Danielle turned her head around in an attempt to locate Jake and she could see him trying to follow in their wake, though the men of the village were pushing wooden mugs of drink into his hands and clearly making an attempt to separate them.
They came to a door covered with a thickly woven blue blanket, and she was just about to panic when they tried to push her inside, before she heard Alvaro’s voice.
“They say you prepare for your husband tonight.”
Danielle twisted against the flow of women and saw the young boy nearby, though his mother stood at his side with her hand over his eyes.
There was no mistaking his mischievous grin, however.
“Tell them he is not my husband!” she urgently whispered, but Alvaro stubbornly shook his head and was led away immediately after he had delivered his message.
Danielle finally decided that as long as preparing her for her husband didn’t include cooking and eating her or shrinking her head, she could get behind a hot bath and a change of clothes.
There was a warm fire in the corner of the cottage, and the throng of women left her inside, drawing the thick woolen curtain behind her. Tall yellow candles flickered inside the small alcoves which spotted the walls when she entered, but the flames calmed when she stood still.
A young girl sat near the hearth, burning some kind of sweet sage or fragrant herb bundle on the edge of the fire, and the effect made her a little lightheaded. Warm water steamed from a huge stone basin near the fire, and she watched as the child poured another kettle into it. She appeared to be shy, but when Danielle made no move to come closer she seemed to relax. After a few moments to adjust, and Danielle wasn’t sure if she needed them or the girl did, the child raised her eyes at the newcomer and smiled.
“You Alvaro friend,” she said timidly, but she had a sweet manner about her, and Danielle felt comfortable enough to finally approach.
“You speak English, too?” she asked slowly, not wanting to come on too strongly and overwhelm her.
The child looked confused for a moment, and then shook her head.
“No.”
“You realize you just spoke English?”
“No.”
“Do you know Jake Wilde?”
The girl’s eyes brightened when she mentioned his name, and she nodded repeatedly.
“Jake Alvaro friend.”
“Well,” Danielle put her fingers into the warm water and ran them over the surface, making languid ripples. “If this bath is for me, we’re all friends here.”
The young girl smiled again, and Danielle noticed her eyes were a very deep blue. It was an unusual trait among their tribe if what she had seen among the natives so far was consistent.
“I am Danielle.” She gestured toward her chest, feeling a bit awkward with her simple communication but she wanted to be included in the BFF Club like everyone else. “What is your name?”
“Cataya Alvaro friend.” She beamed in understanding and put her arms around the travel weary woman’s middle in the same way the Chief’s son had done to Jake earlier.
“This sure is a huggable tribe,” Danielle said smartly out of the corner of her mouth. “And it seems Alvaro has a lot of friends.”
“Alvaro,” Cataya repeated his name, and the sparkle in her eye told Danielle all she needed to know. This young girl fancied her little friend, if she was not mistaken. Everything seemed perfectly simple all of a sudden… They could get married, run the Huggy Tribe and Bob’s your uncle, in ten or so years, of course. This was just about as long as she thought she could stand to soak in that hot tub right about now.
“I’m just going to, you know…” Danielle pointed to the bath, and Cataya’s eyes grew wide as she nodded her understanding.
When the young girl backed out the door her movements were so graceful that she didn’t disturb the flame in the least, but Danielle assumed she had lots of practice with that sort of thing.
Ah, the village youth, she reflected. Alvaro got to learn to call the Shadow Walkers, and Cataya got to learn how to draw a bath. Maybe it was a good thing Jake took the Chief’s son out into the world, so he could learn a little bit about the different relationship responsibilities between men and women of other cultures.
She slipped out of her dusty garments and slid into the hot water. The stone basin was well worn into the shape of an oval and she briefly wondered how the little tribe was able to manage the movement of such a heavy item. It was as smooth as glass, but the stone had taken on the warmth of the nearby fire and held it remarkable well.
A vibrant swirl of incandescent oils glazed the slick surface of the water, and the scent was earthy and rich like a forest after the rain. Danielle ran her fingers over the smooth edge, watching the rainbow trails as they ran down to join the pool.
“Wow, these North Peruvians really know how to live,” she said as she passed a thick block of scented soap over her skin. The bar itself was rough but it left her skin unbelievably soft wherever it had touched her body.
So maybe she wasn’t Jake’s wife, but at the moment this bath was worth three kids, a minivan and an occasional dog washing if she knew anything about married life.
For goodness sake, why are you thinking about this again? She asked herself. Jake Wide is a thrill-seeking, exalted archaeologist with a green thumb for lost and magical civilizations. He needs a minivan about as much as a unicorn needs a bridle.
Still, what harm could come from playing along for a while? The special treatment she was receiving was top notch so far and Jake certainly hadn’t done anything to disabuse the general population of their current belief in the status of their matrimonial state. She’d say something if it seemed like it was becoming serious, but it could be fun to see how Mr. Wide reacted to his new bride for a while.
Danielle looked at the dirty pile of clothing on the floor and had to admit it belonged to her. She stood in the basin, rivulets of water cascading down her clean body and was sorely tempted to toss her only existing wardrobe into the fire.
That was when she noticed a tall stool near the hearth with a long, white tunic laying on top. She reached over and touched the material, which was as light as a feather and as soft as the clouds in the sky.
It must have been the most finely spun fabric in the village, and she pulled it over her glistening body as she stepped out of the tepid water.
There was no mirror in the building, but a polished disk of silver sat in the corner next to a wooden tray of pots and vials. If she concentrated, she could see her reflection rather well in the silver, but she was at a loss for the rest of the assortment.
The largest jar was filled with an off-white paste, but it had a yellow hue and she found her skin was fairer still so there was no need for it. The rest of the sampling contained sticky red glosses and purple creams that she couldn’t identify.
“What Lancome wouldn’t give to know these beauty secrets.” She laughed as she dipped her finger into the red pot and slid the gloss over her full lips. It smelled so sweet and she wanted to lick them, but then she realized there was someone else she wanted to lick them more.
She stood, preening in front of the disk, finally satisfied with her appearance. Her only hope now was for them to give Jake the same treatment as she pulled the woolen cover away from the door frame.
A handful of women converged on her the instant she stepped outside, and she had to stifle a cry of surprise. They were so quiet she had not heard a single one of them as they waited for her at the exit. Her new friend with the blue eyes was among them, but she noticed the girl hung close to Alvaro, who received a sharp smack on the back of his head whenever he looked Danielle’s way.
Varha’s wife pulled a beautiful shawl of white and yellow wool over her shoulders and turned her around like she was inspecting her appearance. Once she smiled her approval the women cheered and swung their fists in the air.
They escorted her in a celebratory manner to a new hut, and this one was larger from the outside. It
still employed the thick wool-covered door way, but she noticed the colors were more masculine in the weave.
Alvaro’s mother was waiting there and she pulled back the barrier herself as they entered the room. Jake lounged on the bed with soft, finely woven pants that made her fantasize about running her hands over his thighs and holding him close to her bare skin as the struggled to stay warm together in the stone structure. The candlelight in this room was soft and muted, a cover over each flame, and the atmosphere was decidedly romantic.
The Chieftain’s wife said a few words that Danielle didn’t understand, but they sounded very ceremonious as she took her hand and led her to the bed.
“My mother say husband and wife be together now,” Alvaro whispered, and his voice was serious.
“Okay. I do need to go inside because Jake and I have a lot to talk about, but will you please tell them I am not his wife?”
Alvaro turned to the matronly woman and spoke a few words in her ear. Her face instantly fell, and she snatched Danielle’s hand back.
“You had to tell them?” Jake fell back onto his a pillow with a disappointed look on his face, and he crossed his arms over his bare chest, greatly accentuating the muscle tone of his strong upper body.
“What?” Danielle responded defensively, as the protective group of women pulled her back through the curtain, simultaneously filling her ears with a lecture that she could not comprehend.
“You not wife,” Alvaro translated for her, though his voice was heavy with the same disappointment she was beginning to feel. “You sleep with the women tonight.”
Chapter Fifteen
The Huggy Tribe Hotel for Wayward Women appeared to be a lot more hospitable than she had imagined, though she was mentally kicking herself for her efforts to tell the truth back in the main part of the village.
“I get an A for Honesty, but I fail at Companionship,” she said to no one in particular as they escorted her to a series of small buildings with the front door flaps all facing each other along a well-manicured walkway.
Danielle noticed as they passed several of the stone structures that each entryway was covered with the usual blanket, as well as the windows, but every weave was unique and she wondered if the patterns reflected the personality or status of the woman who lived inside.
Not that any of them were inside at the moment, because every woman in the village that did not have a husband to attend upon happened to be following her to her room for the night.
The caravan stopped in front of a doorway that had the drape tied back, and Cataya darted with confidence into the dark interior ahead to light a pair of candles. They were also thick and yellow, similar to what she saw in the bathhouse, and the entire pillar of wax glowed when the wick caught.
The floor was as hard as cement underneath her feet and looked like it might have been firmly packed earth. Patches of thick, shaggy fur lined the floor near the small fireplace where Cataya knelt while coaxing the flame to life.
Danielle stood in the doorway with her back to the cozy cabin, preparing herself to face the Chief’s wife. She needed to thank her, somehow, but she also had to accept what would most certainly be stern admonition.
Though she was a head taller than the tribal leader’s mate, the dark-skinned woman stood before her with a presence that commanded respect and a bearing that marked her as nobility.
Just as she thought, the regal woman regarded her with a careful and calculating look, measuring her character without a doubt. Danielle stood a little straighter during her inspection, but she wasn’t a bit sorry for coming to the village with Jake Wilde and nothing anyone could do would make her regret her decision to remain at his side.
As if sensing her strength, the woman raised her brow, and just as Danielle steadied herself for the reprimand that would surely come, she winked and shot the newcomer a shrewd look of understanding in its stead.
She patted Danielle’s arm in a conciliatory manner and said a few words that sounded infinitely wise and just, though she had no idea what they might be. When the Chief’s wife turned to shoo the other women back to their rooms, Danielle spun around and immediately asked Cataya what the seasoned woman had said. The young girl didn’t understand her any more than she had the elder, and so she was reluctantly forced to let it pass. Still, she had the feeling that somehow those lost words of wisdom could possibly contain the secrets to eternal happiness if she could just translate them.
After preparing the room, Cataya turned to Danielle with a thick wooden mug and held it out with a look of encouragement on her face. She accepted it graciously but peered inside at the contents with a little apprehension. The soupy mixture resembled ground beans steeped in water, with mint leaves stirred in.
She sniffed it tentatively, and Cataya giggled at all the ceremony. The aroma was definitely mint-like, but the water appeared cold. Danielle closed her eyes and took a drink from the tube that rested on the side and her senses immediately reeled from the intake of heavy, dark chocolate. It was impossibly bitter and sweet at the same time, almost spicy in its makeup, and her head felt light as she took a second draught.
“Wow, this is the stuff right here.” She closed her eyes and savored the liquid as it worked its way through her exhausted system.
Appearing pleased that she had made Danielle as comfortable as possible, Cataya walked near the edge of the bed and let down the small curtain over the opening in the stone window before she did the same with the door as she exited.
“Good night,” Danielle called after her, idly wondering where she could be found later on if she wanted more of that concoction to drink.
The room was warming up quickly in the small space, and the bed looked very comfortable with a heap of blankets spread out over top of the mattress. She crawled onto the surface of the colorful spreads and leaned with her back against the stone wall, just below the small covered opening.
The fire crackled in the alcove and everything seemed right with the world for the first time in a long time. She allowed her shoulders to relax, and she realized just how long it had been since she’d let her guard down and taken in just one peaceful breath.
Her moment of Zen didn’t last long, because the drape over the window above her flapped out and smacked her on the forehead before it came to rest on top of her damp hair. She thought about ignoring it, but a light thumping sound hit the canvas again, and a rock about the size of a quarter landed on her head and bounced onto her shoulder.
“All right,” she grumbled, reluctantly standing so she could secure the drape.
The moonlight outside shone through the canopy of leaves at the edge of the yard, dappling the ground in an enchanting pattern that drew her attention before she closed the curtain again. The breeze was cool and fresh, and she took a moment to close her eyes and allow the air play across her skin.
Danielle drew a deep breath just as another stone flew through the opening and smacked her squarely on the cheek, immediately jolting her out of the peaceful state she had been enjoying.
“Hey!” she spat out in a disgruntled tone, clapping her hand to the side of her face where her skin still stung from the blow.
“Oh!” Jake’s voice drifted to her from the thick brush as he emerged into the clearing with a sheepish grin on his face.
“I didn’t mean to hit you. I’m really sorry about that.”
“There’s no glass in this window, you know,” she scolded him. “Are you seriously tossing pebbles up here to get my attention so we can sneak off together like we were in High School? You could put someone’s eye out with that thing, you know.”
“Well, yes… It seemed like a good idea at the time. Varha’s wife took you away from me, and she didn’t seem too happy when she did it. Do you really want me to announce my intentions to everyone in the village, now that everyone knows the truth?”
“That depends on what your intentions are, Mister.”
“Why don’t you come out so I can show you?”
&
nbsp; “It’s against my better judgment, of course,” Danielle answered him with a teasing voice, “but I think can be persuaded.”
“I promise you I’ll make it worth your while!” he added, pulling his right hand from behind his back to reveal a tiny sprig of fragile and intricately lovely flowers. “I’ll show you where these grow.”
“Okay, you’ve convinced me, I’m coming around.”
Needing very little persuasion to begin with, she climbed down from the window with the intention of exiting the through the front.
“Wait! Are you crazy?” Jake’s voice carried after her into the small space. “Don’t go out the door.”
Danielle sighed and poked her head back through the window.
“Really?”
“If you do, everyone will know it, and I’m sure you’d like to keep your reputation intact.”
“You weren’t too concerned about my reputation earlier, buddy,” she panted as she placed her palms inside the frame of the opening and boosted herself halfway through.
“Oh, you’re wrong about that,” he answered her decidedly, and wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her free. “Tonight you were almost my wife.”
“You should be so lucky,” she said as the rest of her body smacked into his and she slid slowly against his solid frame until her feet found purchase on the ground.
“Lucky would be one word, honored would be another.”
Danielle felt the heat of his skin through her nighttime tunic, and she was consciously aware that he had not released her from his strong arms though she was free of the window.
His left hand supported the small of her back with firm pressure as he raised his right to caress her flushed cheek with the silken cluster of flowers.
“All my life I have longed for someone to share this place with, but I could never set aside my obligations to satisfy those dreams. I can barely believe it, but you’re here with me now, and it’s more gratifying than I ever could have imagined. Let me show you where these flowers grow.”
Through Ancient Eyes (BookStrand Publishing Romance) Page 16
