The harrowing sounds of the winds against the forests leaves had precipitated a harrowing music that unlike any other sound Amelia had heard before. It caused to further tuck herself deep into her woolen mattres. She wished she had a thicker duvet like the one she had left in her cottage back at the dark pine forest. When she felt too cold lying on the bed, she stood up and picked the alternate black gown which Catori had given her, and headed straight to the window where she blamed both the cold and the harrowing noise from coming in. She was still trying to find a way to pin the silky gown over window when her gaze caught the figure of a familiar object, standing alone in the sparsely lighted compound. On a second gaze, she agreed that it was Catori. ” But why the hell wasn’t he wearing a shirt In sick freezing temperatures.” She asksed herself and headed out to see him.
” Catori.” She called out after coming out and standing beside her door. She had found another essence for the black gown, by using it as a muffler to wrap around her neck to wade off the cold.
” Amelia. You should be sleeping. It’s so cold out here” he said after turning to find her by the door.
” And you should be wearing a jacket in the cold.” She said and began to walk towards him while the breeze caused her hair and her red gown to sway in it’s direction.
” Damn this wind.” She chuckled after trying hard to stop her gown from revealing all the contours of her body, thanks to the wind that swiped softly against it.
” Aren’t you cold. It’s a cold night to be outside.” He said to her with a soft tenor while he gazed at the curves of her body with indifference.
” It’s cold. I’m just glad to be safe for now. How have you been big man. You must have some guts coming out shirtless in such a weather.” She said to him with a smile and stood by his side.
” Not guts. I feel hot wearing a shirt. Most of feel that way. Our are made for the cold.” He said as he gaze at the halfmoon in the skies.
” Oh I see. It’s nature then. Good.” ” How have you been. The preparation for war and all.” She asked him.
” It’s Been Good. A little bit slow but it’s all good.” He said and sighed deeply in exasperation. ” I heard the chanting of peace and knew the emissary were back. What news did they bring.” She inquired while choosing to set her gaze on the moon as well.
” Good news. The peace pact still holds valid. They even gave him a bride.” Catori said and hummed for a Second.
” That’s really good news. Congratulations.” She said to him with a smile and felt compelled by the cold to move closer to his giant stature.
” Thank you. But I’m Afraid the war is far from stopped. War is still coming and I don’t know where it’s coming from. The people now believe that the war is no longer feasible. I will have to deal with a lot of decipline issues in tomorrows practice.” Said Catori and took his gaze off the moon.
” How can you be sure if the thruce is still said to be valid.” She asked .
” Because the North Clan is just one In several clans of the bush people. The threats may come from where we least expect. My people still think it’s a joke. Agiyon hasn’t really helped matter’s. Only Kanegi and I have been championing such a tasking challenge.” He said and hawked his gaze across the meadow to check for any irregularities.
” Well I’m here for you and you know that. Don’t you?” She said and held his arm, resting the side of her head on it.
” I know that Amelia. Thank you.” He said with an expression.
” I’m sorry for Maximin. He should have stayed to help you out.” She said and breathed deeply.
” Don’t worry about. We are just fine without him.” Catori said and instinctively raised his gaze to pear at the moon.
” You know, there might be no war. It’s just you being so overprotective as usual.” She winced.
” There’s going to be war. I saw it. Luitsi saw it to. Guns , spears and swords. Lots of blood and lifeless body. Amelia, please this is not a life for you.” He said in his soft baritone voice and turned his gaze to her, slightly looking downwards due to the difference in height. She looked up at him and there was nothing but empathy in her eyes.
” You know I wouldn’t go anywhere. If I wanted wealth and the city life, I would have followed Maximin. I don’t want it.” She said with a murky eye.
” You are brave. I tend to forget you have lived alone in the woods.” He said.
” Not the woods, the cottage.” She chuckled and closed her eyes from the peace of belonging. Alas loneliness was horrible.
” A cottage? What was your cottage like.” He asked in muse.
” Old, rickety and warm. It was an old English Cottage which served as a mini fortress for the English Colonialist. It’s been abandoned ever since. We were lucky to find it and it became our home. I miss it.” Amelia said and hummed emotionally.
” A fortress? Did you ever find weapons in it?” Catori asked.
” It’s a fortress not an arsenal. But yes since it had to do with soldiers and their likes. There were a dozen rifles hidden beneath some bunkers. My father found them Intact in a large wooden box when he was trying to sink a bath hole for us.” ” Occasionally we
” Rifles are guns right? He asked as his eyes widened in awe.
” Yes, quite prehistoric if you ask me. Like I was saying once In a bluemoon, we would find a pistol here and a bullet there, jack knives, daggers and thing’s of war. I don’t know where all stuffs are. It’s been ages.” She said in Carefree manner and didn’t even know Catori was paying attention to her.
” My goodness. Are those guns still handy. If we got them, then we can fight a fair battle and win. Only few people have guns among us and I’m scared our enemies may have lots of them. Defending such an attack would just be a bloodbath on our side.” Said Catori, as he gazed at her with hope.
” My goodness you are right. They never left the house as long I can remember. We never got to use them to hunt, cause we were scared they were going to lead the humans to us. ” She said and took her head off his hands.
” This english cottage of yours, do you know where it is.” He asked with a great deal of controlled anxiousness.
” It’s in the Darkpine forest. I don’t think it should be too far from here.” She said and gazed around to ascertain her bearing. ” The pine forest isn’t near by. It’s many miles away from here. How did you travel so far and didn’t notice.” He asked and gazed at the direction of the journey.
” We were running on feet and Maximin took me on his shoulders and ran so fast. I felt dizzy and passed out, then I awoke on his shoulders and he was very sick and I came to get help from your mountain, then the grizzly came, I passed out again and awoke by yourside.” “I pass out too often when I’m faced with danger.” She said, chuckled softly and marvelled at her luck.
” I see. Can you locate the cottage, like an object of relic to say where the cattoge…”
” The Lavender mountains. I don’t know the name of the mountain but it’s covered mostly in lavender which we met so.” ” If you want to us to take a walk there then it’s alright we can go tomorrow.” She said with a pleasing tone and rested her head on his shoulder again.
” That’s so kind of you. I was thinking we could go now? It’s dark right? ” He said in a skeptical tone.
” It’s dark and dangerous. We would need light and the beara would come after us and things like that.” She said, trying to hide her surprise at his request.
” Yes sorry. I didn’t think it through.” He sighed and wished he had waited till the morning hour.
“We would go tomorrow morning. I don’t think it’s so far but if it is, then we would have to make preparations for a full journey.” Said with a smile and was just glad to stand by his side.
” Okay first thing tomorrow. I suppose we all go to sleep and prepare for the journey at hand.” Said Catori and brought his gaze to see her gaze at her beautiful face.
” You haven’t smiled at me today.” She said gazing straight into his eyes till he smiled mildly and sighed.
” That’s more like It. You look more handsome when you smile.” She said and clutched tighter to his hands.
” A man should not be handsome, he should be strong.” Said Catori. In as much as he wanted to be patient, he knew time wasn’t on his side and got even more bent on making the night journey.