Guns and Dust Ch. 07

She suddenly missed them. And her own people. Her emotions flip-flopped between heartache for her dead friends and happiness at being in a community again, even as an outsider. Being in a community like this had been her whole life. From her first memories, there had been people all around her. In the burning hot, freezing cold, joy and terror. Adina felt suddenly - lonely... and excited all at the same time.

Nothing had happened the night before. At least not for them. They'd been shown where to park on the edge of camp and Priav had joined them a little while after they'd parked. Everyone else kept their distance.

When Priav approached, a larger group of townspeople followed, but hung back. Some were armed. Adina could sense Asher's unease. She made sure her pistol was easily accessible at her hip.

Priav nodded to them, her rifle in its ever-present place, resting in the crook of her elbow. "The council needs to talk about what happened. That doesn't involve you." She glanced back over her shoulder then back to them again, an eyebrow raised. "We also need to talk about you. I trust you. Those who were with us trust you. But others don't." She smiled; the particular expression made her skin wrinkle around her eyes. "They don't know you yet, Myrmidon." Her eyes flicked to Adina. "Or you - " She leaned forward a bit with a merry sort of expression. "shoemaker." She said the word as if it was the most ludicrous misnaming she'd ever heard of. "I will send someone to fetch you in the morning. For now, good night."

"Are you alright?"

Adina turned to Asher's voice as it pulled her back from the memory. He was laying on the deck, the blanket at his waist, his big arms flexed, his hands behind his head on the deck. She nodded. "It's just... strange, being in a camp again." She blew out a breath. "I... don't know how to feel." She went back and climbed under the blanket again, pulling it up and snuggling against him, laying her head on his shoulder and pulling his arm over her. The feel of him was so reassuring. "I'm really happy to be around people again, it feels more normal, but it reminds me of my people." Her words trailed off.

"And they're all gone now," Asher offered. Adina nodded against his chest. He stroked her hair. "I'm sorry that you lost the people you cared about."

She kissed his chest. "It's alright. It wasn't your fault." She felt odd. Now that they were talking about it, why didn't she feel more? Loss or anger? She missed them, and her heart ached. But the terrible loss; what felt like it should have been there - wasn't.

"Is something wrong with me? Or does the inoculant... I don't know... lessen what you feel?"

Asher craned his head so he could see her eyes. "Why would you say there was something wrong with you?" He held her eyes. "There is nothing wrong with you, Adina." His tone was firm, certain, assuring. He kissed her hair, adjusting his other arm further under his head to prop it up. "And no, the inoculant shouldn't affect your emotions. At least not that I've ever heard of."

She tucked her hand up under her cheek, her fingers and palm just feeling the skin of his chest. "I feel like I should... I don't know. Be more upset. Most everyone I know, people I've known for years, some my whole life were killed, and I don't feel - what I should."

He didn't say anything for a long time. She could tell he was thinking. "And what should you be feeling?"

"Sad, angry. I feel like I should be crying, or..." She shrugged. "I don't know."

He was quiet again, maybe waiting to see if she was going to continue. "Maybe you're not ready yet. Maybe it's too much." He ran his hand up and down her arm gently, then squeezed it. "There is nothing wrong with you, Adina. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose everyone close to you. I don't know how anyone comes to terms with that."

There was a bang on the side of the bearcat. Asher gave her a kiss and rolled up to his feet then moved to the passenger door and looked out. He smiled in recognition. "Good morning, Nat."

She heard the young man's voice from the other side of the armor. "Priav wants to see you."

"Did you sleep at all?" Asher asked.

Adina could almost see the younger man shrug from outside. "People wanted to hear about you."

Asher snorted. "Alright, we'll be out in a few minutes."

As they followed Nat, eyes followed them. Most of the camp was just waking up, but there were a lot of people out. Adina got the impression it was because of them. A few who watched them seemed suspicious, but most of the expressions were curious. And they had an escort. Two children, Adina guessed about five and seven followed them being led a boy who couldn't have been more than ten. He followed them, tugging the seven-year-old boy along, who in turn tugged the five-year-old girl in a daisy chain. They looked like they might be siblings. All were wide-eyed, staring at Asher and barely sparing her a look.

They reached a largish open-sided, octagonal structure that might have been a communal meeting hall. Nat led them inside. At one end a small group of people gathered. And right at the center was Priav along with a man, who appeared to be about the same age.

Asher scanned the way the group sat and stood together, then leaned over. "I think this is the leadership council." He eyed Priav significantly. "And I think Priav is the headwoman of the camp, not just the caravan." He nodded to a few of the people behind her. "They were at the gate last night and took their cues from her. The big guy there is the guard captain, I think. The woman next to him, the shorter one, is in charge of camp operations." Priav waved them to her, simultaneously shooing Nat out. He herded the children with him as he went, their little faces turned back even as he pushed them ahead of him. Priav stood up and waited for them to reach her. Once they got close, she extended a hand toward Asher, then her, introducing them. "This is Asher, the one I spoke of as being like a Myrmidon, and Adina. She is a..." She turned a conspiratorial eye to her. "Shoemaker." Then she turned to the old man at her left. "This is my husband, Rafi."

Adina was a little taken aback. Somehow, she'd imagined Priav would be the fiercely independent old woman, not beholden to any man. A husband hadn't fit into her expectations. There was also the fact that she was unused to seeing people as old as Priav be so vigorous.

The old man stood up, the movement was strong and smooth for his apparent age. And when he reached out with a long cane, Adina realized he was blind. She hadn't been able to see his eyes clearly in the dimness and flickering light, but they were clouded. He stepped confidently to where Asher was, the cane stopping expertly against Asher's boot.

"Priav says good things about you, Asher. Others have too." He held up his hands and gestured to Asher's face. "If you don't mind. It is the only way for me to know what you look like. Otherwise, you are just a vague shape."

"Of course."

Rafi stepped close, carefully putting out his hands and began by bringing a hand lightly down on the top of Asher's head as if to find a point of reference. "You are tall." The old man worked his hands down over the sides of his face, gently feeling his features. "What color are your eyes, Myrmidon?" Rafi asked with a smile. Priav and he obviously shared enjoyment of the word.

"Dark blue."

Rafi nodded. "Unusually dark blue from what Priav tells me. And what color are your hair and beard?" His hands followed the edges of Asher's beard as if making a mental map.

"Gray, or white, depending on who you ask." The corner of Adina's mouth crinkled at the patient look in Asher's eyes as he submitted to the inspection.

Rafi's hands traveled onto Asher's neck, feeling the scars there, then onto his coat and armored shoulders. "You're a big fella, aren't you?"

At that, Asher laughed and smiled. "So, I've been told."

Rafi laughed with him; it was an open, unabashed sort of thing.

And there it was again. The same sense of fearlessness that she'd sensed from Priav.

"I imagine so." Rafi grabbed Asher's shoulders firmly and squeezed, giving him a bit of a shake as if to see how solid he was. "You are everything Priav has said you are." Rafi cocked his head. "And much more than you appear, she also says." Then he turned confidently to her, extending a hand, one still on Asher's shoulder, apparently for spatial reference. "If it is alright with you, Adina?"

She looked at Asher, then nodded. "Sure."

Rafi stepped to her. Again, the confidence in the way he moved made him seem almost sighted.

"How long have you been blind?" she asked. "You don't move like anyone I've ever met who is blind."

Rafi reached up again and found the top of her head. "Most of my life. I lost my sight when I was a young man." He smiled, his hands following her hair to get a sense of how long it was. "As you can see, that was a long time ago." His hands lightly touched the sides of her head and felt her ears. "And what color are your eyes, Adina."

"Hazel."

He felt her eyebrows, following them onto her cheekbones, then her temples, her nose. "You are pretty." His head cocked slightly. "And your eyes have some of the same blue that Asher's do?"

She glanced at Asher. "Yes. It's... from the accident we had."

He straightened his head, his expression easy. "It doesn't take sight to see the lie in that." There was no accusation in it. He felt her chin and back along her jaw. "Your secrets are yours to keep." He felt her neck, collarbones and out onto her shoulders. "And my wife says your hair is dark?"

"Almost black," she replied.

He nodded and again squeezed her shoulders and gave her a bit of a shake. A grin wrinkled a corner of his mouth. He nodded back toward Priav. "I can see why she was so disappointed that you can't have children. You are quite lovely." Like Priav, he put a palm gently on her cheek for a moment, then turned back walking confidently to his seat.

As Adina watched him take his place again, she couldn't help but feel there was something... regal about the two of them. So self-possessed, unflinching open and honest, utterly unafraid.

Rafi nodded to Priav.

Priav pointed to a pair of chairs. "Please, sit."

After they did, she extended a hand as if to indicate the whole camp, then to the others in the group. "You have done us a service we can't repay and asked nothing in return." She inclined her head to Adina. "Because you said it was the right thing to do." She turned her attention to Asher. "We bargained with you for help to get us home, but you helped us hunt, spending your resources and then gave away most of what you took." She turned her palms upward and opened her fingers in a gesture of giving something to the air. She set her hands in her lap. "We have agreed that you are welcome here to trade, resupply from our stores within reason, stay and rest for as long as you like."

"And should you wish," Rafi added, cocking his head to the rest of the group as if listening for any sound of dissent. "We would be glad for you to join our community." He waited for several seconds, listening. Hearing nothing from the others, he smiled knowingly and turned back to them fully. "Although we know you will not. A myrmidon must always return to the nest." He placed his hand lightly on Priav's and she wrapped her fingers around his. "And we respect that. We all must be what we are. But you will always be welcome here." He lifted his hand with Priav's in it. "Thank you for returning my wife to me and so many others who would have met terrible fates had you not intervened."

Priav gestured to one of the men behind her, then smiled at Adina. "I said I would have to find an appropriate gift to repay you." The man hefted a large roll and brought it forward. Adina blushed furiously. Priav was smiling, her eyes twinkling as the man set the rolled mattress between she and Asher. "I think you will find this a comfort."

** 3-MONTH HIATUS***

Hello all, Kieran here! I'm taking some night classes through the end of the year, so I likely won't have spare time to write until January. But never fear! I plan to be back, hard at work in January to continue Adina and Asher's adventures! Thank you for reading, following, and it seems talking about Guns and Dust! It's been wonderful to watch the number of people reading Adina and Asher's story steadily rise. And your positive comments have been so encouraging!

You are the reason I and other authors here on Literotica keep writing! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! - Kieran.**

****

Thank you for reading Guns and Dust Chapter 7! In case you are unaware, reader ratings drive everything for writers here on Literotica, so please rate my story (hopefully 5 stars!), follow me, and tell you friends about Guns and Dust!

****