Aella (manxman) - ON HOLD - Chapter 25: Chapter 25

I immensely enjoyed the light flirting between Ceri and me. And it didn't stop even after the four of us gathered to eat the meal that Ceri caught. Or thought he caught... The important thing is that he was very happy. So much so that the Leader's repeated suggestions for me to leave didn't bother me anymore. I just ignored him. I even forgot about his nagging because he was being very nice with Ceri and he even complimented him a few times.
Ironically, Alev told Cailyn straight and clear that he didn't need to stay, and yet the Leader chose to pretend like Alev wasn't chasing him away. And in respect to Alev, I tried to remain silent and make myself scarce. After all, I needed him to accept me as his son's......... we'll call it 'friend' for now.
"This was a very good meal indeed, young Aello. You are the first to feed your Leader this fast after joining our clan. You did well" Cailyn said, making Ceri smile from ear to ear.
"Thank you, Leader."
"You can feed yourself on your own now. That is essential for your Prueba"
Both Alev and I frowned. It was odd that Cailyn brought up this subject, and I didn't like Ceri being reminded of it. It was a great source of worry to him, and I thought the Leader would know better.
"I... I know I need to go through my Prueba soon. I promise I will not take long to learn and become a strong independent man. Aello Alev and I spoke about this and we have a plan. A good one"
"You already made a step further today, young Aello"
"Yes, Leader. I can catch preys now. So all I need to do is learn how to hunt. Alev and I will sail to another island and he will teach me how to hunt tigers!!"
"Good, good" the Leader added.
Alev kept his calm appearance as he commented. "One day at a time, Ceri"
Cailyn didn't seem to understand that Alev would rather we changed the subject or stopped talking altogether.
"You know," Cailyn spoke again, "there's something I'm certain you'll like even better than hunting tigers."
"What is it?"
"Watching them"
"Watching tigers... with baby cubs feeding with their mother or playing around their den. I want to do that! I want to go watch tigers!! Can we sail soon? Please"
Ceri was pleading at Alev with his eyes. Alev seemed uncomfortable, he threw him a "Finish your meal" before he turned to glare at Cailyn. And the latter looked back at a remaining piece of ham and occupied himself with it. Ceri bit into his food as well. His cheeks were round and full when he turned to the Leader, his eyes glancing my way a couple of times as he spoke.
"I will become a good Aello. I will present you with a tiger that I hunted myself and I'll make you proud of me, I promise"
Alev seemed about to say something to Cailyn, not anything nice I supposed. I didn't want them to argue in front of Ceri, so I spoke before he had the chance to do so.
"You already are a great Aello, Ceri, and we are very proud of you. You have nothing to prove. Remember what we agreed on yesterday? You will learn everything you want and Alev will assist you all the way. Just learn at your own pace and enjoy your life. Remember that?"
Ceri stared at me in appreciation and he nodded. He is such a polite and cute Aella, how could anyone send him on a Prueba? Just look at him! He is so adorably obedient.
A heavy silence settled in after that. There was some tension that Ceri didn't seem to notice as he ate some more. And apparently, the Leader ignored said tension, because after a while, he indirectly approached the awful subject once more.
"So you prefer tigers more than wolves"
Ceri looked confused and Cailyn clarified. "You said several times that you'll present me with a tiger. I usually get wolves or deers from Pruebas. But you, you prefer tigers?"
"Umm...... Do I have to choose now?"
Cailyn laughed. "No, of course not"
"Ok, then I'll think about it. I really would like to see both animals. And lions. And bears!... okay, maybe not bears"
I chuckled and Cailyn laughed. "Indeed, bears can be scary. But you must be ready to face them if needed on your Prueba, boy. There will be no one to show you the way or help you detect or see danger. No one is allowed to help you or come seek you until you come back on your own or they will be punished. So you will be completely on your own. You will find food and water. You will keep yourself warm, and most importantly, keep yourself safe. Which isn't as easy as it sounds. Your father spent years traveling the deepest forests of the neighboring islands, and he still let a stupid venomous snake bite him. Death is not that uncommon for young Aellos-"
"Cailyn!!" Alev yelled at him angrily.
Cailyn glanced at Ceri to find him deep in thought and staring at the flames before him with a frown.
Alev tried to remedy some of the damage. "Accidents do happen, but Ceri will be fine. He will train well- I will train him well! And he will not sail on his own unless I say he's ready. So do not speak to my son that way again-"
"I was just talking, Alev. It's not like I pushed him into the sea already and asked him to swim away. I am just explaining to him some facts, or is he too weak to even hear that?"
I narrowed my eyes at Cailyn. He was acting weird. Cailyn never liked to harass others unless they really called for it. Even then, he preferred using his fists to put them back in their place.
I wanted to reach for Ceri, take him into a hug and hide him. But I didn't want to make him look more fragile than he already was. He quickly perked up, though. He shook his head and smiled at his father. "It's alright! It doesn't scare me to talk about the Prueba, really!"
"See, Alev. You're worried for nothing. Your boy is brave like a tiger"
That was enough to make Ceri forget about what the Leader said earlier and gain his cheerful mood back.
"Of course," Cailyn mused, "there can be other ways to prove yourself to the clan, young Aello"
"Other ways?" Ceri and I asked at the same time.
Alev intervened immediately. "I think you need to leave, Cailyn. You've stayed long enough"
Ceri moved to sit closer to Cailyn. "What other ways? Please tell me, Leader"
Cailyn leaned in towards him, but before he could answer, Alev was standing and glaring at him, almost as if he didn't like his son being that close to the Leader right now. "Enough. You're corrupting my son's thoughts."
"I am not!"
"You are!! No Aello has ever become an adult without going through his Prueba! Do not put wrong ideas in his head. He is training hard and he will keep training with a goal ahead of him. No matter how long it takes, I will be there for him. So don't you lie to him about anything, and this goes for you as well, Ithel! Just stay away from my son!"
I tensed at the sudden attention. Ceri looked confused and I gave him a small smile to ease his worry.
"First of all, that is the longest I've ever heard you speak and it came at a time I preferred you remained silent. Second, Ceri is not only your son. He is a member of my clan and I will talk to him when and how I please, you cannot keep me and you know it. I wanted to be alone with him today, but it seemed impossible to peel you off him. You will let me act as the Leader I am, or I will take Ceri somewhere we can talk quietly."
Alev didn't look intimidated in the least, but Cailyn did have the right to every child who lives in his territory.
Alev stared at his son for a minute, before he reluctantly sat down, ready to pounce back if needed. Cailyn's voice calmed down a little as he continued. "I never lie. You know me well, my friend. And yes," he turned to Ceri again, "Just like your father mentioned, all adult Aellos had their Pruebas. But you, young man, you are different. You have an advantage no Aello has ever had before"
"An advantage?"
"Yes. A very important one. You are an Aello who has been an Aella for years."
Cailyn's stating of the obvious confused us even more. "Sosanbra clearly stated that she would protect you and still care for your well being, even after Alev claimed you. The Leader herself defended you and she considers you as a member of her clan. And you were raised by Halina who, despite the way she sacrificed her position, is an elder. And she is respected by the whole tribe. You are the closest thing that to true harmony and we've never had such a chance since the two clans separated long ago."
I suddenly understood why Cailyn was behaving weirdly and it gave me a pause. Cailyn was right. We have never had such an actual tribe member who was part of the two clans at the same time. Cailyn was not trying to make Ceri feel bad about his lack of skills in hunting, he was pushing him to make a choice. And I was almost certain of what he was about to say next, but I still didn't fathom what his gain was from all of this.
"Ceri, I know our tribe better than anyone. And I don't need you to say it out loud to understand that you've been through many hardships as you grew up. But what you need to understand is that, even though you couldn't be a true Aella, and it is quite difficult for you to become an independent Aello as fast as the others, you are still the best at being both. You are the living link that will bring the two clans close once more"
"Don't bring my son into your games, Cailyn!"
In a second, they were both standing a few feet apart from each other, yelling and arguing.
"This is not a game!!"
"Whatever! Spare my son your schemes. I may tolerate them, but I won't anymore if they disrupt his life. Just leave him alone!!"
"You think I don't want him to be well? You think I would do anything that would harm him! Since the day he was claimed, I've been doing nothing but protect him! Just like Halina made me promise, and just like I do for every single child on this island"
"Protect him by making him second guess being a full member of our clan??"
"You think you know everything, don't you? You will never change, Alev. You were here, secluded with your son while I defended his existence every day to the other Aellos. You didn't even come last week when I sent for him to watch the celebration of the end of Prueba of another Aello!"
"He doesn't need to attend such gatherings-"
"It is not for you to decide! It is a tradition! The children will attend the celebration and see the offerings of the Prueba until they come of age to have their own!"
"HE IS NOT A CHILD!"
"EXACTLY!! That is why I'm having a difficult time convincing the other Aellos to back off!"
I felt so bad for my sweet Aella. This conversation was very expected to happen sooner or later. But why did they must have it right before him?
Ceri was standing, staring at the argument in fear and disbelief. I held his shoulders and tried to pull him away from them, but he shrugged away from me and stepped closer to Cailyn.
"The Aellos...... they want me to have my Prueba?"
"Don't listen to him", Alev answered immediately, "No one can force you to do anything. You are free"
Cailyn sighed. "It is not about the Prueba. They are using it as an excuse, but in reality, many find it difficult to accept the fact that you lived for so long with the Aellas. Some others think you escaped punishment when you were born."
"They wish me dead?"
"Our clan is run by very difficult rules, Ceri. Rules that kept us alive so far, and kept the Aellas safe and alive. And while these laws worked in the favor of the tribe's survival, many Aellos feel suppressed without being able to mate for eleven months. And even on the Agape, they don't all get the chance to have an Aella, and those who do, do not necessarily get blessed with a child. The Aellos are expressing their frustration by questioning..."
I held Ceri's hand and squeezed it gently. He looked at me with eyes filled with sadness. Eyes that gave way to his thoughts
'They are questioning my existence', he was thinking.
Alev and Cailyn kept arguing while I pulled Ceri aside. I brushed the locks of his hair back, resting my hand on his cheek. "You have as much right to be here as anyone else. Don't let them discourage you"
"I...... I know we said I will wait more, but maybe I should go to my Prueba-"
"No!" If he sails alone to another island, he would never survive to see the next sunrise! He was still too oblivious to the dangers of the forest, "I am with Alev on this, we already spoke about this, Ceri. Remember when I told you that you had choices to make? That you had the right to decide and choose and live the way you want. Make your own choice regarding whatever Cailyn is proposing, but please don't be reckless. The Prueba is completely out of the question right now"
I stared into his eyes, making sure he understood my words, especially the last part. It looked like the situation with the Aellos was worse than Alev or I expected, but nothing would make us send Ceri away.
"I don't understand" Ceri said, "The Leader thinks I'm... special?"
"You are. I told you so many times before. Don't you believe me?"
He smiled, his mood getting a bit better.
"Listen, what is it that you want to do? If Cailyn is bothering you, we can go for a walk. I'll take care of Alev"
He thought about it for a moment, his eyes going back to Cailyn who was sighing and running a hand through his hair. "Alev, you're acting as if I'm trying to take your kid away for you, but the truth is that I'm doing all of this for his sake"
Ceri turned to face me again. "I don't understand"
"Then ask him", I urged. He looked hesitant to intervene while the two lions were still growling. I felt like he wanted to retreat and hide. Despite wanting to protect him, he also had to learn to stand up for himself. I patted his shoulder, and it seemed enough to encourage him.
"What's the other way?" Cailyn and Alev halted and their attention was brought to him. "I don't understand how I could be of use to our clan"
Cailyn looked satisfied with Ceri's curiosity. "You, young man, will be our messenger to the Aellas"
"A messenger?" Alev wondered. And Cailyn gave him a pointed stare, "See, now are you convinced that I would bring him no harm?"
"Not yet." Alev responded without hesitation, making Cailyn roll his eyes.
"What does a messenger do exactly?"
"You will go to the Aellas and inform them whenever we needed to give them gifts or claim a child or simply discuss tribe matters"
I frowned and took my place beside Ceri. "How is that any different from the Aellos that you usually send to their territory?"
Cailyn smirked. "Ceri will not stop at their frontier"
My eyes widened in realization and Alev's irritation instantly spiked.
"You want to send my son back to the Aellas??"
"No one is taking him away from you." Cailyn clarified, being very comprehensive of Alev's distress, "He's going to deliver a message to Sosanbra and then come back home right away."
I squeezed Ceri's hand in mine. "It is against our laws for an Aello to step into that territory. He could get himself punished severely, or worse!"
"That might be true for any of us, but they won't do anything to Ceri. The worst would be if they sent him back without allowing him to see Sosanbra. Even that would still be more progress than anything we have ever achieved so far. And don't forget that Halina will be there. You think she will let her baby boy leave without seeing him? She would definitely help give him access to the mountain."
"I'll get to see Halina?"
"Yes. Lucky you. This opportunity has big advantages for you, Ceri. Not only you'll get to meet Halina every time you deliver a message, you will also see the beautiful Aellas and get to talk to them. As for our side, our clan will forget about the Prueba and even be thankful to you for your efforts."
Ceri smiled as he thought about Cailyn's words. I, on the other hand, couldn't help but find something missing of what the Leader is proposing.
"I don't see why the Aellos would forget about the Prueba. That never happened before. If anything, Ceri going back and forth to the Aellas might actually make our clan hold more grudge against him."
"Exactly," Alev added, "Also, what are you getting out of this, Cailyn?"
"I'm... just looking out for this boy like I promised his aunt"
"My son is not leaving."
Ceri didn't look convinced. "But..."
"I'm not sending you away, Ceri. That is final"
"Father, please... I trust the Leader. Halina told me to, and I believe in her"
"The Leader you're trusting is not telling the whole truth! He's playing a game, I can tell"
Alev glared at Cailyn, who sighed exasperatedly and looked away, looking quite fed up with his friend. Then he looked at Ceri. "This is your choice, Aello. No one can make you do it, but no one can keep you either. Just remember that this is a great opportunity-"
I interrupted him by holding Ceri's shoulder and facing Cailyn. "He won't go anywhere until his father allows him to." And me! I may not be able to openly claim him as mine for now, so the best option to keep him safe is for him to listen to Alev and remain either by his side or mine. "And Alev won't allow it unless you are honest with us, Leader. You obviously have something in mind. And if you want Ceri to truly trust you, you should trust him first."
Ceri nodded vigorously and Cailyn stared at me. I couldn't tell if he was considering my words or just plotting ways to end me. Eventually, he looked very serious as he finally decided to reveal his intentions.
"Fine. I swear by the old spirits, I'm too nice of a Leader. You all deserve my grandfather. He would've banished you all since... well, years ago! But he was also a wise Leader and so I hope to be. I'm about to tell you something, but I need you to keep it to yourselves. The way to change will be long and hard, but if we tread carefully, we will get there.
I am hoping to change our laws."
"Change the laws?"
"Yes, young Aello. I dream of a day where both clans meet much more frequently than once a year. Our tribe has maybe survived because of the severity of the rules that we follow, but said rules are now keeping us from surviving longer."
Ceri looked amazed by the speech, as if listening to an interesting story, he had all his attention on the Leader as he asked. "So the laws are good, but they're also hurting us?"
"Indeed. A long time ago, our tribe was too violent and the men were keeping the women prisoners in their dens. They treated them like properties, not mates. And they fought for them with blood and hurt them severely if they disobeyed. At that time, the births dropped drastically and we almost went extinct. A few brave Aellas gathered the rest and secluded themselves at the top of the mountain. They protected themselves against the Aellos who attacked them and decided to make a new clan of women and children only.
But other than violence, there was also instinct and love. The Aellas yearned for us as much as we yearned for them. And not all Aellos were hurtful, so the affection between the two clans never died completely. In order to survive, and also to satisfy our instincts, the Aellas chose to send a small group of women to descend the mountain and mate with our clan. Being stupid savages, the Aellos received the Aellas with more lust than they could handle. The Aellas' number was too small compared to ours and the Aellos would share them and mate with them. Many of those wouldn't even make it back to the mountain.
In response to our brutality, the Aellas remained over ten years secluded on their mountain. They trained to hunt discretely and slowly gained their own territory. Time was able to mend their hearts and teach the Aellos patience. It took many attempts before the Aellas agreed to descend once more to mate, this time, they set their own rules. The mating would be for a limited time once a year only, the Aellas had the right to choose or refuse Aellos, and each would only have one Aello each year.
Now, decades after that, our tribe is quite peaceful. We no longer kill the Aellas or mistreat them. There might still be some savages amongst us, but the Aellas learned to warn each other of the worst Aellos."
"So now you want them to trust you again"
"Yes. Their current distrust is based on tradition, not actual reasons. Like I said, we learned to value the Aellas and we are aware of their role as the mothers of our children. Now we serve the spirits by being good to the Aellas."
"The Aellas value you too. The Aellos they mate with is what they speak about the most!"
"That is why I believe the time has come to make changes. We survived so far, but there is still an important number of Aellos who don't get mates every year. We need to make our tribe bigger in order to survive. It is my duty to make sure the tribe lives on and prospers, do you understand that?"
"I do! I... I think you're right. You're very wise"
Cailyn smirked and puffed his chest by crossing his arms. "You're a smart Aello, Ceri. That is why I want you with me on this."
"So you want me to say that to Leader Sosanbra?"
"No. Well, part of it, maybe. If we tell the Aellas that we want to change the laws, they won't like it"
"I do believe many elders and hunters will be against it. But not Halina! Halina is nice"
"Uh, I know! I miss her and my children so much"
Ceri smiled tenderly. "You are all Epona and Vreis talk about."
"And that will be our first step."
Alev couldn't hold back any longer and he frowned. "So this is all so you'd be able to see your children?"
"Not just my children," Cailyn answered, "even the other children. It's been almost six months since the last Agape ended. The fathers are missing their sons and daughters a lot. If you could convince Sosanbra to allow the Aellos to see their children, our clan will forever be grateful to you"
Ceri's eyes shined with hope. I didn't know if I wanted to support the idea or not anymore. I was totally against it at first, just like Alev. But Cailyn was right. This could be the way for Ceri to prove himself to the clan in a way no other Aello could! And if enough Aellos owed him for this, they might even forget about his Prueba. Many have children living on the mountain, and even those who didn't, they were sympathetic when it came to children. This might actually work!
"What do you think?"
I was pulled out of my thoughts when Ceri tugged at my clothes. "What do you think?"
"I, um...... I don't know? I mean, this could work well... I don't know."
"I cannot know for certain if this is a good idea, Ceri."
"It is an opportunity, though, right?"
"It can be. I'm not certain about the Aellas's reaction to this"
"The Aellas wouldn't hurt me. They're nice"
Not from my experience. And from what my sweet Aella told me, it wasn't his experience either.
I didn't know how to answer him. Refuse and let the Aellos continue to harass him about the Prueba? Or attempt this chance and risk getting in trouble with the Aellas?
I glanced at Alev to find him deep in thought. He was facing the same dilemma as I was. He could neither send Ceri away, nor deny him the opportunity.
A long moment of silence settled in, before Cailyn went back to convincing my lover. "The Aellas would never hurt you, Ceri. Not this time. Actually, they don't even have the right to punish you."
"How so?"
"You are part of my clan now. As your Leader, I am to punish you if needed. I could take Sosanbra's wishes into consideration, but I am the one who makes decisions about you."
"So... if they're upset with me, they can't punish me?"
"Yes."
Ceri looked at me again for an answer, but the answer didn't come from me. It came from his father who sighed, ran a hand through his hair, and then looked up at his son
"This is your choice to make, Ceri."
Alev sighed again heavily before he continued,
"Just......
just promise me that if you agree to do it,
you'll come back to me, my son"