Kingdoms Away 1: Jorian Cluster Archives (18 page)

Robin laughed as Donaven pretended to look
forlorn. “Yes, we are sure.”

“Thank you.”

Donaven nodded, looking a little embarrassed.
“No, thank you.” He became brusque, making eye contact with them
both. “We need to meet. I have some further ideas. One of which is
contacting Erianna of Erus.”

{[AIS] [Aislant] [caves]

[607253/1399/87/winter]}

Fin was filling in her Time Keeper when Thon came
home late, trying to be sneaky.

“You’re in trouble.” She told him dutifully,
and he poked his tongue at her. “Where did you go? Out with
Lyttenntto again, Thon?”

The fact that Fin was using his infan name
meant that no Ellri or maturas were around. Thon had been
developing a new interest in a female. Even at his young age of
fourteen, bonding would begin. There was no obligation to bond
permanently, but misleading someone was a serious breach of
law.

He ignored her.

“Oh well.” She exaggerated a sigh. “Don’t run
to me when you get a spanking.”

“I’ll spank you, little infan,” he said as he
lunged at her, knowing she would drop the subject and be
distracted. No one ever actually spanked another, but the term
applied to dusting a rug so was pretty insulting. Fin ran off,
giggling.

Over the years, Fin spent much of her time
working on a bivouac, a small, warm, compact tent that would go
well with her chosen profession. All Heikavians were required to
learn the skills of survival, but anyone who came under the
profession of Expedire also had to produce items that were tough
and of high quality. She missed Thon now that he was out more, and
at times she felt left out when he and their friends would go on
mini journeys, something she could not join yet due to the cold and
lack of practical experience. But as she became older her body was
toughening up and able to fend off the relentless icy weather.

Fin’s menagerie would often do something
funny or get into a fight, which usually distracted her from her
melancholy. She tackled her bivouac with the dedication of a master
as she strove to make her bedding in an attempt to make sure she
didn’t miss too much. She was determined to get out of the caves on
her own and go on her own Expedire!

Her fingers reached out from the warmth of
her covers and touched the cloak folded carefully on the redwood
table next to her bed, feeling the texture and thickness. She also
wondered at how her life had turned out and could feel no regrets
at the path it took. The Heikavian people were wonderful and
gentle, and somewhere deep inside she felt its calming force ease
the secret burdens she carried. The peace was like a deep well
inside her, rising and falling, soothing and soft, countering a
wildness she felt within.

Here ends the Joiran Cluster archive.

Next: The Aislant archive…

I consider myself a mad writer with a secret
desire to be a mad scientist. But the truth is I’m a bit lazy when
it comes to anything not writing. And that, my reader friends,
includes final editing/proofreading. I try my best but I just can’t
spot the mistakes in my own work. Nor am I a grammar queen, or
even, princess. In fact, I’m probably on par with the grammar joker
or torturer which is why I pay a professional to proofread my work.
However, because I’m a little bit naughty sometimes I sneak back in
and add a few things


Anyway, I’ve been writing since I was a kid
and not just the compulsory writing they make you do at school. I
did actually write because I loved, and still love, stories. From
wooden blocks, to paintbrush (with no paint), to crayon, to
paintbrush (with paint), to pencil, to the almighty pen—I still
remember when I passed my pencil strokes and was allowed to use a
pen—to typewriter, to recorder (that didn’t last), to keyboard
connected by cable and then cordless, to stylus (didn’t like that
either), back to cordless keyboard I have been creating and
designing stories.

I’ll keep writing as long as people enjoy
them. And if they aren’t enjoyable, then I’ll return to the real
world and live in other people’s stories.

Cheers

S. V. Brown

Alien Crucible runs from Log 1 through to
Log 18 - visit
http://www.aliencrucible.com/

Praeda Chronicles - free on my website (see
“Connect with S. V. Brown”)

Swackle - free on my website

Short stories and writing hints at
http://lonecreature.com.au/

Twitter

https://twitter.com/S_V_Brown

Website

http://www.selinavalenbrown.com/

Home Sweet Home

“…
and the Arachnids shall smite
down the Enemy with their terrible poisons…”

Excerpt from the Joiran Cluster Archives, the Third
Hostility

{[AIS][Aislant][Main Cave]

[607895/1400/295/winter]}

It was almost five Heikave years after Fin had
arrived that the Ellri had worked out her true age. When she had
originally shown her seven fingers to Thon he hadn’t understood the
significance, but they had noted it. When she had started her
journal, they had studied her entries. They were able to calculate
her cycles by comparing them to their women. If the cycles were the
same ratio it made her age now about sixteen, the same age as
Thonnurran. They had calculated some time ago that her age would
eventually overtake his. What was more important however was that
she matured with her age, just as Thonnurran matured with passing
time. They deduced their days were almost twice as long as the days
on her planet of origin.

Discussions occurred without her knowing and
the Ellri brought Thonnurran in on the talk. When he arrived, he
looked quizzically around at the old faces. Once they had explained
what it was they had discovered he became so enthused that they had
no reservations about proceeding with their idea. As he left, a
sigh of relief escaped his lips. He’d thought he had been
discovered.

Both Thonnurran and Fina would receive their
name extensions and their commissions on the same day. A multiple
festival was always a special occasion.

Preparations took place and Thonnurran and
Fina received special gifts. They were both very excited and
compared each other’s clothes. She loved the way his cloak attached
at the neck and fell to the back, and it was very thin and soft to
touch. It was a bright blue color. It was almost identical to a
flower he had discovered and named on their last journey. He looked
grand standing six foot two inches tall, his shoulder span just
under three feet in width, covered in long and now thick white
hair, his face less pink and unlined, with his blue eyes beaming
down at her.

“Look Thon, with my cloak I am sure I will be
able to come with you on your journeys.”

She missed his startled look. But there was
no way he was going to ruin this for her. “Well, we kept waiting
for you to fatten up with all that cake you keep eating but fadar
and mutimi realized they

would have to make you this instead.”

“Thon!”

He laughed. He would have to speak to his
group. They would have to go on some customary journeys for her.
This would reduce his time to study. But if he didn’t take her on
some, the maturas would have something to say and he would be
discovered. And he didn’t think Kyrrannthonn, his friend, would
complain.

Fin twirled around in her cloak. While it was
a similar style to her brother’s, it was all white on one side, and
a mottled brown and green color on the other. Their parents had
kept in mind Fin’s direction toward the profession Expedire as well
as Navigation. It was very practical but still beautiful. It was
cleverly and evenly filled with a special material sandwiched
between the layers and created so much warmth that she couldn’t
wear it closed in the cave.

So that she could pin the cloak at her neck,
they had added a deep yellow jewel brooch. Her fadar and mutimi had
worked extremely hard on the cloak. As foresters, they were always
planting and caring for the trees to supply wood for fires and
building material, she wondered where they found the time. On her
feet were new brown boots, sturdy and hard on the sole but soft and
pliable on the top. The geonglings had helped make the boots for
they had small hands and were able to produce the small size for
her feet.

Fin curled up in the family room of their
home cave for a quick nap covering her head to simulate darkness,
and Thon laughed at her teasing her about the time she spent
sleeping.

“Thon, don’t you dare forget to wake me up.”
Fin’s muffled voice muttered from beneath the cloak.

Even after all this time, she still heeded
her body’s needs and slept more than the Heikave people. On one
night, she had been wandering passed the vast main cave and through
some of the network caves. She came across a very old Heikave named
Joppullarran who was treating a bivouac and it stunk. She had poked
her head in and held her nose. He chuckled and recruited her
immediately. This was the Heikave way, recruit, delegate, supervise
and tell stories. This cave network was cooler than what the others
were because they had to have larger ventilation shafts to
accommodate the type of work. She learned to respect other trades
and now listened when Thon told her if something was poisonous. The
study of weather occupied her time as well as studying maps and
playing with models made by the Ellri masters to recreate scenarios
of accidents, natural disasters or even attack and defense
strategies.

The Ellri would set up difficult scenarios
and watch in amazement as she sometimes managed to overcome the
obstacles. They involved her in complex attack or defense games,
placing her on one side with a team and would try to give her
insurmountable missions. One such game took place in five goliath
caves, well away from the main cave. The Ellri had strategically
placed large miniatures representing friend or foe around the
labyrinthine caves. They played for six days. There was little time
for sleep. Fin, who was represented by an enemy miniature, was
third in command. She had died a gruesome death, but it had allowed
her team to win.

Thon often sided with her team, studied her
moves and listened carefully to her suggestions. They came in
handy.

Fin’s bivouac was almost finished; it was
over four years in the making. Her bivouac was six feet long. At
her current age, she was only four foot nine, developed in the
breast and with fine brown hair apparent in the pubic, arm, and leg
regions. She doubted she would get much taller. She had pale small
freckles over her body much to the amusement of the Heikaves who
all had clear skin under white hair.

Not only had she been making her own bivouac,
but she became involved in the trade of making journey equipment;
ropes, bags of all sorts, and a variety of climbing equipment. It
was a good trade and a specialty. Thon was her greatest fan and
constantly emptied her storage supplies. She complained one
day.

“Thon, what are you doing with all that
equipment?”

He shrugged his broad shoulders casually,
already prepared for the question. He didn’t even need to look at
the Ellri browsing Fin’s products who became interested in his
answer, “I’ve been using your gear for some time and word has
gotten around to the other caves how durable it is. My team has
been sharing the equipment and now we have special orders from
other young teams. Good work, sis.”

Thon turned to the Ellri, “Don’t worry, I
won’t work her too hard.” The Ellri responded, “Leave some for us
next time.” With that, Thon laughed and left with his arms
full.

The Ellri chuckled at Fin’s frazzled
expression.

Thon popped his head back in, “Fin.”

She looked up from testing a range of
screw-lock, keylock, manual and automatic karabiners. She didn’t
make these but selected them to go with her equipment supplies.

“Kyrrannthonn says ‘hello’ and that he hopes
to see you at the next clan meeting.”

At her blush, Thon disappeared.

The Ellri quickly busied himself with
selecting some rope.

Along with making equipment, there were
lessons on how to use and maintain each piece, and then she had to
learn the exact tolerance of each article. She also learnt how to
teach effectively. It was during one of these training sessions in
another mountain cave system she noticed a certain male Heikave
paying her particular attention. She had known for a while he was
interested in her but this time he had watched her with an
intensity that made her shiver in excitement.

Fin had felt both flattered and confused at
his interest. But she knew she was not ready to involve herself in
any relationship. That was until one night after dinner when he
began to sing and would look at her. She couldn't tear her eyes
from his and realized the song was about her. He was strumming a
stringed instrument accompanied by other musical Heikaves.
Geonglings giggled when Fin’s face burned.

She tried not to allow it to distract her too
much as she had applied a long time ago to join the salvus team,
those who saved lives. Fin still had no word of acceptance. She
kept herself fit and, at sixteen, she was sturdy, strong, and
muscular. She didn’t think much about the fact it would be
difficult for her to save a Heikave but knew there would be plenty
of other things she could do. At times, the salvus had to go save
an animal; and this was something she could easily achieve. The
white wolves would patrol the region, return, and give signals with
their paws. At times, they used their voices to warn of danger or
of an accident. Fin had become adept at reading and interpreting
the signals.