| Logs |
2011 October 31
| Neverneverwhere |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
 |
| Realms: Taps Logs |
Zachariah's Story
Zachariah finds out pretty darned quickly that the romance of travel is usually found in tall tales told after the actual traveling is done. During the travel, he irritably decides in that first month, it's usually backbreaking work all day long and well into the night, cold baths and cold food, cranky animals that bite and kick without provocation, grumpy people that always blame him for everything, and diabolical wagons that wait until he turns his back to abruptly shift their load -- to get him into yet more trouble!
Zachariah is particularly unhappy with that busybody witch (as he privately refers to Sna'tha) and the harridan who claims to run this freakshow. Imagine the nerve of her, siccing her goblin on him! All he'd been doing was trying to introduce himself to the lovely Fantine -- there was no call for Alg to knock him down and sit cackling on his chest! He grimly promises himself he'll wait, figure out what's really going on, and then appeal to the true leader of the caravan to tell the harridan and her freaks to stay away from him, so he can properly court poor Fantine. No wonder she's afraid of him, if she's been listening to those two!
By the third month Zach is still confused as to who the caravan's true leader/owner is. After all, this really is too much for such a tiny young woman -- but he can't seem to find out much about (her deceased husband?) Corbett. Further, there's no way she could really be the leader, being clearly no older than 18 or so, and more likely only 14 or 15 from her looks. He'd been shocked at hearing she was an expensive whore as well, and appalled no one had firmly let her know that was completely unacceptable behavior for a decent woman. Why didn't her father marry her off properly, instead of letting her run around wild like this? He'd been confused at the laughter his horrified commentary had inspired.
When he'd firmly announced he'd tell her for them, he'd been even more startled when Buddy -- and several other individuals, including the rather scary Del -- had fiercely told him he would get both seriously hurt, and dumped off the caravan if he tried that crap with the lady! Sabrina and Little Joe had tried gently to explain it to him later... but he was still having trouble with it, due to it simply not making sense. Frankly, were it not for Zachariah's growing determination to take poor Fantine away from all this, he'd have left long ago, on several different occasions.
By the fifth month Zachariah has physically hardened up. He'd thought himself in good shape when he started with the caravan, but he wryly admits to himself now that he was actually rather soft -- town life had been easy on him. He's gotten leaner and wiry with muscle, and his shoulders are a bit broader now, although he doesn't realize it. He's also now extending a grudging respect to the two women he'd formerly privately excoriated -- he knows they both work as hard as any man, and possibly longer hours too. He still doesn't like them, especially after the vicious tongue-lashing he'd gotten when Emmett got slightly hurt due to cargo shifting unexpectedly on a mountainside descent, because Zach hadn't double-checked his knots. The young townie understands now, however, how critical it is for cargo to be truly and firmly lashed down -- especially after taking on half of Emmett's chores in punishment while the man healed.
By the seventh month Zach considers himself an old hand amongst the caravaneers. He's shot a crossbow and driven a camel and he's sure (just ask him!) he can pack a load and harness a team with the best of them; he's seen sidhe and a creepy Sileni, far too many scary Amazons, that nasty goblin, and a bear-manitou. Admittedly, while seeing Ohkwari transform had been initially terrifying, Zach had been really glad the enormous bear was on their side and defending them against the hungry pack of Great Plains wolves. The shaggy, frightening beasts had chosen to slink off to hunt elsewhere after the huge bear had charged them, roaring and breaking one entirely with a casual swipe of a massively clawed paw.
Later on, Zach remembers with pride, he'd gotten falling-down-drunk in a manly drinking contest with Emmett at one of the day-after parties -- well, all right, with Emmett and Del, and the strange horse-woman had drunk them both under the table. But he's also been in his first town fight as a caravaneer, responding to a "hey, rube!" from Ilyana Sokoloff's baby brother -- and he'd even gotten a black eye defending the young scamp! After all those awesome experiences, Zach is sure nothing could shock him now.
Slowly, almost unwittingly, he's also starting to realize women can be independent entities, although he's still having no luck getting to spend time with Fantine. He's turned around once or twice while working, though, to find her watching him -- and even though she always vanishes instantly, he finds that a hopeful sign. His desire to marry her remains unflagging, although he's not quite so sure now he needs to take her back to Roseville to be away from "all this." He's quite sure she'd be better off as his honorable wife, however, than as lady's maid to a prostitute -- however high-class a prostitute she might be. Maybe once they're married they can join another caravan -- one with more people in it. Decent people. They can take Sabrina and Little Joe with them too, if they want... maybe Emmett as well.
In the eighth month the caravan travels through what used to be Eastern Texas, fresh out of Houston and heading for Baton Rouge. It's a wild, wet, early autumn, and the storm comes on them suddenly. The caravan is strung out over a long, lonely stretch of dirt road, and the furious rain quickly turns it to deep, sticky, cloying mud, dragging at the wagons and slowing everyone down. The heavy cargo wagon Zachariah is helping with is not doing well; the horses are spooky and unhappy as the road becomes a slurry and the wagon gets heavier and heavier. Alg, Suraksha, Emmett, Zachariah, and Del are all doing their best to keep the horses on track and the wagon from sliding into the ditch. At this point Del's up front sweet-talking the horses, Alg is under the wagon and putting down stones under the wheels to help them 'grab,' while the rest of them are putting their shoulders to the wagon and doing their best to help shove it forward.
Suraksha's wagon, drawn by the white camel and driven by Fantine, is directly behind, waiting patiently for them to pull free and get moving again. Even knowing the girl he loves is near, Zach finds himself swearing like a muleskinner with the rest of them as they all get progressively muddier, wetter, and slipperier, and the going gets worse and worse. The tired, frustrated young man is starting to wonder if this is worth it -- why is he stuck with the weak little girl and the nasty goblin? Why can't he and Emmett get some real men to help out here? Don't the other men, further back down the line with other wagons, think he deserves to be with them?
Little Joe returns with word from Dominic, the creepy Earth Tap, that there's a safe place for camping up ahead only a mile or so. He's about to dismount to try to help with the big cargo wagon when he suddenly points and yells something that sounds, in the drumming rain, vaguely like, "Lightnin' -- duck!" Zach straightens and turns reflexively to see what Joe is pointing at, not noticing everyone else is diving for cover -- so he's temporarily blinded and stunned by the sheer CRACK! and deafening sonic boom of the nearby lightning strike. A second later something bumps him incredibly hard and he falls in the mud, crying out with startlement -- and then something grabs him, actually clawing him through his shirt and poncho as it drags him. His eyesight clears just in time for him to see, with horror, Alg's snarling face far too close to his -- the mad creature's finally showing its true colors and attacking him! -and then there's the most incredible pain in his lower leg! He screams, and whites out for a few heartbeats in agony.
When Zach groggily re-focuses, it's clear not much time has passed -- Alg is still looming over him, there's shouting and frantic whinnying from up front, and his leg aches ferociously. He yells in fright, batting ineffectively at the goblin, who snarls back at him. Suraksha grabs his hands, shouting over the rain so he can hear her, "Stop! Zach, hold still! Alg is sheltering you from the rain -- hold still while we get the wagon off your leg!" That causes Zachariah to go still, although he's shocky-pale under the mud. Suraksha straightens, shouting to someone, "Forward?" and Del's voice yells back, "Snapped trace!" Sura swears imaginatively, causing Zach to blush despite himself, then turns and yells, "Buddy, Ohkwa?" Joe's voice answers, "End of the line!" and the small woman swears ferociously again, snapping, "Me, then -- gotta move the wagon now! Emmett, Joe, Alg, get ready to move him quick!" Zachariah wonders if he's delirious as he watches the tiny woman actually hastily shucking out of her clothes! She shouts, "Fantine, light!" and seconds later a dancing blue ball of light zooms over to hover over the mud and wagon wheel covering Zach's lower leg, glistening in the rain-wet dimness. That causes the young man to chuckle shakily -- he's definitely hallucinating now!
Zachariah blinks rain out of his eyes and grins in a wobbly fashion as the grim-faced Joe and Emmett take up position on each side of him, sliding their arms under his body. Alg has leapt up onto Suraksha's wagon, shaken briskly to throw off some of the water and mud -- causing the others to swear and flinch a bit -- then grabs the clothes Suraksha tosses at him, tucking them into the shelter. After that he leaps back down to crouch next to Zach's leg. The young man isn't watching the goblin any more, though -- he's staring wide-eyed at the truly enormous tiger standing next to them! It creeps under the wagon in a crouch, grunts once, twice -- and on the third grunt it abruptly stands up. The wagon creaks and groans, shifting, and suddenly there's no feeling of pressure on his numbing leg. Just as quickly Emmett and Joe heave him free of the sucking mud. He's drawing in his breath to yell -- even groggy, he knows dragging a damaged limb through mud is a bad idea -- and then he realizes the crazy goblin is very carefully holding and bracing his leg, sliding through the mud and under the lifted, mud-dripping wagon-wheel with absolute trust in the huge tiger holding it up!
Things are a bit blurry for Zach after that. He vaguely remembers the shout of, "Clear!" from Joe followed by the crash and creak of the wagon lowering again; then being laid on the tiger's back, braced and held by the goblin and Emmett while Joe ran to tell Suze, the healer, to get to Sabrina's wagon. The blue ball of light led the little cavalcade there, and Zachariah was exclaimed over, carefully lifted into the bunk-wagon and settled on his bed, stripped and tended to with no concern for his sensibilities at nudity before ladies... he falls asleep or unconscious at some point to vague impressions of worried voices and faces leaning over him, aching pain, and the drumming of the rain all around.
When Zachariah wakes up next, it's to find Ohkwari sitting there next to him as the wagon slowly lurches and rumbles along. The big, stolid bear-man nods once to him, stepping to the door to murmur to someone. Shortly thereafter Suraksha leaps lightly up the stairs, gives the big man a hug and murmurs, "I've got it now, Ohkwa," then picks up a bucket and heads over to sit next to Zachariah. She smiles down at him, and for perhaps the first time the young man notices she's human: she looks tired. "How're you feeling, Zachariah?" He nods mutely at her, somewhat struck by several other new realizations: she has cat's eyes in the dim wagon! She has sharp looking teeth, too. This is not a helpless little girl. Maybe... maybe it's remotely possible she is the leader of this caravan? Zach's eyes go huge at that revolutionary thought.
Before he can say or do much else, Suraksha gently pats his arm and reassures him: he's safe and sound; it was a broken leg but Suze says he'll heal up fine if he doesn't do anything foolish and there's no infection. The tiger-woman gently helps Zach sit up enough to have a dipperful of water from the bucket, and she has simple, hearty food ready for him too. It tastes delicious to the hungry, exhausted young man, and he devours it. As he eats, Suraksha gently lets him know everyone else is fine, and she's here to answer any questions he may have -- at least the ones she can answer. Curiously, Zach finds himself tongue-tied in some awe, as well as exhausted, and about all he can get out is verification that it was indeed Suraksha who turned into the tiger before he falls asleep.
It's some time later Zachariah awakens, and for the first time he feels relatively all right: no cotton-mouth, no ferocious headache. His leg still hurts a bit, but that pales to nothing at sight of who is sitting with him: Fantine! He just stares silently, his eyes wide; he doesn't want to move at all in case the young woman looks up from her book, sees him watching, and flees again. Simply resting and watching like this, though, allows him to notice things he'd never noticed previously: she isn't the ragged waif he'd originally taken her for. She looks, in fact, well cared for -- her odd multi-colored hair looks like a deliberate choice, rather than something he'd assumed was a terrible accident when Suraksha experimented on her servant girl to test artificial hair colors for when the harrid- er, beast-woman -- was being a Whore of Babylon. Could the tiger-woman not be as bad for Fantine as Zach had originally assumed?
And the young woman has a book -- and it's not the Bible! Zachariah is dumbfounded at that. Thinking back, he realizes... there seem to be rather a lot of folks who can read in the caravan! He himself can read with effort and write a bit, but he's never seen anyone except the preacher and his uncle read as smoothly as Fantine is now. Admittedly, the preacher usually doesn't look at the Bible as he teaches on Sundays, but still! Fantine's lips aren't moving, her brow isn't furrowed with effort, she's not mumbling at all to herself... she's a girl, and she's not even using her finger to mark her place! Zachariah is not used to women who can read; his family considered it a waste of time and effort. Could the caravan be wealthier than he'd originally supposed? For the first time the smallest shred of doubt creeps into his mind as to the complete wrongness of Suraksha accepting money as a Hetaera. Might that also have something to do with why the people of this caravan all look healthy, well-fed, and happy most of the time?
Fantine looks up at that point, as if feeling the weight of Zachariah's fascinated and confused regard -- and without thinking Zach gives a small gasp and hastily clenches his eyes shut! He doesn't want her to leave. He lies there utterly still, not even breathing, his heart racing a bit as he prays she won't realize he's awake yet. At some point he takes a small, cautious breath of air so he doesn't faint... but it doesn't sound like she's getting up and leaving...? He counts to 100 -- he only has to start over once! He's rather proud of that -- then he very, very carefully squinches one eye open the tiniest crack.
A gusty sigh of relief escapes him -- she's still there! -but then he has to hastily squinch his eyes shut again when the small noise causes her to look up again. He berates himself fiercely for being an idiot! Next time he peeks he'll be very, very quiet. He counts to 100 again -- this time it's harder, since he's distracted -- then cautiously essays another careful peek. To his shock, this time when he looks at Fantine he realizes: she's looking right at him! Reflexively he gives that small gasp again as he hastily shuts his eyes once more. Once there, however, he feels really stupid. Did she realize he's awake? Surely he hasn't fooled her that he's still sleeping! He jumps slightly as, for the first time ever, he hears her voice directed at him -- and not upset, but rather slightly amused, "M'sieu, the eyes you might as well open, considering you have been awake for several of the minutes now."
Zachariah sheepishly opens his eyes, tongue-tied and stuttering with happiness that she's not fleeing him precipitously. She laughs softly and shushes him, telling him she's the only one who's not a child who is available to watch over him. They'd been going to start tapping the older kids to sit by Zach, but she'd decided while he was stuck in bed she could keep an eye on him for everyone -- and Alg is within shouting distance. Admittedly the small woman is still very careful around Zachariah -- she tends to nudge things over to him rather than getting in arm's reach -- but as long as he doesn't make any quick moves or loud sounds, she seems willing to sit calmly enough with him.
Those are a very pleasant couple of days for Zach, although he's also often quite bemused. He's shocked to realize just how well she reads, and dumbfounded once more to discover she keeps the caravan's financial books in order, along with Sna'thaid -- can women do that?! When Fantine realizes just how much effort reading and writing is for Zachariah, she clucks her tongue with disapproval and informs him he should be taking classes with Sabrina when she teaches the children. Zachariah is flushed and offended at that, until he realizes everyone in this peculiar caravan can read and write as well as Fantine! Staring at her smooth, graceful handwriting of his name -- so different than his usual painfully careful, smudgy scratches -- he's shocked again to discover it's Suraksha who makes sure this occurs. It's only then that it occurs to him to ask Fantine: what happened that night?!
Were it not for the fact that Zachariah is pre-disposed to believe Fantine, and that he knows she was sitting right there and could see it all, he'd be sure he was being told the tallest of tall tales. The idea that Little Joe -- nice, normal, friendly Joe! -is a Lightning/Storm Tap is a shock to the young man. He hardly even hears Fantine mentioning how Joe's warning saved them all from perhaps being struck by lightning. The shaken young man is even more shocked to realize Alg was not attacking him, but actually saved his life by leaping forward and dragging him out of the way of the heavy wagon's wheels when Zach was knocked down hard by the back end of the wagon. He stops Fantine at that point; he needs to sort things out in his whirling head for a bit, and he ends up falling asleep and having odd dreams of a hugely fanged Alg as his uncle -- while the preacher thunders from the pulpit on high and flings heavy Bibles down on Zach's unprotected head.
Fantine is there again when he awakens, much to his relief. After a long, thirsty drink and some nice hot stew, she offers him the book she's reading, asking him to read to her. Zachariah is happy to do so -- he's sure he's a better reader than she thinks he is, and he's not quite willing yet to continue talking about the shocking and disorienting events of the night of the accident. Unfortunately for poor Zach, Shakespeare is a bit more of a mouthful than familiar Bible verses, and he ends up confused, stuttering, and bewildered -- how could anyone write such wickedly naughty verse?! Curiously, Fantine seems calmer around him when she's teaching, and it's not until a few hours have passed that he realizes not only that she's seated next to him and helping him through the more difficult words... but also that he rather likes these sonnets! They make him blush, but they also make him think of Fantine, and he shyly tries to tell her that to thank her for teaching him.
That's when Zachariah gets the second biggest shock of that day: Fantine calls Alg into the room, then nervously smiles and lets him know she's flattered, but she cannot return his affections in the same manner. She's sitting close to the door, with Alg between her and Zachariah, peeking out from behind the goblin. Zach is once more dumbfounded as she explains to him that he's christian and that frightens her... and she's already in love with someone else... so she will not ever be able to love him. Poor Zachariah is speechless as it hits him for the very first time: she's not playing hard to get. She really is afraid -- of him! He tries to explain he'd never hurt her, and he doesn't agree with his uncle's brand of religion any more... and that's when he gets the biggest shock of the day -- and perhaps of his life.
Fantine will not meet his eyes as she explains in simple, short sentences what exactly she is. He flatly refuses to believe it, insisting this is a lie she's been persuaded of somehow. She departs soon thereafter in frustrated tears, despite him calling desperately after her. Alg leaves too, and Zachariah is actually standing up, trying to hop out after her, when Alg comes bouncing back into the wagon with a worried looking Suraksha following. Zachariah snarls angrily at the tiger-woman about lying and deceiving a gentle, simple young girl like that -- although he shuts up when she catches him as he staggers and falls when the wagon goes over a particularly large rut in the road. Suraksha tucks him firmly back into bed despite his protests, pointing out he's already pale and dizzy from nearly landing wrong, and she's going to have Suze check him over.
It's some time later Zachariah opens his eyes to find Joe sitting with him. After the first pang of disappointment that it's not Fantine, Zach asks tiredly if he's scared Fantine away for good. The rangy older man considers for a bit, then smiles and allows that she might be persuaded to return, but it would help if Zach didn't call her a liar? That causes the younger man to flush hotly, stuttering as he protests and tries to explain what really happened. Joe listens silently for a while, then finally asks: why was Zach willing to believe in a Lightning Tap and people that turned into animal forms... but not that Fantine needed to drink blood, and could turn into a blue ball of light? That's an easy one for Zachariah: he can tell it's not true because she's not evil! The young man gets a rather uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach at Joe's calm chuckle, but he stoutly maintains he'd be able to tell -- he just needs to persuade her not to believe this nonsense, and she'll be fine!
Joe raises an amused eyebrow, murmuring curiously as to whether it was nonsense that Fantine's ability to shift into a light form helped save Zachariah during the night of the storm? Zach falls silent at that, uncomfortable and uncertain, and Joe casually strums on his guitar as Zach thinks. Eventually the man starts singing softly, and Zachariah finds himself tiredly listening. He doesn't really like the song, though -- it's about a young girl who is kidnapped and forced into slavery, made to do terrible things for her master and changed so she can never return to her former home and life... and then some new folks come along and murder her master and the other women who were there, and she barely escapes the murdering christians- that causes Zach to burst out with astonishment: christians aren't like that!
Joe pauses in the story and smiles faintly at Zach. Is he sure about that? Zachariah's protest dies on his lips as he remembers his uncle's religious ferocity, and the young man uncertainly points out it was... it was God's will? The two men are soon lost in a perplexing and fascinating religious argument, and when Joe starts showing Zachariah verses in the Bible that the young man has never seen before... Zach becomes confused and silent. Joe leaves the Bible with Zachariah, and that night the young man reads voraciously -- and with increasing dismay.
The next day it's Suraksha there at his side when Zachariah opens his eyes. He eats mechanically when she feeds him, and remains silent, so she goes back to working on the books as she sits with him. She looks up at his soft query about an hour later: is anyone in this caravan human, aside from him? She laughs and reassures him most are human -- Taps and otherwise. He's silent with surprise again that she calls the Taps human, and she eventually smiles and goes back to her bookkeeping. Eventually he nervously asks: is it true Fantine is... that Fantine helps with the books?
Sura studies the young man for a moment, her eyes thoughtful -- then she smiles and sets the bookkeeping aside. Yes, it's true, and she'll wait until he gets to the questions he really wants to ask -- this once. After this, the usual rules in the caravan about not asking questions will be back in force. Being so easily seen through causes Zachariah to flush with embarrassment, but he doesn't deny it. Suraksha continues: also, he will promise to never talk to anyone outside the caravan about this, nor use it to harm Fantine, yes? He agrees slowly, and though he does not realize it, Sura 'commands' him to keep his promise.
Eventually he works up the courage to ask his questions, and Suraksha is as good as her word. She explains Fantine is indeed a loogaroo who was kidnapped and unhappily made so by a greedy bokor, due to her being a pretty and defenseless young servant girl, and who faced a slow death by starvation when the christians killed her cruel bokor and her (admittedly unpleasant) sister loogaroos, and cut down her tree. By this point Zachariah is simply listening in wide-eyed, uncertain silence, so he does not protest when he's informed of the almost two decades Fantine has been with Suraksha and the caravan -- he simply blinks and stores the information away for later consideration. He stares bemusedly at the two neat little marks on the inside of Suraksha's elbow as she explains how she initially felt both sorry and responsible for the poor girl, and now cherishes and defends her 'little sister' -- and how everyone in the caravan who is sapient, adult, and willing, along with all the animals, helps feed little Fantine.
When the caravan leader is done speaking Zachariah is silent for a few heartbeats, considering. Finally he faintly asks who it is Fantine is actually in love with. Suraksha thinks about that for a moment, then laughs softly -- she'd guess it's Buddy, actually? Zach nods silently, thanks Sura for her patience and time, then closes his eyes and rolls over. It's been a lot of information for him to receive all at once, and he wants to sleep on it.
Over the next two weeks or so Zachariah is very quiet and thoughtful -- unaccustomedly so, as he works with Suze to rehabilitate his leg. He's walking with a crutch by the time they're about a week out of Baton Rouge, looking around him with silent alertness, putting information together in his head. He spots Fantine a few times during then, although he makes no attempt to approach her -- just watches quietly. She tends to stare back for a heartbeat or so, then look away and disappear like usual. At some point during that time Fantine has a chat with Suraksha and Alg. Fantine thinks Sura can take Alg off guard duty on her by now, but Suraksha is still uncertain. She does not say it aloud, but she's a bit worried the christian boy will turn his former love to hate, and decide it's now his duty to destroy poor Fantine.
Zachariah starts talking again little by little -- he spends time with Buddy, with Ohkwa, with Sabrina and Little Joe, with the Sokoloff kids, and with Emmett. From what Suraksha is told later, the young man seems to be asking about the caravan itself: if everyone in it is happy, if they're at all uncomfortable with the other folks there, if they enjoy the traveling, how they feel about Hetaerae and supernaturals -- especially Suraksha and Fantine. Some of the people he talks to are belligerent when they feel Sura or Fantine are being slighted, some amusedly point out that humans had blood shed for them by the sacrificed christian Jesus, some just laugh and tell Zachariah he's thinking too much and should listen to his heart to decide what is right -- not to some dour old uncle he doesn't even really like! Sura's a bit worried at the news she's receiving, but doesn't say anything to the young man; she just counsels calm alertness to everyone as the boy works out his issues and decides if he's staying or leaving the caravan.
It's late at night that Zachariah finally makes his decision. He heads over to Suraksha's caravan, climbing the small steps with care so his crutch doesn't catch and trip him, then knocks lightly on the door. At Sura's usual absent-sounding, "It's open!" he pushes the door open and steps in -- then catches himself and gasps. Staring at the pretty, shimmering little ball of fire hovering over Suraksha's desk, he stammers, "Is that -- Fantine, is -- is that you?!" The ball of fire whips hastily backward, and Sura mutters something about the light before she sighs, lays her quill pen down, and looks up at Zachariah, "Yes, Zach, it is. How may I help you?"
Zachariah sinks down onto the little stool by the door, still staring at the glittering ball as it whips around the wagon's interior once, then zips out the door. He murmurs a little forlornly, "It -- she. She's beautiful." Suraksha stares at him with a faint smile, and he flushes as he remembers himself, "I -- I am sorry, ma'am. I c-came-" he takes a deep breath, then continues, "I came to ask you please if I co-could be added to the list of th-those who help feed Fantine!" He looks away nervously -- then starts visibly as he looks at the folded bed, "Oh! Is -- is that her skin?!"
That certainly provokes a response -- the ball of fire comes zooming instantly back into the crowded wagon interior to hover, quivering, over the skin, just as Suraksha says with steel in her voice, "Yes. Do not ever touch it." Zachariah nods slowly, his eyes on the ball of fire. Almost wistfully he says, "I wish... I wish you could love me, but... but I think I understand now." He hesitates, still watching as the ball lifts a little, the quivering fading away, then shyly holds out a hand, adding, "...friends?"
Suraksha explains the fire will indeed burn, so best if Fantine not rest in Zachariah's palm -- although she's not sure he's listening. He's watching mesmerized, his face alight with wonder as the little ball of fire hovers for a second just above his palm -- then darts shyly back again. Despite Zachariah's sturdy assurance that he can take it, the tiger-woman also will not let Fantine change to her (to some, alarming) skinless form just now -- she wants Zachariah to see the little loogaroo feeding from someone else before Sura will allow Zach to feed her, and Fantine has already eaten tonight.
It's later the next day that Fantine very shyly, from behind Suraksha, thanks Zachariah for his generous offer but isn't sure she's quite ready just yet to be quite so... so intimate with him! That causes both of them to blush, and Sura to hide a smile. Somehow the tiger-woman suspects it is likely that by a few months from now... Zach will indeed be part of the feeding cycle, and Fantine will start treating him as she does many of the younger caravaneers who volunteer for her: as affectionate younger siblings.
Over the years that follow Zachariah never loses his crush on Fantine, although it settles down to a gentle smolder rather than its initial thoughtless burn. He knows -- or figures out over time and many conversations -- that it is indeed Buddy she loves as a hopefully-someday partner, and that it's Suraksha she's sweet on like... like a combination protector / empowerer / mother / lover / mistress / blood-donor -- as Fantine herself explains with a laugh to him at one point: it's complicated! Zachariah continues to feed her when it's his turn to do so, and he does his best to hide how arousing it is for him... and she continues to hide her awareness of his emotional state around her, even as she encourages him to keep an eye out for a nice girl -- a girl good enough for a nice boy like him! He always laughs and promises to do so... and privately thinks none of them can hold a match to his lovely Fantine! He's not aware of the word, but he's achieved a quietly happy state of compersion for her.
Suraksha is aware of this as well -- most of the alert folks in the caravan know it, in fact -- and she thinks it's charming. She's already checked with Fantine, who does not mind as long as the young man takes it no further, so Sura also quietly makes sure Zachariah has plenty of exposure to the other young women in the caravan. He seems pretty thoroughly devoted to Fantine, however, so Sura doesn't push it...
It's been maybe five years since Zachariah ran away to "join the circus," and by now he's crossed the continent four times, twice each way. He's 20 years old at this point and much less rash than he used to be, filling out the promise of his originally rangy frame with solid muscle. He can grow a beard now, but doesn't care to; since that was part of his religious upbringing, he's rather preferred to remain entirely clean-shaven. His family isn't talking to him, but he's no longer so hurt by that. He has a big adopted family now that accepts him exactly as who he truly is -- just like happened with Sabrina.
He sees things a little more clearly now, too: he realizes Sulochana Suraksha being a Hetaera allows her to help people and enjoy herself, and has more to do with pleasure and economics than morality. He's also figured out Jerome Bradley is likely an entity much like Fantine -- and that it doesn't really matter, as long as the people involved are all consensually happy with whatever arrangement they come up with.
Consequently when someone from the caravan needs to send a message to Sulochana while she's at Bradley's, the tall young man cheerfully agrees to take it to her -- maybe he'll see a few of his old friends in town, and best of all, maybe he'll get to talk to Fantine while he's there! Bradley had negotiated with the Hetaera and the caravan, setting up good resting spots all up and down his side of the mountain so the caravan could travel easily both ways, and Sulochana could spend the week at his place without having to travel back and forth every night unless she wished to. That means, of course, that Fantine insists on making the trip each night, to be sure her lady looks her best.
Zachariah rides on into town at an easy lope and heads first for Bradley's place, even though it's twilight by now. He can hear some amazing music wafting out the windows, which are open to the early evening air -- harpsichord and violin, he thinks? -although the musical piece concludes just as he's dismounting. He ties his horse at the hitching post, paces up the stairs to the door and knocks, then respectfully removes his hat and waits.
Inside the house Bradley has just strolled into the drawing room and given his excited daughter a hug -- she's thrilled at how well the new duet for her and Sulochana is coming along! The tall man turns to give his beautiful priestess a warm hug and kiss, just as someone knocks on the door, and Diana laughs and says she'll go get it -- to give them some privacy! She doesn't quite skip off to the door, throwing it open with interest to see who's come calling so late in the day -- and then she goes still, her lips still parted in excitement and her eyes sparkling in sudden intrigue. She's still holding the soft rag she'd used to wipe down her violin strings, and Zachariah is suddenly struck dumb at sight of her. Who is this amazingly lovely young woman? She must be a new maid or something, hired in the last two years or so. Maybe... maybe he can get an introduction to her from Sulochana, later?
For her part, Diana's eyes are wide as she stares up at the young man. He looks sturdy and weather-beaten, like her father... and he has such strong, broad shoulders! She's a young woman of 15 now, and not really interested in most of the folks who've come paying suit to her father for her hand in marriage; they tend to be either older men looking for economic gain with the Bradley family, or what Diana privately considers silly young boys who don't know anything. She wonders a bit breathlessly who this stranger is, though -- he looks much more interesting and worldly-wise than the foolish boys from town!
Inside the drawing room Sulochana can see both young people, and she laughs softly as she leans comfortably against Bringer. Her voice is low as she murmurs, "Looks like both our little ones have gotten all grown up, mmm?" Bringer mutters a bit -- he still doesn't care for the Aurelius family, despite their having fallen quite so dramatically from power -- but when Sulochana teases him gently about being an over-protective papa, he can't help giving her a wry smile and a nod.
[Previous Log] [Index] [Next Log]