The Lore Wain and Her Nephew Pt. 39

The rest of the crew watched in disbelief as they looked at Pummi crying. Among them, Till was the most shocked. In all her years in the tribe and being around Pummi, she has NEVER saw him breakdown like this.

There was a few minutes of Zarabean comforting his brother before another voice shouted from the outside.

"What should we do next, Pummington?!"

Pummi composed himself in a matter of seconds after nibbling on a berry from his pocket. He shouted to the voice in response, "Retreat! We won't fight the humans! They're too strong..."

"Yes, Pummi!" The voice responded.

There was an odd silence after that.

Clef looked around confused. "Did they... leave?"

Pummi nodded as he looked over at Clef. "Yes. We're trained not to make a sound."

"Ah..." Clef remarked slowly, finding that fact both strange and terrifying.

Zarabean faced Pummi with a look of pleading. "Since you and I are on better terms now... Will you convince the tribe to stop raiding this orchard? Perhaps along with all the others as well?"

Pummi sighed, "Bean, I know how important this is to you but..." He looked down. "... I don't think I can convince them of that. Even if we stopped, there are other things to worry about; like where we're getting our food from. There are other tribes besides ours, remember... "

"You could start farming like I suggested two years ago!" Till replied with a huff. "Maybe make a deal with an orchard owner to give you seeds and help provide *peacefully* while you toil the ground."

"And who would make a deal with us?" Pummi asked, trying to be realistic. "We're not to be trusted, you know that... And rightfully so."

Despite her reluctance to trust Till before, Nala stepped toward Pummi. "I would be willing to provide some seeds I've collected... They aren't trees so they'll grow faster... And they will grow annually so they'll come back every year."

Pummi looked up at her in shock, knowing that her husband died at their hand. "You would... Do that for us? After what we did?"

Nala kneeled down to his height with tears rolling down her cheeks and nodded. "If Palma could forgive her brother for the horrid things he did... I can forgive you and your tribe. We don't have to be of the same race to forgive."

Pummi's eyes teared up again. "I'm very sorry for what happened to your husband..."

Nala gave Pummi a hug. "I forgive you."

Pummi sadly hugged Nala back. He was hesitant but did it regardless.

After the hug, Nala stood up and went over to a dresser along the wall and opened a drawer. She reached inside and grabbed a dozen packets of seeds and walked back over to Pummi. Nala then kneeled down again and handed them to him.

"I'm willing to share fruit from my orchards until your crops are successful." Nala glanced over at Celeste and her crew and sighed, realizing she may not be able to give as much as she wanted for their provisions.

Celeste read Nala's expression and responded, "It's fine, Nala... We can figure something out."

Nala stood up and faced Celeste. "I'll send you to my brother, his farm is a couple miles from mine... Perhaps he can help you with the supplies I'll be lacking." She looked back at Pummi but kept talking to Celeste, "I'm worried about sending ridgerunners there for a deal because my brother is very wary of them..."

"Thank you, Nala." Celeste smiled softly.

"In return," Pummi said holding his hand up to Nala to shake, "I will convince the counsel to provide you and your son protection from the other tribes."

Nala took Pummi's hand and shook it. "You have yourself a deal."

Zarabean walked over to Celeste. "Celeste... I think I should help Pummi present these new ideas... Maybe if they see Pummi's change of heart, they may be more open to listen."

"You could get captured again, Bean. Are you sure that's a good idea?" Celeste asked with concern.

"I'll uh, I'll go too!" Till exclaimed as she stepped forward. "It was my idea to farm to begin with... I'll protect the Bean!"

Zarabean looked at Till with surprised confusion. "Till protect Zarabean? Zarabean isn't defenseless."

Till leaned over and whispered to him, "You're not scary. They fear me because they think I'm crazy... Besides, people can tell when you're anxious just by the way you talk. They won't listen to you if you're anxious, no offense."

Zarabean blushed with embarrassment at Till's statement about his nervous tick. "V-Very well. Tilly will... She'll join Zarabean and Pummi." He looked up at Celeste, regaining his composure. "Once everything is sorted out, I'll join you at the docks. Get the supplies you need in the meantime."

"Very well." Celeste said with a nod.

A knock on the front door was heard along with Kinabrick's shouting voice. "Is everyone alright in there!?"

"Just fine," Alagatha snickered, "We're just havin' a family reunion."

"It sssmells like stinky sweetness in here!" Nibble snickered with Alagatha.

"It's fine, Captain Kinabrick! We're all safe!" Celeste called to be sure Kinabrick knew there wasn't anything bad going on.

Clef and Nibble then proceeded to move the barricades away from the front door so Kinabrick could enter.

Kinabrick entered once the door was opened for him. "Lore Wain, I've gathered a troop outside. They can help bring supplies to the ship and provide protection."

Celeste nodded in reply, "Thank you."

When Kinabrick looked at Pummi with a wary look and then back at Celeste. To him, it seemed like every time he left and returned, a new ridgerunner appeared. However, seeing as Celeste was calm, he dropped the topic before it even began. "Where are we to go now?"

"Please use ten of our medium baskets of apples and ten of our smaller baskets of cherries. After that, please go to my brother's farm for some other kinds of provisions." Nala said, gesturing Janner to come to her. She whispered to him to fetch the baskets and then led the other crew members outside.

Zarabean, Pummi, and Till helped gather the fruit for Celeste's crew before leaving. Pummi was the most drooly of the three ridgerunners, being the one with the least self-control. Regardless of this, none of the three snatched any fruit from the supplies.

After about an hour and a half of gathering, the crew had filled each basket to the brim.

Celeste told Kinabrick to send half the party back with the fruit but to make sure there were still soldiers with hands free to defend the carriers.

Kinabrick obliged and did as he was told.

Afterward, Zarabean, Pummi, and Till left for the tribe and Celeste and Clef headed for Nala's brother's farm.

Celeste thought it best to send Nibble, Alagatha, and Cynthia back to the ship with the fruit carriers in hopes they might get some more rest and that their chances of getting help would increase. She thought that perhaps Nibble's presence combined with Cynthia's talons and Alagatha's... Alagatha-ness might be off-putting in getting help from a common country man. The main reason she kept Clef with her is because she knew he was still anxious after revealing his true identity and she worried he might run off.

Clef joined Celeste with a bittersweet taste in his heart.