"Ugh!"
A loud grunt escaped Kamyla's lips as her arms swung upward, releasing a heavy sack of freshly harvested corn.
She exhaled softly as she took a step back to draw the back of her hand across her sweat-covered forehead.
Kamyla looked up to stare at the tall stack of corn sacks placed on the wooden cart latched onto the bridle of the beast-sized tiger.
She turned to it with a sad grimace, "Hope it's not too heavy?"
Rhou shook its head with a light chuffle. Kamyla smiled, stretching out to pat its head.
Given the fact he was still covered in healing wounds and scars, Kamyla was hesitant to strain her best friend in any way possible during the day's harvest.
"Don't worry. I'll ease your stress by walking next to you".
Its eyes softened.
Kamyla then turned away from Rhou to face the still green farmlands where other women and young ladies stood with their harvest baskets and sacks.
Mama Chyma, being amongst them, stepped forward to speak, "Thank you once again, Kamy. If it wasn't for you and Rhou, our pace would have been much slower because we'd have to wait for the donkeys to go to and fro".
Kamyla bowed subtly, "It is nothing, Mama Chyma. It's the least I could do".
Mama Chyma and the other women on the field all gave her an appreciative bow.
"It's my pleasure", Kamyla smiled, turning to the side to stand up the last sack of corn she decided not to overload on Rhou's cart.
She then added, "After I drop these for the new settlers, I will have to move to the cassava plantation up front to help the women there. Hopefully by then, Danji and the rest would be back—"
And speaking of the devil; the clopping sounds of horseshoes echoed in a distant — all heads turned in one direction.
Galloping on the main path from South were the group of hunters on their horses' backs, dragging behind small carts that carried the animal carcasses of different type.
Kamyla's face immediately lit as her eyes locked with the first rider's. Danji. His expression pulled into a charming smile.
Before Kamyla's lips could stretch into a wider smile — a sting shot through her chest at the sight of the eyesore before her.
Ilo.
Shortening the distance between them, Danji's locked his eyes locked on Kamyla's as he held onto his horse's bridle with Ilo seated in front of him. Her arms wrapped around his neck with her head rested on his chest better his arms.
The hunters finally pulled to a halt.
Kamyla's lips dropped.
Danji pushed out a joyful smile as he looked up to the women in the farmland to give a greeting nod. "Ihiwea".
They nodded back. "Ihiwea".
He then drew his gaze to Kamyla, "Hey, Kamy!"
Kamyla stared at him with a poker face; mentally selecting between the expressions of distaste or anger to display on her face.
She blinked twice, taking a short moment to recover herself. She smiled. "Hey..."
Danji's sweet smile didn't drop.
"Hey, Kamyla", Ilo's petite voice escaped her small lips as she stared tiredly at Kamyla with her head still on Danji's chest.
Kamyla clinched. "H- Hey, Ilo..." She turned to Danji, "How was hunting?"
"Better than expected. We got far more than enough for our villagers and the new settlers".
"Oh... Lovely".
"Where are you off to now? To the new settlers?" Danji asked.
Kamyla nodded, "Yes... They are currently thrashing the rice in the village square which I'll transport to them as well before heading to the cassava farm".
"Oh, that's good. I would have assisted you in handling the cassava but unfortunately... Ilo got injured" He gazed down at Ilo.
Kamyla's brows twitched as she tried to maintain a composed smile. "Oh, dear..." She forged a pitiful grimace. "What happened?"
"Don't mind her", Danji tsked. "She can be an idiot at times even when it is dangerous for her".
"Oh, come on, Dan..." Ilo pouted with sad eyes, "I told you it was an accident. I was trying to help".
"By overworking yourself and carrying a full bag of grains on your head which caused you to spring your ankle?!" He frowned.
Ilo lowered her gaze like a child.
Kamyla remained silent.
Danji then raised his head to add, "Anyways, I have to take Ilo to her hut and go find Mama Ógo to treat her ankle".
"Oh, I see".
So that was why she was cradled against his chest like a needy spoilt brat? Her brows twitched. Because she hurt her ankle... Her ankle. Just her ankle alone?
Her fist clutched on the big sack of corn she was holding up; one she was going to carry on her head. Obviously far heavier than whatever Ilo could imagine carrying with her skinny body like dry season mosquito.
Kamyla cleared her throat softly, turning to Ilo, "I am sorry, Ilo. I hope you get better soon..."
And back on her retched small feet to do something more productive than babying around.
"Thank you", Ilo responded weakly.
With her voice like a dying cricket stuffed into a pig's snout!
Kamyla smiled. "You're welcome".
"Kamy, I know you're going through a lot, but at least notice me!"
All heads turned to the side next to Danji, sighting the second warrior seated on his horse. Ajefe frowned, "Danji always takes all the shine!"
Kamyla couldn't help but let out a genuine chuckle. "Hello, Ajefe".
"Finally", Ajefe pulled his horse to pad closer. "My time".
Kamyla laughed, "How was hunting?"
He shrugged, "Boring. Animals are way easier to target compared to human enemies".
She smiled, "Sadly".
"Anyways!" Danji interrupted as his horse took a few steps forward. "We should probably be going now. We have to process the meat quickly and early since you all are still busy on the farm".
Ajefe nodded, "Good point".
The other men bowed subtly before proceeding to move forward on their horses.
Ajefe then turned to Kamyla. "Psst!"
She furrowed her brows as she noticed Ajefe nudge her to move closer.
She obeyed. "What is it?"
Ajefe leaned in to whisper, "You're bad at acting... It was remaining a knife just to point at her throat to make it less obvious".
A vein popped on Kamyla's forehead as her eyes slitted.
Without being told even once, Ajefe quickly pulled back and clutched his bridle.
"I think I've said enough".
Kamyla tightened her jaws as her poisonous glare locked on him.
He smiled, "See you later, dear". He pulled the leather to redirect his equine and jog up to the others.
Kamyla growled. "I'll burn that idiot one day..."
"Is something wrong, Kamy?" Mama Chyma seized her attention from behind.
"Huh!?" She turned. "N- No! Not at all", Kamyla smiled. "Everything is perfectly fine. I should just get going as well".
She turned to pick up the heavy sack with average effort, raising it above her shoulders to place on her head.
"I'll be back once I'm done with the others", she balanced the load on her head.
The women nodded, watching Kamyla turn away and pad forward. Rhou obediently trailed after with the harvest dragged behind as they proceeded on the dirt road.
• • •
Kamyla and Rhou walked diligently on the lonely dirt path between the short shrubs and trees that surrounded cultivated farmlands, accompanied only by the sounds of nature within the vegetation.
Maintaining a long silence between them for a prolonged period of time, Kamyla suddenly lessened her pace as her ears picked up a sudden sound in the bushes beside them.
Her eyes gazed at Rhou, whose eyes were already locked on her; awaiting her subtly signal.
She frowned.
Walking slower for a few minutes longer, Kamyla suddenly raised her hand to the side of her hide skirt — a bony dagger pierced through the air and darted in between the leaves of the nearest bush.
"AH!"
Kamyla froze at the sound of the childlike scream. Her eyes widened. "Oni!?!"
She dropped the bag of cereal and rushed to the bush and pushed aside its branches. Her brows shot high.
"Oni!!"
Oni clutched his fists with his eyes still shut as he was held defencelessly by the thick ropes wrapped around his body to the tree, where the dagger stabbed into — less than an inch from his skull.
His chest heaved rapidly as he shook his head, muffling through the wood gag between his jaws.
Kamyla darted forward to squat in front of him as she pulled out the gag in his mouth. "W- What happened to you, Oni!?"
Oni finally opened his eyes with his body unable to stop shaking.
"I- I- I a- am alive?..." His lips quivered.
Kamyla gazed confusingly at the tight ropes wrapped around his body to the tree trunk.
She blinked twice. "H- How did yo—"
Her senses instantly ignited, causing her to pull out her dagger from the tree as she gazed around.
"You have poor aim", came an obnoxious voice from above. She looked up.
The bright blue-green irises of Leviathan's vivid eyes locked down from a tree branch above.
Standing firmly on a branch with his body hidden underneath his fur coat, his long black strands blew slightly to the gentle breeze around.
His lips were pressed in a straight line as his brows arched to form an unpleased grimace.
"If you are going to continue simping for me, you'd need to work on your eyesight first".
Kamyla's skin crawled.