The Amazon Triangle (NaNoWriMo 2016 Project)

Chapter 16 (The Materu Village)

A fresh burble of blood seeped around the stiff, dirty bandage, from the part of the wound that hadn't quite healed yet.

"Why would she do that?" Jan squeaked, envisioning the massive infection invading his exposed tissue right now. She glared at Hank. "I thought you said she wouldn't hurt us!"

"Yes, well, that numpty—" Frank nodded toward Henry, "said we could trust her, too—and look how well that turned out!"

Henry glanced to the one person in the jungle who claimed to know where to find his son. Neri stood her ground, calmly negotiating some kind of deal with Vedala while Deloma screamed at her in much the same fashion Frank had.

"Just give it a minute or two, guys," he assured his friends. "I think she might be working something out..."

No sooner had he said that, than Vedala and Neryi shook hands, and Vedala waved four Fidenru forward to surround the cage. The three "Westerners" shared an uneasy glance as the four Fidenru unhooked the cage from its post and began carrying it out of the village, with Neyri—their supposed savior—following behind!

"What's happening?" Jan clung to the sides of the swaying cage. "Why won't they let us out?"

"So long, small ones!" Deloma called after them, brandishing a large machete. "I will see you back her very soon, and then I will have you for my pets, and we will play games that I think you will not like!" She sent the blade swirling in a flourish before sinking it deep into the trunk of a nearby tree.

Jan turned her back on the cackling Fidenru and pulled her knees to her chest in the fetal position.

"All right, I admit it," she whimpered. "I am much too old for adventures like this!"

"Neyri," Hank called down to the Materu native. "Why are they taking us still in the cage? You promised—"

"I save you, Ben-father," she assured him before he could say more.

"The hell she is!" Frank grumbled as every twist and turn jostled his bleeding leg.

Neyri shrugged. "Is only way Vedala say I take you with me. She say Wisturn stay in cage, stay with guards, say I can help the angry one, fix the binding, and her guards will return you to the Fidenru village, because you still her prisoners."

"That's what you call saving us?" Jan retorted.

Neyri returned to watching the path ahead. "Trust Neyri," she said.

"That's not fair!" Jan banged the side of the cage with her hand, but by then, they had reached the Materu village.

Neryi instructed the four guards where to set the cage, and she began unloading her basket of gear. Jan braced for the moment they opened the side of the cage to roll Frank onto the mat of skins, per Neyri's direction, but the other two guards kept close watch on the remaining prisoners, shoving them back into the cage as they moved Frank. The cage closed, and the four Fidenru sat in their positions around the cage to watch Neyri clean and re-bind Frank's leg.

While the herbs steeped in her little pot, Neyri waved to the Materu butcher chopping and frying meat in front of her hut on the other side of the main road.

"Bana, Tannibré!" She called. "Bring some special meat for our Fidenru guests!"

The burly Materu waved her cleaver in response. "You want the good stuff, Neryi?"

"Only the best for the Fidenru, Tannibré!"

The Materu disappeared into her hut, where the smoke issued in great big clouds out of the top.