1
THE YOUNG GIRL MOANED, HER EYES FLITTING OPEN. A deep gash had pierced her belly, and blood was soaking through her dress.
Ila tried to sit up, but it hurt too much. She had no idea how long she’d been lying here, alone in the dark and cold. Right now the camp was silent and still. But earlier it had been filled with sounds, loud, terrifying sounds…
First hoofbeats and loud cries from a band of raiders. Then desperate screams from her mother and her aunts. The men in Ila’s family had tried to fight back, but the raiders had arrived so swiftly, and with no warning… Even Ila and the other children had quickly seen that there was almost no chance of overpowering them.
“Mother,” Ila whimpered now. But she knew her mother was dead. A brutal raider, his eyes gleaming like a snake’s, had grabbed Mother. When she’d tried to fight, he had swiftly stabbed her with his spear.
Perhaps Father will find me
, Ila thought. Father had rushed back into their tent for a weapon. He was very strong—able to lift Ila in his arms as easily as he lifted a sheaf of wheat. Surely he had managed to protect himself. Did he know she was here, wedged between wagons, wounded?
“Father?” she called. Pain tore through her as she made herself lift her head to look around.
Small fires smoldered around the camp, scattering embers into the air. The dim light was enough for her to see the ruins of their settlement—the blackened and burned-out wagons, a smashed urn, scraps of clothing, grain spilled across the ground.
A sharp wind blew, blowing dry dust everywhere. Ila tried to lift an arm to shield her eyes. When she dropped her arm again, she saw something else close by—bodies, a stack of lifeless bodies.
My family
.
With a moan, she let her head fall back again. Her teeth chattered and her body trembled violently.
There’s no one left but me
, Ila realized.
I am the only one
.
She closed her eyes, and soon the thick blackness fell over her again like a blanket.
* * *
Ila drifted in and out of sleep, too weak to move or think about getting up.
“Do you think they’re dead?” a voice asked suddenly.
Is that a boy
? Ila wondered. She struggled to open her eyes.
“It looks that way,” someone else answered.
A woman was speaking now. “It looks to me like they were gleaners. They must have been scavenging around here when raiders came.”
“And someone scavenged from them,” a man put in grimly. “There’s nothing left here.”
Ila moaned in pain.
“Shh,” someone said. It was the boy again. “Father!” he cried. “I heard someone!”
“I heard someone too, Shem,” answered the man. Ila thought she heard him moving nearby, perhaps he was looking around. “It doesn’t seem possible, but maybe there is a survivor among these ruins.”
Ila heard more footsteps.
Maybe they will find me
. Her eyes fluttered closed again. She was so tired… There was so much blood around her.
At last the boy stepped closer to where she lay. “Here, Father!” he yelled. “I found her. It’s a girl!”
A woman carrying an infant hurried to Ila’s side, murmuring soothing words. “It’s all right… you’ll be all right…”
Ila opened her eyes and looked up, blinking. Was that her mother?
No
, she remembered with a stab of pain.
My mother is gone
.
“What happened?” the woman was asking her. “Tell me what happened to you and your family.”
She handed the infant to a younger boy. Now Ila could see the man—he was tall, with broad shoulders and a dark beard.
Ila’s eyes closed again. Her throat felt dry and her eyes stung from the wind and all her tears. “Raiders…” she whispered. “Mother and Father and—”
“Never mind.” The woman stroked Ila’s hair and hushed her. “Rest now. You can tell us your story later. May I look at your wound?”
Ila stared up at the woman’s face. She had kind, green eyes and dark hair. Her voice was soft and gentle. Ila nodded, letting the woman examine
THE YOUNG GIRL MOANED, HER EYES FLITTING OPEN. A deep gash had pierced her belly, and blood was soaking through her dress.
Ila tried to sit up, but it hurt too much. She had no idea how long she’d been lying here, alone in the dark and cold. Right now the camp was silent and still. But earlier it had been filled with sounds, loud, terrifying sounds…
First hoofbeats and loud cries from a band of raiders. Then desperate screams from her mother and her aunts. The men in Ila’s family had tried to fight back, but the raiders had arrived so swiftly, and with no warning… Even Ila and the other children had quickly seen that there was almost no chance of overpowering them.
“Mother,” Ila whimpered now. But she knew her mother was dead. A brutal raider, his eyes gleaming like a snake’s, had grabbed Mother. When she’d tried to fight, he had swiftly stabbed her with his spear.
Perhaps Father will find me
, Ila thought. Father had rushed back into their tent for a weapon. He was very strong—able to lift Ila in his arms as easily as he lifted a sheaf of wheat. Surely he had managed to protect himself. Did he know she was here, wedged between wagons, wounded?
“Father?” she called. Pain tore through her as she made herself lift her head to look around.
Small fires smoldered around the camp, scattering embers into the air. The dim light was enough for her to see the ruins of their settlement—the blackened and burned-out wagons, a smashed urn, scraps of clothing, grain spilled across the ground.
A sharp wind blew, blowing dry dust everywhere. Ila tried to lift an arm to shield her eyes. When she dropped her arm again, she saw something else close by—bodies, a stack of lifeless bodies.
My family
.
With a moan, she let her head fall back again. Her teeth chattered and her body trembled violently.
There’s no one left but me
, Ila realized.
I am the only one
.
She closed her eyes, and soon the thick blackness fell over her again like a blanket.
* * *
Ila drifted in and out of sleep, too weak to move or think about getting up.
“Do you think they’re dead?” a voice asked suddenly.
Is that a boy
? Ila wondered. She struggled to open her eyes.
“It looks that way,” someone else answered.
A woman was speaking now. “It looks to me like they were gleaners. They must have been scavenging around here when raiders came.”
“And someone scavenged from them,” a man put in grimly. “There’s nothing left here.”
Ila moaned in pain.
“Shh,” someone said. It was the boy again. “Father!” he cried. “I heard someone!”
“I heard someone too, Shem,” answered the man. Ila thought she heard him moving nearby, perhaps he was looking around. “It doesn’t seem possible, but maybe there is a survivor among these ruins.”
Ila heard more footsteps.
Maybe they will find me
. Her eyes fluttered closed again. She was so tired… There was so much blood around her.
At last the boy stepped closer to where she lay. “Here, Father!” he yelled. “I found her. It’s a girl!”
A woman carrying an infant hurried to Ila’s side, murmuring soothing words. “It’s all right… you’ll be all right…”
Ila opened her eyes and looked up, blinking. Was that her mother?
No
, she remembered with a stab of pain.
My mother is gone
.
“What happened?” the woman was asking her. “Tell me what happened to you and your family.”
She handed the infant to a younger boy. Now Ila could see the man—he was tall, with broad shoulders and a dark beard.
Ila’s eyes closed again. Her throat felt dry and her eyes stung from the wind and all her tears. “Raiders…” she whispered. “Mother and Father and—”
“Never mind.” The woman stroked Ila’s hair and hushed her. “Rest now. You can tell us your story later. May I look at your wound?”
Ila stared up at the woman’s face. She had kind, green eyes and dark hair. Her voice was soft and gentle. Ila nodded, letting the woman examine
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