The Vixen Trials

You Betrayed Us

"I'll call you stupid if I wish. Let him go."

Keilah

Dakkoul reached down and poked a stick onto the fire causing a flurry of sparks to wheel and dash about in the air. When he finished, Keilah reached her hand out and took his firm strong, warm fingers in hers. A feeling of comfort spread over her, and she placed his hand on the log between them, keeping it there under hers. She had often held hands with Jagur, although he had refused to kiss her until there was a formal arrangement between them. Dakkoul looked at her inquiringly. "You saved my life today and I have not even thanked you."

"Seeing you again is thanks enough." He stood up, breaking his hand from hers. "It will be another hard ride tomorrow, Keilah. It is best for you to have a rest before we set out again."

She nodded, a lump in her throat, her rejected hand fingering her cloak as she went to the tent he indicated next to the fire. A dead man's tent. She stepped in and smelt the overpowering odor of a dead rabbit hanging from the roof. She gagged and came back out. He was standing with his back to the fire.

"Not that one. I'd rather sleep on the log."

"Too masculine for you my lady?" he asked quirking his mouth.

"I'm afraid so," she said her lips tugging upwards to join his.

"Try this one," he said and led her to the farthest tent, a little apart from the others. "This was Grent's. He snored too much to share with anyone. He's fastidious too, so it should be clean."

He flipped open the flap and they inspected it together. Keilah was relieved to see a neat and tidy bed roll, and a receptacle shut tight on the floor and nothing else.

She plonked herself down on the bed.  The bed that Grent had slept on. Grent who had made rude remarks about her. She'd not mourn his death. Dakkoul ducked his head to go out of the tent.

"Where will you be Dakkoul?" she asked.

"I'll wait by the fire a while for Jalen."

When the flap shut behind him she took off her outer tunic, laying it flat on the receptacle and lay down on the bed roll, feeling pushed down by exhaustion, her aching horse hair covered legs no longer holding her upright, her hair still held upright but loosened in a bubble. She pulled out the hair tie let her hair flow around her shoulders.

In the sleep haze that was shrouding her, she considered her day. She was usually not good at feeling emotions, her reactions always slower and more muted than others so that when others were crying, her pondering face seemed to mock them. It had not endeared her to others who labelled her a typical Wayvolkan although it allowed her to process events more rationally, to act out of logic, to weigh her words before dispensing them. Today though, she had felt so many feelings they had pierced her. Fear, grief, guilt and even for a second, when Dakkoul kissed her, intense happiness. She mulled this over before slipping into a dreamless sleep.

Keilah woke to the sound of loud words laced with venom.

"You left us to die, Hattavah, you betrayed us". She hastily put on her cloak and headed out into the camp, the sky lightened with grey clouds with a hint of light on the horizon below the trees. She could see Dakkoul being held by two soldiers, Jalen on his left and the hook-nosed soldier who had claimed her first on her right.

Captain Tanaach strutted in front of them, hot words spewing from his mouth. "You left us to the Sheradith, while you protected yourself and your lady love. My men were slaughtered like dogs." Her stomach lurched. Dakkoul's words came to her, you must take control, scum beneath your feet, but could she really make him stop?

Dakkoul's voice was icy cold. "I didn't see you staying to protect them. You sneaked off while they were organizing their defense."

Captain Tanaach slapped him across the face. Dakkoul rocked a little on his feet then stood still, his muscles tensed, his fingers curled. 

"You'll pay for that," Dakkoul said quietly.

"You don't frighten me Hattavah," said Captain Tanaach itching the beard that covered his round jaw.

"Not now, when you are surrounded by your soldiers, but at night when you sleep alone you will remember what you just did and so will I."

The Captain's eyes pulsed, "Hold him tight, Jalen and Grent. I'm getting the horse whip."

The horse whip! She couldn't let that happen. Keilah strode towards them and made her voice high and imperious, putting on her Wayvolkan airs as the Vene-Jakaan children had called them. "It is my uncle's place to discipline Dakkoul, not yours.  Let him go."

"Who is Dakkoul?" said Captain Tanaach who stopped mid-stride when Keilah came. "You Hattavah, you have a name?"

"She calls me what she wishes," said Dakkoul and Keilah realized she had made a mistake.

The Captain was still staring at her in a way that made her think he could see straight through her cloak to her lack of proper attire underneath. The heat crept up her cheeks.

"I'll call you stupid if I wish. Let him go," the words rushed out, lacking any force of real authority behind them, but Jalen released Dakkoul's left arm as Grent sniggered, "So glad you are back, my lady, I am looking forward to spending time with you."

She looked at Dakkoul, try to spit the words with as much authority as she could muster in the hope that they would let him obey, "Get my horse, slave. I'm leaving now."

Dakkoul spun around, taking Grent by surprise, and with his free left hand gave him a powerful punch to the jaw that knocked him down. Captain Tanaach started backing away as Dakkoul flew at him.

Jalen following him closely behind. "Don't do anything you'll regret Hattavah," he said urgently.

"I won't regret this." Dakkoul leapt in the air and kicked Captain Tanaach in the chest crashing him to the ground. Jalen rushed past him and leaned over the prostrate form of the Captain. Then he turned and faced Dakkoul, his stance protective like a plover preparing to swoop to protect its young.

"He's out cold. Go Hattavah, he is no threat to you now," Jalen said, projecting with his voice a need for immediate haste and waving his hand in front of him in an effort to drive Dakkoul away.  A moan came from the Captain beside him and Dakkoul narrowed his eyes and took a step forward.

Thank you so much for reading this far.