Book 3: Heart Strings

Chapter 21: Preparations

Turning Tides

Chapter 21

Preparations

Tyla hung her laundry up on the line as the male monkey she found out was named Baryl sat with his still finishing his off. It would appear he only washed his clothes once a month rather than once a week like herself. So he had a lot more clothes to wash. She peaked from around her clothing as she saw his back muscles as he scrubbed them. She found her face heating up as she did so.

'What's gotten into me? Something so stupid never appealed to me before.' she thought as she finished her task. He turned when she sat down next to him and pulled a shirt from his pile and started to help.

"You don't have to." He said, trying to take the shirt. She responded by putting it on the rock and started to rub the sweat stains from the cloths.

"I am the daughter of the former king. I can do as I please." She said and smiled. "Especially if it helps others." He looked around at her clean clothing and realized the smaller ones.

"So how's your son? It would seem he's growing very fast." He went back to cleaning his clothing, but it would seem he was a bit more convicted and less distracted. He was avoiding her eyes now.

"He's more my brother, then son now. I think father just proposed to Tao's father last night so...not a mother anymore...again." She took a labored breath as she tried to still her heart from the hard truth. "But I'll still take care of Tao, as I did for my sister."

Baryls tail visibly puffed as he turned to look at her.

"You know it's okay to cry. I know how hard it has been for you. We all have, we've watched you as you grew." He was older than her then. Just a little. She wanted too much to approach him, at least thank him for his kind words. She was embarrassed though. She looked down at the shirt and dunked it again.

"Hey its alright, I'm not going to say anything." He took her hand and pulled her out of the water. Wow he was just as tall as her father. That was odd actually, not a lot of males were as tall as they were unless they were kings...AKA born of the rocks. Which isn't actually odd in the least bit.

"Sorry, I just didn't expect to cry about it. It was...odd. Its not like i'm never going to see him again, he still lives with me and..." She was very conscious of the hands on her shoulders, and the blue eyes staring into hers. He definitely noticed the flushed cheeks.

"Tyla." Tyla turned to see Macaque walking toward the pools and spotted the new male. Tyla cleared her throat as she watched the male stand up straight to Macaque. As if he were squaring off against him. Macaque however didn't even act like he was much of a challenge and leaned down to whisper into Tyla's ear.

"Lunch is ready." He looked up at Baryl without standing up straight. As if to say 'this is mine' That was odd, and kind of felt off. But her heart didn't really notice till she was a few feet away. She turned back to look at Baryl who looked back at her a bit forlorn. He turned back around to the laundry.

A flower fell into the water. He turned back to see Tyla running back toward Macaque. He picked up the flower and looked at it and then back around at Tyla. He smiled down at his hand and sighed.

"Maybe..." He put the flower on his shirt and continued with his work.

"So, what did you think of her?" He stiffened and turned to look at the golden monkey himself. Baryl blushed rather hard and cleared his throat.

"She's uh...insecure." He said honestly. Wukong's shoulders slumped a little.

"Yes, she is...She needs someone to show her there is a better way." He said, Baryl looked at him almost awestruck.

"I don't know what you mean. She wouldn't want anything to do with me if she knew."

"If she knew what?" Wukong looked him in the eyes. "That you are not even part of our clan, you're just here to wash clothes." It was true, he was a loner. He had no troop to live in and never had a home of his own. He hated the fact, he hated the idea that he was alone, and he had nothing to offer her but cold nights within a dusty cave.