The Wolf, the Butterfly, and the Kraken

Chapter 14

A couple months had passed and we were just starting to grow into the idea of our age disparities when a large warrior came to our farm. He was dressed differently than other warriors I had seen. His steel armor had stylized patterns in it. I did not know them, but Vam did.
Vam cautiously asked him, "How may I help you?"
"My master wishes to meet your family. You will attend dinner with him this evening." There was no question. It was an order.
"Do I need to bring anything?" I asked the large warrior. He showed me his teeth in response. That was a threat, nearly a challenge.
Vam asked in a growl, "My mate asked you a question, servant. Answer her politely or your master will hear of it."
It seemed the warrior was itching for a battle. His tail swooshed, but he told me, "No. The meal will be provided for you."
I nodded. "When shall we arrive?"
"When the moon is one quarter risen." He all but snarled his answer.
I asked Vam, "Do you know where we are going?"
"Yes," his eyes never left the warrior.
"We will be there on time then. Have a pleasant trip back." I always loved shining on rude people. I was taught to be twice as polite and sweet back to rude people who were trying to upset you. It just made them more mad, only they didn't have any real reason for it.
The warrior clenched and unclenched his fist. He backed away, never taking his eyes from me, seeming unconcerned about Vam.
When he was gone Vam informed me, "That is one of Ambassador Dura's personal bodyguards."
I had heard much about Dura. He was a legendary warrior and peacemaker/dealer of sorts with the Venerans. He had been imprisoned, quite dishonorably, by the First Lord of Venera. It had been years since he had been home. Years since he had tasted the foods from his homeland, heard its music, seen his kindred, beheld a small cub. His imprisonment had started a war on Veneran soil.
I ran to our small root cellar and dug out a fresh jar of breso preserves. Breso, I had discovered, was a type of berry that grew on the banks of our little creek, and in thickets of the forest. I had canned several jars of it.
Then I washed our nicest clothes and set them to drying while I washed myself and the baby.
"What are you doing?" Vam asked.
"I am going to meet an honorable person. An important, honorable person. I want to look nice." I explained.
He cocked his head, "Did it ever occur to you that he might be taking his vengeance of Venerans out on you?"
I stopped, then shrugged, "Then I will look nice- on a platter. Now, in the tub, or do I have to make Isa chase you around?" I playfully waggled my eyebrows at him. He laughed and got in the tub.
"Are we having biscuits tomorrow? What are the preserves for?"
"I wish to give him a homecoming gift. He has only had Veneran food for years now. He must miss flavors you can only get here. And when was the last time his eyes fell on a cub in his home? Poor Dura must have been terribly alone in Venera."
He stopped scrubbing and watched me. "Do you feel alone here?"
"I have you, and Oshie, and your family. But no one else will befriend me. I miss things about Venera, and people who are there. I worry for my father. But this is my home now. I love it here with those who matter the most to me."
"What food do you miss the most from Venera?"
"It's silly, but mint tea. I have so many memories wrapped up in mint tea. I used to pick the mint that grew wild, and then have a cup of tea and gossip with the other girls, or have a lovely chat with my gran. It is a flavor as full of memories for me as I am sure breso is for Dura."
We left for Ambassador Dura's home shortly before the sun had set. Oshie watched the stars and moon with utter fascination all the way through town and as we traveled away from the river. I sang him an Veneran lullaby about the stars, and he smiled. I loved those smiles.
We turned onto a small road, almost a path, and I saw trees. If you were not looking for them you would never see them, but my watercaster senses detected at least two warriors in every tree. I was almost sure Oshie had found a few while trying to find stars through branches. Two enormous guards stood at complete ease, but with blades drawn, on either side of a door even larger than ours. The door opened before we reached it and the warrior from earlier saw us. He frowned, but let us in.
Dura may have been a legendary person, but he lived sparsely. Vam and I might have had more in our small den than he did in his huge house. We were escorted to a large room with a small table. It was square and had a second level. Then I saw the pieces. "Ludo?" I asked Vam.
He nodded. I felt tension rolling off of him. So did Oshie, and he started squirming. The room was very dark and held only one candle at the ludo table. I stood at the table and studied the pieces. I barely knew the game, but could see several pieces were in jeopardy on both sides. I walked to the far side of the table and examined the game from that perspective as well. There was one piece that could be moved and it might set the game in that sides favor, but it would wind up being sacrificed.
I sensed a large presence behind me. This was nothing new to me. Everyone was larger than me here. Only the scent of battle armor and-and, "Is that the scent of Malters soap? My father used to use that after treating metals with oil. He said it worked better than anything else that he had come across." I turned to see an absolutely massive Lycant, even by Lycant standards, six inches behind me.
He seemed amused and confident. "Yes, I also have found that Malters gets the oil off well." His fur was black, and in the dim candlelight he could have been two steps away and I would not have seen him. "Do you play ludo?"
My eyes looked to the board, "I feel like a small child when I do play it. My mother in law, Owda, has taught me some when we both have free time." I smiled at Oshie, "Which hasn't been often lately. I am sorry, where are my manners? You must be Ambassador Dura. I am Joann of the Red Moon and Green Scythes clan, house of Vam. That is my mate, Vam, and our cub, Oceanus, also called Oshie."
Dura rumbled a greeting of his own. "I have heard some very unusual rumors about your family."
I nodded. "I have heard some of them. I guarantee you that I am not a Lycant dressed in the skin of an Veneran. Vam is not secretly wealthy because of something he brought home from his raid. And Oshie does not fart a green gas that melts flesh from bones."
Dura barked a laugh, then asked, "And the rumor about this great spirit smashing a thousand priests-"
"It was a lot more than that. I think the last count I heard was just above 10,000. It just swatted them in one blow. I still have nightmares about it. The worst thing is that Oarhu, the great spirit, gave me very specific instructions for Oshie and what he will need to know. He needs all kinds of crafting, warrior training, and spiritual training as well. That spiritual training means that he will have to work with the brethren of those that Oarhu killed. Oshie wasn't even born, but he has many enemies."
Dura snuffled assent, then tilted his head. "What is in your jar?"
I handed it to him, "Breso preserves for your home, as thanks for inviting us to dinner, and also as a homecoming gift."
He opened the jar and inhaled the scent. I didn't need watercasting to know that a tidal wave of memories washed over him with that simple scent. He smiled and nodded, "My thanks."