Chapter 4

Restadday, 15th of Planting

Deep sleep finally claimed Andrew, he dreamed of being a great adventurer of great fame and power some future day. This dream lasted until one of the larger roosters climbed on top of the tent and sounded off with the morning wake up call. He almost broke the tent as he jumped up before he was even awake. “Bird, I will have you as dinner if you do that again!” He yelled at the colorful rooster. It clucked at him and jumped off the tent pole then wandered off to check on the hens. The morning wake up call from the head roosters call had jolted Andrew awake more violently than was his usual manner of waking.

Andrew checked himself and the inside of his tent to insure nothing had crept in overnight. Not seeing anything other than the normal bugs one finds on the ground, he climbed out of his roll and reached for his boots. These he held up and shook hard and knocked them together to chase out anything that might have decided to move into them overnight. One large roach type bug fell out of the left boot, so he shook the right harder and another of the bugs fell out from that one. Once he had his boots debugged and on, he climbed out into the faint morning glow. The sun wasn’t quite up yet, but it was time to get moving. First, he broke down his tent and stowed it properly in his pack. Then he checked the water skins and refilled them with fresh water. He then checked the small covered container where he had stored the extra rabbit meat from the night before. It was still sealed so he popped it open and after checking the meat over. Seeing that it still looked and smelled good, he had a bit of cold rabbit for his morning meal. He stopped at the oldest outhouse by the tool shed and took care of the rest of his morning business.

When he was back outside headed back to his packs, he heard a swishing sound and a motion caught his eye from the left. He ducked and rolled away and a battle staff slammed into the ground, passing through the place where his head had been seconds before. He ran for his tent and packs to grab his staff, he had forgotten his mother’s notice about stick training first thing in the morning. He berated himself at forgetting in spite of being beaten daily for the last several weeks. By the time he had his staff in hand and up, his mother had smacked him in the left shoulder twice, then in the ribs and as he turned to try and block, the right hip, dropping him to the ground with a grunt of pain.

“You are slow today son, and your attention to your surroundings is dreadful. Now on your feet boy, defend yourself.” Seeing that Andrew was a bit slow on getting back to his feet and was favoring his right hip, she spun her tall staff before her for a moment then slammed the end into the ground. We will start with the basic moves and forms again. The forms will be all we do for the next few days until your muscles improve more or you decide to be serious about your training.” She spent the rest of the hour teaching Andrew how to hold his feet and center of balance. His stick saw little action on this day. “Another thing you should start practicing is meditation each morning. Finding your center and self-awareness daily will help you learn faster and be more aware of the world around you.” She spun her staff faster than he could follow, he watched as she went through the basic forms then into several advanced combat forms. “I had better not catch you tomorrow like I did this morning or you will be bruised all over, is that clear?”

He nodded, “Clear Mother,” And gave a short bow and went to clean up and get ready to clear more brush. He washed his face and hands at the wash trough by the kitchen entrance then started around the house. While returning to his path clearing duties, he examined the road leading to the county road. He found some vines and weeds had begun to encroach so he spent a few minutes removing them before they became an issue with the passage. He also had sore muscles and joints to worry about after his mother working him over with the stick training. This made him move slower than he would have liked, so he pushed harder even though the pain was telling him to take it easy. He would be far more awake before she could catch him next time. He knew today’s work would be harder for a time until he reached the tree lines. He also wanted to be away from the house should Kaara decide to show up to cause him trouble.

He checked on the previous day’s work and saw that the vines he had cut and moved had begun to wither and die. He could also see where several animals had pushed through the piles of cut brush. Today he planned better and set the snares on these new rabbit runs. He hoped to get several catches for his midday and last meals. This done, he rechecked his tools one more time on their condition then moved to the first of the heavy stems that made up the heart of the brier patches that lined the front and sides of the farm.

Back at the house, Lorna sent Bethany and Andria, her daughter-in-law to gather the day’s eggs from the coop, then feed the yard animals. Andria was close enough to be due that she watched more than helped. The older boys went to the cow barn and began the morning milking. Not having Andrew around to help did make more work for each of them to do. They knew it wouldn’t matter, as soon the new wife would join the household and soon after, a new child to raise. But for now, all was as it should be as far as they were concerned.

Lorna was on guard this morning. She was expecting trouble, she just wasn’t sure when and what sort. As Lann was about to head out to check the beef cattle, the expected trouble arrived in the form of an angry mother about the third hour after sunrise. The father, Grahm fuming in poorly concealed anger and Kaara attempting to look sad and pitiful, but failing miserably at it. Katia, Kaara’s mother glared at them for a few seconds then started her rant as an injured mother. “That ... That boy has gotten my daughter with a child and plans to run off. I will have no part of that, he will marry our girl today that is all there is to it!” She was almost frothing at the mouth when she finished. The father, Grahm just stood, looking grim, holding a small club and tapping it on an open palm.

Lann looked at the trio, then made a gesture to something behind them. Grahm glanced back and blanched. The older sons had slipped in behind them and all were armed with short blades. Whether they could fight was of no matter, in these close quarters, he knew he wouldn’t last more than a few seconds. “Katia, stop.” He simply said. He looked at his daughter, “Girl, you had better be telling the truth about Andrew, and you being in that way.”

Kaara saw her not so carefully laid plan was falling apart and would need to act quickly to save it. She would have him whether he liked it or not. She turned on the tears and cried at how unfair they were all being to her. The boy she had given her innocence to, the boy she loved and wanted to marry. She was carrying his child after all. Katia moved to hug her daughter only to have Grahm stop her. He had seen the look in the girl’s eyes before the tears began. “Your not with child girl, are you,” he said rather than asked.

“I am, I swear it, I am,” she wailed, working to keep the tears flowing. Lorna looked at Lann and opened a drawer. She brought out a small stone carving of a being that was most definitely not human. “Hold out your hand girl,” she said. Kaara saw what the figure was and knew what it meant. It was an idol to the goddess of truth. If she held that, she could be compelled to tell the truth. “Don’t play dumb girl, you know what this is, now hold out your hand.” Lorna knew it was simply a truth enchantment on the carving, but the theatrics helped the stone to work more effectively, at least that is how she was told it worked.

Katia started to come to the aid of her daughter when Grahm stopped her with a firm grip on her shoulder that she knew meant for her to shut the hell up woman, and let the adults handle this. She hated it when he did this, but she also knew he was correct. They needed Kaara, to tell the truth, whatever it might be. Grahm looked his only daughter in the eyes and said, “Take the stone girl. We will know the truth one way or another. Refuse and I will tan your backside so you will eat standing for a month.” His face hardened and raised himself to his full six feet and loomed over the much smaller girl. “Take. The. Stone.” he said in a cold voice that brooked no more refusal.

She held out her hand and Lorna set the stone in the open palm. As soon as the stone was in the girl’s palm and Lorna had stepped away. Kaara tried to drop the carving, only to have her hand snap shut around it. She heard a voice speak in her mind, “Tell the truth girl, or I will be very unforgiving for even one lie you want to tell.” Kaara tried to move but her body wouldn’t go, she tried to cry out but was unable to speak as she wanted.

Her mouth moved and words came out, words she didn’t want to say. She gave a full accounting of what had transpired the day before. She then explained the evil little plan she came up with to force him to wed her. Her plans to take over the farm and drive both her brothers away almost caused Grahm to take her by the throat and shake her. Even about the money, she had stolen, she gave a full confession of her crimes.