Chapter 8: Welcome to the Jungle (1)
Nova raised her hands up in a gesture of surrender, meaning no harm. She was the one surrounded by tribesmen, and they had every good reason to kill her. She was on their land. But, if she promised to leave, surely they would let her? Here was hoping.
Everyone's attention was on her, and their chatter, laughter and joyful expressions dropped. It was silent except for the distant call of other animals in the forest, a few bird chirps, and the soft breeze rustling through the leaves.
Two men dangled from a branch nearby, each using one hand to hold on as they sniffed the air in her direction. Others were the same, and some were even hanging upside down by their feet, tilting their heads around to see Nova properly at a normal angle; their braids hung loosely. Children were scooped up and naturally put on their mother's backs protectively.
The capuchins leapt from one branch to another, all beginning to chirp and grunt and bark in Nova's direction, their agitation growing as they assessed her.
A man, shorter in stature than Nova, landed gracefully in front of her, his shoulders rounded, hunching forward slightly, his hair a magnificent white, long and in two braids on either side of him. His skin was slightly lighter than others, and his dark eyes were slightly milky, going blind. He looked old and wise, wrinkles framing his features, yet he moved with grace, barefoot, using a staff for his leadership position more than a walking stick.
"Who are you, girl?" He asked. Four men slightly taller than him yet still shorter than she landed by him, acting as guards, proudly standing tall, their chests inflating, clearly assessing her. A baby capuchin hopped down, hanging from a branch nearby and grabbed at her dress, chirping as its interest grew.
Nova looked back at the leader, trying not to shift on her feet uncomfortably under everyone's piercing stares and the monkey's growing interest. She was overly aware that this man spoke to her in their mother tongue, a language she never learned but could suddenly understand.
"Pale face," a few whispered. They were slowly inching closer, crawling along the tree branches. Nova noted that they were all rather on the smaller side, even the men. They had to be ranging from 5ft to 5 ft6.
"I am Nova. Please, I am only trying to make my way home." As the unfamiliar words left her lips, foreign on her tongue, she could see they understood her.
Nova couldn't explain or understand it. But she wouldn't complain or think too hard on it when so much about this day or night or whatever time it was right now, was so incredibly twisted and confusing. Right now, all that mattered was that they understood her and that she could communicate with them.
"And where is home? You do not belong here." His lips pulled back slightly at his stern words, almost in warning. Those eyes flashed red, making Nova's heart stop and kickstart into a rapid beat. It happened so quickly that she convinced herself it was a trick of lighting.