The detachment’s camp last night had been a strange mix of tension and festivity. Both extremes where, of course, due to the tribal raid part.
Decent alcohol, dry firewood, and extremely tasty food were all provided. A minority of my soldiers refused to have anything to do with any of it, other than the firewood. But the majority, taking my lead, took a reasonable amount. Not too much, just enough to be merry without the risk of screwing with their watch duties.
There had been strange beat-heavy music. It seemed most of the tribal raid party had come down the hill, not too far from us, that we couldn’t hear the music. Yet they were not too close that we would be too wary of them. At this location, they built a large fire and started dancing and gathering around it. Three either brave, horny, or stupid soldiers dared to breach the distance between us and join in with the dancing of the tribe.
It seemed the more beautiful of the woman congregated around my three soldiers. But other than dancing in a proximity that was not seen in public, and more than a few kisses, none of them went anywhere with their beauties. Even if they had were constantly tempted. That, more than anything, made me proud of them. Tempted by beautiful exotic flesh, and promise of sex, yet none of them lost track of the other two and none of them joined in with the main circle of dancing which rotated around the fire.
Telling either of the tribal raid party’s tolerance or the solider’s awareness or even both all three came back safe. But like any solider, they came back with tall tales of the exotic beauties they danced with—and some even taller tales of those they bedded.
The tension was real, though. So much so that I had to increase the watches from the standard four to eight. Just so that they wouldn’t make stupid mistakes due to lack of awareness. Trusting in myself, and my Traits, I took part in the last two watch shifts. Mainly so I could watch the night sky fade away into the calm pre-dawn brightness.
Where the party had taken place last night was still a mess of trampled grass and scattered detritus; including random bits of clothing and knives. But where the large fire had been, in the centre of the trampled mass, there was now a pile of dirt safely covering whatever risk of fire remained.
It was in this pre-dawn calmness that I saw Whirling Cloud make her way down the rise and towards our camp. Today she had forgone the white dress and grey cloak and instead wore crimson leather armour, but she went unarmed beyond a knife strapped to her belt. I sent one of the soldiers on watch with me to wake Strong Axe early.
When I saw Strong Axe ready to take over for me, I departed the camp and made my way towards her. I thought she had been beautiful yesterday, but in her crimson leather armour, she looked even more beautiful. If she asked me to marry her, I knew it was likely I would say yes, Brother and my soldiers be damned.
Unlike yesterday, there was a faint breeze, which made the grass ripple like the waves on the sea. The ends of her fiery-coloured hair danced like the fire had last night. She was looking out over the seemingly endless sea of grass. Small islands of almost bare copses of trees dotted the sea. The pale, yet brilliant, clear early morning sky shone down upon the scene. Undulating hills and dips in the terrain reinforced the impression of waves even further.
I made my way over to her and stood closer than I thought I would ever dare to. She leant over slightly, resting her slender, short form against my body. Those eyes, ever reminding me of stars, looked affectionately up at me. Then she looked back out at the endless sea of grass, waving gently in the slight breeze.
‘I wish that I may enlighten you more about our life, and even me. Maybe even teach you about what we know about the system. But, in most every thread which follows, darkness for us follows.’
‘So you’re saying that everything you’re doing is for you?’
‘No, My Beloved,’ she said, unaware she was dropping into affectionate terminology for me, ‘what I mean is that though there may be bright threads of life for either of us, they stand out brightly because of the multitude of dark threads which surround those threads.‘ She sighed. And looked up at me with an exasperated face. ’Have we not gone over this, time and time, My Beloved?
‘I know it’s hard to remember, but it’s even harder to live with. Forever I’m having to do my best to be blind to those threads. Yet they are always there, tempting me with their brilliance. It’s even harder still when we fight, or I feel jealous when you spend necessary time with your other wife and we have to part ways. Oh, how is your son? I haven’t seen him for far too long. You must bring him next time—’
She then stopped and looked up at me, really looked up at me. Then she took a step away from me.
‘Familiarity and topic may also bring on the Curse of the Oracle. I can see that moment of that thread so clearly. We were saying bye to each other, again in accordance with the wishes of the Oracle. But that is only one possible thread which splits off from this moment.’
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
‘Does that not mean these oracle threads tie our life together? That no matter what I do, then we’ll be tied together forever?’
‘That is not, so, People’s Defender. Oracle is a Trait which can see trends and patterns and help lead towards those that are more advantageous. Yet said trends and patterns are not solid. They are like the grass we are watching and the grass behind. Ahead, it is full of life and free. We can see it, and it is almost being impacted by not only the world, but that which we cannot see.’
I nodded.
‘Yet behind us,‘ she looked over her shoulder at the remnants of the party, ’what has been, impacts the grass with the impression of what has gone on. Our camp, your camp, the scene of celebration, that is all there. As are the tracks which led us to this moment.
‘I can see patterns, like I can see that copse of trees on the rise over there. Or the shadow of that hollow. I can see them, and I can make my way toward them, but in doing so something might happen which either makes me lose my way, or distract me. There might even be another target I see, which is even more important I might want. That is, if I am by myself. If you desire to walk alongside me, then unless I become a tyrant and rule over you, then I need to listen to you, or follow you on what I might believe, or know, to be foolish paths. Yet even those foolish paths might pass through dark vales, yet it is possible they end up in places even brighter than the threads I had seen.’
‘So are you telling me that even if we never meet again, we might still end up living a life filled with bright threads?’
‘Yes, I am. I can see partially woven futures which are bright for me. One of which even involves someone within my tribe, and for the longest time, I followed that thread. And, I must be honest with you, People’s Defender, I still partly ply that thread.’
‘Then why are you obsessed over me?’
‘Because in a moment of clarity, I saw the most beautiful tapestry I had ever seen. Far more radiant than any of the other dull, partially woven futures. In the midst of was a couple who worked to unite our peoples together. Within that fever vision, I saw a formless figure, with fire for hair. I was later informed this formless figure was myself. I was standing next to a strong man who was rooted in the earth. That man was shadowed by himself. The rooted man was different than the others in the weaving. They were all woven out of the colours of the earth. That man alone, even if he was rooted into the ground, was woven from the colours of the sky.’
None of this made sense to me. How could a vision influence a person’s life so much? I should be wary of the beautiful Whirling Cloud, yet I knew my defences against her were weak.
‘We—’ I broke off, not knowing what I was trying to say.
She turned to face me, coming closer, lips parted for a kiss. Before I knew what I was doing, I brought her in close and kissed her. Our mouths hungry for each other. Her kisses tasted of salty meat. My soul learned for her. I held her tight, trying to be as close to her as possible. For once I cursed the armour we were wearing, wishing that the two of us would have nothing between us. Still our kisses continued, our hands exploring the other’s armour, trying to find weak spots.
‘My beloved,’ she said once we broke off the kiss. ‘We must part for each other again. You have your duties within the Heartlands, and I have mine within the Fractured Lands. Be safe so you may see our unborn child—’ Tears welled in her eyes. ‘No, this is all too much for me.’
She forced herself out of my arms and ran away from me.
‘I’m sorry, I don’t know what happened,’ I said. The taste of her kiss on my lips was still there. As was the urgency of the kiss, mirrored deep within me.
Her run turned into a collapse. I made my way closer to her. Not too close, fearing a replay of what just happened. Not, that I would be upset—no, I must remain strong. Whirling Cloud was a stranger, someone I didn’t know much about. So why did I feel such a strong attraction towards her?
‘We must depart now.’ She said, still looking down at the blades of the grass she had crushed when she tumbled. ‘It’s too dangerous for either of us if we remain together much longer. Instead of the world of the bright tapestry, it is likely we will bring about destruction if we follow this gilded thread of desire.’
‘Go, depart, and I pray to our ancestors and the spirits of the world that we may meet again when the time is right. And I pray that my weakness in leading our warriors to see you now will not be punished.’
I took a step closer.
‘No!’ She screamed, not looking up.
‘Go, depart, return to your world as I shall return to mine.’
I turned around and walked away, cursing my Sneaky-Beaky Lookie and Scoutie Trait, as I heard her sobbing and calling weakly after me for me not to leave her.