"Are you sure you weren't followed?"
Dyami looked calmly at the older woman, one of the village's leader, across the room. After separating from Ori, he was rounded up by Mak, a childhood friend, and taken to the town hall where a small group had formed. Her name was Talasi, and she apparently needed an impromptu report from Dyami. Beside her sat her mate, Pachu'a, and four others that made up the council: Kyah, Mak, Lyarra, and Hawiovi.
"Yes. The Rukae aren't concerned about chasing down refugees if they're more trouble than they're worth."
"But you didn't lead them to our doorstep, did you?" Kyah asked. Dyami took a breath for himself before looking at the hot-headed woman.
"Patrol didn't report any stragglers or infiltrators, did they?" Kyah huffed at the counter but said nothing more. "I'm not saying Linvharis isn't in their sights, but for now I believe we're safe." Dyami looked back to Talasi and Pachu'a. "Did you reach out to other packs?"
"Yes," Pachu'a answered. "Intel confirms most packs weren't targeted, but..."
"Everyone has lost someone in this war," Talasi finished somberly. "We requested help in case the Rukae are on their way. We'll be lucky to get any. People are still scared and busy fortifying their own. Therefore, it might be in our best interest to move elsewhere."
"Abandon the whole village??" Mak repeated in disbelief.
"We can't do that!" Kyrah concurred. "This is our home!"
Unease filled the room until Hawiovi, one of the village's most respected elders, raised his hand and silenced it. "The Rukae are not known to be merciful. Dyami and I can attest to that, as can others in the village. We may not have to leave, or it may be our only choice." He looked at each person. "If that time comes, remember that home is more about the people you are with."
"But the forest..." Lyarra started sadly. Dyami felt a pang of sadness himself, but he felt pity for Lyarra. Her love of the forest helped her advance into being the head of patrol.
"We are connected to this place," Talasi confirmed, acknowledging Lyarra's pain. "But it would not be lost to us forever, and don't forget that we are already connected to others. The world is big, Lyarra."
The meeting lasted another hour or so. Dyami gave as much detail as he could about his last sighting and smelling of the Rukae, of thieves and mercenaries he encountered, and lastly about the woman he brought to Linvharis. Thankfully, not everyone had a field day teasing him, and he decided to swing by Aodhain's. Turned out that Ori hadn't stopped by, which made him feel a sick sort of triumph. He bought the coat, but only to rub it in her face.
Then he returned home only to fall asleep. It was in the late afternoon when he woke up, and Ori still wasn't back. He hadn't let himself worry about it when he returned earlier, but now... What if she ran away? She wasn't that stupid, was she? There was a chance she ended up at Kinshra's, but why did he get the feeling that wasn't the case?
He imagined her and Kinshra together, having a ball talking about different plants. Hopefully, it would be enough to divert Ori's attention away from his love life. But then again, Kinshra did offer to make him a "love tincture" once. He escaped before she could even explain what it was.
.....
Shit, what if her and Ori were in cahoots now!? Would people ever just leave him alone?? But enough about him! He had to make sure Ori didn't end up rolling down a hill somewhere.
Dyami's first stop at Kinshra's wasn't successful. Not even a sighting of Tiny Ori, and Dyami's earlier triumph was starting to slowly but surely morph into worry.
That was, until, he was stopped by the very grandmothers who herded Ori into their knitting group and they gave him a general direction. Lo and behold, he followed it and ended up catching her scent, which led him just a little ways deeper into the village where many herbs and wild plants grew beside a creek. Admiring and picking some of the plants was exactly who he was looking for.
"Charmed the grannies instead of the love of your life, did ya?"
