Valley People by Evelyn J. Steward (best e reader for epub .txt) 📖

Plenty of people were out and about doing normal things like pounding meal, making arrows, drying animal skins, cooking food. He broke out of the forest and held out the deer in front of him. Several men moved towards Chual, surrounding him. Children left their games and ran up to stare at him. Women left what they were doing and huddled into the large hut, staying within the shadowed interior.
He held out the deer, a large smile on his face. For a moment no-one moved, then the men moved around and formed a guard around him in the shape of an arrow tip. From the large hut a tall man emerged and walked towards Chual. He spoke.
“Are you offering us meat friend?” The man looked Chual up and down trying to discern what sort of man he was.
“I am. I wish a bed for the night and these are my payment.” He motioned to the deer.
“Well then, come and welcome.” The man gave the others a signal and they stepped back and returned to what they were doing. The women were beckoned out and they too carried on with their work.
Two woman relieved him of the deer and went to skin them. Chual wished he had killed more as there seemed to be lots of people and he knew the deer would not go far amongst so many. The village headman, for that was what he apparently was, guided Chual towards the hut.
“Come good fellow. Join us while the women cook the food. I am Goodram. We have lots to talk about. Where do you come from? What is your name and what do you do?” Goodram cast a glinting eye over Chual’s clothing all stained with dirt and blood from the travelling and gutting. “Do you like to smoke? We have tobacco. A rare commodity here but a trader came up last summer and we still have some left. I think we can get you some clean clothing too.” He signalled to one of his men and gave him orders regarding a new set of clothing. “Now, come inside and enjoy the evening with us.”
Chual felt tired after his long trek down to the village and so concurred with Goodram, walking into the hut behind the headman. Torches were lit and Chual looked in wonder at the sumptuous interior. Cloth of many colours was hung on the walls in swathes, some glinted in the torchlight. Bedding was set at one end of the hut and that was covered in the fine cloth as well. Pillows covered half the bedding and he wondered who slept on such a bed. A fire was crackling loudly in the centre in what looked like a pecked out large rock. Chual wondered how many hands had trundled that into the space and how long it had taken to make the deep depression in it so that fire could burn without harming anything.
“So, my friend, what do they call you and where do you come from?”
“I am called Chual, my village is eight days higher up in the mountains. We have had a hard winter so I left to take my chances somewhere else. I didn’t really belong there.” And here he told the story of is father moving from his old village and finding the one he had just left. “So you see, I am searching for my old village but have no idea where it is. My father always said it was to the south, and this is to the south.”
“Well, it is so long ago, my friend , that I do not remember anyone leaving our village. Maybe it was further down from here? Anyway, we will look after you well, for a few days, if you wish?” Goodram look hard at Chual trying to read his thoughts.
“I would like to rest up a little before I go on. I could hunt. For that is what I do.”
“Good. Good. We could use a good hunter and some more of this fresh meat.” Goodram indicated
The food just placed before them. “Eat hearty friend, this looks tasty and will satisfy you.”
Chual felt his stomach grumble as the scents of the cooked food waft up to his nostrils. He had to admit to himself he was hungry.
“Have some of our brew friend Chual. Wash the good food down with some good liquer,” said Goodram. He lifted up a jug and poured some liquer into a horn drinking cup. It frothed at the top. Chual seldom drank back in the other village but he felt at home here and so picked up the frothing cup and drank heartily. Then he spooned up some of the deer stew. It was good. Lots of strange flavours but he liked what he tasted and ate fast. When his dish was empty it was re-filled. He did not notice that Goodram was eating slowly of a much smaller portion. His cup was refilled too, many times. Chual did not notice when it was he passed out but later on in the night he opened his eyes and found he was on the bed and not alone. A beautiful girl lay beside him, languishing in happiness, a smile on her face. Chual sat up in bed and found his head thrummed like the sound of a waterfall. Pain shot through his temples as the aftermath of the liquer attacked his brain.
Chual found himself to be naked and quickly grabbed some clothing set beside the bed on a low stool. Once dressed, he walked slowly towards the opening. A blinding sun hit his eyes and momentarily he ducked back into the shade of the hut.
“Goodram,” he shouted.
“Yes, my friend,” answered Goodram as he suddenly appeared around the side of the hut.
“You tricked me. How dare you ply me with liquer and then sent your woman in to lay with me.
“Did you not enjoy the night friend Chual?”
“No, you tricked me.” All the rage that was within him from the other village, burst forth at Goodram. “How dare you do this to me without even asking if I wanted to lay with her, with any of your women? I am leaving here. I want my things now and I will change into then and be on my way.”
“Oh but friend Chual, I cannot allow that. You are new blood, we need new blood for the children.” A slight nod and several men gathered around Cual and tied him with ropes, taking him back into the hut.
“What are you doing?” cried Chual as he struggled against the bindings, kicking where his leg was loose before that too was bound tightly to the other leg. The dumped him on the bed and tied him to firm stakes he had not noticed were there the previous night. All lights were extinguished so that it became dark inside the hut where he was lying. It seemed he stayed there a long time but finally a woman came in with some food. She fed it to him slowly and although his was seething inside at being hand fed, he was hungry and ate what was given him. He needed his strength.
“At least two days passed and at night he was in pitch darkness. Again he was visited by the woman he had woken up with that first night. He knew it was her as she had a certain scent that his brain recognized. At first he resisted but she wafted something under his nose and under the scent he succumbed. Next morning he found his legs untied but his arms were still bound. His head was muzzy but somewhere deep inside he realised he was a prisoner, a prisoner with a purpose.
A younger woman came in after several hours and washed his face and brushed his hair back from his contorted face. “Where am I?” he asked. “What are you doing to me?” She said nothing but carried on making him less sweaty. She also fed him some of the meat stew from the deer he brought in. Gave him more liquer to drink. He could taste something drying on his palate and then fell down on the bed in a stupor.
This went on for several days and each morning he felt used. He asked to be let loose. He asked for the headman, but his request was denied. His anger each morning was soon dissipated when he spoke to the young woman. “What is your name?” he asked.
“Acer,” she replied demurely. “I have to take care of you for the new maiden tonight.” And with that she carried on with her daily tasks.
“Acer, help me get away!”
“I cannot, I would be killed.”
Chual noticed her eyes glazing over. No ladies man, he was at a loss as to what to say to her to comfort her.
“I would take you with me,” he replied. Not knowing where that thought came from. Gazing gently at her face, her demure manner, hands wringing in her lap.
“I am too frightened.” Fear hid behind the tear that started to drop from her eye.
Tonight, before anything happens. Throw the liquer away and I will pretend to have drunk it. Come back just after dark and we will escape together. Acer nodded her assent and threw the liquer behind the bed. Just Then the headman came in and looked at Chual who immediately lolled his head and passed out on the bed. The man grinned and left, signing that Acer should leave too. Acer, now full of hope, grabbed her things and left the hut. “I will be back,” she whispered softly, as she reached the open doorway, than left the hut.
Chual, hands now free of bonds, untied the ropes around his ankles but left them loose so that at a casual glance he would still look to be tied up. His mind, now not befuddled with drugs, he starting mulling over why the Headman had done this to him. It was obvious that he wanted new blood for what other reason was there; he had just left his own village for that very reason and here he was fulfilling someone else’s purpose. He was angry but sane enough to hide that anger for now. Escape was on his mind and now he had someone else to worry about in escaping.
Night could not come fast enough for Chual. Soon enough