The Quest for Paradise - Page 58/94

Another voice rang out and I watched as another warrior who had more bearing of character to him strode upon the scene. His eyes scanned over me to then fall upon the girl who looked far more trepidatious in the presence of this warrior than the one she had sucker kicked.

The warrior's voice rang out with sternness to the girl as he gestured at me. The girl bravely drew her shoulders back and stepping back to me she surprised me by grasping a hold of the chain linking my cuffs together. She then tugged on it a bit forcefully and uttered a simple line of speech that I watched roll off the surrounding warriors with combined effect.

The stern faced warrior blinked and then blinked again. He turned his face to the side and despite his best efforts I saw that he was on the verge of laughing out loud.

Drawing from some deep reserve of control he redoubled the look of former sternness by placing his hands on his hips and approaching to stand toweringly over the little girl, who looked quite intimidated now. Just what had the girl said to the man?

The man spoke to the girl and the way he spoke hinted at both a fondness for her, but also had a tone of reproach to it. Pointing to me once more with a shake of his head he said something more to the girl that seemed to have a demeaning ring to it.

Surprisingly then though I watched the girl's fear evaporate as her face broke into a full smile that showed all of her teeth, an action which seemed to shock her accuser. She pointed to me and then in a quite respectful tone she said something in her own language which she capped off with by placing her hands on her own diminutive hips as if in echo of the warrior's actions before her.

This time the warrior's face wore a look of shock in the aftermath of the girl's words. Then with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach I watched the warrior's eyes come to trace up my form until his gaze culminated with my face and hair. Whatever was at play was definitely not good!

The warrior's gaze moved back to the girl, who arched an eyebrow at him in a gesture that echoed of one far more advanced in years than her own limited experience of 5 to 6 years of life. The warrior shook his head and chuckled before reaching a hand out to tussle up the girl's hair.

She grinned impishly and the warrior made a gesture to the others gathered around. The spear points were withdrawn and then I was being tugged forward by the warrior the girl had seemed to overcome with her words.