Page 17 of Alien Barbarian's Little Human

I nod, and he turns to the crowd.

“Summon our best medics.”

“No, my Chief,” I say. “I will attend to her. I…get the impression from the Tree she will recover. Or at least, I hope so.”

Chief Ral nods.

“Very well, Gog. I know that she is in safe hands. Attend to her, and please, forgive me.”

I look down at Micah’s face, tucking a bit of hair away from her eyes.

Without another word, I carry her to my hut. My people part to give me passage. Some of them put hands on me, whispering soft apologies for their suspicions, for making me a pariah. Others are too embarrassed by their actions to even come close.

Then, I am through the door to my hut, and Micah and I are alone.

I just hope that she awakens, and soon.

CHAPTER 6

MICAH

Iawaken to a warm shaft of sunlight crossing my face. I try to sit up but my head throbs so bad I quickly lay back down.

“MIcah?”

I crack an eyelid open to see Gog hovering over me, a look of deep concern etched onto his face. I have a vague memory of him coming to get me in the pond.

“Gog…what happened? Do the Elders believe me yet?”

He kneels beside me. My eyes adjust to the gloom, making out more details. The chamber I reside in is rounded, which makes me believe it’s a hut. Gog’s hut. Indeed, his bow and arrows hang on a peg suspended about six feet up on the wall.

Pelts of exotic animals form a carpet and wall coverings. The hut smells vaguely of something close to cinnamon. Air freshener? No, a candle, burning in the center of a metal table. Gog tilts his horned head to the side as he regards me. His purple eyes pick up the ambient light and reflect it back, like a cat.

“What’s the matter?” he asks.

“I have a headache.”

He nods, and offers me something in his palm. It looks like a collection of dark red berries.

“Here. Chew on these, they should help with the pain. They might also make you think a little clearer.”

“What happened?” I ask, taking the berries and popping them in my mouth. Sour as the devil’s arsehole, but I’m in too much pain to care.

“My people are introduced to the Life Tree almost from birth. They spend a long time getting acclimated to it. Without acclimation, the Elders believe that your mind was overwhelmed by the tree’s consciousness.”

“You can say that again. Trees that think are definitely beyond my ken.”

I swallow the berries. My tongue feels slightly numb, and the effect spreads up to my throbbing temples. Relief comes quickly and I sit up on the edge of…well, the edge of Gog’s bed.

“The Elders believe you. Not only that, but they believe me, too.”

My mind flashes back to the Test. I remember it all with startling clarity, Gog struggling to save the life of the Chief’s son.

“My god, Gog, I didn’t know! Why didn't you tell me?”

He hangs his head.

“I have been pariah for so long, I suppose I got used to keeping everything inside.”

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