Aella (manxman) - ON HOLD - Chapter 7: Chapter 7

I stood at the edge of the west cliff, watching the beautiful glittering sea. I rubbed my thighs removing the last of the dry dead skin. It has been a week already since I came back from my Agape.
My Agape... I still couldn't believe I actually had one! Sometimes I think about it and it feels like a distant dream. But whenever I closed my eyes and remembered the feeling of having my lips covered with Ithel's, I immediately knew the dream came true.
That kind and sexy Aello became an obsession for me. Wherever I turned, my mind would suggest scenarios where he simply walks towards me, or hugs me from behind and goes like "Ceri, I missed you". It was silly, I know. But no matter how impossible and unprecedented it was for an Aello to trespass into our territory, I couldn't help wishing to see him again.
I sighed dreamily, feeling my heart getting warm with the thought that Ithel was probably watching the same part of the sea right now, or even fishing... I LOVE FISHING! I never got to catch a thing, but trying is really so much fun! Everything was fun and interesting with Ithel.
"Ceri!"
I looked back to see Epona standing in her famous 'I'm older than I actually am' stance with her hands on her hips: "Mama said to call you if you're standing close to the cliff again"
I smiled and stepped away from the cliff. I ruffled Epona's hair and then went to see Halina. I had nothing to do. The Aellas cleaned everything a couple of days ago, and I already cut some fire for cooking. I spent the rest of my time playing with the children or gazing at the moon and dreaming about Ithel.
On my way to Halina, I saw Drita passing by. I smiled at her, feeling relieved when she smiled back very discretely. It was good when she wasn't angry with me. She was angry with me because I lied and she even punished me for it. It has been a long while since she beat me. But I was the one who lied, so I was the only one to blame. Besides, she was kind enough not to inform the Leader and the other Aellas about it. If it was any other hunter, she wouldn't have thought twice about dragging me to the Leader to be scolded or worse, punished in front of the whole clan. I shivered at the thought; it would be so humiliating for me and Halina if such thing happened.
Drita's punishment was painful, humiliating and even gave me an awkward sensation, but it was private. The next day went back to her and she insisted on applying that remedy on my body again. She even questioned me and I swore that I hadn't mated with any Aella. She made me swear I hadn't touched or let another Aella touch me. It took some effort to convince her. But once she believed me, she became nice to me again. She even gave me some of the food she brought back and three tiger teeth! How amazing was that!! I always felt inferior for not being able to hunt, so having tiger's teeth was like, I could pretend to be a hunter! Like the actual Aellos!!!
I spotted Halina helping with the cooking. I didn't want to go there so I waited by the cave for her. The cooking area was always busy with Aellas, so the chance of me screwing something and getting yelled at was ten times higher. From my perspective, the cooking territory was more dangerous than the forest itself.
Eventually, Halina came towards me and hugged me tight before kissing my forehead: "My beautiful child"
"Mmmmm, you smell nice"
"That's because I smell like food"
"Yeah... You're making me hungry"
She laughed and caressed my hair: "How about I get you some food?"
"That would be great!!"
Halina went back and served some of the food in a bowl. She came back and hand it to me before sitting beside me. She watched with a smile as I immediately started eating.
The food warmed my stomach and sated my hunger, so I grinned at her. She laughed and ruffled my hair teasingly: "You never change, do you? Since you were a child, food always made you happy"
I chuckled at that and took another mouthful of the meat soup. Halina watched me silently for a moment before she spoke again: "You should always remain the same, Ceri. My beautiful baby"
Now that was impossible. Everyone grew up, and I was already a man!
I cocked my head questioningly and she pulled me into another hug while squealing: "You're so adorable!!"
"Please stop saying that. I'm a man! And everyone can hear you"
"Let them, I get to baby my child as much as I want!"
I shook my head and went back to eating. Halina kissed my temple and got up: "Well, I'm going to clean myself and your brother and sister." She leaned down to put her forefinger on my nose causing me to cross my eyes, "Wanna come with us? I'll clean you like when you were an adorable tiny baby"
"No thank you. The last time I washed myself during the day, it didn't really end well"
She blushed and threw her hands up in surrender: "Oh, by the spirits name, don't remind me!"
We laughed, both feeling embarrassed, and she went to get her children, Vreis and Epona.
A couple of minutes later, I finished eating. I cleaned my bowl and put it back. I only took a few seconds to get bored. I looked around; most of the children were taken to clean up, at least the ones I usually play with were.
I walked inside the cave and went to my very few belongings. I pulled out the tiger teeth that Drita gave me and gazed at them in awe. I decided to make them look even nicer, so I took a couple of Vreis's and Epona's feathers; the smallest ones. Then I pulled one of the deer skins that Ithel gave me and cut some of it. And I sat down and started working. By the time I finished, I had a beautiful necklace decorated with small colorful feathers and tiger teeth. I grinned in satisfaction. I couldn't wait to show what I made to Ithel.
I pulled one of the clothes I made during my Agape and put them on. I stood and checked myself, admiring the way my necklace fit the new clothes. And for the first time, I felt like I wanted to show something off. For the first time, I actually had something to show the other Aellas like they always did especially after their Agape.
I went to hide my things when someone grabbed them and pulled them away from me
"Where the hell did you get these???"
I looked up to see Rhonwen looking through my new clothes. She was an Aella-hunter. She adored and respected Halina and her children. Oddly enough, her warm feelings never extended to me.
I stood up and took a step back after grabbing the few clothes that fell on the ground. She glared at me and took a menacing step: "Answer me!!"
I stuttered a little, and then decided to at least say something: "Th-th-those are my clothes-"
"I can see that, you idiot! Where did you get them?"
I flinched to her hurtful words and my tongue stuck in my mouth. I actually didn't know what to do or say. A few seconds later she got impatient with me. She grabbed me roughly by my hair and dragged me a bit deeper into the cave.
"Rhonwen, what's the reason for this behavior?"
The hunter pushed me to kneel a few feet in front of our clan Leader, Sosanbra. Then she pulled my hair so I was looking at them as she spat my name: "Ceri, here, has a confession to make"
My eyes darted between Rhonwen and Sosanbra who was eyeing me with complete disinterest.
Sosanbra was two years older than I am. She became Leader a couple of years back. Like all the chosen Leaders, she was young, beautiful, smart, and trustworthy. She was also not a pushover or a hunter, and her fertility was confirmed. In my case, she didn't particularly like me or hate me. I wasn't allowed to play with her as a child because her mother thought I'd be of a bad influence.
"Speak, Aella. What is it that you're confessing" she asked calmly
"I... I......" my heart was beating fast. Rhonwen let go of my hair to stand aside. The Aellas started crowding around us, making me even more nervous. I never liked it when many people stared at me at once. It somehow made me feel small and cornered.
Sosanbra rolled her eyes and rested her head on the palm of her hand: "Can we do this faster. I feel like I'm growing old waiting."
I looked around me, trying to find any help in the audience. They didn't even know what this was all about and their stares were accusing me already!
The Leader sighed and turned to Rhonwen: "What did he do, Aella-hunter?"
"He stole"
I looked at her incredulously: "I didn't!"
Rhonwen glared at me making me pin my gaze to my knees on the ground: "Are you calling me a liar?"
Sosanbra sighed and asked me, with a very calm voice that wanted nothing but to get this over with: "Aella, did you steal from your own clan?"
I shook my head vigorously: "No! I-"
Rhonwen scoffed and sneered at me: "Aella", she mocked, "this fatherless mutt is no Aella!"
I flinched at her cruel words. Yes, I was fatherless. That was no news at all, so why even bring it up?
Halina... please come help me...
I bit my tongue as I heard the crowd agree with her, until someone spoke: "Rhonwen, just tell us what he stole exactly? No need for useless insults"
I recognized the voice of Moina; one of the Aellas who never scolded me or pushed me away. She actually let me play with her children and she even repaired my clothes for me once when I was ten. I wanted so much to thank her and even hide behind her, if possible. But I didn't dare look around me and meet the sharp looks that I could feel were weighting on me.
Rhonwen threw my clothes on the ground, making them scatter. My heart wanted nothing but to gather and clean the only things that I brought back from my Agape, from Ithel...
I didn't move though. Only managed to peer at the clothes that were a few feet away, silently asking Ithel for forgiveness.
"We all know this mutt has merely a few clothes, and they're all old or torn one way of another from playing with the children in the dirt like an animal. Now he has many pieces of clothes that are not only new, but sewed. I don't know about you Aellas, but I don't remember seeing him work on making these clothes since we got back"
Moina stepped closer to me and spoke calmly: "So? Have you asked Halina? She never forgets to bring presents to her child-"
"Her sister's fatherless child. And no, I helped Halina carry her things when we climbed the mountains. She usually gets animal skins, but not enough to give this vermin that many!"
"Still, did you ask her?"
I peered up to see Rhonwen looking around the circle of Aellas: "You all know how much Halina cherished her sister. The sister that betrayed us and almost sallied our clan's reputation and honor. The sister that disgraced Halina and made her give up her title as a clan Leader in exchange for keeping a worthless worm that was birthed out of a sin. I KNOW HALINA. She will do anything for the sake of this useless animal, even if it brought her shame."
Every word the hunter said brought shivers to my heart. Every word she spat was true. I heard the true story about my birth from Drita at fourteen, when she caught me escaping our territory. Back then, many things became clear to me; why Halina shelters me from the others, why many Aellas would avoid me or push me away, and why some of those who treated me nicely felt like they were doing the greatest good by not sneering at me.
Her words were painful, but true. Halina gave me everything, yet I brought her nothing but pain and shame.
Now I prayed that she wouldn't come and see me like this, disgracing her again with something as trivial as a couple sets of clothes.
Rhonwen went to stand closer to the Leader: "Leader, Halina is an elder in our clan. She deserves honor and respect. Let's not bring her into this matter"
"I don't think so", Moina spoke again, turning to the Leader as well, "As an elder, Halina has the right to speak for any Aella-"
Sosanbra lifted her hand to interrupt Moina and any whispers among the crowd. I put my trembling hands on my knees and just waited for the punishment to fall upon me. The Leader never paid particular attention to me, so I wasn't expecting any mercy from her.
I felt so pathetic, unable to even say one word to defend myself! I wished I was brave enough to stand tall and speak my mind the way the other Aellas did. But I was never good with words. I was a coward who had difficulty speaking when I was with too many people. One way or another, I always get yelled at or told to shut it unless Halina was right there beside me. Even Epona had more courage than I did! And it wasn't everyday that I was surrounded by Aellas like this; the last time it happened was when I started the red fire to call for the Aello's Leader.
I opened my mouth, but my tongue felt so heavy that I couldn't say a word. This always happened when I was overwhelmed; I'd get too weak to even talk.
Everyone stared in silence, waiting for Sosanbra to end the matter. The Leader, on the other hand, remained totally silent, staring at me for a few minutes.
Rhonwen fidgeted impatiently, waiting or the Leader to head by her words. She was a hunter, not even the Leader could ignore the words of a hunter.
"What's going on???"
I breathed in relief and looked behind me to see Halina, pushing Vreis and Epona to one of the Aellas, and then hurrying to come hug me
"What is the meaning of this, Sosanbra? Why is my child kneeling? What wrong did he cause you???"
The Leader lifted her eyes from me for the first time in a few minutes and she looked at Halina: "Your child was accused of stealing those clothes over there. Do you have anything to say about that?"
"Clothes???"
Rhonwen spoke up to try and get my aunt away from all this mess: "We know you weren't the one to give those of him, Halina. The mutt needs to be punished for-"
"Do not insult my child, Rhonwen!" without a second word to the hunter, Halina turned to the Leader while still hugging me: "Have you bothered actually asking him?"
Sosanbra gave her a bored stare: "Just get the boy to talk, Halina. We both know how he feels in situations like these"
My eyes widened at that. It sounded like the Leader actually knew how I felt. And that made me wonder if she was silent because she was waiting for Halina to hear about this.
"Ceri, my child, tell the Leader that you didn't steal these clothes"
I shook my head: "I didn't! I swear I never stolen anything! I already told them that!"
"Then where did you get these? You obviously took them out of the Aellas' things when they weren't here" Rhonwen added.
I looked at my aunt, afraid that the only Aella who truly loved me would think less of me: "Halina, I was good, I swear! I didn't steal-"
"I believe you, Ceri. Just tell us where you got them from"
I hesitated and looked back and forth between Halina and Sosanbra. The last thing I wanted was to cause any trouble to my aunt...
Halina frowned in confusion, and I could see Rhonwen glare at me disgustingly and prepare to attack again.
Before I knew it, I was telling the truth: "A-An Aello gave them to me"
~~~~~~
The sudden silence that flooded the cave made me hold my breath. Didn't know what I was doing anymore. If I didn't tell the truth, I'd be named thief and the punishment for such things were too painful to endure. And it would also shame my aunt who gave so much for me already.
But if I did tell the truth, I'd be telling on Ithel, and I wasn't sure if that would cause him trouble or not, but I didn't want to risk it! He was so kind, caring, and generous with me...
"Ceri, did you meet an Aello? W-When? Where???"
Halina asked me quietly and I looked up to her confused eyes: "...... The day of the gathering"
Halina frowned again: "But you didn't make it to the gathering! I remember waiting for you until the gathering was over yet you didn't show up! Weren't you looking for Sosanbra's necklace??"
"I was, but I got off the mountain and thought I'd join the gathering late, but...... I got lost..."
She looked terrified at that, so I continued to calm her: "I found my way back though"
"Was that when you met this Aello?"
I nodded.
"What did he do to you? Did he ask why you were trespassing??"
"No, he just helped me. He was very generous, and he wasn't angry for me being there, I promise! He just gave me food and some skins that I made into clothes"
"What's his name?"
I didn't know where this was taking me and I didn't want to say his name. So I only shrugged.
"Well", Sosanbra spoke up, "there's your answer, Rhonwen, Ceri is not a thief."
I sighed in relief until she added: "But now we have another problem"
Halina shook her head: "It's my fault. I shouldn't have let you go down there alone! What if someone took you? What if you got in danger??"
"Oh, that's the least of our problems, Halina. Your child, here, took gifts from Aellos without paying them back"
Rhonwen sneered at me: "The Aellos give us gifts because we mate with them. They give us offerings so we could carry their children, feed them, and raise them until they're strong enough to live in the forests. You're an infertile Aella! You can't bear children! You can't even mate!!! What possible reason would make an Aello give you anything?"
"...... because... he's kind?"
Rhonwen scoffed and Sosanbra took over: "Well, those gifts need to be returned"
I couldn't imagine they would take such a small thing away from me!
"No! I was given them like any other Aella-"
"You're not an Aella!" Rhonwen spat at me and went to kick me, but Halina let go of me and leaned forward to glare at her.
Sosanbra sighed and gave her last word in the matter, while standing up: "It's the way our tribe works, Ceri. We must honor the spirits by respecting our laws. Those clothes and anything you were given from that Aello will be returned today. You will do it by yourself-"
"NO!!!" Halina protested, "He can't go there!! Especially not alone!!!!"
"You sent him to the gathering, didn't you?"
"And I was wrong! Besides, the gathering is in a common territory! And I thought we would all be there with him-"
Sosanbra ignored Halina and continued her command while looking at me: "I will not have my hunters step on the Aellos' territory for something so small. You will return all the gifts to the Leader himself. And be back before sunset."
She walked away while waving to one of the Aellas: "Bring me some fruits! You're all starting to give me a headache"
The Aellas hurried to please their Leader while dispersing from around us.
Halina sat back on her heels, looking totally defeated. Rhonwen approached her and spoke gently: "Halina..."
My aunt stared at her in disbelief: "Why, Rhonwen? Why...?"
Rhonwen looked pained, an expression rarely seen on the face of a hunter: "I did it for you, Halina. It's time you get free from this disgrace!"
Halina shook her head slowly, then she gathered the scattered clothes, she grabbed my hand and we walked away with her arm protectively around my shoulders.
That moment, I couldn't believe how selfish I was; my aunt was obviously distressed, yet the only thing that I could think of was...
I'm going to see Ithel again.