Neeas and Re’am sat down for an other round of Shak-Ek while the others seemed to settle on their beds. Mntui and Ghashek were lost in their thoughts and the two others remaining were lost to their worlds. Or at least they definitely looked like it.

It didn’t matter though what were they doing. As dawn neared it pulled them into a deep slumber they couldn’t resist. The dark embrace of dreams enveloped Mntui like a comfortable yet heavy blanket not letting her move.

What was she dreaming about? By the time she awoke she had no idea. All she could focus on was those damned drums rumbling so loud. It was as if the sound was coming from right next to her head. Yet still she had to fight for even opening her eyelids. Her hands touched something covered in fur. The moment she realized it was a living being her body acted on its own. When she came to her senses she was already munching on a dying raccoon.

She looked up and her eyes met Hoot-Hoot’s piercing gaze. For some reason she shivered in discomfort. The man thought to be nothing but catatonic was looking right at her and not just staring at the nothingness. Mntui looked away. She searched the room with here eyes for the others easily understanding why everything was quiet. All the newborn were sleeping except for them. So there was nothing to do but to turn back to Hoot-Hoot. As their eyes met again Mntui couldn’t think about anything else but how creepy this person was. Still she started to wonder how in the spirits’ mercy a living creature like that raccoon she was chewing on wandered right next to her head.

As she sipped the last drop of blood out of the poor creature she started to think that even the silence was unnerving. The next second she almost jumped to her feet hearing a faint voice talking to her.

‘…rest… Now you should… rest.’

Mntui looked around there was no one else in the room beside them, and Hoot-Hoot’s mouth clearly wasn’t moving. He just kept staring at her.

‘Dusk is near. But until then you should rest.’

There was that voice again. And as she was trying to figure out what was going on yet she indeed could feel the heavy tiredness dragging her down towards the ground. She tried to fight it at first. But than she couldn’t help it but to lay back on her bunk. Before her eyes closed again she saw Hoot-Hoot turn away from her closing his own.

“Alright! Everyone to their feet!” Ramu opened the door of the newborns’ quarter with great momentum.

Mntui jumped out of her bed almost tripping in her own feet. It seemed that thanks to the interlude in the middle of the day she was last to wake up. Everybody else was up on there their feet. To Ramu’s voice stood beside each other in their plain grey clothes and simple sandals. As Mntui looked at them they did look like a group of mice all together.

Ramu grunted as he looked her.

“What was your name, newcomer?” as he spoke it was clear he was not amused by Mntui’s appearance.

“Mntui.”

“You look worse than yesterday.” He went closer to her with heavy steps and tossed a set of grey garments in to her hands. “Re’am, take her to the spring you are allowed to use. Then hurry up and join us in the Chamber of Pillars.” Turning around he left with the rest of the newborn flocking behind him obediently.

Mntui couldn’t get out the thought of her head how strange it all felt. Yet couldn’t simply pin point what exactly was giving her that feeling. Moving below ground? Or that Re’am found his way around these tunnels seemingly with ease? Or the fact she was following yet an other almost unknown person? Or…

“How come that girl and Hoot-Hoot do as Ramu says?” she asked out loud.

“There is nothing wrong with Tisha” Re’am started to explain. “She sees and hears like the rest of us. She just… probably have seen too much. You know how Cranes are. They are probably the least aggressive of us all.”

“Yeah. It was kind of prestige to have one of their crafts back home, let it be clothes, pottery or anything else. Did… did they really wiped out her whole tribe?”

“That’s what the elder Shadows say. The grey ones were the closest to the mountains.”

They walked in silence for a few minutes. Processing such gruesome facts were unpleasant. Yet somehow it was good to be around someone who answers a question normally.

“What about Hoot-Hoot?” Mntui picked up the thought where they left it.

“I don’t know. He is special. At least he is treated that way. It’s the first time he every stood up from his bed beside eating.”

Mntui frowned not really knowing what to do with that information.

Re’am stopped at the entrance of another chamber. Unlike their quarters it had no door and looked more naturally made.

“I’ll wait for you outside and let you know if someone else comes this way. And I don’t mean to hurry you, but maybe it is best if you don’t take longer than needed.”

“Thanks. And noted” Mntui nodded then went inside. She glimpsed back just to see Re’am turn away. She was in fact grateful the big man chose him to accompany her and not Neeas or Ghashek. Somehow she couldn’t imagine any of them being so composed. She was afraid Neeas would cling to her even as she tried to change clothes. And Ghashek? She just didn’t know what to think about him.