Saving Bucky (Bucky Barnes x Reader)

*Chapter 102 - Peace and Quiet*

Leaving the palace was easier than you had anticipated. There was nothing to pack. No one to say goodbye to. And nothing you needed to prepare. Shuri had assured you that everything you needed would be waiting for you upon your arrival. 

And it was. 

The people of the Border Tribe had met you quietly - curiously - as your jet touched down on the edge of the forest clearing. The elders had ventured forward to greet you, as the young mothers held back their children who gawked with wide eyes. They led you both away from the village, over the hill to an open pasture. There, sitting near a large pond, was a hut. Round, and built of bricks made of cemented sand and soil, the hut faced westward, silhouetted against the fading sun. The inside proved small and quaint. A single table, and two beds behind beaded curtains. Simple wooden countertops provided space to cook. And the thatched roof gifted shade and kept the inside cool in the Wakandan heat. 

The villagers left you both alone - for the most part. The curiosity of the children made their "secret" visits to the foreigners more common than not, as you and James would catch glimpses of their brightly colored tunics through the grasses, or catch a giggle on the wind. Over time they became bolder, venturing openly in the pasture nearby. James would never admit it, but every time you heard their little laughs a smile would tug at the corner of his lips.

Yet the village elders - the men and women - remained ever distant. They dressed in simple robes and cloaks with handmade sandals and archaic spears at their sides. Occasionally, in the early morning light or late evening sunset you'd catch a glimpse of someone atop the hill. Watching. And every week a young group of men and women alike would venture past the boundary of your hut and disappear into the woods, returning a day later with meat, fruits, and fish for the village. You and James would take turns visiting the main village to trade or buy. You liked those visits, and enjoyed speaking to the villagers - learning names and trading words in different languages. But James never lingered. He rarely spoke. Polite nods and simple thanks and he would return to the hut. 

All seemed mundane. Easy. 

It took several weeks for you to realize that things weren't quite as simple as they appeared, and that the members of the Border Tribe weren't like the tribes you had visited with Okoye. 

They were warriors. Secretly imbued with all of the advanced technology and training of the Wakandan elite. 

You had stumbled across this secret by chance one night, as you and James had taken your harvested vegetables to the river to wash. There, standing atop a slick stone amid the rushing waves, stood a single young man from the village. In the dark of night he held a glowing blue cloak, and was fending off vibranium-made spears and titanium arrows launched from the shore by the other young men of the village. 

James had insisted you leave. But you were mesmerized by the young warrior's strength and balance. For nearly an hour you watched him test the limits of his endurance. He jumped, dodged, and spun around the weapons aimed at him until the other warriors had nothing left to fire, and let out loud shouts and yells of celebration as the young man on the rock bellowed in victory. 

The spectacle had enthralled you. 

But James had gone quiet after witnessing the display. He wouldn't talk about what you both saw, save for a single, hushed whisper later that night. 

"They still don't trust me."

James left your hut that night. He hadn't returned until morning - the first time in weeks that he hadn't slept by your side. And although he never mentioned it again, you've never forgotten the hurt you had spied on his face when you both discovered that the Border Tribe were advanced, deadly warriors merely playing the part of herdsmen. And that you were sent to them purposefully.