Read Online Portals of Infinity: Book Four: The Sea of Grass by John Van Stry - Free Book Online
Authors: John Van Stry
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going to say “boss” but there was no word for “boss” in their language. "He's done a lot for me, so I feel obligated to him, plus I just like him." I shrugged.
"Father and mother are rather taken with the words of his priests; they say he is a good and just god, and that we should follow him."
"Won't hear any arguments from me about that," I said and smiled. "So how long a trip is it to this other tribe?"
"Oh, just two days. It's rather close by."
"Been there often?"
She nodded, "I dance there a couple times each summer. They appreciate my skills."
I grinned and flicked my tail at her, "I'm sure they do."
"I can do more than dance you know," she said and gave a mock growl.
"Oh I would never argue with you about that," I teased back.
She tapped one of the spears that were slung along the side of her saddle. All of the Mowoks I'd noticed carried at least two. I had never trained with one, at least not mounted, but I had my bow and my swords. Few of the Mowoks carried swords, but they all had a knife that was as big as a dirk, and many of them had tomahawks as well.
"I've used this more than once, and not just on the unruly suzhen. I've killed narzhum and the wild hogs."
I looked suitably impressed. I knew she was strong, even if she didn't look it, all that dancing she did not only made her attractive, it made her rather strong as well.
"If you're so good at hunting, why do you dance?" I asked curious.
"Dancing is what I love," she said and smiled happily. "Hunting is a skill we all must know, to insure that the tribe never goes hungry.
"What do you love?" Smoke asked.
"My wives," I said without even thinking.
"Wives?" She looked surprised. "You have more than one?"
I nodded and flattened my ears in embarrassment. "Two."
She looked me over a minute. "That isn't common among the Hilanders, is it?"
I shook my head. "No."
She smirked at me, "Maybe I should try to be number three?"
I mock growled back at her, "Don't give yourself airs."
She laughed rather loudly at me then. "Now I know why you avoided my advances as long as you did."
"I care about my women, and I didn't want any of the females here to get the wrong idea."
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that much," Smoke said with a small laugh under her breath, "most women in the tribes might wish to lie with an outsider to see what they are like, but none would marry any male who has not already become a member of the tribes."
"Oh?" I was the one surprised now.
"Yes, how would she know if he could provide for her and her children? That he would commit to live his life with her? If he isn't willing to join the tribe, and if he isn't able to pass the tests, then he obviously isn't worthy to be her husband."
I considered the life that the tribes lived out here. I suspected at times it could be pretty harsh, so her words made a lot of sense. They needed some sort of standards that everyone must live up to, or they would eventually die out.
I heard a whistle and looked up. The leader of the party had raised his spear and was motioning to the east.
"What's that?" I asked Smoke who was pulling her spear out.
"Food!" She said and laughed, kicking her wolat into a run as several others of the party broke free from the main body and took off at a run.
I kicked my wolat's flanks and he took off after them, quickly getting my bow ready as I followed.
We rode around a rise and I saw what we were hunting, narzhum! There was a small herd of them, at least a dozen, and they were a lot bigger than I remembered them being when Fel had shown me one!
As I watched the leaders of the party rode right into the midst of them, turning and jabbing at them with their spears as they rode through the middle of the herd and out the other side. The Narzhum were turning and trying to attack, bellowing and charging at the wolats that had ridden through the middle of the group. At that point the next group of riders rode through, but turned right and left riding immediately out
"Father and mother are rather taken with the words of his priests; they say he is a good and just god, and that we should follow him."
"Won't hear any arguments from me about that," I said and smiled. "So how long a trip is it to this other tribe?"
"Oh, just two days. It's rather close by."
"Been there often?"
She nodded, "I dance there a couple times each summer. They appreciate my skills."
I grinned and flicked my tail at her, "I'm sure they do."
"I can do more than dance you know," she said and gave a mock growl.
"Oh I would never argue with you about that," I teased back.
She tapped one of the spears that were slung along the side of her saddle. All of the Mowoks I'd noticed carried at least two. I had never trained with one, at least not mounted, but I had my bow and my swords. Few of the Mowoks carried swords, but they all had a knife that was as big as a dirk, and many of them had tomahawks as well.
"I've used this more than once, and not just on the unruly suzhen. I've killed narzhum and the wild hogs."
I looked suitably impressed. I knew she was strong, even if she didn't look it, all that dancing she did not only made her attractive, it made her rather strong as well.
"If you're so good at hunting, why do you dance?" I asked curious.
"Dancing is what I love," she said and smiled happily. "Hunting is a skill we all must know, to insure that the tribe never goes hungry.
"What do you love?" Smoke asked.
"My wives," I said without even thinking.
"Wives?" She looked surprised. "You have more than one?"
I nodded and flattened my ears in embarrassment. "Two."
She looked me over a minute. "That isn't common among the Hilanders, is it?"
I shook my head. "No."
She smirked at me, "Maybe I should try to be number three?"
I mock growled back at her, "Don't give yourself airs."
She laughed rather loudly at me then. "Now I know why you avoided my advances as long as you did."
"I care about my women, and I didn't want any of the females here to get the wrong idea."
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that much," Smoke said with a small laugh under her breath, "most women in the tribes might wish to lie with an outsider to see what they are like, but none would marry any male who has not already become a member of the tribes."
"Oh?" I was the one surprised now.
"Yes, how would she know if he could provide for her and her children? That he would commit to live his life with her? If he isn't willing to join the tribe, and if he isn't able to pass the tests, then he obviously isn't worthy to be her husband."
I considered the life that the tribes lived out here. I suspected at times it could be pretty harsh, so her words made a lot of sense. They needed some sort of standards that everyone must live up to, or they would eventually die out.
I heard a whistle and looked up. The leader of the party had raised his spear and was motioning to the east.
"What's that?" I asked Smoke who was pulling her spear out.
"Food!" She said and laughed, kicking her wolat into a run as several others of the party broke free from the main body and took off at a run.
I kicked my wolat's flanks and he took off after them, quickly getting my bow ready as I followed.
We rode around a rise and I saw what we were hunting, narzhum! There was a small herd of them, at least a dozen, and they were a lot bigger than I remembered them being when Fel had shown me one!
As I watched the leaders of the party rode right into the midst of them, turning and jabbing at them with their spears as they rode through the middle of the herd and out the other side. The Narzhum were turning and trying to attack, bellowing and charging at the wolats that had ridden through the middle of the group. At that point the next group of riders rode through, but turned right and left riding immediately out
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