Dragonsoul

Chapter 46

Even the playful pixies dared not enter the vicinity of the place in the forest where two warring parties held the first meeting in a very long time.

Though they had never been in physical conflict with each other, the antagonism was ever-present, and it was rare for any of them to communicate with each other.

"Toras is right. There are better things to worry about now than our disagreements. I am sure even you can see that." Leonie said.

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean we will stoop so low as to associate ourselves with killers." Buckthorn stubbornly said.

Rimar growled quietly at Buckthorn's repetition of the word.

Though Hunters were prone to hunting, they were never murderers. Killers murdered for fun; the Hunters killed because their bodies needed meat to survive. Besides, they did so with the utmost respect for the life they had taken.

Leonie stroked Rimar's head to calm him down and looked Buckthorn straight in the eye. He squirmed under her gaze, but he did not lower his eyes.

"Do you think that the evil force approaching us will spare anyone or anything? Maybe you are right, Hunters kill animals, but the force that is approaching us has the power to kill us all, as well as the animals. Ask yourself, do you prefer to lose a few animals for Hunter's nourishment or all the animals due to your stubbornness." Leonie said.

"We can take care of whatever comes our way on our own!" he yells.

"Really? Then please tell me, what have you done so far?" Leonie asked.

"We've gathered all the necessary information. We are Gatherers after all." Buckthorn said.

"That's great. Then, what are you going to do with the information you have?" Leonie asked.

"Well, ...we'll ...we..." Buckthorn said, looking around for help.

"Exactly. You have no idea. Yes, you are Gatherers, and you are great at what you do, I am sure. However, we are Hunters. We are fighters. If you give us the information you have, we'll have a fighting chance against evil." Leonie said.

"No!" Buckthorn exclaimed, but some of his people appeared more open to the idea.

"Buckthorn, don't be ridiculous. You've become a great leader. Don't let the past taint everyone's future." Amitola said, stepping forward.

"What is she talking about?" someone asked.

"Nald, honey, why don't you and Autumn go home and make sure that all the animals are doing fine?" Amitola gently said.

"Sure mom. I am happy to help. Come on, Autumn, the last one there is a porcupine." Nald said as they sped away.

"Very well, now that the children are gone, I guess it's time to revisit the past," Amitola said with a sigh.

Buckthorn stared spears at her, but Amitola's determination showed no signs of wavering.

Leonie, on her part, was too preoccupied brimming with pride for no longer being considered a child to notice the extent of tension between her mother and Buckthorn. She was like a young peacock showing off her feathers.

"When I was a young girl, and still a part of the Gatherer community, my parents arranged for me to marry another Gatherer, to strengthen the community ties. As I was an obedient daughter, I promptly agreed without fully thinking it through." Amitola said, sighing deeply.

It was clear that she wished not to discuss her past but found it necessary to heal old wounds.

"I was convinced that was the only way. After all, that was how my parents got married, as well. But, one day, as I was gathering mushrooms in the forest, my whole world changed." Amitola said.

The sad smile on her face told Leonie that it was the day Amitola met Leonie's father, and it felt wrong that she had to share such intimate moments with such volatile strangers.

"From the moment I saw Rimodar, I knew that there was no going back. I could not marry another man when my heart and soul belonged to him. Even the fact that he was carrying quarry with him, which made it clear he was a Hunter, could not stop the feelings that flooded my heart." Amitola said.

Leonie was surprised to note that as Amitola told her story, giant tears rolled down Rimar's face. She was unsure whose tears they were, hers or Rimar's. However, knowing how the story ended was bound to make anyone sad.

"Consequently, I broke off the engagement, to utter disappointment of my parents," Amitola said.

Finishing her story, she turned to Buckthorn with an apologetic look on her face.

"I am sorry, Buck. I never meant to hurt you. You were my friend, but I knew that my fate lay with another." Amitola said.

A gasp went through the whole gathering, but Leonie was not as shocked as the rest of them. The new revelation explained the leader's unwillingness to compromise.

People in pain often lash out and do unreasonable things. Though Hunters and Gatherers always had their differences, only under his leadership did it get as bad as it was.

Human emotions were so strong that they could build bridges, but they were also strong enough to break worlds. Leonie only hoped that her mother's heartfelt apology would be able to extinguish the wildfires of anger that ruled over Buckthorn's heart.

"I loved you." Buckthorn said, angrily.

People were even more surprised to hear those words flying off the tough man's mouth. Never before had such a display of emotion occurred, and both Hunters and Gatherers were stunned into silence.

"Since I was but a boy I loved you. When my parents told me that your parents accepted our proposal, I was the happiest man in the world. I was working very hard to prepare a place for us, a home we could share. I was ready to give you whatever you wanted. Then...then they told me that the engagement was off. I was heartbroken. I couldn't trust another woman for years," he said, his anger turning into bitterness.

"I can't tell you how sorry I am for what I did. I was young and stupid. I didn't understand that you shouldn't accept a marriage proposal from someone you love as a brother. I should have handled the situation better, but I was scared and lost, especially after how my parents reacted when I told them about Rimodar. I made a mistake, but are you going to let the whole world suffer for it? Your daughter? After all, if I hadn't left you when I did, you wouldn't have met Summer and had such an amazing daughter." Amitola said.

"I guess I did hold a grudge for long enough. However, I am not saying that Hunters and Gatherers can ever be friends, but we are willing to cooperate with you to fight off the threat. Have in mind that we are doing this for our families and other innocents, not for the Hunters." Buckthorn said.

"I understand. As long as we can work together in peace, it's fine by me." Amitola said.

"Arawn, are the Hunters in agreement?" Amitola asked.

Arawn, still embarrassed by the way he treated Amitola, who was once his friend, didn't make eye contact when he answered.

"Agreed," he said.

"All right then. Thank you, mom for sorting that out." Leonie said, thoroughly impressed by her mother's communication skills.

Looking at Toras, Leonie could see that she was not the only one impressed by Amitola since Toras seemed transfixed by Amitola and the new side of her he got to witness.

"I think now would be the right time for the Gatherers to tell us what they know and for us to come up with a plan together, don't you think?" Leonie asked Toras to make him focus on the meeting and not on her mother.

"I couldn't agree more," Toras said, bringing himself out of his daze.

With a snap of his fingers and a few muttered words, he summoned a few comfortable tree stumps to spurt out of the ground. Thus, everyone could settle on them for what was bound to be a long meeting.

The first Hunter-Gatherer meeting was finally open, and Leonie felt proud of the achievements they accomplished in one day. It was her greatest hope that from that moment on, everything would proceed smoothly, but she was ready to face any potential challenges. After all, she was the daughter of one of the best Hunters who ever lived.