17 Bullets: becoming the Werewolf Queen

Chapter 6: Brave Young Warrior

His large hand came down on my shoulder, stopping my rant and escape. "Earth female safe."

I glanced back to the headless flying monster, blue blood oozing down over the dirt. He had a point. I guess he did just save me. "Uh, right. Yeah, I guess I do owe you one. But try anything and I'm pepper spraying your ass." I warned.

When he didn't respond I just sighed and motioned the way. "Come on." With that horrible of a wound, I wasn't sure he'd survive the night anyway. Ah man. How was I going to bury the giant? Shoot. I'd just have to hope he'd live.

I stepped from his grasp and went to grab my discarded bags. "This way." I gestured for him to follow and he grabbed the bags all out from my hands.

"Cha! Kwiplanethi yami abesifazane abathwali!"

I turned back in shock to his gibberish. "Whoa dude, I thought you spoke English?"

"No, Earth Female. Ngikhombise lapho uya khona." He pointed in front of us.

I stared flabbergasted at his nonsense.

After too long to be polite he asked, "El?"

I shook myself back to life. "Uh... this way. I guess." I started hiking up the mountain.

We didn't speak the rest of the hour, and even though I could tell he was hurting from his injury he seemed to be keeping up just fine with my pace.

Who's the strong farmer now, Eleanor?

When we came upon the truck clearing his face rounded in awe and he looked over the hunk of metal for a few silent moments. Then he turned back to me, that brilliant smile again on his face. He pointed. "Car! Car! Car!"

I laughed at his excitement. "Yes. That's a car. Do you have cars here?"

He stepped toward the truck; eyes childlike as he looked it over.

"Oh wait!" I tried to call, but it was too late.

He hit the perimeter fence like a trip wire and yelled at the jolt as he tumbled down taking two guide poles out with him. He shouted something in his language, scrambling away and I ran to his side and grabbed a pole, pulling the wire away from him. He stared up at me wide eyed, from crumpled down on his backside, bags scattered around him.

I giggled at his expression. "Sorry. This is my electric fence. It's supposed to keep predators out." I shoved the two poles back in the ground as he just gaped. "See? This hurts. No animals will come through." I tapped the wire and flinched back as the shock rang through my body.

"Hurt?" He asked and then eyes went on the wire, studying the small length. His hand came from under it and let the wire rest on his palm. He pulled back eyes wide at the shock. "Hurt!"

I tried to clear a snicker away. "No animals." I let my hand pantomime an animal crawling over the ground, up to the wire, pretend to get shocked and run away. "See? Just be careful. It goes all the way around camp." I pointed to show the line of wire all the way around.

His face then turned into a wide appreciative smile, like I pleased him. "Kugcina izilwane zingasondeli. Ngiyamthanda lo wesifazane."

I gave myself a mental pat on the back and then stood up. "Should we get some wrappings for your stomach?" He still stared at me, and I pointed to his obliques trying for the word I knew he understood. "Hurt?"

"Yes." He stood, leaving bags scattered over the ground.

I stepped over the wire and hopped up into the truck bed grabbing the first aid kit, some of Jia's cut rags, and a bottle of water. "Sit here." I pointed to the open tailgate and signed sit like he was my toddler niece I watch on the weekends. Oh! Sign language! I wondered if I could teach him some. He knew some English words, but the language barrier was already getting in the way. I only knew a three year old's vocabulary of signs after watching baby sign videos with her, but I was guessing with how he spoke my name, gestures would be much easier for both of us.