Free The Gift of Knowledge (The Gifts Book 2) by Jen Gentry Page B

We’ve never actually seen a woman with red hair such as yours before. It’s a shock, you see.”
        “Why is that?” Emily asked.
        “Because of the legends of the great red-haired kings of the ancient ones.”
        “What legends?” Her curiosity could not be contained.
        “Oh Miss, it is not wise to speak of the dead. Not like this. You will have to wait until a time when the legends can be revealed in reverence to them.”
         “And when would that be?” Emily tried to get Mari to tell her, but the woman waved her away.
         “I’ll let you know when the time is right, Miss.” With that Mari went back to cooking, clearly dismissing Emily.
         Back at her tent, Emily passed a cup of coffee to a grateful Phoebe.
         “Thanks. You know, I feel like I owe you another apology. What I said yesterday to Anke about you was just plain wrong. I do hope you’ll forgive me, again. I promise I’ll not be talking about you like that anymore. Besides, I want you to know you’ve really gained the respect of the entire team. You’ve been a real trooper. That was a mean trip yesterday. You handled it really well.”
         “Hmmm, let’s see. I’ll tell you what. You take me to the waterfall and loan me some soap and a towel and we’ll call it even. OK?” Emily was glad Phoebe understood how hard she was trying to fit in and that she apologized for her not so nice comments to Anke. She was willing to let it go, as she really needed Phoebe’s help if she was going to survive out here.
     
     
         The trek to the waterfall was thankfully short. Phoebe showed Emily a well-worn path alongside the stream that ran next to the camp. The waterfall was secluded but could be heard before it was seen. Emily took some pictures of it with her cell phone. It was a scenic and serene spot that took her breath away.
         The waterfall was a small drop of about twenty feet. In a clearing next to the waterfall stood a small structure with a kind of vinyl barrel atop it. Phoebe explained that the barrel was for catching rainwater that was treated with iodine for the express purpose of showering. Not one to be shy, Phoebe stripped down and dashed into the shower area, quickly pulling on the rope that released water from the barrel. Emily, a little more modest, left her underclothes on.
     
          Phoebe shook her head at Emily. “You’re gonna want to keep your clothes as dry as possible. It stays really humid here in the rainforest. If you keep your skin damp it’ll break down, and all kinds of nasty fungus and infections will set in.”
        “Oh, well in that case.” Emily stripped down and said a silent prayer that no one besides Phoebe could see her. She quickly cleaned off under the cool water. The shower felt good, and afterwards, as she dried off, Emily felt rejuvenated.
         While the two of them dried off on the bank of the stream, Phoebe explained their soap was all natural with no dyes or detergents. The team had to be very careful about what they brought into the ecosystem here. Everything they brought in with them would need to be carried out, including any trash they collected. She put on fresh khakis and clean socks with her hiking boots then braided her still damp hair.
         The two women made it back to camp just as everyone was sitting down to a breakfast of oatmeal and pan fried biscuits. Emily’s stomach rumbled, as she set down at a bench next to Ethan with her bowl.
         “I see you found the shower by the waterfall,” Ethan said with a smile and Emily blushed down to her toes.
         “Yes,” she said barely audible.
         “Don’t worry. We all avoid the waterfall in the mornings out of deference to Phoebe and now you. But you should be careful. I don’t want you going there without Phoebe with you. You have to watch for snakes and other wildlife, OK?”
         “Snakes? Oh, I didn’t think of that.” Emily