Pride went alone. Or he thought he did at least. He warned his tribe to
stay back. They knew nothing about this tribe the Protectors and didn't
want to put them in any danger. If anything happened, he'd know what to do.
But unbeknownst to him, a couple of Gaians did follow him about a mile
back, watching his back.
As dusk came to the bend in the river, Pride waited. On cue, as the sun just disappeared behind the mountains, a rider came out of nowhere to him.
"Pride of the Gaians?" the rider asked from atop his black horse.
"Yes," Pride said simply.
"I'd get on. It's a long ride," the rider said offering a hand.
Pride looked at the hand, he couldn't do anything but compile, so up he went. As soon as he was on, the horse dashed off through the forests on the other side of the river. In the distance, the Gaians watched their former leader be lead off.
The rider said nothing to Pride. Pride said nothing to the rider. The rider was right however; it did take them a great deal of time to get to their destination. In what Pride figured was about 15 minutes, they came upon a great clearing where huts were all placed. Pride looked around at the people walking about. They looked at him with disgust, their clothes earth-toned, even more so than the Gaians. In fact it was like walking into the Gaians camp, except for one thing. The sense of tension about the place. It almost gave Pride a shiver down his spine. Everything about this place seemed rougher, more basic, and more primal than the Gaians.
The rider stopped the horse and jumped off. Pride followed suit. The rider then turned to Pride, "Our leader is waiting for you," he said and then started walking off. Pride followed.
They got to the largest hut, set a little back then the rest of them, and the rider disappeared into the entrance of the place. Pride gave a quick look around and followed.
Inside the hut, was what he wasn't expecting. The walls were covered in animal skins. A bed lay in one corner, a small table and chair at another side. The rider stood in front of the Protectors' leader, something else Pride wasn't expecting..a female. He had gotten the distinct feeling that it was a male-dominated tribe.
The rider whispered a few words to the leader and then left swiftly, giving Pride a full view of the leader. And what a view! The girl standing in front of him had to be about his age. She was tall and red headed and an Amazon beauty. Her full red hair fell down in waves over her shoulders. She wore a tight, revealing green suede top that tied up in the front and even tighter, form fitting earth brown pants. Her hazel eyes stared back at him, as he continued to look at her.
"Do you like what you see, Gaian?" she finally said, her voice smooth and creamy.
Pride stopped himself before he'd start thinking things about her and looked her in the eye, "I'm no longer a Gaian. And I'm only observing my surroundings," Pride said calmly.
"Mmmmm, observing your surroundings?" the girl said moving towards him, "Yes I did here you aren't apart of the Gaians anymore. Retired to the city of all places. Though then again you Gaians aren't really the strongest of people.mentality that is," she said looking over Pride himself.
"Where is Brady?" Pride asked strongly. The girl smiled, "Business already? I haven't even introduced myself." the girl said as she moved closer to him, "Welcome Gaian. I am Faith of the Protectors," she said offering a hand. Pride looked to her hand, but didn't move to shake it, "It's alright I won't bite," she said.
Pride took her hand in his and shook it. She had very soft skin, he thought for a second and then shook himself from it and dropped her hand. "Where is Brady?" he repeated.
"The child is safe. Do not worry. We wouldn't even think of harming a child of the Earth," Faith said with a smirk, "She's being taught the ways of our people, the true protectors of Mother Earth. You see Brady's at an ideal age to be taught who her real mother is and the fruits that Mother Earth offers her. You Gaians aren't protecting Mother Earth as you original had been. We've been watching you for some time now. You're priorities have declined and have left Mother Earth. You don't deserve Her land that was given to you."
Pride felt that he was standing in front of one of those extremist environmentalist, who'd tie themselves to a tree to prove their point. "We live by the land, as our ancestors once did," he said slowly, "We live by our rules and not your own. You don't have any right to push them on us, or take children from us to brainwash them with this. I demand you give Brady back."
Faith laughed as she took a seat on the single seat that was in the room. She clasped her hands in front of her and looked at Pride, "I don't think you're in the position to demand anything from us. But I thought you might say just as much," Faith said, "I will give back Brady on one condition."
"What is it?" Pride asked calming his anger that was slowly rising.
Faith smiled and stood up and walked right over to him. She leaned into him, so he could feel her breath on his neck, and she whispered into his ear, "You."
Pride was intoxicated for a second, as he breathed her in. The soft smell of her, the gentle breath on his neck. It took him awhile to register what she had said and then took a step back and looked bewildered at her.
She smiled, "No? Don't think that's an equal trade? A child for a man? I could use a man around here," she said trailing a finger down his chest.
Pride grabbed her hand and pushed it away, "I have a girlfriend," he said as though that would justify it.
"So?" Faith simply said, "She'll get the point when you don't show up for awhile. What do you think Pride? Interested?"
While part of him was saying no, he had to admit a part of him did want to throw this Amazon on the bed and make love to her. But he wasn't here for him, it was Brady he needed to get.
Faith noticed this change in him. She knew of course he wouldn't consent, she'd have to work on that. "Fine, if you won't come we'll just up the stakes. If you want the child back, you Gaians have to leave the forests to us Protectors," she said.
As dusk came to the bend in the river, Pride waited. On cue, as the sun just disappeared behind the mountains, a rider came out of nowhere to him.
"Pride of the Gaians?" the rider asked from atop his black horse.
"Yes," Pride said simply.
"I'd get on. It's a long ride," the rider said offering a hand.
Pride looked at the hand, he couldn't do anything but compile, so up he went. As soon as he was on, the horse dashed off through the forests on the other side of the river. In the distance, the Gaians watched their former leader be lead off.
The rider said nothing to Pride. Pride said nothing to the rider. The rider was right however; it did take them a great deal of time to get to their destination. In what Pride figured was about 15 minutes, they came upon a great clearing where huts were all placed. Pride looked around at the people walking about. They looked at him with disgust, their clothes earth-toned, even more so than the Gaians. In fact it was like walking into the Gaians camp, except for one thing. The sense of tension about the place. It almost gave Pride a shiver down his spine. Everything about this place seemed rougher, more basic, and more primal than the Gaians.
The rider stopped the horse and jumped off. Pride followed suit. The rider then turned to Pride, "Our leader is waiting for you," he said and then started walking off. Pride followed.
They got to the largest hut, set a little back then the rest of them, and the rider disappeared into the entrance of the place. Pride gave a quick look around and followed.
Inside the hut, was what he wasn't expecting. The walls were covered in animal skins. A bed lay in one corner, a small table and chair at another side. The rider stood in front of the Protectors' leader, something else Pride wasn't expecting..a female. He had gotten the distinct feeling that it was a male-dominated tribe.
The rider whispered a few words to the leader and then left swiftly, giving Pride a full view of the leader. And what a view! The girl standing in front of him had to be about his age. She was tall and red headed and an Amazon beauty. Her full red hair fell down in waves over her shoulders. She wore a tight, revealing green suede top that tied up in the front and even tighter, form fitting earth brown pants. Her hazel eyes stared back at him, as he continued to look at her.
"Do you like what you see, Gaian?" she finally said, her voice smooth and creamy.
Pride stopped himself before he'd start thinking things about her and looked her in the eye, "I'm no longer a Gaian. And I'm only observing my surroundings," Pride said calmly.
"Mmmmm, observing your surroundings?" the girl said moving towards him, "Yes I did here you aren't apart of the Gaians anymore. Retired to the city of all places. Though then again you Gaians aren't really the strongest of people.mentality that is," she said looking over Pride himself.
"Where is Brady?" Pride asked strongly. The girl smiled, "Business already? I haven't even introduced myself." the girl said as she moved closer to him, "Welcome Gaian. I am Faith of the Protectors," she said offering a hand. Pride looked to her hand, but didn't move to shake it, "It's alright I won't bite," she said.
Pride took her hand in his and shook it. She had very soft skin, he thought for a second and then shook himself from it and dropped her hand. "Where is Brady?" he repeated.
"The child is safe. Do not worry. We wouldn't even think of harming a child of the Earth," Faith said with a smirk, "She's being taught the ways of our people, the true protectors of Mother Earth. You see Brady's at an ideal age to be taught who her real mother is and the fruits that Mother Earth offers her. You Gaians aren't protecting Mother Earth as you original had been. We've been watching you for some time now. You're priorities have declined and have left Mother Earth. You don't deserve Her land that was given to you."
Pride felt that he was standing in front of one of those extremist environmentalist, who'd tie themselves to a tree to prove their point. "We live by the land, as our ancestors once did," he said slowly, "We live by our rules and not your own. You don't have any right to push them on us, or take children from us to brainwash them with this. I demand you give Brady back."
Faith laughed as she took a seat on the single seat that was in the room. She clasped her hands in front of her and looked at Pride, "I don't think you're in the position to demand anything from us. But I thought you might say just as much," Faith said, "I will give back Brady on one condition."
"What is it?" Pride asked calming his anger that was slowly rising.
Faith smiled and stood up and walked right over to him. She leaned into him, so he could feel her breath on his neck, and she whispered into his ear, "You."
Pride was intoxicated for a second, as he breathed her in. The soft smell of her, the gentle breath on his neck. It took him awhile to register what she had said and then took a step back and looked bewildered at her.
She smiled, "No? Don't think that's an equal trade? A child for a man? I could use a man around here," she said trailing a finger down his chest.
Pride grabbed her hand and pushed it away, "I have a girlfriend," he said as though that would justify it.
"So?" Faith simply said, "She'll get the point when you don't show up for awhile. What do you think Pride? Interested?"
While part of him was saying no, he had to admit a part of him did want to throw this Amazon on the bed and make love to her. But he wasn't here for him, it was Brady he needed to get.
Faith noticed this change in him. She knew of course he wouldn't consent, she'd have to work on that. "Fine, if you won't come we'll just up the stakes. If you want the child back, you Gaians have to leave the forests to us Protectors," she said.