Tremeda is a drunk. I wonder what she was like as a child, has she always had no future? What would she be like if she didn't drink all that barma? Would she be a good mother? I suppose I just feel sorry for her and want her to have the chance for redemption.
--
Tremeda, sleep weary, head throbbing with pain, stumbled from her urine stained furs. Staggering across the rubbish strewn floor, she headed for the skin of barma.
Finding it empty she shuffled over to her mate. "LLaramar" she slurred, "is there any more barma?"
Laramar did not respond. Tremeda pushed him with her foot, "Laramar will you tell me where the barma is, I need a drink".
Laramar still did not answer. Tremeda bent down ready to slap him, "Laramar" she shouted pulling his body to her. It was extremely cold and his lips were blue. "Arhhhhhh" she screamed, running out of the shelter she shouted "Zelendoni, there is something wrong with Laramar".
Slumping down on the cave floor she started to cry, "if Laramar is dead", she muttered to herself, "where will I get my barma?"
Ignoring the woman on the floor, Zelendoni rushed into Tremeda's home.
Turning her head towards the commotions, Ayla gracefully got up and hurried after. Running into the shelter she saw Laramar still in his furs, Zelendoni kneeling next to him. Crouching down beside her, she looked towards the man.
"He's not breathing" the holy woman enlightened her.
Ayla looked closely at his chest, "no, he's not" she agreed. Bending down she listened to his chest, "his heart has stopped, he is dead" she simply stated.
Zelendoni felt tears in her eyes, she hadn't liked him, that was true, but she could still remember him as a child, running around healthily, always causing mischief and merriment to everyone. It was a sad end. "But how?" she asked "why is he dead?"
"I don't know I will have to examine him closer" she told her.
Ayla began her scrutiny. His legs were bloated and so was his stomach but the rest of him was incredible wasted like he was starving. There were spider - like blood vessels showing all over his skin as well as bruises and scratch marks. Ayla looked at his nails; they were ragged with bits of skin under them from scratching himself. Most startling of all his skin had a yellow hue about it. She felt his abdomen, to the right side of his stomach, "feel this Zelendoni", she instructed the holy woman, "it is enlarge."
Zelendoni put her hand where Ayla had told her, she looked at Ayla quizzically.
"When I went to the clan gathering", she explained, "there was an old man who had died; he had similar symptoms as Laramar. When we got back to the cave I asked Iza about why the man had died. She thought for a few minutes, as she recovered generations of memories and then told me that it was caused by eating or drinking something for a long time that poisoned the body." Ayla looked around, seeing the barma skin, she understood, "it was the barma, it killed him."
--
Ayla and Zelendoni walked out of the dwelling, sighing deeply, the holy woman walked towards Tremeda. After quickly looking at Jondalar and shaking her head, Ayla followed her.
"I'm sorry Tremeda" she heard Zelendoni "there was nothing we could do, your mate is dead"
Tremeda looked around her in dismay, many were looking away from her either in sadness or embarrassment, she did not know but they would not meet her eye. Looking at the floor she whimpered "what killed him?"
Ayla forced Tremeda to look at her, "barma took his life and it will take your too."
There were many gasps from around the cave.
"Then mother, you will have to stop drinking it, won't you?" said a new voice.
"Lanoga," Ayla was shocked that the girl had managed to walk up to them without realising she was there.
"Ayla, my 'darling' mother has got to stop drinking that muck, in fact if it can kill someone, it shouldn't be allowed, it should be banned" she declared.
Zelendoni looked deeply at the girl, 'such insightfulness in one so young' she thought. "You're right," she suddenly decided, "Tremeda will not drink it again, and yes, no one else will either, it is banned."
She looked expectantly over to Johorran, he nodded, "so be it" he said.
--
'You can tell I am not overly fond of alcohol can't you? I am sorry to those of you who like it but it tastes disgusting and well...oh never mind, I will try not to preach.'
Tremeda looked in confusion at Johorran, Ayla, Zelendoni and her own daughter. "Wwhat?" she shook her head to clear it, suddenly she understood what they were saying, "You are not taking my barma away from me" she screamed in the holy woman's face. "You can't do that to me, I need it" she cried to herself "I need it."
Johorran walked over, "I'm sorry Tremeda, the ban stands." Turning to look at the two older women, he asked"she is going to suffer isn't she?"
"Yes" Ayla said "but we will help her through it."
--
Later on Tremeda found herself at Zelendoni's hearth. "You are going to live here until you are free of barma cravings." She had been told.
Shaking her head, Tremeda got up to leave, "where are you going?" said a voice, and a pair of male arms grabbed her and made her sit down "Ayla told me to not let you leave."
She looked at him in astonishment, and then stood up again, ready to force her way past the young man Galiban. But he yet again barred her way.
"Who do you think you are?" she yelled at him, "let me past."
"You will stay here" she was informed, "now sit down."
"I don't think so" she yelled at him and ran at him.
Galiban sighed, "Ayla, Zelendoni, can you come here, she won't behave" he shouted.
Zelendoni, who had been sorting out Laramar's burial, came over with Jondalar, Johorran and Willamar. "We're going to have to try her down" she groaned. "I'm sorry Tremeda, but it is for your own good."
Tremeda notices the men were carrying leather straps. "We apologise" Jondalar told her as they pushed her on a platform and tied her up.
"Let me go" she sobbed pitifully, but the men went away shaking their heads in sorrow.
"Okay Tremeda" Zelendoni told her, "we're just waiting for Ayla, ah here she is."
Ayla walked into the shelter and put a bowl on a shelf. She sighed at the sight of the woman tied down, she hated the thought that she could hurt anyone but it had to be done.
Wearily, she looked at Zelendoni. "When I asked Iza the treatment for someone with the symptoms the old man had had, that Laramar had, she told me it was important to catch someone before they got that bad," she turned to Tremeda, "we can help you, you haven't reach a point of no return."
"Anyway, she told me that the important thing was to wean the patient of the substance, like a mother weans a baby of milk. She told me of two plants to use together that will help; they are ground up flowers of benzoin and kava kava root. And the patient is slowly given smaller and smaller doses until they are clean of the poison."
"Have you got those plants" enquired the holy woman.
"Yes," Ayla nodded, "and I have already prepared some," picking up the bowl she had walked in with.
She looked back at their patient, "it is going to be hard for you" she told her, "you could get headache, feel sick, feel incredible happy one minute and then sad the next, you could feel nervous and jumpy, as well at feeling tired, not being able to think straight, tremors, sweating, and might even have bad dreams."
"What's the point if it is going to be that hard" sneered Tremeda.
"Because it is better than the alternative" Ayla stared at the woman sternly, "hallucinations, convulsions, problems with the heart, death and loads more."
Tremeda gulped in fear and nodded her head in agreement; she would let the treatment go ahead.
--
The plants Ayla uses to wean Tremeda of her barma addiction is the plants used to make medicine that doctors now use to cure cirrhosis of the liver. I Looked it up on the internet.
Meanwhile, Johorran and Marthona were discussing the upcoming burial.
"I have seen in that hearth," Marthona was saying, "all the clothes in there are not suitable for rags, never mind ceremonial clothing."
Johorran groaned "I hadn't thought about that" he thought for a moment, "I could donate one of my outfits."
"That would be very generous of you Johorran" Zelendoni had joined them, "but burial clothes are supposed to be special, made especially for the wearer, with his elan, his abelan, and the Zelandonii abelan on it."
"So what do we do" Marthona asked "we can't get an outfit made up for him quick enough."
"H,uhhh" they all looked around at the sound of someone clearing their thought.
"Maybe I can help" it was Elidar, the ceremonial and burial clothing maker, "I actually made Laramar an outfit a long time ago, but he never paid for it, he was too busy drinking barma and having fun to live up to his obligations" he paused for a moment to catch his breathe, "anyway, when I heard of his death I looked through my things, I was sure I still had it, and here it is."
He handed Zelendoni a package, which she opened to reveal a beautiful tunic, leggings and boots.
"With these he will be recognised in the after world," looking up at Elidar she said "you must be paid for these."
"I don't want payment" he told them, "the care Ayla has given me this past winter for my sore joints has been enough."
Zelendoni smiled at the old man and nodded her agreement.
The old man satisfied hobbled away.
"Now the next problem is that Laramar's body can't be taken to my hearth, Tremeda is already there" the donier continued, "and we can't use his shelter, it is too filthy."
"What about the spare shelter" Johorran suggested, "could you not bless it for this use."
The holy woman thought for a minute, "yes, I think that will work, and I will also sprinkle it with powdered red ochre, I will go prepare it now," looking at Marthona, "could you sort out the people for the ritual cleansing and bring the body over when the sun sets? She asked.
"Of course, Zelendoni" came the answer.
Zelendoni stood in her temporary shelter, the floor covered in red powder and the space blessed and protected from wandering spirits, she looked to the mouth of the cave, it was time, the sun was setting. Turning round she heard the footsteps of the women carrying Laramar's body, seeing them as they walked into the hearth, she realised it was Marthona, Lanoga, Folara and two other woman.
Indicating a limestone platform with an ochre stained grass mat on top of it, she told them "put him there"
"This will be fun" she grimly smiled at them as they started to remove his clothes.
They quickly notices little mites moving all over his soiled body, "errr" screamed Folara as one crawled on her hand.
Marthona looked at her both sternly but sympathetically "I know this is hard, but we need to get on" she told her.
Nodding, and gulping down the burning sensation in her throat, Folara continued her work.
"This is worse that I thought" the donier said, "Marthona, can you see if anyone has saved any stale urine so we can kill these things?"
Marthona nodded and rushed out of the shelter. Soon she was back, with a big bowl of fowl smelling liquid, and another bowl that Ayla had given her, "its like soap root but better" she explained.
Soon they had got Laramar looking a lot more respectable, and had dressed him in his new ceremonial clothing, along with donated jewellery made of shells and animal teeth. The donier put the tools of his trade by the side of him; the barma skin, it was a fitting sign.
Lastly he was covered over by the mat which were secured by straps, he was ready.
Taking the straps they carried him out of the cave to the burial place that had been prepared, "everything in this shelter will have to be burned, as much for the vermin and filth that Laramar had as to keep the spirits as bay." Zelendoni told Jondalar who had been waiting outside for them, he nodded and went back to complete this task.
A temporary shelter had been placed over Laramar's body which Zelendoni entered.
All through the events of the day, the donier had been meditating, this was no ordinary burial, this was a man whose existence had been blighted and eventually destroyed by the work of his life. Would she be able to find his life-force or had it been destroyed by the evil spirit of barma. She knew she would have to go into a trance to contact whatever was left of his tattered spirit, and send it to the mother.
Sitting down, she closed his eyes, "Great Mother, guide your servant in this task" she asked.
Dizzily, she realised that she was in the spirit world, looking around she called his name, "Laramar" it echoed around the sacred place, and then she saw him, his spirit was stumbling, but it was the boy she had known.
"Laramar" she said again, smiling, "it is time for you to move on."
Smiling at her, he nodded and moved towards a bright curtain of light, waving in front of it, he turned around and was gone.
With a tear in her eye, she came to, standing up smoothly that belied the size of this great woman she left the shelter. Smiling at the crowd waiting nervously, she smiled at them and her whole face lit up with a beauty that only came from a pure heart, "he is with the Mother now," she simply said "you may lower him into his grave and fill it up."
Johorran nodded and the grave diggers moved forward and did this.
Afterwards, everyone washed in the river using soap root, it was dark but as they stood in the water, they started to splash each other and generally play. Grinning, Jondalar put his finger to his lips in a shush sign and diving under the water swam to Folara's legs and tugged them. For a moment she floundered frightened but when she realised that it was her sibling, she splashed him and laughing promised "I will get you for that, Jondalar."
After there wash and play, they had a celebration feast which continued their light mood, which followed a dark day. It was in honour of Laramar because there was much to celebrate, after all he was now with Her.
And they drank no barma.
Tremeda struggled against her bindings. All she could think about was the glorious taste of barma, and how it dulled her mind, and boy did she need her head dulling. She had thought too much, about Laramar, about barma, and mostly about those hyenas, Zelendoni and Ayla, oh how she would like to punch those smiles off their faces with all their pleasantries and "we're trying to help you" junk, she would love to grab their hair and spin them by it around the cave, like that Ayla spun that stupid sling of hers. With thoughts like that and worse about what she would do to her daughter, she fell asleep.
Dream sequence
The skin of barma was there on the shelf, and Laramar was smiling at her, "come on, have a drink" he told her. Putting out an arm in yearning she reached for the delightful object but Ayla grabbed it before she could get there, and waving it in the air, taunted her. "You can't have it, you can't have it" the Ayla sang. Screaming in frustration, she grabbed for the skin but it faded away, turning around she saw Ayla again, with that animal Wolf, she was stroking him, I have my wonderful animal, Jondalar, his family, so much happiness, I've got what I want" the dream Ayla looked at her, "and I've got your barma," she said gulping it down, "arhh" she sighed "that tastes so good, don't you think it tastes nice, do you want some, ha ha ha ha ha, you can't have it, you can't have it" she sang again. Throwing the skin on the floor she skipped off, Tremeda rushed to the downed object, and put it to her mouth but there was not a single drop left. In anger she looked at the skipping Ayla, who turned into a massive, gigantic skin overflowing with barma, Tremeda ran to it, but it kept on skipping, just like Ayla, "you can't have me, you can't have me" it sang, dancing before her eyes but always out of reach.
Dream sequence ends.
Tremeda woke up with a lurch, her mouth dryer than ever, with that song playing over and over in her head, "ha ha ha ha ha, you can't have it, you can't have it."
--
Marthona was busy, she was making her wine, everyone loved her wine, everyone told her it was wonderful, she smirked, she had a brilliant skill, she knew.
"Marthona," a voice spoke.
She looked around, it was Lalona, "hello, is something wrong" she asked her.
Lalona looked at the floor, "well, I was just wondering about this barma ban."
Marthona sighed, "what about it," she asked, "you know it is poison don't you? Ayla said it killed Laramar."
"Yes but…."
"No buts" she told the woman sternly, "look I know you didn't drink it often, but it has been decided, that poison is banned. Now if you don't mind, I must get back to making my wine, you know everyone adores it."
Lalona nodded her head and left.
Tremeda had a headache, in fact it was more than a headache, it was like a volcano in her head, seeking release it pushed against her skull, dragging her to a place of excruciating pain, "hhhh" she moaned, holding her head, she also felt sick, in fact, she thought I am going to throw up, frantically looking around her she realised it was too late, and holding her head to one side, was sick all over her already dirty matted hair.
Ayla rushed in, and realised what had happened, "I'm so sorry" she said, "I should have realised", calling behind her, she shouted, "Zelendoni, Johorran, can you help."
Johorran walked into the hearth, and gagged at the site of the hair, he had always had a weak stomach in regard to someone being sick.
Zelendoni striding in took in the scene and looked at Tremeda with sympathy, "let's get you cleaned up" looking around at Johorran she said "can you work out some sort of seat where she can sit up but still be tied down?"
He nodded, and left, glad to be away from the stomach-churning scene.
Turning back to Tremeda, she noted how pale she was, "okay, we will get you sorted" she told her.
Soon Tremeda was much improved; she was tired, but felt better than she had for sometime, at least in the clean stakes.
Someone scratched on the leather surround, hearing this, Zelendoni bid them entry, and Johorran along with Jondalar carried in a strange contraption. It was like Zelendoni's stool but a back had been strapped to it, it would do.
Helping the shaking Tremeda up, Ayla walked her to the seat, and she was tied to it. She put a bowl on her lap, smiling at her, she said "in case you are sick again."
Zelendoni looked at their patient, she was still pale, "you must eat, Tremeda" she told her, "I will have someone bring in some soup."
Johorran touched the holy woman's hand, "I will get Folara to bring some in" he told her.
Turning to Ayla, she asked "how has she been?"
Looking at their patient with sympathy but a little amusement, she told the denier "grumpy."
Nodding, she looked at Tremeda.
"My hands keep shaking, I try to control them, but it just moves up my arms" she sobbed, "what is happening to me?"
She wasn't answered, because at that moment, Folara walked in the shelter, with a bowl of steaming soup, "arhh lovely" Zelendoni thanked her, and gave the bowl to Ayla, "can you feed her" she asked, "I have some things to do."
Ayla took the bowl, "I know you have had a loss of appetite, but I want you to try to eat as much of this as you can" she told Tremeda, and picking up the spoon she brought it to the patient's mouth.
Opening her dry lips, Tremeda swallowed the soup. She only managed a small amount of the food but Ayla nodded in acquiesce. Looking at the woman, she said "I won't lie, and say we now what exactly is happening to you, but I believe that the tremors you have been having, and all the other symptoms, are your body's way of getting rid of the poison." Reaching out and gripping her hand she looked deeply in Tremeda's eyes, "we will keep a close eye on you, I promise, now I want you to rest."
After Ayla had tucked some pillows behind her, Tremeda closed her eyes, and fell into an uncomfortable sleep, the sight of the healer sitting by her and the look in her eyes, a comfort to Tremeda.
Bologan sat outside in the sun, at thirteen summers old, he was a man, but he still enjoyed playing with the other boys. They had just been kicking around a ball of leather stuffed with mouflon wool. Now they were all sitting on the side of the hill, watching the younger children play.
Bologan thought over the recent events of his life, he wasn't really sad about his mother's mate's death, but he had liked trying that barma when he could sneak a drink. But still, having friends, and being looked after, and having a full belly was much better. Smiling he looked over to where Proleva was sat with the other women, this last seven days she had been more of a mother to him than Tremeda ever had.
"Bologan, look at me" came a little voice, it was his young sister, only seven summers old. She had been picking the early spring flowers with her new friends and had made them into a crown.
The young man looked at his sister more closely, "when had she got so pretty?", he wondered, but then she had always been dirty like the rest of them, with rags for clothes and a pinched expression of her face from not enough food.
Yes he certainly liked this life and hoped to never to have to go back to his old one again.
"Bologan" he looked up to see Lanoga, his nearest sibling. "Bologan, Jondalar wants you, he is going to take us hunting" she exclaimed jumping up and down in excitement.
A group of men sat around a hearth fire, most people had retired to their furs, but Solaban, Charezal, Brukeval, Timolar, and Jotalan were still awake, but there was one thing missing from their usual nightly talk, barma.
"I don't think it's fair that it has been banned" Charezal was saying, "the mate of my mother has always drank it, and so did her mother, why should we have to go without just because of one silly, scared girl, and those who think they are better than us."
"I agree" Jotalan said, "it's our right to be able to drink it if we want to, I have never drank that much, not like Laramar and Tremeda."
"Yeah," Solaban joined it, "all we want is to have a little drink so we can relax after a hard day."
"I say we make it anyway," Brukeval proposed, "but we'll have to keep it quiet."
"What about using that small cave we found last summer" added Timolar, "We can make it there."
They all nodded in agreement and set about scheming how they would do this, without the rest of the cave realising.
Tremeda looked through the cloud in her mind, for the last few days she had been having difficulty thinking clearly. Looking at her hands she realised the tremors were much worse now, and they felt clammy, she wiped them on her leggings and fell into a day dream. Zelendoni walked into the shelter and Tremeda felt her heart lurch at the suddenness of her appearance.
"Oh sorry, did I startle you" the denier apologised, she was holding a cup, "it's time for your medicine" and she put the disgusting tasting substance to her patient's lips.
Tremeda gulped it down, and sighed, she just didn't feel right, she just felt so jittery.
The sound of laughing children reach her ears and she looked around in anger, "can't those kids be quiet" she yelled.
Zelendoni looked at her, "actually they are yours, and no they can't be quiet, they are children."
"Her children" she thought, "the children she had left to their own fate, one had even died."
"I'm such a bad mother", she cried, and wiped weary tears from her eyes, looking around her, she whimpered "such a bad mother, such a bad mother."
--
That night Tremeda's six children, Bologan, Lanoga, Trelar, nine summers, Betona, seven summers, Harizal, three summers and Lorala, just over one summer, were around Johorran's hearth along with his mate Proleva and her son Jaradal eating their evening meal. Rushemar, along with his mate Salova and her daughter Marsola had joined them.
"Mmm, this stew is so nice Proleva," Salova mentioned, "thanks for inviting us"
"Don't thank me" Proleva answered, "it would have only had vegetables in it, if not for the meat that Bologan and Lanoga provided from the hunt that Jondalar took them on."
Johorran looked up, "Jondalar told me that you were a real help on the hunt, and that both of you youngsters had a go using the spear-thrower and you killed a rabbit each," he looked at the stew "I have always loved rabbit stew."
Rushemar nodded his head in agreement, and went back to eating.
--
The five miscreant barma makers were in their little cave, it would be some time until the fermented drink was ready but for now they were getting happy from the fumes.
"You know" Brukeval spoke "I've been thinking, what about Marthona's wine, that's not banned, but it is fermented like barma and has pretty much the same effect if you drink it."
"Yeah, I've been thinking that too" Charezal looked around at them with mirth, "I would even try drinking it instead of barma if it was so……fruity."
"But seriously, if barma is banned, so should wine, and if wine isn't banned, then neither should barma be." Jotalan reasoned.
"Well, let's do something about it," Solaban yelled his rallying cry, and they all stood up and set off back to home.
"The ninth cave won't know what's hit them" laughed Jotalan.
--
But when they got there, everyone was too busy.
"What's going on" Charezal called to Rushemar.
Looking towards the Zelendoni's hearth, he said "it's Tremeda, something is wrong with her."
Zelendoni, and Ayla were trying to comfort Tremeda, she had been suffering from tremendous lows, where she had said she felt like slitting her wrists, to monstrous highs where she laughed hysterically, from when she was trying to free herself frantically, to when she was crying constantly..
"I think we better get Lanoga," Zelendoni and "Johorran."
Ayla nodded and went to get them; she thought she knew what was coming,
Moments later, they all walked back into the hearth to the sight of Tremeda spitting at Zelendoni.
Wiping the spittle of her face, she turned to look at them, "it isn't working," she said simply, "she is getting worse and worse, I think we should give her back her barma, but only a small amount, for a medicinal purpose."
"No" yelled Lanoga, "I've seen what she has been through, you can't let it be for nothing."
"It won't be" Ayla assured her "but she is we don't do something now, I'm afraid she could die"
"OK" she said hesitantly, "but not too much of that stuff."
"We'll continue giving her the medicine as well, and only small amounts of barma, I promise." Zelendoni told her sympathetically.
"But there is no barma left" exclaimed Johorran, "it was all thrown away."
"It's okay, I know what we can use" Ayla said, "we can use Marthona's wine, it is fermented like the barma, and it makes you light headed like it too."
"That's a good idea" Johorran agreed, "it's lucky we didn't realise it was very similar sooner, we might have poured that away too."
Johorran went to find his mother and soon brought back a skin of wine.
Taking it, Ayla poured a cupful and helped Tremeda drink it, "I will increase her medicine a bit too" she told them and going to the hearth she scooped out a bowlful of the water that had recently boiled and put the ground up plants in it to steep. Soon it was ready, and cool enough to drink, so she helped Tremeda drink that too.
"Couldn't you have given me this first, then the wine could have taken away the taste of it." Ayla looked at her; she already looked a little bit better. Maybe a lot of her anxiety had been caused by getting herself to het up over it all.
"Now, I want you to sleep" she told her sternly, and they all tip toes away.
--
Many moons past, and after a long cold winter, it was finally spring, and Tremeda was much improved.
--
Tremeda
awoke and reach for her barma; it had become second nature after all
the years of drinking it. Blanking out the desire, she pulled back
her furs, and walked over to the skin of cool spring water. Taking a
deep gulp, she looked around at her snoozing children, watching them
breathe.
Shaking her head, she realised she needed to empty her
bladder, so went to the night basket, after relieving herself, she
picked up the fowl smelling object, and took it out of the cave to
empty it. Realising she needed a wash,she ordered herself "I will
have to work harder on that", realising she had nearly slipped
back into her slovenly ways. Taking off her clothes, she entered the
early morning cool water, and washed herself quickly. Getting dressed
she thought about what she was going to do that day.
Walking back
into the cave, she saw that Ayla was awake.
"Good morning
Tremeda" she greeted her, "are you ready for your
lesson?"
Tremeda nodded, rushing into her hearth, she put the
night basket back in the corner, and checked on her children, they
were still all asleep. Placing some dried fruit, nuts and apple cakes
in a basket and leaving the skin of water next to it, she left to
find Ayla.
She found her outside; "we are going to make my
favourite recipe today" she told her holding up two
ptarmigans.
Tremeda was pleased; she still remembered the
delicious food Ayla had made at a celebration last spring, for her to
share how to make it, showed she really cared.
"Okay" Ayla
instructed, "first we have to dig a pit" she said handing her a
digging stick.
Soon, both Ayla and Tremeda were standing in
triumph over a hole in the ground, "I should have waited to later
to have my bath" joked Tremeda.
Ayla with mirth added, "yeah,
me too." And then she added "Okay, now we need to find some
flattish stone, come on."
They walked to the river and were
quickly back and set to work lining the pit with the stones, after
that they built a fire.
They sat down and watch the fire flames
rhythmically dance for a moment, and then Ayla gave her a ptarmigan,
"pluck it" she told her, and proceeded to prepare the other bird.
They then stuffed the cavities with eggs and herbs that Ayla had
already prepared; lastly, they wrapped the birds in hay.
When the
fire had burned itself to hot embers, they placed in the wrapped
birds
"Can we have a bath now" asked Tremeda, she felt all
hot and sweaty, "you smell" she informed Ayla.
Ayla laughed,
"you too" she said and they walked towards the small pool used
for bathing.
--
"What's
for dinner, mama" asked Harizal, Tremeda's three summers old
son.
His mother smiled, she liked the new word that Ayla had
brought, and all the children were calling their mothers' Mama
now.
"Mma" cooed Lorala, holding a stuffed leather
doll.
Lanoga picked up the baby, she was glad that her mother was
not drinking barma anymore, but it did make her feel a little bit
jealous that Lorala had obviously grown fond of the woman.
"Noga"
chuckled the little girl, grabbing her sister's hair with a chubby
hand
"It's ptarmigans" Tremeda told him lovingly, turning to
looked at her eldest daughter she asked "Where's Bologan?"
Lanoga shook her head. Tremeda she knew her son was having difficulty
being back in their hearth with her. Of all of them, he and Lanoga
had been the most affected, and were having the most difficulty
adapting to the situation. Trelar and Betona were struggling a bit,
but they were relatively young children, and adjusted easily, but the
other two, she sighed, she had done so much damage to their young
lives.
Having fed her family, they all ran off to play with their
friends, and Tremeda was alone at the hearth. In the past she would
have sneaked the barma skin over to her cup, but not now, she looked
for something to do. She had never learned a skill as a child, she
was never interested. She decided she would get on with tidying up
her home. Picking up an apple core, she was about to throw it on the
hearth fire, when she noticed the pips inside of it.
"I wonder" she murmured and put it in her pocket.
Taking a digging stick with her, Tremeda walked out of the cave. Looking around she settled on a good place and started to break up the earth ignoring the confused stares she was getting from the rest of the ninth cave. Seeing that the hole was big enough, she took the core out of her pocket, and put it in the ground, covering it up with the soil. With satisfaction, she sat back and waited for it to grow.
Two
weeks later.
Going for the umpteenth time she stood next to where
she had buried the apple core, and she admitted defeat. "How
long does it take for a tree to grow anyway" she demanded to the
air.
That night she had a visit in her dream.
"Tremeda, my child" said a beautiful silky voice, "I am very pleased with you".
The next morning for the first time ever she didn't reach for the barma, she reached for a tuber instead, with a new attitude, she got up and went and filled up a bowl with some of the vegetables from her supplies, picking up her digging stick, she checked her children, left them food and drink for when they woke up and satisfied that they were okay, she went to fulfil the gift that the mother had given her.
Finding a place away from the cave, that was usually very sunny; she started digging a large area of ground up.
By mid morning, many of the cave were giving her strange looks again.
"What are you doing Tremeda" one of the boys called.
She ignored him, she was working for the mother and nothing, absolutely nothing would distract her from that, the mother wouldn't allow it.
By lunch time, she look at the ground before her in satisfaction, it was done, "I just have to water it now" she told herself and walked towards the river carrying the bowl the tubers and vegetables had been in, "I will have a wash while I am there"
Half an hour later, just as she was finished bathing, and about to fill her bowl with water, there was a crack of thunder, and mother provided rain started to fall on the earth. "Thank you" sighed Tremeda.
--
Brukeval stood at the entrance to the small cave, he was holding a cup, and taking a sip from it, he smiled. Turning around he looked at his comrades, "well, drink up lads," he encouraged, "there's plenty more."
Laughing they all banged their cups together, "good health and drinking" they shout.
"Hee hee" laughed Timolar, "they're all gagging for barma at the ninth cave."
"I even heard Rushemar complaining to Johorran yesterday" said Solaban, "you should have heard him, he was going on about how he and Zelendoni had just made the decision, they hadn't consulted the cave."
"Yeah, I heard him, that's one man who needs a drink" laughed Charezal, "anyway, he was saying how it should have been raised with the mothers' council first."
Brukeval leaning on the floor, agreed, "well, it should have been" sitting up he said, "we should bring it up at the summer meeting ourselves, maybe we can get this silly ban lifted, especially now that Tremeda is better."
"That's what we'll do then" yelled Jotalan.
And they all pick up their newly filled, brimming cups and sloshed them together again, "to the ban being lifted" they all roared.
--
"Marthona, pass the skin of wine, it's been a long day" Salova poured some in a cup and tasted it, "this is good, how do you make it?"
"Well..." started Marthona but then she saw her son Johorran rushing towards her a look of determination on his face.
"Mother, can I talk to you?" he asked.
"Say please" slurred Proleva.
"No, say pretty please" laughed Salova.
Johorran looked at the women in disgust, "you're drunk" he stated, "go to your hearths" he watched the women leave and then turned back to his mother.
"We've not been drinking barma, so how can we be drunk?" queried Marthona in surprise, looking up at him.
"That's just what I want to talk about, barma has been banned" he saw her nod her head in affirmation, sighing he took a large breathe, "but the thing is… your wine is every bit as intoxicating as barma, so…."
Marthona looked at him with dismay, "you want to ban my wine?"
"Yes" said Johorran in relief.
"You want to ban my wine?" repeated Marthona, "the wine I have been making since I was a girl, the wine I drank when I was blessed with you, the wine that help me get over the man your spirit is made of dying." with each word he voice was raising another octave.
"Jocanan" Johorran's voice trembled.
"Yes, him" Marthona was now angrier than she had been with her son, since he was a child. "You will not ban it" she stated.
"I'm sorry mother, it already is" he answered, "Zelendoni ordered it.
With that Marthona stood up, and marched in the direction of the denier's hearth, "she's ordered it has she, we'll see about that" she stormed.
--
Tremeda was out in her garden, the name the mother had given her for it. She smiled; she could already see some small sprouts peeking out of the earth
"What are you doing Tremeda?"
Tremeda looked around, grimacing when she realised who was using her given name.
"Lanoga" she smiled, "I know it is hard for you, but I would much prefer it if you could call me mother."
Lanoga frowned, and then nodded her head, "what are you doing Mother?"
Tremeda sighed, shivers going down her back at the sound of her eldest daughter calling her Mother, she smiled, "I'm making vegetables, growing them in fact" she answered.
The girl looked at her in confusion; "you are growing vegetables?" she enquired with trepidation, "is that even possible?"
Tremeda nodded her head and told her all about the dream she had had from the mother.
"So you 'planted' the vegetables, and more will grow" she asked, rolling her tongue around the new word.
"With the help of the mother, yes" Tremeda smiled back.
Lanoga thought for a moment, and then said, "Can I have a go?"
Tremeda nodded her head in agreement, and taking her daughter's hand, led her to the cave, to choose some more vegetables.
--
Soon what Tremeda was doing was all over the cave, as well as the massive argument Marthona had had with Zelendoni. Ayla had decided she would try it with some of the plants she used for her medicines, so she dug her own separate area.
--