The Purlieu Experiment, Book 1

by Linda L Rigsbee

  “Good morning, sleepy-head.” He said. “I was hoping we would be able to say goodbye.”

  Celyn glanced at her father as she spoke to Donte. “I didn’t get to talk to you last night. I had to go to bed before you came out of the office.” She looked at Donte. “You are supposed to exchange vows with me.”

  He looked startled and the smile evaporated. His troubled gaze shot to Neirin. “Now?”

  Father chuckled. “She had a vision that she would exchange vows with you when she was nineteen.” He patted Celyn on the head. “I told her we had more pressing things right now.”

  Donte looked relieved. “She is a seer?”

  “I am an elw – a prophet. I told him where to find you,” Celyn said. “I saw you and her.” She pointed to Akira, “In the ravine near Two Fingers Rocks.”

  “We owe you our lives.” Donte said.

  Celyn looked into his eyes, trying to discern whether he actually believed that or if he was being condescending. It was impossible to tell.

  “You don’t believe me.” She said.

  Donte reached down and picked her up by the waist, setting her on a barrel so that their eyes were on the level. Celyn stared at him in surprise. No one had ever been so familiar, especially not a stranger and outsider. In her peripheral vision she saw her father and others watching, but they made no move to interfere. Donte’s voice was deep and gentle when he spoke to her. He touched a finger to her chest.

  “Do you believe it?”

  She lifted her chin in defiance. “Of course I do.”

  He smiled, his eyes kind. “Then why does it matter what I believe? If it is true, it will come to pass.”

  “But you are going away. Maybe you will not come back.”

  He nodded. “Perhaps, but I plan to be back very soon.”

  She eyed him with suspicion. “Why?”

  He lifted his brows and a twinkle came into his eyes. “If I am to exchange vows with you some day, I should get to know you, don’t you think?”

  “You are making fun of me.”

  He sobered. “I believe you had a vision, and I believe you saved our lives. But it will be a long time until you are nineteen and one day you will find a boy your age. There is nothing as special as growing up together and one day realizing you want to exchange vows with your best friend.”

  She shot a look at Akira. “Is she your best friend?”

  He glanced at Akira and returned his attention to Celyn. “Ten years is a long time. Who can say if I will even be alive by then?”

  “You will be…and you will be mine.”

  He smiled and stroked her head. “Perhaps you are right. Now hug me goodbye.”

  She leaned forward and put her arms around his neck, resting her cheek against his. “Will you be back for my birthday?”

  He lifted her and set her on the floor. “When is that?”

  When she told him the date, he stoked her hair. “I will try to be here on your birthday.”

  Celyn watched as the camelus filed out the gate. She climbed on the wall and watched until she could no longer see them. They had been given flasks of water and sacks of food. They would be taken to the Lochfowk border and they would walk from there on.

  “Come in Celyn,” her father said. “They are gone now and we must talk.”

  He helped her down from the wall and they walked together to the palace. There he surprised her by inviting her to his office. Instead of sitting behind his desk, he sat on a chair in front of her.

  “You must not speak to Donte about this exchange of vows again.” He said.

  “But it is true. I saw it in a vision.”

  He nodded. “I do not deny that you had this vision, but Donte has been a captive for six years. We do not want to say anything that would make him feel uncomfortable about returning, do we?”

  Celyn stared at him for a moment. “No.”

  “As he said, ten years is a long time. If he finds love and wants to exchange vows with another, you would not want to stand in the way of his happiness, would you?”

  “But he is supposed to exchange vows with me.”

  Neirin sighed. “I understand that, but maybe you will have more visions. New visions may not be the same.”

  It was true. Sometimes she had updates. Hopefully this wouldn’t be one of those times, though, because she liked Donte a lot.

  “That’s my girl. Now let me tell you all about the rescue.”

  Neirin told her about the rescue of Donte and Akira from the Nyumbani raiders. He told her how Donte captured the raider who got away and how he talked to the new Nyumbani colony leader. Finally he told her of his plan to have a conference and how he wanted to learn the Nyumbani and Lochfowk languages.

  “Donte could teach us,” she said with enthusiasm.

  “Us?” Neirin said.

  “You and me,” Celyn clarified. “He will be back soon and I want to learn as well.”

  Neirin smiled. “I had not thought of you learning, but it is an excellent idea. Young people learn languages much faster.”

  “When he comes back, may I go riding with him?”

  Neirin thought about it for a moment and then shrugged. “We shall see.”

  CHAPTER 12

  Donte looked back at the palace as the camelus plodded away. Celyn was sitting on the white wall, waving at them. He waved at her and turned to watch the trail ahead. Were there other mascots like her - born so long after the plague?

  The flat desert floor was scattered with dull green shrubs. In the distance were the mountains that formed a border between Anialwch and Lochfowk. He was certain that he could walk faster than the camelus, but at least this way they would be reserving their energy for the final walk to the colony. Hopefully he could get an equine there so that he could ride the rest of the way home.

  Donte and Akira were riding separate camelus this time. They had been treated respectfully by the Anialwch. He didn’t doubt their sincerity in inviting him to return. The only thing that concerned him about doing so was the little girl’s obsession about her vision to exchange vows with him. For one horrible moment back there he was afraid they were going to insist he exchange vows with her before he left. He was seeing Farasi all over again. But King Neirin didn’t appear to take her vision seriously, at least for the time being. Right now he was focused on bringing the colonies together. It was a dream Donte shared with Neirin. Kafil would have his hands full trying to pull Nyumbani together for a while, though. One thing Kafil said made Donte certain that it was inevitable. Halisi was now queen. Would she exchange vows with Kafil now? Chiku and Heri would be safe as long as the new government was in control. He smiled as he thought of Chiku growing up in a palace with nice things to wear. Would she miss the farm? Heri was young enough to adjust, but it would be more difficult for Chiku. Once again he felt the shame of abandoning his children. Would he ever see them again?

  They reached the border in time to set up camp before darkness surrounded them. Tonight they would have the shelter of tents, but the rest of the way they would have to find shelter as they could. It wouldn’t be as bad this time. At least they had food and water, and he had shoes and clothing to wear. He wished he had trousers and boots, but the robe would protect him from the sun now and the cold when they climbed out of the desert.

  In the morning, after a good night’s sleep and a sound breakfast, Donte and Akira started out on foot at a brisk pace. The Anialwch packed their things and headed back to the palace. According to Akira, they would be at the main colony in a few days, and they would likely pass outlying farms tomorrow. Hopefully they wouldn’t be mistaken for Anialwch. Of course, Akira had her hood down, exposing her red hair. That would be visible as soon as their attire was.

  They reached low hills and sparse grass by mid day. From that point they began climbing more than they walked on the level. As the elevation increased, so did the grass. They circled around the mountains and set a course for the interior of Lochfowk, away from the sea. When t
hey came to a river, Akira set a course alongside it, constantly going upstream. Later they heard a thundering noise. The skies were clear, though. Donte looked askance at Akira.

  “Water fall,” she said. “There is a lake behind it. That is where we will camp tonight. There is a little cabin where we can stay. It was built for travelers, especially in the cold season.”

  The waterfall was wide, but not much taller than he was. It fell over a sheer cliff. Akira led him around the face of the cliff and up a narrow winding trail to the top. There she turned back toward the river, which at that point was a small dark green lake.

  “A boat would get stuck on that lake.” Akira said. “It’s shallow and filled with water plants.”

  The area was alive with the sound of amphibians and insects. Trees with large leaves arched over a well defined trail. Here and there small clumps of fragrant purple flowers pushed above the grass. In some places vines hung from the trees, their foliage so thick that they formed an impenetrable wall. At one such place they walked around the wall to find themselves in a clearing. In the center of the clearing was a cabin. The lake was visible from a small porch.

  “A person could live here.” Donte said as he took in the view.

  Akira nodded. “Sometimes they do for a while.”

  “How do you know someone isn’t living here now?”

  “You don’t. As long as there is room, you share. It belongs to everyone.”

  The idea that someone could walk in on them during the night was disturbing. In Libertad and Bergen they had large buildings with individual rooms.

  The cabin was clean. There was a closet the length of the wall on one side, bunks at the back and a stove on the other side.

  Akira spoke as she headed for the stove. “It gets cold at night in this season. There are blankets in the closet. If you’ll get the beds ready, I’ll fix something to eat.”

  Donte found the blankets and prepared the beds while Akira warmed the food. They ate on the porch, watching wildlife until it was too dark to see. When they retired for the night, Donte pulled the robe off so it wouldn’t get wrinkled and slept on the top bunk dressed only in the hide. The bed was surprisingly comfortable and he fell asleep almost instantly, not waking until dawn.

  Donte woke to a quiet dawn. Climbing down from the bunk as quietly as possible, he went outside to answer nature’s call. When he returned, Akira was still sleeping, so he decided to go for a swim in the lake. He grabbed the robe and sandals and slipped outside. At the edge of the lake, he hung the robe on a tree and placed the sandals at the base. Slowly, feeling his way across the sandy bottom, he waded into the cold water. Drawing a deep breath, he plunged into the lake. He swam about half way across and then back again. Rolling on his back, he floated in the water, watching the sunlight warm the surface of the lake to wisps of steam. It was a peaceful place. Too bad they couldn’t stay here a few days.

  He rolled over and dunked his head, scrubbing his scalp. The hair was growing back and it itched. He stood and wiped as much water from his face and hair as possible and waded to the shore. He stood in the sun for a few minutes to let his skin warm and dry. Finally he reached up for his robe. Akira was probably up by now and wondering where he was. He tied the robe on and slipped into the sandals. They needed to eat and get on the trail.

  ****

  Akira woke to a quiet cabin. Donte was gone again. Where did he go this time? They had food to eat. She folded the blankets and put them in the closet before getting food ready. Hopefully he would be back soon. They needed to get started early if they were to have any chance of reaching the colony tonight.

  She glanced out the window at the lake and saw Donte emerging from the water. For a few minutes he stood looking out at the lake, water droplets glistening on his golden skin. Once again he wore only the hide over his lower torso. Finally he stretched and reached into the tree, retrieving his robe. She watched him put the robe on and tie it. She sighed. He had such a beautiful body. She looked away, feeling a flush of heat on her cheeks.

  What would she have done without his assistance? Surely she would have been dead by now, and yet, how did she thank him? She intruded on his private moments. She had insulted him numerous times, and yet he had never retaliated. He was a nice person. It occurred to her that she had never thanked him. She had to remedy that.

  When Donte came into the cabin, she turned to him. “I have some food ready.”

  He nodded. “I’m hungry.”

  “We will reach the colony sometime tonight or tomorrow morning.” She stepped close to him. “I want to thank you for all your help.” She lifted her face and kissed him full on the lips. He didn’t respond, but neither did he resist.

  She stepped back and sighed. “I guess tomorrow is the last time we will see each other.”

  His gaze traveled over her face, his brows slightly furrowed with confusion. “Are you telling me not to come back?”

  She smiled and shook her head. “No, but I though you would be happy to get rid of me.” When he didn’t respond, she turned away from him. He couldn’t have missed the implication of her kiss, which meant that he wasn’t interested.

  As she turned, his hand engulfed hers. He gently turned her around and pulled her into his arms. She went willingly, lifting her arms to capture his neck as he pulled her close. His lips found hers, warm and firm. She responded with enthusiasm, pressing her body to his. When his lips left hers and found her neck, she let her hands slide down to explore his pectoral muscles through the robe. She untied the robe and felt the warmth of his bare stomach against her hands. He drew her close again, his lips finding hers in an urgent kiss.

  It was over in a gazillion of her heartbeats. He gripped her arms, gently pushing her away as he groaned. “No, we shouldn’t do this.”

  “Why not?” She managed in a breathless voice.

  He pulled his robe together and tied it shut. “Because it’s wrong.”

  The fog of desire was beginning to thin. “Because we’re from different colonies?”

  He smiled. “No.”

  “Because I’m too old? There are advantages to that, you know.”

  The most important advantage was that she couldn’t conceive. Still, she was a good twenty years older, which converted to more experience.

  He knelt beside the fireplace and began adding sticks to the flames. “It has nothing to do with your age or the fact that we come from different colonies.” He glanced up at her. “There are other ways to express gratitude, you know.”

  Warmth raced up her neck in a flush. “It isn’t simply gratitude.”

  He broke a small stick into little pieces, absently throwing them one-by-one into the fire. “Akira, it’s been a long time since I made love to a willing woman.” His gaze came back to her face. “I want you, but it needs to be more than that.” He stood. “Don’t you see? It should be something you share with someone special - someone you want to spend more than a night with.”

  Actually, she would like to spend far more than one night with him, but that was a moot point right now. Obviously he didn’t feel the same way. Still, he was wrong about one night not being special. She had spent only one night with a lot of men, and it was always special. It wasn’t as though she made love to any man. He had to be special to get her interest. Still, Donte was trying to politely tell her that what he felt for her was desire, not love. She would have accepted that, but he didn’t want her that way. It was an aching feeling to desire and not be desired in return. It had never happened to her before. Was that how he had felt for the last six years? What kind of woman did it take to live with him for six years, bear his children and still not love him?

  “She treated you badly.”

  He stood. “Who?”

  “Halisi.”

  He shook his head. “No. She was disciplined. She did as her father told her to do. She submitted to me because it was the only way she could give her father an heir. I can’t imagine how humiliating it was for her, especia
lly when she loved someone else.”

  “You were in the same situation - even worse. At least she wasn’t a captive. It wouldn’t have killed her to show you a little affection.”

  He smiled. “I appreciate your support, but she wasn’t the problem. She was another victim of Farasi. She was kind to me and she allowed me to be a normal father to our children. I admired her courage and dedication.”

  Yes, Halisi was a victim. If Akira hadn’t been so focused on Donte’s side of it, she would have thought of Halisi as the victim. What had caused her to see it only from his perspective? How would she feel if her father had forced her to bear children with a man from another colony when she loved someone else? How could a father do that? It was Halisi who had been denied love.

  CHAPTER 13

  Donte watched Akira walk in front of him. What had made her approach him that way at the cabin? Was she merely trying to express her gratitude? He was the one who had initiated the intimate moment…or was he? Her kiss was more than a thank you. He was certain of it. At the back of his mind was the comment that Farasi had made - that Lochfowk women were promiscuous. She hadn’t been up to that point. In fact, she had often been decidedly cool toward him. No, he had been the one who started it, and he had embarrassed her by shutting it off. There had been too many years of turning off desire. It had become a habit. It was more than that, though. He didn’t want a relationship right now. He didn’t love Akira and he had no intention of using her. He’d done enough of that for the last six years. The next time he made love to a woman, it was going to be because they felt something for each other besides lust or duty.

  As they traveled, the level ground near the lake gave way to rocky ledges. The trees had small needles instead of leaves. The climate was noticeably cooler. At one point, when they topped out on a ridge, there were mountain ranges as far as they could see. Some of the peaks were snowcapped.