Cassiel was standing next to them, the picture of patience and alertness.
Their little discussion ended with the woman scoffing and the man shooting her a warning glare. He then stood up and looked at Olivia.
“I am Marok, the chief of this tribe.” He brought both of his open palms to his face, touching his forehead and lowering them down, palm up towards Olivia. She guessed it was some sort of a greeting.
“This is my wife, Kamil, the weaver.” He introduced the woman on his left who repeated his gesture.
“My son, Koda, the woodcarver.” The boy looked up when his father introduced him and waved at them with a friendly smile on his face.
“Bast, my daughter, the fighter and protector of the tribe,” he said proudly. He looked over at his scowling daughter and chuckled.
“And last, my adoptive daughter, Disa, tribe’s protector and Bast’s faithful companion.” He nodded towards the mountain lion.
When he was done, he waited, raising both his bushy brows at Olivia. She figured that he’d probably been told that Olivia was the leader of their group as she was the one that spoke to them first.
“Please help us down, Cassiel,” Olivia said.
Cassiel obliged and reached for Charlie first. He helped her slide down the horse and waited for her to find her footing before helping Olivia. Both of them were unsteady on their feet, having been on the horse for hours. When Olivia’s feet touched the ground she almost crumbled, only Cassiel’s strong hand around her waist kept her up. He noticed the dark circles around her red-rimmed eyes, the paleness to her face, and wondered whether she would be able to keep herself up.
“Thank you, Cassiel.” Olivia made a few steps forward, summoning the last bits of strength she had so she could stay on her feet.
“My…” she took a few labored breaths. She was nauseated.
“My name is Olivia, I am…” pausing for a second, she pondered what to say. She couldn’t introduce herself as a chief and she didn’t know which title to claim. She kept it simple and hopeful, “I am a friend.” She repeated the gesture the man had made, earning a smile for her effort.
“This is Cassiel, my sworn protector,” she looked over at her knight standing out among the tribesmen like a shining beacon, in his breastplate armor.
“And this is Charlotte, known as Charlie; she is… spark of life and a loyal friend.” Olivia smiled at Charlie, who blushed at Olivia’s praise and offered a shy smile to the chief.
“Very well, Olivia the friend, Cassiel the protector and Charlie the spark, welcome –” As soon as Olivia heard that word, relief swarmed her. They would be safe from Magnus here, at least for a few days. Before she knew it, her eyes rolled back and darkness consumed her. She barely heard Charlie call out her name as strong arms caught her before she hit the ground.
Chapter 16
Olivia walked out of a tribal hut in a daze. When she brought her hand up to provide her eyes some shade, she noticed that it was no longer in a splint. Not only that, it did not hurt at all. It seemed like it had never been hurt. She gazed at her hand in bewilderment, twisting it around and trying it out. Reaching up with both hands now, she found that her face was still bruised but ached a lot less.
“Lady Olivia, are you alright?” Olivia jumped a bit and turned to see Cassiel getting up from sitting on the bench next to the entrance to the hut. He wasn’t wearing his heavy armor anymore. He was clean shaven, and his eyes were bright and clear. Judging by his weapons being set aside, he had been whetting them.
“Please, call me Olivia. I am feeling surprisingly well. I have not slept so well in a while, and I also feel much better.” She rewarded Cassiel with one of her bright smiles.
He couldn’t help it but return it with one of his own. “I am glad to hear that, can I help you with something?”
“Yes, I would like to know what happened, it seems I missed some things.” Olivia sat on the bench. She patted a place next to her.
“Well,” Cassiel sat down, “When you lost consciousness, Chief Marok had me carry you to his hut. Then he called for their shaman, Ma’ad, to come and look at you. They ushered both Charlie and me out while the shaman took care of you. I stayed beside the door keeping an eye on him. From what I gathered, he healed your hand, and before he could do anything more, he passed out and was carried back to his own home.”
As if through a dream, Olivia remembered the wrinkled face of an older man. She remembered his long white beard tickling her face as he hovered above her and mumbled some strange words. He had light grey eyes. And then red. Blood had dripped from his nose. The only color she was able to see was the crimson of the blood. When he caught her looking at him, he smiled. It looked so much out of place with the blood running out his nose. The man had infused her with a soothing warmth. She opened her mouth to stop him but he had merely shaken his head. He told her to go back to sleep. Though unwillingly, she slept peacefully.
“Lady Olivia?”
“I apologize, Cassiel. My mind drifted. I think… I think I remember the shaman now.”
“Yes, a very peculiar man.”
“I shall have to meet him and thank him. But first,” Olivia gazed around, “where is Charlie?”
“Charlie came to check on you a few times,” Cassiel said, “and she brought me some food.” At the mention of food Olivia’s stomach grumbled, making Cassiel smile, “Seems like you could use some, too. I will show you to the tribe’s open kitchen. Charlie should be close by, she has been following lady Bast around most of the day.”
As he said that, they could see Bast walking by with Disa at her side and Charlie trying to catch up to the other woman’s long strides. She had a wide smile on her face, talking animatedly while the other woman just grumbled, scowled and picked up her pace.
It was quite a sight, to see the mighty warrior woman trying to run away from the petite redhead.
“Charlie!” Olivia called out.
Charlie immediately switched her attention to Olivia and rushed over, which earned Olivia a grateful nod from Bast.
“Olivia! You’re awake!” She pulled her friend up from the bench and into a tight hug. “I was so worried about you!”
“I can see that, chasing other women around, huh?” Olivia teased.
“Well they did kick me out of your room; I had to entertain myself somehow.” Charlie shrugged. “Did you sleep well, are you feeling alright? Did Cassiel tell you what’s been going on?”
Olivia chuckled at Charlie’s enthusiasm. “Alright, take a breath. You seem quite happy. I like that.”
“Yes, well, me and Cass did manage to get some sleep as well. Chief allowed us to use his hut. And people here are very kind, even though they look quite primitive.”
Olivia had never seen her so happy. It warmed her heart.
“Could you please show me where I can get some food? Then I should apologize to the chief for passing out on them and thank him for the hospitality … oh… and I have to meet the shaman who healed my hand. Does that cover it all?”
Cassiel chuckled. “I think it does.”
“Is it just me or do you two suddenly smile a lot more?” Olivia raised her eyebrow.
“I find these people strangely refreshing,” Cassiel said. “Everything is so… different to what I am used to. But not in a bad way. And from what little I have witnessed, they have honor.” Cassiel’s smile was replaced by a frown when thinking about Magnus and his lack of honor.. He was wondering how he had managed to stay by the prince’s side for so long. Now that he had finally left, he was relieved, his soul lighter, no longer tainted by the prince’s darkness.
Olivia let them lead her to the eating area while they made small talk.
The tribe’s kitchen was no more than a round clearing with a big campfire in the center and some low tables randomly spread around. The woman cooking there told them that people of the tribe could sit on the floor or pull tables closer and eat in private. Nobody cooked only for themselves. People shared the
ir meals and there was always food for those who were hungry.
“I was meaning to ask you Cassiel,” Olivia said as they sat down, each with their own bowl of stew and flatbread, “Can you teach me how to use a weapon?”
Charlie was surprised by the question; she’d never thought Olivia was the aggressive type. She never even hinted at such thoughts before.
“Why?” Cassiel asked, not in a condescending way but with pure curiosity.
“Well, I have been thinking.” Olivia sighed. “I know I am not much of a fighter, but I think I would feel less helpless if I knew how to handle a weapon.”
“That is a decent reason. Which weapon would you prefer? I know how to use a short sword and an axe best, but I think others in this village would be willing to show you the basics as well.”
Olivia took a few moments to think it over. “The axe I think… It seems less of a weapon, more of a tool.”
“Very well, I shall teach you how to wield an axe, how about you, lady Charlotte?” Cassiel looked over at the redhead.
“No thank you, a dagger is as far as I’ll ever go. I’m afraid I’d hurt myself more than others.”
As they walked through the village, they were getting various looks; the curious, the wary, the suspicious and the indifferent.
The shaman’s hut was not too far away from the chief’s, and as they reached it, a woman, not much older than Cassiel, walked out. When she saw them, she gave the trio a tired smile and approached.
“I’m Lily, shaman Ma’ad’s daughter,” the woman said, and greeted them the same way the chief had. “I presume you’re here to see Father?”
Olivia did the greeting in return before answering. “Yes, if he is accepting visitors.”
“Let me check if he’ll see you. He still has a few days of recovering to do. The healing he did was very strenuous,” Lily said over her shoulder as she entered the hut.
Olivia, Cassiel and Charlie waited in silence until Lily returned.
“He’ll be right out, he said he needs to soak up some sun. Have a seat.” Lily pointed to the bench in front of the hut. It seemed every home had one, looking out towards the village. “I have to go though. I guess I’ll see you at the dinner celebration tonight.”
Before anyone could ask about the celebration, Lily dashed away.
Olivia took a seat on the bench and Cassiel decided to stay standing on her left while Charlie fidgeted trying to stand still.
They saw Bast walk by in the distance, hauling a dead boar behind her. Her hands were just as bloody as Disa’s muzzle. Charlie’s fidgeting seized as she eyed Bast’s every movement.
“Go.”
Charlie turned around confused, “Huh?”
“I am just going to talk to the shaman a bit and thank him for healing me. You do not have to follow wherever I go, you are free to do as you will. You know that, right?” Olivia said encouragingly.
“I know. It’s just… I’ve been looking forward to this freedom so much that now when I have it I don’t know what to do with it. I guess that’s why I’m sticking close.” Charlie shrugged.
“How about this, you go out there and explore, while me and Cassiel have a talk with the shaman. Come and find me before the sun has set, so we can go and wash up together. Then we shall join everyone at the dinner tonight. But, if you think something strange is going on, you find us right away.”
“I can do that. So, I’ll see you both in a little bit.” Charlie grinned and turned on her heel to leave.
“And Charlie?” Olivia said.
“Yes?” Charlie glanced over her shoulder.
“Take it easy on Bast.”
Charlie offered a wickedly teasing smile and left.
A man, now standing next to Olivia and Cassiel, cleared his throat.
Olivia quickly shot to her feet. “Oh! I apologize. We did not notice you come out.”
“It’s all right child. Sit!” The man hobbled closer to them with the help of his cane. Cassiel helped him settle on the bench next to Olivia and he turned to face her. “It is nice to see you awake and aware this time.” He smiled at her. “I am Ma’ad, the shaman.”
“My name is Olivia, it is a pleasure to meet you.” Olivia did their greeting out of respect for the shaman.
“I know…” the old man chuckled. A warm smile danced on his wrinkled face, and his long white beard wiggled in tune with his chuckling body.
“I wanted to thank you personally, for what you did for me.”
“Yes, well, it had to be done.” He took Olivia’s hand into his own and patted it gently.
“From what I understand, you have exerted yourself quite fiercely.” Olivia was strangely comforted by his touch. A natural warmth flowed from him to her, making her relax.
The shaman nodded and smiled.
“I am truly grateful to you for healing my broken hand. I find that an amazing feat. I did not know magic like that existed. It was magic, right? I also noticed the bruises on my face ache less, did you do that too?”
The shaman frowned. “I’m sorry about that, for I am not as good as some of the shamans from other tribes.”
“Oh, no, no… I did not mean it like that.” Olivia laid her other hand over his. “What you did was amazing! I never expected it to be healed by now, and everything else hurts less. You did not have to do it, and you even went as far as putting yourself in danger. I could never thank you enough.” Olivia pulled her hands free just so she could wrap them around the old man’s shoulders, hugging him. He was surprised at first, but soon relaxed and welcomed the comfort. He awkwardly patted her back.
“There, child,” Ma’ad pulled back from the hug, “We’re both safe and alive, so let’s just be happy about that. I fixed you as good as I could. By the time I was done with the hand, not much was left for the rest of you… but then they pulled me away. I could’ve handled a bit more.”
“They did the right thing. What if something happened to someone else and your… magic was already spent on me?”
Ma’ad grunted. “Didn’t really think of it… Must be getting too old.”
A boy walked up to them. It was the chief’s son, Koda.
“Koda,” Ma’ad did the tribe greeting, “What brings you here?”
Now that Olivia had the time to look at him properly, she guessed that Koda was around twelve years old, with tanned skin like his parents and a mop of messy dark hair on his head. His eyes though… One was emerald green and the other dark brown. His eyes made her both uneasy and intrigued at once. She had never seen anything like it.
Koda’s eyes were on Olivia as he spoke, “I have something for our visitors. I’ve been working on it for a while now.”
Olivia was confused. They barely arrived at the village.
“Well, what is it Koda?” the shaman said.
The boy reached into a pouch hanging from his belt and pulled out the figurine he had finished carving last night. As soon as he had first seen her, he knew it was meant for Olivia. He held it cupped in his palms. It was hidden as he stretched his arm toward her. The shaman shifted a bit, keeping an eye on the boy’s hands.
When Koda opened his palms, Olivia gasped. Fingers pressed to her mouth, she was speechless. Her eyes brimmed with tears. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
Cassiel tensed up as well, his eyes widening with recognition. The shaman gaped in astonishment.
“Koda, do you know what that is?” Ma’ad asked carefully.
“Yes, a dragon.” Koda tilted his head to the side. “Isn’t it?” Doubt entered his mind when everyone was quiet. He had only heard about dragons, but this one he saw in his dreams.
“Yes, it is, Koda. Have you seen it?” Ma’ad inquired further while Olivia held her breath. Tears came to her face. Even Cassiel’s comforting hand on her shoulder couldn’t shake her out of her daze.
“Yes.”
“Koda! You know you should’ve told us about it! Dragons still live!” The shaman shot up and raised his hands in celeb
ration. He lost his balance, but Cassiel’s hand kept him steady.
“No… not that way. I saw him in my dream. I saw him flying and I flew… as him.” The boy tried to explain. He pursed his lips and looked back at Olivia with those unsettling eyes.
“I’m sorry I upset you,” he said when he saw tears on Olivia’s face.
As he went to tuck away the dragon, Olivia’s hand shot forward and grabbed his wrist. She kept her eye on the figurine the whole time. Carefully, she reached for it with her other hand. Ma’ad stopped his silly celebration when he noticed Olivia’s reaction.
“Kaden…” Olivia breathed out his name as she looked at the carved dragon up-close. It was him, every single detail was there. As if he was frozen in time while lifting off the ground. His magnificent wings spread wide, head proudly tilted towards the sun.
“Kaden…” She ran her finger over the scar that was carved into it as well. “But… how?” She lifted her gaze to Koda.
The boy shrugged. “I dreamed about him. He was amazing, and I had an urge to carve him. I’ve been working on it for a while now. When I saw you yesterday, I knew I had to give it to you. You know him?”
Ma’ad blinked, his gaze shifting back and forth between the two.
“Yes.” Olivia smiled through tears, “He was… he IS my dragon.”
Ma’ad furrowed his brows, his head tilted to the side. There hadn’t been any confirmed dragon sightings for a couple of generations now. Generations ago, the tribe used to coexist closely with the dragons, and they valued them immensely. When the dragons suddenly disappeared, and were presumed extinct, the tribe was devastated… and now this!
“You’ve seen a dragon? What did he look like? Can you get him here? Can you get us there? Please, answer me. We need answers…” By the end, the shaman grabbed a hold of Olivia’s shoulders and was shaking her.
Cassiel swiftly plucked Olivia from the old man’s grasp and stood in front of her. Olivia clutched the back of his shirt and cried. It was all too much. She thought she was doing well, but seeing Kaden’s carved image brought back the good memories that could never be repeated.
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