Road to Kipping

[The Mood is Write]

Pre-dawn darkness covered the little village of Beecher's Hope, broken by stars, the low moon, and a few low lanterns as time drew near to depart for Little Kipping: a name the farmers of Beecher's Hope found amusing, given its crowds. Few cared to wonder if there was a Big Kipping, or even to think there could be any settlement larger than Little Kipping. After all, the leaders of such a place would surely sink the lands with their death as Ko's borrowed essence returned to the god of waters.

Long grass and growing crop swayed in the gentle morning breeze, and as the sky lightened, they shifted from black to shades of grey with shadows only as far as the lanterns could illuminate. Dew twinkled within that bubble of warm light like earthbound stars, until pair of bare feet brushed through, and the dew fell and clung to Soa's clothing. She waddled to the old wooden cart with dyed wool yarns piled high in her arms. The young woman peered around her burden and smiled at one of her friends, then pushed her load into the wagon and leaned her back against it.

"I think that is the last from my house," she assured breathlessly as she glanced toward the wool. A few dozen sheep, and they had enough wool to not only clothe themselves and help their neighbors with the same, but they also had a lot of extra to sell—today, twenty thick balls, each the size of Soa's head. Her mother's resourceful recycling of old clothing and fibers left most of the wool harvest for sale. While this might have secured her family as one of the wealthiest in Beecher's Hope, they often gave to their neighbors in hardship.

It also helped to have emergency money to pay doctors and repair tools.

The others finished loading as grey light turned golden and a sliver of the sun appeared on the horizon. Soa's chest rose and fell as she looked toward her family home, then towards her friends and the wagon.

"Who still needs help?" Everyone seemed almost ready. She counted the wool again, then climbed into the seat of the wagon, wide enough for four if they didn't need personal space. Soa, thin and simple, sat in the middle and looked back, eager to be away, eager to escape her parents for a day, eager to see Little Kipping again, though she just went last month.

Her parents would skin her if they caught her on the wagon for the city again, and the thought left her beaming as the sun continued its ascent.

A tanned and gigantic young man appeared in the doorway of Soa's home and grinned, then motioned for her to get down—their parents were rising. Soa ducked her head and head it low as she spread her legs for more flexibility, unable to stop beaming with her excitement. Maybe they could get a new book! Oh, but her bump was beginning to show... Thankfully she wore loose clothing!

 

[Gossamer]

"Parents!" Paz shouted alarmingly as she poked her head out from behind the wagon. "Hurry up people!" She beckoned, whistling and waving her hand in the air. With haste she began loading crates of steel arrows from her fathers forge and quivers bundled with rope from her mother crafting den, all laying beside her. Bright lights rose above the skyline shining upon Sujey as she lightly jogged whilst carrying the last crate of candles, bracelets, necklaces, as well as a variety of odd decor that ranged from paintings to strange trinkets.

"Hnng." As fast as the poor lad could, Meaka used both hands to pull a cart carrying a finely crafted table set and chairs from his fathers workshop all neatly arranged utilizing the most resolute geometry derived from countless times the boy has had to grudgingly load a table set onto a wagon.

"One, two, three!" They exclaimed in unison, lifting the wooden table onto the wagon with the exception of Soa's help, considering her circumstance. They always made sure to leave enough space, as Meaka's load by chance happened to take up the most space, and, if his bargaining was on point, the most profit on occasion, although it was usually Soa or Paz taking in the most coin.

Paz leaped onto the wagon, eyeing Soa's property as her parents began their morning. Sujey climbed aboard on the other side, smiling her gingerly smile towards Soa as she always did, and let out a sigh of relief, gazing at the sun as she did so, eager to start her favorite day of the month.

Meaka signed a quick prayer to Ro, his favorite of the gods (a tidbit he kept to himself for fear of ridicule) band climbed upon the wagon beside Sujey, taking the reigns. "Ho!" He exclaimed whilst whipping the string, and with that they were off.

Often, they would giggle in delight as the trek to Little Kipping begun, ecstatic to indulge in what little adventure they could. "Do you think they have presents this time?" Meaka asked aloud, referring to their elder cousins that awaited them in Little Kipping. "I want a book that talks about all the different animals in the world!"

"I want a book about flowers." Sujey declared. "And a book with pictures like my mother makes." Paz remained silent, her passions were undecided at the time. "I want my own dagger." She stated blankly, reflecting on all the whittling she used to do as a child using her fathers steel dagger. It was odd, entrusting a child with a weapon, but Paz had proved her accountability numerous times in the past, despite her rebellious tendencies.

The sun rose higher and higher as their journey continued, illuminating the empty plains around them. The gods had blessed them with another beautiful day.

 

[The Mood is Write]

Soa giggled from her position and counted the bumps in the road, then sat up with a gasp and closed her legs properly. Despite her adulthood, she felt like a child still, like the world was fun and nothing near as sour as her parents warned. There was even a strange sense of joy in fighting off gobs!

The others within their group wished for presents, and Soa simply leaned back against the divider between seat and cargo for a few moments to catch her breath and straighten her back. "I want two days in town," she said as she stretched her arms, referring more to her wants than the possibility of a present, though where they would possibly sleep, she had no clue.

As the sun rose higher and slowly warmed the dew from her dress, she let herself look around. A few hobs migrated in the distance, fairly far from their little home of Beecher's Hope. The numbers were enough that they could easily be handled by the people who remained at home. Hobs were simple-minded things who didn't think that a kicked wall was anything but a blessing, and they swarmed right into the flat of a waiting shovel without so much as looking up. Usually, they tumbled backwards fast enough from a good enough blow that their friends paused and actually looked through.

Bonks to the face usually deterred them, and the groups fled, but sometimes they got angry if the blows were too soft, or if the blows were too hard, they shrieked when they woke up, and more came. You had to knock them just right...

She pulled her eyes from the hobs and her reflections. "Four hobs over there," she alerted, "But they don't look like they're heading to Beecher's."

The young woman relaxed again and rested a hand on her stomach, only to notice how it was higher against her shirt than usual and she let her hand slide from the faint bump. Her skirts, thankfully, were taken in, and she could pull those stitches to make room as needed without a fuss, at least until her belly became obvious and people began to notice.

Still, for now, she could still grasp and hold close her passed childhood and pretend at being one of the town's children until it became obvious. If anyone asked, she could say she thought she was simply gaining weight from a cold like she used to, and didn't want to cause worries. A hidden pregnancy in such a small village usually meant a father of shame, but in her case, she only wanted to avoid worries.

Now and again during the trip, if conversation started to slack, she brought in a new subject, happy to hear the carefree chatter of her partners in crime more than to truly take part. Now and then, she steered conversations away from unhappy topics like the recent death of the kooky old uncle who lived in a shack at the far end of the village and grew strange plants, which he turned into candies and gave away. She remembered how sickly-pale he always looked, despite bright eyes and otherwise perfect health... And then he was found one day—

No. Soa pulled her mind from the details. Death happened. She had to remember that. He returned to earth and water, and he wasn't truly gone, because nobody truly ever left, they simply rejoined the gods, who were all around all the time. Their heartbeats returned to the water, their breath and words joined the wind, their bodies became part of the earth, and their warmth joined the sun. It had been warmer since he passed, just a tiny bit.

Her head jerked up suddenly from an unexpected nap as a rut in the road bounced the wagon. "Oof!" Her arms wrapped around her middle.

Ahead of them, Little Kipping was in sight. Soa wondered at just how long she napped, then looked to either side, to Meaka, Sujey, and Paz. "So close!" She beamed with newfound excitement. Ahead, Little Kipping rested atop a hill. A wall stood around it, only four feet high and made of wood imported from further north that looked golden against the trimmed grass around it. Along the top, metal braces held it together, and thick shiny... something or another preserved the wood despite sun and elements. Each metal brace bore several sockets, and from seeing them in use, she knew they were used to attach frightening barbed spikes that could make raiders change their minds. The town itself was built on the gentle slope of the hill and looked larger than it was. Nobody there owned a farm except a few people who lived nearest the gates, but they all had jobs—some fashioned wood, others metal. For some, work was buying from one person and selling to another—a confusing endeavor, but it seemed like the richest people in Little Kipping did just that, though they tried to buy for very low prices and then sold very high to buyers who didn't know better or when local sellers had none left.

 

[Gossamer]

"Two days in Little Kipping sounds fun." Sujey agreed, disregarding her previous request. She had grown just as eager as the rest of them to venture into the world. It almost maddening, living each day in yearning, yet all at the same this yearning fueled their aspirations and kept them going, knowing full well by now that by the grace and accomplishments of the gods, anything may just be possible, and so they pressed forward.

Paz was alarmed to hear of hobs and glared them down, not wanting any trouble on this day in particular, as it was one they all looked forward to quite often. She remained alert despite the hobs having wandered away, keenly eyeing their surroundings on the watch for trouble. Sujey peeked in Soa's direction, watching as she rested a hand on her stomach and, as always, couldn't help but worry for what may come.

Meaka focused on the road, watching as the horses galloped resiliently onward without fault. He trusted the hobs to remain afar and did not expect any trouble from them. What presently occupied him were the tales their elders were always bound to tell. They were up to date on many things after all, and these things poked at the boys everlasting wonder.

With significant time and chatter they had arrived. Little Kipping was a bustling little town, but it was quiet at the moment, as the day was just beginning. By now everyone was awake and about, and the everyday rhythms of the village had begun. Meaka lead them up the hill, past the wall and into town. After pressing forward towards the center of town Meaka pulled on the reigns bringing the wagon to a halt just before the towns inn. "We're here!" He exclaimed, and could not hesitate to leap out.

WIP