Kinderling 34

In case you are interested in starting this story at the beginning, Kinderling 1 can be found here:

The Tricycle of Thought: Kinderling 1

Please don't judge the story or the writing too harshly, this story is written with little to no editing.  It is just meant to get me writing regularly for practice.  

Now back to our story, already in progress...

Later that day, I found myself, once again, in Tilly's workshop.  I was embarrassed, apprehensive, and I really didn't want to be there.  I really didn't want to be reminded about the evil I brought into the world, but where I was going, I was going to need some of that evil.

"Tilly, I'm..."  I started my apology, but Tilly interrupted.

"Kiddo, no need.  I understand where you are coming from.  I'm sorry I didn't realize it would effect you so.  Bez tells me I'm a little dim witted when it comes to people sometimes."

I looked around.  The Multi-arrow-chuckers were gone, as were the spear-chuckers, or whatever Tilly had taken to calling them.  Tilly must have noticed me looking around.

"Never mind that.  No, I didn't get rid of them.  They have all been positioned where they will do the most good.  Don't worry though, they have all been placed in purely defensive positions and will only be used if we are attacked.  They weren't designed to be used in an attack, they are too bulky for that.  Besides, for the most part, they are quickly becoming obsolete anyway."

Obsolete?  Tilly didn't put any emphasis on  that word. but it chilled me to the bone.  

I didn't want to ask.  I really didn't want to know.  But I had to.

"If they are obsolete?  What is replacing them?"

Tilly seemed almost embarrassed.

"Stone-chuckers."

Stone-chuckers?  I guess it seems reasonable enough.  What runic magic could do to the arrows, it surely could do to something made of stone.  I imagined arrows made of stone, but I couldn't imagine stone arrows that would fly very well.

Tilly, probably easily reading my thoughts, handed me a smooth cylindrical object.  It was made of stone, about the length of my hand, and a bit bigger around than my thumb.   One end came to a point, while the other end was flat.  It was a little heavy, but not horribly so.  There were runes scribed onto the surface.  I noticed Inertia and Speed, and there was another that I didn't know.

"While I was making the arrow-chuckers, we were having trouble finding enough arrows to fill them.  Then it occurred to me, if  we really are attacked, it wouldn't be long before we run out of arrows, and if we are besieged, we probably won't have access to the forest to get wood for any more."  Tilly explained, "Which lead me to wishing we could make arrows out of stone.  We have a lot of stone. That lead me to that thing you have in your hand."

"What is this rune?"  I asked, pointing at the one I didn't recognize.

"That one is the rune for stability.  I have mostly used that one on foundations and stone walls, but I thought about how I use inertia one way, and you use it another and gave it a try.  It seems to help with accuracy."

The Tandy of a few weeks ago would have been all over this new invention.

"Tilly, that's neat and all, but it looks like I have to go up the mountain to help rescue some Gorfs from another tribe.  It's going to be dangerous, so I need a few things to make a new arrow-chucker."

"I'll do you one better."  Tilly said as she opened up a cabinet.  Inside, I could see a number of different arrow-chuckers.  "I spent a little time experimenting with the design, and I think you'll like what I came up with."

What she handed me was about the same weight as my old arrow-chucker, but had two arrow tubes, one above the other.  Tilly also showed me how it was designed with a concave part to push into my shoulder so I could hold it more steadily and aim by looking down the top of the upper tube.  

"The upper tube is first if it is loaded.  If it isn't, the lower tube.  You can make it fire the lower tube if you push down on this little lever here."  Tilly explained, pointing out a little leaver on the side of the 'chucker.  "I have one with six tubes, but with the weight, I think anything beyond two is a bit unwieldy."

I had to admit, it was a beautiful piece of work.  The arrow-chuckers that I made all looked like a bunch of roughly made pieces that were stuck together by a child.  Who am I kidding?  Nearly everything I created looked like it was stuck together by a child.   

Tilly's arrow-chucker looked like it was built from pieces that were designed specifically to fit together, were crafted by actual craftsmen, and then assembled by an artist.  If the world ever settled down to the point where I would have a workshop of my own again, I really needed to improve on my design aesthetics.

New, improved arrow-chucker in hand, I returned to the room I shared with Mizzy and started packing.  I dreaded having to tell Mizzy that I had to go.  But Mizzy surprised me.  As I was packing, she came in and started handing me things that I would need for the trip.

"You know?"  I asked.

"Of course I do silly.  I've known from the time you woke up after our return."  Mizzy said,  "As soon as I was able to get up and around, I started putting together the things that you might need.  Here is a better knife, your old one was highly inadequate."  The knife she handed me, while not as large as Mamas, really was a huge step up from the one I had, and it had a good leather sheath.

"How?"

 "I traded some mushroom beer for it.  I got the mushroom beer from Bez after showing him a trick for how to remove the cloudiness from his.  I have added fluff to the fletching of your special arrows, especially the one exploding one you have left, to help you know by feel if you have a standard arrow or a special one.  I conversed with Tilly to make sure it wouldn't cause a problem with functionality.  In the bottom drawer you will find good wool socks I made while you were sleeping, and a good cloak to help you stay warm, it's bound to be colder the higher up you go."

"I don't think I'll take the exploding one, the first one almost killed me."

"Nonsense.  You will take it, and you will be more careful than last time."  Mizzy said in a way that brooked no argument.  "I would be so mad at you if you died because you needed it but dumbly left it behind.  You were the one that told me that one time that more options meant better chance for survival."

I did say that to her.  It was years ago, but I do remember that conversation.  Mizzy was worried that carrying too much stuff into the forest would slow me down allowing the Gorfs to catch me.  I had to smile at the memory.

I looked around at all the things that Mizzy brought for my trip.  Every one of them was well thought out.  

"You really will make someone the perfect wife one day."  I said.  It was true, Mizzy is incredible that way.

Mizzy's face saddened and tears flowed down her cheeks.

"No, I am ruined.  I already have a husband, and he is cruel and evil."  She said.  "I was forced to marry Daggi.  They said if I didn't marry him, they would kill old Granny Pine.  I didn't believe them so I refused.  Tilly, they cut her head off right in front of me!  Then Baot snatched up one of the children and held a knife to his throat.  I had to do it.

"When the vows were said and done, Baot killed him anyway." 

"Daggi started putting those infernal harness' on me as soon as he got me back to his home.  None of them worked like he wanted.  The first harness didn't work at all, and I tried to run.  Daggi beat me and put me in the cage.  The next almost killed me.  It hurt so bad, and it made me bleed all over.  The next one I pretended that it worked, and did what he said until he allowed me close enough.  I tried to scratch his eyes out, but the harness made me so feeble he just laughed and pushed me away.  The next made me dance for him.  I was so scared that it was the one I wouldn't be able to resist, but I was able to spit in his face.  It cost me a lot, but I was able to do it.  The next one is the one you found me in.  I could barely move wearing that one, but I think Daggi ran out of ideas after that."  

I didn't know what to say or do.  It broke my heart that Mizzy was in such agony.  I could only put my arms around her and try to comfort her.

After she cried for a bit, Mizzy patted my arm.

"So!  I have a husband, but he isn't worthy of me and I hope he gets eaten by Gorfs!   Just like you promised, you came and rescued me.  So lucky you, you're stuck with me.  Now I have all these wifely skills and nobody to use them on but you.  In a strange way, it's fitting.  I never found a boy who acted like I would want a husband to act, so for all these years I have been practicing being the Perfect Kinderling wife by imagining what I would do for you if you were my husband.  Now I can stop imagining, and actually do those things!"

I was taken aback by Mizzy's proclamation.

Mizzy put action to words and started pulling things from drawers and cabinets.

"Here is a packet of dried mint leaves.  I know how you like to chew one each morning, and I made that packet to be waterproof, so they won't get wet and go stale and..."

On and on she went.  Not only did she have everything I needed, and some things I hadn't thought of that would come in handy, she knew right where in my pack to put each thing.  When she was done, I tested myself.  Even with my eyes closed, I was able to find any given item, just like Mama taught me.  

"How did you know how to pack this?"  I asked.

"I was the one who unpacked your pack while you were still recovering.  It took me a few days, because I was so weak, but I managed it.  While I was unpacking, I had a few long conversations with your Mama.  She told me all about it."