The days had been long, and she had been very busy. With the specter of spring right around the corner, a lot of her time had been spent on seeing to her wagons, then there was also the foaling season of the spring foals. Careful breeding helped to make sure they were born early enough to have some strength in their legs before the long trek back south came about.
Finally, her day had ended. Rook walked beside her as she approached the fires, his steps almost as tired as hers' were. Blackwine in hand, she settled to her usual pile of furs by the fire, watching Polunu who seemed to be deep in thought. She did not disturb him, figuring that he would speak when he was ready, and that is how it went. The usual pleasantries were exchanged, the inquiries as to each others health and so forth, then his brow furrowed and he told her that he was looking for something, and asked how he would go about getting a kaiila.
She had laughed at this, and informed him that the best route to that was to charm his nearby kaiila breeder. He then looked her in the eyes and said that he did not just need a kaiila, he needed a black kaiila. She did allow that she had several of that color, that was when he clarified that there was more. He needed, not only a black kaiila, but one with one blue eye and one white eye. This stopped her right in her tracks, and a chill went down the length of her spine. Did he know? Had he seen the beast she had brought in, or heard about it. For the longest time she simply sat, studying his face, before she asked why he needed a beast with those exact specifications.
At first he seemed reluctant to tell her, but finally said that it was part of a bride price. Well, now this did surprise her. Mister "I Will Never Take a Mater" was trying to come up with a bride price? That still did not make her want to relinquish the beast that she had already grown so fond of, but she did ask to whom was this price to be paid? What he said, made that chill run its way back up her spine. Fonce.
Now, probably had he said anyone else, she would have simply wished him luck. But, on the day she had found Ciegue, there was something in the back of her head that told her he was special, that he was not just a kaiila. Again she studied Polunu, then sat her blackwine aside and lifted to her feet. "I have just such a beast." The look he gave her was one of astonishment, but edged with just a bit of excitement. She bid him to follow her to the pens.
On the walk, she told him of the animal, how she had found him, the entire tale. He still seemed a little shocked, and maybe even unsure if what she had was what he needed. As he stood by the fence of the segregation pen, holding a torch, she went into the shadows to get Ciegue, coaxing him gently to the fence. The look on the salt man's face was actually priceless when he saw that this was exactly what he was looking for. Her heart actually sunk a bit, because there was that niggling hope that he would refuse the animal, but she knew he wouldn't. For some reason, whether deemed by fates, or the skies, or whatever, she was meant to find this particular kaiila and bring it into camp. She was part of the animal's destiny, and now it was time for him to leave her, and fulfill the rest of his destiny.
A price was stated. Two weights of salt, five bosk, and a favor from Fonce. Ok, she threw that last one in, hoping that Polunu would fall for it, but he was not quite that out of his mind. He told her that he could not be making favors in the name of another, that she would have to ask Fonce for that herself. Well……she had tried. She told him that she had grown very fond of the animal, and was loathe to let him go. He asked her then, if she was so attached, why she would let him go?
It was hard for her to explain, but she tried. Seldom did Fonce ask anything of anyone. He was one of the most independent people that she knew, and he was not self-serving to her knowledge. If he asked for a particular animal, there was a reason, and knowing him, it was a good reason. He was Ubar, she was but a woman. In what way could she set her want of the animal, above that of the Ubar? Besides, from the moment she had seen the animal, she had known he was special.
Polunu agreed to the price, and she would hold the kaiila in the pens for Fonce to look at, so he could decide if, yes, this was the animal he wanted, or needed. And so it was done.
They parted their ways, but not before she tried to wheedle out of the salt man the name of the woman that had captured his heart to the point he was going to let her win a wager! Now what was that he had said?...
Cana, you're killing me.
She had to laugh at that. But in all honesty, she was pleased to know that there was someone for him. Since the death of the potter, she had worried about him, but on this night she had seen much of the former Salt Ubar, and this lightened her own heart.
It was lying in her furs later, that she thought back on Ciegue, then allowed her thoughts to wander to MistRunner. Where they were now, was very close to the point where she had first seen MistRunner, the kaiila that was now Tarra's. She had seen him standing on the far side of the stream, shrouded in an early spring mist one night. The moment she saw him, she knew that he was the one to replace the older beast that Tarra had, that had reached the end of his days. Fate. Destiny. Why can animals not have it the same as people?
Now, consider all of this. Was there somewhere around here a herd that was comprised of special beasts? Makes you think, now does it not?
Finally, her day had ended. Rook walked beside her as she approached the fires, his steps almost as tired as hers' were. Blackwine in hand, she settled to her usual pile of furs by the fire, watching Polunu who seemed to be deep in thought. She did not disturb him, figuring that he would speak when he was ready, and that is how it went. The usual pleasantries were exchanged, the inquiries as to each others health and so forth, then his brow furrowed and he told her that he was looking for something, and asked how he would go about getting a kaiila.
She had laughed at this, and informed him that the best route to that was to charm his nearby kaiila breeder. He then looked her in the eyes and said that he did not just need a kaiila, he needed a black kaiila. She did allow that she had several of that color, that was when he clarified that there was more. He needed, not only a black kaiila, but one with one blue eye and one white eye. This stopped her right in her tracks, and a chill went down the length of her spine. Did he know? Had he seen the beast she had brought in, or heard about it. For the longest time she simply sat, studying his face, before she asked why he needed a beast with those exact specifications.
At first he seemed reluctant to tell her, but finally said that it was part of a bride price. Well, now this did surprise her. Mister "I Will Never Take a Mater" was trying to come up with a bride price? That still did not make her want to relinquish the beast that she had already grown so fond of, but she did ask to whom was this price to be paid? What he said, made that chill run its way back up her spine. Fonce.
Now, probably had he said anyone else, she would have simply wished him luck. But, on the day she had found Ciegue, there was something in the back of her head that told her he was special, that he was not just a kaiila. Again she studied Polunu, then sat her blackwine aside and lifted to her feet. "I have just such a beast." The look he gave her was one of astonishment, but edged with just a bit of excitement. She bid him to follow her to the pens.
On the walk, she told him of the animal, how she had found him, the entire tale. He still seemed a little shocked, and maybe even unsure if what she had was what he needed. As he stood by the fence of the segregation pen, holding a torch, she went into the shadows to get Ciegue, coaxing him gently to the fence. The look on the salt man's face was actually priceless when he saw that this was exactly what he was looking for. Her heart actually sunk a bit, because there was that niggling hope that he would refuse the animal, but she knew he wouldn't. For some reason, whether deemed by fates, or the skies, or whatever, she was meant to find this particular kaiila and bring it into camp. She was part of the animal's destiny, and now it was time for him to leave her, and fulfill the rest of his destiny.
A price was stated. Two weights of salt, five bosk, and a favor from Fonce. Ok, she threw that last one in, hoping that Polunu would fall for it, but he was not quite that out of his mind. He told her that he could not be making favors in the name of another, that she would have to ask Fonce for that herself. Well……she had tried. She told him that she had grown very fond of the animal, and was loathe to let him go. He asked her then, if she was so attached, why she would let him go?
It was hard for her to explain, but she tried. Seldom did Fonce ask anything of anyone. He was one of the most independent people that she knew, and he was not self-serving to her knowledge. If he asked for a particular animal, there was a reason, and knowing him, it was a good reason. He was Ubar, she was but a woman. In what way could she set her want of the animal, above that of the Ubar? Besides, from the moment she had seen the animal, she had known he was special.
Polunu agreed to the price, and she would hold the kaiila in the pens for Fonce to look at, so he could decide if, yes, this was the animal he wanted, or needed. And so it was done.
They parted their ways, but not before she tried to wheedle out of the salt man the name of the woman that had captured his heart to the point he was going to let her win a wager! Now what was that he had said?...
Cana, you're killing me.
She had to laugh at that. But in all honesty, she was pleased to know that there was someone for him. Since the death of the potter, she had worried about him, but on this night she had seen much of the former Salt Ubar, and this lightened her own heart.
It was lying in her furs later, that she thought back on Ciegue, then allowed her thoughts to wander to MistRunner. Where they were now, was very close to the point where she had first seen MistRunner, the kaiila that was now Tarra's. She had seen him standing on the far side of the stream, shrouded in an early spring mist one night. The moment she saw him, she knew that he was the one to replace the older beast that Tarra had, that had reached the end of his days. Fate. Destiny. Why can animals not have it the same as people?
Now, consider all of this. Was there somewhere around here a herd that was comprised of special beasts? Makes you think, now does it not?
No comments:
Post a Comment