Is a Tuchuk by Any Other Name, Not as Sweet?

There had been many visitors over the past few days. Some welcome, some expected and some surprising. Some came out of true concern for her and the babies, other came simply because they love newborn babies, the innocence of them, the beauty of that innocence. And there were many that simply came out of curiosity, to see if the rumors were true and the Ubar had two new daughters. Evidently there was quite a buzz going through camp about that. Wagers won and lost. Some paid off with a hint of humor, others with a grumble. Such was life among the Tuchuk.



One of the first questions that most asked, was........What are their names? Well bosk dung! They have no names yet. Why was it so important that they have names? They do not ask that of male children, but for some reason it seemed almost imperative that the two tiny girls be laden down by names. Now, she did have a few chasing each other around in her mind, but she needed guidance. She had hoped to get that guidance from Fonce, but they were interrupted before they could talk about it, and that was okay too, because she just did not see the immediacy of giving them their names until she could pick out the perfect ones. Or one rather. Ba'atar told her she was to name the first daughter, and he would name the second. That was almost scary. If the truth were known, she had a name that she favored, but as of yet she had not told anyone.



Birmmah had shown up that second day, just as Ba'atar had promised that she would. There is not a commander among their people that can hold a candle to that woman when it comes to being in charge. Inwardly she groans watching the woman rearrange everything. It would take her days to get it back to the way she found comfortable, but you just did not argue with the woman. It took too my energy,and it never amounted to one iota of difference. The fortunate thing about having just given birth, was that she could feign fatigue and escape to her wagon for some quiet.



Hallie had burst though the flaps during one of these interludes and wanted to know where in the name of the bosk has she come up with that harridan that was pushing everyone around? This had made her laugh and she explained that, that "harridan" was the mother of her mate. With a nod Hallie had simply said.....That explains a lot.... which brought more laughter from her. Ba'atar was definitely his mother's son.



Birmmah came stomping into the wagon and asked Hallie what she was doing in there getting kaiila dung all over the floors. With grace that was rarely found in one so young, she had apologized profusely, stifled a laugh, kissed Cana on the cheek and told her she would see her later and escaped as quickly as she could.


Birmmah had swept the rugs up off the floors and threw them out the flaps telling the slaves to beat them thoroughly then had turned her gaze on Cana asking if she had thought of names for the girls. Answering that no, not yet. The woman had huffed and stated firmly, that her son had given her daughters and she could at least give them proper names.



Her son? He had given her daughters? What about her, did she have nothing to do with it? Now remember, you are dealing with Ba'atar's mother, and in her eyes, her eldest son was the one that put the tre-moons in the sky. The woman was confidant that her message had been delivered and understood, so she turned and left, leaving the flaps, flapping in the breeze.


Laughing softly she had taken the girls up, cuddled them against her body and spoke softly to them.



"That is your grandmother, and no, she doesn't live her with us, it just seems that way at times. You have to be patient with her, for she does not always think before she speaks. Now this is a lesson that I hope to teach the two of you as you grow. Always think of the impact of your words before you spew them from your mouth. It is never good to wound someone with thoughtless words, and even worse to do it on purpose. A soft tongue, and a tender heart are not a bad thing to have."



Four drowsy little eyes watched her lips as they moved, then almost in unison fluttered close as they slept again. She had to smile, named or not, they were the most precious things she had ever seen.

Blessed by the Sky. Doubly Blessed.

It is ironic that she and juneau had spent most of the morning preparing a birthing wagon. She has never used one before, but in all honesty, she had worked on this one for maybe something to do. Even the girl seemed a bit puzzled by their labors, but perhaps she thought it just one of those vagaries of pregnant women.



The rest of her day had been within the realm of being boring in its' normalcy. The only thing out of the norm, were the occasional pains in her lower back, that told her it would be soon, very soon. That may have been what brought on the sudden nesting instinct in her.



After spending time with the boys, getting them settled she had been overcome by hunger and maybe the need for company. Ba'atar was still on patrol, and she was feeling a bit lonely. That is one of the beauties of being one of a group of people that lived in the open as they did, people that lived side by side, you could always find company if you wanted it.



With her food and tea in hand she had taken up her post on the platform of a wagon and ate, very aware of the twinges in her back that were becoming stronger and more frequent. She was not disappointed for soon Tarra joined her, and then right after that Jai. It was the presence of Tarra that gave her great comfort, and for a moment her mind flashed back to a time when she had not been at these fires long, when she had walked up to find Tarra in labor, with Shi assisting her. She was the first person to hold Arkus when he was born, and she had immediately fell in love with the baby, and still held great affection for him even now that he was on the cusp of being a man.



The pains grew more intense and she knew that it was time. No going back to a wagon, her babies were going to be born here, at the fires, as was right in some way. Tarra had assisted her to some furs piled up against a saddle, got her settled then had directed her attention to the sky. Radiating from one of the moons that was in its' crescent phase, were two arched lines of stars that she had never seen before. They seemed more brilliant than the myriad of stars that served as a backdrop for them. For some reason, the moons and these stars became her focus, gave her comfort over the subsequent ahn in which she gave birth to her babes.



Her babies, her daughters. Ba'atar had arrived from the herds when she was in full labor, and was there to lift what he thought were his sons, from between her loins. When the first was born, mewling into the air, he seemed confused, as if he were looking for something. What he was looking for, was not there. Kaeli and Tarra had to tell him that what he held in his hands was a girl child, a daughter, a tiny, perfect daughter.



She did not have time to enjoy his confusion and amazement, because she was busy giving birth to the second baby, which she was sure would be his son. There was that moment of fear, when Kaeli had told her firmly not to push, that there was a problem. She even heard that tone of fear, something she had never heard before in Ba'atar's voice, when he asked if there was a problem. Kaeli was calm, reassuring as her hands worked quickly to solve the dilemma of the cord being wrapped around the throat of the second baby.



Soon, she was giving birth to the second baby, Ba'atar's son. No, wrong again. Just imagine his shock as he pulled the second baby from between her thighs, and had to be told again....you have another daughter. She was shocked, and for the very briefest of moments, terrified. What would he do, how disappointed would he be in her for delivering to him two daughters instead of son? Joy quickly chased that fear away when he leaned to her, holding his second daughter in his hands and brushed a kiss over her lips, and telling her what a wonderful job she had done and that he loved her.


The moment when they had finally lay both of her daughters in her arms, she will never be able to describe the emotions that consumed her in mere words. It went beyond joy and happiness into something that she is just not able to speak of. There was peace involved, pride, trepidation, fear for their futures as women, then joy and happiness again.


They were so very tiny, so delicate, yet so beautiful. From the gentle curving of each tiny ear down to the curl of all twenty little toes, they were marvelous. Although they did not focus yet, the four little black eyes seemed to find hers. Four little fists curled beneath two perfect little chins. It was amazing to experience, to watch.


After all of the excitement, the congratulations, the adoration of others, he had finally taken the babies from her, helped her up and to their wagons. Her girl had been there to help her clean up and get into the furs, then had slipped out to allow him entrance. He had been showing his daughters off to Rook, with the same pride he had shown each of his sons off.



When he stepped into the wagon, he had stated firmly that his daughters were so tiny that they would be sleeping between their father and their mother until they were bigger. He had lowered to the side of the furs, and looked down to his arm. It was the most magnificent sight. The girls were actually laying in the palm of his hand, one on top of the other, one with her tiny hand curled around his thumb, asleep, safe and protected by the hands that would protect them for many turnings of the season to come. At that moment, gentle tears of love and happiness dripped from her eyes, as she smiled to him, needing no words to let him know how happy she was.



He had lay down, gently placing the girls between them, and a protective arm had extended to include her in his embrace. She realized at that moment, that the three of them had become a different facet to his world, as he whispered .....my beautiful women. As he fell asleep she smiled realizing that she was no longer a woman surrounded by a world of men, she now had allies.



When he and the girls were sound asleep, she had slid from the furs and dressed. Stepping out onto the platform she had looked across and in the shadows saw a movement, that for some reason did not startled or scared her. Rook stepped forward, offered her his hand and helped her to step down to the firm ground of her beloved plains. No words passed between them as he supported her arm and helped her to walk through the wagons to a clearing.


She stood there with her eyes closed, just allowing the feel of her home to wash over her. The wind on her cheeks and blowing tendrils of hair around her face, the feel of cold, frosted grass beneath her bare feet, the low rumbling of the herd of bosk, that was as gentle as any lullaby, all of it caressed her in a warm cloak of home, of belonging. It makes her feel alive, and at the same time a part of something so big, so huge that it is unexplainable.



No, she does not pray, it is not allowed. Praying was left to the men. What she does is open her eyes to look up to the formation of the moon and stars that had shone down on her as she gave birth to her daughters, and she opened her heart. The Sky would be able to read what was in her heart, and to her that was better than any prayer that she could have offered.

Love of Family

The profile of her body had changed drastically over the past few days. What had been up beneath her breast, and almost wrapped around her, was now lower, riding near her hips, and presenting itself in a more forward fashion. How did it make these changes? By moving. For the past few nights, it seemed that her sons were restless, and making themselves known. Constantly they had squirmed, moved and manipulated themselves into a position that was more conducive to making an entrance into this world. As a result, she had slept little, only catching naps when they were still. Ba'atar had even been forced to sleep with the boys last night, because the babies kept kicking him in the back, the side, any where his body touched hers. The man could only stand so much awe and amazement, before he had to find a place to get a restful nights sleep.



And what of her? Well, that was her duty of course, to provide a place for the babies to grow strong and healthy. It was just a woman's job, according to him. Sometimes, she found great amusement in how he was about her when she was heavy with child. He said he found her more beautiful than any woman he has seen. Perhaps that was why he was always so dead set on when the next one would be born. If you stop and think about it, that was the only way he knew women for the most part. He had eight younger brothers, so for the biggest part of his life, his mother was pregnant. That is how he thought women should be. Thick, as he calls it.



She had been putting the boys down for the night. Telling stories, singing songs with them, just enjoying their company. As she watched each of them, she could see their fathers in them, and knew that Tayco and Lochlan would be proud of how their sons were growing. How they were being raised in the traditions and ways of their people. And being a mother, she found nuggets and beauty in each of them, even Also. She was aware that maybe there was some disappointment in Ba'atar that his true first son was not showing that he was going to be a man of words. But she also knew that it was too early. At this age, you did not know the path that he would walk, it was just something you had to wait and watch.



It was like tonight. One had been expounding on a hunt that Rook had taken him and Another One on. And in the telling the tabuk became the fiercest of animals, and danger abounded. Perhaps he was going to be their singer, the teller of stories. He certainly did have a way with words, and a way of turning a phrase.



She was just as intent as the younger ones were in his story, when Also crawled up and wrapped his arms as far around her as he could, and lay his ear against her belly. She had smiled watching him, then realized that he was whispering softly to the babies inside. She could not hear the words, but she watched the moving of his lips, and the serious expression on his little face. When he finished with what wisdom he was imparting to his siblings that she carried inside her, what he did next brought a tear to her eyes. With concentrated effort, he placed two kisses to her belly, just as if he were aware there were two babies there, and finally said something that she could care and understand.



Take care of you.

Visiting an Old Friend

Returning from Leah's wagons, she had gathered up the basket of herbs and made her way to the wagon where Silken was staying. As expected, the woman was not outside, and this irritated her a bit. She called for her to come out, then spoke to Gannon and explained to him that those flaps were not to be tied again. The woman was simply under the Ubar's protection at the moment, but not a prisoner. She also enlightened him to the fact if the Ubar's elite guards could not keep one woman confined to the fires around the wagon, then they weren't much good, now were they?


She sat for a time, talking to Silken, trying to gauge in her own way how the woman was. She was not well, but she was also not beyond hope. One thing that plagued the woman was the fact that with the mating being dissolved, Shi would keep the twins from her. Sadly, that was true. He had that right, but there was always hope that he would not exercise it. Children needed both parents, but she was not sure that Shi saw that, from how he had been with the two he had with Tarra. Hopefully, this would not happen.


She left the basket of herbs with Silken, asking her to sort them and tie them into bundles for her. The task was two fold. She did not have the time to do it herself, or the knowledge, and it would give Silken something to do besides sit and brood. At first the woman was not sure, she was afraid it would be considered kin to healing, but she had brushed that away, telling her it was no such thing, it was bundling herbs.


She was pleased to see as she was leaving that Silken was starting to sort through the herbs. It was not a difficult task, but one that would take some time, and she felt this was what the woman might need. As she left, she made sure the guards understood her previous words, and she also whispered to Gannon that the man Shi was not to be allowed to see Silken again unless the Ubar approved it.


She then moved off to her next task. At her wagons, she carefully packed the meat that had been on the spit all day, slowly roasting, some fresh bread, crocks of butter and honey and botas of water, and milk for the boys. She also gathered up the new boots and dress that Yamka had made and carefully packed them onto the kaiila.


Next, she went and had a bath, had juneau to oil her hair and braid it again, then she had the slaves to bathe each boy and dress them in clean clothing. Rook brought their kaiilas from the pens, and before long they were all mounted and winding their way through the wagon rows again. She was going to surprise Ba'atar with dinner and some time with his boys.


One of his men led her to the wagon he was using while he worked in the outer realms, and she begged him not to tell Ba'atar they were there. She wanted to surprise him. The man walked off chuckling and shaking his head.


With Rook's help, they built up the fire, unloaded the food and put it to warm, and then she settled down to rest. It had been a long and busy day, but she was looking forward to seeing that scarred face that she loved so well. When he walked up, dirty and tired, she struggled to her feet and went to meet him. To say that he was shocked would be an understatement. To say that he was happy at first, would not have been the case, but he did relax and take her into his arms.


She looked up into his face and spoke softly. "Your family misses you, so we have come to visit." There was a softening of his features as he leaned to kiss her, and told her that this was the best surprise he could every have imagined.

Gahtering Wool...Or is it......Ungathering Wool?

Her intent today was to visit with various weavers that she knew, to deliver to them the bundles of verr wool that Rook had shorn from the verr. Ciegue was brought up from the pens along with Schonn, who would be laden with the wool and various other sundries that she would distribute on her rounds today.



One of the guards offered to help her to mount, but she brushed his offer away. The day when she could not pull up into the saddle, would be the day she made her rounds on foot. Taking up the reins, she reached for the reins of the beast that carried her wares and started off through the rows of wagons, juneau at her side with a grip on the stirrup, keeping up a steady stream of conversation.



Their first stop was at the wagons of Fonce, where she left two jars of honey and a couple of bags of her honey roasted nuts, along with a pot of stew that was cooked slowly over her fires during the night. The man was looking stronger and more filled out, and she could continue to take him treats, to aid that aloing.



She and the half-blind kaiila were a common sight among the wagons, and several stopped her to just pass a word or two in conversation. She always tried to listen to all that they had to say. If it was a small thing, she would tend to it herself, if it was of more importance, she would promise to speak to Ba'atar of it. Thus far, this had worked out well.



The next stop she made was at the wagons of Ba'atar's parents. Dismounting she had was helping juneau to untie the bundle of wool when she saw Aamon approach to help her. She loved this man, and his calm demeanor and his wisdom. He took the bundle to set it inside Birmmah's work wagon and asked how she was feeling. She was very honest with him and told him that she had never felt better. He told her that Birmmah was off delivering some blankets that she had made to a young couple that were expecting their first child, and tried to get her to stay and have tea with him. She had smiled and told him some other time maybe, that she had much to do today, and had plans of taking the boys out to the outer wagons tonight to see Ba'atar. He was understanding as usual and kissed her cheek. He held the reins to the two animals as she mounted then held them up to her bidding her to be careful and to not tire herself. See, that was what made him a place in her heart, his concern.



Her next stop was one that she always enjoyed, and she would linger there longer than she would at some others. It was at the wagons of the woman Leah. She had met Leah many seasons ago. In fact, it was not too long after she had found herself at the first fires. The woman had been mated to Tayco's brother Hastiin, who had died with the ubar Trajen when he was killed. After his brother's death, Tayco had done as expected and had taken up caring for his brother's mate and children. At the time she had three young boys and a girl, Namid



She thought back to those days with a smile. There had been a time before she was mated to Tayco when she had found out about this, and without a word to him, she had gathered up food, clothing and blankets and left them at the woman's wagons. Someone had seen her, and had reported it to Tayco and he had come to seek her out, almost angry in a way, to ask her why. Her answer had been simple, as most of her answers were. Because there was a need. His face had softened somewhat and he had kissed her brow, said nothing and walked away. After that, she made regular visits to the woman and her children. After Tayco had been killed, in her mind, this small family was still hers' to provide for, and she did it as best she could.



The children were no longer small, in fact, they had grown so much over the past eight seasons of snow. The eldest was no longer a shy young boy, but a young man of fifteen turnings that had just earned his name. Enoch. It was a good strong name. The second son was twelve and had also earned his name. Taregan. She also liked it. That left only the third son who was almost 10, and the lovely little girl Namid who had just turned nine.



Namid had been the first to run to greet her, lifting her hand to stroke the side of the kaiila. As she slid off the beast the thought came to her again that in time, this child might find that her path would lead to the pens. If this was so, she would give her the aid she needed. Taregan was next to approach her, and the one to untie the bales of wool she had brought to his mother. She walked along with him, asking gentle questions as to how they were and how things were going. Things were good, now he would be happier if his mother would pay a little more attention to some of the warriors that came around, but other than that, things went well.



She had laughed and told him that when the right warrior came, she felt sure that Leah would pay attention. As they approached the fire, Leah stood from her loom and come to embrace her, then lay a hand on her middle, brow arching as she said........again? Laughing she nodded. Leah asked if she would share a meal with them and she agreed, in fact, she was starving. She lowered down by the fire and watched Taregan and juneau unload the other bundle of wool, and the sacks with the meats and staples that were in them. Namid was still with Ciegue, who had dropped his massive head so the girl could scratch his ears and talk softly to him.



As Leah handed her the bowl of stew she looked up to see a strapping young man walk up, with a grin on his face. There was that resemblance to Tayco that just made her smile. He had grown so much, and was quite handsome. He wiped his hands off, kissed his mother's cheek then sat down to join them.



As they ate the conversation turned to One, or Tug as they still called him, how he was doing, what he was doing. She answers all of their questions and ask a few of her own. She noticed a look that passed between Leah and Enoch, and that was the first clue that they had something to speak to her about. Finally, Enoch put his plate aside, cleared his throat and told her that he wanted to be of the wagon builder's clan. She had nodded and told him that he needed to seek out Sef, who was head of the clan. She also told them that she would speak to Sef herself, to let him know that Enoch would be coming to talk to him. Her reward was the look in his eyes. That look of happiness and gratitude.



She had a great deal of respect for Leah and the fine job she had done of raising her children, and told her so. The woman had blushed and said she could do no less. She felt it was her job to raise her children to honor their father. Well, she had done a damn fine job as far as Cana was concerned.



All too soon it was time for her to leave. Leah and Enoch both stood as she did, and she embraced the woman, telling her to enjoy the wool, and that she would see her again very soon. She also told Enoch again that she would speak to Sef, and would expect him to speak to him soon on his own. She could pave the way, but he would have to walk the path.


Turning to leave he eyes cast to the side of their main wagon and she stepped closer to peer at the carvings there. Her hand reached out, fingers moving along the intricately carved relief. "I have seen this before. In fact, I have seen it on one of the wagons that Tayco had."



Enoch stepped forward, his own fingers reaching out to touch the carving. He explained that from what he had always been told, that this wagon was a gift to his father from his uncle, and that he had also given Tayco one when he gained his first scar. She had listened, smiling, as she said that this carving looked almost new. Enoch then explained to her how he had recently just cleaned it up, and found the paints to match the original colors and had refinished it. She turned to look at him, and asked if he would be willing to do the same to the carvings on Tayco's wagon? He had quickly agreed and said he would be honored to.



This all seemed very logical to her, in a small way. He could come and work on the wagon, and while he was there, seek out Sef. They discussed it more, and it was decided that in two days time, he would come stay with her and work on the wagon. She was pleased. Her fingers lingered for a time on the carving as she wondered to herself just exactly what it meant.



And something in the back of her mind, told her she had seen it somewhere else recently. Very odd, very odd indeed.

The Simple Joys of Morning.

Her eyes flew open and immediately her hand goes to her swollen middle and she smiles. The babies were restless this morning, and making their presence known. She lay there for a time, just enjoying the feel of life inside her. No matter how many times she is with child, it never ceases to amaze her the miracle that grows inside her. She spoke softly to them, telling them of their people, or all the joys they had to look forward to, and of how much love surrounds them, even now, while they are still in the safety of her womb.


There was a knock at the flaps and she sat up as juneau came in with her mug of tea. She still missed kasra, but this girl had stepped up to take her place well. She watched as the girl moved around the wagon, placing chips to the fire in the brazier to warm things up, then putting a pot of water on to heat so she could wash off before her day started. These were small things, but they were the things that made her happy and comfortable.


The girl had asked if she wished to wear the beautiful new dress to day, and as bad as she wanted to, she would not until Ba'atar returned to inspect the work of the young leather worker. She had found the way the young woman had constructed the dress to grow with her expanding middle ingenious, and hoped that he would recognize it as well. And the boots for the boys were well made. Comfortable but still sturdy. Her work had improved immensely under the guidance of Noya and those of the clan.


Instead of the new dress, she had juneau to take one of her older dresses out, and brush it for today. It was soft, and one that she had worn many times when she was with child. The water was put into a basin, and she began to wash her body, and told juneau to run make sure that a meal and plenty of blackwine was delivered to the wagon that Silken was staying in.


While the girl was gone, she washed and slipped into the dress. Or rather, struggled into the dress. Her brow furrowed at how snuggly it fit. She was going to have to talk to Aponi, because this dress, and most of her others were not going to make it three more moons. She knew that she had been growing a little faster than usual, but suddenly she realized just how much.


She had just sat down to start on her hair when juneau came to tell her that the Mistress and ehr morning meal had been tended to by twist. The girl then worked her magic on the unruly mass of curls that had to be tamed into a braid each day. The weight of the thing gave her headaches on some days. As she sat there patiently while the girl worked, she explained to her the tasks they were going to do to day, and what she expected of each of the slaves.


And she got her morning report on things that had already been tended to. The meal for the Ubar's guards was being served, they boys were already up, fed and the two older ones were off with Master Rook for their training, Also was playing by himself in the wagon, and Two was crawling around in there with him under the watchful eye of nithya. So far, so good.


The girl then began to fill her in on the gossip. Now, you might think this was a foolish thing, but she learned a great deal about what was going on in camp from the slaves. They were everywhere, and knew just about everything about what was going on. If you wanted word out about something, you could tell the drummers, but sometimes telling a slave was much quicker. The one thing that made her smile was hearing that Tarra had been seen at the main fires briefly last evening. This was a good thing, and gave her heart much joy.


Finally dressed, braided and armed with a little knowledge of camp, she stepped out onto her platform and inhaled the aroma's of the camp. This was the first pregnancy she had, where smells and food did not make her ill, and she was enjoying that.


Rook was there with One and Another One, preparing to take them to the practice field. Another One looked up, and that honesty that children have told her that she was getting fat. Laughing she leaned to kiss the top of that dark head.


And I love you too, my son.

New Additions

Kaeli had finally stepped out to tell them that Tarra seemed to be resting quietly now, and that all of them needed to get their rest too. Hallie had set up, rubbed her eyes then looked to her and whispered a very quite thank you. Ulrich had steeped forward and crouched down to tell Hallie and Arkus that he would talk them to Kam's wagons so that they could get some rest. Thankfully, they did not protest, and being with Kam was probably the best for them right now. They were both emotionally and physically drained, and needed food, sleep and the love of their Grandfather.


She had stayed for a time after they left staring into the fire, trying to find the strength to get up and go to her own wagons. Was that it, or was she still worried? A shadow cast over her and she looked up expecting Rook, but found it was not him, it was that damned Ayguili. He held down a hand to help her up, and she brushed it away and got to her feet. As she turned to walk towards her wagons she told him that she was fine and did not need an escort, like that was going to deter the man. He just grunted in that way he has, which irritates her to no end, and said he knew that, but he had promised Ba'atar to keep an eye on her while he was gone. With a bit of a huff, she picked up her pace until she came within the lights of her own wagons, where she turned and thanked him, the went to check on the boys. Thankfully he went to his own wagons to do whatever it is that he does there. She shivered watching him walk away. There was just something about him that rubbed her wrong.


The boys were clean, fed, and pretty much settled for the night. She crawled in the wagon with them and spent time just listening to the tales of their day. Two was already asleep and Also crawled up into her lap and turned those big dark eyes on her.........Where the man? The man? She studied him for a time, then laughed softly and explained to him that the man was Fonce, and that he was probably in his wagon, sleeping. Warriors need lots of sleep. He said nothing more on the subject, and just leaned his little back against her as he watched his two older brothers vying for her attention to tell her of how well they had done with their weapons training with Uncle Rook. A small smile came to her as Tug bragged on Another One, and how well he was doing. There was just this generosity of spirit in her eldest son. He could be a handful, but then he would turn around and show his concern for his younger siblings and it touched her heart.


It took a story to get them all settled down and to sleep. She sat for a time watching them, seeing how they looked like a little of sleen pups all entwined with each other. Covering them up, a kiss was placed to each little dark head and she stepped out of the wagon, and stood for a time just taking in the sounds of the harigga.


She had just stepped down from the platform and was walking towards her wagon when a slave ran up, excited to tell her that the Master Trilok and Mistress Noya had twins! A boy and a girl! Her hand automatically went to her own swelling middle, and she could not help herself, tears came to her eyes. Her nephew, with a son and a daughter, the Sky had certainly sent her blessings.


It was late, but she did not care. She would not disturb them tonight, knowing how this first night was special, but there would be gifts there for them on the morrow. She had already gathered up blankets, tiny furs, nappies and things of that nature, but this new development called for something more, and she knew exactly what it was.


Going to Rook's wagon, she found him lounged back on the platform, having a cup of tea. She asked for him to walk with her to the pens and he unfurled and stood. She roused the slaves, and had twist to gather up the basket of things she had put away, and she sent juneau to her family's wagons to make sure that Trilok's parents knew of the arrivals.


At the pens, she also woke Gabe to give him the news, and had him help her to single out the two foals that she had in mind. They were twins from Taycos' black war kaiila and one of her dark mares. The were positively beautiful, and would make wonderful mounts for her new great nephew and niece.


With Rook's help, they put halters on the foals and walked back through the lanes of wagons. The baskets of goods were already on the step of Trilok's wagons, and they quietly tied the foals to the wheel then slipped back away.


Back in her own wagon, she finally undressed and crawled into the furs. For a long time, she lay there running her hand over the swell of her middle and thinking of Ba'atar. She missed him so much. She missed the look of him, the smell of him, the way the corner of his eyes wrinkled when he laughed, the slow steady beating of his heart under her ear at night when she lay with her head on his chest. She even missed his arrogance and his sometimes infuriating ideas on some things.


She just missed him.

Vigil

She had finally made it to the pens to over see the ringing of the new foals. It was a disappointment that they had lost so many during the migration, but her mind was already on the pairings for next season's foals. From time to time she would look over to Gabe and his new scars. Could this young warrior be the squalling baby that she had tended to, when she was barely old enough to tend to herself? When had he grown to be so tall and so handsome? Did she blink and miss something?

She had to laugh at the group of young girls that had suddenly found a fascination in the kaiila, and in one particular young newly scarred warrior that worked with them. They were lined up at the fence, giggling and whispering among themselves, casting glances in his direction. To her it was amusing, but he seemed to not even be aware. That would change.


She was so proud of him, and knew that she did not tell him that enough. What is it, that keeps us from telling the ones we love, how much we care about them, and how proud we were of them? What made us fear this small showing of emotion? Did it really mean we were weak because we care? This was something that always puzzled her, but she was as guilty of it as the next person of keeping such things to herself.


Her thoughts were interrupted by Hallie crawling over the fence, crying and distraught. The girl ran right into her arms, trying to talk between sobs. She had drawn her away from the animals to the clan wagon, and finally got her settled down enough so she could understand what had her so upset. Hallie had blurted out that she had ruined everything for everyone, by assuming her mother did not want her at the pens. Tarra only did not want her there when the prospect was there, but Hallie had not understood it that way. Explaining this, she burst into a new round of wails, rambling on about her mother being upset, and her grandfather would probably kill her, and she would never get the chance to apologize and make things right.
She had listened carefully, getting the gist of what the girl was trying to say, and slipped an arm around her to comfort as she spoke gently about everyone making mistakes, explaining that even she and Tarra had made mistakes over the same situation. Mistakes that were unnecessary, had they only talked about it. And, when we make a mistake, usually if we were contrite and apologized, it would all take care of itself.
Hallie continued to sob uncontrollably and suddenly wailed that she could not apologize, because her mother was dying. Well, that caught her attention. Taking the girls shoulders, she squared her around so that she could see her features and ask her what she was talking about. Amid sobs she finally understood that Tarra was gravely ill, and being tended to by Kaeli.

Pulling the girl up from the platform she pulled her along as she raced as best she could to the Kaeli's healers wagon. Kaeli was inside, but there was a slave there tending to the fires that told her that yes, the spex was inside, and from what she could gather hovering between the two worlds. The slave leaned to whisper to her, eyeing Hallie, hoping she did not hear. Poison.

That brought her up short? Poison, who would poison Tarra? It just did not make sense. Taking Hallie, she found a mound of furs to sit upon, and held the girl as they waited for any word from inside the wagon. Soon, they were joined by Arkus, who she could tell had been crying, but was trying to act brave. She nodded for him to sit beside her, and was not surprised, when after a time his hand slipped into hers.

And this is how it was as they waited. Waited for Kaeli to give them some sort of word about what was going on inside the wagon. All of the crying and hysterics had tired Hallie out, and soon she lay down, resting her head on Cana's thigh. Her hand moved to stroke the girls hair as she watched the Central Fire make its' journey lower in the sky.

Closing her eyes, she knew that women could not pray, but she also knew that the Sky could see what was in her heart. And right now, in her heart was hope. Hope, that Tarra would survive whatever it was that had her in its' grasp.

Someone Is Getting a Bath.

Her day did not get off to a very good start. When she stepped out of the wagon to see to the morning meal for her family and the guards, one of the guards approached her to talk to her. His name was Gannon, and he was a fairly pleasant man.........for a guard. He told her about Shi's visit to the wagon, which had her shaking her head. Sometimes she just wanted to throttle the man, but she more or less kept that to herself.



When he told her that the woman had no clothes to wear now, she was livid that she had not been told before now. Calling to juneau, she explained to her very carefully that she was to go to Silken's wagons, find Jax and ask him to come to the Ubar's wagon so she could speak to him. Gannon went on to tell her that the woman refused to even sit on the platform, that she stayed inside all of the time, talking to herself. There was nothing she could do about that. Each day she had twist take meals to her, the same thing they ate, but she had noticed that Silken was eating little, which was a concern.



When Jax arrived, her conversation with him was brief and to the point. He was to go to Silk's wagon and gather up some clothing, several sets of clothing, and bring them back to her. As he walked off, she went back into her wagon and soon appeared with a basket of scented soaps and oils, handing them to twist. The girl was instructed to go to the bath wagon and heat water for Mistress Silken's bath,and to put the scented oils in it. She was also to stay there until Silken arrived and help her with her bath if needed. And if the woman balked, to tell her that she did not want Cana to show up and bathe her, herself.



By then, Jax had returned with a bundle of clothing, which was handed to Gannon. Looking up into the man's face, she instructed him to escort Silken to the bath wagon, and to wait there for her until she was finished. And she did not care if it took all morning, he was to give her privacy, and let her clean up.



She was in a mood, her mother would say.......She was all a twither. Well, maybe so, but she was irritated down to her core. She went about getting the boys ready for their day, feeding them a meal, searching for a missing boot, managing to run her fingers through hair that had not survived the night in the furs all that well. Finally they were off to run the slaves ragged.



It was Rook that came to her with a mug of tea, and pointed for her to sit on the wagon, relax, drink the tea and to calm down. She eyed him, but he had that look on his face that she knew so well, and she settled down with the tea, sipping and trying to get her mind back where it should be.

A Protected Guest

Some people think she should keep secrets from her mate, but that is not the way it is. Each night, the speak about their days, what transpired......the good and the not so good. Each night they speak of plans for the next few days, it is their way of keeping connected. He will hear rumblings of gossip in the lanes of wagons, and will ask her what she has heard, or witnessed, and she does the same with him. Now, this does not mean she is privy to all of his thoughts, but to most of them. And things that effect the well-being of the tribe as a whole, are important to him.



He had heard a rumor floating around about a healer tossing a blade at a warrior, so he had asked her if she knew anything about it, and she told him how she saw it. Now Sef? She has rarely seen him truly angry with anyone. So, to say whether what happened between him and Silken at the fires was serious or a joke, would probably depend upon points of view.



The basis of it was, Silken threw a blade at Sef, and nailed his leathers to the ground. This was an error of judgement maybe. An error that was compounded by the fact is was done before a prospect. And not just any prospect, one that might have an interest in what happened. From what she had been told, Ayguili had, had a long discussion with this particular prospect, about women pulling weapons on men. Now Ba'atar had known about that incident, and was in fact the one that enlightened Cana on it, telling her that it had been a good way for the young woman to learn a valuable lesson. And now.......that valuable lesson was on the wind, due to the behavior of another.



He had pondered this for a time, mulling it around in his head as she fixed his dinner. He had several concerns tht stemmed from it. First of all, the blade itself, had her aim been off Sef could have been injured. Secondly, a woman just does not pull a knife on a warrior, under any circumstances, and the fact that she did, concerned him for her mental state. He commented that as of late, her actions had been erratic. Up one day, down and morose the next. This really concerned him, with her being the head of the healers clan, and the one that was responsible for the welfare of others. Then there was the image it projected in front of the prospect. Silken was an elder, and a clan leader, her persona would always be under view by those trying to make their place at the first fires, but she did not seem to think of that.



They talked for a long time over the situation, before he came to a decision. He told her to fix the wagon up behind the boys wagon for a guest. He wanted to put Silken under his protection, until her physical condition could be evaluated, especially this leg that seemed to refuse to heal, and he wanted one of the spex to try and see where her mental state stood. She knew this was going to cause a windstorm, but she had to agree with him.



The wagon he had chosen had been hers. The wagon that had been home to her for so long. In her mind, it was still a very lovely home, and filled with those little feminine touches that were her. She had the girls to help her to shake the furs and beat them. The flaps were opened to air it out, and to make it seem more welcoming. She was pleased with how it had stood up over time.



When she had told him that it was ready, he had stood and placed his hands on her shoulders and looked down into her eyes, telling her that Silken was going to be angry for what he was about to do, and he was not sure as to how she would react. He wanted Cana to make sure she was well fed, that she had what she needed, but he didn't want her to spend time talking to her, because he did not want her to bear the brunt of Silken's anger and maybe frustration. She had to keep in mind the babies, and not get upset as she did the last time and put them in danger.



This was hard on her. She truly did feel for the woman that she has known for so long. In her mind, Silken had seemed to flounder since the death of Jerus. To be lost in many ways. She truly hoped that his solution to this would work. She had seen the woman in a collar once before over her behavior, and she was not sure she could bear to see that again.



He went off to speak to the guards, making sure all of the children were taken care of, then he gave orders for her to be brought to their fires, to stay in the wagon under guard, until the healer and spex could assess her. His intent was to keep her safe from herself, if need be.

No Good Deed Goes Unrewarded

She pulled out of the land of dreams slowly, her eyes barely opening to realize it was still dark. Part of her argued the virtue of getting an early start on her day, but there was this other part that was warm and cozy and was loathe to disturb that. She could feel Ba'atar's breath on her cheek as he snored softly. It all made her smile, and take sides with that warm and cozy part of her. She snuggled more into him, thinking that a few more ihn in the furs, did not make her lazy. She was just about to doze off, when one of his men clomped up the steps of their wagon and called to him through the flaps. So much for being lazy. Her mate dressed quickly, gave her a kiss and a nice firm slap to her backside and said he would see her later, then was gone.


That urge to crawl back into the furs that were still warm from the heat of their bodies, beckoned to her like a siren beckons to a sailor to crash on the rocks, but she fought the urge off an dressed. Stepping out onto the platform she was pleased to see the camp slaves cleaning, stoking fires, filling water barrels, all under the watchful eye of nithya. When she stepped down, his slave was immediately aware and brought her the mug of tea, then told her that the morning meal was almost ready, and that there were two slaves that had taken all the laundry down to the stream. Now how awesome was all of that?


Ogladai showed up to get the boys for their fishing expedition that he had planned for that morning. At the last minute Rook decided to join them, with a promise to show them how to trap turtles. This left her with Two, who would end up accompanying her on her rounds today. Soon everyone was fed and off to their adventures for the day, and it was time for her to begin hers.


She knew that nithya needed to stay close to the wagons in case Ba'atar were to need her, or want her, whichever the case was, so she chose juneau and the new girl twist to help her today. Now, once you got past that odd eye thing, twist was fairly attractive and a hard worker, and the girl seemed to be able to carry twice her weight in goods. Goodness!

Their first stop was to deliver meat to some that had no one to hunt for them. And as usual, these particular people were thrilled to see her and the meat that she brought. And as usual, each offered her a cup of tea, and even precious bowls of blackwine that she had to graciously refuse, by telling them she was with child again, and would not be partaking of her favorite beverage for now. One elder woman made her laugh by telling her that as often she was pregnant, she would probably never get to taste the stuff again. There was a lot of truth in that.

There were also deliveries of salt, sugar and bags of flour for those that were running short. She had to think back to before the move when she had worked so hard to make sure all the supply wagons were full of staples that everyone would need, and made a mental note to herself to put away even more next season.

At the wagons of the elder leather worker who was losing her sight daily, there was a special delivery. Inside the already over heated wagon, she set the pot of vulo and dumplings that she had made for the old woman on one of the braziers and sent the girls to make sure the old woman's water barrels and dung sacks were full, while she visited.

As the food warmed, she made tea and listened to the old woman talk. It had occurred to her more than once, that there was a loneliness to the woman, even though Ba'atar had moved her wagons into the circle with his parents. The woman had lost a mate and three sons to the various hazards that haunt their daily lives, and had ended up with no one to take care of her in these seasons where she was not quite as strong. That she had made it through the harshness of the move was a testament to her strength. The Sky still had plans for her.

What came was a surprise to her. As the old woman gummed the food she made a statement that took the young woman by surprise. "You are very much like her, you do know that don't you?"

"Like who?" The clouded eyes looked over to her. "Like your mother." With her mug of tea, she moved to sit closer to the woman. "You knew my mother?" The old woman nodded then went back to her eating, finally draining the broth from the bottom of the bowl before she started to speak again.

She had known Marianne when she was only a child, and had helped to train her when she first sought out her place at the leather worker's fires. Reaching with calloused fingers that have wielded a needle over many seasons, she found her own mug by touch and continued to talk of the young leather worker, of her beauty, her humor and laughter, her gentleness of spirit, her loyalty and her love for the young kaiila breeder.

Much of this she had known from words her family had spoken, but to hear them from such an unexpected source , brought pains of pride and sadness to her heart, and an almost overwhelming sense of loss. But then again, it was good to hear them, to keep the woman alive in her heart and memory, and it was good to know that others still missed her, even after all this time.

She sat for a long time just listening to the woman talk, Two playing on the old, work carpets at her feet. He was such a good baby, but then to her, all her sons were good. She made her preparations to leave, setting the basket of soft honey cakes beside the old woman, when the woman reached her, grasping her hand. Talua pulled her closer and lifted her hands in search of her features.

She held very still as the trembling, calloused fingers traced along the soft skin of her cheeks, then over her lips then back up and across her eyes. Talua whispered. "You are beautiful, just as she was." Could the old woman's fingers feel the warmth of the blush that spread across her fingers? She had simply nodded and thanked her, then the old woman's hand dropped to lay over her breast and she whispered again. "And you are beautiful in there, just as she was. Never lose that." This brought tears to her eyes and she leaned to hug her gently and promised to visit more often.

Talua said she was tired, and needed to lie down. She had helped the old woman get comfortable, and tucked the blankets in around her, and found herself sitting there, holding her hand until she drifted off.

When she had picked up Two and stepped out of the wagon, juneau had reported that the water barrels were full as were the dung sacks. Nodding she stepped down and took up the reins to the kaiila. There must have been something on her face that caused the girl to ask if Mistress was okay. Smiling, she had nodded.

"My girl, I am better than okay. I think I needed that visit as much as the old leather worker did."

What Is Truly Important

She had to settle down. Thinking back to her last pregnancy when she had became so upset, and had put her baby in jeopardy due to it, she knew she had to calm down. Nothing was worth getting so upset over that she lost her babies. Babies. She was still trying to get her head around that thought, twins, two babies, more than one. The very thought of it made her smile.

Gathering her wits about her, she continued with her work until late in the afternoon. There was so much going on. Pregnant mares to be tended to, foals to be ringed, older beasts to be checked on, then there was the training that needed to be done. She spent a great deal of time with members of the clan discussing all of these things, and assigning tasks. She had a very good relationship with her clan. Many of them could remember her from when she was a child following her father around the pens like a sleen pup. They had watched her grow and most had respect for the way she had with the animal. Of course, it was human nature that there were others that did not always agree, but that is what makes life interesting. She always tried to spend extra time with these, listening to their points of view, and explaining her own. Sometimes, they did have a better way of doing something, and she was not so unbending as to not see that, and give it a chance.


She ended her day at the pens by checking on Tone again. She had to laugh. Poor Ba'atar and his luck with pregnant females. He would never admit that Noya may have simply out ridden him that night, poor Tone would bear the brunt of that loss, but that was fine, they now knew why she was a little skittish of the jumps on the course. Maybe the mare was smarter than they gave her credit for.


Slow steps took her back to their wagons, and she had to admit that she was weary. A smile lifted as she saw her boys gathered around Rook, listening to one of his stories. She lowered to one of the wagon steps to listen as well. Two was asleep, so it was Also that climbed into her lap to lean against her and listen. Soon she felt Another One move closer, his grimy little hand moving to lay on her skirt, gathering the soft leather into his grasp, working little fingers just to rub it back and forth. He had always done that, it seemed to be a comfort to him, and why would she take that from him? She allowed her gaze to lay on her eldest son. She knows that he has had a busy day, and one that surely brought some questions and some answers. In that particular moment, it almost took her breath away to see how much he looked like Tayco. Bittersweet memories flood through her for a time, bringing a smile and a mist of tears, but she says nothing.


Rook's low, rumbling voice was almost hypnotic in his telling of the story. It was not so much the story that held her there, but the simple time spent with her sons, and the old warrior that had become such a fixture in their lives. When the story was finished, all of the larls dead, all of the warriors heroes, she had smiled. One had stood up and told his brothers that it was time to clean up for their evening meal. The other two only hesitated briefly. Even in her own little Or of warriors, there was a commander and a pecking order. Each of the boys kissed her cheek, received a hug, then pounded small fingers to their throats in salute to the elder Oralu and almost marched away, right up to the point where suddenly they broke into a run, to see who could get to their wagons first. Watching she laughed and shook her head as One ran past Another, picked him up and held his little kicking, laughing form, until Also could overtake them and win the all important race. Now, that was brotherly love, wasn’t it?


As she sat on that platform she simply watched the activity around her, saying little. That was one thing about Rook, they did not always feel the need for constant chatter. It was in this moment, that she came to the realization, that the things that had happened earlier in the day, were not the most important things in her life. The disappointment was still there, but the anger had flowed out of her in the course of her work. The situation could not be helped at this point, and for her to waste precious energy worrying over it, was the classic exercise in futility. What was more important was this. This time spent with her family, watching her sons grow into little men. Everything else pales in comparison.


Her hand moves to lay on her middle and her voice is soft when she speaks to tell Rook of the twins. The old man threw his head back and laughed, then leaned over to hug her, to tell her …….. Daughter, you have done well. A soft laugh comes from her, finally someone that admitted that it was not all Ba'atar, that she had a small part in it too.


All things considered, it had turned out to not be such a bad day after all.

Pained, Disappointed and Disillusioned

“The truest characters of ignorance are vanity, and pride and arrogance.”
Samuel Butler



Arrogance diminishes wisdom”


Arabian proverb









It had been a day of ups and downs. The upside of everything is that Silken had told them this morning that she was carrying twins. She was elated, and if possible, Ba'atar's chest swelled to where his vest could not even contain it. Another up, was that they got to spend some quiet time at the fires together, with very little interruption, and those were moments that she treasured.



Now the downside of things had been her talk earlier with One, and the lesson of who is Tribe. One that she hopes that he understood. When she told Ba'atar of it, the first thing he wanted to know was a typical male reaction, who had won the fight between he and his friend. She brushed that aside and told him of the cause of it, and of her talk with their eldest son. He assured her that he would speak with him too, just to reaffirm what she had told him.



Now, he had been concerned about Tone ever since the race with Noya. And in all honesty, the animal had not performed well, but she had a small idea what might be wrong with her and assured him that she would check on the mare for him.



Her suspicions were confirmed, the mare was with foal. She actually had to laugh to herself about how all the important females in his life seemed to be filled with life. She had rubbed the mare down, talking to her softly, almost as if she were sharing secrets with a friend, and to her, they were friends.



She had been at the clan wagon, seeing to some repairs to tack when Hallie ran up, all upset. It had taken her a cup of tea, and several ihn to get the girl calmed down enough to talk, and she almost wished that she hadn't.



It seems that Tarra has forbid Hallie to continue with her training within the clan. When she pressed Hallie for her reasoning, the girl gave her the most miserable look, and said it was because of the prospect that had returned to train with the clan. The girl then begged her to send the woman away, so that she could continue with her training. As much as it pained her, she told the girl in a very gentle voice, that it was impossible, that Akasha, as Tribe, had a right to train in her chosen clan, and until she did something that was beyond the pale, something that harmed the beasts or the Tribe, she would be allowed to continue her training. Sobbing, Hallie had bolted and ran away, and that probably pained her even more.



It was rare that she became angry, but she was. She had known that Tarra was upset when she had welcomed Akasha back to the fires, as she did, but she considered the young woman a friend, and knew of her problems with her family in the outer wagons that had kept her away, and understood them. There was a time, when the failing health of her own father had pulled her away from the first fires, but when she had returned, she was welcomed back.



She was angry and hurt on many levels. The first being, that it always hurts you when someone that you love and respect does something to taint that respect. That they do something so spiteful that it hurts many who are innocent. By keeping Hallie from the pens, Tarra was inferring that she would allow some harm to come to the girl, which was beyond ridiculous, or that just being in the proximity of someone that Tarra did not care for, would taint her in some way. Now, how do you taint someone that has been raised with strong Tuchuk values, as Tarra claims her children have been?



Standing, she began to pace, truly distraught over the entire situation. She knows that Tarra has a temper, and can be terribly narrow in her vision of things, and she knows of the woman's seeming hate for anyone new to the fires. Why was that? Did she feel threatened in some way? But what pained her, was that in her temper,Tarra had taken aim at Cana, by keeping Hallie away, and had ended up wounding her own daughter. She almost begins to regret the words of praise that she had spoken just a few days ago to Tarra, about admiring how she did not stand in the way of her children and their chosen clan. Well, bosk dung. She had just thrown a horribly big obstacle in the path of her daughter, and to what end?



A sharp pain passes through her middle, and she stops, and begins to inhale and exhale to try and relax. It felt like a quiva going through her. Getting this overwrought was not good for her, or for the babies.



She was at a loss as to what to do, and all she could hope for now, was that in a few days, the woman's pique would come to an end, and she would reconsider allowing Hallie to follow her dreams. If not, it would be a sad thing, indeed.

Is there an invisible line in the sand? I think not.

Each day, she took time from her work at the pens to spend time with her sons. It was a delicate balance sometimes, but she worked on it. As they grew older, she was not their whole world, and that is as it should be, but she would tell you, that in a small way it was painful to watch your son taking those steps towards manhood, that you could not always guide. Some things were for men to teach, and not her.



She was sitting on the platform with the younger three when One, or as she still thought of him, Tug came striding up, with that stubborn set to his jaw that always reminded her of Tayco. It was evident that he had been in some sort of scuffle, but he was a boy, and boys did such. The urge to reach out and ruffle his hair had to be pushed down, as she asked him how his day was going. Was that a growl coming from her eldest son? Sure seemed that way.



Finally, she did get the tale from him. He, and one of his best playmates had gotten into a fight. The boys' name was Parsec and was the son of a hunter of the back wagons. When she asked what they had argued over, the answer just went all over her. It seems that her precious son had told his best friend that he was not Tribe. Her brow furrowed as she asked him why in the name of the Sky he would say such, his eyes held an innocent confusion in them as he told her that he had heard the Spex say such. He had heard her tell someone that the people of the back wagons were not Tribe, so to him, that meant they were not Tuchuk.



Closing her eyes, she took a few deep, cleansing breaths to calm her mind, and to think of how to address this foolishness with her son. Opening them, she looked at him, then stood. Hefting Two onto her hip, she held her hand out to One, then nodded for the other two to follow.



Steps took her away from the first wagons and deeper into the area known as the back wagons. She came upon a forge and stopped to greet the man working at it. He stepped away from his bellows, wiped his hands and nodded to her and the boys and returned her greetings. She asked him a couple of questions. Did he protect and serve the bosk? The man's expression changed and he nodded and said.....Of course. She then asked if he had shed blood for his people. Again he looked a bit confused, then straightened to his full height and pointed to various scars on his bare torso, and spoke of the battles that he had been in. He then looked her in the eyes and told her that he had lost two sons, one to the Kassar and one to the Vaci. She nodded, and told him she was sorry for his losses and thanked him for his honesty, then gave him her be wells.



With One's hand still in hers she moved on and spied an elder woman working at a loom beside her wagons. She stopped, and again greeted, complimented the woman on her work, then asked basically the same questions. Did she protect and revere the bosk, and had she lost anyone to the daily battles that they fought. A sadness came to the woman's eyes, then her shoulders squared with pride. She told of how she had lost a mate and a son to a skirmish with the Kataii long ago. Again she commiserated with the woman on her losses, bid her farewell and walked away.


Stopping, she knelt down beside her boys and spoke to them. "Ok, we are in the back wagons, do you feel any less Tuchuk? Do you feel as if you are no longer Tribe?" Her hand lifted to motion to the people around them. "Are there not scars on the cheeks of the warriors here? Do the women not work at their clan work just as those of the first wagons do? Do they not bleed and die for their people?"



She waited for these questions to sink into her son's brain. He turned and looked at the Tuchuk's all around them, then turned his gaze on her, and she could see the dawning of a realization come to him. His little chest seemed to swell with pride and his chin lifted, and there was that stubborn set to his jaw again. "We are all Tuchuk, and we are all Tribe!" At that moment she could have hugged him, had she not known that it would embarrass him to no end.



She did not take his hand again, thinking in her mind that this was one of those.....I am a man......moments, but turned to walk back to her own wagons with he and his brothers at her side. Once there, she sat Two down to the furs to play, and made a meal for them all. When they were all settled with their various bowls, cups and plates of meat and cheese, she asked him if he understood now. He nodded then with innocence in his eyes looked up and wanted to know why a grown up would tell such a lie.


Now, this was one of those areas where you have to tread very carefully. Thinking for a moment, she finally tried to explain it to him. "It is not a lie exactly, it is what is known as a misconception." Well, that word seemed to just confuse him even more, so she went at it from a different direction. "Sometimes people become so narrow minded in their way of looking at things, the fail to look up and see the full picture of what is around them. Unfortunately, you usually cannot widen their view unless they are open minded enough to allow such."



She allowed him to ponder on this for a time, then she spoke gently to him. "My son, anyone born on these lands and within these wagons are Tribe. The Tribe extends and wraps its' arm around all that are Tuchuk, around all that were born to our people. We are all as one, from the Ubar on down to the smallest babe that lives within this harigga. We stand together in all things, and anyone that says differently, has forgotten that perhaps, but you cannot fault them for it, for it is their opinion, however wrong and jaded it might be."



He ate slowly then stood, and in a surprise move, leaned to kiss her cheek. "I need to go find my friend Parsec and apologize." He ran off towards the back wagons, leaving her sitting there with a tear in her eyes. She looked over to Rook, and smiled.



"Now, that is a man." The elder Oralu simply nodded, but she did see a whisper of a grin on his wrinkled features.

Food, Friends and Conversation

When Ba'atar had stepped from the wagon, fresh from a bath, she had to smile. He was a handsome man, virile, and in his own way charming. The kiss, the gentle touch to her cheek, another to the back of her neck, made her smile. It was these simple things that made her the happiest. They had their moments, but what couple did not? But they always seemed to come through them stronger and closer.



She was looking forward to this evening. A simple meal, shared with a friend, that was basically a labor of love for her. Her mother had once told her that work, was love made visible, and her mother was rarely wrong. Everything was ready in anticipation of their guest of honor.



When he walked up, there was still that small pang in her heart to see him as he was at the present, but he did look better, more rested and that let her know that he was on the mend, physically. As for mentally and emotionally, that would come with time, for she had faith in his inner strength.



Now, she found out what the wager was. Ba'atar had wagered that he could eat more bosk strips than Fonce. This made her laugh. Her mate was a man that enjoyed his food, usually in large amounts. She has seen him eat a hearty meal at the fires, then to eat again at their own fires. Food was his friend. Food was something that he enjoyed. Fonce would have been in trouble, had he been fully recovered.



The man did eat, however it was sparingly, which was not a bad thing. He was still recovering, but the meal was not exactly about quantity of food, it was more about the quality of friendship. It was about conversation and the bonds of friendship that were still there. It was good to see that some of the light had returned to his black gaze, that the fog was lifting from his brain. There were even glimmers of that wit that she had always enjoyed in the man. There were subtle changes, but that was to be expected.



And then, of course there was Ba'atar and his charm, if you could call it that. He teased, and he questioned. She knew what he was up to, and watched it unfold. In his own way, he was testing the waters to see how Fonce was feeling about things upon his return, about the past, about the future, trying to assess where he was now, and perhaps where he saw himself in the future. In reality, Ba'atar always paid close attention to anything that would have an effect on their people. Perhaps it was too soon for either of them to really know, but she watched the ground work being laid for the relationship between the two men in the future, and she has to admit that she liked what she was seeing. She could see her people growing stronger as bonds of brotherhood formed.



She also saw something new, something that surprised her in a small way. Now, she has seen the man grunt his displeasure at a situation, and she has seen him stand and walk away in irritation, but she has never seen true anger in him. Twice during the conversation and dinner, she saw a fierceness in him that was a new thing to her. Once at the mention of dwellers, then again at the mention of Kassar. Did he really say that he would stack them on his lance like tarsks? Yes he did. Interesting. Just when you thought you knew someone, a new facet to their personality flashed before you briefly.



Another wager of sorts was thrown down on the table. There was this rangy, ill-tempered bull that has given Ba'atar a hard time, she had the patched tunics as proof. And what Tuchuk does not need a bull, hmm? Ba'atar told Fonce, that if he could come to some sort of agreement with that bull, then it was his. Now this, she wanted to see. It was not something that would happen soon, but she had no doubts that Fonce would find a way to bring that bull around to his way of thinking, and would enhance his herd in the doing of it. But more importantly, the thought was floating on the air, that when the bull was tamed, then Ba'atar would know that Fonce was ready to take his place by the Ubar's side. Now that, is where she saw the strength of her people growing. To see two of the men that she respected the most, standing side by side, gave her a certain sense of pride and comfort.



Yes, it was good to be Tuchuk.