A Pirate's Life for Mei

Into the Fire

The redheaded captive, Winny, stayed with the villagers for the rest of the day and into the evening. The men generally kept their distance while the women worked hard to earn her trust and make her one of their own.

Mei was amazed at how well it seemed to work. She watched as Winny eventually stopped crying, and while she didn't speak and barely participated, she wasn't fighting back. The women of the tribe were good at what they did. Some of it was perhaps because many of them had gone through the same at one point and they could empathize like no one else.

The other part of it was that this was so natural. Women were the heart of any human community, the original social network. They were experts at bonding and companionship. They wanted to build bridges between each other and Winny, regardless of their differences, because she was now being made a member of the tribe. As a woman herself, she naturally responded to this.

Of course, there would undoubtedly be more tears later, and perhaps she'd freak out again. But for now, she quietly sat with them in the evening while the other females enjoyed each other's company, always with a hand on her or sitting right up next to her, making her feel included.

The tribe seemed encouraged by how well the transition was going, from kidnapped captive to accepted tribe member. There was some ritual feasting and dancing, some songs. The males were approving. Though they kept their distance, they cast looks the redhead's way and made obscene gestures now and then.

A couple of hours after sunset, as usual, people began drifting off to bed. Without electric lighting, people tended to get up with the sun and go down with it too. The village was dark now that the fire had burned low, the grass and wood huts in deep shadow. Three of the women, each of a different age, took Winny by the hand and led her to a hut and went inside with her.

A drunk warrior approached that hut with a swagger, no doubt intent on finding out for himself what the new girl was made of.

Almost immediately, two females slid in front of the door and politely refused his sentry.

He angrily waved them off and demanded something.

They politely but firmly refused him.

He growled and snapped something but turned away and stalked off.

That was the last of the drama. After that, villagers all found a place to sleep and retired for the night. The fire ebbed until it was no more than embers glowing under the stars.

Four people were not asleep. Though they lay in their cages and pretended otherwise, they had never been more awake.

Mei stealthily reached for the knife with a nervous heartbeat and found it in the dirt. Her fingers curled around it. Yet she didn't bring it into the cage immediately. Her eyes roamed the dark. Had everyone got to bed? Was there a night sentry? There had been before, though a lax one. And yet, this night, it seemed that they hadn't bothered.

She slowly pulled the knife into the cage and got to work cutting the leather bindings keeping the bars in place.

The other prisoners practically held their breaths. Mei could feel their anxiousness pushing her to hurry.

It must have taken a couple of hours. The fire was out and no one had moved in the village for quite some time. But by then, Mei had cut a few of the bars free. She took off her jacket and pushed it through the bars. With one last look around, she silently crawled her way between bars that now bent. It was a very tight fit. Perhaps she should have cut away more but, with freedom so close, she was impatient. She wriggled and pushed and squeezed her way through.

She paused in the foliage, alert and watchful. The cages were right up next to the jungle, so she had cover here.

"Hurry up!" the brunette hissed, glaring at her. Even whispered, the words felt shocking loud.