Rebel

The Assembly

It was the new scent of burning oil that woke me up. The scent felt stronger, with a more bite to it than what my nose was already getting use to smelling. I wrinkled my nose, turning away.

Oni passed by, carrying a tray of bandages. She saw my reaction to the scented oil and frowned. "Do not complain about the oil," she scolded in Matlehba. "You've been here for days and your need for a bath is now known by every pair of nostrils in Toundrah." With one last teasing glare, she shuffled away.

It was six days to be exact.

The night of the Lunar Festival was when I had gotten sick. I wasn't sure what it was, perhaps the strange foods I had eaten with Eugene. Or the freezing temperatures once the fires died out and I remained outside with everyone else. It didn't matter, later that morning I had felt nauseous and vomited.

Ever since then I was too weak to walk, talk much, or even eat. I had been laying in the healers cave for almost a week now. I was fed two hot soups a day, only been able to wash my face, and sometimes even told Toundrahi bedtime stories by Oni. At the moment, I was the only person in the cave.

Oni said it was rare for someone to get hurt or sick around the area. The only people who came in were fishermen who needing to bandage their fingers or warriors who had gotten scratched at training.

The only company I had received was Eugene in the afternoon. He would leave in the middle of the night to try and get some decent sleep and return in the early evening. We didn't talk much, given the fact I was in and out most of the day. Or Oni would sometimes force Eugene to stay a few feet away from me to avoid getting sick.

But when I had asked her if I could get her sick, she only scoffed and shook her head. I carefully moved my head to the left, seeing that the wooden chair covered in multiple furs was empty. I sighed, looking down at the wall filled with herbs and medicine.

Hussain hadn't come by, not even Esmeralda. He had probably told her about what I said the day we got into an argument. I was surprised how mad he probably still was. The anger had drained out of my body, only bruising pain was left.

The nightmares were still half there, each time I jerked awake Eugene would be there to pat my head and talk to me until I drifted off again. It was different than what Jako use to do. But still effective and heart warming. And I was completely grateful for him.

Oni returned, rubbing her nose with a piece of cloth before her eyes landed on something that was closer to the entrance of the cave. I was located in a bed farther toward the back, not being able to see the front of the cave very easily. Oni froze, her eyes widened.

Suddenly she bowed, nodding understandably. "Oni?" I croaked. The healer didn't respond. She quietly turned around and left through the closet door, leaving me completely alone. I frowned in confusion, craning my neck to try and see what Oni was bowing to. Or who.

The soft steps of a person echoed throughout the cave, followed by the slight inhalation of air. I leaned back in my pillow, curiosity building up inside of me. The person came into view, staring dead straight at me. I swallowed, realizing who it was.

It was the woman from the Lunar Festival, who had spoken from the platform. Instead, she wore a tight fitting white leather shirt that draped into a front flap over her dark trousers and brushed the top of her boots. The neckline swooped up, stopping directly under her chin. I could see the fur sprouting out from underneath the leather. Her neck seemed rather long and slender, making her posture look impeccable.

Her braided hair was completely gone, her head bald. Blue thin designs covered her head instead, winding down the back of her neck. Across her nose were two lines, ending with a series of dots that underlined her eyes. She had a small white dot under her bottom lip as well.