Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Dakar sat on the floor, breathing loudly. His fur was still standing from all that rage and bitterness against himself, Avril and the voice. The voice that had been haunting him for fifty three years.The guilt he felt few days ago had tripled up and he couldn't help but cower at its influence on him. For the first time in years, he wanted to crouch down by a corner and cry.

***

Avril was sitting on the beach, hugging her legs while the cool waves brushed her feet. Her face was wet with tears and her hair was filled with white sand. She had been crying for long and couldn't go back to the mountain house. She realized what she said was very stupid. Dakar did not deserve that. If it was her who was trapped on an island, alone, for decades; she'd have done anything to be set free. And Dakar had tried to take that risk even though she got hurt in the process. Avril realized that she was supposed to be more supportive to him.

“Hey!” She heard a voice that was not Dakar's. She raised her head and sighed when she saw Knarki, one of their mer-friends with green hair and sparkling little scales at his sides.

“Hey,” she said and wiped her tears.

“You have never come to the beach alone. Why are you here?” he asked. She sighed softly and rubbed her legs.

“I—I just needed some alone time.”

“All right. Give this to Dakar for me.” He stretched forth a polythene bag and Avril collected it.

“He ordered something? What is it?”

“It's confidential so don't open it. Just hand it to him.”

“Oh…uhm, okay. I will.”

“And, I will like you to know that he cares about you. He wouldn't want to be hurt by someone he cares about.”

“I don't understand.”

“I read minds.”

Avril stared at him silently for some seconds then nodded.

“Thank you.”

Knarki dived back into the ocean and Avril got to her feet. She held the bag tightly and hurried towards the forest. In thirty minutes, she had reached the waterfall. She stood and stared at it, remembering the first time she saw it. She had been so scared that day, thinking Dakar would hurt her. But it was already three months and almost four, and he never hurt her deliberately.

“He would never hurt me willingly,”she muttered. Taking further steps, she passed the waterfall and the gardens. It was the season for bananas and the trees were full of yellow and green bananas. She yanked two bunches off one of the trees and carried them home. When she reached the mountain house, she ran inside and almost fell over all the rubble Dakar created. In fact, she stepped on a sharp broken plate and it injured her.

“Dakar!” She called out. There was no sign of him and everything was quite still. She walked over the debris gently and got to the other side.

“Dakar! Come out!” she yelled and picked one leg of the already broken table. She began to hit it on the walls and yell his name.

“I know you can hear me! Where are you?”She screamed but there was still no sign of him. However, Avril knew how to draw him out. She walked to the broken table and plates then sighed. She grabbed a broken piece, closed her eyes and dragged the sharp edge over her shoulder. She screamed in pain and dropped the piece of hard clay immediately. Blood seeped out of her new wound and she immediately regretted piercing herself. She sat on the floor, held her arm and was screaming in sincere pain.

Dakar snuck out from his room after hearing her scream and perceiving lots of blood. He saw her on the floor screaming and sighed.

“I know that wasn't an accident, Avril.Why did you hurt yourself?”He asked.

“Because I know you won't stay put when you know I got hurt.”

“You already have an injury that got you sick, and you're still giving yourself another? On that same hand?”

“If you had just come out, I wouldn't have hurt myself.”

Dakar sighed again and walked to her side.

“Let me see that,” he demanded and lowered his head to look at her shoulder.

“It's not deep. I can fix that,” he stated and turned to go to his room.

“Dakar, what happened here?”Avril asked and he stopped walking. He looked around and purred.

“I'm sorry. I lost a little bit of control and overturned the table,” he answered without looking back at her.

“I'm sorry,”Avril mumbled. He turned and raised a brow at her.

“For what?”He asked. “Because of the mess I made?”

“That is a part of it. You would not have done that if I hadn't hurt you.”

“Hurt me? No, Avril. You're the one who was hurt.”

“No. I overreacted. I'm sorry about what I said. You're not an animal, Dakar. You might be trapped in that body but you're not it. You're not a monster. I'm sorry for making you feel guilty. I'm—” she sniffed as sobs choked her voice. “I'm really—I'm really sorry, Dakar. I'm so ungrateful. You housed me and cared for me like no one has ever done and yet I criticize you over a little mistake. I'm such an ingrate!”She spilled and broke down in tears. She knelt on the floor and cried. Dakar didn't move, but he felt something clawing against his chest, struggling to break free. He braced himself up and called her name. He couldn't go close to her for reasons best known to him.

“Avril.”

She sniffed and looked at him. He grinned at her. “I deserved what you told me, okay. But since you're sorry, I guess you might want to prove that.”

“How can I prove it?”She asked and got on her feet.

“By helping me to husk and shred cocunuts, so we can make —”.

“Ahhh! My arm! Ouch, it's stinging me! I think I got germs on it,”she whined all of a sudden, stopping him from finishing his statement. She sat on a rock sofa and clutched her arm, blowing air on her shoulder.

Dakar rolled his eyes and walked to her, “Why do I suspect that these germs arrived immediately I talked about husking cocunuts?”he asked her.

“You cannot prove that I don't want to work,”she glared.

“But, I didn't even say you didn't want to work.”

Avril turned pink and looked away from him.

“Guilty conscience,”he said and they laughed.

“I will go and get something to treat your shoulder.” Then he left for his room. That was when Avril remembered the package Knarki delivered. When Dakar came back, she pointed it to him and he took it aside. After treating and covering her wound with a bandaid, he made her eat some of the bananas she brought while he got rid of the broken table and pieces of plates and cups.

Avril peeped in at the bag to see what it was that Dakar had ordered. She saw a long and narrow box with some other boxes, smaller but wider. Dakar arrived at the moment and she looked up at him.

“What's the package?”She asked with furrowed brows.

“Oh, they are a little something for you. Not your regular kind of presents, though.”

Avril crouched down by the bag and pulled out all the boxes. She laid them on the floor and stared at them.

“Open them. Come on,”Dakar cheered and she picked up the narrow box first. She tore the tape and opened it. The light in the room reflected against a shiny metal and when she pulled it open completely, she was surprised to see two swords.

“Swords?”She asked.

“Open up the rest.”

She opened all the other boxes and each contained a weapon. Not modern day weapons like guns but medieval times.

“What in the world are these?”Avril asked.

“Weapons,” Dakar answered.

“I know they're weapons, Dakar. I mean, why get me them?”

“Because, as soon as you get better; I'll be teaching you to fight like an Amazonian warrior.”

“Why? Is there some sort of war coming?”

“You never know.”

***

Avril rubbed black seed oil on her already healed wounds as she always did every morning. Dakar had said it was to get rid of scars that might want to stay. She was already dressed up for their hunting expenditure even though she didn't want to go. She wanted to go sit by the mountain and watched birds flying, with bowls of fruits in front of her. But she needed to put her lessons to practice and she missed wild goat meat.

“You ready?”Dakar's voice rang.

“Yes. I'm coming!”Avril answered and stepped out of her room. Dakar was standing in front of her door, holding her bow and arrow-basket.

“Do we really have to do this?”She asked as she collected her things from him.

“No, we don't. I'm not even in the mood to run or anything. But you're the one who wants to eat a different kind of meat.”

She scoffed and hung her bow. “Don't try to pin this on me, Wolfie.”

“I'm starting to think you're the wolf here. I haven't eaten meat for awhile and I feel normal. But you haven't eaten meat for a week and you've been threatening to eat me instead.”

“I wish I could. I bet you're tasty”.

“My lady once told me that one night. Too bad, her wish was not granted.”

Avril paused from arranging her arrows into the basket properly. She looked up at his smug face with a frown.

“You were married?”She asked.

“She was not my wife,”Dakar answered.

“A girlfriend.”

“I don't think I would refer Ñiraka as a girlfriend, the way you people do. But, she was more like a bethrothed. I don't even know what to refer her as.”

Avril swallowed a lump and began to move out. Dakar followed her.

“I never knew you had a love life,”she stated as they walked down the stairs.

“I wouldn’t call what I had a lovelife. What about you though? Did you love anyone?” He asked. She shook her head.

“I liked one boy. He saw it as an insult and made jest of me publicly with his friends.”

“You were hurt, right?”

“Yes. I was. Now tell me about this Ñiraka. You loved her, right?”

“She was mostly to warm my bed. Never loved her.”

''Warm your bed. Warm your bed. Which means you always slept with her. Disgusting", Avril's thought rang in her head.

They finally made it out of the mountain and Avril climbed Dakar's back. He raced East of the island and when they reached the spot, she jumped down.

“Now don't forget to be stealthy. If you scare off the animals, no meat for you,” Dakar advised.

“I got this. Don't worry.”

“All right. I'll be watching you from up there. Be careful.” He nodded towards a tall and wide tree. Avril grinned and stationed her bow and arrow. She walked into the woods and Dakar climbed the tree. She strolled slowly but firmly, looking around and listening for sounds. She had been to that place before, but she wasn't the one hunting then.

Suddenly, she sighted a grey figure between bushes. She moved further and saw the goat grazing. She aimed the arrow at it and was going to fire a shot but something cold fell on her arm. She was taught by Dakar to keep her cool at all times when she was aiming so she didn't bother to check what fell on her. It might be bird poo or so she thought.

She fired her shot but unfortunately, it passed under the goat's belly and dug into the earth, right under the goat. It got frightened and took off.

“Oh no, you don't!”Avril gritted and took off after it. She aimed and fired but missed. She repeated the process but missed again. It went out of sight and she groaned and sat on the ground angrily. She was panting and looking around for any sign of the goat.

“It's gone. Never coming back,”Dakar's voice sounded and she groaned more and laid on the ground.

“You were too impatient, Avril. Archery doesn't only need focus but also patience and peace. If you're too hasty, you won't get your results.”

“Skip the lecture and go get me that meat,” she ordered amidst gritted teeth.

He raised a brow at her. “My bow is not here. So we're going fishing. Also, a tree snake fell on you.”

She screamed and sat up with leaves in her hair and on her woolly sweater.

“I thought it was bird poo.”

She looked at Dakar's figure and shuddered, “Your face has changed again. Dakar, you're freaking me out!” Avril jerked off the ground and moved far from him. He sighed and looked behind him.

“Let's go home. I'll make you some grilled fish.”

***

They were sitting on the starry night sky right in front of the huge statue. The bamboo table was in between them and only one plate of grilled fish was untouched out of about seven plates.

“So, you're leaving tomorrow morning?”Avril asked with crossed arms.

“I'm sorry, Avril. I don't want to but you know I have to.”

“I understand. You have to go. I'll be fine.”

“Are you sure? It's 28 whole days.”

“I know my way around the island. I've been here for almost four months. I'm good.”

“All right. Thank God your arm is already healed. You don't have any excuse to not clean and to not take care of our livestock.”

She felt a chill in her spine when he said ‘our livestock’ but ignored it. She didn’t want to read any other meaning to it.

“I also don't have any excuse to not have chicken for all my dinners till you're back.” Dakar glared and she chuckled. “Just joking. I won't touch the chickens,” she said.

They soon got sleepy and retired into their rooms. Avril slept almost immediately her skin made contact with the bed but Dakar, in his room, was getting ready for his journey to the Northern side of the island.

For the first time in months, Avril was the first to wake up before Dakar. She prepared breakfast and waited for him in the living room. When he got out with a wrapped fabric hung around his chest, Avril palmed her face and choked on her sobs.

“I thought you were going to act strong,” Dakar said with a grin.

“Does it matter?”She asked and he chuckled.

“Good morning.”

“Morning! Come and eat. It's the leftover fish and bread,” she drew out his huge chair for him and sniffed, but smiled at him nevertheless.

They ate in silence until it was time for him to go.

“You're sure you will be fine?” Dakar asked for the upteenth time since breakfast was over. Avril rolled her eyes and groaned.

“I have it all figured out. I know what to do, all right?”

“All right. This is where you'll stop. I'll run from here”

They were standing in front of the warrior's statue.

“Okay. Bye, Dakar. I'll miss you,”she stated and hugged him. Well, hugged his thighs. He gently patted her head with his paw.

“BYE!!!” He yelled as he raced off. She was left alone now and that was how she felt. She sat at the foot of the statue and pulled her hair.

“Dakar has gone through this for years, he'll be fine,” she kept assuring herself. After almost an hour of staying outside, she went back inside and entered her room. She opened her window and sat by it, thinking. She slept off soon and woke up at noon, prepared and ate lunch then took a walk around their territory. Evening time, she fed and groomed the animals that she had forgotten to take care of in the morning and afternoon.

For the next two weeks, all she did was wake up late, eat and train, sit by the waterfall while eating and feeding the ducks, eat fruits and milk the cows, sit by the beach while sipping handmade juice and eating chicken. Yes, she disobeyed Dakar. She convinced herself by saying “That particular chicken was bound to die. I only fastened it.”

The beginning of the third week, she went hunting with her now and arrow. Luckily, she caught a guinea fowl. She was so happy that she nearly exhausted all her energy dancing and jumping. That night, she had barbecue under the dark sky and didn't hesitate to eat all of it. It was after the meal that she began to feel lonely.

“I wish Dakar was here to have dinner with me,”she stated with a sigh.

“So you're just going to starve me even after I ran non-stop to come home because I missed you?” Dakar's voice rang. She looked back to see him with his hutch tied around his arm. She screamed and ran to hug him. He grabbed her up and carried her like she was a baby, careful not to pierce her through with his claws.

“Dakar!”She exclaimed and tugged unto his fur which now seemed thicker and whiter. He looked way better than he was when he left their side of the island. He looked as handsome as a well groomed Siberian Husky.

“It's so nice to see you again!” He stated as he dropped her.

“I'm so glad you're back. But I thought you were supposed to be back in about two more weeks.”

“Well, you did have an effect on me after all. The whole process took only eighteen days instead of twenty eight.”

“Oh my God! Wow! That's great news!”

“Wow, I've missed home.”

“Home has missed you too, Dakar!”

He sat down on the bare floor and so did Avril out of excitement of finally having him back home.

“How have you been?”He asked.

“All good, although I felt very lonely. It was like you took all the birds and crickets and toads when you left. I never knew the island could be so quiet. I nearly lost my mind.” They laughed loudly.

“I hope you took care of the animals and did as I instructed.”

“Yes. I even cleaned the entire rooms in the mountain house some days ago.”

“And after that, when next did you raise a broom?”

Avril glared at him and looked away.

“I'm listening!” He expressed.

“Okay, I haven't ever since. I thought you'd be back by next week so I planned to do the cleaning next week in order to impress you.”

Dakar shook his head and she chuckled softly.

“Wait…what's in your hutch?” Avril asked, pointing at it. Something was moving inside.

‘‘Oh! I forgot. I brought a little present for you. I found him sitting in the midst of his siblings' dead bodies. And their mother hadn't been around them for days. I sniffed around for her and lost track when I got to a thick bush. She might have been taken by a bigger animal,” he stated and pulled out a small and white rabbit that looked malnourished.

“Oh my God! He's so cute and small,” she cooed as she collected him. She hugged him to her chest and he felt so fragile and soft.

“I love him. Oh! I promise to take care of him!”

“What are you going to name him?” He asked her. She thought for a moment then looked up at him and said, “Dakavril.”