Chapter Twenty-Three
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Hiding inside Alistair's house forever isn't an option for me. I'm gonna have to suck it up and deal with Ewar again whether I want to or not.
Damn it.
A container in the corner of the room serves as an excuse to prolong my stay indoors by a few more minutes. I use the water to scrub away the dirt and muck accumulated from five days' worth of travel. At least now I only feel like shit instead of looking like it too.
My hair and skin are still damp when I step outside. I give the immediate area a quick sweep with my eyes. Ewar is nowhere in sight - and I am grateful for that small stroke of luck. I need more time to adjust to the little "surprise" he sprung on me today.
He told Alistair that he had made a promise to Damara. Therefore, he has invited himself on the Lake District trip specifically to make sure I get back home as planned.
Just... what? Has Ewar lost his mind? He won't even have a conversation with me anymore! He avoids me like the plague. We might as well be strangers.
But, sure. Damara would be oh so disappointed in him if he doesn't escort me home.
Ewar is the most confusing man to ever walk the planet.
A welcome distraction waits outside the hut. Alistair and Onya are constructing a travois of their own. Upon hearing my approach, Alistair's wife stops what she was doing and smiles.
"Assu!" Hello!
"Assu." I glance at Alistair. "Would you like some help?"
"Yes. How very kind of you to offer." He takes a look around. "Hmm. You could assist with organizing and loading our belongings. I fear there may not be enough room on the travois for everything we would like to bring. What a pity. I prefer having more supplies than less. You never know when you may need an extra blanket, for instance."
Onya and I get to work right away. We stack basket after basket on the sledge. But Alistair was right - there isn't enough room. We do some rearranging here and there, treating each item like a puzzle piece. In this way, we manage to fit everything except for two baskets.
I turn to Alistair. "Do you have any spare rags? Ones you wouldn't mind being damaged or destroyed?"
"Certainly."
He locates them and hands them over. I tear them into strips and loop the cloth around the baskets, forming straps. Once that is done, I sling the creation on my back to test it out.
Onya draws closer and touches the altered basket in silent admiration. Alistair grins.
"Bravo, Bella! A rucksack... It just goes to show that a seemingly complicated problem sometimes requires a simple - albeit brilliant - solution. How did you come up with it so quickly?"
Memories come back to haunt me.
Ewar and I were stuck in a snowstorm; relying on each other to keep warm and stay alive. Our sledge and most of our supplies were destroyed by a herd of stampeding bison. We were forced to come up with another way of transporting our things...
"Let's just say I've been in a similar situation before." I clear my throat, trying to appear less affected by the memory than I am. "When will we be leaving?"
"Tomorrow morning. Unless you would rather rest for another day or two?"
"No! I mean... No, thank you. Under the circumstances, I think we should get going as soon as possible."
The quicker we leave, the sooner this nightmare will end.
Onya and I head back inside the hut to start the evening meal. I make myself useful by flipping the roasting meat occasionally to keep it from burning. Onya is different from Alie. She is a lot quieter, and she isn't rushing around with the energy of a dozen suns. But there is a calm, self-assurance about Onya that puts me at ease. I find that I like her company very much.
It is nearing sunset when I hear a muffled noise behind me. The animal skin curtain has been thrust to the side. A figure appears in the doorway.
Ewar is here.
His face is smooth again, indicating that he found time to shave since arriving at the Cave of Life settlement. This man used me like a toy and discarded me as soon as he had his fill of my affection.
Even so, my traitorous heart leaps at the sight of him.
Alistair, standing behind Ewar, nudges him forward. "Look what I found, Bella! Your dear husband tried refusing a home-cooked meal. Said he didn't want to be a bother. I told him Onya would be more bothered if he was intentionally avoiding her food! She's quite the cook, and proud of it too." He clamps a friendly hand on Ewar's shoulder and switches to the native tongue. "Make yourself comfortable. We will be eating shortly."
Ewar nods. He then gives me the briefest of glances. He chooses to sit as far away as he can get while still being considered inside of the house.
The knife in my chest twists deeper.
Bowls of food are being passed around when a young boy no older than twelve enters the hut. He has long dark hair and chubby cheeks that any matronly aunt would love to pinch.
Alistair waves him in. "Ah, there you are. I was wondering if you would show up tonight. Bella, this is Seti. Have you met him yet?"
"Not officially. Although, I do remember seeing him the first time Ewar and I visited the cave."
Seti sits down beside me and the meal continues. Onya gave the boy plenty to eat, but he barely touches his food. Each time I look in his direction, I catch him watching my every move.
"Um. Why does Seti keep staring at me?"
Alistair does a poor job of hiding his amusement. "I suspect he harbors a crush on you. It isn't every day that a boy his age gets to sit next to a bona fide representative of Damara herself." He winks at his little joke.
Flattered, I turn to Seti. "Alistair, please tell him that it is an honor to eat with him this evening."
Alistair translates my message. Seti's smile grows. The boy finds his voice and gives a heartfelt reply.
"Thank you! I am honored as well. I would like to marry you someday!"
Alistair, Onya, and I break out into light laughter. Even Seti joins in. The only one who doesn't have a sense of humor is Ewar. He gives Seti an odd look and immediately returns to eating.
I ignore him.
"You are very sweet, Seti, but I am too old for you. Why don't we stay good friends instead?"
Alistair translates what I said. Seti's smile falters somewhat. After a moment's thought, he nods and begins to happily chow down his dinner. I wish I could handle rejection as well as him.
I focus on Alistair. "I didn't know you and Onya had a son."
He shakes his head until he swallows his mouthful of food. "Oh no. Seti isn't our child. He is more time of a... helper around here. His mother insisted."
"I'm not following you."
His brow furrows as he finds a way to explain. "Dreams are given great significance in this society. They are often seen as a glimpse into the spirit world, or a divine prophecy. In Seti's case, his mother dreamt that the Great Spirits came to her one night. They said Seti was destined to serve the Mother Goddess at the Cave of Life. What could she do but comply?
"I still remember the day she brought the lad. He was quite small back then. His mother described her dream and insisted that I take Seti as my apprentice. At first, I refused. I had no desire to separate a mother from her child. But I soon learned that she was in no condition to care for him. She was gravely ill. Seti's father had died before his birth, and there was no family left for her to turn to." Alistair smiles fondly at the boy. "He has lived in our little village ever since. During the day, he assists Onya and me with managing the operation of the cave. In his off hours, he has the freedom to go wherever he wishes. There is an open invitation for him to eat and sleep in nearly every permanent household. His social calendar is quite full. Sometimes Onya has to plead with him to spend an evening with us every now and then! Yes... Seti is much cared for around here."
"And his mother?"
"She passed away several months after returning to her tribe. He has no memories of her."
"That's... very sad."
"Indeed. But Seti knows the story well. He appreciates the opportunity she gave him. If she had not brought him here, he likely would have been mistreated once his mother was no longer alive to protect him."
The meal comes to an end. Onya invites me to take their spare bed. Seti bounces off to sleep at the house of one of his playmates. And Ewar rejects Alistair's generous offer of sleeping indoors. He chooses to camp out by his travois instead.
The next morning is full of activity. Alistair and Onya double-check that nothing we may need for the trip is accidentally left behind. As they finish up, I give the surrounding area a good look around. The place is bustling with visitors. Many wish to pay their respects to the cave where the Mother Goddess birthed humankind. Others are here to get advice from a renowned wiseman.
A troubling thought occurs to me.
"Hey, Alistair. Aren't people going to be upset when they find out that the great and wise 'Mayant-hattatar' is nowhere to be found?"
He waves away my concern. "This is hardly the first time I have taken an extended holiday. If my advice is needed that badly, they can return at a later date. I shall be back by the time autumn arrives."
Suddenly, his expression goes pensive. He flags down Seti. Their whispered conversation is brief. Seti is quick to agree with whatever Alistair said. He runs off and returns with a long piece of wood.
I move closer to investigate. "What's going on?"
"Nothing terribly important. I was reminding Seti that no one is to go inside the cave without a proper escort. Why, you would not believe the number of people who seem to think they can scribble on the cave walls without permission! Just because you were born with fingers doesn't mean you are talented enough to draw on the cave belonging to the Mother Goddess."
My eyes flick between the two of them. I have a funny feeling about this...
"Alistair, who will protect the cave while we are gone?"
"Seti, of course."
"Wa-" I blink rapidly at this revelation. "You're leaving a child in charge of a holy site?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"Fuck yeah, there is! Seti is like ten years old. What's he going to do if there is an emergency?"
"No need to worry, my dear. It has all been arranged. One shout for help and the entire village will come running to his aid." He smiles down at the boy. "And as you can see, Seti is hardly defenseless."
I make a face at the "weapon" the boy is holding. "That's just a big stick."
"Oh no. Not a stick. A staff. In the right hands, it can be quite lethal."
"And Seti has been trained with it?"
"Indeed he has. A man from the village taught him everything he needs to know. He can take down a grown man if need be!" Alistair's eyes take on a shine. "Would you like Seti to demonstrate his skill for you? He's quite good at targeting the knees of his opponent. Whack, whack, whack! I must admit it is an amusing sound. I'm sure we can find him a sparring partner before we leave..."
I hold up my hand. "I'll take your word for it. There's no need for Seti to break any kneecaps for my entertainment alone."
Exhausted mentally, I let the matter drop. I still don't like the idea of a kid being left with such a huge responsibility, though. It's a good thing for Alistair that there won't be a Child Protective Services hotline for at least another twelve thousand years.
Onya brings us back to sanity. She walks up to announce that everything has been taken care of. The time to embark on our journey has arrived. I heave one of the baskets on my back and position myself near Ewar. He has spent most of the morning waiting by the travois, eager to get going. A small group of spectators gathers to watch the four of us preparing to leave the settlement. I hear a few excited whispers of "Damara" and "land of the Great Spirits" among them. Word of how Alistair is helping poor ol' me return home spread fast. I am viewed with much interest. Ewar gets only a couple of curious glances.
Alistair tousles Seti's hair as a form of farewell. Onya gives the boy a hug and kiss on the cheek. I am somewhat surprised when Seti expresses a wish to say goodbye to me as well. Our embrace is sweet. He rests his head on my chest and lets out a sigh.
Ewar snatches up the handles of the sledge and starts dragging it away - forcing the rest of us to get going sooner than expected.
What's his deal? That stick up his ass is starting to really tick me off. He goes from stoneface quiet to pissy in the snap of your fingers.
Alistair takes charge of his own travois. Onya and I follow after him. In the front, Ewar leads us through the settlement. Soon we reach a winding, rocky trail. It weaves around hills and boulders like a ribbon. Occasionally, we pass by a tree or stream. The scenery is boring, honestly. I am thankful for Onya and Alistair's company. It's nice to have people around who don't mind talking to you and who haven't stomped on your soul until nearly nothing is left.
Around midday, Alistair wipes his glistening brow.
"Phew! I am sorry to say this, but my aging muscles were not built for such strenuous exercise. I think a short break is in order."
The four of us come to a halt. Alistair and I sit down on some conveniently low-lying rocks. Instead of resting, Ewar paces around with his hands tucked behind his back. As for Onya, she slings her bow on her back and grabs a quiver of arrows.
"I saw signs of a hare down by the stream we passed," she says. "I will be back soon."
Alistair nods in acknowledgment. When she is gone, he speaks to me. "If her hunt is successful, we shall eat well tonight. It is a good idea to hunt and forage along the way while we still can. We will save the dried food for when we reach the less hospitable tundra region."
I glance in the direction she went. "Aren't you worried? Onya is going back pretty far, and she's all by herself..."
He shakes his head. "Onya was born in this area. She knows how to take care of herself, and I trust her judgment." He lets out a chuckle. "She's a far better hunter than I am. If I tagged along, I would only get in her way." He pulls out something from his belt pouch. It is a bent wire frame surrounding cracked glass. "My spectacles did not last long after I arrived in this age. I have poor eyesight without them. Give me a spear and I doubt I would be able to hit the tail end of a wooly mammoth!"
I smile at his joke. "I understand. So... Onya does most of the hunting - and with arrows instead of a spear. I remember you telling me that you 'invented' it, but I don't understand why Onya is the only person I've ever seen using it."
"Even in the future, new ideas are often met with skepticism... or worse. Remember Galileo? He was accused of heresy because he introduced an idea contrary to what the church believed. In my case, no one has threatened me with prosecution, but I have dealt with plenty of pushback regarding some of the innovations I have introduced. Not that I can blame them. This is a world where danger lurks around every corner. A weapon as advanced as the bow and arrow is seen as both dangerous and unknown."
"But, why?"
His brow furrows at my question. "Advancements in technology during prehistoric times are slow in comparison to the time periods you and I were born. Most of their tools and weapons have been around for untold millennia. Each generation hands down their knowledge to the next. But the bow and arrow... Nothing like it exists in this region. Though, that's not to say that it does not yet exist in other places. On the contrary, I am sure it is being used in distant lands as we speak, such as Africa and Asia. But it will take thousands of years before the technology will reach the people living here. That was why I was determined to correct it. The bow and arrow could improve the life of every man, woman, and child in the region. It is far more efficient than anything they have currently. It is lighter than the spear, has better range, and therefore can inflict a wound on an animal at a safer distance. Even better, you needn't be particularly strong or agile to use it. It is revolutionary!
"Sadly, the people of this region do not think of it that way. To them, the bow and arrow is to be feared. It is unknown and obscenely powerful. Therefore, it cannot be trusted.
"Onya was the first and, so far, the only person willing to give the weapon a try. It took me years of gentle persuasion before she finally agreed. She has always been quite brave. She has since adapted to it marvelously. My hope is that one day in the near future, others will see how successful Onya is with the bow and follow her lead. If I am lucky, I will get to see it before my allotted time on earth comes to an end."
Ewar enters my field of view. He is still moving around restlessly. Occasionally, he stoops down to pick up a stone. Some he puts back, others he keeps. One stone he seems to like especially. He holds it loosely in his hand. His thumb absentmindedly strokes one spot in a circular pattern as he walks around. It reminds me of how he was stroking certain places on my body just a few short days ago...
I don't realize I am staring until Alistair clears his throat.
His voice lowers. "I don't want to make myself out to be a gossip, but I can't help but wonder about that husband of yours. He was so talkative and eager to please last winter when we met. Now, he barely speaks and keeps to himself. Have Onya or I offended him in some way?"
"No, Ewar doesn't have anything against you or Onya."
"Then, what is the matter?"
I shrug. "He probably regrets coming on this trip. Who can blame him? Here he is spending most of the summer walking to the far north - all because of some stupid vow he made to a goddess that doesn't really exist."
Even I heard the bitterness in my tone.
Alistair's worried gaze studies my face. "Are you all right, Bella? Did Ewar... treat you properly all these months?"
I purse my lips to keep myself from blurting out the truth.
Ewar treated me great up until a week ago. Then, he got his dick wet and brushed me to the side. Don't worry, though. He still makes sure I eat and drink as needed. It wouldn't look good if his so-called wife dies from malnutrition before he can get a new one lined up.
"Ewar upheld his end of the bargain, Alistair. He never harmed a hair on my head. I can't complain."
My censored version of the truth does the trick. His posture relaxes. "I am glad to hear it. But I still sense that something is wrong..."
I huff a laugh. "The only thing 'wrong' is that Ewar will be stuck with me several more weeks before he is free to return home. A nice, new life waits for him there."
"Oh yes! I have been meaning to ask how things went after you returned to his people. I take it that it went well?"
I give a curt nod and describe how I convinced an entire village that Ewar was cured of his alleged infertility by combining embarrassing dance steps with subtle symbolism.
Alistair chuckles. "I have to hand it to you, Bella. You went well above the call of duty to help Ewar. Say! You ought to open yourself a fertility ritual clinic at the Cave of Life. It sounds like you would get plenty of business!"
I should laugh at his teasing but I cannot. All I can manage is a weak smile.
"Thanks, but I'll have to pass. One patient is my limit." I sneak in a peek at Ewar before looking away. "You know, he already has one woman interested in him."
Alistair raises his eyebrows. "Is that so?"
"Yes. Essa lost her husband recently and is ready to find a replacement. She made her intentions clear the night of Damara's festival."
"And Ewar? What does he think about her?"
"I don't know. He hasn't said anything. But he didn't try too hard to get away from her that night, if you know what I mean."
Alistair twists his mouth to the side. "Hmm..."
"What?"
His answer comes out slowly. "I find it peculiar that Ewar would leave this Essa behind to go on our trip. There are only a few short weeks of summer, and for all of it, we will be traveling. He won't be back to his village until autumn, when Binding Day takes place. That doesn't give him much time for wooing."
I swallow hard at the thought of that particular day.
"Ewar and Essa know each other well," I say in a measured tone. "Wooing isn't necessary for them, I guess."
"I see... Well, that is good news!"
Before Alistair can continue on that subject, Onya returns from her hunt. The hare she was after has been butchered and currently hangs from her belt.
Rest time is over. The remainder of the daylight hours is spent walking.
We are still in hill country when night approaches. A camp is set up. Alistair and Onya have their own tent to share. The fresh meat is cooked over the fire. Some tubers are roasted and seasoned with a musky herb. After our meal is done, I am shocked by the sound of a voice. I haven't heard him speak all day
Ewar points at Onya's quiver. "Uwallu?" May I see?
She exchanges a look with Alistair, who nods encouragingly. She hands over the quiver. Ewar pulls out the arrow she used on the hare and studies its craftsmanship. The tip is broken. After a thorough examination, he makes eye contact again with Onya.
"This should be sharper and narrower. Also, I believe it would be less likely to break if it was made with a different stone. If you will allow, I would like to see if I can make better arrowheads for you to try."
Onya smiles. "Yes. Thank you. Your help would be most welcome."
Ewar doesn't waste any time. He gathers some tools together, plus a large stone he collected earlier today. He occupies himself with the task of chipping away small flakes from the mother stone. The flakes are scrutinized for imperfections before being formed into small, deadly arrowheads.
The rest of us spend the evening talking and relaxing. The clacking of stones is the only sound Ewar contributes to the conversation.
Onya stretches and yawns. She rises from her place by the fire. "I will go to bed now. Good night, Bella."
"Good night," I reply.
Alistair looks up at her with a gentle gaze. "I will follow you soon, assiyant."
Their parting kiss makes me want to sigh.
Curiosity persuades me to speak. "Alistair, you called Onya assiyant. What does it mean?"
"My love, or something equivalent to that. It's my pet name for her."
I smile. "That's sweet. You two have been together a long time, haven't you?"
"Yes. Almost as long as I have been here. Her father found me wandering the plains. I had one foot already in the grave, so to speak. Hadn't eaten in many, many days... He brought me to his home at the Cave of Life. It was to become my salvation in more ways than one." His eyes take on a dazed sheen. "While others in the village were frightened of my strange clothes and way of speech, Onya was not. She volunteered to be my nurse. You will never find a more persistent woman than my Onya. I had no choice but to get well again. My heart, however, was never the same. She has had ownership of it ever since."
I find myself sighing again. "I'm happy for you. You were lucky to have found her."
"Yes. I am the luckiest man to have ever lived. Though, some would disagree."
"Why? You and Onya are well-respected in your community. And if it wasn't for you both, the Cave of Life wouldn't be as successful as it is now. You two have everything. I don't see how anyone wouldn't be insanely jealous of what you have together."
"Onya and I have everything... except children of our own."
The clacking of Ewar's stones goes silent. He must have been listening to the conversation. That makes my blunder even more embarrassing.
I fidget where I sit. "Oh. I... I'm sorry, Alistair. I wasn't thinking when I said that..."
He shakes his head. "Do not fret. Children are a blessing, of course, but they do tend to be rather demanding. As it is now, Onya and I are free to live our lives the way we want. She has her guardianship of the cave to focus on, and I have my Mayant-hattatar persona to uphold. We don't have much time for raising children." He stands up. "There are those in this society who believe a person's fertility is a sign of their worth. I say, fiddlesticks! Your life is what you make of it, regardless of whether you can produce children or not. At any rate, my lovely wife and I are content with the way things turned out. We have each other. You'll hear no complaints from us!"
He adds more fuel to the campfire and straightens up again. "Well, I do believe I shall join Onya in calling it a night. Sleep well, Bella. You, too, Ewar."
Alistair crawls into the tent where his wife awaits. The air seems to go still. It is just Ewar and me now. He and I sit on opposite sides of the fire. I spent the majority of this evening trying not to look in his direction.
Now that we are alone, my eyes stage a rebellion.
I find him staring into the flames. A hammering stone is fisted in his hand. My throat goes dry. All those feelings I have kept in check come rushing back. I want to trace that little wrinkle between his brows and then smooth it out. I want to kiss the corner of his mouth until he smiles. There are so many things I want.
But for all the time I sit and watch him, he says not one word. He doesn't even look up from the fire.
I'm going to bed.
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Another toss-and-turning night stretches by. My dreams are once again a nightmare in disguise. I wake up more often than I can count.
I am lying there staring at the tent's roof when I hear light footsteps outside. Having nothing better to do, I stick my head out the exit. The early morning light is dim. I just barely make out the silhouette of someone.
I tiptoe outside to investigate.
Alistair is hunched over the smoking embers of the fire, trying to breathe life back into it. He catches sight of me and places a finger at his lips. I nod in acknowledgment. Ewar and Onya are asleep. It's too early to wake them.
He makes sure to keep his voice low. "I see that you have found me out. My internal alarm clock won't allow me to sleep in. I wasn't aware you were an early riser, as well."
My whispered response is accurate and vague at the same time. "Yeah. It's been that way for me too lately. I'm awake before the sun rises, and then I'll just lay there until it's time to get up."
"You're welcome to join me in my morning routine. Some may view it as a peculiar way to start the day, but I find that it suits me quite well."
"What's your routine?"
"I greet the new day with a bit of yoga."
"Really? You do yoga? I never would have thought..."
"So you've heard of it, then?"
"Yes. It's gotten kind of popular worldwide since your day, Alistair."
"Is that so? Are you a practitioner of it too?"
I give a quiet laugh. "Not likely. I'm not flexible enough. I'm also pretty clumsy if you haven't noticed. I'd probably break my neck if I tried doing downward facing frog, or whatever the hell you call it."
"Hmm. I do believe that you are operating under a misconception, my dear. Yoga is for everyone. It can be tailored to fit your needs. Why, it can even help with clumsiness."
I had been looking at the ground. Upon hearing that last claim of his, my head whips up. "How?"
"It teaches balance of mind as well as body. Perhaps all you need is a little readjusting of both. What do you say?"
I hesitate for approximately five seconds. Then, I nod. It's not like I have anything better to do.
After he sets up a skin of water over the fire to heat up, he signals for me to follow him. We find a spot within sight of our camp. He rolls out two blankets, one for each of us. We sit cross-legged facing each other. He tells me to close my eyes.
"Listen to the world around you. The wind; the sound of nature. All is well. Feel your breath leave your body. Relax."
I learn the basics. It's not as hard as I had assumed it would be. There's a lot of stretching and breathing exercises. When he instructs us to get on all fours, I giggle.
"I thought working in your museum for two years taught me everything there was to know about you, Mister Alistair Tuddleston, inventor and scholar extraordinaire. Yet here you are, a yoga instructor too."
He laughs along with me. "Life is full of surprises, is it not?"
"It is."
He moves into a position where his hindquarters are in the air. I mimic the stance.
"I was traveling through India," he says in between breaths. "Came across an old swami. A very wise man. He told me, 'Follow your dreams. If it fails, learn from it. And tomorrow, dream again.' It was so different from what I had known back home! Family tradition had taught me to 'do as you are expected and do not disappoint.' That swami's ideas intrigued me greatly. So, I decided to remain where I was a while longer and learn more. It was a wonderful experience. Yoga transformed me from a weak, indecisive young man into what you see now - an aging man who knows exactly what he wants to do with his life." He gets out of position and sits normally. "I still don't have much in the way of muscle, unfortunately."
I wet my lips and reveal a small part of myself. "But what if you followed your heart... I mean, your dream, and it blew up in your face? How are you supposed to recover and move on? Umm, hypothetically speaking."
"It will be difficult at the outset, but it isn't impossible. You dust yourself off and take a different approach. Have fun! Find pleasing distractions to keep from brooding over your failures. Given enough time, a new dream will come to you - one that will hopefully be more successful." He arches a brow. "I do believe we have taken care of the philosophy lesson for the day. Let's focus on getting you accustomed to the physical aspects of yoga as well, shall we?"
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I take his advice to heart. Distractions are my only means of remaining sane.
So when Alistair offers me a steaming cup of unidentifiable dark brown water after our first yoga session, I don't turn my nose up at it. I take a sip fit, then ask him what the hell I'm drinking.
"Coffee," he says.
"What?! How is that possible? I thought coffee beans were from the tropics."
"And you would be correct. This isn't coffee in the strictest sense. In actuality, that is ground, roasted acorns brewed in hot water."
I give it another taste. It is slightly bitter, like coffee. That's where the similarities begin and end. Having no sugar or milk mixed in hurts my delicate palate.
He chuckles at the face I make. "I had to find substitutes for my favorite beverages. Coffee was the most difficult. I was fortunate in that I recalled during the American Civil War, people resorted to making do with acorns as a coffee substitute. It isn't perfect, but I do think it's better than nothing."
He is right. So that is why I join him in drinking the stuff every morning, right after we start the day with yoga.
The countryside changes in the following couple of days. The hills level out. The ground is covered in thick green grass. I try not to look too often at the man leading our small procession. But it is hard. There aren't many distractions around when you are walking through a nearly treeless plain.
It is late afternoon when we come across a knee-deep river. It is an excellent water source, the first one we have seen in two days. Even though it is relatively early, Onya suggests we camp here for the night. Everyone agrees. Here we can do some laundry, wash ourselves, and replenish our water supply.
Alistair is setting up a fire when Ewar strolls up to Onya.
"I am finished," he says.
He hands over a bundle of arrows, each with a stone arrowhead he made personally and attached to the wood shaft.
Onya thanks him. She looks around and comes up with a clever target to test the new design on. An armload of grass is gathered and stuffed inside an animal hide. She places it nearby and steps back. An arrow is put at the ready in her bow. She aims.
It hits the target in an eye blink.
Onya goes to check how the new arrow did. It's embedded deep, not quite dead center in the target. She yanks the shaft out. The arrowhead survived unscathed.
She repeats the process several more times. I stand back and watch her fire in fascination. Onya is graceful in her movements. And even though she is not getting a bullseye every single time, you can see by the expression on her face that she is pleased by her success rate.
She fires two arrows in quick succession. Both hit the target. I feel compelled to give her a round of applause.
She pauses to look at me. Her eyes go squinty for a moment. Just as quickly, her expression smooths back out and she waves for me to come closer.
I leave the safety of the campfire to see what she wants. At first, I assume she needs help dismantling her animal target. But, no. She pushes her bow into my arms.
"You must try," she says with a smile.
"Yes! Excellent idea," Alistair cheers. "What fun this will be!"
The thought of holding a potentially deadly weapon almost gives me the hives. It's way too early for yoga to have cured me of my clumsy gene.
I try shoving the bow back to her. "Uh. I don't think-"
"No!"
Every eye in the vicinity turns to look at the person who interrupted me.
Ewar stands nearby like an avenging angel, hands fisted at his sides. His gaze is intense.
"No. Bella cannot do that. Take it from her... now."
His words sound final. I can almost hear what he didn't say.
Bella can't do anything right. She's bound to fuck things up. Better take that weapon away before she ends up in trouble.
The ache in my heart is replaced by a different sensation. Pure rage. How dare he try to tell me what to do! The asshole won't even talk to me, but he sure as hell thinks he can continue bossing me around.
He could not be more wrong.
I take the offered bow and pretend you-know-who didn't just pitch a bitch a second ago.
"Thank you, Onya. Will you teach me?"
I can almost feel the hole Ewar is burning through my skull.
It's to Onya's credit that she hesitates for only a moment. She nods and immediately goes into teaching mode. She uses few words. Mostly, she demonstrates. I try mimicking her stance. She giggles and brings my uptight shoulders down a notch. The position is more relaxed than I expected. The other tricky part is aiming the arrow. My first shot is wide. I miss the target completely. Onya pushes me to try again. The second is better once she readjusts how I am holding the arrow. One finger above, two below. I now have better control. My second shot buzzes by the target, just missing it. The third hits the very edge.
My tenth and last arrow is almost dead center.
Onya pats my shoulder. "Very good!"
Her praise is simple yet also highly effective. For once, I am proud of myself.
After she and I collect all the used arrows, we return to where the men wait. Both are staring at me uncomprehendingly.
"My word, Bella," says Alistair. "That was extraordinary! For a beginner, you have remarkable hand-eye coordination. How on earth did you learn to shoot those arrows like that?"
I stroll up to both men. "Video games, Alistair. I learned it from video games." I dump the used arrows into Ewar's arms and smirk triumphantly at him. "It looks like these arrows could use some more sharpening. Onya and I will need them when we practice again tomorrow."
His glare is my reward.
As I strut away, I hear Alistair babbling on.
"Ah, yes. Video games. That explains it." His tone lowers. "Eh, Ewar? You wouldn't happen to know what that means, perchance?"
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A/N- I appreciate how you did not kill me after what happened last chapter. Unfortunately, these lovers are still idiots. I hope you were entertained at least, lol.
Hold on tight. The next chapter is a doozy. Bella gets mad, and she's armed now, so... Ewar better watch his back!
Thanks for reading. :-)