Chapter 14
Amber and Jay who was carrying Bray entered the room where they had first met Lourdes.
"Hallo!" beamed Lourdes from where she stood on the other side of the room.
"Hello" Both jay and Amber replied meekly.
"Well I had brunch brought for us. I don't know about you but I'm starving in the morning." She sat down at the table and looked at her company expectantly. Amber and Jay obliged and pulled up seats as well. "Well May Zoot be praised!" said Lourdes merrily while serving food onto her plate. Amber's face fell and she looked expectantly at jay. Jay cleared his throat. Lourdes looked at them and a look of regret crossed her face.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend. It's just a saying that some say before meals. Became a habit before we learned of the Chosen."
Amber looked confused but smiled weakly.
"Just haven't heard that in awhile."
Lex, Ebony, Darryl and May wondered the market and found what some might call a shank shop and others a weapons storehouse. Both Ebony and Lex's eyes gleamed at the assortment of daggers, fighting sticks, and maces. Darryl and Lex examined a pair of matching long, thin swords.
"On guard!" Shouted Lex as he unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Darryl.
"You fool! Don' you know who I am? But the great sword master Zorro!" Bellowed Darryl as he engaged Lex in a mock battle. May rolled her eyes in contempt.
"Boy's and big shiny things." Sighed Ebony.
"What couldn't handle something this large and powerful?" said Lex wagging his sword suggestively at her.
"Id rather use these," said Ebony slipping on a pair of brass knuckles with sharp spikes on each finger.
"More up close and personal." She said while making a fist in the air.
"Yum... now that we've finished that delicious meal lets get down to business" said Lourdes getting up from the table.
"Yes lets," said Jay. Him and Amber joined Lourdes in the armchairs on the other side of the room.
"Well the Mallrats must become official citizens here. But it must wait till some key tribe members return before we can make it official. Then you will be eligible for official duties, and orders and the likes. You of course have full access to the campus until then of course."
"Well Lourdes I thank you for your generosity. But the tribe hasn't officially decided to make this our home. Some May want to look farther for a place to settle. Maybe start our own community?" Amber turned to Jay when she said that last part.
"We just can't accept your offer without consulting the rest of our tribe." Said Jay.
"No, no, no you mustn't consider that. It's much too dangerous out there. The areas outside the campus are over run with rogue Technos and slavers. I can not assure your safety outside of these walls."
"What do you mean by 'Rogue Techno's?" inquired Jay.
"Well that's what the call themselves. They broke away from their tribe after some collapse and now they roam in small groups causing Mayhem." Amber stood up abruptly.
"Well we better get going now but we'll definitely discuss this with the rest of the tribe." She said hurriedly and dragged Jay out of the room with her.
Sammy, Lottie, Gel, Salene, and Trudy with Brady in tow were at an herbal supplies stall. Trudy dabbed some perfumed oil on to her wrist
"Mmm… smell this," said Trudy holding her wrist out to Salene.
"Ooh that is lovely." Said Salene as she took a whiff.
"Here try a bit of this" said the shopkeeper to Gel as she dabbed different oil on for her to sample. Gel squealed as she sniffed her wrist.
"What is that!" gel asked.
"It's Vanilla Cinnamon"
"Well I must ask the servants to get me some" Said Gel flipping her hair with an air of importance.
"Gel!" Cried Trudy. "They are NOT our servants."
"What do you call people who bring us food everyday and whatever else we ask for?" asked Gel haughtily with her hands on her hips.
"Slaves?" Quipped Sammy.
"No they're people who look after us." Replied Trudy.
"Like a friend?" inquired Lottie.
"Yeah, just like a friend" responded Salene.
"Lets head back now" said Salene as the clock tower bell began to ring.
Amber hurried down the steps and out of the building with baby Bray in her arms.
"Amber! Slow down!" Called Jay.
"Sorry", sighed Amber as she slowed her pace.
"Hey Jay, why don't you go back to the dorms and I'll meet up wit you later? I need to take a walk." Amber gave Jay a forceful smile.
"Oh" he shrugged. "Just don't be gone too long"
"I won't" said Amber over her shoulder as she hurried away.
Once back in the in the wagon the Mallrats continued their tour of the Linuan campus. Ian showed them the orchards and fields that produced the food they ate along with the stables and barns that held the food. Plus there were many other buildings. The highlight for Jack though of course was the mill and dam used for electricity and for grinding grain.
The tour ended by the river with their picnic lunch.
Amber sat down on a swing in the playground. Amber used her feet to push off the ground propelling her and Bray into the sky. God, what had she done? Zoot be praised? Who were these people? This meeting was supposed to calm her concerns instead even more alarms were going off in her head. What am I supposed to tell the rest of the tribe? That we can either stay here with the Zoot praisers or try it out with the slavers and Technos? Lex and Ebony would surely blame her. Wasn't it always her fault? They needed solidarity more than anything right now
She sighed as she cradled her baby in her arms. She respected Jay and even thought herself capable of really loving him but try all she might she couldn't make herself completely trust him. It was hard to forget he had played such an integral part in her loss and suffering. And he seemed to have new secrets that continued to surface. He was kind of like Bray in that way.
"Oh Bray", she sighed. I wish Bray was here. He'd reassure me and help me find a way to get through this with the tribe intact. She could trust him. She wasn't so sure she could trust Jay anymore.