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The nation Chapter 33
“I am as well as can be. How are you young Erek, you appear...” the man paused to look at Erek, “mature.” He finished after carefully choosing the right word.“Thank you, Aurelius, I am well, and I feel wonderful.” Erek smiled.That eroded Aurelius’ placid face, his eyes widened, and his cheeks rose up just a touch below a smile. And then he cocked his head.“Well said young Erek, well said.” The old man nodded as the two walked past him, feeling almost proud that Erek knew his name as if the old man helped Erek to heal somehow.In the past, the Erek everyone knew would have to ask their names two or three times a day, each and every day. He was just part of the village culture that way. Not that Erek was the village idiot or anything equivalent, he was more a part of village life than that. His presence and behavior were a part of the culture, like the changing of seasons or the sun rising in the east was part of nature, he was normal and reliable.Erek nodded to Aurelius as he passe
The nation Chapter 34
Tombold sat in the front of the cart holding the reigns, beckoning the horse to go faster but the animal was reluctant to comply. He took his daughters advice and asked Mr. Talbot for a horse other than the stubborn old Percy. So, what he got instead of Percy the crazy horse, was Cronner the magnificently slow. Tombold’s last stop was just before Jan Talbot’s stables, he was planning to ask Jan if all of his horses had mental disabilities. The horse pulled the cart with a reluctance all his own, refusing the go any faster than a slow walk. The leather straps creaked, and the cart groaned and rattled down the road towards the water well. The evening sky was graying to the east, and the air had a nip to it. The hearth fires were burning as well as some bonfires where the hunters were gathered, telling stories, and getting ready for another hunt. The horse pulled the cart slowly down the road.Most of the people liked Tombold and his family. His easy-going nature and warm smile endeared
The nation Chapter 35
“I planned it for one time and one time only but that’s not what happened. It felt nice to have those feelings again, to feel the lust between two people and the release after we were finished. You were always an amazing man, most people knew it, but they never looked you in the eyes to tell you. I don’t know what happened at the Ah-yeez, but it was not a terrible thing Erek, you have to see that now.”Erek did not respond at first, he just sat on the stool absorbing all that he was told. Then without preamble he asked a question.“You are pregnant, aren’t you? And it’s mine.” The last sentence was not a question.Silence, stunning silence, louder than anything Indra could remember. Her body went cold, her breathing became shallow and her heartbeat uncomfortably in her ears. “I, uh.” She decided that she must tell him now. “I think so, yes, I’m pregnant.” The words felt strange leaving her mouth, this was the first time that she had admitted it aloud.Erek moved to her with efficienc
The nation Chapter 36
“Well then, what were you talking about?”“Hunting, we were talking about hunting, Kaya.” Said an exasperated Marx before Callum could answer.“So how has the hunting been?” Kaya nudged Callum with her elbow.“They have been good,” Callum nudged her back, “we are one of the better groups right now, we bring back food more often than not.”“I was telling him how proud I was of him.” Marx noticed how Callum had covertly gotten closer to Kaya.“You were?”“Yes, I was, now you just shush.”“Hey, did you see that?” Kaya noticed a flash in the sky.“What was that?” Marx said with a hint of wonder in her voice.“That was a shooting star, my Ba’ba told me that sometimes you can see them in the fall. He said the land is pointed in some direction or other in the autumn and stars shoot across the sky.”“Are you sure that’s what he said,” Kaya slid her hand into Callum’s, “you sound a little vague on the details.”“Yeah, some direction or other, what kind of navigation is that?” Marx laughed.“I
The nation Chapter 37
“I’m telling you Rog; your son is fucking Indrasena Utpahl.”“Lilly,” Rognvald sounded exasperated, “you have got to be kidding me, Erek?”“Well, it certainly isn’t Oren, the little devil would probably do it to, if he were old enough.”“What are you saying? What did Oren do?”“Are you not listening to me?” Lilly put her hands on her hips, “I said, Lady Utpahl is pregnant, everyone knows it because she’s been puking everywhere. What the people don’t know is that it is not Harden’s.”“How do you know that?” Interrupted Rog.“The women talk.”“And what do the women say?”“They say that Davyn was trying to fix Harden’s cock, it won’t stand up anymore. Poor Indra.” Lilly’s eyes sparkled with delight, “and that’s why he had so much yohimbine bark in his apothecary.”“That is the gossip that you ladies get to talking about? A little trite if you ask me.”“Well, good thing no one asked you. They say that Indra has found a young stud to ride, and that stud is Erek.”The two were now lying in
The nation Chapter 38
“Sorry Callum,” Kaya said, after reestablishing her connection to the ground.“It’s really alright, I always get welcomed like this after a hunt.”“Really?” Kaya was looking sideways at Callum.“Really!”Kaya kicked Callum in the shin. “Don’t be a shit.”“Ouch, Jeez Kaya.” Callum dropped the gear he was carrying to rub his damaged shin.“When a girl runs up to you and kisses you because she misses you, don’t even joke about kissing other girls in front of her.” Kaya sounded pissed.Callum rarely saw Kaya angry, mainly because she wasn’t angry often. When she did get angry it was often seismic.“I am sorry. Ok, ok,” he held up his hands defensively when Kaya flinched towards him. “Stop.” He said with force.“Stop what?” She replied.“Stop acting like a child. I am not a child anymore; I am a hunter and a damn good one at that. I am sorry, I was joking and hurt your feelings. I’ll just see you tomorrow, I’m tired.” He said, while rubbing the back of his head.“Don’t, I...” but Callum al
The nation Chapter 39
“You know she is married right?” Rognvald sneered. “She is The Lady of this village, wife of the chief. Of course, she won’t have the same feelings that you have.”“I thought...”“You thought what? That you would become chief before me?” The anger began to show in Rog’s voice.“No, I don’t.”“You don’t what? You don’t wanna be chief? That’s a load of manure. Did you even know that she is pregnant too, probably with your child.” Rog’s voice was getting too loud, he calmed himself a bit.Erek shuddered, how did his father know all of this? Who had been talking to him? Erek felt cornered and helpless, like a small child might feel. He trembled with anxiety; his hands clench reflexively and his lip quivered. Then Erek said something to his father that changed things.“Only one person saw us.” His voice was quiet, just above a whisper.“What?” Rog said sharply.“Mr. Flistedt saw us two days ago.”“Are you sure?”“Not positive, but we were outside hugging and both of us heard his cart rolli
The nation Chapter 40
“Fine.” A rough sounding voice responded.Baylie went in through the flap, it closed gently behind her. The room was lit by two candles, one on each side of the bed, but the room had a quality about it. A quality of sadness, of desperation, of darkness. Baylie saw a lump on the bed and sat down close to it. She put her hand on the lump and it moved.“Honey! Are you ok?”“I’m fine.” A muffled voice answered from under the blankets.“Explain to me how you are fine?” Baylie, still sounding concerned, added a tone to her voice. A tone that said, “stop lying to me.”Indra appeared from underneath the covers, her head was pointing away from Baylie, she didn’t want to look at her friend.“I’m pregnant.” Like that was some kind of answer that spoke for all her problems.“Women get pregnant all of the time in Ondu, why is yours different? What is going on with you? Is it just morning sickness? Maybe the baby will have a lot of hair when it’s born.” Baylie let a little excitement creep into her