The Winds of the Past [Rune Factory 4]

Chapter 73

Avani and Chanda reappeared after perhaps half an hour, their arms around each other’s waists and smiling happily. “We’ve settled our differences, and all’s well,” Avani said, grinning at me. “Now, I’m sorry to run off and leave you, but I must meet with Rishi before the tribe gathers later today. I’ll see you at the midday meal, if not sooner.” Then she gave me a quick kiss, and she was off.

I spent the morning perusing the Ra’mara’s library, which was extensive and full of ancient texts. By lunch time, I felt I had at least a rudimentary grasp of the elder script used by the Ventuani, though perhaps not quite solid enough to read any of the hundreds of books and scrolls on his shelves written in it.

Meanwhile, Dylas had gone with Chanda to teach her to fish. He’d asked her where the good fishing spots in the area were, and when she shrugged and replied she’d never been fishing, he was shocked—perhaps even horrified. So he asked her to take him to a nearby river or stream, saying that he could teach her how to spearfish, just as I’d once taught him. I declined to join them, and as they disappeared into the woods, I could hear him enthusiastically extolling the many virtues of his favorite pastime.

Avani and Rishi arrived a few minutes late to the midday meal. Rishi wore his usual calm expression, yet I could see that beneath his mild expression, his facial muscles were tensed. Avani looked angry—furious, even, her sea green eyes snapping with an emerald fire. She glanced at me as she sat beside me, and her eyes softened momentarily. “It’ll be okay,” she reassured me, placing her hand on mine, then her eyes again glittered coldly as she looked over her shoulder towards Rishi’s study. She said nothing further, though, and conversation during the meal was general—largely centered around Chanda’s fishing lesson. Despite their rocky start, the two of them seemed to be discovering some common ground.

After the meal, Rishi returned alone to his study to prepare for the meeting, and Sharmila hurried to oversee the servants in the kitchen as they prepared tea and other refreshments for the tribe. Dylas and Chanda went to clean their morning’s catch to be cooked for the evening meal, and I took Avani’s hand and proposed a walk. We slowly wandered through the village, hand in hand, and she pointed out places and introduced me to people as we went, telling me relevant anecdotes as we strolled along the dirt road. Finally she stopped at the edge of the forest, and stood looking down the path where it vanished into the green depths for a long moment before abruptly turning and walking away. Seeing my curious expression, she gave me a half smile. “That path leads to Sundara’s house.”

I gave her hand a sympathetic squeeze. “And you’re not ready yet?”

“I’m not ready yet,” she agreed, and we returned the way we came.

The tribe had already begun to gather when we reached the green, and it was full of people milling around, forming little groups as they shared the latest news and gossip. At the far end of the green, I could see a small group had clustered around Dylas and Chanda—and from what I could see of Dylas, he was not pleased.

As we drew closer, I could hear a man’s voice declaring angrily, “It’s because they’ve been associating with… with freaks like you and that dog-eared creature, not to mention ol’ redeye here, that everything’s going wrong now! You’ve led them away from us, from everything we believe, everything we stand for, and now the tribe is falling apart… all because of you!”

Dylas opened his mouth to respond, his eyes flashing, but Chanda’s voice rang out. “How dare you? Dylas and Leon are ten times the man you are, Chatur, or ever will be! You should have seen Leon as he fought against Bhima, who was easily the strongest fighter in the tribe. But he was no match for Leon’s speed and skill and power! And Dylas—Dylas killed a mukara single-handed! He crushed it in his arms, snapping its bones, then he struck it with bolts of lightning, and it died. Who among you is man enough to even face a mukara alone, let alone defeat it?”