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Amethyst turned to Octavia and sighed. "If I'm going to protect you, and get Lincoln back I'm going to have to leave for awhile," she told the girl as she carved a new arrow. "But why?" Octavia asked, her voice strained as she asked, almost scared. "Indra will keep an eye on you," Amethyst said not answering her question and avoiding the stare of the seventeen year old girl.
"Amethyst," Octavia pleaded. "Think of this as your soul search," Amethyst said cutting the girl off. "When I come back we will go back to training and your studies, but if you want to be a grounder prove yourself," Amethyst told the girl, standing up and handed her the machete she had been training with. Now carved into the handle was 'O.B.' a simple gesture from the grounder women handing it to her. "How am I supposed to prove myself when I can't even communicate?" Octavia asked grabbing the weapon offered to her.
"Warriors can speak english," Amethyst explained to her. "Indra and anyone else she is taking in her search party will be able to communicate with you. But as of right now, no one knows i've been helping you and the others so I can go back into the village," Amethyst explained throwing her bag over her shoulder. "There's something I need to do there before I come back for you. So in the meantime don't die," Amethyst said with a small smile.
Octavia nodded firmly and quickly hugged Amethyst. The women stood in shock before slowly wrapping her arm around Octavia's shoulders and patting her back. "Make me proud," Amethyst said before pulling away from the hug. "Mebi oso na hit choda op nodotaim," Octavia said, struggling to put the proper words together. Amethyst grinned and turned utter the words, "May we meet again," to the girl before turning and running in the direction of her village.
Amethyst was welcomed back into the village just like she thought she would be. She was asked questions about what she had learned about the sky people and if she had seen any reapers near her campsite. Indra walked up to the girl and greeted her firmly. "We assumed you were dead," Indra told her, Amethyst was never seen after the ring of fire and she assumed no one had survived other than her second.
"No one survived?" Amethyst asked the women before her. Indra shook her head. "Not one," she told. Amethyst sighed and nodded her head in understanding. "Go home, visit with your mother before you go to Ton DC," Indra said gesturing to the path that led to the small hut her mother lived in. Amethyst nodded before turning her back to Indra and walking down the path.
When she arrived at the small hut her father had built, Amethyst pushed aside the cloth door and found her mother sitting by a small fire sowing. "Nomon, ai'm houm," Amethyst said catching the older womens attention. "Ai gada!" The women exclaimed with a smile. She dropped the blanket she was making and jumped up to embrace her daughter. Amethyst smiled to herself and held her mother tightly, not knowing the next time they would see each other after this. Amethyst's mother never learned to speak english, she was a seamstress in the village so there was no need; she never left the safety of their home.
Reaching into her bag, Amethyst brought out the berries she had collected when she was with Octavia and unwrapped the cloth to reveal them to her mother. Blueberries were her mother's favourite. Her mother grinned and took the berries from her hand and ate them happily. Amethyst had sat down on a chair by the fire and looked to her mother who joined her. "You won't understand what I'm saying," Amethyst started looking down to her hands. "But I want you to know that I did this for me, not for the clan. I thought with my heart which was irrational and stupid of me," from a young age Amethyst was taught to always decide with her head, never her heart.
"Nomon ai don kom go," Amethyst said sadly, grabbing her mothers hand and squeezing it. "No!" Her mother exclaimed sadly shaking her head. It was hard on her mother every time she left and Amethyst knew that. Nothing ever made her feel more guilty than when she couldn't stay and take care of the women who raised her. Sometime's she was gone for weeks, sometimes months. There was no telling how long she would ever be gone for and that always took a toll on her mother. Ever since Amethyst's father disappeared without a trace, everyone said he was taken by the reapers. "Nou bants like your nontu," her mother begged. Amethyst smiled sadly before leaning over and kissing her mother's cheek.
"I'll come home, I promise," Amethyst said sternly before turning and leaving the tent. She was never in one place for long, but no matter what she would always make sure she had a moment to see her mother. As she left the village once again, she made stops to get some supplies for her journey and made sure to stop and get a horse to cut back on her time. "Leaving again so soon?" A lady at the market said, Amethyst smiled and nodded. "I'm afraid so," she replied.
"What do you mean so soon? To even have the commander of light stop in the village to check in is a blessing, she's our best warrior!" A man from a nearby stand said butting into the conversation. Amethyst gave them a small smile before turning away from the stands and heading towards the entrance of the village where a horse would be awaiting her. As she walked through the streets she would smile at the children that weaved their way in and out of people laughing as they went.
Finally she got to her destination and saw a teenage boy brushing the hair of the horse. "Here you go, heda gon soncha," he said bowing his head slightly. Amethyst pulled herself up onto the horse and thanked the boy before clicking her tongue and heading away from her home once more.
Amethyst wasn't sure what her plan really was, but she had a feeling it wouldn't go the way she would want it to.
TRANSLATIONS
Mebi oso na hit choda op nodotaim - may we meet again Nomon, ai'm houm - mother i'm home Ai gada - my girl Nomon ai don kom go - mother i have to go Nou bants like your nontu - don't leave like your father
