The Sire Sheaf by Russ L. Howard

Author:Russ L. Howard
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2017-12-12T16:00:00+00:00

“Yoo Hoo! Yoo Hoo! Meny!” Taneshewa called outside Mendaho’s tipi. “Are you in there?”

“I’m here, Ahy, come in.”

As she entered, Meny looked up from the clutter of books on her floor. “I was just studying the books Shining Moon sent to me on the early history of the Hyrwardi. One is called ‘The Bok of the Longfathers’ and the other is ‘The Ystery of Herewardi Women.’ Come sit anywhere and I’ll make us some stick bread and maitake tea to drink, while you read them and ask me questions.”

Mendaho busied herself by putting some grindings of cascara seeds and roasted myrtle seeds mixed with some shavings of sassafras root to which she added maitake mushrooms into the iron pot hanging over a slow fire, while Taneshewa eased down on a buffalo hide. Meny got some dough out of a large crock, plucked off the juniper berries used to leaven it and wrapped it around a couple of bread sticks.

Taneshewa handled the curious leather bound books showing wear and lots of use. She ran her fingers over the warm golden letters, which seemed almost to be on fire.

Meny resumed her seat, a familiar look of anticipation on her face. Above all she loved to lecture about the things she discovered in books and scrolls.

Taneshewa decided to indulge her. “So what does ‘The Bok of Longfathers’ have to say?” she asked.

Meny’s eyes brightened. “Oh, according to the skalds who put it to paper, it’s about the early days of the Hyrwardi or Herewardi as they say. It seems they started out as a wealthy educated class of people, living free in an enclave at a place called the Firginias. The earth changes had recently brought about the collapse of the Evil Generation.”

“The Firginias, isn’t that where the sun comes from? I thought that was the land of the Hick—ory—ans?”

“Very good. You were paying attention. Though, the Hickoryans have spread out in all directions to escape the oppression the Pitter Empire has imposed upon them just as we have.” “How did the Hyrwardi get all the way out here in the land where the sun sets?”

“There was a battle called Big Springs in which all the Hyrwardi men above age five were slain, including their king, Os. The remaining Hyrwardi had to flee to the West.”

Ahy was astounded. “But wouldn’t killing children bring down the wrath of the Thunder Beings?”

“The Pitters have their own god that protects them. His name is Angrar. Their god said that they must slaughter the Hyrwardi or else someday suffer being wiped out by them. Their god also taught them a new way to sacrifice King Os and the Hyrwardi, for their god, Angrar, wanted possession of the Big Springs, a place most holy to him.”

Meny thumbed through the book and found an illustration portraying the dismemberment of Os.

“By Tah-Man-Ea, they carved him into pieces like some sort of sacrificial animal.”

Meny nodded, “And that’s exactly what they will one day do to us, if we fail to defeat them.

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