Chapter 5: Uninvited
They stood that way for a moment, neither saying a word. Saede finally gathered herself, coming fully into her hut, letting the skins fall behind her. The spear she’d been carrying was propped against the wall, setting her back to Kyrshi for a moment. Counting ten rabid banthas slowly in her head and taking a deep breath, she turned back towards him. He had remained rooted to the spot, completely unmoving.
No, that wasn’t quite right. She could see the slight tremor in his shoulders, and even though his head was bowed, she noted that his eyes had followed her. I ought to bodily throw him out and frog march him back to Koranthis. This is the very last thing I need. Or at least, that was what the logical part of her brain was screaming at her. That manta, this is the very last thing I need, repeated itself over and over even as she motioned to her cot.
“Please sit. Let me look at that,” she said softly, speaking as though to a wounded animal.
For a moment, she wasn’t sure if he was going to comply, or bolt out of the hut. She also wasn’t sure which one she would prefer at that time. But he sat, perching nervously on the edge of the cot. His eyes roved over the interior of the hut as she knelt behind him, trying to avoid looking at her. Slender fingers danced softly over his back, her brow furrowing slightly. Her initial assessment wasn’t far from the truth. It looked like someone, and she had no doubt who that someone was, had taken something across his back viciously, hard enough to leave long, clean-cut gashes in the flesh. Upon closer inspection, the wounds weren’t as deep as they looked from farther away, which was a comfort at least. But Saede felt anger growing in her, the mantra in her head quickly fading out.
That someone would do this to another person rankled deeply within her, the mistreatment of this boy striking a chord. A vision of her first foray on Dathomir, the time spent in the prison swam up in front of her eyes, threatening to overcome her. It had been months since she thought of it last, and could even speak to Lana about it without much tension. For a time now, she’d thought herself healed in every sense of the word, the mental wounds caused by that time becoming nothing more than pale scars in her memories.
But she realized that incident would never leave her fully, even if she didn’t feel the pain from it for herself any longer. It would always be a reminder of the fact that people weren’t kind, had no loyalty to each other, that there was nothing promising you would find camaraderie because of any common bond. There would always be individuals that broke that concept of course. Alannari, Niara, Nico. Hell, she’d found more loyalty with an alien, the abandoned Greenbacca, than she had found with many humans.
That gave her pause. She hadn’t really thought about Greenbacca since she had first come here. Her mind raced as she wondered where he was now, how he was doing, would he ever forgive her for what she had done? At the time, she had no concept of what a life debt really meant, and had left without a thought to what that would do to his sense of honor and pride in the bond he had with those he had once called his “Human Cousins.” A deep wave of shame washed over her, and she bowed her head, fingertips still resting lightly on Kryshi’s back. She only now realized what she had done, when she’d left him that day. It hit her like a rampaging rancor, how she had thrown out one of the truest friends that she had ever had. Especially now, with the realization of how disloyal humans could be to their own kind, was that sense of loss made more poignant than ever before.
Her father had been wrong about so many things, but this must have been the most treacherous idea among them that he had instilled in her. The idea that the other races, the other species that roamed the stars were not to be trusted. Either they would do some harm to you, or were just inferior, too stupid to know what was best for them. Saede felt that anger rising again, overlaying but not blocking out the loss. All of the years she had assumed he had been correct. Even long after her Father’s death, she’d treated Greenbacca as little more than a curiosity, never taking him seriously, seeing it as her place to take care of him, help him regain his place in the grand scheme of things. But what she should have done was trusted him to make the right choices for himself, rather than making those choices for him by abandoning him on Kashyyyk.
Saede blinked back tears that had sprung unbidden to her eyes, bringing her focus back to the man who sat silently on her cot. The righteous anger at what Koranthis had done to this boy, the loss of her friends, the reminder of what she had suffered at the hands of someone much like Koranthis, and the sheer fury with herself, for what she had done to Greenbacca all swirled together into a confused mass, writhing around in her head until she thought that she couldn’t contain it anymore.
Strong, calloused fingers closed around hers where they still rested on his skin and she almost jumped, every muscle in her body quivering at the range of emotions rampaging through her. Kyrshi turned slightly, just enough so that he could look at her out of the corner of his eye. Again, the moment stretched painfully in front of them before he ducked his head, fingers slipping off of her hand and dropping back into his lap.
There were several smaller jars on one of the shelves, and Saede unfolded herself from the cot, moving to retrieve them, trying to calm her mind as well. But it was difficult, even knowing that she had to be careful, or Kyrshi might think that the anger was directed at him. She plucked the salves Niara had shown her how to make from their home, turning back to him slowly. The lost look on his face melted away a little bit of the anger and loss, making it bearable at least for the moment. Saede realized that when it came right down to it, she didn’t have the opportunity to wallow in self-loathing. Right now, there was someone, regardless of race, who needed nothing more than a friend, someone who would show some sort of loyalty to him, and who he, in turn, could trust.
She really didn’t know if she could offer him what he needed, but she did know that she could give him, at least until Koranthis went to the council with her complaint, some comfort and friendship.
*****
Saede had left Kyrshi in her hut after cleaning and applying a healing salve to his back. She had worked mostly in silence, neither of them really feeling the need to speak, though she had told him that he could help himself to anything in the hut while she went to speak with someone.
Neither her mentor nor Niara were anywhere to be found however. After a few inquires, she learned that Alannari was deep in conversation with Mother Rell, and Niara had last been seen heading towards the river. Saede sighed inwardly, setting off at a jog. She really wanted to speak with Alannari, find out if there was anything she could do about this situation without making it worse. Not being terribly interested in owning a slave, Saede hadn’t spent any time becoming familiar with the clan’s specific ideas for dealing with anything like this. She had a basic understanding, but the details were lost on her. Niara should be able to answer her questions of course, but Saede felt more comfortable getting information like this from one of the village elders. It seemed like it should carry more clout, especially if Koranthis made a scene out of this whole mess. Which, Saede decided, would be more likely than not.
Niara was sitting at the water’s edge with several other women, chatting amicably. Her friend turned around as she got closer, giving her a quick wave. Saying something that Saede didn’t catch, she stood, wiping her hands together before meeting her half way up the trail. Sidling to the edge of the path, Saede spoke in soft undertones, quickly detailing what had just happened.
Niara’s reaction was not exactly what she would have expected. A huge grin broke out over her friend’s face, and she clapped her hands together, almost squealing with glee before throwing her arms around an exceedingly confused Saede.
“I’m so happy for you Karina! We’ve all been saying for months that you needed a man, and now you have one!” She took a step back, holding Saede out at arms length and giving her a roguish wink. “And he’s a fine one too… oh Karina!”
Saede stared at her friend for a moment, her mouth hanging open. “Niara, this is serious! Kyrshi is Koranthis’ slave, not just some boy who wandered into our camp looking for a warm hearth!”
Niara’s eyes twinkled with glee. “That’s alright though, don’t you see? As long as he...”
The sentence remained incomplete as a fist sized rock plowed into the side of Saede’s head. Stars exploded in front of her eyes, and she whirled around, fists coming up to protect her face even before she had fully turned in the direction the rock had come from. Further up the path stood Koranthis, her fury almost visibly streaking off of her as she stormed towards them, her hands balled into fists.
“How dare you!” She stopped a meter away from Saede, visibly shaking in anger, dark eyes filled with a hatred that shocked her. The anger was expected, even understandable. But the sheer, unadulterated hatred burning in her eyes completely flabbergasted Saede. What did Koranthis think, that she was going to try to take Kyrshi away from her? She opened her mouth, about to tell her that she had no such intentions, try to smooth things over.
Whatever Koranthis thought Saede was about to say far outweighed any remaining calm that the woman possessed however. The taller woman lept at Saede, her face contorting into a snarl as she hit her full force in the abdomen with her shoulder, flipping Saede over her back. Before she could even react to the attack, Saede found herself on the ground gasping, the wind knocked out of her. Koranthis whirled about, ready to come back at her, but Niara grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks.
Koranthis reeled back, bashing her fist right into Niara’s face without so much as a warning. The younger woman shrank back from the unexpected attack, hands reaching up to clutch her face and stumbling back a few paces. Saede scrambled to her feet, ready now for any attack Koranthis might throw her way, she’d have to worry about Niara as soon as this was resolved.
“Koranthis, I didn’t do anything,” she protested.
She wasn’t going to say that Kyrshi came to her, not yet. Right now, as much as she wanted to stay out of the impending altercation, she also wasn’t willing to lay blame on his door. It wasn’t a pleasant thought what might happen to him when Koranthis got her hands on him again if she knew that actually happened. If she could avoid it, she wouldn’t tell Koranthis anything. But she was at a loss as what to say and her mind churned, taking several steps back at Koranthis advanced on her.
“This is just a huge misunderstanding Koranthis. I’m sure that we can work...”
But she didn’t get the chance to finish her sentence. Koranthis launched herself at Saede again, tackling her to the ground. A crowd had started to form, but they all moved back as the two rolled down the path, ending up at the edge of the water with Saede on top, gripping Koranthis’ wrists tightly, using all of the strength she could muster, managing to keep her mostly still just by leverage more than anything else.
“Koranthis! Listen to me...”
The woman stopped struggling just long enough to spit in Saede’s face, then arched her back, bringing her head up and bashing her forehead against her nose. Rearing back from the blow, Saede’s grip loosened, and Koranthis’ hands ripped free, pushing her off of her stomach and into the water.
Saede had enough at that point. If Koranthis really wanted a fight, then a fight was what she’d get. She let all of the frustration that had been building in her for the last months come to the surface. This woman was the only thing that had kept her time here from being the closest thing to perfect she’d ever had, and she was tired of it. She’d been poked, prodded, taunted and bullied, and she was finished with it. Trying to keep the peace, being helpful, ignoring the problem, none of them had helped. She’d done everything in her power to make some sort of peace with this woman, but apparently Koran was hell bent on hating Saede. At this point, she felt that the only course left open to her was to fight, and beat her so thoroughly that she would never bother her again. There was no malicious intent behind that thought, just simple logic. If she didn’t take her down now, and hurt her enough to show that she wasn’t going to be pushed around anymore, this would go on forever.
The water broke over her face as she came back to the surface, scrambling up even as Koranthis rushed her again. They went down in a tangle, the fight taking on a certain viciousness that hadn’t previously been seen coming from both sides. The women on the bank stood in silence, surprise evident on many of their faces at the ruthlessness that shone in Saede. And from the look on Koranthis’ face as Saede landed a particularly brutal blow, she hadn’t expected it either.
The fight couldn’t have stretched out for more than two minutes, but it seemed like an eternity for Saede. Even during her time at the Imperial prison, Saede had never taken a beating like she was now. Violence had always bothered her, it just didn’t come naturally. But her time with the Singing Mountain Clan had taught her one thing that she had never truly learned, no matter what she may have claimed previously. It had taught her survival. The growing, fiery need to live, to do anything she had to do to protect the most precious thing that she would ever have. She had told Nico once, that in a choice between life or death, she would choose life every time. That Saede hadn’t known truly what that meant, and only now could she laugh at herself for it.
Koranthis’ hand came out of nowhere, wielding a sharp rock. Twisting, Saede wasn’t able to avoid the full brunt of the blow, the jagged edge cutting harshly and deeply into her forehead and brow, narrowly avoiding hitting her right eye.
That Saede died in that moment, when she looked up and laughed in Koranthis’ face.
The other woman froze for a moment, completely agog at her reaction, hand still raised, clutching the bloody rock. Saede’s fist lashed out, landing a solid blow on Koran’s temple, dropping the larger woman like a stone into the water.
She stood up slowly, blood running into her eye as she looked out over the silent crowd.
*****
The two combatants stood in the center of the main council room at the base of the dais, looking up at the clan’s mothers. A semi circle of clans women cupped around the room, watching the proceedings quietly.
Koranthis was speaking, though looked none to steady on her feet. She gestured viciously at Saede, her voice growing louder and more irate as she detailed the off worlder’s crimes against her.
“She has taken my rightful property! Slave raids between clans, that is fine, but theft among sisters?! I demand the return of my property and retribution!”
Saede was beyond caring at this point what Koranthis wanted. In fact, in her opinion, Koranthis could stuff it, but she kept her mouth shut, waiting for her turn to speak.
The mothers nodded solemnly at Koranthis, acknowledging her grievances, then turned virtually as one to look at Saede.
“Is what she says true Karinadath? Have you taken what belongs to her?”
She could have argued that a person can’t belong to someone. That the sheer idea of having possession of a person was ludicrous. Instead, she spoke softly, keeping her frustration at the whole idea of this proceeding in check.
“It would behoove Koranthis to ask me what I have done, rather than tell me what I have done,” she replied simply.
A ripple passed through the crowd, whispering softly in reaction to Saede’s words. Koranthis glared at her, muscles of her shoulders alternately tensing and relaxing as she clenched and unclenched her fists. Things were already not going in the direction she was sure Koranthis would have hoped. As it was, she was certain that she wasn’t supposed to have fought back. Now, she was speaking out on her own behalf, not just quietly taking whatever punishment was dished upon her in stoic silence. The clans women didn’t know exactly what to make of it, sensing a change in Saede, but not really sure where it would lead.
One of the women on the dais nodded once, watching Saede intently.
“You are correct Karina. We have done you a disservice. Please, speak your piece.”
Saede sat in silence for a moment. In all honesty, she wasn’t even sure if she was in the right or not. She had been attacked by Koranthis, but in the woman’s mind, it would have been completely justified. And Kyrshi was indeed in her hut. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself. She knew that they wouldn’t kill her if she said that Koranthis was right. But she shuddered to think what would happen to Kyrshi if the true story was revealed. At least this way, he wouldn’t suffer for those actions than he already had.
“She is correct.”
The soft whispering turned into a dull roar, and Saede didn’t need to see the spectators faces to feel the shock running through the room. Koranthis’ face broke out into a smug look of glee, a predator’s smile as it corners that evening’s dinner. The room erupted around her, but Saede stayed motionless, gazing up at the Mothers. It would be their ultimate decision what would happen to her, no one else mattered. Alannari gazed down at her from her place on the dais, an utterly dismayed expression on her face.
It took a moment for Saede to realize that there was a particular locus point for the disruption behind her, and she turned as the Elders’ eyes flitted from her to a point someplace closer to the door. Kyrshi was pushing his way through the crowd, followed closely by Niara. Her gaze locked with her friend’s, and Niara nodded once, her mouth a grim line. Dismay filled her as Kyrshi pushed his way to the front, standing with his head held up and staring down the Mothers. What in the world was he doing? Didn’t he know what she was doing here?
“I request permission to speak,” he spoke up, Niara standing near his back, keeping an eye on Koranthis in particular.
The Mothers looked at each other for a moment, before one inclined her head to him and motioned for him to continue.
“The Council recognizes your right to speak on this matter.”
Kyrshi looked around for a moment, before his gaze fell on Saede. He licked his lips, eyes flicking to Koranthis, who was now shooting daggers in his direction as well, as though making a silent threat. Swallowing, he looked back up at the Mothers, speaking meekly, but loud enough for his voice to carry.
“I went to Karina. She didn’t take me, I showed up in her hut without her knowledge,” he said, avoiding both her and Koranthis’ gaze studiously. Saede felt her heart sink.
Niara spoke up, addressing the gathering, “Karina is as yet unfamiliar with all our ways. I believe she lied merely to save Kyrshi from further harm.”
As Niara and Kyrshi told the story, Saede stared in wonder at the two of them. She mentally berated herself for never having listened to the other women more when they talked about their slaves, never asking Alannari or Niara for more details. If only she’d know that a slave could run away to show his displeasure! And that, if he had truly been wronged, he had every right to go off into the wilderness just to show her that he was angry! The fact that he had gone to her hut was all that made this a little bit awkward, since slaves did not normally run to someone else. But as Niara and several others recounted the details of their fight at the river, it seemed as though even if it was unorthodox, Saede had won the rights to Kyrshi, championing him to a degree when she defeated Koranthis. The Mother’s nodded sagely as Niara bade Kyrshi to show them his wounds, proving his grievances beyond any shadow of a doubt.
The look of fury on Koranthis’ face was unmatched, and the woman stormed out of the council room as the Elder’s made their decision, gazing murderously at Saede before sweeping outside with several of her cronies following behind in her wake. Most of the gathering started to leak out, seemingly unconcerned with the problem now that the hearing had drawn to a close. Niara rushed up to Saede, enclosing her in a huge hug.
“You stupid outsider,” she chided gently, smiling all the while. “This is why you need to listen to me more often.”
Saede could only nod dumbly at her, still a little shocked at the outcome of the proceeding, eyes floating over to the man standing along near the edge of the slowly retreating crowd. A slave, Saede owned a slave, and she didn’t know what she was going to do about it.
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