Nya sniggered " Try all you want, he won't wake unless I allow it" Her sheer presence made her skin crawl, a despicable woman. Maya wondered what had happened to Nya, to turn someone so young, so bitter.
Maya sighed and stood up, stepping over Dakran, fuming " Then you will join him thereafter" Maya smirked, trying to keep it together. She couldn't appear weak and it seemed that Nya fed on fear like it was a scrumptious meal.
Nya's haughty laughter filled the tent " You sound brave in your words, but I know that the little girl inside you is cowering trembling in fear. Is so obvious that I can almost taste it" Nya's haughtiness was something permanent by the looks of it. Mocking, hateful laced words, aimed to wound deeply.
Maya swiftly pulled on the longsword and pointed it at Nya's belly " If the child dies, there will be nothing for you. I promise that I know how deep the cut needs to be to make sure you won't bare another child for the rest of your life. I should know, I have one" Maya traced the same line she had on her belly on Nya's belly with the tip of her sword from hipbone to hipbone " This big" Maya smirked, and it seemed that her threat had made a small dent in Nya's aplomb.
Nya frowned " You wouldn't " Nya rose from her seat, fists balled up, glaring at her.
" Oh," Maya inwardly chuckled " There is a cost and a price. If Dakran dies, so will you and the entire tribe. " Maya clicked her tongue, pressing the tip of the sword into Nya's belly " You see if he dies. I will have nothing to lose. But you have everything to lose. Your life, this land and the chance to ever take the seat that you covet so much, an entire tribe will share the same fate as you" Maya frowned when Dakran moved in his sleep and grunted but she didn't take her eye off Nya. The woman was slippery. One wrong move and she was sure she would cut her head off in the blink of an eye.
Nya smirked " I've battled far worse things than you can imagine. A harmless, carless, small thing like you" Nya scoffed " You think you can threaten me " Naya scorned " You are just as frightening as a rabbit" Nya sighed, mockingly, sure of herself.
Maya whistled, but it sounded nothing like the one Eisza or Caell, but as expected the cub poked his head inside the hut under the furs, squeezing in and the mother followed shortly after when the cub presented itself at her feet, wagging his tail, innocent looking.
Nya took a step back when the volsa sat between Nya and the cub, terrified, trapped inside the small hut with a ferocious beast, half the size of a horse
" She has quite an appetite, this one." Maya smirked " She has already eaten one of the tribesmen, but I don't think it was enough. She is not picky, she will eat anything. Even wicked women, like you" Maya amusedly said, grinning from ear to ear
" Maya" Dakran rasped, groaning, squirming on the ground.
" The cure, if you please. " Maya urged Nya with her sword. Nya frowned, wary of the volsa who barred her teeth at her " My patience is wearing thin, Nya" Maya cautioned and finally, Nya nodded and reached with her hand towards the small table laden with vials and picked up one.
" Good girl. I knew we would get along, eventually " Maya smirked when Nya reached out her hand to hand her the vial.
Maya giggled " You first. Don't get me wrong it's not like I don't trust you, but the world..." Maya drawled leaving unspoken words hanging in the air.
Nya opened the vial and brought it to her lips, feigning to take a sip and placed the lid back on it.
" All of it" Maya huffed, annoyed at Nya's attempt to swindle her but she knew better than to trust someone like Nya.
" This is the last vial. If I drink it, he will die" Nya cautioned, feigning concern for Dakran's well-being. Clever little witch.
" Well, at least he will have you to keep him company" Maya smirked, amused.
Nya gulped the entire content of the bottle the moment an older man entered the hut
" Nya, no" The old man called and ran to her, catching her before she hit the ground. Panicked, the man stood up, searching through the vials most likely for the cure to whatever Nya had taken, when he picked up the right one Maya snatched it out of his hand and walked backwards until she hit Dakran with her heel.
Perplexed, the man finally looked around and noticed the two volsa's between him and her, and blinked twice when he realised who she was. And just like that, the angst that he was swimming in just a few instances ago turned into disdain towards her. What was in the air in that hut? Maya wondered.
" You" The man hissed through gritted teeth " And that pile of meat on the floor and his blood had done nothing but scar and use our tribe" The old man unburdened his soul, lashing out at her. She was in the dark, with no clue what he was on about.
Maya shrugged and took a step back over Dakran, and lowered herself to her knees, next to him. She pulled the cork with her teeth with her eyes on the old man who couldn't get through to her, fearful of the volsa. Probably aware that the volsa would shred him to bits if he would take a step towards the cub.
Maya emptied the vial, into Dakran's mouth and chucked on the side when she was done, relieved and turned her undivided attention towards Nya and the old man.
" Now you can tend to your daughter " Maya sighed and pulled a chair waiting for the elixir to work its magic.
The old man frowned and glanced at Nya, slumped on the ground, and raised his eye to look at her if it wouldn't have been for the volsa between them. By now she would have been food for the maggots.
Frustrated, the old man huffed, placed his cane on the side and picked up another bottle from the small table and poured it into Nya's mouth. She had no clue how long it would take, for it to work, but with the two volsa's as her guards, she felt like she had all-time in the world.
When the old man was done, giving the cure to Nya, he turned to her and took a seat just like her, glaring. She had no clue what was was with all the hatefulness but she was sure that the old man would tell her whether she wanted to know or not.
Whatever it was, weighed heavily on him and pushed him to do such awful things. Maya sighed and placed the sword in her lap with her eyes on Dakran. Eisza? Whatever she was up to. She'd gathered by the sound of clamouring and swords clashing against each other that she got what she came for. A fight.