Zebrican Warlord

by Arelak

Chapter 50: New Assignment

Verik walked the road into the village on his own as the others were either too busy thinking on what he had said about slaying the sultan, along with anyone and everyone who dared to get in his way. By the time their meeting had ended the faces had become intensely somber as had the voices when he left them behind to digest what had been said. One way or another a storm was brewing of his own making and inevitably it would suck in all those around him one way or another until only one side remained standing, and it could end no other way. Had it been too soon though? Suggestions were one thing but he had bared his ambitions for all to see at the slight nudging of Jelani with results that had not been entirely expected.

Some would do it because they could while others since it offered them a chance to attain something to their own ends as was Raswan's case, for him it was merely a matter of survival as to do nothing was certain death in the long run. Shahid would do it out of debt, Altayih because he thought it was amusing and Jelani had her own goals in mind that ran along the same lines as Raswan's. However, a bridge had been approached and by stating his intentions openly there was no going back not that he wanted to. The plan was far too important to him as it would provide the only chance to elevate himself beyond being the peasant he had always been on that other world, just one more drone in a vast swarm that was ruled by a tiny handful who could get away with anything.

This time, it would be different.

But there was a problem that nagged terribly at the back of his head, Sefu had yanked him from training for a time so he could pursue other matters and thus allow heads to cool. Ideas had flown forth like a river on what should or could be done including giving marching orders to his tiny warband on how to train the villagers. There was one he did not want anywhere near them while training now that he knew the name of at least one spy, but that left one more hiding somewhere amongst the largely striped masses.

"How do I find a spy without asking? It would take a very long time to flush them out and that would tip off Fareed immediately... The only time the spy will make a move to report what has happened would be when the ship arrives but that will be a long wait with dire consequences if the cat is let out of the bag... Perhaps it would be best to feign ignorance for a time. Mercenaries are common within the kingdom so it should not raise too many eyebrows, I hope."

Verik slowed his pace to a crawl and after turning back to look out across the fields below smiled a little at the progress that had been made on the two construction efforts. The first was the lengthy canal that cut across the landscape, a testament to the locals efforts that had run from dawn till dusk for many weeks. Their poor potters had been put to great strain at making vast quantities of clay pipes with which to flood the fields but now that the terrain was dipping away again they were no longer needed. Smaller canals were dug out to the fields and smaller flood gates made of single planks or smoothed stone were more than sufficient to hold back the water less something break or a larger than normal flood sweep the area. Both were possible due to how crude the system was but beggars could not be choosers.

An added bonus was that for every new section that was completed the number of villagers freed up from watering increased exponentially, a mere fraction were still needed in the fields and most of them were put to work creating shallow, hand deep canal lines between the rows of crops so the water would spread more evenly. There was no break from work however, the moment a new section was done they were pushed to the next field over or assigned off to digging the canal or what had become the most dreaded task: rebuilding.

Eyes turning to the side of the hill he could see where huts had been pulled apart, dugouts filled in or excavated and then the ground leveled down to the bedrock. Whatever force had driven this one stone lump above the surrounding terrain while leaving the rest semi-flat had proven to be quite advantageous as the wall that was being constructed sat directly on the bedrock which was quite close to the surface.

Everyone hated the task though and he could not blame them, they had no wagons save Zuberi's to move the stone and he was none to pleased with the wear and tear that was building up on his prized, albeit old, possession. New methods had to be devised in a great hurry in order to avoid having to carry each stone one at a time over the distances required. Solutions had been offered but only a few could be employed as they simply lacked the resources, so far the most popular was trimming down the scraggly and fast growing brush trees and building simple frames that could be loaded with stone and then drug along a set path that had been cleared of obstacles.

Bigger and heavier stones were carried in a basket-case like contraption between two workers using a strong pole and worn out reed baskets that had been repurposed for use as a sling basket when rope was unavailable. Nearly every resource at his disposal had been put to use and it ruffled many a feather as the workers could not decide which was worse: carrying stone or water jars all day long. There were breaks for the teams as they worked in shifts which was something new to them but the strain was different, muscles that had become used to carrying water jars on their backs while stooped over were well established but now...

Ant lines of equines now marched all day long back and forth from the stone dumping ground or their salt mine which was of poor quality, yielding more stone than salt. No longer walking hunched over but having to put different muscles to use while dragging stones or carrying them in slings put new pressures on them. Not only that but having to constantly load and unload was quite tiring as each stone had to be moved one at a time. It was the masons who had it the easiest along with the teams who mixed the clay mortar, only a few knew a great deal about proper building and laying technique and after a few botched attempts resulting in wall collapse they soon got the hang of it.

Mortar teams scurried back and forth between the canal diggers and the walls with baskets of muddy clay which was packed in before stones laid atop with great care. Halfway through digging the canal a boon had fallen on them that came in the form of hitting a layer of clay that was in the direct path of the canal diggers. It had lain hidden only a few feet down and while it was of rather poor quality and largely useless for the potters it made a decent clay type mortar when mixed right. The red, sticky substance had been mushed to pulp with water and hooves till it was a paste and then carried in more "leak proof" baskets to the masons who globed it into cracks or crevices before another stone was put in place.

At first it looked doubtful they would be capable of making a wall only three feet high but as the days had passed and workers were made available the progress exploded exponentially. No longer needing clay pipes in any great number meant the potters became brick makers and had completely covered the side of the lone hill to the south with so many bricks it looked like someone had put armor plates on the hill. It also helped that there was apparently no such thing as "child labor laws" and if they were big enough and strong enough to mix the goop they used for brick making then they were old enough to work. There was apparently no great shortage of children for use on the brick making teams.

Everything was going quite well now that he looked at it, the walls had grown in leaps and bounds until anyone charging in would have to choose between the roads or scaling the walls. Granted, the walls were by no means imposing but they would at least slow someone down and he enjoyed the thought that an enemy would have to make a conscious choice now on how to attack.

Walking off the road and towards a section of wall that had been roughly half completed Verik approached the mason in charge as they were finishing for the day. The zebra was busy and ignored him for a time until the last of the mortar was packed into place and stones laid before looking up at him. Staring at each other quietly before looking to their side and at the marker that was driven in the ground so they knew how much higher the wall had to go the mason shrugged before standing and calling for the team to stop for the day.

Verik watched them leave as he walked down the length of the wall and looked at the fill that was being used and compacted in order to one day provide a flat platform for building houses upon. It was quite interesting, at first he had always asked aloud whatever question he had but as the weeks wore on he had stopped bothering. Body language was something they were acutely attuned to, a fact he was learning quite quickly. Simply looking and nodding at something could get an immediate response and while it was preferred to ask directly they were tuned in well enough with what was going on that most conversations had gone from verbal to simply pointing, nodding, shrugging or crude sign language.

All the practice helped in other matters as well, being so heavily exposed to their quiet forms of communication meant their little training excursions became easier because he could read his opponents body language. It did make him wonder if that would work against a more organized force but even if it never did all the little lessons day in and day out had helped to catch on to something else: Asha's "silent" hints.

Understanding what she was hinting at was getting easier and easier, it also helped to understand when she was annoyed.

"Time to get a bath and go home..." Muttering aloud to himself Verik returned to the hut and not seeing Asha grabbed his soap container and headed for the river. "At least two weeks off from training and nothing to do but oversee construction... Not that they need me anymore, pretty well understand what needs to be done now and dont need anyone looking over their shoulder... Asha is out in the fields so she wont be around."

Verik walked from the hut and made his way to the river with the trickling masses of equines and continued to mumble to himself while getting a few awkward glances from those around him. Two weeks off and nothing to actually do or spend it with. Maybe visit Nuru? No, two weeks with her would be the most interesting two weeks of his life but it would probably take two years off his.

Asha hummed quietly to herself, today had been a very good day. Sefu had taken care of several problems she had with just a few glares and threats to a certain mare thus solidifying her future for the next two weeks. A few more details had come to light as she had parted company with him and eager to begin had decided to avoid her husband until he came back. The work day had ended early for her thus granting time to bathe and return home but after being waylaid along the way by Jelani who asked a rather peculiar question about Verik's intentions had gone on her way. She had no idea what Jelani had meant by the questions at first because of how vague they were but after returning to the hut and seeing the weapons stacked in the corner quickly knew what she had been hinting at.

"Soap gone..." Asha looked at the tiny shelf that held their soap mix and tooth powder, both of which were becoming a little more abundant now that Nuru had more victims to pick from and send on gathering expeditions with Subira. "Missed him. Oh well, more time to think of how to tell him good news!"

Grabbing the medium sized water jar and leaving the hut to collect water Asha hurried down the hill to one of the wells and after spending a few minutes in line waiting filled the jar and returned to the hut. Verik was still nowhere to be seen and her eyes opened a little more realizing what he must be doing and collecting the ration jar headed for the granary knowing he would not be back for a good while yet. His unrelenting desire to have meat in his diet meant hunting or fishing on a regular basis and since the fish were more readily abundant he always chose the later over the former. It just took too long to track some poor creature down and stab it to death but thanks to the reeds being trimmed back quite heavily he was having a much easier time fishing in the shallows.

Few were at the granary as most were still bathing, returning from their assignments or collecting water so she was nearly at the front of the line. Measuring off the ground meal and depositing it in her jar Asha turned and headed back to their hut with a small, happy smile plastered on her face. Wasting no time she snatched the bundle of twigs left outside by the wood collectors and dropping it near the fire-pit set about preparing things for dinner while leaving room for their newest possession: a cooking stone. Small, long, flat and rather thin the relatively smooth surfaced stone was her husbands means of cooking whatever creature he skewered over the fire without burning it too terribly. If something burned he would mumble to himself sometimes about how different it was to cook over a stone compared to a pan and "gas stove" or whatever that meant.

She however was no stranger to cooking on stones as it was a skill she had learned as a foal from her mother who would roast vegetables on their own cooking stone. Since "moving" to Wete there was no great urge to do so as she was too exhausted and had given in to merely tossing everything in a cooking jar and letting it boil till done. Not a great fan of some of the various "things" he had been cooking over the past two months, namely the butchered remains of a wild pig; she had given in and taken over cooking things for him on the stone. Taking his catch away and shooing him off was rather amusing considering how many were terrified of him, which only seemed to be growing as of late for some reason.

"Maybe that what Sefu hint at..."

The long, ragged cloth and reed mat that was their door shuffled and Verik walked in before stopping to stare at her a moment, realizing she had a questioning look on her face Asha wiped it away quickly and looked down at his hand to see if she had been right. Sure enough a rather butchered fish hung from a crude reed "string" that ran through its gills, smiling up at him Asha beckoned at the fish. He was not always successful but whenever he was it meant a little more food to go around and sometimes he managed to bring more than one. Fish was not something she cared for a great deal but food was food and one did not turn it down.

"I can cook this just fine-" Verik stopped as Asha's eyes gave him a flat stare and the ears twisted a little. "Fine."

Taking the fish from him and then removing the reed before finally checking that it was scaled properly Asha smiled at him. Getting the twigs burning quickly she worked the small mass while measuring and pouring the ground meal along with water and other seasonings into the mix before finally placing it carefully into the pit. Using a long stick to push the burning twigs around to provide the correct amount of heat without burning the contents she began to hum quietly.

Verik sat along the wall and as far from the heat being given off by the fire pit while dipping a cup into the water jar content to allow his eyes to move down her back and lock on Asha's tail. It was normal for her to move her tail back and forth as she was doing something that was either relaxing or enjoyable but today it had a unique bounce to it. Rather than swish around Asha's tail would jerk back and forth every so often which while curious also kept his eyes glued to her flanks.

"Staring much."

Cup held to mouth he stopped a moment before drinking and putting it down again. "Something has you in a very good mood."

Asha turned slightly and looked back at him. "How you know?"

"Your tail is jerking back and forth instead of just swishing around like it normally does."

"He not able to tell before..." Asha kept the thought to herself before nodding. "Yes, meet Sefu today."

"Ah... I take it he told you I will have about two weeks all to myself then."

"Not all to self. Also have plan! Sefu help."

"A plan? What, did he get you two weeks off as well or something?"

"No, but very good news! Spend two week together now!"

"Whats the catch? No one around here gets "two weeks off" without having to do something else for those two weeks no matter how menial the task is."

"Mean-yiel?"

"Petty, insignificant tasks..." He stopped as Asha's ears turned a bit in confusion. "Never mind, it means anyone can do it."

"Oh... This not mean-yiel but important and give us much time together. Maybe not be so tired now."

Verik caught the subtle hint in her voice and the way her body shifted. "Are we carrying around small water pots for the workers or something then?"

"No, better!"

"Yes...?"

Asha did not say anything at first but just smiled broadly at him before checking the fire one more time and satisfied with its progress at burning down to smoldering embers put the stone over for cooking the fish before scooting over to join him.

"Are you going to tell me or-"

Asha lunged onto Verik and wrapped him in an iron grip that he tried to pull off at first but the years of hard work in the fields had given her muscles of iron. Giving up rather than have to pry her off he stayed still and enjoyed the furry mass that blocked his view, she said nothing for a while and as Asha remained mute save what happy noises made it to his muffled ears he could tell she was well and truly exited from the rapid heartbeat.

"We take care of foals at creche!"

"hurmf?!"

"Creche, where Wete keep foal old enough to be on own but too young for being on own. Always keep watch and assign few to watch them, Sefu help and now we watch! Two week! Oh..."

Letting go of Verik and sitting down beside him beaming she watched him as the gears moved to process the sudden input of outlandish information, Verik stared at her quietly while trying to form words but disbelief was written clearly with his confused expression.

"Wete has a daycare center?"

"Daywhat? Creche! Foals. Learn to take care of foals for when we have own, good practice and-"

"Wait, how exactly did you... Sefu, pull this off and why? Well I kind of understand the why but-"

"Ask for time to visit creche and agreed, meet Sefu there and he help. Not have foals yet but when we have foals know more and make things easier yes?"

"Makes sense but we still dont know if that is possible."

Asha glared. "Not know till try hard."

"Thats what I am a little bit afraid of."

Her eyes narrowed. "Change mind?"

"No, not at all. You are putting a great deal of thought into this while I am trying to figure out how to keep us alive in the long term and improve our pitiful lot in life."

"Yes." Asha beamed at him. "You worry about those things and I worry about this."

"This could not have been easy considering what Sefu told me earlier today about making the locals even more uneasy."

"Sefu know and help with plan. Mare who handle who get on list refuse, not allow. Dislike you very, very much and argue."

"Got into a fight today hm?"

"Yes... She say never allow but meet Sefu and he take care of problem. Make her agree but she very mad, make fur stand up. Very mad."

"Did he set me up or was this coincidence? Nuru? She knows everything that goes on around here and I wouldnt put it past her near godlike ability to see into the future... No, not her, this doesnt have her "touch" on it."

"But it okay now!"

"I doubt it. If it raised that much of a fuss it will probably be even worse tomorrow and it makes me wonder if there will even be any foals there when we go."

"You agree?!"

Verik looked at the joyous expression on Asha's face before nodding. "Yes, I will go. It beats what I had planned."

"What you plan?"

"Fishing, hunting, checking on things and seeing how many years a two week visit with Nuru will take off my life."

"Nuru not that bad."

"You have lived next to her for years, I on the other hand... I dont know but she always has this funny look in her eyes when she looks at me like a cat watching a caged mouse..."

"She not that mean."

"Eh. Why did Sefu want us there anyway? Did he say?" Asha shrugged.

"He be there too but not say so much."

"Sefu is going to be there? Why?"

"Have foals of own."

"Sefu has children?"

"Yes, why you make funny face?"

"I pity the poor mare that had to bear the child of a giant... So we have two weeks together then hm?"

"Not alone and must watch and care for foals but yes. Much time together, all day! Not so tired from much training and field work."

"Asha I may have absolutely no experience with children but I doubt taking care of a hut full of foals is going to be that easy. Though I do imagine many will go "missing" for those two weeks as their parents keep them at home and away from me. Maybe that will make things easier..."

"Not as tiring as field work, take care of sister long ago when she foal. Hard yes but not so hard as field work. Also good for you, not in hot sun so much. Give you time to rest. More strength for later."

"Yes... Energy for other things." He caught the look on her face quickly. "But I do look forward to it."

Asha let out a long happy little sound that he could only equate to a long winded "yee" but the look of glee on her face was what made him smile. However, it was when she hugged his side and bounced a little that his eyes moved down and ogled her shaking chest.

"There be time now!" Asha froze and stared at the door angrily. "Hope no one stop us again..."

"As do I..."

Verik's eyes continued to look before before her own gaze caught his and a devious look crossed her face. Snapping out of it he looked up and into her eyes with a more serious look that made her frown a little.

"What wrong?"

"I still have some things that need to be taken care of first. Altayih and the others need to be given their instructions for those weeks, a check made on the canal, earthworks, walls..."

Asha let out a small unsatisfied sound. "You have too much to do, make things hard and after I make time..."

"It is not as if I will be gone all the time, I only need to give them their instructions and check on the other projects once in a while or if something goes wrong. There will be lots of time for taking care of... How many foals?"

"Not know. Know there are more than thirty."

"That is quite a few... But less than I was expecting for a village this large."

"Many foal but many old enough to do other thing or wander within village safely. These young, young ones and need watching. Not old enough to run on own."

"Ah so basically were watching the toddlers to what... Third grade?"

"What that?"

"Were in charge of those between the ages of three to nine or so."

"Yeess..."

"What does yeeesss mean?"

"Some family keep young at home with older ones but sometimes no family so live at special huts where some watch them."

"Orphans."

Asha nodded.

"Okay so from near newborn to older... How many adults are there? Three? Sefu, you and me right?"

"No, always four mare or stallion or more."

"So who is the fourth?"

"Sefu say one of his wife come."

"One of?"

"Sefu have five wive."

Verik stared at her a moment. "Okay. You said he has children of his own there right?"

"Yes! Sefu have nine!"

"He's a virile fellow that one..."

"You be busy too one day."

"Well I cant really hold a candle to that one even in my dreams."

"Always start now."

Asha leaned against his arm and wormed her arms around Verik in an embrace bringin her face close to his before touching noses. A very serious intent burned in her eyes but despite the feelings it stirred in him his bones and muscles would not allow it.

"I would dearly love to start right this instant but I spent all day running and fighting our way through the bush while Sefu's little striped furry mass of anger chased us down."

"Oh..." Asha's dejected expression was telling as she slumped down. "Dinner be ready in bit, need get fish on." Verik leaned forward to start making his way towards the fire pit and the hot stone but a hand slapped his wrist. "You stay."

"I can cook my own fish."

"Burn more than cook."

"Practice makes perfect."

"Food too precious to waste on practice. Cooking my job, not you."

"That statement would cause a riot back where I am from but thank you. I can guess what my "job" will be for the next couple of weeks though when we are not busy at the creche."

Asha smiled at him as she set the fish on the stone and Verik watched her bent over form as she worked smiling to himself as he looked her over.

"Thank you gods or whatever forces you are that brought me to this world."

As she continued to work quickly to avoid anything burning his thoughts drifted back to the conversation he had with the others not so long ago. One mistake would be fatal to all of them including the Wete which meant Asha would suffer a horrific fate, worse would be if it were possible for her to bear his children. He never wanted any child of his to suffer let alone face the disgusting depravity of the other world, there was one chance and only one chance; he had to get it right the first time. A perfect nail on the head.

"Everything to gain... Everything to lose." How had his lot changed, from nothing to lose and everything to gain to having something precious to lose. "I am surprised about Sefu, the way he acts its quite the jolt to find out he is the "family man" type. Or is that stallion?"

Asha half turned. "You never ask him?"

"Never thought to, not that its any of my business."

"Not think he care, most not care I think. Wete have problem and not all get along but Wete not... Hostile to Wete."

"So no one is going to start a riot when we show up at the creche?"

"Sefu say he take care of all."

"I wouldnt doubt that for one second." Verik cringed a little.

"It all okay, Sefu be there with us with wife, all be okay! We all together and he not suffer alone now!"

"Sefu wont have to suffer alone eh? Lucky him. Wait, what?"