The Ground : Part One

sixteen : tondc

I must've fallen asleep because when I wake up, two women are staring down at me. I jump up and cover myself with my shirt.

"May I help you?" I ask them.

"Em ste Skaikru." (She is Skaikru) One of the women say. She has long brunette hair, it is slicked back as if she's just gone for a swim, too. She has a symbol in between her eyebrows.

"Um, I don't understand what you are saying." I say, clearly confused.

"Heda, osir can nou bring skai kru ona the stegeda. Ai know chit ste going through your head disha moment." (Commander, we can not bring sky people into the city. I know what is going through your head this moment.) A woman with fair skin and dark hair says to the other woman.

"Dinah, ai know chit ste best gon our stegeda. Disha gada could bring peace between Skaikru en Trikru." (Dinah, I know what is best for our city. This girl could bring peace between sky people and trikru.) The younger woman says.

"Taim anything happens kom go wrong, ai warned yu about her, Heda." (If anything happens to go wrong, I warned you about her, commander.) The older woman says and walks away.

"Hello. I am Leksa kom Trikru. What is your name?" She introduces herself.

"I'm Briar Rose Whitlock." Was I supposed to say my middle name?

"Your new title will be Briar kom Skaikru. It means Briar of the Sky People." She explains to me. "Can you please get dressed?" She asks and turns away for me to put my clothes on. I get dressed quickly, almost putting my shirt on backwards.

"Okay. I'm dressed." She turns back and looks at my clothes.

"Come with me." She demands and starts walking.

"Where are we going?" I ask while walking beside her.

"Ai stegeda. My village." She translates.

"Are you going to kill me?" I ask and stop walking. She turns and looks at me with a small smile on her face.

"No. Im trying to form an alliance between your people and my people." She begins walking again. I get to her side, and she begins talking again. "I've had multiple scouts watching your base, making sure that you aren't a threat against our kind. However, you are the one that stood out to them. They told me that yu laik yuj, or that you are strong. They said that you forgive others in a way that no one else will. I think that you are just what we need for an alliance. Osir need a hukop kom be klir. We need an alliance to be safe." She stops walking and looks at me.

"You need to swear that you will not bring any harm into this village. There are children and elders in this village that have lived and will live a wonderful life." She explains to me.

"I swear. I would never want to hurt someone for no reason." I explain to her honestly.

"Repeat this. Ai, Briar kom Skaikru, will nou bring any harm kom the stegeda intentionally." She slowly says it.

"I, Briar kom Skaikru, will nou bring any harm kom the stegeda intentionally." I say, botching a few words.

"Close enough. Well done." We begin walking again. "You will learn Trigedasleng perfectly in the village." She says with a slight smile on her face.

"Will I be able to see my people while staying at your village?" I ask her, a bit worried for her answer.

"Yes. You just cannot bring anyone back without my permission." She says sternly, but with a soft tone as well.