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Chapter Two: Brave Journey

The evening shadows had fallen over the land, bathing the sky in its twilight hue. The coolness of the impending night ushered away the sweltering heat of the long summer day, offering much needed relief to the people of the land. Though, even after the rainstorm had moved in and overtaken the Tambo home, it brought precious little cooling with it. Only the promise of night had the power to dispel the unbearable heat of the day.

In the wake of the storm, pools of shallow water and sinking mud littered the area making the already worn roads even more impassable. A victim of circumstance, Adon found himself forced to share the cozy confines of his new home with its former residents. Fortunately, he had managed to gather all of his belongings into the safety of the domicile before the rains began to fall. Boxes and bags of supplies and clothing were piled neatly at the door, awaiting their turn to be sorted and put away. A man of modesty, Adon had very little in the way of worldly possessions. Apart from clothing, a toolset and cookware, there was little else that belonged to the young lion. Of more concern to him than his own personal items was the welfare of his beastly mount.

Gareth, his giant eland, had sensed the storm approaching and had grown anxious. The Tambo's had no riding animal of their own and therefore had no auxiliary lodging to safely house the creature during the storm. Though a densely forested wood flanked the house, Adon was unfamiliar with the surroundings and unsure of how Gareth would fare if he allowed him to take shelter in the nearby surroundings. Unwilling to leave his companion's welfare to chance, Adon made the decision to bring the animal into the safety of the home...much to Kichoro's distress and Ja's elation.

Adon assured the lady of the house that Gareth was perfectly docile. His trustworthy mount was of extraordinary temperament, a true gentle giant. She and her young son would be safe around him, of that he was sure. But, Kichoro wasn't convinced and sought the safety of her bedroom while the large animal occupied the kitchen floor. Reluctantly, she allowed Ja to stay out among the company of the great beast, but only after Adon vowed to keep a close eye on them both.

In the hours that the storm pummeled the arid land, Adon worked to unpack his belongings. Ja followed the elder lion about curiously, like a second shadow. Tiny hands worked with strong, powerful ones to relieve crates and bags of their meager contents. The distress of the child's impending departure from the only home he had ever known was forgotten to him as he shared in the man's company. Adon found himself at a loss for words as he realized that he, too, was thoroughly enjoying the child's presence just as much as Ja relished his.

The Tambo's were not yet ready to leave their old home. There was still much packing that needed to be done. When selling a house, there was no certainty that a buyer would like what they saw when showing up to negotiate a purchase. Whether a family would remain in their temporary home for a day or a year was an uncertainty that made packing all of one's worldly possessions at once, unwise. For that reason, Kichoro had only begun to lightly pack up her family's things, storing miscellaneous items while leaving necessary ones out for convenience. Adon knew of this and had planned on spending the coming days at a nearby relative's house until the Tambo's moved out. Yet, with the roads heavily damaged and unable to be traversed, Kichoro invited him to stay in his new home with them until the roads were passable, once more.

To his surprise, Kichoro proved to be a woman of pleasantry and even refinement, despite her impoverished way of life. If not for her shabby clothes and poorly nourished body, one might mistake her for a woman bred of a higher class. From her posture, to the graceful way that she moved about the house, to the way she enunciated every word that she spoke, it was clear that though she lived in poverty, she was not raised within its confines.

Yet, more than the woman, he found the exuberant company of her son even more engaging. The child was eager, curious and bright. He found fascination and intrigue in the smallest facets of common things while discovering wonder and awe in grand ones. And, Adon soon found, that he himself was a grand fascination to the boy.

Being the youngest of his siblings, Adon had spent his entire life looking up to his brothers, Davu and Dumi, while they looked down upon him. Sure they loved him, he knew that, but it wasn't enough to have their love. He wanted their respect as well. In his youth, it had been his desire to be looked upon with pride reflected in his brothers' eyes instead of simply obligation or annoyance. He was always too small for one thing or too slow for another. He was never able to keep up with his elder siblings and so, he was always left behind except on occasions when his mother insisted that his brothers allowed him to tag along. In those times, his brothers would tease and bully him, as elder brothers often did. After years of this abuse, Adon stopped venturing out with his brothers all together and instead doted after his father. In the end, he had still been chasing after someone larger than himself.

Ja was just like him.

The young boy wanted to know everything about the man who partook of his company. He wanted to know about the home that Adon had left and of his family. He wanted to know what he liked to eat and what he didn't, what he did for play and what he did for work. He'd learned that Adon was unfamiliar with the concept of cooking and he wanted to know how the man was able to eat if he couldn't cook. Did his mother cook for him in the same way that Kichoro prepared meals for him or did he simply eat out? What did he like about their house? How big was Gareth, anyway? Was he mean? Did he have a temper? And what did the animal eat? Did he eat the same things as they did or did he have to eat something different?

It was strange and remarkable that after so many years of following others who stood taller than himself, someone found him worthy of admiration. Someone wanted to follow him. It was at once flattering and humbling. ...and he loved every moment of it.

"Well," Adon began, setting down a satchel of clothes near the couch. He dropped heavily onto the plush piece of furniture as he readied himself to answer another round of questions from his youthful counterpart. "Gareth is very big, but he actually got that big just by eating plants."

"Just plants?" the boy repeated, climbing onto the couch sitting himself comfortably beside Adon.

"Yup. Just plants and lots of them."

"How much?" he wanted to know.

"Hmm..." Adon mused, thoughtfully, "in a day, Gareth can eat about half my weight in grass and shrubs."

"Half of you?" Ja asked, incredulously. "Wow! That's a lot, right?"

Adon chuckled. "Well, I suppose, maybe just a bit."

"It IS a lot." Ja grinned, hopping down to the floor and bouncing happily at Adon's feet earning a gentle pat upon his head from the elder.

"Ja, dear, don't scuttle under Mr. Ayele's feet like that." Kichoro chided, entering the room from the safety of her bedchamber. "He has a lot of unpacking to do."

"I'm helping, Mama." Ja explained. "Right, I'm helping?" he asked, turning his gaze up to Adon's.

"That's right." he agreed with a smile. "You've been a big help. I couldn't have done it without you."

"See, Mama, see?" he beamed.

She chuckled. "Yes, darling, I see." she said, smiling as she made her way to the front door. She swung the heavy slab of wood open wide and looked about the area. "Oh my," she mused, "the road is still bogged with mud and rainwater. Usually it dries out pretty quickly, but the rains that came with the storm that blew over were especially heavy. I'm afraid we won't be going anywhere tonight." she said, apologetically, turning her gaze upon her child.

The youngster folded his ears, dismally, but politely replied, "Okay." with a sigh.

Kichoro felt miserable. There was no end to her son's disappointment this day, it seemed. "I'm sorry, love." she said, coming over to him and scooping him into her arms. "Perhaps tomorrow the roads will be less muddy and we can venture out for a bit."

He nodded and rested his head upon his mother's shoulder. He wrapped his small arms around her neck and hugged her, dejectedly.

"Forgive me for intruding, but was there somewhere that you were supposed to go to this evening?" Adon asked.

"Well," Kichoro began, "we were supposed to go to my friend's house. Her brother-in-law was coming into town and she wanted to celebrate his arrival with a special dinner. She invited Ja and me to attend as well."

_"But, not your husband. Then surely that must mean that he..."_Adon thought to himself. "I see." he said aloud. "Well, if you don't mind the imposition, Gareth can travel the roads even if they are muddy and otherwise hazardous. He is quite surefooted."

Ja turned to Adon with unrestrained excitement. "He can!?"

"Yes. It's no problem for him at all."

The child practically bounced in his mother's arms. "Mama, can we go?"

Kichoro fairly blanched at the idea of riding on the back of that mammoth of a creature. Still, the elation on her child's face was her fear's undoing. He had been so defeated earlier that seeing him beaming with excitement now was a blessing she could not ignore.

"Well," she started, "if it's not an inconvenience to you, Mr. Ayele, then I suppose...if you're certain it's safe..."

"I am." he said, without hesitation. "Gareth is reliable and strong. I've trusted him with my own life on many an occasion. And you can just call me, Adon."

"I see." she all but whispered. "Well then, if you are sure it's no trouble, I suppose we can go."

"YAY!" Ja cheered, hugging his mother, tightly. "Thank you, Mama!"

She smiled down upon her child. "I'm not the one you should thank, love." she pointed out.

"Oh yeah." he said. Quickly, he scuttled down from his mother's arms and hopped over to Adon who was still seated on the couch. "Thank you!" he sang, smiling up at the man and hugging his legs, tightly.

Adon ruffled his hair, fondly. "There's no need for that. I was going to go out, anyway."

"You was going to go out, too?"

"Yes. Remember, I don't know how to cook, so I was going to go get something to eat."

"Mama can cook! Mama can make dinner for you. Mama am good for cooking." the boy said, proudly.

"I bet. Mothers usually are the best cooks."

Ja bounced up and down, merrily and said, "Yup."

"Well, if you're ready to go, I'll get Gareth ready." Adon said, looking over at Kichoro.

"Oh...yes." she stammered, still uneasy about actually riding the behemoth creature. "Ja, go put your shoes on, dear."

"Okay!" the boy replied and shuffled over to the front door of the home where his and mother's shoes were lined up in a row. He collected his shoes and started the arduous task of getting them onto his feet. Kichoro walked over to him to assist while Adon roused his faithful mount from his restorative slumber and lead him outside.

"The first thing I'll build is a stable for you." Adon said, giving the eland an affectionate pat on its neck. "So bear this hassle for just a bit longer."

Gareth made a murmuring sound as Adon tapped his side, encouraging him to rise up from the floor. Obediently, he rose to his feet, his hooves making lyrical clacking noises on the kitchen's stone floor. He gave his horned head a brisk shake before nuzzling his master, playfully. Adon chuckled and gave his speechless companion a firm pat on its back. He collected his shoes and Gareth's saddle that were both left at the back door and continued out of the house. Once outdoors, he put his shoes on and then worked to situate the saddle on his gentle riding beast.

The rains had filled the surrounding area with an abundance of mud and water. Gareth stretched his neck down to the earth and drank water from one of the numerous pools that had formed on the ground while Adon finished securing his saddle. That finished, Adon led the docile creature to the front of the house and arrived just as Kichoro and Ja were exiting the abode. Ja bounced joyously as he saw Adon and Gareth round the corner of the house. Kichoro, for her part, was less than enthusiastic, but seeing Ja filled with merriment was enough to give her the courage to endure the animal's presence. Unable to contain his excitement a moment longer, Ja rushed over to clear the distance between him and the great beast.

"Ja! Don't run! You might frighten it." Kichoro said, anxiously.

Instantly, the boy slowed his approach and instead of running, took longer strides to compensate for his reduced speed. Adon had to suppress the urge to laugh at the sight of the boy taking monstrous steps to hurry over to him.

"It's alright." he said. "Gareth is of good temperament. He doesn't startle, easily. You can come over at any pace."

The boy's ears perked up. He turned to his mother for unspoken permission and when she nodded her consent, he returned to running over to Adon and his gentle giant. With ease, Adon lifted the small cub up and set him on the saddle. Ja was very nearly beyond himself with eagerness and awe. He had never seen an animal quite so big, let alone had he ever sat astride one. For him, this was a day of many firsts.

Once Ja was settled, Adon turned to Kichoro who hadn't left her place at the doorstep. She stood there watching the two boys with wide eyes and a slight tremble in her stance. Adon sighed. "There isn't anything to worry about. He is perfectly safe." he assured her, once again.

"Ah...yes." she said, her voice quaking ever so slightly. Bravely, she took a step toward him, but froze instantly when Gareth let out a powerful sneeze. Adon sighed, once more. This wasn't working. It would be nightfall before she even made it to Gareth's side at this rate. With purposeful strides, Adon walked over to the frightened woman and took her hand in his. He led her onward, placing his free hand at her back, gently coaxing her forward. When they reached the giant eland's side, he quickly swept her off of her feet, holding her up with just one arm. With his other hand, he reached up to grasp his ride's saddle. He slipped his foot into the stirrup and pulled the two of them up and onto Gareth's back. All the while, Kichoro clung to him as though her life depended on it. Though he wasn't thrilled at her mistrust of his companion...and indirectly of him as well...he couldn't say that he hated her trepidation or the way that she held fast to him. In her own way, it was rather cute. He placed her on his lap and allowed her to continue to hold onto him as he took up the reins.

"Ja, you see that ring on Gareth's saddle?" he said, pointing to a loop in the saddle's front. "Hold onto that so you don't fall off."

Ja did as he was told and gripped the ring tightly. "Ready!" he exclaimed.

"Alright. Here we go. KYA!" he shouted, giving the reins a light snap, spurring Gareth into a light trot.

When they started moving, Kichoro gasped and held even more tightly to Adon, wrapping her arms around his neck, securely. Ja, for his part, enjoyed seeing the world from such an impressive height. The wind caressed his hair and the vigorous pace at which they traveled caused him to bounce lightly in the saddle. It was quite an adventure.

Meanwhile, Adon held Kichoro against him with one hand and the reins with the other. He kept a close eye on Ja to make sure that the youngster was holding onto the saddle, properly. He didn't want him to fall off. The ground was a long way away for such a tiny little lion cub. Moreover, if his mother was apprehensive of Gareth, now, he could only imagine how she would feel if her child fell down to the earth from atop his mighty back.

"Where is it that you need to go?" he asked. When Kichoro didn't answer, he gave her a light tap. She gasped, raising her head from where it was buried against his chest and looked around, frantically. "You're fine." he said. "Just relax. Look at your son, if it will help you to calm down."

"My son...?" she breathed, looking quickly over to Ja. He was smiling brightly and looking every which way that he could. His eyes were wide as he soaked up the view around him. Even though he had walked this path with her many times on their way to town, seeing him now, one would think that he was seeing it all for the very first time. He was...having fun.

She smiled at the joyous sight of her child, riding the giant animal without fear, only a child's sense of wonder. Without realizing it, she loosened her grip on Adon's person and relaxed, if only a little bit.

"Ma'am?" Adon asked.

"Hmm?" she mused, looking up at him, her expression one of surprise.

She hadn't heard him the first time at all, he realized. He sighed. "Where is it that you need to go?" he repeated.

"Oh, of course." she said, somewhat embarrassed that she hadn't thought to give him directions to her destination without being asked for them. "If you go down this road to its end, you need to make a left and it's the third house on the right."

"The third house on the right?" Adon repeated, a whisper of surprise in his voice.

"Yes."

"Of course it is." he thought to himself, wryly. A scowl spread across his face, marring his otherwise attractive looks.

"Are...are you alright?" Kichoro asked.

"...yes." he said, not at all sounding alright. He could feel her eyes upon him as he looked straight ahead. Suddenly feeling weary, he sighed in frustration. "The house that you are going to is the house that I was going to be staying at while I waited for you and your son to be ready to move out."

"Oh! So then, you ARE related." she exclaimed. He made a small, confused sound and looked down at her with a quizzical expression. "I noticed it when you told me your name the first time we spoke. Your family name, Ayele, is the same as my friend, Neha. I meant to ask her if her husband knew you, but with all of the hassle of getting the house ready and packing and such, I completely forgot to ask her. She's not an Ayele by birth, she became an Ayele when she married her husband, years ago. His name is--"

"Dumi." Adon finished, gruffly. "...my older brother."

She looked up at him, her large expressive brown eyes filled with concern and confusion. "Is...is something wrong?"

"...no." he replied, flatly. "Nothing."

Either he was lying, or he just didn't care, but surely there was something afoot. Siblings that held even a moderate affinity toward one another didn't typically have such an ill tone when speaking of them. Dumi was a pleasant sort. She had known him and Neha ever since she and her husband moved to this town four years ago. In all the time she had known him, Dumi was always kind, friendly and generous as well. She couldn't imagine a reason why someone, least of all his own precious brother, would speak of him with such disdain. What could have happened between these two brothers that would cause Adon to speak of him without even the faintest hint of love in his voice? She knew not, but what she did know was that it was neither wise, nor was it her place to inquire further. Instead, she leaned against him and said nothing.

Adon was grateful that she wasn't the nosy type and that she politely let the question she obviously wanted to ask, fade into the realm of nonexistence. She didn't need to know, anyway. In a few days, she and her family would move out and they would both be able to move on with their respective lives. After all, it really was nothing.