Chaos and Commotion erupted in the air, you can see the shock and anger on everybody's face after the chief Baro said his words, some were in disbelief, others were angry, a few of the ones at Jason's table talked back to the chief
"This is absurd! How could they murder children, women and elderly alike," One of them yelled his eyes red his teeth grinding on each other, he had a scar over his eye that painted it white, he looked old, around his 40s, but age caught up to him too fast, for most of his hair fell down leaving the sides to cover up his scars
"This is not a new fact, those cursed demons always do what benefits them regardless of the consequences" another said calm but, in his voice, you can see how he is fighting the urge to flip over the table he looked to be young and immature, his hair reached his shoulders and no more than that
"I say we stop the good guy act and strike back; we release whoever is left in the slavery camps, and cut down the demons heads" said another one unsheathing his sword and putting it on the table, he seemed to in his 30s, his sword's handle had a wooden human head shaped skull, representing his hate for them
As everybody got hyped for doing so the chief struck down once more his stick to the ground eradicating all noise
"You know well children, they have the numbers and the weapons, they have the travel roots, even most of the forest are in their hands," said the chief
"So? you want us to accept whatever has happened!" yelled one his eyes met the gaze of the chief, but he soon fell back to his chair after he noticed everyone looking at how disrespectful he was
"You all are experienced warriors on this table, most of you spent years in battle, but what about the others they know nothing about the blood shed outside, most of our numbers are farmers"
The one with the sword spoke "Then we can train them, we need not to engage in a face-to-face battle just to lose to numbers"
"Boy Pharam, you think good warriors make good leaders, how foolish of you, at last you are just a sword it seems," said the bald-headed old man as if mocking Pharam and his popular sword, as he wanted to talk back the chief cut the conversation
"Ramo is right we can't train these poor men, and if we do, where will we get out food supply from?" said the chief Baro
"There are many human villages in the front lines" said Pharam as he slowly raised his gaze meeting the angry and shocked eyes of the chief, just to continue" we can avenge some of ours and send a message, and so put down some of their supplies for the sake of ours" with any hesitation he said what he said
Ramo's eyes filled with anger and disbelief widened and his mouth spoke "How dare you! you think of us as animals, to do what the beast wants of us"
"We are only fighting back" said Pharam with a calm voice
"Fighting fire with fire! Have you gone mad," said Ramo once more
"If you wish not to fight on my side, then you are not a part of it in first place" said Pharam with an angry tone his grip hard on the blade ready to strike who ever is in his path
Noor who was on the other side of the chief broke his silence with his sword in hand he said to Pharam "Put down your wooden sword pretty boy before I carve it into a kid's toy, this is no place to fight"
Pharam looked back at him with a smug all over his face and a sinister look and spoke "hearing you saying this I remembered, I never saw your fight, the great Bodyguard of the chief, let us check if the chief is truly in safe hands, and see who's blade in mad of steel"
"With pleasure," said Noor as he unsheathed his sword
"Enough!" said the chief as all the noise disappeared
"What respect is left for my position amongst all the shelters if this how in treated in my home" said the chief everybody falling back into their chairs, none daring to talk back at his status
"We won't be going into a mad slaughter like the Varish, but we can't just set by, I will be contacting my representatives across the camps and we will find a plan for the better of us all, end of the conversation"
None were truly satisfied with this as an answer, but no one has the legs to stand against it, to break the silence the one who looked young and immature with tall hair raised his hand
"Yes Sarom, you may speak your words," said the chief
"Won't you introduce us to the young boy on your side, isn't he the one found by the river that day?" said Sarom
"You remind me, yes, this poor boy is a survivor of a sla--, Ahm cleansed camp," said the chief
The whispers started as the stares were only focused on him from both women and men around
The chief spook again "We don't know yet his story, we have only speculations about it, we wish not to force him a word until he recovers mentally" as the chief looked at the boy he said in an encouraging voice "That's if he wishes not to tell us yet of course "
As the men on the table went silent waiting for an answer from the boy Jason felt the pressure on him, he took a deep and silent breath before opening his mouth
As he went on about his story you can see his eyes filled with terror, and the shock on everyone's face, even the chief did not think of it to be this brutal, as he got to his sister's part, he almost brook down so the chief stooped him and spoke
"I guess this is enough for today, he needs to say his goodbyes before the night watch begins, Fara if you may?"
The daughter of the chief helped the boy get up as he got up you can hear the whispers while he is walking
"No wonder he is too small for his age, sunlight must have been only a bedtime story for him"
"I don't think an adult would function if he was in his situation"
He was walked to the grave yard, only a few of the men on the centre table were allowed to follow, the rest of women and men were sent to their works
As Jason reached the graveyard a box was on the side, Noor opened it for Jason to see the heads of his family that he was carrying with him, his eyes still filled with fear and sadness that the chief noticed
"You don't have to be the one doing it," said the chief
The boy harnessed what ever courage left in him and picked his sister's first and buried it, he wrote on the grave, Rem, as he got his father's, in his hair he found a necklace, instead of jewellery there was a little wooden peace inside his hair, covered and hidden, Jason took it and looked back at the chief, the chief nodded in agreement as Jason put it on his own neck, and beside his sister he buried his father, as the moon light faded behind the clouds covering the past in a sweet dark light