033 - Learning Local Customs

Journal of Steven Caplan: Day 18

Now this was unexpected.

Five days after picking her up, she completely surprised Steven. Caspian was out hunting when it happened. Steven was lounging on his bedroll, idly burning a long twig in the fire. Then he looked up.

Abey stood before Steven, opening her vest and shirt, in process of undressing.

“What’s this?” Steven sprung up from reclining on his bed.

“I am strong enough now. I offer myself to you, to do as you will.” She dropped her vest and shirt on the pile of stuff, leaving just a strip of fabric tied around her chest, showing her to have the classic farmer tan. Abey then began untying her skirt.

“Stop. I do not understand.” Steven grabbed her wrists, and pulled them up, and looked at her face. His expression a swirl of confusion, hers likewise.

Her skirt fell from her waist to her hips. She looked up at him, towering head and shoulders above her, holding her wrist at the level of her shoulders. His hands were clenched to restrain her arms, she could feel a lot of pent up power in them.

“Well, you have been an honorable man, and care well for me. This is customary, when a servant has nothing else to give in payment of debt. Would not this be acceptable? Am I not desirable?”

Steven was not versed in the facial expressions and behavioral moors of Tywacomb, but could understand bafflement when he heard it, even in a language he had spoken for less than three weeks.

“No. Desirability is not the issue. It will not be acceptable. I am sworn to another woman, whom I passionately love. Who has born me two children. For me to do this with you is to betray her. This I will not do. Also it would not be wholly decent, as you are nearly young enough to be my daughter.”

Steven let go of her wrists, and stepped back. He then reached down and picked her shirt back up and held it out as she readjusted her skirt back to place.

She took the shirt, and put it back on. As she moved, she looked to be as well built as Roxanne, and work hardened to boot. Steven felt like a scoundrel for watching, and turned away.

“You speak of payment. Why? I do not feel that you owe anything. The food was provided by your mother, and the rest along the way.”

Abey smoothed her shirt, and went back around the fire, secured her girdle at her waist, and sat down on the log there. She watched him a moment, as he sat back onto his bed roll.

“Until I repay you for your efforts in caring for me, I am in bond to you. I know that you are a stranger to this area, but…” She paused a moment in thought. “I guess I presumed too much from your ministrations. I am sorry to have offended.”

“No. You haven’t offended. Surprised. But not offended. I suppose you should be told what is going on.”

Caspian walked up, with a freshly cleaned critter in his hand, and a sated Cyrril on his shoulders. “A good idea.”

They both looked up at him, and watched as he impaled the critter on a branch, and started it cooking over the fire.

“Shall I go first, or will you?” Steven asked.

“You start. I will fill in the holes.” Caspian unwound Cyrril, and put him on the ground by the fire.

So Steven began telling all he knew. Caspian filled in little. He told of the Elves sending Caspian. Of being from another world, and having his children and wife kidnapped. Of meeting Caspian and coming to Tywacomb. Of Caspian casting his spell to locate Roxanne in the capitol of this kingdom.

“And as we came through, we found you. I picked you up, seeking to get you help, and have ended up providing it.”

Abey interjected at this point. “No wonder you know so little of local ways. I knew you a stranger. But had not begun to guess by how much.”

“You believe I am from another world,” Steven asked.

“How could you not be,” Abey replied. “Only elves are as tall as you. And they are rumored to travel to other worlds among the stars.”

“On my world, mostly those thought deranged openly declare a rational belief in people on other worlds.” Steven pushed the last of the stick into the fire.

“Well, I am not deranged. So you are questing to retrieve your wife, and then your children?” Abey smirked.

Caspian answered. “Yes we are.”

“I will help, as best as I can.”

“Fine. Just keep your shirt on.” Steven answered, with a hint of laughter in his voice.

She just blushed a bit, as Caspian looked from one to the other in curiosity.

The three camped on the shore of a lake Abey had led them to. They were at the end of their first week together. The three were now spaced out along the beach. Steven was vaguely wondering about how Abey was going to handle her monthly cycle; more from a strategic and logistic point of view than anything else. He almost wondered how Rox would once they picked her up, and then remembered she would not have to.

Steven was trying not to watch Abey, but with his own clothes hanging on the trees to dry, there was little to do. Caspian was farther down the shore the other direction, had arrayed his things to dry after washing them, then waded back in to the water, and evidently went for a swim.

Abey was in the other direction. She seemed to delight in flirting with Steven, the last two days. Right now she was close enough that he could see she was naked, and up to her hips in the water, washing her own clothes and gear. She left the water, and disappeared into the scrub for a few moments.

Steven turned his back, feeling even more the scoundrel for watching even from this distance.

She was suddenly behind him, giggling. “Was I interesting to watch?”

“I’m a married man, and not to you.”

“I know. But was I interesting?” She put her hands on his shoulders, and startled him a bit, while teasing him.

“Some what, yes. But if my wife thinks it was anything more, she will have my hide.”

The hands massaged a bit, trying to loosen his neck and shoulders. “And what of mine?”

He could feel the strength in her hands, as they worked. “She will not stop with your hide. Roxanne will pull your lungs out.”

“Well, I like breathing. So I will not anger her.” Abey patted his shoulders, and disappeared. Her giggle following after her.

Steven felt frustrated, and a bit ashamed. He knew he had not done anything explicitly wrong. But still he felt he had. He grabbed a pair of boxers, and pulled it on as he went down to the water to swim.

The day they left the lake, the three travelers moved up into the foothills of the last mountain range before starting to descend to the coastal planes.

Steven was feeling fine, having acclimated to the environment. He stopped to take pictures occasionally. He had gone through most of one 36-frame roll by this time.

Abey was recovered and holding her own now. She contributed her share to their needs with a borrowed sling, and skill with her knife. She also knew the area better than Caspian could have hoped. She only had the one spare change of clothes that compressed neatly into her backpack, which she wore. A blanket was also carried in it.

Caspian just kept the pace as best he could. They were moving a bit faster now than the previous week. His tracker for Rox held steady, so they followed it, following roads and game trails, mostly in as straight a line he could, ignoring the terrain.

Steven noticed that as the day progressed Abey and Caspian became progressively more alert, and Abey more excited. At dinner he asked what was going on.

Caspian answered first. “Remember that rock marker I pointed out this morning?”

“Yes.”

“We have entered a potentially dangerous region.”

Abey interrupted. “That’s an understatement. These people barely recognize The King’s claim, let alone the local Duke.”

She stopped to let Caspian continue, but he motioned for her to carry on.

“If any of the locals catch you, you become the evening’s entertainment; and occasionally dinner.”

“Cannibals?”

“No,” Abey shook her head, in mild disgust. “Beast fighting. To them, it is a way to prove valor. If you win, you are free to go the next morning.”

Steven finished the thought. “If you loose, you’re the beast’s dinner. How do we avoid this?”

“By not getting caught, or by traveling in a large caravan,” she answered.

“How far across?”

“Two or three days. Once we crest the mountain summits, they won’t bother us.”

They did not have that long to wait. Though they did not know it, the next two nights their fire was spotted.

Journal of Steven Caplan: Day 25

Some of the locals are really strange. I would hate to get in a fight with them.

Breakfast was finished with a picket of spears surrounding them. Twelve men and seven women stood around, wearing tanned leathers and painted faces.

One of the men addressed them in a language that Steven did not comprehend. Caspian was about to answer when Abey spoke first. A rapid fire exchange of words and the spears turned to form a closed circle; no longer threatening, but not allowing them to leave either.

“He says that we will go with them willingly, or be buried here.” Abey shrugged, and packed her bag.

Caspian and Steven followed suite.

The three shouldered their loads, and a square formed around them, and conducted them in a direction away from the main trail. The group moved quickly along, and was soon on a trail that developed into another main trail for the area. The natives ate as they moved, and allowed the three to do the same.

The natives all wore the same basic costume. Steven’s first though about their costumes when he had noticed them stand around then was of Ghillie Suits that snipers wear. They had tanned leather boots, spun cloth britches, leather tunic or singlet and belt, and a poncho or smock. Strips of cloth, small branches, chunks of native grasses, leaves and so forth were attached to the clothes of all of the locals in various degrees. They also had a few decorative items, with much of the jewelry being of claws and teeth. Also their minimally exposed skin was painted in reds and browns, similar to the ground of the area. They all had tight braids in a short row, starting at their left sideburn going back toward the ear. Various bits of stuff were braided in these. The men’s hair was otherwise very short, the women’s only a bit longer. The overall look was of shambling creatures.

Again Steven was taller, but these people were short enough in general that Steven towered over them. If not for their spears, and other glimpsed weapons, he might have though they were children.