Post by Arlene on Jul 19, 2014 4:40:28 GMT -8
The scarlet setting sun descended over the water of the pond. It wasn't quite large enough to be considered a lake as Arlene tried sorting out her emotions. She had been hurting since she saw the three dead babies and it hadn't been abating that easily for her. Not this time. She pulled out her beads where she'd set them in a dimensional pocket. She wasn't hiding her feelings not from herself as she touched each bead remembering a fallen family member that she was responsible for. It wasn't her fault she had given her heart to a guy who in more modern culture would have been called a stalker. Just didn't help at the time, that witch actually did have cause in the eyes of law to cry foul seeing as her guy had been betrothed to the witch. She should be setting up the medical clinic and instead was hiding out here. The last two... it'd been too many lives. Her baby and her husband dead to use the baby's blood to power a curse. She couldn't even remember the sound of his voice anymore and that was a real tragedy. It'd taken several rebirths before she stopped faking normalcy. Okay that was a bit of a misnomer, she wasn't really normal. Not with one foot so far in the spirit realms and life sphere so strong she'd more or less become half nature spirit herself.
At least, she'd not have to deal with fervent national or religious pride aside from the gods that had taken residence on this world. Her allegiance was to Gaia and no matter what bribes these upstarts threw at her feet would she bend knee to them. Yes, that possibility had her pretty paranoid, when honey didn't work the next tact, in her experience, was generally fear. She'd help the various creatures, but why should she give some gods on a world where she hadn't even found RUINS of humans her allegiance when she didn't know if the gods had sacrificed their followers because they bored. It had been known to happen or if not boredom god wars the gods always played with the lives of mortals. She was a healer such politics wasn't for the likes of her. Gods in general gave their followers false hope and false information. Leading to eventually even the god him or herself being utterly convinced even if they imported a race, they "created" the race so the race should be their slave.
She nicked her finger pressing the bleeding point to a hibiscus bush willing it into bloom before continuing on to other plants that had been waiting for her touch. There were so many seeds waiting to be awoken now that she no longer had hungry mouths devouring anything green within reach. Speaking of which, probably needed to see if any in town were glaziers. If so, maybe if there was enough soda ash and sand left over after making sure all windows were sealed tight to make her a greenhouse. Everyone could use it to warm their bees over winter of course and would stop her from worrying if there would be enough sugar water to keep the bees fed when honey production was typically low. At least then she could feel she was contributing when everyone was probably holed up until the spring thaw.
She glanced towards the cliffs. The hares had told her conditions would be optimal for scaling without collapsing from heat exhaustion or getting buried in an avalanche soon. Hopefully someone had climbing gear because falconry could help supplement what food stores there were since they hadn't arrived early enough for planting season and only so much the little guys could do on finding edibles. The outline of a hawk returning food to his nest made her stop and stare marveling at the majestic bird. The wild adults were too proud but maybe just maybe... a chick that she raised as it fledged out. No offense to the dragons, but they tended to scared game away. Any creature that had a lick of survival sense hid or was dead from predators. It was the normal thing aside from men throwing a wrench in the works. They declared themselves the ultimate predator not nature via gadgets. Of course they often were stupid enough to break cycles that should be broken. Such as keeping a tiger cub as a pet, then wondering why when it's hungry it eats children.
Over the winter, she planned spinning the spider silk from those glowing spiders into wearable silk. It could be done just had to be careful to not break the threads too much. If there were any long haired rabbits' owners were willing to spare fibers, that fur would be good too. The more self reliant and able to trade they were the better. Though, she would get better production from a loom and spinning wheel over a drop spindle. Ah well shelve that for now, she had to decide if she really was going to go through with all these big plans or not. Not like she'd attempted escaping to yet another world and what really aside from a large thick hided beast who got on just fine before her showing was really binding her to this world. She sat on the ground frowning, as she tried to decide if it really mattered enough for her to try. After all, if she tried and it worked, she'd probably be gone. She wasn't the type for adventures and seems that's what just about everyone else was having. She was just trying to be a busy ant so winter wouldn't cut her up short. Not to mention most other worlds she'd lived on had enough civilization for alternate clothes at the bare minimum and noone she was aware of even had properly tanned leathers to swap out of. On the other hand, this world was a great big puzzle box to solve and maybe just maybe she could belong here? Despite Anarith, one thing was for certain she was edging towards loneliness.
Monthly challenge 1015 word
At least, she'd not have to deal with fervent national or religious pride aside from the gods that had taken residence on this world. Her allegiance was to Gaia and no matter what bribes these upstarts threw at her feet would she bend knee to them. Yes, that possibility had her pretty paranoid, when honey didn't work the next tact, in her experience, was generally fear. She'd help the various creatures, but why should she give some gods on a world where she hadn't even found RUINS of humans her allegiance when she didn't know if the gods had sacrificed their followers because they bored. It had been known to happen or if not boredom god wars the gods always played with the lives of mortals. She was a healer such politics wasn't for the likes of her. Gods in general gave their followers false hope and false information. Leading to eventually even the god him or herself being utterly convinced even if they imported a race, they "created" the race so the race should be their slave.
She nicked her finger pressing the bleeding point to a hibiscus bush willing it into bloom before continuing on to other plants that had been waiting for her touch. There were so many seeds waiting to be awoken now that she no longer had hungry mouths devouring anything green within reach. Speaking of which, probably needed to see if any in town were glaziers. If so, maybe if there was enough soda ash and sand left over after making sure all windows were sealed tight to make her a greenhouse. Everyone could use it to warm their bees over winter of course and would stop her from worrying if there would be enough sugar water to keep the bees fed when honey production was typically low. At least then she could feel she was contributing when everyone was probably holed up until the spring thaw.
She glanced towards the cliffs. The hares had told her conditions would be optimal for scaling without collapsing from heat exhaustion or getting buried in an avalanche soon. Hopefully someone had climbing gear because falconry could help supplement what food stores there were since they hadn't arrived early enough for planting season and only so much the little guys could do on finding edibles. The outline of a hawk returning food to his nest made her stop and stare marveling at the majestic bird. The wild adults were too proud but maybe just maybe... a chick that she raised as it fledged out. No offense to the dragons, but they tended to scared game away. Any creature that had a lick of survival sense hid or was dead from predators. It was the normal thing aside from men throwing a wrench in the works. They declared themselves the ultimate predator not nature via gadgets. Of course they often were stupid enough to break cycles that should be broken. Such as keeping a tiger cub as a pet, then wondering why when it's hungry it eats children.
Over the winter, she planned spinning the spider silk from those glowing spiders into wearable silk. It could be done just had to be careful to not break the threads too much. If there were any long haired rabbits' owners were willing to spare fibers, that fur would be good too. The more self reliant and able to trade they were the better. Though, she would get better production from a loom and spinning wheel over a drop spindle. Ah well shelve that for now, she had to decide if she really was going to go through with all these big plans or not. Not like she'd attempted escaping to yet another world and what really aside from a large thick hided beast who got on just fine before her showing was really binding her to this world. She sat on the ground frowning, as she tried to decide if it really mattered enough for her to try. After all, if she tried and it worked, she'd probably be gone. She wasn't the type for adventures and seems that's what just about everyone else was having. She was just trying to be a busy ant so winter wouldn't cut her up short. Not to mention most other worlds she'd lived on had enough civilization for alternate clothes at the bare minimum and noone she was aware of even had properly tanned leathers to swap out of. On the other hand, this world was a great big puzzle box to solve and maybe just maybe she could belong here? Despite Anarith, one thing was for certain she was edging towards loneliness.
Monthly challenge 1015 word