Itxaro risked punishment when she snuck off to the river’s edge. Unbeknownst to her family, she and niece Alais frequented the area often. The water spell bound her, its motions a dance she could never quite get out of mind. Only when the cool cascade swirled around her legs did she feel as if she finally belonged somewhere. Ironic it was to have found that feeling of acceptance within a current few others dared interfere with. Itxaro didn’t dare. She just did. And she had brought along the little toddler since Grandmother was busy making gazta or other some such mundane chore.
She brushed aside the worry she’d be chastised again, the bottom of her carefully woven basket barely littered with mahats. Alais had pointed to the Oran and grinned that silly smile only a three year old possesses. How could Itxaro refuse the child when she herself desired the same? The grapes were temporarily forgotten and the duo had skipped their way to the water’s edge.
“Ur Izeba Itxaro!” Alais clapped her hands as they arrived. It was obvious she shared her aunt’s passion for this place. The danger was only in getting caught. “Alais,” she chided softly, unable to scold the toddler at all. She had been scolded enough for the both of them. “Eder ibai,” she agreed finally. It was a beautiful river indeed. She could only hope Alais wouldn’t be able to convey where their adventures took them.
Helping the little girl to splash only within the shallows that hit upon the grasses, Itxaro glanced around quickly. She couldn’t swim, not today. Not with Alais with her. She didn’t trust she’d stay put. With a sigh, she settled down upon the ground, her legs pulled crossed over.
Minutes ticked by and the longer Itxaro sat, the more she felt compelled to take just a quick plunge. Alais had lost interest in the water by then and was contentedly amusing herself a safe distance away. She eyed the child as chubby fingers pulled blades of grass from the dirt before throwing them up into the air and laughing as they fell down around her. Alais then moved on to happily eat the grapes sitting inside her aunt’s saski.
Itxaro gathered her skirts, the tanned leather thin for summer’s heat. She held the clothing just above her knees, forlorn that she couldn’t actually shed them and swim freely but she knew little Alais may try to follow her and she was much too young to stand against the river. A pain clutched at her at the thought for she was fond of her charge despite sometimes resenting the limited liberties it left her. The cool water slapped against her ankles as she tread out, a small smile across her face as the familiar rush ricocheted through her. She wondered if she’d falsely been borne a human instead of some great fish. The idea tickled her and she threw her head back and laughed. Several locks of her dark hair touched the liquid surface, trailing drops down the back of her dress as she waved her hands through the water. Alais glanced up once but was too occupied shoving the fruit into her mouth to pay much heed.
Itxaro shouted to her niece; “Aizu Alais! Look at this!” She plucked a crab from the river bottom, carefully so that it’s claws couldn’t reach her slender fingers. “Aizu Karramarro!” the little girl called back, pretending to be a crab as she pinched her hands and scuttled along the shore. Itxaro laughed, setting the water creature back down. She probably should have taken it with her, probably should have collected more of them but the notion hadn’t crossed her mind. She was having too much fun wading through the water and pretending to fly, arms outstretched and eyes closed.

It had been the first time since the attack that Indar had been able to smoke. He had been able to fill his cravings during the Gathering, even though the Endikai’s glares tended to give him less then pleasant highs, but after the attack, there had been no time. Men had been killed, horses and been hurt, and he had do the work of three men at the best of times. This was not even taking Nahia’s…situation into consideration.

Indar knew that it had been too long since he had last smoked. The drug that ran through his mind wasn’t warm and sticky, but feverish and frantic. He couldn’t begin to describe his experience, it was beyond words in the way it blazed through him. When Indar came to, he wasn’t quite sure where he was, but he could hear the rush of the river, which meant he was further away from da’Izotzi then he should be.

Damn.

At least with the river nearby, he could get a drink. His mouth was dry, and his water skin somewhere mysterious—probably lost somewhere in his high.

Indar stumbled to the water, taking a few desperate gulps of water before splashing his face. It was then he noticed that he was not alone on the river. A young girl was splashing in the water, and a little girl on the bank. Indar watched the young girl in the water for a moment, trying to remember if Nahia ever played like that when they were little. He couldn’t honestly remember—Nahia had never been much for playing. At least not when she was little—apparently playing with Thiasan soldiers was more her style. Indar growled a little at the thought, but quickly contained himself. Angry as he was with Nahia, he didn’t want to frighten the young girl.

“Aizu!” He said quickly, trying to smile just a little. What was she doing out here, anyway? It was dangerous to have such a small child near the river.

With her eyes closed, Itxaro was waving her arms up and down as if she was in preparation for flight. She had heard no one approach and so when the male voice called out a greeting, she nearly stumbled and went head first into the river. Dropping the hem of her skirt, she recovered quickly but the leather was soaked now. Peering to the figure standing near her niece, Itxaro hurried towards the shore. She was frightened he knew her brother, would tell Erramun she had brought little Alais here. Itxaro knew the dangers of the river and to her credit was very careful with the toddler girl when it came to water. It could be said though that just a moment ago, she hadn’t been too careful and realizing that was the exact moment this Zerui warrior had found her brought shame to her cheeks and her sight lowered beneath his.
“Aizu sem’zaldi,” she answered politely, hoping to please him with the compliment. She stopped and stood by her relative who was staring up at the Zerui man with open wonder. Her little three year old mind knew she didn’t know this man and was quite captivated at the moment in just watching his face. Itxaro saw the child’s rude glare and plucked her from her seat, gently pushing her bottom away so that the girl giggled and ran off further inland but still within sight.
Itxaro was uncomfortable around men. There were a few reasons for this, namely being the male authority figures in her life were often strict and rarely affectionate. She also feared the marriage her parents both spoke of, reminding her she was intended to be an obedient wife and dutiful mother as soon as she turned of age and that time was too quickly approaching. Itxaro wasn’t ready for that. She still silently questioned the Zerui ways and was secretly fascinated by the spirits the Endikai sought. She had also been shielded from male company, kept alongside her mother and sister the majority of time as a youth. Her father had his own reasons for this, ensuring her safety and education, but he had never explained such.

Now the very real fear of being punished for her wandering could be seen within Itxaro’s dark eyes. She struggled to make her family proud at the same time the feeling she didn’t belong only grew stronger. It made for an odd disposition, one that often led Itxaro to do as she liked rather than what she’d been told which later led to remorse. “The river is very beautiful,” she said almost in explanation of why she was here. “My niece Alais... she also so very much likes watching the water and the birds...” her voice trailed off but she shyly lifted her gaze to him, wondering what it felt like to be scooped up by those muscular arms. The thought brought a fresh stain of crimson to her cheeks and she wasn’t entirely sure why the image had even entered her mind. She was curious of course but she hadn’t voiced this to anyone. It was rather disturbing, this realization that her body was betraying her mind. Itxaro was still very young but technically only a few months away from adulthood.
“My name is Itxaro alab’Mitxel,” she blurted out then, also realizing she hadn’t yet offered her name and this man was probably thinking she completely incompetent. Itxaro stuck her hand out in the way she’d seen her father and brothers do so. She wasn’t entirely sure it was proper and couldn’t recall ever seeing a woman do this but nonetheless, she stood confidently and smiled tentatively.

The little one seemed fascinated by Indar, which amused him more then anything. Most of his nieces and nephews weren’t allowed to play with Indar for very long. For some reason, his sisters didn’t think him a good influence. However amused he was by the child’s fascination, Indar was mildly relieved when the young girl shooed the little one away. Really, Indar had no idea of what to do with someone so small.

Women were confusing at times to Indar. Most of the women he encountered were shy, rarely looking at Indar directly. Indar had to wonder—was it an act? He had seen his sisters scream, kick, and pull each other’s hair, then promptly turn around when Gogo or some other man came around. This one didn’t look like she’d bite him, but she seemed to expect him to bite her. The river was a pretty dangerous place for a young girl to be with, let alone a young girl with a child.

“The river can be very beautiful,” Indar replied slowly, trying not to scold her. He was one of the last people to go around scolding young girls for wandering far. “I’m even sure that if something happened to your little niece and she fell in, you would be able to bring her back safely. But you know that there are soldiers on the other side that like to come by…” Indar didn’t finish his sentence. It just made him think of Nahia, which he had been trying not to do.

The girl’s name didn’t sound familiar, but Indar didn’t expect it to. Indar had never paid much attention to the girls of his tribe, let alone the young girls of other tribes. “My name’s Indar sem’Odol.” The girl’s outstretched hand was more amusing then unnerving to Indar. She wasn’t old enough to really know better, he guessed. He took her hand, shaking it lightly. “Normally,” he remarked lightly, “you do it a more firmly, but you probably don’t do this often, so I’ll forgive you.

“But like I said, the river’s not a good place for a good young girl to be. Where are you from? We don’t have to leave immediately, but I’ll take you back to your camp when you’re ready.” Nahia may have been willing when that soldier appeared, but Indar doubted that this girl would be.

She had inwardly beamed when he complimented her, telling her he was certain she was a competent swimmer...even competent enough to save her niece if need be! She would have grinned up at him, her youth and accompanying naivete not clearly understanding his intent of passive scolding. That was a concept unknown to Itxaro. Words weren’t minced. When she deserved to be corrected, it had always been directly done so. Suffice it to say, once he mentioned the risk of Thiasan soldiers across her cherished river, her sight narrowed as if to picture one now and the beginning of a smile was ceased. She too had known the effects of war though not nearly as much as a man would. Still, she remembered the chaos and the screaming and running, running to the safety of the caves whenever there was a real threat. She remembered hearing the strange words the interlopers shouted in the distance but did not know any of their meanings.

The memory clouded her joy but as she listened raptly to his name, her face was unable to remain so serious. The mirth that bubbled forth was innocent. She was delighted he was so unlike the other men in her life. He had not once hollered, had not once glared at her with that disapproving look she despised and feared. She had even temporarily forgot about little Alais, again, but the child was safely rolling around in the grasses for self amusement as well as chasing after butterflies.

“You are right, Indar,” she said as he forgave her light grip on their handshake, “I’ve not done this before.” She peered at him in curiosity, wondering how many times he had. He was noticeably older than she, at least to her. The feel of his skin on hers was also strange. She was often left untouched, her existence not as important as that of her older, more respectable siblings. She wasn’t one to sit around and reflect in self pity though but rather found her own fun. “Next time I will be sure to shake harder,” she finished with a flick of her chin in affirmation.

She pursed her lips in stubborn resilience after hearing the Zerui man’s opinion that the river was no place for a young girl. She knew better than to talk back, wouldn’t give voice to that gleam of defiance. The river was her greatest friend as silly as it sounded. She couldn’t not go there any more than she could not breathe.
Itxaro slowly released her breath, real fear flitting across her vision momentarily when he mentioned walking her back to camp. That would surely gain the attention of her father or brothers. Or Mother who of course would waste no time informing her father of what happened. No, it would be much better if she could sneak back in the way she had snuck out- under the guise of picking grapes while watching over Alais.

“Please,” she said even while she silently reminded herself this form of begging was frowned upon by her family, “let me walk alone with Alais... even just partway.” She fidgeted a little when she asked, not wanting to stir up more trouble but moreso wishing he’d let her go without his company. “I promise we will be alright,” she nearly whispered, the faith of innocence burning through her soul.

Straightening then once her plea had been heard, she answered his question. She couldn’t not answer it as such were the ways of their people. She was not on equal terms as he and so was expected to be obedient. Worse yet, she wasn’t quite an adult (this being one time she would have welcomed it) and so had only the even lowlier status of child. “My tribe lives amongst the plains near the many urre sasi,” she replied. The gold bush, as she called it, was synonymous for the acres of tanned grasses growing in bursts throughout their camp. They kept simple, single tents instead of longhouses for they were but common Zerui.

Her shyness now being shed under the kindness of Indar, Itxaro shrugged her shoulders as if to wash away the worries that would come later after the truth of her absence was discovered. She couldn’t blame Indar for he was only being nice. She couldn’t blame Alais for she was supposed to be in charge of her, not the other way around. She had only to blame herself for the lack of discipline and that was a thought she didn’t want to accept. It was easier to change the subject.

“Do you like the water?” she asked him pointedly. It was a more acceptable way of asking what he was doing here plus she secretly hoped someone shared her affection for it. “There are many Karromarro today,” she told him with unbridled excitement. Maybe he had come to fish. She was good at knowing where to go and finding the largest catches underwater.

Then as if remembering Alais, she peeked behind her to ensure the girl’s presence was accounted for. Fortunately the toddler child was fairly well when it came to keeping herself busy. The eaten grapes were partially smeared across her mouth and hands. There were even a couple stains mashed against her leather dress.
“Iloba,”she admonished, “you ate all the grapes!” but she couldn’t quite keep the sparkle of humor from her voice and that smart little child picked up instantly on it. Alais waved her hands above her hand as if they were some odd set of antlers moving about. This resulted in pieces of fruit falling into her hair as well. Itxaro sighed but giggled before she waved back and faced Indar once more.

“Do you have children?” she asked him. She found herself half smitten by the nice man even as she silently berated herself for feeling that way. She didn’t want to be married and bear children. She didn’t want to conform to Zelui standards. She had to explore that part of her that daydreamed about da’Jainko even if it was considered ludicrous by the others.

Indar grinned, despite the pounding in his head. With that reaction, she had to be disobeying some order of her family. Indar knew what it was like to feel crushed by family—until he was taken to work with the horses, he had always run from his sisters’ care. When he was eventually found, he’d be taken to Gogo to receive whatever punishment his brother felt necessary.

“I won’t tell where I found you. What are you supposed to be doing instead of playing in the river? I can make up a story about how you bravely saved me.” He said, taking a seat on the riverbank. No point in getting a kid in trouble just because she wanted fun.

Indar shrugged at her question. Like the water? He did, he supposed. “Not more then anything else—but it doesn’t offend me.” What was on the other side of the river did, but that was beside the point. It really wasn’t relevant to anything they were talking about. “It’s a pity I’m not much of a fisherman, then.” Not he would still have any fishing gear after his trip—Indar was rather certain he had thrown almost everything off his body and into the woods during his madness. Except for his pipe. Even a mad Indar was able to recognize the importance of his pipe.

Indar was left to silently bemoan his hangover while the girl tended to her sister. His mouth was still dry, but there wasn’t much to do about that. His head pounded, and his stomach was churning just slightly. Normally, Nahia would have some bizarre solution, or would just kick him in the head. The power of her foot seemed to chase away the remnants of the drug, but Indar never liked the sharp pounding that was left from her foot. But Nahia wouldn’t be able to provide him with either, soon. She’d be married to that cranky blind warrior. Indar consoled himself with the thought that No-Fun Man would effectively keep her away from any soldiers with a lust for Nahia.

The girl’s question startled Indar, and he took a moment to respond. “Children? Do I look that old?” Indar stroked his chin, trying to look thoughtful. Why did she want to know that? “Having my biki is sometimes like having a child, I guess. My sisters have a bunch, but they’re all old.”

Itxaro laughed when the warrior went so far as to say he’d make up a story on how she had saved him. How silly it was to think of telling a bogus tale of her helping this big, strong man! She knew she wouldn’t be able to manage the lie but just to imagine the looks on her parents’ faces was enough to make her smile broadly. “I’m supposed to be picking berries,” she admitted with a grin. Indar seemed as though he’d keep the secret safe. In fact, he seemed very trustworthy so far. Itxaro twirled a strand of her hair, almost shyly peering up at him. She was a young girl so close to adulthood and he was a handsome Zerui tribesman. More than handsome, he was so nice to her that she nearly forgot how timid she normally was around men. Save for the blush that refused to completely fade from her cheeks, Itxaro seemed pretty confident now.
“It is so boring,” she said with another smile. “I like the river because it is always changing. The water changes colors. The current changes paces. Even the fish change. It is so much more exciting than to be weaving or gathering fruit or... babysitting,” she finished with a rueful sigh. Alais was a handful at times. Itxaro loved her but sometimes it still felt like she was being punished for disobedience, left to care for a toddler who often made games out of hiding.

When Indar asked if she thought he was old, her blush turned a deeper shade of red. She was embarrassed to have been so nosy. She wasn’t certain why she had asked, just blurted out the question before thinking. “I didn’t mean.... Well, I,” she stumbled over her words at first. She had guessed him to be somewhere around her sister or youngest brother’s ages. Berezi is married with one child and a second due shortly. Kerman was recently married and it is hinted his wife is already carrying. Even her eldest brother, Erramun, had married soon after reaching adulthood and at twenty-one winters, he is the father to three-year-old Alais. It was the way her parents lived. They didn’t believe in putting off marriage and delaying the birth of children. It was one of the reasons Itxaro felt so out of place. She had no desire to wed. She felt new emotions towards the opposite gender, sometimes finding herself wondering what it felt like to be a man’s wife and what exactly happened between them but she was entirely too reserved to ever ask her mother such an inquiry. She remembered once telling Mother she didn’t want to marry and have children. Her parents were disappointed in her. She knew it. Her mother constantly fretted that her last borne child would not ever make a good Zerui woman and deep inside, Itxaro wondered that same thing. She didn’t feel compelled to offer prayer to Eguzki with that steadfast dedication the rest of her family possessed. She didn’t feel the animosity towards the Endikai. On the contraire, she was mystified by their traditions and desired to know more.

“I am sorry if I offended you,” she said carefully. She was still testing the waters with him, waiting for him to become angry and demanding. It was a pleasant surprise that he wasn’t... not yet anyway. “I thought maybe you were married,” she explained, “It is what my Ama and Aita want for me.” She said it matter-of-fact, trying hard to leave out the traces of contempt in her tone. Turning towards him then, she exclaimed, “And you have a twin! That must be so nice. Can you read each other’s thoughts?” she asked, her hands clasped eagerly in front of her. What fun it would be to have a twin and share one another’s private thoughts and wishes. “Why, to never truly be alone,” she mused quietly, “it must be comforting.”

Indar had never really questioned whether or not his sisters enjoyed their work. “If it was fun, then it wouldn’t be called work,” he remarked lightly. Indar, being a remarkably lazy person, did not appreciate work the way his brother did. The general chores that had to be done were frequently put off until the last moment, and practicing fighting? It was a minor miracle that Indar had not been killed in the last skirmish.

But the girl was lightening up, and Indar considered that a good thing. Home was too full of darkness and worry. His sister Igone had lost her husband during the fight and returned to Gogo’s house. Indar had not seen Igone laugh or even smile since. Nahia was full of even more venom and spite since she had been married. Someone laughing, even if it was a girl he’d likely never see again, was refreshing.

Indar raised his hand, “Relax, I was teasing.” He wondered how strict her family was—she didn’t take too well to his play. “I’m not married—I know what women are like, I have eight sisters. I don’t need any more, trust me! I mean,” Indar added hastily, not wanting to offend her feminine pride, “not that women are bad. I have enough is all.”

Indar had to pause when she brought up Nahia. “Yeah,” he said softly, “I guess. We just found a husband for her, so she’ll be leaving me. It’s the way it goes—two of my other sisters are twins, and they seem to get along well even though they’re apart.” Indar looked toward the river, again cursing the interlopers on the other side. If it weren’t for them, he wouldn’t have to marry Nahia off to some man who’d likely beat her. She could be kept safe, with him.

{Sorry for the delay}

She couldn’t imagine having eight sisters though a part of her thought maybe then she’d be left alone more. Surely his parents were so busy with the sheer number of their children that individually, they would have more time on their own. Then again, they would have less time being recognized as well and that was something Itxaro had tried so hard to do. She wanted to gain her father’s approval but at the same time, he seemed much too out of reach to ever accomplish that.
As Indar looked toward the river, Itxaro followed his gaze. She wondered if he had recently seen some interlopers. Why exactly had he been here if he wasn’t planning on fishing? She watched him a moment, still partially intrigued by his size and kindness. After a quick glance towards Alais, she walked over to the flat land near the river’s edge. “What brings you to the river?” she asked curiously. He didn’t seem to share the deep affection she had for the fast moving waters and he hadn’t expressed much interest when she mentioned the karromarro lurking beneath the watery surface.
Alais had come closet to them again, hanging on her aunt’s right leg as Itxaro struggled to keep her balance. The young girl eyeballed Indar, flashing a mischievous grin should he look at her. She was growing restless now, having eaten the grapes and worn herself out chasing butterflies. Itxaro unwrapped her chubby arms from around her, laughing as Alais only held tighter.

Indar almost choked when Ixtaro asked him why he was at the river, but caught himself just in time. It was one thing to smart off to his brother about his smoking habits—it was something else entirely to tell a young girl that he had no idea how exactly he had wandered here, but it was probably because he was so blasted an hour ago that he could have wandered into the river itself and not noticed.

Indar had some standards.

“I needed a break.” A half-truth would solve the situation nicely—though with this one, she’d probably question him more. “It’s been busy since the attack—too many horses were injured.” Even if it wasn’t for Nahia, Indar couldn’t forgive the interlopers because of the horses. When the bastards realized that they wouldn’t be able to steal any of the herd, they decided to attack the horses instead.

But there was nothing to be done about that now. The horses that could be saved were on their way to recovery, and the rest had been honored as they should.

Indar distracted himself by making a face at the little one. “I think she’s getting tired,” he said as her rose to his feet, “and it’ll be dark soon. I should start taking you back to your family.”