Cave Geeks II, Chapter 25
Title: Clan of the Cave Geeks Book II: The Warrior of Honor
Author: Taylor Dancinghands: taylor@tdancinghands.com
Characters/Pairings: Zelenka/McKay, Beckett/Lorne, and eventually Sheppard/Weir, plus: Teyla, Ronon, Stackhouse, Markham, Miller, Kavanagh, Cadman, Halling, and Jinto, and a big ol’ pile of OCs
Category: slash, drama, action/adventure, h/c, AU
Warnings: Sloppy Paleolithic history, anachronistic technological leaps and funnied up names.
Rating: NC-17, explicit M/M and eventually M/F sex depictions
Summary: So what does a bonafide genius do in an era of stone knives and bear skins?
Spoilers/Season: none
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, never will, not claiming to. Just wanna play with 'em a little. Can't I, can't I, huh?
Beta:Many thanks to my most worthy betareader
smingus for her encouragement and feedback. We loves our betareaders we does.
Chapter 25
Someone had set up the roof of the usual winter shelter over the bakers' tables near the village green that morning, Elizabeth observed, and knew it to be a sign of the turning year. The Autumn Turning Day, when day and night came in equal length, was only a handful of days away, she'd heard Rodne say, and she felt the truth of it in her bones.
Li'bet had seen enough summers pass that, for her, this expression now held some literal truth, as well. Mornings like this one, wet and cold with a promise of colder temperatures still to come later in the day, left her hips and knees aching slightly, though a brisk walk and a cup of hot tea usually put things to rights soon enough. Her brief, brisk walk this morning had been to come here, to the bakers, and here too were the usual assortment villagers as well as a number of the men who would be working on rebuilding the dock, all taking their breakfast.
She'd heard back from several of the latter, about how well Shef'hred had done with this task, and most all of these reports had been positive. Despite his spoken misgivings about doing arduous physical labor, the former raider had evidently pitched right in and pulled more than his own weight. The only complaints she'd heard weren't about Shef'hred, but about the handful of men who seemed to resent his presence, and had occasionally acted with the intention of inconveniencing the man, or worse, endangering him.
Li'bet had a good idea of who these men were, but she knew better than to confront them directly. The better course would be to present them with situations in which they must either come around to behaving in a more civilized manner, or reveal their disgraceful behavior before all the village. Given this choice, Li'bet had learned, most men will take the path of restraint, and those who could not, ought to be known.
With this end in mind, Li'bet did not go directly to the bakers, but went instead to Shef'hred's 'camp'. She found him there with R'non, stretching after having gone on a run with the taciturn warrior. She did wonder if Teleya and her companion would eventually leave Lakeside to continue on their quest, though she would be entirely pleased if they chose to stay. Certainly, their continued cordial behavior with Shef'hred ought to have convinced anyone in Lakeside that the man was no savage, but logic was not always a factor in such things.
For many, proof would have to come repeatedly and continually over a long period of time, and for Li'bet, this meant that she would have to wage a campaign on Shef'hred's behalf. Today, therefore, she would not bring breakfast to Shef'hred's camp, for him to eat in isolation. She would bring him, instead, to the bakers, to join the other Lakesiders there in their usual routine. She wanted people to begin to see him as part of their community, and breakfast at the bakers was a daily feature of manyLakesiders' lives.
Shef'hred, unsurprisingly, was a little uneasy about the prospect. "I don't know if that's really such a good idea," he said reluctantly. "I mean... it's bound to disrupt things somewhat, and where I come from, people generally prefer a more peaceful breakfast."
"Here too," Li'bet said with a reassuring smile. "Though they tend to take it with a heavy dose of gossip. We'll just be giving them something new to talk about."
"Oh joy," Shef'hred said, grimacing slightly.
"R'non and I will be on hand to keep your honor intact," Li'bet said, her smile widening. "Come on. I know you must be hungry after your run."
This, of course, was indisputable, and so Shef'hred gave in, walking with careful casualness between Li'bet and R'non, through the village to the bakers.
People were, or course, quite used to seeing Li'bet here, and they'd even grown accustomed to R'non by now, so when the three of them came together people didn't notice Shef'hred right away. He followed Li'bet and R'non right up to the table where a number of loaves were cooling, with Kimma watching over them and handing them off to those who were meant to have them.
"Good morning Headwoman," the baker said brightly, preparing one of the larger loaves for her to take. "Will you be feeding your savage again this morning?"
Li'bet winced slightly, but then heard Shef'hred speak from behind her. "Actually," he said with that skillfully studied amiability, "the savage will be feeding himself this morning."
"Oh!" Kimma flushed bright red and almost dropped the loaf she was handing to Li'bet. "Th-then this is... is for you," she said, flustered. "Trinka said t-to give these ones... w-with hard cooked eggs and... and cheese, to the men working on... on the dock."
"Thank you," Shef'hred said, pouring on the charm as he took the bread from the poor woman's hands. "I'm sure it will be just as delicious as yesterday's." Kimma only flushed more deeply and looked away.
"Kimma," Li'bet relieved her with a request. "Did you make any of those dried fruit breads this morning?"
"Oh, yes, Headwoman," the baker replied. "They'll just be coming out of the oven in a little bit."
"Perfect," Li'bet said. "Just sing out when they're done." She stood back to let the next person, which was R'non, come to the bakers table, and now Kimma's smile grew very bright indeed, though her eyes remained downcast. So, R'non was the newest object of Kimma's affection, it would seem, Li'bet reflected. At least, she probably stood a better chance with him than with Loren.
Li'bet now directed Shef'hred to an open spot on one of the sheltered grass mats that someone had laid down yesterday, near where Rodne and R'dek were sitting. Rodne, because he was contributing to the dock rebuilding, apparently merited one of the egg and cheese loaves, in spite of the fact that he was likely doing no heavy lifting, but he was sharing it with R'dek, who Li'bet knew would be doing demanding enough work chasing down the raiders' horses. He was explaining this to Rodne, or perhaps reassuring him about it, as Li'bet and Shef'hred, and eventually R'non, came to sit.
"It's true," he was saying, "that the creatures which were likely to be friendlier were the ones we took care of yesterday, but these animals really are quite intelligent, Rodne. All night long the ones who still have their gear on will have been seeing how the others who let us close are much happier now. They will remember that it was men who they let put those saddles and halters on them in the first place, and they will remember that men come with good things to eat as well."
"Couldn't have put that better myself," Shef'hred complimented R'dek as he sat. "You keep those treats coming and the most ornery nag will come around eventually. They're all big softies at heart, really."
"Softies with lethal feet and big, sharp teeth," Rodne groused, but Li'bet knew Rodne's serious grousing from when he was just keeping up appearances.
"Didn't say you shouldn't respect 'em," Shef'hred said with a grin, breaking open his bread so that a cloud of cheese scented steam escaped. "But then they do tell me that you're supposed to be the super smart guy."
"Well, if they tell you that then they're not wrong... about that, anyway," Rodne said, unabashedly. "You're working on rebuilding the dock, right?" he continued. "Did Hallen explain the new design to you?"
"Yeah, he did, as a matter of fact," Shef'hred said, blowing on his piece of bread to cool it, showing he was clever enough to know that the freshly melted cheese could really burn if you weren't careful. Hallen had explained Rodne‘s plans to Li'bet too, and she was keen to see them set in place. If it worked as intended, the new dock would float, as the level of the lake rose and fell over the course of a year, but be held in place by a set of vertical braces. It was a novel design to Li'bet, and apparently to Shef'hred as well.
"Never seen one that worked quite like that," Shef'hred was saying, "but it seems like it'll be pretty swell if it works."
"It will," Rodne said with indisputable certainty, "and you never saw anything like it before because I thought of it myself. Consider yourself privileged to be one of the few lucky enough to be building it."
"Oh, I do," Shef'hred said with such mock solemnity that Li'bet was hard pressed not to burst out laughing. She was spared any further need for restraint when she heard Brinna call out that the fruit bread was out of the oven and so was able to excuse herself, though not before she heard R'dek break out in a merry chuckle.
She was returning to the others with her steaming hot bread when she spotted Kubia, making his way across the green with the aid of a crutch, as he'd burned himself badly while putting out fires during the battle. He'd done much to save several of the other huts in the village, but ironically, his had been beyond saving, despite the injuries he'd gotten in the attempt.
"Headwoman," he greeted her pleasantly. "I see that... Shef'hred has come to join us for breakfast this morning. Do you... would it be alright if I spoke to him?"
"I don't see why not," Li'bet said, trying not to sound amused.
Kubia nodded nervously and crutched along beside her till they came to where she'd been sitting. "Shef'hred," she said, introducing them as she sat. "This is Kubia, one of our fishermen."
"Pleased to meet you," Shef'hred said, setting down his bread to open his hands to the man.
"And I... to meet you," Kubia said, trying not to sound nervous and not entirely succeeding. "When I heard that you had come here," he continued after a pause to nerve himself up to it, "I... I wanted to come too... to give you my... our thanks for your gift."
"Thanks...?" Shef'hred said after a long pause, struggling, Li'bet could see, to keep a frown in check.
"They said... Li'bet told us," Kubia clarified, "that it was your choice to give your... ornaments to those of us who had... losses. Li'bet has told you that I am a fisherman here... but she has not told you that I am... not the luckiest of fishermen, and now," he gestured down at himself with a bandaged hand, "I am more unlucky still. I will not be well enough to work until the ice has come upon the lake, and my family lost our home in the battle. We would have to live the whole winter on borrowing and charity, but now I have traded your gift for the labor of three men to build my family a new home, and for stores of food and firewood to keep us warm and fed for the whole of the winter. This... this is why I have to thank you, friend."
Li'bet watched a muddle of emotions pass over Shef'hred's features, and for a moment his whole body tensed, as though he were preparing to run, but instead he only briefly clenched his fist and eventually forced out a few words.
"You know," he said, "you don't have to... really. It's good that you're finding a way to mitigate the damage... but it's not... just don't... thank me."
Shef'hred was torn, Li'bet could see that clearly enough. The good man within him ached with guilt to see the harm he'd done, and the old raider leader in him was furious at him for feeling that guilt. Li'bet reached out, laying a tentative hand on his arm to calm him.
"And I thank you for your kind words, Kubia," Li'bet interceded for him. "Shef'hred, as you can see, is not much used to kindness, but I hope that in time, he will become more so." Shef'hred's gaze shifted from Kubia to Li'bet then, his expression a mixture of gratitude and despair.
"I understand," Kubia said. "I remember it was much the same when the Stargazer first came to live with us." Kubia inclined his head toward Rodne, who glowered appropriately on cue. "So I will wish you all fair day, and look forward to our next meeting." The unlucky fisherman hobbled off then, leaving the fivebreakfasters to return to their meal. The lull in the conversation gave everyone the opportunity to lay into their respective breads, now that they were cool enough to eat, and so they did, enjoying the good food and brief peace... which was shattered abruptly when someone stumbled over Shef'hred, spilling a large quantity of hot tea over his shoulder and back.
"Ow!" Shef'hred exclaimed as owner of the tea, Kvena'ah, naturally, gave his own shout of dismay.
"Hey! Why the hell is he sitting here right in the middle of where everyone walks?" Kvena'ah snapped, not even doing Shef'hred the courtesy of addressing him directly.
"He is doing no such thing," Li'bet hissed, "and you know it. Do not imagine that I am not able to see your behavior for what it is, Kvena'ah, and I will not tolerate such again." She would have carried on, but now it wasShef'hred's hand on her shoulder that gave her pause.
"Let it go," he said quietly. Then more loudly, "He's just a little pain-in-the-ass, without the balls to do any real harm."
There was a moment of tense silence, and then Kvena'ah stomped off, and Li'bet released the breath she'd been holding. "That was well done," she said. "And you were right, of course."
"Of course he was," said Trinka, who, it appeared, had seen the whole thing. "And Kvena'ah wonders why he gets the burnt bread so often. Forgive my interruption, Headwoman... and worthy Seer," she continued with a nod to Rodne, "but I must beg a measure of your time this morning, Li'bet, -after you and your friends have breakfasted, of course- to discuss my compensation for the workers I am feeding while the dock is rebuilt."
"Of course," Li'bet said. "I think we're almost done here."
"No almost about it," Shef'hred said, standing as he spotted Hallen moving towards them. "Headwoman Li'bet, R'dek... 'Seer'," Shef'hred's grin as he gave this last salutation told Li'bet clearly enough that he'd said it to rile Rodne, but he'd almost certainly scored big points withTrinka as well, which all to the good. "Fair day to you all."
They all went their separate ways after that, R'dek to find Sitakhus and Yinte and another big bag of apples and beets for the horses, Rodne eventually to join Shef'hred and the others working on the dock, and Li'bet to sit and drink tea with Trinka while she negotiated an equitable arrangement for her and her bakers. Once this was concluded, Li'bet had the remainder of the day to work on herweavings, one of which was to go to Trinka in exchange for her own supply of baked goods over the next few moons.
Since the rain had passed and the clouds looked to be scattering as the day progressed, Li'bet spent most of her day working on the large, outdoor loom, knowing that the remaining days before she would have to take it down for the winter were becoming few. She worked without pausing for a midday meal, breaking off bits of her fruit bread to eat while she worked instead. She did pause late in the afternoon to start a pot of soup, placing in it a couple of duck necks, some beets and greens, and a handful of wild rice. She let it simmer on the fire in her hut while she returned to her weaving, well on her way to completing more than six hand-spans of finished material, which had been her goal for the day.
Li'bet's hut was not too far from the lake shore, so that throughout the day she heard women gossiping as they did their washing, their children playing in the nearby shallow waters, and the occasional shouts and calls of the men working on the dock. When she heard the men calling farewell and day's work done she knew it was time for her to put her basket of yarns and shuttles away and check on her soup.
The day had grown increasingly cool as the afternoon wore on, so that by the time the sun was throwing long shadows throughout the village, painting everything with a gently golden light, Li'bet's fingers had grown cold and a little stiff. Once again she was reminded of the turning season and the coming of winter, and with this thought in mind, pulled out her favorite wool shawl as she prepared to go out again.
One meal in the company of the rest of the village in a day was probably enough for Shef'hred, for now, so Li'bet planned to bring him the soup she'd made and stop on the way at the bakers' for a fresh loaf of bread. She set the soup pot in one large basket, then placed bowls and spoons in another, leaving room for the bread. She paused before she left, however, adjusting her shawl and fingering the row of shell beads she'd stitched into one end. They matched a necklace Ca'dell had given her long ago, made of similar shell beads and a few of blue glass, and though it was quite beautiful, she seldom wore it.
She drew out her small basket of ornaments now, lifting the necklace from among the objects there and feeling the smooth, cool glass beads. She knew why she no longer wore it. She no longer had a man to please, and had sought no other in all the long years since Ca'dell had died... but maybe that might be changed now. She lifted the necklace and placed it over her head, then plucked a bright copper hair ornament from the basket as well, using it to gather her hair neatly at the back of her neck.
Standing to adjust her garb and ornaments, Li'bet remembered how she had thought herself beautiful once, and how much it had mattered to her. For the first time in many summers, Li'bet realized, it mattered again... but would it matter to Shef'hred? There was always a chance that she would just look like an old fool... but she'd convinced Shef'hred to take a great risk in staying here. It was only fair that she take one herself.
The girl minding the bakers' table blinked in surprise and then tried to hide it as Li'bet drew near, but she could see old Trink'a eyes sparkling from where she stood at another table, kneading tomorrow's bread. The raider's appealing qualities were not lost on her, and she found no fault in Li'bet's responding to that appeal. Li'bet only hoped more of the villagers would be so understanding.
Shef'hred was not alone when Li'bet came in sight of his camp, for it seemed R'dek had finished his day's work too, and as she drew closer she saw that Shef'hred was holding one of the riding seats -which, she reminded herself, were called 'saddles'- that R'dek had been removing from the horses. He seemed happy to have it, as well, for he was grinning widely -looking happier than Li'beth thought she'd ever seen him- and R'dek looked extremely pleased with himself too.
"Of course he was the last," R'dek was saying. "But that worked quite well, for we had learned all the tricks from the other horses by then and he had none left for us. We did have to send Yinte back to get another sack of beets, however. I suppose it may have raised his esteem with the rest of the heard, that he got more beets and apples from us than any of the others."
Shef'hred's laugh was delightful to see, as was the pride he clearly took in Jumper's exploits. "He's definitely a champion mooch," Shef'hred said, "and maybe that does count for something with the rest of the heard. Still, I can't believe he let you take his gear off properly, without cutting it off. He even used to give other riders in our band a hard time."
R'dek shrugged, but looked profoundly pleased with himself. "We distracted him with food... and Sitakhus' pipe playing. He could not take his eyes off the man when he played."
"He'd probably never heard the like before," Li'bet remarked as she approached. "And Sitakhus is quite a talented musician. Jumper probably just knows good music when he hears it."
"Fair evening to you, Li'bet," R'dek called as he saw her. "I trust your day was as successful as ours?"
"Li'bet," Shef'hred spoke up a moment later. "Ah... fair day to you, too. You're looking... nice... this evening."
"Thank you," Li'bet beamed. "And it was indeed a successful day, R'dek. Though for me that means six and a half hand-spans of a new rug, and for the two you it would seem to mean something a bit more heroic."
"It is not so much heroism that was required from me as patience," R'dek said, "and a great number of beets and apples. And Shef'hred is right, Li'bet, you are looking quite lovely this evening."
"The word 'laborious' comes to mind long before 'heroic', with regards to my successes today," Shef'hred remarked in turn. "But we did get a lot done."
"So I heard," Li'bet said, setting her baskets down on the grass mat that someone had evidently contributed to Shef'hred's camp. "The word from the ladies at the bakers is that you've got it nearly half finished."
"That might be just a bit of an exaggeration," Shef'hred said with a roll of his eyes, watching Li'bet unload the food from her baskets. She gave him a smirk to let him know that she was quite familiar with lack of accuracy in the bakers' gossip. "We did a good day's work, though. Say, that smells pretty good."
"It does indeed," R'dek concurred, "and reminds me that my own dinner... and Rodne, awaits. I think I will leave you to enjoy your meal and make all haste to my own."
Li'bet gestured Shef'hred to sit as R'dek took his leave, and he did, looking appreciatively over the food, and over Li'bet herself. "This is, um, all pretty nice," he said finally.
"I'm glad you think so," Li'bet said, serving the soup. "I just thought... things have been going well, and I wanted you to know that I appreciate it. Others appreciate it too, I hope you know."
"I do," Shef'hred said, blowing on his soup, "But I also know that not everyone feels so appreciative."
Li'bet nodded, knowing this to be true as well. "Did anyone give you any trouble today?" she asked after they had both eaten a little.
"Not really," Shef'hred said, "though I still got a few black looks. I'm not sure that means that there's no more trouble coming. More likely they're just waiting for an opportune moment."
"I'm afraid you're probably right," Li'bet said, tearing off a piece of her bread. "So we should try to make sure that you're never alone for long. No one who wishes you harm at this point would dare to act against you in public."
"Yeah, R'dek already gave me that advice," Shef'hred said, slurping at his soup a bit. "And I plan on following it. You make this soup, too?"
Li'bet recognized a request for a change of topic when she saw it, and really there was no more to be said on the subject. Their conversation turned to lighter topics as they ate, and Li'bet found herself enjoying Shef'hred's company immensely. More delightful still, he seemed to be enjoying himself as well, and she saw how his face grew so much more expressive when he relaxed. His smile was utterly disarming, and his eyes, in the light of the setting sun, seemed to shift between the colors of emerald and amber. Li'bet found herself fascinated by them.
The sun was just dipping behind the mountains to the west that Teleya appeared and Li'bet realized that no one had come to guard Shef'hred this evening.
"Li'bet, Shef'hred," she greeted them. "I bring word from Hallen and the elders that, seeing as he and I have vouched for his behavior, they are pleased to allow Shef'hred to go unwatched at night from now on. That is, as long as you agree to this as well, Headwoman?"
"Of course," Li'bet said. "And thank you for arranging this."
"There is no need to thank me," Teleya said with a smile, "as I will be quite pleased to sleep in the shelter of our tent tonight."
"I'll bet," Shef'hred commented. "But thanks for the vouch anyhow. I... take that kind of thing seriously."
"As do I, friend," Teleya answered, and then bid them both farewell once more. A brisk, chill breeze lifted from the lake at her departure, and Li'bet caught Shef'hred shivering slightly.
"That settles it," she said frowning. "We mustn't leave you alone for the night, and we can't have you freezing out here either. You'll be spending the night in my hut."
"Oh... hey, um, nice as the offer is..." Shef'hred stammered.
"On the floor," Li'bet clarified. "And no one is going to say anything because who I invite to spend the night in my hut is my business, and besides, if we did anything, at least a dozen prying ears would be sure to hear it, and they're not going to hear a thing."
"Right," Shef'hred said, relaxing. "Maybe some snoring."
"Maybe a lot of snoring," Li'bet admitted, and they both laughed.
They finished eating in a light mood, then, and Shef'hred helped Li'bet carry the dishes and his bedding to her hut when they were done. It was clearly going to be a chilly night, and a few Lakesiders were out, sealing summer windows and adding extra hides to their door flaps as Li'bet and Shef'hred walked through the village. They both greeted those they passed on their way, Li'bet wanting Shef'hred to know that she wasn't hiding who would be sharing her hut that night. She was pleased to see not one raised eyebrow or reproaching look.
The cook fire had kept her hut warm and Shef'hred let out a relieved sigh as soon as he was inside. Li'bet knew then that her decision had been the right one. Shef'hred would have been miserable in his scant shelter tonight, and vulnerable as well. His look was only of gratitude as he made up a rough bed by her fire, and Li'bet felt even warmer than usual as she settled under the furs on her own bed, knowing he was there, warm and safe.
They both fell asleep quickly enough, and slept the night through without interruption... until just before dawn when R'dek came pounding on her door frame, desperate with worry, to tell her that Rodne was missing.
***
Next week: The search
Author: Taylor Dancinghands: taylor@tdancinghands.com
Characters/Pairings: Zelenka/McKay, Beckett/Lorne, and eventually Sheppard/Weir, plus: Teyla, Ronon, Stackhouse, Markham, Miller, Kavanagh, Cadman, Halling, and Jinto, and a big ol’ pile of OCs
Category: slash, drama, action/adventure, h/c, AU
Warnings: Sloppy Paleolithic history, anachronistic technological leaps and funnied up names.
Rating: NC-17, explicit M/M and eventually M/F sex depictions
Summary: So what does a bonafide genius do in an era of stone knives and bear skins?
Spoilers/Season: none
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, never will, not claiming to. Just wanna play with 'em a little. Can't I, can't I, huh?
Beta:Many thanks to my most worthy betareader
smingus for her encouragement and feedback. We loves our betareaders we does.Chapter 25
Someone had set up the roof of the usual winter shelter over the bakers' tables near the village green that morning, Elizabeth observed, and knew it to be a sign of the turning year. The Autumn Turning Day, when day and night came in equal length, was only a handful of days away, she'd heard Rodne say, and she felt the truth of it in her bones.
Li'bet had seen enough summers pass that, for her, this expression now held some literal truth, as well. Mornings like this one, wet and cold with a promise of colder temperatures still to come later in the day, left her hips and knees aching slightly, though a brisk walk and a cup of hot tea usually put things to rights soon enough. Her brief, brisk walk this morning had been to come here, to the bakers, and here too were the usual assortment villagers as well as a number of the men who would be working on rebuilding the dock, all taking their breakfast.
She'd heard back from several of the latter, about how well Shef'hred had done with this task, and most all of these reports had been positive. Despite his spoken misgivings about doing arduous physical labor, the former raider had evidently pitched right in and pulled more than his own weight. The only complaints she'd heard weren't about Shef'hred, but about the handful of men who seemed to resent his presence, and had occasionally acted with the intention of inconveniencing the man, or worse, endangering him.
Li'bet had a good idea of who these men were, but she knew better than to confront them directly. The better course would be to present them with situations in which they must either come around to behaving in a more civilized manner, or reveal their disgraceful behavior before all the village. Given this choice, Li'bet had learned, most men will take the path of restraint, and those who could not, ought to be known.
With this end in mind, Li'bet did not go directly to the bakers, but went instead to Shef'hred's 'camp'. She found him there with R'non, stretching after having gone on a run with the taciturn warrior. She did wonder if Teleya and her companion would eventually leave Lakeside to continue on their quest, though she would be entirely pleased if they chose to stay. Certainly, their continued cordial behavior with Shef'hred ought to have convinced anyone in Lakeside that the man was no savage, but logic was not always a factor in such things.
For many, proof would have to come repeatedly and continually over a long period of time, and for Li'bet, this meant that she would have to wage a campaign on Shef'hred's behalf. Today, therefore, she would not bring breakfast to Shef'hred's camp, for him to eat in isolation. She would bring him, instead, to the bakers, to join the other Lakesiders there in their usual routine. She wanted people to begin to see him as part of their community, and breakfast at the bakers was a daily feature of manyLakesiders' lives.
Shef'hred, unsurprisingly, was a little uneasy about the prospect. "I don't know if that's really such a good idea," he said reluctantly. "I mean... it's bound to disrupt things somewhat, and where I come from, people generally prefer a more peaceful breakfast."
"Here too," Li'bet said with a reassuring smile. "Though they tend to take it with a heavy dose of gossip. We'll just be giving them something new to talk about."
"Oh joy," Shef'hred said, grimacing slightly.
"R'non and I will be on hand to keep your honor intact," Li'bet said, her smile widening. "Come on. I know you must be hungry after your run."
This, of course, was indisputable, and so Shef'hred gave in, walking with careful casualness between Li'bet and R'non, through the village to the bakers.
People were, or course, quite used to seeing Li'bet here, and they'd even grown accustomed to R'non by now, so when the three of them came together people didn't notice Shef'hred right away. He followed Li'bet and R'non right up to the table where a number of loaves were cooling, with Kimma watching over them and handing them off to those who were meant to have them.
"Good morning Headwoman," the baker said brightly, preparing one of the larger loaves for her to take. "Will you be feeding your savage again this morning?"
Li'bet winced slightly, but then heard Shef'hred speak from behind her. "Actually," he said with that skillfully studied amiability, "the savage will be feeding himself this morning."
"Oh!" Kimma flushed bright red and almost dropped the loaf she was handing to Li'bet. "Th-then this is... is for you," she said, flustered. "Trinka said t-to give these ones... w-with hard cooked eggs and... and cheese, to the men working on... on the dock."
"Thank you," Shef'hred said, pouring on the charm as he took the bread from the poor woman's hands. "I'm sure it will be just as delicious as yesterday's." Kimma only flushed more deeply and looked away.
"Kimma," Li'bet relieved her with a request. "Did you make any of those dried fruit breads this morning?"
"Oh, yes, Headwoman," the baker replied. "They'll just be coming out of the oven in a little bit."
"Perfect," Li'bet said. "Just sing out when they're done." She stood back to let the next person, which was R'non, come to the bakers table, and now Kimma's smile grew very bright indeed, though her eyes remained downcast. So, R'non was the newest object of Kimma's affection, it would seem, Li'bet reflected. At least, she probably stood a better chance with him than with Loren.
Li'bet now directed Shef'hred to an open spot on one of the sheltered grass mats that someone had laid down yesterday, near where Rodne and R'dek were sitting. Rodne, because he was contributing to the dock rebuilding, apparently merited one of the egg and cheese loaves, in spite of the fact that he was likely doing no heavy lifting, but he was sharing it with R'dek, who Li'bet knew would be doing demanding enough work chasing down the raiders' horses. He was explaining this to Rodne, or perhaps reassuring him about it, as Li'bet and Shef'hred, and eventually R'non, came to sit.
"It's true," he was saying, "that the creatures which were likely to be friendlier were the ones we took care of yesterday, but these animals really are quite intelligent, Rodne. All night long the ones who still have their gear on will have been seeing how the others who let us close are much happier now. They will remember that it was men who they let put those saddles and halters on them in the first place, and they will remember that men come with good things to eat as well."
"Couldn't have put that better myself," Shef'hred complimented R'dek as he sat. "You keep those treats coming and the most ornery nag will come around eventually. They're all big softies at heart, really."
"Softies with lethal feet and big, sharp teeth," Rodne groused, but Li'bet knew Rodne's serious grousing from when he was just keeping up appearances.
"Didn't say you shouldn't respect 'em," Shef'hred said with a grin, breaking open his bread so that a cloud of cheese scented steam escaped. "But then they do tell me that you're supposed to be the super smart guy."
"Well, if they tell you that then they're not wrong... about that, anyway," Rodne said, unabashedly. "You're working on rebuilding the dock, right?" he continued. "Did Hallen explain the new design to you?"
"Yeah, he did, as a matter of fact," Shef'hred said, blowing on his piece of bread to cool it, showing he was clever enough to know that the freshly melted cheese could really burn if you weren't careful. Hallen had explained Rodne‘s plans to Li'bet too, and she was keen to see them set in place. If it worked as intended, the new dock would float, as the level of the lake rose and fell over the course of a year, but be held in place by a set of vertical braces. It was a novel design to Li'bet, and apparently to Shef'hred as well.
"Never seen one that worked quite like that," Shef'hred was saying, "but it seems like it'll be pretty swell if it works."
"It will," Rodne said with indisputable certainty, "and you never saw anything like it before because I thought of it myself. Consider yourself privileged to be one of the few lucky enough to be building it."
"Oh, I do," Shef'hred said with such mock solemnity that Li'bet was hard pressed not to burst out laughing. She was spared any further need for restraint when she heard Brinna call out that the fruit bread was out of the oven and so was able to excuse herself, though not before she heard R'dek break out in a merry chuckle.
She was returning to the others with her steaming hot bread when she spotted Kubia, making his way across the green with the aid of a crutch, as he'd burned himself badly while putting out fires during the battle. He'd done much to save several of the other huts in the village, but ironically, his had been beyond saving, despite the injuries he'd gotten in the attempt.
"Headwoman," he greeted her pleasantly. "I see that... Shef'hred has come to join us for breakfast this morning. Do you... would it be alright if I spoke to him?"
"I don't see why not," Li'bet said, trying not to sound amused.
Kubia nodded nervously and crutched along beside her till they came to where she'd been sitting. "Shef'hred," she said, introducing them as she sat. "This is Kubia, one of our fishermen."
"Pleased to meet you," Shef'hred said, setting down his bread to open his hands to the man.
"And I... to meet you," Kubia said, trying not to sound nervous and not entirely succeeding. "When I heard that you had come here," he continued after a pause to nerve himself up to it, "I... I wanted to come too... to give you my... our thanks for your gift."
"Thanks...?" Shef'hred said after a long pause, struggling, Li'bet could see, to keep a frown in check.
"They said... Li'bet told us," Kubia clarified, "that it was your choice to give your... ornaments to those of us who had... losses. Li'bet has told you that I am a fisherman here... but she has not told you that I am... not the luckiest of fishermen, and now," he gestured down at himself with a bandaged hand, "I am more unlucky still. I will not be well enough to work until the ice has come upon the lake, and my family lost our home in the battle. We would have to live the whole winter on borrowing and charity, but now I have traded your gift for the labor of three men to build my family a new home, and for stores of food and firewood to keep us warm and fed for the whole of the winter. This... this is why I have to thank you, friend."
Li'bet watched a muddle of emotions pass over Shef'hred's features, and for a moment his whole body tensed, as though he were preparing to run, but instead he only briefly clenched his fist and eventually forced out a few words.
"You know," he said, "you don't have to... really. It's good that you're finding a way to mitigate the damage... but it's not... just don't... thank me."
Shef'hred was torn, Li'bet could see that clearly enough. The good man within him ached with guilt to see the harm he'd done, and the old raider leader in him was furious at him for feeling that guilt. Li'bet reached out, laying a tentative hand on his arm to calm him.
"And I thank you for your kind words, Kubia," Li'bet interceded for him. "Shef'hred, as you can see, is not much used to kindness, but I hope that in time, he will become more so." Shef'hred's gaze shifted from Kubia to Li'bet then, his expression a mixture of gratitude and despair.
"I understand," Kubia said. "I remember it was much the same when the Stargazer first came to live with us." Kubia inclined his head toward Rodne, who glowered appropriately on cue. "So I will wish you all fair day, and look forward to our next meeting." The unlucky fisherman hobbled off then, leaving the fivebreakfasters to return to their meal. The lull in the conversation gave everyone the opportunity to lay into their respective breads, now that they were cool enough to eat, and so they did, enjoying the good food and brief peace... which was shattered abruptly when someone stumbled over Shef'hred, spilling a large quantity of hot tea over his shoulder and back.
"Ow!" Shef'hred exclaimed as owner of the tea, Kvena'ah, naturally, gave his own shout of dismay.
"Hey! Why the hell is he sitting here right in the middle of where everyone walks?" Kvena'ah snapped, not even doing Shef'hred the courtesy of addressing him directly.
"He is doing no such thing," Li'bet hissed, "and you know it. Do not imagine that I am not able to see your behavior for what it is, Kvena'ah, and I will not tolerate such again." She would have carried on, but now it wasShef'hred's hand on her shoulder that gave her pause.
"Let it go," he said quietly. Then more loudly, "He's just a little pain-in-the-ass, without the balls to do any real harm."
There was a moment of tense silence, and then Kvena'ah stomped off, and Li'bet released the breath she'd been holding. "That was well done," she said. "And you were right, of course."
"Of course he was," said Trinka, who, it appeared, had seen the whole thing. "And Kvena'ah wonders why he gets the burnt bread so often. Forgive my interruption, Headwoman... and worthy Seer," she continued with a nod to Rodne, "but I must beg a measure of your time this morning, Li'bet, -after you and your friends have breakfasted, of course- to discuss my compensation for the workers I am feeding while the dock is rebuilt."
"Of course," Li'bet said. "I think we're almost done here."
"No almost about it," Shef'hred said, standing as he spotted Hallen moving towards them. "Headwoman Li'bet, R'dek... 'Seer'," Shef'hred's grin as he gave this last salutation told Li'bet clearly enough that he'd said it to rile Rodne, but he'd almost certainly scored big points withTrinka as well, which all to the good. "Fair day to you all."
They all went their separate ways after that, R'dek to find Sitakhus and Yinte and another big bag of apples and beets for the horses, Rodne eventually to join Shef'hred and the others working on the dock, and Li'bet to sit and drink tea with Trinka while she negotiated an equitable arrangement for her and her bakers. Once this was concluded, Li'bet had the remainder of the day to work on herweavings, one of which was to go to Trinka in exchange for her own supply of baked goods over the next few moons.
Since the rain had passed and the clouds looked to be scattering as the day progressed, Li'bet spent most of her day working on the large, outdoor loom, knowing that the remaining days before she would have to take it down for the winter were becoming few. She worked without pausing for a midday meal, breaking off bits of her fruit bread to eat while she worked instead. She did pause late in the afternoon to start a pot of soup, placing in it a couple of duck necks, some beets and greens, and a handful of wild rice. She let it simmer on the fire in her hut while she returned to her weaving, well on her way to completing more than six hand-spans of finished material, which had been her goal for the day.
Li'bet's hut was not too far from the lake shore, so that throughout the day she heard women gossiping as they did their washing, their children playing in the nearby shallow waters, and the occasional shouts and calls of the men working on the dock. When she heard the men calling farewell and day's work done she knew it was time for her to put her basket of yarns and shuttles away and check on her soup.
The day had grown increasingly cool as the afternoon wore on, so that by the time the sun was throwing long shadows throughout the village, painting everything with a gently golden light, Li'bet's fingers had grown cold and a little stiff. Once again she was reminded of the turning season and the coming of winter, and with this thought in mind, pulled out her favorite wool shawl as she prepared to go out again.
One meal in the company of the rest of the village in a day was probably enough for Shef'hred, for now, so Li'bet planned to bring him the soup she'd made and stop on the way at the bakers' for a fresh loaf of bread. She set the soup pot in one large basket, then placed bowls and spoons in another, leaving room for the bread. She paused before she left, however, adjusting her shawl and fingering the row of shell beads she'd stitched into one end. They matched a necklace Ca'dell had given her long ago, made of similar shell beads and a few of blue glass, and though it was quite beautiful, she seldom wore it.
She drew out her small basket of ornaments now, lifting the necklace from among the objects there and feeling the smooth, cool glass beads. She knew why she no longer wore it. She no longer had a man to please, and had sought no other in all the long years since Ca'dell had died... but maybe that might be changed now. She lifted the necklace and placed it over her head, then plucked a bright copper hair ornament from the basket as well, using it to gather her hair neatly at the back of her neck.
Standing to adjust her garb and ornaments, Li'bet remembered how she had thought herself beautiful once, and how much it had mattered to her. For the first time in many summers, Li'bet realized, it mattered again... but would it matter to Shef'hred? There was always a chance that she would just look like an old fool... but she'd convinced Shef'hred to take a great risk in staying here. It was only fair that she take one herself.
The girl minding the bakers' table blinked in surprise and then tried to hide it as Li'bet drew near, but she could see old Trink'a eyes sparkling from where she stood at another table, kneading tomorrow's bread. The raider's appealing qualities were not lost on her, and she found no fault in Li'bet's responding to that appeal. Li'bet only hoped more of the villagers would be so understanding.
Shef'hred was not alone when Li'bet came in sight of his camp, for it seemed R'dek had finished his day's work too, and as she drew closer she saw that Shef'hred was holding one of the riding seats -which, she reminded herself, were called 'saddles'- that R'dek had been removing from the horses. He seemed happy to have it, as well, for he was grinning widely -looking happier than Li'beth thought she'd ever seen him- and R'dek looked extremely pleased with himself too.
"Of course he was the last," R'dek was saying. "But that worked quite well, for we had learned all the tricks from the other horses by then and he had none left for us. We did have to send Yinte back to get another sack of beets, however. I suppose it may have raised his esteem with the rest of the heard, that he got more beets and apples from us than any of the others."
Shef'hred's laugh was delightful to see, as was the pride he clearly took in Jumper's exploits. "He's definitely a champion mooch," Shef'hred said, "and maybe that does count for something with the rest of the heard. Still, I can't believe he let you take his gear off properly, without cutting it off. He even used to give other riders in our band a hard time."
R'dek shrugged, but looked profoundly pleased with himself. "We distracted him with food... and Sitakhus' pipe playing. He could not take his eyes off the man when he played."
"He'd probably never heard the like before," Li'bet remarked as she approached. "And Sitakhus is quite a talented musician. Jumper probably just knows good music when he hears it."
"Fair evening to you, Li'bet," R'dek called as he saw her. "I trust your day was as successful as ours?"
"Li'bet," Shef'hred spoke up a moment later. "Ah... fair day to you, too. You're looking... nice... this evening."
"Thank you," Li'bet beamed. "And it was indeed a successful day, R'dek. Though for me that means six and a half hand-spans of a new rug, and for the two you it would seem to mean something a bit more heroic."
"It is not so much heroism that was required from me as patience," R'dek said, "and a great number of beets and apples. And Shef'hred is right, Li'bet, you are looking quite lovely this evening."
"The word 'laborious' comes to mind long before 'heroic', with regards to my successes today," Shef'hred remarked in turn. "But we did get a lot done."
"So I heard," Li'bet said, setting her baskets down on the grass mat that someone had evidently contributed to Shef'hred's camp. "The word from the ladies at the bakers is that you've got it nearly half finished."
"That might be just a bit of an exaggeration," Shef'hred said with a roll of his eyes, watching Li'bet unload the food from her baskets. She gave him a smirk to let him know that she was quite familiar with lack of accuracy in the bakers' gossip. "We did a good day's work, though. Say, that smells pretty good."
"It does indeed," R'dek concurred, "and reminds me that my own dinner... and Rodne, awaits. I think I will leave you to enjoy your meal and make all haste to my own."
Li'bet gestured Shef'hred to sit as R'dek took his leave, and he did, looking appreciatively over the food, and over Li'bet herself. "This is, um, all pretty nice," he said finally.
"I'm glad you think so," Li'bet said, serving the soup. "I just thought... things have been going well, and I wanted you to know that I appreciate it. Others appreciate it too, I hope you know."
"I do," Shef'hred said, blowing on his soup, "But I also know that not everyone feels so appreciative."
Li'bet nodded, knowing this to be true as well. "Did anyone give you any trouble today?" she asked after they had both eaten a little.
"Not really," Shef'hred said, "though I still got a few black looks. I'm not sure that means that there's no more trouble coming. More likely they're just waiting for an opportune moment."
"I'm afraid you're probably right," Li'bet said, tearing off a piece of her bread. "So we should try to make sure that you're never alone for long. No one who wishes you harm at this point would dare to act against you in public."
"Yeah, R'dek already gave me that advice," Shef'hred said, slurping at his soup a bit. "And I plan on following it. You make this soup, too?"
Li'bet recognized a request for a change of topic when she saw it, and really there was no more to be said on the subject. Their conversation turned to lighter topics as they ate, and Li'bet found herself enjoying Shef'hred's company immensely. More delightful still, he seemed to be enjoying himself as well, and she saw how his face grew so much more expressive when he relaxed. His smile was utterly disarming, and his eyes, in the light of the setting sun, seemed to shift between the colors of emerald and amber. Li'bet found herself fascinated by them.
The sun was just dipping behind the mountains to the west that Teleya appeared and Li'bet realized that no one had come to guard Shef'hred this evening.
"Li'bet, Shef'hred," she greeted them. "I bring word from Hallen and the elders that, seeing as he and I have vouched for his behavior, they are pleased to allow Shef'hred to go unwatched at night from now on. That is, as long as you agree to this as well, Headwoman?"
"Of course," Li'bet said. "And thank you for arranging this."
"There is no need to thank me," Teleya said with a smile, "as I will be quite pleased to sleep in the shelter of our tent tonight."
"I'll bet," Shef'hred commented. "But thanks for the vouch anyhow. I... take that kind of thing seriously."
"As do I, friend," Teleya answered, and then bid them both farewell once more. A brisk, chill breeze lifted from the lake at her departure, and Li'bet caught Shef'hred shivering slightly.
"That settles it," she said frowning. "We mustn't leave you alone for the night, and we can't have you freezing out here either. You'll be spending the night in my hut."
"Oh... hey, um, nice as the offer is..." Shef'hred stammered.
"On the floor," Li'bet clarified. "And no one is going to say anything because who I invite to spend the night in my hut is my business, and besides, if we did anything, at least a dozen prying ears would be sure to hear it, and they're not going to hear a thing."
"Right," Shef'hred said, relaxing. "Maybe some snoring."
"Maybe a lot of snoring," Li'bet admitted, and they both laughed.
They finished eating in a light mood, then, and Shef'hred helped Li'bet carry the dishes and his bedding to her hut when they were done. It was clearly going to be a chilly night, and a few Lakesiders were out, sealing summer windows and adding extra hides to their door flaps as Li'bet and Shef'hred walked through the village. They both greeted those they passed on their way, Li'bet wanting Shef'hred to know that she wasn't hiding who would be sharing her hut that night. She was pleased to see not one raised eyebrow or reproaching look.
The cook fire had kept her hut warm and Shef'hred let out a relieved sigh as soon as he was inside. Li'bet knew then that her decision had been the right one. Shef'hred would have been miserable in his scant shelter tonight, and vulnerable as well. His look was only of gratitude as he made up a rough bed by her fire, and Li'bet felt even warmer than usual as she settled under the furs on her own bed, knowing he was there, warm and safe.
They both fell asleep quickly enough, and slept the night through without interruption... until just before dawn when R'dek came pounding on her door frame, desperate with worry, to tell her that Rodne was missing.
***
Next week: The search