Just Boots

She had dropped down into her furs, not understanding why she was so tired but she was. She had almost dozed off when her eyes flew open. "Skies, the boots" She pulled up from the furs, got dressed and went out to rouse juneau to help her. They searched the storage wagons until she found the trove of out of season clothing, things that the boys had either grown out of, or had not grown into yet. Digging through all of this, she finally found them, the boots.

Holding her's up, she had to smile. They were so old, and so worn that her toes had rubbed the leather thin in some places, and the soles no longer protected against the rain when it came, but she just could not part with them. These boot were special to her. They carried her mother for many pasang, and after her death, she had taken them, stored them away until they fit her feet.

She has walked many a step in these boots. These were the boots she had worn on the migration, when Tayco had become angry with her over the birthing of Luck, and chained her to Ephrim's wagon, making her walk with the slave. For over a full hand, she had walked in these boots, her chin lifted high in defiance. These were the boots she had been wearing when Fonce had lifted his lance to slay the pregnant mare, and she had stepped between him and that lance. These were the boots she had worn when she had stood by the pyre of Tayco. The ones that had shod her feet as she walked the confines of her wagon, singing softy to One when he could not sleep.

Yes, these boots meant much to her. Lifting them to her face, she can smell the dung, the dirt, the sweat that were as much a part of the old worn boots as the leather.

The pair of Ba'atar's that she finally found, were were just as worn, and down at the heels. She sat for a time wondering what tales they could tell if they could talk? Was he wearing these when he earned his first scar? How many nights on patrol had he worn these boots? Even they held his scent to them, just as much as the held the scent of the dusty plains. Funny thing about a good pair of boots, even when they are worn, they are still much like an old friend.

Giving the boots to juneau, she instructed her to go to the leather worker's wagons, then find the wagon of StormHawk . To not just leave them on the platform, but to wait until the woman was there. Even if she was asleep, sleep there until she wakened. Give her the boots, but make sure the woman understood that they were to be returned when she finished with them. The girl looked at her oddly, but she would never disobey this woman, not ever, so she scooted off like something was chasing her. Standing there she laughed. She had no idea that girl was that fast.