The Chronicles of Bitia, Book One: Separation
Dedicated To Micah, my Beni.
One
Beni leaned low on his horse, walking her quietly through the dense forest. The sack on Beni's back weighed heavily on the sixteen year old. Heavier still was the knowledge that those in his country: Bitia, were depending on him. He could hear horses tramping nearby, whinnying.
Beneath
him, he heard a crack. He closed his eyes in dismay. Light, his mare,
had broken a stick. An inaudible cry came from the place he'd heard the
many horses. Beni kicked his ankles into Light's sides, causing her to
gain speed, and run faster. Beni once again pressed himself close to his
horse's body as he heard the unmistakable whiz of arrows flying through
the air.
" Come
on Light; Come on girl!" he urged, sending the horse into a full
gallop. He just hoped the mare would live up to the reason he had named
her Light. " She's faster then the speed of light!" Beni had been known
to boast. The sounds of those on his trail started to fade into the
distance.
" Thank you," the boy said, looking up at the sky. The most dangerous part of being a blockade runner was over.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aliah
looked up at the sky where black clouds seemed to float closer. She
smiled. Her water starved plants needed the rain. Hopefully it would
clear up the lip parching heat that hung like a blanket over Rivirn, a
small town in Bitia. Aliah placed her gardening tools in the sack she
carried over her shoulder. The fourteen year old smiled fondly at her
plants before walking over to where her filly, Pixley waited patiently,
tethered to a tree.
" Ready
to go home girl?" Aliah asked, patting the animal's soft, velvety nose.
A thunder clap boomed, and Pixley moved nervously. " It's okay Pixley.
It's just a storm girl." The horse actually seemed to quiet as Aliah
stepped into the stirrup, and swung into the saddle. Just then, the
first wave of rain began to fall. Aliah tucked her head low, kicking
Pixley into a trot. As she rode, she saw, out of the corner of her eye,
another figure riding alongside her. A hat was pulled low over his face,
and Aliah smiled happily. She leaned low on Pixley, sending her into a
gallop. The other rider matched speeds with her, they were now neck to
neck. Pixley's nostrils flared as she speeded up, and rode into the
Breman family yard. The other rider was in the yard a moment later, and
he grabbed Aliah by the waist, taking her off her horse, and swinging
her in a circle.
"Looks
like you've finally beaten me Ali," the person said, pulling his cloak
over his sister. Aliah looked up at him, her heart swelling with love.
"I've
been practicing," she laughed. "Oh Beni, I'm so glad your home at last.
I've missed you so." He grinned at her, rain pouring off the brim of
his hat.
"I
missed you too, but now I think we'd better shelter these horses and
get inside before the storm gets worse." Aliah nodded, and took Pixley's
lead rope in her hand. Beni and his sister shut the creatures in their
stalls, rubbed them down, and provided them with some grain that had
been saved from the dry land.
Aliah
truly looked at her brother when these chores were done. He was quite
tall, she would guess six feet. He had dark brown hair curling around
her ears, and dark blue, searching eyes. His hat was not as a cowboy
would wear, but rather floppy. He wore a long sleeved, light blue shirt.
On top of this Beni wore a dark blue vest, laced across the middle. He
also wore a pair of brown pants with the bottoms tucked into his high
black boots. Last of all was the forest green cloak Aliah was now
wearing.
She
herself was dressed in a simple brown work dress, her long brown hair
tied back in a handkerchief. The girl wore no shoes as she had been
working in the garden, and was saving them for special times.
"Let's
get inside," Beni said happily, laying his arm across his sister's
shoulder. Giving Pixley a final pat, Aliah followed her brother into the
rain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"That's
good soup mama," Beni said, scraping the last of it from his bowl. Mira
Breman smiled softly, clearing away his dishes. The woman's nut brown
hair was tied back in a loose bun. She wore a dress like her daughter's,
except that hers was grey.
"We
have much to be thankful for," Hema Breman said seriously. "Not
everyone has stock, and our crops did better than many others." The rest
at the table nodded soberly, all except for young Lili, who was
watching her brother, a twinkle in her brown eyes. She jumped up, her
light blond braids flying, and ran over to Beni.
The
little girl was wearing a short white dress which she wore to school,
that came just below her knee. To add a little color, the seven year old
had insisted on wearing a blue vest over top. She, like her sister,
wore no shoes. The older brother looked down on her, an affectionate
smile on his face.
"Ah, how may I be of service, my Princess?" he asked in the manner of a knight. The child giggled.
"I'm not the Princess! She lives at the capitol." Beni nodded, taking Lili in his lap.
"Aye, she does live in Ramar doesn't she?" The girl nodded. Beni pulled a small package out of his vest pocket.
"This, my sweet, is for you." The little girl didn't hesitate to grab, and open the package. Her eyes instantly went wide.
"Candy!" she cried excitedly. The package continued several peppermint sticks.
"Now
be sure to eat them slowly," Beni warned. "It might be a while until I
can get more." Lili nodded, already licking one. "Ali," Beni said next.
Aliah looked up with interest.
"Yes brother?" she asked, smiling.
"This
is for you," Beni said, handing over another package. Before she opened
it, Aliah felt the package, finding it soft. She quickly took off the
brown paper, and her face lit up at what she saw.
"It's lovely," she announced, lifting out a sky blue shawl with navy colored flowers embroidered on the hem. Beni grinned.
"I
knew you would like it." He went on to give his parents gifts. Mira
received a silk, rainbow colored scarf, which she quite loved. Hema, who
was a wood carver, was given a beautiful little ivory handled knife
with silver designs on it.
"I will think of you every time I use it," Hema said, sliding the knife into it's little silver sheath. Beni snapped his fingers.
"Ah,
I've just remembered. Father, have you finished with the arrow shafts
yet?" Hema took his new knife out again, and began scraping at a long
piece of wood.
"Aye, I've finished about a hundred and fifty, with more on the way." Beni cleared his throat.
"Well then, I suppose I'd best deliver them at the town square. He fetched the shafts as Aliah looked outside.
"The rain seems to be beginning to stop." Beni nodded, pulling his hat and cloak from off a peg near the door.
"All
the better. Light and I shall have a peaceful trip into town." Lili and
Aliah waved as their brother got Light ready and rode off.
"That boy has wandering in him," Mira observed.
"Aye," Hema said, kissing his wife. "He gets it from you."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Captain Radli?" A man in a brown uniform turned at the sound of Beni's voice.
"Ah,
lad," he said, his face breaking into a jolly smile. "I see you have
returned to us. Any close calls?" Beni nodded, thinking of the men on
horseback chasing him.
"But not Brohdenites laid a hand on me."
"That
is good." It was a dangerous time to live in Bitia. A nation beside
them, Brohden, had decided to take over the smaller country. Now Bitia
was in drought, and a blockade had been set up to keep supplies from
entering the country. But there were a few brave men and boys that were
sneaky enough to slip through without being caught. Such a person was
Beni.
"I've brought some weaponry, and food." Captain Radli nodded.
"Let's
see the weaponry lad." Beni pulled a sack from his saddlebags, and
handed it to the man. He lifted out iron arrowheads, the points tied in
cloth. They were made in Elindoor, a country known for their forge work.
"Very nice," the captain conceded. "Do you have shafts to be attached?" Beni nodded, pulling out the shafts, all tied together.
"Father carved about a hundred and fifty for this week." Captain Radli nodded, surveying the workmanship.
"Good.
Very good." The man took a bag from his pocket. "Here is your father's
payment for the shafts, and here is your payment for the trip." Beni
nodded, then motioned back to his horse.
"I
also brought some rice. I'll leave it here." Captain Radli agreed, so
Beni handed him the sack which he had covered during the rain.
"Thank ye lad. Your next list will probably come around in a week or so."
Beni
left, walking Light quietly through the forest, back towards their
small farm. It was a beautiful thing to walk through the peaceful
forest, not ravaged by war. Being a blockade runner meant you knew all
about war. Beni had come across several skirmishes on his trips, and
several narrow escapes. Because of his dangerous job, besides the sum he
was paid for each trip, Beni was allowed to keep any extra money that
wasn't needed for supplies. He had used said extra money to purchase the
gifts for his family. The boy continued home.
2 comments:
Love the names. :D
Leah: Ha, thanks! I apparently loved ending things with I and A. :D
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