Written in the sand II – gift, skill or burden?
It took weeks, until Sheila could write more or less coherently.
The letters were unsure and shaky, but clearly readable. During the story, Kor had to wipe the sandy ground several times, because Plusheila’s narration was long.
I come from bigger family. Had an older brother Dartaen and younger sister Mearhild. My home was called (she paused for a while, and the next few words were even more irregular) … Ferndale. There was about five dozen of us…
Kor was reading way faster than she was writing. Therefore images of the story started to appear in his mind. He sort of started to read in between the lines, widening the tale and making it more colourful than simple short sentences...
***
„Did you bring the water? Good.“
Mother nodded and started to prepare midday meal in the kitchen. Then she turned again to Sheila: „Go check the cows. No wandering today!“
„Yes, mom.“
„Come now, brat, we got work to do,“ said Sheila to her sister, playing in the yard in front of the house.
„I’m no brat, you goat!” protested Mearhildwith her high-pitched voice, but joined her on her way to the grazing meadows.
“Of course you are, but nice and favourite one,” nudged her Sheila. Her alt was in contrast with her little sister’s voice.
They sat down under a tree. The grazing area was roughly divided in several parts. The meadow of Sheila’s family was on the border, neighbouring with only one other property.
As the girls came, the cows from the next grazing meadow came to the low stone wall at the border, as if they were to greet them. And of course their own cattle came close.
Sheila stroked every cow’s head on the flat spot above nose and below the eyes. Only then had the animals walked away to feed themselves. But the neighbour’s cows were close to the border wall anyway.
„When I’m here alone, they don’t come so close,” said Mearhild and looked up at Sheila. “It’s like you lure them somehow.”
“Maybe I smell like a bull,” laughed Sheila.
“Nah, I feel like you’re talking to them.“
„Of course I talk to them, are you deaf? You talk to them too, you silly.“
„You know what I mean. You speak to them in a special way.“
„If you think so…“
Everything was calm and a bit boring. The sun passed only a part of its daily path, but the two girls have already sang all the songs. But the plan to play all their jumping, running and stone throwing games for the rest of the day was interrupted.
It was one of the calves from the neighbor’s herd. It suddenly mooed in surprise and then limped. The calf repeated the sound, now it sounded more painfully.
Sheila looked in that direction.
The calf stood on three legs, mooing desperately. Sheila haven’t thought long, jumped over the stone fence and sprinted to the animal.
“Go back!“ called Mearhild, but her sister didn’t listen.
„Sheila! What if Guthred comes…“
The neighbor was extremely troublesome and grumpy. The girls were rightly afraid of him.
Meanwhile Sheila arrived to the calf and was checking his leg. The cloven hoof had a sharp stone stuck between the fingers. By very unprobable chance it came into the middle space and its sharp edges caused it to stuck.
It was a matter of one move of a hand and the calf ran again joyfully.
„Sheila, hurry!“ Her sister was trying to whisper while shouting. It can never be unheard.
Sheila came back, grinning.
„Just in time, you goat!“ scolded her younger sister.
The girls hid behind the low wall and kept silent. They heard the man’s voice from the neighbor sty:
„What’s the fuss, ’eh, cows?”
They were looking through gaps between the stones. Guthred surely heard the unusual sounds. Now he was scanning the surrounding with piercing look. In spite of being only roughly forty winters old, he appeared much older which conformed to his human nature.
„That was close.“
*
About a half year later, the village was woken up early by loud cursing and painful animal sounds.
When they arrived at Guthred’s fields, they all realized that one of his cows was with calf. So the noise was somehow expected. But not this noise.
Something was wrong with the birth and the cow was crying nearly in agony.
Guthred has dark circles below his eyes. It seemed he was up all night. He was one of the most skilled herder and second best medicine man from the locals, but even he obviously lost his hope and also temper.
„‘the heck with you. Just fart it out already, will you?” The situation seemed dire, because he started to speak to his own animal like to his neighbours. Something unthinkable.
The crowded audience formed sort of a circle. Nobody said anything. Those who wanted to help rather stayed back, knowing that even if an expert cannot help it is futile.
Suddenly the people circle was disrupted by a girl, who broke through and rushed to the cow lying on the ground.
Sheila put one hand on the animal’s neck, the other on its belly. The cow calmed a bit, though it was visibly suffering still. Sheila was looking straight into her eyes and her lips moved. People around could lip-read “Good girl, good girl…”.
Guthred suddenly stood up. “Go away, you silly goose. There is nothing to do anymore,” growled he.
Sheila gave him a firm look. She wasn’t scowling nor threatening in any way, as half of the people from one side could see. In her eyes was something totally different.
Guthred wavered. „Just…“ He couldn’t continue. It was so hard to believe that little girl would help his animal, and moreover if she really could.
“Call her a goose one more time and I’ll shut your gob with my fist.“
Everybody turned to Sheila’s mother, not big in stature but strong in determination. Guthred only shrugged and turned his eyes to his cow again.
Sheila looked up. „We need her to turn! Help me!“
A few moments lasted until three strong men reached, grasped the cow by her legs and let her lay on the other side. Sheila immediately came again to the cows head, caressed her and then looked at Guthred.
„Now help her push!“
Guthred and another man lied down on the cow’s belly. He waited for next spasm, then gave the man a sign. NOW!
„MOOOOOO!“
With a wet sound, the newborn calf finally appeared.
„Yes! They’ve done it!”
Relief spread around the crowd.
„How… how?“ Exhausted grumpy neighbour couldn’t find words.
„I dunno. But does it matter?“
***
„So you have no idea how you do that stuff?“
Sheila shook her head. I simply feel it…
„Well, that explain also why this hedgehog keeps following us last week.“
Plusheila smiled and waved in the direction of the needleball.
Kor plunged into thoughts.
„It’s a gift, I dare say…“ said he after a while.
Mostly. But when I felt them as they died by the half-orcs sabres…
Kor hugged her. There were no more words to say.
