People of the Plains
By jazz
- 703 reads
Carter had decided it was time to move on.
'Come on you lot?we need to go'
His words echoed across the plain and slowly the tents were packed on
to the horses and mules and the tribe began its move to new pastures.
Shepherds, mainly women drove the sheep on while others concentrated on
the few goats. This tribe were sheep farmers in the main and precious
few other animals could be seen.
Carter then rode up to Eloise's side
'Are you tiring of all this? He asked,
'I am not, I am a nomad' She answered, she was not in the mood to talk
today.
' I am tiring?you remember our past life well enough don't you?'
She sighed
'You know I do, but I'm one of the nomads of Asgard now and this is my
life?. and our children's. But your heart us still not that of a nomad
is it?'
'I suppose not. But theirs is'
Carter pointed to their three children, Loki, Wotan and Freya happily
walking amongst the sheep. It was so appropriate that they chose to
walk with the two black sheep of the flock.
Just then there was a sudden rush of hoof beats and two of the tribes
many outriders came to the side of the elders.
'We must make for the plains of the Valkyrie.there is much better
grazing there at this season' said the tallest of them; a lean faced
young man called Samuel.
Eloise nodded, she had learned over the years to trust this man. Years
of being brought up on the plains had taught him where to go, what to
look for. Eloise often thought that they were very lucky to find him
after his family of farmers were scattered by raiders.
Carter liked Samuel too, he liked the way he devoted himself to the
tribe, to the plains. To Carter Samuel was the genuine article, a true
nomad of Asgard?something that he wanted to be but could not be. The
duality of his position always troubled him, Eloise had so easily
accepted what had happened and had been overjoyed t carry their
children and to have them anointed as the next generation. Carter had
been happy too but somehow he could not let go; He suddenly realised
that Samuel and Eloise were talking to him.
'Two days travelling at least is what I bbelieve' said Samuel with
Eloise echoing his forecast.
'I think so' He replied and Eloise could tell his mind had
wandered.
When Samuel had ridden back to join the other outriders in their
constant lookout for raiders, Eloise confronted Carter about his lack
of concentration.
'Since Thor died you have been our elder, you must show an
example'
Carter nodded his agreement and tried to change the topic
'Two days should be enough, although we are younger than some tribes
and could last longer'
'Yes but travelling longer will leave us vulnerable?we have been lucky
since the last full moon, let us hope our luck holds.'
*
They travelled on and soon decided to camp for the night. Samuel
arranged a guard duty but Eloise could not relax. After wailing with
the other women for a few moments for the soul of the departed elder,
Thor and putting the children to bed she went outside to join
Samuel.
'We will be visited tonight or early in the morning' Samuel knew
something was going to happen and Eloise was not surprised as for all
Carter's inner troubles he was only this moody when something was in
the air. Samuel was blessed with the touch of Valhalla and could sense
coming events.
'Is it bad?'
'No' Samuel was seemingly unaware of her presence and was staring into
the night.
'It is not bad, but we will be vistited. Travellers will seek us
out'
Eloise went to bed; climbing in beneath the animal skins next to Carter
she found that he was awake.
'I know Eloise?. I know, we will be visited'
*
'Yes. This is Station 1.we have seen them' the technician f the
recently landed ship was pleased to have a bearing on, and to have seen
the travellers so soon.
Commander Howard was pleased too. For sixteen long years he had
searched for the survivors of the Discovery. He had found the wreckage
soon after but no survivors were ever found and his superiors at the
Earth and Satellite mining company were happy to put it down to an
accident. Years later and with an alarmingly rapid promotion that even
he could not reason, here he was.
'You are convinced it's them aren't you? Said Scientific Officer
Stanley, a young woman just out of the academy who was mystified at
this man's obsession.
'I am Henrietta? I am?I know that Carter Speke and Eloise Burton are
here and alive'
Stanley looked though the eyeglass he supplied her. The tribes on this
planet were huge, she had not come across one quite so small before,
and that meant this one was a young one.
'We really should try a larger and older one sir'
'Maybe, but first let us meet this group' He was already hurrying to
the larger of the tracked vehicles they had brought.
Stanley running to keep up with him
'Sir. We should take an escort shouldn't we?'
Howard did not hear her so she whistled to the half dozen escort
troopers who were waiting for a signal. She thought it marvellous that
a Scientific Officer (graduated class) had authority over escort
personnel.
'Let's go' She shouted as she got in the back of Howard's vehicle 'This
is going to be fun!'
*
Samuel saw the escort carriers first and motioned to the outriders to
move to protect the herd. He then whistled to carter and Eloise to join
him. He did not feel or sense any threat but nor did he want the
animals scared enough to run off and it was also tradition that a mere
outrider dare not meet visitors alone without at least one elder
present.
Carter was impressed by the speed at which the convoy approached, it
had been a long time since he had used the company's transport and
those personnel carriers were antiques compared to these rough terrain
models.
'These have met nomads before' said Eloise, noticing how the vehicles
stopped at a safe distance and that the military escort kept their
array of weapons pointing to the ground.
Eloise, Carter and Samuel dismounted in unison and, taking off their
outer cloaks laid them on the floor before chanting as one,
'We are the fourth tribe of Thor of Asgard and you are welcome.
We are as one, brothers and sisters and this day you are as one '
Howard took off his helmet and bowed, he then nudged Stanley to do the
same. He recognised carter straightaway and called to him. Carter and
Eloise likewise knew Howard and the three of them ran toward each other
and hugged.
Howard was speechless, unable to utter a word, but through tears Carter
managed to speak.
'After all these years you found us! I knew that you would
someday'
'I knew you were both alive?no-one believed me and the company only
listened to me two years ago when I finally persuaded them to let me
look'
Eloise then spoke
'How did you find us?after all you must know of all the other
tribes?'
Howard nodded and said that that he had spoken to many larger tribes,
many in vain before one said of the tribe of Thor who had elders who
were not of the plain.
Eloise called for the three children to join them, they were at first
reluctant, and hid behind Samuel, it was at his urging that they
eventually joined their parents.
'We must camp here for tonight' said Carter 'Join us and we shall
prepare a feast'
*
They feasted on goat meat that night and talked of the old days, of how
the landing craft had crashed and how only Eloise and Carter survived,
remarkably only lightly scarred. They spoke of their being found by
Thor and becoming people of the plains. Howard sat fascinated
throughout while Stanley and most of the escort wondered how on earth
two scientific officers could adapt so easily to being nomads.
Morning soon came and so did the inevitable questions.
The tents were packed and only the three former colleagues stood in the
main covering.
'You must come back' said Howard
Eloise knew the statement was coming and knew her answer.
'I cannot know, Howard, I am a nomad?we even have children. My heart is
that of the plains of Asgard, my past life means nothing, my life began
again here'
Howard also knew to expect the answer; to him it had been sixteen years
but did time matter here? Did sixteen years mean anything in a life
cycle dominated by the need for grazing and the cycle of the
moons?
Carter kissed Eloise and she went out to join Loki, Wotan and Freya who
were watching the conference from behind a large goat.
'And you Carter Speke.You surely will not turn your back so
easily?
'You know me well enough Howard and so does Eloise. I have sensed your
arrival and my heart is not that of a nomad.'
'So you will return with us?'
Carter hesitated, it was time to decide where he wanted to be, he knew
that Eloise would support him, after all in keeping with tradition she
would simply find another mate, as Carter was not a male born of the
plains he had no automatic right to a mate, children or not.
The silence between them seemed to last an eternity.
'We all have to choose Howard?and I now choose my future with my
children.'
They hugged again; Howard despite his searching knew that the bonds
that had once existed had been loosened.
'We will see each other?the company often sends teams here now'
'Maybe?maybe?there is no more to say, I put off the inevitable for far
too long'
Howard agreed and left to join Stanley and the escort. Carter, again
with tears in his eyes ordered the last tent to be pulled down and went
join Eloise who had her back to him. He reached his partner and put his
hand on her shoulder. She too was crying.
'I have made my choice?I am now of the plain'
'Good?let us move on'
The tribe wasted no time in moving on, as did the company's convoy.
Soon there was no sign that a camp had been made at all.
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