Chapter 12

Her Mother told Jaromira the day she first bled.

"Our family has a secret," she had said, moving a warm, wet cloth over Jaromira's smooth skin, removing those first traces of womanhood. "Your Great Grandmother told your Grandma, Grandma told me, and now I will tell you. So, too, will you tell your daughters as each reaches the age of bleeding. It is not a thing for men."

Jaromira blushed as her thighs were pushed father apart, the wash cloth moving to the source of the red flow.

"There were Gods in Poland, my little Flower Blossom. Before we came to this world. Before the Cross came to our homeland. Gods and Goddesses lived among us. We worshiped them. Served them, as they served us. They made the trees grow, the crops flourish, our babies grow up healthy and strong."

She put the cloth back in the ceramic basin of water resting on the floor, the clear water slowly turning red. Gently, her mother closed Jaromira's legs, restoring her modesty.

"The most honored of all was ... Zywie."

Felek moved his hand away as the kindling finally caught, the carefully placed tinder having done its job. He looked up from the hastily built fire pit. The sun was now just below the horizon, shadows becoming darkness. A few of the men worked, tending the horses their lives depended on. The rest...

"It makes no sense," Kazik was saying, his head moving back and forth as he leaned against a tree. Felek agreed with him. "Why would your mother say this?"

"Because her mother did." Jaromira was no longer the stern, humorless woman Felek had come to know. She sat on the ground, Lewy's arm around her, eyes distant.

"That's not an answer."

"It's the only one I have." The dark haired woman gave a dry laugh. "I asked her. Believe me, I did. She didn't know. Mother told me because her mother had, and her mother's mother before her. It's ... just something we had to do."

"And none of you others heard this?" The soldier looked around at the other women. Ruta shook her head. Felek saw the others do the same. Cyla, though, hesitated. Felek pushed himself to his feet.

"Cyla?"

The soldier took a deep breath, hands in the process of unstrapping her breastplate. She cast a worried glance towards Anelie. Closing her eyes, she breathed out.

"Mother ... passed something different down to me. Not about this god." Her fingers finished with the straps. Felek watched as she removed the armor, the padded under armor now visible.

"About what, then?" Felek asked. Bach moved to the girl's side. She smiled as he took the metal armor from her. Her gaze returned to Felek.

"I ... I'm Jewish."

Felek blinked.

"What's that?" The term was familiar. He had read something about it, but could not for the life of him place the word. She shrugged.

"Don't know. Mother wasn't sure, either. She just said that we were part of a special people, but only those born to Jewish mothers were, in fact, Jewish. So, while both I and my brothers and sister are Jewish, only my children and Kasia's will be. That's why she was only telling us, and not the boys. So we could tell our daughters."

"That makes no sense," Issa scoffed. Felek let out his own laugh.

"Which is more than the rest of this is doing. Jaromira, you don't know anything more?"

"No." She leaned against her husband. "No. I hadn't even thought of it in years. May have even forgotten, until I heard that name." She looked down, ashamed. "I may not have even passed it on, if we ever have children."

"Knowing your mother," Lewy said, chuckling, "she would have been more than happy to remind you."

"True." With a sigh, Jaromira rose to her feet, Lewy doing the same. "OK, enough of this. Ruta, Ofure, let's get dinner started."

The bird was still there.

Felek contemplated the creature as he sat near the fire, a mug of ale in his hand. It took a good drink to understand all of this. Sober, it made no sense. As he watched, the blue and orange bird moved a bit on its branch, head seeming to sweep the campsite. Felek took a long drink. Nope, still made no sense.

He wasn't sure the keg had been a good idea. Oh, he understood why Anelie had ordered it tapped, and the soldiers certainly needed the distraction. But...

Felek sighed, taking another small sip. What was done was done. Nobody seemed to be overdoing it, at least. There was no singing. The men just sat with their thoughts, a few groups conversing softy.

Ruta sat beside him on the log. Without even thinking, he moved his mug to his other hand, snaking his arm around her body. She leaned against him, shifting closer. She smelled of sweat, of smoke, of that strange spice that had been added to the roasted potatoes. He wished they were alone. Just the two of them, free of all responsibility. Free to just be with each other.

"I'm sorry," she said, quietly. Felek squeezed her.

"For what?"

"Tricking you."

He looked at her, surprised.

"How?"

"Our night together. At the palace." She didn't meet his gaze. "I lied to you."

"About what?" He had no idea where this was going.

"I ... I told you it was safe. I lied."

Safe? Felek tried to think back. The alcohol was not helping. Neither were the events of that night. All he remembered was the feel of her skin against his, of being inside her. Of the love in every touch and sound. Not caring if the others saw, he moved his hand up, gently cupping her breast.

"What are you talking about?"

"I wanted to have your baby."

His hand slid back down to her belly of its own accord. She stiffened.

"What?" he asked.

"It was the worst time for us to be together, which is why I wanted you with me. In me. I was so selfish."

"Why are you telling me now?" The thoughts that ran through his mind were very confused. Thanks to his sister, Felek had a pretty good idea how the whole making babies thing worked. Surely this was something which would not affect them for months yet...

"I bled today. It didn't work." She turned to him, eyes wet with tears. "I realized how stupid I had been. How ... childish. I was like a silly girl trying to catch a boy with a wandering eye. I didn't think..."

Felek silenced her with a kiss. Putting his drink on the log beside him, he let his hand caress her face. Breaking the kiss, he slid a finger to wipe away a tear.

"We would have been back before you showed, my love. It's ... OK." He smiled. "This means we just have to keep trying." Felek saw Issa regarding him from ten feet away, a grin on the Kikker's brown splotchy face. "Not now, though," he added. Issa's expression turned to mock disappointment.

"I know," Ruta said, missing the exchange. "It's not the time for that, anyway."

Felek nodded, pretending he understood. Women were still a mystery.

As, he thought, eyes going again to the bird above, were so many things.

Anelie took her time as she walked through the field, retracing their wagon tracks back towards the road. The night was still warm, the day's heat not yet sucked out of the air. It was not quiet. She could clearly hear the stream, darkness seeming to amplify the sound of water flowing over and around rocks. Insects fought to be heard over the babble, succeeding greatly. Leaving the camp, Anelie had entertained the thought the nightly noise would hide any movement by intruders. The sound of her own footsteps through the tall grass dispelled that worry.

Exactly why she was out here, she wasn't sure. Anelie did not have a watch that night, having drawn it the previous evening. True, she could not sleep, her mind a swirl of ideas she did not want to deal with, but one did not fight insomnia by leaving your bedroll and wandering the world. She would not suddenly find sleep hidden out here under the stars.

Anelie saw a dark shape rise where the roadway began crossing the stream. It was slender, a swell at the hips proving it was not Bach. A smile came to Anelie's face, even as she felt a tug at her heart. Had she ever thought any other than Shanna would bring out that feeling, however bittersweet?

The thought of Shanna was a cold splash of reality. Anelie ... was bad at this. Whatever this was. It could be nothing. Couldn't it? It probably would be best if it were nothing.

What did Klocia think it was?

"Lady?" Klocia's voice was quiet, yet alert. Anelie had not awakened her from a nap. Bach would be on the other side of the raised roadway, the two both invisible from the road yet able to spy any east/west travelers. Unnecessary, perhaps, but better the unneeded precaution than an unwanted surprise.

"Shh," Anelie whispered as she approached. Coming to a stop before the teen, their heads well below the top of the roadway, she smiled. "Just thought I'd get some air."

Klocia nodded silently, Anelie unable to read her expression in the starlight. Anelie looked around.

"Anything going on?"

"No, Lady." She shook her head, long braid swinging out from behind her back. Anelie nodded.

"Good." Moving so her feet were on some sort of small outcrop, she let herself fall back onto the grassy hill. It felt weird, gravity telling her she was almost standing, yet she was almost supine. It reminded her of draping herself off of various furnishings around their home, viewing the world while upside down or sideways. She would occasionally use Bogdi for such games, body splayed over his blanket covered form while he slept. She felt more than saw Klocia do the same beside her. The girl then removed her helmet, firmly shoving it into the angled ground beside her. It poked out like a metal breast.

They were quiet. Anelie shot glances down the embankment every now and then, doing her part to keep watch. They would not see anything from this angle, but travelers on the road would be heard long before they became visible.

"Lady Anelie." Klocia's voice was calmer now, less formal. "May I ask you something?"

"Sure." She closed her eyes. Anelie felt so ... calm, now. Why was that?