A Morning

I am going to take a slave.

Ha

How many times has that statement echoed around inside my skull like an oft repeated chant boding ill winds. But the statement itself was enough to bring a peaceful blanket to my thought process during sleep.

Waking many ahn before the Central Fire was due to slip over the horizon I decided that riding the herd at night was another chance to gain a bit of solace. One of my favored times to ride. Plenty of time for my mind to explore itself. And I had some serious exploring to do.

The night was cold. The grass stiff beneath Rocca's paws. It is probably no more cold than in years passed but I was feeling it down to my bones. I have not felt cold like that since I was a boy. Not much between my bones and the air I suppose. Huffing into my hands occasionally and beating my arms against my shoulders. The lazy bosk blew white puffs of air from their nostrils and only once in a while wondered what was wrong with me. I sang to them as I used to. It felt good .. the songs seemed to slip from my memory as if I had sung them all yesterday. Disturbing for its simplicity but comforting in its familiarity.

But it was too cold to think. Each breath sending sharp icicles up through my nostrils into my brain. Like little silver needles into soft flesh. Little silver needles designed to interrupt the easy flow of messages through nerves. The effect was much the same .. my thoughts scattered and bounced around inside my skull. Like echoes.

There I came full circle.

I would never let on how pleased I was when I finally could take a moment near the outrider's fires to thaw my extremities. Feeling the stinging tingle in my fingers and toes as I crouched near the coals and turned my features into the quilted pad of my shoulder to wipe the moisture from my nose.

I am not a drinking man .. as most well know. But I did not refuse the paga bota as it was passed around. Now that .. was good. All the way inside kind of good. Warmth starting in the stomach and radiating out.

When the Central Fire finally broke free of the darkness and edged gleaming fingers up into the Sky to claw a bloody morning trail towards its apex I swung into the saddle once more and rode towards the Haruspex fires. It was time to see what had become of Aunt and check in with my Clan.