Tobias
Even after ten years, Tobias still found it difficult to sleep in a hut. He tossed and turned, agitated, listening to the men around him snore. Finally he realized what he had to do and stepped carefully out of the structure assigned to the unattached males of the tribe.
In the cool air, Tobias stretched. His uncovered, pale skin was luminescent against the black. Tall and trim, he cut a lonely figure in the village darkness. Only the lights of the watchmen remained lit, along with the light in Yaheera's hut. She must be contemplating the events of the day, he thought; contemplating Luna's story. Looking at the sky, Tobias traced the path he would take in his head. There was no moon at present; it would be late in rising. Then, mind made up, Tobias shrugged on a dark cloak and melted into the night.
Luna's story stayed with Tobias as well, as he strode towards his destination. After resting for a day, she'd felt well enough to relay it to Yaheera, the elders and other tribe leaders, including himself, Lincoln and Lincoln's woman – the Sky Warrior, Octavia. At first, her time with The Commander had been civil. She told him whenever she had a vision and he was satisfied to leave her alone. She was placed in a position of superiority and given every indulgence, however minimal, a Grounder could expect. She treated the other wives fairly and they, in return, were courteous, growing to admire and respect her.
But her husband had grown more demanding. He commanded her to tell him about specific events, related to neighbouring tribes or members of his inner circle who he felt were untrustworthy. Luna had tried to explain that her foresight did not work like that. She could not control what she saw – the visions came unexpectedly and could be related to any number of things. This was unsatisfactory; he began to grow impatient with her: cutting her food rations, removing her from the circle of wives and placing her in a secluded area with armed guards constantly outside. He'd grown demanding in other ways as well. These physical demands had led to Luna's current condition.
Tobias stopped. He heard something in the night: hushed voices, then a woman's low laugh. Tobias recognized the signs, but curiosity got the better of him. Silently, he approached the scene. It was Lincoln and his Sky Warrior. She was calling out his name. Tobias backed away.
He wasn't embarrassed. It was a something he'd seen many times before while living with humans. Occasionally, women would visit men in their communal hut, their grunting giving Tobias an easy excuse to slip away. He too, had known women. When Anya, the previous leader, sent him on a mission to find a route to the City of Light, a mission which had kept him away from the battle between the Sky Warriors and the Grounders, many tribal women along the way had offered themselves to him – a man with his physique would give them strong children. Sometimes Tobias had taken them up on their offers, sometimes he hadn't. Being with a woman had never been that pressing to him, until now.
As he picked up the pace, thoughts of Luna and The Commander mingled with the sight of Lincoln and Octavia's pleasure and a strange feeling settled in his gut. When Luna had spoken of The Commander's treatment of her, Tobias pulse had begun to race. When she spoke of losing her foresight after becoming pregnant and The Commander's failed attempt to kill the unborn child, which he saw as the root of the problem, Tobias' hands had clenched into fists. When she spoke of her escape and dangerous flight to return home, Tobias had left the room – his emotions getting the better of him. He'd placed his back against the wall of Luna's hut and slipped away without anyone seeing – except her; when he fell outside into the dirt, Tobias was sure he'd felt Luna's gaze on his back. He'd wanted to run to Lincoln's sister in front of everyone, take her in his arms and tell her that nobody would ever hurt her again. But, even after ten years, Tobias still felt himself to be an outsider. He was still unsure of the tribe's tongue. When he had to voice his opinion, he sometimes made mistakes and spoke with a stutter. It left him frustrated. So, if he did have to use speech, he always thought about it beforehand and measured his words - careful never to speak when he was angry or upset. When he was angry or upset, he let his actions speak instead.
Finally, Tobias reached his destination. From his elevated position on the cliff, he could see the entire lake spread out before him and meander slowly out of sight towards the sea. The moon was rising in the distance, casting a yellow glow on the water. Lying on his back, head in his hands, the firmness of the rock beneath him, Tobias closed his eyes. Listening to the sounds of the wild, he drifted into sleep.