Chapter 24 - Bea
“That’s Girryk, Tyka, Ryxn,” I say, pointing to each of the little boys before me.
“And over there we have Xaryk and Dox. And this little protector of mine is called Tyll,” I say, grinning down to the boy who has decided to become my shadow since our ordeal yesterday.
I don’t blame him at all of course. We went through a lot together.
And, despite my opinion on his father’s actions, Tyll still lost his dad.
Ry, the Carer from Zarriko’s tribe smiles at all the boys.
“How nice. The last youngling I was charged with raising for our great Protector, Draxx, has just entered his training to follow in his father’s wingbeats.
” He pauses to sigh fondly, shaking his head.
“I have raised many younglings for my tribe, but the Goddesses have not blessed us with a son for many a season now, and when I heard about the exchange, I thought it may be a chance to come and pass on my knowledge to other younglings.”
“We have perfectly fine teachings in this tribe already,” one of the other Carers sniffs as he ushers some of the boys to stop playfighting with the sticks they’re learning to whittle into crude spears.
I give Ry a knowing look, but he just smirks back at me with a shrug.
Some Trixikka are taking to the idea of the two tribes trying to mingle better than others. Ry - an older, dashing sort of gentleman, with white hair and a few white feathers being one who seems to be grabbing the opportunity with both hands.
“And I look forward to learning your teachings,” Ry answers with a ‘kill-them-with-kindness’ sort of smile.
The other Carer just grunts.
After the meeting this morning, I was sent straight to the younglings to assist with a lesson on which jungle bugs are edible if you find yourself lost, injured, and desperate in the forest - and which ones will kill you.
One of the Carers had gathered a selection of specimens for the boys to inspect; wiggling grubs, skittering crawl-things, and even a large, glossy beetle the size of a cat.
The beetle acted like a pussy-cat, too. It leaned into touches and chirped when the boys scratched it in just the right places.
The younglings were required to identify which bugs could be eaten - and then eat them. I was relieved not to be included in that part, and even more relieved to learn that the ‘pussy-cat beetle’ isn’t worth killing, since so little of its meat is edible.
I’d wanted to go to back to Zyn all throughout that first lesson. The Healer who’d bandaged him up had come to tell me when he was done, and said that Zyntarr was now resting.
So, I had left him be. He needs his sleep.
That had been a good few hours ago now. And I’d spent a good deal of time with Ry from the other tribe. He’d seemed genuinely interested in what lessons I’d brought from Earth, and how schooling differs where I’m from.
It was just past midday, with the twin suns cresting high in the sky when Zarriko’s tribe were leaving us.
I was sad to hear that the two new girls, Colette and Leona had elected to be part of the exchange, wanting to experience some time at the other tribe.
They’d tried to convince Delphi to go with them, but she didn’t want to leave her sister, Polly, now that they’ve been reunited.
Plus, I kind of think she has the hots for the guy with the broken wing, Jaxyn - and, since he can’t fly to the other tribe…
A few of our Craftsmales, a Hunter and a handful of Protectors have also decided to go back to Zarriko’s village, too.
Although, I suspect a large part of that decision is to keep a close eye on Leona and Colette, as well as stay closer to the women already living with the other tribe.
I’d like to be able to believe that their intentions are rooted in blending the two tribes together for a better relationship, but it’s still early days.
In exchange, we have welcomed a few of their members to stay. Ry and Tessa were apparently the first to volunteer. We also have a couple of their Healers and Elders who are fascinated with little Nova and Serena’s pregnancy, as well as their Second Spear and Gwen.
Those last two seem to come as a pair these days - even though the big, silent, brutish-looking guy is yet to get his heart-stars.
It doesn’t seem to matter to Gwen - she’s clearly taken by Jaryk. It makes me smile to myself to see them together - exactly like Zyntarr and I - none of the certainty of heart-stars, but it’s plain for everyone to see that they were made for each other.
The village feels a little empty now that the other tribe have gone. It makes me want to crawl into Zyntarr’s nest and snuggle with him even more. I’ve not seen him since this morning and it’s really thrown my heart into an embarrassing amount of longing.
It’s silly, really. If he’s not emerged to come looking for me - like I know he will - he’s obviously catching up on some much needed sleep. It’s the reason why I had to say no to Tyll when he asked that we go and see him to show him the terrible, lumpy clay pot he’d made this afternoon.
By the time early-evening arrives, I’m excited at the prospect of loading up a platter of food for my man. After all, he’s fed me countless times, and it’s not very often I get to return the favor.
When I finish helping to slice some fruits, I find myself a little unsure as I look at all the foods on display.
It’s not quite a feast, but there’s more than usual to extend the feelings of welcome to those of Zarriko’s who stayed behind.
Zyntarr always knows what to put on my plate, but he just tends to eat the very same things as I do.
Is that because he genuinely likes those things, or just because he knows they’re my favorites?
It’s when my platter for two only holds a miserable-looking five slices of fruits and I’m pondering the merits of the different types of meats that Rynn approaches me. “Have you seen the reflection box?”
I must look even more confused than I feel, because it only takes Rynn a glance before he goes on.
“The new resource that you and Zyntarr bought back from the incident.”
I’m already shaking my head to answer his question, no, before I’ve fully worked out what he’s asking about.
The Trixikka have come to call the medi-scanner a healing tool, and the blaster gun, a lightning weapon.
So it makes sense that the reflection box is the little black cube flare - the one we used to project my image up into the sky for our rescue.
Rynn looks irritated, his skin-stars flaring up all over his body as his hand scrubs through his hair. “It is not in my hut. Are you sure you did not use it to show the younglings this day?”
“No, sorry, Rynn. I haven’t seen it since we gave it to you yesterday.”
His grunt is half-growl.
“Did… do you think Zarriko’s men took it?
” I hope not. I’m not entirely sure how that would go down, to be honest. I’d hope it would be on the same good-natured level of a sibling stealing a toy and teasing that only they know where it is before they handed it back.
But it could all just as easily go sideways and become the thing that turns this exchange into a hostage situation.
I really can’t tell.
“Do not speak of this to anyone,” Rynn says, flicking his tail. “Not until we are sure it is gone.”
He walks away eyeing people as he goes, like he’s trying to read expressions of guilt on their faces as if they’re the secret ‘flare thief’.
And then I’m left alone with the food selection again.
In the end, I decide to pile the platter high, stopping just sort of being an indecent amount of food.
There’s fruits, meats, vegetables and two small clay bowls of soup.
I choose a mixture of things I know I like, as well as the stuff I’m not so sure on.
Maybe this time, I’ll take more notice of the tastes that eek out those noises of appreciation he makes.
It’s then that I realize that Zyn makes those noises pretty loudly when his tongue is between my legs. I can feel the heat of my blush on my cheeks as I walk the platter of food all the way from the other side of the village back to Zyntarr’s hut.
I guess I should start thinking of it as my hut too. Our hut. Our home.
I smile widely as I approach the doorway, already picturing that powerful figure of his laid out on the nest - all wings, muscle, scars, and those beautiful mis-matched eyes that see me like no one else does.
“Zynt-”
There’s no one here.
I walk into the hut and touch a few of the life-stones, breathing life back into them so that they can illuminate the dark hut.
Where has he gone? I wonder, frowning as I stand there holding the platter, making sure to look at every shadow as if someone as large as Zyntarr had any hope at playing hide-and-seek in this tiny little hut.
When I move to place the food down on the nest, something glinting in the opalescent light from the stones catches my eye.
It’s gold and delicate, resting on the soft, black feathers that Zyntarr used to pad out the nest. I hold the platter of food out - halted half-way on its journey down to the bed, because, there, next to the piece of gold shaped like a cuff, is the little cube that Yix had given us. The flare.
Why-
I put the tray of food down and glance behind me, half expecting Zyntarr to be standing there watching me like he’d set this up as a surprise.
Picking up the gold, I place it on my open palm to get a better look. It’s not thick or chunky - more like an open bangle. The outer edge is decorated with little chips of lifestones that glow as I run my fingertip over them. There’s also a crude design etched onto it - little… daisies?
Something spikes in my chest. My fingers come up to cover my mouth as I inhale a sharp lungful of air. Daisies? Did… did he have this made to represent my Daisy? Little Daisy Fields? Like the daisies I’d drawn in the sand?
I pick up the flare now, almost pocketing it instantly so that I can take it to Rynn and avoid a big fall out over the missing piece of tech. But one of the sides of the little black cube has blinking lights on. I’m not sure what that means… or why Zyntarr would even have this?
When I press my finger over the flashing lights, the cube makes an electronic humming sound, and the small projected image of my Zyntarr pours out from the top like a ghostly jack-in-the-box.
The image of Zyntarr is talking. I can see his lips moving. But I can’t hear what he’s saying.
Vaguely remembering that there are certain hand movements I can make to command the flare to do various things, I wave my palm through the projection of my man.
The little Zyntarr made of light rewinds and starts playing the recording again - still no sound.
I try again, this time waving my hand up through the image, like I’m dragging the volume up with me.
It works this time.
“This is not a happy choice that I have made, my little Bea, but I-”
What? Wait!
Frantically, I rewind Zyntarr’s image again.
“Bea… if I am capturing my reflection correctly with this thing, you will hear my words. And, if you are watching now, you will have found me gone.” My heart starts thumping madly in my chest. “I have left you with your own daughter band, to honor your daughter back in your homelands. As you know, we Trixikka wear these daughter bands on our tails for our female younglings that we will never embrace. I only felt it fair that you should have this for your Day-Zee, also.”
I lift the band and brush the metal with my thumb. But… I still don’t understand. Why isn’t he here to tell me this?
“I wanted to give this band to you myself this day, but I was afraid that if I saw your face again, I would not have the strength to do what is needed,” the floating, holographic Zyntarr continues. “Bea, I cannot stay and watch as another male claims you as his mate-”
What is he talking about? I shake my head at the mini-Zyntarr.
“The Goddesses do not always speak to us in voices. Sometimes they take something away to make us see more clearly,” he says, his hand coming up to rest on his bandaged chest.
“No,” I whisper back to the unhearing, unseeing Zyntarr.
“My heart-stars were not taken from me by chance, little Bea. They were taken so that I would finally see what I was too hopeful to accept, and you-…” Zyntarr sighs. “You guard your choosing with both hands and I do not blame you for it. It is your right…. but it is also your answer.”
I feel my chest crack open at listening to his words - words I can’t argue, I can’t rebuke, I can’t answer.
“My beautiful little Bea,” he smiles, the scarring on his face making the smile uneven. “I cannot watch you always seek stars that I cannot give you.”
I let out a quiet sob, the vision of the Zyn hologram going blurry.
“Let your true mate come to cherish you now. I will not stand in his way, but I cannot witness it. If I stay, I will spend every moment thinking of new and painful ways to break him,” the projected Zyn manages another, half-smile.
“So I will take part in our tribe’s exchange this day.
I will stay with Zarriko, and pray to the Goddesses that you find those stars that light up brightly, so that you will know beyond doubt that it is what is right…
Be… be happy, little Bea. That is all I wish for. ”
The projection of Zyntarr disappears, and even though the life-stones still glow, it feels like I’ve been left in the dark.
My eyes scan the space before me like I can gain a better understanding of the situation from the emptiness of the hut.
Zyntarr… left?
Because of me.
Because he thought-
Because I wasn’t clear-
Because he thinks I’m still waiting for his heart-stars.
“No. No, no, no.” I grip the daughter band and the flare in my hand, and run out into the village.
With my heart in my throat I disrupt the first group of Trixikka I come across.
“Take this to Rynn,” I say, thrusting the flare into the chest of one of them.
“Tell him I’ve gone to Zarriko’s village on the exchange.
” The male frowns down at the little black cube in his big hand.
“Quickly!” I command, turning to another male.
“How strong are your wings today?” I ask him.
The male puffs up his chest and extends his wings as if he’s trying to impress me.
“Good,” I nod, reaching up to loop my arms around his neck so he can hoist me into his arms. “Because you’re taking me to my mate. ”