Ember's World Chapter Two

Bowne (bow-knee) ~ food
Domaw (do-maw) ~ father
Image-maker ~ TV
Kela (key-la) ~ friend
Lawto (law-too) ~ cup
Learay (lee-ray) ~ Village Elder
Meno (me-no) ~ girl, lady
Momaw (mo-maw) ~ mother
Nebow (knee-bow) ~ water
Notay (no-tay) ~ brother
Nomay (no-may) ~ boy
Portal ~ door
Sonsa (sun-say) ~ cricket milk
Tolaw (too-law) ~ plate
Veldor (vel-door) ~ cloth
Veldorae (vel-do-ray) ~ clothes
Wakela (way-key-la) ~ best friend
Yesmay (yes-may) ~ girl
Yestay (yes-tay) ~sister



Chapter Two

“Momaw,” I called loudly through the top half of the front portal. “Momaw!”

From the door I had a clear view of the sunny room beyond. Sitting in the middle of the room was a small-planked table that only sat two comfortably, but if you didn’t mind bumping elbows, could squish four. Directly to the right was the freestanding double sink pushed up against the wall under the square window. Pale green pleated curtains hung from it. This was where I usually had to do the dishes. Around the perimeter of the area, along the wall was a counter made of natural stone, polished and worn from many generations of Strongarms using it. Closer to the portal leading into the next room stood the woodstove Momaw used for cooking. Cupboards lined the walls above the well-used counters. Here and there dried herbs and fresh vegetables hung from the low ceiling. A hard packed dirt floor lay underneath.

A slim female Ryling with mahogany hair and deep brown eyes came rushing in from the other room. “Where have you been, young meno?”

Before I could answer she bustled me into the kitchen, sat me down at the polished table and flung down a tolaw full of tender cricket, adding a cup of cool sonsa.

“Eat, you need to go to the Learay’s after this. Chop, chop, eat.”

Char Char had left me at the portal, but she was peeking through the window in front of me smiling widely. I glared at her as she ducked her spiky blue head and hurriedly strode away without saying goodbye.

Momaw was bouncing around me, talking non-stop and messing with my hair. I took a bite calmly of the tender meat and savored it, letting it melt in my mouth while the smell of fresh bread floated over from the woodstove, where a new loaf was baking.

“Momaw,” I interrupted her long-winded speech about my unruly locks and smacked her hands away. “Momaw, please stop. What are you going on about?”

“Dom Quince wishes to see you today.” She clapped her hands together and beamed at me. The brown slashes on her cheeks glowed brightly with excitement against her tan skin. Bouncing on the balls of her feet she said, “as soon as possible.”

“Why?” I asked placidly as I took a drink of sonsa. The sweet liquid flowed down my parched throat, bringing a small-satisfied smile to my lips. My Momaw is the enthusiastic type.

She paced to the nebow bucket and drew some into a lawto and drank deeply before going on. “I received a message at the wash-house that said to find you. And when you weren’t here weeding the garden, like you were suppose to be, I sent Char Char to find you. And I waited and waited. I almost had a panic attack. And then you showed up finally.”

“Ok Momaw, take a breath.” I sighed as I took the last bite. The chair creaked under my weight as I shifted to wipe my mouth.

“So the Learay Dom Quince is asking to see me? I wonder why?” I thought back over the last few light bursts. The incident with the blueberry pie could never be traced back to me. It was sure delicious and Old Mad Tooma didn’t mind really. Well not too much. He only rants and raves around the village once a day now, instead of all day. So Dom Quince couldn’t want to see me for that.

What could it be? And the trip-line in front of Trace’s portal wasn’t my fault really. He started it by throwing rocks in my garden. It took me half a day to clean them out. So he deserved it. Besides I already did my punishment for that.

I wiped my mouth again and turned out from under my Momaw’s hands, which had begun messing with my purple curls again. “Well I guess I’d better head over there.”

I stood up brushed the crumbs from my dovel and strode out the portal without saying goodbye. I could hear Momaw calling behind me.

A little ways down the dirt lane I stopped and took a deep breath, only to suck in a mouth full of dust that I had kicked up. I spat out the foul tasting grit with a grimace and continued on my way.

Small brown and green huts made of thin saplings and dried grasses dotted the lane on which I was walking. In front of each a small vegetable garden grew. Here was where most of our bowne grew. What you didn’t grow you traded other families for or at market day.

As I walked farther into the village I passed a small herd of crickets being moved along by Pentop. Their song was peaceful and soothing and it brought a twinkle to my violet eyes. Pentop was an obnoxious bully of a lime green color. Most unpleasant male, so I ignored him when he called my name.

It was too much to hope that he would take the hint and leave me alone. I felt rather then saw him fall in beside me.

“Ember,” he said in a high squeaky voice. “Ember, I heard that the Learay wants to see you.” His voice suddenly went deep and the lime of his cheeks grew brighter.

I stifled a laugh. And in doing so avoided having to defend myself from Pentop and his meaty hands.

“Yes, Dom Quince has asked to see me. What of it?” I asked hotly.

He grabbed my upper arm to stop me and I spun on him. My barefoot connected with his knee and I heard a snap as he went down moaning.

“Don’t you ever touch me again Pentop!” I said through gritted teeth, my fists were clenched at my sides. My slashes became a very dark purple, bordering on black.

“Oh ‘Giant’ I think you broke my knee,” he moaned and rolled on his back clutching his knee to his chest.

I looked down at him in disgust, kicked dirt and said, “Oh get up you baby. I did not.”

I grabbed him around his arm, like he had me, feeling the hard muscle beneath my fingers and hauled him up. I realized just then that he could hurt me if he wanted. So I gingerly stepped away from him after releasing his arm.

He stood there favoring his left leg, and glared at me from under bushy green eyebrows as I stood my ground, hands on my hips. Movement behind him caused me to lean to one side to peek around him.

“Oh Pentop,” I cleared my throat hastily.

“What?” He asked, his voice full of pain and anger.

“The crickets are moving along without you in the wrong direction.” I chuckled behind my hand as he threw himself around and limped after his escaping herd. I lingered there a moment to watch him stump slowly, calling after them.

The smell of wood smoke hung on the air like a low fog, as I walked on. It was thick and smelled of the outdoors. It reminded me of camping and of rain, pleasant memories of sitting with my Domaw before he was taken from us. My eyes started to sting from unshed tears. I shook my head. No use living in the past.

While clearing my head of old cobwebs I thought about Pentop and how strange it was to hear his voice change. I wondered if he had gotten his suction cups yet. When Rylings mature we develop suction cups on our index finger and thumb of both hands. They are not strong enough to hold our weight but they do hold a lawto well.

I also wondered if he would tell anyone what I did to his knee. Probably not, I mean would he really want his kela’s to know a yesmay hurt him? I thought I safe.

The Learay’s small hut was at the end of the lane and I strode up to the portal, behind his carefully tended garden. Wallme and Endme were standing one on each side of the portal watching me approach. Identical Rylings each one had the coloring of the yellow burst. Big and beefy, with shoulders as wide as the portals to the huts. They had to turn sideways to go through.

They nodded at me as I pushed open the portal. It was dark inside and I paused to let my eyes adjust.