A Greater Lesson

Chapter 14: New Friends

I ran towards the butcher-shop until I was out of sight of the crowd.  I turned around and saw the man chasing after me.

“Hold on, hold on!”  I held up my hands.  “Hear me out, man.”

He slowed down and stopped when he caught up to me.  It was my move.

“What did that man tell you?”  I asked first.

He tapped his club against his hand and studied me.  “He said you was trouble, and he seems to be right so far.”

“Now hold on!”  I couldn’t let his attention slip away and let him clobber me.  I raised an eyebrow.  “What’s he paying you for this gig?”

He lowered his club to the ground and leaned against it.  “Some of the profits from the golden jaguar.”  He spit on the ground next to him.

“Okay so what if I told you that she was a fake?”

He growled and picked up his club.

“No really!  How many stories about the jaguar have you heard?”

He stepped closer.  “A lot.”

“Okay, so how many of those have been told where the jaguar was a female?”

He stopped and studied me again.  “Only his, but he actually has her.”

“No he doesn’t.  I know that girl.  Her name is Rivka.  She has a scar along her jaw and another on her left heel.  Check if you don’t believe me.  She got that jaguar skin skirt when she was attacked by a jaguar.  She fought back, she killed it, now she has it’s skin.  Just come with me, I’ll find proof.”

He thought for a second and looked back towards the auction to make sure no one had followed.  “What do you got to offer then?”

I smiled.  “I got a lot of gold.  I know exactly where the ‘Golden Jaguar’ rumors came from.  The jaguar had gold dust in his claws, not because he was made of gold, but because he found a cave full of gold.  You help me, I show you where it is.”

He thought for a while and pointed at me.  “Okay, but if you’re playing me, the deal is off.”

I held up my hands.  “That’s all I ask.”

“So what are you thinkin’?”

I looked at him and smiled.

The price was rising and it was rising fast.  A guard had gone after Xik, the price would level out eventually, and my time was limited.  My hope was running out.  Fear was taking over.  None of the bidders looked very tolerant and I didn’t want to see their reaction when they found out I had tricked them.  No matter what I did, it looked like death was inevitable.

I was about to yell out and reveal the hoax when the guard came around.  A new hope filled me and I remained quiet.

“Sir, the shop is on fire!”

“What shop?”

“Your butcher-shop sir!  But I think you can save it if you go now!  I’ll keep the golden jaguar here!”

I looked towards the way I had come and saw the plume of smoke emerge from the general area.  Jerghund hesitated before handing off his dagger to the guard.  “If you steal her I will make sure you never see another sunrise, do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir!  Now go!”  The guard grabbed my arm and pulled me away from Garis.

“C’mon men! Hurry!”  The three men ran off of the stage to save their precious shop.  The crowd bustled with confusion about what was happening and who had the current bid.  Some of the bystanders followed Jerghund and his posse to get a closer look.  I looked curiously at the guard who offered to hold me.  I was relieved to be out of Garis’s grasp, but I didn’t know this man.  I didn’t know whether to be relieved or frightened.

“Get over here,” he growled as he pulled me behind the curtain.  In confusion I fell through the cloth to find a hooded stranger waiting for me.  Despite my shock, I smiled.  I knew this man.

“Xik!”  I fell into his arms and buried my head in his chest.  Tears flowed from my eyes involuntarily.  I felt safe in his care and the shouts from the crowd and all of the hustle around me melted away.  He rubbed my back to soothe me while my emotions took over the moment.  After a while I looked up at his face.  The shade from his hood covered the top of his face, but I could see his eyes.  I longed to see the beautiful green that was blackened from the shadow.  I reached up and pushed his hood away from his eyes.  The sunlight illuminated the colors making his eyes shine.  I had dreamt about these eyes every day since we’d met.  I loved these beautiful green eyes.

I realized the guard wasn’t holding me anymore.   I looked back to investigate.  He was just standing there watching us, but he didn’t seem hostile anymore.  I began to understand what was going on here.  I turned back to Zorxik.

“Who’s your friend?”

He smiled and gestured towards the guard.  “This is Kolan.  He’s agreed to help us.”

I smiled at Kolan.  “Thank you.”

Xik’s smile disappeared as he looked towards the commotion coming from the butcher-shop.  “We have to leave before they come back.”

I looked back and nodded.  Xik took off his cloak and draped it over my shoulders.  I reached back for the hood and brought it up to cover my tell-tale face and hair.  I followed Xik off the stage with Kolan trailing behind us.  We ducked behind sheds and buildings as we made our way to the other side of the busy street.  We came upon a blacksmith’s shed and stopped.

“Stay here, we’ll be right back.  Don’t let anyone see you.”  Zorxik looked into my eyes with his hands on my shoulders.  He looked scared.  “Please don’t let anyone see you.”  He paused and began to walk away with Kolan.  Before leaving he looked back at me.  “I love you.”

I caught my breath, but he had gone too far away before I could say it back.  I stared at him as he went farther until he turned and was out of my sight.  My body was in shock.  In the past few minutes I had found out that Xik was safe, I was being rescued, and Xik had told me he loved me.  I had waited for that for so long, but now that he’d said it, I couldn’t think clearly. If we got out of here alive, we’d start a new life together.  A spark lit inside me.  A spark of hope and faith and love. 

I leaned against the shed and hid my face as much as I could with the cloak’s hood.  I grabbed the chain on my shackles to keep them from jingling and calling attention to myself.  I listened to the sounds around me.  I could hear Jerghund yelling at his men.  He had returned to the auction and found me missing.  I could only hope they wouldn’t find me here.  I could only hope they wouldn’t come across Zorxik and Kolan.  They would both be in danger if they were found.

I closed my eyes and waited for anything; good or bad.  I just wanted something to happen.  The suspense was killing me.  My eyes jerked open when I felt a tap on my shoulder.  I sighed in relief to see it was Xik, and he had our weapons.  I smiled, but it turned into a nervous smile as I remembered our predicament.

“We need to leave fast.  I’ll explain a few things when we get farther away.”  I was confused, but nonetheless followed Xik.  We went down the road a little farther just to stay clear of Jerghund before crossing back towards the jungle.  We traveled through the thick mugginess for about ten minutes before coming to a small cave hidden in the jungle wall.  My whole mood changed when I heard a familiar growl and looked to find the yellow spotted creature.  He stood at the mouth of the cave and it took me a while to see that he was tied inside to keep him from escaping. 

I broke into a sprint and fell at his feet.  “Roux!”  I reached my hands over his head to hug him tight.  He licked my face and whined happily.  “Roux, you big lug,” I whispered to him as I buried my face in his soft fur.

“You don’t just know where the story came from, you actually have the golden jaguar.”  Kolan sounded uneasy as he questioned Xik.

“Don’t freak out, just come inside, I’ll explain everything.”