Her fingers trailed across the stream's surface, creating ripples that shimmered like diamonds in the morning light. The gentle tongues of water caressed her face,coaxing giggle from her lips .
A glance towards her "elu" her water cows told her a little one had strayed.
She stood to guide it back.
Some women doing their washing were speaking in hushed tones
"They did what??"
"Went on a revolt,Those men, Last night
My brother told me. "
The other woman replied,a grin spreading across her face
"He said they'll be back with enough grain by night fall. Better days are coming, kyra. "
Eyes glistening with hope
"Foolishness,utter Foolishness "
She spat with venom.
The other women instantly fell silent
Asria,one of the oldest women of the water clan,aged with a wiry build,silver hair tied back in a tight bun,revealing a face etched in deep lines ,eyes a piercing steely blue,was not one to mince words.
"They think they're heroes, Fools. The lot of them. All they'll do is bring trouble down on our heads. "
No one spoke,she didn't seem to notice, but if she did ,she paid it no heed.
"My father,a direct descendant of the first warriors of this clan,would be rolling in his water sack right now."
Her words laced with disgust
"A true warrior is never stupid, never acts cowardly, and would never stoop so low to steal a few bags of grains under the cover of night."
"A Disappointment!! Every last one of them"
Blue eyes burning with contempt
Then suddenly She turned to look at xanthia and spat in the water.
Why old woman did that, She couldn't fathom,but the old woman was known to be sharp-tongued, targeting those she felt was inferior with her verbal barbs.
She had learned to be immune to the cranky old woman's venom.
With a quiet sigh,xanthia turned from them,moved a little way further,the water cows wouldn't go too far anyway .
She stood at the edge of the stream, her toes curled over the slick rocks,the sound of laughter and splashing of water carried from the nearby lake.
Children played,their joyful shrieks mingling with the songs of water birds.
She smiled ,her eyes closed ,mouth limp.
This ,right here, was her sanctuary .
But amidst the peace she felt, a sense of unease settled in the pit of her stomach.
The old lady didn't bother her,but her display of disdain today was laced with so much hate .
"Why was that??"
And then her father had been acting strangely. His usual calm was replaced by a quiet, anxious intensity. And there were the whispers, the hushed conversations.
"Oh well,I hope he comes back from the hunt today with some catuu,"
It was one of her favourite things in the world. The clams were hard to find but, if found, was really a treat.
"Hey Xanthia,"
Her cheeks flushed, she knew that voice.
Opening her eyes,she smiled
"Hey
"Looking after your elu while enjoying the stream??" A mischievous glint in his eye
"Uhm yess"
"Good."
He nodded, his eyes crinkling at the corners
"You should head home,though . You look like you could use some rest. "
His voice gentle,his blue eyes looking warmly at her
Her heart skipped a bit. She looked away
She loved him,at least that's what it felt like. Love.
He had always treated her like a sister who needed his protection, but with the way he was looking at her now
Maybe, just maybe, he felt the same way about her.
Patting her on the shoulders, she watched him wade into the water. shoulder length silver hair tied into a loose bun, slender arms toned with years of swimming ,he dunked,His movements as fluid as a fish,her heart raced.
Oh, what she'll give to race her hands through his hair.
Turning to get her elu. She saw her.
Isreeaya. With white hair flowing down her back like a river of moonlight, eyes an alluring blue ,with face so perfect she was easily one of the finest lasses of the clan.
But it wasn't her looks that drew people to her,at least it wasn't just the looks.
Born into the warriors tribe,she was a brave and skilled warrior who, during the last great storm, had risked her life to save a family trapped in their house .
She had since earned the admiration and respect of the clan as well as the attention of warrior lads.
With the slender and athletic build,why wouldn't she?
Rovic Swam over to her,her eyes sparkled as she smiled.
"You know we shouldn't be meeting here ,
" I know ,but it's the only time I could manage .
Her eyes dropped
"What is it, my love?"he asked with a worried expression
"My father was talking about getting me married off to a warrior chiefs son soon,
I'm worried we don't have much time together, my love. "
"If only I wasn't of the warrior tribe...
She sighed
"Shhh,don't say that. You're a blessing to this clan ,being a warrior . I know your tribe will never approve of our love, but I love you,I always have and I always will. I should be the one wishing I was of your tribe but then I'm nothing but a fisherman's son,i dont deserve you. "
"Oh rovic,don't say that,you'll always deserve my love,my heart will always be yours,"
She bent her head down, locking lips,her hands on his neck,drawing him down back into the water,they Swam off together.
Xanthia felt the tears at the corners of her eyes. She had hoped that he might see her in a different light, but it seemed clear that his heart belonged to isreeaya.
Cleaning her eyes,she headed home
The sounds from her elu ,comforting her.
Khoria unfolded like a shimmering mirage on the tranquil shores of a crystal lake. Delicate wooden bridges and winding canals connected the cluster of homes, each one crafted from silvery driftwood and adorned with glittering shells unique to each family that lived there.
Some thatched roofs were covered in red pigment from the corals. These houses belonged to the warrior tribe.
The thatched roofs seemed to blend seamlessly into the surrounding reeds, as if the village itself had grown organically from the lake's edge.
Misty veils of morning fog danced across the water, casting an ethereal glow over the settlement. Lanterns fashioned from polished mother-of-pearl cast a soft, luminescent light, illuminating the gentle lapping of the water against the shore.
At the settlement centre stood a large, communal hut, its wooden frame adorned with fish bones and colourful feathers.
This was the heart of the clan , if a war was to be planned,the hunting season was to take off,someone was to be punished by the clan, it was discussed here.
The settlement stood in the middle of the lake.
Far from the shore, in a way, it was only possible to get to the settlement by boat.
This had served as a way of protecting the clan from intruders.
Xanthia stood at the edge of the bank, looking out over the calm waters of the lake. She took a deep breath, preparing herself for the dive. But as she launched herself off the edge, she felt a twinge of self-consciousness.
She had always been well fleshed with curves ,having these features meant she stood out starkly among her people who were known for their slender and athletic builds . Her not having a slender build meant she swam with the gracefulness of a walrus .
Sure enough, as she hit the water, she felt a splash ripple out around her. Some lasses swimming in the lake burst out laughing.
"Oh look,it's the queen of the elu's!" one of them jeered. "And she swims just like them,"
Laughter filled the air
It didn't help that she had her water cows with her.
Xanthia felt a sting from the girl's words, but she tried to ignore her. She swam away from the shore, leaving the mocking laughter behind.
As she swam through the shallow water beneath the stilted houses, she noticed kids playing in the water, chasing each other through the schools of rainbow-scaled fish and sending shells skittering across the lake bed.
In each house above a woman was seated by her large, wooden loom, weaving water silk. Aria watched in fascination as their hands moved deftly, weaving the threads of water silk into a beautiful, intricate pattern. It always fascinated her ,the fingers going in out so fast,bringing forth such beautiful pieces
Her arms were growing tired,
Turning in the water
"You're all here, right?"
It seemed so to her.
Sighting her home
She made her way around the stilts to the little enclosure all homes had for their elus.
It stood on pilings driven into the lake
its weathered fence made of driftwood rising barely above the water's surface. The lake's calm waters lapped gently against the pilings, creating a soothing melody that filled the air.
Aria made her way through the water to the enclosure, the water cows trailing behind her. Their gentle lowing filled the air as they followed her, nuzzling her gently with their soft nuzzles
"ooh,
I'm tired too ,We're all home now, "
Exhausted from getting them all in, she swam back to her hut
grasping the rope attached to the pulley wheel ,she pulled herself up, hand over hand. The rope creaked softly beneath her weight as she hauled herself upward.
Finally, she reached the top and swung herself over the edge, landing lightly on the wooden floor. Groaning, she felt the warmth of her home envelop her. The soft glow of the lanterns, the gentle lapping of the water beneath, and the familiar scent of dried fish and seaweed all combined to create a sense of peace and belonging.
Aria took a deep breath, feeling the stresses of the day melt away. She was home.
Sitting up, her arms shook a little
Her gaze swept the landing,her brothers were nowhere in sight,they could be picking the flints for the fire from shore,
it's was her mother's loom, standing silent and still,the fish in the bowl ,not cleaned that made her narrow her eyes. A faint thread of concern weaving its way through her mind. Her ma never left her cooking unfinished. It had to be serious.
Xanthia stepped into the cool, dim interior of their hut, the thatched roof overhead filtering the sunlight and casting the space in a warm, earthy glow. The air inside was thick with the scent of dried herbs. A faint mist hung over the room.
The hut's single room was simply furnished, with woven mats covering the earthen floor and wicker baskets filled with dried fish and grains. Clay pots lined one wall, and a wooden chest in the corner was adorned with intricate carvings.
" Is that you, xanthia?"
" It's me, Mama."
Her mother was seated in a dark corner of the room.
" Welcome, child."
Stepping closer, her heart missed a bit.
Her ma's face was clouded with worry
Her eyes red from crying
She was holding her white shawl
She never held that except when she needed comfort. Her grandmother had given it to her.
And right now, the shawl was being kneaded aggressively.
"What is it, ma??
Where are the boys?"
"Flint wood fetching"
"Oh,"
Sniffling
"Your father didn't come home the night before,"
"He's hunting ,I thought you knew, ma??
"Xantia ,my child, he lied to you,"
Tears dropped in big fat drops from her ma's eyes
"You have it all wrong mam"he would never"
" There's a revolt..
Xanthia's heart stopped
Blood roared through her ears
The two women doing their washing at the stream
Asria spitting at her ,the hushed conversations.
It all made sense now.
Swallowing
Calming her nerves
"It'll be fine ma,they'll be back,they won't be caught,we'll have lots of grain and then....
"No child,they won't be back,I feel it.
I told him,but he wouldn't listen. "
"No, mam,"
Tears formed for the second time that day
"Come to me child, come."
And so mother and child lay in each other's embrace in the dimly lit room.
The air grew chilly,wind gushed through the panes, and the waves of the lake's crashed against the stilts of the huts.
Her mother opened her eyes, pushed her off, ran for the door of the hut, almost falling
'What is it ma"
She saw her mother freeze
Racing for the door
She froze as well
Before her was a sight she had only heard of but had never seen,and then there was something else as well.
All she could think of was that they were doomed...