\n Following the events of the first day of the story, Len goes about some daily chores and makes a frightening discovery. Criticism and comments appreciated!

\n --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\n Water dripped lazily through the poorly thatched roof, as a soft light and heavy shadow crept calmly across the two sleeping forms. Stahl slept silently and still, and it was unapparent if he was dreaming anything at all. Draped gently over his chest was a light tan arm, with a paw resting flat against his side. Len's other arm was wedged between the two, since the hammocks were built for a single occupant, not a pair. Stahl's tail was nestled between Len's legs, against the underside of Len's own tail. Len slept quietly along with Stahl, until a drop of rain splashed teasingly on his forehead.

\n His eyes blinked open at the annoyance, but his consciousness didn't come with him, at least not at first. The rain was creating a soothing pitter-patter on the river outside the hut, and the air was cool and comfortable. The smells of the island morning mingled gently with the crisp perfume of the rain, but there was also a twinge of something sour in the air. Another drop hit Len on his muzzle, splashing slightly into his eye, causing him to wince and turn his head. He shook his head and took a deep breath, holding it in for a few seconds before letting it out in a long sigh.

\n The hammock began to swing at the disturbance caused by Len, threatening to put him back to sleep with the smooth rocking. Looking over at Stahl, Len realized what the sour scent that he had noticed before must have been. On the younger Lahu's right shoulder, there was a cloth tied tightly, bound by the string from his loin cloth, dry with blood. Len reached his paw over and gently ran it over the covered wound. He hadn't noticed it the night before, he had been too exhausted. For a second, he wondered how much he had paid for the two spells he had cast yesterday. He pushed the thoughts from his head and returned to the present.

\n How bad was the wound? He carefully lifted the edge of the cloth, trying to see under it, to get a glimpse of Stahl's injury. The cloth was matted with blood, tangled with the fur underneath. Len sat up, causing the hammock to start to swing jarringly, and leaned his muzzle closer to Stahl's shoulder. Lahu paws are not the most nimble, so he fumbled with his claws as he tried to untie the knotted string. When he couldn't manage that, he slipped a claw quickly across the thin rope - once, twice, three times. It cut rather easily under his sharp claw, and he let the strands fall away.

\n With the string gone, Len now faced a greater challenge. Getting the cloth off of Stahl's shoulder without hurting him would be nearly impossible. Luckily, the younger Lahu still slept soundly. His breathing was slow and calm, and Len knew that he was keeping Stahl as warm as Stahl had kept him. Len wrapped his paw around the cloth and covered Stahl's muzzle with his other. With a sharp, hard yank, he tore the cloth away from Stahl's shoulder, and along with it, a good portion of the blood matted fur.

\n "MMMFFPH!" Stahl woke, and screaming a muffled scream into the paw shoved unceremoniously into his muzzle. When he found himself unable to scream, he chomped down instead, digging his fangs into the soft, fur covered gag in his mouth. Len winced and tried to pull his paw from Stahl's mouth, but the grip of the young Lahu's teeth was too strong.

\n When Stahl realized what he was biting on, he quickly opened his jaw, allowing Len's paw free. Unfortunately for Len, he was still pulling away when this happened. He toppled backwards, out of the hammock, and onto the dirt beneath with a thud. His fall tilted the hammock far enough for Stahl to come tumbling out on top of him, knocking the wind out of him. Len struggled to get a full breath as Stahl rolled off of the top of him, his left paw holding his right shoulder tightly.

\n "What did you do that for?" He asked, cupping a paw and splashing some of the river water onto his bloody shoulder.

\n Len rolled around gasping for a moment longer before he managed to catch his wind. He spoke as he sat up, shifting into a kneeling stance. "I was trying to get a look at that cut that you got while you were out doing oh-so-safe excavation." He held up the bloodstained cloth.

\n "Still safer than what you do." Stahl grumbled, washing the blood out of his fur as well as he could. "Anyway, I don't want you to heal this one. You worked too hard on Kai." He looked down at his reflection in the river, distorted by ripples caused by the rain.

\n "My job is to heal anyone who needs it bad enough. That could get infected, Stahl." Len said, with a slight tone of concern. The tone changed to sound a bit more annoyed for a second as he shook his paw in the air. "You bit my paw."

\n Stahl shrugged, waving his own paw in the air. "You put it in my muzzle, gave me the chance to bite it. And this wont get infected."

\n "There's a difference between confidence and foolishness, Stahl. If you'd let me just get a better look at it, maybe I could patch it up with a simple inscription." Len said, standing and taking a step towards Stahl.

\n Stahl sighed, stepping away from Len as he approached. "I don't want you to waste your time on me. I'm not..." He was cut off by Len tapping him roughly on the top of his head.

\n "Don't even start with that. You're worth my time, and if you're going to be my apprentice, you've got to learn that. You can't let things like what happened to Kai get you down. If he isn't able to forgive you, the only person left that can is yourself. If you don't forgive yourself, you'll never get on with your life, you'll never get anywhere."

\n "What do you know about it?" Stahl asked, once again looking down at Len's paws to avoid his stern gaze.

\n Just as he had done the day before, Len placed a claw on Stahl's chin and lifted it up, forcing him to make eye contact. "I know more than you'd think. When I was young, I was responsible for something terrible, and I went years without being able to forgive myself. I didn't make any progress as a shaman until I realized that I couldn't count on other people to make my emotions for me."

\n "Okay, even if what happened to Kai isn't my fault, that doesn't mean you should waste any magic healing my shoulder. Like I said, it'll heal just fine on its own." Stahl said, glancing to the side as he spoke.

\n "You're stubborn, if nothing else. Stubborn doesn't mean brave, though." Len said, gently placing his paws over top of Stahl's, clasping them together between the two of them. The shaman leaned in closer and looked into Stahl's eyes. "Let me heal it for you. Then you can go be brave and stubborn with both your arms, not just one."

\n Stahl had to think about it for a minute, eyes wandering to the side, trying to avoid making eye contact. "Okay, you win. Only because I can't swim as well like this." He looked back down at the ground, defeated.

\n "Great. I've just got to grab some supplies from my holt. Why don't you go check on Kai and I'll meet you there later on?"

\n "Yeah, sounds good." Stahl turned around and got ready to dive into the river, and swim out into the rainy day. "Hey, Len? Last night, when you were arguing with Alaka..."

\n "It's nothing you need to worry about." Len couldn't help but chuckle at Stahl's question. "Alaka and I are old friends, and I know how to handle him. He has a temper, but he'll cool down eventually. Especially with a day as rainy as this one." Len looked up and another drop of water tauntingly fell on his eye. By the time he had wiped it away with a paw, Stahl was gone.

\n The rain was still falling as Len made his was down the river and towards his holt. The village was quiet, but it had more to do with the late night celebrations, than the weather. Len thought the water falling from the sky was refreshing, chaotic but still soothing. As he swam, he could see many of the Lahu still asleep in their holts, dreaming carelessly in their hammocks. The contrast from the boisterous night before was stark, with the only sound being that of the rain falling to the ground.

\n Everything that happened after Len attempted the spell on the strange field in the forest was hazy. He could hardly remember himself even helping Kai after he got back to the village, even though he knew that it had happened. His subsequent argument with Alaka was slightly more clear, though.


\n ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

\n Len stumbled away from Alaka, who followed him after he left Kauka's holt. All Len had wanted to do was go sleep, but he knew he needed to check on Stahl first.

\n "If Kai doesn't wake up, I'm going to kill him." Alaka spat furiously, keeping up next to Len's side.

\n "Killing Kai might be a tad difficult, if he's already dead." Len said, surprised at the wit he could work up through his exhaustion.

\n Alaka was quiet for a second. He shook his head and snarled. "I meant Stahl. I'm killing the whelp."

\n "You're not killing anyone." Len replied quickly, nearly cutting Alaka off.

\n "Why not? The kid has no use without Kai. He can't salvage without a partner, and no one else is willing to work with him."

\n "Don't say he has no use. No one has no use. Everyone is important to the tribe." Len turned to look at Alaka. The brutish Lahu's face was filled with rage, his paws were clenched into tight fists.

\n "Even if Kai wakes up, Stahl isn't working for me anymore."

\n "Why? Because you want to spite him? From what I can tell, Kai got himself attacked by a monster. What did you want Stahl to do, be a living shield for Kai?!" Len started to raise his voice, quickly growing tired of Alaka.

\n "You know what happened down there as well as I do. Stahl ran away from the problem, and left Kai to fend for himself."

\n "Who told you that? Kai? He didn't look much like he was in a very talkative mood." As they walked, they passed the thinning group of celebrating Lahu in the river.

\n "No one had to tell me." Alaka whispered now, to keep the argument more private. Even he didn't want to alarm everyone yet. "It doesn't matter, anyway. I decide who swims for me, and if I don't want Stahl to do it anymore, that's my choice."

\n Len stopped walking. They were across the river from Stahl's holt, now. "If you don't let Stahl swim for you, he'll have to leave the tribe. Alaka, you know how much of my life I've devoted to him."

\n "Yeah, I devoted a lot of my time to him, too. Don't act so special." Alaka stood face to face with Len. "We can't have someone in the tribe who is hurting it, as a whole."

\n "Alaka, you're overreacting to this. You've had a grudge against Stahl for years and now you're just using this as an excuse to get rid of him."

\n Alaka was breathing heavily, he was more worked up than Len had ever seen him. "I don't care what you think, shaman. Stahl is leaving, and we'll all be better off without him."

\n "He isn't leaving if I can convince him to become my apprentice." Len said, keeping his eyes locked with Alaka's. He hoped that offering the apprenticeship as a last resort would finally convince Stahl to accept it.

\n "What? You want to have an apprentice shaman who is more dangerous than you? Maybe he'll kill everyone, and not just some." Alaka snapped, without thinking.

\n Len froze, numb for a second before filling with rage as the whole of it struck him. His muzzle twisted into a visage of mindless rage. In that moment, he almost did something unforgivable. Between one breath and the next, he could have burned his soul and Alaka from the world. Then the moment shattered and Alaka, stunned, looked up at Len, blood running down his muzzle. Len turned and ran, fear and horror dogging his heels as he leapt into the river and swam for all he was worth.

\n ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

\n The rain was still falling when Len reached his holt, and he swam in lazily, gently sliding up onto the bank. For a second, he rested in the mud, still a bit exhausted. Len knew he'd have to patch things up with Alaka sometime, but he wanted to wait and see if Alaka would take the initiative. His friend had crossed a line, as far as Len was concerned, and he didn't feel much like talking to him yet. Either way, Len had frightened himself with what he had almost done to Alaka. One of the first things a shaman learned was that you couldn't turn magic into a weapon. It was far too dangerous and it cost far too much. Thinking about it made his stomach turn, so he pushed it out of his mind for the time being.

\n Looking up, he scanned the holt for the supplies he would need to help Stahl. He tilted his head to the side when he didn't see his bag hanging on the back wall.

\n Len stood with a swift movement, walking further into his holt, searching for his inscription supplies. It took a few minutes of searching before he remembered that he had taken his bag, and most of his supplies, when he had gone to the circle in the woods the day before. He never brought it back with him, which meant it was still hanging on a tree, out in the woods. Luckily, he thought, it was waterproof, so the rain wouldn't ruin the supplies inside. He would just have to make a trip out to the circle to get it, which meant that helping Stahl would have to wait.

\n It was a quick swim to Kauka's medicine hut, where Kai was sleeping. Inside, Stahl sat on a stool next to the hammock in which Kai was recovering. The young Lahu had his paw locked tightly with Kai's. Len glanced past the two of them, to Kauka, who gave a somber look and a quick head shake. She walked over to Len and took him just outside.

\n "He lost a lot of blood between when he was attacked and when you got here." Kauka whispered to Len, hoping to keep Stahl out of the conversation.

\n Len nodded, glancing at the two younger Lahu inside. Kai's waist and tail were strewn with sigils and inscriptions, a permanent reminder of the injuries, should Kai survive. The markings were a light red, slightly brighter than his ruby fur. "I know that much, I used some of it to heal the injuries. He hasn't woken at all, yet?"

\n Another shake of her head. "No, he's just been sleeping since Alaka brought him back from the expedition. He could wake up soon, but it's hard to tell. I gave him some medicine, so there isn't much risk of infection, but I've had patients die from a lot less."

\n Her mention of death made Len wince. If he had been in the village as soon as Kai had been found, the boy would be in much better shape. "Alright, Stahl is going to stay here with Kai. I've got to have a word with Chief Allwaters. Keep me informed, okay?"

\n Kauka nodded her head, putting her hand on Len's shoulder. "I'll let you know if anything changes."

\n Len turned to Stahl, who was clearly listening in on their conversation. After making eye contact, Len raised his voice so Stahl could hear him. "I left my supplies in the woods yesterday. After I talk to Allwaters, I'll come get you so we can go together."

\n Stahl nodded, and then turned back to Kai. Len hoped for Kai to wake up, for all of their sakes. He knew what it was like to blame himself, but he didn't want Stahl to feel the same way he had. The rain blurred his vision as he walked back towards the river, this time heading for Chief Allwaters' holt.


\n Chief Allwaters' was one of the few other Lahu, besides Len, who had a curtain up in the doorway to his holt. Len respected the curtain as well as he expected his own to be respected. Because of this, the voices he heard inside caused him to hold outside, in the rain, waiting for his turn.

\n He could barely make out the hushed voices through the curtain and the sound of the rain. What he could tell was that Allwaters was talking to someone with a voice he didn't recognize, though it sounded familiar. The conversation was calm, but fast, so Len assumed the issue at hand was important. Perhaps, he thought, it had to do with the other tribe.

\n Len was caught off guard when the side of the curtain was grasped by a dark paw, almost black in color, which slid the cloth out of the way with a small amount of agitation. Len, at first, didn't recognize the Lahu who stood on the other side of the threshold. The face of the other soured, as he apparently recognized Len. After a few seconds of studying the face, he realized who it was.

\n "Tai? Is that you?" Len asked, his muzzle spreading with a smile. "How long has it been, now? Twenty years, almost, I think."

\n "I'm not here to talk to you, Len. I really had hoped I could make it in and out without running into you. Or, alternatively, I really hoped that you were dead." Tai didn't change the sour expression on his face before turning away from Len and walking briskly away.

\n "That could've gone better." Len said, sighing with a quick shake of his head. He decided to deal with it later, and approached the curtain to Allwaters' holt. "May I enter?" He called out, and waited obediently for a response.

\n "Of course, Len. You're always welcome." the curtain responded, and so Len let himself in.

\n The inside of Chief Allwaters' holt would have been dark, if it hadn't been luminously lit by a bevy of sweet smelling candles. The walls were ornately painted with magic inscriptions, ones that had been painted there many years before. They were intended to make sure that the structure would hold up against any sort of weather. The same designs could be found on the inside of the communal hut.

\n Len stood directly in the entrance, just inside the curtain, and began to wipe the water from his fur. The air inside the holt was warm and dry, and no water leaked through the roof. Chief Allwaters' sat at the center of the circular holt, on a woven rug surrounded by a ring of candles. It took only a small nod to let Len know he was allowed to approach.

\n Len sat cross legged on the rug, across from the chief. He straightened out his loin cloth so it sat neatly across his legs. The chief was wearing a far more ornate loin cloth, more akin to Len's ceremonial garb. The leader of the tribe had to keep up appearances, after all. Allwaters' took a quick puff from the pipe in his paw, and then he offered it to Len. The spicy sweet smell was enticing, so Len obliged to take a puff as well. The herb was relaxing, and brought about a pleasant fuzziness.

\n "Len," the old Lahu spoke clearly, his voice belying his age. His graying fur was shaded orange by the candles. "what troubles you? I heard there was an incident last night with that boy of yours, and his friend."

\n "Stahl and Kai, Chief Allwaters. Kai was injured during an expedition, and Alaka had forbidden Stahl from salvaging in the future." Len said, keeping his eyes on the rug between them.

\n "How unfortunate. Those two were promising, together. How are they doing now?" The chief spoke slowly and deliberately, thinking about every word he chose to say.

\n "Kai hasn't woken up yet, and Stahl has been convinced that it is his fault, by Alaka. I'm trying to convince him otherwise."

\n "You of all people should know how difficult it can be to forgive yourself for something, even when it was not your fault."

\n "Exactly, which is why I need to make sure that Stahl doesn't fall into the same hole that I did." Len clenched his paw tightly, thinking about what Alaka had accused him of the night before.

\n "A noble intention, but are you doing it for the boy, or are you doing it for yourself? You can't find absolution in the actions of another, Len."

\n Len thought about it for a moment, and then looked up at the chief. "Then I'll do it for both of us. I needed to talk to you about Stahl, though."

\n "Then talk to me about Stahl. What is it?" Allwaters' voice was always soothing, and had a calming effect on those that he talked to.

\n "Since he can no longer salvage, I've convinced him to become my apprentice. I know it'll be controversial for some of the tribe members, but I have no other apprentice, and any shaman is better than no shaman. Besides, it's my decision to make and I think I can turn Stahl into a productive member of the tribe." Len spoke quickly, trying to justify his actions.

\n Allwaters' raised his paw and waited for Len to finish. "You don't need to explain yourself to me. If you say you can make Stahl into a shaman, I believe you. When will you initiate him?"

\n Len looked back down. "I think it'd be a good idea if I waited a few days, first. To see if Kai wakes up. Stahl will be more focused if his friend is okay."

\n "I understand. I only ask that you keep me informed about anything important that might come up during his training. Is there anything else you needed, Shaman?"

\n "Yes, there was one more thing. Its the reason I wasn't available to heal Kai last night, as soon as he was found." Len lowered his voice, he didn't want anyone to overhear, even though he knew there was no one around in the rain outside. "Alaka has discovered an anomaly in the woods."

\n "An anomaly? Of what sort?" Allwaters' leaned forward slightly, putting out his pipe and placing it aside.

\n "There is a certain patch of land that is, well, dead. There are no plants, the soil is desolate and dry, and the birds refuse to fly above it. Whats more is that its a perfect circle, even cutting some plants in two, half alive and half dead."

\n "Do you have any idea what caused it?" The chief asked, his voice now more concerned than comforting.

\n Len scratched the back of his head, thinking one last time for a possible cause. "No, I don't know what is causing it. I tried to inspect it using magic, but something about it was wrong. It's almost as if there was no energy there, like I was sticking my soul into a void. I've never encountered anything like it before."

\n "So I take it you can't fix it, then, either." Allwaters' put his paw on his chin, thinking. "Perhaps we should ask Tai for his assistance. Is it possible he could identify the cause?"

\n "Given the circumstances, I don't believe Tai would be interested in working with me. If you don't mind my asking, why is he here? I thought he said he'd never come back to this tribe again."

\n "Tai is here as a diplomat from the other tribe. We're attempting to open communication, and ease the tension between the two tribes."

\n "That's an ironic job for him. If you want him to help me, you're going to have to ask him yourself. He won't speak to me." Len said, considering if Tai would really be of any help. "That's all for today, Chief. May I?"

\n Allwaters nodded his head. "Go see if you can't cheer up that Stahl boy. He needs someone to look out for him."

\n Len smiled and stood up, walking towards the curtain. Before he grabbed it, Allwaters spoke up again. "Shaman, if it came down to it, could you deal with the anomaly in the forest by yourself?"

\n Len turned his head and noticed the somber look on Allwaters' face. He returned the look, knowing all too well the price the shamans were expected to pay, if the need arose. "Not without giving everything I had."

\n Allwaters nodded in response, and Len quickly slipped back out into the bright, rainy day.



\n When Len returned to the medical holt, Stahl was still sitting inside, at Kai's side. It seemed as if no time had passed at all. He approached quietly, and Stahl merely glanced at him as he entered. Kauka nodded at him and went back to some work in the corner.

\n Len clasped his paw on the shoulder of the younger Lahu. "Come on, sitting here won't make him wake up any sooner. Lets go get you dressed, and then we'll get my supplies from the woods."

\n Stahl looked up at Len. "If he wakes up, I want to be here so I can apologize. And if he doesn't wake up-" He looked down at Kai, and squeezed his paw gently. "Come on, wake up."

\n Len wasn't sure what to say to that, so he was relieved when Mea stuck her head into the holt. "Oh good, I finally found you." She said, entering the rest of the way, carrying something in her paws.

\n Stahl and Len both turned to look at her, and Len stepped to the side, so Mea could talk to Stahl. She held out the package that was in her paws, and when Stahl didn't take it, she shook it in the air in front of him.

\n "Oh, is that for me?" He asked, gently taking it from her. "Why? I didn't do anything to deserve a gift."

\n "Sure you did! Exploring those ruins is difficult and dangerous, and you did it all so you could get back here to check on your friend. If that isn't worth rewarding, I don't know what is." Mea smiled, and patted Stahl on the back. "Go on, open it."

\n The package had no definite shape, and the paper it was wrapped in was soaked from the rain outside. It practically tore open in Stahl's paws, so all he had to do was tug lightly for it to fall to pieces. Inside was an object made of cloth, but heavier cloth than any of the clothing worn by the Lahu.

\n "What is it?" Stahl asked, holding it up.

\n Mea gently reached over and flipped the gift over in his paws, and then spread it out so he was holding it properly. "Its pants! Well, I mean, its shorts. Like we wear in the city. Okay, honestly, I just gave you them so you won't be naked anymore, but look at these pockets. They're great for holding tools when you go swimming or down into ruins. Also, there is a hole cut out in the back for your tail! Isn't it great?" Mea was visibly excited.

\n Stahl found it hard not to smile along with her. The gift also made Stahl realize he hadn't ever replaced the loin cloth he had used as a bandage, so he decided to try on the shorts. He stood up and pulled them on, and quickly figured out how the button and zipper worked together. After he was finished, and grinned broadly and looked up at Mea.

\n "How do I look?" He asked, and Len noticed Stahl's tail twitch gently as he asked.

\n Mea nodded enthusiastically. "Looks great. I bet they support better than a loin cloth, too."

\n "Thanks Mea." Stahl said, looking up at her, and then turning to Len. "Lets go get those supplies so you can fix up my shoulder, and then I'll come wait with Kai again."

\n Len smiled at Mea and chuckled softly. "Alright, lets go. Would you like to come along, Mea?" He decided that keeping her around Stahl would be a good idea, she cheered him up if nothing else.

\n "Sure, where are we going, exactly?" She asked, following the two tribesmen out of the holt.



\n The trek through the forest to where Len had left his bag was not particularly comfortable, with water dripping incessantly from the leaves above. Stahl was constantly looking down at himself, inspecting how the shorts hugged his body and moved as he walked. Mea thought this was entertaining, and kept finding herself giggling at Stahl as he did.

\n "We'll need to have an initiation sometime soon, Stahl. I told Chief Allwaters that I would wait until Kai wakes up, but if you're okay with it, I think we should get started as soon as possible." Len said, walking in the front of the group, leading the way.

\n Stahl nodded. "I'm fine, I can handle it. You can initiate me as your apprentice whenever its convenient."

\n Mea quickened her pace, catching up to Stahl. "Initiation? What for?"

\n Stahl looked over at Mea. "Oh, well, since I can't salvage anymore, I've got to have another job to be able to stay with the tribe. Len is taking me under his wing to learn how to be a shaman."

\n Mea widened her eyes and looked forward to Len. "Shaman apprentice? You can't, Stahl. You know what happens to shamans. You can't just throw your life away like that."

\n Stahl shook his head. "I'm not throwing my life away. Its an important job, Mea. I'll be able to help people."

\n "Yeah, you'll help people and you wont get anything in return. And when you need help from them, they'll just throw you away."

\n Len stopped and turned around. "Mea, I believe that's enough. Stahl is dealing with this on his own, he doesn't need you scaring him. Anyway, we're here."

\n Mea began to come up with a retort for the shaman, but she found her attention instead captured by the sight up ahead.

\n Ahead of them was the circle, and the first thing that stood out about it was that the rain wasn't falling inside its circumference. Stahl and Mea both walked forward and looked up at the clear blue sky in the middle of the circle, and then at the dead plants on its edges.

\n "What is it, Len?" Stahl asked, bending down to touch the dirt. Mea grabbed one of the dead leaves attached to a living plant, and it crumbled apart in her paw.

\n "I don't know what it is," Len looked around for his bag, his paws shaking. He spotted it hanging from the tree he had placed it on. The night before, the tree had been alive, and now it was dead. He placed his paw on the strap and lifted it from the dead branch it was hanging from, the branch snapping dryly as he pulled his bag down.

\n "But, I left this bag on a tree outside the circle. It was alive yesterday. Now its dead." He spoke slowly, his voice shaking as he did. "Stahl, Mea, its time to go. I need to go tell Chief Allwaters that the circle is getting bigger."