In the evening Jex and Narfeesh had finally finished planting all of the last seeds for the growing season. Walking towards their house, Jex carries both digging sticks, and the empty seed satchel. Narfeesh wipes the sweat from his brow with the back side of his hand. Stopping for a moment he looks back at the freshly sown field. The little mounds neatly placed in uniform rows brought pleasure to the old farmer. Something about farming created a sense of peace and relaxation. Perhaps it’s the ritualistic planting, and caring which in turn cares for and provides rewards that make it all worth while. Maybe it’s the fact that after planting the seeds, knowing what will follow, as farming is very predictable. Narfeesh sighs relief after a hard days work. Jex reaches the house leaning the digging sticks against the outside wall. She turns back to see her father standing on the edge of the field admiring the work they had done that day. With a slight smile she reaches down to remove the seed satchel. Just then she notices out of the corner of her eye someone heading towards the house down the lane which separates the fields. Pulling the satchel up over her head she places it off the side as she then looks over to get a better look. Noticing it was Yote kye, she yells to her father, “ another of Ursa's dhanda’s coming.” Narfeesh turns towards her, “ go inside, I’ll take care of him.” He instructs. Jex does just that, picking up the seed satchel and digging sticks. She carries the objects into the house placing them in their respective spots which they normally go. Hurrying she makes her way to her bedroom hiding by window to get a listen. Outside Yote nears Narfeesh as he waves as a sign of peace, “ oi Allmeya, ows it going?” Standing tall Narfeesh crosses his arms, squinting as to furl his brow. He replies, “ it would be going much better if you and your goonji’s would stop bothering us.” Yote smiles, holding out his arms he responds jokingly, “ goonji’s me frien? It’s just me, oi ain’t seen ew in a while now, wot’s wif de ostilit-ee?” Narfeesh remains stern, “ there were two of your dhanda’s here earlier, one of them went through my house and attacked my dawtea.” He retorts angrily, just tipping his head in the direction of the house behind him. In the window Jex watches, unable to hear the conversation. Yote looks over to see her looking out, she quickly moves behind the wall to hide. Yote laughs, “ no!...” He says shocked to hear this. He continues, “ eww wos it? aye’ll personally deal wif em meself.” He adds. Narfeesh shakes his head shrugging, “ I don’t know their names, the one in my house should have bruises on his face from my dawtea, Jex.” He smirks at the idea. Yote then turns the conversation, “ ahh yes yer dawtea, dat’s actually why tis aye came. Yew see Natutu is to choose a madja from the village to be is wife, an bear his children.” Narfeesh’s expression drastically changes from angry to enraged. “ No way no how!” He shouts. Noticing the behaviour Yote attempts to diffuse the situation, “ aye aven’t even said wot it is om trying to say.” Narfeesh replies, “ I know what you are trying to say. That no good, blabber baby wants what he can’t have. Now he’s sent you to come and take it.” Yote opens his eye widely, as his eyebrows raise halfway up his forehead. “ yew got it all wrong, oym not ere to take anyfing. I just wanted to proposition yew to see if dered be any intrest.” Narfeesh responds, “ I believe I’ve made my position very clear. Why doesn’t little Natutu Ursa do what he’s supposed to and choose from within the village, not my dawtea.” Yote keeping his composure responds, “ well yew should fink about it, at least until yestahmorrow.” He winks at Narfeesh before looking beyond him towards Jex again who had been watching the entire time.
Inside she quickly jolts from her hiding spot, angry that the chief’s men keep bothering her and her father, she growls. Outside Yote walks away happily, leaving Narfeesh standing there infuriated. He turns back one last time to mention, “ jus fink about it...” he says before turning forward to continue. Narfeesh breathing heavily closes his eyes for a moment as his nostrils flair, the very idea incites rage throughout his body. He suddenly feels a rush of cool air blowing over him, calming him as the breeze blows over his skin. He begins to tingle before shuddering from the feeling. The woman in the white robe approaches from behind. His eyes still closed keeping him unaware to her presence. She whispers into his ear, “ You’ve been propositioned, yet made your choice, stuck to your decision, made heard your voice. Your word is final, their plan you did thwart, it’s up to your dawtea who she wishes to court. His unda will not be, the choice she will make, a dhanda from another land’s hand she will take. Beyond your life time, I regret to tell, it’s been written your fate that you’ll be fell. Your life not wasted, acres grown for the greater, it’s others who will feel the void created much later.” She shushes him, placing his index finger on his lips. Narfeesh opens his eyes to see who was speaking to him. Looking around he sees nothing, the oracle now gone. a cold chill begins to resonate within his being. His skin stands on edge as he decides to return to his home. Walking back he wonders if he’d imagined those words, or if someone was there talking to him. The words just repeated in his head continuously. Opening the door he steps inside. Turning around he looks out on final time to see if anyone had been present in the area. Nothing out of the ordinary causes him to sigh with a slight grunt before closing the wooden door. He engages the wood locking mechanism before entering the main room in the house.
Outside the woman in white walks away as the sunji sets on the horizon. Inside Jex steps into the main room as her father sits down in his chair. “ What did he have to say?” She asks as Narfeesh is quietly muttering the oracle’s words to himself. Unresponsive Jex waits a moment before attempting to get her father's attention. She listens intently to the words he is repeating. “ Dhanda from another land’s hand she will take.” Is what she hears him say before she questions him once more. “ What did Yetzan’s little dhanda have to say to you?” She asks. Narfeesh clears his throat, before answering. “ Ah yes... He said that Yetzan’s unda, Natutu wishes to have you as his mate.” Jex scoffs replying, “ not likely, I’d kill him before I’d be with him.” Narfeesh holds out his hands, “ I took care of it. No need to worry.” She eagerly questions, “ what did you tell him?” Narfeesh assures her, “ I told him no way, no how and That’s that.” Jex makes a face as to question her father. “ What do you mean, that’s that?” She asks. Narfeesh looks back at her and replies, “ it means that I dealt with it, no need to worry.” Jex angrily rebuttals, “ do you really think that these slump headed doowats understand what that means?” As she points in the general direction of the village. Narfeesh answers, “ no I don’t which is why I was planning on packing our things up and leaving. I don’t want to stay here one more day.” Surprised Jex agrees with him. “ Okay then, where will we go?” She questions. Narfeesh shifts his weight to get up, grunting as he leans forward to stand. “ I can’t say for certain, but as far as I’m concerned, anywhere is better than here.” He tells her as he begins to make his way towards his room. Jex yawns, “ I’m tired from the day’s work, as I’m sure so are you.” She mentions. Narfeesh agrees as he enters his room. “ Grab what is important to you, nothing more.” He says from his room. She nods in agreement as she too makes her way to her room. There is shuffling about in his room as Narfeesh gathers his possessions. Placing them into his satchel with care as to fit them in the most efficient way possible. He then grabs the last item, a rolled up tanned skin from an animal. On the skin a map has been etched and painted with various dyes. He walks over to the hidden compartment on the wall, opening the front. Reaching inside he grabs the golden relic that has been in his family for generations. He places it into his satchel before closing the flap and fastening the strap. Walking back over to Jex’s room he says her, “ I am ready. Are you almost prepared?” She looks back and nods, “ just a few more things.” She replies. Moments later she closes her satchel as well. Standing to her feet she leaves the room. “ Okay let’s go.” She says, her father nods. He grabs on of the sticks off the wall handing it to her, “ just incase” he tells her. Grasping the other he makes his way to the door. He looks back at his daughter as he is opening the door. He smiles, she then returns the smile.
As he swings the door open one of the masked men stands outside holding a sharpened stone blade. Jex screams alarming her father who turns to look. “ Go!” He yells as he pushes the man back. Jex runs past the man, however another one is off to the side she runs towards. Holding the stick with both hands she rushes the second man knocking him to the ground. She then turns back to see her father struggling with the other man. Standing up she uses the stick to beat the man on the ground, whacking him several times. Narfeesh holds his stick to the side, he says to the masked man, “ you chose the wrong dhanda to sneak up on.” Grasping the stick with both hands, he places it inside the man’s inner thigh, getting the back of the man’s knee he then pries up and thrusts back. Slamming into the man with his shoulder he knocks the masked man to the ground. Jex rushes over to assist her father. She leaps in the air landing with both feet on the man’s mask. The man grunts before yelling at her. Narfeesh then slams the thickest part of the stick into the man’s sternum. Gasping for air the masked man flails about on the ground. Jex and Narfeesh quickly run away from the scene. “ This way!” He calls out, pointing towards the treeline at the edge of the field. The two of them in such a hurry that Narfeesh failed to notice his map had fallen from his pack. The two men on the ground lay still, beaten down by those who they planned to attack. The Sunji quickly setting in the sky as evening turned into night. Reaching the treeline the two stop for a moment to catch their breath. Jex asks, “ what was that?” Narfeesh breathing heavily replies, “ I think they were coming to send a message.” Leaning forward he places his hand out onto a tree for support. Dropping his satchel onto the ground he opens the flap reaching in. “ Where is it?” He questions. Jex looking back at the farm house in the distance responds, “ where is what?” Her father begins to panic, “ I must have dropped it!” He says looking back. Jex questions, “ dropped what? what is it?” Narfeesh answers, “ it’s a map. It has different locations drawn out so that we know where to go and where not to.” Jex pauses for a moment. “ Well should we go back and look?” Her father shakes his head, “ no it’s too dangerous. We will just have to do without.” Repacking the contents of his satchel he bitterly looks back. “ Well let’s not waste any more time. It’s going to be too dark to travel soon, we should find someplace to hide till morning.” He says standing back to his feet. Jex nods in agreement. “ Alright, which way?” She asks. Pointing to the left, Narfeesh begins to walk. “ Try to remain a quiet as possible, we don’t know if anymore of them are out there.” He mentions. Jex nods not saying anything in response. The two walk through the brush and out into the clearing.
The night sky is bright from the full Lunis, and filled with twinkling stars. Narfeesh looks up towards the stars, pointing to a group of three he asks, “ do you remember what those are called?” Jex looks to where he is pointing, “ yes, the three sisters.” She replies. Narfeesh smiles, “ you used to love that story.” He says as the two walk on through the grass covered land. Meanwhile back at the farm house the two masked men regain consciousness. The second man rolls to his side pushing himself to his feet. He staggers over towards the first one who lay breathing laboriously. “ Get up!” He says, reaching down to help his fallen comrade. Standing to their feet, the first man removes his mask. “ What do we tell Yote?” He asks. Hobbling along the second man removes his mask before replying, “ the truth. We tell him they jumped us.” The first one shakes his head, “ c’mon Dwege, he’s not going to believe that. We gotta come up with something better.” The second man, Dwege responds, “ Giblet, if we lie he’ll never trust us again.” The first man, Giblet shakes his head from side to side. “ Dwege, if we tell him that we got beat up by a little madja, and her farjer he’ll never trust us again. Think about it!” Dwege considers the idea for a moment. “ You’re right, what can we tell him?” He asks. Giblet looks around, “ I don’t know. What do you think?” Dwege shrugs, “ let’s go check out the house, maybe we can get an idea there.” Giblet nods, “ alright, good idea.” He responds. Dwege proudly answers, “ those are the only kind I ever have!” Dwege helps Giblet accepting his body weight as they begin walking towards the house. He notices the rolled up map on the ground. “ What’s this?” He asks bending forward to pick it up, as Giblet loses his balance thinking that Dwege had him. He falls back to the ground and shouts, “ argg, I thought you had me, what are you doing?” Dwege holds the map out as he unravels the skin. Giblet stands up on his own grunting as he struggles to his feet. “ What is it?” He inquires. Dwege replies, “ I’m not sure what it is. There are pictures and words.” Giblet reaches out to grab it with force as Dwege unknowingly turns around to compare the drawings to the landscape. Giblet falls forward once again. Dwege looks down having heard yet another thump and groan from Giblet. “ Do you need help?” He asks as Giblet gets back up. “ No, I’m fine.” He responds in a snarky tone. Dwege shakes his head, “ I don’t get it?” He says as he lowers the map. “ Let me see it!” Giblet demands. Dwege hands it off, “ sure. I’m going to go look in the house.” Giblet takes the map and replies, “ alright, tell me if you find anything.” As he holds the map with both hands. Dwege walks up to the house looking in through the window. It’s dark inside, he is unable to recognize anything useful. He walks through the door into the dark house. Giblet looks at the imagery on the map, as he reads the names aloud. “ Dasek HachTi, Suenk Di?...Why Are the other villages names here?” He asks. He is interrupted by a crashing from within the house, he lowers the map. “ What are you doing in there?” He shouts. Dwege’s unresponsiveness causes Giblet to make his way over, limping along the way.
Reaching the door he peeks inside. “ You find anything?” He asks waiting a moment. It remains silent, there isn’t a response. Giblet now becoming increasingly frustrated growls, “ grr.... Have you found anything or not?” He says entering the home as he clutches the map. Walking slowly across the floor Giblet reaches out with his free hand to feel about in the darkness. Tripping over a fallen clay urn he crashes to the ground with a thud, smashing the urn as it falls to the floor also. With a groan Giblet stands to his feet. “ Dwege! Where are you?” He calls out. A moment later he hears a grumble from the next room. Giblet whispers, “ is that you?” As he tries to look around to see where the noise came from. There is a thump on the floor that gets Giblet’s attention. His heart begins to speed up as his thoughts race. There is a dragging noise followed by a gurgling. “ It’s not funny Dwege, if that’s you tell me now!” He says. Another thump followed by a scratching sound coming from the next room. Giblet becomes overcome with fear. He quickly makes his way to the wall beside the door, thinking that perhaps there was a beast in the house and Dwege had been eaten. If that was the case he didn’t want to be next in line. Crouching down beside the door he awaits whatever is making its way to the door to leave the room. He hears another thump, followed by yet another scraping sound. Suddenly a dark figure makes it way out of the room, one leg leading. Giblet can’t make out what it is, but can tell it’s tall. It groans as it takes one more step before Giblet yells, “ you’re not going to eat me!” And rushes the creature knocking it backwards. Stumbling off its feet the bulky beast slams the floor with a shattering crash. “ What the?” Giblet asks, as he then hears heavy panting from that direction. Dwege calls out, “ is that you?” Giblet replies, “ yes, where were you?” On the floor Dwege struggles to unravel the fur blankets that cover him. “ I was checking out that room when I tripped over a blanket and my head got stuck in an urn. It smelled terrible and I couldn’t hear anything except my own voice. I tried to turn around to get up but only wrapped myself up in the blankets.” Sniffing the air Giblet mentions, “ I think you fell in the cucass jar!” He laughs. Dwege smells himself, “ I think you’re right. If not for you I would have probably stayed in the cucass jar! Thanks.” He replies. Giblet helps Dwege to his feet, “ don’t mention it. We still have to come up with something to tell Yote!” Dwege standing to his feet with a grunt, pulls the blankets that had been wrapped around him tossing them to the floor. “ Let’s get out of here first. Then we can tell him we came across two shemli dhanda’s.” Giblet agrees, “ yeah, like from Lutzi’s story! They were pale skinned!” The two make their way to the door. Both attempting to exit at the same time they get stuck. Struggling to squeeze through Dwege says with a groan, “ one was old and one was young!” Giblet pushes though, both men fall out of the door. “ And they had this amazing weapon!” He says. Dwege nods in agreement. “ Yeah it was huge, and it could cut through anything! But we managed to escape!” Giblet smiles embellishing, “ and then we ran through the hunting grounds where we lost them.” The two head through the fields stepping over the newly planted mounds of dirt flattening them as they walk towards the village. Giblet holding the map still stops for a moment. Dwege continues walking and speaking aloud as to what they will tell Yote. “ The two men are dead now, cause we killed them!” He says. Giblet inspects the map one final time as Dwege walks on.
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