Trigger Warning: Alludes to violence and upsetting content. Read at your own discretion.
“Mama,” Avani asked as watched her mother roll out some dough for a pie, “How did you know you loved Papa?”
Avani’s mother looked quickly at her daughter, smiled and then went back to rolling out dough.
“You know very well how I met your father.”
Avani made a face and then said, “I know how you met him, how did you know you loved him was my question.”
Avani watched her mother stop rolling out the dough, look at it, and then place it over the some of the summer apples that Avani had just brought back from the barn. She looked at Avani, but didn’t say anything, taking the pie over to the oven and placing it in. Avani’s mother placed more wood in and shut the door, then came back over to the kitchen table wiping her hands on her apron, once again looking at Avani as if she were trying to judge something about her.
“Well.” Avani’s mother said sitting down, “I guess it’s about time you knew that part of the story.”
“As you know, I met your father at school.” Avani watch as her mother seemed to turn a little pink. “I saw him my first day there, him and his brother. Oh they were identical twins, but there was something different about him I couldn’t quite understand.”
Her mother looked at her once again and then looked down at her clasped hands that were resting on the table.
“He was a few years older, and very, very mean to me when I first met him.”
“He was?” Avani said shocked. She had never heard this part before.
“Oh yes.” Avani’s mother smiled brightly and looked up to her, “As mean as an eight year old could be to a five year old.”
Avani laughed at that. She watched as her mother smiled, then quieted down so she could continue.
“He would pull my hair, pull my apron off, pull off my kerchief if I wore it over my hair. Very mean boy he was.” She smiled more and said, “His brother was kinder, but the point is, your father had it out to make me miserable if he could while still staying out of trouble.”
Her mother then got a faraway look in her eyes as she continued.
“As I grew, the teasing lessened, but it was still there. By the time he was out of school and just a boy I occasionally saw at town gatherings, he was only mean enough to tug at my braids.” Avani saw her mother blush a bit, “Your father was courting me in his own way… I was fine that he would occasionally give me some flowers, or take me out to dances, but I never got a sense he really loved me.” She then looked down, “At the same time as your father was courting me, another boy in town, one who was only a year older than me, was also teasing me, but he was more or less teasing me about your father.” Her mother shrugged, “He and I developed a friendship and soon he was courting me as well.”
Avani felt her eyes widen. But she was silent. This was something she never knew about her parents, and she was soaking it up.
“For some reason, I loved your father more than this other young man.” Avani watched as her mother smiled at the memories, “Perhaps it was his quiet kindness, the fact he would never take credit for the good and kind things he did.” Avani’s mother looked to her daughter and smile, “For whatever reason, I felt myself move towards your father, and I can only realize it now that it was the beginning of my love for him.”
“Anyway,” Avani’s mother said seeming to snap out of whatever spell had been cast, “The other young man was rather flamboyant in his actions, and seemed to want more praise for what he did, and I didn’t really like it.” She sighed and then said, “But your father hadn’t pressed me for anything other than courtship, and it rather annoyed me at the time.”
“So I began to make him jealous with little things, mostly letting the other young man take little liberties like a kiss or walking me home.”
Avani was shocked. She never thought her mother would be capable of something like that. It shocked her she never knew her mother, the woman who was teaching her to be a proper lady, would let a boy do that!
“Yes dear girl, I let that boy do those things.” Avani probably had shock written all over her face for her mother to say that, “But it was a big mistake.”
Avani’s mother looked down at her folded hands and said, “One night I was particularly trying rather hard to annoy your father, mostly because we had a nasty argument about whether or not I was behaving properly, and whether or not he would ever ask my father to marry me.” She shrugged, “So I decided that the other young man could walk me home.”
Avani watched as her mother got silent. She didn’t press her mother as she seemed to be struggling with something.
Her mother then looked up and smiled at her.
“He walked me home, and as we took the path through the wood, a short cut to my house, he started to kiss me more than I had been letting him. I even started to shove him away, but he was too strong for me.”
“Mama…” Avani said slowly, “Did he… Did he…”
Avani’s mother smiled and said, “No, thank Seren, he did nothing more thanks to your father.”
“Your father, thank the heavens, had decided to follow us home that night, mostly because he had overheard the young man talking with his friends about what he planned to do with me since it was obvious that I wouldn’t be waiting for your father to ask for me.” Avani’s mother shifted a bit in her seat, but then smiled brightly at her daughter, “He punched that man right in the face several times, not only giving him a black eye, but breaking his nose in the process.”
Avani felt her mouth drop open. She never knew her father was capable of that kind of violence. Personally she thought her father could stop his temper from getting the better of him, and this was the first time she ever heard of physical violence from her father.
“Yes he did that.” Her mother said brightly, “And I was so glad to see him.” She cleared her throat and said, “Needless to say, I think my love for him became true love when I knew he would do anything for me.”
“So…” Avani said, somehow finding herself out of shock, “Did he finally ask Grandpapa if he could marry you?”
“Yes.” Her mother said beaming, “He asked the next day, his reasons being he’d better get me married to him before any other idiots decided to have their way with me.”
Avani laughed. That sounded so much more like her father.
“Avani.” Avani looked back to her mother as she spoke. Her mother took her hand and squeezed it warmly. Avani looked into her eyes and saw much love there. “Avani, don’t go looking for love. It will find you without you knowing it.” Her mother placed her other hand on top of their joined ones and said, “And if you do find yourself loving a person, make sure you know it’s because they love you and who you are.”
“It’s ok Mama.” Avani said smiling and squeezing her mother’s hand back, “I know I will find someone like that someday. I just have to keep looking.”
“Talmei.” Maiika said softly as she walked into the living room.
Her husband was sitting there next to the fire. The nights were getting cooler, and so he lit fires most nights to keep the house warm. Avani had gone to bed early to take care of Honoka when she woke for a feeding. So it was just the two of them, Maiika and her husband. He looked up from his book and smiled, taking his glasses off.
“Everything ok Maiika girl?”
“Yes.” She said smiling. She walked over to Talmei and slipped onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. She snuggled her head against his chest and said, “And no.”
She heard him chuckle, deeper than usual because one ear was pressed against his chest.
“What’s wrong?”
“She asked me how I knew I loved you today.”
“Ah.” Talmei said placing a free hand on her head, “You told her about that moron Jalkei.” Maiika nodded knowing her husband could feel it. She heard him chuckle again and said, “He deserved all of it.”
“The point was,” Maiika said ignoring an old argument. She could hear his soft chuckle at that, but continued on anyway, “It was when I knew I loved you, and that no one else would do for me.”
“I was sure too that night my love.” Talmei said. She felt him pulling out one of the hair pins in her hair. She smiled and chuckled. “I was scared before you know, that was why I wouldn’t ask your father to marry you.” Maiika heard the hairpin fall, and felt him move to another that was in her hair, “But seeing another man with you made me sure.” Maiika heard the second hairpin fall on the ground and felt his hand move to a third. As she heard that one fall, and his hand moving on to a fourth hairpin, he said, “Did you tell her what else happened that night?”
“She’s only fifteen…” Maiika said smiling. “She might have grown up on a farm and she might know what goes on with babies,” she heard the forth hairpin fall to the ground. Only one more was left, and she giggled a little when she felt Talmei pull it out, “But some things I am keeping to myself Talmei.”
“Good.” She heard her husband rumble. Maiika giggled at how he always tried to sound so rough.
She then kissed her husband, and not for the last time that night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date Posted: September 19, 2014 Words: 1,711
Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2014 6:06 pm
“You are doing well Avani.”
Avani let go of the pressure on the welder's handle and looked up to Shenra as she removed her visor. She smiled at the older woman, loving that Shenra would say that about her welding work.
“Thanks!” Avani said checking the pressure on the welder and then turning back to Shenra.
“I’m beginning to think that you can be left alone now when you want to use the welder.” Shenra said hopping off the workbench on the other side of the room and walking over to Avani and her work. Avani had been assigned some actual work this time, some small stuff she could do to help Shenra on the fountain project that she had seen when her cousins had visited. Avani moved so Shenra could examine the piece as she picked it up and turning it around in the light. “Very good…”
Avani beamed. She was so happy to have such favor in her mentor’s eyes. The fact that she was being allowed to be left alone with the welder was greatest praise that she had ever gotten from Shenra.
“All right, let’s stop for today.” Shenra said placing the piece back on the worktable. “It’s late and you need to be getting home.” She then smiled slyly, “After some cake of course.”
Avani laughed and went about with taking care of the welder for the night before they headed in.
As Avani stared at the delicious piece of chocolate cake that Shenra had placed in front of her, she wondered what Shenra thought about love. That topic had certainly been on her mind recently. Perhaps it was being around Honoka all the time. Anyway, Avani thought putting the delicious bite of cake into her mouth, the cake was the priority at the moment.
“So how are those little brats of your’s doing?” Shenra said as she sat down with her piece of cake, “Haven’t seen them in a while.”
Avani smiled as she swallowed her bite of cake and took a drink of milk to wash it down.
“They would be in the way here when I take my lessons.” Avani said placing her glass down, “Nix doesn’t like the sparks from the welder, and Honoka would just be underfoot. So I leave them with mama. Nix has a way with Honoka, so I’m not too worried.” She smiled and said, “But they are doing well. Honoka seems to like going outside, so I take her for a walk every day.”
“Good.” Shenra said smiling. She took a bite of cake and then asked, “How are you doing Avani? They aren’t wearing you out are they?”
“No.” Avani said smiling again, “I enjoy it.” Avani then took another bite of cake and as she chewed it she thought a bit, “But it’s hard since I don’t have a khehora friend around to show Honoka how to do things.” She then thought some more, “Though that thought leads me to wonder about my future.”
“Oh?” Shenra said as she took up her glass of milk, “And what do you think about?”
“Boys. Love. I wonder about finding a husband… One who would love me even though I have Honoka.” Avani sighed, “I just can’t seem to see myself falling in love with any boy around here.”
Avani looked at Shenra, and saw her looking at her funny. Avani was curious about it, but the other woman spoke first.
“Be careful with your heart Avani.” Shenra said smiling sadly, “Love is a precious thing.”
“Are you ok?” Avani said worried. She rarely saw Shenra sad, and it was a little concerning.
“Just old memories.” Shenra said. She placed her fork down and placed her hands on the table folded. “I once loved someone who said he loved me, but apparently it wasn’t enough.” She smiled sadly at Avani, “You will find that love comes with trust, and if the trust isn’t there, you cannot fully love a person.”
Shenra sighed and chuckled a bit. She looked again at Avani with her sad smile and said, “Love is a gamble, and sometimes, it will break your heart.”
Avani stared at the dark ceiling, Nix and Honoka at her side on her bed. While the Khehora wasn’t generally allowed on the bed at night, Avani felt lonely and was glad for the company.
She had been thinking about what Shenra had said and come to a conclusion about love she never thought about before.
While there had to be mutual love between two people, there also had to be trust in that love, and knowing it was there in the other person. Perhaps that was what her mother had meant when she knew she was sure she loved papa. She had used that word after all. Perhaps that’s what her mother had meant when she said she had always known she had loved papa, but that she wasn’t quite sure of it till that night when he beat up the man who had tried to assault her.
Avani moved and faced the window. She felt Honoka shift from being curled up to being sprawled out next to her. Avani smiled, but her thoughts stayed the same.
Loved was a strange thing. It was something she could comprehend on one hand in that her parents and friends loved her, but on the other, what was this love between two people that was stronger than any magic in the world? Perhaps that’s why the word love was so powerful: It meant so many things in a single word.
Avani mentally shook her head. It was just one huge tangled knot, one she wasn’t sure how to untangle.
She closed her eyes thinking about the next day and her chores. That subject she knew could get her to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date Posted: September 24, 2014 Words: 969
Apple Blossom19 Captain
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Apple Blossom19 Captain
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Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2014 6:07 pm
Avani smiled as she watched Honoka and Nix play in the field of late summer wildflowers. She had taken a picnic lunch out to the wide open place for them and they had just finished eating. Avani sat propped up by a rock watching her two charges play, and the sheron in the distance grazing blissfully.
She looked up to the blue sky with puffy clouds moving slowly by, a small breeze blowing the drying grass and last flowers of the summer. She sighed, placed her hands in her lap, and allowed herself become sleepy by the puffy clouds.
Her thoughts turned to the subject that had been on her mind for the past couple of weeks, the subject of love, marriage, and of children.
She opened her eyes a bit and watched Honoka trying to jump onto the slippery little fea who was just fast enough to move out of the way.
Avani smiled. There was time enough to find someone to love. She did want a husband and a family, but she didn’t want them just yet. Something inside her was content with the small hodgepodge of a family she had right here.
Honoka would grow, then so would Avani. She would work hard with what skills she had now to save to buy some land, perhaps the land her lake sat on. Then she would build a big house so Honoka could live with her. A house with plenty of room for a full grown khehora to move around in, where Honoka could build a nest and walk in and out of freely. Avani would be away from her mother and father, but not too far.
Avani chuckled as day dreams began to form in her head.
As the dreams of the house she would build faded, the nagging subject of who would want to marry her entered her head again. Avani sighed. Would it go away, this thought of who would love her? Avani shook her head trying to clear it, but that didn’t work. So she sighed again and let her mind have free reign with the subject.
He would understand her love of farming, and let her do the things she wished to do with the farm. If he wished, he could run the farm with her, much like her father’s parents did. Even though she could do most things around the farm, some of the heavy labor she knew she would never be able to handle by herself.
She would take care of the house too. She loved cooking, but not enough to make it a career or hobby. She would cook for the people she loved, and that was for her family and friends. And if they had children, she would take them with her out to the fields. That would help them learn to at least appreciate the land and not just think of it as some place to live
Avani wondered the most what her mate would look like. The person was a foggy image to her, all except the eyes. She would never skimp on the color of the eyes. That to her was probably the most important part of the day dream. Oh she would fall in love with a person no matter what the color, but her day dream had those bright shining eyes that were as deep as their owner’s soul.
Where did that come from? Avani was startled by that new element in the equation. Well, only her heart knew what her day dream was, and it was being as mysterious as always with this new revelation.
But this could all wait. Her daydreaming was ended by a cry from Honoka. Though it was a cry of happiness, at least to Avani’s ears, her maternal mind had snapped her back to reality to see what the matter was. Avani looked around and saw Honoka crashing into Nix as she stopped short. Avani laughed as Honoka shook herself off and sat up. Honoka looked to Avani and then made a chirping sound as she ran to Avani, taking a little tumble this time.
Avani hugged her, and then hugged Nix as she came up after Honoka.
These two babies were enough for now, Avani thought, feeling the love she had for them fill her heart. She would focus on raising Honoka for now. Her imaginary family of the future could wait.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date Posted: September 24th, 2014 Words: 735
Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 12:54 pm
Avani pulled her new dress over her head and settled it on her shoulders as she poked her head out of the top. She looked in her mirror at the green dress. It had been ordered earlier this year, but she had just gotten it from the dressmakers.
Avani smiled as she pulled her hair out from inside the garment. It was a sort of dark green that had a darker green print of a leafy vine swirling around the dress. The long sleeves had short lace on the cuffs, and also the fringe of the dress had lace, both trimmed with a yellow ribbon and tiny bows. It buttoned up in the back with tiny black buttons.
“Avani.”
Avani turned and saw her mother in the doorway.
“Do you like the dress?” Avani asked smiling. She lifted the front of the dress up and looked down at it, “It was worth the extra money for the lace and ribbons I think.”
“It’s beautiful.” Her mother said.
Avani looked up and smiled at her. Avani’s mother walked into the room and buttoned up the back. It was high collared, and Avani beamed at the way it fit just right. She had already put on white stockings and buttoned her shoes, so all that was left was to do her hair.
“Let me do you hair.” Her mother said.
So Avani sat down at her dresser and waited for her mother to brush out her hair and place her new green and orange hair ribbons in it. Avani sat very still, and her mother was done in no time. But before Avani could get up, her mother handed her a small and rather old looking box. Avani looked questioningly at her mother, but all that woman did was smile.
Avani opened the box and in it sat small earbobs that had small green emeralds set in them with a small drop seed pearl all set in gold. Avani looked up to her mother speechless, Her mother took them from her and out of the box.
“My parents gave them to me when I turned sixteen.” She said as she placed them on Avani’s ears saying, “I thought you could have them now, even if it is a month till your birthday.”
Avani smiled brightly, and jumped from her seat and ran to her mirror and looked at them. She did like what she saw there. She looked a little older to herself.
“Thank you Mama.” Avani said hugging her, “I’ll give them to my daughter too, if I have one.”
Avani’s mother chuckled, hugged her daughter and then said as she left the room, “It’s time to go as soon as your father gets done changing. Make sure Honoka and Nix are set for the night.”
Avani nodded and then went about setting up Honoka’s bed in her room. She couldn’t wait to get to the dance!
As they arrived at the home where the barn was being raised, Avani greeted her friends Sueno and Ismene and talked with them for a while. They too looked pretty as a penny wearing their best.
Avani then joined in the large group dancing with gusto. She loved dances, and it was a treat she got to go to them. But now that she was old enough, her parents would allow her to attend as many as she wished.
Soon the last piece of the barn was placed, and the men who had worked on it raised several wreaths of evergreens and ribbons. Everyone cheered and then went to supper. Avani had baked three of her apple cakes, and was happy to see that they were gone by the time she went to get something for desert.
As Avani had just finished her sweet, and her parents were on the dance floor to dance with one another, she was approached by a young man with purple hair and red eyes.
“Are you Ms. Autumntree?” he asked. He smiled and said, “I would be honored if you would allow me this dance.”
Avani blushed. The young man reminded her of the supply store owner Mr. Iseld, and so she accepted his wish to dance with her.
“My name is Tais Iseld. My uncle runs your supply store in town.” The young man said.
“Oh!” Avani said brightening up, “I thought you looked like him!”
Tais smiled and said, “I get that a lot here.”
They talked a bit while they danced. Apparently he was spending time with his uncle to learn the shopkeeper trade. He would go back to his hometown and take over for the old man who ran the supply store there.
Avani was happy to know that the young man would be around. He was only three years older than Avani, and seemed friendly as well.
Avani smiled.
Tonight was a good night.
“I don’t like him.”
Maiika chuckled as she hugged her husband while they danced. There was no difficulty knowing he was talking about the young man who was dancing with their daughter.
“They just met dear.” She said trying to smooth her husband’s ruffled feathers, “It’s not like he’s asked to court her.”
“He better not.” She heard her husband rumble almost sounding threatening.
“Talmei.” Maiika said warningly, “She’s only fifteen. She’s not thinking about that.”
“She's a good girl then.” Her husband said. He still lacked affection with the statement, but it was better than a growl.
Maiika sighed. There was no taking the protective father out of him. She looked over to her daughter and smiled. She would always be his little girl, and in some ways, she would be that to Miiaka as well.
Maiika closed her eyes with the feeling that all was right in her world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date Posted: Words: 844
Apple Blossom19 Captain
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Apple Blossom19 Captain
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Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2014 7:58 pm
Avani waved from the porch as her parents drove off.
The two of them were going to attend a town meeting about the recent attack of the Mara. Her parents were relieved that their daughter had been safe at Shenra’s house with her father. However, they didn’t like the fact that she had taken on a Mara herself, her father in particular.
But today was different from the last town meeting about the Mara. There was a breeze in the air and no clouds in the sky. Avani was going to do some light chores and then just sit out on the porch and relax for the day with some lemonade.
Today would be a good day!
As Avani set the lemonade pitcher and a glass out on the porch table, she looked out towards the fields. The sky had turned hazy and as she breathed, she smelt smoke. It was so bad she started coughing.
When she stopped, she saw that most of the smoke was coming from the direction of the northwest fields. Avani frowned. The fields out there were not only the sheron grazing fields, but right next to the wheat fields that were dry and almost ready to harvest.
Fear griped her for a moment, and as she got control of the feeling, she went inside the house and grabbed some large, empty flour sacks. She also told Nix and Honoka, who were scrambling at her heals, to stay inside the house. She was going to the fields to see what the matter was, and she didn’t need her charges to bother her at the moment.
Despite Honoka’s cries as she locked the door and shutting them inside, she placed her hand on the door trying to send calming thoughts to the little baby. She didn’t want to leave her baby, but she was the only one at the house, the only one who could make the decisions Papa could. All the adults were at the town meeting, and she had to take charge.
“Nix, take care of Honoka. And I am sorry Honoka, I will come back, hopefully soon.”
She went to the barn, her kerchief over her nose and mouth, hefting the sacks on her shoulder. When she got to the barn, she saw that one hastar was left. It was the rather new one to the family, but at the moment Avani didn’t realize this, and just went to get the tack from the gear shed.
She placed the sack down, got the gear, and blindly saddled the hastar and placed the other gear on it. The only thing she was thinking about was the fire and how close to the crops it could be. She tied the sacks onto the hastar’s back and mounted easily.
She then exited the barn and made the animal run to towards the fire. It balked at first, but Avani had a tight grip on it and urged it on.
“Miss. Autumntree!”
Avani watched as a ranch hand came towards her. She dismounted as swiftly as she had mounted and tied the hastar up with the others near the fence that bordered the grazing feilds. She made sure the tack was tied tight as she didn’t know whether or not the animal would run because of the fire.
“Are the crops safe?” Avani said as she went to untie the sacks, “What of the sheron?”
“We stopped the advance on our land.” The ranch hand said as he took the sacks from her, “But a spark could get the crops easily. The main fire is just beyond the forest line…” He stopped short and then said angrily, “What are you doing here Miss?”
Avani took one of the sacks, held her head high and said, “Mama and Papa are gone and I was the only one at the house.” She moved passed him saying, “If you have a problem with that you can send a man to town to get him.” She looked back at him and said, “And I doubt you can spare one at the moment.”
With that Avani marched right up to the foreman who was ordering people about. He saw Avani, and if he had any qualms about her being there, he was silent and just gave her a report.
“Get water from the irrigation ditch.” Avani said and she dropped the sack into the water, “If there are any buckets around, pots, cups, use them all.”
She wrung out the sack and then marched to the forest to where others were using shovels and hoes to try and make a fire break or put out small flames. Avani joined in with beating back the flames with her wet sack, looking around for the next place to strike. If it got any bigger, they would need a miracle.
Avani lost track of the time, but she took small breaks, going back to the area the hastars were. Neighbors had come and started to help by flying over with buckets allowing some of the men who worked for Avani’s father to go get buckets themselves to help even more.
With some luck, they had seen the fire into the night with about ninety percent containment. Avani, who had been resting, was sitting against a rock, sipping some water when a large hand came down on her shoulder. She looked up alarmed, but only saw the familiar face of her father as he knelt next to her.
“Ah, Avani Girl.” He said with a look of relief and kindness on his face, “You should have come to get me.”
Avani smiled, closed her eyes, and shook her head saying, “It would have taken too long.” She opened her eyes and looked towards what was left of the fire, “I know about as much as this ranch as you. I let your foreman lead, but he didn’t question why I was here.” She looked at her father, “I would have done the same as you. I tried to save the crop and sheron, and if it couldn’t be saved, let it burn and save the lives of the men.”
Avani leaned back against the rock and closed her eyes. Her father was here now and would take over so she would rest before she went back home. No doubt she reeked of smoke and was covered with soot, but she hoped she had made the difference today.
Avani felt her father squeeze her shoulder and leave her side. Avani smiled. She could feel her father’s love and pride, there were no need for words.
After what seemed like hours, Avani rose from where she sat and went to find her father. She let him know that she was leaving and gave him a hug. She said goodbye to the foremen who was talking with her father and went to find the hastar she had ridden here.
That thought made her stop short and gaze ahead in wonder. She then broke out into laughter.
“Avani?” she heard her father say. She heard him walk towards her, “What’s so funny my girl?”
Avani could stop laughing, but turned around smiling at her father brightly.
“I just realized that not only had I to harness a hastar to get here,” She laughed again, “Not only that, but it was the mean one who gave me a bruise last the last time I time I tried!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date Posted: September 27,2014 Words: 1,236
Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2014 4:35 pm
Avani cleared the last bit of debris that was left over from the apple harvest in the orchard. Broken twigs, small branches, and the odd piece of wood from a broken bushel basket were all that was left behind.
Avani looked up at the sky. It had darkened since this morning, rather rapidly. She would go home now since the majority of trash was already picked up. The wind had started from strong gusts to whipping Avani’s dress around her ankles. It really was past the time to go in, but she wanted to tidy up this last area before the storm.
Her family had known a storm was coming. The wind had smelt clean and fresh yesterday, like it usually did when a storm came in. So Avani had worked on the other parts of the orchard yesterday, and had finally gotten this part done today. She wiped her brow and then lugged the sack of wood she could burn tonight in the fire place over her shoulder.
“Honoka! Nix! Come on, time to get home!”
She started off hearing the scampering of her charges next to her. Honoka had gotten to the point where Avani could leave her off a leash. She knew her name and came when called. Listening to Avani was another issue all together.
So Avani made her way back to the house, entering after putting the firewood in the bin her father had made. The inside of the house had a door that opened into the bin that they could open when they wanted wood without having to go outside in any weather. She shook out her cloak of the few drops of the first rain and hung it up by the door. She heard scampering towards the kitchen and saw a long yellow tail disappear quickly behind the door. Avani smiled and went upstairs. It would be a long storm, so she went to get comfortable for the night.
Nix yawned and scratched her ear as she woke up from her nap. She was under one of the old trees of her mistress’s orchard, safe from the strong wind that seemed to push her around. Her mistress seemed to be in a hurry today, something to do with the wind perhaps?
Nix scrambled up and poked her head out of the hole she had climbed down to nap in. It was darker that it had been when she had sought shelter. She sniffed the air, but her mistress’s scent was nowhere. However the rain was starting, for a large drop of water had landed on her head. Nix scampered back down into the little den to stay dry.
She curled up a little scared. She hadn’t been alone like this since before she met her mistress. One thing was sure as she curled up against the cold, she would stay put till the rain was over and then get home.
But until then it would be cold, lonely and dark. All things Nix did not like.
“I don’t want you two going out in this storm.” Avani’s father said as he placed his large duck cloth coat on, “It’s bad enough I have to go out in this mess, but that sheron giving birth looked rather bad when I left his afternoon.”
“Dear Goddess why would we want to leave?” said Avani’s mother as she tucked two stoppered jugs of coffee into his sack. Thunder rumbled and her mother looked up as if she could see the sky though the roof, “It’s as if the Gods are warring out there.”
Avani smiled as she leaned against the banister. She hoped her father would beat the worst of the storm out to the sheron barn in the far pasture. She watched her mother give her father a kiss as she handed him his sack and tugged his coat snugly shut as if she was placing a protective shield around him. Avani smiled as her father pulled his wife’s hands away and chuckled.
“I’ll be fine, you two just stay inside!” he looked to Avani, smiled and said, “Mind your mother now.”
“Yes Papa.” Avani said politely.
Sometimes she wished he would stop saying things like that. It made her sound like she was still a trouble making child. Well, she did get into adventures now and again… She wasn’t totally as innocent as Seren. However, she was almost of age, and she wished he could trust her judgment on things more often. She wasn’t a little girl anymore.
She silently sighed to herself and watched her mother and father exchange a few last words. Avani waved from the stair steps and watched her father exit into the wind and rain.
Her mother smiled and told her that she would go back to the kitchen to get something ready for dinner, and Avani told her she was going to her room for a while.
As Avani got to her room, she turned to the problem that had been on her mind since lunch. She hadn’t seen Nix. This was rather common during storms as the little fea didn’t like them, and for that matter Honoka didn’t either. Both would hide under Avani’s bed or at her feet.
Avani stared at the bed now where Honoka sat watching the storm outside. She wasn’t in fleeing mode yet, but Avani knew she would be once the lightning and shaking thunder started.
But where was Nix? Avani knew the thunder scared Honoka a bit, but the little fea didn’t like even the rattling of the windows. Even when it wasn't storming and just a high wind the fea would curl up real close to her.
Avani shook her head. She had been searching since having a late lunch. It wasn’t like Nix to miss a meal, especially with mama’s sweet cakes. Perhaps her mother had seen Nix?
“Mama? Have you seen Nix?” Avani called to her mother from the top of the stairs.
“No dear. I thought she was in your room.” Avani’s mother replied from the kitchen door, “Have you checked the hall closet? She likes to mess up my sheets when it storms you know.”
“I’ll check!” Avani said heading back to her room to get a lamp.
She took the lamp and went to the hall closet. She furrowed her brow as she looked in, holding the lamp into the little place. She backed up and closed the door, sighing again as she couldn’t see that the little fea was in there.
Avani took the lamp back to her room and placed back on the table. The rain was coming down steadily now, and the window panes were rattling and howling in the wind. Avani rubbed a little warmth into her arms looking out at the contrast in the sky. A large swath of black clouds were coming and overlapping the grey. This storm was going to be worse than she had thought.
She sighed. Where was Nix?! She turned and thought hard. She had heard scampering beside her when leaving the orchard, but none of the chirping and chiming calls Nix would usually make. She had heard Honoka, that was for sure. There was no mistaking the tumbling and small calls that were distinctly hers.
But she hadn’t heard Nix.
“Oh!” Avani said angry at herself, “How could I be so stupid!”
But Nix should be ok outside in the storm if she was outside, right? However, as she looked back out the window, it was still evident that it was really going to be a bad storm. Just then lightning streaked across the sky, and thunder quickly followed. Honoka quickly, yet ungracefully, tumbled off the bed and scrambled under it.
She had to go out and find Nix. She breathed deeply and thought about it for a moment. Going out there was rather dangerous, not to mention disobeying both parents. She bit the top of her finger thinking about her choices. Nix could just be taking shelter out there. Or she could be hurt. Avani shook her head. No… She had to think positive. Nix was just taking shelter somewhere safe.
Avani looked outside again. The black clouds were nearly at the house. She could hear the wind howling, and the rain being lashed against the windows.
Avani had to go out and look for Nix. She was so small and fragile, and she could get seriously hurt. She was Avani’s little friend, more now like a daughter after taking care of her for so many years.
Avani nodded in resolve. She had to go out and get Nix.
Avani quickly changed out of her dress and into a pair of breaches and one of her father’s old work shirts. She tied up her hair into a bun then placed a tight wool cap on hoping that would contain her hair in the wind. She placed on her sturdy work boots, and looked around the room. She saw Honoka’s nose poking out from under the bed, but it disappeared quickly as another rumble of thunder shook the house.
“Stay here Honoka. I’ll be back soon.” Avani said as she smiled at the little Khehora.
Avani knew she would be safe there till she got back, so she blew out the lamp and shut the door. She heard Honoka’s whimpering, but she had to ignore it and stay focused.
She went downstairs and quietly walked past the kitchen doorway, looking in and seeing her mother do battle with the wind as she tried to keep the fire that was in the stove lit. That would surely keep her occupied while Avani snuck out.
So she quietly went to the front door and found her own large duck cloth cloak and put it on. It had a hood, so Avani pulled it on over her head. She then took a large breath, very unsure about going out. But her worry about Nix pushed it away, and she placed her hand on the knob.
“Avani!” she heard her mother say from the kitchen doorway, “And where do you think you are going?”
Avani blanched in guilt. She had forgotten about the new board that squeaked by the door. Mama must have heard it. But she couldn’t back down now, not when she was sure about going out.
“Nix is missing, and I think she’s still in the orchard.” Avani said turning around, “I have to go look for her.”
“In this weather?” her mother exclaimed placing her hands at her hips.
“I have to go Mama.” Avani said trying not to sound desperate, “She’s my responsibility.” Avani sighed and said, “She’s like a daughter to me Mama, I got to go out and try to find her before any harm comes to her.”
“Your father said to stay inside my girl.” Her mother said. A gust of wind wracked the house, shaking it a bit, “Personally, I think he’s right.”
“I can’t do that Mama.” She said evenly, “Even if you were to lock me in my room I would just go out the window, and frankly I would rather like to avoid doing that in this weather.”
Her mother was silent, and Avani saw a look on her face that showed she was trying to see a way to keep her here.
“I don’t want you out there Avani.” Her mother said. “You are my daughter too you know.”
“And what if I was out there?” Avani said again trying to make her mother see reason, “Wouldn’t you be out there yourself looking for me?”
Avani watched her mother press her lips tight in silence. She then sighed loudly and threw her hands up in the air.
“If you must go, then go.” She said. She lowered her hands to her sides and what seemed to look like worry crossed over her face. “If you do go Avani and it gets worse, come back. Even without Nix.”
Avani nodded. She would come back with Nix, even if it did get worse. She was sure of that at least.
Avani nodded at her mother again, turned and opened the door. After bracing for the wind and rain, and shutting the door behind her, Avani headed for the barn where most of the supplies were that she needed. She wouldn’t dawdle there too long. Nix needed her.
Avani had gotten the large lantern from the barn. She had lit it there, and the flame had stayed lit till she made it to the fence of the orchard. She placed the lantern’s handle over the fencepost so it would stay put while she climbed over the fence.
As she jumped down on the other side, she grabbed the lantern and held it high. The rain was thick, and it stung as it hit her face. She felt drenched to the bone, and all she had done was walk across her house lawn to the fence. She took a deep breath and walked on.
She looked about as she walked into the orchard, startled by the creaking of the trees and branches. She gasped as a streak of lightning lit the sky with accompanying thunder. She knew that the lightning had been close since it had occurred with the flash. Avani recovered quickly and looked up into the trees. She had numbered the trees with signs so she could keep track of the possible yield and kinds of apples, so she was pretty sure she was near tree number twenty-two when she ended her work that day. She was near number three now apparently, the rain was so thick it blurred her vision.
So Avani called out even now for Nix, hoping the little fea could hear her above the storm.
Nix had to scramble up the tunnel of the den she was in since it had filled with water at the bottom. Caked with mud, it was rather uncomfortable. She would have to make a decision soon to either leave the den or hope the storm would stop. Nix was frightened, but hoped she knew what to do.
“She’s where?!” Talmei yelled.
“She went out to look for Nix.” Maiika said calmly. She stared at her needle point and tried to concentrate on that, “Apparently she felt she had to go.”
“She could be killed!” Talmei said turning and heading to the door.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to go after her Talmei.” Maiika said slowly putting the needle into the cloth and pulling it through, “This is something I believe Avani has to do herself.”
“What do ya mean?” her husband said. She heard him turn back quickly, “You actually support her going out there?”
“No.” Maiika looked up at Talmei and said, “But she made a rather good argument. She said that if it was her lost out there we would be looking for her.” She clenched her jaw and looked pointedly at her husband, “I don’t want her out there, she’s my child, our only child.” She tried to keep from crying and said, “I know how much we wanted a child and how long it took us to have her, and I would rather keep her here safe and warm, but she has made up her mind and if she is in trouble, she knows her way home.”
Talmei looked at her and Maiika held his stare. They had rarely fought in their marriage, but on this she wouldn’t budge. Avani had made it clear that Nix was more important to her at the moment than her safety, and if she felt she had to disobey her mother and father in this, then so be it.
“When she comes back,” Talmei said in a defeated voice, “I wanna speak with her.”
“Oh, no worry there dear.” Maiika said going back to her work, “I’ll want to speak with her too.”
Avani had made it to the tree with the number of twenty-two. Well, as far as she could make out. She prayed thanks to Seren that the flame in her lantern had lasted this long. She started yelling Nix’s name again hoping the fea would hear her. The storm had gotten worse in her opinion. The wind was making the trees creek louder and it seemed that they were actually bending in the wind.
As she walked around the area, calling the fea’s name she stumbled a bit and the lantern slipped from her grasp. She was plunged into darkness as she heard the crash. She cursed under her breath, but still kept calm. There was still a little light in the sky, and if she found Nix quickly she could make it back by following the layout of the trees. She had been playing and working in this orchard since she was 10 and knew it’s layout well.
“Nix!” She called as she found a tree to lean on, “Nix!”
Hopefully the little fea could hear her.
Nix perked up her ears. She had heard something. She dug her feet into the slippery earth and wriggled the rest of the way up to the opening of the den. She poked her head out and listened. She focused hard to filter out the sound of the rain, wind and creaking trees.
“Nix! Are you here Nix?!”
It was her mistress! Nix popped out of the hole and listen again for the voice. When she heard it again she went in its direction chirping and chiming her head off. She then screeched louder as she moved more towards her mistress as she heard her again.
Avani heard it: A screeching sound that sounded like the little fea’s. Or it could have been the wind?
“Nix?!”
Avani heard the screeching get louder and nearer. She called out again and she heard the chime sound that was so distinctive to Nix.
“Nix!”
She lowered herself to the ground and after a moment she felt something hit her chest. She could see something dark clinging to her, but heard Nix’s chattering and chiming noises.
“Oh Nix!”
Avani hugged the muddied little fea and sent silent prayers to Seren for the safety and finding of Nix.
But now was not the time to get comfortable. A flash of lightning and thunder preceded the downpour of hail.
“Well, at least I have you!” Avani said and gave Nix a quick hug, “Let’s get home!”
Avani placed Nix inside her cloak, buttoning it up around the fea, and held on to her like a mother held her child. The hail hurt, but at least she had a heavy cloak to soften the blows.
She felt her way through the trees. It was getting dark fast, but she knew she was half way back to the fence.
She then felt her foot hit a root of an older tree and she fell. She twisted her body slightly so she didn’t land on Nix, and held on tight to the little fea. As she was catching her breath, she heard a cracking sound, and as she looked up, she saw a tree beginning to fall. She fumbled and pushed herself back quickly trying to get out of the way, the mud on the ground helped a bit sliding her quickly back.
She screamed as she felt the branches hit her face and fall on her legs. Luckily it was only the top of the tree that had fell on her and she easily moved from beneath it. She opened her cloak and looked at Nix to see if she was ok. Nix poked her head up and licked her face. Avani smiled as she knew Nix had to be ok to do that to her.
After buttoning up her cloak again, she used the trunk of another tree to stand again. She felt something on the tree that didn’t feel natural. Avani felt along it some more, and smiled as she realized it was one of the wood numbers carved onto a board of wood that she used to number the trees. She closed her eyes and traced the number with her fingers. It was number ten. She was about one row of trees from the fence.
“We made it Nix!”
She felt the fea wiggle beneath her. Avani quieted her down with a few words. The hail had gone, but the wind and rain were still as strong as before. Avani moved towards the next tree in front of number ten, and found it with success. She then moved slowly till she felt the border fence against her legs.
Avani smiled. There were a few trees after the fence, and then the house was just a short distance from that. She held tight to Nix and climbed over.It was more of an ordeal now since she had a large bundle under her clothes, but she got over the fence, falling right in a patch of mud. Avani didn’t care at the moment. Soon she and Nix would have a nice hot bath and then bed.
“Avani!” Her mother exclaimed as she entered the back door.
Avani fell to the floor smiling, bracing herself against the door. She then undid her cloak’s buttons, and allowed Nix to tumble out too. She felt so tired. So bruised. She would sleep soundly after a nice bath.
“Mama.” Avani said slowly, “I found her.”
Avani heard Nix chirp and felt her move around next to her. She would rest a bit then get up to fill the large tub with water for a bath.
“Oh dear.” Her mother said coming over to her, “Let’s get you out of those clothes quick.” She stopped then went to the kitchen door and yelled, “Talmei! Get the large tub and fill it quick!”
“I’ll do it.” Avani said smiling.
“Oh no you don’t.” Avani’s mother said sternly, “You look like you won’t last a minute.” She quickly came over to her daughter, “You’re the one who needs help now my dear, trust me you won’t be able to move for a while bit.”
Avani silently agreed. She felt numb all over, not to mention wet and dirty. She also felt dead tired. She watched as her father silently came into the room, and she moved to stool that was next to the oven fire. She picked up Nix too, holding her tightly as they went about getting warm.
She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. She didn’t want to see her father’s face just yet. She didn’t want to talk now, she just wanted to bathe and get warm.
But her father said nothing as he went and pushed back the kitchen table and benches, and went into the basement for the large tub. Avani’s mother, somehow, managed to get Avani’s cloak and knitted cap off. She was pulling Avani’s shoes off when Avani heard her father come up with the tub. She heard him move around to the other side of the stove to get some hot water from behind it, and then she heard him pump more water out at the kitchen sink.
“Thank you Papa.” Avani said opening her eyes.
She saw the frown on her father’s face, but he gave her a nod and left the room.
Soon, Avani and Nix were in the warm tub, her mother washing her hair as Avani scrubbed Nix clean. Avani giggled as Nix swam through the water as if this was something they did every day. Nix was cleaned first and was given to Avani’s mother so she could be dried off. Avani washed herself next, careful of the burses that were becoming more evident as the hour went on. As she washed her face, she blanched as the soap cleaned out the scrapes the tree had given her.
“My gods Avani.” Her mother said as she handed her a towel when she stepped out, “What in the name of Seren happened?”
“Hail.” She said gingerly patting the bruised areas dry, “And a tree fell and scratched my face.”
She looked up at her mother and saw hurt in her eyes as they looked over the blackening spots on her shoulders, arms, and back. There seemed to be scratches there and on her legs too apparently.
“I’ll go get something for those scratches and some night clothes.” She said, as she placed a wrapped up Nix next to the oven on the floor.
Avani smiled and wrapped the towel she had around her. She sat on a different stool than she had sat on before and rubbed Nix dry some more.
Soon her mother was back with another towel for Avani’s washed hair, a comb for it too, and also some undergarments and a fluffy night dress. She had also seen her mother bring a large quilt down too. Avani heard scratching at the Kitchen door and Honoka’s whimpers and small cries. Avani smiled and knew that not only her parents had been worried.
Soon Avani was in her nightgown, and in the living room in front of the large fire there, sitting on the hearth to get dry. She had rubbed Nix some more and was just now letting her sit near the grate to dry and warm herself. Honoka sat in a chair watching Avani from above. Avani was combing out her hair as her mother came in with a bowl of stew for her, and some warm broth for Nix.
Avani thanked her mother, placed it on the hearth near Nix who lapped it up greedily. Avani ate her stew slowly, even giving a piece of meat to the watching Honoka. She had just taken both bowls and had stood to take them to the kitchen when her father came into the room from his study.
Avani nodded at him, and then took the bowls into the kitchen. The tub had been removed, apparently her father had taken care of that while she had gone upstairs to get another blanket, and her mother was cleaning up the mud that had been tracked in.
“I’ll help you mama.” Avani said placing the bowls into the sink.
“I’m perfectly ok with doing it myself.” Her mother said standing with a dirty rag. She smiled at her and said, “You need to go get warm.” She then placed a hand on Avani’s face and said, “And you need to talk with your father.”
“What about you?” Avani said taking her mother’s hand.
“Oh we’ll have a chat too.” She said throwing the rag into the sink, “But I think right now it’s time for you and your father to have one.”
Avani squeezed her mother’s hand and went out of the kitchen. She went back to the fire and saw that her father had taken the other chair and had Nix in his lap with a blanket Avani had gotten from her room.
She then went and sat on the floor pulling the quilt her mother had gotten for her around her shoulders. She heard Honoka tumble from the other chair and felt her curl up around her, laying her head in Avani’s lap.
There was a moment of silence as Avani placed her hand on Honoka’s head. She didn’t know how to start the conversation with her father she knew was not going to go well.
“I’m not sorry I went out Papa.” She said raising her head to look at him, “I know I disobeyed you, but I had to go.”
She watched her father look back at her and then look into the fire.
“It hurts that you didn’t do what I had asked.” He finally said. He looked back at Avani. There was silence again and her father sighed, “Why did you do it my girl? You could have been hurt or killed!”
Avani looked away and said, “Yes, but it was my choice. I had to get Nix, she’s so small!” She looked back and said, “You would have done the same if I had been lost.”
“But you’re my daughter!” he said, “I’d go through a thousand storms to get to you.”
“I feel the same about them!” Avani said, “Nix I have cared for ten years, and I was the one who cared for Honoka’s egg and watched her be born. Isn’t that enough for me to feel as if they are my daughters? And isn’t that feeling more than enough to justify going out after Nix?”
There was silence then, and she watched her father close his eyes and sigh. He looked weary and old. Avani had seen her father as always so vibrant and happy that she never thought he would worry about anything.
“I’m almost of age Papa.” Avani said looking away, “Only less than a month till I am old enough to do some things as an adult, why won’t you let me?”
She heard her father give a wry chuckle and she looked up at him to see a sad smile on his face.
“Because to me, I still see a five year old girl running around with a stuffed pumpkin hiding in her grandmother’s pumpkin patch.” He opened his eyes and said, “You were a blessing to your mother and myself, and I don’t want to give you up.”
“Hardly!” Avani said smiling, “I’ll always be your daughter, just never a little girl again!”
“That’s a hard thing for parents to do.” He nodded to Honoka, “She will leave one day and you will understand.”
Avani looked to Honoka, and then placed a finger in her mouth. Oh, Avani had thought of that. This is why she balked at talking about her plans with her father. But she knew he would find out eventually, so why not tell him now?
“Papa, I have thought of that.” She said looking up at him. She smiled sadly, “And It’s coming sooner than you think.” She placed a hand on Honoka’s head, “She’ll need someone to teach her the ways of her race, and I can’t do that. So I have been wondering if to ask another Kehora I know to give her lessons.” She then breathed deeply and looked right into her father’s eyes, “I also know she won’t be small forever. She’s two years old and not getting smaller. She can’t fit in this house built for small people. So, I’ve been saving money to buy some land and build a house… for all three of us.”
She watched her father’s eyes widen and then soften.
“Ah Avnai, I’ve lost you already haven’t I?” he said.
Avani smiled a bit, “I’ll always love you though.”
“Ah, Avani girl,” he said leaning forward to pat her head, “That's one thing that will never change between us.”
It had been three weeks since Avani had gone to find a lost Nix. Avani was now in the orchard overseeing the removal of some trees that had fallen in the storm. They were old ones that were from the original orchard, so it was a miracle that they had lasted as long as they had.
Since her talk with her father, he had allowed her more freedom around the farm in the way of telling his workers that she was as good as her father when giving out orders. She also saw more time out in the fields taking over tasks she normally would have had to square off against the farmhands for.
It was nice to know her father trusted her to give orders and do jobs around the ranch without having to worry about people watching over her. She was still getting used to the new freedom and status, and it would take some time to gain the trust of the farmhands that still held out that she still couldn’t do anything as good as her father could yet.
While it was true she still lacked some training and schooling in the ways of running a ranch, she could deal with the ones who were still skeptical. What was important was that her father supported and trusted her enough to support the decisions she made without him there, and to her that was the greatest thing in the world.
Shenra approached her in the orchard and voiced her approval of the clean up being done. She had approved of Avani’s plan for the removal of the fallen trees, and of Avani’s plans to replant next spring. Apparently as far as the woman was concerned Avani owned the orchard out right with all the work she had put into it. But Avani was stubborn, and said that she would never take the orchard as a gift and pay for it one day herself. First though, she needed to get the land to build her dream house on.
“Here’s something your father ordered.” She said handing a small box to Avani. “He said you needed it if your children were anything like you.”
Avani took the package and opened it. She laughed out loud as she pulled out two leather collars with shiny metal disks attached. She read Honoka and Nix’s names on each disk, and then saw the big bells that were attached next to them. Each sounded different, and she could hear it rather well.
She smiled and would thank her father for the gifts.
She knew as much as her father trusted her now with some aspects of running the ranch, her safety would be an important thing to him no matter how old she was.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date Posted: October 9, 2014 Words: 5,583
Apple Blossom19 Captain
Eloquent Exhibitionist
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Apple Blossom19 Captain
Eloquent Exhibitionist
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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2014 3:51 pm
Avani stepped out onto the porch of her new house, a cup of fresh tea in her hand, and breathed in the fresh scent of newly cut wood and autumn.
She had just celebrated her twenty-third birthday, Honoka was growing well, and Nix seemed to love the little khehora as much as Avani did. She smiled as she heard Honoka scrambling inside the house as she cleaned up after breakfast.
Criani would come for her when it was time to go for lessons in magic and the ways of khehora. Avani sipped her tea in the meantime and wondered what her father would have for her to do today. Lately she had been working with the accounts under his eye and the lead accountant. It was strange to see that her lessons in arithmetic were not lost when she became an adult. She hoped that she would be able to soon take her work from her father’s farm with her back to her house so she could do more than she would in the accounting room in the barn.
She looked up as a shadow came over her and smiled at the familiar shape.
“Honoka! Criani is here for your lessons!”
“Yes Mama!” she heard the little one say as Criani landed.
Avani greeted the older khehora, and as they waited for Honoka chatted about nothing in particular.
Avani smiled as her daughter ran out of the house and started talking to Criani in Draconic. Apparently she was told by the khehora to only speak that during lessons, a way to get her used to the language. Though once or twice she heard a bit of Magescian in there, with Criani responding with the appropriate Draconic word.
“Have a good day love.” Avani said placing her cup on the rail and bending over to kiss Honoka on the nose and rub her horns affectionately.
Honoka nuzzled her muzzle against Avani’t cheek, then licked her with a khehora kiss, then went off with Criani into the woods to their lesson spot. Avani didn’t know where it was, but Criani reassured her it was close enough that if there was trouble, she could get Honoka to her quickly.
Avani smiled as their voices faded and silence and the bird’s songs returned. She finished her tea, placed the cup in the sink, locked up the house and went to get the hastar she would ride to her father’s house. The hastar was old and docile, but it wasn’t far and she could take her time and enjoy the piece of land she was able to buy with her hard earned gold.
Avani placed her old hastar in the barn with the other farm hastars, and then proceeded to the back where the accounting room was. It was a room that ran almost along the whole back of the barn, only stopping where the back door to the barn was. The room was built when her family moved here, still filled with desks where the ranch hands in charge of the records could sit and do their bookkeeping in padded chairs. Her mother had sewn the pads for the chairs saying that the chairs they had made needed it if a person was going to sit all day just doing bookkeeping.
Avani smiled as she entered the room, seeing her father standing there talking with the worker in charge of the accounts. Avani went to the cubby-hole she had been assigned, picked up the ledgers she and her father had been working with. Her father had started to teach her how to read the books to figure out the profits for the ranch. It had looked daunting at first, but she had gotten the hang of it recently and was flying though the books as fast as she could so she could help with the harvest ledgers.
Avani went to an open desk, placed the ledgers onto the table, and sat down to wait while her father finished talking. This was the time of the year the account room picked up pace, records of product coming in and product going out. Then the workers in charge of taking the raw product out to all the mills and bakers and grain sellers would come back with the profit and records of the sales. Avani’s job for the past month was that of the first part of the accounting process, the recording of the raw product coming in and then recording how much of that raw product was to go out to the buyers.
This room would be alive with the noise of the ranch hands who were assigned to record all those things, and then it would be taken to the man her father was talking to, the lead accountant, Kalan, that her father employed on the ranch. Kalan would then take all the information and make sure it added all up. All the information of prices he would have gotten from the buyers with the totals gathered about the product and make sure the profit matched that which was deposited with him.
Avani knew her father trusted Kalan, for he had been in her father’s employ since they had moved in and started the farm. Kalan had turned a profit from a rundown farm and made her father and the ranch a valuable part of the community. The only other farm that rivaled her father’s was the ranch Sueno had grown up on. They produced different products, but they made the same yield and profits. It was a very rich land that was around here, and Avani had noticed that since she was little. She had bought the tumbled down farm and the land her house now sat on hoping to do one day incorporate it all into her family’s ranch to produce even more. If Seren’s will allowed it, it would become as large as the Autumntree family farms that her family had started hundreds of years ago down in the southern area of Serenia
“All right Avani girl, let’s see your work.”
Avani smiled up at her father and handed him the ledgers she had worked for the past few days.
“I finished them last night. However, since I knew you were coming in today, I waited till now to get them to you.” She felt a little shy, “It was late, and I didn’t want to bother you or Mama, nor did I want to keep Honoka waiting.”
“It’s alright Avani, I thought that might have been the case.” Her father took the books with a smile and said, “I’m sure they are all right.”
Avani smiled up at her father relieved. Avani’s father tucked the ledgers under his arm and said, “Today I’ll have you working on the ledgers coming in with the sales and recording the profit.”
“So soon?” Avani asked a little shocked, “I didn’t think that we would see it till at least till the first of next season.”
“The local sales come in now, and I’ll get you started with familiarizing you with the way it’s recorded.” Her father said, “I’ll have Kalan give you the prices the buyers gave him, and you can start learning how to record that as well.”
Avani was a little speechless. She had only begun to work on the records since the first part of the harvest, and didn’t think she was ready to take on a huge responsibility like that so soon. She was excited, but also frightened. Those mixing emotions made her confused at times.
“You’ll do fine Avani girl.” Her father smiling softly. Avani felt a bit reassured at that. Her father always knew when she was terrified of something, “It’s a part of managing the ranch that I do also, and I want you to get used to it sooner rather than later.” He stood up and patted her shoulder, “I’ll be right there beside you, as well as Kalan. You’ll be fine.”
Avani smiled back knowing that even though she might fall, she would fall with someone she trusted right beside her. He and Kalan would pick her up and brush her off and teach her how to do better next time.
“Alright Papa!” Avani said, her spirits brighter than before, “I’ll do my best!”
Her father and Kalan helped Avani learn the system of entering the reports in the ledger, and also how to balance out the income from the produce that went out of the farm. It was simple and easy. Soon her father let her take the books to her home to work with them alone. They knew she would probably do better at her house in a comfortable setting, rather than in one with people trying to look over her shoulder. Plus, it gave her time with Honoka and Nix, one thing she loved was their company.
It was about two weeks later Avani had sat back in her chair and sighed.
She glared at the books, her thoughts not happy.
She had seen some discrepancies. Very slight, but Avani had seen a pattern. Something was wrong with the amount of money being paid, and that being recorded.
Avani didn’t know how to handle this. It looked as if Kalan was taking money from the farm, a little from each shipment. If her figures were correct, the money taken was a hefty amount just from the early sales. Gods only knew how much he would take from the bulk that would becoming in during the next month.
She felt angry and yet let down at the same time. She had trusted Kalan for a long time, not to mention her father had too.
She sighed again and knew what she had to do. She had to take the books to her father and tell him that one of his most trusted men was stealing from him.
“Ah, Avani!” her father said as she came into his study the next day, “Have you finished the books?”
Avani held out the books, feeling sad at what she had to do. But it had to be done.
“Kalan is stealing from us.” Avani said bluntly. “I redid the math several times, and it all comes out the same.” She looked her father in the eyes, “I’m sorry.”
Her father broke into a grin as he took the books from her. If she had felt shocked at the betrayal of Kalan, she was dumbstruck at that smile.
“Well done Avani.” He said standing after placing the ledgers onto the tables. He looked with sad eyes at her and said, “You figured it out faster than I hoped.”
“You knew?” Avani said perplexed.
“Well,” Her father said chuckling a bit and rubbing his neck, “Yes, but I must tell you the truth now my girl.” He looked at her as if he had done something bad and was about to get yelled for it. Avani grew suspicious. He smiled brightly and said, “These books are fake.”
“What?” Avani said. She was utterly confused. Confusion gave way to curiousity and a rising urge to want to hit him on the arm, “You mean that…?”
“He’s not stealing us blind.” Her father said sounding pleased with himself, “I made up those books to see if you could spot a thief.” He smiled, “And you did, and so now I know you are able to work on the real books.”
Avani didn’t know how to feel. After a moment, she playfully swatted at her father’s arm, feigning anger at his little ruse and smiled.
“I see your point Papa.” She said. Avani didn’t feel as if he didn’t trust her, as if she wouldn’t report such a thing. She knew it was just his way of teaching her how to spot a person who would cheat her. She also saw the reasons for keeping it a secret. She had to find it on her own, and not trying to find it as if she knew. Avani gave him a hug and said, “I also understand.”
She heard her father’s chuckle rumble from his chest and let go from her hug. He placed a large hand on her head.
“My father did it to my brother and me also little one…” Avani thought she saw a flicker of sadness in his face and eyes, and wondered what that was about, “And he said your great-grandfather did it with him too. I guess it’s just our way of teaching our children how to spot that sort of thing.”
“It’s why even though Kalan does the books, you check them too, right?" Avani said as he lifted his hand away. Since she could remember he had always been doing figures in the books too, late into the night, even after Mama had gone to bed.
“That’s right my dear.” Her father said smiling at her. “I trust Kalan, but I trust myself more.” He lifted a brow and said, “When dealing with money, always remember that Avani.”
Avani smiled and nodded enthusiastically. She always took her parents advice, since they seemed to know more than her.
“Well then!” her father said clapping her on the back and turning her towards the door, “Shall we get you the real books to work on now?”
Avani laughed, agreeing with her father.
“I just hope I never have to catch a thief!”
Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2014 12:34 pm
Avani hesitantly stood at the door to the leklan barn. Her nose twitched a bit at the anticipation of going into the closed structure. It wasn’t excitement that made her twitch her nose, but rather the expectation of being in the shearing shed without ventilation.
“Hold your breath and go on in there Avani girl.” Her father said stepping past her, “You’ll get used to the smell.”
Avani took one last breath of fresh air and stepped into the barn.
The noise and smell assaulted her as she stepped over the footboard, and she fought her reaction to it as she stepped further into the shearing shed barn. The shearing shed was attached to a barn that had a half wall down the center. One side housed leklons that had full coats ready to be sheared. The other side was empty, ready for the sheared leklons to enter once done with the shearing. The shearing shed was along the back of the barn, there were six “stations” for six shearers to work without contaminating fleeces with different colors. Once a fleece was off a leklon, it was collected into a burlap bag, ready to be skirted and washed.
Avani had no idea what that process was, but she was sure if her father wanted her to learn it, she would. But now it was time to learn how to get the wool off the animal. It was the second shearing of the year, and one her father wanted her to help with.
Avani saw the five people on the ranch that were able to shear a leklon, besides her father, standing around talking as they waited. Avani saw that one of those five people was a shepherdess from the group of shepherdesses that Avani joined regularly when transporting the leklon to and from the high ground. Though today she was not dressed in travel clothes and ribbons, she was dressed in pants and a long wool shirt with the sleeves pulled up her arms, and her hair tied back. Avani, thankful of heading her father’s suggestion of wearing the same attire, tried to remember her name, but was at a loss.
“My daughter Avani.” She heard her father say to the group of men and woman, “I want her to learn how to shear today.”
Avani blushed a bit as she shook hands, the woman giving her name as Enthas.
“She’ll watch with me at the moment.” Her father said, “Then when she gets ready to shear for the first time I’ll let Enthas take over.”
“Yes Sir!” Enthas said with a large smile.
Avani was confused. She thought her father was going to be beside her when she first sheared. But she pushed those thoughts and feelings to the side as her father started talking to the others again. After a few more instructions for the day, they let in the first six lekron from the full side of the barn, each shearer taking one animal.
“It might seem hard.” He said gently grabbing a leklon by the muzzle with his left hand and leading it to his station with his right hand guiding it on its bum. “The shearing is easy. It’s the control of the animal that’s the hard part.” He gently forced the leklon down and around so it was sitting, leaning between his legs and being held, belly forward, with his left hand holding up one of the front legs. He looked at Avani and raised an eyebrow, “Have you been practicing with the shears and leg movements I told you about?”
“Yes!” Avani was rather good at the shearing now. Well, at least with a mock leklon.
Her father had made her a mock leklon out of a tight-ish bag of hey so she would know when she nicked the leklon with her shears. She had gotten the shear patterns memorized, and also how to not nick the animal when shearing.
He grabbed his shears that were stored in an old pot, and positioned the leklon more comfortably in his grasp. Avani looked at the complacent animal in her father’s grasp thinking that it seemed not to have a care in the world despite the fact there was a pair of blades that could kill it very easily right next to it. It bleated and blinked slowly once. Avani wondered if it rivaled sheron in stupidity.
“Ready?” he said looking at Avani.
Avani set that thought aside for another day, and nodded at her father. Her father looked down at the leklon and began his work.
Avani watched him stroke down effortlessly, going quickly. He moved the leklon as if in a dance, using his legs to control the animal. He used his left hand to move the skin so it was smooth and he didn’t clip the folds and ears.
“And done.” He said. He let the animal right itself, then hit it on the rump and steered it towards the man who was at the door to the barn room that was for the shorn leklon. Avani blinked and looked up at her father. He laughed and said, “I’ve been doing this for some thirty odd years.” He pointed the shears at her, “Don’t think it’ll go as smooth for you. Sometimes you get kickers and squirmers, and you just have to be ready.” He smiled and signaled for another leklon, “Watch some more and then you can have a go.”
Avani watched her father shear two more leklon and then was sent to Enthas. Enthas smiled at her and welcomed her to use her tools to shear the leklon.
“Your father sent you to me so that I can help you.” She chuckled a bit, “It’s a bit tougher for a girl to do, but you’ll do fine once you practice on live ones for a while.”
Avani nodded and then breathed deeply as Enthas signaled for a leklon. This would be her first live animal to shear on. She hoped she did well.
Avani took the leklon by the head and gently put it into the starting position. She took the shears and began her work.
Enthas wasn’t lying. It was hard to control such a large animal, but she was determined to do it. Avani went slow, leaving a small amount of wool behind, about two weeks growth, so the animal was protected from the elements. It went smoothly, but it became harder as more wool came off and obscured her vision.
“Just feel your way, you’re doing fine.” She heard Enthas’ voice.
Avani just nodded and continued on, feeling her way when she had to.
And as she snipped the last piece of wool off and let the animal go, she heard cheers and whistles fill the air. Avani looked up and saw the other shearer’s watching her, cheering her success, her father on the far side at his station smiling, pride in his features.
“Well done!” she felt someone clap her on the back. She stumbled a bit at the unexpected force, but smiled up at one of the ranch hands as he gave his congratulations.
“A few nicks, but nothing to worry about.” Enthas said embracing her around the shoulders, “With more work we will have to be adding another station to the barn, eh Mr. Autumntree?”
“Aye, that we will.” She heard her father say from his station. He waved his hands to scatter the workers, “However there are more leklon left and only six shears, so Avani can work with Enthas till the day is done.”
Avani smiled as her father came over to her. He affectionately squeezed her shoulder and smiled, “I’m proud my girl. Keep it up and we really will have to add another station.”
Avani had no words but just smiled. She went back to Enthas’ station and, until the end of the day, both worked on the leklon till it was sunset.
There was more to do, and Avani was sore, but she had fun, and would definitely be back the next day to help out some more.
The smell, she thought later as she soaked in a hot bath at her home, was definitely worth it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date Posted: November 22, 2014 Words: 1,368
Apple Blossom19 Captain
Eloquent Exhibitionist
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Apple Blossom19 Captain
Eloquent Exhibitionist
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Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 7:56 pm
Avani yawned and shifted in her saddle. She stretched her neck, moving it this way and that, and letting go of the hastar reins for a moment to pull her leather and wool lined jacket around her tighter.
She looked up at the starry night and saw the almost full moon and it’s icy ring that it made in the night air. She breathed out so she could see her breath and smiled a bit at the longtime game she played each winter since she could remember of trying to see the warm air in the cold moonlight.
She took the reins of her hastar again then scanned the herd of sheron. For the past week someone, or something, had been snatching off sheron. She prayed it wasn’t another Borgnah like the last time. But that had been many years ago, so long it seemed like another time to her. This time she was old enough to be taking turns out with the herd, and because she was used to watching leklon at night now, she could easily handle watching sheron. At least tonight almost had a full moon, and shed more light than last night.
She heard hooves, and glanced around quickly, then settled down as she saw the signal from a friendly rider coming towards her, turning her eyes back to the herd. It was probably one of the men coming to check in with her or something.
“Avani!” she heard her father’s voice. She perked up at that. It was uncommon for him to be out at this time of night. She held her mount study as he approached, not turning her eyes from the herd. Her father had taught her that, and if she didn’t remember that now she would feel stupid, “Avani!” her father said as he pulled up to her. She now saw that he was not alone and that six men had accompanied him. She smiled in acknowledgement to them all and went back to eyes on the heard. “Good girl! Keeping your eyes open and on the animals.” She heard her father say, “Didn’t have expect less.”
“I doubt you are out here to congratulate me on that Papa.” She said chuckling, “And that you had to bring six other’s to help you.”
“Brat.” She heard her father say along with a chuckle of his own. Avani heard the stifled chuckled of the other men, but they soon went quiet. “I’ve brought someone to relieve you.” He said seriously now, “We had another one lost, and this time I found fresh track marks.”
Avani turned to him now surprised about that, and happy. After a week without any reliable tracks, her father must have found new ones that actually led somewhere. Tracking at night was almost imposable without moonlight. They would use dimmed light spells, but those gave people away too easily, especially magic sensitive creatures.
“Where?” Avani asked curious, her mind ready to work with what her father had taught her about tracking. Also a bit she had learned from Sue as well.
“To the northwest border.” His father said. Avani knew that’s where one of the watering troughs was for the outer pastures, and bordered the land Avani owned. She cursed mentally. Now she knew why Papa needed her more than for her tracking skills or for a lesson. If that b*****d was on her property she would have to be a part of the party that went after them for legal reasons. Her father must have seen her face and chuckled saying, “I was going to ask you lead with me on this, but I see you are being particularly sensitive tonight.”
“The majority of my thought is that whatever it is that is taking the sheron is near my property, probably on it, and whatever it is could easily find my house and get to it if Honoka was ever left alone.” Avani said with a hint of anger. Mostly it was directed at the fiend who was hiding in her woods, “Ug… I’m sorry Papa, it’s just that I worry about Honoka…”
“That’s what I thought my girl.” Her father said again while chuckling, “And I understand your worry, and knew you would love the chance to catch the b*****d now more than I.” He nodded to one of the men and then started off, “Let’s go!”
Avani followed her father, looking back to make sure someone was still in her spot for keeping watch, and saw the ranch hand who had replaced her in the moonlight waving after them.
Avani slowed her hastar as they neared the water trough in the northwest pasture. Hand signals and whistles would be used from now on, and as Avani reached the trough and tied her hastar to a rail, she put on her leather shoes. These were made entirely of leklon hide with fleece on the inside for the cold winter months. They made no noise in the leafy forests and were ideal for tracking prey.
She slung her boots onto her hastar and took the one last thing she would need. A long thin blade that was so sharp it could cut a small branch in half with just a stroke. It could also make long stinging marks in dragon hide too.
Avani saw her father’s arm shoot up, the signal to follow him. He motioned to Avani to where he was at the lead.
They immediately saw the tracks her father had mentioned in the brightness of the moon. It was just bright enough to make out blood on the ground. Something had attacked the sheron while they were at the water trough. The blood pooled at the trough, but there were drag marks that led into the forest. Avani placed her hand over the blood and felt the warmth barely on it. It had just occurred in the last hour, Avani thought. She looked up at her father, motioned that she saw the tracks and that she was ready. Her father nodded and waved his hand to the men.
All six of them went into the forest.
Tracking wasn’t hard for Avani anymore since her father and Sue had taught her. Her father had taught her all he knew, and then she got some pointers from Sue before she had left for Ayr.
She looked not only for the big things like broken branches and blood smears, but also for foot prints. If she could distinguish what had the sheron, she would be better prepared to fight the fiend.
Avani suddenly shot up her arm for the men following to halt, and then grabbed her father, who was next to her and could not see her signal, to stop. She motioned for them to wait where they were. They had come to a clear patch in the path of the signs of the dragged sheron. The floor was clean of forest debris and Avani saw something in the shaft of light that pierced through.
She moved, alone, closer to the cleared area and smiled as she saw the claw marks on the ground. It was khehora footprint, and as she measured it with her fingers, she found that it probably was young, but close to adult. She went back to where the men were waiting and wrote out in the dirt that it was a young khehora, and probably knew how to fight. She asked her father, in writing, to let her handle it.
She looked to him and awaited his answer. He was the leader, and thus it would be his decision. Avani saw his short nod, and the fleeting look of worry. She smiled sweetly and motioned to the other men to continue along the trail.
Soon she stopped the group again, and motioned to them that they were close. The blood smears were less here, but very fresh. Avani knew the land around here well, mostly because she had played in these woods as a child. The khehora would be in a small clearing, probably snacking.
Avani drew in the dirt the image of the clearing and made marks where the men were to position themselves. She motioned for them that they were to surround the creature, not to attack unless it did. She saw her father’s worried face and smiled, placing a hand on his arm. He looked at her and she looked at him, silently telling him she knew what she was doing.
Her father, after a moment, nodded. She then stood and gave the signal to move out.
Once alone on the trail of broken branches and blood, Avani moved forward silently and stealthily.
As she reached the end of the path at the clearing, her guesses were confirmed. She heard the ripping and chewing of flesh, no doubt the young one was enjoying his feast too much to notice her smell. As she reached the border of the clearing, she saw what she had heard. A rather large youngling was quickly eating the sheron snack. The youngling seemed too big for the beast, but they must have been hungry to be eating like that.
Avani closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer to any God who would hear her, and breathed out slowly. She stepped deliberately into the clearing and the moonlight, wanting the beast to see her.
It snorted and stopped eating, lifting its head. Avani saw the blood on its face and maw, and pieces of meat hanging from its mouth. It hissed at Avani and stepped towards her.
Avani lifted her sword and took a defensive stance.
“Stay where you are!” Avani ordered in a clear voice. The khehora stilled. Avani learned from that movement that it knew at least some Magescan. She then said, “You are on my land, and stealing my animals. I have every right to kill you, but I will not if you leave now.”
“You are but a young one, are you not?” The creature laughed, if you called the hissing sound a laugh and said, “I do not recognize your authority.”
“I am twenty-three years old,” Avani said still standing defensively, “I bought this land and you are not welcome here to steal my animals.”
“I am bound by no two-legger’s laws.” It said with that hissing laugh again, “If you dare fight me I will kill you. You are no bigger than this thing,” It said gesturing to the sheron, “I will allow you to leave now to save your life.”
“I have men surrounding this clearing, and if you do anything to threaten me, you will die.” Avani smiled, “They are older and bigger than me.”
She watched as the khehora lifted its head and sniffed. She heard what she knew was Draconic, probably some curse, and saw the creature bow its head.
“I will bow to no two-legger!” it said.
“Then leave this land. I happen to know a larger and stronger khehora lives here.” Avani said raising her brow, “She would not take kindly to you killing in her territory.”
She heard the kehora hiss again, yet it did nothing. Avani stepped forward and said, “Leave now or I will harm you.”
The khehora hissed and then ran at Avani.
Avani knew how fast small, young khehoras could run. She side stepped the animal and lowered her sword as it ran by her. It yowled in pain as she felt the blade sink into its arm and side of its torso. The youngling stumbled and tumbled on the ground as Avani turned to face it, but it just kept running, howling into the forest from where Avani had entered the clearing.
Suddenly she heard a roar from behind her, and turned just as she saw a large, blue adult khehora run past her. Avani smiled recognizing her friend Criani. She laughed as she watched her run after the little thief.
No doubt whatever punishment Criani would dish out on the young one would keep it from her territory from now on.
“I knew Criani was there.” Avani said as they walked back to the trough in her father’s field. It was almost dawn, the sky pinking in the east. They had waited by the carcass as Avani’s father and another man went for a wagon to carry the carcass out of the woods. Avani knew they would get rid of it by burning later that day. For her, she was ready to go home and take a bath. She was now walking a ways behind the wagon with her father and some of the other men. She smiled at her father, “We had come up with a signal for when she couldn’t reveal herself, but was nearby, and I knew she wouldn’t like any trespasser into my woods.”
“I thought for sure she was going after you as well as that youngling.” Her father said.
“She’s a friend.” Avani said chuckling. She would never reveal the depth of her friendship to anyone. She feared the prejudices of the area residents. Avani rubbed the back of her head and said, “We have a mutual understanding as to whose land it is.”
Her father lifted an eyebrow and said nothing.
As Avani was tying on her boots, her leather soft shoes safely tucked in her roll on her hastar. She saw a shadow in the morning sun appear in front of her and looked up to see her father. The other men were already heading to the ranch on their mounts, Avani surprised to see her father not with them. She smiled anyway happy to have the company.
“I am sorry to take control like that.” She said shyly as she finished buckling her boot and stood. She rubbed the back of her head and kicked at the ground, “I mean, you are the boss.”
“It’s alright.” he said. He sat on the side of the trough and motioned for Avani to do the same. He smiled softly at her and said, “You seemed to know how to handle the young one from the time you figured it out what we were dealing with.”
“I’ve had more experience with khehoras than you have.” She said shyly, “I mean, I have Honoka, and Criani is a good friend.” She chuckled as she saw one of her father’s brows rise, “I’ve known Criani for a long time now, since the Mara attacks.” Avani looked away and out onto the pasture where she saw small dots that were sheron in the distance, “She helped me when I was alone and had no clue what to do.” She then thought her father would feel bad about that again and turned quickly to him and said, “It wasn’t your fault! I just was glad she could keep me thinking straight!”
“I know Avani.” Her father said with the same smile on his face. He turned and looked out as she had just done and said, “It’s just strange to me that my daughter has a life I am not aware of anymore. That I shouldn’t worry about you as much as I do." He let out a wry chuckle, “Your mother has tried to beat that into me for a long time and I guess it’s just now setting in.” He sighed and looked to Avani smiling, “Just know you shouldn’t feel like you should hide from me who you really are.”
“It’s hard to let your father know that precisely without him worrying.” She smiling softly back, “Besides, I’m still trying to finely define that myself.”
She looked back out over the land.
It was hard to be a normal person when one was caring for a young one, even if it was a khehora. Well, it was probably precisely because she had a young khehora to raise that made her different. She smiled and wondered if her life would ever be normal.
“I’ll love you no matter who you are my girl.” Her father said placing an arm around her shoulders and hugging her.
“I’ll love you too Papa.” Avani said wrapping her arms around him and hugging him back.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date Posted: November 23, 2014 Words: 2,690
- Crimson Taming Jewel x 10 (5/5 charges) - Sapphire Taming Jewel x 10 (5/5 charges) - Olive Taming Jewel x 10 (5/5 charges) - Emerald Taming Jewel x 10 (5/5 charges)
- Celestial Dragon Tear x 1
Tomes and Recipes:
Cooking Recipes
Magic Stew
The Magic Stew grants a +5 to catch and tame. Ingredients: x3 Red Eggs, x1 Babosa Slime, and x2 Pumpkin Guts OR x 1 Dried Lizard. Produces: x4 Servings Information: In a pot combine the above ingredients with some meat to create a slippery stew that sends out delectable scents. Allows you a +5 on your Catching and Taming rolls! Its smell and taste are heavenly even though it's made of such strange things. (May only use one serving of stew per adventure, bonus applies to both steps when you do.)
Nature Magic
Plant Growth
Magical Incantation: Prelii Shelarthan Category: Non Battle Tome Type: Growth Description:
This short manual teaches the user how to use your magic and transfer it to the plants (yes even fire magic!) and use it to help them grow.
Chapter 1 covers basic control and offers tips on how to transfer your power with out harming the plant or yourself. Allows you to heal and grow a plant to larger than normal sizes. Any fruit or seed is effect and is larger as well!Can only be done once a week. Chapter two expands a caster's skills allowing them more finesse and teaches the castor how to use your magic to safely grow a plant faster than normal. (Seed to young tree for example). This is exhausting and you can only do it once a month. You cna however, cause a small garden to grow it's plants larger (like chapter 1 spell). Chapter 3 shows you how to use the healthy land around you to influence the plants. Can make a small farm's worth of plants grow faster and larger. .
Magical Incantation: Muoroula Realira Category: Non Battle Tome Type: Healing Description:
This short manual teaches the user how to transfer your power to the Earth and heal it. Can be used to remove the effects of salt or poison in the land, and help heal farm lands that have been over used and the soils have no nutrients and are tired.
Chapter 1 covers basic control and offers tips on how to transfer your power with out harming the land or yourself. Allows you to effect a small garden. Ability drains you, can only use this once a month. Chapter two expands a caster's skills allowing them more finesse and the ability to bring in power from the surrounding air and from within to heal a greater area. You can help one farm area of land. Ability is still draining, but you recover after a week. Chapter 3 shows you how to use the healthy land around you to heal the hurting land. Tells you the signs of magical damage vs physical damage or just tired earth. You can now reverse any magical damage done to the land itself. This still drains you, but you recover after a bout a week.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Creature Taming Info Creature: Wild hastar Location: Serenia, the forests near Avani's home - Serenian Hastars: -------May only be caught by those in their Adept or Orakovan stage (or higher). ----- -15 to capture, -15 to tame, +10 to train.
Avani looked at all the Solstice candles in the store windows. She wished she could afford one of the prettier ones for her home this year as it was the first solstice she would be spending there. However, with her newfound freedom and independence from her parents, the responsibilities of being an adult and mother kept her from her wishes.
Avani sighed and opened the door to the mercantile knowing she could only afford the most basic candle this year due to her payments she still had to make on her land and the cost of building her house. She thanked the gods that both the owners of the land office and construction company knew her and her family and gave her leeway on her payments. Even the bonus her father gave all his employees every year would go straight to the payments. She had just enough of her regular salary for bare necessities she needed from the mercantile. Until her urruu’s started laying eggs enough to help with credit at the shop it would be cash on the barrel.
But one always made time for children, and it was her first solstice away from home.
She, Honoka, and Nix could have a solstice with at least the big candle for Solstice Night couldn’t they?
It was coins well spent for a little cheer.
“I’m home Honoka!”
Avani opened the front door and was greeted by Nix and Honoka both excited to see her. Avani laughed as she made her way to the kitchen as both nudged forward to sniff and welcome her home.
As she placed her packages on the counters and put away her purchases, Honoka chatted about the lesson that Criani had given her that day. Even in her broken sentences, Avani could tell she was getting better at speaking Magescican, and wondered how her Draconian was coming along.
“Cri said she would come this week.” Honoka said, “She said that she wanted to tell you how I am in lessons.” Honoka frowned a little and then looked around. Avani knew she was going to ask something she didn’t really know how Avani would answer. Avani smiled and waited till the little one was ready. “Mama… Can Cri come for the candle?”
Avani smiled at her daughter and nodded.
“If she wishes to come, she can. She’s a part of this family.”
“Yay!” Honoka said happily running around the kitchen, and knocking over a few chairs in the process.
Avani laughed and said, “But good little khehoras need to take baths tonight!”
With an abrupt stop, (that caused Nix to run into Honoka since she was chasing her), and a few grumblings, Honoka went upstairs to get ready for her bath as Avani put away the things she bought in town. Avani laughed happily at seeing the simple things that brought happiness to her child.
“Cri?”
“Yes?” Criani said looking at her young charge.
Honoka had been shy again during fighting training. Perhaps it was another question she was shy about. She watched Honoka for a few moments as she looked around, but then the little one looked right at her, determination on her face.
“You come for Solstice Night?” Honoka asked.
Criani tilted her head in confusion. Solstice Night? The term seemed familiar… Oh yes, the Orderite two-legger custom in winter! She remembered a few times in her youth the mayor of the town her clan protected had brought treats to the clan, in particular the young ones, at this time of year. Her parents seemed to encourage the exchange as part of her lessons on two-legger culture.
“You want me to come Honoka? I don’t know….” Criani was hesitant to intrude on an important two-legger custom.
“Mama said you family, so you come!” the little one blurted out.
Criani smiled at Honoka. She was happy that the two-legger thought of her as family, and that she could come to the solstice event. But she would have to talk to her friend to see if it really was alright.
“I’ll come and talk to your mother tomorrow morning about it.” Criani said smiling, “But now back to practice!”
“OK!” Honoka said.
“Of course you can come!”
Criani felt shy all of the sudden.
“I don’t know what to say…” Criani said. She had never had much interaction with the two-leggers till she had moved here and met Avani, “I-I hope I don’t bother your family too much…”
“It’s just going to be us this year.” Avani said. “I think my parents will come a few days after, so you don’t have to worry about being around them if you don’t want to be.”
Criani breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn’t too sure how to act around farmers who would probably hate her.
“Thank you.” Criani said as she nuzzled her friends face, “I’ve felt so lost these past years… I’m glad I met you….”
Avani patted Criani’s head and as they pulled apart she said, “Bring something that you treasure the most.” Criani felt confused and watched as Avani laughed and then said, “It’s a part of our custom, don’t worry you can have it back!”
Criani nodded. After a bit more talk about Honoka’s lessons and how she was doing, Criani went off in the quickening darkening of the day to find a meal and then head home for the hunt of something that she treasured the most.
Criani went into the back of the cave where she kept her treasures. She moved a few boxes around and made it to the secret crevice that was just big enough for her to get though. This led to the actual back, and end of this particular tunnel. She hadn’t noticed the crevice at first since the opening had blended in with the wall, but when she did, she knew she would keep her most precious treasures back here.
She ignored most of the trinkets though. She had thought long and hard about what she would take to Avani’s house a few days from now. It wasn’t as hard as she thought it would have been.
She went to the back wall and took up a small box. She smiled at it thinking about the contents of it. She opened it and smiled down at the small, dry, and pressed flowers that were there.
She gently moved a claw against them, barely touching them. She remembered the day her mother gently coaxed the plant to bloom with her Ysali magic.
That moment had spurred her to find her gift of magic. Though she turned out to be Peisio, her mother and father had been extremely happy for her, and began to teach her how to be a healer as well as a battler.
Criani shut the box and hugged it tight. The flowers reminded her of her parents and their desire for peace between khehoras and two-leggers, teaching her to heal as well as fight.
Criani took the box out of her treasure tunnel and placed it in the tunnel she used for her bed. She would take this to Avani’s for solstice night.
Honoka sat on her thinking rock. She was not happy. She didn’t know what she would use as her most treasured item this year. She had been using the khehora shaped doll her grandmamma had made her, but this year, things had changed so much. She was learning how to be a khehora, how to fly, how to use magic.
Honoka sighed, life seemed to change constantly. She didn’t like it, but she guessed that it was the way of things. Honoka reached out with her magic and made mounds of black earth explode up through the deep snow. She had noticed that during winter here the earth was sluggish to respond the colder it was. Perhaps it was sleeping? Honoka would have to figure that out herself since people who used Gaili magic around here were very rare.
Honoka reached out with her magic to her thinking rock. It seemed to like her sitting there pondering since it always seemed to reach back to her with a warm loving vibe. Honoka let her magic flow over the area as far as it could. She could sense the rocks and soil and also the plants sleeping under the snow. Though she couldn’t “speak” with them as she could with the soil and rocks, she could sense them there still as a part of the soil, as if the soil needed to be bonded to the roots of the plants.
She loved her magic and was glad she could connect with the earth.
Suddenly, Honoka felt with her magic a rock that felt rather warm and friendly. She turned her head in confusion and wondered what it was about this rock. She poked and prodded it with her magic. It was too deep to dig out, mama would make her take a bath if she did that, so she used her magic to. Honoka surrounded it with her magic and began the process of digging it out that way.
She shifted dirt around and pushed it up slowly. It was a rather good sized rock, or whatever it was. It didn’t feel the same way a rock did, a rock felt solid and secure and sure of itself. This was a different kind. Honoka felt her limited magic begin to lessen in power, but she began to push herself more. She wanted this rock thing out so she could find out what it was!
Finally Honoka could feel the rock thing reach the surface. She pushed it slightly out of the ground and above the snow, so a tiny bit of the top was showing. Honoka fell against her thinking rock, letting go of her magic, thanking it for getting the strange rock that far. She breathed deeply, regaining her strength, letting the cold seep into her cooling body. Using magic was exhausting!
After resting a bit, Honoka tumbled off her rock, landing in a pile of snow. Honoka shook off the snow, and hopped over to the spot her rock had appeared. She called on a little magic to slowly push it up and out of the earth, and dug the snow away from it.
It was a strange rock. It didn’t look like a normal rock. Honoka turned it around in her hands and then rolled it on the ground a bit. She then licked it. It tasted different too.
She sent out a small amount of magic and probed it. It was hollow inside, but there was something else in there as well… She would open it and see!
Though drained, she carefully began to pry the rock apart the last bit of magic she had. It was rather easy in her opinion, and it fell in two pieces on the ground. Honoka carefully looked at the pieces and was amazed at what she saw.
Inside were tiny crystals in the hollowed out parts! It was very pretty… Like snow formed inside the rock. Honoka was rather happy about her amazing find. She carefully picked up the rock pieces, and walked home. Though she would have liked to run, she didn’t want to hurt the crystals. Plus, she had to oddly walk on her wrists! But nothing could dampen the happiness in her find. Wait till she showed mama!
Avani looked up from the cookies she was decorating at the knock on the back door. She placed the knife on the table, wiped her hands on her apron, and opened the door a crack to see who it was. Avani smiled brightly as she saw Criani at the back door.
“Welcome!” Avani said. She opened the door wide and saw that Criani had a small box with her in her hands. She was instantly curious, but didn’t pry. If Criani wanted to share what it was she would.
“I brought my treasure.” Criani said softly. Avani smiled as she could tell her normally bold friend was shy about it, “What do I do with it?”
“Go into the living room and place it on the table with the large candle.” Avani said, “We’ll start the lighting at sundown.”
Avani shut the door as her friend nodded and proceeded into the living room. Honoka was there, more giddy than usual, but that was understandable given the excitement of the day. Avani smiled and went back to decorating her cookies. She was glad she could afford the candle, it was right to do it this year even if it cost a little more than she could afford.
“All right Honoka! It’s time! Go get your treasure!”
Criani watched the little one bounce up the stairs with Nix on her head. Apparently, according to Avani, the youngling had been very secretive about her treasure this year. Criani turned back and saw Avani head over to a desk and take out something from a drawer.
Criani had been nervous and shy when she had arrived at Avani’s house. She didn’t know what to do for this holiday, but Honoka, speaking in both Draconic and Magescican, told her about what was to happen. Well, the child’s version anyway.
“You all set too Criani?” Avani asked her.
“Yes.” Criani pointed to the table by the large front window that held a tall and fat candle, “My box is over there.”
“Good!” Avani said.
Criani saw she had some papers in her hand as she walked over to the table. She placed them on the table next to Criani’s box. What was so special about paper? She watched as her friend looked at the paper with love in her eyes and placed a hand on it. It was the actions and look she often saw her give Honoka before sending her off to lessons. She then realized it was the same thing she did when looking at her mother’s flowers.
“May I ask, what are those papers?” Criani said moving over to the table.
Her friend looked at her with surprise in her eyes, but it changed back to the love she had seen earlier.
“They are the deeds to the land that I bought.” Avani looked at the papers, “They are the papers that says I own the lake and farm I bought.” She heard Avani give a small chuckle and say, “I love this land, I grew up here with Nix, raised Honoka around here, and when I finally could afford it, I bought it. It may take me a while to pay back some loans, but I will one day own it full and clear.” She looked to Criani and smiled, “Two-legger laws may not be clear to you, but to me, it says this land is mine, and I won’t give it to anyone.”
“I can understand your laws when you put it that way.” She cocked her head to the side, “It’s like having territory, but not having to chase people away for it.”
“Sometimes we do, and that paper gives me the right to do so in our society.”
Criani nodded, “Should I leave your territory?”
Avani laughed and went over to her friend and rubbed her muzzle with her hand. Criani purred and nuzzled her hand as she spoke.
“You are welcome to any part of my land Criani. You are just as good as family.”
Criani purred louder at that and nuzzled her hand more.
“Thank you.” She said as she pulled away, “It means much to me.”
Cri moved over to the table and picked her box up. She went back to Avani and opened it, showing her the flowers.
“My mother helped these bloom one year.” Criani said as she saw Avani lower her head to look at it, “My mother was a Ysali and could help heal not only others, but plants as well. She taught me much, as did my father, and that’s what these represent to me.” Criani smiled as Avani looked up at her, “They were killed by Orderites when I was about a little older than Honoka, but I don’t blame them all… just the ones who killed.”
Avani took the box from Criani, shut the lid, then placed it on the table, and hurried back to her friend and gave her a hug.
“I’m sorry.” She said. Criani noticed Avani’s wings appear and watched as they came around her to hug Criani as well. Criani hugged her friend back and knew Avani meant her apology, even if it wasn’t her fault. “It’s a wonderful treasure to bring.”
Criani smiled and let go of her friend, “It is?”
Avani smiled brightly at her friend, it changed to the smile that Criani knew meant that she had a surprise.
“Yes! I’ll tell you more when Honoka gets down here with her treasure!”
Criani laughed and sat back, “Then I hope she hurries!”
“Alright Honoka, are you ready?”
“Yes mama!”
Avani saw she was caring what looked like two halves of a rock. She raised her eyebrows at it and Honoka smiled brightly.
“I find with magic!” Honoka held out the pieces, “See? Sparkles!”
“Oh my.” Avani said. She took one of the pieces and smiled, “It’s a geode!”
“Gee-ode?” Honka said
“Yes, it’s a special rock that is very fragile. You found this with your magic?”
“Yes!” said her daughter. Avani watched as her tail began to swish towards a chair. Her thoughts went to how to Honoka proof her house from now on as it actually hit the chair on one of the passes of the growing tail. “I open too!”
“Perhaps Grandpapa can help you polish it to make it look prettier.”
“Really?!”
Avani watched as her daughter’s tail began to swish even harder against the chair. The poor chair was about to fall over if Avani didn’t do something soon.
“Yes. Now let’s light the candle now.” Avani said handing back the piece of rock to Honoka.
Honoka moved to the table with the rocks carefully. Avani watched as her daughter tried to walk with her wrists as she held the geode pieces. She gave a chuckle and walked over to the table with Criani at her side. Avani took Honoka’s treasures and placed them next to her land deed, and Criani’s box that was open. Even Nix had brought down some fading ribbons. They were the same ones she used every year. They were the first ones Avani had ever given her.
She smiled and turned to her family and started the ceremony of lighting Seren’s solstice candle.
“We gather here on the shortest day of the year, the longest night, to celebrate a year of Seren’s blessings, and to ask her to shine her light on us for the next year.” Avani lit a match and placed the flame on the large, plain, white candle’s wick. She watched as the light from the candle spread over the four treasures gathered there. Nix’s ribbons on the table next to Honoka’s geodes. Avani could see the words on the deed to her land, and Criani’s flowers seemed to be bright and alive. She smiled and continued, “Without darkness, light cannot exist, nor can darkness exist without light. Seren, let your everlasting light shine through the darkness on those who gather here. May they have good fortune and good health in the next year to come.”
Avani and Honoka said a short prayer of thanks to Seren, then passed around the traditional white bread buns filled with sweat honx meat and a glass of white sweet wine. Honoka and Nix got sheron milk though since they were too little yet for the wine.
“Happy Solstice my loves!” Avani said holding up her glass of sweet wine, “May your next year be filled with light!”
Merry Christmas from Avani, Honoka, Criani, and Apple ^_^
Thank you all for a year of fun!
Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 6:39 pm
Avani leaned on her staff and looked out over the grassland towards the large lake that wouldn’t freeze over until the deep of winter when it was the coldest. The group shepherdesses that Rhees commanded had just gotten to the valley that they let the leklan graze in for a while. Rhees was with them this time, it being the last time she would go to the valley herself as part of the group.
Rhees was getting married. Avani and the others were so happy for her when she announced it, but they had been sad too. Along with the announcement she was getting married, she also announced that she was handing over the business to her sister who was old enough, and experienced enough, to handle the running. Her sister assured the others that nothing would change except who ran the group. Rhees herself would be moving south to start a leklan business with her husband.
Avani was happy for her longtime friend. She knew who the groom was and thought the two made a good match.
They had met, apparently, through a fight over grazing land in the valley. Avani remembered that Rhees was furious over some of the things he had said to her, though she wondered what had happened to make them start to love each other. Avani shook her head and sighed as she scanned the skies for signs of wild khehora or dragons. She was glad at least one of her friends had found love.
As Avani made her way back into camp after her shift, she saw Rhees had come finally. Rhees had stayed behind to finalize the transfer of her business over to her sister, and introduced her around to some of her clients, including Avani’s family. Avani, already familiar with the girl was glad to see her come into the position of owner.
“Rhees!” Avani said walking up to her friend. Rhees turned and smiled brightly at her. Avani gave her a hug and said, “I am glad you could make it one last time.”
“You are coming to the mating ceremony aren’t you?” Rhees said laughing, “We could have said goodbye there!”
Avani shook her head, “No, here it’s special. Here I learned from you all about leklan.”
Rhees laughed and placed an arm around her friend. “Not everything, just how to get them to listen!”
Avani laughed too hugging her friend with one arm as well. She would miss Rhees greatly, but she knew that was the way of the world, that friends came and went but the memories were forever.
The next two weeks passed quickly for Avani. It was about time for the first snows to reach the valley in the mountains, so as half of the herd stayed in the mountains, those that weren’t pregnant or in need of a wash would go with some of the shepherdesses back down to Avani’s farm.
It shouldn’t have been hard to lead them down. It was such a small group of leklan that nothing should have gone wrong.
However life was not that kind at times.
Avani had gone with Rhees and some other shepherdesses with the leklon that were going back home for care, mostly because she had left home long enough and missed Honoka.
She had anticipated part of the flock moving out of the mountains would try to break off, but it had happened so suddenly that she didn’t have time to catch them before they broke off. She had to chase them down a bit and gather them back to the small herd.
It was then she heard the growls and shouts from that direction. Avani twitched her ears and abandoned the few leklons she had gone after. She ran back to the group to see what seemed to be two adult khehora attacking the group. Rhees had her hidden sword out and was trying to keep the smallish khehora away from the shepherdesses and the flock. While a few were running away with leklon (who needed no prodding for once) one or two stayed behind to keep the khehoras occupied.
Avani drew out her sword she kept tucked in her belt and ran towards the fighting.
However she was too late to prevent Rhees from being attacked.
Avani’s anger was evoked and she ran to Rhees’ side. She was backing up to a close pile of rocks, and Avani seeing that turned towards the two khehora and, even though she wished to kill both, she stopped just short of that.
“STOP!” Avani shouted placing herself between the khehoras and others, lifting her sword up horizontally and not a threat.
Surprisingly both sides stopped. Weather they did out of her request, which Avani thought was unlikely, or out of surprise, Avani didn’t care. She took the moment to quickly stop the shed of anymore blood.
“In that direction,” Avani said pointing with the sword back towards where she left the stray leklon, “you will find leklon without a guardian, take those and leave.”
“How can we trust you two-legger?” said one of the khehora
“I must stay here with my injured friend, if I lie, you may come back and eat me instead.”
The khehora looked at her as if she was mad, and then she heard their chuckles.
“Go Tallik and see if this two-legger speaks the truth.” said the khehora who had spoken before, “If the two-legger does, kill them and come back to me and we will leave.” The khehora looked Avani in the eyes and said, “This two-legger is bold to speak to me such, I will spare them all, even the animals out of respect if she speaks true.”
The other khehora grunted as if he disagreed, but left. The khehora who had spoken settled down onto the ground and watched Avani as she went over to Rhees. Avani saw that the khehora was watching her intently.
Ignoring him though, Avani bent down and looked over her friend.
“It’s not bad.” Rhees said as if gasping for breath.
Avani shrugged that comment off and moved Rhees’ hand that had covered the gash in her shoulder. One of the girls had stuffed her overcoat over the gash and pressed down hard as Avani was speaking to the khehoras. That had helped to slow the flow of blood and Avani thanked whatever god was watching over them for that. She slowly lifted the coat up and saw that it was not as deep as she thought it would be. But stiches and a lot of rest would be needed.
“Lucky it’s not deeper.” Avani said seriously. “But you still have lost a lot of blood.”
Rhees smiled and closed her eyes.
Avani breathed deeply and motioned the other girls to come around her. She asked for the medical kit and one of them offered it up. The one who offered it said she performed a small healing spell on Rhees and that stopped most of the bleeding. Avani nodded and took out the berry brandy that was in the kit for emergencies like this. Avani then lifted up the skirt of her dress and then started tearing her shift up into strips to use as something for Rhees to bite on when she would pour the alcohol over the wound.
When she was ready, she went over to Rhees with the brandy and the strips. After asking some girls to help hold down Rhees if she started to thrash, she pulled the coat up off the wound and breathed deeply. She looked up and saw the others were ready to do what needed to be done.
“Rhees,” Avani said softly. Rhees opened her eyes slowly and looked up. Avani smiled and said, “This will hurt, bite on the strips if you have to.”
Rhees nodded and accepted the strips of linen into her mouth. When Avani was sure she was read she nodded to Rhees who nodded back.
Avani breathed deeply again and poured the brandy over the wound.
Rhees’ jerked and groaned in pain, her eyes opening fully. Avani was quick in her work to spare her the pain, but it was needed.
Cleaning up the brandy from the wound area and taking out the strips of what once was Avani’s shift from Rhees’ mouth, Avani took the healing salve from the medical kit as well as the clean linen bandages. Rubbing in some salve she then bandaged the wound liberally. She then instructed the remaining girls to remain close to Rhees if she needed anything.
Avani stood from Rhees’ side and was replaced by a girl with a cup of water, who helped Rhees drink from it.
Avani threw the med kit, dirty coat, and the scraps of her shift to the ground and then turned back to the remaining khehora. He was still watching her, with something that looked like curiosity. Avani did nothing but move towards him and sit down upon some close rocks near him.
It was soon after that his companion returned.
“Well?” The khehora who had remained said.
“She speaks the truth.” Said the one apparently named Tallik. He snorted and glared at Avani, “Unfortunately.”
“For you perhaps!” Tallik’s companion said laughing at his companion’s unhappiness, “But there will be other fights Tallik, this one will be a draw for us both.” He turned to Avani and then became serious, “This changes nothing between us and the ones who guard your animals.”
“Wouldn't have it any other way myself!” Avani said brightly smiling back at the leader.
He stared in surprise for a moment and laughed at her.
“I like that. Even for a two-legger you seem to know peace can never last.” He turned with Tallik and left with a parting look over his shoulder, “Never back down little two-legger!”
Avani sighed, her smile quickly fading, and watched them walk off towards where the Tallik had come. She was glad to be rid of them. She would have to take up the lost sheep with her father herself. One or two she knew was carrying lambs, and that, while it would not hurt her father’s bottom line, would still be hard for him to take.
Avani went into her parent’s house late that night. The shepherdesses had made a litter for Rhees, and while it took two away from the herding job, Avani worked hard to make up for the total loss of three women to look after the leklon.
“Avani! What happened?!” her father said as she came into his study. She probably looked and smelled rather worse than usual, but it seemed that her father didn’t care about that. “We were worried!”
Avani gave a small smile and pulled up a wooden stool to sit on. She was glad that it seemed Honoka was asleep upstairs since she was late.
“We were attacked.” She said. She saw the look of worry cross her father’s face and smiled weakly “Rhees was hurt and is with the village healer right now. She’ll be fine with some rest and medicine.” She then frowned and sighed, “But the worst part is that I had to part with a few sheep that had lambs coming.” She looked up to her father apologetically, “I’m sorry about that Papa, but I thought it a fair trade at the time. I’ll pay you back somehow.”
Her father waved his hand in dismissal, “It’s worth it for a life my dear, I’m just glad Rhees is ok.”
Avani smiled tiredly at him and took his hand and squeezed it lovingly.
“I’ll take a bath and join Honoka in bed if that’s all.” She said, “I’m rather smelly and tired.”
Avani’s father smiled and said goodnight, and Avani went back to the kitchen to get a warm bath ready.
A few weeks later, the first snowfall in the mountains was confirmed with the coming back of the rest of the heard, Avani and the rest of the shepherdesses celebrated Rhees’ mating ceremony. Avani was happy for her friend. Honoka and Nix were allowed to attend as well as long as they were on their best behavior. Decorated with late blooming flowers and ribbons, both seemed to be almost as pretty as the bride.
As the group of family members and friends celebrated, Avani watched one of the dances that she stood out to catch a breath.
“Avani.” Said a soft voice as a hand came onto Avani’s shoulder. Avani turned as saw Rhees standing there. Avani smiled and motioned to her friend to sit next to her. Though Rhees had a sling on now for the arm she had injured, she looked radiant and happy.“I want to thank you for what you did.”
Avani smiled. They both knew what she meant and Avani waved her hand to dismiss it.
“I did what had to be done.”
Rhees smiled and looked down, “You lost some sheep I understand.
“Like my father said, it was worth the price.” Avani said smiling.
Rhees smiled too and looked down, “If you weren’t so dead set on being a farmer, you would make a great shepherdess.” She looked up to Avani, “I’m going to miss you.”
Avani laughed again, “We can write each other since I will be raising leklan myself soon.” She gently put an arm around Rhees and hugged her gently, “I’ll miss you too though.”
Both young women laughed and enjoyed each other's company till Rhees left for her bridal night and eventual trip to her new home.
Later, after Avani had gone home and was lying in bed, she reflected upon her training.
She now understood the price sometimes paid being a shepherdess. But that is what one did. They protected not only the animals they were entrusted with, but each other as well. She smiled as she remembered some of the first advice Rhees had given her when they first met, and now understood it better.
She sighed happily and wished the happy couple well in a prayer to Seren, and fell asleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date Posted: February 16, 2015 Words: 2,342
Apple Blossom19 Captain
Eloquent Exhibitionist
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Apple Blossom19 Captain
Eloquent Exhibitionist
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 2:04 pm
Avani quickly tied up her hastar at the leklan barn. The cold wind pushed into her body, acting as if it was trying to pick her up and toss her all the way back to her house. She pushed into the wind and battled it till she got to the barn door. As she opened the door, lifting up the latch, she held tight onto it as the wind seemed to now want to rip it off its hinges. As she stepped into the shelter of the barn, she now battled the wind to shut the door quickly to keep in the heat.
As she shut the door, she latched it shut, and shook herself of the cold from outside. It seemed that winter was coming in fast. She wouldn’t be surprised if the fall rains started soon.
The harvest long gone, the rice and wheat fields fallow, it was now time to focus on gathering hay for the sheron and leklon, and giving those leklan who hadn’t had it their last shearing.
As she went over to the back of the barn where her father and the other five shearers were in the shearing barn, she raised her hand in welcome when a few saw her and saluted with their shears. She stood watching them for a moment, her father just finishing the leklan he was working with.
“Avani girl!” her father said as he let the leklan go, Avani smiled and waved as her father placed his shears down. He went over and hugged his daughter and said, “What are you doing here?”
“The books are all done papa.” Avani said smiling, “It looks to be a good year.” She looked down and said, “Thought you might want help with the last leklons.”
“Good!” her father said. He gave her a one arm hug and looked down at her, “I expected as much.” He smiled kindly at his daughter as she bowed her head. She was just as shy as she when she was a baby. “I’m sorry love, but we can handle the rest of the leklan today.” He had a thought just then, “Perhaps your mother needs help with the fleeces.”
“Fleeces?” Avani said perking up. It was rare that her mother would help out in the leklan barn. “What is she doing with them?"
Her father chuckled, “Why not go and see what she does with them?”
Avani nodded, gave him one last hug, then went into the fleece house that was attached to the shearing shed, and located through a door at its side.
As Avani opened the door, heat assailed her. She looked around the room and saw women, most of them shepherdesses Avani knew from the company that worked for her father. Avani exchanged smiles and waves with them as she gazed about. Many were working at machines, sitting or standing, their hair piled high on their head, some wearing hats to keep it piled up. Looking up at the ceiling, Avani saw vents open on the walls, and felt a slight draft come though that was welcome in the warm building.
“That should do it.” Avani heard her mother’s voice said. Avani looked over to a rack in the far back of the room and saw her mother with her hair piled on top of her head. She wiped her brow with her arm and said to the woman next to her, “Get the next table ready and we’ll call this batch finished. It looks to be good quality so take it to room three before we pick it.”
The woman nodded and agreed, then left Avani’s mother looking over the white wool.
Avani moved over to her mother and said, “It’s so white!” she touched it gently and felt how soft it was, what was to become of it?
“It better be!” her mother laughed. She looked at her daughter and said pointing towards large tubs that sat on what looked like a long stove with a fire lit underneath, “These just came from the cleaning station.” She smiled and said, “Soon they will be picked, then carded and off for sale.”
Avani looked around the stations again and saw all sorts of machines being worked by other women. All this to make…. What?
“What would be for sale mama?” Avani asked looking back at her.
“Batt.” Her mother said smiling. Her mother took her hand and led her over to an area near a large cylinder object with small spikes on it. She didn’t go over to the device but a pile behind it of white, cloud like wool. She placed a loving hand on the stacked wool and said, “This is batt. It’s what people would put inside blankets or would take it one step further and spin it into yarn.”
Avani’s ears perked up. So this is how the farm processed the wool they sheared. Avani just thought they sold the fleece.
“I thought we just sold the fleece.” Avani said placing a hand onto the pile of batt. It was so soft… like someone took a cloud out of the sky and spun it into a square pillow.
Avani’s mother smiled, “I sell these and keep my own books for that.” Avani saw her blush a little and said, “I do it to help your father. Yes we sell raw fleece too, but I take the majority of it and sell it as batt.” Her mother looked at the batt and ran her hand over it, “I am here all winter and all summer after the sheerings. It takes away from my time at home some days, but I love doing it.”
Avani smiled at her mother. She had never seen her mother come out with this much information about her day to day activities on the ranch. Avani had always been too busy to notice that her mother had been coming out to the barn to do this. Even as a child she had thought her mother just took care of her father and the house. It was a whole new side of her mother she had never seen.
“Can I learn how to make batt?” Avani said smiling. It was another part of farm life she had to know about.
“Of course!” her mother said smiling. “Would you like to learn how to make yarn too? I have extra spindles in the spinning room.”
Now it was Avani’s turn to blush and broach a subject she had wanted to talk to her mother about for a long time now.
“Can you teach me to knit too?” she asked in a small voice. “It looks like fun.”
Avani’s mother beamed, “Of course! You just had to ask!”
Avani smiled. “Thank you mama.”
Avani spent more time in the fleece house over the weeks following her first foray into it. She learned how to clean the wool, not just by washing it either. Apparently it had to be looked over and picked clean of second cuts, food matter, and the natural oils that would cause trouble down the line of making it into yarn or thread. Her mother explained that the oil could be skimed off the top of the water after letting it cool, and that they used it around the farm to weather proof things, such as the family’s canvas jackets.
Once it was cleaned, the fleece was dried in a special dryer that her father had made. It was a barrel that could spin so fast by pumping it with your foot. It apparently dried the wool faster and better than just drying it on a rack, and that was the secret to Autumntree wool.
After drying it, Avani picked the wool to further get out the impurities that washing couldn’t. She also learned why all the women who had long hair piled it high or placed hats on to keep it back. The picker was a small hand machine where the wool was fed into an area that had sharp nails sticking up from flat boards on top and bottom. When one moved the top bored it picked up the wool and tore it apart into little fluffy tufts. If someone's hair got caught it would hurt, or even rip it right out. So Avani was sure to place her hair in a long braid and tuck it under her dress when she began work on the picker and the carder.
After picking the wool, it had to be further pulled and made fine. That required it to go to the carder, and what a machine that was! It was a small spiny roll, the “licker-in”, that helped feed in the wool to the large “drum”. This made the wool as fine as possible, and still helped get out impurities. Sometimes the wool needed to go in multiple times, and it was exhausting to hand crank it all.
But the finished product was worth it. Avani placed her hand on the first batch she had carded to her mother’s standards. It would take time to just eye the wool and judge if it was fine enough to be sold.
“Very good.” Her mother said looking at her work. She placed the batt down and smiled at her daughter, “Now you need your lessons in spinning and you can spin all you want.”
Avani blushed a bit. It was fun spending time with her mother. Hopefully this would keep her busy all winter like her mother was. Avani lovingly touched the batt again. There were so many things she could do on a farm.
“I’ll keep it up all winter mama.” She said looking to her mother, “It’s part of farming is it not? I mean, growing things is just part of it, making things with what you grow is another part.”
“We are the backbone of life if you look at it.” Her mother said. She giggled a bit at the skeptical look Avani was giving her, “We support life, not create it.” She smiled shyly and said, “We grow food for people who then go on to do what they have decided to do with their life. We provide raw material for people to create with. We provide. Without farms or farmers, people would have a lot more worries than where they can get their next job or how to work things out.”
“I see it that way too.” Avani said quietly.
She and her mother looked at each other and smiled. It was nice to know how her mother felt about this. Avani had always thought she had hated being a farmer’s wife, but now she was sure she loved it as much as she loved her family.
Avani hugged her mother then said goodbye as she had some other chores to do around the fleece house. Avani looked at the batt once more, giving it one last pat.
As she left the leklan barn, the winter didn’t look so bleak with boredom after all.
