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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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The nation Chapter 7
Andy watched as Lady Utpahl left through the door with such haste, she barely had her dress back on. Andy continued to lay on the hay like Indra said to do. He waited for what was longer than Indra intended, then he slowly put his trousers back on. The fragrance of Indra’s love was still on him, he breathed it in, this was his first time with a woman. It left him confused. He looked down at himself and thought, I need to clean it. Andy sat there looking between his legs, he could still feel the silky smoothness of the Lady, she had done this to him, but it was not a bad feeling that he had. It was like a part of him flew off into the sky when Indra lowered herself onto him. Andy smiled.Andy had a good face and a light in his smile, the children of the village often teased Andy to make him smile. When Andy was teased by the children he went after them, chasing them down to tickle them until they screamed mercy. Andy was good with the children because he had the mind of a child. Fresh,
The nation Chapter 8
“What is it that smells so good?” Harden followed Indra.“Hi Poppa,” Briaunna squealed, “it’s venison from your last hunt, with the potatoes you like, stewed kale greens and fresh baked bread.” “That sounds delicious darlin, did you help your mother with the meal?” Harden took in the wonderful aroma.“No poppa, I did this all myself.” Briaunna beamed, “I love you poppa.”Harden accepted a hug from his daughter and looked at his wife. She was radiant, she glowed with enticement, he wanted to go to her, but his mind always returned to his failings as a husband. Still, Indra looked brilliant but... something he could not put his finger on, something in the way she looked at him. She looked like she was in a cage.“I thought you said that you cooked...”“When was the last time you went hunting dear?” Indra’s tone was borderline venomous.Harden did not take the bait, he finished hugging Briaunna and then went to sit down. Indra did not move at first, then she went to sit next to Briaunna
The nation Chapter 9
Harden listened to Westin about the exercises but did not commit fully to them until spring came. All through the winter harden used the ginseng that Westin prepared for him, with scarce and tepid results. Westin told harden that he could not rely on taking something all the time, he also reminded Harden of the stress factor that alone can cause many physical manifestations. To his credit, Harden was trying to follow Davyn’s prescriptions but could never quite get over the hump. He begged Westin for the yohimbine bark, Westin made excuses for as long as he could but eventually relented. He relented on one condition, that Harden commit to the exercises without any resistance. Harden agreed.In the middle of the third month, after the new year, the rains began. The spring was always the rainy season in Ondu. Traditionally the rains were heavy and intermittent in the third and into the fourth months, this year the rains did not let up at all. Heavy down pours rocked the villagers with sh
The nation Chapter 10
The power, the feelings must have been truly awesome, commanding magic like Ondu. Marx would imagine being a spirit or a shaman that would be able to tell the future, see into people’s hearts and protect herself from harm. Marx was shorter than average, she was a bit chubby, her face was rounder because of that. She had a nervousness about her that turned some people off, a bit of extra energy her mother would say, “just go run it off.” Sometimes Marx did run but her energy never seemed to abate. Marx was good at braiding hair and was often asked by people for her quick and neat hair braids. She was still engrossed in the carvings when Callum touched her shoulder.“Holy fuck!” She shouted and turned so fast that the hand she had on the boulder slapped Callum square in his jaw, it made a loud smack sound.“Well Marx,” Callum stepped back and held his jaw, “for the love of Utoo, what was that for?”“I told you to start making more noise and stop sneaking up on me.” She said quickly, Cal
The nation Chapter 11
Westin found her rocking on the floor after the funeral, she was not able to get up off the floor. She would not eat or take in water. She was so immobilized that she could not even cut her hair in mourning. Westin was a lifelong bachelor, choosing the herbs and council life over any meaningful relationship, but he was kind and many of the women believed him to be good husband material. So, Westin took care of Sokonan. He cut and washed her hair so she would be in proper mourning. He washed her body when it was clear that she was not capable of doing it herself, Westin kept everything proper and made no secret that he was caring for Sokonan. So, when it happened it was such a surprise that he almost stopped it, almost. It had been five days since her husband’s funeral, Sokonan was ripe with dirt and odor. Westin drew a private bath for her in her home, warming the water to a gentle temperature. He undressed her and carried her to the bath. She seemed so small in his arms, this fierce
The nation Chapter 12
Harden thanked Westin and agreed to send Briaunna in two days’ time, it was good for her to go outside occasionally. As Harden leaves, some of his people greet him and quickly take over his attention.Westin watched him leave, thinking to himself about Harden. How this man could feel things so deeply that they affect his personal life, yet he could walk with any of The People, and they will know nothing of his struggle. He was a kind, strong man who only thought of others first, his people first. Westin shook his head, sometimes there was nothing one could say to make another see or understand the feather’s edge.All around his apothecary was hustle and bustle. Hunters were coming in with fresh kills or empty handed, their horses kicked up little storms of dirt with each hoof fall. The children went running bye, yelling taunts and jeers to each other, making little clouds of their own. Fires were burning and everything felt right to Davyn. He had just returned from the woods near Craz
The nation Chapter 13
“Good morning.” She said to the two shoppers, they just nodded as if everything was completely normal.“Get over here!” Her mother said.Kaya’s hair was in tangles, and she still had the wideness in her eyes. “Hey,” she said to her mother trying to smooth out her hair, “what can I help with?”That earned her a wry smile from her mother.“Get over here and help me load the kiln.” Everything looked odd shaped as Kaya walked over to her mother.“What the heck is that?”“What?”“That, what is that? That odd one there.” She pointed.“I have no idea; it was one of your father’s creations. Just help me get it in here, please.”“Alrighty mom’o.” They both broke out in a sweat moving some of the pieces into the kiln. Once they finished the loading, Kaya went to get the flint to start the fire. She loved banging the flint’s together to get the sparks, she thought it was like magic. Tiny fireballs flew away from her and towards the tinder her mom had placed under some small dry kindling. Kaya
The nation Chapter 14
When she was at the point where the road turned west, she stopped and looked at the boulders. They were less than a kilometer away. They were large and ungainly, no one remembered how they got there; they were not a natural looking formation. Some of the boulders were sticking out of the ground, like they were dropped from the sky, and some were laid over on their sides. The formation was that of a half circle, a complete juxtaposition to the surrounding landscape. Indra was... confused, she wanted Harden, but he was not interested in her anymore, right? She knew deep down that that was not true. But she needed the touch of a man, the strength to make her feel like a woman, she wanted Andy.Indra was naked and in Andy’s arms before the sun came up.“Ouch,” she said, “there’s a rock in my back.”Andy picked her up in one of his large, muscular arms, cradling her.“I do not see it.” He said slowly.Indra wrapped one arm around Andy’s neck and reached back with her other arm.“It’s,” she
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- The nation
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
- The nation
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
- The nation
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
- The nation
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,
- The nation
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
- The nation
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.“
- The nation
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
- The nation
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
- The nation
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
