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The nation Chapter 86
Another pair of eyes watched the two-legs by the stream. The eyes took in the scene, the smell of fresh blood was on the wind, the scent of that blood was different somehow, it didn’t smell of prey. The eyes then noticed a rumpled body on the ground, it lay unmoving on the bank of the stream, it looked as though one of the two-legs pulled it out of the water. These eyes belonged to the male leopards mate, she was waiting for him to return with meat but he did not return, so she went to search for him. The two-legs stood by the water making noises at each other, the female leopard kept studying the scene, as well as the body on the bank. The clouds continued their trek across the sky, the wind high above the ground moving them from east to west, an immense cloud cover blew in and blocked the moons from reflecting the light. The darkness reduced the female leopard’s vision, cats have good night vision, but like all eyes they need a fraction of time to adjust to the reduced ambient light
The nation Chapter 87
“We need to get you cleaned up.” She said.A few kilometers to the southwest, the female leopard made it back to her cubs, she brought back a half dead fawn for them to chase and kill themselves; it’ll be a good lesson for them. She cleaned herself while three of her five cubs played with the fawn. One was too apprehensive, the mother thought, that one will be the first to die. The last cub understood that they wouldn’t eat until the fawn was dead, this cub moved to strike the neck of the fawn, to choke the life out of it like she had seen her mother do. She watched her cubs and thought, I can’t take them with me when I follow the two-legs, I have to kill those two-legs, I can’t leave them here either, they are too young to be left alone. The one cub finally put the fawn out of its misery and the rest of her cubs tore into the warm flesh like they were famished. The mother watched them eat, she thought about her other litters and how the ones that survived had went on to establish the
The nation Chapter 88
Rollins had no idea why she was being so gentle with this girl, Kaya, but she liked her. Kaya had a brightness to her, although a shadow loomed close to her heart, Rollins didn’t understand the shadow but she knew everyone had a shadow that loomed about them. Soap first, she took one of Kaya’s arms and rubbed it until the lather was built up, then she rinsed it just like Kaya had done for her. Rollins repeated everything Kaya had washed for her, but Rollins didn’t have the same modesty that Kaya had. Rollins took the soap in one hand and worked slowly around Kaya’s neck, following behind with her free hand she worked the lather tracing the curves of Kaya’s neck. The hand with the soap continued to probe Kaya’s skin, first her left breast then her right breast, then the free hand again tracing Kaya’s contours. Kaya bit her lip, while Rollins worked free any hidden dirt from Kaya’s chest, it was not necessarily sensual but Kaya’s body reacted as if it was.“Now you rinse, then you do my
The nation Chapter 89
Rognvald had slept outside last night, not because Lilly was mad, he was too drunk to walk back to his tent. He was awaken by a tall thin man tapping on his shoulder. When Rog moved everything hurt, one eye was closed and he had grass in his mouth. During the course of the night, Rognvald had fallen over the log he was sitting on, all of the beer and cheer had caught up to him. He had passed out face down in the dirt, mouth open and his body half turned one way. His first impression was of confusion, then irritation. When he tried to move the pain of his fitful nights sleeping arrangements said hello. Oscar had to help Rog to a sitting position before he could even try to communicate with him. Once sitting, Oscar fussed over the dirt and grass that was covering his leader, Rognvald shooed him away after a moment.“Someone bring me some water.” Demanded Rognvald to no one.“Kaya, he said he is too busy planning and managing this trip to see anyone, he was working all night and now he n
The nation Chapter 90
Lilly hated being out here like this, she was more of an indoor girl and longed for the comfort of a permanent home, not one that was packed and unpacked every day. Rognvald’s family was traveling in the most comfort of all of his people. The carts they had were big enough to carry all of the things they would need, one cart held all of the supplies and personal items the family had brought, the other cart was covered and large enough to give everyone a bit of space while they traveled. Rognvald rode up front on the second cart, the same one his family rode sheltered in, he liked to feel like a real leader and he thought that being up front was the way to both feel like it and portray it to his people. Lilly tried to hide from Oren and Claudia, sometimes she covered herself with a blanket, pulling it over her head. Everything from the children to the travel bothered her, she felt like she had dirt in cracks where dirt should never be, she was simply miserable.Kaya rounded the next ca
The nation Chapter 91
As she walked away from her cart Erek went to collect his son from his family, he was not putting his son through any of his father’s whims, not as long as he could help it. Kaya walked to the people that she knew, she tried to tell them about what Rollins told her, she tried to explain that Rognvald was drunk in more ways than one. But, the gossip of the Blue eye was faster than Kaya’s words were, the gossip was so fast that before Rollins and Erek had all of Kaya’s things packed up to travel, the news had reached every listening ear, it even touched the ears of the non-listeners. As soon as Kaya started to speak the people would either turn and walk away from her or they would respond by saying, “that Blue eye is a curse.” Some of her friends listened, some of the people had sense enough to know that Rognvald was a disgrace and a poor leader. With Oscar covering up for him he had been drunk every night, he even howled at the moons one night, Oscar did his best to cover that one up
The nation Chapter 92
The one dog just sat there smiling his best smile, his ears were perked straight up, his fur looked muddled and dirty. His tail wagged back and forth through the dirt, adding to his unkempt appearance, he looked like a pilgrim wanderer in need of a bath.“Ok, hold on,” the man walked to a bag that hung on his thing that the horses pulled, the one dog cocked his head, “I’ve got something for you, right here.” He pulled his hand out of the bag.The one dog heard the man speak then he walked away, he went to where something hung on the thing the horses pulled, he was curious but stayed sitting where he was. The man said more things the dog didn’t understand, his hand disappeared and reappeared with something that made his mouth water. The one dog drinks water when he finds it, he eats when he hunts or when food is offered, he has had lots of food offered to him lately. Sometimes he would help the people out with something, like helping to get the horses away from the thing they pulled or
The nation Chapter 93
It was a few weeks before they were inseparable, they found a place in the Land that was theirs, they maintained its borders and beginning with that years mating season, they started their first litter. The years passed, they raised litter after litter of cubs and were happy with their lives together. Then the two-legs came, they came in droves with horses and things the leopards didn’t understand, the two-legs never came this far out into the wild. The male leopard was a great hunter and provided for his family the best he could, the female was a passionate mother, she raised the cubs and taught them everything they would need to survive. Then the night came when her mate did not return, it wasn’t unusual for him to be gone for a day or two, but something on the wind told the female to go looking for him. She had learned from her mistakes, her first litter was hidden poorly and the lioness didn’t have to work hard to find that litter, she would not make that error with this litter.
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Chapter 141
“Alright,” Rognvald said, “that was a good walk.” He pulled Lilly towards his chambers, she wanted to resist but she was ready for him, her body waited excitedly.Oren walked over to the wailing wife of Hastiin, he knelt down and put his fingers in the cooling blood on the ground, he never looked at the woman. Her wails fell on his deaf ears, as well as the rest of the caravan’s, after the commotion was over the people simply went about their business. Oren’s fingers felt the stickiness of the cooling blood, he rubbed them together feeling its viscosity. The urge to taste the man’s blood was too strong for Oren to resist, it tasted of iron and a touch of salt, he swirled the taste around his tongue to reach every taste bud. He didn’t put his whole finger into his mouth, just the tips touched his tongue, his eyes lit with some knowledge he didn’t understand. It gave him ideas, thoughts on how to do what he was born to do, rule. He thought about how to kill his father, for he knew that
Chapter 140
Thewolf from the trees saw the one it wanted, it ran as fast as he could, but a two-leg gave his stealth away. He did not stop, he had to kill now, there would be no other opportunity. When the woman’s words registered in everyone else’s mind, they turned to see the wolf coming for them, they had all heard of the animal attacks but they had never been a part of one. Lilly and Claudia froze, Oren waited to see who would get eaten, Oscar and Hastiin looked for an out. The wolf leapt up and into the air, the man he landed on was bitten cleanly in the throat, the sound of his wind pipe being torn out was sickening. The wolf had torn out the wrong throat, Hastiin lay bleeding from a throat the was not whole anymore, a gasping whistling sound came from his opened neck wound, the man’s hands felt the deadly damage. The wolf looked quickly around, there was the one he needed to kill, the wolf moved so fast. Rognvald’s smile never once faded, the wolf charged at him, he stood, waiting.The wolf
Chapter 139
“Thank you mother.” Said Talia.“Thank you as well,” Kaya’s eye’s pleaded for something, some miracle to save her friend. “Leave him here with me,” Sooleeaway said, she held an open palm towards Bram, “Talia will stay and help with his care. Let me look at you child.” But the healer paused before inspecting Kaya.Kaya did not flinch when Sooleeaway reached towards her face, she stood and respected the older woman, even after she was referred to as a child. Kaya’s younger self would have tried to correct the older woman, there by reaffirming her status as a child, on this day she merely stood and waited for the healer to look her over.“Pardon me,” said Sooleeaway, “you are grown now, Kaya Tasso Flistedt. You have changed, you are a child no more.” The healer spoke no more.Sooleeaway inspected Kaya, she found cuts healed, bruises, blisters, and a nearly mended heart. The heart was not spoken of, but her physical injuries were treated. Kaya left Talia with Bram, there was nothing for
Chapter 138
“We have to get him to the bend in the river.” Talia told Kaya.“Can he travel?”“He will have to, we need to settle before the winter and Bram needs to heal, the best thing for all of us is to get to the bend.”Kaya knew Talia was right, she felt the urge to settle for winter the same as Talia did, Bram was a concern and she had no idea if he would make it. He remained unconscious fighting for his life.“I feel it to,” said Kaya, “we should go this morning, will you let everyone know that we are leaving?”“Of course.”“I’ll stay with Bram until you get back, then I’ll harness old Percy and we can get going before noon.”When Talia left Bram’s tent, Kaya looked at her friend, the burly man was lying on a buffalo skin blanket, sleeping fitfully. She watched his breathing, it was still labored and shallow, Talia said the venom attacked the victims muscles, making it hard to move or breathe. Kaya didn’t want to remember Bram as he was now, she wanted to remember him like he was in Ondu,
Chapter 137
The force like no other was the will of the Land, it used the storm to discourage the travelers from continuing any further, the Land was exasperated by the nerve of these humans. The storm surged over the long butte, it tried to retain the water like the force instructed, but it began to rain while crossing the long butte. The water washed away all of the small animals on the ground, the animals in the trees did not fare much better, some fell and were also washed away. Then the storm saw its target, it was aimed for the humans on the ground, the Land did not like these humans, they were too far from home. The purple cloud roared with thunder and rained heavily on its course towards the humans. Everyone in the caravan raced to find the best shelter they could, they scrambled into the trees because there was nowhere else to go. The Land offered them no shelter, nothing strong and stable, some people sat under there carts, some went into the trees, others found a nook they could climb
Chapter 136
Kaya ran after the girl, she was faster than Kaya and as she watched, Lisbet sped away towards the edge of the desert. Who was bit, she thought, who was bit that would make Talia want me? That thought led her mind to the worst possible scenarios. Was it Rollins? Or Erek? The last thought chilled her, what if it was Arun? Kaya ran as fast as she could after Lisbet. As she ran thunder echoed across the plateau, she turned her head towards the long butte, what she saw made her glad she was not in the north with the caravan. A humongous purple cloud rolled over the buttes flat top, it drug rain with it, Kaya could see the sheets of water pouring down as the titanic cloud crested the edge of the butte. So much water, she thought as she ran towards death.“Talia,” Kaya was out of breath by the time she reached the healer. Two men were carrying a third on a hastily crafted stretcher, “who was bitten?”No sooner than those words left her mouth she saw who it was, her hand went to her mouth.“
Chapter 135
The horses pulled carts and wagons like they had for the last three years, they were thralls to these travelers now, the animals knew nothing of the Path of Life. All the animals knew was the cycle of life, and how nature gives and takes, without mercy. Now they were lashed to these heavy carts, they were penned up while not moving, something they never experienced before. Normally they were free to roam and came back to The People willingly, now they would most likely bolt at the first chance, a few had and the horses that were left had to work harder. It was miserable work but they endured, they pulled the future of the Land towards a place where a city will be built, it won’t be the one in Rognvald’s dreams, it will be tainted and immoral. These horses would not see the wickedly beautiful city of lust and greed, they would be spared those memories.The caravan stopped at a few sites that were indeed good places to settle, each time Rognvald baulked, he would not stop until he reach
Chapter 134
“Only a few more days Percy, a few more days, then we can live for a while by the bend in the river.” She rubbed his cheek; he made no sounds only looked back at her and waved his tail.Over the last three weeks Kaya had worked at putting closure to that part of her life where her parents lived. She had their memories now and no one could remove those, she came to terms with their deaths, it helped that she knew what happened to them. When Erek told her what he heard his father say she was angry and hurt but that to was fading, she was not as angry with the big man now, his father was another story, Kaya prayed that she would never see Rognvald again. Kaya finished unhooking the horses from her cart, normally Percy would buck around for a few minutes before relaxing into grazing not today though, Gerard went right to grazing, Percy joined him without any fuss. How things change, thought Kaya, she watched the two horses feeding as most of the weight from her grief floated away on the e
Chapter 133
Kaya’s hair had grown back over the last three years of travel, it reached down to the middle of her back now, she kept it braided in one long braid while traveling. The braid reminded her of her mother, of the time they shared together, just the two of them. It wasn’t that they had something that was better than anyone else’s mother daughter relationship, it was simply there personal relationship that Kaya remembered. When her father was hard at work, making one of his fanciful pieces of pottery, or out making deliveries, they would be together. They lived in the back of the pottery shop that had been in Tombold’s family for generations, it was one of the more permanent looking structures in Ondu, having poles that had been sunk into the ground over two hundred years ago. The poles in the center of the shop were so round that Kaya couldn’t reach all the way around them until she was twelve. The shop always had a fire going, whether in the kiln or not, the friendly smell of wood burni
