Interlude: Sagaru

[Deadtail]

?But I wanna go home!? whined the little volemaid.

?And where is your home?? Sagaru asked.

The vole did not sense the frustration in the mouse's tired voice. ?Up inna north,? she responded earnestly.

Yet another child too young to really understand. ?We can't go up north right now. We don't have any boats. But maybe someday, we will. Here, have some more fish.?

?It tastes yucky,? protested the vole, but ate anyway.

All of the slaves that had been rescued from the ditch had devoured whatever was placed in front of them. The ones that had not made it out of the ditch seemed even frailer. Resting, eating, and building up their strength had sufficed for a while, but Sagaru knew they were getting impatient.

It wasn't as if the Heirs had been inactive ever since the battles at the Oasis. They'd needed to lie low themselves for a few days, and it was just her luck that those would be the days of some slave insurrection. By the time she had found the woodlanders abandoned in the ditch, half of their peers were gone, and with them the vermin.

?Into the caves?? she repeated, unbelieving. ?How did they get in??

?They'm must've cleared away ee rock poil, boi 'okey,? Root answered.

?But...? She tried to remember the glimpses of the cave she'd seen. Where was Jurin when she needed him? He remembered all the old stories. ?They're still in there, then??

?I've been keepin' watch.? Palmud, a squirrel, stepped forward. His scars were ugly but skin-deep; he had survived the worst of the battles.?Haven't seen 'em.?

?So they are still there.? Sagaru turned from the waterfall to the young slaves drinking greedily from a cactus. Then she remembered Jurin again. ?Root, Palmud, whoever else is well enough. Could the vermin see you if you took the high path above the waterfall??

Palmud paused for a moment, remembering the route. ?I don't think so.?

?Whoi do ee ask??

Sagaru sighed. ?If you could rig the rocks, trap all those vermin in the cave??

?Ee vermin, ay. But they'm slaves in ee caves too, miz.?

?I know. And you don't have to.? Why had they made her the leader? She was an Heir, of course?but that was just the inheritor of a past legacy. It was no use for their present dilemma. ?I only thought, with most of the vermin gone, we'd have a clearer shot at getting the oasis back.?

Root glanced at Palmud. ?If you'm do say so, Oi'll haul any rock from 'ere to ee gurt frozen north.?

She had sworn that it would be worth it, sworn she would protect the other slaves. She had not counted on there being a reason that those particular slaves were the ones left behind, nor had she counted on the temptation to use the slaves to swell the ranks.

?What else are we goin' to do with them all?? said Palmud. ?We can't send 'em back alone, so we might as well have them help us out.?

?They'm just little'uns, an' half-starved from walkin' through ee desert. It bee'm our job to make sure they'm all safe, not ee other way around, hurr.?

?It'd only be till we get the Oasis back.?

It was then that Sagaru had interrupted. ?Stop squabbling. I know you're frustrated cooped up here, but that doesn't mean you have to behave like Dibbuns.?

They sheepishly halted, respect for her silencing them without freezing their tempers. But how to take advantage of it? How to separate them? ?Palmud, you can go find the ones old enough to fight and arm them. And Root...the others all look parched. Do you want to help them get drinks??

They had needed more help than Root could give them?the little vole had poked herself on a cactus, and that was why Sagaru was playing nursemaid. ?Would you like some vegetables??

?We'm foine roight here,? Root steadfastly maintained. ?We'm got lots o' ee fishers.?

?Look at the slaves!? Palmud responded. ?They need more than fish. It's not just about us.?

?Aye, but they'm baint in no state for it. It'll just have to be the two of us that go.?

?I'm not scared. Are you??

The longer they waited to take back their home, the longer she had to put up with their whining. It was an ulterior motive to strike quickly if there ever was one, but they needed to pick their battles carefully. ?He's right, Root. You don't have to go if you don't want to, I should be able to.?

But whatever she thought of the matter, Root refused to let the Heirs' leader dirty her paws in the patches. ?Yore place is here, miz. Oi'll get ee veggies.?

The vole didn't know of  the risks that Root and Palmud had run in obtaining the fresh food. ?I don't want vegetables. I want mama's bread.?

Maybe she does have a mother up north, Sagaru told herself. There's no reason she'd have to be in the caves. ?They're good for you. Here, come with me and we'll go get some.?

She waited patiently for the volemaid's stubby paws to catch up with her. Sagaru matched the slow pace her young companion set, but knew all the while that their mundane exile could not go on much longer.