Green Desert - Chapter 5.1.3 - Fírí

I hobbled over to the horse stable. Vata noticed the bloody bandage around my toe. Maybe I could use that against her, get her to sacrifice a chicken or something and have the police see what she’s doing.

What was I thinking? I couldn’t let her kill and innocent chicken. Absolutely not. My stomach roiled at the though.

I stepped into the shade. Cool relief. But maybe if the cops found out just before the chicken was hurt and they stopped Vata from killing it.

The old woman finally made it over to me. She looked worried. Her cheek twitched. Her eyes were slits.

“Can you help me with my toe?”

“Where’s Pí‘oro?”

“Back in the gully. I tripped on a rock and pulled back a big flap of flesh right by the nail. Lots of blood.”

She glanced at my foot. “The police are here. They’re looking for you. I told them you and Zhíno went east. Is Pí‘oro coming back, too?” The old woman shook slightly. Her voice seemed weak.

I decided she needed to hear a lie. Get her motivated. “Yes. I took the horse. Pí‘oro is walking. We left Zhíno there.” Another lie: “He woke up.”

Vata breathed a sigh of relief, her whole body relaxing. “You stay here, dear. I’ll get the police to leave. Stop Pí‘oro when you see him. They were asking questions about him, too.” She started turning, but stopped and looked back at me with her steel-gray eyes. “Did you see Séara or Bhanar?”