Warrior's Heart

Recovery

-James-

I stayed close to Arek over the next several days, watching over him. Mitsi had said he would be alright, but I was still worried.

We were expecting an attack soon. The Tarakoa tribe would not let this go without response, the same as we could not have when we found our patrol hanging from the trees. One if Arek's warriors, Jeb, was standing in for Arek until he recovered.

I was keeping Arek company, conversing with him to keep him entertained. He was on bed rest, much to his annoyance. Merun was also there, sitting next to me on the ground in Arek's hut.

Jeb entered, his face serious, "Chief."

"What is it?" I questioned, getting to my feet.

His eyes passed to Merun, then to me, "Matter of some sensitivity, sir. Perhaps you should send your pet outside?"

I bristled a bit at that. How dare he? "He doesn't even speak our language properly, Jeb. Just spit it out." He did know quite a bit, although I didn't care for everyone to know. I was still trying to figure out this whole thing with his brother, and for now it needed to stay on the down-low.

"The Tarakoas left a message at our border," Jeb explained, "They're coming tonight."

***

Merun followed me around the village as I prepared my men. We had already prepared our defenses, expecting retaliation sooner rather than later. Even so, I couldn't wrap my head around it. Why would they warn us that they were coming? They completely forfeit the element of surprise. I didn't know, but I certainly didn't like this.

That night, I stayed up, keeping watch. I had asked Merun to go to sleep, but he had refused, insisting on keeping me company.

"I don't want you to get hurt when they come," I told him in his language. I was attempting to practice it, but my accent was atrocious. "Please go to my home."

He shook his head, leaning against my shoulder, "Don't worry. It's going to be okay."

I knew the village warriors were uneasy. Many of them also stayed up, rotating out in shifts so that they each got a turn guarding the village. I was grateful for Merun's company, though.

"Tell me about your home," I prompted him.

It was much easier for him to speak to me in his language, and it helped me learn it much better also.

"I live in a place called Estraleon. Only men live there, no women," he explained.

I frowned, "How do you have children if there are no women?"

He didn't know how to explain it to me in a way I could understand. The words he used were unfamiliar to me, and I had no grasp of the idea. However, I accepted this and he continued.

"My brother went missing when we were both young. My father wants him to be king, rather than me," Merun explained.

I tilted my head to the side, "What is a king?"

"A Chief, sort of," Merun told me, "But on a larger scale. My brother, Airum, was born first, so he was meant to be king."

"Do you want to be king?"

Merun thought for a long moment, considering my question. Finally, he said, "Yes, I do. But I also enjoy being able to choose my own husband. Airum already has a husband picked for him."

"You... have a mate who is a man?" I attempted to wrap my head around that information. To be honest, it wasn't something people within the tribe did, so I had never even considered it. Marry a man? It was unheard of.

"I will, yes," Merun answered. "I don't yet."

I sighed softly, leaning my cheek into my palm, "I am like your brother, my mate has already been decided. But Arek is far better suited to her than I am."

"You're Chief, can't you change it if you want to?" Merun asked.

I shrugged, "I guess. But there are no other women in the village that I get along with well enough to mate with, let alone unmarried women. Most men of the tribe are married by now, or at least intended to someone."

"Do you have to marry a woman?"

The question caught me off guard. Did I have to marry a woman? Was there a man I would be willing to be wed to? Well, not in the tribe. But...

I turned my attention to the man seated next to me. Merun? Would I be willing to mate with Merun?

I brushed the thought away. He had to find his brother and return home. My place was with the tribe, not off galavanting around some foreign land.

Merun chuckled softly, switching to my native tongue. I supposed we both needed to practice. "Sorry."

"You're fine," I responded, "I just hadn't ever thought about it before. It's never been done before, as far as I know."

It was very early in the morning when we finally turned in for the night. The Tarakoas hadn't come, causing me to wonder if they had intended to or not. They were playing games with us, and I wasn't going to let this go unnoticed.

I checked on Arek, leaving Merun with him before I myself returned to my own home. My sleep was restless, and I was in and out of consciousness for hours.

I hoped that the next day would be better.

It was, to an extent. Arek was well enough to get up and move around, Merun helping him. The two quickly became good friends, especially now that they could understand one another a bit better. Merun's grasp of our language was still a bit shaky, but we could communicate. Being around Arek seemed to help, especially since I couldn't always be there to help him. In fact, most of the next day was spent in and out of meetings, determining what to do about the threats with the Tarakoa tribe. Even so, I spent the next evening with Merun and Arek both, our conversation light and fun.

Soon, I would need to decide how best to help Merun with finding his brother. But my top priority was keeping my people safe. And I wasn't sure I could do that properly if my heart went with Merun.