Wandering Eternal: Brothers of War

Awakening Part 2

Zee looks over to Ezma’s shredded clothes picking them up off the ground and sets them on the rock. He grabs a rag and the soap walking down to Ezma. She’s wiping all over her body acting like she’s bathing, but not actually getting clean.

“Here use these and do not lose the soap. Just wrap the rag around it and scrub just like that,” he demonstrates for her what he means before handing her the soap and rag. She quickly scrubs around her body and tries to get out, “nope!” He grabs her and sits her back down, “you’re not getting off that easy!” He grabs the rag covered soap from her, sits down behind her, wraps his legs around her waist holding her still, holds her arms up together with his free hand, then he scrubs hard enough to get her clean but gentle enough that he doesn’t hurt her while he tries his best to avoid her tender areas and lady parts. After ye is finished, he hands the soap to her, “I’m gonna let you wash the parts that I shouldn’t be touching so hurry it up,” he commands in a light manner and she frowns gently washing the places he didn’t and finally she lathers the soap on her hands before handing it to Zee. He grabs the soap from her while she washes her face and tosses the rag to shore. He takes the soap laying her head back getting her hair into the slow moving water and runs the soap through her hair. He takes care to be gentle running the soap and his fingers through her hair gently pulling the knots out.

“Wow, that actually feels really good, you massaging my head like that,” she admits closing her eyes as her frown grows to a calm serene smile. He finishes up telling her to rinse everything and make sure her hair gets rinsed really well. He walks back up to the rock grabbing another rag, a towel, and the knife. He walks a few feet downstream from her and starts washing himself. Once he’s done he takes the knife and carefully shaves the hair from his neck, jaw, and mustache leaving just the chin and bottom lip having hair, aka the soul patch. He looks back to Ezma to make sure she was still sitting there then walks back up the rock. He grabs her tattered clothes and starts cutting them up in neat orderly strips and squares overlapping them all. He picks up the needle and thread and starts sewing the pieces together over and over until he fashions a sturdy coin purse. Ezma looks up at him noticing that he cut up the only thing she had to cover up with.

“Hey?! Why did you do that? You want me to walk around n***d?” She retorts as she starts to get up out of the water.

“No no, just stay in the river for a minute unless you’re tired of the water then grab the towel that I hung on that branch above you and wrap yourself with it,” he points above her head. She grabs the towel and stands up wrapping it around her chest just under her arms, then walks over to Zee, “I’m just trying to make things a little easier for us,” he picks up the shirt he was wearing before, “here,” he hands it to her, “just make sure you take care of it, also there’s a long piece of string in the front pocket of the bag, tie it around your waist and it will look like you’re wearing a dress,” he looks back down at the coin purse to put the finishing touches and out of the corner of his eye he can see her drop the towel before putting his shirt on and he quickly shifts his body in the opposite direction. She puts on his shirt and looks at the apron inside the bag, she pulls it out and unfolds it.

“Hey Zee,” she holds the apron up as he turns to look at her hoping she isn’t n***d still.

“Yes?” He says uneasily noticing she hasn’t buttoned the shirt yet. It was already too big for her but it was also covering her body for the most part.

“This apron has a pretty pink ribbon on it, could you cut it off and make me a bow for my hair? Like those rich girls wear?” She asks with an envious tone but also innocent in a way that she wants to feel pretty.

“I could, but you need to button the shirt up and tie that string around your waist or you’re going to have perverts staring at you,” he chuckles, then he takes the apron from her and uses the knife to precisely cut the thread holding the bow and realizes the apron is actually a nice color and material. Ezma rustles through the bag looking for the string finally finding it then walks over to Zee and stands in front of him with her back turned. He looks up to see she is sticking her butt out into his face holding the string back.

“Tie me a bow!” She taunts him playfully.

He reaches up with one finger on the lower part of her back and pushes her forward, “why don’t you tie it yourself?”

She turns around dropping to her knees with a pouty face, “but I wanted it to be on my back, and in a bow.”

He chuckles lightly, “well, tie it in a bow on the front and then twist it around to your backside...” he notices the idea popping in her head as her frown turns upside down and she jumps up and begins working immediately. After a few minutes of silence between them both they both start to speak at the same time.

“I’m done!” They both say simultaneously delighted. She sees her bow and her eyes sparkle with glee. He rolls the sleeves of the shirt up to her elbows then pulls the shirt together tying a stitch in each side so that it fits her a little better. He then holds the bow out to her.

“Oh my gosh it’s so pretty!” She squeals and takes it from his hands pulling her still wet hair back. He quickly grabs her hand and stops her. He also notices that she tied the string in an axe knot knowing he was going to have a lot of trouble untying it, which an axe knot is a knot that normally can only be untied with an axe, or other sharp blade.

“You need let your hair dry before putting the bow in so you don’t have creases in it,” he explains handing her a dry towel, “now dry your hair while I try to figure out how you messed this string up,” he says as she takes the towel and sits on his knee while he studies the string around her waist.

“Hey Zee? Why aren’t you a p*****t?” She asks innocently while squeezing the towel on her hair. He looks up and stops her.

“Here, let me show you a better way,” he lays the towel on her back then spreads her hair across the towel evenly wrapping the towel around her hair then around her head like a turban, “to answer your question, I don’t really know. You’re a very pretty girl but you seem still very young...”

“That’s not what I meant!” She exclaims in anger interrupting him, then she turns around glaring at him, “ever since I can remember boys and men were always trying to touch me or rip my clothes off and see my lady goods! You on the other hand are completely different!” She folds her arms turning away, “harrumph!”

“If you think that it is a good thing for anyone to do that, you’re wrong. Those kinds of people are wrong for trying to do that to you...” he tries to explain.

“You think I don’t know that?! I have fought and fought to keep from getting handled and even broke this one guys nose because he snuck up behind me and poked my butt!” She admits interrupting him as she turns back to look at him and notices that he is focused on untying the knot.

“Then I really don’t understand your question Ezma. I don’t know what you want me to say,” he shakes his head finally getting the knot untied, then he turns her around on his knee, grabs her by the arms, pushes, and pulls her, posing her into an upright position, “here, stay like this while I tie the string into a bow, this way no matter how you move the string won’t loosen or be too tight.”

She holds her breath trying to stay still and after a moment she exhales deeply, “aren’t you finished?!”

“Yes I’ve been finished, right after I told you to stay like that I finished the bow,” he laughs.

She laughs as well even though she did not want to, “I want to know why you look away and don’t even bother to touch me at all even though I give you the chance to?” She asks turning back around glaring at him.

“I just don’t have the passion, or want, to do so. I have respect for you because you earned it by saving my life and keeping me alive until today. I think that’s why I respect you, and another thing, you’re an attractive young girl that could have a lot of potential with some tutoring and guidance,” he smiles at her grabbing her by the waist picking her up holding her high into the air. She feels as if she’s flying and she squeals gleefully then he sets her down and turns to the bag.

“It’s still bothering me that you show such care to a girl you don’t even know but yet just be completely unaware of anything else!” She exclaims soon after regretting she even opened her mouth. Under her voice she murmurs, “please don’t leave me here alone, I want to go with you, please don’t be mad me...”

“I can see you have a some kind of attachment to me, but it doesn’t mean anything to me because you’re still just a child. Are you ready to venture out?” He picks up the coat and puts it on tying the buckles off and packs the bag waiting on her answer.

“Child?! I’m probably already an adult! How would you know?” She stomps the ground.

“How would you? You told me you didn’t remember how old you were when your brother was taken so how would you know? I’m better off assuming you’re a child so that I don’t cut my own life down.” He turns and smiles at her then swings the bag over onto his shoulder.

“Why do you have to be so...so...ugh! What’s the word?”

“Condescending? Masochistic? Ultimatarium?”

“The first one!”

“It’s a compliment trust me. You are better off having me as just a friend.” He starts walking up back to the cabin.

“Wait! Where are you going? The village is back that way!” She points towards the west.

“I realized I forgot something back at the cabin I’ll be back in a moment.” He waves over his shoulder and keeps walking. She blankly watches him walk away and plops down on the ground crossing her arms in a pouty mood. He walks into the cabin and pulls the trunk out from the bed opening the secret drawer. He pulls the coin purse out of the coat pocket then fills it with all the gold he can fit in it and puts the rest inside the apron. He checks the trunk to make sure there is nothing left to take then takes a lap around the cabin. Once he gets back to the bed he spots his pipe laying on the nightstand with the tobacco laying next to it, “ah, there you are.” He picks it up filling the bowl then takes the matches from the stove and lights it. He folds the apron over the gold and stuffs it into the bottom of the bag then ties the bag shut. He slings the bag around his head on his shoulder then puts the tobacco in the coat’s chest pocket. He puffs on the pipe walking out of the cabin when he hears some footsteps trampling and a muffled scream. He takes off in a hurried sprint towards the river so fast it’s as if he’s not even touching the ground. He sees four men wrangling Ezma and a fifth trying to get his pants undone.

“Hey! You better drop her and run unless you feel like dying today!” He screams as he approaches the men.

“Ha! Foreign devil! You think you can fight us over this little tramp? She’s nothing...” Zee’s foot connects with the mans face before he’s able to finish his sentence and the sound of his jaw breaking echoes throughout the forest.

“Drop her and leave!” Zee commands pulling his leg down and dropping the bag beside him. He takes a couple of puffs off his pipe as the other guys drop Ezma and pull out daggers. They all run at Zee attacking at the same time, Zee grabs his pipe after taking a long toke then parries each dagger strike using his pipe with finesse as if he were wielding a sword. Each time he parries, he counterattacks the attacker hitting them in the head with his pipe being careful not to spill the tobacco out. He swings his body around kicking one of the in the temple knocking him a few feet away. While still spinning he drops down and sweeps another man and before he hits the ground Zee punches him in the nose with blood splattering everywhere as the guy flies backwards. While raising up Zee parries another dagger stab with his pipe and uppercuts the man into the air then roundhouse kicks him into the river. The last man stands there scared, barely able to hold his dagger with snot and tears running down his face.

“Drop the butter knife and run, if these are your friends you need new ones. Now leave,” the young man sits his dagger on the ground in front of Zee and bows to him thanking him.

“I...I....I’m sorry they dragged me along and said if I didn’t help them rob some people they were going to kill me,” he says nervously his voice shaking rapidly.

“What you were about to do to that girl was much more than robbery, you would’ve stolen her youth, innocence, and probably damaged her in ways that can’t be fixed,” he takes a few puffs, “you are just a boy, go back home to your parents and behave!” He commands.

“Yes sir! Thank you!” He bows again and then turns to Ezma who flinches, “I’m so sorry ma’am, I didn’t know what they had planned. Please forgive me!” He drops to his knees and bows in front of her.

“Look, just don’t do anything like this ever again!” She swipes her nose in a tough manner, “don’t ever let me see you again!” She pushes him back and he lands on his butt, “oh yeah, and don’t worry about it, I was almost ready to make my move against the five of you anyways...”

“Five? I only saw four when I got here...” Zee asks looking around as the young man stands up and runs off to the east, “oh yeah, the one guy I accidentally kicked as I hopped over the rock,” he walks around counting the bodies, checking their pockets, and grabbing their weapons. He looks back at Ezma, “are you okay? I should’ve been here sooner but I was looking for my pipe. For some reason it’s connected to me I feel,” he puffs a few times and realizes it’s empty and walks over to Ezma.

“I washed the pipe while you were dead but I couldn’t get the black off of it,” she points the wooden parts of the pipe.

“Oh that’s because it’s Blackwood, the bark is almost white in color but the wood is solid black,” he runs his finger along the shaft of the pipe, “I wish I could remember why it’s so important to me...”

“Hey don’t you think we should go? These guys will get up soon and you will have to fight again,” she asks looking up at him and he slides the pipe into the chest pocket and walks over to the bag he dropped, then he throws the knives into the river.

“Yeah we should get going, it’s already dark,” he picks the bag up slinging it over his shoulder then walks back over to Ezma, “I’m ready, which way captain?” He asks causing her to smile and point to the west, then they both start walking. Soon she starts hearing the creepy noises of the forest and she sidles up next to Zee grabbing his hand.

“This place is pretty scary huh? You think we should wait until tomorrow? I mean we can sleep in the cabin,” the noises get louder and she grips tighter onto his hand.

“For some reason I just don’t feel scared...” he admits as they hear a loud gurgling noise and stop walking.