Why Potters Shouldn't Build Boats

Location: Great South Stream

Characters: Orph and Aikuen

Great South Stream

Orph wakes in a cold sweat as the sun is just rising. Words from the voices the night before still jumbled by his fevered brain. He feels he can’t lay here any longer, he has to move. Hungry he, let his father sleep on and, follows the Great South Stream farther up river. Along the fringe of the fog bank he fills his belly as best he can with grasses and the occasional fly. The overpowering smell of the swamp keeps him from going very far into the fog. Feeling a little better after breaking his fast, he slowly continues to follow the river up stream northwest, away from the fog and the foul smelling marsh, as though urged on by some invisible force.

Aikuen Woke up a few hours before noon, to find the William had left without him. But his tracks on the ground are considerably fresh as he follows his sons footprints in the mud. He didn't eat anything, nor does he want to eat anything. Seasons of Fasting have help this fact, but more so of what happened last night. The fog does not deter him from finding his son, but his senses have become dull. He is not aware of anything, except follow the tracks.

Orph presses onward. As the sun reaches it’s highest point he sits under the reeds, that line this section of river bank, for shade. Fever gone he starts to form a plan. He cuts down bunches of reeds with his dagger. Some he slices thinly to use for lashings. Clumsily he builds a raft of sorts from the reeds he’d collected. Tying it to the only tree in reach and selecting a branch from the same for an ore he tests the crafts seaworthiness by pushing it into the stream unmanned. After hauling it back out he checks it over and while it does leak he has no tar or pitch to seal it with. Once he’s pulled it a bit into the reeds and out of plain sight he lays down in it to rest. He’s tired still feels awful, but he is mind is made up. He’s been through worse and is still alive this will be no different. He /will/ be alive tomorrow because he /will not/ died /today/. Nothing has changed he reminds himself, though somewhere in the back of his mind is the feeling that he’s forgotten something. Something important. Something that could ruin his plans. He’s too tired and sick to think about whatever it is right now. Waving a paw as if to push the unwanted thought away he settles down in his raft to rest his aching muscles. Mentally he crosses ship building off his list of future professions.

Aikuen has followed the tracks to a point where reeds have grown in profusion. The tracks seem to die away as reeds take over the landscape. Cursing his bad luck, he decides to continue following the river, Maybe he will find him eventually. After a bit of reed moving, He come to a point where the river begins to make sounds unnaturally. Somebeast is nearby! Thoughts of his son dead suddenly float in his head. He is not going let what happened to his daughter, happen to his son! Carefully pulling out his sword, he slowly creeps along, making little noise as possible. Then he sees it... A small raft in the water. He ducks behind a set of reeds, and peeks out. There is somebeast on the raft, just recently made by the cut reeds nearby. Today, is not the day to mess around with him. Getting ready to pounce on the victim, he whistles to get the beasts attention.

Orph was testing his raft again being unsure if it would hold his weight without tipping over, when he heard somebeast on the other side of the reeds. Sick, tired and more than a little cross he rested a paw on the hilt of his dagger and called out as loudly as he could, “If your want a fight with me I ought to warn ya I’m in no mood for it! I spend near all my four an’ a half season doing jus one thing and that’s /not dying/! I plan to be alive tomorrow, which means I’m not dying /today/! If you want to try your luck anyhow then come out where I can see ya!”

Aikuen Recognizes that voice! He Half sighs with relief, and half snort with laughter. He just snuck up on his own Son... Getting up and walking out of the reeds, He comes into full view of his son. He sheaths the sword by doing a skillful twirl, before placing it in. He doesn't say anything, but crosses his arms, and stares at his son...

Orph steps out of his raft dagger drawn as the beast emerges. An odd noise comes from the familiar beast as he comes closer. The ratling sheaths his dagger still cross, but not quite sure how to proceed. Probably shoulda left a note or something. Of course he’d been relying more on experience and instinct than sense up until his fever broke. “Darn luck,” he mutters under his breath. “I’m headed up river,” he says states firmly, “As you likely heard I’m not dyin’ today. I do alright. I wake up and I’m not dead. I break my fast and keep alive til I fall sleep and if I done it right I wake next morning and I’m still alive. I been at it all my life or near enough to it. I’m sick and hungry I didn’t complain before cause it never did any good before and you never eat anyhow. … wouldn’t want ya to think less of me for scoffin’ everything in sight. … I’m been sick before. I’ve been hungry before. Being sick and hungry didn’t kill me before cause I don’t let it and I aint letting it now. I was worse before had … a feeling or some such that you was in trouble and some beast a was needin’ ya for something … When I woke you were there an I figure ya stayed cause we’re stuck together an all. I was feelin’ worse and … did what I always done before … I keep alive however I can.”

Orph chews his lip. The dibbun sighs and sits down by the raft, "I know you’re not pleased with me right now and I know I've told you before, but seems it might do one of us some good to hear it again. I had a family once for a very short time and then they were dead. Most my life I was hated by beasts and kicked around. After all that I finally got another family, a real family. I had a Ma and she loved me. No beast other than my brother loved me /before/ then. My uncle hated me and sometimes by cousins made fun of me, but they did like me most the time. Then Ma, my cousins and Uncle died and it was just me out in the woods with no beasts that hated me, liked me or loved me or anything else. I did same as before Ma - keeping alive from one day to the next. At the end of my being on my own, I fell in a river, found a tunnel with no beasts anywhere and was sick for about a week or so then I found the Abbey ... And you can fill in the rest." He sighs and look out at the river, "All I’ve got to go on is what I already know. I know how the beasts that hated me acted, I know how the beasts that felt sorry for me but didn't want me acted, and I know how Ma and them acted. Then there's you. You don't hate me. I know that. I've been hated before. You do want me and you /sure aint/ Ma." He stands up, "I'm sorry I didn't let ya know where I was ... I wasn't thinking too clear when I left ... I'm sorry I'm mad at you and if you’re mad at me like I think you are then I'm sorry for that too, but for me staying alive has always come first. That’s why I left, some in me said: “Get up and get up river and eat some or you gonna die and will all the worse things that didn’t kill ya you /better not/ let this get ya.” It didn’t really say all that but I kinda did sorta. … I could just stay there, it wouldn’t let me. And sort remember some like I said. And you were sleepin all nice and I thought about wakin ya but I didn’t … maybe there wasn’t time, I can’t explain it. Like when I was littler I hid my bread for days til I was real hungry and only eat a little so it’d last cause who knows when they’d think to throw more at me or if they’d just stop altogether. Course since they thought it good fun to keep me without light, made it easier to hide things … I don’t mind the dark … Though I guess it’s my fault as much as any beasts … I should have packed food anyhow and not assumed you’d do it for both of us. Comes from stayin’ at the Abbey too often, makes me forget how to do things myself. …” the dibbun trails off watching the river.

Aikuen’s claws stop tapping. He blinks a few times, then says, "I’m not mad... Just annoyed... But its ok...You know why? Cause you did what you felt you needed to survive...If you ever get that feeling again, tell me... I can help..." He rubs his face in his paw, "I should be the one apologizing... I don't realize that other Beasts gotta eat... Its what I get though... See, I can go without food for several days, without even getting hungry... I sometimes forget others still need too..." He snaps another reed, then throws again into the river. Once again is shoots quickly downstream. He then looks at the raft, "Yah know, its probably easier to walk... then to go in a raft...against the current..."

Orph shuffles his feet a little, "I don't know if I'd have used it for sure or not. It leaked even without me on it. I was sitting here and saw the reeds and thought "I could make raft with those." Making a raft is hard and I’m not very good at it. I think I'll stick to vases and bowls."

Aikuen nods his head, "Aye mate... Leave the boat building to the beasts that know how to do em! But you did make it in a hurry, your very crafty yah know..." He takes another reed, but instead of tossing it into the river, he takes his sword out and carves a point at one end. "Im going to ask this question a lot more often now... Hungry matey?"

Orph cocks his head at the otter. What a silly thing to ask this dibbun. He grins, "Yes, I am. But not as much as I was." He grabs his satchel from the reeds and digs though it before holding out a pawful of grass and dead flies, "See I found food," he's quite pleased with himself, "It's not cake or anything, but it's better than starving to death." he pops a large fly into his mouth which he crunches happily.

Aikuen never really cared much for insects as food... But hey its edible. As for the grass... well yah gotta eat something, its he decision. He Snaps off another Reed, and makes another mini-javelin. He smiles as he works on it, "How does fresh fish sound! Its a lot better then those...Bugs and grass..." He chuckles lightly, as he finishes the point.

Orph drops the grass back into his pack but continues to snack on a few of the flies. "Sounds good. Very good." A fly buzzes passed the rat and with a quick snap of his jaws the bug is devoured.

Aikuen is grossed out... He's eaten them before but never willingly... He makes a face before heading north into the river, he yells back, "Ill be right back... Dont fill up on flies now!" The chuckling recedes into the sounds of the river. The otter is lost to view.

There is a slight whine of protest from the dibbun as if he'd been told to stay out of the candy til after supper. He finishes off the flies in his paw slowly while he waits.

The sounds of Aikuen catching the fish is heard upstream of the river. "Gattcha You little nut... Also got your friend eh? Lets see... I still got it!" The otter comes into view coming downstream, three fish skewered on one of the javelins, while the other one is tucked in his belt. He comes to the area where they had been, and shoves the javelin hard into the ground, where it stands up on its own. The fish closest to the top, is still wriggling. He smiles at the good catch, and begins to collect some firewood.

Orph's finished his snack and watches his pa returning with the fish. "Four fish? Wow. D-do you need any help Pa?" the dibbun asks, looking from the fish to the firewood then up at the otter.

Aikuen shakes his head, "Not yet... Well actually could you dig me a small pit... don't want the fire to spread to the forest..." He places a few logs next to the javelin fish. He sees the top one still moving, so he flicks it on the head. It stops moving, so the otter goes back and begins to collect some small twigs and other good fire starters.

Orph nods and sets to digging, though never as adept at it as his foster family he wasn't the worst either and had made use of his own, meager in his opinion, digging skills where earth was soft enough and shelter scarce. In a short time a nice round shallow pit had been dug for the fire. Deep enough to keep the fire in, yet shallow enough not do much harm should it be emptied out and some beast trod across it in the night. It was a nice enough fire pit but pits were easy, it was burrows and tunnels that were hard. "All ready, Pa," the ratling sang out cheerily calling his father over to inspect his work.

Aikuen comes back from the woods area, and kneels down next to the newly created fire pit. He rubs his paws together and says, "Very nice, Very nice indeed! Well, lets get this fire a goin..." With the previously placed logs he makes a pyramid, then with the kindling, he places under the logs. Taking out his sword and the piece of flint that he always carries around with him, He places the sword point first into the ground, then with the other paw strikes the steel with the flint. Sparks fly everywhere, as he tries to make it catch. Then with a Woof, the kindling catches and begins to burn. The otter slowly blows on it, to make it stay lit. He leans over and pulls out the javelin with the fish. Then taking one of the fish, he takes the other javelin and skewers him threw the fish’s mouth then out through the tail. He hands it to William, "Here matey, you can cook this one, and ill cook the others... then you can eat it all up!" He takes the two other fish and holds them over the fire.

Orph takes the fish kabob slowly turning it as he holds it over the fire, "Pa? Ya think one day maybe Zen'll be able to do things like this. Go out somewhere away from the Abbey and have fun and want to and be happy? Maybe after he gets better? He'd like being outside and the fire," he chews his lip, "What do you think?"

Aikuen Turns the fish over a few times, then checking for done-ness, he places it back over the fire. Smiling and nodding, "Of course he will, this here is the stuff of life! and nobeast should go without having this simple pleasure... After he gets better, you guys can go on a trip, and you could teach him how to survive out and away from the abbey..." He checks the fish again then shoves the point into the ground next to William, "Here yah are matey..."

Orph grabs the fish without thinking, "Ahh, hot," he drops it and grabs it again this time with only his claws and not his fingers. "Bad fishy trying to run away from me," he smiles slowly taking a bite of the fish. "Dis ish gud," he nods with a mouth full of juicy fish.

Aikuen Winks at William. He takes the small flask from his belt. And takes a quick gulp of its contents. His eyes roll back into his head, then he shutters. As if nothing happened, He smiles, "Hope its good, bet it tastes pretty good too..." He leans back against a tree and watches his son eating his full. He re corks the flask, and places it back onto his belt.

Orph smiles over his second fish, "That medicine or something /I'd/ get thrown in th' pond for? You got something against water? I take it most times myself and the fish sure like it," he laughs, "Knowin' us Miz Cali'll be throwin' both us in the pond by time we get back."

Orph nods, "And what gets us thrown in the pond. The healer said you were to eat soup ... but that not the first time they had t say that t ya. ... fish is soft ... well if you can pick out all the bones .... that would take a long time," he chews his lip some, "What kinda sick is it? You gonna die from it? ... I mean anytime soon? I know everybeast dies eventually, but later's better I say. If you do, that's alright. I'll make do like before, I seen lot a beast die, lot of 'em. I jus don't want be one of em." he chews on his fish quietly - well as quietly as he can being as hungry as he is with all those tiny fish bones to deal with, "I not scared a the dark or lot things dibbuns are ... jus dying. Not so much for other beast ... jus fer me. But I ain't dead yet, we'll be alright and we'll still be alive tomorrow, unlike these fish."

Aikuen shakes his head, "Its not life threatening, ill live to see you grow and and grow old if i can help it...And aye, we will live to see tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, and so on..." He stands up, and stretches his back. It pops with a snap. He looks at the some of the devoured fish, "Well you all ready to keep on keeping on! You can eat on the way, cause its a fish on a stick!"

Orph stretches and nods bending down to grab his pack, "All ready. I think there’s some town or somethin' up this way. Likely a pub too, but we shouldn't stay /too/ long." the ratling gives his pa a knowing look. He's sure the otter will walk faster knowing a pub is nearby.

Aikuen throws dirt onto the fire and it slowly dies. Double checking his equipment, he walks upstream. He walks normally, because he is trying to hide the fact he is excited! "Oh boy! a town, never know what your going to find!" He disappears upstream with William and his fish kabob trailing behind smirking.