Warrior's Heart

Shipwrecked

-James-

"Chief!" One of the warriors, a man named Chisek, ran towards me.

"Chisek!" I exclaimed as he fell to his knees in front of me, panting from exertion. I crouched next to him, checking him for injuries, "What is it?"

"Fenrir, Deben, and I were on patrol this morning. We found the night patrol. They're dead, Chief. All three of them."

I stared at him, my blood already boiling. "Show me."

***

Just near the southern border of our territory, the three warriors - Isak, Nebal, and Kerab - were hung from the trees. Their heads had been lobbed off and stuck on stakes buried in the ground. I knew who had done this without much thought, and I knew with no small certainty that their blood would be avenged.

"This is a war declaration," Arek mumbled from my side. I was gripping the tree, staring up at the bodies of my friends and comrades.

My shoulders were tense, jaw set as I growled, "The Tarakoa Tribe will pay."

With that, I stormed back to the village, my mind mulling over the best course of action. A war counsel would need to be formed, their life celebrations arranged. In the meantime, I commanded my warriors to search our territory for any Tarakoa invaders. If a single one was found, they were to be brought to me.

-Merun-

The sun was warm on my cheek, waves lapping at my legs. As I began to regain consciousness, I idly wondered why there was sun and water in my room. But the gritty feeling beneath my cheek told me the truth. I bolted up, my eyes wide. I wasn't in my room aboard the ship, but instead on the shore. The waves lapped at my legs, the sand warm beneath my fingers. There was debris from the wreck on either side of me, one of my books floating in the shallows. I got to my feet, groaning. I wasn't sure how long I had been laying in the sun, but the ball of fire was almost at its apex, denoting the time. I waded into the water and retrieved my book, the cool ocean feeling good on my hot skin. I splashed my face, but it only served to make me thirsty. I was parched, my tongue feeling dry as the desert. I had to find water.

The beach extended for miles on either side of me, a forest stretching into the interior of the land. I shoved the book into the back of my waistband and trudged towards the trees, my body sore and tired. There was a long gash on my arm, presumably received sometime during the wreck. It stung from the salty ocean water, my hands feeling almost sticky.

I walked for a long time, no signs of fresh water. I was beginning to feel light-headed and struggled to put one foot in front of the other. There was a path cutting through the foliage, I realized. I started walking on the path, hoping it would lead me to civilization. It wasn't until I heard conversation that I truly began to hope. I ran up ahead, breaking through the trees into a clearing. There were four strange-looking men, each with dark skin and feathers in their hair. They each had horses nearby and spears in their hands. When I came out of the trees, they froze, their eyes on me. I also froze, startled.

"Hi, I'm sorry, but can you tell me where--"

My question was cut off as all four of them leapt up, pointing their spears at me. My eyes widened and I raised my hands. Oh dear. I was in a deep load of shit this time.

They began speaking to me very quickly, the language foreign to me. I wondered what would happen if I simply backed away, but decided I wasn't willing to find out. When I didn't answer whatever it was they were saying, one of them reached forwards, grabbing me by the arm with a firm grip and yanking me towards him.