Chapter 3 - Mother and Daughter
Author: J. Arque
Editor: –
Proofreader: –
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Note From Author:
Hi guys, here is chapter 3 for y'all...
Yesterday, I re-read chapter 1 and chapter 2. And I realized they were shit. There are lots of grammatical and punctuation errors. I also spotted some paragraphs and sentences that don't make any sense, even though I wrote it myself. I already fix some of them but I will try to fix another later.
J. Arque
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Exton, 24th Late Winter, Markadia Calendar
"Did you just say cancer?"
Am I going to die soon? And how the hell she could diagnose a cancer just by looking at me! In this ancient world they don't supposed to know ‘the cancer' - right?
Probably cancer in this world means another disease, I said in my mind repeatedly as I tried to calm myself down.
Yolanda nodded "Yes, it is a normal disease for a young boy in winter, some of them would grow tumor but they will gone once the spring started"
What the…
"Tumor!? Will gone once the spring started?"
This start to get ridiculous, I thought.
"Of course, you see that bulging meat on your throat? It was the Tumor" she said with a serious look on her face.
"Are ye sure?" asked Bob to Yolanda.
She nodded "Yes, even though I am not an educated healer, my late husband was. He once a healer in the Capital”
What kind of logic is that! My late wife was also a doctor but it doesn’t make me qualified as one!
Yolanda frowned “But one thing lead to another, our family exiled here and until few years ago as you know my husband died and leave me and my baby girl here alone"
Safe your sad story for yourself little girl! I have a tumor here!
Wait a minute… It is not a fucking tumor! I am certain of it! I remember yesterday a bee stung me in the neck before I could even react.
And now, I feel pain all over my body… perhaps also because that goddam bee stung me! It is highly probable that Karl's body has hypersensitivity to Apitoxin! Oh thank gods!
"Well, if that's the case” Bob turned his head towards me, “Boy, looks like we must cancel our journey today" said Bob with sad expression.
Cancel? No way! I can’t live with rye gruel and porridge for another day. I need to eat a real food!
However, my body seemed to disagree with my brain. I spent a lot of effort just to move my arms a little bit.
"Sigh -- You should go with Pateyk instead Uncle, he seems like a trustworthy person"
"Of course he is! He is my best buddy! He may be depressed about his wife and career sometimes, but he celd get the things done. But are ye sure? Ye got cancer ye know?"
"It is okay Uncle. It is not like I am paralyzed or anything, It is only a… cancer like Yolanda said"
"Well, if that's what ye want, then I’ll depart this noon" Then he turned into Yolanda, "Yolanda, celd ye please take care of Karl when I’m gone? After all He is my only relative that still alive. Ye and Natasha celd use my own bed while I’m not ‘ere”
"Sure thing Bob, I will bring Natasha here then" then Yolanda left the house.
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"Uncle, when you auction the sword, you need to be more convincing!” I said excitedly, “And you should tell them, the sword was given to you by Ogar the Littlehand in Arsus Mountain! And… And it has a magical properties! You could demonstrate it by shatter another sword or thrust it like when you thrust it into a tree yesterday"
It was an excellent back story for our sword by the way. After all, Mt. Arsus was known as the home of some legendary wizards and witches from the mummers’ tale like Ogar the Littlehand and Elsah the Purpletounge. And some bards even said there were dragons too. However those rumors probably just hoaxes, just like in the earth.
But I still tried to reserve my judgement on this, since I was new to this world and most of my knowledge come from Karl’s previous memories. However a part of me wished the rumor is true.
"Okay, but are ye sure? If we told ‘em we are the one who made her, we celd be famous and rich ye know? And the guilds certainly beg us to join ‘em"
"Yes, but that could bring unnecessary trouble for us. Just get the money, buy the items and back to Exton immediately. And by the way, both of you should also change your appearance and use another name while in the city” I saw Bob slightly disturbed so I continued “Uncle, I know you had lived in Trakken with your late wife for several years in the past, but please don’t contact anyone you know while you are there"
"Sigh - I understand Karl, Celd you tell me again what I need to buy?"
I nodded "Um, after you get the money, first, you need to buy…“ I continued to list all the seeds that we require for the next four year’s planting season. I also told him to buy a lot more iron ore and some other metal ores in Trakken’s trading port, since we need to make numerous other tools. And of course the most important thing was foodstuffs.
I knew it would certainly cost us a fortune to buy foodstuffs directly from the merchants. But I didn’t care, as long as we got real food in the in the near future.
Bob nodded "Okay, anythin’ else?"
"Do you know how much we need for an ox or maybe a horse, Uncle?"
"For an Ox probably around 1,500 to 2,000. However a horse is more expensive, it should be around 3,000 or 4,000. But what do ye need a horse for? If ye want a draft animal, isn’t it better to buy an ox?"
That might be true for now, since current horse harness –chariot harness-, used by people in Rohrkadia weren’t efficient for pulling heavy loads like plough. These harness tend to overexert the horse since it also constraint breathing passage of the horse.
But if we used more developed harnesses with horse collars on the horses, their performance would certainly be better than normal oxen with their yokes. Horses with collars had 50% more power than oxen and they also had greater endurance to pull a heavy loads.
“Just trust me on this Uncle, horse are better than ox for us… but if we don’t have enough coin -well, as long as you get all the seeds and foods, it is fine” I continued, ”Or perhaps, if we can't afford the horse or ox, just get a normal donkey then"
"It should be enough Karl! I believe the price should not below 200,000! Who knows how much coin those aristocrats ‘ave, with that we celd get couple of decent horses and still ‘ave enough strung to start yer plan"
"Yes, hopefully it is not below 200,000"
“How about slaves, Karl? Do we need ‘em? They’re cheaper than ox, ye know”
Oh yeah, how could I forget we could use slave instead of work with the field ourselves. It’s quite convenient actually. It’s like employees in earth but without minimum salary and health care.
We just had to treat them the way I treated my employees in earth and promised them freedom after certain period of time then we got ourselves some loyal freedmen/employees.
However purchasing a slave that was a convict, traitors or a prisoners of war was a big no-no.
Yes, most of them were strong and capable of defend the existence our venture, but they also might kill you while you are asleep. I knew some of them might be a capable worker and willing to be loyal but I don’t want to risk my life on it.
The one that could be turned into an asset for us, was the one that became a slave because of a debt -debt bondage- or maybe the one who was a slave from their birth –their parents are from Bidha Caste-. If we could make them depend their and their family’s life on us, most of them will surely become loyal even without their chains. Especially the young ones, while not working on the field, I could indoctri… I mean educate them and train them to be obedient soldiers to protect our venture.
“Hmmm, as long as we still have coins left you could buy some slaves Uncle” I said, “But only buy men that younger than twenty and they should be Bidha-debts or Bidha-borns”
“Got it! I will to Pateyk’s now”
As Bob started to walk, I called him again, “Uncle Bob, wait!”
Bob stopped on his step and looked at me with confused stare “What?”
“You should also get yourself a woman while you’re there Uncle, I don’t want you to die because of red balls” I said with a huge smirk as I raised my eyebrows three times.
Yes, you’ve heard it right. Apparently red balls was a slang similar to blue balls in Rohrkadia.
“Shut up Karl, what do ye know about woman anyway”
Probably more than you do Bob.
After that, Bob left Exton with Pateyk. They both wore hideous Ebs clothes that fairly similar with a coarse decayed linen. The sword itself was covered with hay so that later if they meet a bandit group, they would just leave the two of them alone since they are look too poor and assume that it doesn't worth the effort. Both of them would walk 2 days and only stop for sleep before the got into Trakken.
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Few minutes after Bob left, Yolanda and her daughter Natasha enter the house. Natasha was a little girl, seven years of age, who looked like a miniature of Yolanda, except her slightly squinty azure blue eyes that could captivate you for long time when you stare at them and paler blonde hair that shone when it was showered by the sunlight. One didn’t need to be an expert in divination to see Natasha would be a stunning beauty when she grows up. But for now, she just like those tiny doll that my granddaughter used to had in earth.
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"Hey Karl, Where is Bob?" asked Yolanda while she moved her head around trying to spot Bob.
"He just left a minute ago" I said.
Yolanda slightly frowned “Oh, Okay then”
She pull Natasha to her side “I also bring Natasha here"
"Kal…“ Natasha waved her hand and slowly walked towards my hay bed.
"Oh Hello Nat"
I recalled in Karl’s memories, he often play together with Natasha after her family moved to Exton. They are only a year apart after all. Karl used to call this little girl, Nat. But this girl however, called Karl as Kal. Apparently she couldn't spell 'r' really well when she was a little kid. Now she can, but already used to address Karl as Kal.
"Kal, are you okay?" Natasha said as she gripped my left arm.
Gods! She is so strong!
I ashamed with my weak body, even a little girl like her was stronger than me.
I was startled that this little angel was capable of displaying this much concern and affection for an old man like me. I felt my heart was touched - literally. I never thought that she would greatly concern about my well-being. I could only smile and said "I am fine Nat"
"Oh okay then, good bye!" Then she left the house humming happily as if nothing ever happened, leaving me and Yolanda alone in the house.
Well, at least she was worried at first
"So Karl, do you want me to make you some gruel? I still had the left over rye grains from last summer" Yolanda said to me and showed a small bag of rye grain in her hand.
No thanks, I am sick of rye gruel!
"You don't have to, Yolanda, I just need some sleep"
"Okay, I will boil some water for now"
While Yolanda put the bronze cauldron in the hearth to boil water, I started to feel drowsy and then fell asleep again.
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When I woke up, I felt every inch of my body still in pain. But at least it was better than the pain I had this morning.
I saw the sun already set and I heard both Yolanda and Natasha melodic breathing sound from the other side of the house. I saw both of them sleeping at Bob's hay bed. When I paid attention to them I realized even though they both really poor –in fact the poorest in Exton- but their appearance should be someone that descend from aristocratic family.
How could a healer’s widow from capital could be this stunning? I thought.
When they moved to Exton few years ago, just after the Red Swamps raid, nobody knew who they really are and where did they come from. Yolanda and her husband only said they are from Markadia City but then exiled to Exton. Few months later, Yolanda’s husband died from unknown disease. Their family didn’t bring any wealth or foods from the city, so practically when the pillar of the family died, Yolanda and Natasha had to live in extreme poverty. Thankfully Chief Wilmot gave them protection and few bags of rye every year. There were also few extra foods given to them every time Yolanda treated some villager that got sick. This helped her and her daughter survive for several years.
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The hearth at the center of the house was also already lighted, probably by Yolanda.
I stood up and opened the small window next to my hay bed. I could see the green moon shone brightly in the sky. How long had it been when I arrived in this planet? 10 or 11 days? Oh right, 11 days. First couple of days were hard. I never get used to perform my morning ritual in a bucket or even in the street like every other kids in this village.
I sick of rye porridge every day. Thankfully I still had the dried berries that I had eleven days ago. I also occasionally found other wild edibles like wild cucumbers or asparagus or mushrooms in Ramswood. I still couldn't train properly since there was not enough proteins and other nutrition to build muscle mass for my body.
Meanwhile in flexibility training, I progressed really fast. This body was naturally flexible. At first day of my flexibility training a few days ago when Bob was busy polishing the blade, I could easily move each of my limbs and my body in a way that I could not even believe in the first day of training. And since Karl was right handed while me as Carl Sanders had used my left hand as my primary hand, now I became ambidextrous which mean I could use both of my hand pretty well.
I could write –using alphabet, since I didn't know any letters used in Rohrkadia- with both of my hands. I really tempted to learn swordsmanship and archery with both of my hands but that’s for another time after I finished build a proper muscles in this scrawny body.
It probably around midnight already, since there were no activity in the village. So I decided to continue my sleep.
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Exton, 28th Late Winter Markadia Calendar
Four days resting in my hay bed and that devious blanket, I felt somehow refreshed. The pains were gone and I could move normally just like before I had stung by that goddam bee.
Hmm... Maybe I should take over that bee's colony and make an apiary
That would made me another good source of profits. It could also count as vengeance from me to that bee. The honey could be processed further into mead and the beeswax could be used as candles.
That’s brilliant idea! How could I not think of this before?
This house’s backyard probably could fit eight or ten hives.
I was not worried about the availability of the bee's food and water source if I made apiary in this house backyard. However a problem might arise from our neighbor. In this village, the distance between each house were quite large but still, if they suddenly saw a colony of honeybees lurking around this area searching for food, The people would mostly freaked out.
I needed to talk with Bob first and maybe Pateyk since he was the only one in this village who are quite skilled like the real carpenter in a town. Bob previously said that Pateyk once live in a Etherton -a relatively small town in Eastern Paloph State- working as a helper of a certified carpenter. He was quite skilled but not good enough to enter the carpenter’s guild.
After he failed numerous times trying to be the apprentice of that carpenter, he went home to Exton and live here with his wife working as self-proclaimed carpenter. Many people who heard about Pateyk tale in Etherton pitied him and called him Pateyk the Carpenter to cheer the depressed Pateyk.
Bob who also a man who failed to become member of a guild, felt Pateyk’s fate was similar like him. They become best buddy since then.
Another thing that concern me the most was this village skilled workers only consisted of two people -Bob and Pateyk- while others were farmers. There was not even a real doctor or healer here. The villager only depend on Yolanda, but she probably didn't understand a thing about medical knowledge. If someone sick, she just rambling things randomly again. Like she did to me a few days ago.
However, my late wife, Helen, was a general practitioners for most of her life and I had read a great deals of her medical books. I still could recall some of its contents. I had also been through basic medical training in the army. Even though my knowledge was miniscule and still far away from sufficient to be called a doctor or even a trainee but it was still better than nothing.
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After I washed my face, I went inside the house and saw Natasha already woke up. But I hadn't seen Yolanda.
"Good Morning Nat, Where is your mother?"
"Oh… Good Morning Kal" said Natasha after she yawned and wiped the drool in her cheeks. "She just left a minute ago, to Grandma Ellen’s house, mother said she get paid to feed the babies"
"You mean the orphans in Ellen’s house?" I asked. It was after all the only baby in this entire village. There were only around thirty household in Exton and every villager know each other fairly well.
"Yes, the twins are Grandma Ellen’s granddaughters" She nodded but then I saw her expression slightly dejected.
I didn't know why she seemed dejected. Tried to change the topic I said, "Well, so what are you going to do today?"
"I don't know, just sleep or play near the river I guess" she said as she lower her head.
"What? NO!" I walked to her and placed both of my hand at her shoulder. I looked at her with a stern face "Nat, you can't play near that river again, okay?"
She blinked her eyes a few times and stuttered "Wh... Why?"
As I kept looking at her "It just… Just promise me okay?"
She was confused but after I tightened my grip on her shoulder she finally nodded "Okay… But… I am bored!"
"Why didn't you go to Ellen’s house with your mother then?"
She said "Mother forbid me to go there again…" then stop.
It was weird for a mother left her only daughter alone in someone's house. I felt she must had done something.
"Because?" I looked at the pair of azure blue eyes that she had.
Her doll like face turned red and she started to stutter again "It… I… I just… hug… babies one time! Okay! But mother said I almost choked them to death!"
No wonder…
She should be separated from children and babies from now on since her strength was otherworldly. I mean, come on, she should be only about 30 to 32 lbs. tops! Even I probably around 33 to 35 lbs. myself. But her grip strength alone should be around a hundred lbs. which was the average of normal male adult.
When I saw her dejected expression in her little face, it reminded me of my granddaughter in earth, I would feel terrible if I left her alone at the house today. "Sigh… Do you want to come with me?"
Her expression changed immediately as if she just got a jackpot. She nodded "Uh huh, but where to?"
"To search for bee hives!"
An hour later.
"AAAAHHHH! Help Kal! Help!" Natasha run as fast as she could as hundreds of bees buzzing right behind her.
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