Page 45 of To Free a Soul
Being together for a little over two years meant they’d formed some kind of bond, not that Lindiwe really understood to what level from afar. Especially since she couldn’t see the intricate, private details of their life within their home.
His communication skills had improved rapidly; his language complexity was deeper, and she seemed to understand Orpheus. Lindiwe didn’t know if either of them was happy or not, but they had a form of companionship.
He hadn’t wanted to leave her, but Katerina had been very stern and had given him the ‘silent treatment.’
Lindiwe didn’t appreciate the emotional manipulation, as it obviously distressed him, but he caved to the idea for a reward later. Not that she knew what it was. She overheard Katerina mention the promise of one if he returned with a bath for her, among other things.
They knew Lindiwe would follow to assist him.
As he crept deeper within the village on his hands and feet, he shrank back from those around him each time they neared. It was obvious he found the presence of so many overwhelming, and their stares unnerved him.
They were Demons, and he was used to them being violent towards him.
Even the largest and scariest-looking Demon was nervous about Orpheus when he neared and quickly moved away. They all gave him a wide berth, but some glared at him as he passed. When a couple dared to growl at him, he offered a snarl back in retaliation, with his fur puffing, which instantly quelled their aggression.
Perhaps her most violent child, Merikh, had shown them to back down to his kind. A good outcome, in the grand scheme of things.
Lindiwe winced when a Demon child, probably no older than six years old, saw Orpheus and froze on the spot... then let out a high-pitched cry of terror. Their parent, she couldn’t tell what gender, proceeded to wrap their arms around the child’s head and bring it to their chest. They gave a protective warning snarl with their fangs bared.
Pushing off, Lindiwe kept her wings close to her body to quicken her dive just as Orpheus’ orbs reddened. She grabbed one of his horns with her foot and yanked his head back when it looked as though he was about to roar in confused anger. The sound cut short, and she let go to flap her wings while hovering before him.
Stay calm, Orpheus,she mentally told him, holding his stare.Remember, no one will hurt you if you don’t hurt them.
She didn’t know if that was true, but it was what she hoped.
All of this was a guess.
She waited for his crimson orbs to soften and then turn to his natural blue. He darted his wolf skull towards the child, andwho Lindiwe could now see was its father, and snorted out a rough huff through his nose hole. He moved on, showing them, and everyone around them, that he had no intention of harming them.
Seeing as it was safe for now, and that her presence had been given away when she’d been hoping to remain hidden, she flew to the top of a building. When Orpheus went to walk past it, she gave a hoot, and he looked up at her.
She bounced down its slanted roof until she was just above its doorframe, and his skull darted between her and it. The tile roofing clacked underneath her talons when she lightly stamped her foot.
Go inside here.
It took him a few moments, but he lifted his right hand from the ground and held the bag strap situated across his torso a little tighter. When he stepped towards the door frame, he looked up to her for guidance, and she nodded.
He entered.
With too many eyes on her, all curious or unsure of her presence, she was unable to shift into her human form. She didn’t know what would happen if they saw her, and she didn’t want to draw any more attention to Orpheus than he – or her owl form – was currently doing.
At least she was able to overhear their conversation.
Lindiwe hung onto every word shared between Orpheus and the storekeeper. Snush’s voice was mousey, and had a nervous shake to it, but he didn’t usher her child from his clothing store. Orpheus must have understood why she wanted him to go inside, because he stated one word, just one, that made the unseen Snush answer with his own.
“Clothing...” Orpheus said hoarsely, his voice grungy but not beastly.
“T-trade?” Snush retorted in a meek and quiet voice.
Whatever Orpheus produced was enough to prove he was serious and had something of value to trade.
She was thankful that she’d discovered many crystal mines within Austrális in her wanderlust, including amethysts, opals, and sapphires. She’d brought Orpheus to the mine closest to his home in preparation for coming here.
By the time Orpheus exited, most of his fur and protruding skeletal bones were hidden away by a pair of black trousers and a button-up shirt. His deer tail was exposed by a slit in the back of his pants, and the front was made with ties that allowed for tightening around his narrow waist. He also had a new bag to go with the first one, and Lindiwe figured Snush had given him multiple pairs of trousers and shirts.
Orpheus scratched at his back and arms as he walked, and then his backside, unused to the feeling of being clothed.
Yet as uncomfortable as he looked in them, Lindiwe couldn’t resist the joyful spring in her steps as she followed him from rooftop to rooftop.
