The Angkhora Warriors

Part 25: Indebted

Arjana spent the rest of the day hunting for his next meal. He went back to the tent with a dead rabbit in his hand. She smiled when she saw Arjana walking into the tent with it, seemed to be in good spirits with the sarong wrapped around her. Arjana took it as a sign of energy returning to her, which meant they could commence their travel back to the academy soon.

He walked back outside, gathered a few branches, placing two firmly between the stones by the fire and another atop them, preparing to barbecue the meat. He soaked another branch in water, to pierce and hold the rabbit. The fur could be dried and used to make a hat or gloves later. For now, he just needed the meat. Mute Girl stared at him with fascination as he worked to peel back the skin from the rabbit, careful not to tear into any flesh. He wanted to keep it whole, as it was easier to cook that way. Once finished, he pierced the animal from head to back with the water-soaked branch, placing it on top the fire to cook.

"Do you like rabbit meat?" Arjana asked the girl.

The woman tilted her head at him, but he couldn't make out whether she didn't understand what he was asking or she didn't know what he was barbecuing.

A few rotations around the low flame and hot coals made quick work of the lean rabbit, and within moments, Arjana had it set aside, separating the pieces for easier eating. He took parts of the ribs and a leg, offering it to the girl in hopes it would rebuild her strength while he took only a small leg for himself.

The girl tore into the bits of meat with ferocity, devouring pieces in an instant as if she'd only swallowed them and hadn't bothered to chew at all. Arjana was nearly horrified, but his years of traveling had exposed him to some rather distasteful individuals when it came to food and drink. He just took her action as someone who was starving and there wasn't any concern for politeness.

Her eyes caught Arjana's stare, a smile creeping across her meat-stained lips as if to offer him a thanks. Arjana smiled back, hoping her gaze would fall back to her meal, but her sight and smile lingered on him until she'd devoured everything. She'd even managed to split the bones, sucking the marrow out from within before tossing them into the fire.

Once the food was finished, Arjana watched as the girl once more crawled into the bedroll, pulling the cover over her head, and drifted back into sleep. Maybe this time it was from having a full belly and not from being exhausted, Arjana hoped.

He, however, spent the remainder of the day gathering more wood and preparing his bags. If the girl awoke the next morning feeling better, he'd get things ready to move on. He dried out the rabbit skin on a makeshift tanning rack and took apart the remains of the rabbit meat, placing it into a tiny bronze container and adding some coffee grinds to keep it dry. He knew the meat would spoil if left too long but they'd have it for dinner in a few days. The rabbit skin also wouldn't dry in time, but he knew it would be dry enough by the time they depart, for him to attach to his back to continue drying on their route. He managed to get everything else cleaned and put in order, gathering a few more logs for the fire before the sun began to settle once more and evening set in. He sat for a while, looking at the girl sleeping soundly, and before long, he too dozed off and fell asleep.

The sound of footsteps stirred near Arjana's ear. He opened his eyes. A little mousedeer stared directly at his face and sniffed at him. He woke up and tried touching the mousedeer but it backed away, walked outside the tent, and joined its family, which was peering into the tent. Arjana saw the family walk away slowly and disappeared into the night forest.

He looked at the bedroll. Once again, Mute Girl had disappeared. Arjana walked out of the tent, welcomed by a low hoot of an owl. He scanned the night forest for her.

Where have you gone this time?

He noticed a snapped twig on a nearby bush that looked to be recent; she couldn't be that far. He placed his hand to the ground, feeling for the dampness of the earth and scanning the ground with his hands for any signs of imprinting. He found a footprint, and Arjana made haste in tracking it. Indeed, she hadn't gotten far, as he spotted her silhouette shifting in the shadows by a nearby tree. She was crouched, the glint of a silver blade was spotted in her grasp as it was raised toward the sky. She was hunting something or someone, but Arjana couldn't see who. In a flash, the girl struck down her opponent, twisting the blade until it was nearly in the ground and placing her free hand on the creature's throat. She raised it into the air, its body still writhing before she sliced its throat, putting an end to its misery.

A snake?

Arjana looked at Mute Girl, shocked, as she cheerfully walked past him, heading back toward the tent. She seemed satisfied with her hunt, the decently sized serpent bouncing in her hand as she walked. She quickly got to work upon return, throwing another log on the fire just as Arjana had done for the rabbit. She cut the snake into pieces, removing the scaled skin from the meat before severing it into tiny, bite-sized morsels. She set them aside, pulling a few herbs and other ingredients from a nearby stash she had gathered. Slowly, she put all the ingredients into a pot of boiling water, taking a moment every so often to stir the contents and sipped it. Once she was satisfied, she mixed a few last condiments in the smaller pot before adding it with cooler water from the larger pot, slowing the boil down to a gentle simmer.

Arjana sat patiently, fascinated, watching the girl work, as her focus stuck to her task at hand. She took the two cups they'd used for coffee days prior and filled them with a ladle of the concoction she'd made, offering one cup to Arjana.

"Err... snake soup?" Arjana asked.

The woman nodded, passing a cup to him. Finally, she understood?

"Thank you," Arjana said, taking the cup from her hands. He blew on it a few times, trying to simmer down the heat before taking a sip. He could feel her eyes on him the entire time, watching and waiting for a reaction. Arjana had never tried snake soup before. He didn't want to offend the girl, not after she'd finally started to show some energy and some passion.

He took a small sip, taking a moment to taste the assortment of flavors that hit his tongue one after another. The snake reminded him of lean chicken, and the spices were almost sweet. He smiled, taking another, heartier sip than the last.

"Mmmm!" He expressed his appreciation.

The girl sat back, an expression of satisfaction crossed her lips and a sincere smile followed. Arjana could tell that she felt accomplished, that this soup was some sort of repayment for all the good he'd done for her over the past few days. He finished his soup, waiting until she too had finished her own cup before he went for seconds.