Chapter 10:
Urim
"Why are you hiding from me?" Urim startled Josephine with those words, and she cried out.
"I'm not hiding from you. I heard a sound, and I thought Ixia's spy was coming back. I didn't want to be seen, so I climbed up here." She tried to climb out and discovered a problem. "I'm stuck. There is nothing to grip with my hands and no footholds."
Urim laughed despite his aching head and replied, "I guess that means you are at my mercy."
Josephine looked up at the tall warrior. He appeared even larger standing upon his rock like a statue of Adonis. "It's not funny! Stop laughing!" Her anger made him laugh louder at her predicament. She continued, "If you can't stop, then just go away and leave me alone."
"You wish me to leave you stuck there? What will you do for food or water? Do not let pride overcome your good sense. I am not actually laughing at you. I am laughing because it is such an odd situation, and one I did not expect. The fact that you are angry about it makes it funny."
"How would you feel if you were stuck here and I laughed?" asked Josephine.
"I do not think I would fit. The crevice is too small. However, I have my own problem, and when you see me clearly, I give you my permission to laugh as much as you like." He laid belly down on the rock and reached into the crevice. "Give me your hands, and I will pull you free."
Josephine strained to reach him, but their fingertips barely touched. Urim hooked his feet over the back edge of the rock and let his torso hang down toward her. Their hands clasped, and he began to pull her up. Something dripped onto her arm. It was blood. She turned her face up toward Urim and saw the blood dripping from his forehead. She gasped and let go of his hands. He caught her as she started to slide back into the crevice. "Do not let go! If I fall in there with you, there is no one to help us. You might even be crushed by my weight."
"But you're hurt and bleeding," Josephine declared.
"And you cannot help me if I do not get you out, so hold on." He scooted backward as he pulled her up. When they both were on the flat surface of the rock, he collapsed.
Josephine scrambled to her knees to get a look at his head. A jagged cut on his forehead was bleeding profusely. There was also a bruise and a large lump. She had nothing to wipe off the blood or mend the cut. She stated, "We have to go to the cove and wash the blood off. The cut will eventually stop bleeding. Head wounds are not as bad as they appear. Though, you most likely have a bad headache."
Urim sat up, and the world swam around him. "I cannot see straight. The world is spinning. Can you make it stop?"
"You have a mild concussion. When we get down from here, I promise you can rest, and the dizziness will pass." She forced him to stand. He showed her the trail down, and with her help, they made it to the cove. She coaxed him to the water's edge and cleansed his wound with its pureness. When the blood finally stopped flowing, she cradled his head in her lap. Running her fingers through his silky black hair to soothe the ache in his head, she asked, "How did this happen? Were you attacked?”
"I know I said you could laugh when I explained, but I would appreciate it if you did not. I am humiliated enough."
Josephine swore, "I guess that means you weren't attacked. I swear I won't laugh at you, even though you had a good time at my expense."
"When I saw you on the mountainside, I thought you were leaving the cove and I did not wish you to go before we had a chance to speak. I hurried across the water on a narrow rock shelf but forgot about the slimy mud on my shoes. I slipped, fell, and hit my head. When I reached the cove, you had disappeared!" he exclaimed.
"Was there a reason you came all this way to search for me?" she asked.
He frowned. Should he admit that he had come to spy on the Pura and that he had planned to trick her into telling him of their plans? Or should he use a lie, saying he had missed her and then charm her into telling him about the Pura? Both options held a partial truth mixed in with a lie. Looking up into her sparkling green eyes, he knew he could not lie or deceive her in any way. There was a connection between them that should not be jeopardized with lies.
Opting for the whole truth, he replied, "I came back to spy on the Pura. If my warriors are to be at their best for a battle, they must know what they are facing. My heart tells me there is more than battlebots to their plan. I fear there is something far more sinister in the works. It is also true that I wished to find you. I know your loyalties are to the Pura. Yet, I hoped you would be willing to tell me their plans. You willingly provided the information about the battlebots, so I felt it was worth a try."
"I am glad that you are being honest with me. I expected you to be spying on the encampment after you found me here before. In fact, I came here today to see if I could find you. I never thanked you for saving my life when we last met. I might have drowned if you hadn't come to my rescue. So, thank you for being there when I needed you,” Josephine answered.
"We are even now. You have taken care of my wound, and I am feeling better." He stood and declared, "I will not make you betray your loyalties to the Pura, but I will ask that you do not alert them to my presence. I will go now and find a good spot to see the camp."
"No!" Josephine shouted. "Just wait, please! I came here to find you and give you a warning. My only loyalty is to life for all. You are correct. They have a better weapon than the battlebots."
"Why did you not tell me this before? We could have been preparing a way to defeat it. Are you just saying this now because you know I will soon see it for myself?" Urim was hurt by the thought that she had held back information that could change the battle in his favor.
"I didn't tell you before because I didn't know about it until today. Ixia hid his secret well."
"Why should I believe you?" Urim defiantly asked.
"I can prove that I was going to tell you. I have been here for hours. When you didn't show up, I decided to leave you a message. That's why I was on the mountainside. The red juice of the vegetable gave me a way to write a note on the rocks. Since you were coming this way, you must have seen the dark shadow over the land, or maybe the spaceship itself. Just look behind you, and you'll see I'm telling the truth!" Josephine was frantic to make him understand and believe her.
Urim spun around too fast and staggered. As his eyes focused, he caught sight of the red splashes on the rock. He read her message and said, "I am sorry for doubting you. Please forgive my arrogant anger. I saw the shadow, but thought it was rain clouds over the Pura camp. I do not understand these words. What is the difference between an android and a battlebot? Are they larger, with more weapons? You said a spaceship came and brought them. I know of no ships large enough to carry one thousand of those monsters."
Josephine sighed, "It is so hard to explain, but I will try. An android is a mechanical man. They are usually made in the image of their makers. In this case, the Pura. These wear armor and carry long-range weapons. They are controlled by the small computers you saw the Pura with."
