***
Part Four: "Uta's Tale."
***
Jack curled up under the blankets and peeked at Uta. She poured herself a cup of tea. Then she drew a handful of powder from a nearby barrel and tossed it on the fire. Smoke erupted in a plume and the flames turned pink. A white haze hung over the grate. Jack was fascinated.
"Magic," he said, in wonder.
"That's nothing," she said mysteriously. "But listen to an old woman --- you need to understand."
Jack gave her his undivided attention, but his mouth hung open most of the time. For as Uta spoke, brightly colored images flickered in the haze above the fire. Whatever she was talking about, Jack saw it clearly in the white smoke.
"I do not live alone," she began. "I'm sure you have seen the other houses. My poor hut stands at the edge of a town that I call O-mashen-gril- yah-weh-dega. But everyone who passes through here calls it 'the village at the end of the earth.' This place is so far from everything else, you see.
We thought we would be safe here."
"Safe?"
"We do not wish to fight against the Dark Demon, samurai. In this village, we are mostly women. And broken women, at that. We have among us those who have lost parents. Husbands. Children. Everyone is alone together, here. We try to make our way quietly and survive with our pain."
"And why are you here?"
"Because I am a lost woman. But I am useful. I know a thing or two about helping people." She paused to lick her lips. "You see, long ago, in my own village, I was happy. Young. A high priestess in the faith of my people. I was taught to respect the earth and learn from it, and I have. I love this planet as I loved --- still love --- my husband and son.
When the Demon came, his darkness festered everywhere. Our village was secluded, though. For many years, we were left alone. Until one day.
Black smoke rolled through the hills, and a thousand blood-red warriors on horseback came to seize our village. The noise was terrible. Evil was upon us! I led the women and the young children to a hiding place in the hills. The men of our village went out to fight off the hideous army. My husband, my brave Aliok, led the charge. He was my other half, Jack.
And my son. My beautiful son . . . His name was Rayen. He was my only child. He was fourteen. I begged him not to fight. Screamed at him to go hide with the women."
A tear dripped down her cheek.
"He went after my husband, crazy with nerve. He was carrying a pitchfork. A pitchfork, samurai! To fight an army! Can you imagine? When we women had come out of hiding, we arrived on the battlefield. Every defender of our village had been killed.
I found my man and my boy. They were lying next to each other in the reeds, blood everywhere. The wind was moving their hair, and they were still and cold as stone.
Every woman was in tears. The wailing . . . . . . That sound will never leave me.
We couldn't stay. It was too dangerous. But word reached us, wretched as we were, of a refuge beyond the great mountains. We packed what we could and headed out. We were forty women, eight girls, and two infants. This spot called to us, and to two thousand others from places far and near. We all worked hard to erect a town.
My once proud village was now a band of scraggly women. We all arrived in the dead of winter, hungry and cold and miserable. Most of the children had died en route --- the weather was just too much. Some of us were out of our heads with grief. Others were pregnant."
Jack was stunned. It was a bit much to hear. "And you?" he asked.
"I was just . . . numb. Going through the motions. Trying to keep everyone alive and moving forward. It was a very hard winter."
She took a sip of her tea.
"But we prevailed. Spring came, then summer. It was a time of immense life, here. I witnessed and midwifed many births. I helped farm and reap the harvests. We all filled our grain bins and our bellies, built strong houses, and danced at night under the stars. We elected an Ashi --- a leader. We raised ourselves up from nothing, samurai. And because everyone brought different skills and customs with them, we exchanged ideas and everybody grew."
"As it should be," Jack commented.
She grunted. "But my story has no happy ending, I'm afraid. We once had an ideal life here, samurai. But for years, now, Iyerogaal, a terrible ogre, has menaced our village. He is a powerful minion of the Shogun of Sorrow. The only thing that keeps him from ravaging our poor town is . . . a yearly sacrifice."
Jack sat up at that.
"What does he demand?"
"A woman," she said simply. She barely registered Jack's shocked look. "Every year, one of us has to die. We have lost ten women so far. And tomorrow night at sunset, we will lose another."
She looked sadly at the floor. Jack saw the defeat in her shoulders and grew angry.
"That is unacceptable."
Uta raised her head. The same anger shone in her eyes as when she broke the knitting needle.
"Of course it is unacceptable!" she snapped. "But that is the price we pay to live here. Compared to some of the vile swamps we came from, this village is paradise! I hate the ogre. Everyone does. But what can we do? Randomly kill each other?
We try to keep order, Jack. The sacrifice is done by lottery and interview. And death is quick and painless. It is the best we can do."
"I suppose. This system pleases everyone, then?"
"Theoretically. It is swift, at least. On the morning of the sacrifice, seven women are chosen at random from the town. They then report to the Ashi for questioning. Those with children are immediately ruled out. As the village healer, I am ruled out. And then the Ashi questions from there. The one selected is given time to say goodbye to whomever she will leave behind, and she is put to death at moonrise."
Jack looked at her keenly. "You said this process 'theoretically' pleases all."
Uta licked her lips. "You're sharp, samurai. I give you that. A system is only as good as the people who use it. And if it's one thing no one in this village can stand, it's difference.
For instance, everyone is infatuated with myths about the Snow Maiden of the mountains. So, all the women put up their hair in an elegant style. They paint their faces white, their cheeks blue, and their lips purple.
They look stupid.
But beyond the superficial, there are certain expectations of women here. If you build a hut, you are to be friendly and socialize. If you are young and have no intention of leaving the village to come back with a husband, woe betide you. If you do not wish to have children, you might as well leave --- or die. And you must be receptive to men. I remember I 'won' the lottery two years ago and reported to the Ashi. During the questioning, one woman was asked what she really wanted in life.
She hinted at wanting . . . another woman. She was put to death and given to Iyerogaal immediately. There was not even a wait for sunset."
"I am sorry for her," Jack said, his eyes wide. "But you are safe, are you not?"
"For now. But no matter what happens to me, my faith and my knowledge will survive. I am training a young woman in my ways, so she can be a great healer and priestess of the Earth. Her name is Sankra. She lost her parents in a war, and I love her as my own daughter. She is pure of heart, with a merry wit, and she is eager to learn from me."
They were silent and listened to the fire crackling.
"Why has she not come to your home?" Jack asked.
"She has been wandering for a week, tying herself spiritually to the land. Then she will be able to harness its power more effectively. I expect her back tomorrow. This worked out well, I dare say --- she usually spends all her time with me. But heaven knows, she is a chatterbox, and very curious. You would have gotten no sleep for all her questions, warrior."
Jack chuckled.
"But I fear for her."
"Why?" he asked.
"Because soon she will reach the end of my knowledge. There will no longer be anything I can teach her. When I see that she knows more than I, I will gladly bow to her. She will be the new healer of O-mashen-gril-yah-weh- dega.
And then, thanks in part to our glorious system, I will probably be dead within a year. She will be left all alone."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because the Ashi dislikes me. And I despise her. She has great clout in this village, and she pulls the names for the lottery. I might even be chosen tomorrow."
She sipped her tea calmly. He was about to protest, but she cut him off.
"You must understand, Jack. I will expect the call at sunrise, because I have always refused to do what is asked of me. I do not socialize or act like a silly girl. I seek comfort in the earth and in Sankra, and I like you very much. But in the eyes of the other villagers, I am just a grumpy old woman who boils herbs and tends the sick. I do not paint my face, and I do not comb my hair."
Jack's head was spinning. His heart was pounding wildly at the horrible possibilities. Rage was boiling up inside him. The thought of Uta in the jaws of a monster settled the matter. He would find out where this ogre lived.
Then he would go and kill it, broken ankle or no.
END PART FOUR.
Part Five will be here next week! Stay tuned! :D
Part Four: "Uta's Tale."
***
Jack curled up under the blankets and peeked at Uta. She poured herself a cup of tea. Then she drew a handful of powder from a nearby barrel and tossed it on the fire. Smoke erupted in a plume and the flames turned pink. A white haze hung over the grate. Jack was fascinated.
"Magic," he said, in wonder.
"That's nothing," she said mysteriously. "But listen to an old woman --- you need to understand."
Jack gave her his undivided attention, but his mouth hung open most of the time. For as Uta spoke, brightly colored images flickered in the haze above the fire. Whatever she was talking about, Jack saw it clearly in the white smoke.
"I do not live alone," she began. "I'm sure you have seen the other houses. My poor hut stands at the edge of a town that I call O-mashen-gril- yah-weh-dega. But everyone who passes through here calls it 'the village at the end of the earth.' This place is so far from everything else, you see.
We thought we would be safe here."
"Safe?"
"We do not wish to fight against the Dark Demon, samurai. In this village, we are mostly women. And broken women, at that. We have among us those who have lost parents. Husbands. Children. Everyone is alone together, here. We try to make our way quietly and survive with our pain."
"And why are you here?"
"Because I am a lost woman. But I am useful. I know a thing or two about helping people." She paused to lick her lips. "You see, long ago, in my own village, I was happy. Young. A high priestess in the faith of my people. I was taught to respect the earth and learn from it, and I have. I love this planet as I loved --- still love --- my husband and son.
When the Demon came, his darkness festered everywhere. Our village was secluded, though. For many years, we were left alone. Until one day.
Black smoke rolled through the hills, and a thousand blood-red warriors on horseback came to seize our village. The noise was terrible. Evil was upon us! I led the women and the young children to a hiding place in the hills. The men of our village went out to fight off the hideous army. My husband, my brave Aliok, led the charge. He was my other half, Jack.
And my son. My beautiful son . . . His name was Rayen. He was my only child. He was fourteen. I begged him not to fight. Screamed at him to go hide with the women."
A tear dripped down her cheek.
"He went after my husband, crazy with nerve. He was carrying a pitchfork. A pitchfork, samurai! To fight an army! Can you imagine? When we women had come out of hiding, we arrived on the battlefield. Every defender of our village had been killed.
I found my man and my boy. They were lying next to each other in the reeds, blood everywhere. The wind was moving their hair, and they were still and cold as stone.
Every woman was in tears. The wailing . . . . . . That sound will never leave me.
We couldn't stay. It was too dangerous. But word reached us, wretched as we were, of a refuge beyond the great mountains. We packed what we could and headed out. We were forty women, eight girls, and two infants. This spot called to us, and to two thousand others from places far and near. We all worked hard to erect a town.
My once proud village was now a band of scraggly women. We all arrived in the dead of winter, hungry and cold and miserable. Most of the children had died en route --- the weather was just too much. Some of us were out of our heads with grief. Others were pregnant."
Jack was stunned. It was a bit much to hear. "And you?" he asked.
"I was just . . . numb. Going through the motions. Trying to keep everyone alive and moving forward. It was a very hard winter."
She took a sip of her tea.
"But we prevailed. Spring came, then summer. It was a time of immense life, here. I witnessed and midwifed many births. I helped farm and reap the harvests. We all filled our grain bins and our bellies, built strong houses, and danced at night under the stars. We elected an Ashi --- a leader. We raised ourselves up from nothing, samurai. And because everyone brought different skills and customs with them, we exchanged ideas and everybody grew."
"As it should be," Jack commented.
She grunted. "But my story has no happy ending, I'm afraid. We once had an ideal life here, samurai. But for years, now, Iyerogaal, a terrible ogre, has menaced our village. He is a powerful minion of the Shogun of Sorrow. The only thing that keeps him from ravaging our poor town is . . . a yearly sacrifice."
Jack sat up at that.
"What does he demand?"
"A woman," she said simply. She barely registered Jack's shocked look. "Every year, one of us has to die. We have lost ten women so far. And tomorrow night at sunset, we will lose another."
She looked sadly at the floor. Jack saw the defeat in her shoulders and grew angry.
"That is unacceptable."
Uta raised her head. The same anger shone in her eyes as when she broke the knitting needle.
"Of course it is unacceptable!" she snapped. "But that is the price we pay to live here. Compared to some of the vile swamps we came from, this village is paradise! I hate the ogre. Everyone does. But what can we do? Randomly kill each other?
We try to keep order, Jack. The sacrifice is done by lottery and interview. And death is quick and painless. It is the best we can do."
"I suppose. This system pleases everyone, then?"
"Theoretically. It is swift, at least. On the morning of the sacrifice, seven women are chosen at random from the town. They then report to the Ashi for questioning. Those with children are immediately ruled out. As the village healer, I am ruled out. And then the Ashi questions from there. The one selected is given time to say goodbye to whomever she will leave behind, and she is put to death at moonrise."
Jack looked at her keenly. "You said this process 'theoretically' pleases all."
Uta licked her lips. "You're sharp, samurai. I give you that. A system is only as good as the people who use it. And if it's one thing no one in this village can stand, it's difference.
For instance, everyone is infatuated with myths about the Snow Maiden of the mountains. So, all the women put up their hair in an elegant style. They paint their faces white, their cheeks blue, and their lips purple.
They look stupid.
But beyond the superficial, there are certain expectations of women here. If you build a hut, you are to be friendly and socialize. If you are young and have no intention of leaving the village to come back with a husband, woe betide you. If you do not wish to have children, you might as well leave --- or die. And you must be receptive to men. I remember I 'won' the lottery two years ago and reported to the Ashi. During the questioning, one woman was asked what she really wanted in life.
She hinted at wanting . . . another woman. She was put to death and given to Iyerogaal immediately. There was not even a wait for sunset."
"I am sorry for her," Jack said, his eyes wide. "But you are safe, are you not?"
"For now. But no matter what happens to me, my faith and my knowledge will survive. I am training a young woman in my ways, so she can be a great healer and priestess of the Earth. Her name is Sankra. She lost her parents in a war, and I love her as my own daughter. She is pure of heart, with a merry wit, and she is eager to learn from me."
They were silent and listened to the fire crackling.
"Why has she not come to your home?" Jack asked.
"She has been wandering for a week, tying herself spiritually to the land. Then she will be able to harness its power more effectively. I expect her back tomorrow. This worked out well, I dare say --- she usually spends all her time with me. But heaven knows, she is a chatterbox, and very curious. You would have gotten no sleep for all her questions, warrior."
Jack chuckled.
"But I fear for her."
"Why?" he asked.
"Because soon she will reach the end of my knowledge. There will no longer be anything I can teach her. When I see that she knows more than I, I will gladly bow to her. She will be the new healer of O-mashen-gril-yah-weh- dega.
And then, thanks in part to our glorious system, I will probably be dead within a year. She will be left all alone."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because the Ashi dislikes me. And I despise her. She has great clout in this village, and she pulls the names for the lottery. I might even be chosen tomorrow."
She sipped her tea calmly. He was about to protest, but she cut him off.
"You must understand, Jack. I will expect the call at sunrise, because I have always refused to do what is asked of me. I do not socialize or act like a silly girl. I seek comfort in the earth and in Sankra, and I like you very much. But in the eyes of the other villagers, I am just a grumpy old woman who boils herbs and tends the sick. I do not paint my face, and I do not comb my hair."
Jack's head was spinning. His heart was pounding wildly at the horrible possibilities. Rage was boiling up inside him. The thought of Uta in the jaws of a monster settled the matter. He would find out where this ogre lived.
Then he would go and kill it, broken ankle or no.
END PART FOUR.
Part Five will be here next week! Stay tuned! :D