Chapter 11: Discovering the unknown
Hi everyone! I know! It's been a loooong time! Real life has been throwing a lot at me and thus, I had very little time to write!
I hope someone is still following this LOL.
Anyway, as a reward for the wait, I present to you the longest chapter I have ever written. Without further ado, the chapter:
(1) Mímir's head: Mimir was a giant whose head was cut off during the war between the Æsir and the Vanir and owner of Mimir's well, which granted wisdom to those who drank from it. Odin traded his eye for a drink from this well and then returned with Mímir's head to Asgard. It recites secret knowledge and counsel to him.
After the war, the village returned to its old routine.
Since they no longer had to worry about more attacks, they began to develop art and music. The scribes filled the library with new volumes and the village now enjoyed an overflowing and emerging culture.
Tony and Loki were closer than ever. The transition from friends to... more seemed to go rather smoothly for the pair; their relationship evolved to something deeper, but their friendship remained intact. They still spent practically all their time together, discovering new inventions or simply enjoying their mutual company.
Realizing the futility of staying in separate houses, Tony proposed to move in together. It was thus that they ended up involved in an uplifting (and sometimes frustrating) project to build their new home.
They designed the new house completely to suit their whims. Full of absurd details, curious objects and ingenious inventions of new devices.
Once it was finished, Loki and Tony watched the fruit of their labor from a distance.
It was a house with a smoky chimney. It was primitive, modest and welcoming. It was nothing like the great golden palaces of Asgard in which Loki had once lived. However, looking at it, he thought there was more value in this little house than in all of Asgard's great treasures put together.
"So... dinner?" Tony said several minutes later, still not looking away, smiling proudly.
"You weren't joking about being hungry earlier, were you?"
"I never joke about that." Loki said, his face dead serious.
Tony snorted.
"Come on, I'll make some eggs. I'd offer to do the meat, but I'll just end up overcooking it like the last time." He makes a face. "I don't get how you can eat it like that."
"It's a vast improvement on the leather that you choose to eat. You should try it. So much more... tender and juicy."
"You're weird." Tony said, and Loki's lips curved in a slow smile.
Frankly, he had never been so happy.
One day, while they were sitting reading near the fireplace, Tony lowered his book slowly, setting it aside on the arm of his chair.
"You know? I've been thinking..." He said, eventually.
"That's never a good thing."
"Ha. Ha. Very funny. I'm serious, Loki." And all trace of playfulness disappeared from his face.
Loki looked up.
"All right…" He said carefully. "Tell me what's the matter."
"There is something that has me worried. I've been thinking about the future of the village. I fear that we will soon face a big problem. I don't know if it will be tomorrow or in many more years, but I know it's inevitable."
"What do you mean?"
"Until now, the collection of rainwater, although scarce, has allowed us to maintain our plantations and fill our ponds. We are thus, been able to supply the entire village.
However, I know we can't go on like this forever. The climate is changing. I have noticed that temperatures have gradually increased with each passing year. I know, because I've been monitoring its progress.
Rains are not as frequent as they used to be, and periods of drought are getting longer. I am sure that the day will come when the water in the ponds will not be enough, especially if we take into account the pace at which the population of the village is growing."
Loki looked at him thoughtfully.
"I remember that when we met, you were looking for a solution to the drought problem, that you had made some trips."
"Yes, at that time, I was looking for information to be able to solve the immediate problems of the tribe; hunger, shortages, and diseases. When we started to progress I thought we were fine, that we had been able to solve all our problems, but... we didn't, it was only a temporary solution. We have been able to make much progress taking full advantage of the little supplies we have but eventually….
Loki, I'm afraid that in the not too distant future, our resources simply won't be enough to ensure our survival."
"I know you want to find a solution to this problem, but I don't see how you plan to do it. This isn't something simple, it's not a puzzle that you can solve only with determination, just as you do with one of your inventions. We are talking about something bigger. What you want is to beat nature itself."
"I know, I know!" Tony said in frustration. "I don't know what I should do, but I can't just sit idly by. Maybe I can gather some information, resume my research and my trips, just as I did before."
"Oh!" Loki said, suddenly understanding where this conversation was going. "So you plan to leave. That's very... noble of you." His voice was apparently inexpressive but Tony could detect the hint of resentment hidden in those words.
"No, that's not what I meant. Yes, I want to make a trip but... I wanted to ask you to come with me."
"Go with you?"
"Think about it as our next great adventure. There is a whole world out there. I could show you planet earth, be your guide. So far you haven't had the opportunity to go outside the village grounds, right? Maybe it's time to explore new frontiers.
I would very much like you to accompany me. If you want, of course. No pressure. I'm not leaving without you."
There was determination in his voice, but there was also a softness to it. A sound that gave Loki a curious warm feeling in his chest.
"I think you're forgetting something. I have a small mobility problem, and my wheelchair, as you well remember, has its limitations. How do you think I'm going to take a trip under these conditions?"
"Ah! You underestimate me. I have already found the solution for that. For some time now, I have been working on a prototype of a new wheelchair with a reinforced structure. I'm sure I can make it tough enough to withstand this trip."
Loki looked at him with his mouth slightly open.
"Presume that I accept this foolish plan. How do you intend to carry it out?"
"Well, I thought we could visit different tribes and just ask around to see if anyone can tell us something about the drought. In any of the many tribes, there must be someone who can tell us something useful right?"
"This plan of yours is completely ridiculous! Do you think that the other tribes will welcome us that easy? We have just been at war with most of them if you don't remember."
"I already thought about that too. In exchange for information, I think we could give them... knowledge."
"Knowledge?" Loki said incredulously.
"Yes! Do you remember Clint?"
"What does he have to do with anything?"
"Well, actually, he gave me this idea. When I met him, he suggested (rather he reproached me) that as a village, we could share our technology with the other tribes.
Maybe we could convey everything we have learned. Show them our inventions and advances, instead of saving them only for ourselves.
We could do this, at the same time we look for the information we need. It would be a win-win situation."
Loki looked at him without saying anything for a long moment.
"So... what do you say?" Tony insisted, a little nervous.
Loki sighed.
"Well, when do we start?"
"Wow! Wait. Are you serious?"
"I don't know what you expect to gain from all this, but I like the idea of making a trip. I used to be a great explorer. I liked to discover new routes to walk the branches of the great Yggdrasil tree. Some even started calling me Skywalker in honor of my great feats. I don't see why that has to change now."
"That doesn't surprise me at all." Tony said laughing. "Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's get ready for our next great adventure!"
As promised, Tony improved Loki's wheelchair. Now it had an ergonomic and resistant design. Its wheels had been reinforced to withstand any requirement of the road and coated to face the inclement weather.
For the trip, they conditioned a farm-cart and supplied it with everything necessary. They didn't know how long they would be on the road so they prepared for any scenario, equipped with enough water, food, and supplies.
On the day of departure, the entire village went to say goodbye and wish them a good trip.
Pepper made Loki swear he wouldn't let Tony do anything stupid and Peter solemnly promised them that he would take care of the village in their absence.
They left between hugs, good wishes, and promises of return.
Their first stop was Clint's tribe.
Seeing them, surprised, he approached laughing.
"I can't believe it! Look who's here. It's the powerful god Loki and the intrepid Tony Stark."
"I came to fulfill my promise." Tony said. "Didn't you tell me that I was a selfish jerk for not sharing the knowledge and technology of the village? Well, here I am."
"Yes, you are really here." And there was an affable smile on his face. Nothing further away from the tormented look Tony had seen when he had first met him.
Clint received them as honor guests. They met his family; An amiable wife and three adorable children.
The rest of the tribe received them with kindness and enthusiasm. They were curious about these strange travelers and interested in what they could offer them.
It wasn't difficult to spend time in their company. Things were different from what they were used to in the village but Tony and Loki really came to appreciate their differences.
The inhabitants of the tribe, were experts in the manufacture of bows and arrows (the best they had ever seen) and they also specialized in night hunting. Their natural ability for stealth and stalking made them excellent hunters and talented gatherers.
Despite living in a barren land, they seemed to take full advantage of the characteristics of the terrain.
Until now, they had managed to survive drought periods, detecting with real skill the places where groundwater could be found, and devising a very ingenious system that consisted of extracting the liquid from the surrounding plants.
It was a tribe that has survived by its cleverness and talent.
And yet... none of this had been enough.
It began gradually, with the sudden evaporation of water in the collection sectors and with the death of several of the animals. The weather was changing and the situation got worse and worse.
Temperatures increased and resources began to run out. These were difficult times and the tribe had to face long periods of scarcity. Because of this, they have already lost several of their members.
They tried everything in their power to remedy the situation, but the gods seemed unwilling to hear their prayers and the rain-summoning ceremonies had not given them any results. They truly reached the point of not knowing what else to do.
It was in that state of uncertainty that they welcome Tony and Loki. They helped them. All the knowledge they had implemented in their village was replicated in the tribe, adapting it to the needs of each of the inhabitants.
Everything was new to them, but they appreciate the change and the new growth opportunities.
The tribe then, began to prosper. Now they had enough resources to meet their needs and stock up for future periods of drought. They were better than they had been in a long time.
One night, they had a party. It was a celebration to honor the travelers and celebrate the progress of the tribe.
They ate, drank and some danced around the fire between applause and cheers. Laughter and chatter filled the atmosphere, while they rested lazily on the ground or happily joined the dances.
Loki enjoyed the atmosphere with a placid expression on his face when suddenly, he felt the weight of a glance over him. It was one of Clint's children. Nathaniel, if he remembered correctly.
"Why can't you move?" He asked bluntly.
A part of Loki had to be amused at his nonchalance. No one from the tribe was so direct with him. Here he was treated with the utmost respect, one that was sometimes even annoying.
This kid... He liked him. He had reminded Loki of something that he had lost. Some innocence, perhaps. The memory of being that young, once.
"I had a small accident when I fell from the sky and since then I can't move anything but my face. It was really horrible, there was a lot of blood." He replied with a somewhat malicious smile.
"Oh!" Nathaniel said, his face full of wonder and without a hint of fear. Loki wasn't sure if he fully understood the meaning of those words.
"Would you like to know what's beyond the stars?" He asked, and the boy nodded enthusiastically.
"Huh... He's good with children." Tony thought, smiling slightly when he saw Loki telling the most diverse stories. Nathaniel was sitting there on the floor and next to him, a large group of children had gathered around attracted by the story.
That night, Tony didn't tire of looking at him with the most irritating and insufferable smile Loki had ever seen perching on his features.
Despite the progress of the tribe, Tony and Loki had not been able to find out much about the climate problem.
Clint didn't have much information. His tribe was young and had grown up witnessing the progress of the drought. They didn't know anything about its origins, nor did they have any records about the land from before. It was hard for them to even imagine that there was once a different world, one overflowing with water and life.
Clint apologized for not being able to be more helpful but Tony and Loki had known from the beginning that gathering the information they needed wouldn't be easy. This was only the first tribe they visited. There was still a long way to go.
They spent some months helping in what they could and when it was time to leave, they felt real regret at having to say goodbye to these people whom they had come to appreciate and admire.
Clint turned to them giving them a sincere hug and a friendly pat on the back.
"I shall not say goodbye, but farewell, my friends." He said very seriously.
Turning to the crowd that had gathered to say goodbye to the travelers, Clint enunciated loud and clear.
"This friendship that has been forged between our tribe and the village is no longer just an alliance, it is more than that. From now on we are brothers, and this union will last for generations. Because no distance of place or lapse of time can undo what has joined us.
Because together we are stronger, because we both believe in a common ideal that is to defend peace at all costs. As long as those ideals are still alive, our brotherhood will last."
Thunderous applause broke across the crowd in a wave of almost ferocious fervor. Once the clamor was extinguished, smiling gently at Tony and Loki, Clint told them.
"Thank you. Through your actions and generosity, you have given us something truly valuable; the possibility of survival, have given us true life. Now we have reason to hope again."
A new round of cheers was heard from the crowd, but this time it was more peaceful, there was real significance in each of those applauds.
"Since words fail to convey the gratitude we feel, we have a small present for you."
Some inhabitants of the tribe broke through carrying various objects in their hands. Once in front of the travelers, they posed it at their feet as if they were presenting the very head of Mimir(1) as an offering.
There were baskets of food, water, and several wooden arches (a very valuable and scarce material), manufactured by the best craftsmen of the tribe.
Tony and Loki feeling moved, accepted the gifts while nodding respectfully.
"Thank you, my friends. Don't be strangers. I will be waiting for your return." Clint said with a wide smile.
Loki's grin turns sly.
"We'll be back. If there's any solution to the climate problem, we will find it. And when we do it, don't doubt we'll be back."
Tony and Loki left with a hint of melancholy, but with renewed energies to continue their journey.
Walking sandy and cracked roads, they could see the true extent of the drought. I was really everywhere.
Tony doubted that someone from the village had ever entered these roads, so he gave himself the task of registering them and creating maps of those exotic distant lands.
They headed north.
The next tribe they visited was one that had fought against them in the war.
At first, they were met with distrust and aggressiveness, but when they realized whom Tony and Loki were, they give then access to their domains and offered their hospitality.
While there was still suspicion in their eyes, there was also respect there. Apparently their fame preceded them and had extended further than they thought.
They visited a few more tribes nearby.
It was always the same pattern; try to appease their distrust and show them with facts what they can do for them. If despite their efforts, the tribe decided they didn't want anything from them, they left in peace. But if their presence was well received, they helped in what they could, offering them their skills and knowledge.
Once they gained their trust, collecting information was not difficult. They asked each of the scholars of the different tribes, and yet they could not find anything relevant that would give them any clue about the climate problem.
Despite the discouraging situation, they didn't let that stop them. There was still much to see and discover.
One day, while walking on sandy plains, they saw a very strange figure in the distance. It was the silhouette of a redhead woman sitting on one side of the road. Her head was hidden between her legs and she was so still that if it weren't for the subtle movements of her breathing, they would have thought she wasn't alive at all.
For days they had walked desert lands without seeing anyone around, and now they found this person sitting in the middle of nowhere as if it were a ghost or an apparition.
They approached with caution and when they could observe closely, they noticed the sturdy moorings attached to her extremities. That was extremely disconcerting.
Who was this woman? Was she a fugitive? A prisoner?
Hearing footsteps, the girl looked up. She was a very beautiful woman and yet at seeing them, her face contorted in dread.
"Help me, please!" Her eyes filled with desperate tears. "Hurry! They will return at any time!"
When Tony approached, the woman flinch.
"Please don't hurt me. If you want, I can pay you. In my bag, I have water and food. Take everything you want but please help me." She said with a trembling voice and an open expression of fear.
"Hey, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you."
"That's what they said."
"Tony…" Loki said as a warning "We should keep going, this is none of our business."
"I know. But we can't just leave her here."
Then Tony was giving him that pleading look that never failed to make him doubt his convictions. Actually, It was slightly exasperating. What was Loki supposed to do with a look like that?
"Okay, but you have only one minute, not a second more. You help her and then we continue on our way."
"Understood." He said cheerfully.
Tony stopped the horses and then got out of the cart. Slowly, he approached the girl.
"What's your name?"
She hesitated for a moment "Natasha."
"I'm Tony and the one over there with an annoyed face, is Loki."
She looked at him with fear.
"Don't worry, I'm just going to free you from these moorings."
Tony reached out, when suddenly, with a swift movement, she had him lying on his back on the floor.
"What?" Was all he had time to think, before the same ties that should have been imprisoning the girl, were now on his hands and feet.
Crouched beside him, she began to search his immobilized body, taking out any object she considered valuable, to then put it in her bag.
She was graceful and sure, with an unmistakable deadly edge in her movements. Loki could almost be impressed.
"I'm sorry, but I'm going to take all this." Her eyes were thoroughly cool and dispassionate, extremely different from that tearful and weak girl who just a moment ago was crying for help.
"Fascinating as this conversation is, I feel I must interrupt." Loki said from the cart.
Hearing him, the woman suddenly stopped. She examined him with a critical and assessing gaze, the only visible hint to her thoughts and then, moving cautiously, began to approach.
Loki's more intelligent self, informed him dryly that he probably ought to have a plan. The rest of him was not terribly interested.
"You haven't attacked me." She said. "Why?"
"I can't, I'm paralyzed." Loki said with a crooked half smile.
She said nothing more, just nodded slightly.
Anyone would have taken the assertion of his paralysis as an opportunity to loot freely the rest of the objects from the cart, however, she only seemed more cautious.
She approached, but suddenly, stopped dead.
"I feel something strange in you. You... are not human."
"Ah! wasn't that interesting? The girl is more perceptive than he gave her credit for." Loki thought.
With a smile, he told her nonchalantly.
"Maybe its because I'm an alien that comes from the stars, landed on planet earth who now helps humanity."
Natasha looked at him for a moment without blinking.
"Then I think I'll leave you alone. I don't like to get involved with powers that I can't understand. You can keep the rest of your things, however, I take this." She said pointing to the bag that had Tony's stuff.
She turned around to leave.
"Wait! Are you serious?" Tony yelled. "Is that all? He tells you that he is an extraterrestrial and you just believe him. Don't you even think this is a little strange?" He said somewhat exasperated.
"I've seen stranger things." She said with a shrug.
Loki laughed.
"Tell me, Natasha… Do you know the surroundings well?"
She looked at him suspiciously.
"Yes…"
"Then, I would like to make a deal."
Loki looked at Tony, and something passed between them unspoken. Tony smiled and nodded softly.
"What kind of deal?"
"I wanted to ask you to be our guide."
Natasha's eyes widened slightly and her eyebrows raised. she seemed puzzled.
"The truth, we have been walking in circles for several days and we could use your knowledge to take us to the nearest tribe. I can promise you that you will not lack food and I can pay you with a series of valuable objects that I am sure will capture your attention.
What do you say? We could help each other."
Natasha looked him in the eye. She didn't break her gaze, nor said nothing for several minutes. It seemed as if she was looking for some particular expression in him. Loki was beginning to suspect that she was not going to respond at all when, suddenly, the tension in her features subtly eased.
"I accept. We have a deal."
"Good!" Loki said. "shall we?"
Without further ado, Natasha climbed into the cart, positioning herself in the front. When she saw the reins, she picked them up in her hands looking at them curiously. She moved them from top to bottom and after a few attempts, she got the horses to start walking.
Loki was sure she hadn't seen a cart in her life.
"Yes, really interesting..." He thought.
"Hey! I'm still tied here!" Tony shouted when he saw the cart go away. "Don't you dare to leave me!"
As promised, Natasha was their guide and led them to the next tribe.
The road was hard, so upon arrival, she had no choice but to stay and seek shelter among the locals. The plan was to recover and stock up on supplies to embark on a new trip.
For their part, Tony and Loki kept busy doing what had become almost a routine; help with their knowledge and try to discover new clues that would lead them to find out more about the drought.
Natasha watched them work very closely.
She observed their efforts to help the inhabitants and the stubborn determination with which they carried out each of their tasks.
She watched mothers smile when their children were recovering from deadly diseases and those open expressions of gratitude when they realized they were finally making progress.
She contemplated all this from a distance, with a feeling similar to astonishment and some confusion. Frankly, she didn't understand it. What led men like them to act this way? They had no obligation to these people. On the contrary, they were from another tribe, potential enemies. Why help them? Why give all that knowledge and effort without seemingly getting anything in return?
Natasha had many questions and no answers. Maybe that's why, when an old lady approached and asked if she could help her with her crops, despite taking her by surprise, she accepted.
She wasn't sure if she did it out of curiosity, a genuine desire to analyze the situation, or perhaps a mere whim. She didn't even understand why suddenly this was so important. Why did it bother her so much? Why did she feel this sudden need to understand, to look for some kind of answer?
Whatever the reason, she agreed to help, and gave herself to the task as she did everything; meticulously, tenaciously and efficiently.
She spent a big part of the day preparing the land and planting the field. She had watched as the people of the tribe did it and it was not difficult to replicate their actions.
She worked hard while the inclement sun was rising on the horizon and didn't stop until every inch of the field was perfectly tilled.
At nightfall, she saw the same old lady who had asked her for help, approaching the distance.
"Young lady," she called. "I was making some food and I have some extra. Would you like some?"
Natasha looked up for a moment, then stood up and approached. Standing there, she saw her holding a pot that seemed to contain a steaming soup.
The old lady held the pot with difficulty. Her hands were shaking slightly and a small drop of sweat decorated her forehead due to the effort to prevent its contents from spilling.
Natasha thought for a moment about rejecting the food offer, but a distant voice in her mind told her maybe that might sound rude. "Thank you," she said, taking the pot slowly. "I appreciate it."
The old lady looked at her. "Would you like to come inside my tent and join me? One more moment and you will not want to be outside. When the sun goes down, the night wind can be really merciless."
"I don't want to be a bother..." Natasha started to say, but the old lady had already grabbed her arm and was trying to pull her inside.
"Nonsense!" She said. "Besides, the food always tastes better in company."
Natasha let the old lady pull her over the threshold of her tent.
It was a poor home, she can say that much, even poorer than the rest of the tribe, but the lady sat her near the fire and put a blanket over her.
"When I mentioned my crops, you came out very quickly to help me. That was very kind of you, but I feel we couldn't have yet a decent conversation. My name is Claire. Would you mind telling me yours?"
"It's Natasha."
"Well Natasha, I sincerely appreciate your help. If it wasn't for you... well, let's say this would not be a good winter for me. These are hard times. Not many people take the time to help each other, but you young lady, did it, and that's something that I deeply thank you for."
Natasha blinked. She stared at her, and then, blinked again.
A solid silence stretched between them.
Ms. Claire didn't seem to mind at all.
"Well, go ahead. You can eat, it is not poisoned." She said.
That got Natasha out of her momentary astonishment, reminding her of the pot of food she still held in her hands.
"You know, I used to be the tribe's cooker. I was really good, if I do say so myself." Ms. Claire said with a note of pride in her voice. "However... my hands are no longer what they used to be." She lifted her sleeves. In her hands, slight tremors could be seen running through all her fingers and reverberating to the top of her forearm.
"I can't make my preparations with the same precision as before, but that has never stopped me, I haven't stopped cooking. It's what I love and I will continue to do it until I can no longer move at all." Her voice was fierce and defensive. It suddenly occurred to Natasha, that perhaps it was not the first time she had had to repeat those words.
"But I won't say anything else. I'll let you judge for yourself and tell me what you think. But...," she raised a finger as a warning "if you don't like it, don't you dare to lie to me, young lady. I am old, but I am not fragile like a leaf. I can endure some criticism."
With a movement, she urged her to eat. "Come on, my dear. It's going to get cold!"
Natasha doubt for a moment. She approached the pot to her lips and finally drank. The taste exploded in her mouth in a perfect blend of spices, textures, and fragrances. It was an infinitely superior change of those improvised meals, prepared with the little she managed to find along on the road.
Something gentle and comforting spread through her senses.
The food strangely tasted like gratitude.
It tasted like care.
It tasted like welcome...
In her mind, she had the vague notion that she had once had these thoughts before, that she had felt something like this with someone else, a very dear person... And with that, a feeling of dread began welling up in her stomach. She shuddered and pushed it back down.
"It's delicious. Thank you."
"I'm glad you liked it." Ms. Claire said with a big smile.
"You are not going to eat?"
"Oh don't worry honey, I'm not hungry." She replied.
But a long time ago, Natasha had learned to detect when someone lied to her. Being a thief had made her develop certain skills, and something at the moment, told her that Ms. Claire wasn't being completely honest.
She suddenly remembered the old woman's words when she invited her to her home. Ms. Claire had mentioned having extra food, but when Natasha looked around, she saw the crock completely empty by the fire. There were no more ingredients around. She realized that there was no trace of food in the entire tent.
And then the revelation hit her like she had received a slap in her face
She has been a fool. How could she not have noticed before? This lady barely had anything to eat and still decided to give her what little she had in gratitude.
She felt a pang.
Something small and ugly began to emerge from inside, like a stone that hit her hard at her core. Natasha thought it might have been guilt or shame.
This was a dish prepared especially for her. To her, a complete stranger. This lady had invited her to her home, she had put all her effort into this preparation. She was honoring her with her work and her own hands, hands already taint by age and disease. She had offered her the only and most important thing she possessed.
Natasha had no right to be here, she had no right to take advantage of this meal or this kindness and yet she couldn't avoid the small hint of gratitude that suddenly erupted inside her. No one had done something like that for her, not since he died.
Feelings…. Long ago, Natasha had taught herself not to feel. Pain, empathy, guilt, none of that had any importance when she had to survive.
Kindness…. In her life, there was no room for that. She had to fight, defend herself, procure food. She had lived like this for so long that she had already accepted it as an inevitable part of herself.
And yet, this lady gave her kindness so free. As if it were something easy to give, as if she deserved it.
Natasha had a formidable nothingness in her chest, which had sustained her for so long, but now her ribs were beginning to crack as that nothingness swelled too large. Suddenly, she felt very tired.
Making a sudden decision, she raised her chin, and looking at Ms. Claire's straight in the eye, she said very seriously.
"Thank you very much for the food. I will be back. I wouldn't like to leave without being able to ensure that the seeds I planted will germinate properly."
"Oh dear, don't worry. You have already done enough for me. You don't have to spend more of your time. You are young and surely you have more important things to do…"
"I insist." Natasha said, in a tone that made no room for discussion.
Ms. Claire looked at her for a moment and then smiled, crinkling the lines around her mouth and eyes.
"Thank you. You're very kind. It really must have been destiny... I'm very grateful that it decided to put you in my pat."
She didn't know what to answer to that, so she didn't say anything else.
The following days passed in a quick amalgam of chores.
She watered the crops daily, accurately calculating the amount of water needed. She took care to fertilize the land. She collected meticulously any weeds that could hinder the growth of plants and deal with the revetment of the soil.
It was hard work, but she did it with real discipline and efficiency.
Ms. Claire often worried about her well-being, urging her to rest when she considered that she had been working too much.
She continued to prepare delicious dishes, which they shared at the end of the day, sitting together in peaceful silence. They were humble meals, prepared with the few ingredients that Ms. Claire managed to collect, but which, never failed to make Natasha feel that comforting warm in her chest that gave her renewed energy to continue her work.
At first, Natasha didn't know how to react to this kind of attention. She felt uncomfortable, anxious. Her thoughts kept trying to twist in strange directions, and she often found herself trying to keep them on a tight leash. She felt curiously... helpless. The ground just seemed to keep shifting under her feet, and yet at the same time, the primary emotion was... relief.
Contrary to her expectations, those interactions soon became almost a routine, a strange and unexpected normality.
Days passed.
Sometimes, Natasha felt that someone was watching her closely. She felt the weight of a look pressing hard against her nape.
By mere presentiment, she began to suspect Tony and Loki, however, every time she looked at them, she found them immersed in their own tasks, without giving any indication that they had been watching her at all.
Anyone would have ruled out suspicions as mere delirium, but Natasha was a person who had learned to trust her instincts. She was being watched, there was no doubt about it. That was extremely disconcerting and somewhat intriguing.
What was their goal? What did they want to achieve with their scrutiny? But it was useless to ask. She knew that for the moment, she only had to wait and observe. Sooner or later, time would reveal their true intentions.
Natasha worked hard until the plants grew and then eventually became vegetables. With a sense of pride, she began to reap the fruit of her work.
That afternoon, as a celebration, Ms. Claire prepared a delicious and generous dish with what was collected. Sitting watching the sunset, they ate slowly, solemnly. That meal that was the result of so much effort and patience, filled Natasha with a deep sense of satisfaction.
She had always been just a thief. Her job was to take rather than give. She was used to destroying, not to create.
There was a degree of true delight in seeing the crops grow from a simple seed. Being able to feel her own hands leading the way so that a new life could take shape was something that couldn't stop surprising her.
"The day has come, isn't it? You must leave." Ms. Claire said suddenly.
"Of course not. I can't leave. What will happen to the crops? How will you collect food for next winter? You are not in a position to do it alone."
"Don't worry, dear. Those kind young men, Tony and Loki, just yesterday told me some pretty good news.
Apparently, they were chatting with the people of the tribe, and as compensation for their services, they asked for a favor for... me.
They requested that there were specially designated people to help me with my crops and, if possible, assist me in any task related to the acquisition of food."
Natasha looked at her in surprise.
"The people of the tribe accepted immediately. They said it was the least they could do for everything Tony and Loki had done for them. You can imagine my surprise when the leaders approached me and informed me that they had organized all the inhabitants so that together, they could give me the necessary help.
And then, the most amazing thing happen. They told me that from now on, they will do the same for anyone who cannot procure food for themselves.
I never thought I'd come to see the day when we could reach such a level of unity. We have gone through difficult times. Moments came where each of our members had no choice but to look after themselves. but I think we have now reached a point where we can afford to support each other. I think we are finally mature enough to learn that there's no shame in helping or being helped."
Ms. Claire smiled. It was such a bright smile that it could make anyone believe that life was good.
"As you can see, you don't have to worry about me anymore."
"Tony and Loki arranged all this..." Natasha thought in amazement. And that made her wonder how closely they had been watching her.
"Can I tell you something?" Ms. Claire said carefully.
Natasha nodded.
"You are a very sweet girl. You remind me of my daughter; she was very serious, just like you." She said with a small chuckle. "But she always tried to do her best in any circumstance. Her kindness was evident to anyone who dared to look closer."
"Well, she must be very fortunate to have such an understanding mother."
"She…. she passed away a couple of years ago." Her voice was perfectly calm.
Natasha felt the urge to wince.
"I'm sorry, I..." Her answer seemed awkward, meaningless.
"Oh no, don't feel sorry." Ms. Claire said smiling kindly. "She hasn't left my side completely, I'm sure of that. I can still feel her... she is in the wind that whistles in the afternoon and caresses my face, in the silent stars that shine at night and light my way, or even, in the infinite firmament. She is everywhere, accompanying me, always."
In the distance, twilight slowly poured through the mountains and a light breeze stirred her hair in the direction of the wind.
Suddenly, Natasha's eyes ached with an intense feeling and her heart wrenched in a way she had never believed herself capable of feeling.
"You know, many people think that because I am old, I should be someone sullen and gloomy, but it's not so. In fact, I am very happy." Ms. Claire approached Natasha with an accomplice smile. "Do you want to know my secret?"
"Yes, I would really like that."
"Just follow your heart." She said as she pointed to her chest. "If you do that, I promise you will be surprised. All the rest it figures it out itself."
Ms. Claire paused, pressed her lips together and then bent to kiss her cheek.
Natasha glanced up sharply in surprise. Her mouth hung parted as though in a daze.
Her hand rose slowly until her fingertips pressed gently against her cheek as if she were touching something extremely delicate and valuable.
When she needed them most, it seemed, her words chose to desert her.
"Thank you." It was all she could say, and Ms. Claire nodded.
"Take care, Natasha. I have found a friend in you. I don't know if I'll see you again but here you'll always have a place to call your home."
Standing at the doors of the tribe, Tony Loki and Natasha, were ready to leave.
The inhabitants approached them to thank them. There was real regret when they said goodbye and sincerity when they said they appreciated all the provided help.
Once out of the tribe's grounds, Natasha felt suddenly awkward, she knew that she'd overstayed her welcome.
"I've to go. I didn't mean to stay so long." She said, starting to walk. And if it seemed more like a flee, none of them made any comment about it.
"Wait! I think we made a great team there, don't you think? Maybe... you would like to come with us?" Tony said tentatively.
"Go with you? why would I do that?"
"I don't know, maybe... you liked what we did here? Look, I may be overstepping here. Actually, I'm just guessing, but I think this experience was not entirely unpleasant for you. I wonder if maybe you would like to travel with us and help us?"
Natasha looked bewildered. Some minutes passed in complete silence.
"Let's make a deal." Loki said finally, with a sigh. "How about you accompany us to the next tribe? If you don't like it, you can leave at any time, right? but if you stay, well... you are free to decide for yourself what's next."
Natasha frowned. "I should go... I don't know what I'm still doing here." She told herself. But for some reason just thinking about wandering again without a fixed destination on desert roads, filled her with sorrow as deep as the vast landscape that lay ahead.
"Just follow your heart." Ms. Claire's words echoed in her.
And with that thought, Natasha suddenly realized that she'd already made up her mind. "I must be mad." she told herself. But for some reason, it was a strangely exuberant madness.
Against what seemed to be her best judgment, she nodded assent and left with them.
Time passed. No other mention was made about Natasha's departure and soon the days became months.
She now actively participated in helping the different tribes they visited.
She offered to teach new farming practices to the inhabitants and since she was a good fighter, she entrusted herself with the task of training them in multiple combat techniques. To defend against enemies and thieves, she had said.
Looking at her, Loki often thought she seemed comfortable doing this. If he didn't know better, he would say she looked even happy.
Natasha's attitude gradually began to change. Her posture was less rigid and she no longer seemed constantly on guard.
She and Loki developed a strange relationship, it could almost be described as friendship, but he wasn't sure those were exactly the words.
Most of the time, Loki couldn't decide if he was displeased or amused with her, which was intriguing in itself and interesting, extremely interesting. The woman was a real puzzle. Unveiling those layers of her personality became almost a game to him, one she dodged with grace and skill.
Sometimes, she stared at him thoughtfully and Loki could only assume that she was also analyzing him. Often, he wondered what she had gleaned of him, but never vocalized his doubts, wondering was part of the game, after all.
Being with her was... Pleasant. Was pleasant, he could admit that.
One night, after an arduous day of walking, the group stopped to rest.
They set up a small camp and lit a fire. They sat around and began to prepare some food.
"I hope you thought about packing some alcoholic beverage. I feel like taking up a bad habit." Loki told Tony, with a smile that could almost be described as cheeky.
"Of course! I packed the best cider in the village. Distilled with nothing less than my own hands."
"Mmm not bad." Loki said after drinking. "Although a little soft for my taste."
"Ha! I forgot your super-human resistance to alcohol, I promise next time to make something worthy to knock out a horse, just for you, honey."
Loki gave him a sharp smile. "Every time there is alcohol involved you start calling me pet names. I really despise it."
"That's kind of the point, sweetcheeks." Tony said with a mischievous smile.
Natasha looked momentarily like she wanted to roll her eyes.
"What is this you call 'alcohol'?" She inquired curiously looking at the leather bag Tony held in his hands.
"It's a beverage that produces a calming and stimulating effect. I don't think you would like it, it's very strong and..."
In a heartbeat, Natasha had taken Tony's bag and drank several sips of its contents as if it were water.
"Or you can simply do what you want…"
"I like it, but Loki is right, it's a bit soft."
"So we agree on something. I think this would be the first time." Loki said amused.
"Don't let it go to your head." She said seriously, but in her voice, a slightly mocking tone could be heard.
The conversation then led to more mundane subjects. Loki and Tony traded tales of their past, their present and their time together. Or rather, Tony did most of the talk and Loki occasionally contributed with scathing and eloquent comments.
Natasha looked at them both consecutively with a seemingly impassive look on her face, however, every time one of the stories turned out to be especially funny, her mouth twitched like she was trying not to let her smile grow too much.
"And what about you, Natasha? What's your story?" Tony asked suddenly.
"My story?" The slight rise of her eyebrows was the only indication of her surprise.
"I haven't done anything worth mentioning in a story.
I am a thief. This is how I have made a living since I was very young. It's what I do best and in a place as austere as this, it is what allows me to survive."
Natasha's voice was even and inexpressive, and anyone but the trickster might have bought the act.
It was just a moment, the barest fluttering against the back of her eyes. It was barely noticeable, but Loki saw it. That guilt and remorse that slipped and pressed itself to the murky glass of her clear eyes. Just an instant and then the emotion was gone, bound with all the other feelings that shouldn't be seen. However, it was too late, Loki had seen.
"I know many places because I'm a traveler." Natasha continued. "Actually, I've been walking for a long time. I've been wandering for longer than I can remember but I prefer it that way, the place I left was not very pleasant."
"Ah, a runaway! Well, I'm not who to judge. I also left my old home. Well, if you count as "leaving", the fact of throwing yourself into the void of space with all the intentions of dying, only to land on planet Earth by a mere whim of fate." Loki said lightly.
"Do you have someone waiting for you in that place you left?" Natasha asked suddenly, very seriously.
Loki blinked a little, slightly taken off guard by the question.
For a moment, he didn't know how to respond. His first impulse was to say a resounding no, but the words died on his tongue before they even reached his lips.
Perhaps it was the suddenness of the question, or perhaps it was that his defenses weren't as firm as they used to be, but Loki couldn't help when the image of his family appeared on his mind.
"What were they doing, what were they feeling...? Have they even mourned me at all?" He wondered. "They probably forgot you already."A small murmur said in the back of his mind. But that thought made him flinch, and he pushed it away.
"I don't know." He said instead, struggling to keep his voice even, not to give away the sudden wash of emotion that had swamped him.
Tony looked at him briefly, somewhat worried, but then turned to Natasha.
"And what about you?" He asked gently.
"No, nobody is waiting for me." She said emphatically and then, after a little pause she added, "But once there was someone, although that was a long time ago."
"You were... close?" Tony said, carefully.
Natasha nodded. "His name was Ivan. He was part of the group of men who abducted me from my tribe and murdered all its inhabitants."
It was such an abrupt confession that even Tony seemed unsure of what to say next.
"Wow, he sounds like a great guy." Loki said, letting his tone communicate his sarcasm.
"Actually, he was." Natasha said calmly. "He may have been part of that group of murderers, but he wasn't there voluntarily. He was a prisoner, just like me. He helped me and saved my life, even in more ways than one…" She was silent for a moment and her eyes shone golden with the reflection of the fire.
"How old were you when they...?" Tony asked.
"About 7 years. I was young, but I still remember how those red-skinned men came to my tribe and for no apparent reason razed everything they saw. They stole what little we had. They captured me. When I looked around, I saw that every man, woman, and child, was dead. I was the only one left alive."
"I'm sorry, it must have been very difficult." Tony said.
Natasha shrugged.
"It was all I ever knew. They raised me and taught me to steal and survive.
They wanted someone to help them cheat and trick. A tool to be used as they see fit."
"Young, pretty, with an innocent face like yours... you are the perfect bait, irresistible. Especially for the kind of men that few miss." The band chief said while stroking her face gently.
"Dear Natasha… you and I are going to make a great team."
Around them, the inert bodies of the tribe were scattered on the ground. Their limbs were bent in irregular forms and those eyes that were once full of life were now empty and vacant.
Natasha looked at the bodies while those words reverberated in her mind. More than a promise, they sounded like a condemnation, a presage.
"But I never fooled myself." Natasha said. "I was never anything but an object for them. Expendable and replaceable. My only value resided in what I could do and the results I could get." Her expression turns harder then, more severe. "For me, they will always be the ones who took my childhood from me."
There was a long silence after that. It seemed that Natasha was thousands of miles away, lost in her memories.
"But Ivan... he was different." She said. Her voice so very gentle. "He was good to me from the first time we met. He treated me kindly and always kept extra food for me despite it sometimes being scarce.
He was the one who taught me to defend myself. He was not an expert fighter, but what he knew, he had learned by watching others fight and copying their movements.
Generally, we practiced at night when nobody could saw us.
We used a small, worn-out weapon that he kept hidden from the others, one he had stolen once from a robbery.
'It doesn't matter if they think you are weak, they will never know how strong you can become,' he used to tell me.
One day, I asked him how it was that he had ended up in that place. I still remember clearly the look in his eyes. I didn't understand it at the time, but now I know, it was a look of deep and bitter regret."
"I'm going to tell you a story..." Ivan said, with a sad smile on his face, dark circles under his eyes.
"You see, a long time ago, in a small tribe, there was a child who had everything he could care about in this world. Security, food, a good place to live. And he had an adorable older sister who took care of him with a lot of love. He couldn't ask for anything else, he was very happy. But one day, the red-skin men arrived at his tribe and destroyed everything that was dear to him, consuming everything in his path like hungry beasts.
The boy survived because his sister protected him, but she didn't have the same luck. Those beasts taint her, they devour her entirely. Her lifeless body was scattered on the ground as if it were only meat, an empty shell, absolutely nothing. His precious sister sacrificed her life for him, but the boy never thought that this was a worthy exchange. He was weak. If he had been strong, he could have protected what was important to him.
Despite his sister's efforts, the boy was discovered and captured. The red-skin men found a sign of fate he had survived, so instead of killing him, they took him as a prisoner. The boy was forced to serve his enemies, the same men that had caused him so much suffering.
But... time passed. Many moons crossed the firmament, and that child became a man. Since then, he has been waiting, he has been practicing, he has been patient. They don't know what he has been harboring all these years in his heart, and one day, that man will show everyone what he is capable of. He will destroy his enemies and he will be free, finally free.
It's dangerous to keep people like us caged." He said, looking her straight in the eye. "We're like wild tigers, we can't be tamed. You are my little tigress and I will protect you. I'm not going to make the same mistakes of the past again, I promise you that."
"It's strange... I don't know why, but he reminds me of you sometimes." Natasha said looking at Loki, her voice almost distant.
Loki felt a strange cold sensation that seeped through his spine.
"How did you escape from them?" He asked quietly.
"It wasn't something immediate, several years passed. Being with them was hard but it became tolerable. Ivan and me were a team. While we were together, I knew we could face anything.
Everything stayed the same for a while, almost a routine, until... something began to change.
When I grew up, the band chief started treating me differently. I was no longer a child for him, I had become a woman."
Natasha noticed that the boss's attitude became strange, unpredictable.
What might once have been a controlling grip on her shoulder, turned to a lingering touch a bit higher, finger brushing against her exposed neck. An angry grip on her forearm became a persistent hand on her wrist, moving against her skin.
At first, Natasha didn't know what was happening, but the repulsion she felt at those touches was such that they burned in her mind for hours, making her skin crawl and her stomach churn.
When she finally decided to tell Ivan what had happened, she would never see a more dangerous look like the one that was reflected in his eyes that day.
They both knew that the situation had reached its limit. They would escape that same night.
"We had everything planned, but nothing is ever so easy, isn't it?"
Loki met Tony's eyes.
"They heard about our plan and attacked us. They had us surrounded. I really thought that was our end, but... it wasn't.
Everything happened so fast. Ivan took out his weapon, the same one we used to train every night and rushed towards the bandit group. I think I'll never see anything like that again. He faced each of them with a fury that seemed to want to go through his skin. Everyone in the band was dangerous killers, each of them, but Ivan killed them all, even the powerful group leader.
However, the effort didn't leave him unscathed. In the fight, he had received a death wound. Dying on the floor, he gave me the only true smile I ever saw perched on his lips."
"So this is the end, isn't it?"
"No." Natasha said. "You're going to recover, you'll see. And we will start over, just as we had planned. Together."
"No, little tigress. I really regret not being able to accompany you on this trip, but I know you'll get ahead. You're strong, you always have been."
Tears blurred Natasha's gaze for a moment.
"You deserve more than this life, I know you're destined for something else, I knew from the moment I saw you. Thanks, little one, thanks for transforming into my happiness and redemption." Ivan said, raising his hand to gently touch her cheek.
Natasha leaned toward that touch cradling that hand between hers.
Ivan's irregular breathing resounded like faint gasps in the silence of the night until suddenly, his hand fell to the ground, losing its strength.
"Are you still there, tigress? I can't see you, it's as if suddenly the stars had gone out and the night had swallowed everything."
"I'm here." She said with some desperation in her voice. Ivan's chest rose erratically, and blood began to slowly accumulate around him. Trembling slightly, Natasha stroked his face.
"Good…" He said with a smile. "I feel very tired. Could you… could you stay until I close my eyes?" He asked softly. Natasha's eyes were sad when she kissed the top of his head. "Yes, I'll stay until you sleep."
"He left this world, calmly. I am sure that wherever he is, he found peace." Natasha's voice was slightly unsteady even though her eyes were dry and calm.
"I couldn't just leave his body lying there for the crows, so I buried him, and then left without looking back.
It didn't seem there was anything else to do, so I picked a direction and started walking. Actually, I've been walking since then.
I wish I could say that I listened to him, that I lived my life differently, just as he wanted, but I didn't, I'm still a thief. I don't think I can do anything else, it's the only thing I'm good at.
He was my family. I never met my parents or had any siblings, but I think he was the closest to a family I ever had."
Natasha's words were repeated in his mind and suddenly, Loki felt sick. No, not sick. Nostalgic. He missed them, he realizes, his family.
He missed Frigga, Thor, and even Odin with such force so it almost ached.
Frigga... He could almost hear her smiling. He thought of her gaze and the sound of her voice, soft and understanding. She had always struggled to get the best of him, even when everyone else seemed to have given up on him.
She was his mother. And if she didn't have that title by blood, she definitely was it in everything that really mattered. Loki was her son, in his heart, he always had been.
He thought of Odin saying "No, Loki", but he also remembered all the other occasions he had said "yes" and his heart skipped a beat. He thought of the boy he used to be, desperate for his father's recognition and approval, and the realization that he wasn't that person anymore, it felt like a weight lifted on his shoulders, a hilarious kind of freedom.
His thoughts circled back to Thor and suddenly he felt an intense need to talk to him, to be with him. He missed him with a physical ache that hurt him right down to the base of his spine. It was something so sudden and intense, that Loki caught his breath before his distress gave him away.
There were so many things that were left unfinished between them. "What he was doing now? Have he ever thought of me as more than just a burden? A curse? Have he come to... forgive me?"
"Don't think about them anymore." He told himself. "This is all immaterial, they are out of your reach, lost." And then another voice overlapped the previous one and murmured at the back of his mind. "It's permissible to miss the people sometimes, you don't need to pretend..."
Not knowing what to do with this, he forced himself to concentrate on Natasha.
"Actually, I hadn't thought of Ivan for a long time." She said, after several moments of silence. "I guess the memory of his death was very painful. Still is."
"Family can be a difficult issue." Loki offered, swallowing hard. If he wasn't careful, he'd come across as sounding far too wistful.
She said nothing more, just looked at the fire in silence.
Loki met Tony's eyes and he gave him a rather pointed look. Loki couldn't help but get the feeling he'd been vastly overestimated if he thought he'd be competent enough to be some source of comfort or reassurance.
What was he supposed to do? There was nothing he could have said to make it any better, it wasn't as if he knew Natasha well enough to know what she'd want to hear.
After a moment of deliberating, Loki spoke.
"My relationship with my family was never an easy topic for me either. I suppose that for a long time the rancor lodged in me until it began to rot.
I spent many years stuck in resentment. I wasted many years never trusting anyone, least of all myself.
I let go... I made that decision. It didn't occur to me that there was another way to go. I thought there was no longer a place for me, that it had been brutally taken away. A ripped space that no matter how hard I tried, there was no way to ever get it back.
But I was wrong. Things do change, and I realized it in the most unexpected place of all."
He turned to Tony. In his eyes, a look full of significance.
"I'm not saying you forgive people who hurt you, but maybe even though things aren't the way they're supposed to be, things have changed enough to be better."
Natasha frowned. "I don't know why you try to help me. I've done nothing to deserve your kindness. Moreover, from the first moment we met, I did nothing but try to deceive you. I don't think you should trust me that easy."
"Aw, so you do care." Tony said.
"You don't know what I've done." She said, and her voice sounded hollow, sad.
"No, maybe not." Tony acknowledged. "But I know a little about what you're doing now. Maybe that matters more?"
Natasha turned her eyes towards him, bewildered, but after a moment her face softened and her eyes acquired a kind tone "There's definitely something not working properly in your heads." She said finally, with a slight smile.
And Loki thought this one had a little more of truth in it.
The silence that followed was far more companionable. Overhead, the waning moon shone behind the silkiness of the clouds. A light breeze stirred their hair and the sounds of the night became suddenly, a comforting embrace.
Eventually, Tony glanced between Loki and Natasha as though he was trying to work something out.
"You know... I hope you have noticed that you both are more alike than you realize. I haven't decided yet if that's a good thing or a bad thing... What I mean, is that I firmly believe that you are good for each other, yet also the worst match I have ever seen."
"We're nothing alike." The two of them said at the same time, looking at Tony with identical irritated looks.
Tony then, burst into laughter and at seeing him, Loki snorted amused.
Natasha paused. The irritation vanished and was replaced by a surge of something that caught her by surprise.
It began to hum in her chest or stomach, a strange feeling she couldn't quite pin down nor wanted to examine too closely.
There was something suddenly warm about that, and she suddenly felt as if something that had been long buried in her wanted to get out. Like a single blooming flower that made her chest feel almost uncomfortably full.
Her heart ached vaguely. She felt... naked, exposed. At once cornered and at the same time as if she had found some kind of liberation; or as if she'd stepped into an unknown path without intending to, but what she had found there instead of frightening was soothingly warm.
She closed her eyes and smiling, let that feeling engulfing her completely.
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I'm hopeless! There were supposed to be few chapters left to finish this story, but obviously it didn't turn out that way. Well, things don't always go according to plan. In order to take this fic to where I want it to go, I had to add 3 more chapters, so the truth is, I'm going to have to postpone the promised climax a little bit. Also, I couldn't resist showing what is going on outside the village and telling a little about the reality of some of the other Avengers hehe.
Next chapter: I'll try to have it out as soon as possible, but I think that you have already realized that I am a slow writer, so let's not put any deadlines on it for me to miss haha.
/ serious moment alert:
Abruptly changing the subject, I wanted to tell you a little about one of the inspiring elements that led me to write this fic.
As you may have noticed, this story focuses quite a lot on the climate problem.
I'm from Chile and currently, my country is going through a serious drought problem. The southern sector is running out water and it's really heartbreaking to see that many farmers and residents have had to leave their homes due to lack of resources and job opportunities.
I remember with special fondness a town I went to as a child. It was very beautiful. It had this huge river and you could see rare plants and green everywhere. It was such a lively place and now, it is practically a desert.
Perhaps, many of us haven't had to experience at first hand what global warming means, but it's something serious and real that has already begun to affect a large part of the globe.
The purpose of this fic is purely entertaining, it has no more pretensions than that, but it would be very gratifying for me to know that it's reading also served to create a little more awareness to take care of our beautiful planet. :)
/end serious moment.
Last but not least, I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you who has ever reviewed, followed or even just silently read this story. You guys are what keeps me going and your reviews always make my day. Love to you all.