Chapter Text
The next morning, as the Dora began to stream out of their dormitory chatting energetically, they suddenly saw a stoic figure standing at the end of the walkway. His feet were planted spread apart and his arms were folded against his blue tunic. Although he was not smiling, a pleasant look graced his handsome face.
Coming to an abrupt halt, the women greeted the man in unison.
“Good morning, White Wolf.”
“Good morning, cadets,” Bucky replied with a grin. “Do you have the King’s detail today?”
“We do,” most of them replied.
“Good. Then he is in capable hands. Carry on,” he remarked.
The Dora gave Bucky the one-armed Wakandan salute and continued on their way. He knew that a number of them had been assigned to escort King T’Challa to a summit in Paris, France that day, but not the cadet who he was waiting to see.
After a few moments, more cadets exited the dormitory, and the corners of Bucky’s mouth turned up ever so slightly when he saw one in particular. In the center of the group, Yama walked and chatted with her sister guards. When the group saw the soldier, they all stopped in their tracks.
“Morning, cadets,” he greeted them.
“Good morning, White Wolf,” they all replied and gave him the one-armed salute.
“Yama, may I speak to you?” he asked hopefully as he unfolded his arms and clasped this hands behind his back.
The novice looked at the other guards who all nodded at her before she turned to the soldier and stepped closer to him.
“How may I assist you, White Wolf?” the young Dora asked timidly.
“Please call me ‘Bucky,’” he insisted. “I understand that you’re not on the King’s security detail, so…I was wondering if you could accompany me today.”
The young Dora was quiet for a moment.
“‘Accompany’ you? Respectfully, I have training this morning, White…I mean ‘Bah-key.’” The name felt strange in her mouth.
“Yeah, I got you out of that,” the soldier said with a smile and the shrug of his shoulders. “So, how about we go for a stroll?”
“A stroll?” she asked.
“Yeah. How about we walk beyond the Palace through Birnin Zana and get to know each other?”
“You want to walk through the ‘Golden City’ and talk?” Yama wondered curiously.
“Yes. Why do you repeat everything?” he queried.
“I hadn’t noticed that I do,” she admitted.
“No worries. Would you please join me?” asked Bucky hopefully.
“…I suppose…of course…,” Yama said and kept pace with his casual stride.
After a few moments of silence, Bucky smiled at this companion and asked, “I thought a walk would be nice. Isn’t it nice?”
The nervous novice offered a demure smile in return and agreed, “Yes. This is pleasant.”
“Good!” Bucky beamed, pleased with Yama’s response. After a pause, he wondered, “So…what tribe are you from?”
“I’m from the Merchant tribe,” she informed him proudly.
“Oh, are you?” he remarked with surprise.
“Yes. My family has a few shops in Birnin Zana. In fact, this is my sister’s shop right here,” she explained as she pointed to the entrance of a jewelry shop.
Gazing into the front window, Bucky saw tables covered with short racks on which beaded necklaces were displayed along with bangles and earrings. As he stepped through the entrance, he nodded at two young women who turned to glance at him.
Just then, a tall young woman in a long purple dress and veil approached him and bowed her head.
“White Wolf, it is an honor to welcome you here.”
“White Wolf…uh…‘Bah-key’…this is my sister, Ina.”
“Ina? What a lovely name. I’m pleased to meet you,” the soldier replied with a broad smile, curious about the veil. “Your sister Yama is graciously accompanying me around the capital city today. She’s a pleasant tour guide.”
Looking around the shop, he asked, “Did you create all the jewelry yourself?”
“Yes. My sisters and I design and create everything you see.”
“Your family is quite artistic,” the impressed soldier remarked. Turning to Yama, he noted, “So, you have skills and talent.”
Turning once again to the shop owner, Bucky stated, “Your sister is becoming a great asset to the Dora Milaje.”
“It is an honor for a family to have a daughter serve with the Dora. Yama has made us proud,” her sister declared from behind her veil.
“I have witnessed your sister in combat and have heard nothing but great things from her superiors. You have every right to be proud of her,” the soldier confirmed.
Blushing, the novice replied, “It is my duty to serve Wakanda.”
“And mine as well,” Bucky agreed. Turning once again to her sister, he said, “It was a pleasure to meet you, Ina. You have customers, so we won’t detain you any longer.”
“The pleasure is mine, White Wolf,” she said with a nod.
As Bucky and Yama stepped back into the street, the soldier could not help but ask, “What’s with the veil?”
“As a matter of practice, members of the Merchant Tribe wear a veil during a transaction to maintain anonymity,” she informed him.
“Sort of a ‘good faith’ kind of thing?” he queried.
“Yes, you could say that,” the novice agreed.
“Hmm…” he replied and gave it some thought.
After a few moments, Yama asked, “So, what does it mean – ‘Bah-key’?”
“It’s a nickname – short for my middle name, Buchanan.” Noticing the look of confusion on her face, he continued, “James Buchanan was an American president. My parents respected him, I guess – enough to name me after him. Buchanan…‘Bucky’…get it?”
She did not, but she looked up at him and smiled anyway to be agreeable.
As the two continued their slow stride, citizens occasionally nodded at Bucky and gave him the Wakandan salute, which did not escape the novice’s notice.
“The people of Wakanda owe you a great debt, ‘Bah-key.”
Stopping abruptly, he replied, “I literally owe Wakanda my life. If it weren’t for King T’Challa and Princess Shuri, I’d still be on the run in eastern Europe and open to mind control. I owe your country so much and would defend it to my last breath.”
The young Dora smiled having no doubt that this was true.
Walking again, the two were quiet for a time before Yama wondered, “May I ask, have you moved to quarters within the palace?”
“I’ve been given quarters just outside the palace to use when I work closely with Princess Shuri or Lieutenant Ayo. Otherwise, I stay in my hut with the Border Tribe.”
“Do you like it there – with the Border Tribe, I mean?”
“I love my hut,” he said proudly. “It’s so peaceful there. It’s where I recovered after Princess Shuri deprogrammed me. The children come by to play, and a few of the women insist that they cook for me. I’m well taken care of and have the chance to center myself and clear my head.”
The novice looked up at him and smiled sweetly.
“One day, I’d love to show you my goats,” the soldier boasted.
Yama placed her left hand on her stomach, tossed her head back, and laughed.
“I have three goats. The littlest one is named ‘Billy,’ and he’s a handful – always getting into trouble,” the proud herdsman declared.
“I think you’re up to the challenge,” his companion assured him.
Finding that they had looped around and were headed back to the dormitory, Bucky became eager. As they stood in front of the building, the soldier turned to face the novice to his left.
Clasping his hands once again behind his back, Bucky confessed, “I enjoyed our walk today. May I see you again tomorrow?”
“I would like that very much, ‘Bah-key,’ but I have training most of the day, and since I missed training today…”
“Oh, so I’m corrupting you, am I – leading you astray?” he joked.
Blushing, Yama replied, “Those are your words, Sergeant – not mine. However, if I don’t pass my training, I will not become a full-fledged Dora. You wouldn’t want me to disgrace my family and disappoint General Okoye, would you?”
“No, I suppose not,” Bucky pondered. “So, how about the day after?”
Laughing, the novice asked, “You don’t take ‘no’ for an answer, do you?”
The soldier smiled and quipped, “Not if I can help it. See you the day after tomorrow?”
“I suppose,” she relented. “…After training.”
“The day after tomorrow it is, then!” Bucky chirped. Raising his right hand, he extended his index finger and waggled it in the air as he began to shuffle his feet to and fro.
Confused, Yama wondered, “What are you doing?”
“That’s my trucking finger,” he informed her as he turned toward the palace.
“‘Trucking?’” the puzzled novice asked.
“You’re repeating things again,” he informed her. As he slowly continued on his way, he began to hum his favorite song, “Stompin’ at the Savoy” by the Benny Goodman Orchestra. “See you in 2 days!” he called over his shoulder.
The novice grinned as she watched the dancing soldier head toward his quarters.
“What a fascinating man,” she said to herself and then turned to enter the dormitory.
The End