After the pair left, Lex looked at Novalee, 'So how's fighting been?'
'Pardon?' She asked keeping her eyes on all the children.
'Fighting…I've been told you do it often.'
She smirked at Lex, 'No you haven't. You're full of crap…the girls know I only fight when I have to and no other time. Violence is never the answer.'
Lex rolled his eyes, 'Thanks Bray, you've corrupted her.'
'Shut up Lex. I did no such thing.' Bray replied with an eye roll of his own.
'Who is that man?' Novalee questioned, pointing out a fairly large man around the children's play area.
'Him, oh he's just one of the guardian's old guards.' Lex answered waving off her concern.
'What's he doing here? And why is he speaking to MY children?'
'Probably thinks since they're new he can conform them. Don't worry about it. The rest of the children won't let him get away with anything.'
She turned away but stopped before moving an inch.
'What?' Bray asked.
She shook her head and turned around, 'Something's wrong.' She couldn't see the children anywhere. 'Damn!!' Running over she asked one of the remaining children where they might have gone and they pointed. Speedily she took off in that direction, Lex and Bray on her heels. When they started to call out, she stopped and turned around, 'Be quiet.' Just then muted sounds of crying could be heard to the left and Novalee jumped over an obstruction to get to the source. No one could see anything, but as they searched, Lex was shocked to find Sierra in a puddle of water.
'Sierra? Are you okay?' He asked, obvious concern in his tone, as he picked her up gently. When the little girl just shook, he called out as quietly as possible for Bray and Novalee. Bray got to him just before Novalee and winced knowing Novalee was going to be upset. Novalee let out a small sound as she reached for Sierra.
'Oh baby. What happened?' she asked, rubbing the small child's back as her eyes searched for Melantha.
'Bad man…he's mean auntie. Stay with me.' Sierra whimpered.
'Honey, you have to stay with Bray right now.' She sighed when the child started emphatically shaking her head, 'Sierra, listen to me. You have to. I have to find your sister. Now be good.' Novalee looked at Bray with a fierce intensity, 'Take care of her.'
'You don't have to do this.' Bray protested.
'What? Find Melantha or kill the bastard who took her?' Novalee asked angrily. When she saw the look on Bray's face she tried to reassure him, 'I'll do my best to prevent violence. I always do…I just want my baby.' He nodded and watched her leave, his hopes high that Mel would be found safe.
'You know,' Lex said as he walked with Novalee, 'You're my kind of girl. Fight first, questions later.'
Novalee held up a hand, 'I am not your kind of girl. Trust me. I don't act first, think later. Right now thinking is all I'm doing. Now shut up please. I need to be able to hear her.'
Lex shut up, curious to see what tricks this outsider had up her sleeve. He had to walk fast to keep up when she changed direction swiftly. Suddenly she stopped at a clearing and crouched down, motioning for Lex to do the same. He was amazed and shocked to see the large man and child standing by the trees not far from themselves.
Novalee smoothly cupped her hands around her mouth and when she saw the perfect opportunity, she made a sound of a cawing bird. Lex didn't understand what was going on until Mel suddenly kicked the man in the groin and began running in their direction. As the man got up to chase the girl, Novalee stood and easily intercepted him.
'Move.' The man ordered, 'That's my slave.'
Novalee shook her head slowly, 'You're mistaken. That is MY daughter. No one owns her. Not even me. Leave her be.'
'No, she's mine.' The man insisted.
Lex looked down at Melantha who seemed totally undaunted by this large man now that Novalee was there. 'Aren't you worried about your Auntie?'
Mel shook her hair, 'No, my auntie is strong. I knew she'd save me.'
Lex shook his own head in wonderment before turning back to the man and Novalee.
'I said, she's mine!' the man roared.
'I don't think so. After what you did to my children, be happy that you're free and alive. Now leave!'
'You think you can capture me little girl?' the man laughed wildly, 'You honestly think you can hurt me? That is funny.'
Lex glanced briefly at Bray who had walked up beside them with a now calm Sierra. 'You don't look worried. At least, not much.'
'I've seen her fight, she can do it.' Bray said confidently. 'But if she needs help, we're here.'
'She won't…just watch.' Mel piped up.
They watched as the large man tried to get past Novalee to get to Melantha. As he grabbed her arm roughly, she sideswiped his feet, landing him on his back, and placed a knife at his throat. 'I said leave.' She ordered. 'And don't ever come near my children or any of the others…any in the tribe. Understand?' She pushed the knife slightly into his jugular when he didn't answer and the man carefully nodded. Slowly and cautiously, Novalee got off of the man, never taking her eyes off him until he walked a fair distance away. Once he was far enough, she turned and gathered Melantha into her embrace. 'You okay?' she whispered into her hair. Novalee found her eyes welling up when the little girl nodded and hugged her tighter. 'Thank your grandpa for watching out for you, you little imp.' She stood, still holding onto Melantha's hand.
Mel laughed, 'He always watches out for us.' Sierra nodded from the warmth of Bray's arms.
Novalee smiled at the children, 'That he does my precious babies. That he does.' Taking Sierra's hand in her unoccupied one, the group slowly made they're way back to the mall.
'Pardon?' She asked keeping her eyes on all the children.
'Fighting…I've been told you do it often.'
She smirked at Lex, 'No you haven't. You're full of crap…the girls know I only fight when I have to and no other time. Violence is never the answer.'
Lex rolled his eyes, 'Thanks Bray, you've corrupted her.'
'Shut up Lex. I did no such thing.' Bray replied with an eye roll of his own.
'Who is that man?' Novalee questioned, pointing out a fairly large man around the children's play area.
'Him, oh he's just one of the guardian's old guards.' Lex answered waving off her concern.
'What's he doing here? And why is he speaking to MY children?'
'Probably thinks since they're new he can conform them. Don't worry about it. The rest of the children won't let him get away with anything.'
She turned away but stopped before moving an inch.
'What?' Bray asked.
She shook her head and turned around, 'Something's wrong.' She couldn't see the children anywhere. 'Damn!!' Running over she asked one of the remaining children where they might have gone and they pointed. Speedily she took off in that direction, Lex and Bray on her heels. When they started to call out, she stopped and turned around, 'Be quiet.' Just then muted sounds of crying could be heard to the left and Novalee jumped over an obstruction to get to the source. No one could see anything, but as they searched, Lex was shocked to find Sierra in a puddle of water.
'Sierra? Are you okay?' He asked, obvious concern in his tone, as he picked her up gently. When the little girl just shook, he called out as quietly as possible for Bray and Novalee. Bray got to him just before Novalee and winced knowing Novalee was going to be upset. Novalee let out a small sound as she reached for Sierra.
'Oh baby. What happened?' she asked, rubbing the small child's back as her eyes searched for Melantha.
'Bad man…he's mean auntie. Stay with me.' Sierra whimpered.
'Honey, you have to stay with Bray right now.' She sighed when the child started emphatically shaking her head, 'Sierra, listen to me. You have to. I have to find your sister. Now be good.' Novalee looked at Bray with a fierce intensity, 'Take care of her.'
'You don't have to do this.' Bray protested.
'What? Find Melantha or kill the bastard who took her?' Novalee asked angrily. When she saw the look on Bray's face she tried to reassure him, 'I'll do my best to prevent violence. I always do…I just want my baby.' He nodded and watched her leave, his hopes high that Mel would be found safe.
'You know,' Lex said as he walked with Novalee, 'You're my kind of girl. Fight first, questions later.'
Novalee held up a hand, 'I am not your kind of girl. Trust me. I don't act first, think later. Right now thinking is all I'm doing. Now shut up please. I need to be able to hear her.'
Lex shut up, curious to see what tricks this outsider had up her sleeve. He had to walk fast to keep up when she changed direction swiftly. Suddenly she stopped at a clearing and crouched down, motioning for Lex to do the same. He was amazed and shocked to see the large man and child standing by the trees not far from themselves.
Novalee smoothly cupped her hands around her mouth and when she saw the perfect opportunity, she made a sound of a cawing bird. Lex didn't understand what was going on until Mel suddenly kicked the man in the groin and began running in their direction. As the man got up to chase the girl, Novalee stood and easily intercepted him.
'Move.' The man ordered, 'That's my slave.'
Novalee shook her head slowly, 'You're mistaken. That is MY daughter. No one owns her. Not even me. Leave her be.'
'No, she's mine.' The man insisted.
Lex looked down at Melantha who seemed totally undaunted by this large man now that Novalee was there. 'Aren't you worried about your Auntie?'
Mel shook her hair, 'No, my auntie is strong. I knew she'd save me.'
Lex shook his own head in wonderment before turning back to the man and Novalee.
'I said, she's mine!' the man roared.
'I don't think so. After what you did to my children, be happy that you're free and alive. Now leave!'
'You think you can capture me little girl?' the man laughed wildly, 'You honestly think you can hurt me? That is funny.'
Lex glanced briefly at Bray who had walked up beside them with a now calm Sierra. 'You don't look worried. At least, not much.'
'I've seen her fight, she can do it.' Bray said confidently. 'But if she needs help, we're here.'
'She won't…just watch.' Mel piped up.
They watched as the large man tried to get past Novalee to get to Melantha. As he grabbed her arm roughly, she sideswiped his feet, landing him on his back, and placed a knife at his throat. 'I said leave.' She ordered. 'And don't ever come near my children or any of the others…any in the tribe. Understand?' She pushed the knife slightly into his jugular when he didn't answer and the man carefully nodded. Slowly and cautiously, Novalee got off of the man, never taking her eyes off him until he walked a fair distance away. Once he was far enough, she turned and gathered Melantha into her embrace. 'You okay?' she whispered into her hair. Novalee found her eyes welling up when the little girl nodded and hugged her tighter. 'Thank your grandpa for watching out for you, you little imp.' She stood, still holding onto Melantha's hand.
Mel laughed, 'He always watches out for us.' Sierra nodded from the warmth of Bray's arms.
Novalee smiled at the children, 'That he does my precious babies. That he does.' Taking Sierra's hand in her unoccupied one, the group slowly made they're way back to the mall.