Mael
I heard the quiet chirping of the Jungles nightlife, peacefully lulled me into a trance. Laying on my back, I looked up at the top of the tent, catching glimpses of the jungle canopy through the hole at the top of the tent for the last few hours I had been watching the leaves sway, but now it was time to figure out my plan of action.
Staying and working as a slave could prove to be useful. I knew nothing about these people, and that concerned me. If they learn about the hidden Minut village, they will become a severe threat. But even more then that, the fact that they were staying and surviving in the jungle gave me immense cause for worry. Everyone in the Empire stayed far away from the Jungle. The Olemus's essence is so abundant. It caused the plants and animal to grow very large and become very aggressive. I've known people who, at the outer edges of the forest where the essence is more regular, were resting under a tree one minute and then in the next have a vine wrapped around their leg, dragging them away to its cavernous heart. And they are braving plants and animals like these, in the heart of the jungle. This was a clear indication of their fighting skills and determination, a concerning quality.
The best thing I can do is stay here for a few days. Once I've gathered enough detail I will be more familiar with the layout of the camp, escape, and report back to the council what I find. I mentally gave myself a pat on the back, proud that I come up with such a wonderfully productive plan. But, then I remembered I have two very unpredictable companions that have a very high possibility of ruining everything.
Most likely my companions, Poppy and Dogon, have already started tracking me. While Poppy was getting very talented at being unseen, she is not yet a master. And if she got caught Dogon will end up storming the camp in all her panther glory, and then I will have to worry about getting all three of us out unharmed. And although I know I can it would be, I try very hard to live life by the saying efficiency is intelligent laziness. And getting us three out would waste way more energy than needed.
Sighing, I hope Poppy follows my order this one time and returns home.
But, the chances of the two leaving for the caves without me are slim and not for the first time I found myself wondering why the Olemus crossed our paths. Oh, how less stressful my life would be if we hadn't met.
I lingered momentarily on the possibility, imagining my life without my moody pre-teen charge and snorted at the mere thought. I would never admit it to her, but I wouldn't change meeting her. She may be a pain in my ass, but I do love her. And without her, I would still be a clueless pawn in the Empresses power.
Finally, I decided that all I could do at this point was to wait and see what those two will end up doing.
Drifting off to sleep I prayed that the Olemus moved in favor of pleasant dreams.
...
Glacier cold water seemed to slap me from my dreams. I bolted straight up, gasping for breath, searching widely for the source. The first thing I noticed were two large feet greeting me. Slowly, I looked up and spotted the face attached the feet. My eyes not yet focused, I began to think of all the ways I would torture the culprit. First, I would make them clean all my laundry, then I'll stick her in the wading pond and have her count…
Oh, it's not Poppy. Who the heck is this?
As my eyes cleared, I finally saw the culprits face.
She was a woman well into her years, if I had to make a guess, I would put her at around her early fifties. A bushel of curly gray locks and a heavily wrinkled face gave away her age. She was a tall woman in comparison to myself, standing at about five foot eight, and had the robust figure that can only come from a long life of hard work. She wore the same earth tone clothes that I had seen many of her people wear yesterday, except for two clear colored earrings adorning her ears. I stared at them, marveling at the intricacy of the metal encasing them and missed what she said.
Two fingers snapped in front of my face immediately getting my attention.
"For goodness sakes girl, didn't your Mother teach you to pay attention when others were speaking."
The women placed her hands on her hips. She most definitely is used to demanding respect from those around her.
"As I was saying, I brought you another bucket. Usually, all the serving folk bathes together on the days after a crescent moon, but you have an extra stink to you. It's been the talk of the camp, everyone's been wondering what pigs pen you bathed in to pick up such a stench."
For the first time since I have been abducted, I looked down at myself. I instantly noticed how horrible I looked. My body and clothes were caked in mud and animal feces, and they are ripped I practically to shred.
I just bought this tunic, it's made from Hari's silk. Now I'm gonna have to wait until I go back. That's going to be in months.
"We can't have you looking like that. It will ruin the food. I'll fetch you a serving dress from one of our girls. Unfortunately, it won't be your size. Most of our children surpass your height when they reach their tenth cycles, but it will have to do. Now, clean up while I go get those clothes. I hope to find most of that filth gone when I come back."
Turning to the door, she swiftly strode out of the tent. I looked at the bucket and rag as I slowly walked over to it. Before I even looked at the water, I could smell it, and I cried on the inside at the freshness of it. True to her word, she had left me a fresh bucket of water. I am so ready to be rid of this filth and feel somewhat like my usual self.
Removing my shirt, I began to unravel the bandage of cloth around my chest. I reached around my back and grabbed my small hunting knife. I dug a small hole at the base of the post holding up my tent and buried it there. It isn't an ideal hiding place, but I can quickly get it if I need to.
Trying not to breathe in the stench that flowed from my body, I removed the rest of my clothes.
How could the Warlord and his group stand being around me last night? I smell like the underside of a Muskox's rotting fur hide.
I know if it had been me, I would be running from the tent, looking for the nearest bush. But, they all acted like everything was fine and dandy, well, except for that red-haired barb from last night. Maybe her bad attitude was a reaction to the stench. Thinking back to last night right now would be a good time to catalog what I know so far. So, far I know that this group are not from Aleia and are currently trying to hide; they told me that last night. But, why would they be here? Ever since the beguiled showed up 30 years ago, almost all communication from other continents has virtually ceased.
"Ah, I can already smell the difference," she said with a smile, "here are the clothes I promised, let's see how they'll fit.."
Taking the clothes, I examined each piece. Laying on top of the pile was a linen bandage, scowling, I began to wrap it around my chest. I hate these things, When I'm not in battle, they feel too constraining. It must have been a man who invented them, and he had to have hated women. Most likely wanting to punish them for just having the audacity to have boobs and sustain life.
Men, their pettiness outshines even the noblest of ladies.
Turning to the second item of clothing I saw it was a plain light brown chemise. It was light and airy, perfect for the hot days of summer. The fabric also it looked and felt similar to cotton, but still slightly differed. Fingering, I wondered what type of material it was. They sold nothing like it in the Empire. And I would know, my obsession with clothes literally knows no bounds.
I wonder if it comes from another continent. That would explain why these people are so strange and unknown.
I tried to think back on my lessons with the General on foreign lands I couldn't remember the different places, names, or any information about their countries. When I got back to the village, I will have to make a point of going through my journals and see if there's anything that I can find that will lead to finding out information on these people.
The last piece of clothing was a simple apron dress dyed to muddy brown the came down to my mid-calf. It came with a matching belt that is apparently intended to help tighten the dress around my waist. Which was good because the size of these clothes could fit three of me inside. Apparently, they are not used to have women around my size amongst their people.
Once I was dressed, I turned back to the older women.
"Much better, you look like a brand new person. The clothes may be a bit big, but we can bring them in later this week."
I looked down in response, making sure I came across as meek and unassuming as I could. I still had a cover to maintain and if even a little of my mask slipped she would strike like a starving tiger.
"I am Alma, the head server. That means I oversee all mealtimes that the Warlord, Advisors, Council, Guild Leaders, and Amahen children eat. You have been placed with me by Commander Thalia, and that means I am your Master. I will have you helping the others servers during meal times, which is one of the most important jobs in the entire tribe. We make sure that our patrons are always fed and satisfied. IF we don't fulfill this, it can upset the balance of everything. Because if a soldier is hungry or gets sick, they become weak. And weak warriors cannot protect our tribes. Therefore, we must play our role to perfection, and I expect nothing less. Now, I don't have time to go into the details, but I have you shadowing one of our best servers. She will be helping you learn the ropes. Now, what should I call you?"
Shuffling my feet, I looked up at her through my eyelashes,
"Mae, ma'am."
"Well Mae, I know that you didn't end up here by choice, but you're here now. So, I expect you to be obedient and prudent when you are given an order. If you are disobedient, I will be assigning you an appropriate punishment. And I am not a lenient boss when it comes to rule breaking."
At the sharp look her eyes I gave her a definite nod of my head. I could already imagine the awful things that she would have me do or do to me. I knew I needed to gather intel on these people, but when it comes between keeping my toenails or getting information, I would always choose my toenails. It had already taken them eight years to grow back from my last torture session. I was not going through that again.
"Happy we could get that out of the way, I need to know, what is your main affinity?"
"Earth ma'am."
"My sincerest apologies child, I would not wish that fate on anyone. But by The Great Sky's will, we can't do anything about that-"
What does she mean she's sorry?
"Do you have any experience serving or handling food at least?"
"No, ma'am. I had other duties in my village."
May Night have mercy on me, of course, they stick me with a useless slave,"
Alma continued to mumble to herself, "I have repeatedly stressed that I need useful talents or at least skilled servers. But instead of that, they give me a useless slave and are even taking away my best server to be a maid that that harpy Cathel. Does no one have….."
I couldn't hear the rest as Alma began to pace around my small tent. After a few more minutes of pacing and muttering, she abruptly stopped. She-asses me with a pinched look and said,
"Even though you look like you just left your mother's tit, you were what I was given, and I will just have to make do. I expect you to learn fast girl. Now follow me I need to get to the cooking tent.."
With that, Alma promptly turned and marched out of the tent. It took me a moment to realize that she expected me to follow.
I hurried after her and quickened my pace to catch up to her. A few steps out of the tent a large shadow enveloped me. I turned my head looking for the source and found my red-hair bear of a guard Oryn behind me. He noticed me looking at him and the corners of his mouth turned up in what I could only assume was an attempt at a smile.
I ducked my head, attempting to hide the smile that had slipped on my face. I could hear him grinding his teeth, annoyed with what he assumed was a scared reaction.
After a few minutes of walking in silence, I was able to obtain a better understanding of the layout of the camp. From the way we were walking I determined that the field was set up in the shape of an outward swirl; each walkway getting shorter as we reached the middle. There were about 5 lanes that I counted, that began at the center, cut through the curved paths, and made a straight line to the outside of the campsite. I had never seen a camp set, up in such a way, but it made sense in a way. There was an organization to it that was intended to protect those at the center of the circle, where most of the people lived.
The people that we walked by were just as intriguing to look at. They were very tall, even their women. The men seemed to be around 6′2 on average and the women 5′8. We had tall people in Aleia, but there was still a variety of heights. But, whatever these people seemed to eat provided them with such considerable heights and sturdy bodies. There also wasn't much deviation amongst their hair or eye color. The only colors I saw were black, brown, or red hair. And their eyes were even less versatile, most had some shade or brown.
No wonder everyone keeps staring at me, I'm the size of their children, had golden hair, and blue eyes. They must think I'm some fairy.
However, their looks were not the only thing that lacked diversity amongst these people. Although their women were large also, I had yet to see one warrior amongst them. And the women that I did see where mostly involved in the everyday homemaking tasks.
I had lived amongst the Minuts so long that I was used to seeing household duties split amongst the sexes. This imbalance was now foreign to me. However, the thing that I caught my attention the most was the lack of color amongst these people. At first, I had thought that the clothes that Alma and I wore were designated to us because of our status. But, now I realized that everyone wore different shades of brown, black, red, and white. There was not a single splash of pink, orange, or blue amongst the people.
This made me miss my clothes back home. I had an incredible weakness for beautiful dresses and jewelry. IT often left my pockets empty until my next trip into the cities, but every time I put on a blue silk dress or a necklace of rubies I couldn't regret my weakness. There was just something empowering about wearing such things. In my mind, I began to sort through my wardrobe, planning what I would wear when I get home, and I missed Alma speaking to me.
I was sprung out of my daydream when I hit a hard wall in front of me. Rubbing the pain in my nose, I looked up and realized that the wall was actually Alma. She was standing in front of me, hands on her hips, and narrowed eyes.
I heard Oryn clear his throat, and from the corner from I eye I noticed the unease that flickered in his eyes. Apparently, he had been at the end of her glare before, and it didn't turn out good for him.
"As I was saying girl, we feed the soldiers first every morning 6 hours after the zenith of the moon. Some morning the Warlord and his advisors will join us. But, we never know when. So, we must always have their table ready just in case. After they leave, the lone children will eat with their Alma's. Occasionally a few guild leaders may eat at the same time. We always keep a table for ten ready just in case they show up."
I briskly nodded my head, indicating that I was listening.
She gave out an exasperated huff and began to walk again.
"I will have you shadowing one of my best girls today. She will be able to explain everything n more detail. IF you have questions, ask her first, then your task leader, and if you still don't understand come to and ask me. But, do not like to be bothered with trivial matters. So, make sure whatever you don't understand is worth my time. Now here we are, stay right here. I will go find your guide."
As Alma walked towards an open tent, I surveyed my surroundings. We looked to be at the center of the camp. The areas were cleared of all plants, and wooden tables were spread out. There were benches laid on top of the tables. Surrounding the circular eating area, there were tents stationed around. A few were obviously cooking tents, and the others seemed to be personal sleeping quarters. They looked much larger than the others on the outer branches of the camp. I realized that there must be where the Warlord and his advisors sleep. It would make sense. They would be at the very center, in the most protected area in the entire camp.
I turned back to the way Alma has walked and saw her returning with a brown-haired woman. She seemed to be shorter than most of the women in this tribe, but still taller than me. She wasn't as beautiful as the red-haired women I from last night, but there was something about her that was pleasing to look at. Her curves were soft and her soft sable hair. It blended in with the brown of her eyes, that had a sweet and loving look about them. I figured her to be a few years younger than me.
As she approached her eyes darted behind me, towards Oryn. I felt, more than heard him, shuffle his feet. And I didn't need my connection to the earth to know that he was affected by her approach.
Her eyes lit up, and she smiled a kind smile at him, but her look didn't linger. Apparently, she was oblivious to her effect on him.
"Mae, this is Nala. She will be your guide for the next few days. If you have any questions, go to her first. I'll leave you to, I need to make sure all is running on time in the kitchen."
Alma nodded a goodbye and walked towards the large tent that was full of chaotic sounds. The three of us watched her walk away. Nala then turned towards me and aimed her smile at me.
"Hi," she said.
"Like Alma said, I'm Nala. We've needed more help in the server's section, so we are all thrilled that you're here."
She turned to Orson and said, "I'm just going to explain things to Mae and show her around. If you sit at that table, you should be able to keep an eye on us. I'll have Samael send out some of the food that's already prepared. If you would like."
"That would be just fine thank you." As Orson walked towards the table Nala indicated, I caught a touch of pink tinting his ears. I bit my lip, trying to hide my delighted smile. Even though I wasn't open to romantic entanglements, I couldn't help but delight in others.
"So, Mae...that's a beautiful name. What's it meaning?"
I turned back to Nala, instantly put at ease by her meek presence. I knew this was someone I didn't need to worry about deceiving them with a weak façade.
"It's short of a wildflower that grows on the eastern side of the empire."
"Oh, that must be so wonderful to be named after a flower. My name means "fiery," it was my parents that the sky would bless them with a child of fire. Unfortunately, I have been gifted the earth."
My brows slightly narrowed at the apparent displeasure in her voice. I had never met anyone who wasn't pleased with their affinity before. I stored the observation in my mind to analyze at a later time.
"Well, Nala is a beautiful name. In this land, it means "beloved." Many noble ladies of the eastern shores have gifted that name, I would be proud of it if I were you."
Her face seemed to lighten at that news, I smiled inwardly at my success to cheer her up. But, quickly reminded myself that these people were not my friends. Instead, I was now on a self-proclaimed recon-essence mission, and I couldn't let any potential friendships get in the way.
"So, what can you tell me about my responsibilities here."
"Well, you will have it pretty easy. Your job will be to make sure that all the patrons' drinks are consistently filled, and they have enough to eat. In the morning juices, milk, and water are offered to all the patrons. For lunch it's the same, except all leaders may request tea if they would like. For dinner wine or ale is added to the menu. However, the Warlord has instructed that none of the warriors are to have any except for on the rest day. He wants all of his soldiers able and ready for practice the next day."
An auburn-haired female approached us. A broad smile was plastered on her face as she spoke,
"Except, you'll get a warrior or two every evening trying to persuade you to give them a pint or two."
The newcomer said with a wink. She was taller than Nala, but not as pretty. She had a simple face that was framed by her auburn hair.
She promptly introduced herself as Liana. Apparently, she would be one of the drink servers with me.
" Will they make my job hard if I don't give in?"
Liana smirked,
"Of course not, but when you do they often give favors of their own," she said with a wink.
My brows lifted in confusion and I turned to Nala for clarification. She was a deep shade of pink, apparently embarrassed by whatever Liana had meant.
Clearing her throat, Nala explained,
"What Lianna means is that if you catch a warrior's eye and provide them with good services they may take a liking to you. So, later, they may invite you to share some time with them."
My mouth dropped slightly open, unable to form words. Nala turned an even darker shade of pink and Liana walked off in a giggling fit.
"You mean, they'll have sex with you? Why?"
"Well, the warriors have desirable affinities and producing a child with them will increase your chances of having a child with a good affinity."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. That these women would whore themselves out just to have a child with a specific affinity. There were a lot of things wrong in the empire, but nothing so ignorant. I collected myself, deciding that now wasn't the time to delve further into this topic.
"If I don't want to accept any of the warrior's advances, will I be put in a tough position? Will I be expected to comply with their propositions?"
All embarrassment fled Nala's body, replaced by a hard gleam to her eyes.
"No, never. Any female forced to mate with a man is absolved of any fault. To cross that line, the male is cast out into the jungle without a single thing to his name. Some of our tribes back home allowed such things, but when the Warlord took over, he made sure it was known that such things would be fiercely punished. All the warriors know this and if any cross the line they know that their lives are forfeit. If you're not interested, all you have to do is let them verbally know you are not interested and they will immediately stop their advances."
A heavy sigh left my body in relief. I was afraid I would have to dispose of these people if they allowed such an abhorrence to happen in their society. I had met a few men over the years who believed that any and all women were they personal property, but most had reached the end of my blade shortly after introductions.
"Okay, I think I can handle that."
Looking out at the servers as they set up the tables my eyes landed on the Warlords tent.
"Will I ever be required to serve the Warlord and his advisors?"
Nala shook her head in the negative.
"No, only Alma and a few other servers wait on them. Alma doesn't expect us to be perfect, but she does expect a perfect performance when the Warlord is concerned. So, don't worry, you'll only be expected to serve the warriors, children, and Amma's."
I turned to Nala, straightened my spine and allowed a genuine smile to invade my face.
"I think I can do that."
…....
Oryn
I stared up at the ceiling, allowing my senses to take in the familiar signs of morning. I heard the soft chatter of the servers set up the morning meal and smelled the freshly butchered meat cooking in the cook's tent.
Instead of reveling in the smell my mind began to wonder what animal we had brought over we had butchered this time. I frowned as I calculated how many animals we had left and how long they could last us before we had to set out to find other provisions.
Harl had tried to send out hunters the first few weeks that we were here, but after the fourth party had also failed to return we decided it would be best to send no more. We couldn't continue to send our men out on suicide endeavors.
When we had chosen to land on the shores of this jungle we had no idea of the danger it would present. All Thalia had been able to gather from the tribes' collective records was that no people inhabited this part of the coast. At the time that seemed like a blessing from the Sky, but now we knew better. No, one lived here because of the danger that was alive in this part of the land. Even as an encampment sporting more than 200 people, we still had people disappearing from time to time.
If they continued like this for much longer, my people would be in danger of becoming extinct. Then our plans of escaping from the constant war of our homeland would be futile.
I heaved a deep sigh as my mind worked through the different plans my commanders and I had explored last night. None appealing, but better than allowing our people to die off.
No longer able to ignore the rumble of my stomach I sat on the edge of the bed and stretched my long arms. I walked over to the wooden chest at the foot of my bed and took a moment to study the carvings on the outside. They told the tale of a warrior, inspired by the love of his Father to accomplish what none before had; the uniting of his people. My fingers touched the carvings, and then I promptly opened the latch on the chest.
Choosing a pair of brown leather leggings and matching vest. I almost called for my maids, out of habit, and remembered that I had to end the service. I reached for my knife belt I forgot that I had ordered the service to be stopped. After experiencing the hands of a 3rd new maid, I decided that it was time to send the service.
I enjoyed the company of women on occasion, but to have the constant expectation and prattling was exhausting. I made sure that all women who I laid with new that there was no chance for a potential future and to indulge in one of my maids, who was consistently at my service, would only cause hope to bloom in their minds.
I didn't have time to pick a Kamari, so there was no use allowing any false ideas of hope to take root.
Finishing the buckle on my sword strap, I stepped out of my sleeping chambers into the meeting area to find Ryker inspecting a tapestry decorating a wall.
"Remind me who wove this again? I would like to commission her to weave one of our voyages over here. Arlo, was telling me that the historians would like to record the sail over?"
He turned to me, and I noticed the sated look in his eyes.
I grunted a name and a smirk decorated his face.
"Don't take your frustration out on my Oryn. IT's not my fault you have chosen not to take a bedmate since we have arrived. There are plenty of willing women who would be honored to relieve some of your tension."
I walked passed him, bumping his shoulder slightly. That only elicited a chuckle out of my second which caused my mood to sour even more.
"It's not the time for such indulgences. There is still a power struggle amongst the clans and to take even one bedmate would full speculation of a future Kamari. I don't have the time to deal with the machinations of over-ambitious clan leaders and women. And sky-forbid I get one pregnant. That would spark even more contention."
Ryker fell into step behind me, amused by my predicament.
"I do not envy you, my friend. With so much responsibility does come the need to be cautious of your actions. When you do take a Kamari, I would hate to be in your shoes."
I landed a fierce glare in his direction, which only served to broaden his smile. I strode to the commanders' table, ready for the taste of food to end this conversation. As we neared, I saw that Thalia and Arlo were already seated.
Thalia looked up and placed a fist over her heart.
"Warlord, I hope that your sleep was a restful one."
I nodded my head and sat to her right.
"Have you heard how the child from last night has come along?"
She turned to a tall young man standing a few feet, surveying the crowd of people. He was leaning against one of the cooking tents, and in his pocket and a smile in his face. But, the slight crinkle to his eye let me know that he was actively watching his charge. I inwardly smiled at his façade. Pleased with this youths' performance. I noted to ask Thalia about him later.
Thalia and called out his name.
"Leven, come here and report."
The young man turned from his observations and walked promptly over. Placing a fist on his chest, he addressed us.
"Warlords, Commands. What can I do for you, Commander Thalia?"
"Tell us, how has your charge been doing?"
He glanced to the right of him, and I followed his line of sight.
It wasn't hard to pick out the girl from last night. Although still dirty, I could better make out the golf oh her hair, and if that wasn't an indicator that she was a foreigner, her height gave her away. She was easily 5 inches shorter then the brown-haired server helping her.
As he spoke, I continued to watch the waif. Curious about the girl that had the unfortunate fate to stumble upon our people.
"She has been doing well. Alma, the head server, assigned her to one of the best servers. She has been following her like a fawn with its mother. She often asks questions about our people and customs."
I asked, "Do her questions seem probing in any way."
"No Warlord, if anything she seems as though she is trying to understand our people. From her responses, it is obvious that we do things very differently than her own. Orson was telling me this morning that she was surprised by the fact that out people assign jobs based on out affinities."
I looked over him at that with a raised brow. His Admas visibly bobbed, obviously nervous with having his Warlords undivided attention.
"Interesting, if her people don't determine jobs based on talent I wonder how they do it?"
Arlo spoke up then,
"Maybe they choose themselves? I've read in some accounts that during raised in the past our ancestors came across a clan of people who choose their jobs."
Ryker scoffed,
"And leave the quality of a job up to chance? Have you heard of anything so primitive? No, it must be something else. Something their mind affinities must do differently than ours."
I rubbed my chin, not quite convinced by either Arlo or Ryker. I found myself intrigued by this girl, wondering how much she could teach us about the land that our ancestors used to raid.
"I don't know but finding out could be useful to our future plans."
I looked at the young guard and found him to be unassuming. Perfect for subtly extracting information from the girl.
"Guard what is your name again?"
"Leven sir." He stated in a firm voice. I smiled, already liking him.
"I would like you to try and find out what you can from the girl about this land. I don't want you to come across as an interrogator. Become her friend, it will be much easier to collect honest information from her. Do you think you can do that?"
A sly smile transformed his face, and I knew he could quickly complete the job. That smile spoke of a young man used to holding the attention of many females and playing them along with his tune.
He placed his fist over his heart and inclined his head.
"Of course, Warlord. I will report to Commander Thalia what I find out.
I nodded my head and dismissed him with a wave.
The day was proving to be in our favor. Now I had a viable option for information that could help us determine the best path for my people.