Yeah, I forgot about the chapter again. In my defense, I didn't have any wifi. So here it is!
Also:
TheApatheticRoseofCalamity: Thank you so much for your review! I understand it can be hard to read or understand, given that English isn't my first language and that I'm writing this just for fun. I really apreciate that you took some time to leave me your thoughts, it was very kind and it made me very happy. I thank you again.
A kick in the mattress woke Cassie up.
The young woman painfully opened her eyes, narrowed her face at the sudden light. Anya was standing in front of her, dressed and ready.
"Get up, Skaigada. I have things to do, and since Heda wants me to watch you, you're coming with me."
Cassie painfully stood up, noting that Anya had untied her wrists from the head of the bed. She put on her shoes under the gaze of the Grounder who seemed surprised to see her do so without protesting. She seemed to refrain from asking what was wrong with her, at the risk of provoking a long tirade that would never end. Cassie, guessing her thoughts, gave her a look, rubbing her eyelids.
"I'm really not a morning person."
Anya shrugged, a bow and a quiver on her back.
"Are we going outside?"
"Yes."
"Then I need something to cover my head. You know ..."
Anya grabbed a piece of bluish cloth and handed it to her.
"That will do?"
"Yes. Thank you."
The young woman hastened to cover her shoulders and head, which was perilous given her mass of curly hair. Anya turned her back to her to exit the room, Cassie following her, yawning. They walked through the many halls of the tower, Anya nodded to a few people and Cassie decided to imitate her sleepily. The Grounder lead her to the elevator, ushered her in. As they slowly descended the floors, Cassie's stomach growled loudly, and the young woman glanced suspiciously in the direction of her body.
"Come on," Anya said, grabbing her by the arm to get her out of the elevator.
They left the tower, found themselves in the open air. Cassie narrowed her eyes at the sudden light in surprise.
The city was crowded with life, the woken residents bustling about in the streets. Cassie watched them curiously, trotting behind Anya. Stalls were installed along the streets, sometimes protected by rough canvases. A few people were cooking things Cassie didn't know the name of, bags of fruit and nuts were sitting beside the tables.
Anya stopped in front of a small table, exchanged a few words with the woman standing there, Cassie was far too busy watching grills of what she suspected were bugs to listen. She was pulled out of her contemplation when Anya put something under her nose.
"Eat this."
It looked like a hard, white bun. Cassie took it with her bound hands and sniffed it cautiously. It smelled of dough and flour. Anya was already biting into hers, ignoring her royally. Cassie took a small bite. The paste was dense, and hard, and she found it hard to chew and swallow, but an explosion of a cool, sweet substance on her tongue made her eyes widen. She guessed it was jam.
Delighted, she hopped happily behind Anya, continuing to devour her bun, a smile on her face.
"I like this," she said, gesturing to what she was holding in her hand. "Thank you."
The corners of Anya's lips twitched. Biting her bread, Cassie let her gaze drift across the shelves. A bag full of nuts caught her eye and she approached it curiously.
"What is this?"
Anya caught her by the shoulders and made her resume walking, nodding to the seller.
"Those are Jobi nuts."
"Can I try one?"
"Sure, if you want to have crazier visions than all the bullshit you've been saying so far."
Hallucinogenic nuts.
"Oh, I wouldn't mind."
Anya raised an eyebrow in her direction.
"What? I've always wanted to see a unicorn."
And there, a miracle! A faint smile stretched Anya's lips. Cassie smirked as she continued to bounce around to follow her.
Anya lead her out of town, arriving on an empty mound that offered a large open space. Many people seemed to be training. Tree trunks served as targets for archers, warriors clashed in circles covered with clay. Anya pulled Cassie by her handcuffs to a place not far from the archers' tree trunks.
"Sit here, don't talk and don't move. If you do, I will attach you to me and, believe me, that doesn't enchant me more than you."
Cassie collapsed cross-legged to the floor and, with one last warning look, Anya turned on her heel and walked over to the warriors.
"Heya, Wormana," a warrior greeted her.
"Heya, Otis. Gonas!" She called around, drawing her bow from her back.
The archers turned to her. Anya pulled an arrow from her quiver and placed it on the rope.
"Oso na gran au. Chek ai feda au," she announced.
"Oso beda lan yun pichu op bilaik kos gran au," one of the warriors then sneered, followed by a few of his comrades.
An arrow flew past his nose and went to plant itself right in one of the trunks placed for training. Anya slowly lowered her bow in front of the stunned gazes of the warriors and Cassie.
"To attack her is to attack our Heda."
She took a step forward, eyeing him up and down.
"You don't want to attack Heda, don't you, Croswel?"
The man considered her dark gaze for a moment, then shook his head, looking down.
"No, Anya."
"Good."
Anya whirled around and fired at full speed an arrow that landed on one of the logs. One after the other, she planted arrows there without ever missing her target, or even deviating from her path. Cassie was watching her, speechless, from the other end of the field.
When Anya finished with the last tree trunk in front of the warriors, Cassie couldn't help but cheerfully applaud.
The practice was drawing to a close and the sun was starting to come down from the sky. With her chin resting in her hand, Cassie watched absently as Anya trained with a warrior, sword in hand. Her fierce demeanor never left her, and Cassie found it made her look like a tigress. Sweat stuck strands of hair to her temples and she had left her coat for her tunic and pants.
A shrill cry pulled Cassie out of her contemplation. The young woman looked away, listening to the childish laughter that was heard. She straightened up, stretched her neck to look around her. In the distance, a small group of children were running happily around a house, throwing themselves into the tall grass, heckling. A smile stretched the lips of the young woman.
She straightened up a bit more, getting up to take a few steps in their direction. They were holding wooden sticks and speaking in the language of the Grounders as they ran, pounding their sticks against each other's. Cassie, puzzled, began to walk slowly towards them.
"Oh no, you're not!"
A weight hit her back and crushed her to the ground, taking her breath away. Anya leaned on her back in annoyance.
"Where the hell do you think you're going, Skaigada?"
"Oh come on! I just wanted to see what game they were playing!" Cassie moaned, her cheek in the dirt.
Anya pinched her shoulder and Cassie let out a shocked cry.
"I told you not to move, Skaigada."
Abruptly, she stood up, pulled Cassie to her feet.
"Wow. Thanks-"
She did not finish her sentence. Anya grabbed her by the waist, leaned forward and swung her across her shoulder. Cassie immediately began to scream indignantly at the amused gazes of the warriors. Anya might not have been really big, but she was nonetheless strong and it looked like Cassie weighed nothing. The young woman struggled, bawling as Anya returned to fetch her bow, quiver, and coat.
"Put me down! Anya, put me down right now! This is terribly humiliating!"
"Oh yeah, tell me about it," Anya replied. "I've had my fair share of humiliations with you these past few days."
"Anyone can check out my butt!" Cried Cassie.
This time all the warriors burst out laughing but fell silent when Anya turned to glare at them.
"I thought it's what made you hot?" She replied.
She realized her mistake too late.
"So you were listening!" Cassie cried happily as Anya walked back to the city's streets. "And you think I'm hot!"
"I never said that!"
"No, but you thought so loudly. And you're right, my booty is, like, twenty-five percents of my sexyness. The other percents are my boobies, my hips, and my feet. Nah, I'm joking, it's not my feet. I'm not gonna tell you. You'll have to guess all by yourself. "
"Or I won't," Anya offered as she walked through the streets under the amused gaze of passers-by.
"Don't lie, you're already thinking about it."
"I'm not."
"You are!"
"I'm not!"
"You are! Oh, can we take some Crazy Nuts? You know, the ones that are actually drugs?" Cassie offered, pointing to the nuts.
"No."
The young woman let out a groan mingled with a moan of annoyance. She relaxed all her muscles, letting herself fall on Anya's shoulder, not seeing the amused looks that followed her.
Heya, Wormana: Hello, War Chief
Heya, Otis. Gonas!: Hello, Otis. Warriors!
Oso na gran au. Chek ai feda au: We are going to train. Watch my movements/my stance.
Oso beda lan yun pichu op bilaik kos gran au: We should use your pet as a target.