View topic - Currently untitled, just a little project.
It was warm that day but the air held a foreboding chill that warned of an oncoming cold front. Engar Bearclaw peered through the fine sea mist as his long boat came within landing distance of the approaching shoreline. His clan mates began leaping from the boat and wading to the rocky beach. In the distance behind them their fishing ship, The Ifreet, bobbed on the tide. There had been a monstrous storm the night before and the Nord men had been blown far off course from their fishing grounds.
“Where d’ye think we are?” asked Hienrich Iron-Teeth, a grizzled giant of a man who was twice Engar’s weight but more flab than muscle. He scratched his hairy, wobbling gut and looked expectantly at the younger man.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” replied Engar with a dismissive shrug, truth be told he was not overly fond of Hienrich, the man was crass and loud, always picking fights and starting trouble. The people of the south thought the Nord clans to be barbarians and Hienrich, like many others, had embraced that title and seemed set on using that as an excuse to go carousing and brawling as he pleased.
“If I had to guess where we’d were I’d say we were somewhere south of home,” said Skinny Jormund, a rat faced youth with buck teeth who was suspected to be only half Nord due to his notable lack of stature or substantial muscle mass. His face was contorted with the effort it was taking him to reach such a conclusion. Navigation was a difficult task to be certain but Jormund was almost 90 percent sure they were somewhere south.
“Oh that’s brilliant that is…we’re due south of the northern most continent on the map. Well done, we’d never have guessed without ye,” Engar growled sarcastically. To his chagrin Jormund beamed and there was a distinct “whoosh” as the sarcasm flew right over his head. Heaving a sigh Engar turned to Hienrich, “I know he’s puny but if we end up running out food and eating each other I vote that one goes first,”
“Oi! Will y’damn sons of bitches quit fartin’ around and start looking for some civilization? We need to find out where we are so we can figure out how to get back home!”
The three men turned to see the second long boat come ashore with their dour and sullen leader, a cantankerous elder man of sixty with a formidable braided, grey beard who was known as Udo Birdsong. There was a long running debate about whether Udo’s constant foul temper was a result of the old warrior being stuck with the clan name Birdsong while everyone around him had some kind of Fang-Tooth-Claw-Bear-Hawk-Wolf-related title.
“We’re in the south!” said Jormund, pleased that he had come to that difficult conclusion several minutes ago and even more pleased that he could show off his “brilliance” to his captain.
Udo stared at him for a full minute in appalled disbelief before he went into a full, bellowing rage against the boy.
“I KNOW WE’RE IN THE SOUTH YE BLITHERING IDIOT!! ANYONE WI’ AN OUNCE OF SENSE KNOWS THA’!! YE SLACK-JAWWED, SLOBBERING LITTLE DIMWIT!! WHAT I DON’T KNOW IS WHY YAR DISEASE RIDDEN, YEASTY, FAT, STUPID, WHORE OF A MOTHER DIDN’T PITCH YE OFF OF A CLIFF WHEN YE WERE BORN YE-“and so for the next ten minutes Engar and the rest of the crew waited for their leader to finish cursing Jromund and all of his ancestors to an elaborately violent eternity in the iciest of all hells.
Once Udo’s ranting had finished and Jormund was properly reduced to a whimpering ball of shame and tears the men gathered their things and started venturing inland.
....
For about the first hour of their trip they found nothing. It was nothing but dense, leafy, forest once they left the shore. No sign of any human life whatsoever. At length it grew warmer in spite of the chill that had been present earlier. As the heat began to get to them, and the Nordmen started shedding the heavy furs and leathers that they typically donned baring thick, muscular arms and hairy chests decorated with an array of indigo tattoos.
"Perhaps we've hit a deserted island," said Heinrich.
"If that's the case there won't be much we kin do but get supplies and try heading north again," said Engar. "'Tis risky,"
"Well stayin' on a deserted island ain't no picnic tha's fer sure," grumbled Udo. "Me knees are startin' ta hurt,"
Engar gave him a pat, "Yar age gettin' tha best of ye?" he smirked.
"Watch it pup, yer no lad yerself anymore...thirty's just round the corner," Udo shook his grey, shaggy head. "Twenty-nine years and still ye've not had a child, something wrong with your wife?" he asked.
Engar frowned, "Don't speak that way about her," he said. "She's a good woman and it's not as if we haven't been trying,"
"Easy! I ain't criticizin' yer wife. Everyone knows Resa is a fine woman, but a man needs an heir you know and Resa's not the only fine woman..." he raised his eyebrows at Engar hoping that he'd understand the hint.
Engar looked down at the old man with such consternation that Udo actually had the grace to look ashamed of his suggestion.
"I love my wife. I will not do anything to hurt her, not even for the sake of carrying on my bloodline," said Engar, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Udo looked as though he was about to reply but Heinrich called to them from a good distance up ahead.
"Hey! Come quick and see this!"
The group pushed their way through the thick undergrowth. They expected that Heinrich had found some sign of civilization. Engar felt suddenly anxious...something wasn't right, this forest had been far to quiet so far and now there was a faint smell of smoke in the air around him.
Catching up to Heinrich he finally saw what the man had found. The forest ended abruptly in a barren stretch of burnt ruins, the remains of what had seemed to be a rather large town, or even a city. It had been razed to the ground, and recently by the looks of the still smoldering remnants of wooden homes. Whoever had done the razing was gone. There were signs of a hasty retreat. Lances and swords left carelessly in the ash and mud, corpses unburied, not even a sign that the town had been plundered by its attackers.
"I don't much like tha feel a' this place," Engar commented, "There's something unsettling in the air,"
Udo nodded in agreement. "Stick close then, eh, lads?" he jerked his head in the direction of the wasteland.
Sticking close proved more difficult than Udo thought it would, Heinrich was already ahead of the group, looking to loot one of the fallen corpses.
"Heinrich y'fool don't touch tha'!" cried Udo. "Ye don't know what spells or magic be lingerin' in this place!"
But Heinrich was to busy trying to remove a jeweled necklace to hear him and it wasn't until the burnt carcass jerked and screamed and clawed at his face with the sharp bones of its fingers that he lurched back with a yelp.
"'Tis black magic!" he shrieked as the body began dragging itself forward, it's lower half separating from its screeching, blackened torso as it propelled itself forward on its elbows.
Engar shoved Heinrich out of the way and brought his large booted foot down on the zombie's head, crushing it into a blackened pulp. The dry, burnt outer skin crackling before giving way to a crunch and a squelch as Engar stomped it into the ground.
"Next time cut off its head, instead of screaming like a woman," he growled wiping his boot off on some leaves.
Heinrich grimaced, "I wasn't expectin' tha'," he said. "It coming to life that way....no wonder nothin's been looted, there must have been a Necromancer here."
“Where d’ye think we are?” asked Hienrich Iron-Teeth, a grizzled giant of a man who was twice Engar’s weight but more flab than muscle. He scratched his hairy, wobbling gut and looked expectantly at the younger man.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” replied Engar with a dismissive shrug, truth be told he was not overly fond of Hienrich, the man was crass and loud, always picking fights and starting trouble. The people of the south thought the Nord clans to be barbarians and Hienrich, like many others, had embraced that title and seemed set on using that as an excuse to go carousing and brawling as he pleased.
“If I had to guess where we’d were I’d say we were somewhere south of home,” said Skinny Jormund, a rat faced youth with buck teeth who was suspected to be only half Nord due to his notable lack of stature or substantial muscle mass. His face was contorted with the effort it was taking him to reach such a conclusion. Navigation was a difficult task to be certain but Jormund was almost 90 percent sure they were somewhere south.
“Oh that’s brilliant that is…we’re due south of the northern most continent on the map. Well done, we’d never have guessed without ye,” Engar growled sarcastically. To his chagrin Jormund beamed and there was a distinct “whoosh” as the sarcasm flew right over his head. Heaving a sigh Engar turned to Hienrich, “I know he’s puny but if we end up running out food and eating each other I vote that one goes first,”
“Oi! Will y’damn sons of bitches quit fartin’ around and start looking for some civilization? We need to find out where we are so we can figure out how to get back home!”
The three men turned to see the second long boat come ashore with their dour and sullen leader, a cantankerous elder man of sixty with a formidable braided, grey beard who was known as Udo Birdsong. There was a long running debate about whether Udo’s constant foul temper was a result of the old warrior being stuck with the clan name Birdsong while everyone around him had some kind of Fang-Tooth-Claw-Bear-Hawk-Wolf-related title.
“We’re in the south!” said Jormund, pleased that he had come to that difficult conclusion several minutes ago and even more pleased that he could show off his “brilliance” to his captain.
Udo stared at him for a full minute in appalled disbelief before he went into a full, bellowing rage against the boy.
“I KNOW WE’RE IN THE SOUTH YE BLITHERING IDIOT!! ANYONE WI’ AN OUNCE OF SENSE KNOWS THA’!! YE SLACK-JAWWED, SLOBBERING LITTLE DIMWIT!! WHAT I DON’T KNOW IS WHY YAR DISEASE RIDDEN, YEASTY, FAT, STUPID, WHORE OF A MOTHER DIDN’T PITCH YE OFF OF A CLIFF WHEN YE WERE BORN YE-“and so for the next ten minutes Engar and the rest of the crew waited for their leader to finish cursing Jromund and all of his ancestors to an elaborately violent eternity in the iciest of all hells.
Once Udo’s ranting had finished and Jormund was properly reduced to a whimpering ball of shame and tears the men gathered their things and started venturing inland.
....
For about the first hour of their trip they found nothing. It was nothing but dense, leafy, forest once they left the shore. No sign of any human life whatsoever. At length it grew warmer in spite of the chill that had been present earlier. As the heat began to get to them, and the Nordmen started shedding the heavy furs and leathers that they typically donned baring thick, muscular arms and hairy chests decorated with an array of indigo tattoos.
"Perhaps we've hit a deserted island," said Heinrich.
"If that's the case there won't be much we kin do but get supplies and try heading north again," said Engar. "'Tis risky,"
"Well stayin' on a deserted island ain't no picnic tha's fer sure," grumbled Udo. "Me knees are startin' ta hurt,"
Engar gave him a pat, "Yar age gettin' tha best of ye?" he smirked.
"Watch it pup, yer no lad yerself anymore...thirty's just round the corner," Udo shook his grey, shaggy head. "Twenty-nine years and still ye've not had a child, something wrong with your wife?" he asked.
Engar frowned, "Don't speak that way about her," he said. "She's a good woman and it's not as if we haven't been trying,"
"Easy! I ain't criticizin' yer wife. Everyone knows Resa is a fine woman, but a man needs an heir you know and Resa's not the only fine woman..." he raised his eyebrows at Engar hoping that he'd understand the hint.
Engar looked down at the old man with such consternation that Udo actually had the grace to look ashamed of his suggestion.
"I love my wife. I will not do anything to hurt her, not even for the sake of carrying on my bloodline," said Engar, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Udo looked as though he was about to reply but Heinrich called to them from a good distance up ahead.
"Hey! Come quick and see this!"
The group pushed their way through the thick undergrowth. They expected that Heinrich had found some sign of civilization. Engar felt suddenly anxious...something wasn't right, this forest had been far to quiet so far and now there was a faint smell of smoke in the air around him.
Catching up to Heinrich he finally saw what the man had found. The forest ended abruptly in a barren stretch of burnt ruins, the remains of what had seemed to be a rather large town, or even a city. It had been razed to the ground, and recently by the looks of the still smoldering remnants of wooden homes. Whoever had done the razing was gone. There were signs of a hasty retreat. Lances and swords left carelessly in the ash and mud, corpses unburied, not even a sign that the town had been plundered by its attackers.
"I don't much like tha feel a' this place," Engar commented, "There's something unsettling in the air,"
Udo nodded in agreement. "Stick close then, eh, lads?" he jerked his head in the direction of the wasteland.
Sticking close proved more difficult than Udo thought it would, Heinrich was already ahead of the group, looking to loot one of the fallen corpses.
"Heinrich y'fool don't touch tha'!" cried Udo. "Ye don't know what spells or magic be lingerin' in this place!"
But Heinrich was to busy trying to remove a jeweled necklace to hear him and it wasn't until the burnt carcass jerked and screamed and clawed at his face with the sharp bones of its fingers that he lurched back with a yelp.
"'Tis black magic!" he shrieked as the body began dragging itself forward, it's lower half separating from its screeching, blackened torso as it propelled itself forward on its elbows.
Engar shoved Heinrich out of the way and brought his large booted foot down on the zombie's head, crushing it into a blackened pulp. The dry, burnt outer skin crackling before giving way to a crunch and a squelch as Engar stomped it into the ground.
"Next time cut off its head, instead of screaming like a woman," he growled wiping his boot off on some leaves.
Heinrich grimaced, "I wasn't expectin' tha'," he said. "It coming to life that way....no wonder nothin's been looted, there must have been a Necromancer here."
Quote
This sounds very interesting. It drew me in from the start.
"Aye...but why? And who's side was he on? Certainly not the attackers, they were imperial soldiers, and ye know they have laws forbidding that art," said Udo.
"How can ye tell they were imperials?," asked Engar.
"Look at this sword someone left behind," said Udo, "it's got a picture of a griffin creature on it," he showed Engar the thick, gilded, gold hilt. "It's the kind of sword they give only to their most decorated officers."
Engar frowned and hefted the blade. It was much lighter and shorter than the broad swords commonly used by his own people and more elaborately decorated with engravings and jewels. "Tis a fancy sword but it doesna look like it would be a very useful weapon,"
"It ain't, it's more a symbol of status than anything else, the man who owned it probably used another weapon," said Udo.
"Ye know a lot about this," commented Heinrich.
"Aye, weel I was a trader back in the day, I seen a lot of the world," said Udo.
"What do you make of all this?" asked Engar sweeping his hand out before him to indicate the ruined town before them.
"If I had ta guess I'd say the poor sods who lived here tried to refuse cooperating with the Remish Empire and as would be expected, the Empire simply tried to take what they wanted. But something backfired and they had to retreat, even so they'd clearly won."
"Who do ye think the people of this town were?" asked Engar.
"I ain't certain, but I don't think they were humans, most of the corpses have small, fine bones an' their little....I don't reckon this here fellow," Udo indicated a nearby corpse with the toe of his boot. "was much more n' five and a half feet tall. Notice most of these people were using slings and arrows to fight. This wasn't a town of soldiers."
He looked around, being careful to walk in between the corpse so as not to disturb them, lest they spring to life. "Notice somethin' else, none of the trees were cut to make this town, there aren't any old stumps anywhere and the few buildings that are still sort of standing have been built around trees and in trees," he pointed across the stretch of ash, ruins and bodies to a temple, unlike all of the buildings around it, it remained upright, its walls seemed to be woven into the oddly twisting branches of a large oak tree, three more trees formed pillars and between them two wooden doors and a blue and green stained glass window. "This building hasn't been touched," Udo said examining the structure.
Engar nodded and tapped on of the wooden doors. "A temple made from a tree...I dinna think I've seen the like," he remarked admiringly.
"I think these people were forest elves," said Udo.
"What's a forest elf?" asked Heinrich."
"It's a smallish creature with reddish hair and really big yellow or green eyes, they got short pointy ears an' they're kinda spidery in build, long arms and legs on skinny little bodies. Mostly keep to themselves an' don't bother nothin'. I never really worked with any back in the day when I was trading, so I can't tell ye much more." As Udo spoke Engar opened one of the doors and slipped inside unnoticed by his companions.
"Dark skin or fair?" asked Heinrich,
"Fair!" called Engar from within the temple.
"How tha' devil do ye know that? I ain't sure myself," Udo called back.
Rather than replying Engar came out holding a small female child of about three years old. It's skin was indeed lightly colored but there was a hint of a soft, golden glow to its cheeks rather than the warm rosy color that most human babies had. The child's large, subtly slanted greenish eyes and curling russet hair were also tinged with gold. It regarded everyone solemnly with it's hand in its mouth. For a three year old the child looked thin, but it was unclear whether that was its natural state or because it was underfed.
"Careful Engar ye dinna know what it can do," cautioned Udo.
"What do ye mean? Tis a baby not a serpent," replied Engar giving the child a jiggle.
"Aye, a strange, lone baby in a village full of dead people who could potentially wake up and rip us to shreds if we touch them," said Udo. "Put it back where ye found it and walk away now before it eats yer soul or somethin'."
"Yer crazy, look at this little thing, it's not gonna hurt nothin," said Engar.
Heinrich poked his head through the door of the temple, at first glance it seemed empty. But as he walked through he noticed that the bodies of small children and infants were scattered sparsely throughout the room, under wooden benches and in the corners. One that had already begun to rot was sprawled in front of a stone alter bearing a cup and a withering branch of flowers.
"Looks like they tried to keep their little ones safe in here," he said.
"Aye," said Engar, "This was the only one that was moving,"
"Hang on this one's alive too," said Hienrich picking up a baby that mewled and cried weakly.
"I don't think we should be foolin' round with this," Udo said as he gingerly stepped into the temple.
"What do we do then? Leave them to die?" asked Engar, balancing the child on his hip while he bent to examine one of the other children, a four year old boy with reddish brown hair, "This one is alive too," he said. The boy stirred and whimpered, like the little girl he was thin for a child his age and his lips were dry and cracked.
"What are you thinkin' we should do? Try to take them with us? Look at the state of them! They'd never survive the trip back north, the journey is hard enough for us, these children will die from the cold, I know ye lads mean well but all we'd be doing is dragging out the inevitable end. "
"Here's another one that's alive...but I think it's not got more than a few hours left," called Heinrich.
"I say we should at least try, the entire town died trying to save their babies," said Engar.
"That's got nothin' ta do wi' us," Udo insisted, "Why didn't they leave a nurse maid or somethin' here to take care of em?"
"They did..., two of them. Here they are," said Heinrich pushing aside a table to reveal two emaciated corpses that had begun to collect worms and maggots. "They must have starved themselves trying to keep the children alive,"
"So, why didn't they leave?" asked Udo. "I'm sure they could have at least tried hunting for food in the forest. "
"Didn't ye notice? There wasn't a single sound in those woods...not a deer or bird to be seen or heard, I reckon the animals cleared the area when the village burned down," said Engar.
"Ye know, we probably can't move all of the living children, the infants won't make it for certain and the older ones are barely out of their cradles as is," said Udo, but his resolve was wavering, for all of his callous stubbornness he couldn't deny that the tragedy of the situation was affecting him.
"Even if we bring just one or two, it's still better than doing nothing," reasoned Engar.
"Well, alright, we can try, to take some of them with us," said Udo.
They spent the next hour or so looking around the temple for children who looked as though they could possibly survive the trip. In the end they decided that Engar's girl, the four year old boy and a second little girl of about three years-old had the best chance of survival. Aside from being malnourished they seemed alright. The three men then decided what was to be done with the remaining survivors that could not be saved.
"We can't just leave them," said Engar, "They could linger for a few more days, just wasting away, it's too cruel."
"But we can't take them with us, we've not got many supplies as is and we don't want to stretch our resources too much or everyone will die." said Udo.
Engar knew he was right, the sad truth of it was that all of the remaining children would have to stay behind.
"Should we put em out of their misery?" asked Heinrich, it sounded harsh, but at the same time it seemed more merciful than leaving them to die slowly.
"Aye..." Udo heaved a sigh, "Ye lads take the three we picked outside, I'll take care of this," as the oldest of the group and the leader he felt it was his responsibility to take care of the situation for his crew.
.....
While they waited Engar tried talking to the three children, the boy was conscious now and he was looking from Engar to Heinrich with a hungry, hopeful expression.
"I'm sorry, we've not got any food with us right now," said Engar, "But if ye hold on a little longer you'll get somethin' ta eat."
The boy looked crestfallen but the hopefulness didn't leave him. "Where's Miria and Tanda'?" he ventured to ask at length.
"I don't know who they are," said Engar.
"They were s'posed to take care of us," the boy explained.
"Laddie, they're gone," Engar said patting his shoulder comfortingly, "But you're safe now, my friends and I are going to take you with us, what's your name?"
"Len," the boy replied.
"I'm Engar Bearclaw and that's Heinrich Iron-Teeth,"
"Funny names,"
Engar chuckled, "Who are these two little lasses?" he asked lifting up both of the little girls in his massive arms.
"Lira," Len pointed to the first little girl that Engar had found, "Adma," he pointed to the second one.
"Funny names," said Engar with a grin.
"Can we leave now?" Len asked, his big yellow eyes began to glisten.
"In another moment, I promise," said Engar.
Len was about to speak when there was a loud crack that filled the air. Engar looked across the ruins and to his horror he saw that Jormund had caught up with them...and he'd stepped on a corpse. Jormund screamed at is came to life and attacked him, in the process of dodging it he stepped on another and another until he'd woken a swarm of them.
The three children clung to Engar, whimpering and crying. Udo exited the temple to see what all the noise was. "Damn that idiot....damn him to hell! Take the children and get back to the shore!" he ordered.
"What about Jormund?" asked Heinrich.
"Ye can go and save him if you want, I'm not helping him this time," Udo growled as he started rushing away.
Heinrich took a look at his companion, who's head was currently being eaten by one of the zombies, and decided that it was to late for Jormund. "Oh well...this means one less mouth to feed," he reasoned, following Udo out.
Engar scooped up all three children and ran after his companions. "I'm sure the village will understand ,"
....
Once the group had returned to shore they told the rest of the crew that Jormund was gone. No one was terribly upset. They were however curious about the children. Heinrich filled them in and there was some arguing but no outright protesting from the other crew members.
"Did anyone find out where we were?" asked one man.
"Aye, thar was a map in the temple," said Udo producing the roll of parchment. "If I'm readin' it right we're on the northern coast of Solaria."
"We're a little way's from home but it should be easy enough to get back and if we use our supplies sparingly they should last," said Engar.
"Aye, we'll cast off soon," said Udo.
There was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the crew and within the hour they had cast off and were on their way up north.
.....
The trip was a long one...it took almost a month and much to Engar's dismay, Len and Adma did not live. Len had been the healthiest of the three in the beginning but he had gotten so seasick that that they couldn't keep him fed and watered and Adma had simply died, it seemed that help had come too little, too late for her and when they reached colder waters she wasn't strong enough to survive the drastic change in temperature. One week of travel left to go and only Lira seemed to be clinging to life.
Determined that his effort to save the children would not have been in vain Engar poured all of his time and attention into taking care of Lira. He fed her, kept her clean, kept her warm and left her side only when he absolutely had to, praying to every spirit he could think of that she wouldn't die too. The week went by....She lived.
....
"How can ye tell they were imperials?," asked Engar.
"Look at this sword someone left behind," said Udo, "it's got a picture of a griffin creature on it," he showed Engar the thick, gilded, gold hilt. "It's the kind of sword they give only to their most decorated officers."
Engar frowned and hefted the blade. It was much lighter and shorter than the broad swords commonly used by his own people and more elaborately decorated with engravings and jewels. "Tis a fancy sword but it doesna look like it would be a very useful weapon,"
"It ain't, it's more a symbol of status than anything else, the man who owned it probably used another weapon," said Udo.
"Ye know a lot about this," commented Heinrich.
"Aye, weel I was a trader back in the day, I seen a lot of the world," said Udo.
"What do you make of all this?" asked Engar sweeping his hand out before him to indicate the ruined town before them.
"If I had ta guess I'd say the poor sods who lived here tried to refuse cooperating with the Remish Empire and as would be expected, the Empire simply tried to take what they wanted. But something backfired and they had to retreat, even so they'd clearly won."
"Who do ye think the people of this town were?" asked Engar.
"I ain't certain, but I don't think they were humans, most of the corpses have small, fine bones an' their little....I don't reckon this here fellow," Udo indicated a nearby corpse with the toe of his boot. "was much more n' five and a half feet tall. Notice most of these people were using slings and arrows to fight. This wasn't a town of soldiers."
He looked around, being careful to walk in between the corpse so as not to disturb them, lest they spring to life. "Notice somethin' else, none of the trees were cut to make this town, there aren't any old stumps anywhere and the few buildings that are still sort of standing have been built around trees and in trees," he pointed across the stretch of ash, ruins and bodies to a temple, unlike all of the buildings around it, it remained upright, its walls seemed to be woven into the oddly twisting branches of a large oak tree, three more trees formed pillars and between them two wooden doors and a blue and green stained glass window. "This building hasn't been touched," Udo said examining the structure.
Engar nodded and tapped on of the wooden doors. "A temple made from a tree...I dinna think I've seen the like," he remarked admiringly.
"I think these people were forest elves," said Udo.
"What's a forest elf?" asked Heinrich."
"It's a smallish creature with reddish hair and really big yellow or green eyes, they got short pointy ears an' they're kinda spidery in build, long arms and legs on skinny little bodies. Mostly keep to themselves an' don't bother nothin'. I never really worked with any back in the day when I was trading, so I can't tell ye much more." As Udo spoke Engar opened one of the doors and slipped inside unnoticed by his companions.
"Dark skin or fair?" asked Heinrich,
"Fair!" called Engar from within the temple.
"How tha' devil do ye know that? I ain't sure myself," Udo called back.
Rather than replying Engar came out holding a small female child of about three years old. It's skin was indeed lightly colored but there was a hint of a soft, golden glow to its cheeks rather than the warm rosy color that most human babies had. The child's large, subtly slanted greenish eyes and curling russet hair were also tinged with gold. It regarded everyone solemnly with it's hand in its mouth. For a three year old the child looked thin, but it was unclear whether that was its natural state or because it was underfed.
"Careful Engar ye dinna know what it can do," cautioned Udo.
"What do ye mean? Tis a baby not a serpent," replied Engar giving the child a jiggle.
"Aye, a strange, lone baby in a village full of dead people who could potentially wake up and rip us to shreds if we touch them," said Udo. "Put it back where ye found it and walk away now before it eats yer soul or somethin'."
"Yer crazy, look at this little thing, it's not gonna hurt nothin," said Engar.
Heinrich poked his head through the door of the temple, at first glance it seemed empty. But as he walked through he noticed that the bodies of small children and infants were scattered sparsely throughout the room, under wooden benches and in the corners. One that had already begun to rot was sprawled in front of a stone alter bearing a cup and a withering branch of flowers.
"Looks like they tried to keep their little ones safe in here," he said.
"Aye," said Engar, "This was the only one that was moving,"
"Hang on this one's alive too," said Hienrich picking up a baby that mewled and cried weakly.
"I don't think we should be foolin' round with this," Udo said as he gingerly stepped into the temple.
"What do we do then? Leave them to die?" asked Engar, balancing the child on his hip while he bent to examine one of the other children, a four year old boy with reddish brown hair, "This one is alive too," he said. The boy stirred and whimpered, like the little girl he was thin for a child his age and his lips were dry and cracked.
"What are you thinkin' we should do? Try to take them with us? Look at the state of them! They'd never survive the trip back north, the journey is hard enough for us, these children will die from the cold, I know ye lads mean well but all we'd be doing is dragging out the inevitable end. "
"Here's another one that's alive...but I think it's not got more than a few hours left," called Heinrich.
"I say we should at least try, the entire town died trying to save their babies," said Engar.
"That's got nothin' ta do wi' us," Udo insisted, "Why didn't they leave a nurse maid or somethin' here to take care of em?"
"They did..., two of them. Here they are," said Heinrich pushing aside a table to reveal two emaciated corpses that had begun to collect worms and maggots. "They must have starved themselves trying to keep the children alive,"
"So, why didn't they leave?" asked Udo. "I'm sure they could have at least tried hunting for food in the forest. "
"Didn't ye notice? There wasn't a single sound in those woods...not a deer or bird to be seen or heard, I reckon the animals cleared the area when the village burned down," said Engar.
"Ye know, we probably can't move all of the living children, the infants won't make it for certain and the older ones are barely out of their cradles as is," said Udo, but his resolve was wavering, for all of his callous stubbornness he couldn't deny that the tragedy of the situation was affecting him.
"Even if we bring just one or two, it's still better than doing nothing," reasoned Engar.
"Well, alright, we can try, to take some of them with us," said Udo.
They spent the next hour or so looking around the temple for children who looked as though they could possibly survive the trip. In the end they decided that Engar's girl, the four year old boy and a second little girl of about three years-old had the best chance of survival. Aside from being malnourished they seemed alright. The three men then decided what was to be done with the remaining survivors that could not be saved.
"We can't just leave them," said Engar, "They could linger for a few more days, just wasting away, it's too cruel."
"But we can't take them with us, we've not got many supplies as is and we don't want to stretch our resources too much or everyone will die." said Udo.
Engar knew he was right, the sad truth of it was that all of the remaining children would have to stay behind.
"Should we put em out of their misery?" asked Heinrich, it sounded harsh, but at the same time it seemed more merciful than leaving them to die slowly.
"Aye..." Udo heaved a sigh, "Ye lads take the three we picked outside, I'll take care of this," as the oldest of the group and the leader he felt it was his responsibility to take care of the situation for his crew.
.....
While they waited Engar tried talking to the three children, the boy was conscious now and he was looking from Engar to Heinrich with a hungry, hopeful expression.
"I'm sorry, we've not got any food with us right now," said Engar, "But if ye hold on a little longer you'll get somethin' ta eat."
The boy looked crestfallen but the hopefulness didn't leave him. "Where's Miria and Tanda'?" he ventured to ask at length.
"I don't know who they are," said Engar.
"They were s'posed to take care of us," the boy explained.
"Laddie, they're gone," Engar said patting his shoulder comfortingly, "But you're safe now, my friends and I are going to take you with us, what's your name?"
"Len," the boy replied.
"I'm Engar Bearclaw and that's Heinrich Iron-Teeth,"
"Funny names,"
Engar chuckled, "Who are these two little lasses?" he asked lifting up both of the little girls in his massive arms.
"Lira," Len pointed to the first little girl that Engar had found, "Adma," he pointed to the second one.
"Funny names," said Engar with a grin.
"Can we leave now?" Len asked, his big yellow eyes began to glisten.
"In another moment, I promise," said Engar.
Len was about to speak when there was a loud crack that filled the air. Engar looked across the ruins and to his horror he saw that Jormund had caught up with them...and he'd stepped on a corpse. Jormund screamed at is came to life and attacked him, in the process of dodging it he stepped on another and another until he'd woken a swarm of them.
The three children clung to Engar, whimpering and crying. Udo exited the temple to see what all the noise was. "Damn that idiot....damn him to hell! Take the children and get back to the shore!" he ordered.
"What about Jormund?" asked Heinrich.
"Ye can go and save him if you want, I'm not helping him this time," Udo growled as he started rushing away.
Heinrich took a look at his companion, who's head was currently being eaten by one of the zombies, and decided that it was to late for Jormund. "Oh well...this means one less mouth to feed," he reasoned, following Udo out.
Engar scooped up all three children and ran after his companions. "I'm sure the village will understand ,"
....
Once the group had returned to shore they told the rest of the crew that Jormund was gone. No one was terribly upset. They were however curious about the children. Heinrich filled them in and there was some arguing but no outright protesting from the other crew members.
"Did anyone find out where we were?" asked one man.
"Aye, thar was a map in the temple," said Udo producing the roll of parchment. "If I'm readin' it right we're on the northern coast of Solaria."
"We're a little way's from home but it should be easy enough to get back and if we use our supplies sparingly they should last," said Engar.
"Aye, we'll cast off soon," said Udo.
There was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the crew and within the hour they had cast off and were on their way up north.
.....
The trip was a long one...it took almost a month and much to Engar's dismay, Len and Adma did not live. Len had been the healthiest of the three in the beginning but he had gotten so seasick that that they couldn't keep him fed and watered and Adma had simply died, it seemed that help had come too little, too late for her and when they reached colder waters she wasn't strong enough to survive the drastic change in temperature. One week of travel left to go and only Lira seemed to be clinging to life.
Determined that his effort to save the children would not have been in vain Engar poured all of his time and attention into taking care of Lira. He fed her, kept her clean, kept her warm and left her side only when he absolutely had to, praying to every spirit he could think of that she wouldn't die too. The week went by....She lived.
....
Lovely stuff, Willis.
Do I finally get to see what this Lira of yours is all about, then?
Do I finally get to see what this Lira of yours is all about, then?
Six years later
.....
"Lira!" Engar called. He paused and listened, nothing...where had she run off to? Resa had dinner waiting and Lira was nowhere to be found. He filled his lungs with air and called at the top of his booming voice.
"LIRAAAA!"
The sound echoed through the dense forest, scaring a few birds and rabbits out of the underbrush. Still no reply...the child was either hiding or she'd wandered deep into the wood, even so it had been made a rule that she could never go out of sight of their house without either himself or Resa to accompany her. While there was little danger in the small, quiet Nord village of Vahrg, the great pine and fir forest, known as Moonwood, separating it from the other villages was full of bears and wolves and mountain cats. A nine year old girl had no business going in there at all and if he caught her in there she'd go to bed without dinner and help her mother with the washing for a week!
He wandered though the forest looking for signs of Lira. He wasn't walking long before he found her short, deerskin jacket and her leather shoes discarded by a shallow stream. They weren't ripped and there was no blood so he didn't think she'd been attacked by any animals. Gathering up the items he moved a little further.
He was about to call her name again when a glob of something sticky landed on his nose. Lifting a thick finger he swiped at it, narrowing his dark blue eyes at the golden, viscous liquid. Honey.
Looking up he saw Lira perched high in a tree, next to a beehive, licking her fingers and stuffing honeycombs in a glass jar. His first instinct was to panic and start yelling at her to get away from those bees and their hive before she got herself stung but he noticed something odd. The bees didn't seem to mind her presence at all and he could have sworn she was making buzzing noises through her teeth at them as if she was speaking to them.
As for Lira, she was occupied with her jar of honey. Mama was always saying how expensive it was to buy honey from the Spice and Jam cart. Wouldn't she be please to have a fresh jar from the best hive in the forest? She knew that she wasn't supposed to be out here but she also knew that if she presented everyone with a jar of wonderful honey that all would be forgiven and she'd be praised and rewarded for her efforts.
A bee droned irritably next to her ear and she buzzed back to tell it that she was a friend....or something with a similar meaning...Bees didn't exactly talk with words....
On the ground Engar decided that he'd had enough of watching, Lira need to get down from that tree before she hurt herself.
"Lira! What are you doing?! Get down here this instant!" he shouted.
Lira jerked and looked down, darn it. "Da" had found her....
"Yer going ta be in lots of trouble if'n ye don't come down here!" he warned.
Lira sighed and put her jar carefully into an empty bag tied to her back. She knew it was best if she did as she was told and didn't try to argue. Nimbly as a squirrel she shimmied down the trunk and was in front of her adoptive father, looking sheepish and meek in hopes that he wouldn't yell to much.
"Now explain yourself," Engar crossed his arms, each of which had to be almost as long and heavy as the whole of Lira's little body.
"I was getting honey," she offered quietly.
"Why did ye leave sight of the house? I've told you a thousand times, "If ye can't see the house then ye went too far away!"" Engar scolded her.
"But the bear said that this was the best honey in the woods," Lira explained.
Engar snorted and shook his head "The bear said....if the bear told ye to jump off of tha stone bridge would ye--WHEN WHERE YE TALKING TO A BEAR?!!!"
"I found him yesterday eating fish out of the river," said Lira.
Nothing would have pleased Engar more than to dismiss that as a farfetched story, but Lira wasn't normally inclined to tell stories like that and he'd seen her "talk" to birds and rabbits and things that wandered near their home....he decided that it would be foolish to disregard it as nonsense.
"Lira, I'm going to make a new rule, don't talk to bears, wolves, mountain cats or anything else that might be big enough to eat you," he said sternly.
Lira pouted and looked at the ground.
"Lira..." Engar growled warningly.
"Yes, Da," she said.
He sighed and held out his hand, "Alright, let's go home now," he said.
She put her small hand in his, watching as it disappeared inside his large fist. "Are you going to tell Mama?" she asked.
Engar sighed and nodded, "Aye...but I'll put in a good word in yer defense if you promise not to do it again," he said.
"I promise," she replied, looking down at her feet in resignation and dismay.
"I'll hold ye to that," Engar said gruffly but not without affection.
Lira seemed to cheer at his lightened mood and began chattering about all of the birds and small animals that she'd stopped to talk to on her outing. Engar listened patiently for the duration of the walk home, but he was in no small way glad to reach the house and have an excuse to hand the child over to his wife Resa.
.....
"Lira!" Engar called. He paused and listened, nothing...where had she run off to? Resa had dinner waiting and Lira was nowhere to be found. He filled his lungs with air and called at the top of his booming voice.
"LIRAAAA!"
The sound echoed through the dense forest, scaring a few birds and rabbits out of the underbrush. Still no reply...the child was either hiding or she'd wandered deep into the wood, even so it had been made a rule that she could never go out of sight of their house without either himself or Resa to accompany her. While there was little danger in the small, quiet Nord village of Vahrg, the great pine and fir forest, known as Moonwood, separating it from the other villages was full of bears and wolves and mountain cats. A nine year old girl had no business going in there at all and if he caught her in there she'd go to bed without dinner and help her mother with the washing for a week!
He wandered though the forest looking for signs of Lira. He wasn't walking long before he found her short, deerskin jacket and her leather shoes discarded by a shallow stream. They weren't ripped and there was no blood so he didn't think she'd been attacked by any animals. Gathering up the items he moved a little further.
He was about to call her name again when a glob of something sticky landed on his nose. Lifting a thick finger he swiped at it, narrowing his dark blue eyes at the golden, viscous liquid. Honey.
Looking up he saw Lira perched high in a tree, next to a beehive, licking her fingers and stuffing honeycombs in a glass jar. His first instinct was to panic and start yelling at her to get away from those bees and their hive before she got herself stung but he noticed something odd. The bees didn't seem to mind her presence at all and he could have sworn she was making buzzing noises through her teeth at them as if she was speaking to them.
As for Lira, she was occupied with her jar of honey. Mama was always saying how expensive it was to buy honey from the Spice and Jam cart. Wouldn't she be please to have a fresh jar from the best hive in the forest? She knew that she wasn't supposed to be out here but she also knew that if she presented everyone with a jar of wonderful honey that all would be forgiven and she'd be praised and rewarded for her efforts.
A bee droned irritably next to her ear and she buzzed back to tell it that she was a friend....or something with a similar meaning...Bees didn't exactly talk with words....
On the ground Engar decided that he'd had enough of watching, Lira need to get down from that tree before she hurt herself.
"Lira! What are you doing?! Get down here this instant!" he shouted.
Lira jerked and looked down, darn it. "Da" had found her....
"Yer going ta be in lots of trouble if'n ye don't come down here!" he warned.
Lira sighed and put her jar carefully into an empty bag tied to her back. She knew it was best if she did as she was told and didn't try to argue. Nimbly as a squirrel she shimmied down the trunk and was in front of her adoptive father, looking sheepish and meek in hopes that he wouldn't yell to much.
"Now explain yourself," Engar crossed his arms, each of which had to be almost as long and heavy as the whole of Lira's little body.
"I was getting honey," she offered quietly.
"Why did ye leave sight of the house? I've told you a thousand times, "If ye can't see the house then ye went too far away!"" Engar scolded her.
"But the bear said that this was the best honey in the woods," Lira explained.
Engar snorted and shook his head "The bear said....if the bear told ye to jump off of tha stone bridge would ye--WHEN WHERE YE TALKING TO A BEAR?!!!"
"I found him yesterday eating fish out of the river," said Lira.
Nothing would have pleased Engar more than to dismiss that as a farfetched story, but Lira wasn't normally inclined to tell stories like that and he'd seen her "talk" to birds and rabbits and things that wandered near their home....he decided that it would be foolish to disregard it as nonsense.
"Lira, I'm going to make a new rule, don't talk to bears, wolves, mountain cats or anything else that might be big enough to eat you," he said sternly.
Lira pouted and looked at the ground.
"Lira..." Engar growled warningly.
"Yes, Da," she said.
He sighed and held out his hand, "Alright, let's go home now," he said.
She put her small hand in his, watching as it disappeared inside his large fist. "Are you going to tell Mama?" she asked.
Engar sighed and nodded, "Aye...but I'll put in a good word in yer defense if you promise not to do it again," he said.
"I promise," she replied, looking down at her feet in resignation and dismay.
"I'll hold ye to that," Engar said gruffly but not without affection.
Lira seemed to cheer at his lightened mood and began chattering about all of the birds and small animals that she'd stopped to talk to on her outing. Engar listened patiently for the duration of the walk home, but he was in no small way glad to reach the house and have an excuse to hand the child over to his wife Resa.
This is really really good, I'd personally love to see how it ends. Write more, write more!!!!
Come rave with the Kandi Kittie PLURR!!!!
Upon their return home Engar passed Lira to her mother and went to sit himself down at the dinner table and watch the proceedings. Resa scolded Lira for running off and sentenced her to stand in the corner under the stairs during supper. Grumbling about the injustice of it all Lira obeyed, consoling herself with the thought that maybe if she didn’t offer resistance she’d be granted clemency for good behavior and given a reduced sentence.
As Resa set the table, handing Engar a bowl of stew and some bread, she gave her husband a bit of surprising news. “Your brothers are coming over from Skarmvald this week, I just received a letter. They’re bringing their families for a short stay,”
Engar choked on a hunk of potato and coughed violently, “What?! Surely you told the courier ‘No’ and sent him back with the excuse that we’re sick or something!”
“We used that last time,” said Resa brushing her golden hair from her eyes as she sat across from him.
From the corner Lira emitted a loud groan, turning to face the table “Does that mean the cousins are coming too?”
“Git yer nose back in yon corner!” Engar barked.
Lira quickly turned back around, rocking back and forth on her toes impatiently. She had come to know this corner of the house intimately since her arrival and she glared at the cracks and whorls in the wood as though she considered them her worst enemy on the continent.
Turning to his wife Engar looked at her anxiously, “Are the cousins coming?” he asked.
“Yes,”
Engar and Lira groaned simultaneously, “Why did ye say they could come?” Engar threw up his hands “Those little beasts nearly burned down the house last they were here,” he growled.
“And they broke my sled!” Lira chimed in, forgetting that she was in exile.
This time Engar didn’t bother to tell her turn back around. “Ye couldn’t ha’ told em we were dyin’ of the fever or something?” he asked his wife.
“Engar, they are your family and we can’t make excuses every single time they want to visit,” Resa said, putting her hands on her hips.
“I can try,” he muttered darkly, stirring his soup gloomily.
Resa rolled her eyes and shook her head, “I should send you over to the corner with Lira for being such a child. They aren’t that bad! Calling your own nephews beasts and wanting to play sick every time your brothers come calling. You should be ashamed, Engar Bearclaw.” She crossed her arms over her ample bosom.
“Oh don’t give me that speech, ye hate them as much as I do," Engar said.
"That's not the point, they are family," said Resa firmly.
Seeing that he was not going to win Engar sighed and went back to his dinner. He noticed that Lira was doing a not-so-subtle job of trying to watch them out of the corner of her eye while she kept her face to the corner.
"A'richt, ye can come and eat now," he said beckoning her over.
Lira sprinted to her chair and held out her bowl for her mother to pour stew in. Resa shook her head, "Have you learned your lesson?" she asked. Lira nodded eagerly, "We'll see," said her mother ladling food into her bowl.
“Will they be staying long?” asked Engar, his expression sour.
“Three days,” Resa replied.
Engar huffed in irritation, “We’ll have to lock up the valuables and put anything breakable in the storage room until they leave, I guess they can sleep in the loft and Lira can stay in our room with us,” he said. “I’ll move her blankets after dinner.”
Resa nodded, “I’ll tidy up and lay out some pallets,” she said.
“When are they coming?” asked Lira.
“The letter said they would be here within the next few days depending on the weather,”
“Maybe there will be a heavy storm or a late blizzard, I know it’s spring but we’ve gotten blizzards this time of year. All it takes is a sudden change in the winds and we’ve got us a few good weeks of cold weather,” said Engar.
“I don’t like the cold,” Lira pulled a face. Even so she’d lived with her adoptive parents for six years the little woods elf had never quite adjusted to the climate. She spent most of the long winter inside near the fireplace and when she did go out she was always wrapped in heavy furs. Her tiny body wasn’t as thick and robust as that of the Nord children and she was head and shoulders shorter than all of the children her age.
Engar smiled and tweaked her nose, “I know ye don’t, but by the time winter comes back I’ll have ye a nice new rabbit coat that might keep ye warmer than yer old one,”
Lira’s lack of resistance to the cold weather had worried Engar on more than one occasion in the past. The first few winters had been risky for her, the cold often taking a toll on her and causing her to become lethargic or producing violent shivering spells that wouldn’t subside until he or Resa wrapped her in a fur and held her in front of the fire. But, the last two winters had been a bit more promising. She’d even gone out once or twice to play in the snow with the other children, even if it had only been for a few minutes.
“This summer she’ll be old enough to go with the other children to the Shaman’s hut and start learning about our history and such,” said Resa, reaching across the table to wipe a bit of food off of Lira’s cheek.
“Are you sure she can’t just stay here and learn from us? I don’t know if I want her going all the way to the other side of the village just to hear that old loon talk about prophesies and stars and magic and all of that mysticism garbage,” said Engar.
“Engar, do not speak poorly of our wiseman, it’s very kind of him to share his knowledge and experience the way he does,” Resa replied.
“He’s a grump…”
“So are you.”
“Bah, magic and visions aren’t really useful to us, we don’t need it and neither does Lira,”
“You’re just saying that because you can’t do it, you went to his lessons and couldn’t even read the star charts,” Resa snorted. She and Engar were less than a year apart and she remembered what it was like to attend the gatherings with him. He hadn’t had much interest in the Shaman’s teachings and soon stopped attending in favor of going on hunting and trips and working with ships on the coast.
“And you could?” Engar challenged.
“I still can,”
“And is it at all useful? I don’t think a star reading has ever helped me on a hunt, I’ve used the stars at sea to stay on course but I’ve never had the need to read the signs and determine if today is a good day to put my left boot on first,”
“You know that Torm Eaglewind takes his work seriously, he doesn’t hold with superstition like that,”
“I still don’t see why Lira needs it,” Engar said stubbornly.
“Maybe she’ll want to be something other than a farmer a sailor or hunter? Even if she’s not cut out to be a shaman or a healer Eaglewind knows merchants and traders she can apprentice too,” said Resa.
Engar frowned, that was a good point, and although he didn’t want to yield the argument to his wife, he conceded that perhaps diverse experiences wouldn’t be bad for Lira. He turned to the child. “What do you think?”
She merely nodded ambiguously at him as her cheeks were stuffed with so much food that speaking was impossible….
Engar regarded her for a moment. Helpful… “Take smaller bites ‘fore ye choke yerself, eh, girlie?”
As Resa set the table, handing Engar a bowl of stew and some bread, she gave her husband a bit of surprising news. “Your brothers are coming over from Skarmvald this week, I just received a letter. They’re bringing their families for a short stay,”
Engar choked on a hunk of potato and coughed violently, “What?! Surely you told the courier ‘No’ and sent him back with the excuse that we’re sick or something!”
“We used that last time,” said Resa brushing her golden hair from her eyes as she sat across from him.
From the corner Lira emitted a loud groan, turning to face the table “Does that mean the cousins are coming too?”
“Git yer nose back in yon corner!” Engar barked.
Lira quickly turned back around, rocking back and forth on her toes impatiently. She had come to know this corner of the house intimately since her arrival and she glared at the cracks and whorls in the wood as though she considered them her worst enemy on the continent.
Turning to his wife Engar looked at her anxiously, “Are the cousins coming?” he asked.
“Yes,”
Engar and Lira groaned simultaneously, “Why did ye say they could come?” Engar threw up his hands “Those little beasts nearly burned down the house last they were here,” he growled.
“And they broke my sled!” Lira chimed in, forgetting that she was in exile.
This time Engar didn’t bother to tell her turn back around. “Ye couldn’t ha’ told em we were dyin’ of the fever or something?” he asked his wife.
“Engar, they are your family and we can’t make excuses every single time they want to visit,” Resa said, putting her hands on her hips.
“I can try,” he muttered darkly, stirring his soup gloomily.
Resa rolled her eyes and shook her head, “I should send you over to the corner with Lira for being such a child. They aren’t that bad! Calling your own nephews beasts and wanting to play sick every time your brothers come calling. You should be ashamed, Engar Bearclaw.” She crossed her arms over her ample bosom.
“Oh don’t give me that speech, ye hate them as much as I do," Engar said.
"That's not the point, they are family," said Resa firmly.
Seeing that he was not going to win Engar sighed and went back to his dinner. He noticed that Lira was doing a not-so-subtle job of trying to watch them out of the corner of her eye while she kept her face to the corner.
"A'richt, ye can come and eat now," he said beckoning her over.
Lira sprinted to her chair and held out her bowl for her mother to pour stew in. Resa shook her head, "Have you learned your lesson?" she asked. Lira nodded eagerly, "We'll see," said her mother ladling food into her bowl.
“Will they be staying long?” asked Engar, his expression sour.
“Three days,” Resa replied.
Engar huffed in irritation, “We’ll have to lock up the valuables and put anything breakable in the storage room until they leave, I guess they can sleep in the loft and Lira can stay in our room with us,” he said. “I’ll move her blankets after dinner.”
Resa nodded, “I’ll tidy up and lay out some pallets,” she said.
“When are they coming?” asked Lira.
“The letter said they would be here within the next few days depending on the weather,”
“Maybe there will be a heavy storm or a late blizzard, I know it’s spring but we’ve gotten blizzards this time of year. All it takes is a sudden change in the winds and we’ve got us a few good weeks of cold weather,” said Engar.
“I don’t like the cold,” Lira pulled a face. Even so she’d lived with her adoptive parents for six years the little woods elf had never quite adjusted to the climate. She spent most of the long winter inside near the fireplace and when she did go out she was always wrapped in heavy furs. Her tiny body wasn’t as thick and robust as that of the Nord children and she was head and shoulders shorter than all of the children her age.
Engar smiled and tweaked her nose, “I know ye don’t, but by the time winter comes back I’ll have ye a nice new rabbit coat that might keep ye warmer than yer old one,”
Lira’s lack of resistance to the cold weather had worried Engar on more than one occasion in the past. The first few winters had been risky for her, the cold often taking a toll on her and causing her to become lethargic or producing violent shivering spells that wouldn’t subside until he or Resa wrapped her in a fur and held her in front of the fire. But, the last two winters had been a bit more promising. She’d even gone out once or twice to play in the snow with the other children, even if it had only been for a few minutes.
“This summer she’ll be old enough to go with the other children to the Shaman’s hut and start learning about our history and such,” said Resa, reaching across the table to wipe a bit of food off of Lira’s cheek.
“Are you sure she can’t just stay here and learn from us? I don’t know if I want her going all the way to the other side of the village just to hear that old loon talk about prophesies and stars and magic and all of that mysticism garbage,” said Engar.
“Engar, do not speak poorly of our wiseman, it’s very kind of him to share his knowledge and experience the way he does,” Resa replied.
“He’s a grump…”
“So are you.”
“Bah, magic and visions aren’t really useful to us, we don’t need it and neither does Lira,”
“You’re just saying that because you can’t do it, you went to his lessons and couldn’t even read the star charts,” Resa snorted. She and Engar were less than a year apart and she remembered what it was like to attend the gatherings with him. He hadn’t had much interest in the Shaman’s teachings and soon stopped attending in favor of going on hunting and trips and working with ships on the coast.
“And you could?” Engar challenged.
“I still can,”
“And is it at all useful? I don’t think a star reading has ever helped me on a hunt, I’ve used the stars at sea to stay on course but I’ve never had the need to read the signs and determine if today is a good day to put my left boot on first,”
“You know that Torm Eaglewind takes his work seriously, he doesn’t hold with superstition like that,”
“I still don’t see why Lira needs it,” Engar said stubbornly.
“Maybe she’ll want to be something other than a farmer a sailor or hunter? Even if she’s not cut out to be a shaman or a healer Eaglewind knows merchants and traders she can apprentice too,” said Resa.
Engar frowned, that was a good point, and although he didn’t want to yield the argument to his wife, he conceded that perhaps diverse experiences wouldn’t be bad for Lira. He turned to the child. “What do you think?”
She merely nodded ambiguously at him as her cheeks were stuffed with so much food that speaking was impossible….
Engar regarded her for a moment. Helpful… “Take smaller bites ‘fore ye choke yerself, eh, girlie?”
I have to say that I am enamored by this piece so far. The pacing of the storyline is just perfect. You don't dwell too much on description and you give just the right amount of information as we go along. The interactions between characters is entertaining for sure as the story goes through a bit of action/drama/comedy. So far, it's been an easy read and I'm really looking forward to the next update.
From what I'm reading so far, I like it xD
Easter Event
After dinner everyone had cleaned up and Lira had gone to the loft, presumably to play since it was still too early for her to go to bed. Engar reclined in his chair with his feet on the table. “Ye know…tha wee lass is a might strange if ye think about it,” he commented once Lira was out of ear shot.
“I think I know what ye mean, the whole talking to animals thing,” replied Resa.
“That ain’t all, but that’s part of it,” he said. He wasn’t certain how to word his feelings about Lira’s behavior. The child was curious and explorative but so were most children. It was the way she went about it that struck him as odd. How she would perch, crouched on her toes, as silent and still as a wary deer, and simply watch, sometimes for as long as an hour, the falling leaves, the animals around her or even the insects crawling their way across the ground. Then the way she would slip into cracks and corners to disappear from view was unsettling to him. He often found himself wondering if the little odd things he noticed about her were normal for tree elves.
“Ye ever think it’s because she’s not our kind, that her little habits seem weird to us?” Resa asked, voicing his own questions.
Engar smiled, “little habits” was Resa’s affectionate term for Lira’s quirks. “I do, actually,” he replied. “I’m a little worried that when we do send her to the gatherings she’ll be out of place. She’s not even half the size of other children her age, and she doesn’t look like them. What if they’re cruel to her?”
Resa frowned at her husband, “Is that why ye don’t want her going to the shaman? Because yer’re afraid she’ll get picked on? Yer’re underestimating her, Engar, she’s a right smart little thing and resourceful too.” Resa swept her long golden hair into a loose bun as she turned to clean the pots.
“Aye, but she is such a little thing, and as much as I love her you have to admit she’s funny-looking,”
“Engar!” Resa whirled on him, “I can’t believe you said that!”
“Well, s’truth!” he protested holding up his hands. “She’s got those giant, slanty eyes, kinda like on a bug…and she’s all scrawny and stick-like. Her ears are pointy, her face is pointy, and her little nose is pointy. Then there’s her fingers, they’ve got extra length on em so it looks funny when she makes gestures, if I noticed so will the other children.”
“They’ll get used to it. Of course they’ll notice that she’s different, but the longer she spends with them the less it will matter,” said Resa. “And I happen to like her big, green, slanty, eyes and her pointy little ears,”
“Well I like them too, but that doesn’t make them any less different,” said Engar.
“I wanna go anyway.”
Both Engar and his wife turned around and looked to see Lira sitting in the rafters of the ceiling, her skinny legs hanging off the side of one of the beams as she watched them below her.
“Lira what are ye doing up there?” Resa groaned shaking her head. It was no use telling the child not to climb on things, Lira seemed to spend half her day in the rafters, walking across the beams or climbing all over the furniture, or the trees outside. Like a little squirrel it just came naturally to her.
“I heard you and Da talking,”
“Well come down from there, you know I don’t like you to lurk around when your father and I are talking,” said Resa.
Lira obliged, walking across the wooden beam and hopping down on top of the cabinet that held plates and bowls, from there she jumped onto a nearby windowsill and then on to the ground.
“Are you sure you want to go?” asked Engar, “Ye could wait another year or two,”
Lira shook her head, “I want to meet the other children,”
“What will you do if they don’t like you?” Engar asked, ignoring Resa’s disapproving hiss.
“I won’t play with them then,” came the confident reply.
“It’s that easy is it?” Engar’s brow furrowed.
“Yes,”
He ran a large had over her wild, curly, hair. “If it’s what ye want, then I suppose ye can try,” he said with a relenting sigh.
Lira grinned and hugged his leg, the top of her head not even reaching Engar’s waist.
“A’richt, nuffa tha’,” he said affectionately. “Go one and start getting ready fer bed,”
Lira rushed over to a large water basin in the corner adjacent the fireplace and retrieved a piece of cloth with which to scrub her face hands and ears before she went to sleep. Resa monitored her although she knew that Lira would be thorough, strange little creature or not, at least she was a cleanly child.
When Lira finished she let Resa inspect her then she gave her adoptive mother a kiss and went to do the same to her father. Engar gave her head a gentle pat and sent her on her way. Then he took his wife’s hand and led her to their bedroom. The day was over and within the hour, the house was quiet and dark.
“I think I know what ye mean, the whole talking to animals thing,” replied Resa.
“That ain’t all, but that’s part of it,” he said. He wasn’t certain how to word his feelings about Lira’s behavior. The child was curious and explorative but so were most children. It was the way she went about it that struck him as odd. How she would perch, crouched on her toes, as silent and still as a wary deer, and simply watch, sometimes for as long as an hour, the falling leaves, the animals around her or even the insects crawling their way across the ground. Then the way she would slip into cracks and corners to disappear from view was unsettling to him. He often found himself wondering if the little odd things he noticed about her were normal for tree elves.
“Ye ever think it’s because she’s not our kind, that her little habits seem weird to us?” Resa asked, voicing his own questions.
Engar smiled, “little habits” was Resa’s affectionate term for Lira’s quirks. “I do, actually,” he replied. “I’m a little worried that when we do send her to the gatherings she’ll be out of place. She’s not even half the size of other children her age, and she doesn’t look like them. What if they’re cruel to her?”
Resa frowned at her husband, “Is that why ye don’t want her going to the shaman? Because yer’re afraid she’ll get picked on? Yer’re underestimating her, Engar, she’s a right smart little thing and resourceful too.” Resa swept her long golden hair into a loose bun as she turned to clean the pots.
“Aye, but she is such a little thing, and as much as I love her you have to admit she’s funny-looking,”
“Engar!” Resa whirled on him, “I can’t believe you said that!”
“Well, s’truth!” he protested holding up his hands. “She’s got those giant, slanty eyes, kinda like on a bug…and she’s all scrawny and stick-like. Her ears are pointy, her face is pointy, and her little nose is pointy. Then there’s her fingers, they’ve got extra length on em so it looks funny when she makes gestures, if I noticed so will the other children.”
“They’ll get used to it. Of course they’ll notice that she’s different, but the longer she spends with them the less it will matter,” said Resa. “And I happen to like her big, green, slanty, eyes and her pointy little ears,”
“Well I like them too, but that doesn’t make them any less different,” said Engar.
“I wanna go anyway.”
Both Engar and his wife turned around and looked to see Lira sitting in the rafters of the ceiling, her skinny legs hanging off the side of one of the beams as she watched them below her.
“Lira what are ye doing up there?” Resa groaned shaking her head. It was no use telling the child not to climb on things, Lira seemed to spend half her day in the rafters, walking across the beams or climbing all over the furniture, or the trees outside. Like a little squirrel it just came naturally to her.
“I heard you and Da talking,”
“Well come down from there, you know I don’t like you to lurk around when your father and I are talking,” said Resa.
Lira obliged, walking across the wooden beam and hopping down on top of the cabinet that held plates and bowls, from there she jumped onto a nearby windowsill and then on to the ground.
“Are you sure you want to go?” asked Engar, “Ye could wait another year or two,”
Lira shook her head, “I want to meet the other children,”
“What will you do if they don’t like you?” Engar asked, ignoring Resa’s disapproving hiss.
“I won’t play with them then,” came the confident reply.
“It’s that easy is it?” Engar’s brow furrowed.
“Yes,”
He ran a large had over her wild, curly, hair. “If it’s what ye want, then I suppose ye can try,” he said with a relenting sigh.
Lira grinned and hugged his leg, the top of her head not even reaching Engar’s waist.
“A’richt, nuffa tha’,” he said affectionately. “Go one and start getting ready fer bed,”
Lira rushed over to a large water basin in the corner adjacent the fireplace and retrieved a piece of cloth with which to scrub her face hands and ears before she went to sleep. Resa monitored her although she knew that Lira would be thorough, strange little creature or not, at least she was a cleanly child.
When Lira finished she let Resa inspect her then she gave her adoptive mother a kiss and went to do the same to her father. Engar gave her head a gentle pat and sent her on her way. Then he took his wife’s hand and led her to their bedroom. The day was over and within the hour, the house was quiet and dark.
It was shortly after dawn the next morning when Engar heard the sound of someone pounding at his door. Groaning he staggered out of his bed and stumbled to answer, scratching his hairy chest with the thick fingers of his right hand. His short, fair hair stuck up in every direction and he was dressed only in a thin pair of under-breeches. It was in this state that he greeted his younger brother and sister-in-law with a tired grunt and an ill-tempered stare.
His brother’s wife, Hilde, pursed her lips and shook her head at him. “This is how you greet your family? Half-naked and stumbling around like a sick bear. Are you drunk?” Hilde was a plump woman, but not unattractive. Her white-blond hair was long, flowing and lustrous and her soft, rounded features were pleasing, if somewhat uncommon among Nordfolk, who tended to have heavier facial structures.
His brother, Bjord, let out a loud, braying laugh, displaying nearly all of his large, square teeth. Like Engar he was built tall, heavy and muscular but there was a bit of softness to his middle that indicated easy living in the recent years. Bjord’s attire also spoke of wealth and comfort, rather than the tanned hides and woolen clothes Engar tended to wear, he was adorned in a stylish green tunic and a heavy maroon cloak trimmed with white. The clothes seemed foreign and familiar all at once to Engar. Before he could question his brother Bjord tousled his hair.
“My brother never was one for the finer things in life, I’m surprised he even has a house all of his own,” he commented, prompting a laugh from Hilde. “Wouldn’t peg him to be drunk so early though,”
Engar growled at them and tried to flatten his hair a bit, “'f I tell ye I am, will ye turn 'round and go-OOF!” he doubled over as Resa caught him in the ribs with a sharp elbow. Shoving her underdressed husband back into the house and out of sight of company she set about hugging and kissing and carrying on until Engar threw up his arms in disgust and retreated back to the bedroom from whence he came, intent on staying there for as long as he could get away with it.
Hearing the commotion Lira peered around the door frame. They were here….and there was something weird about them. They were dressed different and although she couldn’t be certain she was sure that they were speaking differently. Pronouncing words in a way her father and mother didn’t. She didn’t have time to study them because as soon as she poked her head out a little further her cousin, Ulfgar, grabbed her. Ulfgar was a couple of years older than she and twice as tall and heavy. As far as she was concerned there was no one she liked less in the entire world than her adoptive cousins and Ulfgar was at the bottom of her list.
“Hey Da, lookit! I found me a little imp!” he said picking Lira up by the back of her shirt and holding her out while she thrashed and wiggled and tried to bite him. He whooped and dropped her on the ground, “I think she’s shrunk since last time.”
“Certainly looks like it, don’t you feed the little thing?” Bjord gave Lira a poke, despite her protesting glare.
Resa bit back the urge to say something harsh. She had never much liked Bjord, even so she and Hilde got along well, she’d never warmed up to her brother-in-law.
“Now, now, don’t poke at the poor dear,” said Hilde patting Lira’s hair in what she thought was an affectionate manner but Lira found it condescending and she shot a look at her mother asking to be excused. Maybe she could hide with her father until they left….
Sensing Lira’s discomfort Resa sent her back inside to tidy up the loft. Lira was only too eager to do so and she rushed off without hesitating.
“She is a rather tiny thing…are you sure she’s healthy?” asked Hilde, genuine concern in her voice.
“She’s a woods elf, they’re all puny,” said Bjord dismissively, “Let’s stop all of this gawping around out here and get inside, I could use some beer!”
Resa pursed her lips for a moment then stiffly invited him in. Bjord and Hilde went in first, followed by their oldest sons Ulfgar and his twin brother Ulfrun, and their daughter Mariska. The latter child was Lira’s age, tall and slender with her mother’s flowing pale hair and eyes the dark blue of the deep sea. At nine she was already promising to be a beauty and she would have been even lovelier had she not been sulking at that moment. She gave Resa a sullen frown and proceeded inside without a word.
“Don’t mind her, she’s just mad because her mother made her wear that dress,” said Ulfrun, who was identical to his brother save for a little white scar running across his forehead, over his left eyebrow.
The dress in question was long and rather elaborate for a child’s dress and Resa could see why the girl was unhappy, the skirt was a tad long and she had to hold it in her hand to walk properly and the high collar looked stiff. It was much too heavy for the spring weather.
“We weren’t expecting you just yet but Lira’s fixing up the loft for you so you’ll have a place to sleep,” she said to Hilde.
“Sleep? Oh…well about that, we won’t be staying as long as planned, actually we just came to give you a few things. We’ve come into a lot of money lately and we wanted to share the wealth with our family,” replied Hilde.
Resa frowned, “You’ll have to talk to Engar about that, he’s a proud man and you know he won’t take charity.”
As she spoke Engar emerged from his room, dressed in a clean shirt and dyed, blue vest. When his brother saw him he gestured for him to come and sit with him at the table.
“I’ve got something for you,” said Bjord.
“What have you got?” Engar feigned interest for the sake of politeness.
Bjord wordlessly pulled out a bulging money purse and tossed it at his brothers, “Heard this winter was a bit hard on you so I thought I’d help you out,”
“Generous,” said Engar taking the purse and looking it over. “Where’d you get all of it?”
“Did a little work for some people on the south coast,” replied Bjord, Engar couldn’t be sure but he thought for an instant he saw a flash of discomfort on his brother’s face. He was being cryptic and that wasn’t like him. With a growing sense of apprehension Engar pulled a coin from the purse. He stared at the shiny, silver piece for a minute turning it from a side bearing a crown to a side bearing a tree. His face went from shock to fury and he hurled the purse at Bjord.
“Imperial Crowns!” he shouted, “You’ve been doing business with the Remish Empire! You treacherous snake! What did you do to get these?” he demanded. He suddenly realized why Bjord’s clothing had seemed odd; much of what he was wearing was of Imperial make.
“They’ve been trying to colonize on the south coast and you’ve been lining your pockets helping them!” Engar accused his brother.
Bjord threw up his hands as though to fend off Engar's fury, "So what if I did? There's nothing on that coast but empty shore, why shouldn't they build there? Might bring a little wealth to this god forsaken little continent to have outsiders to trade and bargain with."
Engar dealt him a hard blow across the face and the rest of the family came running to see what the commotion was about. "You idiot!" Engar hissed through his teeth, "Do ye really think t'will just stop wi' a colony and a trading post? " he grabbed his brother's shirt collar and gave him a shake, "Mark me ye damn fool! They'll take over that coast and then move inward, just like all the other continents, our tribes, our culture and our history will all disappear. The arrival of these encroachers will spell the end of our ways as the Empire swallows us up!"
"Not if we work with them....we could integrate and try to accept their ways and their Goddess. Face it...our age is over, we've had a long and glorious history with our Danes and chieftains, but it's the Empire's era now and we can move with it or be lost in time, I've made my choice....you should make yours and choose carefully. We're going out, and we can do it peacefully or with a sea of blood but we will not last the next hundred years. The Empire is here. Accept it and move on for yourself," said Bjord, his expression weary and resigned.
Engar released him, "Get out," he snarled, "Get out of my house and never show yer face again!" it was clear to him that his brother had given up, if he wanted to become a part of the Empire than that was fine...but Engar would sooner have slit his throat than bent his knee to the Imperial Goddess.
Gathering up his wife and children Bjord ushered them out of the house, leaving behind the coin purse. Engar snatched the velvet bag from where it lay and hurled it against the wall with a roar of outrage. Lira scampered toward him and took his arm, "Please stop?" she pleaded, her eyes wide and fearful.
Engar deflated and put an arm around her. He supposed it wouldn't do him any good to lose his temper now. All he'd end up accomplishing was to frighten his family. He picked Lira up and held her to him and extended an arm to his wife. Resa went to him and put her head on his shoulder, rubbing his back with one hand and resting the other on Lira. She understood why he was distressed...she was troubled too. Who know what this would mean for their family in years to come? The three of them would have to stay close and face any trouble that came at them together.
It was Lira who voiced the question running through the minds of all three of them, even so she was to small to understand politics she knew that something was wrong and her little quivering voice echoed the dreaded question which hung over their heads like an ax waiting to fall....
"Will we be alright?"
His brother’s wife, Hilde, pursed her lips and shook her head at him. “This is how you greet your family? Half-naked and stumbling around like a sick bear. Are you drunk?” Hilde was a plump woman, but not unattractive. Her white-blond hair was long, flowing and lustrous and her soft, rounded features were pleasing, if somewhat uncommon among Nordfolk, who tended to have heavier facial structures.
His brother, Bjord, let out a loud, braying laugh, displaying nearly all of his large, square teeth. Like Engar he was built tall, heavy and muscular but there was a bit of softness to his middle that indicated easy living in the recent years. Bjord’s attire also spoke of wealth and comfort, rather than the tanned hides and woolen clothes Engar tended to wear, he was adorned in a stylish green tunic and a heavy maroon cloak trimmed with white. The clothes seemed foreign and familiar all at once to Engar. Before he could question his brother Bjord tousled his hair.
“My brother never was one for the finer things in life, I’m surprised he even has a house all of his own,” he commented, prompting a laugh from Hilde. “Wouldn’t peg him to be drunk so early though,”
Engar growled at them and tried to flatten his hair a bit, “'f I tell ye I am, will ye turn 'round and go-OOF!” he doubled over as Resa caught him in the ribs with a sharp elbow. Shoving her underdressed husband back into the house and out of sight of company she set about hugging and kissing and carrying on until Engar threw up his arms in disgust and retreated back to the bedroom from whence he came, intent on staying there for as long as he could get away with it.
Hearing the commotion Lira peered around the door frame. They were here….and there was something weird about them. They were dressed different and although she couldn’t be certain she was sure that they were speaking differently. Pronouncing words in a way her father and mother didn’t. She didn’t have time to study them because as soon as she poked her head out a little further her cousin, Ulfgar, grabbed her. Ulfgar was a couple of years older than she and twice as tall and heavy. As far as she was concerned there was no one she liked less in the entire world than her adoptive cousins and Ulfgar was at the bottom of her list.
“Hey Da, lookit! I found me a little imp!” he said picking Lira up by the back of her shirt and holding her out while she thrashed and wiggled and tried to bite him. He whooped and dropped her on the ground, “I think she’s shrunk since last time.”
“Certainly looks like it, don’t you feed the little thing?” Bjord gave Lira a poke, despite her protesting glare.
Resa bit back the urge to say something harsh. She had never much liked Bjord, even so she and Hilde got along well, she’d never warmed up to her brother-in-law.
“Now, now, don’t poke at the poor dear,” said Hilde patting Lira’s hair in what she thought was an affectionate manner but Lira found it condescending and she shot a look at her mother asking to be excused. Maybe she could hide with her father until they left….
Sensing Lira’s discomfort Resa sent her back inside to tidy up the loft. Lira was only too eager to do so and she rushed off without hesitating.
“She is a rather tiny thing…are you sure she’s healthy?” asked Hilde, genuine concern in her voice.
“She’s a woods elf, they’re all puny,” said Bjord dismissively, “Let’s stop all of this gawping around out here and get inside, I could use some beer!”
Resa pursed her lips for a moment then stiffly invited him in. Bjord and Hilde went in first, followed by their oldest sons Ulfgar and his twin brother Ulfrun, and their daughter Mariska. The latter child was Lira’s age, tall and slender with her mother’s flowing pale hair and eyes the dark blue of the deep sea. At nine she was already promising to be a beauty and she would have been even lovelier had she not been sulking at that moment. She gave Resa a sullen frown and proceeded inside without a word.
“Don’t mind her, she’s just mad because her mother made her wear that dress,” said Ulfrun, who was identical to his brother save for a little white scar running across his forehead, over his left eyebrow.
The dress in question was long and rather elaborate for a child’s dress and Resa could see why the girl was unhappy, the skirt was a tad long and she had to hold it in her hand to walk properly and the high collar looked stiff. It was much too heavy for the spring weather.
“We weren’t expecting you just yet but Lira’s fixing up the loft for you so you’ll have a place to sleep,” she said to Hilde.
“Sleep? Oh…well about that, we won’t be staying as long as planned, actually we just came to give you a few things. We’ve come into a lot of money lately and we wanted to share the wealth with our family,” replied Hilde.
Resa frowned, “You’ll have to talk to Engar about that, he’s a proud man and you know he won’t take charity.”
As she spoke Engar emerged from his room, dressed in a clean shirt and dyed, blue vest. When his brother saw him he gestured for him to come and sit with him at the table.
“I’ve got something for you,” said Bjord.
“What have you got?” Engar feigned interest for the sake of politeness.
Bjord wordlessly pulled out a bulging money purse and tossed it at his brothers, “Heard this winter was a bit hard on you so I thought I’d help you out,”
“Generous,” said Engar taking the purse and looking it over. “Where’d you get all of it?”
“Did a little work for some people on the south coast,” replied Bjord, Engar couldn’t be sure but he thought for an instant he saw a flash of discomfort on his brother’s face. He was being cryptic and that wasn’t like him. With a growing sense of apprehension Engar pulled a coin from the purse. He stared at the shiny, silver piece for a minute turning it from a side bearing a crown to a side bearing a tree. His face went from shock to fury and he hurled the purse at Bjord.
“Imperial Crowns!” he shouted, “You’ve been doing business with the Remish Empire! You treacherous snake! What did you do to get these?” he demanded. He suddenly realized why Bjord’s clothing had seemed odd; much of what he was wearing was of Imperial make.
“They’ve been trying to colonize on the south coast and you’ve been lining your pockets helping them!” Engar accused his brother.
Bjord threw up his hands as though to fend off Engar's fury, "So what if I did? There's nothing on that coast but empty shore, why shouldn't they build there? Might bring a little wealth to this god forsaken little continent to have outsiders to trade and bargain with."
Engar dealt him a hard blow across the face and the rest of the family came running to see what the commotion was about. "You idiot!" Engar hissed through his teeth, "Do ye really think t'will just stop wi' a colony and a trading post? " he grabbed his brother's shirt collar and gave him a shake, "Mark me ye damn fool! They'll take over that coast and then move inward, just like all the other continents, our tribes, our culture and our history will all disappear. The arrival of these encroachers will spell the end of our ways as the Empire swallows us up!"
"Not if we work with them....we could integrate and try to accept their ways and their Goddess. Face it...our age is over, we've had a long and glorious history with our Danes and chieftains, but it's the Empire's era now and we can move with it or be lost in time, I've made my choice....you should make yours and choose carefully. We're going out, and we can do it peacefully or with a sea of blood but we will not last the next hundred years. The Empire is here. Accept it and move on for yourself," said Bjord, his expression weary and resigned.
Engar released him, "Get out," he snarled, "Get out of my house and never show yer face again!" it was clear to him that his brother had given up, if he wanted to become a part of the Empire than that was fine...but Engar would sooner have slit his throat than bent his knee to the Imperial Goddess.
Gathering up his wife and children Bjord ushered them out of the house, leaving behind the coin purse. Engar snatched the velvet bag from where it lay and hurled it against the wall with a roar of outrage. Lira scampered toward him and took his arm, "Please stop?" she pleaded, her eyes wide and fearful.
Engar deflated and put an arm around her. He supposed it wouldn't do him any good to lose his temper now. All he'd end up accomplishing was to frighten his family. He picked Lira up and held her to him and extended an arm to his wife. Resa went to him and put her head on his shoulder, rubbing his back with one hand and resting the other on Lira. She understood why he was distressed...she was troubled too. Who know what this would mean for their family in years to come? The three of them would have to stay close and face any trouble that came at them together.
It was Lira who voiced the question running through the minds of all three of them, even so she was to small to understand politics she knew that something was wrong and her little quivering voice echoed the dreaded question which hung over their heads like an ax waiting to fall....
"Will we be alright?"