Tough decisions.

Outside a hut.

"I don't think it's safe here anymore."

Tahni said finally after been quite since a while. Her mother was seated on her usual stool, her back to the door. Tahni was standing beside her, staring blankly at the worn path which leads to their hut.

"A little uproar shouldn't change the fact that this is our land. If we all run away, who will defend it?"

Her mother said without looking at her.

"How could you say that, ma. Even the princess is no longer in the land. She had been banished, with the pregnancy in her. The men who had done such thing to her, do you think they would make exceptions for us?"

She heard her mother chuckle and looked at her.

"It's a wonder you found this funny."

Tahni said bluntly. Now, her arms were tucked into each other and wounded around her stomach, immediately below her titties.

"What's there to be particular about? Tahni, do not worry. Just stay low and do as I've said. No harm will come to the both of us. Take my words."

She glared at her mother,

"How about those who do not wish to be a sex slave to the crazy chiefs? What becomes of them and their fate?"

Her mother sprung to her feet and turned to her,

"You won't speak to me in such manner. I'm your mother. You shall accord me respect."

Tahni shook her head in disappointment,

"Respect. That's the only thing you crave. Respect and your own interest. And that has sent father and Prium away from us. When last did you speak of them? When last? The only thing you speak of is yourself. You sometimes always make me want to say that I regret being your daughter."

The mother was smitten by that. She couldn't hold a grasp on her emotions. She was going to speak when Tahni picked on,

"You think I don't know your advances? Ever since the incident at the stream, you've found it difficultly to be plain with me, because you think I'm an imposter and had come to torment you. For several years that I've been with you, you can't say the difference between your daughter and a stranger. Even if at all I'm possessed, this proves that you can't fight for your daughter's survival or whatever. I don't even know why I came from the woods. The monster or dryad or whatever I saw is quite better than you."

She said and entered into the room. She got her sac of clothes and came out again. The mother only stood there stupefied.

To her, what happened the other day seemed to be happening again. That was the only explanation she could make of it.

At once, she called at Tahni who was walking away,

"Yes, go! My daughter would never speak to me in such manner. Tahni would never look me in the eyes and insult me, throwing such insults in my face."

She paused and continued immediately,

"And yes! I've been sincerely thinking that you're that same imposter who wanted to drown me the other day."

Tahni had stopped and turned to her, wearing such startled gaze. Her mother continued,

"Twas a wonder that you waited for two days to reveal yourself. You want to lure me again. You want to fool me and make me follow you?! So that you can finish up what you started?! Shame. You aren't getting close to it. Now leave before I call the men of this land on you and you'll have to be beheaded in the ring or worst still, tied to a stake and burnt to ashes."

The woman was panting, her breathing pace beyond regulation. Tahni scoffed and glared at the piteous woman. Then she said,

"You're pathetic."

She turned and began to hurry away. She wasn't expecting to be called back by her mother, that woman.

She vowed to herself never to return to that house again. Not even the news of her mother's death would change her mind. She was going into the forest now to find out more about her father and sister, probably from Aynea. Even though she knew that she had wronged the dryad.

As she hurried through the path, she noticed her sister's stalker. She was going to take a quick turn and hide behind a tree but he had caught her.

"Have I wronged you so much that you even wish to hide from me. Not to speak of, you've always hidden yourself from everyone. Do you hate me that much?"

He asked standing in the way, his rough face contoured. A gourd of Palm wine was in his hand. She walked in his direction as though she didn't see him,

"If you will know. Yes!!! I hate you more than you hate your faeces. Wishing my sister to you is like wishing me to drink my own urine."

She almost knocked the fellow out of her way, but he held her arm and sacrificially dropped his gourd which shattered immediately.

"That isn't bad. At least urine is used for the potion that cures epilepsy."

"And you're worst than epilepsy. Let go of me."

She tried to shake herself free but his hold on her was stronger than what she thought.

"You're hurting me, Miargos."

She struggled, her voice though demanding was of persuasion and plea.

He let go of her and watched her walked off,

"What if you were in my shoes, what would you do?"

She halted at that and turned to him,

"I'd rather burn the shoes. Given by all the things happening, the only thing you could think of is love? Clodpole."

She resumed her walk as he followed her,

"I've lost more than enough to be worried for this land. Nobody knows how long he or she would live. So, if it's just for a while I would live, let me love. As you know, I lost my father."

She halted again and did a quick turn then hurled,

"I lost my mother too."

He was swept off his feet at that as she walked on without explaining further,

"Impossible, I saw her this morning."

He said hurrying to catch up with her. She did her quick stop again and said,

"She may be alive to you all, but she's dead to me."

She didn't stop again as she hurried on. He stopped walking, standing in the way. He didn't know which to choose. Whether to follow her or go check on her mother.

He made the toughest decision.

"Wait!"

He called long gone Tahni, running to catch up with her.