Chapter 41

We continued, and soon the rough forest floor turned into sodden ground that my bare feet sank into. It was more difficult than I’d thought to walk barefoot, but I didn’t plan on giving it up, and I struggled as I followed the others. The vegetation turned thicker as we continued, with vines hanging over the path, and the humid air made my tunic stick to my skin. Only Aki seemed unbothered by it, but at least we didn’t have to worry about Drakes or anyone spotting us from afar.

Suddenly, Aki stopped, holding up her hand.

“They are here”, she whispered, peering into the thick vegetation.

I scanned around anxiously, but only the buzzing of the flies could be heard. I glanced at the others.

“They are our allies. Relax”, Selene whispered.

The thicket rustled, and moments later, three figures stepped out. They were shorter than me and their skin was light green, just like Aki’s. They carried bows and short spears, but their weapons weren't aimed at us. I guess if they thought we were enemies, we would have been gone long before even realising they were around.

A woman stepped forward and bowed her head. As she straightened out, she looked us over, and a sad expression fell over her face. She must have noticed someone was missing, but she only said,

“Welcome, friends.”

She turned to Aki, who ran over and threw her arms around her. One of the warriors glanced at them before turning to us.

“Let’s rest here, friends”

He sat down. I glanced at Aki, sitting on a fallen log. She was chatting quietly with the woman, and I wondered if she was telling her what had happened. The warriors shared food and water with us, and we ate in silence. I assumed they must know my friends, but maybe it was their custom not to speak much, because no one said anything.

I glanced at Aki and the woman. She must be her kin or even close family. We had spent so much time together, I hadn’t realised what it meant that she had somewhere to call home. Somewhere where she belonged… I sighed. I really hoped she would find some peace now that she was back with her people. She belonged here, and even though I didn’t want her to go, she deserved something better than what I could bring her.

I glanced at the others. They must have somewhere to call home and people waiting for them to return as well… My thoughts were interrupted by the woman announcing that we should leave, and we continued in silence. We walked for hours, and as the sun slowly set, the woman halted.

“We will camp here”, she announced

I put my bag on the ground and sat down. She walked over to me and, without hesitation, sat down by my side. I looked at her, surprised. Hadn’t Aki told her who I was? So far, they had only given me a few curious glances, like they would have given any foreigner they met, so probably none of them knew. I relaxed, trying to enjoy it for as long as it lasted.

“I’m Mai, Aki’s aunt. Thank you for looking after her…”

I turned down my gaze.

“I wish I could have done more…”

“You’ve done more than you think.”

I really wanted to believe her. She must have noticed my hesitation because she put a hand on my arm.

“You will always have a place among our people”

I stared at her, surprised. A place where I was welcome… A part of me doubted that she really meant it. Soon, they would learn who I was, and then things would change, I knew it. But still, her words meant more than she could imagine.

She smiled, got up, and walked over to Selene. I glanced at Karim and Uruk chatting quietly. We would still continue together, but at some point, they would leave for their homeland as well. I glanced at Selene. Would she leave me one day, too…?

I took the aegis in my hands, watching it shimmer.

“Were you alone too…?”, I whispered.

From all the stories I’d heard about her, none mentioned her family.

“At least we have something in common.”

I remembered the maze I had walked in Marbug and the words of the old priestess.

“Yet, you kept walking your path, even though you doubted your choices…”, I continued quietly.

“Are you okay, Rina?”

I blinked, looking up. Karim was standing next to me. I must have zoned out because I hadn’t seen him coming.

“Yeah..”

He sat down next to me, and I got the sudden impulse to ask,

“What will you do when this is over?”

He sighed.

“I don’t think it will ever be over…”

He paused for a moment before continuing,

“Even if we retake Tarnis, the war will not be over”

I nodded, staring at the ground, and he put a hand on my shoulder.

“Goddess sent you here for a reason, and you’ve already made a difference. Forgive me that I doubted you. You’re giving us hope.”

I frowned.

“But I am not her, you know that.”

He peered at me carefully.

“Aren't you? Your actions say something different….”

“My actions…?”

“Wherever you go, you bring hope. Akka, Marburg, Zarion…”

“But…”, I tried to argue, but he shook his head.

“Maybe we didn’t need a shield. Maybe we needed something else, and she gave it to us without us realising it.”

That night, I couldn’t sleep, thinking about his words. I wasn’t their Goddess. I was just pretending to be. How could I make a difference when I wasn’t really her? I was no one special… I sighed. Would any of them have cared about me if we had met in different circumstances? Probably not.

I turned on my back and looked at the sky above, but only found loneliness between the stars. Selene stirred next to me.

“You cannot sleep?”

I sighed and turned to her, not wanting to worry her.

“I am fine”, I said quietly, pushing away my doubts.