Chapter Twenty-two

Jaguar had just arrived back at the Gaian village less than two hours before, but already a huge celebration party was in motion. To Amber it seemed that Ocelot, Minxy, Manatee, and the others who had planned the party had just wanted to do something to get their minds off the death of Silver Fox. She knew they were all still haunted by that.

The party was supposed to be a celebration to welcome Amber in as the Gaians new leader. Her name had been ‘officially’ changed to Eagle, though she still thought of herself as Amber.

Amber let out a long sigh, her gaze traveling to where the Gaians were dancing and making merry in the common area of the village. Even though the girls far outnumbered the young men in the tribe, nearly everyone had broken off in pairs and was dancing, Caribou being the only exception, she being in charge of the music and song.

“Hey, Am—“ Cougar suddenly broke off, her cheeks tingeing with a delicate shade of pink. “I mean Eagle. Geeze, it’s so weird calling you that after getting to know you as Amber.”

“Don’t worry about it, Cougar. I think it’s going to take me awhile to answer to Eagle.” Amber smiled down at her. “What can I do for you?”

“Well,” A mischievous smile broke across Cougar’s face. “I have a delivery for you. Ta-da!” With great flourish, Cougar produced a folded sheet of paper with the name Eagle written in a bold script across the front.

“Thank you, Cougar.” Amber accepted the note, eyeing Cougar suspiciously. She knew Cougar could not have written it herself, but she hadn’t seen anyone give Cougar anything to deliver to her. “How odd.” She mused.

She quickly opened it and read the single sentence that was written there. “May I have this dance?” She voiced aloud.

“How could I say no to such a beautiful lady?”

Amber gasped, her eyes locking with Pride’s. “How did you do that?!” She squealed with delight. “I didn’t even see you come up.”

“Magic.” He grinned, scooping up her hands in his and pulling her out to where the rest of the couples were dancing. “Do you mind?”

“Of course not.” Amber blushed, ducking her head hoping he would not see. “It just…” She trailed off, looking up to lock gazes with Pride once again. “It’s just…”

“Just what, Eagle?” Pride whispered huskily, his lips close to her ear.

“You could have just asked.” Amber managed to break away from his intense eyes, giving a small laugh. “Here I was trying to figure out who had sent me some mysterious note. I knew it couldn’t have been Cougar, so I was thinking Robin, but the handwriting was awfully masculine—“

“Eagle,” Pride silenced her with his fingers. “Just dance.”

“Right.” Amber felt her cheeks go aflame once again.

Amber and Pride danced several dances, laughing and talking, enjoying being alive and being with one another. Amber noticed Pride was being a bit more forward that he had been before the virus, but she didn’t mind. In fact, she enjoyed it immensely.

“You’re so gorgeous, Eagle.” Pride murmured softly as Caribou began a slow song. Pride moved a little closer to Amber and she could feel his strong muscled pressed tightly against her small form.

“Eagle. It sounds so weird to hear that as my name.” Amber admitted, laying her head against his chest in a perfectly natural way. “I’ve been Amber for all my life, and now I’m suddenly Eagle.”

“Do you not like it?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just strange. It will take me awhile to get used to.” Amber explained, lifting her head so she could peer into Pride’s eyes.

“Time is all it takes.” Pride whispered almost to himself. “Eagle, I-I don’t know how to say this, but…” He trailed off, his eyes searching hers.

“Yes?”

“When I was sick and I thought I was dying, I told you something, something that I knew I didn’t want to die not having said.” Pride began slowly.

Amber swallowed hard, knowing exactly what he was referring to – when he had told her that he loved her. She had been thinking a lot about that over the past several hours since the tribe had been recovering. She still didn’t know how she felt, though.

“Amber-Eagle, my precious treasure, I love you. I have loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you and I will love you until I breathe my very last breath. Eagle, I know you are the only one for me. My heart belongs to you completely and utterly. My life without you in it would not be worth living. I love you. Please, I know it is still too soon, but—“

Amber cut him off, standing on her tiptoes and brushing her lips softly against his. A strange feeling washed over her entire body as she felt his warm breath against her face. She closed her eyes, wishing she could live in that very moment for the rest of her life.

“Pride, I…” She trailed off, opening her eyes and lowering herself once again to the ground. “I wish I could tell you that I love you too, but I can’t. My heart is still too fragile. Bray and I, well, no, this has nothing to do with Bray. It only has to do with me and you.”

Amber knew she wasn’t making sense, but her eyes pleaded with Pride’s to understand. “It’s not that I don’t care for you Pride, because I do, but I still need time. Right now I can’t imagine my life without you and I know that as I continue to grow older, it is you that I want by my side, but my heart is still so confused. Please, can you give me just a little more time?”

Pride nodded, his throat too full of emotion to speak.

Amber’s heart was pounding so loudly in her chest she couldn’t hear herself thing. All she knew was that she had the most amazing, wonderful man standing before her at that moment, offering himself totally and completely to her and she was telling him she still needed more time.

“Maybe,” She began slowly, entwining her fingers with his, “We can start slow and see where that takes us. Would that work?”

“I think I would like that very much.” Pride choked out, wrapping his strong arm around her slender waist and pulling her close. “Very much indeed.”

~*~*~

The next morning dawned far too early for Ebony as far as she was concerned. She had woken up as the first streams of sunlight had come through her window, hitting her directly in the face. Normally she would shut the curtains the night before, but she had been so exhausted when she finally managed to make it to her bed that she didn’t want to be bothered with them.

Ebony quickly dressed for the day, knowing that she had yet another action-packed full day ahead of her. “After all this is through,” She grumbled to herself as she pushed her dainty foot inside her chunky black leather boot, “I’m going to need a month’s vacation. I just hope that Bray is up already. I don’t want to have to pull his big butt out of bed.”

Fortunately for Ebony, Bray was up, sitting at one of the many tables in the food court, drinking a hot beverage and waiting for her. “Sleep in?” He asked, in a none too friendly fashion. “I’ve been waiting here for you at least half an hour.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Ebony groaned sarcastically. “Obviously you didn’t have quite the day I had yesterday, now did you? What is that? Coffee?”

Bray nodded.

“Can I have some?”

Bray slid his half-empty mug over to her. Ebony inhaled the rich aroma deeply before drinking her first swig. Before the virus she had never touched the stuff without plenty of mike, sugar, and cream in it, but now black was the best they could do and Ebony quickly adapted her taste buds for it.

“You make good coffee, Bray.” Ebony commented. “Let’s just hope you make the antidote just as good.”

“Right.” Bray gritted his teeth. “I knew you wouldn’t have forgotten about that.”

“Of course not.” Ebony smirked smugly. She downed the last of the coffee, then latched onto Bray’s hand and drug him down the stairs and towards the storage room where Tai-San kept all the plants and herbs she used for the antidote.

It did not take Ebony long to learn how to make the antidote, but Bray was not the best of teachers, having just been taught himself only a day or so before. After several attempts at the concoction Ebony finally mastered it enough that she thought she would be able to teach it to the Gaians afterwards.

“Alright, so let’s get our rescue party together.” Ebony grinned at Bray almost wickedly. It felt good to be in control again. She had missed this feeling.

It did not take Bray very long to gather together all able-bodied men and women to help in the rescue attempt of Trudy and Brady. Even the militia was willing to lend a hand, but only after Ebony had applied the pressure on them.

Ebony led the Mall Rat attack force, numbering about twenty, to where the Chosen cave was. The only problem was, by the time they arrived there were hardly any traces of anyone being camped there at one time.

“What?!” Ebony exclaimed, pacing back and forth at the entrance of the cave. “They must have known I would lead you guys back here!”

“Is this some kind of joke, Ebony?” Bray asked his tone angry and warning. “Because if it is, we’re not laughing.”

“No, it’s not a joke, Bray!” Ebony shot back, furrowing her brow in deep concentration as she tried to figure where the Chosen may have gone. ‘Think Ebony, think! Didn’t you hear Luke mention something about going somewhere?’

“Come on, let’s go home.” Lex scowled. “It’s obvious this was just some stupid prank that Ebony has pulled on us.”

“No!” Ebony screamed loudly, jerking everyone’s attention to where she was pacing back and forth. “They were here less than twelve hours ago. I know, because I was their prisoner. Now, they must have figured that after I escaped I would lead you back here. They couldn’t have gotten far.”

“So what are you saying, Ebony?” Bray inquired, hope flickering across his face, but he quickly masked it with anger.

“I’m saying,” Ebony stated slowly, “We need to hustle otherwise we may loose Trudy and Brady forever!”

~*~*~

“Good morning, sleepy head!” Ocelot giggled as she pushed back the curtains of Amber’s hut, allowing the brilliant early morning sunshine to stream in and hit Amber across the face.

Amber groaned, pulling her pillow across her face. “Go away. Let me sleep.” She moaned.

“No can do, Eagle.” Minxy teased. “You have a very busy first day as leader of the Gaians ahead of you.”

“Don’t remind me.” Came the muffled response.

“Come on, let’s tickle her feet.” Caribou suggested deviously. “I’m sure that will get her up.”

All three Gaians pounced on Amber’s exposed feet, subjecting her to a fate that no leader deserves. “Stop it!” She sputtered, her eyes wide open as she thrashed about in hopes of freeing her ankles from the Gaians’ vice like grips.

“You awake?” Ocelot demanded.

“Of course I’m awake!” Amber scowled, sitting up and keeping her bare feet out of reach from the other three. “How could I still be asleep after that tickle torture.”

“Aw, you never know.” Caribou laughed a musical sounding laugh. “Robin manages to sleep through it.”

“That’s because she’s not ticklish.” Minxy countered. “Unlike our new leader, Eagle here.”

“Right.” Amber curled her lip up in a mock snarl. “Now, as leader of the Gaians I order you all out of my room until I am fully awake and dressed.”

“As you wish.” Ocelot played along, bowing low like a servant to her master. Minxy and Caribou rolled their eyes at Ocelot, but followed her out of Amber’s room allowing their newly elected leader the privacy she needed to get dress and prepare for the day.

Twenty minutes later, a freshly scrubbed, combed, dressed, and made-up Eagle emerged from her hut, her hair no longer tied up in her Zulu knots, rather let down in her loose ringlet fashion that she occasionally wore. “Good morning.” She greeted her three friends cheerfully.

“Good morning, Eagle.” Minxy winked, a smug smile on her face.

“Where is everyone?” Amber glanced about the village, taking note that they were the only four individuals remaining at the camp.

“Out hunting, collecting, and stuff.” Caribou supplied. “We’re several days behind and we need to start collecting for winter.”

“Winter.” Amber shivered slightly at the thought. She knew this winter was going to be a difficult one. The first winter everyone had gone through without their parents had been hard enough, but they at least had the tinned foods in the warehouse. Now all those stores were pretty much used up and everyone would be on their own.

Amber couldn’t help but wonder how the Mall Rats would deal with winter. Of course, if what Robin and Manatee had said was true about setting up a trading center in the mall, they should be all right. Amber smiled warmly at the thought.

“What are you smiling at, Eagle?” Ocelot asked a teasing light in her tone. “Could you possibly be thinking of your dance with Pride last night?”

“Huh?” Amber’s attention was jerked back to the present. “Pride? What do you mean?”

“Don’t deny it, Eagle. Everyone saw you two together.” Minxy grinned, running her fingers through her short, heavily processed black hair. “We knew it was only a matter of time before the two of you hooked up.”

“We haven’t ‘hooked up’.” Amber frowned. She didn’t really know what she and Pride were. They had agreed to take it slow, but that was it. Would that really fit into Minxy’s definition of ‘hooked up’?

“Then why were you kissing?” Caribou pressed, her light blue eyes flashing playfully.

“We didn’t kiss.” Amber shook her head. “Not really.”

“Not really?” Ocelot arched a carefully groomed eyebrow. “Then what do you call being locked at the lip with Pride?”

“We weren’t locked at the lip.” Amber scowled. “It was a gentle peck. That’s all.”

“A peck?” Minxy looked doubtful. “Well, sugar, if I had the opportunity to lock lips with Pride, it would certainly be more than just a peck.”

Amber blushed. “Sorry, that was all it was.”

“So,” Caribou continued, tossing her long blonde mane over her shoulder. “What is the deal with you and Pride?”

“I’m not really sure.” Amber admitted, looking into the distance, trying to picture the mall and it’s occupants as she spoke. “We both agreed to take it slow. I’m still really broken up about my last relationship.”

“That’s Bray, right?” Ocelot inquired.

“Yeah.” Amber nodded, her eyes misting over.

“Jaguar met him.” Minxy murmured softly. “When he went back to the mall with Tai-San.”

“He what?!” Amber exclaimed, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice. “Did he, uh, say how he looked?”

Minxy shrugged. “Jag said he didn’t like him too much. He said Bray looked a bit arrogant to him.”

“Well that’s the pot calling the kettle black.” Ocelot giggled, tugging her warm woolen beanie further down on her head. “Jaguar is just about the most arrogant person I know.”

“No kidding.” Caribou agreed. Minxy and Ocelot joined Caribou in her laughter as the three continued to jest about Jaguar’s peculiar personality all the while Amber gazed into the distance, one ear to their conversation, the other trying to tune into her heart and figure out just what on earth it was telling her.