Nano Fragment: Death of a Wagon.
Author pockyfille
Series original, Dasdevanya chronicles
title Everyday Mistakes
Nadya sighed. She was usually an accepting person, but this was just too much. She stared at the splintered remains of their wagon, rubbing soothing circles over its former owner’s back.
“My vaagon…” said owner whimpered, a cry that was barely even a vocalization.
Nadya looked up the hill, an acidic glare aimed at the murderer of their traveling home. Nikolai stared back at her, sort of, in his thorough examination of his own feet. The boy’s entire body radiated shame, his ears drooping past his shoulders and his tail lank on the ground.
“Myyyyy vaaaa-goooon…”
“Shh, shh, Mikhailos. It’s only wood.”
“My vaaaa-gon….”
The forden stood on the crest of the hill where they had been attempting to set up camp, his gaze trained on the chock in his hand, the one that should have been underneath the wagon’s back wheel and holding the wagon in place on the plateau of the hill.
“My vagon, my vagon….. myyy waaaagggooon…” Mikhail keened, lost in reveries of years spent in what used to be a well-loved traveling home.
“Well, we’re obviously not going to get any more out of him for a while…”
The boy recoiled, really looking at the woman for the first time since the wagon had begun its descent, gaining speed and hurtling thunderously towards the large rocks at the bottom of the steep hill. “Um.”
“And not much out of you, either, it looks like.” She flicked her eyes heavenward. “men.”
“I’m sorry….”
“My vagon….”
“Mianya ti de-yan dai… you two are all but useless sometimes.” She let loose another torrent of liquid syllables, then tugged her fiancé to his feet. “And I’m supposed to be the frail one…” She debated a good sound smack in the face versus a less orthodox method, and promptly tapped him on the nose. She had to stifle a rather unladylike grin as the feline man’s eyes crossed.
“My vagon?”
She sighed, a heavy exhalation of air. “At least that was a different inflection. C’mon, you silly boy, let’s see what we can get out of it…” Nadya turned to shout back up the hill at the third member of their party. “Hoy, you too, bunny-thing! You forgot to put on the brake, you get to help pull out our supplies.”
Nikolai looked down at her, shuddering at her sunny disposition. That did not bode well for anyone involved. It had been an honest mistake, anyone could have forgotten a simple wooden triangle… he promptly tried to run down the hillside, skidding and flailing for balance.
The boy slid to a halt at the foot of the hill, automatically flinching away from the quiet woman. “You know, you two can be very alike when you’re angry. Real quiet. Scary,even.”
She continued to smile at him, guiding her menfolk toward the boxes and trinkets buried in the splintered remains of the wagon. “I’m not angry, just frustrated. Now, be a good little bunny thing and start excavating, yes?”
“Like I said, scary.”
“My poor, pooor vagon.”
“Oh yeah… I’m sorry I broke Mik, too…”
“Nikky.”
“Yeah?”
“Shut up and start moving stuff.”
“yes’m.”
“Ve are havink an issue, here.” Mikhail glared silently around the fire they built fro m the ruins of their abode, “Because of certain peoples who are remaining nameless,” in time-honored fashion, the two older people stared incriminatingly at their younger companion. ”Ve are lacking any kind of conveyance. Ve are very low on supplies, and our trade goods have been…vell, more zan decimated. Vaterlogged crackers ve cannot eat, and ripped fabrics ve cannot sell.”
“So we sell what we have and buy a new wagon, right?” Nikolia offered, full of the naiveté of a sheltered childhood.
“< I thought forden were supposed to have better business sense than that… >” Nadya muttered sweetly, slipping into the tongue of her adopted homeland.
“No. Vhat ve do, is sell vhat ve have and maybe ve vill be havink enough for a handcart. In ze meanwhile, Nikolai, ve vill be needing a packbeast.”
“ but if we can’t afford a handcart, how will we… oh.” The youth sighed as he accepted the canvas bundle that was all of their rations and goods on top of his already bulging backpack.
“You know, this thing’s really heavy.”
A chorus response.
“Yes, Nikolai.”
“I could really use some help.”
“No, Nikolai.”
“It’s kinda hard to keep up with you guys.”
“That’s nice, Nikolai.”
Nikolai staggered into their next campsite a good fifteen minutes after his companions, collapsing onto the hard ground of the clearing they’d. chosen.
“Yes, I realize it’s my fault we don’t have a wagon. I am young, and stupid, and deserve what I get. I apologize a thousand times… can I please, please stop carrying this alone now?”
“Vell said, young man.”
“And no. one more day, I think. Builds character.”
Nikolai sighed, and went to set up his bedroll. Tomorrow was going to be another long day on the road.
comments luffled as usual
Series original, Dasdevanya chronicles
title Everyday Mistakes
Nadya sighed. She was usually an accepting person, but this was just too much. She stared at the splintered remains of their wagon, rubbing soothing circles over its former owner’s back.
“My vaagon…” said owner whimpered, a cry that was barely even a vocalization.
Nadya looked up the hill, an acidic glare aimed at the murderer of their traveling home. Nikolai stared back at her, sort of, in his thorough examination of his own feet. The boy’s entire body radiated shame, his ears drooping past his shoulders and his tail lank on the ground.
“Myyyyy vaaaa-goooon…”
“Shh, shh, Mikhailos. It’s only wood.”
“My vaaaa-gon….”
The forden stood on the crest of the hill where they had been attempting to set up camp, his gaze trained on the chock in his hand, the one that should have been underneath the wagon’s back wheel and holding the wagon in place on the plateau of the hill.
“My vagon, my vagon….. myyy waaaagggooon…” Mikhail keened, lost in reveries of years spent in what used to be a well-loved traveling home.
“Well, we’re obviously not going to get any more out of him for a while…”
The boy recoiled, really looking at the woman for the first time since the wagon had begun its descent, gaining speed and hurtling thunderously towards the large rocks at the bottom of the steep hill. “Um.”
“And not much out of you, either, it looks like.” She flicked her eyes heavenward. “men.”
“I’m sorry….”
“My vagon….”
“Mianya ti de-yan dai… you two are all but useless sometimes.” She let loose another torrent of liquid syllables, then tugged her fiancé to his feet. “And I’m supposed to be the frail one…” She debated a good sound smack in the face versus a less orthodox method, and promptly tapped him on the nose. She had to stifle a rather unladylike grin as the feline man’s eyes crossed.
“My vagon?”
She sighed, a heavy exhalation of air. “At least that was a different inflection. C’mon, you silly boy, let’s see what we can get out of it…” Nadya turned to shout back up the hill at the third member of their party. “Hoy, you too, bunny-thing! You forgot to put on the brake, you get to help pull out our supplies.”
Nikolai looked down at her, shuddering at her sunny disposition. That did not bode well for anyone involved. It had been an honest mistake, anyone could have forgotten a simple wooden triangle… he promptly tried to run down the hillside, skidding and flailing for balance.
The boy slid to a halt at the foot of the hill, automatically flinching away from the quiet woman. “You know, you two can be very alike when you’re angry. Real quiet. Scary,even.”
She continued to smile at him, guiding her menfolk toward the boxes and trinkets buried in the splintered remains of the wagon. “I’m not angry, just frustrated. Now, be a good little bunny thing and start excavating, yes?”
“Like I said, scary.”
“My poor, pooor vagon.”
“Oh yeah… I’m sorry I broke Mik, too…”
“Nikky.”
“Yeah?”
“Shut up and start moving stuff.”
“yes’m.”
“Ve are havink an issue, here.” Mikhail glared silently around the fire they built fro m the ruins of their abode, “Because of certain peoples who are remaining nameless,” in time-honored fashion, the two older people stared incriminatingly at their younger companion. ”Ve are lacking any kind of conveyance. Ve are very low on supplies, and our trade goods have been…vell, more zan decimated. Vaterlogged crackers ve cannot eat, and ripped fabrics ve cannot sell.”
“So we sell what we have and buy a new wagon, right?” Nikolia offered, full of the naiveté of a sheltered childhood.
“< I thought forden were supposed to have better business sense than that… >” Nadya muttered sweetly, slipping into the tongue of her adopted homeland.
“No. Vhat ve do, is sell vhat ve have and maybe ve vill be havink enough for a handcart. In ze meanwhile, Nikolai, ve vill be needing a packbeast.”
“ but if we can’t afford a handcart, how will we… oh.” The youth sighed as he accepted the canvas bundle that was all of their rations and goods on top of his already bulging backpack.
“You know, this thing’s really heavy.”
A chorus response.
“Yes, Nikolai.”
“I could really use some help.”
“No, Nikolai.”
“It’s kinda hard to keep up with you guys.”
“That’s nice, Nikolai.”
Nikolai staggered into their next campsite a good fifteen minutes after his companions, collapsing onto the hard ground of the clearing they’d. chosen.
“Yes, I realize it’s my fault we don’t have a wagon. I am young, and stupid, and deserve what I get. I apologize a thousand times… can I please, please stop carrying this alone now?”
“Vell said, young man.”
“And no. one more day, I think. Builds character.”
Nikolai sighed, and went to set up his bedroll. Tomorrow was going to be another long day on the road.
comments luffled as usual