Transworld: In the Ashes of Our Century 2 (Warning: LONG) (510 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.93 on 21 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Fey (View user info) at 2007-09-10 14:09:36 EDT
The unknown spectator to the arrival of the men stayed to make sure of what she'd seen. That they had come here, of all places, felt like a divine mockery. But they had, and the humans had invited them in with open arms. Her nose twitched slightly as she tasted the cool air of a swiftly approaching dusk. She smelled dried blood and stale fear and underlying it all, the scent she would never forget. A personal scent firmly imprinted in her memories, dragging a visceral emotional response with it. She wrinkled her nose, her mouth open in a silent hiss. Disregarding her wounds, she turned and ran away into the night, fleeing the settlement. Tribal feuding be damned. The other families had to be warned.
As the calm of night spread, the scurrying tension of the day started to leach out of the village. People left their neighbours and the incessant speculation to return to their own homes, bank their fires and go to sleep. Tomorrow was another day, and some energy must be conserved in order to be able to face it.
In the home of Gabriel, unofficial leader of the small settlement named Tayshas, the tension still ran high. His wife and daughter were making the newcomer as comfortable as he could be, uncertain whether or not their efforts were in vain. Prudence had been by his side all afternoon, cutting away clothing, cleaning and stitching and applying poultices to draw out infection. Her face was a stern mask of regret; Prudence took all failures to heart and this man, this manboy, wasn't likely to survive. He was feverish and seriously dehydrated due to having lost an immeasurable amount of blood. Purity had been a silent presence at his head throughout the entire process, patiently dripping water between his lips.
The other three were quickly taken care of even if the oldest among them, who gave his name as Tipper, would continue to feel the effects of his dislocated shoulder for the rest of his life. Dale and Rick, the final half of the group, had scratches which, though deep, didn't need much in the way of medical attention. Prudence had sent them over to Old Woman Esther, who despite a penchant for perscribing alcohol as a cure-all, had an at least mostly firm grasp of treating minor wounds.
Gabriel watched his wife work from his seat at the rough-hewn kitchen table. She'd had Lenny, whose name they'd learnt from Tipper, laid out on a pallet on the working bench. She was a tall, strong woman with a gentle manner and a natural authority which stemmed from unarguable competence. He caught her eye and lifted one eyebrow in a question. In concert as they so often were, they turned to Purity. Purity sighed, placed her cloth on the bench, and turned to leave the room. Her mother called after her "Might as well fetch some water while you're out there, girl."
Purity grabbed her pail and pushed out into the mild autumn evening, letting the door shut a little harder behind her than she should have; she resented being treated as a child. She scuffed her way along the path to the stream, choosing for once to do things the hard way and not go to the well in the center of the village. Purity wanted a walk, to get away from people and the stress the events of the afternoon had brought with them.
The path down to the stream was a narrow one, more of a track than anything else. Once it was well-worn and often used, but these days the well in the village, Gabriel's latest feat of skill and leadership, was by far the more popular alternative. So Purity pushed her way through trees bent on reclaiming their territory and stumbled on roots rendered invisible due to the half-light of early nightfall.
Just as Purity was starting to entertain the foolish notion that the stream had moved, she heard its telltale chuckle. It ran through a deep valley, which channelled the sound away from the approaching girl. She slipped her way down the damp grass of the bank, regaining her footing in time to prevent an embarassing and possibly dangerous fall into the deceptively still water of this bend in the stream.
As she haunched down to scoop out her bucket of water, she heard an almost silent rustle in the grasses across the water. Purity jerked her head up and stared straight into a pair of glowing eyes, eyes that caught all the light available and reflected it back to her. She gasped, a suddenly loud sound, and the eyes disappeared. She saw a lithe figure vanish into the scant undergrowth on the other slope, and within seconds the night was still and empty once again.
Her heart beating wildly against her breast, Purity stayed crouched, hugging the bucket to her chest. What had... What was that? The eyes had been similiar to the mountain lion she'd seen once, years ago, when she and Da had been out on foraging trip. But the shape, when it had turned and fled, wasn't that of a four-legged creature. She felt her breath coming in short, sharp gasps, and a tightness began in her chest. It had reminded her more of her nightmares than anything of this world.
Purity half ran all the way home, so that by the time she was at the settlement again she'd spilled out half her water. The physical exertion had lessened the panic, and she was starting to question what she'd seen. It was probably just a normal night creature, also trying to get some water. She slowed down before she reached the first home, she didn't want people to see her and ask questions she didn't feel she could answer.
When she got closer to her own home, she could hear the raised voices of her parents. They who never fought were obviously exchanging heated words and had forgotten themselves to the degree that they were almost audible through the thick log walls of their home. Purity, in the grip of an impulse she couldn't name or refuse, strode quickly and stealthily around the building. She placed her pail on the ground and crept closer to the window that faced out from the village, out to the woods behind.
"They are Confederates, Gabriel! You of all people know what kind of trouble that can cause. All that we've worked for, all that we've worked to keep out of our lives, they bring with them!" Prudence's normally quiet voice grated on Purity's ears. Her father's deep rumble answered, "I know, Prudence. But what choice do we have? We can not turn them out, not without bringing the wrath of their organisation down on us. We will treat them with respect, and see that they move on as soon as they are well." And then came the thing that scared Purity the most, of all that had happened that day; she heard her mother's voice full of tears respond "But Gabriel, I am afraid."
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As always, routine won out over the new and exciting and Tayshas slowly grew resigned, if not accustomed, to the strange men in their midst. Lenny, he who a couple of weeks prior was carried in on a blood soaked blanket, was everywhere at once on his makeshift crutch, talking and laughing and slowly winning the villagers' trust.
His three companions Tipper, Dale and Rick, big gruff men, were less popular. But he vouched for them and they did their share of the work, and so the community let them stay. They were forbidden to talk to the women or children and slept in the communal building, where lessons and meetings and gatherings were held, but they went hunting with the men and a precarious comraderie built on mutual survival began to take root.
Lenny was the exception to the rule. The first few nights had been critical, so much so that Prudence refused to let him be moved once he'd arrived in her home. His wounds, horrific to begin with, had turned septic and he'd spent the first few days mindless with fever. He looked like he'd been mauled by a mountain lion and some of the wounds on his right thigh went down to the bone. Purity helped her mother take care of him, making sure he drank enough water and listening to his fevered ramblings. It was in this way she learnt that Tipper was his uncle, and that he missed somebody called Tina.
Purity was wringing out her cloth in the pail of water beside the bed about to dab his forehead again the first time Lemmy opened his eyes and looked at her. He had surprisingly green eyes, with extra sparkle. She took an uncertain step back, not wanting to intrude and also not wanting to be too close. He smiled at her, and she felt a warmth bloom up her cheeks. He murmured something, and she inadvertently leaned in to hear what he said. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" She watched him refocus and realised that he hadn't actually seen her earlier. "I was just asking you to save me, Angel. But I'm beginning to belive I've already been saved." His voice was a dry whisper, but she heard him and the warmth in her face intensified.
"My name is Purity, not Angel." she blurted, awkwardly. He laughed suddenly, weakly, and she could see that he wasn't more than a few years older than her, he'd seen maybe 17 or 18 cold seasons to her 13. "I'm going to go get Mama, she'll want to check how you're doing." she excused herself from the room. Unable to resist, she cast a glance over her shoulder and met his gaze, watching her walk away. She blushed again, furious at her treacherous responses, and ran off to find Mama.
Purity wondered as she searched if they now, finally, would learn the story of how the men had been hurt. It felt like every one of the men of village had tried, one way or another, to winkle the story out of the three older men. All they'd had in reponse were terse, noncommittal answers or obvious changes of topic. Somehow, it felt like Lenny would be more open, easier to talk to. She found her mother on Esther's porch, along with a couple of other women, among them Abel and Elijah's mother Hannah. The women were busy with repairing and waterproofing the winter clothes, but they were also obviously busy discussing the situation in the village, because they fell silent as Purity arrived.
"Mama, Lenny has woken up!" Purity all but shouted. Prudence stood up, immediately but without haste, and set aside Purity's winter cloak. She shook out her skirts, the skirts borne by a woman grown, and gestured for Purity to lead on ahead. She took her leave of the women and followed. "Has he said anything, Purity?" Purity hid her reaction as best she could, and replied "Um, no, not really... He said something about being pleased that he'd been saved, but that's all." The half-lie stuck in her throat, but she didn't want to share that he had called her "Angel" with her mother, who would only frown at her and tell her to stay away from Lenny.
Prudence looked at her daughter, noting but not understanding the hesitation in her response. Her thoughts turned to the young man whose bedside she'd barely left the first couple of days he'd spent in Tayshas. The ambivalence of her feelings was a disturbance she was unused to, Prudence was normally not uncertain about anything. But the boy who'd arrived broken and bleeding raised in her a range of emotions spanning from a barely acknowledged disapointment that he'd survived to an almost maternal affection.
She'd been there during the evenings and nights, while Purity slept, wiping his brow and listening to his mindless ramblings. She felt that she recognised something in him, and deeply buried, so deep she didn't know it herself, was the notion that this boy carried the soul of her dead son. About 6 years before Purity was born, Prudence had given birth to a perfect but stillborn son. It was a wound she carried still. Purity had never been told, and it had occurred on their pilgrimage to find the site of Tayshas, so nobody in the village knew the tale either. If it hadn't been for the unexpected help from a source she'd never have believed possible, Prudence would have bled to death up in the mountains.
Prudence shook her head to clear it. It wasn't at all difficult to understand why these thoughts were coming up now, these thoughts that had been buried for so long. She knew she had a debt to pay, a life debt, which hadn't been lessened by her infrequent visits throughout the last twenty or so years. The family had to be warned, and she'd have to do it in person. It was far too dangerous to leave a message in the normal place, considering the nature of their guests. She made the decision to make the journey this very night, when all had fallen asleep, and was surpised at the weight that lifted from her shoulders. She hadn't even been aware that it had been weighing her down.
Lenny smiled as they entered the room. Prudence smiled back, a rare smile of joy and relief. Everything was going to be fine.
_________________
Purity slipped into the room where Lenny was sleeping, and was almost giddy with pleasure when she found him awake, waiting for her. She smiled, and saw the flash of his teeth in response. She tiptoed over to the bed, and crouched down on the floor beside it. He reach out a hand and she grasped it immediately, breathless with excitement at touching him in this way, not in the way of patient/tender. He pressed her hand to his lips, and she thought she would faint. She laughed, quietly, nervously, as he drew her closer, bringing her face down to his. He pressed his lips against hers, and Purity knew that she was in love.
Purity woke, uncertain of what it was that had disturbed her sleep. She listened, holding her breath to be as silent as possible. Her heart beat echoed loudly in her head, but over it she heard, distinctly, the sound of someone trying to walk quietly through the kitchen. Their home was seperated into four rooms, two smaller ones, one of which belonged to Purity and the other of which, normally a storage room, was currently being used as a sickbay for Lenny. The slightly larger was her parents bedroom, and the fourth, largest, housed the kitchen and living areas. Purity quietly sat up, and waited, still holding her breath. She listened as the front door latched, and the undisturbed silence assured her that whoever it had been was now outside of their home.
She slipped out of bed, threw a cloak on over her nightgown, and quickly crept out through the kitchen. Once outside the chill of an unusually harsh autumn night stole its way up her legs, inside her gown. raising goosebumps along its path. She gasped a yawn, a reaction to the biting cold which seemed to steal her breath, and scanned around. She spotted something darker than the surroundings, moving swiftly into the forest along the path toward the stream. She opened the outer door a crack and reach inside to grab her boots, everything done hurriedly but as quietly as possible, without taking her eyes off the darker patch of night which was the shape she was following.
Purity hurried along the path, no longer able to see the person she was trying to track. When she arrived at the stream, she realised she'd almost caught up, as she watched the other jump the last step from the rocks of the ford to the other bank. Once across, the person spun around, searching the bank on the oppostite side. Almost as if they'd sensed Purity, who drew back into the shadows of the treeline and averted her face. She'd still had time to see the moon light up the visage of the shape across the stream. It was her mother.
Purity followed, both more and less alarmed, as her mother lead her further away from the settlement than she could remember being. They hiked for at least a couple of hours, Purity using everything she'd learnt out hunting with Abel to stay on Prudence's trail, far enough behind that she didn't give herself away. All the while Purity debated internally; should she reveal herself? What happened if she lost her? Could she find her way back? Should she turn back now, or follow Prudence to wherever it was she was going? Her attention was so undermined that she almost walked into her mother.
Prudence stood on the animal track they'd been following, feet planted and arms crossed across her chest. She gazed steadily at her daughter, her eyes shadowed by her hood, waiting for Purity to speak. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to, but I heard something, and I wanted to know what was happening, and then I was afraid I would get lost!" Prudence continued watching, waiting, and Purity grasped for words. "I didn't mean to, I only wanted - " Prudence interrupted, with a level of anger Purity had never heard, "Foolish child. You silly little girl! How could you have been so rash?" Purity cast her eyes down, hurt and confused, unable to find the words.
"Where are you going, Mama?" she asked, finally, interrupting the heavy quiet that hung between them. Prudence breathed in sharply, and let the air out, more slowly. Her anger appeared to disperse with that breath, with her decision made, and she stroked her daughter's cheek as she answered, "I have a debt to pay, love. A debt you know nothing of, to a people you know less than nothing about. You'll have to follow me." She turned back up the path, and Purity barely heard her continue, "They will not be pleased that I've brought you." as they carried on up the mountainside.
The first signs Purity had of their unexpected company was her mother's muffled gasp of surprise and the tension in her back. Purity peered around her mother, and froze in shock. Ahead of them, on the path they'd been travelling for half an hour or so together, was a creature. A creature with the same kind of eyes she'd seen on the other side of the stream. A mountain lion that walked on two legs.
As she watched the creature walk towards them, she realised that her first impression was not entirely correct. It was very distinctly feline, but in as many ways very distinctly human. "Mama, what is it?" She whispered as quietly as she could, unable to keep the question from slipping out. Its shape reminded her of her dreams, her terror. It twitched its ears at her, and flicked its whiskers. "I am Felis, human child. My name is Mawrg." He, for the voice proclaimed him male, turned to her mother. "Greetings, old friend. I ask your forgiveness for startling you this way, but under the circumstances we wish to keep our home as secret as possible. We've moved, also, so you would have had severe difficulty finding us, had I not found you." His teeth made sibilants difficult, and he had a purr/growl underlying his words, but he spoke their language otherwise unhindered.
Purity unconsciously reached for her mother's hand, something she hadn't done for years. Prudence held her hand firmly, gave it a small squeeze of reassurance, as she responded to Mawrg, "Greetings, friend. I apologise for invading your territory without forewarning, but it was urgent. It sounds like you have already received the warning I bear, but I shall tell you anyway. There are Confederates in our settlement. They were hurt, so we had to give them shelter, but we will ask them to move on as soon as they are able."
Mawrg growled deep in his throat, a truly scary sound. Purity moved closer to her mother. "They were hurt hunting our kind. They had tracked Roah to her den, and they killed her children and mate. Roah got away, but only barely. She managed to come and warn us, we who live in these mountains, before she died. We could have used your skills then, Ruence." Purity stiffened as she listened to his story. She was certain he must be lying, Lenny would never hurt anyone. She wished her mother would speak up for Lenny and tell this creature off for lying.
"My heart bleeds for you, Mawrg. I wish I could have helped, and not just for the lifedebt I owe." Purity pulled her hand out of her mother's, and threw her fear away in her righteous anger. "No! You lie! Lenny would never do such a thing, it must be a trick!" She turned on her heel and plunged back down the path the way she had come, ignoring her mother's shouts.
Tears streamed down her face and as she ran she felt the anger at her mother mounting. How could she believe that creature? Hadn't she taken care of Lenny? Hadn't she seen the awful wounds those catcreatures had caused?
Purity ran until she couldn't run anymore, but she kept on towards Tayshas, moving as quickly as she could. She'd show those nasty catcreatures that it wasn't nice to tell tales, she'd show them.
_________________
Purity stumbled into the settlement, and run at once to the village center. By the well was the large bell that Jotham Smith had made, the bell that was to be rung only during a real emergency. She rang the bell with all her might, and watched, flushed and triumphant, as the villagers spilled out of their homes. Closest to the bell was the communal building, so Tipper, Rick and Dale were some of the first to arrive. Purity got up onto the well, from where she saw her father arriving, toward the back of the crowd. She pushed aside a pang of doubt and shouted out as loud as she could, "There are monsters up the mountain! Cat people, and they've got Mama!"
User Reviews
Submitted by woolfe (user info) at 2008-06-04 04:18:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by ArnieGeddon (user info) at 2007-10-01 08:14:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Fey (user info) at 2007-10-01 07:37:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Why were you banned? <not snarky anymore>
------------------------
:(
for being internet popular..
and for calling barts mum
but mainly for being internet p...p...popular
Submitted by ArnieGeddon (user info) at 2007-10-01 06:46:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Fey (user info) at 2007-10-01 06:24:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Dude, he says, to me, a girl, and then complains that I called him by a girl's name. Well, Janice, suck it up. No, I'm sorry, that's being aggressive and pseudo witty again, isn't it? When really all I'm doing is playing on the popularity of a well-known tv show. (Do you get TV - television -where you live?)
Now, if this feels kind of snarky, it is.
I've just realised that you're relegating me to the clandestine status of "mistress" with your use of your alter for our conversations.
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I don't really have much of an option feymenz, bart banned me.
(i haven't read this yet, not only do we not get tv, but we don't get the internet either, down here in Ludditeland)
Submitted by TheUniter (user info) at 2007-09-11 14:37:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by lover101 (user info) at 2007-09-11 09:45:40 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
looking forward for more
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2007-09-11 08:41:35 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
It wasn't that long, in my opinion...at least not compared to a Jack McCallum story. :)
I liked this. Yes I did.
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2007-09-10 19:27:39 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
+1 for trying to bring back Ubersite.
Submitted by Zampano (user info) at 2007-09-10 17:16:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I was hoping you'd continue this.
Submitted by DirtyHarry (user info) at 2007-09-10 15:34:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by ChaosJester (user info) at 2007-09-10 15:06:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Fuck the Surgeon.
(Imitating Emission)
Ha! I do a Happy Ghey Panda Dance to banish you, foul mendicant!
*Ghey Panda Dance*
Submitted by rob_berg (user info) at 2007-09-10 15:05:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
YAY FEY!
Submitted by Surgeon (user info) at 2007-09-10 15:03:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: -1
staples..
Submitted by EmissionImpossible (user info) at 2007-09-10 14:59:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
i crumpled you
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2007-09-10 14:52:39 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by EmissionImpossible (user info) at 2007-09-10 14:42:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
said in the way ted from his excellent adventure.
*Your step-mom is cute, though*
damnit i was gonna say
said in the way you expect keaneau reeves to say it in every one of his movies.
Submitted by monkeyswithguns (user info) at 2007-09-10 14:50:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by zwerg (user info) at 2007-09-10 14:47:40 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by EmissionImpossible (user info) at 2007-09-10 14:42:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
said in the way ted from his excellent adventure.
*Your step-mom is cute, though*
Submitted by jamowilly40 (user info) at 2007-09-10 14:34:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
*said in the way I do when I check out my ripped chest in the mirror*..
"Whoaah"
Submitted by ChaosJester (user info) at 2007-09-10 14:32:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Hmmmm...
Sort of like 'Little House on the Prarie' crossed with cat people.
*ejaculates*
;P
Seriously though, this was exceptionally well written (aside from a few minor errors). You seem to have come a long way, writing-wise.
Even though we don't really share the same taste in word-smithing, I'm glad you're still around.
Submitted by ShapeShifter (user info) at 2007-09-10 14:14:45 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
*said in the way fag from Blossom does*..
"Wooah"
Submitted by Merlina (user info) at 2007-09-10 14:12:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
*said in the way Grace does in 'Will & Grace*..
"Wooah"