Part 4 – Somebody Save Me
Just outside the City, two masked beauties stood on a hill, looking down on the metropolis. They gazed, silent and thoughtful, on the place that they were returning to after a very long time away. One of them was confident and vengeful; the other was nervous and hesitant. But whatever the girls were feeling, they both had a common goal to achieve and come hell or high water, they would achieve it. The task before them would not be easy, but they had the necessary backup. This wasn't really their mission alone, but it felt like it. They were the only ones in the tribe who had lived in this place before the Virus. They were the only ones who knew people there…
"Ladies?"
Both girls turned in sync at the sound of the smooth voice. The older of the two sisters looked on the attractive man before them with longing within her, but she didn't reveal it. She couldn't. She had another that she had to devote herself to. If he didn't think he had her love, there was no telling what he'd do.
"Yes?" the meeker of the two girls asked.
Jay stood perfectly straight, his hands behind his back, and looked at them squarely. "Java, Siva, Ram requires your presence," he said simply, the sun glinting on his white blonde hair.
All three of them knew exactly what that meant.
Java nodded with a proud jut of her chin. "We'll be right in," she replied clearly. "Thank you Jay."
The commander nodded curtly at the two girls and turned on his heel, walking away with the precision of a trained military man. Java watched him leave for a moment longer than she should have, but quickly snapped out of it.
"I don't want to go to him—"
"Siva," Java interrupted. "We're his wives. It's our duty."
Siva closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. "I never wanted this— this three-way marriage Java. You know that," she said desperately.
"It was the only way into the tribe. He wanted both of us or neither of us," Java snapped impatiently, knowing their husband would be unhappy with having to wait for them so long. With a stern look at Siva, she turned on her heel and head off toward the biggest tent, set up in the middle of the carefully ordered camp.
Siva stared after her, feeling dejected. If Java went, she would have to go, she realised glumly.
Their lives had become so different that Siva barely recognised them. Before, there had been three sisters, not just two. They had all been in a tribe together – Ebony, Siva and Java of the Locos. But Ebony, young though she had been, had lusted for power. Suspicious that her older sisters might try to usurp her, she had done it first, persuading Zoot to remove them from the tribe.
Siva still hated Ebony for that, but couldn't help wondering how life had gone for her since. Ram was sharing little, if any, of the news his scout had gotten in the City with his wives, although they were also Techno commanders. Java fumed constantly over how she felt like she was flying blind, but nothing could be said to Ram about it. Siva knew Java was as unhappy about being married to Ram as she was. Java was stronger than her, always had been. Siva had felt like the odd one out in the old days when Ebony had been around. It had been Ebony and Java, two fierce personalities, at each other's throats with her in the middle trying to resolve it all.
Here she felt just as stuck. All in the tribe knew to bend to the will of Ram. Only Jay had ever opposed him and even then, Jay was almost as single-minded as Ram. The looks so different to the casual observer, Ram was stocky and dark, his temper flaring at a moment's notice. Jay was lithe and fair, and almost eternally calm. Despite these differences, they were still thick as thieves together, the best of friends, and most importantly – they were military allies.
Sighing, Siva walked across the camp, and went to play the part of loving wife.
-O-
Salene sat in the furthest corner of the café. She could hear the commotion of the market on level 1 but tried in vain to block it out. She had nowhere to think in privacy. Ryan was sleeping in their room. He'd been on mall security the night before and was exhausted. Before he had fallen asleep, he had informed Salene happily that Lex was on security for the next few nights, so they could spend all the time they wanted together.
She had not been as delighted as Ryan about that fact. The less time they spent together, the better she felt. It was awful, she knew. She had just married him and didn't want to be near him! What kind of person did that make her? What kind of wifedid that make her?
Soon her reason for marrying him would be obvious. Her stomach grew bigger every day. People would start to notice, Ryan would start to notice. But her baby had needed a father! She didn't want to end up like Trudy, raising a child all alone. Salene had done this for the sake of her own child. Why couldn't it be Bray's baby? If it were Bray's, Salene gladly would have become his wife, and gladly raised their child with him.
'But Bray never loved me,' Salene thought despondently.
Bray had loved Amber and he now loved Danni. She didn't want to be bitter or miserable, but it was all she could feel right now. She was trapped. She had to be a wife, perform the duties of a wife, when she felt nothing like a wife. She thought of Bray and Danni. They were so in love. Bray couldn't take his eyes off Danni when she was in the room and never stopped holding her, kissing her, touching her. Danni was head over heels in love with him. She adored him through and through. After the loss of Amber, Bray had finally found happiness, and had broken through Danni's surly protective walls.
Salene wished she had that. Ryan, she loved him, yes, in her own way. But she had realised too late that it wasn't enough. And what love she still had for him was slowly dying. She wanted to end it, and savour the innocent, simple love they'd once shared before it was ruined forever by her unhappiness.
She placed a hand on her stomach. She didn't know when or how to tell Ryan. All she knew was that she'd have to soon – very soon.
-O-
The day had dawned bright and cheerful, but Raven felt anything but. She stormed into her cabin after Tribal Council, and let out an aggravated little shriek. She began her pacing yet again. She felt so muddled up, so lost. Archer's proposal was weighing on her mind. She didn't want to say yes, but then again, she feared the consequences if she declined. Archer was impetuous and insecure, and for him to place his trust in her and ask such a thing must have taken a lot. She respected that, but at her age, didn't think she cared for the responsibility of marriage.
Now she was also worried about Amber after hearing what she had the night before. Who were the Mallrats? Why hadn't Amber told her that she'd been in another tribe? What had this Bray done to her that was so bad? Why was she refusing Pride's suggestion that she see him? What had that girl – Ebony - said that made Amber run away from her tribe? Raven hadn't wanted to say anything about it to Amber, considering her reaction last night and her stern appearance today, so all she had were questions, endless questions.
Raven sat on her bed and put her head in her hands. She felt like escaping it all, just running away. She really needed Amber's guidance right now if she was to make the right decision. Amber had never turned her away and had always been honest with her. Raven immediately left her hut and steeled herself to tell Amber about her conundrum. So lost in her thoughts, she didn't even see Archer appear ahead of her and ploughed right into him.
"Raven!"
Archer's tanned face lit up and he smiled his crooked smile. He placed his hands tightly on her shoulders and bent his head to talk to her. "I was just coming to see you." He looked down on her with his off-putting eyes – one forest green, the other earth brown.
"I'm sorry. I have to go and speak to Eagle," Raven said quickly, making as if to leave.
Archer shook his messy light brown hair from his face. He shifted his bow and arrow from his left hand to his right, and gave her a serious stare. "Is there anything wrong? I mean, you haven't spoken to me about… about what I asked you last night," he said, his grave tone fading into a cheerful one at the thought of his proposal.
He gripped her hand suddenly and she felt incredibly trapped under his urgent stare.
She began to grow nervous. "Archer, really, I have to speak to my cousin. I'll come find you later," she said hurriedly. She pulled his hand off her wrist, missing the flicker of anger in his eyes. She threw him a smile and walked off as fast as she could.
She noticed that Pride was talking with Hawk over by the massive oak tree Tribal Council was held under. Robin was in his arms, wrapped in a tight bundle. That meant she'd get Amber alone and be able to talk with her properly. Fuelled by this, Raven broke into a very unbecoming run. She came to a sudden halt at the rope before Amber and Pride's hut and yanked it aside, taking the stairs two at a time. The door was open, as it usually was during the day, and Raven walked in to see Amber at the table in the corner writing in a slightly burnt and water-stained notebook.
"Amber."
Amber looked up, shocked. She stood and went to the door, closing it quickly. "Sienna, know better than to call me that with the door wide open!" she berated her.
"And you know better than to call me 'Sienna'", she retorted teasingly.
Amber froze momentarily. She smiled, acknowledging her own slip of the tongue. Neither of them could get used to calling each other by their tribal names of Raven and Eagle, instead of Sienna and Amber.
"So… Raven… what did you want?" Amber prompted, pursing her lips.
"Archer asked me to marry him last night," she said breathlessly.
Amber was stunned. "He what?"
"He wants me to pledge myself to him forever…"
Amber turned away, rubbing her forehead. "And do you want to marry him?"
Raven opened her mouth but nothing came out. If she said it aloud, it would make it true… but she had no choice. She had to say it. "No… no I don't," she said softly, looking down and feeling guilty immediately.
Amber turned to face her. "Then don't. It's really as simple as that. Leading him on won't do either of you any good," she said reasonably, but with slight impatience.
"But— but what if it ruins what we've got? I mean, I'm young… I don't want to marry him right now, but that doesn't mean I won't want to in the future! He won't understand, you know what he's like!" Raven said desperately.
Amber exhaled loudly and frowned distractedly. Raven was unnerved by Amber's impatience. She rarely acted like this. Any other time, she would've led Raven to sit down and discussed the problem in depth.
"Telling the truth is the only thing you can do. Tell him no, and tell him now," she said sternly.
Raven looked dejected. She knew it was the right thing to do, but had hoped that Amber would come up with something else, something easier. "I suppose…"
Amber's expression was relieved. "Good. I'm glad we figured this out. Why don't you go tell him now?" she suggested.
"What? Amber what's wrong? Archer just asked me to marry him. I came to you for help and you just toss the answers in my face and tell me to leave?" Raven asked incredulously.
"I'm sorry! I've just got a lot on my mind!" Amber replied, throwing her hands up.
"Like Bray?" Raven asked without thinking.
Amber's face went white almost instantly and she stared at her cousin with wide eyes. "How do you know that name?" she uttered in a whisper.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that… look I'll go, leave you in peace. I'm sorry," Raven stammered, cursing herself for her stupidity. She turned and grabbed the door handle, but with some hidden physical strength, Amber planted her hand on the door and slammed it shut.
She glared at Raven, breathing heavily. "I won't ask you again – how do you know that name?"
-O-
