Our time with Murshid flies by quickly. Less for my comrades who aren't as much involved as I am into learning how to read and write. Only now can I realize how starved I was for reading. And the idea of ending with so few words available is pure torture.
When I see my comrades getting too bored to keep drawing the same signs on and on, I relent and half of our tutor's time is dedicated to history and geography. Kids always love a good story even when the raconteur is a mediocre one.
We learn quite a bit about the recent history of the Muniwi Empire. The Badai shieldom we are living in is some sort of satrapies of the empire. The local lord has some liberty in the management of his domain yet must pay some taxes to the emperor, both in money and troops.
The Empire was founded about a millennium ago when the emperor back then conquered most of the western part of the continent. Erecting fortresses and strongholds to secure the borders.
We are in the southern part of the empire bordered by the white fangs mountains chain on the east and the plains of stumps in the west. Even farther west is the sea of trees: the musango. An unreclaimed area teeming with monsters and one of the threats to our shieldom.
Behind the mountains is the kingdom of the beastkins in the empire of mist.
The Awanui rivers flows through the mountain chain in an underground channel making it the favoured communication and commercial passage between both kingdoms. Murshid wasn't able to provide me with a satisfying explanation as to how the river could flow towards the mountains on one side then underground before a resurgence on this side of the mountains before flowing southward. This makes no physical sense: water should naturally flow following a slope. This doesn't faze my teacher and he brushes the anomaly away as if it was a given that gods or magic can interfere on such large scale with the land, breaking physical laws as if nothing.
North of us is the Rauen Shieldom famous for their woodworking and beast tamers.
South is the Ilhmol independent Republic a shieldom made of 3 coastal cities. It is the main trade route with the elven's archipelagos and other continents.
By the end of the week I only learned about 40 words making me able to barely write a few simple sentences: I eat food, girl drink water, and other useless things. As much as it awes my tutor I feel depressed, I do not know when I will get another opportunity to learn some scriptures and I've kind of lost my drive to: this hieroglyph system just feels so wrong. I'm starting to think that it is on purpose to control who gets access or not to higher education, some form of fixed caste system.
With Murshid gone we are left idle: Ms Tarina is still busy with end of the year orders and our courtyard in under a blanket of snow. It got too cold to spend much time outside.
We did have one snowball fight but got scolded after for risking catching a cold. When thinking back on it I didn't really assessed the danger correctly: pneumonia is deadly for children our age in this world. I'm quite ashamed at my own recklessness I should be the one keeping the other kids away from harm as the wisest.
We end up cooped inside listless and idle. My comrades are now able enough in basic arithmetic, I tried teaching them some geometry but they don't get the point: knowing how to deduce the length of the side of a triangle doesn't strike them as useful knowledge... Writing is even more boring with so few words available.
After some pondering I decided to introduce the alphabet to them. I took the decision after being sure no adults were bothering with what I was teaching the children. If someone was to ask question I'll just say I invented the system out of boredom. Not the best lie but probably enough to get by, I doubt anyone around will bother asking.
This is going to be an experiment: these kids are going to be the first ones to be able to read and write fluently in our block, even if it will not be in the local scripture.
I have to make a few adjustment and add some new letters, mostly for accentuation of a few consonant but also to make it a 32 letters alphabet, more fitting with their obsession with the number 16.
Our Earthly alphabet is so easy to learn in comparison: in a few strokes in the sand I can teach my young students the capital letters and the sounds they stand for.
I even use one the most popular lullabies to make our very own remix of the ABC.
In a hex cycle (2 weeks) they know their alphabet, the basic sounds (B+A=BA) and can even write Ms Tarina's name. I didn't teach us to write our names I'm still wary of it being a sacrilege to do it before naming day. I don't want to risk heaven's retribution if I'm overstepping the boundaries, there are many other words than our names to write so I won't risk triggering tribulation or lightning strikes. I believe I am already taking enough risk exposing some of my knowledge.
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During winter most of the game in the forest is hibernating even monsters are less numerous, retreating in the heart of the mountains or deep underground. Although some monsters become more aggressive during winter and are a threat to the lesser fortified positions: mostly smaller towns and nighthavens for farmhands.
Having not much hunting to do grand pa Barasten is more often at home leisurely recounting a hunting story, an old tale or taking Barasti to train him in the use of a bow. My brother already has quite the arm pull thanks to his various jobs at Dad's smithery.
I asked Mom for permission to follow them she gladly gave her stamp of approval the tailor shop being more busy than ever, having less kids to worry about was a blessing. With a little more negotiation Gel was to tag along, I'll have to apologize to Mel later on: leaving her to the boredom of Balout's company wasn't the friendliest move. She'll just have to laze around and nap alongside him.
The four us: grand Pa, big bro, Gel and I make our way towards the Awanui river east from our neighbourhood, there is an archery range there.
As we get closer white gulls and blue cormorants are sighted and heard, bringing the damp smell of flowing water under their wings. The river itself is impressive: about 300m wide of murky waters. I can only remember the amazon to be larger than that. The flow is quite strong for such a large river making me wonder how many metric cubes are flowing down in front of us every minute ?
As we get near the shore gusts of chilly wind carry some dampness around, allowing the cold to pierce through my thin tunic and cape. As I'm shivering with every blow Gelcaria gets closer so that we can share some heat.
There are a few boats sailing atop the wide river: local fishers for the most part but also some bigger flat-bottomed river barges making the connection between both shores and larger trade boats with green sails and bronze plated railing. They stem from the beastkin empire their crew made out of various foxes, deer or bull types beastkins and are coming from the under mountain river. If I could i'd really like to ask them how this much water rose from underground with them sailing upon it.
Grand pa says the current is stronger in winter and that there are less boats going upstream from the coastal cities at the moment.
The archery is just a fenced long range with some targets at the end of it. At least the fence blocks the wind and there is a stone brasero in a corner with a weak fire going on.
There are a few other practitioners: A towns-guard in his blue surcoat teaching what looks like his daughter how to shoot. A foxkin hunter who gives a nod to my grandpa, as they are in the same trade they must know each other. And a small troll from our block who I don't remember the name: a 1,5m tall pile of brown mud-rock like, his eyes are two round black gems and his mouth a simple crack at the bottom of his head.
There is a small community of trolls in this town working in the mine with their unique talent for rock crushing. This troll is one of the oldest kids in our block nearly 14 springs old and already an apprentice miner. This makes him something like 20 years old in earth time equivalent, i'm still unsure about the hiatus between physiology and elapsed time in this world.
Grand pa goes to salute him:
“Hey kid, how are you doing ? Need any advice from a seasoned archer ?” He points at himself his grey moustache puffing with pride.
The teenager's voice is a crushing and grinding of rocks and pebbles:
“Thanks sir I don't intend to become a great hunter, I'm just getting used to my bow in case of conscription.” he shows his six fingers awkwardly holding the reinforced bow frame. If the city is under attack commoners and servs may get enlisted starting age 14 by their blade to form a militia and it is compulsory for any shielded citizen to be proficient in one of the weapons either blade, spear or bow.
That's probably why grand Pa is training Barasti to shoot: being an archer is the safest choice in a militia as you don't want to end up in the frontline fighting in melee when you are a civilian.
Gel and I nestle around the brasero to watch the archers as Gran pa focuses on my brother.
The foxkin is obviously the best around here. His composite longbow is made out of bone and a white wood piece in the middle. His strength must be formidable probably thanks to Chi because his arrows are flying as fast as bullets to pierce through the log he uses as target, more than 150 meters away. Not a single shot is a miss.
The little troll is just barely hitting the target 50m away from him. His bow is made of smooth red crystal and emits a vibrant and crystalline sound with each loose arrow, like clinging a crystal glass.
Although younger my brother is performing better than the young rock-man. He uses a short bow made of pear wood. It is more a toy than a weapon but still fit for training purpose.
His pull is strong enough but his aiming can use some improvements. Grandpa corrects his stance and gives him advice, teaching him to read the wind and circulate his chi. I'm a bit jealous of my brother: like dad and grandpa he's got Chi enhancing his physical abilities.
I asked grand pa about it once but he said I am to wait my 8th spring before being tested. Seems like forever, I could use any boost in strength right now plus I know chi can be used to fight against cold and warm one's body.
When my elder brother gets tired grand pa makes a show of himself in a friendly competition with his foxy colleague. The fox guy is obviously stronger: his arrows rushing to their target and piercing through the thickest logs but grandpa has the benefits of experience: his precision is better he is able to read the wind, balance his shot and use a hint of chi to precisely throw each arrow: he was even able to impale one arrow upon the other one. The fox hunters laugh before shaking his hand yielding graciously at his senior.
As we are about to leave I get on with my main purpose for the day:
“Can I also try shooting ?” I candidly ask.
I can see my Grand pa unwillingness, his moustache wavering around his nose as he try to find the words to rebuke me :
“You are still a bit young for that. We don't have a bow that you'll be able to draw.” he ends up opposing kindly as both my brother and Gelcaria laugh at me.
That was part of my expectations after this refusal I follow up :
“Then just teach me something else. I'm sure there are things hunters do that don't require strength.”
My real goal is to learn anything: be it trapping skills or tracking or just some basic botanic.
This is the door in the face technique: modern neuro psychology teamed with puppy eyes pleading from both Gel and I makes for a request my grandfather can't turn down.
Rest of the day becomes trapping 101. We even get some pointers from the foxkin adding his expertise on top of my grandpa's one. We learns to make dead-fall traps and various collet knots and nooses for snares using a bit of rope and arrows for sticks. We also get a lecture in baits and where and when to put traps.
I'm getting tired of vegetables soups and will need to eat more when growing up. Gel and I are already lean enough: borderline malnourished. So my purpose today was to get some tools to maybe get some more food. Now that I have some basic know-how I hope to coax my grandfather into taking me with him outside the city. I can't believe there isn't some safe enough woods around the city where I'll be able to find some meat. I'm quite small so even the smallest game will make do. It will also be a way to both get out of the tailor shop where there isn't much more for me to expect and get a glimpse at the outside world.
Give a man a fish and feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and feed him for a life. Now I get it.