I Saw Them .. In Her Eyes

Maeda was near the fire and Letti was sitting on the wagon steps as T'zuri and I rode up. The first thing Maeda noticed was how T'zuri was dressed .. but not ALL of how T'zuri was dressed because the first thing Maeda said was .. go get dressed. It took a few moments for the reality of the situation to settle in .. during which I had handed T'zuri down off the kaiila and she had run to her momma.

I .. with great forethought and presence of mind ... stayed on my kaiila. Letti aside from a few low snickers stayed on her step perch. T'zuri got the brunt of it upside her head with a big cooking ladle. The more Maeda searched to understand the more that spoon was used. I wisely let them work things out .. until it was my time to speak.

I told Maeda that I did not know where this was going .. what it would look like when it was done doing ... or anything really. Save one thing ... I did not feel that I wanted to give it up .. whatever it was. I told Maeda that I had told T'zuri no once .. that was all I was going to give to being mature and honorable ... really only so much a guy can do here.

I got lost in her eyes for a moment. I saw her own visions of her blood and the blood of Sajek carrying on in the form of grandchildren. Their only link to the future was T'zuri. Now that Sajek was gone .. there would be no more siblings. No more chances. Maeda would never see her man ... her beloved mate ... again. No grandchild to flash a smile her way and warm her heart with the memories. She broke my heart a little. It could not be easy to give these things up ... this future taken away to the unknown of empty nothing.

Whether she thought these things during my visit or not .. I still saw it all in her eyes. Whether she would ever visit that grief upon me .. I did not know. She was all Tuchuk woman though and accepted my invitation to join my wagons with grace and pride. It was not pity that bid me offer my protection to them .. it was genuine wish to have them near .. for T'zuri. Perhaps even .. a little for me.