“You might be the shaman of this village but you do not treat lady Olivia like that.” Cassiel warned.
“I apologize. I just got overly excited. I’m sorry, friend Olivia. I would love to speak to you about it when you can. Dragons are very important to my people.” Ma’ad leaned to the side, trying to catch Olivia’s attention. When he didn’t receive a response he turned to the boy. Koda just stood there, remorse written on his face. He didn’t mean to make her cry. He knew she would be a great queen someday.
“Koda, we need to talk about those dreams of yours. Let’s find your father and we will see our guests at the dinner?” The shaman looked up at Cassiel who only nodded and turned around so he could lead Olivia back to their hut.
“Where’s Olivia?” Charlie asked as she approached their hut.
“She’s resting.” Cassiel said. He sighed, and frowned.
“Is she alright? What happened?” Charlie sat next to him on the bench.
“Just upset, still coping with her loss.”
Charlie rolled her eyes at the vague answer. “Would you mind explaining?”
Cassiel proceeded to tell Charlie what had happened at the shaman’s house and about Koda’s unexpected gift. After listening patiently, Charlie simply stood up and walked inside. When she reached Olivia, she squeezed herself onto the cot next to her friend and held her tight. Olivia cried again, but this time with relief.
“Time to stop crying now, alright? We’ll all be fine, and as you said yourself, it doesn’t feel like he’s… gone… He could be somewhere out there looking for you. He might be a dragon, but he’s not omnipotent. He can’t just magically see where you are; he does need to search for you.”
Olivia nodded. “You are right. It was just a moment of weakness.” She brushed away her tears and faced Charlie.
“That’s not a weakness. You have feelings just like everyone else. Well… except Magnus… and Reed, now those two are heartless bastards.” That somehow made Olivia smile.
“Thank you, Charlie.” Olivia brushed some red locks away from Charlie’s face. She leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “You really are a great friend.”
“I know.” Charlie smiled. “And being the great friend that I am, I’m dragging you out of here so we can wash up. You girl, seriously stink.” She quickly jumped off the bed before Olivia could smack her for the remark.
“I do not!” Olivia frowned and then surreptitiously tried to sniff herself. She had to admit that Charlie was right.
“Did you just,” Charlie laughed, “… sniff yourself?”
“Oh! Hush you! You… demon woman!” Olivia stood up and dried her face. Arms crossed, she frowned.
Charlie stopped laughing and gasped. “Did you just call me a demon woman?”
“Yes I did,” Olivia said as she passed Charlie by, quickening her steps as she got further away.
“OLIVIA!” Charlie screeched and ran out after her.
Later, when night reigned over the sky, Olivia, Charlie and Cassiel made their way toward the open kitchen where the celebration was being held. It seemed it took little reason for the tribe people to throw a celebration; they loved gatherings and being close to each other.
Cassiel had his weapons with him, as it was customary around here. They were all refreshed and ready to make new friends. Olivia put on a brave face, but she couldn’t stop thinking about Kaden. She kept drifting off and daydreaming.
“Welcome, dear friends!” chief Marok said as he approached them. “Come. Join me and my family.”
They reciprocated his tribal greeting and followed Marok to three tables put together so more people could sit with them. Marok took his place next to his wife and son. He noticed Olivia glancing at Koda. When she looked back at Marok, he offered her a small smile, which Olivia returned as she joined their group.
Olivia thanked Marok and his wife for their hospitality, and for letting Olivia and her companions stay in their hut. He explained that it was their tradition to offer their homes to guests.
They chatted, then food arrived and everyone enjoyed a delicious meal. Afterward, the festivities started; there was a lot of drinking and dancing. Some of the tables were cleared out to the sides, as people gathered, some bringing out their djembe, flutes and panpipes.
Bast joined their table; she had been sitting with her friends during dinner.
The drums and flutes created a mesmerizing beat. People danced around the fire. The sights and the sounds were quite fascinating to the three foreigners.
“So, Olivia…” the sound of Marok’s deep voice drew Olivia’s attention back to their little gathering. “We haven’t had the chance to properly talk. What brings you to our forest? Ama told me you were on the run from the prince?”
“Yes, chief Marok, she told you right. Some events have occurred that placed me on Magnus’ path. I do not know why, but he became quite fascinated with me. He… coerced me to follow him back to be his queen. He threatened my parents’ lives, so I did not have much choice. That is how I met Charlie and Cassiel.” Olivia went on and explained everything that had happened from when she woke up in her home till they showed up in the forest. The only thing she didn’t mention was Kaden. She kept her emotions at bay as she spoke. The day had been quite an emotional turmoil as it was, so she didn’t want to fall apart in front of everyone. It was easier not to talk about Kaden. “So you see, I really had no choice but to run. I did not want him to…”
“I understand,” Marok said gently. As Olivia spoke, with Charlie and Cassiel providing details to enrich her recollections, Bast’s features filled with anger and hate. Olivia could only guess it was aimed at Magnus.
“I do not know what I would have done without Charlie here…” Olivia reached over and squeezed Charlie’s hand. “She has been my own… you could say protector.”
“I haven’t –” Charlie started to protest.
“Oh hush, you. You have, accept the truth of my words.”
Charlie blushed. She looked under her lashes at Bast, and saw surprise soften the woman’s usually grim features.
“What are your plans now?” Marok said.
“I really do not know. I hope we can stay here until I fully recover? We can leave then. I want to go and make sure my parents are alright… but we can leave sooner, if necessary.” Olivia quickly offered.
“Nonsense! You will stay for as long as you want.” Marok glanced at his son for a second before his attention was back on Olivia. “Just tell us about the dragon.”
Olivia paled. Not again. She dropped her gaze to her lap, hiding her face.
There was a silence around the table and when Charlie squeezed Olivia’s hand for attention, she looked up.
“You can do it, Olivia. Just relive the happy memories. Look back at those moments, and take joy in the fact that you had them, rather than sadness that they have passed.”
Olivia nodded and smiled at Charlie.
“You don’t have to if –” Marok offered but Olivia cut him off.
“I want you to hear about Kaden.” Olivia looked at the people around the table, and smiled at shaman Ma’ad. “I guess you will hear the whole story now.”
It took Olivia a while to tell them everything, even as she kept some of the most precious moments to herself; those were hers and Kaden’s only. She did feel the joy Charlie had tried to encourage, but the sadness was there as well. Olivia tried to suppress her sorrow. She didn’t want to mar the story of Kaden with her heartache.
Everyone was quiet as she finished. Olivia noticed that some people had joined them, listening to her story with awe and joy on their faces.
“I told you they were still alive!” the shaman said, grinning. He got up to his feet, and did an awkward little dance around his cane.
“Would you mind telling me about dragons now? I only know of Kaden and it seems you know much more,” Olivia asked Marok in a shaky voice.
Bast stood up, “My patrol starts soon,” she said and left their table,
Disa following along. The warrior woman noticed the redhead leaving the table as well. She couldn’t get rid of the persistent girl. Walking faster, trying to lose Charlie in the crowd of dancing people, Bast noticed someone else coming towards her. Not him now as well, she groaned inwardly, trying to decide what to do. It seemed she was caught between the woman of fiery hair and Manu, whom she had been avoiding for the past month. He had expressed his desire to be more than just friends, and she hadn’t plucked up the courage yet to turn down the man who was her childhood friend. Instead, she kept coming up with excuses about how she needed more time to decide. Her choice, though, had been made even before he asked. Manu was too dominant for her and she was just too independent. Looking at him now, as he took long strides toward her, she saw determination on his face.
Without thinking, Bast turned around and faced Charlie.
“I am Bast,” she said.
Charlie was stunned that Bast had addressed her.
Bast raised her eyebrow as she waited for a response.
A big smile appeared on the smaller woman’s face. “I’m Charlotte, but you can call me Charlie, or whatever else you want.” She then mimicked the tribal greeting.
Silence hung between the two. Charlie didn’t expect the object of her admiration to now talk to her so she didn’t know what to say. Bast was fidgeting, looking over her shoulder to see if Manu was still walking her way. He kept his distance, probably waiting for her to finish her conversation.
“So…” Bast said.
“Yeah… so…” Charlie repeated with a silly grin which soon turned flirtatious. Bast stepped back. Charlie’s heart was now pounding to the beat of the drums. “Did it hurt?” she said.
“What?” Bast was confused. She wondered if there was a bruise on her face. It wouldn’t be the first time for her not to notice.
“I said, did it hurt?” Charlie repeated happy with her plan.
“Did what hurt?”
“When you fell from heaven?” She winked at the proud warrior.
After a moment of confused silence, Bast burst into laughter, which gained them a few looks, including one from Bast’s father.
Marok turned back toward Olivia, “As I was saying, you are safe here from Prince Magnus. We’ve heard nothing about him. Not many of your people come here, but we do trade with some, our fine leather and furs for metal items. We have traded with the same people for years. Most of the metal items that you see in our village came from your people.” He paused to take a sip of his mead.
Cassiel was sitting next to Olivia and listening just as intently.
“A generation ago, we made a deal with the royal family; they would let us be, we would let them be. They only wanted to claim the forest as a part of their kingdom. We saw no harm in that. It didn’t give them any claim over us, because we belong to the forest, and in our eyes, the forest doesn’t belong to anyone. We have different views of ownership, especially land. I think they prefer us here, minding our own business and keeping an eye on the border with the No-man’s-Land. We’ve never had problems coming from that wasteland, but they don’t know that.” He smiled.
“I think king Magnar and his son Magnus want to use the forest’s resources, but they don’t dare attack us. They don’t know how many of us there really are; how many tribes and where. And they wouldn’t stand a chance with us knowing the forest like we know it.”
He raised his mug. “We are also the greatest warriors in this land.” That earned him a round of cheers.
“Alright, I understand all that, but where do dragons fit in? And why are you called barbarians?” Olivia said.
“Ah, yes. Barbarians. It’s a name your people have given us. Probably thinking of us as savages. But I think your people are much more primitive than us.”
“How do you mean?” Olivia frowned and tilted her head to the side.
“What is so primitive about us? That we respect nature, or that we fight fiercely? Some call us barbarians because of our fighting prowess, but how do superior fighting skills make us primitive? They are very important for our survival. Let me tell you what’s primitive about your people.”
He leaned forward, reaching his hand toward Olivia and tapping the side of her head, “That is where your people are primitive. You see, in my village, we use people’s skills to the best of their abilities. If a woman is a natural fighter, we will hone those skills. If a man is an excellent weaver, why make a bad fighter out of him? We don’t assign each other roles based on gender. I’ve been told that your people consider a male to be superior to a female. And they call us barbarians!” He let the words sink in, leaning back again.
As Olivia pondered over his words, a toothless boy came up to Cassiel and plopped himself down in the knight’s lap. The boy’s mother wasn’t far behind.
Cassiel was a bit stunned at first, but then relaxed, and was careful of the boy. He let him sit, which earned him one of the boy’s brightest smiles.
“Brook!” the boy’s mother said as she walked over. “I’m so sorry…” She looked between the chief and Cassiel.
“It’s alright, you know he’s always welcome.” Marok turned to look at Cassiel. “Brook is a very special boy, and is much loved by the whole tribe. He is our own spark of life. He always has a smile ready for everyone.”
The boy nodded eagerly, not saying a word. “He doesn’t speak much, does he?” Cassiel asked the mother.
“He doesn’t speak at all, just a word here and there that he managed to learn.” The woman smiled at her son, love shining in her eyes. “I can take him away, I don’t want him to bother you.”
“He doesn’t bother me,” Cassiel spoke said, and the boy leaned into him more.
“Well then…”
“You can leave him here with us. Enjoy your evening and I will bring him over to you later.” The chief’s wife offered.
“Thank you. Brook… you be a good boy alright?” The woman looked down at her boy and he nodded happily. “At least he has his pants on…” the woman mumbled as she walked away.
The boy sat on Cassiel’s lap, comparing the color of his skin to Cassiel’s and the size difference in their palms. Other than that, he didn’t draw any attention to himself. He was being as good as he had promised his mother.
“So, Olivia, are we barbarians then?” Marok returned to the current.
“No,” Olivia said, earning herself a proud smile from the chief. “Just the way you think is so much more advanced than I have ever heard, and it really does make sense. But I still do prefer to have warm baths in a real bathtub.”
The chief, his wife and others laughed at that. “No worries! If that’s all it takes, we’ll make a barbarian out of you in no time.”
Chuckling, Olivia shook her head. “I might be too much of a prude for your living standards.” She blushed at that, thinking about all the flesh being exposed around her. It made the chief laugh louder.
“What should I call you then?” she said.
“What do you call your people?”
“Fair enough…” She smiled.
“We are people, we are the tribe, we are the people of the forest. You can call us that.”
Exhausted, Olivia yawned.
“How about we continue talking about the dragons tomorrow, over lunch?” Marok proposed.
The shaman was quick to agree, suggesting they both needed rest and time to recuperate. Brook was sad to have to let go of Cassiel but his attention was soon diverted by someone else.
It didn’t take long for Olivia and Cassiel to return to the hut. Cassiel going to one room, while Olivia shared another with Charlie. Soon enough, she was fast asleep, her heart feeling strangely light, as if expecting something good to finally happen.
Chapter 17
That same night, Kaden snuck up behind the red-haired man, a dagger in his hand.
“Damien, I can hear you sneaking up on me, you’re losing your – ” the man started to turn but a dagger held against his throat stopped him.
“Who’s Damien?” Kaden asked against his ear.
“The man that’s about to put an arrow through your head if you don’t let go of him,” a new voice spoke behind Kaden. He turned, Theo in his arms, using the red-haired man as a shield.
“That won’t help you, I can still bring you down with an arrow before you can even think of slashing his throat.” Damien threatened. Nobody was allowed to put Theo’s life in danger.
Kaden took a deep breath. He didn’t want to react irrationally.
“Tell me where she is and nobody will get hurt...”
“She who?” Damien’s hold on his drawn arrow never wavered.
“Olivia…” Kaden spoke her name against Theo’s face.
“What do you want with her?” Damien said, scrutinizing Kaden, evaluating. He noticed the details; the determined look in his eyes, the scar, and the missing finger. And the readiness of his hand to fulfill the threat to Theo’s life. His life.
“I need Olivia. That bastard took her from me. If he… or any of you have harmed her,” Kaden closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them, they were slitted and amber colored, “I will kill you all,” he said in a changed voice.
Theo tensed, dread filling him. Damien stepped back.
Kaden continued. “I have seen you with him. You chased us, I know you are his men. I will ask only one more time. If I don’t get the answer I am looking for, I won’t hold back.”
Theo and Damien had seen a lot, but never something like this… the man… in front of them. His voice, his eyes. Unnatural.
“She escaped.” Theo stuttered.
Kaden frowned at the man he was holding hostage. “What do you mean?” His voice and eyes were back to normal, softening even.
“She escaped last night.” Damien repeated, “Are you… him?” He wasn’t sure if he was making the right assumption, but the signs were there.
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