Listen to the Raiyn

15 - Little Brother

Keria hefted the axe high over her head and swung it down on the tree's branch with a vengeance, Tàlis just barely getting out of the way before the axe stuck the branch next to him.

"watch it! i know you don't like doing this but you have to use something to burn a fire with" he said as he sat down a little further from where Keria was swinging the axe, and a little more into the bright summer light.

she pushed the hair from her face and stood up a little straighter, the axe resting on her shoulder. she was almost eye level with Tàlis now. she was to tall for a woman and everyone now cowered as she passed by, towering over them. she hadn't finished growing yet and Grandmother with her quickly greying hair said that she expected her to become taller than the wind spirit someday (he's 13 hand lengths or 7 feet. Keria's about 6"6 at the moment). Keria had begun to shoot up when she had reached the age of thirteen and her body had begun to rush into womanhood, leaving her awkward, her limbs long and her chest grown, though still relatively small, she could no longer deny that she was a female. she was now at the age of sixteen, almost seventeen. she still wore britches and a shirt and she had cut her hair so that now it fell just passed her shoulders. she was very slim, almost bony as Annabeth had told her.

Annabeth was still the most beautiful girl in the village. her hair was down just past her waist. she was slim and small, her cheeks rosy and her figure perfect. just as Keria had predicted, all the village boys were after her. she was eighteen and ready for marriage.

Keria sat down next to Tàlis, the axe still in her hand, but with the head on the ground. she looked up at the clear blue summer sky and sighed.

"i know, you know Tàlis. the tree gave me permission, but it doesn't mean it feels right. i just feel sad that Jonny's sick today. i had planned to take him to the river, and teach him how to find the good lilies today." she sighed again as she though of her five year old brother. he was the sweetest thing anyone could imagine. he had light brown hair, green eyes and freckles splashed across his face. exept for the freckles he looked just like his father, Hawthrin. Keria's step-father, the blacksmith.

Orin had died when Keria was seven and Maria had remarried soon after, having felt no grief for the man that would not protect his daughter. the blacksmith was a good man and was kind to both of Maria's daughters. it had not been hard for her to fall back in love with him, nor he with her. they had had two children, Cyra and Jonathan. twins. if they had not been a girl and boy you would never have been able to tell hem apart. Maria was expecting another child and the house was filled with joy once again, just as it had been when she had been expecting the twins.

both Hawthrin Maria were busy, him with the smithy shop and her with taking care of the young twins. Annabeth would take care of the household chores and look after Cyra when their mother was to tired to do anything but sleep, which was happening frequently the farther along with child she was. Keria would take care of the husband's chores like cutting wood or fixing the roof when Hawthrin was to busy to get around to it and she would look after Jonathan all the time. she taught him all the things that Hawthrin couldn't. how to run, to hunt and how to pray in the Old Tongue for the soul of he kill. she would often take him with her to her lessons with Wéarà and Tàlis would play with him. even Asrailyn seemed to take pleasure in his presence.

Tàlis patted her back and Déamois came trotting back to them with a rabbit in his jaws, again. he sat down and tore into the dead creature, pausing only to look up at the two and flick his head as though telling Keria to get it over with and get the firewood so they could go back home, and then began tearing at the carcass between his paws again. even Déamois could not wait to get back to the sick child. he would have stayed except for the fact that he hated to leave Keria's side unless it was to hunt or do is business. he had grown fully within the first month of his birth and was seven hand lengths tall (a little under 4 feet), coming up to Keria's waste.