Cursed with a strong spirit
The day had dawned, clear and cold, and Ayla awoke in the barn. Her head ached and her stomach rolled, and for a moment she wondered if sharing the hearth, even for only a few days, had meant that one of the men's spirits had conquered hers and she was with child. She knew that her spirit was unusually strong for a woman, but perhaps the both of theirs together could defeat hers. Durc had been the son of the whole clan, and Ayla wondered at times if it had been all of the male spirits together than overtook hers for her to have a child. It only took a moment of consideration before she banished the thought and made her daily tea that helped to strengthen her spirit, to make the Cave Lion totem even more capable of fighting off the spirits of the Others. She would not have been so unhappy to have another child. At least she was not alone now. She would have people to help.
She drank her tea, this morning infused with the addition of yarrow, raspberry leaf, and willow bark. Before she had finished it, her head and stomach were already feeling better. Perhaps she had something at the festival that disagreed with her. Nearly everything had been strange, but then that could be said for daily life here. Here, where they slept close to cows. Here where they ate the strangest beasts. Here where the drink was sharp on her tongue and made her dizzy. She had not liked that magic, but her cup kept finding itself refilled.
Ayla drank her tea in silence, then banked the fire so it would be ready to be brought back to life when Tituspullo and Lucius were ready for it. She left water for them as well, then dressed in her furs and wraps and ventured out. She was less nervous around the cabins, animals, and people. No one here was going to harm her. There was no one here like Broud, that she had met. Some even seemed to enjoy helping her learn new words. She already had so many, and from what she still didn't understand, she knew there must be many more. Many--that was one of the words she now knew.
Armed with her sling and the pouch of stones, Ayla walked among the dwellings, looking up at the compound for a while before she continued on her hunt. With so many hunters and so much food stored for winter, she was unsure her skill was even needed, but she could make certain she would eat. Aside from two rabbits, which she brought down in quick succession with her double stone technique, she found that if she was going to want to find plentiful game, she would need to venture back the way she had come from. Back into the forest, away from the people. It was far too cold and windy today, though. Instead, she sat in the shadow of the barn upon her return, protected from the brunt of the wind, as she skinned her catch and began to scrape the hide. Two rabbits would make an excellent pair of hand coverings. Perhaps the gift would begin to repay the kindness that Tituspullo had shown her. She wasn't certain if they were mated by the strange customs of the Others, or if she was simply a woman of his hearth. She couldn't imagine he'd mate her willingly. She was so tall and ugly, and he had made no signal of any kind that she could tell, so she knew he did not find her worthy of using to quell his urges.
That was one more thing she noted as similar between the Clan and the Others. She had come to accept the fact that she would grow old without ever being mated. She would always be a second woman.
[I'll be in and out all day, so this whole thing will be slowish, so ST and late tags welcome!]
She drank her tea, this morning infused with the addition of yarrow, raspberry leaf, and willow bark. Before she had finished it, her head and stomach were already feeling better. Perhaps she had something at the festival that disagreed with her. Nearly everything had been strange, but then that could be said for daily life here. Here, where they slept close to cows. Here where they ate the strangest beasts. Here where the drink was sharp on her tongue and made her dizzy. She had not liked that magic, but her cup kept finding itself refilled.
Ayla drank her tea in silence, then banked the fire so it would be ready to be brought back to life when Tituspullo and Lucius were ready for it. She left water for them as well, then dressed in her furs and wraps and ventured out. She was less nervous around the cabins, animals, and people. No one here was going to harm her. There was no one here like Broud, that she had met. Some even seemed to enjoy helping her learn new words. She already had so many, and from what she still didn't understand, she knew there must be many more. Many--that was one of the words she now knew.
Armed with her sling and the pouch of stones, Ayla walked among the dwellings, looking up at the compound for a while before she continued on her hunt. With so many hunters and so much food stored for winter, she was unsure her skill was even needed, but she could make certain she would eat. Aside from two rabbits, which she brought down in quick succession with her double stone technique, she found that if she was going to want to find plentiful game, she would need to venture back the way she had come from. Back into the forest, away from the people. It was far too cold and windy today, though. Instead, she sat in the shadow of the barn upon her return, protected from the brunt of the wind, as she skinned her catch and began to scrape the hide. Two rabbits would make an excellent pair of hand coverings. Perhaps the gift would begin to repay the kindness that Tituspullo had shown her. She wasn't certain if they were mated by the strange customs of the Others, or if she was simply a woman of his hearth. She couldn't imagine he'd mate her willingly. She was so tall and ugly, and he had made no signal of any kind that she could tell, so she knew he did not find her worthy of using to quell his urges.
That was one more thing she noted as similar between the Clan and the Others. She had come to accept the fact that she would grow old without ever being mated. She would always be a second woman.
[I'll be in and out all day, so this whole thing will be slowish, so ST and late tags welcome!]