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Roshinda

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Shh," I whispered, motioning to Rebecca to keep still. "There's something in the bushes that just moved, I'm going to catch it." This was my chance to impress her, I just hoped that it wouldn't backfire. The last thing I needed was to miss, again, especially after drawing attention to what I was doing.

I took a deep breath and hefted my throwing axe. My palm was suddenly sweaty, and I hoped I wouldn't lose my grip. I wasn't about to wipe the sweat off on my clothes though. In my other hand, I gripped my noose-wand, made from a long, flexible sapling with a rope at the end, which had until this point been leaning against a tree. Slowly I crept up on the rustling bush, not wanting to startle the animal out of hiding too soon.

When I was ready, I took another deep breath to calm myself, and turned around and grinned at Rebecca. Focusing on the bush again, I tapped it with the end of the noose-wand, and quickly stood up. I didn't know which way the animal would run, but I had a fair chance of getting it, whichever way it chose, I hoped. A blur of white fur darted to my left, and I quickly hurled my axe, slightly ahead of where the animal was. The animal had good speed for short bursts, but it didn't get far.

For once my aim was true, and the animal dropped in it's tracks, my axe embedded in its neck. I was jubilant and wanted to let out a loud whoop, but Rebecca was watching, so I kept my composure. I strolled towards the limp animal and picked it up by its hind legs. It was a fat, white kebbit, about the size of an average cat. It had done well for itself that winter, and now it had helped me do well for myself too.

"What was that about bad aim?" I casually asked when I got back to where Rebecca was waiting. I held up my trophy, just in case she hadn't noticed. "Come with me, I'll cure the hide, and you can use the fur to make yourself a pair of mittens or something."

05-Apr-2007 12:19:23 - Last edited on 11-Apr-2007 14:16:44 by Roshinda

Roshinda

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I led Rebecca to my fort, which was just a short hike from where I had been hunting. Deftly I skinned the dead kebbit, scraped the larger chunks of flesh off the skin, and tacked it up to let it dry. It didn't take me long, I'd done it many times before, and kebbit hides are small. I looked up from my work and noticed that Bec looked a little ill, and she was holding her nose.

"Ugh that smells disgusting!" she gagged. "I think I'm going to be sick." Luckily she wasn't. I ushered her inside to get away from the sight of the skinned animal.

"I'm so used to the smell, and the women at home always do the curing," I said by way of apology, "I didn't realise it would disgust you so much. Anyway, the hide will be dry in a day or two, and then you can have it if you want. Sit down and rest for a while out of the wind." I gestured to my fur pile, and she sat down on the mound.

"What is this place?" she asked, looking around. "It's so empty."

I smiled broadly. "It's my fort. I built it myself, to store my hides so no one will find out. I'm not allowed to keep them for myself."

Since she already knew half the story, I decided to tell the rest of it to her, how unfair the system was. When I explained about the Hunt Rebecca sympathised. I didn't want her sympathy though, I wanted her arms around me and her lips on mine. Shaking the image from my mind, I turned my thoughts back to the conversation at hand and listened to Rebecca describe her childhood.

Dusk was falling when we emerged from the shelter, and the kebbit meat, which I had planned to take home for dinner had vanished, carried off by some animal. Only a crimson stain on the snow remained to mark where it had been. We hadn't planned to stay so long, neither had it felt like so many hours had passed. Hurriedly we made for the village, astonished at how many hours we had wasted just talking.

05-Apr-2007 12:19:31 - Last edited on 13-Apr-2007 13:19:38 by Roshinda

Roshinda

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(¯`¤'¯)
For the next several days, Luke Derbyn and the men in his company were closeted away with Chief Dolkor and the elders. From what I am aware, my tribesmen listened keenly to what the newcomers had to say, and spent much of the time in passionate debate. I don't know exactly what transpired between the men, but it didn't have a particularly lasting effect.
One afternoon, during the second week since the Outlanders had arrived, Rebecca and I were sitting on a rise just outside the village when her father approached.
"Say your farewells, Rebecca, and ready your things. We leave in the morning."
"What! So soon?" she exclaimed, echoing my own thoughts.
"The chieftain is an intelligent man, for a barbarian, and he posed many questions to me. We debated much over the things I said, but he will not convert. He is stubbornly holding onto the old ways. Although I am sure he would be glad to continue debating with me, there is no longer a reason for us to stay."
My heart sank at the thought of Rebecca having to leave so soon. My mind was reeling from the unwelcome news that I didn't even take offense to being called a barbarian.
"No," Rebecca said suddenly, and with enough force to startle her father and I. "I won't go. The purpose of this trip is to learn as much as it is to teach, and I am learning more here than I could anywhere else. I'm not leaving, not now."
Luke's mouth floundered, searching for something to say to his daughter. "If your mother was here..." he began.
"If mother was here, then I wouldn't be," she retorted. "Let widow Elspeth stay here with me to supervise, but by your leave or no, I am staying."
An anguished look appeared on her father's face. "Very well," he said at length. "You may stay for the summer. Before the winter we will return this way for you, until then I leave you in Elspeth's care."

05-Apr-2007 12:19:37 - Last edited on 10-Mar-2008 04:22:29 by Roshinda

Roshinda

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That night we held a farewell banquet in the Outlanders' honour. I confess it was strange honouring outlanders in such a fashion, people we don't know and have little trust for. They must have made some sort of impression on the chief to be treated with such respect. The last of our winter provisions were supplied for the feast. A few fresh herbs supplemented the salted meat and dried fish, and whatever lack there was in food was made up for by an abundance of wine and ale.

An alcohol-fueled bonfire blazed long into the night, its tongues licking at the stars and showering us in sparks. Fremmeniks love a good party, though in my village we rarely got to celebrate. When we did, though, we really went all out, music and dancing, and of course much drinking. It was hard to know if we were asking the spirits to guide the steps of the travelers, or if we were celebrating that the Outlanders were leaving us.

Rebecca and I danced together in the flickering firelight, and she looked divine and ethereal, half illuminated and half in dancing shadows. Much of my memory of that night is foggy, but at one point she slipped away and I could see her in the shadows talking with her father. When she returned to my side I noticed her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy.

Late into the evening, with courage borrowed from a couple of flagons of ale, I kissed Bec, and by all that is good and holy she kissed me back! I had waited an eternity for that moment, it seemed. I was also emboldened by the knowledge that, had anyone noticed they would have paid no heed, not on the night of a big celebration. Before the night was over we had consummated our new-found love, and our relationship had progressed beyond mere friendship.

The village didn't begin to waken until nearly midday, and then we watched the nine travelers set out. More than a few bleary-eyed men stumbled back to bed afterwards to sleep off their headaches, but I was glad not to be among them.

05-Apr-2007 12:19:46 - Last edited on 01-May-2007 13:21:00 by Roshinda

Roshinda

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At first it was strange between Rebecca and I, she was shy and awkward around me as she had never been before. It passed soon though, and we realised that we had crossed a bridge, and there was no point in turning back. We kept our relationship secret, as best we could, for it was taboo, but we loved each other with the reckless abandon of youth.

I think the old woman, Elspeth, was the only one who may have suspected how intimate Rebecca and I had become, and she was too old to care. The danger was in anyone from my tribe finding out.

(¯`¤'¯)

The days lengthened, the last of the snow melted, and the pale sun shed a little warmth during the day time. Often Rebecca and I would sit together away from prying eyes, and I would entertain her with the songs and legends of my people that we learned to recite in childhood. I still hunted on occasion, to keep in practice, and my aim improved dramatically. Summer was fast approaching, and with it the Hunt. I would be ready to join with the others in killing the animals that would feed us throughout the winter.

Three or four weeks after the others left her, Rebecca was picking wildflowers near where I was hunting. The day stands out vividly in my memory, although I couldn't tell you what the weather was like, or if I caught anything that day, and I can recall none of the small details I normally notice and remember.

I heard a scream from the surrounding woods, and the sound was like a hard blow to my stomach, winding me and making me feel sick at the same time. My feet pounded rhythmically against the ground, and my hammering heartbeats echoed in my ears. I ran towards the sound with a speed I hadn't known I possessed, but still I felt I would be too late.

05-Apr-2007 12:19:58 - Last edited on 17-Apr-2007 23:10:48 by Roshinda

Roshinda

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Rebecca screamed again, from somewhere nearby. At least it meant that she was still alive. I came upon a small clearing, and my stomach tightened into a knot at what I saw. Rebecca lay on the ground struggling, and a man knelt between her legs, a handful of her skirt clutched in his filthy hand. I could plainly see desire in his face, and rage boiled inside me.

He looked up in surprise at my not so silent approach, but quickly turned his attention back to his struggling victim. It was Thorkol. He was four years older than me, and much bigger too. As children, he had been something of a bully, and I had been afraid of him. Not now though. Rage took over: I would not let Rebecca be violated by that disgusting monster. All those thoughts had formulated in a split second, but it seemed like a lifetime.

I bellowed something wordless in my fury, and even I was startled by the volume and intensity of that cry. Thorkol was thrown off guard, and while he was distracted by my roar, Rebecca squirmed from his grasp and scrambled away whimpering. Succumbing to the wrath that seethed inside me, I tightened my grip on my axe and charged at her would-be attacker.

Furious as I was, my head was still clear enough to know that I needed to take full advantage of the situation. I had caught Thorkol by surprise, but he would soon recover. I would have to act fast. Without slowing down, I raised my axe behind my head and launched it at Thorkol, glad for so large a target, and no risk of hitting Bec. "How dare you assault a woman of virtue!" I raged as I threw my weapon.

My aim was off, since I had thrown it in haste, but the blade did contact Thorkol's outstretched hand, and I saw a spurt of blood as by some fluke, my axe cut off one of his fingers. Thorkol hollered in pain and grabbed his injured hand to stem the flow.

"She is an Outlander, and not under the protection of her father. She has no virtue," he seethed.

05-Apr-2007 12:21:51 - Last edited on 01-May-2007 13:21:27 by Roshinda

Roshinda

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I shouted another war-cry and continued my rush. If it wasn't enough that he tried to violate Bec, now he was insulting her too. The one thought in my head was to make him pay. My fist connected with Thorkol's jaw with a sickening crunch. I hoped it hurt him even half as much as much as it had hurt me - it was like punching a tree!

Thorkol let out a low groan and lurched to his feet. Gently, I shook my stinging hand as I backed away, steeling myself for what was to come. I had a feeling of dread, as if I'd just woken a hibernating bear. Before he had fully risen to his feet, he punched me in the face, snapping my head back with a crack. I could taste the metallic bite of blood in my mouth.

He swung at me again with his powerful arm, but I ducked and rolled out of his way. My discarded axe lay just behind him, if I could reach it. Unarmed, I didn't think I would stand a chance against that monster. I reached for the weapon, but before I had it in my grasp, I was flattened against the ground, pinned by a boot at the small of my back.

Thorkol ground the heel of his boot into my back, and I moaned involuntarily, stifling a scream of pain. Inching my arm forward, I stretched it to its full extent and managed to grab the axe handle. Swinging it behind me, I hacked at Thorkol's leg. The wound wasn't deep, but it made him release the pressure, and I rolled out from under him.

"Go get help!" I shouted in the direction I had last seen Bec. "Or one of us will die this day!" There was little doubt in my mind that if there was to be a death, it would be mine.

Again he lunged at me, throwing another punch at my head. This time I managed to block it, and slashed sideways with my axe. It bit deeply into Thorkol's arm, and blood instantly pooled around the wound, seeping through his shirt and staining the fabric deep crimson.

05-Apr-2007 12:21:58 - Last edited on 15-Apr-2007 11:59:32 by Roshinda

Roshinda

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Secretly I felt elated for drawing blood three times, but my fear also kept growing. Thorkol was really angry now, if the volume of his roar and the fire in his eyes were any evidence. Briefly I wished that he was a little closer to my age and size, but had her attacker been twice as big again, I still wouldn't have hesitated to defend Rebecca.

My upper hand was gone, Thorkol knew I meant business and he fought back hard. He forcefully shoulder checked me into a tree, and I was rammed between two solid masses. For a moment I was dazed as all the air was expelled from my lungs. My shoulder blades felt bruised, but I didn't have time to think about the pain or the damage I had taken, which was surprisingly little. I didn't have time to think about that either.

I managed one gulping breath of air before my adversary pulled my head in towards his chest. He brought his knee up and slammed it into my stomach. Four or five times he kneed me in the abdomen, until I couldn't breathe and felt like I would be sick. When he released me I collapsed to the ground. Every breath was a chore, and brought intense, piercing pains to my chest. I forced myself to take even, shallow breaths which lessened the pain. I didn't know how I would get up again.

The image of the horrified look on Rebecca's face as Thorkol knelt over her came unbidden to my memory. It rejuvenated me, and reminded me why I was fighting. I let my adrenaline-fueled instinct take over, and I ceased to think; all that existed was action.

Thorkol began to bend over, reaching towards his boot. I ignored the pain in my ribs and rolled away. There was a glint of metal as a once concealed dagger appeared in Thorkol's hand. Before he could right himself, I sprang to my feet behind him and leaned into his bending form with all my might. I shoved him as hard as I could, and because he was off guard and already close to the ground, he fell forward on his face.

05-Apr-2007 12:22:04 - Last edited on 17-Apr-2007 13:49:00 by Roshinda

Roshinda

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With one arm, he pushed up, half raising himself off the ground. Before I could react, his other arm darted back, the one with the dagger, and he twisted and plunged the point into my foot. It went deep going all the way through to the ground. The pain was agonising, and the slightest movement of my foot carved the wound even wider.

I yelped, and then without thinking, swung my axe two-handed. The flat side smashed against his skull and Thorkol was thrown back to the ground, unconscious. I knelt above him, painfully rending the point of the dagger from the ground, and I pummeled him with my fists. It wasn't just about Bec any more; I took out all my anger towards my father and the clan on him.

Part of me was aware of what I was doing, and was horrified. After a great inner struggle I forced myself to stop beating him. My fists were bloody, though most of it was mine, and I could barely un-clench them. Thorkol was alive, I could see his chest rise and fall ever so faintly, but I looked at what I had done, and I had to choke back tears. I was still sitting there, bent over his body, when above the swirling mass of confused thoughts and emotions I dimly heard Rebecca return with help from the village.

"Is - is he dead?" Rebecca stammered.

I didn't answer right away, I was lost in thought as I stared at the bloody sight. My mind was reeling, even though I knew it was either me or him, and he likely wouldn't have stayed his hand. The knowledge that I had come so close to killing another human being, a member of my own clan, had me torn. Part of me was proud and elated, but I also felt disgusted with myself. Yet he had tried to violate Rebecca, didn't he deserve death?

The world around me was indistinct as I sat there in inner turmoil. Rebecca touched my shoulder and stirred me back to reality.

"No, no he's not," I sad flatly. I looked up at her and an anguished look came over her as she saw my face.

05-Apr-2007 12:22:40 - Last edited on 24-Apr-2007 12:37:39 by Roshinda

Roshinda

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(¯`¤'¯)

My chest was bound tightly, yet still it hurt even just to breathe. My lip had healed, though I got bouts of dizziness, and I would forever have my limp. Even so I was uncomplaining, and grim. A week had passed, and Dolkor had pronounced my punishment.

"You are a disgrace!" Bartin Ironclaw, my father, wailed. "You should be grateful that Chief Dolkor is the brother of your mother and was lenient towards you. Though perhaps it would be better if you were exiled. How? Why would you attack a clansman like that? You know our laws."

"I was defending Rebecca," I answered slowly, though I'd told him before. I wanted to shout, but the pain in my chest hindered me.

"That's not what Thorkol says. Yet were it true, it isn't your place to defend her. Women are the responsibility of their fathers or their husbands, no one else's. It is no excuse!"

"Better that I had killed him after all, then it would be me who could fabricate a story everyone would believe. No one will listen to a boy and an Outlander over a man of the clan - even a known scoundrel and a liar," I muttered angrily to myself.

"What did you say? Speak up before your elders boy!" I could hear the anger building in his voice, and I knew I had to submit and back down before it turned violent.

"Nothing father. I'm sorry for humiliating you." In response he cuffed me and I winced, but then he ducked out of the tent and headed towards the Hall of Men. I was certain he would be gone for the rest of the day, drinking there with the rest of the men.

I needed to get away, to be alone so I could fight off my tears of anger and shame. I was sitting on a flat rock near my hunting fort when Rebecca found me. My head was bowed so I didn't see her approach, but I did feel her slip beside me and place her warm hand on my back.

"Was it bad news then?" she asked quietly, "Did they exile you?"

"It was very bad news. I've been banned from this year's Hunt."

05-Apr-2007 12:23:06 - Last edited on 20-Apr-2007 11:46:20 by Roshinda

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