by Allan Joyal
“We met when we were dragged here,” I replied. “Otherwise I could have never won such a beautiful woman to be my wife.” I was going to add more, but Heather set her bowl of meat down when I started speaking and flew at me.
“You think I’m beautiful!” she squealed happily. “You like me, you really like me!”
I could hear Al and Jeff snort as Heather buried her tear filled face in my chest. I used my free hand to pat her back as I looked at Joelia.
Joelia laughed. “I guess I’m not the only woman here to wonder how everyone feels about them.”
“Oh, we all have that,” Victoria called back. “But this isn’t the first time she‘s reacted this way. I think it’s probably worse for Heather..”
“Why?” Konstanzia asked. “She is married to the most important man in your group.”
“But can I keep him?” Heather asked. “I’m not his longtime friend like Lydia is, and I can’t be the mother to the group that Victoria has been from the start. All I do is look pretty and love him.”
Lydia stood up and walked over to join us. She put her hands on Heather’s shoulders. “You keep him centered and support him. I can’t go into a market with him like you did, nor can Victoria offer him the adult love you do.”
“She can’t?” Heather asked.
“Not with the open abandon you do,” Victoria said. “I love him, but like a brother. My mother was very dominant in my household and nearly drove my father to suicide. I want a relaxed relationship, but Ron needs someone who can be intense.”
“I didn’t know,” Heather admitted.
“I don’t talk about it much. Ron never questioned it. He just watched me act as the den mother to everyone from the start and supported me. I need that support, but always felt like I wasn’t supporting him back,” Victoria said.
“And now you have Verval to support and love,” I observed.
“He’s out,” Victoria said pointing over to the cart. I could see that Verval had closed his eyes and put his chin on his chest. Someone had covered his body with a bedroll and placed a rolled up bundle of cloth behind his head.
“He might fall over,” I said.
“I’ll be over there in a moment to snuggle with him,” Victoria said fondly. “I never thought I could love a man like him, but in his gruff way he cares more openly than any boyfriend I had before.”
“Boyfriend?” Konstanzia said.
Heather snorted. I could feel her trying not to laugh. She relaxed her hold on me and raised her head. “Victoria came to Jord the same time we did. One thing we haven’t really explained is that where we come from an alchemist found a powder you could take every day, and it prevented a woman from becoming pregnant. Many young women would have male friends in their bed before they got married.”
“And you accepted this?” Konstanzia asked.
“The women were the ones who drove it forward,” Lydia supplied. “Men had created labor saving devices that helped women do most jobs just as well as a man could. So many women would find their own job and live independent of any man.”
“That couldn’t work well,” Krysbain said as he came over to join us.
“The original situation did not work perfectly either,” I said. “But I can say that I find that the community we have here seems to combine many of the best traits of both systems.”
Krysbain nodded. “Although I seem to be the one man who hasn’t found a woman.”
I waved over to where Jeff was sitting and talking with Borlan and Ximenia. “Jeff might disagree with you there,” I said.
“He isn’t with… Mary was it?” Konstanzia asked. “They often talk about… shopping in Times Square I think it is.”
“Well, part of the move from our home to Jord needs to be explained. We were actually brought here from three different locations. Victoria and Aine were in one location. Jeff and Mary were in another, and the rest of us were in a third location. The location Jeff and Mary came from is a mercantile city that has become a powerhouse. Merchants trade there, or even just trade shares of their companies. This attracted people who worked to entertain the wealthy or who sought to provide goods to them. Jeff and Mary are remembering their lives,” I said.
“You don’t share that?” Joelia asked.
“I was basically a caravan merchant, only I didn’t carry the goods I sold. I would visit taverns and offer them new equipment for a price. If they agreed to buy, other men would deliver and install the equipment,” I said.
Krysbain looked surprised. “I can’t picture it.”
“Don’t let it bother you too much,” I replied. “For now, we’ll all be working to build a new village. Then, I do hope to build a water-powered mill and an aqueduct. I just wish I knew more about how the Chinese did it.”
“A powerful tribe from our home,” Heather said. “They often came up with labor saving devices. I know they used water power quite a bit.”
“What about us?” Konstanzia asked. I noticed she had an arm around Joelia.
“Is it forever?” I asked.
Konstanzia frowned and then shook her head. “No, I think both of us would not mind if it was, but we want more.”
Heather giggled. “Don’t worry about it. Esme and Natalie have been together since our second day on Jord, and we never bother them.”
“Except to tease them sometimes, but we do that with everyone once they relax,” I pointed out.
Joelia giggled. “I can live with that. What should we do for tonight?”
“Asssist the kids if they need help with the herds,” I said. “Lenoir and Verval need to rest.”
“So do you,” Heather said sternly.
I sighed. “Right. I think I’ll return the bowl and see about helping with some cleaning.”
Heather protested as I gently pushed her from my lap and stood up. I walked over by the fire carrying two empty bowls. Kariy smiled and indicated a cauldron. I looked inside and found that it contained water. The fire underneath it was not enough to bring it to a boil, but I could feel some heat as I gazed down on it.
I plunged the bowls into the water, only to realize I had not grabbed anything to wipe them down. Kariy giggled and held up a rough piece of cloth. It looked like it might have come from one of the rotten packs we had received during our short stay in Linktrum.
I took the cloth and began using it to scrub the bowls. The warm water helped pull any large particles off the bowls. I gave the bowls a final swirl in the water and then pulled them out. Kariy quickly took them from me and dried them with another piece of cloth.
“Thank you,” the young woman said to me.
“I’m sorry I speak with you so little,” I said.
“You protected me and cared for me,” Kariy said. “You still try to make sure I’m happy. I’m free.”
“But you cook for us,” I protested. “How is that different from what happened to you in that tavern?”
“I enjoy cooking,” Kariy replied. “And none of you are going to force me to do anything I don’t want to do. You give me real clothing and respect me. I never received that before.”
I nodded. “Well, if you want a change, let me know….. I should check on Lenoir.”
“She’s sitting by the hedge,” Kariy said waving to where the hedge and our line of carts met.
I nodded and walked around the camp. The herd was settling down for the night. Many of the animals were dozing in the dying light of the sun. A few wandered to the basin, took a quick drink, and then moved away. I noticed that Yveney and Piemal were standing near the basin. Any animal that was not drinking was quickly herded away from the water.
I passed the slumbering Verval. Someone had put a pack under his right calf, elevating his foot and bandaged ankle. The man had a grimace on his face as he slumbered. As I looked, Victoria ran over to check on him.
“He’ll be fine,” she said. “He’s just upset because he couldn’t take the pain like you did just four days ago.”
“As I remem
ber I was helped to the camp and I passed out. How did he do different?” I asked.
Victoria shrugged. “I just remember that he said he was impressed by your grit. But I do know he’s worried he’ll slow us down.”
“We need a day of rest,” I said. “We should try to clean clothing and check that the carts aren’t wearing too fast. I think we are far enough onto the plains to have escaped any pursuit from Saraloncto.”
“I can’t believe they did chase us,” Victoria said. “They stood to gain so little.”
I nodded toward Heather. My love was sitting with Joelia and Konstanzia. The trio was laughing about something. “I think taking a beauty like Heather as a slave would have been worth a lot to a rich merchant or noble,” I said acidly. “And you aren’t unattractive yourself.”
Victoria blushed. “It’s all the good exercise, fresh air, and natural foods. I’d recommend this diet to all my friends back in Liverpool and London, but I doubt they’d want the other parts.”
“Such as?” I asked.
Victoria blushed more. “I wish I had some real underwear. I’d love a warm shower and flush toilets. And never tell this to Verval, but I want a sexy nightgown to wear for him. He’s turned into a really gentle and caring lover, and I want to keep him interested.”
“You will,” I assured Victoria. She was kneeling down to check Verval’s ankle so I walked on. I could see Gertrilla working with one of the puppies. It was clear she was trying to get the dog to respond to whistles. The dog was following the instruction intently so I avoided bothering the young woman and approached Lenoir.
The woman had found a stone rising from the ground and was using it to support her back as she looked out over the herd. She said nothing as I walked up and sat down on the grass.
“You’re going to kick me out aren’t you? I’m slowing you down,” Lenoir said sadly.
“I’m slowing the group down as well,” I pointed out. “I can’t really do much lifting with my chest still healing.”
“But you killed something,” Lenoir said. “I just took an arrow in the hip. And I’m just a girl.”
“You are not just a girl,” I snapped. “We have a good group of shepherdesses now. You helped them develop those skills and you showed all of them how to use a sling. Without you, that might never have happened.”
“But I can’t teach them now,” Lenoir complained with a moan.
“You are getting stronger,” I pointed out. “The injury will heal. I’ve seen you walk a little farther without help each day. Now, we do plan on staying here for a day.”
“Here?” Lenoir asked.
“It’s a sheltered spot. It’s set up so that we can use the hedge to fence in the animals. And we have plenty of water and grass for the herd. Also you might have heard the torrent,” I said.
“I looked at it,” Lenoir said with a huff. “We can’t cross that.”
“Not here,” I agreed. “But Krysbain says there is a ford just upstream. If there is no rain the torrent should subside and we can cross. So we’ll rest for a day and cross the day after.”
Lenoir smiled. “I guess I can spend the day trying to get Krysbain’s attention.”
“You like big strong men?” I asked jokingly.
Lenoir sighed. “I want a man who can protect me. Jeff is nice, but he’s not very useful in a fight. I really liked Gorm, but….”
I nodded; the death of the young man was another of my many failures. I stayed with Lenoir. We turned to talking about the herd and ways we might break it up to make it easier to handle. The biggest concern was a couple of the cows. We had one bull that liked to charge at the dogs. Yveney and Gertrilla had him under control, but we were talking about having to geld him to calm him down. Only we did not want to lose him before we could breed him. Corwar swore he would get the ornery creature under control, and Lenoir was disclosing the methods they were going to test. It was a complex process, and I walked back to my bedroll wondering if any technique would succeed.
Chapter 21: A Splash of Terror
The next morning dawned clear and cold. The wind coming out of the west had an arctic bite to it as it roared across the plains. Everyone in our group moved their bedrolls so that the wagons provided some shelter from the wind. Even the herd clumped together near the carts, trying to get out of the biting cold.
The chill in the air meant that we were lazy in camp. Esme and Natalie dozed in their shared bedroll as Lydia and Aine made breakfast. Krysbain and Soldrin did creep out shortly after dawn, but returned after just a short time. When he tried to report what he had found Krysbain, had to crouch down and shout in my ear to be heard over the roar of the wind.
It was as if the creatures of the plains knew about days like this. Krysbain said that the plains were completely quiet. Even the few ground squirrels that we had been seeing were hiding from the windstorm. I just nodded when he concluded his report.
“Well, that’s another reason to rest,” I said. “Travel in this biting cold would risk injuries. Did you check the ford?”
“The flood is starting to recede,” Krysbain said with a nod. “I’m pretty sure we’ll be able to cross in the morning as long as there is no more rain.”
I pointed up at the clear sky. “I don’t think rain is in the forecast. And with this chill air it would be sleet or snow rather than rain. We’ll talk to Gerit later. We need to make sure the carts and wagons are prepared to cross a river. Hopefully it will be shallow, or we will have a lot of wet tools and goods.”
Krysbain nodded. “I think most of the barrels are sealed, but I’ll check with Gerit now. If I’m right the crossing won’t be up to the axles of the wheels once the flood waters drop to normal.”
I nodded. Krysbain wandered over to chat with Joelia and Konstanzia. The two women smiled at him. Soldrin stayed by me and sighed. “I wish I had a bow,” He said.
“I’m not even sure how to make one,” I replied. “But we can plan on working on that over the winter once we find a place. We don’t have many arrows though.”
“I know,” Soldrin said. “But I need to do something more. I was thinking I could do some hunting for the group.”
“Use a sling and take out squirrels,” I suggested. “We can cook those.”
Soldrin looked surprised. He got a faraway look in his eyes and then smiled. “I could do that! Thanks.”
The boy scampered off to the bedroll his sister shared with Borlan. The couple was cuddling together. Soldrin spoke a few words to his brother and then ran over by the fire where he huddled out of the worst of the wind.
The sun was high in the sky when the wind finally started to die down. Occasional gusts continued to blast the area with cold, so most of the group remained huddled in their bedrolls by the carts. I got up to check on the animals and found Gertrilla already out checking on the herd. She was standing next to Haydee. Lawus’ eldest daughter had a huge smile on her face as she bent down to rub the nose of one of the two recently acquired puppies.
“Found another shepherdess?” I asked Gertrilla as I walked up.
Haydee started as I spoke. The puppy jumped between us and bared her teeth at me. I growled back and the puppy retreated.
“You are good at that,” Gertrilla observed. “But yes, Haydee has found a partner, and we even have a small group of about two dozen sheep that she has control of. That will allow us to break up the herd while travelling. Yveney and I will handle the cattle and goats. Dafalia, Oleiana, and Piemal backed by Unrun will work with most of the sheep, and Haydee will have her herd.”
“Good,” I said. “Do you expect trouble crossing the stream tomorrow?”
“I’d like help from some of the men,” Gertrilla admitted. “We don’t have any real young animals, but it would be nice to have a couple men standing in the stream to keep the animals on the ford. If one slips off we will probably lose it.”
“We’ll cross the carts first, and then I’ll have Al and Jeff stay behind to help. Hencktor too probably. I beli
eve his ribs have mostly healed,” I said. “Congratulations Haydee, I’m sure you will be a fine shepherdess.”
The girl beamed. I backed away slowly and turned to look around the camp. Even with the air being a bit warmer, most of the group was staying close to the fire. I did see that someone was drawing water from the stream. It looked like Shaylin was escorting them and ready to carry a bucket to the basin. I was going to call a greeting when the ground under them gave way, and the two vanished over the cliff.
“Two in the water!” I shouted as I ran to the cliff. I glanced over to see Shaylin and Cimbra struggling to keep their heads above the torrent as they were carried away. Taking three long strides along the cliffside I dove off throwing my body at the water.
I had never been on a high dive before, and the cliff was about ten feet above the raging waters. My dive turned into an awkward belly flop. I hit the water hard enough to remind me that my chest was still healing. There was no time to think about that though. The current had already carried Cimbra and Shaylin half a football field down stream, and both appeared to be sinking. I started swimming as fast as I could hoping to reach my friends.
The two women were thrashing around. I found that there were spots where the water was shallow, but the relentless push of the current carried me past them in seconds. Cimbra and Shaylin clearly had tried to use one of the sand banks to stop, but had failed to resist the rushing water. I could see them tiring as I closed. When I was just feet away Shaylin’s arms went limp, and she sank under the water.
I dove after Shaylin’s body. The stream was passing over a spot that probably was a pond throughout the summer. I could not see a bottom in the mucky water and almost lost sight of the young enchantress. My lungs were burning with the need to let out a breath when I managed to lunge downward and grab her arms with my left hand.
Immediately, I turned and struck for the surface of the water. It could not have been more than ten feet, but it felt like a hundred as I fought the current and the weight of Shaylin’s body. At the same time, I strained my back as I pulled up on Shaylin’s arm, trying to get her head level with mine.
