My head was pounding when I woke up. Alone. I must have been in such a deep sleep that I didn't hear Zachan leave. From my impression of him last night he didn't want anything to do with me.

But what was I expecting, for him to force me last night?

To talk to me?

Smile?

I received no such thing from the man. We were bound in marriage, bound in blood and I seemed to be nothing to him. But I knew that wasn't what was bothering me...

My thoughts were becoming cloudy and gloomy. So much had already happened and I had only spent one night on the Southern lands. But I didn't get to dwell on this as I heard pattered footsteps.

Thinking it was my husband I closed my eyes again, only peeking one open when I felt their presence in the room. Jaida was carrying in a bucket of water, and hanging it over the fire. Her long wavy hair was out today. Only two little braids linking from the sides to tie at the back was the extremities of her skills I witnessed last night.

"Jaida?" My voice was cracked and dry and I put a hand to my throat.

She looks up, her cat like eyes scanning me before smiling." Your awake." She announces, coming close to were I lie on my side. However her smile was slipping when she took me in.

"What's the matter?" I didn't mean to sound as harsh, but my morning headache wasn't helping.

" It is nothing... I had just thought..." She drifts off. She clears her throat." I have some water, are you thirsty?"

I manage a small yes, and sit up on the side of the bed. My head was protesting, so I held a hand over my forehead. Jaida shuffles back, a round seashell in her hands filled to the brim with water. She holds it out to me and I take it, cupping it in both hands.

It was cool washing down my throat, and I sipped until I had finished it all.

"How is your hand?" Jaida asks, taking the shell from me. I hadn't really noticed it all morning. The strip of cloth however was tinged with dry blood. Another reminder of the events last night.

Jaida had found another bandage, and carefully cleaned the shallow wound with water before wrapping it. It didn't hurt surprisingly, she was more gentle then last night when vigorously braiding my hair.

"Has Zachan left?" I ask, mainly to fill up the silence, it wasn't because I cared.

"Yes, he won't be back until dark." Jaida informs me, picking up the beaded necklaces last night. She admires them, finally settling for one she likes and walks over to me. " I can show you around this morning, Our haven is bigger then meets the eye."

"I don't doubt you." I say, watching her as she carefully places the beads around my neck. The colours of orange and aqua felt to vibrant to match what I was feeling.

"My friend Tula made those for you." Jaida smiles." She spent forever to get the colour right."

"Its beautiful, you must tell her my thanks."

"You can do it today." Jaida explains" I'll introduce you to some of the women-"

I cut in, my anxiousness dawning on me." Jaida, I don't really feel like meeting new people today."

I could tell the moment I said it disappointment and hurt flashed in her eyes, but she forced a understanding smile." Alright... I will just show you around then, but first we must wash you."

I look down at my painted body, the white clay still intact if only a little smudged from where I lay. "Its obvious I didn't need the berry last night." I say sadly in a whisper. Peeking my eyes upwards Jaida wears a genuine sad smile. I could understand now what was wrong when she took in my appearance this morning. She was expecting to see the paint smeared or wiped away... by what Zachan and I were supposed to do last night.

"I think I already knew the moment I gave it to you, you wouldn't need it." Jaida says, and I pinch my brows at her.

"Because he is complicated?" I ask.

Remembering the conversation, she puts on a wary smile of recognition." Complicated."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-

Jaida kept to her word and showed me around, I would have got lost otherwise. I realized quickly it was quite a large community, and tents were compacted in the clearing. All were woven between singular trees as supports, but nothing really as grand as the tent for the the chief's son.

I was getting use to my new array of clothing as Jaida led me down a forest trail. I wore a high skirt that went around my waist, the beige fabric slightly thick and rigid . Two slits run up to a little past my knees for each leg. My top was simply a maroon with straps over my shoulders. I still wore the beads Jaida had picked out for me this morning.

As for my hair, I just wanted a normal braid that usually run down my back. Nothing fancy that I knew Jaida could have easily done.

When finally out of the forest another clearing appeared and I was a little shocked from what I beheld. It was a farm.

Unique compared to what I have witnessed before. Rows of crops that stood tall where lining hills, leading to the back drop view of the snowy mountains. Men, but mainly women worked between the lines of plants, woven square baskets on their back as they picked food off stems. I noticed one woman with a buddle on her front, and found it to be a baby, wrapped in fabric and carried around her neck as she worked.

"Women are incharge of the farms." Jaida says, proudly." Men help when tilling the soil for the new season... When we let them."

"You work on the farm?" I ask, turning my attention to her.

"Only in the hot season." She clarifies." All of us in the haven are bound at some point to help."

"Its beautiful." I whisper in a daze taking in the sight before me. I at least knew now that they had enough food to transport back to Fellshore. My sacrifice hadn't been for nothing.

"Jaida!" A merry cry rings through the air and looking across the farmed hills, two woman smile and wave.

Jaida tries to hide a big smile she wants to give." I will just say hello, I will not be long."

I give her a small nod and she walks down to greet her friends. I feel awkward watching so I turn away, to look at the forest. I don't know what it was but I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. The wind that was chilling for the winter sent shivers down my spine.

It felt like someone was watching me.

Yet all I saw was the breeze making the trees quake and the leaves shiver. But that feeling didn't leave me. Not even when Jaida came back and walked me back to my tent.

I stayed in the tent for a while, staring at nothing in particular. Jaida said she would be back as she had some tasks to do.

I hadn't felt like this before, my energy felt drained. I had no motivation to go out and do something. I wanted to explore, find out the mysteries of the Southern lands but something was blocking that side of me. A doubting presence that has formed from my arrival.

It must have been an hour later I heard someone enter the tent. Thinking it was Jaida I stood, waiting for her bubbly nature to dull my boredom. However the afternoon sun cast a light though the tent, showing shadows on the fabric walls. In the section closest to the bedroom a tall figure stood, and I recognized it as my husband, Zachan.

Fear made my heart beat increase. I didn't realize I was sacred of him until that moment. He hadn't made a move to do anything but I didn't trust him. I didn't want to be alone with him.

Turning around in the room I looked for a quick exit. I saw a lose flap in the corner of the room near the chairs. I got on all fours and quickly crawled out of the small gap. The cold air hit me but felt soothing on my flush skin, caused by my panic.

The tent being on the outer border of the haven, I was immediately alone in the forest. I made hast and walked until I couldn't see the tent anymore. The dawning winter had started to brown the leaves and pine needles fell in piles on the floor. I regretted not grabbing a fur to keep me warm as my escape led me further into the forest.

The sound of running water sparked in my ears, and I followed the noise. As it got stronger I spotted a narrow river running along the forest bed. It was only a couple feet deep and the water was a dark blue.

Walking along it I kept my eyes on the water, liking how it shined from the rays of light leaking through the canopy. I wondered if I could capture such a sight in a sketch, or would it be too hard to imitate that natural sparkle.

Going through my artist ways I didn't notice until I was a few steps away a bridge. It was made with several thick cut down tree logs. The round trunks were cut in half to have a flat surface for people to walk on.

I took a hesitant step , and satisfied I wouldn't fall I walked across.

It wasn't long until my little unwanted adventure took me to a tree house. I noticed the rope and wood ladder that took someone to the wooden structure supported by a thick branch. But the roof was unlike the ones in the haven with straw and reeds, it was a slanted wooden roof. It reminded me of the roofs in Fellshore.

In a lick of courage I pace myself towards the tree house, remembering last night that Mr. Larkin was said to own one. I managed to climb up the rope ladder with little struggle and plant my feet on a thankfully sturdy porch.

The entry was an open doorway that led to the inside. The space wasn't that large, but larger then I would have thought for a tree house. Two tall shelves lined the right and left walls, filled with tatty books and yellowing parchment and odd things. Straight ahead was a desk crowded with papers, inks and books. Behind it was a single bed that lined the wall, the blankets looking warn.

I took a few steps in, the surroundings feeling familiar. Homely.

"Didn't you normally knock in Fellshore, Lady Aleenia."

I jump at the voice and turn to see Mr .Larkin leaning on the door way. He wore the same attire as he did last night. One of his eyebrows was quirked up playfully.

"Well there isn't a door to knock on , Mr.Larkin." I retort back.

His head does a perimeter sweep on the outline of the door." I can see, had some nasty terminates eating away at it, have to use an old sail to block it at night... but what do I owe this pleasure."

I ignored his last question, wanting him to answer my own first." Why are you here?"

"I live here." He replies coming further into the house.

My face contorts impatiently." I meant on the Southern lands."

"First thing you should learn here, Mi Lady, is that you have to be more specific when speaking. The Ukan tribe might know English but they take it more literally, not all of them know the double meaning we like to weave into our language."

"Do you like avoiding things Mr. Larkin, is that the reason you live so far away from civilization." I ask, his cockiness grating on my nerves.

He grunts out an amused laugh, going to sit behind his desk." Well you avoided my question, I'll avoid yours if I like."

I crossed my arms and stood there, watching as he shuffled through parchment on his desk. He was ignoring me before he lifts his head and sighs, gesturing to the right.

"Pull up a chair Mi Lady, if you're here to listen to my life story you can."

Finding myself with little choice, I walk over to the dusty chair. I recognize it to be a classic looking one, carved and crafted of high quality wood. It seemed out of place here. And by the amount of dust coating the seat, I guessed Mr.Larkin didn't get many visitors.

" To answer your question my father bought me here when I was 10, he taught the Ukan tribe English, and now I do."

"But didn't relations with the Southern lands only start 10 years ago?"

Mr.Larkin quirks a smile." No... my father liked to explore, stumbled upon here one day. They tried to kill him but as he loved to say his 'charm' got them to like him. After a year he returned home, happy to meet me for the first time. A decade later my mother died, although the old man didn't seem to heartbroken about it... he packed our bags and bought us here, been here ever since."

"What exactly is it you do here?" I inquire.

"I mainly teach English to the tribes people... although I have to say my father had the harder job, he had to first interpret their language to understand his. And the opposite."

"So you just teach English?"

He drums his fingers on his desk, shaking his head." No, time to time I give advise on certain things concerning the outer world. Such as Fellshore."

My skin bristles." Was it your idea for my arranged marriage?"

His fingers stop their rhythm, and he scratches his chin." I was expecting someone a little younger..."

"You bastard-"

"Save it, Mi Lady." He laughs mockingly, waving his hand as if to make my calm down. But I was fuming, looking at the man who had caused where I am sitting right now." Worse things could have happened if you didn't volunteer yourself."

"Like what!" I screech." Forcing me to marry a savage!"

His amused expression dissipates, a serious tone now lacing the air." Let me ask you something Aleenia." Him using my name makes the matter all the more deadly." Did Zachan touch you last night?"

My body went tense, my face growing red in anger and embarrassment. Looking away was answer enough.

"I thought so..." He taunts." Don't make judgments when you don't even understand who you're talking about."

"You don't have to speak to me as if I am a child-" I hiss back.

"Well that is how you are acting." He says back. Turning to face him, his aging eyes carry such a heavy weight of seriousness." You might call them 'savages' where your from. But believe me they call you far worse... if your not willing to tred carefully, then they won't even acknowledge the marriage agreement while they put an arrow through your skull."

Quietness falls in the small space. My anger fading into despair." So this is my life now... having to watch my back every step of the way."

"That's the sprit!" He teases with a smile.

I decided I hated Mr. Larkin.

I grit my jaw, not even saying goodbye as I storm out of there. I hear his laughter following me.

"Come back when you realize you need me!" He chuckles.

Hey guys, sorry been a while. Working on other things and exams coming up!

I hope your liking the story, and the maps( Things might change on the map, and be added in future) Tell me what your think of them.

Please Comment and Vote!

Love U!

P.S sorry if badly edited.