”Our son, and nothing.” She let the younger boy go, and he ran to hide behind his father’s legs. Ches pulled away and folded his arms. “Teaching them, if it’s allowed.”
He gave her a warning look. “You want to talk about it, we aren’t doing it here.”
“Says the man poisoning my own son against me!”
“Our son,” he said, vicious. “We need to talk. Privately.”
“Just realized?” She looked at Ches. His lips were pressed tight in a frown, trying not to let them shake. “Go see if Sen needs help,” she said, and reached out to brush his hair back. He pulled away and ran before she could touch him. Adal felt a little sting in her chest.
Alam had already left at Jeth’s command. He waited for her to gather up the the guns, folding them into the hide. She stood as she finished, and dodged as he tried to take her arm. “Don’t you dare.”
He threw his hands up and walked away. She followed, noticing the glances of the other Walker who quickly looked away, hiding their annoyance and resignation, Here they go again. They passed the guards at the edge of the camp, the pack brahmin watching them as they grazed. They both were silent, seething, until the sounds of the Walker behind them were lost. “I can’t believe you,” he said, turning to her. “You and the rest of them! Walker have no business getting involved with these men, and here you are antagonizing them.”
“That’s not what this is about,” she said. “You can’t stand the idea that you can’t order me however you like, that I’m not some cringing girl—”
“It’s exactly what it’s about! All of us are being put in danger—”
“We’ll be in worse if we don’t fight!”
“You don’t need to fight everyone! Even Alam’s picked it up, you taught him to prod Ches like a brahmin—”
Their faces were inches away, and she shoved him hard in the chest. “You be real careful, mender, about what you say about my boys.”
“Don’t you lay a hand on me,” he said, teeth gritted. He recovered his balance on the hill. “They’re not just yours. You said Ches needed a man to look up to, and here you are—”
“Didn’t realize I’d picked such a coward,” she said. “Where’s your spine gone?”
“I’m standing up to you, O great hunter,” he said, bowing. “What’s that count for?”
“Nothing, in that tone,” she said. “Mockery won’t make me listen any better.”
“What does?” Jeth said, holding out his hands. “What does, Adal? You turn everything into an argument, never listen to anyone, just follow your own hard head. What does it take to get through to you?”
“A little damn respect!” she shouted. “What do you see when you look at me? Huh? Still just a struggling girl, trying to manage a babe on her own and carry her weight still, needs to be saved? Someone to fawn and call you hero?”
“That’s what you think of me?” He was face to face again, red and angry. “That this is some, some power trip that—”
“You can’t stand the fact that I—”
“Let me fucking talk! You put your own son in danger—”
“Whole damn world’s got dangerous, Jeth, better he learns—”
“Hoy!”
They both looked down the road. A group was approaching, all in the distinctive hoods of another Walker band. The hunter at their fore waved at them. “Hoy, Walker! Gabrel’s band, and Taner’s.”
“Santi’s!” she shouted back, and he pumped a fist in the air. She looked back at Jeth. “Done here.”
“Like hell.” He followed her as she greeted the newcomers, forcing a smile as she welcomed them to camp.
Crossroads (4b/9)
He gave her a warning look. “You want to talk about it, we aren’t doing it here.”
“Says the man poisoning my own son against me!”
“Our son,” he said, vicious. “We need to talk. Privately.”
“Just realized?” She looked at Ches. His lips were pressed tight in a frown, trying not to let them shake. “Go see if Sen needs help,” she said, and reached out to brush his hair back. He pulled away and ran before she could touch him. Adal felt a little sting in her chest.
Alam had already left at Jeth’s command. He waited for her to gather up the the guns, folding them into the hide. She stood as she finished, and dodged as he tried to take her arm. “Don’t you dare.”
He threw his hands up and walked away. She followed, noticing the glances of the other Walker who quickly looked away, hiding their annoyance and resignation, Here they go again. They passed the guards at the edge of the camp, the pack brahmin watching them as they grazed. They both were silent, seething, until the sounds of the Walker behind them were lost. “I can’t believe you,” he said, turning to her. “You and the rest of them! Walker have no business getting involved with these men, and here you are antagonizing them.”
“That’s not what this is about,” she said. “You can’t stand the idea that you can’t order me however you like, that I’m not some cringing girl—”
“It’s exactly what it’s about! All of us are being put in danger—”
“We’ll be in worse if we don’t fight!”
“You don’t need to fight everyone! Even Alam’s picked it up, you taught him to prod Ches like a brahmin—”
Their faces were inches away, and she shoved him hard in the chest. “You be real careful, mender, about what you say about my boys.”
“Don’t you lay a hand on me,” he said, teeth gritted. He recovered his balance on the hill. “They’re not just yours. You said Ches needed a man to look up to, and here you are—”
“Didn’t realize I’d picked such a coward,” she said. “Where’s your spine gone?”
“I’m standing up to you, O great hunter,” he said, bowing. “What’s that count for?”
“Nothing, in that tone,” she said. “Mockery won’t make me listen any better.”
“What does?” Jeth said, holding out his hands. “What does, Adal? You turn everything into an argument, never listen to anyone, just follow your own hard head. What does it take to get through to you?”
“A little damn respect!” she shouted. “What do you see when you look at me? Huh? Still just a struggling girl, trying to manage a babe on her own and carry her weight still, needs to be saved? Someone to fawn and call you hero?”
“That’s what you think of me?” He was face to face again, red and angry. “That this is some, some power trip that—”
“You can’t stand the fact that I—”
“Let me fucking talk! You put your own son in danger—”
“Whole damn world’s got dangerous, Jeth, better he learns—”
“Hoy!”
They both looked down the road. A group was approaching, all in the distinctive hoods of another Walker band. The hunter at their fore waved at them. “Hoy, Walker! Gabrel’s band, and Taner’s.”
“Santi’s!” she shouted back, and he pumped a fist in the air. She looked back at Jeth. “Done here.”
“Like hell.” He followed her as she greeted the newcomers, forcing a smile as she welcomed them to camp.