared dumbly at Shira before expressing their familiarity of the name by offering apologetic smiles and shaking their heads.
She sighed, but was not disappointed. Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy. After all, he probably hadn’t come down the main road for everyone to see him if he planned to ditch his duties.
She noted the children, a boy and a girl, were already dressed in the Acor traditional clothing, just as she was. Girls wore dark blue dresses that hung mid-thigh, secured with a belt, dark leggings, and knee-high boots fitted for the rough forest terrain.
The boy’s outfit consisted of a long black shirt under a grey jacket, dark pants, and similar boots. Most of the Acor switched to the traditional clothing when they came to the village, generally because the fabric was more durable and comfortable. Older folks still wore the same outfits from years ago, ones heavily decorated. Modernism took toll on the newer outfits in a sleeker appearance and simpler embroidery.
Shira dropped by the next place.
“Have you seen Roun?”
Cooking some sort of nutty smelling dish on their outdoor fire, the elderly couple looked at her with the same sorry look.
“Tch…” Shira bowed her thanks.
“Poor child,” she heard them say as she continued on.
The adults didn’t provide any information she hadn’t thought of already. Occupied with some project or another, their answers came as tart and tired.
“Roun? Is he missing again? Good luck finding him.”
“Either sleeping in or sleeping elsewhere, huh.”
“He could be in the forest if he isn’t in the village.”
No luck came from her peers either.
“Again?”
“That guy is useless.”
“It’s too bad we don’t have sensing equipment for people like we do for finding plants,” a cousin of hers remarked, pausing from practicing moves with a staff.
Shira sighed. Nearly at the end of the village, she rested on the raised porch outside of small cube-shaped house partially hidden under a hill. “That would be an invasion of privacy.”
“Imagine if we lived in the past and everyone wore trackers.” Her cousin started to laugh but stopped abruptly. When he spoke again it was in a gentler tone. “Where was he yesterday?”
“In bed. I had to drag him out.”
“That’s tough. I don’t know, Shira. Why don’t you ask a Warden?”
“If Jaanes doesn’t know where he is, I don’t think the others would know either.” Shira hopped off the porch to continue her search. Only a few more buildings and she would have scoured the whole street. She’d spoken to almost half of the villagers in the process in less than an hour. Quite an accomplishment.
“Don’t spend too much time on him, Shira. You need to train for the festival too, don’t you?” the boy called after her.
Shira held up a hand to acknowledge she’d heard him. Naturally, the faster she found her target, the better. Jaanes might be disappointed that she couldn’t find his nephew, but probably wouldn’t blame her for putting training first.
She fought back a sigh and a frown. One thing at a time. First, find Roun.
Shira raised a hand to the left side of her face and couldn’t help lower her head.
“It’s not like I’m any good this festival stuff anyway…”
Hoping they carried the information she needed, the young girl sought out the black garb of one of the Wardens. There was always one place they could be found no matter what time of day.
Shira found herself at the bottom of a steep hill beyond her Family Area. She looked up at a wooden stairway leading up the same incline. Taking the steps two at a time, she passed under several wooden archways. During the festival, these would be heavily decorated.
At the top, surrounded by slender red-leafed trees stood the Acori Hall, which served as the gathering place for special events or village announcements. When not used for assemblies, the village chief did his daily work here, doing whatever a chief did.
Paying grand-uncle Jacke a visit was furthest from Shira’s mind as she jogged up to the doorway out of breath.
“Hey, it’s Shira.”
A voice deep and casual as a lounging leopard spoke from the open entrance. Almost on the threshold, Shira balked in brief surprise. She hadn’t noticed him at first because he stood so still, his dark clothes blending in with the dark wood. Now the man leaning against the wall by the door had her full attention.
He was a little over six feet tall with a large build that was all but covered in his black clothes. A thick scarf hid his face from the bridge of his nose down, leaving only his rusted brown eyes and short messy black hair visible. Shira figured he was the one who had spoken because his hard gaze rested on her.
“Hi, Warden Waron,” she said in dull tones.
“Looking for your mom?”
“I’m looking for Roun.”
“Pft – haha!” In a moment of muffled laughter, the Warden’s eyes became like little half moons before returning to their regular coldness. “What’s a day without a renegade Roun. I don’t envy you one bit, Shira.”
Shira aimed a sharp look back. “Have you seen him?”
Waron looked at her, but his eyes weren’t focused on her. “That time of year already, huh.” Then the force of his gaze returned. “I haven’t seen him, but I do know where he is.”
Ignoring the questionable statement, Shira felt relief wash over her. Finally. “Really? Where is he?”
“Why don’t you just call him?”
Shira deadpanned. Adults and their ways of avoiding answers like squirming worms. “I don’t have a phone and I don’t know his number and even if I did he probably wouldn’t answer – can you just tell me already?”
“Easy little squirrelly. Why are you looking for him?”
“Uncle Jaanes needs him.”
“Took a day off babysitting the boy, huh?”
“Uncle Jaanes is busy.”
“Me too.” Warden Waron gave a sigh. “Ahhh, I wish I could switch jobs with him right now. Standing guard can make you stir-crazy, y’know? I think I might start to see hallucinations waiting for trouble to come around. I might end up destroying something one day. Oh! How much of a chance do you think Roun will end up causing some havoc this summer?”
“Uncle Waron, I know you’re bored, but I don’t have time for chatting.”
Another laugh. “Okay, snapping turtle. Do me a favour and tell Roun to come see me later, yeah? He’s in the cherry tree grove by the river on the other side of the Hakara family property.” His answer came quick and certain that Shira almost doubted him for someone who hadn’t seen the person, but she didn’t have time for that.
“Thanks.” Shira walked past him to go around the building. Another staircase on the west side would get her down to the trail leading towards the Hakara family property.
“Tell Roun that if he doesn’t listen, the shadows will come and get him,” the Warden called after her in a light tone.
“That’s not even funny.”
Shira hurried, planning the shortest path. She would have to ask for more directions on the way. In fact, didn’t a lot of cherry trees grow in that area? Wait, did he say the other side of the river?
That was a half an hour distance. What if he moved by the time she got there?
A frustrated cry burst from Shira and she swung back around. “Just wait till I find you, Roun Tiuruh.”
Warden Waron’s eyes popped open as if he’d be sleeping, when she suddenly came back around with an expression as hard as a stone statue’s.
“Can I use a Birdie?”
“...are you even old enough to drive yet?”
***
Moments later, Shira zipped along the red paths on a Birdie – children’s nickname for the light hover vehicles used in the village. It was basically a slick ATV without wheels that used adjustable levitation pads and a main thruster. Smooth and fast, the Birdie made itself a popular form of transportation among the youths. It might’ve hit gold on the market if they made it public.
But everyone knew as an unspoken rule that such things were kept secret from the “outside” world.
Not that the tech would work outside the village anyway.
Shira didn’t really get how they worked and didn’t care about that right now. The village taught the children how to ride the vehicles and let them use the Birdies after permission. It operated on automatic transmission; all Shira had to do was control her speed and the rest was as easy as riding a bike.
Warden Waron gave her permission.
She could reach the cherry grove in ten minutes.
Little blue birds in the roadside bushes scattered as Shira wrenched the throttle forward a little more. The blue glow from the thruster brightened and the low whistling of the lev-pads grew louder. She headed towards the Hakara Family path. At around midday, most of the villagers were home for lunch, so she drove without many obstacles.
Normally she would use the Birdie to cruise around, enjoying the sights. Zerakis Forest provided many different sights from the city or actually, from anywhere else. Summer vacation in the Acor village wasn’t to be taken for granted. Now the time she might have used for sight-seeing she used for quickly navigating through various paths to find this boy - for the third time this week.
In no pleasant mood did she arrive in the cherry orchard. Shira switched off the Birdie and walked along the trail winding through the trees. All around her grew light brown trees with slender trunks. Small red fruit hung off them in clusters and ripe ones littered the ground. Several lay in sorry purple splotches from the impact of falling. None appeared to be crushed underfoot though. Was Roun here at all?
No, it could be he had carefully avoided the trails so that no one would know he was here.
“Roun?” There’s no way he didn’t hear the whistling of the motor.
Shira proceeded further inward and glanced upward regularly. Small animals scampered unseen in the bushes as she passed. When she brushed by a green and orange fern, its sensitive fronds curled up. No Roun in sight.
From the tint of warm sweetness in the air, she suspected he’d come to reap the harvest in its prime season. Couldn’t he have waited until the chores were done?
“Roun, you’d better be here… Hey!” She cupped her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice. “Roun, I know you’re here!”
No response.
Shira looked up and squinted with her right eye to glare at the branches. This was getting annoying. What was his deal? Hide and seek? She held her breath, closed her eyes, and listened.
Leaves rustled in the earthy breeze. Insects chirped and whined. Birds chittered and rodents crooned in low tones.
A couple of leaves drifted by her face. Her eyes shot open. From above?
Was there someone up there? Maybe it was an animal.
“Roun?”
Scrap that, animals were easier to call than this.
Shira kicked up a layer of dead leaves then continued to trudge deeper into the grove.