Chapter 2
When Rebecca awoke, something strange was staring her right in the eyes. She froze, afraid this creature may be a demon, but it looked mostly human to her. She could not be sure until it spoke.
"Good morning, Princess." The person said. She had a raspy voice, but it was that of a female. Perhaps this was a person that had suffered. A girl of another tribe?
Taking a moment to let her sight adjust, she was able to confirm that this was indeed a human girl. She had dark-red silky looking hair, and she wore a T-shirt, instead of a white robe, and it was black. She also wore black pants that were too big for her, and chains hung from it, oddly. Rebecca sat up and stared at the girl for a few moments.
"Are… you in bondage?" She asked, looking to the chains.
The girl shook her head. She was crouched over oddly, like a monkey or something. She acted an awful lot like the sort, as she reached out and touched Rebecca's wavy blonde hair. "Where did ye' git this…?"
"Get… my hair?" Rebecca asked, giving the girl a strange look.
She nodded. "Aye… did y' tear it frum a horse, lass?"
Rebecca was slightly taken aback by that. "N-no… the Lord God gave me this hair…" The girl snickered at that, but Rebecca ignored it. She knew there were many non-followers still left in the world. "Who are you… and where are you from?"
"M' names Muirne, I'm from Kaus." She grinned.
"Kaus…? What is…? Um…" Rebecca took out her bible and began to flip around through the chapter of Revelations, trying to find the tribe name. Before she had a real chance to look, Muirne reached out and took the bible from her.
"A Christian bible…? Strange, Ah though' tha' all of these were burn't up." She held the bible roughly, shaking the thing and bending and tearing pages with the way she handled it.
Rebecca reached out and snatched the bible back. "Enough. This is a treasured possession of mine." She held the bible to her chest and stoked it.
"Well, well. Touchy, ar'n't we?"
"Thou shall not steal." Rebecca retorted. "That is one of His commandments."
"Do no' give opinions or advice unless ye'r asked." Muirne said back. "A rule of Earth."
Rebecca crawled out from under the slope, dragging her mat with her. She rolled it up and spoke to the girl. "I have not heard of any such rules, before… Are you a Christian?"
"Kaus."
Stuffing the mat into her bag, she sat down cross-legged, and set the heavy bag in her lap. "I still do not know what that is. Would you enlighten me, miss?"
"How 'bout Ah just take ye' there, lass?" She smiled at her. The girl's smile was a charming white smile, but her eyes seemed a little conniving. Perhaps because they seemed red in the glow of the moonlight. "Yer in the fourth corner of th' world now. Y' know that?"
Rebecca slumped forward. She'd realized weeks ago that a world map would have been useful. Even if she ended up going back home, she'd have to track her way back by memory. Perhaps if she accompanied this girl to her tribe, they would be able to offer her a map, and if she was lucky, replenish her fresh water supply. The water she'd passed for the past few weeks had been nothing but blood, and she was on her last canteens of water. "Thank you for the kind offer, um… Muirne, correct?"
"Aye."
"I shall accept. Will you lead me to this… 'Kaus?'" She stood, and Muirne did the same.
"Aye, I'm feelin' nice t'day. C'mon, lass."
The walk across the desolate valley was pretty quiet. Rebecca was relieved to see bodies of water that looked fresh. She was looking forward to getting to this 'Kaus,' whatever it was. She tapped the girl leading her on the shoulder.
"Need somethin'?" Muirne asked over her shoulder.
Rebecca lowered her arm. "I was just curious… is there fresh water in your dwelling?"
She looked forward again, jumping over stones and clumps of mud that had been formed from land sliding into more land. "Aye, we do."
The blonde haired girl let out a satisfied sigh. "That is a relief… My tribe was actually cursed with the water that came from rivers that Wormwood fell into… We had to look for fresh water. There was a safe stream only a few miles from the original stream that we'd gathered our water from, though…"
Muirne let out an annoyed grunt. "'Nother rule for ye', lassie. "Do no' tell yer troubles ta' others unless yer sure they want ta' hear 'em."
"Oh…" Rebecca said. "E-excuse me. I did not know that. I have never heard your rules before…"
"T'salright, princess." Muirne smiled back at her.
The two continued on their way for hours of more awkward silence. At least, it was awkward for Rebecca. This time, however, Muirne broke the silence.
"We' reach Kaus in a few minut's now."
Rebecca smiled and thought to herself, finally.
