Kagiso - Chapter 6

The wildling woman regained her strength more and more each day. She also learned more of their words and expressions, with Gael and Felic's help. Gauvain tried to help teach her as well, but the lessons ended up becoming impromptu interrogations every time. She learned to recognize his voice and steps so she could evade him.

She never showed them signs that she was ready to leave, though. As the days turned into weeks, and even as her leg healed and she worked more with the caravan, she did not return to the jungle. One evening, Eduoard, Pierre, and Laurent approached the wagon where she rode and camped with Gael, Fleurette, and her family.

Gael wasn't there. As the men approached, Eleia was teaching the other girl how to weave fronds into sheets. She saw the captain approaching with the other two, and her entire body tensed. She did not run or try to avoid them, though. If these leaders were approaching her directly, then it must be important.

Pierre offered her a kind smile. "You look strong. Well. How is your leg?"

Eleia glanced at Fleurette. The girl nodded and touched her shoulder encouragingly. The wildling spoke with a soft and hesitant tone, "My leg is strong. Fleur and Gael make good help." She heard the captain mutter something, and his tone was not pleasant.

Pierre smiled and nodded. "They do. They do. Tell me, if I asked you to stay with us and help us on our journey, would you?”

Eleia frowned for a moment. She blinked, having to work through his words again. Laurent shifted impatiently, and Eduoard scoffed and began to mutter against it. She shot a spiteful look at him and looked back at the ambassador. “Stay to help? Yes. Help is good.”

Pierre blinked, as if he didn’t expect that answer. “You would? Why not go home?”

Eleia tensed a little, deflating at the reminder. “Mazat dead… Aaba dead…” She didn’t know for sure, but she was not hopeful at this point. If Mazat or Cihua were still alive, she believed that they would have come for her by now. They were also miles away from the tribal grounds now; she doubted that she could find her way back on her own.

Pierre nodded. “Those others were family. I see…” He sighed. “That was a traaji day. But if you stay, you will be safe. You will be tree-dead eekwali –.”

Eduoard interrupted. “This is absurd! She’ll cut our – !”

“The decision is not yours to make,” Laurent cut him off. “The scholar presented a fair argument. She’s smart and she’s shown no trace of malice or ill-intent as of yet, aside from you, which you earned with your spiteful prejudice. And through the apparent murder of her family.” He nodded. “Come. Choose your weapon and you can join our men as a scout.”

Laurent waved for her to follow them. She hesitated, glancing at Fleurette. The other girl caught her hand and squeezed her fingers lightly. “Want me to come, too?” Eleia nodded. The girls walked together, following Laurent and Pierre toward the front of the caravan, to the other wagon. Eduoard didn’t join them. On the way, she finally spotted Gael. He and Felic were returning with a slain boar hung up on a rod across their shoulders. He didn’t seem to notice her, but his presence brought her comfort again. The ambassadors showed her to the military wagon, loaded with crates of assorted blades, including sabres, machetes, daggers, buck knives, and wider brush blades; there were also bows, lances, and slingshots. She picked up a smaller lance and a simple bow. She also grabbed a leather armband to protect her wrist from the string.

By then, Gael finally spotted her. He set the boar down and watched her for a moment, frowning as he took in the situation. She looked across the camp at him and smiled. Felic straightened and made a sound. “Looks like she’s staying.”

Gael sighed softly. “Unlikely. She’s more likely leaving.” He looked away from her and knelt. He began to work on skinning the boar and quartering it down. He was a little disappointed at the thought of her leaving. After all, they had spent almost a month together, helping her heal and learning how to communicate. He was not going to admit it out loud, but he did consider her a friend. He set his mind to his task, trying not to think of her and having to say goodbye to her.

She joined him, standing just on the other end of the skinned boar. He recognized her muffled and tender steps, and the lean calves of her legs. “You have a bow. Will you be safe?”

Eleia blinked and smirked. “What? Safe? Why ask if safe?”

He looked up at her, sharing her confused expression. “Are you leaving? To go home?”

She shook her head. “No. I stay.”

His face shifted, expression flat. He blinked a few times and stood. He scratched his nose on his forearm and stared at her, unable to speak for a moment. He finally cleared his throat. “Why stay?”

She smiled, and he saw the sad glimmer in her eyes and tension in her lips. “No home. Mazat and aaba no come for me.”

Gael watched her. He swallowed and tapped Felic on the arm. “Take over,” he muttered. He gestured for her to walk with him. They headed to the edge of the camp and walked along the brush. “Mazat is… da’orga? You love him?”

She nodded. She started talking softly, in her Tribal language, “He was wounded the same day. They shot him in the back, and my father in the chest. They have not come for me, so they…”

Gael nodded slowly. “You think they’re dead… and it’s a long way back.” He sighed. She must feel trapped, like there was no other choice. His heart ached. “I can take you back if you want to go. You do not have to stay here.”

“I will stay. I owe you too much.”

“You owe me nothing. I saved you because it was the right thing to do. I didn’t know you then, but I know you now. I want to help you… as a friend.” He stopped walking and made her look at him. “Tell me what you want to do. If you want to leave… I will take you back, so you’re not alone.”

For the first time since the attack, Eleia’s eyes moistened. A tear strayed down her cheek. “I… don’t know.” She sniffled and began to cry, bringing her hand up to her mouth to cover the sound.

He sighed and stepped closer, putting his hand on the back of her shoulder. “If you leave, I will go with you, to help you. If you stay… I will protect you and help you learn. Do what your heart tells you to do. No one can make this decision for you.” He pat her shoulder gently and walked away from her, leaving her to her thoughts. He didn’t want to confuse her more with his own thoughts.

Gael avoided talking to her for the rest of the evening, keeping himself busy with menial tasks around the camp. He helped set up bed rolls, start campfires, and pass out portions of the now roasted boar and water. However, he couldn’t get Eleia out of his head. He thought of her and how nice her company was. She was someone he could relate to and be honest with. She was someone who shared his experiences, even if their culture was a little different. She also had him questioning his purpose here, and if the expedition was even worth it. He was used to the discrimination and distrust from the commander, but that didn’t mean it still didn’t hurt. He ran through different scenarios in his head.

If she left, he would offer to go with her. He would claim that his company would help her navigate the trails back to her tribal lands and he could help her overcome any dangers they crossed in the woods. If they did make it back to her tribe, he might could appeal to the chief and ask to stay with them, join their tribe, where he could get some freedom from the labor of the expedition, Eduoard’s scorn, his own paranoia and sense of isolation, and the shame of his life so far. Twenty years ago, he never imagined he would be here, serving pale, pompous, and posh aristocrats and their selfish purposes. Even though the monarchy claimed that this expedition was to secure trade routes, his mother had always warned him not to trust them, that they always wanted more than their words claimed. And his mother had died because of it.

However, if she stayed, he was determined to protect her and keep her safe so that she could have the choice to leave if she ever decided to. It was likely anger at Eduoard and spite for his situation feuling his thoughts, but he knew that he did not want her to go through the same troubles that he had. She was only a few years younger than him, but he still couldn’t shake that sense of protectiveness for her. And, if she did stay, then he was curious about possibly being more open with her and enjoying her company more. She was fair and delicate, but she seemed to have a good heart and strong mind. Maybe her presence would be enough to make the expedition at least tolerable.

Someone stepped in his way, snapping him out of his thoughts. He tensed when he saw the stained tabard and thick shoulders. He looked up at Eduoard’s face, already knowing that it was the captain in front of him. “Captain,” he spoke, voice low with mild alarm and distrust. “What can I do for you?”

“Cut the shit!” he hissed. “I know your feelings for me, and your fake allegiance is only an insult. I will warn you once: Keep your new friend under your guard, as she is now your responsibility. Furthermore, any… incident… that may occur, I will punish you for it. Not her.”

Gael held still, glaring at him. “Even if your men are the ones who start it? Or is that my fault, too?”

Eduoard’s lip twitched. His eyes narrowed, and for a moment Gael thought that he might punch him. The captain never moved, though. “Do not conspire against me, and do not defy me. You may not be a soldier, but you are still bound to this expedition and you are still under my jurisdiction.”

Gael still did not move, not even a bow or nod. “Understood.” There was no submissiveness in his tone.

Eduoard finally snarled. He punched Gael in the mouth. Gael staggered, his entire body tensing. He did not take a step toward him. “Damn you and your pride! Cocky, insubordinate bastard! Makes me wonder what whore dropped you dumb on the street!”

The caravan seemed to freeze. Laurent stood, his voice cutting through the silence like thunder. “Eduoard!” The man hesitated, gritting his teeth. He was poised to strike again, or perhaps waiting for Gael’s own reaction. But Gael only straightened, eyes flashing dangerously. The gem on his wrist was beginning to flicker. He shook his hand to release some of the angry energy, and to hide the flickers from onlookers. He turned his back on the captain and walked to the edge of the camp, away from the captain. He heard Laurent call Eduoard again, and the caravan began to resume its normal routines for the night, although it was much quieter. Gael passed Eleia, not acknowledging her as he excused himself from public eye for the night. He grabbed his roll of fur and retreated into the brush, away from light, eyes, and sound.

Once he was gone, he huffed and threw the fur down. He paced, flexing his fingers to try and dispel his own aggression. His gem was flickering like a firefly. He finally picked up a stick and swung it at a tree, splintering it from the force. He panted and threw the broken shaft off into the brush. Then he heard a twig snap behind him. He turned sharply, ready to yell at Felic or Joel for following him.

It was Eleia. He hesitated. She watched him, brow pinched and eyes a little wide as she watched him. Fleurette and Felic were behind her, along with Joel and Andrien. He glanced at all of them and swallowed. He finally tasted the blood on his lip and turned away from them, spitting into the brush. “I’m fine. I need to be alone right now.”

Hamon snorted. “The hell you do. Let the girl see your mouth.” He ignored the sideways glare Gael sent his way. “And for what it’s worth, you scare the shit out of Eduoard. That’s why he’s so hard on you.”

“He’s a fucking idiot,” Gael muttered.

“He’s under a lot of pressure, too. This idea of his isn’t turning out to be as grand as he’d hoped, and it’s making him look a fool to the court. You think Laurent and Pierre are on his side?” He blew air through his lips. “Trust me. Eduoard is on his own.”

Joel swallowed. “And you’ve got us.”

Gael shook his head. “Don’t put that on me. I’m no one’s leader.” He turned his back to them and knelt, smoothing out his fur.

“Maybe not, but we still care. You’re our friend,” Fleurette added.

Eleia was still silent. Gael kept fixing and adjusting his fur, working through the awkwardness of the situation. He finally shook his head and glanced over his shoulder at them. “I appreciate the sentiments, but I need to be alone right now…”

Someone sighed. “Come on. Give him space.” It was Felic. He heard their steps moving through the brush again, moving away. He sighed when he was sure they were gone, but he was not alone. He sat down on his fur and finally reached up to his mouth, feeling the blood. Then he heard footsteps coming closer, light and careful in the darkness and brush, and a hand touched the back of his fingers. He looked up and saw Eleia. Her expression was still the same. She knelt beside him without a word. She wrapped her fingers around his and carefully pulled his hand away from his face. At the same time, she brought a rag up to his mouth and held it there gently. She never said a word, but the shimmer in her eyes and the softness of her touch told him all he needed to know. She was there for him.

He held still for her and let her clean up his face. When his lip was no longer bleeding, she set the rag down and shifted closer, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck. She hugged him quietly, nothing intimate about the gesture. He couldn’t keep up his tense anger with her action, melting under her care almost instantly. He wrapped his arms around her ribs and hugged her loosely in return. They sat like that for a moment. She never did speak, but he was content to just let her hold him in the moment. His anger and shame slowly dissipated through the touch. After several long, quiet moments, she released his neck and shifted to sit beside him. He caught her hand and squeezed her fingers lightly, whispering, “Thank you.”

She stayed with him all night, just keeping him company, and he understood without her ever saying it, that she was going to stay.