From the Ashes

[29] Painted Warriors

We bum around camp for a few hours, mostly in the den of the upper cabin to evade the heat of midday. Roman twiddles around on his acoustic guitar, and Sage ends up falling asleep on the couch. I find myself nodding off as well when Roman settles on a melodic tune. He's pretty good.

The family eventually trickles back in from boating at the lakes all day, and the children that wander into the upper cabin find great amusement and fascination with Roman's playing. I share a slight mesmerization myself at his versatility and deft skill. We burn the hours until The Tournament that way, along with the delicious dinner of homemade pizzas, which we all help to create. After dinner, Roman and Sage tell the family that we're going off to meet up with friends at The Gazebo, and a few tell us not to come back too late at night. After some see-you-laters from the adults, and can-I-come-too-pretty-pretty-please from the kids, we're off in Roman's truck by the light of the setting sun.

We take a different route than we took to the lakes, and a 20-minute drive past cabins and cottages deposits us in a large clearing in the forest, with a wide gazebo in the middle. Other vehicles are parked along the road, and figures dot the grass around the structure as well as inside it. Roman gives me a grin and a wink before ducking out of the truck. With myself between the boys, we walk casually in a line to the gazebo, Roman and Sage waving and greeting kids they know on our way. I'm introduced to no one until we reach the gazebo.

We stop once we're under the structure, and a pair of teens our age wave and beam once they catch sight of the boys. A boy and a girl come up to us, and the group exchanges excited hugs.

"Bennen, this is Aleithea Revora, who's with us for the summer," Roman introduces me first to the thickly-built guy, with impossibly long and curly copper-colored hair, and a dusting of freckles covering his face and bare shoulders. He takes my small hand in his massive one, pumping it strongly as he gives me a nod.

"Allie, this is Bennen, from a cottage by the lakes."

"Nice to meet you, Bennen," I say with a smile, and his darker brows rise over brown eyes.

"Call me Ben. Nice to meet you too, Aleithea," he says.

"Call me Allie," I chuckle.

"And this is Mazie," Sage tells me, gesturing towards the beaming girl, petite and blonde.

"Woah, nice hair! Hey, Allie," she says in a cool voice, shaking my hand firmly.

"Thanks," I chortle, "Nice to meet you, Mazie," I tell her, and she returns the thought with a nod and a smile. Though small and pretty, she looks like the rough-and-tumble type, her face thin with a rugged beauty that comes from zero make-up, and a mud-splattered tank top that used to be plain white.

"Ready to get your ass beat, Rome?" Ben chimes coolly, crossing his thick, sleeveless arms over his chest. Sizing them up beside each other, I couldn't tell you who'd win in a fight. Ben was barrel-chested and thickly muscled, where Roman was well built himself, but lean. They were about the same height, too. Roman gives his dark hair a flick to the side as he smirks wide.

"You'd have to catch it, first." His confidence in this area kindles my excitement, and I already feel a fierce instinct to support him.

"You might have to fight me for the chance to take Roman out, though, Ben," Sage adds, and Mazie laughs. She makes a face at him before throwing his arm a punch.

"You think you can beat Ben?"

"I know I can beat Ben," he narrows his eyes at her as his mouth slides up into a grin. She gives a guffaw.

"Oh, please!"

"Hey, I thought you said you were going to be my pillar this year?"

"When did I say that?"