* * *
The storm finally ends. Doctor Mallors suggests I go out onto the deck to get some fresh air. I do not believe he has told Arren of my illness. Although I hope he would be more willing to return me to my people if he knew, I do not think he would care. From what I have learned from Doctor Mallors and Captain Darien, Arren is the sort of man who will never admit he is wrong. He has also never been denied anything he ever wanted. They will not say it, but I know they are thinking it. Arren is not ‘saving’ me as I had once believed. I think he has assumed that I will fall in love with him because he has ‘saved’ me from my tribe.
Doctor Mallors brings me a type of clothing I have never seen before. It is long and thick and looks similar to the dresses we wear at home, but it is not made of deer hide. The material is soft to the touch. “This is all we have, Akari. I hope it will suit you.”
“What happened to my clothes?”
“Lord Arren asked that I throw them away and insisted you wear this.”
“I do not like it. I will not wear it.”
“Please, do not make this difficult for yourself.”
“Difficult for myself? He is making it difficult for me.”
He sighs and sets the dress onto the bed. “I did not want to have to resort to this, but you are forcing my hand.”
He pulls out a cloth wrapped around an object from his large pocket and unwraps it. He reveals the dagger Tarok made for me. I reach my hand out to grab for it, but he pulls his hand away and out of reach. “If you wear the dress I have brought to you, I will give you the dagger.”
“Do you have any idea of what that means to me?”
“Given your reaction, I believe I do. Please Akari, I do not have to give this dagger back to you.”
To placate the man and get my prized possession back, I put on the dress. It is loose on me in the top and extremely loose on the bottom. “Do your women wear these?”
“Every day.” He begins pulling at strings at the back of the dress. Little by little the top becomes tighter and tighter. “Can you breathe?”
“Barely,” I manage to say. Each breath I take feels like the dress is going to burst open.
He slips the dagger into a pocket on the front of the dress and drapes a shawl around my shoulders. He smiles before frowning at me.
“What is wrong?” I ask.
“You look like a lady of Ataroth.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Yes. I wish you were not being made to look this way.”
“I will be home soon,” I say with as much conviction as I can muster.
“In order to convince him to turn the ship around, you will have to be pleasant to him. He has a bad temper and you do not want to play with fire.”
“I will do my best.” I smile inwardly. I have played with fire my entire life. This man does not scare me anymore.
Doctor Mallors and I walk out onto the deck. He chose not to make me wear the shoes as I could not walk in them. We see Lord Arren standing at the bow of the ship with his hands on the railing. Mallors nudges me forward. I place my hands into my pockets and hold onto the dagger for strength.
I clear my throat to get his attention. He turns around and smiles so brightly at me. “You look amazing. Spin for me.” He moves his finger in a circular motion indicating I should do the same.
I cannot believe that I am doing it, yet here I am spinning for the man I wish to plunge my dagger into. I do it to make him happy so he will go along with my request.
“Very lovely, dear, very lovely. Come stand with me.” He holds his hand out to me. I move closer to the railing, but make no move to take his hand or touch him in any manner.
“Where are you taking me?” I ask nicely with a strained smile on my face.
“Ataroth. It is my homeland and yours.”
“How are you so sure it will be my homeland?”
“You are an Atarothian Lady. I could see it when we first met and am confirmed just looking at you in that dress.”
“Of course.”
“I do not like this dress and I wish to go home.”
“You are going home. When we get there, I will buy you other dresses that you will like.”
“My home is where the sun rises, not where it sets.”
“Your rightful home is where the sun sets. Do you understand?” His voice is beginning to strain and I can already tell I have him right where I want him.
I pull the dagger from inside my pocket and place it at his side. “You will have this ship turned around and you will take me back to my village. Do you understand me?”
He puts his hand onto mine gripping the dagger. I hold my hand as steady as I can as he tries to move it away from his side.
“I saved you from those savages and this is how you think to repay me? By threatening me?”
“You did not save me from anyone. You have instead condemned me.”
He turns so that we are now facing each other with the dagger held between us. He forces my back to the railing, pushing against me as we continue fighting over control of the dagger. “You are going to Ataroth with me and you will marry me. The life you had before is gone. You will bear my children and you will raise them to be citizens of the great Atarothian Empire. You will never see your village again. If you so much as bring it up or anything regarding your past life again, I will see to it that your village is destroyed. Understand me now?”
You will, Akari. But not in the way you think. The answer to my unasked question fills my thoughts. It did not make sense when the woman in white said it, but now it does. I am going to die of my illness at any time. Or…
“Perfectly.” I release my hold on the dagger allowing it to enter into my body. His hands graze along the dagger and my sides.
He steps back with sheer horror on his face. “What have you done?”
I hold up my hands. “My hands and my spirit are clean. Are yours?”
“Doctor!” he shouts and the doctor comes running toward us.
I turn to face out to the ocean sparkling in the sunlight. Despite the tearing sensation, I lift the skirts of the dress and step onto the railing. Once on the other side, Mallors stops and reaches out to me.
“Akari, no. We can still get you home,” he pleads.
“I will be home soon, Doctor,” I say giving him a warm, comforting smile.
And please, do not worry, you will have another chance at happiness.
I push myself away from the railing and the ship. My hands find the hilt of the dagger buried in my stomach. I clench onto it with all my strength. It is my last line to my tribe, my family, my love. I close my eyes and wait for the ocean to rise up to greet me.
* * *
Cast of Characters
Akari – Wise Woman of Kurtu’lak, Moon Child
Natoak – Shaman of Kurtu’lak
Sharp Stone House
Ara (Granny) – Akari’s grandmother, bond-mate to Liral, Matron of Sharp Stone House
Liral – (deceased) Akari’s grandfather
Yakon – Akari’s father, son of Ara, bond-mate to Mina
Mina – Akari’s mother, daughter of Prate’lak
Pilar –Yakon’s brother, bond-mate to Ruki, father to Aros and Reven
Aros – Akari’s younger cousin
Reven – Akari’s youngest cousin
Deep Forest House
Sarali – Akari’s sister, bond-mate to Sirak
Liral – Sarali’s oldest son, named after deceased grandfather
Jarol – Sarali’s newborn son
Sirak – Sarali’s bond-mate, Hunter
Tala – Sirak’s younger sister, Akari’s best friend
Renara – Sirak and Tala’s mother
Mekara – Matron of Deep Forest House
Harod – son of Deep Forest House, Sun Warrior
Risin
g Sun House
Marak – (deceased) former Chief, bond-mate to Pema, father to Narot
Pema – Tarok’s grandmother, Matron of Rising Sun House
Narot – Chief, bond-mate to Juni, father to Tarok
Juni – (deceased) bond-mate to Narot, mother to Tarok
Tarok – Chief Narot’s son, future Chief of Kurtu’lak, Sun Warrior
Merick – Tarok’s cousin, Sun Warrior
Tall Grass House
Namira – Akari’s enemy, daughter of Liuka
Liuka – Namira’s mother, daughter of Aeria
Aeria – grandmother to Namira, mother to Liuka, Matron of Tall Grass House
Rurik – Namira’s cousin
Darik – son of Tall Grass House
Men of the West
Lord Arren – owner and financier of the Trade Wind, Lord in the country Ataroth
Captain Darien – lead trader among the men of the west, captain of the Trade Wind
Doctor Mallors – doctor on the Trade Wind
Others
Sera – Matron of Fertile Earth House
Erak – Akari’s friend, son of Mosh’ilan
Masha – Wise Woman of Mosh’lak
Sinak – Shaman of Mosh’lak
Miwwat – Mina’s brother, son of Prate’lak
Woman in White – spirit of the waterfall oasis
Nura – spirit guide to Akari
Naraki – spirit of the moon
Kurtuk – spirit of the sun
Glossary of Terms
Kurtu’lak – the people of the sun
Kurtu’ilan – the village of the people of the sun
Mosh’lak – the first people
Mosh’ilan – the village of the first people
Prate’lak – the people of the plains
Prate’ilan – the village of the people of the plains
Seven Tribes – an alliance consisting of the seven northern tribes
Shaman – the spiritual leader of a tribe
Wise Woman – the woman who is the bridge between the members of her tribe and the spirits of the earth
House – similar to a clan; a House consists of blood relatives – with the exception of Deep Forest House
* * * * *
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Don’t miss the next installment of the Moon Child Trilogy:
The Land of Eternal Night
available in Spring 2014.