Trouvaille (#featured)

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Lunch had already been over and still, Faye found herself unable to crack a smile or make a witty jeer at Nathan. It wasn't that she didn't have a restful night. Even sleeping beside him in the small hut didn't bother her. The day had worn her out too much for her to even notice his presence as she gave in to sleep.

By the time she woke up, it was already almost noon by her watch and the rains had not let up. Beside her, Nathan was already up looking out the window, his back to her. She could see his well-defined figure covered only by the leaf loincloth and somehow, she found herself speechless. Her promise to laugh at him the night before had not been forgotten, but quickly took a seat in the corner of her mind. Since then, she had been trying to make a quick quip, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything about his state of undress.

What's even worse is that she couldn't help but be embarrassed for him even though he seemed to think nothing of his situation.

"Faye, Nathan," Chinook called their attention after lunch was over, "My mother is not feeling well today. I want to ask if you can help with the gathering of the food. I will help you."

"Of course," Faye answered almost immediately to take her mind off her concerns.

Nathan looked at his food, which consisted of mostly of vegetables, before looking up back at Chinook. "Don't you have meat?"

Chinook only smiled at him. "We have meat. But we only eat meat if we know we have enough or we are able to hunt and it is hard to hunt because of the rain. The animal we raise have babies. They are almost finished being babies so we can have their meat soon."

Faye nodded admiring the tribe's sense of control and respect for nature. City people like her and Nathan would devour what they wanted without a second thought to the consequences, but these people would restrain their appetites for the greater good. She knew she was guilty of greed and overconsumption like Nathan, but she could not pass up the opportunity of commenting on it. "You should learn a thing or two about that, you pig."

He retorted with a snort. "Says the mule who works so hard to get everything she wants."

"I don't work for things, pig."

"So you are fine being naked and fasting the rest of your life?" he cocked his eyebrows.

"Haha! Very funny." She rolled her eyes and stopped, surprised that Chinook laughed. It was possible that the native had misunderstood her. It was even more puzzling that his mother tittered along with him, considering that she didn't understand a word they said.

Even Nathan looked at him curiously before deciding to ask, "Is there something wrong?"

It took Chinook a while before he apologized for his and his mother's outburst. He cleared his throat and smiled at them. "Our elders said that the spirits guided you to us because you need help. The chief's wife said that she feels you need to find peace and be together and now I know she is right. You always fight and that is not good. The spirits will keep you here if you do not stop fighting."