When the young spex paled and all the bones seemed to leave her body, I could think of nothing but getting her help. I swept her up into my arms and began to run through camp towards her family wagons, a multitude of things running around in my mind, but first and foremost, was that she be alright.
Arriving at that grouping of wagons, my first glance was to the one I knew as the mother, Astar. The immediate look of concern in her eyes for a moment made me feel like a sleen. I did not have a chance to try and explain, for the next person I saw was a woman that has to be as old as the plains themselves. There was no mistaking the fact that she was definitely in charge, and if you doubt it, look at the notches on her walking stick. I knew the woman by reputation mostly. She was Oren, pretty much the matriarch of the family.
She motioned me into a wagon and pointed to the dais of sleeping furs. I lay Mezoo on them, reaching my hand to stroke her temple, more worried now that I saw how still she was. I had intended to stay until someone worked some kind of magic and woke her up and made her perfect again. My thinking was wrong.
The crone began to hustle me out of the wagon, all the while I am trying to ask her if Mezoo will recover, trying to find out something about what was to be done. I had turned to look at the prone figure on the furs, when....THWAP! Did that old woman just bean me with a bowl? I heard a crack and was not all too sure if it was my skull or the bowl, but I was not given anytime to reflect on this, because the old woman was ushering me out the flaps of the wagon, aided by that damn stick!
Stumbling out onto the platform, my hand was rubbing the back of my head, when out of no where, a fist flew up and hit me in the jaw. I the Ubar of the Tuchuk, the most fierce and feared people of the plains, had just be sucker punched by a young warrior, whose dyes were still drying in his scars, not to mention the amount of mosture behind his damn ears.
I looked down at him, and the only thing that kept me from going after him, ripping his head clean off and feeding it to the sleens, was that he was at these wagons, so that meant he was probably family, so it would not be very good form of to kill him on this night. Another night maybe, but not this one. I could see him bouncing on his feet, fists lifted like he wanted me to attack. The boy is lucky that I was on my good behavior tonight, and he would remain unscathed.
What the hell was wrong with these people?
The only one that seemed to have any sense about her was the woman Astar. She even had the good manners to thank me for bringing Mezoo home. Now, I brought her home limp as a dead fish, but the woman thanked me. All I could do was not do her, because I was keeping an eye on that young whekp of a warrior. I still watched him as Astar told me that they would let me know how she was.
Let me know? Oh hell no!
I was going no where until I knew how she was, until I saw some color back in her cheeks with my own eyes. And again Astar showed great wisdom as she attempted to send the whelp to find the kaiila Mezoo had been riding. I had settled myself against the wheel of a wagon, prepared to wait.
The young warrior seemed reticent about leaving me with what he probably considered his women folk, but I was not budging. Finally the woman Oren came out wanting to know who or what an Ayguili was. I was immediately on my feel, telling her that I was Ayguili. Now, was that fear I saw flash through that young man's eyes? Did he just groan? Suddenly he was ver interesting in going to find that kaiila, just as his mother had suggested.
I approached the wagon, putting my foot to eh step intending to go inside, but it was not to be. There was that damn stick again. At first, she struck my shin with it, then placed it to block my way, damn it! She then proceeded to dress me down, telling me that I should have come around before now, and unfortunately, I had to agree. She made it very clear that she was an old woman, unaccustomed to having to repeat herself. I was then invited to share a meal with them. No, I lie. I was commanded to come share a meal with them. At that point, I would have agreed to anything that would have gotten me closer to Mezoo.
I could see her inside, sitting up, which relieved me greatly. She reached a hand to me, and I reached to her. Her fingers brushed my sleeve, and at that moment it was enough. She looked better, and the wan smile that she gave me, somehow assured me that there was nothing amiss. I longed to gather her in my arms, to tell her how sorry I was for any part I had played in her falling into a faint, but as I mentioned, there was that barrier of that damn stick in my way.
I have seen some dweller men, that take a notion to belt their slaves, fools that they are. I can tell them of another way, and that would be to find some old woman with a big stick to follow them around. It would work much better than any kind of belt you might use.
I was determined to stay until I was positive that Mezoo was fully recovered, and Oren was determined to send me away. I could have asserted myself more, called upon my position as leverage to stay, but I have this feeling that it would have mattered little to the old woman with the stick. So, out of respect for her, I did neither.
Loathe to go, I did step back and tried to regain at least a modicum of dignity, and told Oren and Astar that I had spoken to Fonce, who was Mezoo's guardian about spending time with her at the fires to talk and get better acquainted, and that my intentions were honorable, and I was now requesting permission from the two of them.
Pretty damn cheeky for a man that had just brought the young woman in question home passed the hell out, but I still stated my intentions.
Oren allowed that if I stood around much longer I would be having the morning meal with them, because it was growing late. I relented and told her that I would be back first thing in the morning to check on her.
"Good, then you can help with the bosk!"
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