“I think you should name it Kamau,” Hassian spoke as Kanu played with the tiger cub.

They had ridden past the necromancer’s cave; out of curiosity they searched the inside again. Rōs came away with a few more valuables, but nothing else had changed. This was not some everlasting evil that would walk the Earth for all eternity. They couldn’t bear to spend the night there and continued moving, placing an abundance of space between them and The Grand Cafila. Questions of what to do next were raised repeatedly. Rōs wanted to look for a fence so that she could secure passage back home. Hassian did not care where they went as long as there were no necromancers.

“I need to go home,” Kanu spoke, “I have important items.”

“We could stop there. Our real choice is the city to the south, or the city to the north. We will need to stop at one of them for more supplies. If we go to the north,” Hassian began to plan

Kanu wasn’t listening. Instead, he chased after the tiger cub. He had intended to capture as if the two were kindred spirits. Kanu knew they had to make a choice and he had already selected where he wanted to go. He needed to go home, or the place he once called home. He wasn’t interested in rejoining his people, or even seeking revenge. He wanted some items he had left behind that he wished to retrieve. A golden necklace with a small blue crystal for a pendant, a small mishappen assegai he had carved himself as a child and a few meager coins he had managed to earn. Beyond that, he had no interest in the village. Prior to leaving, he thought the world of the village. Upon seeing The Grand Cafila with his own eyes he realized just how small his village was. The world was so much larger than fifty or so people that lived there.

Hassian gave up on trying to formulate a plan with the others. It was a reality he would have to get used to if they stayed together. His entire life had been about laying out plans and following them through. Now, life was far from how he or his father had planned it. He was away from his people, likely to never return. His only companions were an escaped criminal and a man now playing with a tiger cub as if it were a pet. He could suggest a city, but it wouldn’t matter. He no longer had any control over his life. He expected to be a merchant, a great merchant, and that was taken from him. But he wasn’t sad. For the first time in his life, he didn’t know what the next step was because he didn’t know what he wanted.

Kanu took a seat in the grass with the tiger cub quickly taking up position in his lap, “what does Kamau mean,” he asked Hassian.

“Quiet warrior. The opposite of both you and the cub. It was very loud when we left. If you had not taken it, we may have been caught.”

“Are you making a joke,” Kanu asked.

“Yes, it is a joke.”

Kanu thought for a second, he never had a friend to make jokes with or a reason to laugh. He tried it, his laugh startling him somewhat. He lifted the cub into the air, stared into it’s eyes, “then you are Kamau,” the tiger snarled in response, as if accepting the name.

“Idiots,” Rōs spoke, but only Hassian understood her.

“If we are idiots, why did you save us? Are you not an idiot,” Hassian laughed, a more natural laugh than anything Kanu could muster.

“Returning the favor,” Rōs shot back.

“Then why come with us?”

Rōs was chose to stuff her mouth with some of the salted meat that had been prepared for them. The three had nowhere to return to, and nowhere to go. But, for the first time, each of them had found freedom in some way. Tomorrow the sun would rise, but they had no fear the dead would rise in their immediate area, so they would sleep well. When the sun rose, they would face whatever new challenges presented themselves.

End