Warriors' Providence (Cadi Warriors Book 2)(69)

"No you were just fine." Dagaa reassured her.

"Good. Hey, I feel kinda funny." Providence's eyes lolled.

Madhava scooped up his little mate and took her home where they tucked her into bed despite her insistence she wasn't sleepy.

"I'm glad things weren't any worse than what they were." Dagaa sighed.

"Agreed!" Madhava nearly growled. It had been bad enough.

Dagaa sat on the sofa next to Madhava passing him a cup of vinum. They both needed a stiff drink after the day they'd had.



Dagaa

"More shopping." Providence groaned as they finished up a late breakfast.

"We need a new bed and stuff to go with it." Dagaa nudged Providence playfully.

"One we can all share." Madhava winked at her.

Dagaa grinned. He was seeing a side of his friend he didn't know existed and liked it. Dagaa thought back to a year ago when he and Madhava were on opposite sides. Never in a million years had he foreseen this. The Goddess Kali worked in mysterious and amazing ways.

"Well I suppose a new bed would be nice, since someone is like an octopus when he sleeps." Providence looked pointedly at Dagaa.

"I have no idea what an octopus is." Dagaa smirked.

"It's a sea creature with eight tentacle arms that latch onto you with little suckers." Providence wiggled her finger as she waved her arms grabbing at him.

Dagaa did move a lot in his sleep and generally awoke wrapped around Providence.

Madhava laughed while Dagaa feigned offense.



They walked down the main thoroughfare in the market district, and Dagaa noted how many people stared and pointed their way. The street seemed even busier than before they went into the shop and ordered their new bed.

"What is going on?" Madhava asked noticing the same thing Dagaa had.

"It's her." Dagaa heard one young couple say as they stopped to stare at Providence.

Providence smiled and nodded to them before turning to look at some necklaces in a stall nearby.

"I don't know." Dagaa frowned.

Dagaa was used to anonymity when he went out. Most of the people seemed way too curious about Providence which made him uncomfortable.

"Do you think it's because she's human?" Madhava asked.

Dagaa shrugged.

"Petra that is the human female from the news feeds." A female with her teenage daughter said as they exited the store next door.

Dagaa wanted to groan. Apparently Providence had shown up on the news, unbeknownst to them.

"See Petra, you are far from ugly or a freak, my sweet child. Look how pale she is, and she has two bonded warriors." Dagaa overheard the mother say as they stared at Providence.

The female's daughter had a rare condition that made her pale, not the ruddy tone of their people, more pink like Providence. The girl's hair and eyes were a pale gray. The young pale female shyly smiled as Providence turned and noticed them.

Providence waved and gave them with a kind smile, as she had done with several other people that seemed interested, and then turned back to intently study a colorful scarf.

"Do you want the scarf?" Dagaa asked as he came up behind her.

"No. Hey can we go home. It's really starting to get crowded and I'm kinda weirded out with all the people staring."

"Agreed!" Madhava said quickly.

The crowd was starting to make the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. They were going to get mid-meal out, but going home seemed like the wiser option. Madhava and Dagaa flanked Providence as they attempted to move through the crowded street, filled with whispering and pointing individuals. Although the people seemed more curious than aggressive, the last thing they needed were the anti-foreigners gathering.



Once back home Dagaa went to the main house to let Kagan know they were expecting a large delivery.

"Have you seen this?" Kagan asked when Dagaa entered his sitting room.

"No. Ah crap." Dagaa said as he looked up to see the image of himself, Madhava and Providence on the vid screen. "I had no idea the male was recording yesterday."

After the crowd at the market Dagaa had figured out Providence's picture had flashed on the news, but not the entire event.

"Well he was. But it looks like it was a good thing. What Providence shared appears to have people swayed in our favor. Even those that sympathize with the protesters are condemning the treatment of our females."

"Good." Dagaa sighed in relief.

He looked at the screen showing little Providence as she solemnly said, with such sad eyes, that she couldn't help being 'different'. Who couldn't be swayed by such a sweet, poignant plea?

"Apparently she already has a fan club."

"Yeah, I kind of noticed when we went to the market district." Dagaa groaned. "That's all we need. Now we'll have fanatics scaling the wall for a completely different reason."