Paco Valdez
BP
"Will you take me to your village?" You ask of him.
He nods sternly to you once and presses his heels into his horse's flanks. You follow him into the darkening desert horizon.
He speaks to you very rarely as you travel, and you can't help but wonder along the way how well received your presence will be.
You reach the outskirts of the Kamani village a few hours before sunrise. Your guide dismounts and tells you to wait where you are while he consults with two of the village men who were keeping watch for the safety of their people.
You hear them talking in low and foreign voices. After some deliberation your guide returns and speaks to you in a hushed tone.
"You may stay here for the day. That is all that we can do for you without discussing it with the elders. You are being permitted to stay here on my honor, and I trust that you will not destroy it.
"Rest for now, in a few hours we will talk with you." He turns abruptly away upon saying this and begins walking.
"Wait." You call after him. "May I know the name of the man to whom I owe my life?"
He seems taken aback by this request, and has to recover before responding. "I am called Maha-katee. Or LoneWolf, in your language."
You thank him, and he turns away. You look around the village and take in your surroundings. A fire burns in the center, filling the surrounding area with a flickering light source. There are a dozen or so huts and thrice as many teepees.
You dismount and lay upon the floor. It appears this is where you will be sleeping for what remains of the evening. You take a deep breath and silently thank the good lord above that you are still alive before closing your eyes and drifting off to sleep.
____________________________________________________________________
You awaken surprisingly refreshed. The sun has begun descending from it's height in the sky, and you wonder how long they allowed you to sleep. As you sit up, one of the Indian women notices you and brings you water. You thank her and drink greedily. You had no idea you were so thirsty.
The woman leaves you as you rise to your feet. She comes back to you some time later and motions an inquiry pertaining to your state of hunger. You nod gratefully at the offer of food and she motions that you follow her.
She leads the way to the fireside and you sit patiently while a wild boar roasts on a rotating stake. You look to the sky and see that the sun is preparing to settle down for the night and wonder how you managed to sleep so long. All the excitement of fleeing the Vigilantes and losing your way in the desert must've finally caught up with you, you figure.
As the sky reddens, the Kamani people gather around the fire. Older men sit around you and you can only assume that they are the elders. You nod politely to them, and they nod sternly back at you.
The pig is cut and served among everyone. You are given a cut of pork and an ear of corn and tear into the food with abandon. It may be the finest meal you have ever eaten. You express your appreciation with broad smiles and head nods anytime you catch one of the Indians eyeing you.
After eating, one of the elders brings out a wooden bowl which you presume is filled with water. He says a little chant over it in that odd tribal rhythm that borderlines on verse. Then he speaks to the tribe and yourself, bouncing between their language and yours. You don't catch all of what he says over the crack of the fire and your own confusion at the alternating languages, but from what you understand it is some sort of sacred drink in the bowl that the tribe shares for unity and enlightenment. You can't be entirely sure, but you swear he declares the substance to be copperhead snake venom.
He holds the bowl out to you and tells you that as a guest of their tribe, you are given the first opportunity to drink. He tells you that you do not have to drink it, but it is their custom to offer it to guests.
Do you accept?
"Will you take me to your village?" You ask of him.
He nods sternly to you once and presses his heels into his horse's flanks. You follow him into the darkening desert horizon.
He speaks to you very rarely as you travel, and you can't help but wonder along the way how well received your presence will be.
You reach the outskirts of the Kamani village a few hours before sunrise. Your guide dismounts and tells you to wait where you are while he consults with two of the village men who were keeping watch for the safety of their people.
You hear them talking in low and foreign voices. After some deliberation your guide returns and speaks to you in a hushed tone.
"You may stay here for the day. That is all that we can do for you without discussing it with the elders. You are being permitted to stay here on my honor, and I trust that you will not destroy it.
"Rest for now, in a few hours we will talk with you." He turns abruptly away upon saying this and begins walking.
"Wait." You call after him. "May I know the name of the man to whom I owe my life?"
He seems taken aback by this request, and has to recover before responding. "I am called Maha-katee. Or LoneWolf, in your language."
You thank him, and he turns away. You look around the village and take in your surroundings. A fire burns in the center, filling the surrounding area with a flickering light source. There are a dozen or so huts and thrice as many teepees.
You dismount and lay upon the floor. It appears this is where you will be sleeping for what remains of the evening. You take a deep breath and silently thank the good lord above that you are still alive before closing your eyes and drifting off to sleep.
____________________________________________________________________
You awaken surprisingly refreshed. The sun has begun descending from it's height in the sky, and you wonder how long they allowed you to sleep. As you sit up, one of the Indian women notices you and brings you water. You thank her and drink greedily. You had no idea you were so thirsty.
The woman leaves you as you rise to your feet. She comes back to you some time later and motions an inquiry pertaining to your state of hunger. You nod gratefully at the offer of food and she motions that you follow her.
She leads the way to the fireside and you sit patiently while a wild boar roasts on a rotating stake. You look to the sky and see that the sun is preparing to settle down for the night and wonder how you managed to sleep so long. All the excitement of fleeing the Vigilantes and losing your way in the desert must've finally caught up with you, you figure.
As the sky reddens, the Kamani people gather around the fire. Older men sit around you and you can only assume that they are the elders. You nod politely to them, and they nod sternly back at you.
The pig is cut and served among everyone. You are given a cut of pork and an ear of corn and tear into the food with abandon. It may be the finest meal you have ever eaten. You express your appreciation with broad smiles and head nods anytime you catch one of the Indians eyeing you.
After eating, one of the elders brings out a wooden bowl which you presume is filled with water. He says a little chant over it in that odd tribal rhythm that borderlines on verse. Then he speaks to the tribe and yourself, bouncing between their language and yours. You don't catch all of what he says over the crack of the fire and your own confusion at the alternating languages, but from what you understand it is some sort of sacred drink in the bowl that the tribe shares for unity and enlightenment. You can't be entirely sure, but you swear he declares the substance to be copperhead snake venom.
He holds the bowl out to you and tells you that as a guest of their tribe, you are given the first opportunity to drink. He tells you that you do not have to drink it, but it is their custom to offer it to guests.
Do you accept?