“Welcome to my home,” he whispered to the woman.
He helped her down the horse, just as a little crowd had gathered. They were curious about the woman.
“Aiyana, have her cleaned up,” he said, to his younger sister.
The woman hesitated, and so did his sister. But she did as he said. She gestured at the woman who followed her, looking around with wide eyes.
“Will you now tell me why you brought her with us?” Juh asked, falling beside him.
“Do you question my decisions?” Bear Claw asked irritated.
“I do not. You make decisions for the good of the tribe. But this I do not understand,” Juh said.
“It is not for you to understand.” He lifted a hand, putting an end to Juh's questions. He owed him no explanation.
*
Hannah had never been petrified as she was in her life. Her body shook as she was led by a woman. It felt like a thousand eyes were on her. Eyes filled with hate and curiosity. She was in the enemy den, and she was all alone.
Just a few hours ago, she had never seen one of the barbarians, and now she was in the midst of hundreds if not thousands.
Tepees went on for what seemed to be miles, with several aromas meeting her nose. It was a communal lifestyle, with children running around while the mothers cooked. The woman led her through the tepees. She was regularly called out to in the language she did not understand and she responded in same language.
They stopped in front of a teepee. The woman turned around and she stared at her. She was beautiful, with long black hair Hannah envied. She frowned. She looked a lot like the man who had kidnapped them, sharing the same eyes and jaw. They were probably related.
By the side was a bowl of water. From a clothesline the woman handed her a cloth to wash herself.
“Here?” Hannah swallowed, looking around. Everyone could see her naked.
The woman folded her arms, with a challenging look. Hannah held her gaze. There was no way she was going to undress here. She was not a barbarian like they were.
With a huff, the woman entered the teepee and so did she. It was bigger than she had thought from the outside. There was a bowl of water and without hesitation, Hannah went about cleaning herself. She stripped out of her dirty dress and quickly cleaned her body. She heard the other woman going about and ignored her. She wished she had a tub she could immerse her body but this would do.
The woman handed her a folded pile. She stretched it and realized it was a dress, just like her torn one. Hannah gulped. Who had worn the dress before her? Was the woman dead? Or was she being kept a prisoner here?
The dress was a big, which was no surprise since Hannah was skinny. But at least she wasn’t half naked like the women around her.
How was she going to escape from here, she wondered as they made their way through the tepees once again. The whole place felt like a maze. Tears welled in her eyes. She was very far away from home. In a strange land and amongst strange people who would hurt her.
Her stomach growled as they approached a gathering. Aroma drifted to her, and she realized she had barely eaten anything all day. Over a fire, an animal roasted. It seemed to be the happiest thing she had seen all day.
He stood out. The man who had taken her. He sat at the end of the gathering yet all focus seemed to be on him. His eyes lifted and met hers. A tingle spread through her body as his eyes racked over her.
The other woman tugged at her, breaking whatever connection their gazes had created. She pulled her towards the man.
“Seat!” The man said, pointing to the spot beside his chair.
She glared at him and he grinned. She could sense eyes on them, waiting for her reaction. If she resisted, she would be harmed for disrespecting their chief.
Everyone seemed to relax when she sat down beside the chief. He nodded and a warm bowl was handed to her by an older woman. She stared at the content. It was red and mashed, she had no idea what it was. But it smelled good. There was no spoon and she looked around. Those who ate fed with their fingers, like a barbarian. Her hunger outweighed her desire for manners and she dipped her fingers into the warm mush.
She moaned at the delicious taste. It was spicy. It tasted like yam but she was not sure. She ate the meal first, the most she had eaten since they set on the trip weeks ago. Her plate glistened in the dark when she was done.
One of the men said something, pointing to her and the others laughed. She didn’t care that she was being teased. They would do the same if they had to live on portions.
The animal was ready and her mouth watered as it was being sliced into pieces. Her kidnapper was served first, a large piece which he bit into. She stared at the meat greedily. She couldn’t recall the last time she had eaten meat. Well, Thomas had caught a lizard a couple of days ago, but she had refused to partake. Prior to that, meat had been a luxury.
His gaze met her as he thrust the meat at her. She was stunned, looking at him surprised.
