Skara Braens

Part 32

Part 32 Vote Tally

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Option B:
Option C:

Onward!

"Please, Siona," you say.  "You do not have to come.  You do not have to like the odds, but at the very least, let the others decide for themselves what to do now."

"What would they do?" Siona murmured to herself quietly.

In answer, Artair stood and walked to your side.  He turned and faced Siona.  She stared at him.  He offered a sad smile.

"Artair?"

"I know it is dangerous, Siona," he said gently.

"You will die."

"Perhaps.  But if that is what it takes to end this plague, then I will do so gladly."

Mordina stood and moved from her position to Drest's side.

"You too, child?" Siona asked.

"Yes," Mordina said.  "What is my life worth if I do not spend it trying to improve the world?  This is my chance to make a difference."

Siona turned to Gordon.  "And what of you, Gordon?"

With a small smile, Gordon said, "I will do whatever you think best, Siona."

Siona turned back to face the four of you.  The crunch of slow footsteps approaching turned her attention to David, who is making his way to stand beside Artair.  When he comes to a stop, Siona sighs.

"It seems you are determined to get yourselves killed, no matter what I say."  She smiles slightly.  "But I understand.  I had thought like you, once, when I was young."  Shaking her head, she continues.  "Your conviction is hard to deny.  And I still love my foolish rescues."

Artair grunts a small laugh.

"So, though I will not accompany you—my obligations to this village override all—neither will I abandon you.  If you can give me but a little time, we can make this a base of operations, of sorts."

You blink.  "That would be helpful indeed."

"Then it is decided.  You will go to Shapinsay."

A murmur runs through the crowd.

"This will take some planning, however," Siona said.

"That it will."

"Then first, I propose that we finish fixing the village.  We can reconvene at dinner to begin the planning."

"That is entirely agreeable," you answer.

"Good. Then I declare this moot over.  We have work to do."

In an instant, the tense atmosphere evaporates, and the gathered crowd moves, dispersing with hum of quiet conversations in its wake.  Siona rises to her feet and straightened her clothes.

"Artair?"

"Yes, Siona?"

"We're having a little difficulty mending the gate.  We could use your hands there."

"Right away." Artair claps you on the shoulder before jogging of the the entrance of the village to apply his skill in mending the fence.

"Mordina?"

"Yes, Siona?"

"Do you still have your stone axe?  Our steel one broke yesterday, and there are still logs that need cutting to fit the new gaps in our palisade."

"As good as done."  Mordina turns and runs to her hut.

"Can I help with anything?" you ask.

"Certainly.  Gabby will be cooking for hungry working villagers all day.  I'm sure she would be grateful for some assistance."

"Done," you say.  "Point me in the right direction."

Siona smiles, and points to a large-ish rectangular hut immediately behind you.  You grin at her and move off to make yourself useful.  Drest follows you.  Where David and his men go, you don't know, but you don't doubt that they would be very helpful.

"Hello!" a young woman greets as you step into the hut.  Your eyes take their time adjusting to the sudden lack of sun.  You smile when you spot her.  She's a pretty young woman, with a round face and dimples.

"I'm here to help Gabby cook," you say.

"Well, hello!" the woman says, smiling brightly.  She extends her hand.  "I am Gabby.  I'm surely grateful for the help."

"I'm just happy to be useful," you say.

"Well, that's good.  You can start by opening the walls as I light the fire."

"The walls open?"  You turn to look behind you at one of the walls, and notice that it is not a solid wattle-and-daub wall as the rest of the huts in the village.  They are closer to woven mats, though quite thick.  You notice a thin rope threaded through the mat and a series of pullies. You take the rope where it hangs loose and pull.  The mat wall begins to roll up.

"Huh," you say.  "Clever."

You pull on the rope until the mat is rolled up as far as you can manage.  You tie it off on a nail sticking out of the wooden post and move to the next mat.  Between you and Drest, you get the communal kitchen open quickly.  By that time, the first of the fires is lit, and Gabby has placed a large cauldron of water on a stone at the edge of the hearth.

"Would you be a dear and peel some potatoes for me?  I have to mix the stuffing for the hens.  Gordon found an abandoned farm with a large coop.  Most of the hens aren't good for laying anymore, so we're having them for tea.  We have a couple of hens kept now for laying."

"That was a lucky find," Drest notes.

"Wasn't it? It's a wonder the foxes didn't get to the chickens before we did.  I guess the farmer built a good cage."

"We're eating sick chickens?"

"Don't worry.  There's nothing that a little fire won't make edible." Gabby smiles at you.  "You know, I think that's why we started cooking."

"Who? The village?"

"No!" Gabby says with a laugh.  "Humanity.  Honestly, I think we discovered that we can make food out of rotted meat if we cook it first.  Then eating it won't kill us."

You screw your face up in disgust.

"Think about it," Gabby says.  "I mean, it seems gross now, but imagine a world where we didn't even have what we have now?  Imagine us before we even discovered a use for clothing.  We travel around in small groups, scrounging food whenever and wherever we can.  We avoid meat most of the time because we haven't yet learnt to hunt, and unless we can scavenge a fresh kill, eating it will kill us.  And then, somehow, we discover that fire changes the meat that will kill us into something that won't.  Honestly, I think cooking meat with fire came to us long before hunting did."

"An interesting theory," Drest says, smiling.

Gabby shrugs.  "I was studying prehistoric anthropology when everything went down.  I was only in first year, though, so I'd only taken a few classes.  It's weird.  I hated school.  It was stressful.  Now, though, I really miss it."

Drest nods.  "I can imagine.  We all miss normal."

You stand and peel potatoes and listen to Gabby and Drest talk as they work.  A twittering catches your ear and you look up, finding a brown and white eagle standing quite happily on the ground near one of the posts of the now open-air kitchen.  You stare at it.

What do you do?

a) Ignore the eagle and continue your work.
b) Put down your work and go towards the eagle.
c) Try and talk to the eagle.

Voting ends 9 March, 2017. Good luck, Adventurers!