Page 29 of Claimed By the Krijese

Moshi waves off my gratitude and I get to my feet. I reach for my war axe that had been lying beside me and strap it to my chestand shoulders before heading out. My pace is quick and my steps are sure as I travel down the hillside path. Like always, I pause at the bottom and check for danger. No unfamiliar scents reach me.

I hurry through the bari field and into the forest on the far side of it. Yet again, I am greeted by a mellenje call and a Tavikhi scout. We salute each other once he makes his presence known, but I do not make conversation. I am intent on my destination.

At last, I reach the village and stride past the warriors guarding it. We acknowledge each other and I head straight for the central fire since it is time for the evening meal here as well. I am sorry to be interrupting Iris while she is eating, and only now am I rethinking I should have waited until the next turn to speak with her. It is too late though as I am already here. Except, when I reach the fire and search for her, she is not.

“Kala,” a male calls out. “Is all well?”

I glance around for the owner. Zydon, the shefir’s brother, approaches. I am not used to seeing him without Remi at his side. They are never far from each other.

“Greetings, brother.” I clasp his forearm as he does mine and we clap each other on the shoulder. “I have come to speak with Iris.”

“Ah, yes.”

I cock my head at his tone. “Is she well?”

“No one has seen much of her in a few turns. She has stopped taking her meals with us and prefers to eat in her tent. I believe Astrid has attempted many times to coax her out to join us, but Iris tells her she is not feeling up to company and would prefer to remain where she is.”

That does not sound like Iris is keeping the deal she made with Sorin that she would no longer hide. “Can you direct me to her tent, please?”

“It is this way.” Zydon leads me from the central fire until he comes to a stop in front of a large tent and slaps on the hide door. “Iris, there is someone here for you.”

He walks away with only a brief nod to leave me standing alone waiting for Iris to appear. Moments later, the flap is swung open and she is there.

“Oh, it’s you.”

She does not sound happy to see me. Nor does she look well. There is a dark coloring beneath both her eyes, her hair is a tangled mess, and the coverings she wears are wrinkled.

“I have come to speak with you.”

Iris crosses her arms. “I’m pretty sure you said everything there was to say the other day.”

“That was not well done of me.”

She raises one of the furry lines over her eye. “You don’t say?”

It is clear she will not make this easy for me. “I thought you made a deal with Sorin and me you would not hide any longer?”

Iris glances away. “Since you went back on your deal to teach me how to use an axe, then there’s no reason I shouldn’t go back on my deal not to hide. Besides, why do you care?”

“Because it was wrong of me to go back on our deal. I should not have done that no matter what things occurred between us.”

“By ‘things’ you mean the kisses.” She does not make it a question, because we both know that is what I mean.

“Yes.”

“What happened to not giving up quickly? Isn’t that what you accused me of doing when I told you it was an awful idea for me to try and throw Sorin’s axe again? Then we kissed and suddenly it was an accident and you’re just done with me?”

I do not understand what is causing the most anger in Iris, but she is most definitely angry.“I thought it was what you wanted.”

She throws up her arms. “How would you know that, since you didn’t bother to ask me? You’re the one who announced to Sorin that I said it was an accident—which I didn’t, by the way. Where I come from if you’re going to fight and argue, doing it in front of kids is not the best time or place. So I went along with it for Sorin’s sake, but had every intention of holding a private a conversation with you later. Except you ghosted me completely.”

My translator tells me a ghost is the spirit of a dead person, which does not make sense. “I do not know what ghosted means.”

Iris sighs. “It means you disappeared without another word. You stopped talking to me. You didn’t bring Sorin to see me. You left me completely alone.”

“I am sorry that I…ghosted you. I am sorry I did not ask you what you wanted.” When Sorin apologized to her, she forgave him instantly. She does not do the same with me.

“You really hurt my feelings.” She folds her arms around her waist and curls her shoulders inward.

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