-waves- Hello everyone that got here through a notification for a new chapter. In case you did, go back and read the previous chapter as it has been changed to reflect the part 2 I've finally written! Also, the rest of the chapters have been updated to use "Hakuno" and there's been some cleaning up of grammer, ect.
Now, notes for the second half:
One, I drew more from the actual Epic of Gilgamesh than what is presented in Strange Fake.
Two, Enkidu is referred to as an "ur-sal" which, from my research was a term used in that time period to refer to someone non binary(usually in a religious position). I did find a second word, kurgara but I could find more support for ur-sal so I went with that.
Third, since Enkidu is stated to not be a man or woman, I went with the pronouns they/them.
Alright, done with my notes, enjoy the chapter.
Hakuno opened her eyes to a rocky ceiling. Her body ached, like it had been trampled by horses-no oxen was probably the better analogy.
Summoning a bit of healing magic, she was surprised to note that it felt like she was scraping at the bottom of a clay pot for grain. However, she was able to scrap together enough power to dull the pain, so she could sit up without her body protesting too much.
It was then she noticed her dress was ragged, barely hanging on by a few threads. Angry purple and black bruises of various sizes adorned her exposed skin. Leaves that smelled faintly of mixed herbs were wrapped around her appendages as well as her shoulders and torso.
Seeing the extent of her injuries brought back the memories of the bandit chase through the forest in vivid detail.
She clutched her aching head and pushed away the memories. That did not matter. Right now she needed to figure out what had happened after she had fallen unconscious. She had thought she had seen something jump down from the trees but she was not sure if that was her being delirious or that actually happened.
Not much she could do on that end so she focused on examining the cave around her. It was not that big, she could see the entrance from her bed of soft leaves and it was only a few steps wide. The cave walls had small nooks and crannies that seemed to hold berries and herbs along with other small objects she could not identify from her position. Next to her "bed" was a bundle of soaked moss.
Realizing how parched she was, she picked it up and sniffed. It did not smell odd. Based on the dressing of her wounds and the dull ache of her stomach wanting food, it did not seem like her rescuer wanted to kill her. She squeezed the moss over her dry mouth and reveled in the sweet, clear water that flowed down her throat. She remembered a few times having spring water like this when the caravan had passed through forests, but this water was even better than that!
She froze as she caught something move from the corner of her eye in the direction of the cave entrance. Did something just duck out of sight?
"Hello?" she called. She did not know if her legs could manage her weight at the moment so she stayed put. "Are you the one that rescued me?"
She blinked in surprise as a person peered into the cave.
A naked person.
Her surprise quickly turned to confusion. She did not know what was more concerning, the fact that the person had long green hair, naked and appeared to not have any identification of their sex, or that they were walking on all fours like an animal. An ur-sal? A fistful of herbs were in their mouth and their green eyes watched her curiously.
Well this was different.
The wild person dropped the pile of herbs next to Hakuno and fled to the entrance of the cave. She recognized the herbs as medicinal plants, the ones that were wrapped around her body.
"Thank you."
The ur-sal just blinked once before running away from the cave.
She knew there was magic in the world but this felt like something else entirely. She sorted through the herbs and was grateful to find some willowbark, which she began chewing to help dull the pain and focus her mind. In the back of her mind she worried about her magic as it had never felt this weak before. Did she lose it for good? Did the Gods take her gift away from her?
She broke out of her spiraling negative thoughts as the ur-sal returned and dropped a pile of berries by her side before scrambling back to the entrance of the cave. They sat on their haunches like a wolf and looked at her expectantly.
Hakuno looked at the berries and then at them. The berries were not familiar to her so it was probably a local growing variety. "For me to eat?"
They tilted their head to the side but did not speak.
After a couple of moments, they scurried back to the bedside and grabbed one of the berries in their mouth. Hakuno was glad to note they had normal human teeth. Using a hand like a paw, they pushed the berries towards her.
She took a couple in her hand and decided not to think too much of where they might have been.
Not knowing how much her stomach could handle, she decided it was probably safest to just eat one. The ur-sal next to her seemed to be hyperaware of her finger movements, the wariness from earlier gone completely.
She put a berry in her mouth, chewed and swallowed. It was sweet, whatever it was and her stomach did not revolt at the food invasion.
After she finished the rest of the berries she turned to them. "Thank you. They were delicious."
They stared at her mouth and blinked slowly.
Hakuno focused her magic but it was still too weak to help with her injuries. She mentally cursed. She could not stay here. Gilgamesh needed to know she was alright but right now she was in no condition to travel-
"Thank you."
Hakuno froze and turned to the wild person. If they had a tail, it would probably be wagging right now.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
"So you can speak after all?" she whispered.
"After all?"
Probably not speaking then. Parroting? She pointed to the bundle of moss. "Moss."
They looked at the bundle and pointed at it. "Moss." They looked to her for confirmation.
Hakuno nodded. "Yes. Moss."
"Moss!" They pointed to a loose rock. "Moss!"
"No. That's rock. Rock. Moss. Rock." She pointed to each item as she said it.
"Moss. Rock. Moss.." He pointed to the wall of the cave. "Rock?"
Hakuno nodded. "Technically yes. Rock."
They bounced up and down on their haunches.
Hakuno's stomach growled and they looked at her stomach and then at her.
"I'm hungry."
"Hungry….hungry!" They hurried out of the cave and came back with more berries. "Hungry?"
Hakuno had to admit, this was going to be interesting.
The mysterious creature was a fast learner.
In only a couple of days they had "graduated" from simple object identification to more abstract concepts. She never thought she would have to describe to someone what the purpose of the sun, moon and stars were in relation to the Gods.
It was not like she minded teaching them. Her injuries still needed to heal and her magic was still too weak.
After a couple more days she realized something.
"You know, we should probably give you a name."
They looked up from cooking some rabbit over the fire. That was another thing she had to teach them. Humans could not eat meat raw. They had been fascinated when she instructed them on how to cook meat and refused to eat raw meat since.
"A name?" They pulled the stick of meat out from next to the fire and squinted at it. They were still learning on how to gauge doneness. Hakuno always checked everything by breaking it apart by hand to make sure. She was still recovering and she would rather not get sick from eating raw meat on top of everything else.
"Open it and check," she insisted.
They nodded and used a bone knife(something she taught them to make) and cut into the rabbit flesh. "It does not look done." They turned it so she could see it and after a confirming nod, they returned it before the fire.
She rested her hands in her lap. "Yes, a name. I mean, I feel like it is rude to not be able to call you anything besides, 'you'. You should have a name like me."
"A name…" Their eyes sparkled and they bounced up and down in excitement. "What is my name Hakuno?"
She thought about it for a moment. Spending time with them for days, and with them being the one that saved them, she knew she had to get this right. Plus this might be a being sent by the Gods(as what else could explain the odd biology?). "Well," she said slowly. "You do like learning about new things a lot. And you pick it up fast and seem to be getting wiser everyday." And a possible connection to the Gods. "So I think I will call you Enkidu, after the God of wisdom, Enki."
"Enkidu…" they repeated slowly. A smile broke out on their face. "Enkidu."
"If you do not like it, then I can think of another."
They shook their head. "No. Enkidu is fine! I like it a lot, thank you Hakuno!"
Their smile was contagious as Hakuno could feel her mouth curling into a smile. "You are welcome."
"Enkidu, Enkidu," they repeated softly.
It reminded her of the first day they met, and he repeated every word she said.
The contrast was astounding though. While before they had a child-like excitement, now they had a thoughtful, adult presentation. More human, she realized.
"Uh Enkidu, I think you should get the rabbit from the fire before it burns!"
"Enkidu, can I ask you for a favor?"
Enkidu, who was in the middle of plucking a bird, looked up. "Yes Hakuno?"
"You mentioned that there was a stream nearby where I can take a bath?" Although her injuries were healed to the point she could walk, it was still painful for her to travel far from the cave.
"Baths…for getting clean right? It makes you feel better mentally?"
Hakuno nodded. "I would go myself but I do not know where it is." Enkidu always brought back soaked moss for her to clean the wounds and for drink. "And I do not think I can walk there and back without help…"
Enkidu nodded. "Of course Hakuno." They tilted their head to the side. "Should I carry you?"
"If you do not mind."
Enkidu put down the bird and ran his hands on the dirt floor before turning kneeling with their back to her.
"You have started taking care of your hair?" she asked in surprise as she got on and wrapped her arms around their neck. A couple days ago it was a ratty mess but now there were a few spots that were less knotty than others.
"Oh, well, uh, you take care of your hair…" Enkidu stood and carefully walked out of the cave. Despite having a lithe frame, they did not seem bothered by her additional weight.
Hakuno was shocked that they had been paying that much attention and learning from her even when she was not "teaching" them.
"Well, maybe we can makeshift a comb with some bones or something. And I will help with the tangles."
"Thank you Hakuno!"
"I know you are excited but can you reduce the bounce a little there?" She winced as pain shot up her legs.
"Oh, I am sorry. That is what you say right?"
"That is right. Good job remembering that Enkidu."
It was obvious Enkidu was trying to control their enthusiasm.
Soon enough, they reached a small flowing creek. The water was crystal clear and she could see a few small fish swimming around.
"Thank you Enkidu." She got down from their back and stood on shaky legs. She was about to take off her tattered dress but realized Enkidu was watching her with wide eyed curiosity. Of course, a "bath" was a new concept for them.
"Uh, could you turn around and not look at me while I bathe?"
Enkidu blinked in confusion. "How come? I need to know what a "bath" is. And you are always telling me that doing it by imitation is the easiest way for me to learn."
Oh Nabu, she had to say that didn't she?
"It is a lot trickier than that," she explained slowly. "Humans wear clothes to cover themselves so their bodies will not be seen. Those are private parts that only a few would be allowed to see." This reminded her of the time Enkidu asked why she had "lumps" on her chest. That had led to a lesson on the differences between men and women but she moved on quickly from the topic before Enkidu could ask about themselves.
Enkidu looked down at their dirt and grime covered self and then at her.
She sighed. "Forget it." Explaining modesty to someone that never did it before was difficult. Plus technically Enkidu was not a "man".
A lump rose in her throat as she thought of Gilgamesh but she pushed those thoughts away. Logically there was nothing she could do about that right now.
She pulled her dress off and stepped into the creek. She shivered as the cold water flowed over her feet. Thankfully the creek only went to her waist when she sat down. Her thoughts flitted to the time Gilgamesh rescued her from the Euphrates.
No! She needed to stop. She put all those thoughts into cleaning herself. She did not have any soap so she scrubbed at her skin with her hands.
Her hair was a rat's nest and she scrubbed at her scalp, trying to get rid of all the dirt, not caring about the strands of hair that came out of her head.
Hearing splashes from downstream, she turned to see Enkidu copying her. Well, kind of. They were splashing water everywhere more than cleaning themselves. With a small laugh, she walked over to them. "Here, let me help you clean your hair."
The sun was heading to sunset before Hakuno announced they were both as clean as when they were born. Enkidu had not understood that comment she changed topics quickly before they could think too much of it.
"Enkidu…before we go back, do you mind taking me somewhere else?"
"Of course Hakuno. Where do you want to go?"
She bit her lip and debated whether she wanted to do this or not. She shook her head. This was not up for debate, she had to. "Can you please take me to where you found me?"
"Where I found you?" Enkidu tilted his head to the side, a gesture she realized, they had learned from her. They nodded. "Yes, I remember where it is." They pointed to the direction. "It is not too far. We should be able to make it there before nightfall."
Hakuno slipped on her grubby dress and climbed onto Enkidu's back.
"Hakuno?"
"Yes?" She rested her head on their shoulder to avoid knocking her head into the low hanging branches. Enkidu might be able to carry her with no problem, but they did not account for the height issue.
"Can you make me some clothes like yours?"
She blinked as she comprehended the question. That seemingly came out of nowhere. Although perhaps she should not have been surprised by it.
"Is that not possible?" Enkidu's shoulders slumped.
Hakuno shook her head and then realized they could not see her expression. "No, no, I can try. We could probably cobble something together with animal pelts." She sighed. "I wish I knew how to weave cloth but we usually just bought it on the caravan premade." And during her time in the palace, others took care of that for her. "Do not worry Enkidu. I will figure out something for you."
Enkidu seemed to perk right up, and he increased speed. She had to giggle at his enthusiasm. It reminded her of a child.
Her expression dimmed as she thought of Gilgamesh. Her King was child-like as he always had to have his way but she missed him. She would give anything to see his face now…
She broke out of her thoughts as Enkidu stopped at the base of a steep hill. The sharp rocks on the incline made Hakuno shiver. It seemed like her body remembered tumbling down that.
After letting her down, Enkidu pointed to where her body was. "There. You were right there."
Hakuno walked over to the spot and much to her surprise she didn't see anything. Besides the ground looking overturned with fresher leaves, it looked like any other part of the forest. "Enkidu, what happened to the bandits that were chasing me?"
"The wolves got to them," replied Enkidu. He pointed to the trees. "They were complaining about the noise and the smell of fire so I went to investigate. I saw those…bandits, as you call them, chasing something and I knew they were the ones that caused the animals to be agitated."
For a moment, Hakuno saw the feral beast that lay under Enkidu's humane exterior.
"But why did you let me live?" she whispered.
Enkidu crossed their arms and tapped a foot on the ground. "I…I do not know why. I do not wish to sound odd but you were…different from them. Very different."
Different? Could that be referring to her magic? She reached within her and felt the weak traces of her healing ability. Perhaps her body was trying to heal her from back then? Maybe Enkidu could sense it the same way Urash and…Munzar were able to.
She touched the ground where her body had lay. There was nothing here, no proof of who she was.
Wait. Her Queen amulet. She had been wearing it when she had fallen down the hill.
A look around and an inquiry from Enkidu told her everything she needed to know. Her necklace was gone. Might have been taken by a crow or raven but most likely taken by the guards that must have been searching for her after they had killed the bandits. At least, that is what she hoped.
What did they think, with her body not here? Based on what Enkidu said, the wolves probably were not nice to the bandit bodies. What must have they thought when they found the bodies mauled? What would Gilgamesh think if he heard the news?
"Oh!"
Hakuno looked up at Enkidu's sudden exclamation and a shiver went down her spine. In the dusk sunlight, she could see glowing eyes in the growing shadows of the trees. Wolves. Enough for a pack and more. While she took a step back in fear, Enkidu stepped towards them.
They let out a sharp bark and moved towards the wolves. One of the wolves growled back and Enkidu froze in place. They began barking again, in a frantic tone. The wolves did not see to pay any mind as they seemed to disappear deeper into the forest.
"Enkidu?" Hakuno stepped towards him cautiously.
Enkidu shook their head and turned to her. "I…I could not understand the wolves. It was like their voices were silent to me." They shook their head again, like they were trying to fix whatever was wrong. "The birds have been silent to me but I thought it was just birds being stuck up, as you put it…"
Could it be possible by learning about humanity, Enkidu was losing their connection to the forest? "Enkidu, I am sorry. This might be my fault."
"No! You are not to blame Hakuno. I just…I…" They covered their face with their hands. "I am just…I do not know what this feeling is. Hakuno, what is the name to this feeling?"
Her heart went out to them. Enkidu had been her companion throughout her recovery and she had become attached to them. It pained her to see them in pain like this. She reached out and clutched Enkidu's hands in her own and pressed her forehead to theirs. Being this close, she could feel and hear their panicked breathes.
"There are many words that could describe what you are feeling. And even then, words might not explain exactly what you are feeling. Words are not the only ways to show your feelings. Just by doing something like, I am telling you, I am here for you." Did her words make sense? She was not sure but it seemed to be working as Enkidu's breath slowly returned to normal.
"I…I am sorry for being so…"
"Emotional?" supplied Hakuno.
"Yes. That."
"Do not be embarrassed. It is upsetting." She shivered as she took in the forest. In the daylight it was creepy but now it was downright frightening. "Shall we return to the cave?"
"Yes. Let's."
"Hakuno, are you still awake?"
Hakuno opened her eyes and stared at the cave wall. "Yes? What is it Enkidu?"
"I…I am sorry. I cannot sleep. My…thoughts just keep running around my head." She could feel Enkidu shifting from the other side of her.
About two weeks ago they had started insisting on sleeping next to her, like humans did on a bed. She, of course, was uncomfortable with the idea but they had looked so crestfallen, she relented if they slept back to back. She would never tell them but she had come to be comforted by their presence being so close by. It reminded her of her time in the caravan when everyone slept in close proximity.
"Same for me Enkidu, my thoughts are running around too."
"Really? What are your thoughts about?"
"I was thinking…of my King."
"Gil, the man, you love."
Hakuno nodded. Of course Enkidu would remember her saying that. "I…I was thinking about how I need to go back to him when I am healed. He is probably very worried about me and…I am about him." How would Gilgamesh react if he saw the Queen's amulets without her wearing it? She could still remember his face when she awoke after Munzur's attack on her. This time he probably thought she was dead. She wrapped her arms around herself. Oh Gil.
In the darkness, Enkidu's voice was quiet and weak. "You are going to leave?"
She froze. How could she be so thoughtless?! She turned over so she was facing him and in surprise, Enkidu did as well.
"Hakuno, you said when we are in the bed we should not-"
She wrapped her arms around them and pulled them close in a hug. "I am sorry Enkidu, I am sorry I did not think of you. You are suffering now too, you are losing your forest friends and I am talking about me."
"What…Hakuno, I do not understand."
"This is a hug Enkidu." She blinked back tears. "You do this to help make your friends feel better when they are sad."
"Hugs…friends…" Enkidu pulled away and looked her in the face. She could not see them well due to the low light from the fire but she did not doubt they could see her well. They had proved to her they had excellent night vision. "We are friends and you said friends help each other."
"That is right."
"Can…can I help you Hakuno?"
"What?"
"Can I help you go back to Gil? The one that are missing?"
"But Enkidu, this place, it is your home."
Enkidu shook their head. "It…it does not feel like home anymore. I notice it now, every day the forest seems less friendly to me. I do not know the forest like I did before and every day I feel like I know less. But you Hakuno, every day I feel like I know you better than before. I want to help you." They grasped her hand. "Please, let me help you."
She did not have to see it to know they were panicking and looking for her guidance. She reached out with her other hand and lightly cupped Enkidu's cheek. "Of course I will accept your help if you are willing to give it," she whispered. It was probably for the best if they came with her. She did not know how they would survive out here without the forest as a friend.
"Thank you Hakuno. Thank you."
She chuckled and pulled her hands back. "Can you go to sleep now?"
"I…I think so but… do…do you mind telling me one of those stories? About the Gods?"
"Of course Enkidu." She thought for a moment. "I will tell the story of Ishtar's descend into the underworld. It all began with Ishtar approaching the gates of the Underworld and demanding to be let in…"