23rd day of the 3rd month 650th year of the 8th era

Araki disentangled himself from the bodies of his lovers. As he stood and stretched, the warm smell of food through the tent flap put a smile on his face. He pushed open the flap and padded out into the central chamber. Bindu and Nundi, Nanberry’s eldest set of twins, sat around the fire, stirring the cooking fire.

“What are you cooking?” Araki asked into their silence.

Bindu looked up at him and smiled. Her dirty face lit up with her love for him. “Just breakfast,” she said.

“Moodie was hungry and she can’t start a fire,” Nundi stated.

Araki nodded. “Where is everyone else?”

“The triplets are out with the other children and Jage, Moodie is in the sleeping area brushing her hair, Jubeck is with the council elders,” Bindu said, listing off the children on her fingers.

The tent flap flew back, and fresh sunlight streamed in as Jubeck came in. Araki squinted at the light and then the flap returned, and the light went to just the fire light.

“You are awake, Father,” Jubeck said, “The council would like to see you when you are ready.”

Araki raised an eyebrow at his adopted son. The boy was ten years old and he was beginning to act like a man. Araki was surprised, but then he had been the head of the family for a bit and he most likely only had had the elders as role models. His body was wiry and had turned a gentle bronze from the extra sun he was getting from being about the clan was good for him.

“Have you eaten yet?” Araki asked.

Jubeck shook his head and sat down beside the fire.

“Is the food nearly ready?” Araki asked.

Bindu nodded.

“Then please go and get your sisters,” Araki instructed. “Nundi, fetch your mothers and Jubeck you can start serving out the stew into bowls.”

The children all jumped to his instructions. He took a seat on a soft cushion as Jubeck took a large serving spoon and served him first. Araki ate in silence as the rest of the family arrived and was served by Jubeck. As the family all talked about their lives, Araki sat back and watched the girls and his wives all getting along. Even Jubeck joined in, telling his birth mother about what he had been doing so far today. Lammy settled into his lap and snuggled into Araki, her cool skin a counterpoint to the warmth of the tent. He smiled to himself, peace washing over him; he finally felt like he belonged. The food filled him and after he had eaten his fill, he walked out of the tent in his chieftain robes. Jubeck walked along behind him, his chest out, pride sparkling in his eyes. Araki looked down at his adopted son and smiled. They entered the council tent and the eight men rose to greet him. They wore robes in their clan colours First, Second, Third And Fourth in the green of Clan Linjah and the blue for Lawn. They bowed and made a space for them in the council, and they sat. Clan Linjah to his left and Lawn to his right. Araki frowned at them.

“Why did you call me here today?” Araki said, breaking the silence.

“Normally the chief would select our destination,” First said.

“I would like to stay put to get to know my family,” Araki countered. “I have inherited quite a large number of children and just married two wives.”

“That does seem like a fair request to make,” Drice assented.

“However,” Yalla said, “the number of cattle we have between the two clans is too large and is creating a few problems.”

“The grazing of the cattle is beginning to strip the surrounding land,” Third said. “The wells here are not going to hold out for a protracted length of time.”

“What do you suggest?” Araki said, holding up a hand. “Please only one person at a time; the constant switching is annoying.”

“Very well,” First said. “We need to move from this place, before the cattle start dying. Once that happens, keeping the clan together will be impossible. The clan’s folk will push for a split.”

“Was joining a bad idea?” Araki asked.

“It is not without its problems,” Second said. “We are a considerable size now and that size will give us certain advantages, however, it comes with a few problems. One of them being we can’t stay put for more than three or four days.”

“What are our options?” Araki asked.

“We need to thin the herd,” Jungurrur said. “The families have enough dried meat to last them for several months and the number of the herds is five times what we need.”

“So, we need to go back to Ashford?” Araki said.

“We have travelled quite a far distance from Ashford,” Yalla said. “If we headed back right now, we would miss the traders. Both clans didn’t sell when the traders were there because the herds were not enough to warrant selling. Together, it is large enough to be too large.”

“Pergasus is where the cattle are sold to,” Third said. “The clans travel to Ashford for the moots and gatherings.”

“For the party, essentially,” Fourth said, smiling.

All the elders smiled, a few snickered.

“So, we head to Pergasus to sell,” Araki said. “It seems to me that you have already reached consensus. Why was I called?”

“To inform you,” Yalla said.

“You could have done that with a message,” Araki said. “I left instructions that you are to manage the clan’s details and I was to only intervene when you are deadlocked.”

Araki stood. “Pack up the camp and prepare to move out.”

***

Astride a horse in his armour, Araki trotted ahead of the clan horses. Several men dressed in black armour carrying long lances on their back trotted with him. Aquillia rode up beside him.

“Araki, a message from the council,” she said. “It is recommended that you scout on ahead with a few men and ensure the way is clear.”

Araki smiled at her. “Send my thanks to the council. Who was it that offered this advice?”

“Jungurrur,” Aquillia said.

Araki nodded and spurred his horse on. Three men with lances and two with bows kicked up and travelled with him. The plains of the Desert of Blood stretched out before him, the long grass bending and swaying with the wind howling across the plain. The mountains to their right rose and kissed the sky. White clouds sat on the top of the snow-covered peaks. After riding for one hour, with the sun beating down upon them, they crested a small rise.

“This ridge is called the Cro’Carac Crel mark,” a man with a lance upon his back commented.

Before them, the rolling plains descended towards the sea. A large city was nestled against the towering mountains to the south. A large castle was carved into a mountain with the city spread out before it. The sea glittered in the distance, its blue expanse providing a counterpoint to the red and green grass that covered the open plain.

“It is still half a day’s journey to the city’s outer limit,” another soldier commented. “We should make it as the sun goes to bed tonight.”

“We would have to set up camp in the dark,” Araki said.

“That’s not a problem. The camp will be set up just the same.”

Araki turned and looked behind him. The camp snaked out behind him, marching in a steady pace. “Send word to pick up the pace,” he ordered one of the men with him. A man nodded, pressed a fist to his chest, and turned off the Cro’Carac Crel ridge and headed to the vanguard. A flash of memory came to his mind of him standing on a ridge overlooking the camp, wind whipping through his hair.

“Things that could be are shown to you,” the deep baritone whispered into his mind. “Things that could happen to you or things that might happen. It doesn’t mean that it will happen; you could still die and your children or their children could replace you.”

That night, with the tents set up outside of arrow range of the city, Araki lay with Aquillia. She was sleeping with her back to him. He scratched his belly and his eyes closed. He dreamt of a woman with a torch in her hand and a hammer in the other, her long hair curled down over her shoulder. She looked up at him and smiled in only the way a lover could. She walked behind him, her steel-capped feet crunching on the bones of the rats in the dark tunnel. She smiled at him as he looked at her. His heart leapt at her smile and her skin that was glowing in the flickering torch light. The image faded and he was astride a large horse covered in a surcoat of a green field, the emblem of an unknown knight. He looked down the tourney field where a knight in red and blue surcoat with a green flower in the middle, stood waiting. In the centre of the tourney, stood a squire with a white surcoat holding the king’s flag. He looked at both knights in turn and then waved the flag before running off the field. He charged and so did the knight. They lowered their lances at the same time. The distance shrank and they collided.

Araki sat up with a start and looked about the darkened room. A gentle breeze pressed against the tent edge. He got up and stepped over Nanberry, who was sleeping at his feet, and pushed the flap open to step outside. The cool sea breeze caressed his sweaty body. He sat on the green grass and looked out to the sea that sparkled under the full moon. The tent flap moved behind him and Stella sat next to him.

“You’re up early,” she said.

Araki smiled, looking up at her. “Bad dream,” he said.

“I know a good remedy for a bad dream,” she said, sitting in his lap. He instinctively wrapped his hands around her, and she welcomed the embrace and snuggled into him.

“You are to warm my bed tomorrow,” he muttered into her ear.

“I know, but I have you now, I can have you twice,” she teased back. She kissed him and pushed him into the grass. His manhood rose to the occasion. She smiled at him and they were soon lost in the magic and romance of the sea breeze.