My Enemy

Sweat had left tracks down my face in the dust. My shirt was dark with the stains of it.

I didn't hate those men out there. The men intent on killing me. Men intent on killing me with no reason I could see. No one knew I would be here. No one knew I would follow Juu's wagon. I just happened to show up at the wrong time. And I had come barreling across the plain like an unnamed youngster. I just panicked when I saw that fire. All I was thinking about were those kids. I was being a lot more careful now.

No I didn't hate those men. But I intended to kill every singe one of them. They had set themselves up against me. They were strangers... they were my enemy. And they killed my kaiila.

I carefully reached beside me and found a small pebble. I shoved it into my mouth and attempted to inspire some saliva ... Anything to moisten the dry cracked interior of my mouth. I kept my mind busy. I mapped out in my thoughts where I was and how far it was to water. I was now afoot on the plains and that can be risky business. If my calculations were right I was about twenty pasangs from a stream. That was a long ... long way in this kind of heat. Though I did have my botas. Even as I thought that the song of an arrow went strait over my head and I wondered for it was too high. What were they up to? I rolled, my clothes scratching in the dust. They were shooting at Kree. What in the name of the Sky for? And then ... again ... with a sickening thump an arrow sank deep into one of my bota and the dark stain as it bled out spread over Kree's shoulder and into the thirsty ground.

Bloody bastards!