Part 14
Edit 12/1: Before I explain anything and let you see the next few bonus chapters, allow me to apologize because I thought I uploaded this like two weeks ago, but I apparently didn't. So sorry guys!
Time for some more explaining:
The Lafhwa is what could be considered a "chicken". It has scaly, sharp claws, furry feathers, and very small, almost nonexistent wings. They do lay eggs but will bury them under the ground for safety and warmth - often sitting on the spot where the eggs are buried. They aren't exactly easy to cook either.
-Lafhwa is a unisex term for the "chicken". Pronounced: Lag-wa
-Add a "z" for plural
-Lafwa is the male, the "rooster". It doesn't crow either. Pronounced: Lag-e-wa
-Add an "s" for plural
-Lagwa is the female, the "hen". Pronounced: Lag-á-wa
-Add a "z" for plural
-Hint: Emphasis the "A" in Lagwa but not the "E" in Lafwa
The Murjura is a very horse-like creature that resembles a deer. It's a very majestic creature that can gallop up to 30mph and both female and male have antlers. Because of the colors they come in and the tendencies for "glowing wisps" to gather around their antlers at night, they are often referred to as mythical. Much like an Earthly Rhino, they can be extremely aggressive during the day, but very passive at night. They tend to be nocturnal animals.
-Murjura is a unisex term. Pronounced: moo-jur-ra (stutter a bit on the r to pronounce it twice)
-Through context, it can be plural or singular
-Murjurae is the female term. They have large, crown-like antler. They aren't really used for fighting but can be usefully in batting away predators or annoying xenos. Pronounced: moo-jur-ay (no stutter on the "R")
-Add an "e" for plural
-Murjuraa is the male term. They have large antlers that set forward on their head, unlike females who have more of a circling and upward antler. They use this like a battering ram for fighting. Pronounced: moo-jur-aa (Prolonged "A" sound.)
-Add a "y" for plural
(They have three goats and one cow from Earth mainly because Earth animals are more expensive while creatures like the lafhwa are cheaper because they're just easier to get and transport and due to where they are (as in the planet) the lafhwa are popular to get for farming eggs and more lafhwaz).
Prince amusedly watched, curled at Hemsing's feet on the deck, as Henrietta ran around trying to keep the animals calm. His siblings' questions were running a mile a minute through his mind, curious about all the new animals and why they, specifically, were a part of the farm.
Uncle Hemsing reached over and gently patted him on the side to catch his attention.
"Perhaps, you should go down and help." The older man made no intention to move. He simply resettled into his seat, his hands folding over her lap as he watched.
Prince could feel his own amusement, but a deep worry rooted itself in the back of his mind. He couldn't pinpoint the source.
Mentally agreeing, Prince rose from his spot, taking his time to stretch before he leaped off the deck and over to where Henrietta was currently trying to get Sheelia to stop bothering the lafhwaz, especially the females who were attempting to burrow their fertilized eggs.
Alright, alright, stop bothering them.
Prince grabbed her by her tail, pulling her away before the mother could peck at the unwelcomed visitor… again.
"Comet! Don't hurt the goats!" The young xeno had been fascinated by the two male goats. They had been butting heads for the past hour and Comet had decided, after observing to understand the 'game', to join in.
Prince, after sending Sheelia to wait by the deck, chased after Comet who followed the goats up the side of the barn and onto the lower roof.
That's for the goats to play on. Not you, Comet. Get your butt back down here.
But I wanna play!
And you're giving Henrietta a heart attack. Go wait by the deck with Sheelia. You too, Rogue.
Rogue had been lounging around, getting a feel for the wide-open space. While the outdoor area had been enclosed to keep the animals from wandering into the woods or onto the road, the space was quite large for just one cow and some goats.
The barn had been partially encased in the enclosed area so the goats could easily climb onto the low hanging roof or get back inside where fresh water and grains awaited them.
A miniature shed had been attached to the side of the barn for whenever the Lafhwaz wanted to take shelter or were ready to eat or drink.
Once the xenos had been gathered around, Henrietta brought over the only female goat, a doe, they had.
"Okay, so, this is a female pygmy goat from Earth! Her name's Carla. Say hi!" The doe only bleated a reply. Henrietta led her back to the pin where the other goats were. She waved for them to follow.
Comet sat beside her, pouting that the two males were back at their 'game' without him.
"The two males are fighting by butting heads. It's just what goats do. The one with the tan and brown-"
"Caramel. The term for that coat is caramel, Rita." At Hemsing's interjection, Henrietta turned to stick her tongue out before continuing.
"His name is Torro. The black-ish one-"
"That's a black agouti pattern on his coat. I thought you knew all of this?" His posh tone gave a high ring to his voice and as he spoke, he brought his thumb and pointer finger together as if orchestrating his words. The old man sat in his chair, a grin on his face at the look of annoyance she gave him.
He lived for moments like these.
"I'm going to ignore you for the rest of the day." Turning her attention to the goats, who had already moved on to other things, she continued, "his name is Guru. He likes to chill on top of the lower roof all the time. See where the shelf-like stairs are? That's what allows them to get up and down while the fence on top keeps them from getting to the back side of the barn or jumping off and hurting themselves."
Henrietta opened the gate, letting the xenos walk inside the pin.
"The slide and tires are something they like to play with too." She pointed to the other side where several tires had been stuck in the ground for them to hop on and a slide for them to play with.
Comet was tempted to join Clara on the slide, but Prince gently pushed him forward to follow Henrietta where the cow laid resting.
A portion of the back fence had been overtaken by shrubs and a few trees were sprouting up. The wild over brush was a favorite snacking spot for the cow and where she tended to hang around versus the front side where the goats were running and playing.
More often than not, when the goats were tired of their play or fighting, they would come to lay next to her and relax.
"Okay, this is Miss Bear. She's a female cow and where we get most of our milk that we sell. Uncle Hemsing takes a lot of the produce here to the fresh market on Fridays when I'm at school." She left the cow to rest and led them back to the deck where the lafhwaz were busy fighting.
With fertilized eggs, the lagwaz wanted the only male to leave them alone to burrow the eggs. The eggs weren't the best used for cooking, so Hemsing thought it best to fertilize them and sell the chicks when they were ready.
"Okay, so we got four females names Lulu, Chu, Gardny, and Mrs. W. They're burying the eggs to keep them safe and warm." Turning her attention to the one lafwa, who had taken shelter inside their shed, explained, "you can tell he's male by the more yellow feathers he's got. His name is Clookie."
"Henrietta, it's about time for fresh water for the goats, then you need to finish your homework. You can do more explaining later." Pouting, the girl headed off to the barn, the goats following in their normal routine. "Comet, its fine for you to play with the goats, but be mindful, they are tough and hardy but are very small and you can hurt them. Sheelia, it's a crucial time for the females to guard their eggs, give them space or you'll stress them."
With those words, he shooed them off to explore as he headed back inside the house for his weekly show.
Rogue scaled his way onto the house's roof, catching the first few rays of the sun that broke the usual shade over the valley.
Sheelia kept her distance, laying down a few feet from one of the lagwaz who had just finished burying her egg and proceeded to sit on top to guard. The female would occasionally turn her head to watch the large predator but otherwise ignored Sheelia.
Henrietta showed Comet how the faucet worked as she filled the bucket with cool water for the awaiting goats. Torro would headbutt Comet's leg to get his attention, but with Henrietta watching, Comet didn't buy into the attempt. No matter how badly he wanted to.
Prince also followed along, helping to carry things around the barn and keep Comet in line. Once everything was done, he joined Rogue on the roof for some sun as Henrietta headed back inside to do her homework.
Comet joined Carla on the lower roof of the barn as Miss Bear wandered to the trough for a drink of water before resting just outside the barn doors.