by Cassie Wolf
Atsu froze and his eyes glared over to her straight away. His heart hammered with dread as Pazade huffed and shifted in his seat. He didn’t like how passive Pazade appeared to be; his anger never clearly showed from what he’d seen so far, but something told Atsu that the Chief was not a person you would want to make intentionally see red.
“I was not expecting that,” Pazade said. With a low yawn, he opened both eyes and folded his arms over the table. “First night here, you have mated with my daughter?”
Atsu frowned at Jocelin, who was chewing on her lip with anticipation. He nodded his head slowly and with a dry swallow, said, “Yes… I did.”
“Is there a reason you have no patience?” Pazade asked coolly while he refilled his cup to the brim.
“I needed to,” Atsu replied, trying to keep his calm.
Pazade laughed and sipped his drink. “You have concern in your eyes for something I guessed would happen, Atsu. Relax yourself. Why are you both here?”
Jocelin smiled at her father and brought her hand over his. “We want to bind, Father. I have made my decision and I don’t believe there would be a better protector in the world for me than this male.”
Atsu shifted awkwardly in his seat and glanced at the blossoming violet flower beside them. With four outspread petals, it had burst open in the early hours of the morning and the buzzing of bees having their morning feast rang down his ear as Pazade turned to him.
“What about you?” the Chief asked.
Atsu nodded. “I want to bind with her.”
Pazade smirked and swirled his cup in his hand. “I don’t just mean that, boy. You may show care towards my daughter but that is not the only thing this would change. When my days come to an end with the sweet release of death, the tribe will look to you to lead. You will have beggars come to your door, some of whom will be honest men and some who will want to kill you. You need to make sure you can tell the difference.” Pazade looked above to the sky before taking another sip. “This time is called the calm before the storm. I don’t believe for a moment that Jasari will let this humiliation lie… to be beaten by a worker will have tarnished his name for generations. He may use your sister as a weapon to get to you. I need to know you can let go of all that and put my daughters first if the time comes.”
Atsu took in every word and thought about it as best as he could. To lead people who didn’t yet know him felt like the most daunting thing he’d ever been asked. He knew Jasari well enough to know what Pazade said was right: he wouldn’t let it fade into history, not when his own blood weren’t the victors. As for Masika, she’d already told him not to return and already had a comfortable life, restricted but not as bad as the rest of the Shadow tribe’s females. Maybe in time she would realise that.
“Atsu?” Jocelin asked and placed her soft fingers over his.
He nodded and gave her a smile in return. “I can let go of my past. My blood lies with Jocelin now,” he said and looked to the Chief. “But the other things… I don’t know how to do.”
Pazade reached into his pocket and shoved the cork back into the bottle before downing the rest of the contents of the cup. “You will be trained and trained hard. Your muscles will ache from physical tiredness, your mind will suspect everyone, but as long as you don’t succumb to the voices of madness, it is all teachable.” The Chieftain stood and placed the bottle and cup in a pouch on his apron. “But first thing to sort… your binding will be held within a couple of weeks. Jocelin, you shall be taken for the walk for two days before the ceremony. Atsu, I suggest you find out more about the ceremony before entering it. It is not an easy one to endure and I have witnessed outsiders vomit and collapse at less.” With that, the Chief bowed his head and made his way back inside the hut.
Atsu looked to Jocelin, whose green eyes sparkled with excitement. He gave her a forced grin as the Chief walked away. Now he knew he was going to lead, it all felt more overwhelming than he could bear.
- CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR -
The blazing heat of the summer soon passed, then the crispy leaves of autumn breaking off the towering trees and blowing in the wind like messengers. Winter was now nearing an end and Masika did not even notice the cold brush her skin when she walked outside with bare feet.
Her belly was swollen and her unborn baby was nearly ready to see the world with pure eyes. But a numbness had taken over inside. The only part of her which reminded her she was alive was the strong kick she would sometimes feel in her ribs.
Her hair, once a thick dark mane, had become greasy and unkempt. The only time she allowed a brush to go through her tangles was when Kanzi insisted she do it for her. Even then it took some convincing to get her out of the bed at all. She wished each day to go by quickly for the day her baby was in her arms. Then she would have something to do with her time.
As the frozen ground spread to her toes, Masika stared emptily ahead. The garasums were laughing and joking, the warriors were flexing and happily showing off their moves. Yet she felt so far away from it all. She wondered what could be so amusing about this life. The punchline had yet to catch up with her.
“Masi,” a deep grunt interrupted her.
She glanced over her shoulder at her mate. Dia had taken a few more weeks of recovery in the medical bed before he even left the room. The burns had left markings across his face, holes and gashes a living record of the wrath of her brother, and his nose had never straightened to the hook it was before. Every day she visited him after she had forced herself on him, he had expected her to do the same. She obliged with a hollow heart.
“Yes?” she replied, staring at his crooked nose.
“We need to talk,” he whispered and grabbed her wrist, pulling away from his fellow tribesmen.
Her skin had hardened from the pain of being dragged wherever she was needed. Every bruise was a mark of who owned her and she knew in her mind that meant she was safe. No one would harm the future Chieftain’s mate.
Dia barged through the main hall and went straight to his quarters. With three grandly-decorated rooms and clothes Masika couldn’t even count, she had grown to shudder with dread each time he brought her in here. He would demand her to strip and bend over while he did what he needed while she would stare ahead at the mounted carcass of a rabbit on the wall. It was the only thing she had seen which she believed he could have hunted at all. She would allow her mind to roam while he huffed and puffed with his few moments of lust. She would wonder what it was like to be a rabbit, running with fluffed fur and a bobbing tail. She could run deep into the jungle and burrow deep, surrounding herself with the smell of the fresh earth in her cosy home.
She ran her fingers to the hem of her dress and went to remove it as usual, but he brought his strong hand over hers and shook his head.
“Not that,” he said. “I need to leave soon.”
Masika dropped her hands away from her dress and cocked her head to the side, feigning interest. “Leave?”
“Yes. Father sent a letter to the Whites. I am meeting them within a couple of days at a halfway point.” Dia turned to his clothes and began to pile them on the extravagantly-painted bed before him.
Masika’s eyes shone at the thought of the other tribe. It had been so long since she had even considered that her brother was still alive. She had been kept in the dark whenever messengers arrived with rumours written on leather and even Inari never told her anything that was happening. “Are you trying to make peace?”
Dia gave her a quick smirk. “Something like that. I need you to stay in your room until we return. Don’t leave for anyone.” He threw down the clothes and turned her jaw towards him. “Masi, it is important that you two stay safe.”
She nodded as best as she could with his fingers sinking into her cheeks. “We will be safe.”
“Good,” Dia said and removed his hand. He returned to the pile of clothes as Masika went to leave the room. “My father will look after you while I am away.”
Her lip curled at the m
ention of his father and her skin crawled. With a low nod, she left the room and made her way to her own quarters to lie back in the comfort of her bed.
Dia sighed as she left the room and picked up the spear he had been given by his father. Made from a solid hazelnut, he could barely even hold the weapon, let alone use it. The haft was decorated with dark silken wraps. The pointed tip was still as sharp as the day he had received it from its lack of use, but still he was told to wear it to command respect.
Since the day Atsu had humiliated him in front of the tribe, the people had become restless and disrespectful to those around them. The cells which had previously held scarcely any prisoners were now full to the brim. It had even got to the point where Jasari had to call for some of them to be sentenced to death rather than let them wait for their term to end to show the tribe he was still strong. But this only made tensions worse. As children as young as seven had been burnt, flayed and beheaded before the tribe, some families had protested against his rule.
It had taken Inari to speak to the people as one to reassure them that everything was under control and that those deemed loyal would be rewarded whereas those who weren’t would be punished. Tensions had eased, but whispers of treachery still filled the air. Rumours of messages from other tribes sneaking behind the walls in the hands of woodcutters and farmers were emerging. They had even found a few leather scraps filled with rushed reports of the situation in the village.
His father made sure Dia knew how he had let the family down on a daily basis. To cower on the floor with a skinny orphan taking control, burning his face into the monstrosity that it was now. His disgusted sisters wouldn’t go near him and the only flicker of light out of it all was Masika. The day she told him she was expecting their child, he had proudly told his father and siblings that he wished for her to become his first mate rather than a spare.
Jasari was angry and repulsed by his suggestion and quickly quelled his demands. Volunteering to attend this meeting might, Dia thought, get him back into Jasari’s good graces if all went to plan.
Without warning, his father burst through the door and slammed it behind him. He huffed as Dia placed the spear down beside the rest of his belongings.
“I don’t know if I trust you to do this,” Jasari said blankly, arms folded.
“I know what I am doing.”
“You better. Remember, it is vital he is there.”
“Father, Inari has been working day and night to make the people happy. This is… it will bring war,” Dia murmured. His parents had been arguing for months over what was to happen next. His mother believed it was too late to even try to get redemption whereas Jasari believed in binding his time. Even when the plan was finalised, it didn’t sit well with Dia. The tactics were dirty and underhanded, something he thought his blood was trying to rise above.
“That is the intention. It will show how weak he really is when it comes to a fight. He can’t lead, none of them can. The daughters are the closest thing to war leaders the Whites have. Once we have won the war that they will start, people will respect and fear us once again.” Jasari patted Dia on the back and gave him a smirk. “Your sisters will be pleased, and they’ll give you as many male heirs as you can count once you have returned from the front line. Even Masi will be relieved once her brother has perished into dust.”
His father left him to pack his belongings. He wrapped them in strong sacks for the journey ahead and sighed as he strode out of the hut.
The garasums whispered as he passed and the soldiers could barely even look at what remained of his face anymore. The stares didn’t concern him, but what did was the nature of the little voices.
He could hear the females speaking of his father: “He has gone mad again,” they would say and give their best fake smiles as they served. Dia wasn’t surprised by the words, in fact, he had himself become concerned by his father’s behaviour. Once the male he looked up to, he was slowly turning into a pillar of cruelty and tyranny again.
- CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE -
Whereas his sister had become weak as time passed, Atsu grew stronger. His shoulders had broadened and filled with muscle from the physical limits he was tested to. His stomach was no longer skin on bones but corded with muscle. As for his ebony dreadlocks, they had been restitched and tightened by the female workers to make him look the part.
Overall, his health had improved dramatically since living with the Whites. Even with the testing he had endured, the injuries and scars fresh upon his bronzed skin, he saw each as a lesson he had learned. One thing he had noticed was that the tribesmen were not used to the appearance of burns. Most of their injuries came through combat, whether personal or as part of an army. He had requested a skilled craftsman to create a pair of fingerless fur gloves to cover them, as well as to make handling the spear he had been given to fight with more comfortable.
Jocelin strolled through the garden with the afternoon bowls of fresh soup and baked bread while Atsu trained with a warrior testing his quickness. Pazade watched on with cup in hand, yelling out taunts to motivate him to parry on time and swiftly dodge incoming blows.
“You’re working him too hard,” Jocelin said and sat gracefully.
“Fights are never planned. Even when fatigued he needs to be able to dodge,” Pazade responded and winced as Atsu ducked and threw the warrior over his shoulder. “Good work! Come, take a break. You,” he said, pointing towards the floored warrior as he rolled on the spot in agony, “go see a healer.”
Jocelin smiled sweetly as her mate joined her side. Over the months he had earnt a reputation as a grump and some people had already started to fear his razor sharp words of honesty. But he knew it was his roguish smile which made her heart flutter with excitement, even though he scarcely showed it.
Atsu eagerly tore the bread in half and dipped it in the chunky soup, swallowing it whole before wiping his mouth. He turned to Jocelin and gave her a grin when he felt the warmth of her fingertips trail on his upper arm.
When the binding happened, it was not the event he had expected at all. In fact, the more he asked, the more he found himself sickened by the thought of witnessing it. Jocelin, stripped down naked to kneel upon the statue of Luaani while tribesmen filled a stone cup to the brim with their seed for her to drink while the women urinated in a separate one. If the future Chieftess had rejected either of the two substances, she would have been thought weak and not willing to be one with her tribe. After it had taken place, he could barely even look her in the eye. It had taken several weeks before he eventually caved into her temptations and went near her again.
Pazade blinked at how quickly Atsu was eating, with half of his bread already gone while he still had his first piece between his thumb and forefinger. “Anyway… I have had a rather unusual request delivered to me.” The Chief rifled through his apron pouch and took out a piece of leather.
The instant Atsu saw the colouring and the curve of the squiggles on it, he knew straight away where it had come from. “Inari?”
Jocelin frowned and folded her arms. “What do they want?”
“It is asking to meet at a halfway point. Me and him,” Pazade said and nodded towards Atsu.
Atsu dropped his wooden spoon and narrowed his eyes. “It’s a trick.”
“Clearly. But if we decline, the Sun Tribe can say we are deliberately making things difficult and then we would be the ones in trouble.” The Chieftain sighed and uncorked another bottle before taking a swig.
“You’re not actually going to go are you?” Jocelin asked.
“We have to, girl. We will have some men with us to keep us safe.” Pazade rolled the leather scrap back up.
“Then I am coming too,” Jocelin huffed.
Atsu spun around in her direction and furrowed his brow. “You are not. It says me and the Chief.”
“And what if the trick is to attack here while you are both gone?” Jocelin arched an eyebrow and flicked at her nails. “I am coming with you. So is Nyah; she
is good with healing and if something does go wrong then she will be of use.”
“Joce,” Pazade said calmly and gazed into her eyes, “we don’t do things like that. It is better to split around suspected enemies. You know this.”
“I don’t care, Father. I am not sitting in the hut filled with worry, dreading every messenger who runs through, believing you both to be dead.”
Atsu glared at her while Pazade sat back and sighed. “Fine. But you are to be kept under watch at all times. We don’t have time on our side, unfortunately; they have demanded it be within days. We will try to plan something while on the road.” With a final gulp, he nodded to the pair before heading back inside.
Jocelin shuffled on her seat with her nose held high. She had grown to realise when Atsu’s temper was flaring from his clenched jaw and stiffened shoulders. She gave him a quick glance and crossed her legs. “What?”
Atsu shook his head at her and without saying a word, pushed back the chair and went back inside the hut too, heading towards his room. Jocelin soon rushed after him and tried to grab his arm but he batted her away.
“Atsu! Tell me!”
“What is there to tell? I said no and despite me knowing these people better than you can even imagine, you just want to come along anyway?! This isn’t a fucking feast that you’ll feel left out of if you don’t get invited! You don’t even know what they are capable of,” Atsu growled as he walked over to the weapons rack and shakily placed the spear down.
“Then tell me! Stop fucking brooding! Tell me. How am I meant to know? I can’t read minds, Atsu! All you have ever told me was that you have a sister and that your family died long ago. What am I to do with that?”
Atsu spun and grabbed her tightly by both arms, his face entire scarlet with anger. “JASARI KILLED MY ENTIRE FAMILY!”
Jocelin’s lip quivered and fear shot through her wide green eyes as his fingers sunk into her arms. He knew that all the time she had known him, all the anger she had seen, she had never witnessed him turn as quickly as this, that she probably didn’t know whether to believe his words. That knowledge, and seeing her cowered against the door and trying to hold back tears, he loosened his grip on her arm and looked away.
