Chapter Four notes:
Sorry this took so long to upload. My dad had surgery, comic-con was this weekend (I got Zoie Palmers autograph and took a pic with her) and my girl surprised me with a new engagement ring.
A bit of History:
A framm is a spear or javelin. Its very special as when it is given to a youth in front of the assembly it means that he is an official member of the community. With this official capacity a youth can become a warrior. It's like a rite of passage. Before this rite it's not right for a youth to carry a weapon.
Most Germanics used framms/Spears in close and long range combat. Swords were also used, but rarely. But I like swords…Jane's gonna use a sword.
And on to some Jane badassery. Hope its not too violent:
Chapter Four
434. A.D.
Chatti Village
West of the Wesser River
"Come on Janie girl. If you can!"
"Don't call me Janie!" she yelled after Crowe. He was already about 10 feet ahead of her with everyone else as she struggled to keep up. Crowe for some reason thought he was already a mighty warrior, though he was only eight winters, and figured he was going to be clan leader someday.
Because of this, he chose the warriors whenever they played, and Jane was never one.
"Wait up!" she yelled as they headed for a few of the trees at the edge of the clearing. "Where are you going?"
"We are going to watch for our enemies from the tops of the trees. We have to be able to see them coming!" Grant said reaching for the first branch.
"Mama said I'm not supposed to try to climb the trees." Jane had been working several days a week for the last three years to fix her arm, and although she was certainly better, it still gave out sometimes. There would be moments Mama would ask her to carry something to the table, and without warning it would drop. Mama was never mad, but she could see sad look on her face whenever Jane's arm got weak.
"If you can't climb a tree, then go back home. We don't need weak warriors in our comitatus. Only the best," Crowe said already on the second branch of his tree.
Jane could feel the tears beginning in her eyes before sucked them back and frowned. He may have thought he was the best, but he wasn't. And she would show him.
Jane set her eyes determinedly on the tree ahead of her and grabbed the lowest branch with her right arm. It was easy to pull herself up, and she smiled as she held onto the trunk with her left, able to hoist herself up.
"That's nice Janie, but even my baby brother could hit you with a framm from there," Crowe laughed.
Jane didn't say anything as she used her right hand to grab again, pulling herself up. She continued to do this until she was level with Grant, smiling as she could see a distance.
"See I can watch out for enemy raiders from here."
"That's cool, but can you do this." Crowe hung himself off the edge of the branch with both arms, shimming over to the other side. He then used both arms to pull himself up. "Gotta be able to move when you are up here."
"That's not cool Crowe." Grant said. "She can't do that and you know it."
"Yeah well it's not my fault. She calls herself a warrior, she needs to prove it. Otherwise she is just a weak link."
Jane glared at Grant before sitting on the branch.
"You don't have to do that Jane," Grant said.
"Shut it Grant," she said sliding off the branch slowly, holding onto it with her right hand. She quickly swung her left arm up, grabbing on with both her hands tightly. She looked to her right, seeing where she needs to go and let go momentarily with her right hand to reach over and try to move along.
She felt it before it happened. The burning sensation in her left arm suddenly flared up, and started crawling towards her wrist and hand. There was no way she could hold her body up with just her left hand.
Her fingers let go of their own accord, and she tried to keep from looking down as the ground raced towards her.
.
.
.
.
"I can't believe you Jane. What were you doing in the tree when I expressly told you not to climb trees. I swear you are trying to scare me to death. You cant do things like that…"
Jane kept her eyes to the side as her mother rattled on about dying from her fears while cleaning the cuts from her face. It was much better to listen to her mother, than listen to the taunts that Crowe threw at her. When everyone saw she wasn't really hurt, Crowe didn't wait a moment before telling her that she wasn't a warrior and didn't belong in their clan.
"I wont do it anymore Ma." She said trying to keep the tears from falling. "They wont want me to play with them anymore anyway." She got up from the chair her mother had her sitting in and went to go lay down on her bed that she shared with Frankie.
Angela's face still held a look for pain as the Franco walked into the small house. He'd heard what happened from Radulf and knew his wife was just as pained for their daughter.
"This is going to hinder her all her life," Angela whispered. "Who is going to want a woman who doesn't have the strength to do basic things. Like carry a meal to her husband, knead the dough. Sharpen her husband's framm." Franco tried not to shake his head. Angela was thinking much further down the line that he was. His daughter didn't have the strength to play with her friends. The simple resistance practices they were doing weren't going to work. She needed something more to build that muscle.
"I'll figure out something Angela." He exhaled as he walked back out into the cabin. He wondered if perhaps Radulf had some more information, but no, the man had given him much in the way of diagrams and pictures over the years. There was nothing he was holding back.
He continued walking, out pass his lord's house and toward the large open plain where many of the warriors were training. He titled his head to the side to see if he could pick out which of the men were the ones who had been injured. He watched their movements with the framms and shields. They each threw the long weapons with ease, hitting the targets as if they were only a short distance away instead of clear on the other side of the field. There was no hesitancy by any of the men. Just smooth strength in each move.
"I often have my warriors practice with their framms and even swords more when a hand or arm has been injured. I suggest you do that same. At least one candlemark a day."
The weight of a framm or sword was much more resistance that Jane's childish build had. The effort required to even hold one was a lot more than what was required to climb a tree, let alone wield it the way the warrior was to. It would require much more work, and more training, but if these warriors were anything to go by, then the results would be worth it.
Franco didn't know what anyone would think, especially Angela, if he told them what he was planning, but if it would help his daughter, then anything was worth it.
Jane looked on as her father pounded the iron hard, trying to flatten the metal before it cooled too much. She couldn't help but giggle at the faces he made. He would hit the piece, and then yell at it, as if it was doing something wrong.
"Papa, why are you yelling at the sword?" she asked with a giggle. "What did it do to you?"
"Shouldn't you be inside helping your Mama?" he asked avoiding her question.
"No! It's boring. I'd rather watch you." She walked over closer to where she could see, but far enough that she knew that she wouldn't be in the way. "Besides, Tommy and Frankie are in there and they are annoying." Thomas had been born two winters ago and since he'd learned to walk he kept touching everything. With Jane staying home and refusing to go out and play since the incident, Frankie and Thomas were looking to make Jane one of their toys. Mama was so busy keeping Frankie and Thomas out of her things that she didn't notice when Jane snuck over to the other building to watch Franco strike iron and steel.
"All I am doing is heating the piece here, foraging it here, and cooling it here." He said as he dumped the hot blade into a tub of water. Steam rose and Jane giggled as she waved her hand in front of it.
Franco reached down and pulled the now cool blade out of the water, smiling to no one in particular as he ran a finger along its flat edge.
"Janie, go into the house, and eat lunch," he said as he walked over to a large stone that was to be used to sharpen the sword.
"Papa! But I wanna…"
"Jane!" he yelled. "I will come and get you later. You can help me then, but please go inside." Franco inhaled and exhaled deeply. He knew if she were around he would never be able to get the courage to do what he was thinking. To have his little girl pick up a weapon, to subject her to the trials and training he underwent as a youth. It was not going to be fun, but he had to fix her. She wouldn't survive another incident like the one a few days ago. It was hard enough being the child of a man with no land, but to be a child like that with a handicap…he couldn't bear to watch his only daughter live that way.
.
.
.
.
.
Jane remained quiet as he lead her into an open area in the forest near their settlement, dropping her down onto the ground as he took a wrapped item from his back. Jane's eyes widened as he unwrapped the item, a shimmering sword revealed, the same one he had been making earlier. It was shorter than the one her father had, but was just as sharp. This was not the wooden swords that Frankie and even Grant played with, but ones that real warriors used.
"Papa what is that for?" she said, knowing just what her papA had used the item for with Uncle in the past.
"Pick it up little one," he said pulling his own sword from its hilt around his waist, "like this." He held his longer sword up by the handle with one hand. Jane reached out with her right hand to grab the smaller, but just as sharp sword, before her father shook his head.
"With your left hand baby girl." Jane's eyes jerked up in shock, unnerved by what her father would ask. "This sword can only be held by your left hand. Just as you used to hold everything by your left hand before…."you were injured he left unsaid.
"Papa it's too heavy. I can't lift that. I cant even climb a tree."
"Then you will learn how," he said quietly. Jane could feel the tears beginning to well up in her eyes as she placed her left hand on the hilt of the sword. She could barely manage to lift a bowl or carry in vegetables from the garden with that arm. There was no way she could lift this. She grasp the hilt and started to raise her arm, bringing the sword up with her. She managed a few centimeters before it fell back down.
"I can't papa!" She said tears falling down her face. She wanted that sword. She wanted to hold it like her paper held his. "Take it back and make me one that I can use with my right hand next time."
"No baby girl. You can learn to use this one. Now raise it slowly, if you can't get it all the way up that's fine." Jane wiped away the tears that were on her face, frowning she grasped the sword again, raising it a few centimeters before it fell.
"I can't hold it." She said, fresh tears forming in her eyes.
"Don't worry baby girl. With time you will be able to." Franco took his daughter's hand and placed it around the sword, he let her lift the first few centimeters, and as it started to fall, he used some of his strength to keep her hold on it.
"Papa! My arm is tied and its starting to hurt!" she said as she could feel the pain in her left arm increase. It was the same burning sensation that she felt in the tree before she fell. The same sensation she felt every time it failed her. "I don't want to do it!" she screamed.
Franco felt tears forming in his own eyes and he heard the pain his daughter was in, but he knew he couldn't let her keep favoring that arm. Years had gone by and it had not gotten much' He was worried it was too late, but he knew from what Radulf said that the muscles in the body were capable of healing and growing back with time, but only if they were worked. Well he was going to work that muscle like never before.
He gently lowered his arm, letting the sword fall back onto the tree stump, as Jane quickly let go and looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
"Why did you do that?" she yelled, her lip trembling with tears. "I told you it hurt."
"Jane listen I know it hurt but-"
"No!" She said turning away from him tears streaming down her face. "I'm not like everyone else. I can't do those things. I can't be a warrior, I can't hold a sword. Just like Crowe said I can't…"
"You can and you will!," Franco yelled at the girl turning her around to face him as he knelt to her eye level. "Do you think other warriors haven't gotten hurt? Do you think none of them had an injury like yours?"
"I don't know…"
"Yes! They have. And when you watch them today, you don't even know it. Do you know why Janie?" She shook her head. "Because they practiced. They used their spears anyway to make sure the arms got better. And I will help you use your sword. But first you have to hold it."
Jane looked down at the shining blade her Papa had made. It was very pretty. Better than all the others. The shining steel was attached to a metal hilt with leather wrapped around the handle to keep her hand from hurting. The blade had little markings in it. It was beautiful. She glanced over to her Papa wearily before bending down and grasping the hilt. It was heavy, felt even heavier than the first time and it took her a while before she could raise it completely up off of the stump. She felt her grip begin the slip, before her Papa's warm hand closed on hers and he helped her raise it.
"Papa?" she asked still looking at the sword in her hand.
"Yes baby girl?"
"When we are finished with the sword, can you teach me to use a framm and a bow too?"
.
.
.
.
.
.
440. A.D.
Chatti Village
West of the Wesser River
Jane couldn't help the smile that was on her face as she stared at the ceiling. Her mood was too jovial to sleep, although she could hear both Tommy and Frankie snoring in the other bed. Both Crowe and Grant had received their framms, and thought this made them better than her. Well Crowe thought he was better at least, until she took his framm and threw it across the field into the center of the target that they had been practicing with. Crowe couldn't have hit that target if he tried.
Jane knew she deserved her framm just as much as the rest of them, but she had no free warrior to give her one. Her father was a warrior, but he still was under Radulf, and was not a free man so he did not have a place in the assembly. None of the others would give a woman a framm. Many didn't even know that her father had been training her with all the weapons for the pass six years; they just knew she was much more capable with her arm. Papa had expressly told her to never use a weapon for anything other than training in private, since she had not been given one by the assembly. Grant had been kind enough to tell her what it was like to be allowed at the assembly. How the warriors discussed their plans and drank of the brew. She smiled as she drifted off, wondering if she too would sit beside them.
The sound of the battle was fresh as if it were happening. The sound of swords clanging, the hooves of horses against the earth. Children and women could be heard screaming as warriors howled and laughed. Radulf could be hear calling for the forces to unite…
Radulf?
Jane sat up quickly realizing that this wasn't the Thrungii, but the Chatti village being attacked. She could feel the fear well up in her stomach as she recalled the way the Huns devastated her village and killed almost all they saw.
"Jane! Stay here and watch your brothers!" Franco burst into the room along with Angela who ran to her children holding them tightly. "I have to go help Radulf, the Suevi have come with a raiding party of at least 100."
It was a raid. No doubt with Radulf's large amount of cattle and the crops, word had got out that the gods had blessed them this year. Jane grit her teeth as Angela kept a tight grip on her arm. The boys snuggled in tight with their mother who was familiar with how things worked.
"Why are we just sitting here waiting?" Jane yelled as the stood up and paced about the room. "We should be helping!"
"And what would you have me do? Leave your brothers here." Jane stopped moving, stepping over to look outside the window toward the crowd. She could see Papa out with Radulf protecting the flocks from the approaching raiders looking to steal what they could. However there were several more approaching from behind.
"Papa!" Jane yelled as she ran out of her room toward the wall where both her framm and sword lay. She picked up both her shield and framm in one hand and the sword in the other.
"Jane where are you going?" she could hear her mother calling, but chose to ignore, running out toward the raiders.
The normally pitch black night was lit from the fires of the raiding parties. Jane could see the concentration of the battle was in the center of the settlement, cattle seemed to the major goal. Jane kept her eyes sharp remembering all her Papa had taught her in the woods.
"Never take your eye of the target Janie. When you throw your framm, don't allow it to make you a target as many do. Keep your shield up. Use the force of your entire body when your throw. Aim sure."
Jane kept an eye on the men heading to the back of where Radulf and Papa were holding off the raiders from the storehouses. She saw the one approaching them and timed where he would be at the time her framm hit his location. She glanced around ensuring she was out of danger before she drew back with her left arm, then released sending the sharpened weapon flying and into the chest of the raider.
The others turned seeing the youth standing several feet back and turned to attack.
There howls were just as loud as Jane's as she too rushed toward the two raiders.
Don't extend your entire arm when you swing, as you may cause injury. The force of your drive should come from your core here. Don't swing it out like you are trying to hit a bug on your meat, but pivot your frame so that your sword is steady.
Jane kept her shield up in the direction of one raider to ward off his blows as she turned with her left arm aiming to the other warrior. The blade pierced his flesh easily, cutting into his abdomen with startling crunch.
Unable to stop and think about the sound, or the fact that her blade was not easily removed, she grabbed the downed man's framm in time to run it into the throat of the approaching raider. Jane pressed the end in deeper, until she could see the sharpened head come out the back, and his blood was dripping down the pole onto her hands.
She glanced quickly, and didn't see any more approaching raiders. The bloodied young woman worked her blade out of the body of the second man she killed and turned back to see Radulf and her father taking down the last who approached the Lord's land.
"Papa," Jane said as she ran up to the two men, who looked at her as if she had grown three heads. "I took out the three approaching from behind. It looks clear, I didn't see any more from this direction. I suspect they are concentrating on the smaller homes with less people guarding them."
Radulf glanced around and spied the two bodies skewered with framms and the one who seemed to have been stabbed clean through. He smiled a little before turned toward the rest of the village.
"You will explain later," he told Franco. He pulled a framm from one of the downed bodies and handed it to Jane. "Keep this to attack from afar."
She smiled at having been handed a framm from the clan leader, and followed the two warriors into battle.
The framm was dispatched quickly, taking out a raider who attempted to head into a home. Leaving her with just her sword and shield, Jane used her slim build to her advantage. The large shield covered far more of the thin body than it would most warriors and many were stunned to see her fighting in the first place. Learning from her first kill with a sword, Jane kept her cuts deep enough to mortally wound, but shallow enough so that her blade did not get stuck on bone.
Keep your senses aware as you fight. Just because you have an enemy in front of you, doesn't mean that one is not behind you.
She cut down one man and quickly kneeled, avoiding the blade that was aiming for her head, and sending her sword backwards into the gut of the raider behind her, spilling his intestines into the ground.
The fight progressed quickly, with the rest of the raiders taking what little they had stolen and fleeing.
"Cowards," Jane muttered as she saw a few of the opposing warriors leave. There was great shame in being too scared to fight. She knew it. It was dishonor almost as bad as surviving the leader in a fight. "I hope they are punished accordingly."
"You got that right," Grant said coming up behind her. She looked him over, covered in nearly as much blood as she was, but at least he had on a proper armor over his tunic. Her tunic and pants were covered in the sticky red mess, along with her bare feet. "I never knew you were just as skilled with a sword as with a framm." he said.
"I didn't know she was skilled with any," Radulf said approaching the two youngsters. "One is not to handle weapons in battle until he has been approved by a warrior of the assembly." Radulf plucked the framm from Jane's bloodied hand. "This is not yours to keep."
Jane eyed the weapon and nodded. She knew her father had told her not to use the weapons when they were not training, and now they were both in trouble.
"I shall see you on the new moon when you receive this properly…from me in front of the assembly," Radulf said turning back to walk to his home. "Until then, you may follow me and learn."
Jane was unable to speak, a smile plastered on her face. Instead Grant spoke for her.
"Yeah! Did you hear him? You will be given your framm…by the clan leader no less, at the assembly. That means…that means…."
"That I will be a warrior."
A/N: So who is ready for some Maura….Any guesses on what her story will be?