"So, just let me do the talking for now," Renna explained, and I nodded.
There wasn't much I had to say at this point; I was just trying to absorb everything. As far as I could tell, there weren't any men here, and I kept trying to reason out why that was.
"Yeah, I feel a bit at a loss for words right now. I'll just wait until I can talk to your village leaders," I said as we walked into the village.
I could see women working in the fields, some washing clothes at a nearby river, and two walking hand-in-hand like a couple. Two women loving each other wasn't strange, but a village composed entirely of them was.
"Renna, where did you find this one?" A taller, more muscular woman with sandy brown hair and a stern face asked, stepping directly into our path.
"Back off, Cindy! I found her in the forest, and now I am taking her to see the council," Renna said, but Cindy narrowed her eyes.
Before I could process it, my body reacted on instinct. My hand snapped out, catching the bigger woman by the wrist just as she swung at Renna. Yanking her arm outward, I used my free hand to drive pressure into the back of her shoulder, slamming Cindy face-first onto the ground.
"I'm not quite sure how you do things around here, but I am not impressed with your attitude or your actions," I growled.
Just who did this woman think she was? She was about to strike Renna without any warning.
"Who is this monster?!" Cindy screamed from the dirt, attracting a crowd of onlookers.
"If you act civilized, I will let you up. If you try to strike me again, you'll be right back down here licking dirt. Do you understand?" I said, easing the pressure off her shoulder.
I slowly stood up and looked around. The surrounding women stared at me in shock, which was no surprise. What was strange was that none of them looked afraid of my actions.
"Well now, this is interesting," an older woman said, stepping out from the gathering crowd with two younger women following close behind her.
"I am sorry, Elder Lily! I found this person in the forest!" Renna apologized, bowing her head quickly to the elder.
"This is not her fault. Cindy, the woman I put down, openly attacked Renna without provocation. Renna couldn't defend herself in time, so I took it upon myself to stop the fight before someone was seriously hurt," I explained, and Elder Lily gave me a slow nod.
"That doesn't surprise me, but your strength certainly does. If you don't mind, I would like to speak with you in private," Elder Lily requested.
"Sure, but I have one condition," I replied.
"And that is?"
"That Renna accompanies me. I have no memories other than waking up in the forest, and she is the first person I met. I don't think this one over here"—I pointed down at Cindy, who was scowling at me—"is the type to let sleeping dogs lie. So it's a mix of my own selfish desire and concern for Renna's safety," I explained, and Elder Lily nodded in agreement.
"I approve. Let us go," Elder Lily said, turning to walk away, but Cindy clearly wasn't satisfied with the outcome.
"Are you not going to punish this person?!" Cindy yelled after her.
Elder Lily turned her gaze back to Cindy, her eyes ice cold. Even I could feel the sharp dislike in her look.
"You are no longer the strongest person in this village. I suggest you learn to watch your tongue. Or have you forgotten how terribly you've treated everyone here?" Elder Lily asked, causing Cindy to flinch back.
The other women turned away from Cindy and began dispersing, murmuring among themselves about how much better off they were and airing past grievances. I could tell Cindy was going through something rough, but I didn't want her to just run off angry.
While this village seemed pleasant, I assumed there was a much bigger world out there to explore. I also needed to figure out why I was here, since I clearly didn't fit in. On top of everything else, everyone kept referring to me as a woman, which was plain wrong.
I sighed as Renna fell into step beside me.
"I hope she's okay," Renna murmured softly.
I looked over at her in surprise as we followed the Elder. Renna was the last person I expected to feel sympathy for someone who had just tried to hurt her. Then again, maybe there was more to it. Renna was definitely a unique soul compared to the others I'd met so far.
"I will try talking to her after we're done here, but I have to ask: why do you care? Is she related to you?" I asked as we approached one of the larger tents.
"Cindy wasn't always like this," Renna explained gently. "Her partner left a few months ago to travel and see the world. She's been angry ever since, and she refuses to listen to anyone, not even Lily."
"You're a very kind person," I said, turning to her. "The rest of your people turned their backs on her instantly, but you're acting like a real friend, even after she almost hurt you. I respect that. I'll go check on her after this. Now, let's head inside."
I pulled back the tent flap to let Renna pass through. She paused, standing there waiting for me to go first, until I gestured for her to move ahead. She practically jumped forward in surprise.
What is with the customs here?
"Thank you. Normally, people don't do things like that for others," Renna said quietly.
I nodded, following her inside.