I had deja vu sitting inside Zachan and mine's tent on our journey back to the haven. Like before, he had built the tent further away from the rest of the camp, leaving me at the edge of the forest. But I didn't mind, the quiet was nice when I was sketching, or attempting to sketch an orka whale. I felt my proportions were off, but I realized I was basically guessing as the whales would always be ducking and diving into the water. I never got to see it's whole form at once.

Seanne had left with Zachan a little over an hour ago, as a group of warriors went hunting for dinner. At first I was apprehensive, as they were the only two I felt I could truly trust as I was surrounded by the Zeahev tribe. I had not been disturbed by them yet, or threatened.

But when I had finally had the feeling of being calm, a scream rang out through the camp.

My whole body seized up, fear gripping me. More screams and cries followed the first and I felt frozen in place, my breathing started to quicken like my heart. I placed my pencil and sketchbook down before standing up. Pushing the flaps back on the entrance of the tent and looking out towards the camp, I realized quickly to my horror that everyone had already fled their tents closest to me.

Quickly I walked out, heading for the tents. The yelling had grown distant, so quite I could hear my heart beating loudly in my chest. The only other noise was of the small fires crackling amongst the campsite. But before the screaming went nearly dormant I heard 'meda!'

Bear.

I knew the risks in living in the forest, because you were sharing your home with other creatures. But I didn't really have to worry about it, because bears hibernate in the winter... I didn't have to worry until now.

My guess is that everyone fled around here because the bear was... here.

I didn't know what was safer, retreating to the forest but be submerged in the dark. Or stay here in the light of the fire, where I could clearly see the danger, but be closer to it. I weighed my options and made my decision to turn, retreating to the forest.

The moment I turn is the moment a woman screams out near by.

I stop in my tracks. Every ounce of my body wants to run even further away, but my mind tells me to find where it came from. For that reason I betray my body and turn back around, my steps hurried as I feel any slower and my knees would buckle.

Several tents away a whimpering becomes louder, followed by a cry of a child. My stomach churns at what I am going to find. I get to the point I know I am very close when the noises are in earshot. My head cranes around the side of a larger tent, and I instantly see a brown furry mass about 20 feet away.

A woman curled up in a ball, the bears claws scratching at her like he wants to unravel her body. But what also caught my attention was the child's cries being absorbed as the woman was curled around him. I noticed the damp patches on the woman's navy dress, blood.

Somehow I find my voice." Stop!" I croak, realizing my fear has dried my mouth out. I swallow." Stop!" I scream.

I think I only gained the attention of the woman, not the bear. Desperate now to help her I look around for anything that could be of use. My eyes land upon a rock used to help secure twine to the ground. Luckily, picking it up it wasn't as heavy as I thought and I hurl it at the bear.

It hits it's body with a thud, twitching in fright before stopping. It's large head rears up, growling loudly while sniffing the air. Those large beady black eyes land on me. This part of the plan I hadn't worked out yet, and I swore the moment the bear took one hard step towards me the ground shook. I became light headed, my feet stumbling back, tripping over a piece of twine pulled down to the ground to support the same tent.

The bear was beginning to charge towards me and I watched on scraped elbows as it neared closer and closer. I couldn't move though, and the blood was pumping so loudly in my body I barely heard the war cries barrowing through the camp.

Spears rained down on the animal like rain, two pierced either side while the rest scattered on the dusty ground. The bear roared out, and I got flash backs to the night I was freezing cold, watching Kern heave a spear into Saria.

Warriors descended in reds and blues, storming the bear as it roared.

I was out of danger, but with my mind still in panic my body gives up, slumping back with my head hitting the ground. I blocked out the growls and cries meters away and looked up to the sky, to the stars starting to appear. I would live another night. Even though my body felt like death, as I was bathed in sweat and my heart had been beating so hard it felt like it could have cracked a few ribs.

Yet my view of the starry night soon became blocked by a head appearing from above. Then another follows.

"Aleenia?" the voice echo's in my ears, but I found myself not being able to focus on the sound. Closing my eyes the voices become louder, bouncing off my eardrums making my paranoia grow. I barely had time to push myself up and turn over as the bile raised up off my throat. I only vomited once before I remained dry heaving for a few minutes, my hair mysteriously pulled back in the process.

Feeling better and less drawn from the world, I turn my head from the ground. Dark brown eyes meet mine, his forehead showing worry lines. From all the times I had seen Zachan, I had never seen such a vulnerable expression on his face.

Sitting up I feel a hand placed on my back to steady me. I was in too much shock to look around and see what had happened to the bear and woman and child I was so concerned about before.

"I'm fine..." I croak, pursing at the foul taste in my mouth.

"Get her back to the tent Seanne, take watch." I hear him say in their native tongue before standing, his hand being removed. I didn't care that he was leaving, I was in two much of a daze to really feel anything.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The morning I felt better then I thought possible from the evening I had yesterday. I had gone right to sleep somehow last night after being forced a couple cups of water while having the constant hard gaze of Seanne on me, looking for something wrong. But she eventually left the tent, and I fell right to sleep.

Right now the camp was being packed up, and this morning I had not seen Zachan. I had suspected the reason why was because of the incident last night. But still, a part of me- I didn't know existed untill now- wished to see him.

Seanne and I were tying our belongings to the horses when I spoke up, in native tongue. I felt less judged with her when attempting to speak it." Where is Zachan?"

She pulls tight on one piece of twine, binding a wicca basket to the back of a black horse. Satisfied its tight she takes a step back, patting the horse on the rear so it trots over to the other gathered horses ready to leave. She turns to me, seeing my struggle.

"He is looking over the camp, making sure everyone is ready to go..." She walks over, her casual stride not matching her pinched expression." He was... troubled by what happened last night."

I had stopped my useless attempt at tying knots as Seanne had taken over. I furrow my eyebrows." Why... was he hurt?" I ask, thinking in my drawn state last night I might have missed a sign of injury. Was he the one to kill the bear?

"No." Seanne reassures me. I swear I see a smile tug at her lips before she turns serious again. She lets out a sigh." I do not feel right telling you this..."

"Telling me what?"

She gives me a heavy stare, as if she was looking to me to try and stop her. She sighs again, tying one last knot and patting the horse on the rear, it walks off." Zachan's mother was killed by a bear."

It had answered a question I was afraid to ask. I had assumed his mother had passed away, but I felt the subject was too sensitive to bring up, especially when I barely knew him.

"Oh..." was my response as we stood there waiting for the rest of the tribes." I can understand it would be hard for him..."

I see Seanne smile again, this one she finds harder to contain.

"What?" I ask, shocked at such a topic she would appear amused.

"Sorry..." She says, sobering slightly." I find it... sudden you care for Zachan's welfare."

My cheeks flare up, heating my face. I give her an annoyed glance, not wanting to share that I to was muddled by my sudden interest in whether or not my husband was alright, mind or body.

"He is my husband." I answer stubbornly, my eyes wander away from hers. Seanne lets a chuckle slip, trying desperately to contain her self, but fails.

"And you are his wife." She says back. Her amused smile turns to a sad one suddenly." To loose his mother, and then his wife to a bear..." She pauses, face turning completely sad. " And losing Saria to a wolf... he has reason to hate the creatures."

He did. The thought of it made my heart hurt for him. But Seanne's last statement had me slightly confused." Yes... I knew Saria..." I pause, her name sounded weird on my tongue, and I was expecting Seanne to opposing me saying it, but she doesn't so I continue." She was somewhat killed by a wolf, but they are your gods... How could Zachan hate them-"

"Shh" Seanne hisses at me, her face growing concerned. She looks around, everyone else was waiting, but no one really paid attention to us. Seanne changes to English, but still keeps her voice soft." Do not make accusations like that in the open here, Aleenia. You question the gods... People do not take it well."

I nod, realizing my mistake. I to had witnessed what people do if they question religion. It was never pretty, and guessing by Seanne's tone it wasn't here either." I'm sorry."

"I will answer you questions later."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

On the walk home, I eagerly awaited the moment Seanne felt we were alone enough on the trail to talk. We had been for quite sometime as I yet again slowly staggered and struggled behind everyone.

When the time came Seanne spoke in English, still keeping her voice low." Zachan doesn't care much for the gods, wolves."

I could easily understand why he didn't as one had bitten Saria, as good as killing her or sealing her fate. But it had to go deeper then that, I could tell there was more to it. I raised my eyebrows for her to elaborate.

" Zachan was very young when his mother was killed, and he was with her." She tells me." At the time, I can remember my parents discussing what they found. Zachan was curled up in a ball, crying about a bear and a wolf..."

"But you said-" I cut in confused.

Seanne holds her hand up for me to stop." Yes, but a bear was found dead with large bites and scratch marks right near where Zachan was. His mother and the wolf were nowhere to be found. He said the wolf had taken her..."

I could see a young Zachan then, curled up in a ball in the forest. Seeming just as lost and puzzled about what was being said, what had happened." She was never found?"

Seanne shakes her head." Nothing, she disappeared, assumed dead when searches found nothing. Chief Kono refuses to speak of what happened, people were forced to forget and not question."

I had thought our conversation would be filled with answers, but now a whole new barrel of questions had been tipped into my mind. I felt like I was drowning in them until Seanne spoke.

"I should not have told you this..." she says bitterly, sounding more annoyed with herself then me.

"Then why did you?"

"I..." She looks for an answer." I feel you knowing will do better then you not knowing."

I nod at her answer, giving her smile in gratitude. I appreciated that she was willing to share the truth with me. No longer would I be left in the dark, as I liked the warmth of the light, the truth brought to me. Maybe Zachan is right about the importance of truth after all... yet I know I will never admit it.

Update on time!!! Yay!

I hoped you liked this insight into Zachan's past and a little more time getting to know Seanne.

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Update in 2 to 3 days, also let me know if you want a proper schedule. I'm heading back to Uni soon and updates might be inconsistent otherwise.

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