The King's Possession -- Book Two: Water

Epilogue

       "Vixas!" I heard behind me. Turning to look at the voice, I smiled as Nikat walked towards me, her smile always prominent on her sweet face. I hadn't recognized her when we were reunited. In the cycles that I was gone, she had grown and blossomed. Now, she stood before me, tall and slime, her dark and curly hair in a tight braid that flowed down to the ground. Large, brown eyes sparkled in the late afternoon light, the dimples in her cheeks blending in with the sharp edges of her cheekbones. 

       "Whenever I heard your voice, all I can see is that shy child that refused to dance." She smiled, her dimples deepening. "Are you afraid now?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.

         "I'm not a child, Vixas." I smiled back at her, feeling foreign speaking my native language. I listened to the kindness and sincerity in her voice, her eyes gentle and known, constantly scanning the area. "But, it is difficult to remember that when you continue to speak of me as a child." She rose a brow at me, taking half of the wood that was left. Gathering the rest in my arms, we walked to the fire. I could smell the spiced wood burning in the air, the black smoke billowing into the air, swaying and moving while the land danced from the wind.

        "You did not answer my question." I said, raising up after the elders had placed the fresh logs in the fire. Turning towards her, I motioned towards my tent, knowing fully well that time was running out for our time together.

        Opening the flap that allowed us inside, I walked in, feeling her follow behind me. Laying it back down, I walked towards the hammock, removing the bow and arrows from my back, along with the leather strap that held my blade against my outer thigh. Nikat didn't speak, just stood silently, looking at the bowl of paint and the brush that I had laid down on the tapestry rug. The air of the small space had changed in a matter of a blink, her anxiety seeping through the leather. Taking a breath, I started to unravel my braid, knowing fully well this would be the last time I would wear one as the chief of this tribe.

         "I would be a fool to not be afraid." Nikat whispered, going to sit down beside the bowl. I nodded my head, looking at her with a small smile. Pointing towards the brush, she handed it to me as I sat down beside her, our knees touching. Giving her knee a squeeze of comfort, I sat and brushed my hair, waiting for her to speak. She simply sat there, her back straight, looking from the paint to me. Taking a breath, I placed the brush down, only to stand on my knees, going to undo her braid. "You do not have to do-"

         "Hush now. It's my honor to braid your hair for tonight." I smiled, removing the curled strands from the braid, freeing them. "My mother would braid mine before every festival. And though you are not my birth child, it does not mean that I do not think of you as my own." She turned her head, looking up at me. Placing a hand on her shoulder, she placed her hand on mine, squeezing it softly. Bending my head down to kiss the top of her forehead, I could feel the air change again. "There is no need to be afraid. You are ready." I whispered.

         "I do not believe that I will ever be ready." She returned, looking at the paint. "Not for this." I sat back on my heels, listening to her as I ran the brush through her hair, the tight curls becoming lose and large. The strands were shinning, like there was a candle lit above it, causing it to glisten.

       "One might never be ready, but that is not an excuse to not do something that is needed to be done. You have to use your mind and heart with choices like this. Yes, there will be times that all your wish is to run and hide, never looking back, but that's not an option. Your problems do not blow away in the wind, and a weapon will not use itself. Life is full of choices, Nikat. And it is up to you if you chose the right path or not.

       "You are ready, I know this. I've taught you everything that I know. There's nothing else that I can do that will make this any easier." She let out a shaking breath at that. Giving her shoulders a squeeze once again, she leaned back into my touch. "The tribe will never have a greater Chief." I whispered.