Cathrac the Gilded City

Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

When the leader of the tribe finally came to meet the Beauty was off in the corner staring aghast at her brother. She did not know how to make sense of what her brother had told her. He was kind and a protector. He had always sacrificed so much to protect her and to care for her. He was not cruel and he was not this monster that he had described. Her hands rested protectively on her stomach she had already told Dýra but not Boy yet. She thought to herself, "If he knew he would go back and kill Chubb."

When the leader came out she was not like anything they would have expected. She was tall and elegant. She had the white hair of an elder but the youth of a young woman. She was tall and moved with a lethal grace that commanded attention. Dýra was a large person standing a head above most men but this woman could glare right into his eyes. He was fairly intimidated.

Boy, however, knew exactly what she was doing. She didn't trust them and was trying to intimidate them. He respected her for it but he could not bear to make himself look intimidated. He instead held her gaze for as long as he could. He was surprised though at the mettle he found in this leader. Most people couldn't take the full force of his glare. To be honest he almost looked away before she did but he held out.

This tribal leader dressed in animal furs somehow made this primal wear look elegant, even formal. Here were four people dressed in rags smelling of the sewers and she had just watched one of them set a bone of their small child. She thought to herself, "What would Father do if these retches had shown up here?" She knew exactly what he would have done because of this how she appeared. However, something was off about the smaller boy. She couldn't quite put a finger on it at first. She eventually remembered her late father's words, "Beware the man who can stare into your eyes, nay your very soul, because if he can do that he can systematically shred all your defenses. No matter what you do that kind of man will be able to counter." He was clearly in charge so she addressed him, "I am Aura Hightooth and am in charge of this camp."

Boy interrupted, "Two names that is not from around here."

She was genuinely surprised when she heard his gravelly voice. It was the first thing that made her break eye contact, and Boy noticed. She continued through without missing a beat, "Yes I am not from around here and you are from the cities. No doubt that you have heard the rumors that this is some sort of paradise. Well, they are wrong. You will work and you will work hard. You are being put on probation from this point forward."

Boy couldn't resist pushing, "And just how long will that be."

She snapped back almost a bark, "Till I say so." After recomposing herself for a second she continued, "So how can you help this burgeoning community."

Dýra spoke up for the first time since this intimidating woman with the gold eyes sauntered in, "I'm a fisherman, He is too and he was also a pit fighter in the city. She..."

He started to talk about Beauty but she interrupted, "I am good with tailoring, or children, or cooking, or any time of housekeeping my lady." When she was called a lady Aura stood a little straighter, almost imperceptibly so, but Boy noticed.

Aura addressed Beauty, "Well we will get you set up with the servants than, but what about you two?" She stalked over to Boy, "Stand up boy," she commanded.

Boy just got that cocky half-smile he got and he whispered loudly to Dýra, "I wonder how she knew my name." Boy didn't fully understand why he needed to press her buttons. Partly it was because he was making sure that he was not just going to follow another bully. The other part he couldn't quite understand. Perhaps because he understood the mask she was wearing because he had to wear it too.

She did nothing but continued to inspect Boy. "See the hunters tomorrow I suspect that they could use your help, both of you."

Boy looked confused, "I haven't hunted since I was a little boy, how can I help."

She twirled around and said, "You'll find out tomorrow," and with that, she walked away.