It was late in the evening when I saw my brother approaching my fires, he joined me at the fire and I gave him some black wine to drink. I asked him how things were going and he gave his usual standard answer for all things, "It is going well." Now, it could the darkest of times and he would still give that answer. And he knew I knew that by the amusement in his eyes.
I quizzed him on various things, pushing him with the same relentless interrogation I give all prospects,he was no different even though he was my brother, he still had to go thru the same thing as others, in fact I was harder on him so that no one could say he was shown any favoritism, and many of us know how that goes from the past. No I would be more brutal with him than any other prospect, I saw that flash of irritation and I smiled and read him the riot act on a few things. Some things he should have known and he came back with a few retaliatory answers and I had to laugh. It was what I expected from him. There are some things that I can say in a certain way because I am his sister,I could say a few things that no one else could including my father, simply because of the bond that flows between siblings. He took it as he did all things with that quiet calmness, he gave his words back and showed that he had grown into a mature warrior that knew when to say things and when not to. That is not to say he does not enjoy pushing back because he did.
I was pleased to see that he still knew much and had not forgotten much that father had taught us. He told me of various things that he had been thru, and the one thing that I have a feeling hurts him the deepest is the subject of Talya, all he would say was she was dead and it was said in such a cold flat tone that it sent shivers down my spine, I wanted to ask but I didn't only because I knew he wasn't ready to speak of it, but I had a feeling he had a hand in her death some how. But how much I was not sure, I had to wonder what happened, the last I had heard was a message from him all those turnings ago when he was going to mate her, he had been happy and excited, from what we knew she had been a healer one of the Tuchuk tribes he had stayed with, she was also a beautiful Tuchuk woman full of fire, spirit and stubbornness. That pretty much describes a lot of Tuchuk women though. And now there was this heaviness and coldness when he said that she was dead. I could see that he had been hurt deeply and unfortunately I know Larl, and he is not one to recover from something like that to easy and his tone told me that he would not be any time soon.
I had to wonder at the manner of some women, having spoken to two warriors now who have tasted the worst of them it is clear that women like that make it harder for other women who are not like that, it makes it a harder path to prove yourself not to do what these women had. Just as I have seen another hurt by one who simply just left, I do not pity the men because they would not wish such, but I do feel their pain and disappointments that fluctuate thru them. I wonder at why they had to go thru this what was it they were to learn of themselves and others, what they chose to embrace as the lesson I do not think was the lesson and if so they would repeat this lesson. I hope that each finds the true lesson before they receive it again.
I asked of Dahra it was not usual to see the two of them apart, being that they were twins it just was odd.He rolled his eyes when I asked, "She is off on some new explorative adventure." I had to laugh in other words something or someone caught her attention and she had to see what would come of it, she always was the more adventurous out of all of them. He asked of Dina and Lukus, and I could not tell him much as the last I saw of them they were alive and well. Both chose to live in the jungles, Lukus was now the chieftain of the village and Dina was their sangoma. I had always hoped that they would embrace the Tuchuk blood within them but the mamba blood was the strongest. Argus the last we saw of him he had joined the black caste and was training, we have not seen or heard from him since. Each of them had to answer what called to them, my place was on the plains. It always has been. My children all but a few also felt the pull of the plains stronger, He asked of my children that were not here. I had to tell him of Tanzia and Lochlan's death , which left only Falon left of the triplets. I know she has an emptiness within her that no one and nothing could fill, it was a bond between twins and triplets that no one could come close to filling. Tanzia never had the pull to the plains even when young her lessons on Tuchuk ways did not hold her interest and she didn't want to learn them. She chose her path and walked into her own death. Lochlan and Falon always felt the pull of the plains, they easily learned the ways and they were a natural part of them, Lochlan died in battle saving the life of another warrior of the tribe, he died as all warriors would wish to, in battle with honor. I told him that he had been mated to Cana and during that time he had love and happiness, and the skies had blessed them with a son. He teased me on the grandmother thing and I smacked the back of his head teasingly, somehow I did not look like a grandmother and really didn't feel it, as I did not often see him. Though I hear of how he is doing so I know he is being raised with a lot of love and care and was being taught much, that was important to me. He asked of the children I had with Brutus and I think he regretted that, it was a sore subject with me, I had no choice but to have them banned from the tribe, they had the ways of dwellers thanks to the weak minded karian that had them in her care, they had turned my children into dwellers who when it suited them had Tuchuk and mamba ways, that was nonsense you cant be scattered and confused like that. To be unknowing of yourself means you walk no path in life and to have no purpose or life means you walk with no soul, no spirit. They had ideas and expectations that were not Tuchuk. It was a painful decision but they had a choice leave or face death. They were no longer my children as I never instilled such things in them, I raised mine better than that and yet it was as if I was never in their lives something I will never understand but then again everyone makes a choice they made theirs. They are of my blood and I will always love them as a mother but as a Tuchuk they would die if they ever set foot near the tribe. I know that father would ensure it would happen.
Larl nodded in understanding, he knew what it meant and he knew how much it took from me to have that done. It had been a true test of what I often said and taught, and I never did or taught what I myself could not do. He asked of various people in the tribe that he had seen but did not know, I did not give him any names but as he described various people I have some insight on who they were within the tribe such as if a healer, or leatherworker, if tribe or a prospect like he was. We shared a few moments of laughter and joking before he decided to go and torment Chay, the man is taking his own life in his hands, and he seemed to revel in the idea, though for some reason she does tolerate him and doesn't try to remove body parts. Must be that Tuchuk charm.
I quizzed him on various things, pushing him with the same relentless interrogation I give all prospects,he was no different even though he was my brother, he still had to go thru the same thing as others, in fact I was harder on him so that no one could say he was shown any favoritism, and many of us know how that goes from the past. No I would be more brutal with him than any other prospect, I saw that flash of irritation and I smiled and read him the riot act on a few things. Some things he should have known and he came back with a few retaliatory answers and I had to laugh. It was what I expected from him. There are some things that I can say in a certain way because I am his sister,I could say a few things that no one else could including my father, simply because of the bond that flows between siblings. He took it as he did all things with that quiet calmness, he gave his words back and showed that he had grown into a mature warrior that knew when to say things and when not to. That is not to say he does not enjoy pushing back because he did.
I was pleased to see that he still knew much and had not forgotten much that father had taught us. He told me of various things that he had been thru, and the one thing that I have a feeling hurts him the deepest is the subject of Talya, all he would say was she was dead and it was said in such a cold flat tone that it sent shivers down my spine, I wanted to ask but I didn't only because I knew he wasn't ready to speak of it, but I had a feeling he had a hand in her death some how. But how much I was not sure, I had to wonder what happened, the last I had heard was a message from him all those turnings ago when he was going to mate her, he had been happy and excited, from what we knew she had been a healer one of the Tuchuk tribes he had stayed with, she was also a beautiful Tuchuk woman full of fire, spirit and stubbornness. That pretty much describes a lot of Tuchuk women though. And now there was this heaviness and coldness when he said that she was dead. I could see that he had been hurt deeply and unfortunately I know Larl, and he is not one to recover from something like that to easy and his tone told me that he would not be any time soon.
I had to wonder at the manner of some women, having spoken to two warriors now who have tasted the worst of them it is clear that women like that make it harder for other women who are not like that, it makes it a harder path to prove yourself not to do what these women had. Just as I have seen another hurt by one who simply just left, I do not pity the men because they would not wish such, but I do feel their pain and disappointments that fluctuate thru them. I wonder at why they had to go thru this what was it they were to learn of themselves and others, what they chose to embrace as the lesson I do not think was the lesson and if so they would repeat this lesson. I hope that each finds the true lesson before they receive it again.
I asked of Dahra it was not usual to see the two of them apart, being that they were twins it just was odd.He rolled his eyes when I asked, "She is off on some new explorative adventure." I had to laugh in other words something or someone caught her attention and she had to see what would come of it, she always was the more adventurous out of all of them. He asked of Dina and Lukus, and I could not tell him much as the last I saw of them they were alive and well. Both chose to live in the jungles, Lukus was now the chieftain of the village and Dina was their sangoma. I had always hoped that they would embrace the Tuchuk blood within them but the mamba blood was the strongest. Argus the last we saw of him he had joined the black caste and was training, we have not seen or heard from him since. Each of them had to answer what called to them, my place was on the plains. It always has been. My children all but a few also felt the pull of the plains stronger, He asked of my children that were not here. I had to tell him of Tanzia and Lochlan's death , which left only Falon left of the triplets. I know she has an emptiness within her that no one and nothing could fill, it was a bond between twins and triplets that no one could come close to filling. Tanzia never had the pull to the plains even when young her lessons on Tuchuk ways did not hold her interest and she didn't want to learn them. She chose her path and walked into her own death. Lochlan and Falon always felt the pull of the plains, they easily learned the ways and they were a natural part of them, Lochlan died in battle saving the life of another warrior of the tribe, he died as all warriors would wish to, in battle with honor. I told him that he had been mated to Cana and during that time he had love and happiness, and the skies had blessed them with a son. He teased me on the grandmother thing and I smacked the back of his head teasingly, somehow I did not look like a grandmother and really didn't feel it, as I did not often see him. Though I hear of how he is doing so I know he is being raised with a lot of love and care and was being taught much, that was important to me. He asked of the children I had with Brutus and I think he regretted that, it was a sore subject with me, I had no choice but to have them banned from the tribe, they had the ways of dwellers thanks to the weak minded karian that had them in her care, they had turned my children into dwellers who when it suited them had Tuchuk and mamba ways, that was nonsense you cant be scattered and confused like that. To be unknowing of yourself means you walk no path in life and to have no purpose or life means you walk with no soul, no spirit. They had ideas and expectations that were not Tuchuk. It was a painful decision but they had a choice leave or face death. They were no longer my children as I never instilled such things in them, I raised mine better than that and yet it was as if I was never in their lives something I will never understand but then again everyone makes a choice they made theirs. They are of my blood and I will always love them as a mother but as a Tuchuk they would die if they ever set foot near the tribe. I know that father would ensure it would happen.
Larl nodded in understanding, he knew what it meant and he knew how much it took from me to have that done. It had been a true test of what I often said and taught, and I never did or taught what I myself could not do. He asked of various people in the tribe that he had seen but did not know, I did not give him any names but as he described various people I have some insight on who they were within the tribe such as if a healer, or leatherworker, if tribe or a prospect like he was. We shared a few moments of laughter and joking before he decided to go and torment Chay, the man is taking his own life in his hands, and he seemed to revel in the idea, though for some reason she does tolerate him and doesn't try to remove body parts. Must be that Tuchuk charm.
