Chapter 10
Elodie
Yesterday was exhausting. Not only physically, but emotionally as well. Hearing Ortak talk about what his life had been like was awful. It didn’t take a genius to recognize the immense remorse he felt for participating in such a heinous act.
I’d like to think I’d be able to forgive him if he had gone through with abusing that woman, but truthfully, I’m not sure I could.
Even given the circumstances of how he’d been raised.
How they’d all been raised. I’m filled with gratitude though in how he is bringing up Gannen.
It’s the same with how Kala and Iris are doing with Sorin.
Before they all returned to the Krijese village, I spent time with them.
Ortak and Gannen joined us. I did my best to ignore the way Iris studied me and my interactions with the male and his son.
They’re my friends, and I treated them as such.
Yet every glance Iris sent my way was questioning.
Like there was more to my relationship with Ortak.
Or there could be t more. As much as I enjoyed their company and was grateful to get to know them better, I was glad when they all returned home. The scrutiny had been getting to me.
“Knock, knock,” Sage announces when she walks through the doorway of the healer’s tent.
Giddiness swarms me at what she holds in her hands. “They’re done?”
She grins like a mad woman and brings the pair of crutches to me. “They are. Why don’t you try them out?”
I swing my legs over the edge of the platform and make grabby hands. Sage passes them both over, and I position one on either side of me. I slide my butt off the bed, lodge the padded surface under my armpits, and stand upright. My leg’s a bit wobbly, but I quickly steady myself.
“How’s the fit? Are they the right height?”
My grip tightens on the hand bars about level with my hips. “Feels like it.”
Sage gestures. “Give it a go. See how they hold up.”
Carefully, I take my first hop. Then a second. Followed by a third, until I’ve made an entire lap around the healer’s tent. “Oh my god, they’re perfect.”
She claps. “Excellent. Your freedom awaits. Just don’t tire yourself out.”
“Now that I’m mobile, there’s no stopping me.” I laugh maniacally.
Sage does as well. “Deeka help us. Please don’t fall and break your other leg.”
“Hush.” I make another lap around. “I’ll need to head to the evening meal and tell Rojtar thank you. You both have no idea how excited I am to be able to get around on my own.”
“I’m glad. Still, be careful. Take breaks when you need to.”
“Of course.”
Sage studies me. “Should I assume you’re going to start testing your limits now?”
I gasp in fake shock and palm my chest. “How dare you to assume.”
She snorts. “I’ll take that as a yes, then.”
“Lord, yes. You and Kyler have been amazing, and I appreciate you both for helping me get around the past few days. But it’s made me feel awkward having to rely on either of you.
God, especially when I’ve needed help making it to the toilet.
” I was one humiliating experience away from crawling under the furs and never coming back out.
“Helping the injured is literally our job description.” Sage fists her hips.
“I know, I know. But it still bothered me to be reliant on someone else. I’ve been independent for far too long.”
She bobs her head up and down. “I understand completely.”
“Alright.” I smack my hands against the bars of the crutches.
“I’m going to head down to the river. London told me about the benches that are along the bank of it.
With being cooped up in here, I’ve missed the water.
Every day back in the settlement I’d follow the river for a few miles enjoying the scenery and the fresh air. I’m desperate to be outside.”
“Well then go and enjoy it. The sun is shining and it’s a beautiful day.”
I grin at her. “Thanks, I think I’ll do just that.”
Sage waves me off, and I carefully make my way out of the tent.
I have a much easier time getting over the threshold today than I did yesterday.
Which is a good thing since Ortak isn’t here to catch me and stop me from falling on my face.
The second I make it outside, I stop and tilt my head back so I can soak up the glorious heat from the sun.
I haven’t felt enough of it on my face since getting hauled out of that trap.
The memory of what I was doing that caused me to fall is still missing.
As is the reason why I’d been out there in the first place.
I’m certain in all the times I walked the mountain paths, I was never that far away from the settlement.
Granted, I don’t know exactly where Ortak and Gannen found me so maybe I’m wrong.
For now, I’ve stopped worrying about it. I’ll either remember or I won’t.
At last, I open my eyes and slowly make my way toward the river.
There’s a too steep incline this close to the healer’s tent for me to manage safely, but the land levels out a little farther away.
Along the way, I pass Tavikhi and humans alike.
Most everyone waves or acknowledges me in some way minus a couple of human guys, which doesn’t bother me in the least.
I spot the benches up ahead as well as a few bobbing heads in the river.
Summer’s arrived, but we just barely got through winter.
The water can’t be that warm yet. The closer I get the more I can make out the people swimming.
Two of them are Tavikhi and by the looks of it, they’re kids.
The other two are definitely human. Also children, although the boy looks to be in his late teens.
I swear I can hear the humans’ teeth chattering from here.
One of the Tavikhi sees me and waves wildly while popping up out of the water. Recognition hits.
“Greetings, Elodie,” Talek calls out, not appearing surprised in the slightest by the fact I’m here or that I arrived with the help of a pair of crutches. Maybe I’m wrong, but I suspect nothing happens in the village without the young Tavikhi knowing all about it.
I reach the first bench and take a seat, keeping my broken leg stretched out in front of me. “Greetings. Are you all enjoying your swim?”
This close, I’m able to place the other three.
Bazel is the second Tavikhi and the two humans are Cecily and Carter.
From all I’ve heard, I shouldn’t be surprised to see Talek and Cecily here together.
The way Sage talks, the two of them are the best of friends and attached at the hip. It’s rare to see one without the other.
“It’s colder than shit out here,” Cecily yells.
From this distance her lips look almost blue. I can’t help but laugh. “Then why are you in there?”
She thumbs toward Talek and Bazel. “Because these two idiots are. I’m just proving to them I can do anything they can.”
With a raised brow, I turn toward Carter, who, considering he’s a few years older than the rest of them, must have a better excuse. He just shrugs.
“I’m here strictly for the entertaining show.”
“You all are ridiculous.” I shake my head. “None of you better start to drown either, because I have a bum leg and won’t be able to save you.”
Of course, I’m only kidding. I’d jump into the river in a heartbeat if I thought any of them were actually at risk of drowning.
One of the best things I can say about being from the upper tier was having so many opportunities at my finger tips, including learning how to swim.
All the medals I earned were proof of that.
I catch Talek studying Cecily. Almost as if he can sense she’s reached her tolerance level for the cold water, he moves toward the shore. The other three are right behind him.
“Why are you getting out already?” Cecily grumbles, although her relief at stepping out of the water is evident.
“I only planned on being in there long enough to wash off the dust from the training arena,” he says.
She glares at him. “That’s dumb. You could have just gone back home and used the water in the basin. Why drag us all the way out here for less than ten minutes?”
Like Carter said, Cecily’s irritation is mildly entertaining.
Talek shrugs. The young girl growls and snatches up her towel.
She roughly dries herself off and with a dramatic huff stomps away.
Carter glances over at me and we share a grin.
Poor Talek stares after Cecily like he doesn’t know if he should go after her or not.
Bazel appears completely unbothered by any of it. He’s probably gotten used to all this.
“I’m going to get something to eat,” Bazel announces and he too heads off.
Carter throws his arm over Talek’s shoulders. “Come on, let’s go.”
The older boy guides the younger away and in the opposite direction of either Cecily or Bazel.
With any luck, Carter will offer some insight.
The way the young Tavikhi looks at Cecily is sweet.
Makes me wonder though if she knows how he feels about her or if she feels the same.
Did anyone have that kind of crush on me when I was her age?
Probably not. Twenty years is a long time to try and remember. Not that I want to.
With the kids gone, the peace and quiet settles around me like a comfortable blanket.
Being out in nature soothes my soul. Like always, any thoughts of the upper tier suffocate me.
Smother me. It’s like everything is closing in, and I can’t breathe.
Looking out over the water, I force myself to slowly and deeply inhale.
To drag in so much air my lungs might burst from it all.
I hold it for a two-count and just as slowly, release it.
The claustrophobic sensation disappears.
The image of the way Talek looked at Cecily reappears. Sage mentioned they were best friends, but his crush was obvious to me. Somehow seeing it makes me think of Ortak and the way I’ve caught him looking at me. Or at least I think that’s how he’s looking at me.
It’s a bit more difficult to tell compared to Talek and not only because he’s a young boy who hasn’t learned how to hide his emotions very well.
With Ortak, his expressions aren’t easy to read.
He doesn’t smile—or at least I’ve never seen him do so.
Not the way Gannen does. The way he watches me is intense, but maybe I’m reading something that isn’t there.
Kala’s stare was intense, but there wasn’t any kind of softness like I’m probably imagining I’ve seen in Ortak’s gaze.
Everything is so confusing. Am I even attracted to him? Could I be? Maybe I’m all up in my head over nothing. He’s never given me any indication he has a romantic interest in me. Holding my hand at the evening meal yesterday doesn’t mean anything. We’re friends. Family. Platonic family, right?
Sure, Gannen has made it clear he wishes for a mother and that I’m a qualified enough candidate for him.
But wouldn’t that mean I’d be Ortak’s mate?
When Gannen was telling me all about their tribe, he said that when Iris agreed to be Sorin’s mother, she also agreed to be Kala’s mate.
They’re definitely in love, that’s for sure.
I have no idea what I even want. The sun moves across the sky, but I linger.
I’m not ready to sequester myself indoors quite yet.
No matter how long I sit and think, though, no answers come to me.
I’m still as confused about Ortak, Gannen, and myself as I was hours ago.
Finally, the air grows chilly and the smell of the evening meal beckons me.
I gather up my crutches and carefully make my way toward the central fire.
Maybe tomorrow I’ll have a better idea of how to move forward.