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Description
Hane couldn't help but sit a bit straighter in his chair at his oaken dinner table, so beaming with pride he was for his Clara. She had been given short notice of the guest and then had even less time to prepare a larger meal than she thought—as it turned out, Edjethâk was an adept hunter. Even with these difficulties, by the time Hane came home with Edjethâk and a basted and roasted deer on a spit between them Clara had the hearth blazing, the floors clean with fresh rushes, a carrot soup simmering, the wooden walls dust free, and the table set. The surprise on their guest's face was evident when he walked through the door.
Beaming, Hane cut slabs of the deer onto plates while Janie poured the soup and Clara the wine—at Janie's seat water. As they sat down to eat Edjethâk commented, a spoonful of soup in his paw, “I am surprised you eat deer. I had thought your people took after the mice that were your ancestors and only ate of plants.” Before Hane could answer, Clara snorted, saying, “Just the same as you cat-folk-- Tigrek I suppose--eat only meat, yeah?” Edjethâk lashed his tail, “That is a rumor only. It is true we prefer the taste of meat, but we are most assuredly not incapable of eating of other types of foods.” He growled, looking around the table for someone to challenge his statement. As he did Hane looked where he did, and saw the Janie's wide-eyed stare and Clara's smug look with her arms crossed in front of her triumphantly, her nose and whiskers twitching slightly. Looking back at Edjethâk he wondered if he would realize his prideful misstep that none the less proved Clara's point.
Edjethâk did, and quickly. Looking down at his food, and with his tail curing around a leg of his chair, he muttered, “I apologize for my outburst, and for oputting such stock in stereyotypes.” Clara smiled, her voice sweet as sugar, but her words dripping with venom, “No need to apologize, though I must say for all your cat like pride when you are shamed you become meeker than any of our kind ever are.” Janie laughed, Hane chuckled, and Edjethâk smiled wanly, “Of course I do; I am away from home among a people who tolerate me at best. In my situation meekness has gotten me farther than a brandished sword ever could. Besides, I have no wish to find something other than carrots in my soup when I get seconds.” He punctuated his statement by slurping up a spoonful of his soup. They all couldn't help but laugh at that...
The rest of the meal went quickly, following the same patteren as set by the first few comments. It was neever quiet for long, with sentences often being followed by laughter. When the meal was done Janie helped clean the table and then found her way to bed. When she left Hane, Edjethâk, and Clara starting cutting off and salting strips of deer for storage. After they finished and were sure Janie was asleep, they sat back at the table. Hane could feel the atmosphere turn palpable with tension. Now it was time to discuss his little girl's future.
Edjethâk opened, “Clara, you are a wonderful Woman of the Hearth; one of the best I have met, yet I have to wonder what skill the girl shows in the proffesion.” Clara grimaced, “Enough to make any man happy, should she ever find her patience. And that's more than can be said for most girls her age.” Hne added, “Aye, and she's like that in moat things.” Edjethâk added, “With swordplay it was more than that. With those sticks she hit me twice for every once I hit her, and usually her strikes came first. I only won because due to her size and the scrupulous cleaning of the inn's floor she couldn't knock me down, as is neccesary to win with blunted weapons.Were those sticks real blade, it would have been the cuts that mattered.” Clara snorted, “Does your story prove my daughter's unnatural ability with the sword or your unnatural disability?” Edjethâk growled, “Ask the deer resting in your stomach.” Clara waved a hand dismissively, “ You used a bow to fell the deer; I saw the wounds.” She put an emphasis on the word wounds that was hard to miss, “A bow is not a sword and besides you are not like to find a deer that will fight back. Not in these parts, anyway. The only thing your deer proves is you MIGHT be able to defend my Janie, provided her threat is still a ways off. As to that, why do you want to take her off with you in the first place? She won't be able to whelp you any kits, I hope you realize that.”
Edjethâk's tail lashed madly. His ears laid back and he growled loudly, “Is that what you think I am? I am not. I want to take her because she has the fighter's fur, as I do, and the personality and skill that go with it. She woould not live up to the destiyn set to her by her fur as only a Woman of the Hearth,nor do I think she would be happy being one, at least not while she is still young and restless. Were she to come with me, she would still learn all of her duties as a Woman of the Hearth and the ways of survival and battle besides.” Hane cut in, “You would take my daughter away from all she's ever known to make her familiar with battle? She's only nine, and besides that, she is my daughter, a girl.” Edjethâk's voice went icy cold, “I saw my first abttle when I was Seven, I had been preparing for one for a year before then. The peace you have here is not eternal. What difference makes gender, I ask you?” Hane replied simply, “Men are stronger than women. Men were made to defend the women, women to birth the children.” Edjethâk chuckled, “Men are not 'made' stronger exept through the labors we do. Look at the difference between you and I; I could pick you up with one hand. At my home, there are women who could do the same with me. Women who worked at forge, field, or sword and later in life became Women of the Hearth with many healthy children that they could protect themselves alongside their husbands. Your daughter would follow their example.”
Clara was silent for a few moments digesting what Edjethâk had said. She exchanged a look with Hane, then said, “You mentioned she would learn her duties as a Woman of the Hearth with you. How? And what else would she learn?” Edjethâk smiled, “Keeping an orderly campsite is much the same as keeping a house. Among the other things she would learn are history, geography, hunting, tracking, swordplay, stealth, her numbers and letters, how to tell honesty from lies. All things that allow her to live, provide, and defend for herself, and later others.” Clara frowned, “Aye, and all things that would pull her into trouble, should someone know she knows them.” Edjethâk started to speak but Hane cut him off, “And all things that will pull her right back out of trouble. I am beginning to find the appeal in this arrangement. However, we must still discuss two things: When would we be able to see her again, And what will you pay us for your taking her?”
Clara stared at him in amazement, “You are asking for a price in exchange for your daughter, and you the one talking of how you would never give your sweet-ling up, not for anything. So be it. The life you offer, Edjethâk, is as good as any we could make for her by my ears. Understand, however, she is our daughter. Should I ever hear the rumor of a word she came to harm in your care, I will track you down and spit you like you did the deer.” Her fist slammed against the table, her nose twitching furiously. Edjethâk frowned, “Noted. You have my word I will do everything in my power to keep her from harm. Hane, I can not tell you when you will see her again. I mean to keep her in my care until she is of an age and skill to take care of herself. After she is a woman grown, I will set her on her own and can only suggest she come visit you. I apologize for not being able to provide that assurance. If you still think it is a nice arrangement, her going with me, then I can offer you one hindered and twenty gold coins in exchange for taking her under my wing, so to speak.” Hane almost choked, nearly falling out of his chair. That was more money than he hoped to earn in his lifetime. He said, sputtering, “That would be fine indeed, should you have it.” Edjethâk removed a coin purse from his belt and tossed it to Hane. The thud it made on the table felt like it should have woken Janie. “It is yours, have Janie at the inn in the morning with a change of clothes, most of this deer, and a horse.” Clara spoke angrily, “She will be there. Now get yourself gone back to your rented home at the inn. I am sick of this business and need my sleep.”
Edjethâk nodded, stood, and left silently.

Description
Hane couldn't help but sit a bit straighter in his chair at his oaken dinner table, so beaming with pride he was for his Clara. She had been given short notice of the guest and then had even less time to prepare a larger meal than she thought—as it turned out, Edjethâk was an adept hunter. Even with these difficulties, by the time Hane came home with Edjethâk and a basted and roasted deer on a spit between them Clara had the hearth blazing, the floors clean with fresh rushes, a carrot soup simmering, the wooden walls dust free, and the table set. The surprise on their guest's face was evident when he walked through the door.
Beaming, Hane cut slabs of the deer onto plates while Janie poured the soup and Clara the wine—at Janie's seat water. As they sat down to eat Edjethâk commented, a spoonful of soup in his paw, “I am surprised you eat deer. I had thought your people took after the mice that were your ancestors and only ate of plants.” Before Hane could answer, Clara snorted, saying, “Just the same as you cat-folk-- Tigrek I suppose--eat only meat, yeah?” Edjethâk lashed his tail, “That is a rumor only. It is true we prefer the taste of meat, but we are most assuredly not incapable of eating of other types of foods.” He growled, looking around the table for someone to challenge his statement. As he did Hane looked where he did, and saw the Janie's wide-eyed stare and Clara's smug look with her arms crossed in front of her triumphantly, her nose and whiskers twitching slightly. Looking back at Edjethâk he wondered if he would realize his prideful misstep that none the less proved Clara's point.
Edjethâk did, and quickly. Looking down at his food, and with his tail curing around a leg of his chair, he muttered, “I apologize for my outburst, and for oputting such stock in stereyotypes.” Clara smiled, her voice sweet as sugar, but her words dripping with venom, “No need to apologize, though I must say for all your cat like pride when you are shamed you become meeker than any of our kind ever are.” Janie laughed, Hane chuckled, and Edjethâk smiled wanly, “Of course I do; I am away from home among a people who tolerate me at best. In my situation meekness has gotten me farther than a brandished sword ever could. Besides, I have no wish to find something other than carrots in my soup when I get seconds.” He punctuated his statement by slurping up a spoonful of his soup. They all couldn't help but laugh at that...
The rest of the meal went quickly, following the same patteren as set by the first few comments. It was neever quiet for long, with sentences often being followed by laughter. When the meal was done Janie helped clean the table and then found her way to bed. When she left Hane, Edjethâk, and Clara starting cutting off and salting strips of deer for storage. After they finished and were sure Janie was asleep, they sat back at the table. Hane could feel the atmosphere turn palpable with tension. Now it was time to discuss his little girl's future.
Edjethâk opened, “Clara, you are a wonderful Woman of the Hearth; one of the best I have met, yet I have to wonder what skill the girl shows in the proffesion.” Clara grimaced, “Enough to make any man happy, should she ever find her patience. And that's more than can be said for most girls her age.” Hne added, “Aye, and she's like that in moat things.” Edjethâk added, “With swordplay it was more than that. With those sticks she hit me twice for every once I hit her, and usually her strikes came first. I only won because due to her size and the scrupulous cleaning of the inn's floor she couldn't knock me down, as is neccesary to win with blunted weapons.Were those sticks real blade, it would have been the cuts that mattered.” Clara snorted, “Does your story prove my daughter's unnatural ability with the sword or your unnatural disability?” Edjethâk growled, “Ask the deer resting in your stomach.” Clara waved a hand dismissively, “ You used a bow to fell the deer; I saw the wounds.” She put an emphasis on the word wounds that was hard to miss, “A bow is not a sword and besides you are not like to find a deer that will fight back. Not in these parts, anyway. The only thing your deer proves is you MIGHT be able to defend my Janie, provided her threat is still a ways off. As to that, why do you want to take her off with you in the first place? She won't be able to whelp you any kits, I hope you realize that.”
Edjethâk's tail lashed madly. His ears laid back and he growled loudly, “Is that what you think I am? I am not. I want to take her because she has the fighter's fur, as I do, and the personality and skill that go with it. She woould not live up to the destiyn set to her by her fur as only a Woman of the Hearth,nor do I think she would be happy being one, at least not while she is still young and restless. Were she to come with me, she would still learn all of her duties as a Woman of the Hearth and the ways of survival and battle besides.” Hane cut in, “You would take my daughter away from all she's ever known to make her familiar with battle? She's only nine, and besides that, she is my daughter, a girl.” Edjethâk's voice went icy cold, “I saw my first abttle when I was Seven, I had been preparing for one for a year before then. The peace you have here is not eternal. What difference makes gender, I ask you?” Hane replied simply, “Men are stronger than women. Men were made to defend the women, women to birth the children.” Edjethâk chuckled, “Men are not 'made' stronger exept through the labors we do. Look at the difference between you and I; I could pick you up with one hand. At my home, there are women who could do the same with me. Women who worked at forge, field, or sword and later in life became Women of the Hearth with many healthy children that they could protect themselves alongside their husbands. Your daughter would follow their example.”
Clara was silent for a few moments digesting what Edjethâk had said. She exchanged a look with Hane, then said, “You mentioned she would learn her duties as a Woman of the Hearth with you. How? And what else would she learn?” Edjethâk smiled, “Keeping an orderly campsite is much the same as keeping a house. Among the other things she would learn are history, geography, hunting, tracking, swordplay, stealth, her numbers and letters, how to tell honesty from lies. All things that allow her to live, provide, and defend for herself, and later others.” Clara frowned, “Aye, and all things that would pull her into trouble, should someone know she knows them.” Edjethâk started to speak but Hane cut him off, “And all things that will pull her right back out of trouble. I am beginning to find the appeal in this arrangement. However, we must still discuss two things: When would we be able to see her again, And what will you pay us for your taking her?”
Clara stared at him in amazement, “You are asking for a price in exchange for your daughter, and you the one talking of how you would never give your sweet-ling up, not for anything. So be it. The life you offer, Edjethâk, is as good as any we could make for her by my ears. Understand, however, she is our daughter. Should I ever hear the rumor of a word she came to harm in your care, I will track you down and spit you like you did the deer.” Her fist slammed against the table, her nose twitching furiously. Edjethâk frowned, “Noted. You have my word I will do everything in my power to keep her from harm. Hane, I can not tell you when you will see her again. I mean to keep her in my care until she is of an age and skill to take care of herself. After she is a woman grown, I will set her on her own and can only suggest she come visit you. I apologize for not being able to provide that assurance. If you still think it is a nice arrangement, her going with me, then I can offer you one hindered and twenty gold coins in exchange for taking her under my wing, so to speak.” Hane almost choked, nearly falling out of his chair. That was more money than he hoped to earn in his lifetime. He said, sputtering, “That would be fine indeed, should you have it.” Edjethâk removed a coin purse from his belt and tossed it to Hane. The thud it made on the table felt like it should have woken Janie. “It is yours, have Janie at the inn in the morning with a change of clothes, most of this deer, and a horse.” Clara spoke angrily, “She will be there. Now get yourself gone back to your rented home at the inn. I am sick of this business and need my sleep.”
Edjethâk nodded, stood, and left silently.