The Lost Tribe: Maliha the Wanderer (Book 1)

Chimes of Change

It meant nothing.

Darsan's seizures and Savuriya's plan, meant absolutely nothing for Maliha and Ray'et.

The weeks following, saw them melding back into their usual pattern of eating and spending time together. Though there was a more cautiousness to all of their encounters, nothing between them had changed. Except everything had.

There was a silent understanding between the two, an understanding that their meeting, their being together was part of a plan that they did not know and could not even begin to fathom, but they did not let that affect them.

Things stayed the same, the tiny tendrils of intimacy that went beyond the bounds of friendship, had begun to furl around them. Their relationship was both progressive and stagnant but the same could not be said for Xiuri and Kamir.

Something had changed and it was not positive, not if Maliha went by the despondent look splayed across Xiuri's face or if she went by the fact that Kamir had all but disappeared from their fire.

He had become such a pivotal fixture at their fire that the moment he had not eaten with them, Maliha had noticed and so had Enzo. It seemed that Kamir had not yet began teaching Enzo to make his bow yet. Enzo did not seem too affronted by this, especially as he had friends his own age, but it was something that Maliha immensely disliked.

She disliked people who did not stick to promises but all of that was inconsequential when his actions were now affecting Xiuri's countenance.

Maliha sat by the lake pondering how best to approach Kamir and fix Xiuri's new sullen mood. She stared over the rippling body of water as Xiuri worked silently beside her.

Maliha plucked at a bright red flower and extends it towards Xiuri.

"Do you like this flower?"

Xiuri's brow knitted together at the weird question but she accepted Maliha's gift, twisting the flower in her hands as she observed it. She gathered the petals to her nose and inhaled before pulling it away and placing the flower beside her basket.

"It smells nice but I prefer the Lahi flower. When it is a bud it is such a dark blue it almost looks like a rotting leaf but when it blooms it is the most vibrant of them all."

Maliha agreed, the Lahi flower suited Xiuri well. Maliha would never describe her friend as rotten but she did agree that when Xiuri bloomed she became the most vibrant and loving woman ever. It was a shame that Kamir had crushed her petals before they had fully bloomed.

"Maliha."

"Yes?" Maliha hummed, pulling her gaze away from the water and turning to see Xiuri.

Her friend looked much older than her younger years. The sight of Xiuri withered and tried face only making Maliha's anger grow that much deeper. Maliha cursed Kamir a thousand times in her mind before turning her ear to Xiuri.

"Do you..." Xiuri hesitated, gnawing at her cracked lips before continuing. "Have you spoken to Kamir?"

"No, Ray'et said he has been training too hard."

Ray'et had said it was a sign that something dark was plaguing his friends mind and Maliha had to agree. Every time she caught a glimpse of Kamir, which was very little these days, he seemed as if he were fighting an inner battle.

The man looked tired and worn out, as if he were not eating or sleeping but no amount of Maliha's pleading for him to eat by their fire, could change Kamir's mind. In the end, she had left him to his own devices but she did not miss how he stared longingly at Xiuri, nor did Maliha miss the way his fists would clench at the sight of her scars.