Common Worlds

a bit more character centric than overall clan centric:

I remember the day my sister was born and the relief which passed over the clan. The womb-growth was painful for mother so the Earth mothers took over the household. Praying wailing chanting day and night. I know not what it brought us except lack of sleep. The worst was that wretched crone Suula Spit-Root. Always pulling my ears and yanking my year-braids. telling me how lucky I was to have a great sister coming. I prayed to Ty kora tek to take the crone soon. The goddess must have heard me. The old crone died when my sister was born. The whole clan came out for the cron's death passage ritual. You would have thought no one knew my sister had been born.

I remember the lash! Mother was angry. I don't know why. Sister let her left guard down and I reminded her how bad a thing that was. You would have thought she was a twine doll how she collapsed. I made sure to hit only the top flesh. Unfortunately mother's slap to my face hit bone. Hurt for days. Black for days. Never was I allowed to train with sister again. Fine. Grar Gnarled Knuckles was a much better sparer anyway. At least when he collapsed he got back up.

I remember HER! I never saw her. Never heard her. But I could smell her. I knew she was there. Walking about the tula with the smell of Blood before her. I would have liked to see her. See what the fuss was. See what a killer looked like. But Mother sent sister and I to the South Hearth, along with other High Clan daughters. The Avenging Daughter never came by the South Hearth. Mother and the other High Clan Women always made great sacrifices to Ernalda after the Avenging daughter left. I think they felt guilty.

I remember the chill! The cold. The damp snow with me knee deep in it holding father's bloodied hands. Father listless and turning white. From the blood loss or the pristine snow falling? maybe both. The Bull Men had broken through. Only the Northern gate behind us stood between those beasts and our tula. It was then I saw him through the snowfall and the trees. The Majestic Beast Deer loped out of the forest towards me. It held me frozen with its dark eyes as it trotted up to me. Its breath started to warm me as it nuzzled my face. It chewed my hair and bit my shoulder. I burned with the Goddess' gift of healing and lifted father up and ran to the Northern Gate screaming and crying for help. The gate opened and War Men came charging out. The Long Toothed Slayers and the Battle Bones Brothers. I saw the Loyal Shields' Pendant and the Queens' Oaken Backs banner. All proud to die in the name of the WestHill. My mother came forward and spread out her arms. I pushed my arms forward to give her father but they were empty. I landed in Mother's arms and she gathered me in and chided me and consoled me and cried over me. I looked past her shoulder and saw father running with the War-Men screaming his death yell.

I remember the pride! But first I remember the shame. Sister told me I could not receive the Clan Praise for defeating the Forstu Clan's bloody raid. I shouldn't have been there she said. I should have been stayed behind and protected her the Queen. Blessed Bevara! I will not stay back while the forward fighters spill blood and need aid. But they stood for me. The Rock Rams stood up and said they could not accept the Clan Praise if I was not there. Ingman Fur-Beard told of how I healed his axe hand to kill more Forstu. Stork 2-Teeth boasted of my slaying two Forstu pigs. Arko the Bright orated my run across the battlefield with my coin shields held high deflecting arrows from reaching fallen brothers I would heal. Sister relented and let me stand with them. I cried for days with pride.