12 March 2013
Miri found them a few minutes later, still sitting in silence and staring out into the trees, scrunching up their noses whenever another group of mockingbirds would assemble a chorus. She carried three handless, tin mugs containing hot water and numerous sweet grasses that had settled at the bottom of the cups. Her hair was pleated into innumerable braids that swung at her waist, she was barefoot like everyone else, it was too hot for shoes and the grass too soft to waste on them. “Morning!” she called out to them. Jaelle waved and Benji stood from his place on the steps and took the mugs from Miri. “And here we thought,” Benji said as he gave Jaelle a mug, “that you were sleeping away the morning.” “Oh I was, I made these a few minutes ago as a peace offering.” Miri said. “Did they tell you what they us to wanted to do today?” Jaelle asked. Miri shrugged, “Just the regular schedule, they want us to go pick up the birds they shot down, and hunt for any other small critters we can find.” She took a sip from her mug and perched herself next to Jaelle. “You don't have real food with you by any chance?” Benji asked. “Only some hunks of rye bread.” “Toss it here, I'll just soak it in the tea.” Miri tossed them the bread, it smelled bitter but tasted sweet as almonds. They ate quickly, finished the tea and left the empty mugs on the steps and brushed off the crumbs. “Here.” Jaelle handed them sling shots and bows from inside the caravan, and a quiver of arrows. They snatched their game bags before jogging off into the trees, the bags weren’t anything more than old flour sacks that you could sling across your body. The walked slowly into the trees and began to watched where they stepped, a bird beak in the foot is a lot more painful than it sounds.
The birds lay everywhere, they weren't large but with the amount that lay on the ground they could feed the camp for dinner. The sacks filled up quickly, and after walking around to check for stragglers, the three went further into the woods. The forest wasn't dense, it was open and it breathed. The trees wire their best flushes of green, sporting jade and emeralds on their twisted branches. Blossoms of gold blue and red erupted out of bushes and small trees, scattered randomly around. The floor was littered with toads and sticks and mud, the rain had only just subsided and traces of dew still glistened where ever the sun pierced through the canopy.
Jaelle, Benji, and Miri walked with loaded bows and searched for chipmunks or squirrels dumb enough to come out in the presence of a predator. A few did peek their heads out, but not long enough to be targeted, they skittered back almost immediately after sensing the three outliers. “This is ridiculous!” Miri exclaimed, “They’re all staying inside after all those mockingbirds were shot down. They aren’t human, they stay away from a threat.” “Miri’s right, we should try the stream, the waters are high and all the fish should be up on our end anyway.” Benji said. Jaelle pursed her lips and nodded in agreement, “Good idea, we can leave all this by the fire pit and grab some spears from Elias.”
**** A number of people stood around the fire pit, mostly men, smoking pipes or whittling staffs. Logs were tossed in once in a while sending up an array of sparks, barley visible in the day light. The wood was still wet from the down pour, and did little to help the fire. The adults paid little attention to the sweaty teenagers carrying game bags filled with dead birds. Elias was sitting on his haunches, fixing arrows, repairing the feathers to keep the arrow’s flight straight and sharpening the heads. When three sacks of feathers and bones were dropped at his feet he looked up from his work with a scowl. “What?” “We need spears to go fishing.” Benji said. “They’re over there.” Elias pointed in a vague direction to his left and Benji grunted. “We need a more specific direction Elias.” “Oh for crying out loud! They’re leaning against those logs. Oi! Take the birds wont you?” Jaelle shrugged, “Give them to Mila.” “And what,” Mila had heard her name and faced the four of them, “am I supposed to do with your birds?” She was a short woman, dark skinned with a ruddy complexion, and brown hair kept under a wrap. “Pluck them and take off their heads?” Jaelle said quietly. Mila flicked her eyes from the sacks to Elias a couple of times before grumbling and dragging a sack over and began stripping the feathers from the birds. “You should stop bullying my wife you know.” Elias said. But they were already gone, spears and a basket in hand, racing down to the stream. Miri and Jaelle tucked up their skirts and stepped into the cool water. Benji already stood knee deep, looking for trout or salmon. They dug their toes into the sandy bottom for balance and watched for a glint of scales in the weeds. The current dragged at their knees and brought snails and tadpoles floating past them.
After a few minutes of silence Miri cried out in triumph and tossed a fish into the basket. Farther downstream they could see the naked, dark haired children splashing in the water, giggles flourishing from their mouths, carefully watched by their mothers. Large, sun warmed and water smoother boulders were scattered in the stream like constellations, Jaelle, Miri, and Benji leaned against them as they waited for fish to swim by.
2. Fish • Opuss № I