When it was time for a real apology, Sangard had no problem, grovelling before Namitha so low, his head touched the ground.
If apologizing meant that he was permitted to be in the company of a beautiful woman, it was not a problem for him. No problem at all. He had nothing to lose but his dignity but that had gone down to an all-time low whenever in the presence of womenfolk.
Some on the other hand were not so courteous.
"Apologize?" Zollo took a step back in disgust. "Why should I apologize to this witch?"
The cook was a disgrace. Then again, if he expected something else it would be likened to laughing at the gods.
The happenings of the previous day did not easily leave Zollo's mind. He did nothing but ask a favour and look where his big mouth got him. His nose was broken and it hurt like a bitch but unfortunately, due to his reluctance, Lufner punched him again.
This time in the jaw.
The swordsman cursed and grabbed a hold of Lufner. He, however, refrained from beating him to a pulp.
"It's easy Zollo." His carefree voice pissed the drunk off even more. To make matters worse he heard the crack of knuckles, and the halls of Valhalla flashed briefly across his eyes.
The sight of the angry witch caused him to shudder and it made his throat grow dry. Women never scared him. This was the first.
He released Lufner and looked off to the side. The sooner he could get out of this mess the better.
"I'm sorry, okay? To both of you."
"That's the spirit!" 'Shishishishi' Lufner slapped his back and Zollo pushed him off making him fall in the dirt.
Lufner kept on laughing.
"You're both forgiven."
Both apologies were to Namitha's satisfaction.
Zollo grumbled and stormed away. Whether or not he ate was not a concern of Sangard's. He could eat shit for all he cared.
There were more important matters at hand and that was gaining Namitha's favour.
"When you're in danger, m'lady, I'll protect you. To have a woman like you hurt would not happen on my watch, " said he reaching for Namitha's hand but she refused to give him the light of day.
Lufner who heard it all wanted to intervene but Namitha was not a fan of someone speaking up for her if she could help it. She could do that well all on her own.
"Keep your serenading and glib for your whores, cook. And I do not need your help. In the case of grave danger, the only person I want to see coming to my aid is my husband. I trust him more than anyone."
Namitha sent a dazzling smile Lufner's way and he slowly stood and stared. A fierce feeling filled his chest.
Her proclamation did not faze Sangard the slightest. He was the protector of all women claimed or not. Happily, he disappeared inside to complete the meal.
Zollo made no reappearance. He instead sought to drown his humiliation with ale.
Wanting to observe the cook at work, Namitha reached for the door and said,
"Aren't you coming, Luffy?"
What she saw in his eyes was purpose and once he was mere seconds away, he pulled her in for a kiss. A kiss that lingered and when that was over, Namitha's eyes were wide as plates. She accepted another, gripping firmly the fabric of his shirt.
Namitha didn't know the reason for it all. But she had zero complaints. She was puzzled. It came as a surprise that her husband was a man who did not mind displaying familiarity in the open. It turned out that neither did she.
"We're not home," Namitha's voice strained with desire. There was a lightness in her head. She ached for him but this was not the time or the place.
"I know. I couldn't help myself. You're cute, you know that?"
His wife flustered and he snickered when she lightly hit his chest.
Her slender fingers ran through his wild hair bringing his head down so his forehead touched hers. Joy swelled in both their cheeks.
"Am I interrupting something here?"
Lufner and Namitha turned to see Usoff.
"Come, my friend," said Lufner, stretching his arm out beckoning him to come close. "Come."
Usoff reluctantly went under his wing.
"You see my wife, Namitha here." He pointed in her direction," She is a wonderful woman and future mother of my children. And I swear to the gods in your presence, my friend, that I will love her with every fibre of my being."
"Oh, Luffy..." Namitha being a fool for his poetry could not contain her merriment. This time it was her doing the reaching.
"Can we go eat now? I'm starving?"
The shepherd was ignored and rolled eyes at the kissing couple but smiled happily for his friend.
He had come to know the value of a good woman. And that Usoff knew was worth more than silver and gold. Worth so much more than the finest of lands.
Come one afternoon, Usoff sat out in the fields tending to the sheep. Sangard's cooking that day was a hearty one. And he sure ate as much as he willed but overeating was not good for a hard-working man. Under the shade of a tall pine tree, he found himself dozing off. He fought with all his might but the want for rest was strong.
Immediately, he sprang to his feet, all tiredness forgotten. From the bushes came a rustling and he quickly gathered his bow and arrows.
Wolves and bears were not seen in these parts for months but despite all that, Usoff wasn't one to throw caution to the wind. He ate, walked, slept and drank fear. It kept him alive.
His knees knocked and his teeth clattered about his mouth.
None of the sheep noticed the extra presence but Usoff did. He had a knack for sensing danger. As far as he was concerned, it had been that way his whole life.
From the bushes appeared Namitha. She was carrying a baby sheep.
She blinked and stood straight, confused at the weapon pointed her way.
"Oh. It's you. Sorry, Nami."
Usoff looked behind her expecting to see someone else. No one followed. She came all this way alone.
He met her halfway and graciously took the sheep.
"I found him wandering on my way coming here. The poor thing appeared to be lost."
"Not again." The lambs Usoff swore would be the end of him. They tormented him with worry. "Sorry for the trouble. Thank you for bringing him back."
"No problem."
The lambs were as curious as ever. They tended to stray but not too far from their mothers. Some consequently did not conform to sheep society and wanted to do things their way.
Usoff sighed defeated. The fault was his for slacking.
Soon, a bleating sheep came and together with the lamb trotted back to join the others.
While Usoff took a drink of water, Namitha's attention was on the bow left leaning against the tree.
"Where's Luffy?" he asked.
He blinked as she took a seat right next to his spot.
It was obvious at this point. She was there to stay.
"You two are not in some big fight, are you?"
"No."
He too sat down.
"What gave you that idea? I'll have you know that Lufner and I get along pretty well... Well, most of the times."
Usoff sweat-dropped. He knew what she meant. Lufner could be a bit much and stubborn. The stories he could tell her of him were numerous.
"I've decided that I would like to spend the day with you so here I am."
"With me?"
"Besides those two dolts, you seem to be the most decent of all Lufner's friends."
"I also happen to be the weakest."
"Nonsense. Lufner says that you're just as strong."
Colour shrouded Usoff's face.
"Lufner said that?"
"He did."
"O-o-of course I am! They don't call me a fearless warrior of the sea for nothing! Some know me as Usoff The Brave!"
Namitha smiled polite. It made no use dampening his flame. Usoff was a proud man and the stories she heard gave him the absolute right.
"Do you like being a shepherd?"
"It isn't easy work. These sheep depend on me to keep them alive. It keeps me busy and it pays well but I am not meant for this. I want..."
"Adventure?"
Usoff's lips parted. The smile that came across them was sincere but bittersweet.
"I've been out there -the sea. It's a scary place but I can't help but want to stay as long as I can to see what more surprises it has to offer."
"I find it fascinating. It is thrilling to go to a place you've never been. You do plan on going with Luffy when the time comes, don't you?"
The archer looked distant. And Namitha hadn't a clue why.
"It is my dream."
"But?"
"My wife..."
"Oh."
It was not wise to intrude further. Namitha deeply hoped that everything worked out in the end. Dreams weren't things to be dismissed despite one's circumstances.
She cleanly changed the topic.
"Can you show me how to shoot an arrow?"
The flock moved to the other side of the field where wildflowers popped their heads about the grass.
The one that lead them was an old sheep. His owner claimed that he boasted a whopping age of 16.
Usoff found it hard to believe that there was a sheep nearly as old as he but there was an air of wisdom about him. News had it that he was half-goat but he didn't look it. They called him Sigrim.
"That's if you don't mind. You're the best aren't you?"
Usoff sprung to his feet.
"I'll show you but mind you, it'll take years to be as good as me. I'm a born natural."
"Which makes you the best teacher."
Usoff rubbed a finger under his long nose and skinned his teeth. A deep proud laugh riddled out the back of his throat. He loved a praise.
Namitha knew exactly how to get on Usoff's good side. Likewise, she knew her way around all of Lufner's friends.
She had Sangard wrapped around her little finger and Zollo in the short space of time being acquainted, owed her a huge dept of silver coins and mead he would probably be paying for the remainder of his pitiful life. Zollo failed to consider her high-interest rates and now he was in a hole deeper than he bargained for.
Men with careful study were simple creatures. They were not largely different from their female counterparts but were much more sensitive.
She thought her father a gullible man but saw that it was something he couldn't help.
Then there was her husband. Lufner was a strange but interesting man. She could never tell what was on his mind unless it pertained to food or exploring. She likened him to a maze, the puzzliest of puzzles.
A week later and his declared devotion still made her heartbeat quicken like a stream pummeling down from a high place.
She gave him more kisses than usual ever since and not once had he complained.
He only said it once but her mother edified that a man's true feelings were best demonstrated in action rather than in word.
How right she was.
"Hold it steady."
Namitha's muscles strained under the bow. Usoff found her stance up to par but she was a beginner as beginners come. She lacked focus.
Namitha moved her head to the side and Usoff at once knew what the problem was.
Her hair.
It was a curly thing and no matter how many times she trapped it behind her ears, it sprang free a moment after. He would know for he too had a head full of curls. Coils to be exact and they were wilder than any beast he encountered. So he empathised with Namitha. Fortunately, he knew just the thing.
With a long woven fabric he removed from the fringe of his bag, he set to work on the orange tendrils.
She reacted with a start and Usoff withdrew in realization. The gesture though out of concern was a tad forward and he prayed silently to the gods that he wouldn't come to know a fate as Sangard's.
"You were meaning to tie my hair, weren't you? Go ahead. "
Usoff set to work. Her hair was thick and easy to handle. It knotted only a little but not as bad as his and he thought to himself that he wouldn't mind a chance to braid it. Braiding was an additional technique he had under his belt. He was trusted to braid ropes and the like. Ropes strong enough to harness whales.
The help was exactly what Namitha needed evident by her smile as she lifted the bow and pulled the twine back to eye level. Her pink tongue stuck out in concentration. One of her eyes was set on the target which was an old trunk not too far from them even though it had merited distance.
Her mother was no archer but that didn't stop her from wanting to learn.
"How's this?" Her confidence knew no bounds but it faltered once the wind changed. "Maybe we should wait a bit. The wind picked up."
Namitha looked to Usoff awaiting instruction.
"You can do it. A job as an archer is to overcome the elements. Look. I'll show you."
He placed a hand over hers and held her waist to steady her posture.
"Now."
The arrow soared through the air and some of the grazing sheep thinking they would be tonight's nattmal moved quickly away.
And it happened.
The arrowhead landed smack in the middle of the trunk and for a moment, Namitha couldn't move, she couldn't think. She could not even breathe.
"Amazing," she breathed. The triumph too good to be true.
"We did it, Usoff. We did it!" She jumped on the tips of her toes and threw an arm around his neck.
Usoff chuckled proud, "That was all you. Though I can admit that it was because of my guidance."
Namitha smiled up at him now confident that she would learn something worthwhile but it disappeared once she stole a glance over his shoulder.
Her arm fell.
"Who's...?"
There was a woman. A pale-faced, flaxen-haired woman who was swell with child. Namitha watched Usoff harden with concern as he walked over to her.
"Kaya," he said and Namitha's heart sank to her feet.
You didn't have to ask how they looked. And Namitha was not sure where to begin. She just got a bit too excited is all and didn't mean for it to look as if she planned on taking Usoff away when she had a perfectly good husband herself.
What she heard was scolding but not from Kaya. It came from Usoff.
"You should be home. You shouldn't be walking about in your condition, the healer said-"
"I'm fine, Usoff."
She laughed and held Namitha's gaze with smiling eyes.
"I brought you something. It's bread. I worked hard on it so make sure you eat it down to the crumbs. There's also some honey."
"Thank you," said Usoff, "But couldn't you have waited till I got home?"
Kaya kissed him on the cheek and rendered him silent.
"I couldn't. I have nothing but your son to keep me company all day with all his kicking. I thought the walk would do me some good."
"Now," Kaya wobbled over and took Namitha's hand in hers. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"
"Oh right. This is-"
"You're Namitha, aren't you?"
Usoff fell on his head.
"I've heard so much about you. I was at your wedding but all the foods' smell made me sick so we had to leave early."
Namitha gulped and nodded sheepish.
"You're even more beautiful up close. I see that my husband has been showing you the ways of the arrow."
The compliment went over Namitha's head. She unconsciously squeezed the bow.
"He has. Usoff is a great teacher. I'm sorry that-"
"What are you sorry about? You don't have to apologize for anything. Let's be friends. Can we?"
"Yes." Namitha smiled her first. "You can call me Nami."
"My husband talks much of Lufner. How he dotes on you. You've made him a changed man. Then again, what is there that love cannot do?"
Namitha blushed.
Usoff went to sit under another tree with his bread and honey. It was as if he did not exist, to begin with. Nevertheless, his wife got her wish. Day in and day out, she asked about Lufner's wife, never having the opportunity to meet her. Today was a fated encounter.
"Can Usoff and I be friends too?"
"Aren't you already friends? You don't need my permission. Come. Sit with me."
Namitha could not pull her eyes away from Kaya's tummy. When caught staring she looked swiftly away.
"You can if you want to. I don't mind."
"Really?"
Kaya nodded with a smile.
Namitha's hands inched close but imminently pulled back. The baby had kicked and it was such a strong kick too.
Kaya laughed at her bewilderment.
"What is it like?"
"It is my first so I'm not sure about what I'm supposed to expect having nothing to compare it to. But so far it's been quite good.
"I can't imagine being with child."
"It's a wonderful thing.
"Usoff is excited about being a father. Me too. Being a mother, I mean. I can barely wait. It feels like it has been forever. The healer says that our child will be here in two moons.
The women conversed further for over an hour until Kaya complained about her back and had to leave against her will.
Namitha hated to see her go but looked forward to seeing her again.
Kaya kissed Usoff goodbye the same way she came denying his suggestion to walk her home claiming it unkind to leave Namitha all alone to mind the sheep.
"Namitha wouldn't mind," he said.
"It will only be for a few minutes."
"What if you fall?"
He persisted but his wife was not having it so she upbraided him silly losing her good-natured calm. Summoning a temper he knew of ever since the goddess Frejya gave her her blessing. The look she gave him made his knees quake in fright.
"I don't blame you for worrying, Usoff but we women are stronger than you think. Kaya is the sweetest thing. How did you meet?"
"We were old friends."
"Oh," She teased. A smile ever so present on her lips.
"I get it now why you don't want to take to sea. Leaving a wife and a child at home is a lot to consider."
"So I've told Luffy but he insists I come along. Saying that we'll be back no matter how far we go but what if one day we never do?"
"He has the gods on his side so what is there to worry about?"
Namitha was made to believe that her intuition was right. Usoff was as pessimistic as they come. She was familiar with such men. Her father being one of them.
"He does have them on his side, I wouldn't argue with that. Luffy's luck is greater than anyone but that's the thing about luck. It runs out."
Namitha pondered on his words. They had truth to them but still. How would one know if they wouldn't at least try? She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Luffy needs you."
Usoff grew misty-eyed.
"You know that don't you?"
"I do. He says time and time again that he'd rather be a dead man than to leave his friends behind. If it were anyone else, I would not believe a word of it but with Luffy it's different."
Namitha did not know just how close Lufner was to his friends. The time lost not meeting him sooner came to mind but she found joy knowing the times to gain at his side.
"Day by day, I find myself more and more like my father."
"How so?"
Namitha sat with him the moment he did. The conversation had taken an interesting turn.
"He wanted to leave for sea. At the same time, he had a wife and child. That child was me."
"How is your mother?"
"She's dead."
A pang of distress came over Namitha like a hard blow and her eyes released tears that glided quietly down her face.
Usoff knew not what to do. His looked nervously around hoping to spot something to calm her.
"Don't cry, Nami."
"I'm so sorry, Usoff. It must have been so terrible," she sobbed.
Soon, Usoff too was crying.
He was the only one that cried that day, having no relatives to confide in, to share the pain. He cried for days, weeks, and many months.
When his mother died he thought that he too could no longer go on, only clinging to the empty promise to follow his dreams as his father did. He didn't have the heart to deny her final request and for years he grew to resent his father.
That went on till the day he met Lufner. He made him wonder, dream and hope. And he was made to understand completely his father's feelings. It was not a bad thing to pursue a dream. It was a valid reason to keep on going and to cling to life. Valhalla held brave men in high regard. Those men were offered the finest of ale and partook in the greatest of banquets.
Namitha sniffled once more, wiping away what was left of her tears.
Usoff stilled.
"I'm sorry," he said. Namitha looked at him. "I shouldn't have mentioned my mother knowing that yours is..."
"It is fine, Usoff. It is. I can't imagine losing someone close to me. The thought makes me so lonely, so afraid."
"I was like that for a while but I have come to terms with it."
Namitha managed to smile through newly budded tears.
"Was it a matter of time?"
"No. It was more than that," said Usoff. His eyes though glossed were a brilliant brightness. "Acceptance."
"Acceptance," Namitha repeated in a quiet voice.
"Of course, guilt consumed my father at the thought of leaving but it was my mother who convinced him to go. She had said that she preferred him happy rather than to be stuck at home miserable, pondering at an opportunity lost. So when the time came, she stoned herself and let him go.
"I would make up stories of catching wind of my father's return but they were all lies. She never believed me. Not once but listened always with a curl on her lips.
"She was not the strongest women around in terms of health and when she fell bitterly ill, she knew that she would never see my father again.
Not once did she fret or have a fit of anger. When she cried, they were happy tears full of hope and love. She did all she could to raise me with all the strength she had left till we switched roles. I looked after her till her dying day.
"You may not know of all I've been through, Nami, but I know what you're going through. I would not wish it on my worst enemy. I am not going to tell you to hope for the unknown but spend time with your mother. I'm glad I did.
Tell her how much you love her, show her, thank her for all she's done."
There was a rock in Namitha's throat with grooves and sharp edges. She could not fathom the thought of losing Belhild but refused to break down and cry.
The advice was taken to heart.
"I missed my father and I hated him for not being there when we needed him the most but he has my admiration and complete respect."
"Do you think you'll ever see him again?"
"In this world where anything is possible, I believe I will."
He leaned back on his hands and grinned at the sun.
"A man's greatest romance is pursuing his dreams."
"That sounds like something Lufner would say."
"And that is where you are right."
"Lufner is a dear friend of mine, Nami. I would have remained in the dark if I haven't met him those years ago. I owe him my life."
Usoff stood and Namitha accepted his outstretched hand.
"Cherish him."
"Of course."
"I've only been married for a year now so I'm not qualified to give you advice but something tells me that you two will do well."
Namitha listened with intent and followed him down the rising to gather the sheep.
What was said melded with her soul and she smiled along the way.
"Kaya said that you tell the best stories."
"Did she?" Usoff was pleasantly surprised. He had a smug look about him.
"Tell me one."
Namitha had no notion of what she was asking but was in for a surprise.
And tell her he did.
To be continued...
Author's Note
An extra-long chapter for you sweet, beautiful readers. I've been well. I don't have the virus since I be doing all the ish needed to be safe. Wash/sanitize your handzellos, social distance and for the love of all things awesome, wear your masks. If you're anti-protocol, please do not start a debate in my review section. It is solely for how you guys enjoyed my updates which I'm dying to read. This chapter took editing to a whole new level. I'm pooped.
I've started to type my stories on my phone instead of writing them on paper after discovering this sweet app called Grammarly that helps to correct all my petty mistakes. It's God-sent.
My time at home ended in mid-September. I work in education so I've been a bit tied up and was steadily getting back into the hang of things. Now I'm back, I'd love to once again post regular updates. Wish me the best of luck.
Be safe. I'm rooting for you.