“Oh no, I didn’t mean…!” Kai exclaimed. He then stopped talking, took a moment and tried another tactic. “There’s a place where we go. I mean, I could take you.” Finally he gave up and took his hand, pulling him Gar along. “Just come with me.” It was instinctual for the native, but when Kai had grabbed Gar’s hand, a little jolt went through the prince. It was the first time they had touched, intentionally. The feeling was not entirely unwelcome to the stranger.
Gar followed Kai out past the large garden where many exotics fruits and vegetables were coming into full bloom in the warmth of the season. They went down beyond that to where the river came into a cove with large, grey stone steps carved into the rock. Each ledge was about fifty feet wide and the stacked slabs created a gentle slope into the water.
At that time of day the only people were children playing and on the far side of the man-made cove, a few older tribesmen going about some business by the river.
On the sides of the water’s edge were large bushes that had gobs of a grey moss-like substance growing on it in large tufts. Gar walked over to one of the nearby bushes and plucked off some of it, inspecting the stuff. The spicy smell was very familiar. Having come up from behind him, Kai gently took the moss out of his hand and squeezed it tightly in his own. When he opened his hand again Gar saw the familiar black soapy shape that was on the table in the hut.
Suddenly it all made sense to Gar. Kai laughed as the look of revelation came across the confused prince’s face. Then he slugged him in the shoulder with his good hand and started going to the water for a bath.
Even with his wounded arm he was able to strip out of his leggings and loincloth quickly, knee deep in the water before Gar even realized what he had done.
“Come on!” he called out to Gar, turning his full body towards him and splashing up some water playfully. “Have a bath! You’ll feel better!” On Orestus Gar was not used to such freeness regarding nudity. A person never exposed one’s body publicly and he found the notion a little shocking. Such things were considered taboo. He was taken by surprise, although later on he would be embarrassed by his naive discomfort. Of course the Aklesh people wouldn’t care if they were dressed or undressed. It wasn’t in the lexicon of their culture to be modest. The prince had always thought of himself as a progressive about such matters, but when asked to actually participate found his liberality was waning in regard to his general cultural upbringing.
And this was only part of the reason why he had become uncomfortable.
There, standing before him wet and naked, was Kai. It was the first time he’d seen any of the adults of this tribe, especially him, without any clothes. And the young tribesman was very strong and well formed. Kai kept innocently smiling and extended a hand for Gar to join him in the water unaware of the sensuality of his own image.
The picture was quite an alluring one for a lost prince who was very lonely.
Gar felt the familiar flush he had before when he accidentally ‘reached’ and found Kai while standing at the top of the Keep. His heart rate sped up and his body tingled. He began to panic and was frozen to the spot, not knowing what to do or how to gracefully get out of the situation.
Kai’s smile faded.
Gar could not hide his thoughts, especially the more virile ones. His embarrassment by them was mortifiying. Kai sensed what was coming from him and immediately the awkwardness of the moment grew worse. Instinctively, the native took a few steps back into the water and then smoothly submerged his body so all that was above the surface was his shoulders and head.
Kai felt horrible. He had not intended to make Gar ill-at-ease…and just as they were starting to get along as well! The ability to sense another’s
emotional
state
had
unforeseen
consequences for both of them.
Neither knew quite how to handle it.
Just as the awkwardness had grown almost unbearable point where gar would have been happy to be anywhere else and half considered bolting, they both heard giggling coming from their left.
A couple of the children had been watching the proceedings and found the whole thing very funny. One of the kids pointed to Gar and rubbed his own face. At this motion the children burst into laughter.
Gar felt his cheek and realized why the children were giggling. By that time he had almost grown a full beard. They were laughing at him because of his facial hair. He had seen some of the men in the tribe with hair on their faces, but it had been white, thin and sparse at best. His hair was dark and was nothing like the children had ever seen.
Now he had something else to feel self conscious about.
Immediately Gar started looking for an escape but came across something else instead.
What he noticed was the tribesmen at the other end of the bathing area. They were not paying any attention, being too busy to observe the incident. The older gentlemen were focused on another task entirely.
One of the men had a knife-like object that appeared to be made of bone. He also had lotion in a bowl and was rubbing it on the side of another tribesman’s head. Then, using the bone knife he scraped it along the scalp. The other man’s short white hair fell on the stone and all that was left was smooth skin.
The man was a barber.
Gar recovered himself, now aware of how foolish he was acting.
He nodded to Kai, who was treading water and wore a confused expression, then took off his shirt and tossed it on the stone step. He was about to go for his pants but heard the children laughing again, harder this time. They pointed and scratched their sternums, referring to his chest hair.
Gar gave them a look and then laughed as well, continuing to strip down. He figured it was fine to let them gawk and laugh. It was funny and if he had been a little kid in their position he would have laughed as well. He knew he was a decent example of his race and had nothing to be ashamed of.
When he had completely stripped Gar confidently walked over to the man who had the bone knife.
Now, it was one thing to feel uneasy about nudity, it was another thing entirely to continue looking like a slob, especially when one was royalty and there was an available barber to be employed.
All modesty aside, it was time to clean up and have a shave.
CHAPTER 13
In the moments before Gar had arrived at the school hut that morning, Zaela had made it very clear to Kai that he was to report to the council later that evening. This was something he had kept from Gar all day.
Kai did not like standing before the council. Each time he had in the past his life had altered dramatically.
On his first visit he had learned of the tragic death of his father. Really it had been a confirmation of something he had known almost the moment that it had happened. But the hearing it from the council made it clear he was the man in his family from that point on. Something a child that young should never be burdened with.
The second time, shortly there after, he became apprenticed to the Healer.
When he came of age he was presented before the council a third time to be assigned a hunting group.
Tyro had ended up taking him on. The whole event had been a degrading experience. The only reason he ended up in his friend’s group was because no other hunting party would have him.
Kai was small compared to all the other tribesman and therefore appeared weak.
Tyro had done it out of love and friendship, but with the inclusion of the triplets as well, their group become tagged as undesirable. They were a team of misfits and outsiders.
Despite being considered the odd ones, Kai thought it was nice to have people that he could call friends. Still, it would have been better if he could have gotten invited into a team based upon his own merits and not pity.
The last time he was before the council was when he had stood with Gar, just before being abducted by the Others. That time had been by far the worst of all. He had been admonished before the entire tribe,
a thoroughly humiliating experience. It made him agitated even thinking about it.
One fact was certain; he was never the same after an encounter with the council.
He could only guess what would be waiting for him this time.
After the tribe had eaten the evening meal he made his way to the small hut next to the meeting place.
His arm was still a little sore. He had washed and rewrapped it with cloth before going to see the council. A broken arm didn’t really embarrass him. He just didn’t feel he needed any more reason for the lead warriors and council members to find more physical fault with him.
Kai could see the light of a fire coming from inside the hut as he approached the top of the Keep. It made the hut glow in the deep blue quietness of early evening. There were not many huts up that high and no one came there unless it was a great gathering or they wanted to get away from everyone else. The torches were not yet lit on the stairs so the reaching arms of the great tree were bathed in the cool shadows of the encroaching night.
All conversation stopped as he made his way through the beaded curtain of the hut. Those gathered regarded him as he took his place in front of them. Their expressions did not necessarily express any ill will towards him as far as he could judge. Still, Kai couldn’t put to rest the feeling he was in trouble, which made his stomach rise into his throat a bit.
“I was asked to present myself to you,” he said with as much composure as he could muster.
The usual elders were assembled. They sat cross-legged in a broad circle around the room, their faces under lit by the fire. With them were several of the warriors, many of whom had been a part of the rescue party sent after him…Vol included.
These people were mostly on the right side of the room, some sitting, some leaning.
All watching him.
The battle had been a lucky one. The weapons that had been used by the others had only stunned some of the warriors, and their surprise attack had prevented any further injury on the side of the Aklesh, although the same could not be said for the other side. Had Gar not warned the warriors of what they were dealing with events would have played out to a much more tragic end.
High Mother Sala ‘vhal was the first to speak.
“Kai’thal, we have delayed bringing you before the council due to your injury and the time needed for recovery. But now we feel you are well enough to stand before us,” she said. “First off, I wish to say that it was foolish of you to leave the Keep knowing full well the danger of traveling alone during these hazardous times.”
Kai resigned himself. So, it was to be a lecture after all.
She went on. “Several of your fellow tribesmen were injured during the rescue and the whole Keep was thrown into disarray due to your reckless behavior. We’ve lost countless man hours and precious time in the Rasclaan harvest. Our yield will be diminished by at least a third this year.”
“I am very sorry, High Mother,” said Kai. “I only left the Keep because-“
“There is no need to explain why you left, young one. The result is still the same. You went off on your own, let down your guard and got abducted.
You didn’t think. You were lucky this time. Your actions over the past month in regards to many things have been rash and hazardous.” It was obvious she was referring to the extreme measures he had taken in order to save Gar. He was still uncertain why it had worked or even how he had known it would have.
The Healer, on the other side of the room, cleared her throat. There was a pause. Sala looked at the other older woman for a moment and then over to the gathered warriors.
“It has also been brought to my attention that without you our people would certainly have perished in battle. Because of you, and the stranger known as Gar, the Others’ attack was thwarted and you ridded us of their menace once and for all. For this the council owes you a great debt.”
“You mean, I’m not going to be punished?” Kai asked, confused about whether he was brought there to be admonished or praised. As the High Mother had been talking he’d imagined months of shoveling Phonta manure or some other equally odious task. Some of the council and warriors laughed at his question, although Sala’s face remained stern.
“There is another who has something to say,” she said, nodding to Vol who stepped forward. The warrior looked Kai directly in the eyes with a steely glare and he couldn’t help but be a little intimidated. He’d seen what she been capable of doing to men twice his size.
“You brought back to our family a beloved brother, husband and warrior. You were with him as he passed and you have allowed us to bury him by tribal tradition and honor. The Z’hal clan also thanks you.” Her delivery was as gruff as ever, and it was obvious she was not good with sentiment, but her words rang with sincerity. She stepped back into her group
Kai was blown away. But, then came the bad news.
“Since you have been wounded the council feels it would be unwise to allow you to continue with your hunting party for the next few weeks,” the High Mother said. Kai’s heart sank as he heard these words. This meant he’d be stuck with the Healer, not that he didn’t love her, but participating in the hunt was far more exciting.
His disappointment was visually apparent even though he tried not to let it show.
“There is another task we would like you to perform while you are taking time to heal,” said the High Mother. “It has become clear that the stranger named Gar is going to be with us for a while. The council looks to you to help him learn our ways and customs. You must help him integrate into our tribe. Do you accept this task, Kai’thal?”
“Of course,” he replied.
Although the feelings he was receiving in regards to Gar’s personal opinion of him were presently confusing at best, it beat shoveling manure any day.
“Then the council places the stranger into your care. He is your responsibility.”
Kai nodded and turned to leave. Many of the members had already resumed discussing other matters, the current one being settled.
“Kai,” called the High Mother just as he was about to go through the door. He turned back, expecting Sala to have changed her mind about the shoveling.
She gave him a smile, which was rare for her, and said, “The Thal family would have been proud of you.”
Those words made Kai heart almost burst out of his chest. There was also a mixture of sadness, since he was the last of the Thal family line there was no one to share his triumph with.
Still, he had been proven right; every time he’d gone in front of the council he had come out a different person, and this time it was for the better.
***
Gar decided he liked the nighttime best on the strange planet, although it was with mixed emotions that he felt this.
He walked around on the small balcony where the four huts sat away from the main platform and leaned out over the railing. The summer breeze was warm and the view was phenomenal. He could see all the little huts below glowing with small cooking fires that were slowly being put out, one by one. Tyro’s family was already asleep.
When almost every hut had grown dim he turned his sights to the sky above.The darkness was lit up by a cascade of stars. It came as close as he could get to the views on Orestus. His world, if such a word was accurate enough to describe it, was just through an access portal that drifted lazily in orbit around the planet. But, it might as well not exist all.
There was no chance he would ever get to it.
To say he was homesick was a gross understatement. It was hard for him not to let bitterness take hold of his feelings. Exploring the Keep had offered him some distraction during the day, but when everyone went to bed there was nothing to stop him from becoming lost in solitude, thinking about all that he was missing. The creature comforts aside he missed his sister, his missed Janphor. He missed being carefree, although on Oresetus that feeling was almost gone anyway now that he was an adult.
He had visited civilizations similar to the Aklesh, o
nes that lacked technology and modern necessities. But, during those times he had still been the crown prince of the Orestian Dynasty.
Everyone knew who he was and gave him the respect required of that title. But on a galactic protectorate he was nothing, or worse than that, an inconvenience.
Gar kept scanning the heavens, waiting with a full knowledge of the odds against it, to see a shuttle from the royal fleet descending from on high to rescue him from his exile. Then the natives would be in for an impressive show and perhaps then they would understand just how important a person he was. He knew he didn’t exactly have it bad among the Aklesh, but straw mats and furs were nothing to the luxury of the palace.
At that moment what he missed most was a hot bath.
It did feel good to be clean and without stubble.
Although the process of shaving had left him with a few nicks and scars, but nothing terrible. It had taken him a while to explain to the middle-aged tribesman at the bathing area that he wanted him to use the bone tool on his face and not his scalp.
Then there was increased difficulty to the execution of this since the man was not used to shaving such a delicate area. Heads are nice and round…chins and noses, not so much.
During the process Gar actually began to get comfortable being naked in public as he sat with the other tribal members down by the river. For him nudity had always implied something sexual.
But, of course, none of the old men sitting by the water were going to be making advances. It was a stupid notion. They didn’t even care about how they looked. This made his own sense of apprehension just feel silly. After a while, Gar even enjoyed the freedom of it. Lack of clothing was a great leveler of ego. He began to wonder how differently parliament meetings would go if everyone was forced to attend them without clothes.
And Gar’s comfort might have been longer lived but unexpectedly several tribes people, mostly women, came to the cove to do clothes washing.
The children had really gotten a good laugh out of his reaction to that situation.
Gar chuckled quietly at himself as he thought of his day with Kai. Having had time to dwell on it all he realized, quite to his own surprise, that he’d had fun.
AKLESH (Under Strange Skies) Page 15