"I help" a deep voice said from above us in a strange ascent and the girls beside froze. I looked up from my weird half-standing half-leaning posture and a gasp left my lips.
The new boy was standing towering over us on the second step. His hoody was pulled further to almost cover his eyes but those amber from yesterday were not a burning flame with fleeks of green in them making them more central. I had never seen anyone with such good eyes and I wondered why he could hide such a good pair of eyes. They lacked the mechanical touch to them and they were more fierce.
"Well... I...well..." I tried to make a coherent statement but failed successfully and managed to look like a total imbecile. The two ladies beside me were speechless as well and staring at him as if he was some alien. Was I any better? No.
Before I could speak anymore nonsense he stooped down tearing me from the other ladies and scooped me into his arms. Men in my tribe are forbidden from touching in any way an unmarried maiden and if this news got to my clan elders my bride price would go up in flames. In worst cases scenarios he'd be forced to marry me.
I squealed and blushed from the top of my head to the tippiest points of my toes. Other tribes allowed the carrying of a bride but an unmarried maiden being carried even by their betrothed was beyond a scandal. I closed my eyes in embarrassment but I was sure I was able to hear all the activities on the field come to a half as he climbed two steps at a time. If he was this strong, why didn't he join in the uki game?
"There goes my pride," I whispered to myself, closing my eyes tightly.
"Why?" His deep voice said his eyes burning into mine with curiosity. Had I said that out loud. 'Oh my goodness he is going to think I want to marry him' I thought and instinctively went to jump out of his arms but he grunted in disapproval and kept me in place.
"Well a maiden shouldn't be ...umm touched I mean carried by a male unless married in my tribe" I said trying to avoid his eyes which was practically impossible because I was in his arms and his masked face was inches from mine. I tried to breathe in and focus on anything but his movements as he walked down the corridors but his presence was too commanding.
"You are unwell." He said his eyes narrowed. Even with civilization taking over some traditions were still respected. How come he didn't know about this? Did he live under a rock? Maybe he was too sickly to go outside and get even the commonest of knowledge.
"But it's still..." I stuttered but it was futile to understand. 'If my clan learns of this you will be forced to marry me.' I huffed but let myself be carried. I was in no state to walk after Kaka executed his evil revenge. Tribes of the north only understood an eye for an eye policy and everything could only be solved with violence.
"Why a marriage?" He asked and I almost fainted from embarrassment. Did he read my thoughts or did I say it out loud? He spoke in the Tigayia dialect with a deep strange ascent that made the question more inappropriate.
"It's nothing, I mean it's just a tradition, you won't understand" I stuttered avoiding his eyes. I had found an interesting spot staring at his chest. He might have been built a little less than Kaka under all those clothes.
"Ridiculous." He said, narrowing his eyes further. And the flames in his eyes were now burning with disbelief.
The rest of the trip was made in silence. My hip was still hurting like hell and I might have fractured my uncle but I didn't dare move. Sagiri smelled like morning dew and a warrior's poison flower from the east.
As soon as we appeared on the healing quarters the nurse's jaw was the first thing to hit the floor as she turned to see the site at the door. She was from one of the tribes in the east. Her eastern ascent was deep. I had heard it when she came in to call Sagiri. She knew very well the traditions of the east. She recovered from her shock quickly and paved the way to one of the healer's beds. But not before saying:
"I see the east intends to hold a wedding." I stiffened in Sagiri's hands. His expressions darkened and his orbs lifted to stare at the nurse.
"She is unwell" he said and I was starting to wonder whether his Tigayia dialect was limited to a few words.
"Oh Sagiri, a man shouldn't carry a maiden unless he intends to marry her" she laughed ignoring my uncomfortable state. I thought tribe mates stood together in solidarity? If embarrassment could turn one to a pillar of ice I could have been an iceberg in that moment. Poor Sagiri seemed clueless. He just wanted to help and now he was being bombarded by marriage talks.
"Ridiculous!" Sagiri said as he laid me gently on the healer's bed but he didn't make a step to move back.
"What happened?" The nurse asked, strapping on a pair of gloves making them snap into place with force.
"I think I'm going to be a cripple" I whined, showing her to my hip. "I think I broke my hip and ankle." I didn't dare move my leg which was beginning to hurt like hell. I didn't realize how bad my leg was hurting when Sagiri was carrying me but now I was feeling all the discomfort and pain.
"Let me see" the nurse rolled her eyes physically not believing a word I said. She pulled my FS body suit waist zipper across in one move exposing my upper hip, exposing part of my waist and the top of my underwear. She didn't even care that Sagiri was in the room and shame washed over me like rain. The opposite gender wasn't allowed to see even an exposed knee. I was just an infant at the beginning of modernization but even then the relations between the genders remained as rigid as always.
I squealed and tried to pull up my zipper back to save the last shred of dignity but a hand harshly stopped me.
"What is that?!" Sagiri gritted those three words as if they pained him. His hand was wrapped around mine in a vice grip.
"What?" I panicked and all shreds of embarrassment had left my body like in a flash. My eyes snapped down to see what I was being held prisoner for as the hairs of my back stood in fear. His voice was nothing short of a threat as if I was hiding something.
Right where Kaka had executed his revenge my skin had turned an ugly purple. But I knew that is not what he was talking about. In between the purple a harsher shape was taking shape. What appeared to be some sort of incomplete talons and claws was taking shape harshly in the kakas purple.
"I don't know, I have never seen that in my life, I wasn't born with it, maybe Kaka has broken something" I panicked, staring at the two sheds of purple while my hands trembled. I looked up at Sagiri and his eyes were burning into the bruise. The flames in his pupils burned harder, almost molting into lava. Danger lay in those eyes. Maybe he was shy at the sight of blood or bruises. With my trembling hands I pulled my shirt down over my wound. Only then did he snap his eyes back to his normal flames. He blinked a couple of times before shutting them for a second. He took a step from the bed and turned around his back rigidly.
"Forgive my indecency." Is all he said in a cut voice. He didn't turn around once as he left through the door.
"What just happened?!" I wondered. I pulled up my shirt one more time to look at my bruise but the claws of purple were gone and only the purple that had been marked by kaka remained.
"What a domineering suitor." The nurse cheered, clearly misunderstanding the whole exchange. "You should tell your parents to prepare Kaliwa" she added before prodding my hip and proceeding to my ankle.
"Let's make sure you are as straight as an arrow for your wedding" she added, going to apply a creamy substance on my hip and swollen ankle.
I wanted to defend myself but that could only make her see it as me denying the truth so I just let her indulge her fantasies. I closed my eyes and promised myself never to never get injured again.
Kaliwa- The bride's presents to the in-laws of the suitor's side.