~Two Days Later~ ‘Oh you are awake, how do you feel?’ Matara asked, walking towards him from the window.The person on the bed turned towards her and then closed his eyes and turned away.‘It’s alright, you can open your eyes,’ Matara said.The person shook his head and raised his left arm to cover his face.‘I’m serious, you don’t have to,’ Matara said calmly.The person raised the bed cover; made of animal skin, and covered his head. Speechless, Matara stood, not knowing what to do.‘I want to apologize for what my daughter did. She didn’t mean it, she was just scared. Please, I hope you forgive her,’ she said, helplessly.But the person didn’t bulge, he just laid there with his entire body covered. ‘You must be hungry. I’ll get you something to eat,’ she said and still got no reply.She stepped out of the room and came back some minutes later with some food.‘Here you go,’ she said.The person didn’t reply or move, just laid there.‘Please make sure you eat when you’re
~In Sai’s Room~ Sai sat down on the ground and rested her back on the wall, waiting patiently for the stranger to wake up. She stayed as far as possible with her body covered with the bed cover meant to cover the stranger. Close to the stranger was a small bowl with fruits in it. After waiting hours, the stranger finally woke up. The stranger looked around before sitting up on the bed, curling up his body and resting on the wall. He looked towards Sai and stared for a while before looking away.‘Does he know I’m here?’ Sai thought.After looking round the room again, the stranger stared at the bowl close to him and then stared in Sai’s direction again. He didn’t look away this time and kept staring. Several minutes passed, and he still didn’t look away. Sai realized he knew. She raised the cover from her body. Immediately, the stranger hid his face in his knees. Sai frowned and covered herself back. After a short while, the stranger raised his face and looked at her.‘Wha
‘Come on relax, dad said he is a shaman he won’t die from a disease, right?’ she said and rushed into the kitchen.She grabbed a bowl, filled it with water, and rushed back to her room. The stranger seems to have fallen asleep. She bent down and placed her ear closed to nose.‘His breathing is weak. Please don’t die,’ she said pleadingly.She picked up a napkin, soaked it in water and after squeezing it, she placed it on his head.‘Mom should have some medicine, right?’ she said, looking around. ‘But what if I give him something poisonous? Let's wait for mom,’ She took the napkin, soaked it in water and squeezed it before placing it back on his head. She looked out the window and then back.‘Mom, please come back,’ she muttered.The stranger raised his right hand to his forehead and removed the napkin before dropping it on the bed.‘Hey don’t do that, leave it… huh?’ Sai said and paused.She had picked the napkin and placed it back, but she was shocked to find out he wasn’t burnin
~A Month Later~ ‘Let’s go, we can’t let it get away,’ Sai yelled, jumping down from a tree.‘Sai wait,’ Naru yelled.His shout fell on deaf ears as she ran after her prey quickly.‘Sigh, she still hasn’t gotten over that yet,’ Rina said.‘Why are you girls so independent? It’s not a bad thing but sometimes it’s good to share your problems with your love ones,’ Naru said patting her head.‘Dad, I got it, come carry it,’ Sai’s voice sounded from afar.‘I’m coming,’ Naru said and rushed over. Sai was sitting on the ground. Beside her was a dead deer. She held her bow tightly and was lost in thoughts.‘Are you alright?’ Rina asked. Startled, Sai smiled immediately.‘Yeah, I’m good. I got a minor wound,’ she said and raised her bleeding left hand.‘That’s just a scratch. Apply mom’s herb to it,’ Rina said.‘Yeah I will,’ Sai said.‘We should head back when you are done. This is the second big one told. It would be enough,’ Naru said, raising the deer and placing it on his should
‘What about Tagala?’ Sai asked and ate a piece of meat.‘I refuse in his place,’ Matara said, and everyone laughed.‘Thank you,’ the stranger said.‘Hmph, then Satre?’‘I don’t like that one,’‘What if we call him Jarel (Jar’el)?’ the chief said.‘Jarel is nice,’ the stranger said.‘You like it because someone other than me gave you,’ Sai pouted.‘Can you stop with the emotional blackmail? I have to decide what I like and don't like.’‘Fine, we’ll call you Jarel,’ Sai said, still pouting.‘You are something else, you know,’ Jarel said.‘What?’ Sai asked, but he didn’t reply. ‘I have had my fill. I’ll be taking my leave,’ the chief said.‘It was an honor to have you eat with us,’ Naru bowed and said.‘Please come again, chief,’ Matara said.‘We’ll see, young Sai,’ the chief said.‘I promise, chief, it won’t happen again,’ Sai said, bowing.‘Good, guest please try to ignore her,’ the chief said.‘I plan to,’ Jarel said.‘Hmph,’ Sai turned her head away angrily.The chief left and
~Somewhere In The Farm~ ‘You didn’t have to follow me, you know,’ Sai said.‘If I don’t, who will?’ Rina said.Sai laid on a thick tree branch, staring at the sky through the little openings between the leaves. Rina sat beside her, brushing her hair.‘I hate this side of myself,’ Sai said, sitting up. ‘How long have we been here?’ Sai asked.‘It’s already noon. What do you think?’ Rina replied.‘I kept you here that long. Your boyfriend must be waiting for you,’‘Oh, my sister is so thoughtful of me.’‘I’m sorry, why haven’t you told mom yet?’‘I want to be sure. I don’t want what happened last time to repeat itself,’ Rina replied.‘Okay,’ Sai said and laid down back.‘What about you? Why don’t you want to attend the bridal ceremony this year again?’ Rina asked.‘I told you, I grew with these young men. I’m not comfortable marrying them, besides I don’t want to get married.’‘Why? you have said a lot before but never gave a reason,’‘You won’t understand,’ Sai said. ‘No one wil
‘Then I don’t have any suggestion,’ Jarel said. ‘I believe there’s a man out there who doesn’t care so much about having kids. You just need to look properly,’ he added.‘If there were, they’ll be hard to find,’ Sai said.‘True,’ Jarel said. ‘What are your plans, anyway?’ Sai asked.‘Well, I tasted the farming life today, and it was quite fun. I’ll experience a little before the winter comes. I’ll stay during the winter and after I’ll be on my way. Wherever the wind takes me,’ he replied.‘Have you thought of staying here?’ she asked.‘So you can continue bickering and arguing with me? Absolutely not,’ Jarel said.‘If I promise not to, will you stay?’ Sai asked.‘Why do you want me to stay?’ Jarel asked.‘Being around you is comfortable,’ Sai said, and hugged his arm.‘I don’t know yet, but maybe,’ Jarel said.‘Alright, I promise to stop. So stay,’ Sai said, and hugged his arm tighter. Slowly, she fell asleep, not hearing what Jarel had said.… ‘Oh you are up,’ Matara said, s
~Outside The Village~Jarel fell like a meteorite straight towards the creature, a leopard, a little over twenty feet tall with a horn on its head. The leopard opened its mouth towards Jarel and shout a yellow light towards him.‘What thy hell?’ Jarel yelled.It caught him off guard; he placed both arms over his face as he crash into the light.The creature sniffed. ~You are the one that killed my little one and dragged his body over here. I will kill you and tear your body to pieces~ the creature roared.Its claw slammed down and Jarel got crushed to the ground. Jarel heard several bones break as several pierced out his skin and blood flowed out of his body. The creature slammed down again, his body went deeper into the ground, his chest caved in, and blood gushed out of his mouth.‘I can fake my death right now,’ Jarel thought as the creature slammed down again.This time, his conscience slowly faded. ‘There’s no need. I should just let it kill me, but I feel like I am forgetting so