The next chapter is up! Enjoy :)
The friends along with the villagers kept walking due west.
At least the walk wasn't all that bad. Seeing as they were now on even, flat ground now and not on a trail or path that goes up and down like the paths up in the mountains.
The sun went in a little too as it became more overcast as the day went on. Which meant the heat wasn't all that bad and they got a small break from it.
At some point during their walk, the little girl that Kylie saved back in the village came up and started walking beside her and Galen.
They learned her name was Anya and she turned out to be a rather curious and inquisitive child. Asking them all kinds of questions. Though Kylie found it most amusing when she kept giving Galen sideways glances.
"Excuse me, Sir. But are all apes as hairy as you?" She asks Galen in an innocent and curious tone.
Kylie placed her hand over her mouth to muffle some laughter at the little girl's question.
"Anya, honey, that is not a polite question to ask someone." Her mother said as she and her husband walked behind their young daughter.
Then the mother, whom they eventually learned was named Emilia shifted her gaze to Galen.
"I'm sorry about that, Sir. We never had any apes in our village. So, she has never seen one before." Emilia apologized.
Galen wasn't offended by it at all though. If anything, he found her question to be cute and amusing.
"Oh no, it's quite alright. I understand, she's merely curious." He assured the woman.
Then his gaze went back down to the small child walking next to him.
"Yes, all apes are a very hairy lot. Much more so than humans. It's probably why we're not crazy about water. Because when and if we get wet, we have to shake ourselves out than our hair starts to poof out all over the place. When that happens, we tend to look like one gigantic hairball that's about to fly away in the wind and the only skin you see among it is our faces. So, in other words, a giant round poofy ball of fur with a face." He joked.
The little girl was silent for a moment, then she started giggling at his response.
Galen smiled, and gave her a wink, as she continued giggling.
Kylie thought his response was pretty amusing too. She also thought it cute how he interacted with the small child. They don't get to interact with the children all that much in the villages they tend to visit. But when they do, Galen will sometimes throw funny faces at them, or say or do something funny that will have the kids giggling at his display.
In a way, she thought Galen kind of acted like a big kid himself at times and that's probably why the few kids they have come across, he was good when it came to interacting with them.
"So, how big is this settlement? What's it called again?" Kylie asks Elisabetta.
"It's called Lamont. If memory serves me correct, it's pretty big with a fairly big population of humans and apes. My family and I had friends that live there. We were on our way to visit them when we took a wrong turn and ended up going up the mountains instead of around them." Elisabetta explained.
"It sounds very nice. But do you think they will have enough space for at least fifty-two more humans though?" Merrick asks.
"Not sure, we won't know until we get there. But even if they don't, there are at least a couple more settlements not too far from Lamont down the same stretch of road it would be close to." Elisabetta replied.
"I hate to say it, Merrick, but there could be a good chance that the villagers may have to split and disperse to other settlements. Because fifty-two people is a lot to place. But even if you do all have to split, at least you know everyone will be going to a new settlement and starting over." Galen told him.
He understood this and while it would be sad for everyone to have to split up, it would still be for the best.
"I know, and it maybe a bit of a challenging adjustment at first, but it's worth it if it means a chance at a new life and a safer one. At least now, we don't have to worry about landslides down here." Merrick said.
"This is true. We've been to many villages here. Can't say many of them deal with a lot of natural disasters. So, they are quite safe from the elements." Kylie added.
"I'm well aware that our villagers may have to disperse and spread out. Though I believe only the single men should do so. The men with families should stick with them and not be separated from their wives and children." Elder Makon said, as he walked not far from the group.
"Of course. We'll just be sure to find a place for the families, so that they do stay together." Alan says.
Pete went in step with Elisabetta and started walking beside her.
"So, once you get to Lamont, are you going to settle there or go to another village by it?" He asks her.
The red head shifted her gaze to him.
"I think I'll stay there. Seeing as I'm more familiar with the layout there then some of its other neighboring villages." She replied.
"Do you have an idea of where you will go and stay while there though?" Pete asked.
"Most likely with the friends my family and I originally set out to visit there. I know they have at least one guestroom within their dwellings. I'm sure they will allow me to stay and use it." Elisabetta tells him.
"Good, glad you have somewhere in mind you can go while there. Was concerned that you may get stranded there with no hut to stay in." He says.
She gives him a small smile.
"While I appreciate your concern, I'm tougher than I look. Spent nights out in the woods many times before and know how to manage on my own. Even if I had to camp out in or near a village, it wouldn't bother me much." She assured him.
Pete returns the smile, "You don't have to tell me twice. I know your very tough and don't take guff from anyone. Your fiery personality can only rival your fiery colored hair. And that's what I like about you."
Elisabetta's smile widens, really brightening up her face.
While Pete had sweet talked many women in his time and had plenty of girlfriends, he can't say he ever met one that really drew him in. Not like Elisabetta seems to draw him in.
It was clear, she really stuck out from most of the other women in this time. She was quite bright, tough, witty, and beautiful.
Even when he did dish out some cheesy lines to reel her in, like he did with many in the past, she wouldn't just giggle like an idiot and go right into it like most of the women back home. No, Elisabetta would just get cute and smart with him and dish out retorts back. Just one of the other things he has come to like about her.
Her smile eventually grew smaller. Then she started talking again.
"Are you and the others going to stick around for a little while once we get to Lamont? Or are you going to continue your travels?" She asks.
He wishes he could give her a definitive answer, but he was unsure what he and his friends will do once the villagers were settled and if they stayed, he wasn't sure how long it could be.
"I wish I knew at this time. But I don't. Perhaps once we get these villagers settled in, I'll talk it over with Alan, Galen, and Kylie. See what it is they want to do. Though usually when we do hit a village, we do tend to stay for at least a couple days to at the most a week or two." Pete said.
"Well, even if we do have to visit a couple neighboring villages to place all the villagers, it still doesn't mean we can't circle back when we're finished and return to Lamont for a little while." Alan stated, hearing most of their conversation.
"Why not? It's not like we ever have a set destination in mind." Kylie added.
She and Galen too heard half Pete's and Elisabetta's conversation and thought this arrangement wouldn't hurt. Especially, if the neighboring villages are not very far from Lamont.
A couple small smiles appear on Pete's and Elisabetta's faces.
"Well, guess it's a plan then." Pete says.
"And a date." He adds, with a wink in the red head's direction.
Elisabetta playfully rolls her eyes.
"Easy there, stud. Try not to get your hopes up prematurely. I'm not one for playing easy." She countered.
"Fine with me. I never said I didn't mind a challenge. Feel free to throw everything you have at me." Pete teased.
Elisabetta snorted, "That shouldn't be an issue. There are plenty of things in a village I can throw at you. I once threw a horseshoe at a boy who wouldn't stop teasing me and kept calling me 'carrot top'. Afterwards, the lump on his head from the horseshoe was just as red as my hair."
Pete couldn't help but chuckle. The only thought that came to mind is he definitely nabbed a little firecracker here, this time.
"Fair enough. But at least show some mercy and give me a head start to start running first, before you start whipping projectiles at me." He joked.
"No promises." Elisabetta teased.
The group continued their conversations as they trekked across the open landscape with the villagers trailing behind them.
By the evening, they finally saw what was a road ahead of them and they all started heading towards it. They ended up getting there within the next ten minutes. When they did, Elisabetta paused and stared looking both ways down the road, then a smile appeared on her face.
"I recognize this road. This is it. The one that will take us down to Lamont. I'm sure of it. We just need to make a right onto it, and it should only be maybe about three more miles down on the left." She said, excitedly.
"Sounds great. You want to lead the way then?" Alan asks her.
Elisabetta nodded, "Follow me."
Everyone started following the red head afterwards as she led them all down the wide dirt road. This was the road she and her family were supposed to travel to before incidentally finding themselves heading up into the mountains by mistake.
Hopefully, everyone in the traveling party had enough energy left to make the next three miles. It's tough traveling all day with hardly any stops. Even harder when there were only a few provisions to go around as it was.
Some of the villagers were able to nab sacks of food on the way from the doomed village up in the mountains before the landslide.
Still, they had to do their best to split portions as evenly as they could. Even the group of friends gave some of their own provisions to some of the villagers.
Then once the sun drew lower on the horizon, everyone became excited when they saw what looked to be multiple dwellings up ahead on the left of the road.
"That's it up there on the left." Elisabetta said, pointing it out.
Some of the villagers started to see the settlement too and found some renewed energy and picked up the pace.
It had to be another fifteen minutes or so, before they finally got there and started walking in. When they did, the people already within the village stopped and stared at all the new people suddenly walking into their settlement.
While they were used to some visitors coming into town, they have never seen such a large amount of people like this coming in. Especially, when it was a large crowd of humans.
They weren't walking for long, when one of the gorilla guards that was walking through the village started to approach them.
"Hold up. Who are all of you?" He asks.
"Please, Sir. These are displaced villagers that have just lost their village to a landslide up in the mountains, they come here seeking refuge. We know that there may not be enough room for all of them here. This is why we request for some to seek refuge here then maybe travel to some of the other neighboring settlements near here and take some of the others there." Alan said.
The gorilla guard stared at him, then shifted his gaze to all the other humans with him. Before bringing his gaze back to Alan.
"This is something you will have to address the prefect about." The guard says.
"That is fine. May we speak with him?" Alan asks.
"Yes, though you can't all go to see him. Most of the humans will have to stay here." The guard told him.
"That is perfectly fine. I've been here before and have met the prefect. May I have permission to address him, Sir?" Elisabetta asks politely.
"Fine, but only two others can go with you, and that's it." The guard told her.
She nodded, then she turned to Pete.
"Will you and Kylie come with me?" Elisabetta asks.
"Sure." Pete says.
"Yeah, I'll go." Kylie replied.
"Thanks." Elisabetta said.
Then she turned back to the guard.
"Ok, I'm ready. I also remember where his quarters are." She tells him.
He nods, and gestures for them to come with him.
The three of them left, while the others stayed behind. They didn't have to go too far. The prefect's quarters were merely up ahead and around the corner. This much Elisabetta definitely remembers.
The guard led them to the front door and knocked.
A few seconds later, the door opened, and a chimp stood there looking out.
"Sir, these people came here to see you and ask if you can provide refuge to some displaced villagers." The guard addressed him.
The prefect's eyes widened a little as they landed on a familiar face. Then he turned to the guard.
"Yes, they may come in." He said, waving the small group in.
Elisabetta, Kylie, and Pete all walked in, and he closed the door behind them once they were all in. Then what came next surpised them.
"Elisabetta! How are you!?" The prefect asked with a big smile and pulled her in for a hug.
The red head smiled and hugged the slightly older chimp back.
"I'm great Arthur, how are you?" She asks.
"As good to be expected. But...where is the rest of the family?" He asks.
She became a silent as a sad smile touched her face.
"Unfortunately, mother passed not a few months after out last visit here to an illness. And...my father, Joshua, and I got turned around on our way here just recently. We found ourselves up Harlow Mountains by accident. As we were trying to navigate the paths up there my father and brother...slipped and fell off the side of the path we were on and...tumbled down the side of the mountain. It's just...me." Elisabetta go out, fighting down a lump in her throat.
While they have been good friends since they were very young, she still didn't feel right telling him the truth about them being murdered. For concern he may think the villagers will be considered a danger here to them, thinking they were all dangerous.
But she knew well enough it was just the one individual that killed her family that was dangerous. The rest of them weren't and were just doing what they could to survive.
Arthur gave her a sad look, before pulling her in for another hug.
"I am so sorry, dear." He told her in a soft tone.
She lightly bit her lip, fighting back tears as she nodded.
"Thanks, but while I was unable to help father and Joshua, I'm hoping to help some other people who really do need help and I hope you can help too." Elisabetta said.
Arthur nodded, then he gestured her and her friends to some chairs in his office. He then offered them all a cup of water before sitting down behind his desk.
"What can I do for you?" He asks.
Elisabetta started from the beginning.
She told him how after the untimely demise of her father and brother, she wandered about the mountain paths for a little while until she stumbled upon Pete, Kylie, Alan, and Galen. To how they allowed her to travel with them.
Elisabetta left out the fact that her and Kylie were kidnapped and just told her old childhood friend that her and her new friends came upon the isolated village up there. They entered the village and became friendly with the people there.
But while there, they were hit with an earthquake that sent a landslide down into the small valley up there that the village was located in and destroyed it. Fortunately, she and her new friends were able to help the villagers escape.
Afterwards, they all trekked through the mountain paths, down and out of the mountains. She and her new friends told the villagers that they would take them to one of the nearest settlements for refuge and one of those closest settlements, happened to be here.
"So, you see, they lost everything up there and are without homes. And while there is quite a large group of them, we're hoping you can spare room for at least some of them. Then afterwards, perhaps we can bring the remaining villagers to settle in some of the neighboring villages close to here." Pete added at the end.
"At least for the families. In which case, there aren't that many families. There maybe a total of fifty-two people. But there is only a total of seven families." Kylie said.
Prefect Arthur listened to everything that his friend and the other two with her have relayed to him.
"While it sadly is true, that I may not have room for all of the villagers, I think I can spare room for about twenty of them or so. I wish I could spare more, but sadly I can't. Though, I do believe the spare room I do have in this village should go to the families. The other villagers unfortunately will have to settle elsewhere. Though, I will allow all of them to stay the night. We do have a large clinic here with many cots set up in it. That is where the bulk of the villagers can stay the night. This is probably the best I can do and on short notice." The prefect explained to them.
"We understand. And we thank you for at least allowing them all to stay the night." Kylie says.
Prefect Arthur nods, "You're welcome. I can have some guards here escort the handful of families to some vacant huts we have here on the edge of town. While I'll have some others escort the rest to the clinic. I'll notify the personnel at the clinic and tell them what has occurred, and they will need the spare cots."
"We appreciate it, thanks. Though, how is it you know Elisabetta?" Pete asks, suddenly curious.
The chimp and Elisabetta smiled.
"Arthur is not originally from here. He's from my village. We grew up together and played together as friends. He lived there until he got the job position as prefect here. Now, he resides her with his wife and two children. By the way, how is your wife Sora and the kids Suzie and Lukas?" Elisabetta asked.
"They are all well. And will be happy to see you again." He told her.
Then he got up and rounded his desk.
"Well, let's go then. I'll inform some of my guards here to escort the villagers." Prefect Arthur said as he headed to the door.
The three humans got up and followed him out.
The one guard that escorted them to see the prefect was still idling about by the door when it opened, and the prefect and three humans walked back out. He spotted the guard by the door and turned to address him.
"Kano, can you please round up a few of our guards and have them escort the displaced villagers to our temporary housing units here? The ones with families will go to those huts. While the rest of the villagers will need to be escorted to the clinic and set up on the cots there." The prefect informed him.
"Yes, Sir." The guard replied.
He then left to get some of the other guards.
"Thanks, Arthur. You're the best." Elisabetta said.
He smirks, "I try."
"While they're doing that let's get back to Alan and Galen and let them know what's going on." Pete says.
"Right." Kylie replied.
"You want to meet the rest of my friends, Arthur?" Elisabetta asks.
"Of course, I do. They helped you get here safe and sound after all. Would like to thank them for it." He stated.
They all headed back to where Alan and Galen were with the villagers.
Alan and Galen eventually spotted Pete, Kylie, and Elisabetta making their way back to them. They also noticed a chimp was with them. They didn't know why at first an ape was with them. Until he got closer and saw he was wearing the prefect insignia on the front of his green shirt.
"Hey, how'd it go?" Galen asks.
"It went well, Arthur is able temporarily house the villagers. At least for tonight. Some may be able to take up residence here. But most may have to leave in the morning and settle within the other nearby villages." Elisabetta said.
"Arthur?" Alan questioned.
"That would be me. I am prefect Arthur. It is nice to meet you two. I hear you helped Elisabetta after she lost her family and you helped bring her here. For that I thank you." The prefect told them.
Alan and Galen exchanged a quick look, wondering why he was thanking them for escorting a human here.
"Uh, you're welcome?" Galen says.
Kylie chuckled a little at his confused look.
"Galen, Elisabetta knows prefect Arthur. They grew up together and are friends." She tells him so that he and Alan better understand.
"Oh, well, that makes more sense then." He replied awkwardly, while rubbing the back of his head in slight embarrassment.
The prefect laughed a little, "Yes, how many apes can say one of their best and oldest friends is a human? Not many I gather."
"Anyways, I've called for some of my guards to escort these villagers to somewhere they can stay. I recommended the families go to some of our vacant guests huts near the outskirts of town while the rest of the villagers will have to spend the night at our clinic where they will be set up with some cots and food. Unfortunately, by morning, they will have to move on though.
I'll send some letters out to Cormack Village, Kressler Village, and Vallona Village tonight and inform them of the displaced villagers and let them know they need somewhere to settle. Luckily, all these villages are within a few miles of here. With luck, I'll get a letter from the prefects there, and they will inform me if they have room or not in their settlements." Prefect Arthur explained.
"That be great. We can't thank you enough for helping these people." Alan said.
"Of course. Though I was rather surprised when Elisabetta and the others here told me they from the one and only isolated village up in the mountains. That place was so remote, some here actually didn't believe that there was really a village up there." The prefect says.
"Well, there was. Sadly, it is gone now though." Galen told him.
"Not, to worry, everything will be settled with them for the time being here for tonight. Here come my guards now to escort them." He says, gesturing to his left.
That's when everyone saw a total of six guards walking over to meet with them all.
"Listen up everyone, those with families only will go with these two guards here. They will escort you to the eight small guest huts we have on the outskirts of town. The single villagers will come with my other four guards over here and they will escort you to the town clinic. There you will be provided with food and cots to rest on for the night." Prefect Arthur instructed.
He saw an old man approach him. The group of friends saw it was Elder Makon.
"Thank you, Sir. For helping my people." He says to the prefect.
"You're welcome. And don't worry, everyone will be situated for the night. Then I'll inform the other neighboring villages nearby. Hopefully, they will have room for a few more villagers." Prefect Arthur told him.
Elder Makon nodded and thanked him one more time.
Then he followed the single villagers without families which included around thirty-three men to the town clinic. While the families separated from the rest of the villagers to follow the other guards to the guest huts.
The little girl, Anya, smiled and waved by to the group of friends as she went with her mother, father, and the other families to the guest huts.
Prefect Arthur turned his attention back to the group of friends.
"I take it you all need a place for the night too, correct?" He implied.
"Yes, but if there is no more room here, we understand. Can always camp out in the woods on the outskirts of town." Alan said.
"Don't be ridiculous. I have room. The guestroom that Elisabetta would utilize has two beds in it and I had a small guest hut built several yards behind my house a couple years back for guests or relatives that come by to visit me and my family. You are all welcome to the guestroom in my home and the guest hut behind it." The prefect informed them.
"Thank you, prefect." Galen says.
"Of course. It's the least I can do for you helping my friend Elisabetta get here safely." He replied.
Then the prefect gestured for them to follow him.
Until Next Time ;)