Realism Fan Fiction / Original Stories Fan Fiction / Original Poetry Fan Fiction ❯ Our Strengths in the Shadows ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

“Your zog had been destroyed by the Ienseh, but you won the fight?”

Paaj nodded her head and placed a small dagger on the table in front of her.

“This is the dagger of our zog. Our Thawj Coj gave this to you saying that if you see this you would understand everything.”

The door open from behind as both Nplooj and Faub came in the dimly light room. Their Thawj Coj looked up at them with a dim look on his face. Faub came and sat next to him and so did Nplooj as both turn to look at Paaj.

“Faub and Nplooj, this is Paaj. She came from Roob Zog saying that they had been attacked.”

Paaj nodded her head, “Yes, our village has been attacked but we won the battle against the Iensehs. Zuag told me to come here to warn you guys to be careful. For you may never know if the Ienseh would be attacking your zog as well.”

Faub looked at her with suspicion “Let me ask you this…you are only a girl how can you make it across the mountains full of wild beasts and evil spirits all by yourself?”

Paaj return his look with anger, “Just because I am a girl do not look down on me. Our Thawj Cog treats us all equally regardless of our gender. And just to tell you, I was with another person but we separated because we were chased by the Iensehs.”

“How can we trust you then?”

“Faub, look,” his Thawj Cog showed his a small dagger, “This is my friend's dagger. He would never let just anyone take his dagger. I trust her Faub,” the Thawj Cog stood up and went over to Paaj.

Paaj stood up and waited for the Thawj Cog to get around the table to her.

“Return this to him. Tell him that we will be careful and he must not worry. He must take time to heal and repair his village. That is his top priority.”

Paaj bowed and took the dagger from him, “My Father would take your words to heart.”

“THAWJ COG! THAWJ COG!”

A small boy came running into the room looking hysterical.

The Thawj Cog ran over to him and held him on the shoulder, “What's wrong? Tell me.”

While the little boy caught his breath, Paaj, Faub and Nplooj came over.

“There is an injure guy that just arrived in the village with another guy holding him.”

Paaj felt her heart being squeeze in when she heard the situation. She ran outside quickly leaving the four guys in the house. Faub and Nplooj looked at each other then turn to their Thawj Cog and bowed before following after Paaj.

---

“Slow down!”

Paaj ignored Nplooj's call and ran even faster. Faub kept silent as he ran after Paaj. He felt like something bad was going to happen.

When they arrived at the Healer's house, there was already a crowd of people standing by the door entrance. Paaj moved people aside as she made her way into the house. She was desperate to see who the person was.

When she burst into the house, she saw Dlej standing over the bed as Noog lay in pain. His arm had been cut leaving a wide gap. There was grounded herbs around the wound with blood still coming. Paaj quickly ran over and took out her medicine bag. She took out her crushed Nroj Pov Cais from her plhaub taub and opened the top. She poured out some of the medicine into her palm and smeared it on the wound. Noog screamed as Paaj continue to put more on his wound.

“It will cool down and numb the pain Noog,” Dlej held onto him making sure he does not hurt himself more.

The Healer had gotten a strip of cloth ready to wrap up the wound. When Paaj had finished she looked for the Healer who quickly wrapped Noog's arm. Dlej sighed as Noog fell silent and into a deep slumber. Paaj stood up and wiped her forehead and turned to Dlej who grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the house.

Dlej gave her a piece of cloth to wipe her hands. When she finished Dlej turned around and stared into her face. Paaj stared back a little confuse and then she remembered something. Why Dlej was here when he was supposes to be back in the zog helping her father?

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What can I say to her? Her only family was gone and she was alone now too? I had to say something but I could not bring myself to say it.

“Dlej, why are you here? Aren't you supposes to be back in the zog helping Thawj Cog?”

I closed my eyes and began to walk away. I know what I am doing is unfair to her, but I did not want to say it either.

“Hey, Dlej come back here! Why aren't you saying anything? WHAT HAPPEN?”

Her voice broke into my thoughts. What happened was not suppose to happen. Why does this have to happen? What have we done to deserve such cruelty?

Paaj came from behind and grabbed my arm, “Dlej, what happen to our zog?”

I open my eyes and saw tears in her eyes. What am I suppose to say to her?

“Tell her. You can't let a woman wait forever.”

I glance back to see a guy around our age with his arms cross and probably his friend beside him. I turn my attention back to Paaj and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Paaj, our zog was destroyed two days ago. Three days after the five of you left, the Iensehs came back and finished off everybody. Your Father had used his magic to cover me and told me to run to tell you and everybody else.”

Paaj's eyes stared wide open back at me. My heart was burdened with grief but I did not want anyone to see me like this. I had to stay strong no matter what. Paaj fell to the ground on her knees and wrapped her arms around her. She burst out crying with her whole heart.

“The only people who are left from Roob Zog are Noog, Zuag, Cua, Hli, you, and me.”

“What are you going to do then?”

I turn around to face the guy who had talked to me earlier.

“We are going to warn all the other villages. After that, all six of us will come together to come up with a plan.”

He took a step towards me and then stops, “Out of the remaining six of you who is the Thawj Cog?”

The way he spoke was almost like a challenge to me. I became angry almost but held it in. Who was he to speak like that to me?

“May I ask you, what is your name?”

He smiled and came up closer to me. He stuck out his right hand to shake mine, “My name is Faub. And may you tell me your name?”

I shook his hand, “My name is Dlej and regarding to your question I cannot tell you now. When our Thawj Cog comes then you will know.”

I pulled my hand away from him and turn to help Paaj up. She was upset and she looked faint.

“When did she get here?”

The other guy talked this time, “She just got here this morning. I think she needs to rest or else she might become sick.”

“Come to my house. My Mother would love to have guests over,” Faub point to the direction of his house.

I nodded my head and placed a hand around Paaj's waist and one under her arm. I half carried her as we made our way to Faub's house.

As we made our way through the zog, I noticed how the zog people kept smiling at us. It was weird but welcoming.

“That's their way of saying that we are all the same,” Faub grabbed Paaj from the other side as sleep had finally sink in.

“I can do it myself,” I tried to pull Paaj closer to me, but Faub held on tight.

“You have travelled far and from what I've gather…it took them almost five days to get here while it took you only less than two days. You must have travelled nonstop to be able to catch up so fast.”

The Faub person, he analyzes things so well. He was right I travelled nonstop, but I also used magic to get here as quickly as possible.

I let Paaj slip into his arm and he carried her all the way to his house with me following behind.

When we arrive at his house, his Mother came out looking worried and shock seeing Paaj and me following Faub.

“Mother, it is fine. This here is Dlej and this here is Paaj. She is just very tired and upset about her zog.”

His Mother nodded her head and help led up into their house. It was small but had a great sense of home feeling. Faub's Mother led Faub to her room where he can put Paaj down to sleep. Faub came out of the room as his Mother was getting Paaj comfortable. Faub came over and handed me a chair.

“Here why don't you sit so we can talk,” he sat down across from me.

He looked as serious as I was too him.

“What do you want to know then?”

Faub brought his fingers together and intertwine them as he sat there looking at me. I placed my rag down in between of us, and all weapons that I had with me. Faub nodded his head and then closed his eyes.

“That's not what I was thinking about. I know you are not that kind of traitor. What I am more curious about is why a girl dressed up like a boy and act like a boy. You almost had me tricked at first, but your hands are too small to be a boy's hand. Most importantly is your voice, you can make for a young boy, but not a teenage boy who is supposes to be in his late teens.”

He is good and I had to give him credits for that. If he wants to know the reason why, he had to try harder.

He must have figure that out when I said nothing to him, “You aren't going to tell me either.”

Just then, his Mother came into the room and came over to me. She bowed to me and I bowed to her. I noticed how she did not speak and was always smiling. She looked very cheerful unlike her son.

“My Mother cannot speak. Those Iensehs broke her voice,” Faub went over to his Mother and grabbed the hot pot from her hand and set it down on the table.

She looked upset at him but he smiled at her anyways, “It was hot Mother. You could have burnt your hands if you held on to it longer.”

She looked upset but Faub and I knew she was happy due to his kindness.

“A Mother's love knows no boundaries,” I smile at the two.

Faub took out three bamboo plates and three pairs of chopsticks. He placed it on the table and went over to grab a bowl of water while his Mother went over to get the rice in a big bamboo pot. They set the things down. Faub turned to me and spoke to me like I was part of the family.

“Go grab the chairs and put them in place.”

It was weird to how different people reacted to different situation. I figure that if it was Cua or Zuag they would have done so with no difficulty. I located the chair I was sitting on, the chair Faub sat on, but the third one…I had no idea where it was.

Faub's Mother looked up at me and smile as she came over to me. She touched my arm and pointed to the doorway. I looked over there and saw the chair. I must have blushed because she laughed at me. I went over and grabbed the chair and brought it back.

When everything was ready and set, we sat around the table and I waited. I did not know what their way of eating was like, but as I sat and watch Faub grabbed a bow from the alter and put some rice in it. Next, he placed a piece of meat and a piece of bamboo on the plate. He placed it back on the alter and bow before coming back to the table.

“Let's eat,” he dig in and grab the biggest piece of meat and placed it on my rice.

Next, he grabbed the second biggest piece and gave it to his Mother. What were left were a few small junks of meat and he took only one of them to eat. As I ate my food, I noticed how he would grab a few and place it in his Mother's plate making her scowl him.

This made me miss my Mother. I remember when I was younger my Mother would always tell me to make sure that I do not hurt myself or she would never be happy if I got hurt. Every time I did something to make her happy, she would scowl me because I was not thinking about myself but her. She wanted me to make me happy first before her.

After dinner, Faub made me help both of them clean up. His Mother was upset about this but he told her that if I wanted to eat at least I should help clean up.

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Leader

Water

White Flowers used by ancient and modern Hmong to stop the bleeding wound; Weed of Pao Csai

Squash Bottle

Hmong knife