Pirate's Tail

Chapter Fourteen

The next morning, Ace made his way down to the lake to retrieve a bucket of fresh drinking water for his family. There was an older Farobi man standing on the bank of the lake, enjoying the morning. Ace respectfully greeted the man and went about his business. He waded into the clear fresh water and filled the bucket by dipping it under the water's surface. While wading back to shore, Ace spotted a large crab walking on the bottom of the lake.

Ace raced back to shore to put the bucket down, hoping he could return quickly enough to catch the crab before it disappeared. The older man shot him a menacing look as Ace hastily placed the full bucket on the bank of the lake. Ace returned to the water with the older gentleman in tow to find the crab exactly where he'd left it. Ace bent down and aligned his hand to grab the large crustacean from behind. Just as he was about to pinch the crab between his fingers, Ace was shoved in his back and fell into the lake.

"Ma lo Farobi. Tul ta fan," the older man said to Ace.

Ace didn't understand what the man had said, but his suspicions were confirmed when the man uncoiled his lily and speared the crab upon it. Ace was left in the lake as the older Farobi man slung his lily, with the crab on it, over his shoulder and walked back to the village.

Confused, Ace emerged from the lake, grabbed his bucket, and made his way back to his family's dune. Once there, Ace sat down for breakfast and told what had happened to his mother.

"It's an issue of respect. You're currently seen as an outsider," Ce-ra said. "We need to get you initiated into the tribe. You'll begin training for your rite of passage into the Farobi people today, my son."

"What are you talking about?"

"Every man and woman, once they're of age, is put through the trials before being accepted into the tribe. Your training for these trials will start today so that you may become part of the tribe as soon as possible. Then you'll have more respect," she explained.

"How involved is this? What if the Visp shows up in the middle of my training?"

"Then, of course, you'll be expected to fight, but I don't believe they'll come until after you're finished."

Ace nodded. "How long is training?"

"You'll go with Ka-me and Ta-bril into the wilderness for a few days and nights, then you'll be put through your trials. It should all be done in a little over a week."

Ace nodded. He remembered Captain Harris saying that he thought they had a month to go before the Visp could make the repairs and return to the islands. "Okay, it's a deal. Will I come back here between my training?"

She shook her head seriously. "No, you'll be living in the wilderness for a time."

Ace started to get a bag together of things he might need in the brush. Ce-ra quickly took what he'd packed and refused to give it back to him. She wouldn't allow him anything more than what he already had on his body.

Ka-me and Ta-bril arrived shortly after breakfast, and the group took off. Instead of the traditional skirt people in the village typically wore, they both wore cloth around their waist that was arranged in such a way that it covered themselves, yet a bit of extra cloth hung out in the front. Ace wore his traditional sailing pants, boots and a fresh light blue tunic. The group walked out of the village and into the palm forest before stopping before a large lily plant.

"Ace, this is yours," Ta-bril declared. "Every member of the Farobi has a plant to use, and this one belongs to you. All will know and acknowledge this, but I warn you, do not abuse it."

Ace examined the plant. This bush was as tall as Ace, and twice as wide. It had far-reaching limbs that stood on end pointed at the top and serrated on the edges. The plant looked large and healthy, but he couldn't help but think the plants looked a little evil.