Totem of the Bear - World of Ranicke 1

Chapter 11

Eventually he made it back to the tent and for the moment set the instruments on the bed and the manual on the table.  Since Sorrel wasn’t there he headed for the communal eating area and stood in line for food.  Even there he was getting some looks from both the men and women.  From the men there was a bit of jealousy and with the women it was interest.  Once he had his plate and cup he settled down and in Spanish muttered ‘just shoot me now’. 

Thomas settled down across from him and gave him an odd look.  “What did you just say?”  It wasn’t a language he recognized whatsoever.

Jim simply grumbled.  “Just feeling like I am being stared at and it is driving me nuts.”  He stabbed a thing which looked like a meatball and munched on it.  “All I did was what anyone worth their metal would do.  I don’t feel that I deserve all the attention I am getting.”  He impaled another meatball and ate it.  “Hell I was made a songsmith trainee or apprentice part time.  What is next?  I am not sure how much more I can take.”  He didn’t want to whine but all he did was his job.

Thomas gave him a sympathetic look.  “Maybe where you came from you didn’t do anything special but here you did.  We would have stood back and used arrows till it was weak enough to use a spear.  Not many people would attack a bear by themselves.”  When Jim mentioned Master Eldon Thomas took his wrist and his eyes widened.  “Try apprentice period not part time but full time, I understand you have other requirements but he has accepted you as his apprentice.”

He thumped his head on the table.  “God, what next, so what does that necklace with the bear teeth and amber mean?”  He felt like he was being stretched to far at the moment.

Thomas grinned.  “It has several meanings.  First the bear is going to be your totem spirit.”  He pulled his out and showed it to him.  “Mine is a badgor.  To get your totem spirit normally you have to go into the forest and hunt the animal by yourself.  Even though we were there you fought the bear and were both wounded and killed it.” 

“It also means that you are a warrior and have earned your place in the clan as a warrior to protect the tribe.”  He finally released Jim’s hand.  “It is actually very rare for someone to have more than one specialty unless they are related such as say a warrior and hunter.  They are similar enough that one can be both.  To be a warrior and a songsmith is very rare.”  Thomas winked at him.  “You might want to get a sign that says you are taken.”

Jim growled at him for the teasing and threatened him with his fork thing.  “I might be a friend short if you keep teasing me.”  He started snickering.  “Hell if they try to give me anything else I am going to be so thin you can see through me.”  He had to shake his head.  “All I was trying to do with the children was to relax and enjoy some time with them.  There wasn’t any other reason.  Now when I started working out with you that was being serious.”

They talked a while longer before they finished eating.  Thomas walked with him to Sorrel’s tent and glanced inside and whistled at the stack of instruments.  “Jim you realize he is trying to make you a Journeyman don’t you?”

Jim rolled his eyes.  “Yes I know that as well as I am going to teach him some of what I know from my world.”  He settled down in a chair.  “Come on in and have a seat.  Sorrel has given me permission to invite some people into her tent.”

Thomas couldn’t help but grin at him.  “So do I get to listen to something?  The kids have, Master Eldon has but do I?”  He was teasing but was surprised when Jim stood up.

He grabbed the instrument that had been Master Eldon’s and opened the case and checked the tuning.  “This is a very private song and this one I wrote.”  His face showed some grief as he spoke.  He kept it as quiet as possible so that it wasn’t heard much outside the tent.  This time he didn’t cry but he was close.  “My little sister died when she was 15 to a disease that couldn’t be cured.  I wrote that for her.” He stroked the instrument.  “You are the second person to have heard it.”