A mighty hammer pounded him. And again. Dimly, he wondered why he was being punished. It was a familiar thought and one he’d never had the answer to. The hammer struck a third time and Tenn felt blood spill over his lips. The hammer struck again and he coughed violently, spraying fluid with every wheezing hack. Agony greater than the pain in his back lanced through his chest as air re-entered his lungs.

Tenn’s eyes flew open. Couhging the remaining fluid from his lungs he saw it was not blood. The milky white secretions covered him from head to toe and flowed in little rivers down ridges that traced curious lines in the massive palm he was cradled in. A tree-like pinky was curled to his side- poised to flick. Weakly, he raised an arm to ward off the blow. It never came.

“You are not going to last long like this.” Tenn tried to speak but his lungs weren’t up to the challenge. He rasped something incoherent. “Don’t try to speak, you need rest.” The world spun as Sepia lowered him to the ground. “Stay there, I will return.”

Tenn couldn’t have moved if he’d wanted to. Instead he listened for the sounds of twilight fading into night; of the jungle’s predators and prey making ready for the evening’s struggle. Instead he heard only the snap of branches and the stomp of gigantic feet. When Sepia returned her hand were full of twigs and sambre leaves. She sat cross-legged in front of him, spilling the content of her hands onto the ground between them.

She tore each leaf into strips and paired them with twigs. Then she began twining the former over the latter. Tenn watched in fascination as her fingers deftly wove knots between the wooden pillars. Her hands moved with surreal grace and before he guessed at their purpose a wooden cage took shape. When it was finished she set it before him and said, “Your new home.” It was twice his height and a little over half that wide. Three sides were filled with stout wooden bars and the last was open, facing him. “Get in.” Sepia commanded. Still unable to speak, Tenn obeyed. A wooden gate was dropped in place behind him and tied with a single long strip of sombre.

Sepia lowered her face to the ground, inspecting her creation and its occupant. Her slitted pupils bore into him, their golden coronas glittering in the fading light. Tenn felt suddenly grateful he was unable to speak because he almost certainly would have said something embarrassing. Silence lingered between them until he began to fidget. Finally Sepia spoke. “Do you not fear me little one? Why did you not run that first night?” Another silence followed as Sepia turned her eyes away, allowing Tenn to exhale. “Your kind always looked at my people with hatred… and fear. Yet in your eyes I see something else.”

“I am… afraid.” Tenn managed to rasp.

“What?” Sepia leaned closer to his cage, cocking an ear towards him.

“I said,” Tenn coughed, clearing his throat. “I am afraid. I...” Sepia looked at him with eyebrows raised, and Tenn continued in a rush. “When you lift me, I fear I will fall. When you walk I fear to be stepped on. When you hold me I fear I will be crushed. And when I’m... “ Tenn blushed unable to speak his thoughts. Instead he said, “When I’m with you I fear many things.” He shook his head slowly and said, “But you have not dropped me. You have taken care with your steps. And when you hold me your hands are gentle. When we are together I know any moment could be my last- there is nothing I could do to stop it… To stop you. But every moment passes and I am still here and you are still… beautiful.” Tenn finished lamely and felt heat rise in his cheeks. He looked away, no longer able to meet her gaze.         

Another painfully long silence passed. A yelp echoed through the trees from far away as some unfortunate creature was made prey. Sepia spoke, “Tomorrow I will finish harvesting these crops. Then you will lead me to the next garden and the one after that until the bounty of this land is consumed entire.”

Tenn wanted to crawl into a hole and hide. “Must it be thus?” he said softly. Uncertain if she had heard he spoke more loudly, “My people will starve.”

“As mine were made to.” Sepia’s voice was pitiless.

Tenn didn’t know what to say. “I am sorry.”

“It is not yours to forgive, little one.”

Unable to bear another long silence Tenn said, “And what of me?”

“While we are together, you will not starve.”

Tenn looked sheepishly at his feet. “And our... contest?”

In the corner of his eye Sepia’s lips curved into a smile. “Only madness could compel one such as you, little one.” Somewhere in the jungle flesh was torn from bone. Something died so that something else might live. Sepia’s breath washed over him, a warm breeze in the cold dark, “And what is love, if not madness?”

***

A hand on his shoulder opened Tenn’s eyes.

A dark figure stood over him with a hand raised, commanding silence. Other silhouettes momentarily blacked the stars as they stealthed through the darkness. A low voice spoke softly, “Get up, we must leave.” They sent a rescue party, Tenn thought with a surge of pride. A strong arm pulled him to his feet. Ahead, the pale flesh of Sepia’s stomach sparkled in the starlight. Behind, the towering mounds of her breasts rose and fell gently with each breath. Tenn allowed himself to be lead across the landscape of her sleeping body before stopping suddenly.

“Keep moving!” Someone ordered from behind, giving him a shove.

Tenn whirled and said, "I’ll come with you but I’ll not leave without telling her.” The two villagers he recognized as rangers glared at him. “There has been a misunderstanding, I must talk to the elders.”  

The rangers exchanged a glance. One approached him and said, “Oh, you will.” Then he lifted a club and struck down.

***

Rope scraped roughly against Tenn’s wrists as he startled awake. Gray light filtered through a small window casting dim illumination across a room scarce wider than he was tall. A dingy cot lay crumpled into the corner and a small latrine was set against the far wall. A single sturdy door was the only other feature in the spartan space. He’d never seen one from the inside, but he was certain it was one of a few prison cells maintained by the village.

Pressure swelled uncomfortably behind his eyes, a painful reminder of the blow he’d taken the night before. Had it only been one night? The muted light made it difficult to know the hour. His stomach constricted painfully around an empty knot and he licked his dry lips. He opened his mouth to shout and rasped something unintelligible instead. He tried again.

“Hey! Can anyone hear me?” After a moment of silence Tenn raised his voice, “Is anyone there?”

The door creaked open spilling light into the room and forcing Tenn to squint against the brightness. A shadow fell over him as a large man stepped inside. Broad shouldered and square faced he scowled at Tenn as he shut the door. “You have crimes to answer for, fledgling.”

“What crimes?” Tenn demanded.

“Treason.”

Tenn sucked in a startled breath. They had not heard a word of his story and he stood accused of treason? “I can explain everything just let me speak to the elders.”

“You will speak to me. You will confess your crimes until I am satisfied and then you will confess again before the elders.”

“I have the right to a trial with the elders.” Tenn said defiantly. “I-”

A fist knocked the air from his lungs. Another split his lip and sent lights dancing across his vision. He slumped against his restraints. The man leaned in close enough that his breath could be felt against Tenn’s ear. He spoke softly, “Traitors don’t have rights.” Then he unwound a length of cloth and muzzled Tenn with a wad of it- using the rest to secure it around his head.  “You are accused of treason, you may confess with a nod.”

“Go to hell.” Tenn mumbled around the muzzle.

Another fist hammered into his face, momentarily darkening his vision. “You have given aid to the enemy. We heard you speak with her. We heard you praise her.” The voice grated angrily.

A dark cloud began brewing on the edge of Tenn’s consciousness. He glared at his attacker. A kick snapped something wetly in his leg and he groaned in pain. Dropping his gaze he reflexively pulled back his wounded limb. Another series of blows landed and something warm dripped over his eye. “I will hear you confess, traitor.” The gag was pulled roughly from his mouth- it was stained with blood.

Tenn looked up and spat. Red splashed against the man’s cheek and he froze.  A single rivulet trailed down the line of his jaw and dripped from his chin. The rage in his eyes crystalized into terrible conviction. Tenn’s gag was replaced and the man dropped to his haunches. He wrapped a cloth around his fists and said, “I was hoping you would say that.”

In the end spitting on his captor had been a waste of effort. By the time the man was finished, both of them were covered in Tenn’s blood.