Everyday makes me feel a bit more alive. Another breath drawn to tell me, that I shall find comfort in the path I am walking soon. Its lifted stones that make my feet hurt as I try to avoid them with uncertainty is starting to spill to knowing to step flat on the smooth surface instead of catching the sides makes motions a lot more pleasing. Even if I am feeling ugly.
Perhaps that ass beating knocked a bit more sense into me. Or it just reminded me, that ouch, duck dumbass next time. Right now, I was feeling a little shame over the stains of dark colors that speckled my skin making more of a bold statement then the freckles that would even challenge the stars in numbers across my flesh. Each bruised blotch had a few scratched lines here and there with them. I was embarrassed to have people look at me. I took a long bit of rope I found, tying knots in it. From the spaces between the knots I started to work the straps of the bota's there after the line of empty bota's was tossed out into the stream, and I watched it bobble just a bit, until they started to sink half way as the water filled the depths. I found when I wrapped the cord of the rope's end coiled around my ankle...I enjoyed the feel. I felt myself blush at the flash of chains, that perhaps were the gift Catch told me about. She was very wise. I felt captured there, and it was a safe feeling. Now I feel at odds with the world and only finding a wagon to run back to, a little hint of lonely need for Catch to finish her chores and return in the evenings. Then it was a beating heart of dance to watch the flaps of the wagon to see if He would return. If I didn't have Catch who gave me a hand of guidance, I think I would have lost my will to continue. These were all...new and scary thoughts as I watched the rise and fall of each ripple of waves slap around the bota's, and make the bind of rope tighter. So wonderfully so. In the water, the bells muffled their chimes. I had a loose weave basket with me, with some more leathers. I was going to dip them in the water and let any look stain drift away before I started to work on this batch of leather that Catch's friend, Dee was nice enough to leave for me once more. I had asked, for I wanted to learn how to work swiftly with my stitching in the thicker more durable material. Every time I moved a bit, I felt the rub of rope circle my moist ankle and it caused the pleasurable feel of tingles that seemed to work its way up my thighs, between them at the folds of meeting before a nice dance across my spine.
I was leaning down looking for a few smoothed edge stones to place against my upper cheeks to try to soothe the burned throb of burning that was there form the bruises. A voice cut the thick wall of self thoughts with a slight bit of startle to me. I looked over and there was a Mistress there, I think I was a bit thrown off with a sudden thought of Her just materializing before me with baskets in hand, and braided hair moving slightly with the breeze. Perhaps like the story of the Mamba man with great powers that would form together like the clouds to haunt daring Freewomen thinking of running to the Schendi forest to disobey Fathers. He would show visions of horrid deaths, and scars of mutation that would make her not even worthy to keep around. Moral of that story was, there is a reason rules and ways are set. To be obeyed for our greater good even if we don't fully understand them. Interesting...a bit like slavery. Obey. Obey. Obey. I felt the Mistress looking at me, when I dropped the stone suddenly and tried to cloak the thick of red along my features as they spilled across my shoulders and the lifted shift of ebony I was wearing.
The Mistress was kind. Speaking to me. I was feeling unsure when She touched my face gently and talked of art and decoration. It was hard for me to see art, when I saw shame and anger. Fear and sorrow. She made it sound beautiful. We spoke of my thoughts and how I could win next time. To think before I attack. To learn, power in knowledge. I liked Her voice as She spoke. She had a warm scent of fresh cut grass and the cool scent of plains flowers in the mist of streams breeze. It was a refreshing aroma to Her as She talked to me. She allowed me to help Her wash as I was letting the bota's dangle. She asked me about the leathers, I was wrong with my story,but it was a good story to me! The leathers belonged to a drummer. I was puzzled about drumming. She explained it to me. We tended to have more wind bound instruments in the North. Flutes that lifted in the air to hand held Kaska were common. There was a huge leather bound drum on ships to keep paces of rowers. She told me to drummers being powerful enough to send messages all the way across the wagons. I was amazed at the thought. Would it be like a blacksmith at a forge hitting steel forming long heavy but thin bladed swords? I was curious to see. She taught me to see, beyond my basic sight. I was astonished to learn, this other level of life from looking at basic leather. She showed me the worked creases of the leathers that told me of His drums. How the edge would sit on the same spot as He played. I couldn't wait to see the depths of the other leathers. I would get a chance, when She gave me a task. Me...a task! I was thrilled! So far Catch had been my guiding light in the darkness of my life. The Mistress went to the wagons, and I finished filling up the bota's. Mistress had explained what the wagons would look like. Carrying the bota's back to the wagons, I did some looking around. The outside of His wagon, was, dark. The picture would have been scary, if I hadn't seen blood of battles my whole life. My Father wasn't just a Farmer, He loved the battles at sea. Raids, and wilds of men. We got more Bonds that way. Cheaper to pull the plows then making the bosk suffer.
I was scared walking in the wagons. The three Masters wagons I was given the task of. I was scared. I would look around each quickly while I filled a basket with leathers, tunics and wool loin cloths, socks, and put boots right on top. I did each wagon separate. Wagon one, was Master Pacu's. I took His clothing I collected from the fur carpets and washed them by the stream. I looked over His leathers, to see if anything would give me a tell tale sign of His clan. I could smell the hint of strong sleen at the bottoms of them. Perhaps he was a tracker of some sort. There were small hints of dyed feathers on His sleeves from arrows. That and the smudges at the end of tunic hems from replacing them and dye going on His finger tips He would wipe off with the mixture of glue. I had to soak those with a scrub of rep cloth to get the glue out of the weave and dye from the surface. A hunter of sorts maybe. I don't know. I was just learning about the Clans around here. I carried His back and hung them on drying racks. Next I went to the wagon of the Drummer, Master Tao. Collecting the clothing, and placing a pair of boots on the top. Now the boots were a bit harder to clean. I used a stick of dried stream reed to work out the lowered ridges of the bottom of the boots. Dirt, rocks, and dung. Then it was cleaning the leather, and working the leather lacings. I would rub oil into them, and a bit of hued bosk grease to polish up the surface. Once number two was done, I walked the wet clothing and finished boots, I would fold the clothing that was dried, and rubbing oil on my palms I worked it into the leather pants to keep them soft and flexible. Placing all the clothing on top of a trunk for I didn't know where to put it away at, as I didn't want to go searching through His wagon. It could use a woman's touch in cleaning and adding a bit of...flare. I went out to hang up Master Tao's clothing on the drying racks, setting his boots against entrance of the wagon to let the grease set. Wagon number three. Master Pei's. Doing the same process, His leathers were about the same as Master Pacu. Different color stains and the sleen smell was a bit sharper.
I saw this Master walking across the stream when I remembered...the other task. Odin help me. How was I going to finish that one?
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