If it weren't for that damnable curiosity that humans seem to have, she would have probably have been better off to have just turned on her heel and left the fires when she walked up on the venue that particular night.
There were Ayguili and Fonce with Asria between them, in a conversation that seemed very serious, and Asria simply looked confused. If body language and facial expressions were not enough to make you stop, the tension in the air should have been. Having known Fonce for a very long time, the look on his face should have been enough to make her take a step back. Never has she seen him convey that much anger, before. He is usually very good at keeping his emotions well reigned in, but not tonight. That gives her an idea of how angry he is. If his face is any indication of the small part he allows to show, then you probably don't want to even touch the part that is simmering beneath the surface.
And speaking of touching, he was holding Asria's elbow, as if to keep her in place. This in itself, was entirely out of the norm. And Ayguili was just as angry. You could almost feel the heat of his anger radiating from him. What was going on?
Well, the long and the short of the whole situation turned out to be that someone had been flapping their tongues, accused Asria of acting in an inappropriate manner at her guardian's wagons, and evidently Sef, in a paga induced stupor had taken it for the truth and ordered for a pregnant woman to be chained to the Ubar's wagon. What a load of bosk chyt.
She has known Sef for a long time, and has always been very fond of him, but unfortunately this has changed in the breath of that one night. Now, if it is true, as his "supposed witnesses" now claim, that it was in jest and they were simply wagering on who would mate who, that actually makes it even worse.
The one she had been impressed with was Ayguili. He had kept his temper quite well, given the circumstances. The questions that he asked of Sef, were direct, and as to the point as a sharpened quiva. It was Sef who rambled, not really knowing anything about Asria, or Trayu, or the child she carried. Somewhere in that brain of his, that has evidently had some holes eaten in it by the paga, he thought that Trayu was killed in the larl attack on the trail north. Thus, her baby could not be her mates, so it had to be Fonce's or someone else's? Wrong! Big, big wrong.
But, it was actually none of his business when Asria's baby was due. There he was, casting a shadow not only on her and her honor, but also on Fonce. And anyone that knows Fonce, would know how seriously he took his honor, and maintaining it. And he was doing this all on the say of some jealous, wagging tongued women?
He might have fared a bit better had he not made boasts of her being nothing but a prospect and he could kill her if he wanted. What the hell was he thinking? This was not some dweller woman that had wandered in off the plains, like some others. She was a woman that had been born and raised among this Tribe. Who had been mated to a warrior that gave up his life, for this Tribe.
She was Tuchuk, and under the laws of any Ubar, Tuchuk do not kill Tuchuk. Especially over spurious rumors, innuendo and lies. End of story.
It has all basically calmed down, but it is not forgotten. Respect for more than one friend has been lost, and she will be very careful what she says around some.
When you speak with the forked tongue of an ost or a hith, eventually someone is going to take something and cut your head off. And when the head is gone, the beast dies.
There were Ayguili and Fonce with Asria between them, in a conversation that seemed very serious, and Asria simply looked confused. If body language and facial expressions were not enough to make you stop, the tension in the air should have been. Having known Fonce for a very long time, the look on his face should have been enough to make her take a step back. Never has she seen him convey that much anger, before. He is usually very good at keeping his emotions well reigned in, but not tonight. That gives her an idea of how angry he is. If his face is any indication of the small part he allows to show, then you probably don't want to even touch the part that is simmering beneath the surface.
And speaking of touching, he was holding Asria's elbow, as if to keep her in place. This in itself, was entirely out of the norm. And Ayguili was just as angry. You could almost feel the heat of his anger radiating from him. What was going on?
Well, the long and the short of the whole situation turned out to be that someone had been flapping their tongues, accused Asria of acting in an inappropriate manner at her guardian's wagons, and evidently Sef, in a paga induced stupor had taken it for the truth and ordered for a pregnant woman to be chained to the Ubar's wagon. What a load of bosk chyt.
She has known Sef for a long time, and has always been very fond of him, but unfortunately this has changed in the breath of that one night. Now, if it is true, as his "supposed witnesses" now claim, that it was in jest and they were simply wagering on who would mate who, that actually makes it even worse.
The one she had been impressed with was Ayguili. He had kept his temper quite well, given the circumstances. The questions that he asked of Sef, were direct, and as to the point as a sharpened quiva. It was Sef who rambled, not really knowing anything about Asria, or Trayu, or the child she carried. Somewhere in that brain of his, that has evidently had some holes eaten in it by the paga, he thought that Trayu was killed in the larl attack on the trail north. Thus, her baby could not be her mates, so it had to be Fonce's or someone else's? Wrong! Big, big wrong.
But, it was actually none of his business when Asria's baby was due. There he was, casting a shadow not only on her and her honor, but also on Fonce. And anyone that knows Fonce, would know how seriously he took his honor, and maintaining it. And he was doing this all on the say of some jealous, wagging tongued women?
He might have fared a bit better had he not made boasts of her being nothing but a prospect and he could kill her if he wanted. What the hell was he thinking? This was not some dweller woman that had wandered in off the plains, like some others. She was a woman that had been born and raised among this Tribe. Who had been mated to a warrior that gave up his life, for this Tribe.
She was Tuchuk, and under the laws of any Ubar, Tuchuk do not kill Tuchuk. Especially over spurious rumors, innuendo and lies. End of story.
It has all basically calmed down, but it is not forgotten. Respect for more than one friend has been lost, and she will be very careful what she says around some.
When you speak with the forked tongue of an ost or a hith, eventually someone is going to take something and cut your head off. And when the head is gone, the beast dies.
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