She was being true to her promise to Birmmah to go visit Aleyna, the mate of Ogadai, who was with child. The woman was young, only about eighteen turnings, the same age she was when she was pregnant with Tug. She could remember back to that time, and how scary it was. She had an advantage though, she had, had Tayco, who was there and very attentive. And right now, she was worried about Ba'atar, and knew the other young woman was also worried about her new mate.
Up early that morning, she had baked fresh bread and packed it in a basket with one of the remaining jars of honey, a crock of fresh butter, and a pouch of the tea that Tarra gave her for her morning sickness, and a jug of freshly squeezed juice that the girls had worked on while she was baking. She thought the treats might lift the young woman's spirits, and having someone closer to her age to talk to, couldn't hurt.
She was definitely into that waddling stage, and Rook teased her about it when she set off. He was going to go with her, but she waved him off, telling him that this would be boring for him, just women talk and gossip. But she did take the boys, children always cheered you up, didn't they? Tug skipped along, talking a passang an ihn, about anything and everything, while Another One toddled beside her, holding onto her skirt. She began to notice just how many people seemed to know Tug, especially women. They would speak to him, he would speak to them, and as they would walk off, Tug would tell her that was a friend of Ba'atar's. Ba'atar seemed to have many friends, especially women friends.
They neared the wagons of Ba'atar's family, Tug grabbed her hand, pointing to a wagon, telling her that was Osieos' wagon, and she just had to meet Osieo. He pulled her along towards the wagon, and the first thing she noticed was that there was quite a group of young women sitting about, working on leather under the watchful eye of an elder man. As the women looked up, they began to laugh, smile and call out greetings to Tug, who they called One. Dropping her hand, he ran right to them, forgetting all about her, and began to revel in the attentions they gave him. She stood there with Another One, a little uncomfortable. Then the unthinkable happened. One of the girls jumped up, came and swept her youngest son up into her arms, calling him.........Ba'tar's son, Another One. What in the name of skies was going on here? She watched her sons disappearing into this gaggle of young women, as she just stood there, with her mouth open, not knowing exactly what to do
Finally the older man came to her and introduced himself as Osieo of the leather workers. Taking a long look at him, she casually said, I see you know the boys. He nodded and said yes, that Ba'atar often brought his sons with him when he came to visit. His sons? The man began to point to each young woman, giving her name, and to be real honest, at this point, she had so many things going on in her head, that there was no way she was going to remember all those names. The man sighed, and said the skies had deemed to bless him with all daughters, and that over the years, he had tried to get Aamon to agree to offer up a son as a mate for each of his daughters. Oh really now? Eventually the man seemed to come to the realization that it was hot out, and that she was very pregnant, and offered for her to sit on the platform of one of his wagons, and rest.
She found herself telling him that she had been on her way to deliver a basket of treats to Aleyna, the mate of Ba'atar's brother Ogadai. The man nodded. Yes, he knew Aleyna, she was his second eldest daughter. She had to resist the urge to roll her eyes at this. It just sort of figured. Tug came over to show her a quiva holder that one of the women was working on, telling her that it was for him, when it was finished, and wasn't it great! Oh yes, it was wonderful. One of the young women finally came and introduced herself to Cana, saying that her name was Dzaya, and was a friend of Yesugei. The man grunted. She is going to be his mate once he comes up with the price. Hmmm, two out of seven, mated to Ba'atar's brothers? Interesting. Evidently, the man had no sense about him, for here he was, pointing to another of his daughter's, who seemed to maybe be the oldest, and telling her that the plan had been for her to mate Ba'atar. Now tell me, what kind of man stands talking to the very pregnant mate of someone, and telling her that this young woman had been the chosen mate for her own mate. Odd people.
The youngest of the bunch became curious and came over to talk to her, asking what was in the basket. She told her of the contents, and the girl smiled with a flash of white teeth and exclaimed that they loved it when Ba'atar brought them some of his honey. Blink. His honey? Tug chimed in, pointing to one of the young women and said that father liked to watch her lick the honey from her fingers. And sometimes she licked it off of his too. She looked down at her son.........Your father feeds the woman honey? Tug nodded, then ran back to the women and began to talk to them like they were his best friends. She tilted her head to look the young woman over, who happened to lift her head, and to be very honest, her breath caught in her throat. The woman had the most amazing blue eyes she had ever seen. A color that was not common among her people.
The man sat there beside her, as they listened to his daughters prattle on about how funny Ba'atar was, how good his voice was, how he teased them, how they enjoyed his visits. No wonder the man had been too damn tired to spend much time with her as of late. He had another herd to tend to. She asked the man..........so, Ba'atar comes here often. The man did not have a chance to answer, one of the women did. Oh yes! He said that coming to visit them relaxed him and made him forget his cares. So, he had cares to forget, and needed relaxation somewhere other than his own wagons? Suddenly, she felt ill.
Handing the basket over to the man, she asked if he would see that Aleyna got it, that she wasn't feeling much like visiting all of the sudden. He nodded, wished her well and got up to return to his work. It seemed like it took her forever to pry her sons out of the greedy grasps of the gaggle of giggling women. Lifting Another One up with a grunt, she settled him on her hip, grabbed Tug's hand and tried to waddle away with as much dignity as she could muster, to the calls of ......come visit again One.......tell your father to come see us when he returns, we miss him. And not one single.......Be well Cana........mate of Ba'atar. Well, bosk dung!
She waddled along, pulling Tug with her, muttering to herself. Gone was the worry she had felt earlier, it has been replaced by anger and hurt. "You better come home soon bosk arse........so I can kill you!"
Up early that morning, she had baked fresh bread and packed it in a basket with one of the remaining jars of honey, a crock of fresh butter, and a pouch of the tea that Tarra gave her for her morning sickness, and a jug of freshly squeezed juice that the girls had worked on while she was baking. She thought the treats might lift the young woman's spirits, and having someone closer to her age to talk to, couldn't hurt.
She was definitely into that waddling stage, and Rook teased her about it when she set off. He was going to go with her, but she waved him off, telling him that this would be boring for him, just women talk and gossip. But she did take the boys, children always cheered you up, didn't they? Tug skipped along, talking a passang an ihn, about anything and everything, while Another One toddled beside her, holding onto her skirt. She began to notice just how many people seemed to know Tug, especially women. They would speak to him, he would speak to them, and as they would walk off, Tug would tell her that was a friend of Ba'atar's. Ba'atar seemed to have many friends, especially women friends.
They neared the wagons of Ba'atar's family, Tug grabbed her hand, pointing to a wagon, telling her that was Osieos' wagon, and she just had to meet Osieo. He pulled her along towards the wagon, and the first thing she noticed was that there was quite a group of young women sitting about, working on leather under the watchful eye of an elder man. As the women looked up, they began to laugh, smile and call out greetings to Tug, who they called One. Dropping her hand, he ran right to them, forgetting all about her, and began to revel in the attentions they gave him. She stood there with Another One, a little uncomfortable. Then the unthinkable happened. One of the girls jumped up, came and swept her youngest son up into her arms, calling him.........Ba'tar's son, Another One. What in the name of skies was going on here? She watched her sons disappearing into this gaggle of young women, as she just stood there, with her mouth open, not knowing exactly what to do
Finally the older man came to her and introduced himself as Osieo of the leather workers. Taking a long look at him, she casually said, I see you know the boys. He nodded and said yes, that Ba'atar often brought his sons with him when he came to visit. His sons? The man began to point to each young woman, giving her name, and to be real honest, at this point, she had so many things going on in her head, that there was no way she was going to remember all those names. The man sighed, and said the skies had deemed to bless him with all daughters, and that over the years, he had tried to get Aamon to agree to offer up a son as a mate for each of his daughters. Oh really now? Eventually the man seemed to come to the realization that it was hot out, and that she was very pregnant, and offered for her to sit on the platform of one of his wagons, and rest.
She found herself telling him that she had been on her way to deliver a basket of treats to Aleyna, the mate of Ba'atar's brother Ogadai. The man nodded. Yes, he knew Aleyna, she was his second eldest daughter. She had to resist the urge to roll her eyes at this. It just sort of figured. Tug came over to show her a quiva holder that one of the women was working on, telling her that it was for him, when it was finished, and wasn't it great! Oh yes, it was wonderful. One of the young women finally came and introduced herself to Cana, saying that her name was Dzaya, and was a friend of Yesugei. The man grunted. She is going to be his mate once he comes up with the price. Hmmm, two out of seven, mated to Ba'atar's brothers? Interesting. Evidently, the man had no sense about him, for here he was, pointing to another of his daughter's, who seemed to maybe be the oldest, and telling her that the plan had been for her to mate Ba'atar. Now tell me, what kind of man stands talking to the very pregnant mate of someone, and telling her that this young woman had been the chosen mate for her own mate. Odd people.
The youngest of the bunch became curious and came over to talk to her, asking what was in the basket. She told her of the contents, and the girl smiled with a flash of white teeth and exclaimed that they loved it when Ba'atar brought them some of his honey. Blink. His honey? Tug chimed in, pointing to one of the young women and said that father liked to watch her lick the honey from her fingers. And sometimes she licked it off of his too. She looked down at her son.........Your father feeds the woman honey? Tug nodded, then ran back to the women and began to talk to them like they were his best friends. She tilted her head to look the young woman over, who happened to lift her head, and to be very honest, her breath caught in her throat. The woman had the most amazing blue eyes she had ever seen. A color that was not common among her people.
The man sat there beside her, as they listened to his daughters prattle on about how funny Ba'atar was, how good his voice was, how he teased them, how they enjoyed his visits. No wonder the man had been too damn tired to spend much time with her as of late. He had another herd to tend to. She asked the man..........so, Ba'atar comes here often. The man did not have a chance to answer, one of the women did. Oh yes! He said that coming to visit them relaxed him and made him forget his cares. So, he had cares to forget, and needed relaxation somewhere other than his own wagons? Suddenly, she felt ill.
Handing the basket over to the man, she asked if he would see that Aleyna got it, that she wasn't feeling much like visiting all of the sudden. He nodded, wished her well and got up to return to his work. It seemed like it took her forever to pry her sons out of the greedy grasps of the gaggle of giggling women. Lifting Another One up with a grunt, she settled him on her hip, grabbed Tug's hand and tried to waddle away with as much dignity as she could muster, to the calls of ......come visit again One.......tell your father to come see us when he returns, we miss him. And not one single.......Be well Cana........mate of Ba'atar. Well, bosk dung!
She waddled along, pulling Tug with her, muttering to herself. Gone was the worry she had felt earlier, it has been replaced by anger and hurt. "You better come home soon bosk arse........so I can kill you!"
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