The summer was hotter than last year. Relena shaded her eyes as she looked up at the sky. The neighboring tribe was competing for the same water. It was almost considered a war over land, food, resources, and anything else under the sun. Ever since she was a child her tribe had told her to hate the 'Dead Soul' tribe, but her parents told her to tolerate and even think of their rivals as friends. Relena had never met anyone from that tribe before, but she knew that because of the intense heat, tempers would be higher and easier to explode. Relena let the sheep drink more before she began to herd them back towards home. Her brother had argued against her taking the herds out alone, but her mother only stated that she was nearly full grown.
"All the better reason for her to stay home," Zechs, her brother, had mumbled. Relena had cuffed him afterward. She loved her brother dearly and was grateful for his protectiveness, but sometimes she only wanted to smack the daylights out of him. The sun beat down hard on top of her and she felt the sweat gathering. She had pulled her long golden hair up into an old beaten red cap. She looked like a boy from behind though. She wore a worn animal skin for a top that fit her loose and then a pair of shorts made also of skin. Her shoes were made of sandals. This… was her herding clothing. Her mother always did disapprove, but they were comfortable, airy, and let her move freely.
"Come on! Tat! Hut!" she called to hurry the sheep. She had heard of others being brought in bloodied and bruised. The 'Dead Soul' tribe had stolen the sheep and of course the 'Banshee' tribe had returned with equal retaliation, taking up more water and steeling cattle. Relena realized that they would not have been in this situation if the human decline had not occurred.
Ultimate heat waves washed out much of the race and the survivors banded together to form the late tribes. They had all lived in harmony at some point. They shared and lived together and now they were fighting each other as if the other was a snake that should have been destroyed along with the heat. Relena shook her head in disgust at the thought. Her mother and father always promoted peace between the tribes, but no one would listen to them. They were on the way to complete destruction.
The feel of cold steel against her back, forced Relena to stop dead in her tracks and put her hands up. Someone reached around and disarmed the knife that was hidden in her belt. It was a long slender hand. Relena knew what was to come next. She was going to be knocked unconscious and the herd was to be taken. The tribe was dependent on some of that portion of the herd and she wasn't about to let it go without a fight. Relena spun around with a frightening speed, smacking the intruder, stunning them and then sweeping their feet out from under them. Relena got a glance. It was a girl! Her brother's age or a little younger. She had dark hair and her eyes showed no fear as Relena reached for her own knife as the other young woman was lying there helplessly, waiting for the blow to kill her. Relena knew she could never kill someone like that. Slowly, she stepped forward, raising her retrieved knife. The girl waited with shuteyes for the blade to sink into her, but it never happened. Instead, the hilt acme down and ran into the side of her head. She was sent into a spiraling darkness. Relena breathed heavily as she stared down at her defeated victim. She would have to bring her in. She was of the Dead Soul tribe. Relena felt her eyes sting when she stared even longer down at this young woman.
Duo, Cathy, and Dorothy were waiting at the entrance of the village for Relena to get back. It was her first time out alone with the half-herd. Duo was carving a piece of wood with a knife as Cathy leaned against a nearby tree in the shade. There were so few of them now, both in trees and humans. Duo wore shorts of the old material, jeans that were ragged all over, holes on the thighs and hip. He wore sandals, as did the others. Cathy wore a swimsuit looking animal skin top with jean shorts as well and a little better care than Duo's. Dorothy, a blond haired beauty sat beneath the tree snoozing, wearing a similar looking top as Cathy and with a skirt instead that was nearly down to the knees of animal skin. Relena had complained only a week ago that it was as if they were sent back into the stone ages with those clothing, but there was so little of anything from the world the human race had known. There were even some ruins of the old cities. Tokyo still stood, barely, and as did America. There could be no travel between contents unless the boats, which were rarely found, were used to get there. No one had heard from America in a long time and Europe stopped communicating a long time ago.
Cathy looked up to check and see if Relena was coming yet. She was late, but that was to be expected. Cathy squinted her eyes when she saw a blurry figure over the horizon. The heat made it nearly impossible to see. The sheep came quickly, but Relena dragged behind. It looked as if she was carrying someone. Cathy shot up and ran forward.
"Relena!" she cried. Relena didn't wave. She kept on walking. Cathy, Dorothy, and Duo all shot forward and saw what Relena was carrying and gasped, stopping in their tracks.
"Relena?" questioned Dorothy.
"Who is she?" asked Duo.
"An intruder from the 'Dead Soul' tribe," answered Relena exhausted. Suddenly, Wufei appeared and saw what was happening. His eyes widened.
"Dead Soul! Why have you brought that barbarian here?" he cried. Duo rolled his eyes.
"Come on, it's not as if she's going to jump up and bite you," he grumbled, but still eyed the prone body wearily.
"She tried to take the sheep from me, but I caught her. Someone… please… take her from me. She's dehydrated and I'm going to faint now." Wufei caught Relena as Duo reached forward and caught the other.
"She must have been at the water hole when she was attacked. She's got heat stroke!" cried Cathy. "Let's get her inside quickly!" The young adults ran for the Peacecraft residency hut.
"Mrs. Peacecraft! Mrs. Peacecraft! Relena! She's back, help us! She's got heat stroke!"
"Dorothy would you stop your yelling and help us out here?" growled Wufei as carried Relena to her home. Zech's head poked out from inside the hut and saw his sister. His eyes widened as he shot outside to take his sister from Wufei. He rushed inside to place Relena on the cold floor inside. Duo and Cathy dragged in the other girl, who was still unconscious. Zechs was busy with his sister, but not busy enough to not notice the girl.
"Who is she?" he demanded tensely.
"Relena said she was a intruder. She must have dragged her all the way back from the waterhole. We think she's from the Dead Soul tribe. Look, she's got a skull tattoo on her right shoulder," stated Cathy quickly. Zechs looked up sharply when he heard the name of their rival tribe.
"Get her out of here! Throw her into sun and let her burn to death!" Zechs yelled angrily. Just then, his mother ran in out of breath. She had been fetched from another hut and saw the situation immediately and heard the last of what her son yelled.
"Milliardo! That's enough! Set her over on the floor next to my daughter," directed Mrs. Peacecraft calmly. Zechs stared on in hate at the young woman that had threatened his little sister's life. He noticed that she was young. Probably his age or a little younger. High cheekbones, strong arms, and a tired look on her beautiful face. Beautiful? Where the hell did that come from? Zechs, in frustration glared and stood up abruptly and spun around to leave. He spared another glance at his little sister and then at the other. He hesitated, but then stormed out.
"Mrs. Peacecraft, is Relena going to be all right?"
"I believe so, Wufei. I'm not sure if this young woman is going to be as well though. She's has major sunburns." Cathy looked at the burns and winced. They were bad. They had all grown tan to the sun, but the burns were unbelievable.
"Duo, honey, would you please go to the shelf over there and pull out the balm. It's in a small tub and a cover. I'm going to cover the burns before she wakes up. Relena will be fine, Dorothy, would you please go and get some water and give Relena some a little at a time." Duo returned with the balm and handed it over to Mrs. Peacecraft, who spread it immediately on the young woman's flaming skin. She moaned in her unconsciousness.
"Hush," whispered Mrs. Peacecraft comfortingly. "It's all right darling. Everything is all right." Suddenly, the girl sat up abruptly. Her eyes were wild with confusion.
"I'm not dead," she gasped in amazement. Duo and Wufei stepped forward as if to deal with her themselves, but by the look on Mrs. Peacecraft's face, they stood back immediately.
"No, you're not dead, honey," said Mrs. Peacecraft. The young woman looked around cautiously.
"Where am I?"
"You are in the most generous household I have ever seen," mumbled Wufei. "You should be grateful." The young woman glared up at him.
"I don't have to be grateful for anything." Cathy became angry at the person's arrogant state.
"Yeah? Well you should be! Relena could have left you out there in the hot sun to die, but she didn't. She dragged you five miles back here for treatment to your burns and better care." The woman seemed confused for a moment.
"Relena?" she asked. Dorothy rolled her eyes.
"The girl you tired to attack!" she yelled in annoyance. The woman turned to stare at the girl lying unconsciously next to her and blushed.
"I thought she was a boy." Cathy smiled a little.
"Well, she insists on wearing that ugly cap, and she looks like a boy." Was that a smile growing on the woman's mouth? Mrs. Peacecraft smiled a little and gently pats the woman on the shoulder.
"You're in the White Banshee tribe right now, but no one can hurt you here. You are in our household right now and no one can come after you." Duo's eyes widened and Wufei glared, disapprovingly.
"The leader will be after you about this. He'll tell you that your peace talk has gone too far. It's happened before," stated Dorothy unsurely. Mrs. Peacecraft ignored them and kept her attention on the woman's face.
"What's your name?" The woman seemed uneasy.
"Noin. Lucrezia Noin," she said unsteadily. "I'm from…"
"The Dead Soul tribe," finished Mrs. Peacecraft. Noin's eyes widened.
"It's all right. This family… most of this family… promotes peace between the tribes. Relena is one of them, but my oldest child does not agree completely with this."
Lucrezia's eyes softened for a moment. This family was kind, but then she quickly replaced it with a sneer. She nodded towards Relena.
"She is weak. If she were true to her tribe, she would have killed me." Wufei glared down at the intruder. A glare from Wufei was natural, but anything more was something dangerous. Duo steeped forward and cracked his knuckles.
"Well, if you insist maybe we can arrange it." Mrs. Peacecraft shook her head strictly.
"We have avoided bloodshed for a month now. Let's not start now." Duo stepped down reluctantly. Just then, Relena began to come to. Dorothy and Cathy knelt next to her and began to pamper her.
"What happened?" asked Relena hoarsely.
"You brought a barbarian into our tribe and fainted from heatstroke," grumbled Wufei.
"Barbarian?" cried Lucrezia. "Right now I'm in the barbarian tribe! It probably would have been better if that girl had killed me!"
"Don't push it," hissed Dorothy. They all glanced at her face in surprise.
"Ms. Noin, if you wish to live you will have to be more conscious of your tongue. Even I have my tribal pride. My daughter thought you were worth the effort to bring you back over five miles of desert. Instead of using your energy to insult the people who have saved your life, I think you could be considerate enough to hold your tongue," stated Mrs. Peacecraft softly. Just then, Zechs stepped in and the tension in the room increased greatly.
"Mother, the leader is on his way here," he said coldly. He glared down at Lucrezia who returned the glare. The door flew open with a huge force and a tall lean man stepped inside. He scowled down at Mrs. Peacecraft.
"Sera!" he boomed. "This is the last straw. Talking of peace is one thing, but bringing a barbarian is another."
"I did not invite Ms. Noin. My daughter brought her in with the herds and I'm very proud of her for it. She holds my husband and my opinions in high esteem." The leaders face was turning red.
"Sera, you have no choice in this matter. Your daughter is not to run the herds alone again. If something like this happens again, you and your husband will be thrown out to fend for yourself. You daughter will be sent to Second Tokyo." Now Mrs. Peacecraft looked outraged.
"You have no right to the fate of my daughter! She will not be sent to Second Tokyo."
"We need all the yen we can get. Even after mass destruction the world still runs on money. Your daughter may help, whether she wishes to or not."
"What of my son?"
"He is old enough to have his own life. You and your husband have driven me to these actions. You have brought this upon yourself." He stormed out angrily. Zechs glared after the leader.
"He's losing control more each day," stated Duo woefully.
"Zechs, come help your sister into bed, would you?" Zechs stiffly picked up Relena and carried her to a thin mat in the corner. He then covered her with a light blanket that came up to her elbow. She smiled thankfully at her brother and promptly closed her eyes.
"Mother," Zechs whispered with his back turned.
"Yes, Milliardo."
"We must take the barbarian away."
"She's not going anywhere until these burns all heal. It's too dangerous for her out there. She might get worse."
"She is leaving. She's endangered the whole family. They'll send Relena to the labor fields and you know just as I do what will happen there!" Mrs. Peacecraft looked exhausted. More than exhausted. It looked like the life was beginning to drain from her. Sighing, Mrs. Peacecraft sent a comforting gaze to Relena's turned back. Her daughter seemed to sense and immediately turned around and smiled a little as well. Then she turned back and lay down. Zechs was growing impatient.
"Mother…"
"Milliardo Peacecraft… you shame this family with what you say. She is a human being and your father and I have taught you ever since you could blink your eyes of being compassionate." Zechs initially felt shocked at being accused of shaming their family. It was her, and father that had shamed the family. They were the cause of this whole mess. With a growl, he turned and stormed out, not bothering a spare glance at anyone. Suddenly, Relena turned around with tears forming slowly.
"Mother?"
"Yes, darling," whispered Mrs. Peacecraft kindly.
"Have I done something wrong?" Her mother's face crumbled into a look of sadness.
"No, you've done wonderful. I'm glad you are listening to the things your father and I have taught you, but some people just don't seem to understand." Relena only nodded.
"I know of what they think. I'm not an innocent girl anymore, Mother."
"Yes, I know. But just remember that you did something right today. Nothing is wrong with what you did."
"Then why is it that everyone is acting as if I've brought a disease into the tribe? She's human just like us."
"You did nothing wrong. Get some rest." Relena smiled a little at her friends and turned over and closed her eyes. The others threw concerned looks at Relena. Then they all turned expectantly to Lucrezia. She threw her arms up in defense.
"Hey, it's not like I asked her to bring me!" They all glared at her now.
"She could have died saving you. If you hadn't tried to take the sheep, the Peacecraft's wouldn't be in this predicament," cried Cathy. Lucrezia looked respectfully ashamed of her loose comments earlier.
"Please excuse this behavior I am very aware of the position I'm in. If… Relena… Hadn't brought me back I wouldn't be alive. I never wanted to cause a family's ruin either." Noin meant every word of it. She turned and gazed sadly at Relena's back. All eyes stared as well. Each in their own thoughts.
"Stop staring at me," mumbled Relena. The others smiled when they realized she was awake. They chuckled and laughed some. Even Noin smiled in amusement. Maybe… just maybe the tribe leader of 'Dead Soul' was wrong. Maybe this tribe wasn't so terrible.
"All the better reason for her to stay home," Zechs, her brother, had mumbled. Relena had cuffed him afterward. She loved her brother dearly and was grateful for his protectiveness, but sometimes she only wanted to smack the daylights out of him. The sun beat down hard on top of her and she felt the sweat gathering. She had pulled her long golden hair up into an old beaten red cap. She looked like a boy from behind though. She wore a worn animal skin for a top that fit her loose and then a pair of shorts made also of skin. Her shoes were made of sandals. This… was her herding clothing. Her mother always did disapprove, but they were comfortable, airy, and let her move freely.
"Come on! Tat! Hut!" she called to hurry the sheep. She had heard of others being brought in bloodied and bruised. The 'Dead Soul' tribe had stolen the sheep and of course the 'Banshee' tribe had returned with equal retaliation, taking up more water and steeling cattle. Relena realized that they would not have been in this situation if the human decline had not occurred.
Ultimate heat waves washed out much of the race and the survivors banded together to form the late tribes. They had all lived in harmony at some point. They shared and lived together and now they were fighting each other as if the other was a snake that should have been destroyed along with the heat. Relena shook her head in disgust at the thought. Her mother and father always promoted peace between the tribes, but no one would listen to them. They were on the way to complete destruction.
The feel of cold steel against her back, forced Relena to stop dead in her tracks and put her hands up. Someone reached around and disarmed the knife that was hidden in her belt. It was a long slender hand. Relena knew what was to come next. She was going to be knocked unconscious and the herd was to be taken. The tribe was dependent on some of that portion of the herd and she wasn't about to let it go without a fight. Relena spun around with a frightening speed, smacking the intruder, stunning them and then sweeping their feet out from under them. Relena got a glance. It was a girl! Her brother's age or a little younger. She had dark hair and her eyes showed no fear as Relena reached for her own knife as the other young woman was lying there helplessly, waiting for the blow to kill her. Relena knew she could never kill someone like that. Slowly, she stepped forward, raising her retrieved knife. The girl waited with shuteyes for the blade to sink into her, but it never happened. Instead, the hilt acme down and ran into the side of her head. She was sent into a spiraling darkness. Relena breathed heavily as she stared down at her defeated victim. She would have to bring her in. She was of the Dead Soul tribe. Relena felt her eyes sting when she stared even longer down at this young woman.
Duo, Cathy, and Dorothy were waiting at the entrance of the village for Relena to get back. It was her first time out alone with the half-herd. Duo was carving a piece of wood with a knife as Cathy leaned against a nearby tree in the shade. There were so few of them now, both in trees and humans. Duo wore shorts of the old material, jeans that were ragged all over, holes on the thighs and hip. He wore sandals, as did the others. Cathy wore a swimsuit looking animal skin top with jean shorts as well and a little better care than Duo's. Dorothy, a blond haired beauty sat beneath the tree snoozing, wearing a similar looking top as Cathy and with a skirt instead that was nearly down to the knees of animal skin. Relena had complained only a week ago that it was as if they were sent back into the stone ages with those clothing, but there was so little of anything from the world the human race had known. There were even some ruins of the old cities. Tokyo still stood, barely, and as did America. There could be no travel between contents unless the boats, which were rarely found, were used to get there. No one had heard from America in a long time and Europe stopped communicating a long time ago.
Cathy looked up to check and see if Relena was coming yet. She was late, but that was to be expected. Cathy squinted her eyes when she saw a blurry figure over the horizon. The heat made it nearly impossible to see. The sheep came quickly, but Relena dragged behind. It looked as if she was carrying someone. Cathy shot up and ran forward.
"Relena!" she cried. Relena didn't wave. She kept on walking. Cathy, Dorothy, and Duo all shot forward and saw what Relena was carrying and gasped, stopping in their tracks.
"Relena?" questioned Dorothy.
"Who is she?" asked Duo.
"An intruder from the 'Dead Soul' tribe," answered Relena exhausted. Suddenly, Wufei appeared and saw what was happening. His eyes widened.
"Dead Soul! Why have you brought that barbarian here?" he cried. Duo rolled his eyes.
"Come on, it's not as if she's going to jump up and bite you," he grumbled, but still eyed the prone body wearily.
"She tried to take the sheep from me, but I caught her. Someone… please… take her from me. She's dehydrated and I'm going to faint now." Wufei caught Relena as Duo reached forward and caught the other.
"She must have been at the water hole when she was attacked. She's got heat stroke!" cried Cathy. "Let's get her inside quickly!" The young adults ran for the Peacecraft residency hut.
"Mrs. Peacecraft! Mrs. Peacecraft! Relena! She's back, help us! She's got heat stroke!"
"Dorothy would you stop your yelling and help us out here?" growled Wufei as carried Relena to her home. Zech's head poked out from inside the hut and saw his sister. His eyes widened as he shot outside to take his sister from Wufei. He rushed inside to place Relena on the cold floor inside. Duo and Cathy dragged in the other girl, who was still unconscious. Zechs was busy with his sister, but not busy enough to not notice the girl.
"Who is she?" he demanded tensely.
"Relena said she was a intruder. She must have dragged her all the way back from the waterhole. We think she's from the Dead Soul tribe. Look, she's got a skull tattoo on her right shoulder," stated Cathy quickly. Zechs looked up sharply when he heard the name of their rival tribe.
"Get her out of here! Throw her into sun and let her burn to death!" Zechs yelled angrily. Just then, his mother ran in out of breath. She had been fetched from another hut and saw the situation immediately and heard the last of what her son yelled.
"Milliardo! That's enough! Set her over on the floor next to my daughter," directed Mrs. Peacecraft calmly. Zechs stared on in hate at the young woman that had threatened his little sister's life. He noticed that she was young. Probably his age or a little younger. High cheekbones, strong arms, and a tired look on her beautiful face. Beautiful? Where the hell did that come from? Zechs, in frustration glared and stood up abruptly and spun around to leave. He spared another glance at his little sister and then at the other. He hesitated, but then stormed out.
"Mrs. Peacecraft, is Relena going to be all right?"
"I believe so, Wufei. I'm not sure if this young woman is going to be as well though. She's has major sunburns." Cathy looked at the burns and winced. They were bad. They had all grown tan to the sun, but the burns were unbelievable.
"Duo, honey, would you please go to the shelf over there and pull out the balm. It's in a small tub and a cover. I'm going to cover the burns before she wakes up. Relena will be fine, Dorothy, would you please go and get some water and give Relena some a little at a time." Duo returned with the balm and handed it over to Mrs. Peacecraft, who spread it immediately on the young woman's flaming skin. She moaned in her unconsciousness.
"Hush," whispered Mrs. Peacecraft comfortingly. "It's all right darling. Everything is all right." Suddenly, the girl sat up abruptly. Her eyes were wild with confusion.
"I'm not dead," she gasped in amazement. Duo and Wufei stepped forward as if to deal with her themselves, but by the look on Mrs. Peacecraft's face, they stood back immediately.
"No, you're not dead, honey," said Mrs. Peacecraft. The young woman looked around cautiously.
"Where am I?"
"You are in the most generous household I have ever seen," mumbled Wufei. "You should be grateful." The young woman glared up at him.
"I don't have to be grateful for anything." Cathy became angry at the person's arrogant state.
"Yeah? Well you should be! Relena could have left you out there in the hot sun to die, but she didn't. She dragged you five miles back here for treatment to your burns and better care." The woman seemed confused for a moment.
"Relena?" she asked. Dorothy rolled her eyes.
"The girl you tired to attack!" she yelled in annoyance. The woman turned to stare at the girl lying unconsciously next to her and blushed.
"I thought she was a boy." Cathy smiled a little.
"Well, she insists on wearing that ugly cap, and she looks like a boy." Was that a smile growing on the woman's mouth? Mrs. Peacecraft smiled a little and gently pats the woman on the shoulder.
"You're in the White Banshee tribe right now, but no one can hurt you here. You are in our household right now and no one can come after you." Duo's eyes widened and Wufei glared, disapprovingly.
"The leader will be after you about this. He'll tell you that your peace talk has gone too far. It's happened before," stated Dorothy unsurely. Mrs. Peacecraft ignored them and kept her attention on the woman's face.
"What's your name?" The woman seemed uneasy.
"Noin. Lucrezia Noin," she said unsteadily. "I'm from…"
"The Dead Soul tribe," finished Mrs. Peacecraft. Noin's eyes widened.
"It's all right. This family… most of this family… promotes peace between the tribes. Relena is one of them, but my oldest child does not agree completely with this."
Lucrezia's eyes softened for a moment. This family was kind, but then she quickly replaced it with a sneer. She nodded towards Relena.
"She is weak. If she were true to her tribe, she would have killed me." Wufei glared down at the intruder. A glare from Wufei was natural, but anything more was something dangerous. Duo steeped forward and cracked his knuckles.
"Well, if you insist maybe we can arrange it." Mrs. Peacecraft shook her head strictly.
"We have avoided bloodshed for a month now. Let's not start now." Duo stepped down reluctantly. Just then, Relena began to come to. Dorothy and Cathy knelt next to her and began to pamper her.
"What happened?" asked Relena hoarsely.
"You brought a barbarian into our tribe and fainted from heatstroke," grumbled Wufei.
"Barbarian?" cried Lucrezia. "Right now I'm in the barbarian tribe! It probably would have been better if that girl had killed me!"
"Don't push it," hissed Dorothy. They all glanced at her face in surprise.
"Ms. Noin, if you wish to live you will have to be more conscious of your tongue. Even I have my tribal pride. My daughter thought you were worth the effort to bring you back over five miles of desert. Instead of using your energy to insult the people who have saved your life, I think you could be considerate enough to hold your tongue," stated Mrs. Peacecraft softly. Just then, Zechs stepped in and the tension in the room increased greatly.
"Mother, the leader is on his way here," he said coldly. He glared down at Lucrezia who returned the glare. The door flew open with a huge force and a tall lean man stepped inside. He scowled down at Mrs. Peacecraft.
"Sera!" he boomed. "This is the last straw. Talking of peace is one thing, but bringing a barbarian is another."
"I did not invite Ms. Noin. My daughter brought her in with the herds and I'm very proud of her for it. She holds my husband and my opinions in high esteem." The leaders face was turning red.
"Sera, you have no choice in this matter. Your daughter is not to run the herds alone again. If something like this happens again, you and your husband will be thrown out to fend for yourself. You daughter will be sent to Second Tokyo." Now Mrs. Peacecraft looked outraged.
"You have no right to the fate of my daughter! She will not be sent to Second Tokyo."
"We need all the yen we can get. Even after mass destruction the world still runs on money. Your daughter may help, whether she wishes to or not."
"What of my son?"
"He is old enough to have his own life. You and your husband have driven me to these actions. You have brought this upon yourself." He stormed out angrily. Zechs glared after the leader.
"He's losing control more each day," stated Duo woefully.
"Zechs, come help your sister into bed, would you?" Zechs stiffly picked up Relena and carried her to a thin mat in the corner. He then covered her with a light blanket that came up to her elbow. She smiled thankfully at her brother and promptly closed her eyes.
"Mother," Zechs whispered with his back turned.
"Yes, Milliardo."
"We must take the barbarian away."
"She's not going anywhere until these burns all heal. It's too dangerous for her out there. She might get worse."
"She is leaving. She's endangered the whole family. They'll send Relena to the labor fields and you know just as I do what will happen there!" Mrs. Peacecraft looked exhausted. More than exhausted. It looked like the life was beginning to drain from her. Sighing, Mrs. Peacecraft sent a comforting gaze to Relena's turned back. Her daughter seemed to sense and immediately turned around and smiled a little as well. Then she turned back and lay down. Zechs was growing impatient.
"Mother…"
"Milliardo Peacecraft… you shame this family with what you say. She is a human being and your father and I have taught you ever since you could blink your eyes of being compassionate." Zechs initially felt shocked at being accused of shaming their family. It was her, and father that had shamed the family. They were the cause of this whole mess. With a growl, he turned and stormed out, not bothering a spare glance at anyone. Suddenly, Relena turned around with tears forming slowly.
"Mother?"
"Yes, darling," whispered Mrs. Peacecraft kindly.
"Have I done something wrong?" Her mother's face crumbled into a look of sadness.
"No, you've done wonderful. I'm glad you are listening to the things your father and I have taught you, but some people just don't seem to understand." Relena only nodded.
"I know of what they think. I'm not an innocent girl anymore, Mother."
"Yes, I know. But just remember that you did something right today. Nothing is wrong with what you did."
"Then why is it that everyone is acting as if I've brought a disease into the tribe? She's human just like us."
"You did nothing wrong. Get some rest." Relena smiled a little at her friends and turned over and closed her eyes. The others threw concerned looks at Relena. Then they all turned expectantly to Lucrezia. She threw her arms up in defense.
"Hey, it's not like I asked her to bring me!" They all glared at her now.
"She could have died saving you. If you hadn't tried to take the sheep, the Peacecraft's wouldn't be in this predicament," cried Cathy. Lucrezia looked respectfully ashamed of her loose comments earlier.
"Please excuse this behavior I am very aware of the position I'm in. If… Relena… Hadn't brought me back I wouldn't be alive. I never wanted to cause a family's ruin either." Noin meant every word of it. She turned and gazed sadly at Relena's back. All eyes stared as well. Each in their own thoughts.
"Stop staring at me," mumbled Relena. The others smiled when they realized she was awake. They chuckled and laughed some. Even Noin smiled in amusement. Maybe… just maybe the tribe leader of 'Dead Soul' was wrong. Maybe this tribe wasn't so terrible.