“Are you okay?” Wreck asks.
I know I should continue faking bravery, but am too drained. I shake my head negatively.
He kneels in front of me, looking straight into my eyes.
“Kora,” he says solemnly. “You have nothing to fear, because the worst thing that could have happened to you has already happened. You watched your mother die. So what could Tartis possibly do to you after that? In a sense you’re invincible now.”
His words snap me out of my panic. Because what can Tartis possibly do to me, indeed? A big part of me is already dead.
“I’m not scared of Tartis,” I say sternly.
“That’s the spirit!” Wreck exclaims.
I rise to my feet and follow him, my fingers gripping the handle of my trophy knife.
***
My courage wears off as we get closer to the crowd of men with painted faces. They all turn to look at us, their eyes following me, and I slow my stride. I realize I’m the only female here, which makes me feel even more vulnerable and exposed. Wreck lightly pushes me in the back, urging me forward.
“Hold you head high,” he whispers into my ear.
I remember Amethyst taking my hand and whispering instructions, as we were walking out of the water toward Logan and his friend.
The roamers step out of our way, and Wreck and I stroll slowly through the crowd. There are approximately two hundred people here. I stare straight ahead, but know they’re all watching me.
“She’s an outsider!” somebody yells. “Kill her!”
“Shut your hole or I’ll make you very sorry you didn’t!” Wreck shouts so furiously that I shudder. Nobody dares to confront him.
We approach an odd wooden contraption, which resembles a stage. There’s a big chair on top where a middle aged man is seated, holding a rifle across his lap. His uniform is identical to the others, but his face isn’t painted. I have to bite my lip to suppress a nervous laugh because this whole setting seems exaggeratedly dramatic, and the man somehow reminds me of a king. I guess this is exactly how he perceives himself, because his expression appears arrogant and mean. He must be Tartis, the leader of the roamers.
Wreck and I stop in front of the stage, and the crowd forms a large semi-circle around us. I feel cornered again and have to force myself to remain calm. Wreck folds his arms across his chest, eyeing the others carefully.
I notice Maxine amongst the crowd of men, watching us, and her presence somehow makes me feel safer. Our eyes meet for a moment, and she smiles.
“So you’re the girl who caused one of my soldiers to disobey an order,” Tartis says in a low voice.
I don’t know how to answer that, so I simply nod.
“What’s your name?” he asks, glaring at me.
I take his gaze, looking right back into his dark eyes. “Kora.”
“Did you know that only residents of our village are allowed to hunt and walk in these woods? This is our land, any trespassers are to be killed.”
“I’m aware of that,” I answer.
“Then why did you come here?”
I take a deep breath and begin lying. I explain that I wanted to become a ranger so I escaped from my village, killing two guards who got in my way.
“I understand your desire to join our group,” Tartis says after I finish speaking. “But what makes you think we might want you?”
I linger with my answer because I can’t think of a single reason why these roamers should allow me to join them.
“She’s an outsider!” I hear a familiar voice. “We should cut off her head!”
I turn to my right and see a big guy pointing a finger at me. His face isn’t painted so I can make out bruises and his right eye swollen shut.
“Watch your mouth, Ace!” Wreck barks.
“Quiet, boy,” Tartis thunders, and Wreck reluctantly becomes quiet. “As you can see, Kora, my soldiers don’t want you amongst us. So I’ll ask you again, why should we let you become a ranger?”
Ace’s presence along with the other numerous eyes watching me is unbearable. I don’t know what to say, becoming mute. It’s the same reaction I had when facing Gabriel. The skin on my neck begins to crawl.
“Kill her! Kill her!” Ace starts shouting again, and several other roamers join him. Tartis curls his lips into a satisfied smile.
“She must join us because she has a ranger spirit!” Wreck yells, turning to face the crowd. “She’s a strong fighter! Just look what she did to Ace!”
Everybody stares at Ace’s battered face.
“He’s lying!” Ace exclaims.
“Shut up,” Wreck laughs. “You’re just ashamed to admit that a girl beat the hell out of you.”
I know there are a few roamers in the crowd who know exactly what happened, but they remain quiet. I guess they’re not willing to contradict Wreck.
“You shut up!” Ace growls. “Everybody knows why you want to have this girl here. You’re only after one thing!”
Everybody turns their stare to Wreck.
“You’re right,” he states, unfazed. “I’m always about finding good warriors for our gang. Kora will become an excellent soldier. She has more guts than anybody here. I was holding a knife against her throat but she continued fighting. I could barely get ahold of her.”
“You just want to use her for your own personal entertainment!” Ace continues. “And that’s all she’s good for.”
“Careful now,” Wreck says. “You may make her mad, and she’ll beat the hell out of you in front of all these people.”
“Quiet!” Tartis orders.
I suddenly realize that what Ace is saying may actually be true. I look sideways at Wreck as he shakes his head no. I don’t know what to think.
“Why exactly do you want to join our rangers?” Tartis asks me again.
