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Two Tribes (butterfly0408/Life on Mars)

Takoto stirred ear;y that day, much earlier than he was used to. For some reason however he just couldt't sleep and found himself tossing and turning as the early morning light slowly filled the hut. In his restlessness he turned to look at Amara, watching her as she slept. At first, he saw nothign amiss. But as his eyes adjusted to the light he could make out the injuries over her body and the way she was breathing. Sitting up he moved over to her, shocked at the condition she returned to him in.

"Enitan," he growled. That bastard was trying to send him a message. Taking his hunting knife he cut free her binds, letting her reddened wrists free for the first time that night. He would talk to his rival, warn him not to damage her completely...

Takoto sighed. He had hardened his heart to her last night, intent on teaching her a lesson and as revenge for her actions. He couldn't show weakness now.
 
"No..." Amara groaned lightly in her sleep as he lifted her wrists to unbind them. She was shivering and her head tossing lightly. A nightmare it seemed. She was sweating something awful. "Talnuk..." she groaned suddenly, "Not again... mercy..." she was looking highly distressed as her dreams as her breathing grew even more panicked and desperate, "Mercy... master mercy!"
 
(sorry about this, my computers been in the shop for the past week)

Takoto eyes widened at the sound of his father's name being called out in fear. He had sent her Enitan last night, there was no way his father would have had a chance to touch her! So why...?

Roughly he grabbed her shoulders, trying to waken her from her nightmare as she lay there trembling in fright as her mind pressed its horrors upon her again. "Amara!" He called out to her, "Wake up! What is wrong with you?"
 
Grabbing he so roughly had not been a good idea, for it was so much like how Talnuk had treated her. Flashbacks played in her head, "No! You have no right! Talnuk! I belong to Takoto! Please! NO!!!" Her hands with the brused wrists and all reached for his hands on her shoulders and she clawed desperately at them. It was like she was fighting for her life. And then her eyes opened so suddenly. She was being attacked again. But it was not Talnuk. Not the truth was worse. Takoto was after her now too. Was he mad she let it happen. "Takoto! Please! I didn't mean for it to happen! I fought! I swear I did! Mercy!" Her whole body was shivering, hands still clawing to free herself from his grasp and get away from more punishment and pain. Thought if anything, she was only causing herself more pain with all her thrashing, "Don't punish me! PLEASE!"
 
Takoto was at a loss for words as she screamed at him, begging him not to hurt her. What had Talnuk done to her to make her act this way? Gods, what had he done to her? Takoto did the only thing he could think of in the heat of the moment and held her tightly to him, trying to hold her still to keep her from hurting both herself and him. He tried to keep himself calm and do nothing more to upset her, whispering to her to try and bring her out of her panic. "Its alright, I won't punish you, everything's alright..."
 
Amara squirmed and struggling in her panic in his firm grasp. He was keeping her from hurting either one of them but he had to hold her so tight that the bruises Entan had left were not irritated. There was no way to escape the pain for her. She had already been punished and knew it would happen again. Entan left her with the message that he expected Takoto to send her to him again and again and he promised her it would be the same again and again. He promised her that one day she would die at his hands. She squirmed and struggled a few long moments until she stilled at long last except for her shivering. Gentle tears fell as she finally relayed the message... "Entan expects you to deliver me again. Tomorrow night." She was still in a panic, but it was at least without the thrashing now.
 
He held er close to him, look disgusted with Entan but even more disgusted with himself. What had he done? This girl...this girl had done nothing he would not have done in the same situation. And Entan...that monster was just as bad as his father. But even worse, Takoto could see that he himself was just as bad as either of those two. It was a hypocrisy he couldn't live with.

"No," he whispered to her, "no you won't go back to him. I won't have it." He was going to settle this himself, consequences be damned. If Entan thought he was going to buckle under the pressure than he doubted the strength of his will far too much.
 
"It doesn't matter," she whimpered out and shook her head, "It doesn't matter! I just want to die!" she admitted to in a shower of tears. "I don't deserve life anymore. Thulie... THULIE deserved it and I killed her. I let her die. Every second I am left on this earth is another moment I don't deserve because of what I have let happen to her, an innocent." Fully broken now, she was delirious. Was it even at all possible to bring her down from this? "Send me to him, for he'll make sure I join Thuilie soon. Let me just die for I no longer have a reason to live! The only man that ever wanted me is dead and now with three men having taken their full of me, no other man will ever have me. I can't live with no love."
 
Takoto was silent, letting her release everything she had been holding in. He kept his hold on her, rocking her gently until she couldn't say any more before finally he whispered, "Thulie is not dead." He felt like such a monster for what he had done, no better than his father or his rival. "I found her by the stream, ready to jump rather than return. I...I let her go." The truth was out now, and he could feel something in the air brighten even if it was only my a minuscule amount. "Entan saw me and I promised him you to keep quite. I...I am sorry."
 
Amara's crying became gentle and then somehow stopped all together, but not in a normal way. It was almost eerie, frightening how the tears faded away and stopped all at once. A few moments later, her voice finally found itself and she spoke in a quiet whisper, "Then... then you have to send me to him. If you don't, he will expose what you have done. There is no other way."
 
"No," he was not about to let her suffer any more for his own foolishness. Even though she was the daughter of their hated enemy he couldn't just sit back and allow her to be tortured like this. And he was not about to let Entan use her and him any longer than he already had. Sending her to him would show that Takoto was not fit to lead his people, for what kind of leader allowed himself to be blackmailed in this way?

"I will go to him," Takoto told her, "I will see to it that he tells no one, one way or another." He would find a way to hold Entans tongue. If not, then he would have to accept the consequences of his actions.
 
Amara gently shook her head, "No... other way... Takoto," her eyelids were heavy, her body weak in his arms. She was spent, emotionally as well as physically and well on her way to la la land for awhile. "No way... out..." she whimpered lightly as she fell limp at last, slipping into and uneasy slumber.
 
Takoto gently lay her head back on the ground, letting her sleep and hopefully have better dreams than before. He stood up full of purpose, he was going to put an end to this. Before he left he took some of the fur and lay it under her head as a pillow, thinking it was the least he could do.

He stormed out of his hut, marching past fellow villagers who looked surprised by the stern look on his face. A few though that he had some sort of fight with his new slave girl, but others could tell it was something deeper. Soon enough he was in front of Entan's hut and without announcing his presence went right in and stared the snake in the eye. "This is over Entan. You will not have her anymore."
 
Entan was in his own bed when Takoto entered the hut. Groaning, he rolled over and looked up at Takoto, "Over? Ha, my friend it's only begun. I only had her one night and that is not enough time with that little piece. Mmm." Entan laid back in the bed, his hands folded behind his head, "She's a good screamer, don't you think Takoto? No, once won't be enough with her. It wouldn't be for any man." She smirked right up at Takoto, "And from what I hear... I'm sure your father would agree with me as well."
 
The mention of his father caused something to break inside Takoto, and the next moment he let out a yell and attacked the prone Entan. It was easy enough to get atop him and wrap a hand around the bastards throat, squeezing for all he was worth. His other fist was raised high, ready to strike a blow on Entan's smug face only to freeze in the air, shaking with rage.

"I should beat you," Takoto growled at his rival, "but that would only make things worse. But if you think I'm the only one in trouble here, think again." He pulled back, getting away from the man he was growing to truly hate. "You knew what I did, but instead of telling the others you blackmailed me. What will they think of that?" It wouldn't be as bad as what Takoto had done, but he hoped the threat would be enough to hold off Entan for now. "If you talk the other warriors will not trust you again, and the people will see you for the snake you are."
 
Entan was calm through the whole thing ordeal, that smug smirk on his face. "Very well. The secret is safe with me. But do not think this is over Takoto. Not by a long shoot... old friend. Now, if you be so kind?" He indicated to where Takoto still had his hands wrapped around his neck.
 
Damn him, Takoto thought as he looked at that smug grin. He wanted to wipe it off but reason won out and he released Entan's neck and moved away. "If I hear that one word of this has been released to anyone else..." he gritted his teeth as Entan just smiled at him, "I won't have any reason not to come after you. I'm still the better fighter, remember that."

Leaving the hut Takoto ignored some of the stares he was receiving, going strait back to his own hut and sitting himself on his furs. How in the name of the gods did he get his complicated?
 
"Mmmm..." Amara moaned a little as she rolled over and wrapped her arm around the furs he had placed under her head. With the light of day more dominate now in his hut, he got a good look at the damage done to his slave. Her lips was still bloody, a cut across her cheek and both her eyes were black. One a mere purple, the other fully black. And yet, through that, she looked at peace. Her nose nuzzled against the furs as she seemed to take in a deep breath, taking in his scent, and a little smile crossed her lips. He made her feel safe, even in situations such as this.
 
Takoto sat there for what seemed like the longest time, contemplating his actions from the previous days. Before he had been so sure of his actions, so confident, but now all he seemed to be doing is second guessing himself and dealing with strange feelings of guilt. It was not over kidnapping Amara, that he had done for the sake of his tribe, but for the things that happened afterward. The most disturbing part that he saw in his mind was just how similar he was to his father and Entan. Both were willing to do so much to a girl like Amara in the name of revenge. Just how different was he really from the likes of them?

Moving over to her side he watched her in her sleep, stroking her hair gently as he watched her chest rise and fall.
 
"Takoto?" Amara groaned out his name a little bit as she opened her eyes, nuzzling her head against his hand. "Uuuuh... I don't feel so good..." rolling onto her side she winced as she put to much pressure on one of the wounds inflicted by Entan, "I'm so sore. I hurt all over, uuuhhhh." Stirring again, she winced and groaned even more than the first time.
 
"Shhh," he whispered as he tried to lay her back gently. "Don't try and move too much, just relax." He moved his hand over her injuries, trying to gauge the severity. There seemed to be nothing permanent, but he would have to look after her to make sure nothing was infected. "I'll go out and get some food and water in a moment. Just tell me were it hurts for now."

He tried to reassure her as she lay there, but found it hard to meet her eyes. "I went to Entan," he told her, "he won't hurt you again. You will not e returning to him.
 
"Don't..." she cut into the last of his words. "Don't even mention his name, EVER again. Please..." she was shivering a little thinking about him. The look on his face as he tortured and tormented her was forever going to play in her head. She'd never be able to close her eyes without him invading her nightmares again, she was certain. "I hurt everywhere Takoto. He lashed my back... and poured hot candle wax over my front... I don't even know where to begin."
 
"Alright then, just forget about him for now. I've taken care of everything." He didn't want to leave her but he knew he needed to get the food and water. "Just stay here for a moment and I'll be right back."

Leaving her side he left he hut and made his rounds to collect some fruits and water from the well. The village gossip seemed to be around him and Entan, some people having apparently seen Amara enter or leave his hut. Takoto tried to ignore them as he returned to Amara with twin bowls. Placing them at her side he took a small cup and got her a cool drink. "Here, drink this." Pressing that into her hands he took a rag and soaked it, using it to clean her wounds.
 
Amara was still in the same spot he left her in when he returned to the hut. She certainly was not in the condition to fight him with that fiery spirit as she had in the past. She had no spirit left. As he worked on tending her wounds, she moved to sit up, giving him better access to the wounds on her back. Sipping the water he gave her, she sat in silence a bit... before finally whispering, "What happens to me now?"
 
He pressed the rag against her back, letting the water drip down her skin. "You will stay with me," he told simply. "After you heal I'll talk to Taln...my father about finding you something to do in the village." It seemed like a good plan and would hopefully bring back some of the spirit she had when he found her. "I think it would be for the best. It'll help the others accept you and give you something to do when I'm not around. Is there...anything you are good with?"
 
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