Humans are the Alien Creatures

[landiek]

Foster overheard the conversation and took Wynn and Blue Eyes to his hogan.

Once inside they speak freely. "Those leaves are near but we must go during day. It is too dangerous at night with the lizards lurking.. also you must be careful of the Youn Kye. That is a poisoned human being."

Wynn sighed. "I had a daughter named snow. He was her mate.. when she gave him daughter. He slew them in front of Gaia and Darja and ate the sac that follows as it came out. Gaia was four summers... we thought she would never take mate."

Foster finished the tale. "What he did was wrong but he killed others same way. He was banished. We told the children he was claimed by the spirit of the lizard. River killed a lizard and his friend Oak died from eating the meat from kill."

Wynn paused then asks."Gaia is with child.. but you said young ones.. How do you know this?"

Foster answered. "Sky raiders and riders. The riders brought problems. We could not give them our children. They brought the lizards and great snakes. The snakes died because of lizards. The raiders come every six years and take some of the human beings at harvest time when many are in the open. They bring down walls of fire to make us run.Those taken are never seen again. News of Gaia is hope others survived being taken."

 

[Ravenloft]

"Youn Kye? Sounds dangerous. How does he survive out on his own? I agree, wait for day. But I have only two before I must return with yellow leaves, or Gaia may not survive."

"How horrible, and Gaia witnessed that depraved act? Poor child... I am honored that she allowed me to be her mate. Yes, Gaia warned me not to eat the meat of the lizards, she also warned me of the spined birds and their paralytic quills. I am lucky to have survived as long as I have without her. I may be strong and good with a bow, but she knows many things I do not. Together we are stronger."

"I..." Blue began to answer Wynn's question, catching himself. He wasn't sure he should tell them about the Keepers for fear they might think he was their servant or something. "A good spirit came to me while Gaia slept and showed me with its magic." He told a half truth.

"I do not know how many others the Sky Raiders have taken but Gaia and I are proof that some who are taken do survive."

 

[landiek]

Wynn gave him a skeptical look. "Is it the same spirit that brought you to the human beings?"

Foster noticed the basket. "Is this another gift?"

Another male enters and looks at the visitors. "Hello.. I am Kran.. eldest son of Wynn. My children speak of uncle. Is this true?"

 

[Ravenloft]

Blue looked Wynn in the eyes and knew he couldn't lie to this man. "Yes, it is." He admitted, a little nervous of what Gaia's father might do now that he knew, or at least suspected that the Sky Riders had brought him to them.

"Yes, yes, this is all from Gaia, sent with love." Blue said, thankful for the distraction.

"Kran." Blue said, giving the male a respectful bow.

 

[landiek]

Foster took the basket as Kran learned of newest of clan.

"Any luck?" Wynn asks his son.

"Nothing. Even the guardians have nothing to offer.." Kran stood tall but his heart was aching.

"Even Gaia suffers the bite." Wynn told him. "This is Blue Eyes her mate. He seeks the yellow leaves."

Kran grabbed Blue Eyes and asks. "Do you have the roots of bloodthorns?"

 

[Ravenloft]

"Guardians?" Blue interjected, curiously, wondering what they were talking about.

"Red root? Yes, and a poultice made from green leaves, wound cut and washed as well, only missing yellow leaves." Blue explained all that Gaia had instructed him to do. "Gaia is with young now... none of these will harm them, will they?" He asked, worried about the health of his children in her belly as well as for hers.

 

[landiek]

Foster shouted "Wynn look. Its bloodthorn.. dozens of roots and some seeds... she will bring healing to the tribe. How could she have know?"

Kran stood silent. His sister made it possible to heal his three youngest. Then he realized they were talking a lot. Did Blue Eyes know about the guardians?

Wynn shook his head. "She always finds."

Foster turned to Blue Eyes. "No not at all but too much causes shakes."

 

[Ravenloft]

Fosters shout made Blue jump a little, but when he saw that it was in joy he relaxed and smiled, proud of Gaia for her keen gathering skills, happy that it would help her family.

He turned to Foster and nodded, letting out a sigh of relief to know that their remedies were safe for her and the young ones inside her. "Thank you, I was worried..."

He looked around at the three of them and rubbed the back of his neck. "Is there some place for me to rest? I grow tired." He admitted, the fear and excitement of the day suddenly falling heavy on his shoulders. If only Gaia were here now to rub his shoulders... He tried not to make a pained face, but he felt his eyes stinging with tears.

 

[landiek]

Wynn caught himself from saying too much in front of his son. "You are welcome to stay in this hut. It was Lakota Red Cloud home. Gaia spent much time here. It will be hers when you bring her back to the tribe."

Kran asks "do you need someone to keep you warm?"

Foster chuckles. "New wife want alone time?"

Wynn shook his head but told Blue Eyes to expect company. "The girls will keep you warm but are not yours."

Breeda and another girl came with blankets and food. It took a few moments to have his bed ready. They worked quietly but the other girl sighed seeing his muscles.

"Daja.. heem Gaia man.. na thinks.Kay.." Breeda warns.

 

[Ravenloft]

Blue was thankful that they gave him a place to rest but was surprised and a little nervous of their offer to be kept warm by someone, especially if they meant Kran. Fosters joke made it clear that that wasn't the case and Wynn's warning cleared things up further. "Understood. Thank you all for your kind hospitality, I am honored to share in the warmth and comfort you have offered me." He said, giving each of them a bow of his head.

They departed and two women entered, bearing food and warm blankets. He smiled and welcomed them, unsure just how friendly he should be with them. He had no intention of messing with them intimately, even before Wynns warning, but the way the one girl was stealing glances at him made him think he might have to sleep with one eye open to be sure she didn't try to steal something more from him than he was willing to give. He knew those looks and knew they could cause trouble in the night.

He was proud of his muscles, but for tonight he thought it might be best not to encourage any unnecessary attention so he pulled a blanket over his shoulders, hiding most of his muscles underneath, but his ripped stomach was still open to view. "Breeda?" He asked, to see if he had her name right. "And you are?" He asked the other, seeing how she blushed and lowered her eyes, obviously attracted to him. If he didn't handle this just right, there might be trouble. He glanced back at Breeda, thankful for her polite warning, but knew it was more than likely lost on her friend.

 

[landiek]

Breeda smiled "han.. me Breeda...Wen daug ter..Her ran"

Breeda made the sign for rain falling from the sky. The older girl smiles again but minds the warning. Kran is a good leader and her sister'a mate. She didn't need to get in trouble with her family.

 

[Ravenloft]

"Breeda, Rain, it's a pleasure to meet you both. I am Blue Eyes, Gaia's Mate. Can you tell me stories about her when she was young?" He asked, relaxing a bit now that it was clear who was who and he was a little more certain that nothing would happen between them that shouldn't.

He laid back and opened his arms for them to each take a side and share in the warmth of his body. It seemed intimate to him, but he trusted himself not to do anything with them that he shouldn't. They were family now, through Gaia, and he would treat them as such. He was interested in hearing all they had to say about Gaia, hoping that he would learn more about his mate.

 

[landiek]

Breeda grinned and began telling him her memories.
"Gaia cawt nana burd. Tack eet feeders.. mack peelo. Burd chas hrr . Gaia hyd fine reed rut. Mack dink... mack byta mm arks go way. Den le zards tack.. Gaia lelarn dem knee izes cee.. Gaia tack furt izes... dem gos way... Gaia lyk traees.. hrr clim.. cee st ares."

 

[Ravenloft]

Blue smiled to himself over Breeda's stories about Gaia. He understood most of what she said. That Gaia had made pillows out of the birds feathers and how she found the red root while hiding from the birds. After that, things got a little more difficult for him to understand.

"Made drink from red root that heals bites? Wait, what did Gaia do to the lizards to make them go away?" He asked, trying to understand what Breeda was saying. "Oh, I know she likes the tree's she made a spot for herself in one not far from our home. Its going to be hard keeping her out of it when she grows heavy with young." He said with a chuckle.

"Tell me about how she found the Yarjahken? Did she train it? Is it her pet? It knew her scent. Helped me find her once when she was hurt. I call him Boy." He turned to Rain. "Do you have any stories about Gaia?" He asked, looking into her eyes.

 

[landiek]

Breeda had Rain show Blue Eyes a spider bite she got some time back. "Dink un da m.rk gos way."

Breeda didn't know that it took away the fevers from bites as well.

Rain got in on the story pretending to be the lizards and Breeda was Gaia. "Gaia tack izes."

Breeda grabbed Rain's face and the wriggle d until Breeda took the eye and Rain covered her eyes. "Nau cee...hiisss nau cee."

Gaia took out an eyeball from the lizards and now her people blind them to kill them. Breeda continues. "Re var kilt ghhal hrr tack izes frr oom.. Oak ated mee ta..hee dizs. Nau ated dem..ba ad mee ta."

"Yar Jah Ken... Gaia fin.. Ty kneee.. shaa mon ta ain dem.. dey Nau seeck fom ated ghhal."

 

[Ravenloft]

Blue Eyes looked at the bite mark on Rain's arm and nodded, understanding now. He look at Rain as she got into the story, sticking her tongue out and hissing. He couldn't help but chuckle at the silly sight of her imitation of a blinded lizard.

"I see, the meat from the Ghal poisoned Oak? Make him mad? He is very bad now?" Blue asked, worried that he might one day try to hurt these people again. He felt that they were family already and feared for their safety. "He not come here any more? No danger to you here?"

"There are more Yar Jah Ken? They are amazing pets. Good, and loyal. The meat of Ghal doesn't hurt them?" He asked, to make sure he understood. "How about the Nana birds? Can Yar Jah Ken eat them? Solid stomachs? No harm?"

 

[landiek]

Breeda looked at Blue Eyes funny. "Nau Oak unner dert. Hee nau leeve."

Rain explains better "Oak dead. Heem nau kaom ba k."

Breeda pointed at Boy "heem Gaia pet.. las wun."

It would be hard to explain. About creatures you only saw one of them in your lifetime..

Both girls got excited to talk about the nana birds. A large white bird that tastes juicy when roasted and feathers soft as snow.. almost like an albino turkey.

 

[Ravenloft]

"Oh, sorry, I thought he was the one you call Youn Kei? Mad and dangerous, poisoned by ghal meat?" Blue asked, having mistaken Oak for the madman the others had warned him about.

Blue smiled and called Boy over, patting his thigh. "Come Boy, come." He said, giving him a scratch behind the ear when he came. "Good Boy, good!" He laughed at how well the Yarjahken was trained. "You're the only one, huh Boy? Only one?" He seriously doubted it, but then the Sky Riders might have accidentally lost Boy out in the wild while shipping from who knows where, possibly another planet even.

Blue Eyes enjoyed the girls company, they were sweet and friendly now that they were sharing stories with him. The girls exhuberant description of the Nana birds weren't what he thought but he loved the sound of them, why didn't they have some of those in the enclosure? He thought to himself. "What do you call the spine back birds that can stun a man with their quills?" He asked, they must know, because Gaia knew and that was something she must have shared. "Gaia warned not to go near them, but I thought to use their quills on other animals, make them easier to catch."

 

[landiek]

The girls stare. They had never heard the possessed one's name before.

They shrugged it off and went back to playing pluck the tail feather. Boy began barking and hopping under their feet.

Breeda looked down. "Dem bad burd. Dem ate yaoo Wen yaoo fael."

Rain nodded in agreement. However she wouldn't be able to explain how her mother was killed and eaten by those birds while they blinded Memaw who crept away unscathed.

 

[Ravenloft]

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. I guess you were never told, I shouldn't have said anything..." Blue felt bad that he'd mentioned the Youn Kei to them. They were obviously spared the horror story of him.

"Oh! Hahahah! You two are so funny!" He laughed and clapped his hands, enjoying their playfulness. He felt at home with them. Even boy got into the excitement! It was a pleasure and a joy to see such free spirited souls.

"No kidding, I was lucky then. I got stung by one in tall grass and laid helpless for hours. Boy came to me and watched over me, he kept me safe from the birds and other beasts. Good boy, goooood boy!" He caught Boy up in his arms and gave him a hug while he squirmed and tried to lick at his face.

They must have been making quite a lot of noise as Blue looked up, hearing someone walking up to their Hogan outside. "Hello?" He called out getting up to see who it was.

 

[landiek]

Another visitor but not to Rain's liking. It was Piza and she brought Memaw's sweet rolls as a peace offering for invading

Piza was older then Breeda but half a season younger than Rain. Piza was also a tattle tail in Rain's opinion.

"Hota hey." Piza came over to the sleeping spot. "Kran sazs yaoo goos fin da yaloo leeves ta marm oo."

Breeda and Rain frown about this piece of news. Rain scolds Piza. "Yaoo ba ad.. nau taukin men s'uf."

Breeda looked angry. "Ma beez h rr possta ta ell bra der."

Piza sits by Blue Eyes while her aunts quarrelled. Piza offers him a sweet roll. "Dey bee a wile."

 

[Ravenloft]

"Oh, those look delicious!" Blue said, spying the sweet rolls with a drizzle on top of them. He reached for one as Piza entered the Hogan with them. He didn't notice that Piza's presence had made Rain upset. Nor did he think that having so many of the girls in his room might not go well with the rest of the tribe.

"Yes, I need them to heal Gaia's bite from a ghal lizard, she is sleeping safely now, but only has four suns before I must give her the leaf." He said without thinking, not realizing the men kept their women in the dark like this.

"What? Was I not supposed to say anything?" Blue asked Piza as the other two stared to argue.

"Hmmm..." Blue watched the two for a moment and had to agree, they looked like they would be at it for a while, so even while he still had a half a sweet roll in one hand, he grabbed a second one in his other hand and took a bite of it and chewed it slowly. "Mmm! Is good!" He said with his mouth full, smiling at Piza.

 

[landiek]

Piza wasn't stupid like Rain thinks and sending Breeda to be interference. Well it was just good common sense. Besides Piza knew Rain had no man to bring her to toe. Even watching her quarrel saved her New uncle from a pounding if Rain managed to ride his manroot.

Piza smiles at Blue Eyes. "Memaw mack did dem."

It took seconds for the fist fight to erupt as Breeda didn't like Rain calling her niece a brat.It was a matter of blood and Rain wasn't she was an in-law. Piza kept Blue Eyes from getting involved by putting her arm in his.

The fight ended when blood was drawn and apologies followed. Piza held up a pair of rolls then took her spot next to Blue Eyes. "Eet layt.. seep naow."

 

[Ravenloft]

"Mmm, this is very sweet! What makes it so?" Blue asked between mouth fulls.

"Whoa!" Blue exclaimed as Breeda and Rain started to fight with their fists. He was ready to intervene but Piza touched his arm to keep him in check. "But..." He looked at her, concerned for the other two. He didn't like seeing them fight but Piza wasn't letting go, so he sat back.

It was clear that their ways were different, but that they knew them better than he did. He had much to learn about them, he could see. The fight ended just as quickly as it had begun and he wondered over the way they gave each other a heart felt apology. Piza then offered them a sweet roll to sooth any hurt feelings.

"Yes, sleep. Blue Eyes is tired..." He agreed, finishing his second sweet roll and laying back, stretching out and resting his head on his hands. He closed his eyes as he felt the three of them snuggle up against him for warmth. Soon, he drifted off to sleep.

 

[landiek]

Piza replies "whonee"

Sleeping was easy Piza in his left..Breeda stretches over his chest and rain in the right but unable to touch without disturbing Breeda and moving her right knee.

With his blanket of warmth he wouldn't notice the drop of temperature thought the wee hours if the morning.

An hour into daylight Water knocked on the door. "Ay...ay..bra der... mack qeek.. dey oop an ree dee ta goos."

Kran was almost ready to be single again after the nagging he got from his second wife. Memaw threw the red blanket over Suda and led her from the hut. Tempers were high and the red root was taking longer to break the fevers. Shaman Foster had altered the bitter taste with a pinch of honey and slowed the effect.

Kran was taking Crayde, Water, Larj, and Sta wert. They were sharpening their spears as Lyra and Daring brought food and water for the trek. Kran loaded baskets on the Juda a cross between a mule and a pig. It was a sacrifice to the lizards if the would return after dark.

Piza rose quickly and shook the others before leaving to speak with her father about her dream. The apple tree was in bloom and tempted Larj but he fell off the cliff to the naga pits.