Evident

34.

Mato's hut was cold and lack light, I walked further into the room and saw him laying down on his bed, his curly hair was spreading across the pillows. Huge comforters surrounded his frame and I felt a bit of remorse for the elder who looked out of it, sickness stricken through out to his now paled face. 

A weak smile tilted on his lips when he saw me, he motioned to a chair beside the bed and I thankfully took it.

"Concenta." He coughed strongly and my eyebrows connected together from his weak hoarse tone.

"Chief, is everything okay. Halisa told me that you wanted us to talk?"

He cleared his throat and I passed him a cup of water that was resting on the bedside table to ease his throat. Hunter flew towards me and I smiled down at the bird, trailing my hands on his body.

"Yes, I wanted to talk to you about your friend Ria."

I nodded hopefully that he would somehow find something about her.

"I found her, Aureliano had sent out a letter to the five tribes within the Amazon forest about a month ago and they all had replied since yesterday, apparently she was saved by Bly's tribe. Her body was washed up on their river banking a month ago and presently she is doing well."

I couldn't contain the excited smile on my lips from those words. I was happy to hear that my bestfriend was doing well because deep down, I feared she'd had gotten killed from that storm.

I remembered when I told Aureliano about Ria and he promised me that he would find her...

Biting my bottom lip, I thought about him and was grateful that he kept his commitment despite our issue.

"She's set to arrive here in a weeks time along with the Hpajie warriors. We are tying forces with them for a stronger team so that we can compose tactics that we can use to fight against our enemies."

"Mr. Mato thank you so much, you do not know how happy I am that you did this for me." 

He coughed and I wince from the wheeze that came after, in spite of this he kept a smile. "It's all Aureliano's doing, you can thank him personally when you do see him."

Oh, trust me I will...

Shaking my head, I replied. "Do you want me to do anything as it regards to the fight?"

"Of course." He nodded.

"I must commend you though, I have watched you fought on that night and it was pretty inspiring. It opened my eyes when I realized that you were a woman and was so skilled in the art of fighting, the grace you forced..." He shook his head.

"It allowed me to rethink about a law that our tribe practiced. We strictly do not believe in a woman becoming a warrior, simply because we think that they are precious souls who should be protected instead of doing the protection. I want to change that and Aureliano have agreed with me about it as well."

"You do not have to agree right now but, I would want for you to join our forces and trained with Amerio with a few women who is interested and see how it goes from there."

"I will do it." I smiled. "You have been nothing but nice and sincere to me since I've been here so it is my pleasure to do this for your people."

"Before I go though, is everything okay with you?" I frowned in concern to the elder.

He closed his eyes. "I cannot tell Aureliano nor my daughters about this. I am trusting you with this as well because you reminded me of Issi's mother, my deceased wife. She was very considerate and a humbled soul, very easy to talk to and had a very strong spirit."

"She seemed sweet." I smiled and I was glad that I drew a laughter from him.

"A few months ago I founded out that I have muscular dystrophy, this is why I struggle so much with walking and breathing because I can hardly mobile my muscles the way how I want them to. I know this would set off Aurelo from his duties and now is not the time for him to get distracted, our family needs protection."

"I am asking you Concenta to let this stay between us. Please." He weakly asked and for a minute I saw the dark brown dull eyes of my dead mother in his gaze.

Tears springs from my eyes and fell down my cheeks then, I couldn't help but slap a hand to my mouth to hold in the sobs. "I remind you of someone?"

I nodded. "My mother to be exact, she was my all." I swallowed as I went back in memory about her and told him everything about how I met Achille, the main reason why I agreed with the trip and how the peace that I wanted to find after this mission was changed the very moment I came here.

I clearly left out Aureliano's name because he was the main reason why I didn't want to run away from my problems. This I know would have Mato talking to me about Aureliano and his marriage.

Something that I care less about....

"I do not know her but, it is okay for you to miss her. She is your mother after all. I've known you for these two weeks and you've proved to me how much of a resilient, intelligent woman you are. I can see that she grew you well and just like a father who want to see the best for his child, I want the same for you as well, continue to lift your head up and let no one bring you down. Not even me."

"I'm so sorry." I took in his words and thank him. 

Laughing, I wiped my tears away and said. "That was so unexpected."

"That's the thing with life dear, it is known for doing things that are unexpected."

"Before I forget, I want to speed Aureliano's and Bly's wedding up in a months time. Bly have requested for your help with the wedding preparation so if you want you can do so." 

I narrowed my eyes at that. I respected Mato but this was just pissing me off, he knew Aureliano and I had feelings for each other so he should not have rubbed this into my fucking face about a marriage that I clearly had no interest in.

"I am perfectly fine Mr. Mato." I inwardly rolled my eyes at the guts of this bitch of a Bly.

After spending a few more minutes with the elder, I kiss him on his forehead and poke Hunter's side in a form of good bye.

Walking out of the hut, I clenched both of my fist as Bly walked past me with a knowing smirk on her lips, I didn't know what the woman have up her sleeve but she needed to stay in her own little corner while I do the same.

For the sake of her own life.

Entering into Amerio's hut, I decided to get a shower while being in a state of curiosity from the conversation that I overheard from some of the women who mentioned about the festival that was keeping in the night.

"Concenta?" I looked over my shoulder as I began walking through the tracks that led towards the river Amerio showed me.

Speak of the devil.

"You look like shit." I deadpanned as I took in his tired, messy black headed and dirty skinned, muscle-bound frame which ruthlessly goliath over me.

"Well it's coming from you so I really do look like shit for real." He chuckled and then walked passed me with a towel over his shoulders.

"The nerve you have, fuck off." I huffed and shoved him to the side but the man was so heavy that he hardly move.

He laughed.

"Are you going to shower?" Amerio asked and I nodded.

"The last person who reached to the river, has to ride on the back of that person for a week."

"Boy have you seennn..." I traced his tall frame with my eyes. "The muscles on you, I ain't doing that shit."

"You don't have a choi-" Before he completed the words, I ran off and laughed as he yelled how unfair I was.