Childs Play

I liked to watch Lei and Also by the stream talking.

They could be just building something by the shore, or I have seen Also write words on the soft shore line showing Lei. I knew a few words, not many, not enough to say I could read and write. I picked some up out of years of being read to. I knew how to write my name. Vivica. My old name. My first birth name. I knew how to write Little Red. For Blushes showed me how to stitch it on my personal items. When Big Red would accuse me of taking her scarf or shawl I could just show it was MINE. Big Red could read, and would then tell Father Blush's was teaching me things I didn't need to know. I remember the first time she told Father that, and didn't tell Father what the "Didn't need to know" things consisted of, Father assumed the worse and Blush's got lashed with a Kurt. I remember crying in my room after I tore every page from Big Red's Journal, climbed the stone fence and let the breeze scatter her words across the fields. She was livid, and screamed the whole time at slaves, that were trying to help her pick them up after I had walked to my room to let all my emotions be released. I soaked my pillow and for a moment thought I would just drown in salted waters and vulo feathers. It was the only time ever Big Red got the switch which was so normal to me and Von. Not for him having to whip his slave, his love slave, the one who raised his children when Mother died, but because Big Red didn't tell him the whole truth. He was feeling bad he let his anger fly and his daughter to sway his better judgement. He told her, she would make a better head Mistress of the hall, to never tell half truths. Her people will respect her and her companion trust her.

I say he should have beat Big Red just cause she was selfish and didn't want me to learn how to read like her. Which was fine, cause though she was sore, Blush's was there that night to bring me dinner when I refused to come to the table, and brush my hair back with her fingers as she read me another tale from some far away land.

So yes, just watching Also write something in the sand brought back so many memories. They have been flooding me lately. Not sure...why now, but they have. Maybe cause I was feeling so many things at once, I wasn't sure which feeling to sort out first. The new ones or the old ones. For now, I would just find that happy point and work from there.

Leaving leathers to dry, I started towards the children. I thought I was all bright and wrote a series of amazing words in the sand also. Of course they were amazing to me! Lei was nice enough to look like she was impressed as I think I saw a smudge smile form to Also's lips as he told me good job, and read each of what I wrote.

Love
War
Devotion
Happiness
Wonder
Bright
Longing
Sad
Fear
Victory
The End

I knew a few more, but didn't want to get overly haughty. I told the children about a game me and Von use to play as children. We had leather thongs that we used to swirl and toss pebbles up over the stone fence we had. Sometimes we would fling semi dried mud balls, in the cold, snow balls, in the dry season, spoiled nut shells from trees, fallen redfruit, even vulo eggs, though it was very naughty to waste them, but get a spoiled one that never hatched...perfect little bomb to tag someone with! I told them how we would get the eggs to see how quick we were. One would pace the fence back and forth on top like a target, and the other would be in a distance and try to hit the other person off the fence. Of course they seemed to ask why.....why not? it was fun! I laughed and told them to wait a few ehn's, I would be right back. I ran towards the wagons to pull out the basket of scrap leather I had for patches, taking three long strips, that would work, I grabbed a bucket also. I ran back to the children, just excited! Oh it was like a bit of home brought back to me. I wasn't sure if it would be considered a weapon of sorts or such, so I was careful not to place anything in my sling, but show them how they could be twirled almost like the bola's I have noticed in these parts of the land the Warriors used. Except one didn't release the leather, they would flick the wrist enough to send the object balanced in the middle of the center of it, send it flying out across the land. I looked around for a good target. I told them to pick a wagon canvas that was easy to see. I showed them a few times, with small pebbles how to balance them in the center while twirling. Then when to release to send it flying! They asked a million questions, that mostly made me giggle. The last thing I gave them once I saw they had mastered the basic's were, the bucket I brought with me.

They looked in the bucket and saw what really now made them both giggle too. Even Also, who would clear his throat to cease the young child's giggle to a forced chuckle that made me and Lei both fall into another fit of amusement, and Also would just smile. I had used some dyes left over from dying leathers and colored dozen's of what use to be creamy bone colored Urt Skulls into red and black. I told them to thank Yaz for the nice supply. Handing them the bucket, I said to have fun, I had leathers to fold, I wished to do it with them, but to know they would enjoy it, I could handle also. I smiled all day thinking of the flinging of colored Skulls all over camp.