Trails Chapter 4: Branded

                Lesson number 47 “Never take baths in strange places.” Admittedly that was a strange one but even now his teachers advice rained true. As Ramsey re-adjusted himself on the cave floor he came face to face with yet another woman of Amazonian proportion. This one had dazzling blue eyes like sapphires, darker skin, and stood two or three heads taller than Kiri. For a moment he just lay their shocked that there could even be someone taller than Kiri let alone another woman. They both stared at him and suddenly Ramsey remembered his nudity. In a rushed motion he clumsily covered his privates with his good hand shivering from the chill of the cave floor. They both glanced at each other with amused smiles. Ramsey stood up trying his best to look respectable which was hard to do naked, with a broken arm and shivering constantly. He reached for his clothes if only to try to warm up but was immediately stopped by the blue-eyed woman. She stared at him with a look far more haunting than he would expect. It was predatory and discerning as if she were taking stock of his very soul. The pressure she exuded seemed to force Ramsey back into a sitting position. When she was satisfied that Ramsey wouldn’t move she turned to Kiri and they starting conversing in that gibberish that he deduced was their language. Ramsey wanted to interject but every now and then the blue-eyed woman would glance back at him and he thought better of it. Kiri for her part seemed adamant about something, every now and then she would point at Ramsey and her tone was clearly more excited than blue eyes. After a moment the discussion seemed to die down and they both turned towards him. Kiri bent down and faced him eye to eye. For a moment she looked almost sad. She put her hands on Ramsey’s shoulders and brought her lips to his ear. In a soft deliberate tone she whispered “Kerla Si.”

“What does that mean?” Ramsey mumbled. Before she could answer blue eyes barked a command and Kiri shot straight up. She then stepped aside and blue eyes approached. She took his good arm and roughly jerked him from the ground suspending him above the floor. She proceeded to poke and prod all parts of his body twisting and turning him in her grasp. She inspected under his arms, under his feet and for a moment even cupped his genitals in a grip too painful to be pleasant. Ramsey tried to struggle but was silenced with applied pressure to his tender area. Finally when she was done she held him at arms-length her giant hands underneath his armpits. She stared into his eyes for a brief moment looking for something within them. Then she dropped him and he tumbled just barely managing to land on his feet. She seemed surprised by this and gave Kiri an affirming nod. Apparently Ramsey had past her little inspection. He looked back at Kiri for some sign but she said nothing her face darker than ever. Suddenly she pounced on him pinning Ramsey to the ground. He panicked jerking back and forth but she was too heavy and too strong. The blue eyed woman then produced a rope from a pouch on her person and commenced in binding his hands and feet. He was than hoisted over blue eyes shoulder and both women headed towards the cave entrance.

                The walk to the entrance was silent blues eyes carrying Ramsey in front and Kiri following behind, both woman seeming to be in their own worlds. Ramsey tried to find answers in Kiri but she seemed to be avoiding eye contact.

                “Kiri what’s happening?” Ramsey asked but she did not respond. They continued to the front arriving far faster than it took Ramsey to even reach the spring. Blue eyes than placed Ramsey next to a wall handling him far gentler than before and both woman stared at each other for a moment seeming to have some sort of internal argument. Kiri eventually relented and approached Ramsey and unbound his feet. Ramsey immediately stood up wanting to gain as much control as he could in this situation. Kiri placed a hand on his head looked down and repeated softly the words “Kerla SI” she then unbound his hands and placed a hand on his chest forcing him against the wall. Ramsey protested but a fleeting glance made him comply. She then tied his hands individually and fastened them to slits carved in the cave wall. While Kiri was busy tying intricate knots around Ramsey’s wrists blue eyes walked ever so casually towards the fire.

                Kiri finally finished her knot tying and walked towards the fire herself. Ramsey noticed two iron rods baking in the blaze that weren’t present there before. The blue-eyed woman reached into her pouch and produced a handful of colorful dust stoking the fire and turning the same shade of blue as her eyes. She then grabbed two bowls of goo that looked a lot like the stuff Kiri had used earlier only one was blue and the other yellow. Both women started painting each other in the chosen color; Kiri in yellow and blue eyes in blue. As Ramsey hung there he watched the ritual in a strange curiosity each woman painted the other in intricate designs with extreme detail. Once they finished they each grabbed a different iron and approached Ramsey the red heat contrasting the blue light coming from the ethereal flame. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what would happen next. Blue eyes approached first her expression stern and emotionless she brought the iron close hovering it inches from his face. Ramsey could feel the heat radiating from it. She moved back and forth causing him to flinch. She could see the fear in his eyes and it made her giggle.

                “No!” Ramsey shouted. “I don’t want this!” she continued to laugh delighting in his torment. He looked at Kiri hoping she would object but she just stood there quietly. He kept pleading searching in her for aid but nothing. What was all this for? Why save him just to subject him to this strange torture. Blue eyes started chanting and brought the iron towards his chest right above his heart. This was it. He looked at Kiri one last time one final shred of hope and saw her silently mouth the words.

                “Kerla Si!” he shouted at the top of his lungs. Blue eyes stopped the brand centimeters from his skin and making it sweat. She looked at him her smile turned grimace. “Kerla Si!” he said again through panicked breaths. The second time seemed to make blue eyes upset. She uttered what he was sure was a curse in her language and tossed the iron angrily into the fire. Ramsey breathed a sigh of relief as the tense situation passed. He looked back at Kiri to see her smiling tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She approached him placing a reassuring hand on the side of his cheek. She stroked him slowly as they made eye contact. He became lost in those piercing yellows, the eyes that saved him.

                “Kerla Si.” She repeated before raising her own brand towards his heart and pressing it against his tender flesh.