Bound by Glass

03| What Goes Around Comes Around

"Mom taught me how. I can dismantle the locks," Jaedie said blankly, shrugging.

"No," Nasher said, "No! I'm not going to lose you too!" he said, grabbing her shoulders. "We will get your mother back. I promise," he whispered.

"Lose me too? You have already given up on her!" she scoffed. "I can't believe it," she shook her head, "I know I haven't given up. You can't keep me here." She tried to pull herself loose with a jerk of her shoulder.

"I won't! I won't let you Jaedie!" Nasher exclaimed.

"Mom's not gone," Jaedie said softly, but poisonously, and stood up. Jaedie wasn't the loud-angry one. She screamed in silence, which might be even worse.

Jaedie stormed out of the cabin, leaving the three of us behind. Otanec was quietly observing, stroking his beard while Nasher sunk on his knees, defeated. I hadn't seen Ryth nor Tyrell leave, but they must've slipped out when my attention was focused elsewhere.

It was dead-silent, the only sound in the room the soft crackling coming from the burning fireplace.

Nasher exhaled deeply and lifted his head, staring in the flames. Sadness washed over his features, as he closed his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath.

"Tenna..." he said in a low voice. He scoffed. "Jaedie. She's–" his voice cracked and he turned to me. "She's too much like her mother. I can't get through to her—you have to make her realise. Stop her. Please."

I didn't know what to say. I had never seen her like this—I knew Jaedie as a bubbly, yet responsible teen. I couldn't imagine what she was going though; she had always been incredibly close with her mother.

I nodded at both my dad and Nasher, before jumping up and following my best friend.

* * *

I found her at the well. It was placed in the most outer ring of the camp, next to the laundry rocks and lines.

As you see, the camp is set up in rings. You have the inner ring, where the cabin, nursery, infirmary and the supplies are. Around that, you have two bigger rings, separated by large pointy stakes, as lines of defence. That's where all the tents and huts are located. Now that I thought about it, the surface of the Tribe is pretty big, even though it holds only about twenty five families, say, 150 inhabitants.

It's nothing compared to the thousands who live in a single Globe.

The outermost rings were meant for washing, training, pelt drying, and similar activities. The well was also there. Jaedie always went there if she was upset. She liked to throw rocks into the water, deep down, and hear the splash echo up. It calmed her, somehow. I couldn't blame her, but I bet there was a good twenty kilos of rock at the bottom of that well thanks to that lady over there. That said something about her temper.

She was leaning against the worn stone of the well, staring down in its depths. Her brown hair cascaded over her shoulders, reaching till halfway her back. I watched her for a few moments, as she picked up pebbles, letting them drop into the abyss below.

Walking up to her, I made sure I coughed—Jaedie got startled really easily, and I didn't want her to accidentally fall into the well.

"So," I said, "What's the plan?"

Jaedie kept still, as she threw another pebble. "Get my mother back. But my father sent you, didn't he?"

"Yes, he did," I replied, picking up a pebble and rolling it between my fingers. "He wanted me to stop you—but I'm not going to do that."