Day 8

Autumn and Chase followed the trail of Sugar to outside of a small village. A man named Sam Maritain came out to greet them.

“Hello friends. I am Sam Maritain, please come into my home and have some cold water.”

But as they came in Sam saw they were of the Lovac tribe. Their silver eyes gave them away. He gave them water to drink.

“Why have you traveled here?” he asked.

“I seek a woman for the queen” Autumn said.

“Who is this woman?” Sam asked.

“Has anyone else come by this way?” Autumn asked.

“Yes, a few days ago a woman with a slave come passed, the woman was injured and rests with me as my guest.” Sam said.

“I seek this woman.”

“Why?”

“The queen wants her.”

Sam wished he hadn’t been honest. If the queen wanted her then her time was over.

“Are you sure it’s my guest you seek? She is delirious and speaks nonsense.”

“Sir your concern is not required. The queen means her no harm. She is a warrior and the queen seeks her skills.”

Autumn could smell his concern. He worried for the woman.

“Do you know this woman?” Autumn asked.

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“No, we met when she arrived injured and delirious”

“You care a lot for strangers. I will need to take this woman back to the castle. Please take me to her.”

Sam was concerned

“Please let her be until she is well again. She is staying as my guest.”

Chase grew inpatient.

“Old man we are taking the woman. Do not try to stop us.”

Chase marched into the room where Sugar was. She was weak but awake. Chase picked her up and onto his shoulder.

“I need your horses” He demanded of Sam.

“You have come into my home as guests and left as robbers.” He stated.

“Thank you for your hospitality.” Autumn said before walking out the door.

“What will it profit you if you gain the whole world but lose your soul?” Sam asked her.

Autumn joined Chase in the stables.

“That was not necessary.”

“The man wouldn’t have let us take her. You have a job to fill to ensure our freedom. An old man is not getting in the way of that.”

Autumn found herself hesitating because she liked him. She wasn’t saying what she normally would have said. She mounted the horse. Chase was on the other horse with Sugar. This was her job, yet she was feeling like the tag along on his job.

She realised she had to speak up. Sooner rather than later.

“Chase this is my job. I don’t like how you treated that old man. He showed us kindness and you bulled him in return. I will handle things from now on.” Autumn said.

Chase sat on his horse and staring at her.

“This is important, more important than one man.”

“This is about you. What does it profit you if your gain the whole world but lose your soul?” she asked.

“You’re questioning my character?”

“You should be questioning your character. If we are free at the cost of kind old men then maybe the darkness is what we deserved.”

Chase realized he was wrong. Sometimes how you do something makes all the difference. There is a right way and a wrong way to do the same thing. He wanted to please Autumn even though being rebuked was unpleasant. He didn’t like saying ‘You are right, I apologize, but he had the felling that’s what would be required of him.

“I apologize” he finally said “You are right.” he swallowed the lump in his throat

“We need to do things the right way even if it’s not the fastest way. I was over zealous.”

Hearing him apologize filled her with forgiveness and hope. Maybe her childhood friend was who she thought he was.

She smiled at him and moved her horse closer to his and held his hand.

“Our people will be great again. Because we did things right. We will be respected among the tribes.”

At the pace they traveled they would arrive in the lower parts of the City Point by night fall.

Sam went and got Tiffany. She had tried to make her way by herself to the castle. She had run away during the night. Whenever she told someone, she was the queen and they must take her to the castle. She was laughed at or spat on and even the children threw rotten food and stones at her.

She hated how people treated her. She intended to make them all suffer very soon.

Sam found her even though he no longer had a horse. He borrowed his friend’s horse and set out to find Tiffany.

“How did you find me?” Tiffany objected.

“You are no good at hiding your tracks. Also, I just followed the jokes about a dirty woman calling herself the queen after drinking too much.”

“I am the queen.” She insisted

“Why do they not respect me?”

“Respect is earned, and fear is over ruled by hope.” Sam answered.

“Are you going to take me back to your shack?” Tiffany insulted.

“No, I am going to take you to a friend of mine who lives in Point. He will help you. I am sure of it. I will fetch my family and return home.”

“Oh” she was surprised.

“I brought you some food.” Sam said giving her bread.

Tiffany found such kindness left her defenseless. How do you answer kindness if not with kindness? And kindness was not Tiffany’s things.

“I don’t want you to be so presumptuous” Tiffany snapped.

Sam said nothing he only gave her cheese to eat with the bread.