Chapter 7
Ortak
Krijese are not social creatures. We do not sit around having conversations with one another.
This is one more thing we have adapted from the Tavikhi.
Now, we often spend time seated at the central fire for the evening meal with the elders and converse about our hunts and tell stories of our pasts.
Of course, I do not often participate. I am more of a listener than someone who speaks.
Sorin has never been a quiet kit. This is something that has rubbed off on Gannen in the last few sun cycles.
Before that, he was soft-spoken, almost never raising his voice to be heard.
He would speak only when spoken to, and even then, it would only be a few words.
However, he is more like Kala’s kit. Always saying whatever is on his mind without regret and often without thought. The way he is with Elodie right now.
I should step in, caution him, and yet, I cannot. Because otherwise there would be silence, since my tongue has ceased working. I have no trouble conversing with Kala or any of our elders, but when it comes to this human female, my words have dried up.
“The shefir has invited us to stay for the midday meal,” Gannen is now mentioning. “You should come eat with us at the central fire. It is better than eating alone in the healer’s tent, is it not?”
Elodie laughs, and it is such a pleasing sound to my ears. “Yes, I’m sure it is, but it’s also quite a bit of distance from here, isn’t it? As much as I hate to admit it, I’m still a little weak from my accident and I’m not sure I’d be able to make it all the way there.”
As if it was his plan all along, Gannen gestures at me. “Gogo can carry you the rest of the way.”
Elodie’s chest and all the way up her face turn several shades of color.
“Gannen, cease.” I turn to Elodie. “I apologize for any discomfort my kit has caused.”
She holds up her hand. “You don’t have to apologize.
His lack of filter is…refreshing in a way.
That’s one thing you can pretty much always count on, and that’s kids saying whatever.
As long as it’s not cruel or unkind, Gannen is welcome to speak his mind even if it brings a slight bit of embarrassment my way. ”
“You are far too kind.”
“Eh.” Elodie shrugs. “I was a kid once and spent most of my childhood being censored and told I needed to talk less. Like anything I had to say was useless and unimportant. I don’t ever want another kid to feel that way.”
“I am sorry that happened to you.” Until this female arrived in our lives, I have always encouraged Gannen to talk since he used to do far too little of it.
She waves me off. “It was a long time ago.”
That does not mean it ceases to hurt. “Well, as my kit volunteered, I am able to carry you the distance if you need me to. Or I can ask one of the Tavikhi warriors to do so if you do not wish for me to assist you.”
Most of the color has faded from Elodie’s face, but some still remains. “With your help, I’ll hop as far as I can go and if need be, I’ll take you up on the offer.”
I incline my head. “Whatever you choose.”
Gannen carefully lays his hand on Elodie’s arm. “I did not mean any offense.”
She tugs her arm out from underneath him and wraps it around his shoulders, pulling him into her side and squeezing him. “I know you didn’t. How about next time, though, you ask a person their preference instead of telling them what’s going to happen, okay? We got a deal?”
He nods. “Aye.”
“Good. Now, how about you tell me what you’ve been doing since you left here the other day? You haven’t found anybody else in one of those holes in the ground have you?” she asks.
Gannen laughs. It is a rough, guttural sound that sounds like rocks rubbing together, but it is a joyous noise. He has had far too little happiness in his life.
“No one else has been as unlucky as you,” he tells Elodie.
“Good thing. I’m sure one clumsy human falling and breaking her leg is enough. Poor Sage shouldn’t have to put up with another one of me.”
“Poor Sage can handle it.” The female in question laughs and approaches with a lavender kit on her hip.
At her side is Sorin, who hasn’t taken his eyes off the halfling.
His hands twitch at his sides as though trying to hold himself back from snatching her away from her momo.
Healer Sage glances down at Sorin and shakes her head, although there is a smile on her face. She lifts her kit and passes her over.
“Fine, you can take her.” There is obvious affection in her tone.
Both Sorin and Makahla are happy with the new arrangement. The healer turns toward Elodie. “I was just stopping by the see if you needed anything. The midday meal will be served soon, and I wasn’t sure if you were getting hungry.”
Elodie glances between Gannen and me. “I think I’m going to eat at the central fire with Ortak and Gannen, if that’s okay. Ortak said he’d help me over there.”
Healer Sage’s lips twitch. “Sounds like you’re all taken care of then. We’ll see you there.”.”
The healer glances at me. “There is burim root on the supply table if needed.”
“I will make sure Elodie gets it if she asks.”
Sorin finally focuses on us. He appears almost surprised at our presence. His gaze moves from me to Elodie to Gannen. Kala’s kit cocks his head.
“Are you Gannen’s new momo?”
Healer Sage smacks her hand over her face and groans. “Oh my god.”
Elodie sucks in a breath and chokes. Gannen gently pats her back until she recovers. All I can do is stand in stunned silence. The healer is the first to recover. She palms the back of Sorin’s neck and guides him away from us.
“Come on, you, let’s go,” she says. “We clearly need to have a chat about asking intrusive and impolite questions.”
Sorin replies quietly, but it is lost on the wind. No one speaks for several beats. Elodie looks everywhere but at me or Gannen, until finally she clears her throat.
“I guess none of the Krijese children have filters, huh?” she says.
“Sorin least of all. Kala would not approve of his kit’s thoughtless question.” Our tribe leader would have a long discussion with Sorin. He will inherit his gogo’s role and must learn to temper the impulsive need to speak without careful consideration.
“He won’t punish him, will he?” Elodie asks.
“Kala will not physically harm his kit, but I am certain he will provide him with some type of lesson on his behavior.”
“Ah.” She shifts positions on the bench before settling in one. “I take it momo means mother.”
“Aye.”
“Mine died when I was a tiny kit,” Gannen announces. “I do not remember her.”
Elodie strokes his floks and he leans into her touch.
My hearts ache that he has received so little female affection.
The few female Krijese who are part of our tribe do not understand or know how to offer it.
Like the males, they were never taught. Both Kala and I have had to learn to provide it to our kits. It has not been easy.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Elodie says.
Gannen tilts his head toward her. “Would you ever be interested in being someone’s momo?”
She studies him for several beats before answering. “I don’t know. Being a momo is a huge responsibility and not something a person should take lightly or jump into without careful consideration. Not everyone is cut out to be a parent, no matter how sweet the kid is.”
Gannen merely nods.
“I’d love to be your friend, though. That is, if you’d have me as one.”
My kit’s disappointment is obvious to me, and perhaps to Elodie as well, although he tries to hide it. “Friends would be okay.”
She strokes his floks again. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you. I don’t have nearly enough friends, and I’m really honored to be able to count you as one of them.”
“Would you count Gogo as a friend?” Gannen asks.
Elodie glances up at me and back to my kit. “I’d be happy to include your gogo as a friend as well. A person can’t have too many, can they?”
“No. Sorin is my friend. Perhaps Talek as well. Maybe Cecily and Bazel. I’m not sure about Carter though. I do not know him that well.”
“I think you have a few more than I do, so you’re off to a great start,” she tells him with a smile.
Gannen shrugs. “Perhaps.”
“Why don’t you tell me all about your village since that’s what friends do, right? Learn about each other?” Elodie encourages. “I’d love to hear about your tribe.”
He launches into details about where we live, how many of us there are, and begins a story Moshi recently shared during an evening meal around the fire.
She pays close attention to him, although her gaze often drifts to me.
I would like to speak to her at some point, if for nothing more than to apologize for Gannen once more making her uncomfortable.
I do not want to take him to task in front of her, because I do not want him to withdraw into the quiet kit he used to be.
He has grown confident since our tribe and the Tavikhi’s have become allies.
I wish to keep fostering it. While Sorin will be our tribe leader—although perhaps not in my lifetime—he will need others nearly as strong as he is to be by his side.
I want Gannen to be one of those people.
I want him to be what I am to Kala. Not only a friend, but someone Kala trusts to lead and care for our tribe if he is away for any reason.
Gannen cannot be that person if I quiet his voice.