The Wolf, the Butterfly, and the Kraken

Chapter 21

Joann
The last four days had been exhausting. Exhilerating, but exhausting. Traveling with Oshie on a normal day was not easy, but carrying him the whole way was hard. Then he started to get fussy. He cried and I had nothing to soothe him. We were out of crackers.
I gave him water, but he didn't drink it. "What's wrong Oshie?" I stopped on the side of the road and felt the inside of his mouth. "Are you teething?" I couldn't feel any sharp little teeth poking through. I felt his head. He seemed a bit warmer than usual.
Vam frowned, truly concerned. "He is having a growing time. His hands felt the thickness of Oshies fur, and he looked at his hands and feet. He grumbled, "Why couldn't this wait until somewhere with a steady food supply?"
"Why? How much do you think he will eat?"
Without batting an eye he said, "Iara's children all ate a goat or more at this stage, and doubled in size within the week. His fur has been getting increasingly thick, and feet larger for this stage."
We had been speaking in Lycant, and I stopped in shock, "A goat in a week!" in Veneran.
That is what my father understood. "What does he need expensive medicine?"
I couldn't believe this. "No, he's hitting a really big growth spurt. He will eat a goat in a few days and double in size by the end of the week."
Father had the same reaction I had, then started considering where we were. "We are two days from the closest town. The mountain is two and a half days march Northeast. There was a plantation about half a day from here."
I knew the one he spoke of. It had been hit by raiders before ours. Not many people were left from what I heard. A blonde girl on the ship with me had been from there. Her father and brother had both been killed. "What is the next nearest place?"
He knew what I did, and eyed crying Oshie with a frown. "It's too far off."
Vam, knowing none of this, said, "Then we will hurry to this place. I will earn a goat by working or hunting, if I can." He lifted Oshie from my arms, still crying from hunger. "Which way?"
We hurried cross country towards a place we would not be welcomed.

Vam
I was walking fast, wanting to run. It was very important he get food fast. Children who went without food for too long during a hard growing time could suffer long term effects. Sometimes they even died. I loved Joann, and her father meant well, but when Oshie went quiet I knew I could not delay any longer.
"Joann, Kane I have to take him ahead. It is very bad now. I can move fast. I will see you there. Are there any landmarks I should look for?"
Kane spoke, "The plantation is on high ground. A small stream flows on one side of the hill, and a small river on the other side."
I nodded and started to turn from them. Joann stopped me, "Vam, they've been raided before. A girl on the ship was from there, and at least two of her kin were killed."
I understood. Nothing would be easy for me here. "I will see you there."
I tucked Oshie close to my chest, and ran. I ran like my sons life depended on it. There was brush that was sparse, but grew thicker. Some I could jump over, some I slid around. Finally I heard it, water. It was the smal stream. I crossed it in one jump, and took a deep breath to determine which way to go.
At first there was nothing, and I feared going too far North. Then my nose caught the slightest whiff of woodsmoke. I ran towards it. Soon I saw smoke in the distance. It came from a large building. There was a herd of fluffy animals in the distance. They were about goat sized, and grazing in a far field.
A small shape started running for the building, blowing a whistle. A woman ran from the barn to the same building. I had scared them. Doors closed. Windows were shuttered.
"No! Wait! My son needs help! Please!"
I heard a child telling her mother, "It spoke Veneran mother."
"It's a trick. Do not open the door."
"Please! Help Oceanus. He needs to eat, a lot." I leaned against the door. I was so close to getting him the help he needed.
A window above opened a crack and I saw two eyes peering down at me. "Mother, the raider is holding a baby."
"Close that window now! It will eat you!"
"I have never eaten a Veneran. In fact, I am mated to one. I am a farmer, not a raider."
A boy asked, "Well, what are you doing here if you are a farmer, and not a raider?"
"I am meeting my wife's father, Kane Ristora."
There was silence for a moment. The woman asked, "If your father in law is Kane Ristora what is your wife's name?"
I perked up, "Joann. Do you know her? She and Kane are headed this way. I left them behind when our son stopped crying. He is desperately in need of food. I will work. I will do any chore or task. I will till a field. I will clean your barn. I will repair fences. Anything." I looked at Oshie. His eyes looked distant. He did not feel well.
"Mommy, the baby doesn't look well." The little girl was peeking again.
"I told you to shut the window. One of them took your aunt, killed your uncle, and your grandfather. Others have been killed. Your father is out there, right now, fighting them."
The girl said, "So is Kane Ristora. But he says Kane is his kin."
The woman said, "I don't care. I will not give him, or his kind anything."
A second set of young eyes peered out the window. These were a tiny bit older. "I have a goat in the barn. She is giving milk. Brown, with a white face. Your baby may have her milk if you muck out the pens. If Kane and his daughter arrive later we might make another deal then."
It wasn't enough, but it was very generous, and as good as I was going to get. "Thank you, young master."
I raced to the barn, hearing the mother screeching at her children. I found a bucket, and swiftly milked the only goat in the barn. The pen had obviously had more goats in it recently, and was a mess. I fed Oshie, and he gulped the nutrients down. He whined for more when it was gone, but there was none. Now it was my turn to hold up my end of the bargain.
The barn smelled strongly of some sort of animal. It was not goat, gren, or those horse things. I followed my nose to a corner and looked up, and up. It was huge with long strands of fur all over its body. "That must be a fluffer." It was twice my height with long fur and tusks. Venerans must be very brave to tame such creatures.
I mucked out the pens, but the cart which held the animal droppings was full. I went back to the door. "Young master? Where should I dump the muck cart? Do you have a field it should go on? I can't complete my task until it is empty."
The little girl was giggling. The boy seemed stunned for a moment. Then he cleared his throat and answered, "The Western field."
I hauled the cart to the Western field. It was full of thorny weeds as high as my waist. There had been even rows here. Someone had maintained this once. Beautiful, green things had grown here. To distribute fertilizer on this field would only help the weeds, and make his fathers job that much harder when he got home. Did this child know that?
Little Oshie was not well, and neither was this family. I went back to the door of the building they had barricaded themselves behind, and knocked. The boy asked, "Did you already distribute the muck?"
"We need to speak as men of households. Come on out young master."
"No. You will kill me."
"On my honor I will not."
"It is well known that your kind do not have honor."
"Strange. My kind say the same thing about Venerans. I know this to be wrong though. To prove that you have honor I am going to place my only child in the care of your mother or sister while you and I discuss the Western field, and what condition you will present it to your father in. My son is named Oceanus. We call him Oshie. He is by the door. I will meet you at the muck cart by the Western field."