Epilogue
Book 1
Chapter 14
Good-byes
Ten years earlier...
February 1st, 2110
Cooper and Pike entered Redwing Village quietly around dusk. They did not enter through the main gates where the traders entered. They snuck in through the back ways, skirting the guards. Pike was a decent scout, quiet and confident, but Cooper was a shadow in the night- weightless, silent and invisible. Cooper could tell better than anyone, where a guard would be. And so the brothers entered the edge village unseen.
They had lived at the village for ten years. And as they carefully packed the things they had left, both of them hesitated a little and dawdled more than either would have done intentionally.
Malika was the one who gave them away. She and Cooper were intensely close and Malika seemed to have a supernatural ability to know where Cooper was at any given moment. Cooper was just stowing the last of his belongings while Pike was finishing a note to their family when Malika pulled back the heavy winter flap on the Vershevin earthen hut.
"I thought you guys were back. Why didn't you tell anyone?" She said with a quick look around at the room.
"Why are you packing? You just got back, you're doing it backwards you know."
Pike and Cooper froze for a moment, and looked at each other helplessly. Pike then shrugged and turned back to his note. Cooper looked back at Malika, who was developing an expression that suggested she knew something was wrong.
"What you guys doing?" She said, more seriously.
Cooper considered, then answered, "We're leaving. Really leaving. We have to. There's no other way."
Malika looked confused for a moment as she wrestled with what Cooper had said.
"Okay, that sounded really heavy epic Coop. What do mean really leaving? Like, as in, not coming back ever leaving? You aren't even a warrior yet. And why do you think you have to, what is going on?"
Her eyes fell on the now finished note, and she stepped quickly forward and grabbed it from Pike.
"To Mother and everyone," he began, "We have found out who our father is. And he has found out where we are. We have to leave or he will destroy the village. He has to know we are not there, and in fact he has to know that if he wants to catch us, he needs to divert his energy away from the village. There is no other way. Everything is on the table, and we have to change the game if we hope to have a chance. We're both sorry. We love you all and will miss you. Your sons in spirit if not in blood. Pike and Cooper."
Pike and Cooper finished putting each other's packs on. and Pike grabbed his spare machete and added it to his sheath.
Malika barred the door, "You aren't going anywhere."
Cooper spoke again, "We have to Malie. He'll look here, unless he knows we aren't here, because we're somewhere else, somewhere so far away that he can't even threaten this village to draw us out."
Malika didn't budge, "Who is 'he'? Who's your dad, and why are you suddenly so scared of him. We weren't even sure your dad was alive before you went out to hunt the old man. What's the deal?"
Pike spoke this time, "Our father rescued us from a snow storm in the mountains. Except he isn't a good person. So we need to run."
Malika still wouldn't budge.
"Who's your dad?"
Copper took a deep breath, "Our dad is Maxwell Winters. And he wants us to join him."
Malika's mouth opened and then closed. She looked from Cooper to Pike and back, clearly hoping for some sign that they were trying to trick her. When neither boy broke her silence, Malika sat down- almost collapsed- in the doorway. She looked dazed.
Cooper spoke again, "Maxwell got Aunt Lana pregnant by force and kidnapped her during a raid. When Maxwell's wife got pregnant with me, Maxwell made Aunt Lana my nursemaid. When she was able to, Aunt Lana took the two of us and ran away, back to the Redwing Tribe."
"You aren't going back to the Winter Wolves are you?" She asked quietly.
Pike shook his head, "No."
"You don't belong there. You belong here, with us." Malika said very quietly.
Pike's voice grew almost angry, "We are not going to the Winter Wolves- ever. We are going to sabotage and raid them along their eastern border. If Maxwell wants his sons, he'll have to move troops away from the village. And it wouldn't do any good to attack the village, because we'll be too far away for that to be a valid threat. We'd never get back in time. It's risky, because we can't help if he actually is that stupid. But he didn't act stupid, so it should work."
Malika nodded, and focused her eyes on the brothers, "Fine, just give me five minutes to get packed."
Pike shook his head, "We're going alone Malika."
Malika shook her head, "Not if I yell real loud you aren't. Even if you get to the trees, not even Cooper can be quiet enough to sneak away from the whole tribe with that much gear. And do you really think Elder Redwing can't track you through anything? Your only chance to get away is to get out before they start looking for you and to put heavy distance between you and them. And that won't happen if you spend time bargaining, or try to leave without me."
Malika looked right at Cooper, daring him to disagree with her. Cooper nodded and then looked at Pike, "We may as well."
Pike's face went through several frustrated contortions before finally flattening into a grimace. He nodded as well.
"Five minutes, or we take our chances with Uncle Redwing's tracking skills."
Malika nodded, turned to go, and then looked back.
"Coop?" She asked, "What happened to your neck?"
Cooper touched the exploded tangerine shaped scar on his neck, "It turns out I have two brothers."
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