The Claiming: Book Three of The Circle of Ceridwen Saga by Randolph Octavia

Author:Randolph, Octavia [Randolph, Octavia]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Pyewacket Press
Published: 2012-09-25T16:00:00+00:00

By late afternoon we walked back to the narrow road where we had camped the night before. One of the young Pomerani women who had helped me bathe was sitting outside her hut, pottery jars ranged about her on the bench. She smiled when she saw me, and waved me over. We came within her pounded clay enclosure and she pulled a wood top off one of the pots. Something dark glistened within, and the fragrance rising to my nose told me it was honey. She gestured that I dip my finger in for a taste, and I did. I smiled with the goodness of it, thinking of its sweetness paired with the hot loaves we had bought. But I shook my head at her. Honey was dear, and for those who had already all they needed, and could buy also those things they wanted.

There was an old fire-ring at our camp site, and I rolled the stones closer for our small pot as the men brought dry wood from the trees behind us. The honey-woman let me fill the pot at her water barrel, and soon we had a browis of barley meal, cabbage, carrots, onion, and fowl bubbling away. It did not take much to tidy up our small camp after this, and there was still much light in the sky when Sidroc turned to me. I knew his voice was low because he did not wish the Saxon to hear, but his tone was also mild.

“I do not like to leave you alone, even for a moment, but I want to try my hand with those merchants. I am taking the Saxon with me, but I will not be gone long. I want you to stay with the honey-women until I return.”

I could not stay alone on the narrow road, it was true. The whole time we had been at the trading post no one had troubled us, but I was always with two men, one of whom was heavily armed and very tall.

I nodded my head and we made our way down the road. The honey-woman had taken in her wares for the night, but her door was open and she came out when she saw us. I went to stand by her and waved to the men as they walked away. She looked puzzled until Sidroc made a drinking motion with his fist, and then she began to laugh and nodded her head.

I had brought her three of the eggs we had got from the fowl-seller’s, and she accepted these gratefully. Her sister joined us, and the man poked his head out of the hut to look and then ducked back in again. It was wearing not to be able to speak to them, but after a while the two women and I found that much could be said with hands and faces. Their speech was pleasant to the ear, not so musical as that of the Idrisids, but with a light, clipped sound that with their frequent laughter made me think of nesting birds.

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