Asha tried to move in closer but could not as she was already glued to his back and had been all night. Her soon to be husband was far from perfect when it came to expressing himself as zebra's did, he was actually so inept at reading signs it was laughable. She still smiled though while hugging his sleeping form in the darkness of the early morning.

Weeks ago she had begun to migrate her sleeping mat closer to his without him noticing, but now that they were officially married in every way except ceremony she no longer cared. It was a new and strange feeling to her, years ago another had shown interest but they were dead now. After that she never suspected anyone else would take interest due to her... Problems.

But Verik had, Asha's smile grew but began to fade as worry worked its way into her mind, he had a plan and had long admitted it but as to how far reaching it was she did not know. What she did know was that he fully intended to do something to better their lives and was willing to pay a rather steep price for it.

A heavy rain began to fall outside as she fretted over their future and before she knew it a realization struck: only half the roof was repaired. Worse, it was her side that had been fixed and very soon it would begin to leak profusely. Luckily the runoff never came in the door but flowed freely down the hill and unfortunately for those below, directly into their dugouts.

Every fiber of her being wanted to remain here though basking in the first real companionship she ever had.

Fog clouded his mind as warmth covered his back which was unusual as he never slept with sheets, not that he owned any. The sound of heavy rain filled Verik's ears as he opened his eyes and realized who was laying behind him. Asha was pulled in so tightly he could feel absolutely everything and it was far from objectionable, in fact he enjoyed it.

Having her wrapped around him was nothing unexpected considering what happened the other day but what did confuse him was how she had pulled this off. All of his life if anyone so much as twitched or came near is sleeping form he had always woken up immediately, once he had jumped upright with a snarl and promptly lashed out. That Asha could just move up to him, touch him and then even hug him without triggering anything was a minor miracle.

Or was it proof that he had truly accepted her and had total faith and trust in her?

She was awake too, her breathing was off and her slight movements gave away that she was debating something. Reaching a hand around he put it over one of hers that was draped across his chest, Asha froze for a moment before relaxing as he laid there quietly with her for a moment.

"We need move to other side, this side leak."

Verik listened to her a moment before turning his gaze upward before slowly sitting upright.

"Is the monsoon here already?"

"Monsoon? Oh, heavy rains... No, maybe?" Asha reluctantly let go and began shifting things to the other side of the hut. "Sometimes rain comes early or late, sometimes it rain very hard few day then stop. Month or two later true rains come then it not stop for many, many days. Everything floods but we safe on hill."

Verik followed her in the darkness to the other side of the hut and after they rearranged things they leaned against the patched wall. Asha leaned over and laid against him while he put an arm around her, an action he never in his life expected he would ever do. Putting an arm around someone, his wife no less.

His wife!

"You know, when I was about... Twenty something I declared myself celibate?"

"What that?"

"Someone who will never marry, have kids nor have sex. Period. Swore I would never have anything to do with women. Until I met you, strange... Live that way for so long and then wind up on another world and find a gem like you who makes me not only question my beliefs but also throw some out the window."

He could feel the smile form on her face in the darkness as her head was planted in his neck. Everything was cooling down quickly as the rain drove on and soon the sounds of a leaking roof greeted them. The little plips as beads of water broke free of the thatch and struck the dusty floor seemed to echo louder than the rain outside at times.

"I too think that... After village destroyed no one interested, nightmares make others stay away. Never tell you what happened, you listen?"

Verik gave her a squeeze then laid his own head against her somewhat.

"Live in small village, smaller than Wete. I was Iwali tribe then, years ago, much younger then. Chief not agree to Tadid's claim on village, say he have no right to claim, never part of his... What word... Domain? We not in his domain. Tasid threaten, lay heavy tax on tribe till Iwali not afford. Make Fareed angry at both, Fareed not care so long as Fareed get what Fareed owed."

"Tasid must have been... Twelve? Back then... Little shit."

"Tasid come up with plan, make Fareed happy but hurt Iwali badly. Chief protest but Fareed not care again, Fareed send tax collector who threaten tribe to accept new deal."

"What was the new deal?"

"Not know, tribe give up land and Tasid lower tax but land Tasid claimed was ancestral and best land. Tribe not able to pay anymore if he take."

"So he claimed a stretch... Wait, where was your village located?"

"Along river, farther south of Iuny. Tasid claim part of flood plain closest to him, it biggest, richest."

"Alright, but what destroyed you?"

"Tasid. We not able to pay, chief know this and know that mean they take slaves, fewer in tribe mean taxes less. Chief explain to us that if they take away those who "not produce for Fareed" then rest can stay and pay lower tax. But those taken sold elsewhere so they now useful to Fareed."

"I take it the chief said no."

"Chief refuse, make plan with tribe to kill tax collector as revenge and flee, we have to wait till end of season to flee so we have enough food. Tax collector come early though and chief kill them. But Tasid knew we rebel, he already waiting. Next morning we begin packing to flee, cant stay, too dangerous. Must flee or they come for us with army. But we not quick enough, Tasid had forces nearby who come in morning as we prepare to run and surround village."

Asha was shaking, either from the sudden drop in temperature or her nerves he was uncertain. Perhaps it was the simple reality that she was reliving her nightmares all over again for his sake, so that he could understand. It also sounded rather perfect, send a low level government bureaucrat to bite the bullet thus providing an excellent legal excuse.

"They surround village, one in fancy metal clothing yell for us to surrender, maybe Tasid show mercy for our betrayal. We know truth though, it too late and he lie anyway. I live near river with family... Have three brothers and one younger sister then, all we have is sharp stick, they come with spear, bow and fire."

"Burned it to the ground?"

"Yes, arrow with fire rain across village, everything burn, smoke everywhere, we run to river, chief say we swim to other side if lucky. Stay and die, flee and maybe live. Enemy leader not fool though, he know, fancy one have soldiers waiting along bank. We run anyway, they not chase though, just walk after us. They herd us like animals to river."

There was a long pause as her muscles stiffened up.

"They slaughtered us quickly, many fight to break through, make hole in their line and we run. Run and run."

Verik ran the scene through his head, it was a perfect maneuver. Why bother to besiege when they could just burn them out and drive them into a kill zone? It was not like the villagers had a choice either, the best way out was the river as overland they would be followed and cut down. Swim and they would at least have some kind of chance for survival by reaching the far side. Armor and water were a very, very bad mix and Asha's chief had probably known that.

"You being closer to the river meant you reached it first right?"

"No... Not so good runner like you but was helping brother pack, had to run across village. Village not like Wete, not run with river but built to and away from river. Maybe if we on hill then more survive. We all run together, family fight but sister sent with me to swim, get through their line and hear her call name."

Asha gagged, "I turn and she have arrow in neck, they have archers on bank to shoot as we swim. I ran. Enawi dead. Run to river and wade out, others shot... I not good swimmer either, many reach water and strong current start to push us away while dead floating. Arrow kill many... I use their dead body to hide self and float away."

That would explain a great deal. Somehow Asha survived along with many others no doubt but the mental toll had been paid in full and interest applied in full. Herded like animals from their homes, driven to the river and into the jaws of a waiting force they had been cut down without mercy.

Verik listened to Asha's sobbing as she clung onto him and realized there was probably only one, single reason anyone had survived at all: Tasid's soldiers were probably amongst the worst. Shahid had described the guards ineptness in great detail and if history was any lesson then the soldiers were also the town guard.

Such a small smile of fortune had befallen them and allowed whatever warriors her tribe had to punch a hole in the line thus allowing some to escape. But how many? It no longer mattered he realized, even in their state they had surprise on their side along with decent tactics if nothing else.

So how many soldiers did Tasid have? It was no Mjesani so they could not be a grand force and in order to fully surround the village they would need a great many more than whatever Tasid had at his disposal.

Mercenaries? No, they stayed in Alzamard. Perhaps Mjesani had sent additional forces and as Verik mulled it over Fareed had probably sent a contingent to Iuny. Not to watch Tasid but because if he was in Fareed's position he would as well, a slight such as what Tasid had done would lead to rebellion. Better to station some forces in advance just in case they try something.

"How did you get here though? That is quite a distance, why not swim to the other side and wander off?"

"We did, swim other side or float away, gather down river and decide we stay along river. Dry season so no forage and we have no food. No water, we have nothing. Must stay close to river. Travel at night so soldiers not see us, hide during day, we see Miwani and one swim across but they turn him away. They know what happen, Tasid tell all, they take us in Tasid attack Miwani. Beg for food and get little but they not turn us in, tell us to keep running. Warn us about tribe on far side of river."

"They would not take kindly to your intrusion from what I have heard... How many were you?"

Asha tried to count before falling into the "ten and ten" method and after a lot of guess work only some twenty made it out. Wete was huge by comparison according to her, nearly a small town now so that meant there were probably around two hundred, maybe a little more of them once upon a time.

"Then you would up here and Tendaji took you in?"

"Yes, he not care, many others like us, so long as we swear never to tell others what tribe we come from he accept us."

"Well you survived all that which says something."

"Yes, I should have died."

"Why do you say that?"

"Family all gone and sister..." Verik waited as Asha broke down again before continuing, her voice was giving out. "She take arrow meant for me."

"That is impossible to know."

"I turn and archer looking at me, not far away, he make shot so close... Hear him mutter about missing and reach for new arrow. She follow behind me because I slower than her, tell me to run faster but cant." Asha's head moved to face him in the darkness and he could see the horror burned into her face and eyes. "At night- I-I... I keep seeing his face!"

"Well I can make you one promise Asha, he will never find you nor get his hands on you. I dont know how but if I ever see him, not that I would ever recognize him... But should I ever come across some soldier bragging about it I can always cut his tongue out for you."

Asha froze at this and stared up in a mixture of horror, relief and longing before moving back to her old position and gripping him tighter.

"He have scar over right eyebrow, shorter than Shahid."

Verik did not expect that, Asha had just given him a green light to exact revenge.

"That does not really narrow it down a great deal."

What came next was probably the most detailed description he had ever heard but it made sense to an extent. After all she relived that event over and over in her dreams at night but he did have to leave leeway for exaggeration. Still, some things were a little to crystal clear to be imagination like his scar, eye color, uniform and other details.

When she had finished he knew at least one thing: somewhere in Iuny this one did reside. More questions came to mind though as he thought it over, something was missing.

"Asha... How many days away from Iuny was the village anyway?"

"Take day to walk, very rough, no road, dense brush... Why?"

"And the forces were already there right? Did you have scouts like the Wete have?"

"Yes... Brother was scout."

So how in the hell did they just walk up on them? Also that meant not only a great deal of pre-positioning of very questionable forces but also hiding them. Or did they hide them? A thought began to lurk in Verik's mind as to a possibility but suggesting it to Asha would probably result in anger or shattering what little control she had left. There was a way or worming around it though.

"How many warriors survived?"

"One."

"Huh... Lucky fellow... Or Gal... They came here with you after swimming the river with the rest of you."

"No, find us much later and join us in coming here."

"Lucky indeed they are. They still live here right? Not as a Iwali but Wete. They had to drop the first bit."

"Not know."

"Damn."

It had rained for two straight days now and the suspicion was that it would end sometime soon if the clouds were anything to go by. After Asha had emptied her baggage on him things had gone very well, they instead began to talk about little things once more and thus avoid another breakdown. There were no nightmares either as she slept soundly every night gripping him like a life saver and then come morning she was smiling a little more brightly.

Training was canceled till the rain ended and that was by order of Sefu. Verik had actually left in the rain expecting something but instead found out he was the last to be informed by virtue of finding Sefu's hut. The real catcher had been finding out he had several wives and kids of his own, Sefu had been a little dumbstruck that Verik would be at the door in the driving rain asking if they were training today.

Turns out for them it was rather common sense to call it off when it rained this hard and after Verik brought up the idea of training under the worst conditions Sefu waved him off. Maybe one day but right now they did not need to risk any more sickness or injury. Considering most were in not the best of health due to rationing it made sense.

If nothing else all the rain would make digging a great deal easier as the ground would be so soft their primitive tools would work better. This boiled down daily activities to simply sitting in the hut listening to the rain the strange voices and whispers coming from next door and talking with Asha.

As Verik listened to the whispers he turned away to look at Asha who had busied herself with little things like sifting through the nearly empty jars to count and recount their contents.

"I should probably say this while no one is listening." Not that he really believed that anymore. "You do know I am planning to conquer us a home be it here or elsewhere..."

"Yes."

"That means all the hell that comes with it, not being around, fighting, dying, people hunting me down. It will get very ugly very quickly. Now I dont want you caught up in that but-"

"It okay. I trust you, do what you think is right. Maybe it time for it to burn, maybe not. But you light fire to burn you not run yes?"

"I will never leave you behind even if things go horribly wrong."

Asha gave him a quick smile before digging around in a jar again.

"Good, you not alone now, we have much to gain, little to loose. You want to conquer I support you, always, but swear you be careful, not a fool like Iwali chief."

"Oh I already learned a few lessons from that story, you dont need to worry about that. Still dont know how I am going to pull it off but the gears in my head are grinding."

"You still take tax ship yes?"

He had mentioned that and completely forgotten.

"Food and money helps, also having a ship to escape on. I am not going to turn into another El-Presidente who gets lynched by the Banana Republic."

"Not know what that mean but wise. Shahid and Altayih help yes?"

"Probably more if I breathed it aloud but I dare not because of other concerns. Anyway! I never did ask but... How does marriage work here anyway?"

"Oh! Easy, make offering to family of one you want to marry first, if they accept you see chief or shaman... No family... Uh... Not sure? I Wete now so maybe you need make offering Tendaji? He probably mad about you killing... That one. Not know name... Make offering Nuru too. Always wise."

"So its normal to make an offering? What kind?"

"Brother's marry they offered other family precious things or food. One brother gave two big basket of yam, other gave basket of nuts. Hm... Tijan take two wife and make two offering. Why you ask anyway? Tendaji have no choice, that settled when you won."

"Oh just wondering what your cultural norms are. Besides, as you said, it would be wise to smooth things over first. Where I come from though it is normal to give the one you are interested in things... Well its a long story but it usually culminates in an engagement ring and then finally a wedding ring made of gold unless your poor or a tightwad."

"You already give me many, many things... You propose that long ago and I not know?"

"Not at all, it just seemed right and also back then... Which is not all that long ago really... I mean to say I was already falling in love with you and giving you things just seemed... Natural. I wanted you to be happy so I never stopped to think about it."

"Very nice of you and make me very happy! You even give part of snake hide!"

Indeed he had, a rather large hunk in fact which sat bundled up and out of the elements. Asha had wasted no time in taking a strip of it and fashioning herself a bracelet and for whatever reason a waist band. Her wearing nothing but that band around the waist was a real "how do you do" whenever she walked past stark naked but maybe it had more meaning.

"Why did you make that waist band?"

"You give me hide so I make one."

"Your not exactly hiding anything by wearing it."

"Why I hide something with it?"

"Well normally you wear clothing to cover your genitals-"

"You give hide so I wear to show others."

"Wait... You wear that thing to show others were engaged? Its like a bigger engagement ring?"

Asha hummed a moment and mulled it over, zebra custom was strange indeed and her explaining it if at all would be a feat and a half.

"Yes... No?"

"So it has some deeper meaning that I am missing and you are having trouble explaining."

"Yes. One meaning is we bonded, you make big, big offer, I accept and wear it. Polite. Also can mean marriage... Many meanings. Depends."

So the moment you started wearing that belt every zebra knew I had given you the hide so they automatically thought... Ah. Thats why that one was so quick to start a fight.

"When are we getting married anyway? Is there a time limit? All this rain makes it rather hard to have any kind of ceremony, assuming you have them in the open what with the tribal nature and such."

"Ask Nuru, I not worried, to me we married now. Tendaji can not say no or Nuru."

"Nuru can not refute it? Why not? She is the power behind the throne around here."

"She could say no to duel, change duel but not. Nuru came to circle and blessed it, mean she want it to happen."

Nuru keeps getting more and more interesting... And dangerous.

"I would still like to get you... Something. A real gift, not one I just happened to wind up with because of other circumstances like the hide."

"You regret giving me hide?"

"Not one bit. I have a bit more of an idea? I think... Of what you wearing that means so the fact you were so quick to make a bracelet and waist band is very... Well it makes me very, very happy."

"Make me happy too."

"Well what would you like?"

"As gift?"

"Yes."

"Family."

Verik paused a long moment before laughing a moment, he couldn't help it.

"Not sure if that is possible and I am different from anything you have ever seen. But, it shall not be for lack of trying." Asha raised an eyebrow at him. "What I mean is, what kind of gift do you really want? Not family, friends... Something more along the lines of say... Like your bracelet."

"Ahhh... Still want family..." Asha mulled it over before smiling. "Necklace. Some tribe wear necklace, some wear bands of metal around neck."

"What kind?"

"I like blue, like your eyes, and red."

"Blue eyed and red haired... Okay. Dont know how I will but that off but I will figure something out one day."

Asha laughed at him a moment before waving a hand at him.

"It okay, you give so much already! You give family first and I forgive you not giving necklace. Big family too!"

"Oh I will die trying with a smile on my face but first," Verik stood up and looked out into the rain. "I need to visit Nuru."

"Why? It still raining."

"Because my beautiful bride to be I have some questions that only she can answer and also no time like the present to set a date. Also to get the kinks worked out as to what needs to be done."

"Knock first or she curse you." Asha's voice was dead serious and quite stern, she absolutely believed what she had just said.

"Of course."

Verik stepped into the rain and quickly through the deepening mud to Nuru's massive hut. That she would curse him for entering without knocking... He knew Asha meant curse as in Voodoo what as he was learning was probably very real and very fatal in this world all things considered.

As he ducked down and prepared to knock the voices ceased and before his hand met with the wall a voice called out, he was invited to enter.

Been here only twice and it gets creepier every time.

Author's Notes:

I just realized I went from something like... 20 followers after publishing Underworld to 152 followers at 34 chapters into Zebrican Warlord. At this point I am hoping to keep your attention as I have not even hit the second hurdle in the story yet. Thank you to those folks to have donated to keep the ship sailing!