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“Blasted binturis! Let us go, i know you can hear me!”
The Fang princess listened to the indignantly deafening sounds the man from Spine yelled. She, him and the boy with crooked teeth and pointed, scruffy hair that was asleep under her arms, cheek on the side of her chest and crouched close to her lap to avoid the cold stone floor, found themselves in a cell made specially for loud troublemakers such as Tong.
The whereabouts that has led to this unfortunate situation came in the form of a scouting mission, Tong and Namaari were sent on a mission to track and hunt terrorist groups after the attempt on Benja’s life, they've been nothing but trouble on the latest unifying days of Kumandra. The princess and the warrior were pestered by the captain-chef of Tail to bring him with them. Begrudgingly, after seeing Boun wasn’t going to cut it, they took him in.
On the third day of their expedition, at their settling camp, a resting Namaari was awoken by Tong about suspicious rustling movement coming from their trail, not needing any more information, Namaari urged Boun to hide inside the log.
A violent confrontation ensued, Tong was overpowered and pinned, Namaari was tackled and almost poisoned and Boun, despite managing to take down the bandit who tried to dope Namaari, got knocked out by another bandit. Namaari and Tong did manage to free themselves, but upon seeing the bandit drag his dagger to Boun’s neck, close enough to sever his trachea, leading both warriors to surrender themselves for his sake.
Now, they’re imprisoned in the middle of nowhere, awaiting god knows whatever torture or extortion that will come next.
Fortunately, Raya, Sisu and the others will be on their way.
Tong sputtered a few incoherent profanities under his breath, whispers loud enough to feel his icy ire, enough to make her flinch.
“He’s losing his mind, isn’t he?” Namaari felt a muffle on her chest, mildly surprised she looked down and saw Boun returning the stare, he wasn’t sleeping but wanted to, judging by the way his eyelids were heavy.
She guessed the grumbling didn’t allow him to do so.
Namaari looked back at Tong, observing the way his shoulders tensed every now and then, along with his giant fingers gripping the iron barriers, but with a perceptive closer look, she saw his fingers tremble.
“He’s scared” Namaari whispered.
She felt Boun shift on her lap, uncertainty grew there and Namaari could feel it.
“What happened in the woods, it wasn’t your fault” Namaari spoke before Boun could “I’d be dead haven't you showed up”
Boun looked at her for a second, nodded silently before bumping his head at her shoulder, releasing a shaky sigh.
“What are we gonna do?” Boun clutched her arms, not too hard but strong enough for her to feel his anxiety. “What are they gonna do?”
Namaari looked crestfallen, a feeling you have when you desperately need an answer but you just can’t have it, and she hated that feeling.
The hopelessness, the impotence, the regret.
So Namaari did the only thing she could do for now, she cradled Boun closer, having to control every fiber of her being from shaking, from the cold of the floor and from her gut, tracing her long slender finger through his hair, an act that calmed him down so he once told her, something his sister and mother would do. She felt him grasp onto her arms, his entire fingers engulfing her forearm, face buried on her shoulder.
“I don’t know, Boun” Namaari felt a sting at her chest when Boun clutched her forearm a little harder and she knew why, to stop the tears and silence the fear, for they needed nothing more than shedded tears. An act she’s very familiar with. Bringing her lips to his head, she let it stay a few seconds before repeating it over and over again, slower and calmer. The calming kisses did it’s effect bringing her finger rubbing his cheek and the last kiss met the side of his head and Boun’s breathing slowed down.
“Damnit!” Tong shouted, his hands rattled the cell bars violently, making Namaari and Boun flinch harder, both looking at each other before realizing he’s the one in need of help.
Approaching the burly man carefully, Namaari laid a hand on his back, his angry fidgeting stopped altogether and he had to look at his right to meet their eyes.
“Tong, please calm down” Namaari approached slowly “It won’t do any good, to any of us”
“We can’t just sit still and do nothing! They’ll kill us! They’ll kill Boun and they’ll kill you!” Tong yelled.
Namaari saw Boun flinch harder, the panic of his fears a minute ago returning. Tong must’ve seen it too by the way he hid behind Namaari grabbing her arm, the regret allowed him to calm down for a while.
“I know we’re in a complicated spot, but we must improvise, as much as a Raya and the others are at this rate aware of our kidnapping, we should calculate our tactics”
“And in the meantime?” Tong spoke, a tad bit concerned.
Namaari sighed, there was no use trying to break the bars or be an annoying prisoner. Feeling the exhaustion irradiate her cellmates, she knew there was nothing left to do.
“We rest” Namaari said.
Tong and Boun looked at each other, the idea didn’t seem too horrid, despite the circumstances.
Tong sat down at the corner, Namaari and Boun followed suit, crouching next to him, Tong felt Namaari freeze on the cold floor, pulling her close to him.
Namaari hugged Boun close to heart, the boy felt comfortable enough to nestle between the two. Tong adjusted himself, his legs became their beds, his arms blankets. Namaari laid her head on the junction between his chin and his already short neck.
“Are you both alright?” Tong asked.
Namaari and Boun nodded, faces rubbing his chest.
Tong’s sleep hasn’t come for a good while, and probably wouldn’t, the direness of the situation didn’t allow him to.
Minutes passed, he still hasn’t fallen asleep. His good optical never leaving between the two shuffled close to him and the cell.
“Tong”
His eye darts to Namaari, shocked. She looked at him, eyes heavy, semi-closed near opened, disoriented yet sharp enough to meet his own.
“It’s okay, go to sleep”
“I can’t”
“Why not?”
“Because i’m not sure if i close my eye, i’ll reopen it again”
“You will”
“How can you know that?”
“Cause you ain’t alone, you’re right here, with Boun and me”
Tong closed his eye when Namaari brushed a tear.
“It’s alright, go to sleep” Namaari pats his chest before adjusting Boun close and returning to her spot of comfort on Tong’s neck.
Tong closed his eye, hoping sleep would come uninterrupted, and that his senses would be ready to wake him up and face what lies ahead.