After the War

I do not want to write about the war itself. It was terrible; many of my friends died. After the war, friendly Priest-Kings gave us the possibility of choice. I could decide to leave the Nest or to stay. My best friend, who had been born in the surface, suggested me to go with him. I wanted to see the surface; I wanted to look at the sun. So, I decide to follow him.

I got clothes of free woman. It covered my body and almost my entire face. We thought that I could travel such way. My hair was still short; but I was not bald any more.

It took much time to travel. We joined a caravan to find protection against the bandits and wild animals. I could see slaves. Their fate was terrible and wonderful at the same time. I was under the protection of my friend and nobody treated me like a slave; however, I had to be polite to men.

On a dark night, when moons were covered by the dark clouds, our caravan was attacked. The attack was quick and cruel. Aggressors killed everybody. I was lucky, as I had fallen into a hidden gully at the border of the camp, at the beginning of the attack. I heard screams of fear and pain in the black night. Then I heard nothing. Silence and the darkness pushed me deep into the gully. I was afraid of breath when I heard steps in the night. They were searching for something. I sit without motion. Attackers were talking among themselves. They wanted to find a barbaric girl wearing clothes of free women, the girl, who had short dark hair. My heart almost jumped out of my chest.

They were searching for me.