the mountain themselves.The eagles were waiting as always on the Killing Rock but Astre wrapped the new babe in seaweed and Maire left her own new child, a Cleft, to be cared for by the others.
The two girls walked towards the mountain, slowly because Astre had recently given birth. An eagle was with them, flying just above their heads, and with its eyes always on the bundle in Astreâs arms. The great wings were balanced there so as to make shadow that kept them shielded from the sun. Was this deliberate? It certainly seemed that the eagle was trying to protect them, or the baby. When they reached the mountain, the two sat down to rest while Astre fed the baby. This was the first and last time this babe was given its motherâs milk. The eagle settled near, closing its wings with a slide of feathers on sleek feathers: the air reached them like a puff of cool wind.
Then, rested, Astre was ready to climb, and up they went, the eagle always just above them, to the top. There Maire put her arm round Astre, knowing what a shock it was, seeing the populated valley for the first time.
It was after midday. The tall slanting reed huts sent hard shadows across the grass to where the boys were at their various tasks. One of them saw the girls, shouted, and they all ran to where they could watch them descend. Down, down, they went, through the sharp rocks, the eagle always overhead.
When they had reached the level ground, the boys came crowding forward and as Maire remembered, their hungry need was in their eyes like a plea. Astre held the babe tight to her, and tried to smile as she walked forward, though she was trembling, and held tight to Maire. All around her now were the monstrous boys with their knotty bundles there in front of them. The babe was beginning to cry, inside its wraps of weeds. Astre threw away the weed and held out the baby for them all to see. This was why she and Maire had come, with the babe, but now she was about to say goodbye to it she felt bereft and alone. She did not remember before feeling this, though she had once given birth to a Monster, which had been put out on the Rock. One of these lads there, in front of her, could have been that abandoned babe. A lad came forward to take the baby, and Astre let it go. She was beginning to weep.
[This historian is allowing Astre tears, though none was ever recorded in any document we have.]
Because the baby was crying, milk ran from her breasts and she shielded them with her arms, feeling for the first time a need for concealment.
The lad with the baby went to the edge of theforest and whistled. Now the baby was crying loudly. Soon a doe appeared, flicking her tail, and stood looking at them out of the trees. The lad went forward with the baby and laid it on the ground. The doe came and lay down near the babe. The doe licked the baby. He, for his part, did not know what to do. Astre, watching, cried even harder, seeing the doeâs tenderness. The lad gently knelt by the couple, doe and baby, and pushed the babeâs face close to the doeâs teats. Still the babe cried â and then stopped. He was suckling while the doe licked and licked. The tiny hands were clutching at the doeâs fur, and it was that which made Astre sink on to the great tree trunk and put her head in her hands. Maire sat by her, and held her. The babe suckled and was pleased, waving its little arms about, and the doe seemed pleased too. Then she rose, leaving the babe, and went to eat grass nearby.
The lad who had cared for the babeâs need sat by Astre on the trunk and put his arm clumsily round her. It was noticeable that his delicacy with the baby was not repeated when he tried to caress Astre. Maire, seeing that Astre was well-supported, got up, touched one of the youths on his shoulder to turn him to her, and then held his squirt. The two copulated, standing. In the course of that afternoon and evening Maire copulated with them all. What I think we must
The two girls walked towards the mountain, slowly because Astre had recently given birth. An eagle was with them, flying just above their heads, and with its eyes always on the bundle in Astreâs arms. The great wings were balanced there so as to make shadow that kept them shielded from the sun. Was this deliberate? It certainly seemed that the eagle was trying to protect them, or the baby. When they reached the mountain, the two sat down to rest while Astre fed the baby. This was the first and last time this babe was given its motherâs milk. The eagle settled near, closing its wings with a slide of feathers on sleek feathers: the air reached them like a puff of cool wind.
Then, rested, Astre was ready to climb, and up they went, the eagle always just above them, to the top. There Maire put her arm round Astre, knowing what a shock it was, seeing the populated valley for the first time.
It was after midday. The tall slanting reed huts sent hard shadows across the grass to where the boys were at their various tasks. One of them saw the girls, shouted, and they all ran to where they could watch them descend. Down, down, they went, through the sharp rocks, the eagle always overhead.
When they had reached the level ground, the boys came crowding forward and as Maire remembered, their hungry need was in their eyes like a plea. Astre held the babe tight to her, and tried to smile as she walked forward, though she was trembling, and held tight to Maire. All around her now were the monstrous boys with their knotty bundles there in front of them. The babe was beginning to cry, inside its wraps of weeds. Astre threw away the weed and held out the baby for them all to see. This was why she and Maire had come, with the babe, but now she was about to say goodbye to it she felt bereft and alone. She did not remember before feeling this, though she had once given birth to a Monster, which had been put out on the Rock. One of these lads there, in front of her, could have been that abandoned babe. A lad came forward to take the baby, and Astre let it go. She was beginning to weep.
[This historian is allowing Astre tears, though none was ever recorded in any document we have.]
Because the baby was crying, milk ran from her breasts and she shielded them with her arms, feeling for the first time a need for concealment.
The lad with the baby went to the edge of theforest and whistled. Now the baby was crying loudly. Soon a doe appeared, flicking her tail, and stood looking at them out of the trees. The lad went forward with the baby and laid it on the ground. The doe came and lay down near the babe. The doe licked the baby. He, for his part, did not know what to do. Astre, watching, cried even harder, seeing the doeâs tenderness. The lad gently knelt by the couple, doe and baby, and pushed the babeâs face close to the doeâs teats. Still the babe cried â and then stopped. He was suckling while the doe licked and licked. The tiny hands were clutching at the doeâs fur, and it was that which made Astre sink on to the great tree trunk and put her head in her hands. Maire sat by her, and held her. The babe suckled and was pleased, waving its little arms about, and the doe seemed pleased too. Then she rose, leaving the babe, and went to eat grass nearby.
The lad who had cared for the babeâs need sat by Astre on the trunk and put his arm clumsily round her. It was noticeable that his delicacy with the baby was not repeated when he tried to caress Astre. Maire, seeing that Astre was well-supported, got up, touched one of the youths on his shoulder to turn him to her, and then held his squirt. The two copulated, standing. In the course of that afternoon and evening Maire copulated with them all. What I think we must
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