The Clans

[SideShowFreak]

http://i1093.photobucket.com/albums/i424/pertweefan/Barbarian_Warrior___30_by_mjranum_stock.jpg
(Photography by Marcus J. Ranum)

The spring rain beat down on the forest canopy above, as Taro ran through the twisted trees. Streams of water escaped, splashing into his naked chest. His leather kilt and sandels were wet and uncomfortable, but there was no time to stop. The Cougar Clan was coming and he had to warn the tribe. His muscular legs flashed and sprang, as he leapt downed logs and ran like the deer totem of the tribe.

For ten generations the Cougar and Deer Clans had squabbled back and forth, steal each other's women and wounding each other's young men. Other tribes did the same across the world, for as far as the great forest stretched, but always their tribes were antagonists. The seed of the victors in the daughter of their enemies, gave strength to their sons. The blood of their young men, soaked up by the ground, feed the Forest Mother, so that she could feed the tribes with her swollen tits. Every deer and rabbit which the hunters brought home, depended upon this cycle.

Taro was a tall, muscular man of twenty and one summers. Like all men in his tribe, he cut his hair short and scrapped the hairs from his face. His physic was muscular and sleek, like the running stag. In his hands he carried a good steel headed axe, the product of trade with far tribes. It was his pride and had never left his hand for more than a moment, from the time he reached age of twelve.

Behind him, he could bear the mighty bears crashing through the underbrush. They were a wild haired, bearded tribe who fought with the strength and courage of the bear, rather than with the cunning and endurance of the stag. Their men would be merciless if he were caught alone. Taro knew that his life depended upon finding more hunters.

Two years ago, his own dear sister Amra had been stolen by the bears. He remembered her pale beauty and womanly breasts. She had been the delight of his parents and much wooed by the young men of the village, before she was taken. By now, she had been plowed by a might bear and was probably the mother of cubs. As he ran, he imagined her suckling a baby at her breast and felt pain that he would not see this lovely sight. There were many times when he wished that the Forest Goddess did not delight in separating the women of a family from their kin, but he also knew it was the way of the world.

Soon, he would have to capture a mate of his own, and carry her off. The past seasons had been unkind to the deer and they had suffered many losses. Now the bears were raiding again, though it was not their time. They had broken the ritual of exchanging raids and were coming more frequently. There had been talk of sending someone off to the Dragon King, the holy ruler of all of the clans, to protest their actions. Taro had felt a pull to do this himself, but so far his father, the Chief Stag, and forbade him.

He could see the rough bark huts through the trees, as the bears were almost upon him. Every step he could feel the leather of his kit chaffing him, but bore it little mind. He started to scream. "The Bear! To arms brothers!" Suddenly, he felt his anger grow within him and saw red in front of his eyes. This was to much! No matter what the rest would do, he was done defending and would raid their village, while they were attacking his!

He turn on his heels and ran straight into the incoming bears. They roared when they saw him and swung their clubs at his head. There was a thick group of ten or more. He ran around their edges, ducking clubs and swinging back handed at their hamstrings. His axe was crimson before he managed to break free and start sprinting back toward their village. They did not pursue him, but continued on to clash with his brothers.

He ran for another ten minutes, as the rain kept coming. He stopped for a moment to strip off his sodden garment, and then ran on in just his sandals. His war paint was simple the red slashes across his chest. He reached down with his fingers and used it to paint his face with streaks, just as he came upon the Bear huts.

They had pitched their huts on the bank of a creek, running through a break in the trees, which went on for half of a mile. Tall, wet grasses clung to his flying legs, as he broke from the trees and felt the full force of the rain fall on him.

OOC: This thread is intended for fairly primitive adventure in the general style of Conan. I figure that the characters would end up traveling far from their tribes and have adventures and what not... I don't like to over plan these things, but simply see what happens.

 

[LadyCara]

http://lanista8.deviantart.com/art/Barbarian-Girl-169788432

Jaya was daughter of Coren, Secondman to the Bear leader. Her mother Maya had been a healer, but had died three summers ago in the illness that had taken many children, women and warriors. Though her mother had taught her much of her skill, Jaya, who had not become ill, had been unable to save the people of the tribe and she had seen much death. Even now, the faces of those who had died, especially the children haunt her dreams. Though once she had a dream of a bear running with a deer, being chased by all the animals of the forest. What it meant, she had no idea and the Wise Woman hadn’t been able to tell her.

Being the daughter to the Secondman, she had learnt to fight with the warriors, though she suspected it was more to do with her father not wanting to lose her to other tribes, for women of the Bear rarely took arms except in the defence of the camp or when girls were newly arrived and needed to be shown their place.

It was because of the loss of so many people of their tribe, that the Chief had begun raiding other tribes before his time, needing females to bare many warriors and to work. The Chief had said that the Bear totem had visited him and that the Dragon King had turned his back on them and that they were either to act or die. Jaya knew that there would be repercussions from the Dragon King, but the Chief had spoken of taking the women to the Far Reaches and there to grow and army. This caused Jaya much sadness as nothing good ever came from the Far Reaches, but being a female, her voice had no sound in the dealings of men.

Many men had left to raid the village of the Deer people and as if an omen, whilst she crossed from one hut to another, the sky opened, crying for the spirits lost this day. As the rain poured everyone ran into the huts for shelter, all except Jaya, who stood enjoying the feeling of water against her skin.

 

[SideShowFreak]

Taro ran along the creek banks, keeping low to avoid being spotted. The soft ground was growing more treacherous with the deluge, causing him to slip and coat his legs with soft mud. Nevertheless, he righted himself and continued

The grass huts of the bear clan were huddled together around a big fire pit. They had gathered river stones and placed them in a rough circle. The fire was quickly losing ground to the rain and would soon be out. Black smoke rose in the sky. Above, storm clouds coated the sky, casting the day into premature night.

Taro spotted a figure through the rain, which looked to be of adult size, though it was hard to tell much about their appearance through the rain. He ran at the figure, intend on tackling it and determining if it was a female and if so if she was suitable to bear his seed. If she had already been stolen, and made a vessel of the sacred seed, she would bear the star brand on her forehead. No warrior would steal such a woman, for fear of offending the Forest Mother. When such an one lost her mate, she would have to content herself with the affections of the younger unattached males, though they were forbidden to sow seed in her.

 

[LadyCara]

Jaya wondered briefly if she should remind Latarn that he had been given the duty of guarding the camp, but she already knew his reply, 'you are a woman and know nothing. No one attacks when they have their village to defend, or in heavy rain such as this.' And the men would laugh at her, so she knew better than to open her mouth.

Jaya looked up to the sky, to see if she could see any break in the cloud, so did not see the figure running at her until she heard the sound of feet running over the water logged ground. She opened her mouth to shout warning to those within the huts, though the sound was cut off even before it had started by the intruder tackling her and sent her flying to the ground, giving her opponent the upper hand.

As she squirmed trying to free herself, she cursed herself for being a fool, for not paying more attention and for leaving her axe in the hut. Jaya twisted, and squirmed trying to escape, but he was a warrior and though she had been taught to use her axe, she had not been taught hand to hand combat as men considered females easy to defeat.

The paint and the rain on the warrior and his clothes meant that she was unable to grip him enough to over balance him or cast him away from her, so Jaya beat her fist against her attacker, trying to free herself or escape and get away.

He was strong, she could feel his muscles and the strength in them and so she knew she must find another way to defeat him. She carried her hunting knife, but to try and reach for it would alert the man to it, so she would pretend to submit and take her chance when she was once more standing. Afterall, if he has come alone to an enemy camp, then maybe he is not that bright and fall for it, or at least, that was her hope, or maybe he would give her the chance to call out, to bring the men from the hut to her aid.


"I submit to you." she told him going limp and no longer fighting him, hoping she would fool him.

 

[SideShowFreak]

Taro almost pushed the woman away. If she was not willing to fight for her freedom, or to defend her village, then how valuable a vessel could she be? Still, she had felt strong and lean beneath him, as her wet body had struggled. He pushed the wet hair off her face, and saw that she was indeed a beauty. He saw something else as well. She might say she submitted, but there was a fire behind her eyes, and he knew then that the fight was not over.

He slide his free hand down her side, enjoying the feel of her naked skin, until his hand found her knife. He pulled it out of its sheath and tossed it into away. His difficulty was that he did not have a rope to bind her with, and he felt sure that she would try to run at the first chance she had. They were both wet and slipper and she was as strong as her clan's totem. There was only one choice left to him, if he did not wish to abandon such a spirited mate.

Taro flipped her over and yanked her arms up behind her, holding her wrists together with his strong hands. Next, he dropped to his knees over her upper thighs and started to drag her backwards through the mud. There was an opening to one of the huts a few feet behind them. If he could get her into that hut, then me might find some leather straps to bind her up with. Raids were quick affairs and he knew that her relatives would be returning soon. If he could not find the means to bind her, then there would only be one other solution. He could have to sow his seeds in her quickly, and claim her before they could stop him.

There was supposed to be a ritual to the affair, with the women holding the waling girl all night, while she waited for her mate to come to her by morning light and mount her. The wailing was not always real. Sometimes the captured would look upon their mate and see that they were a strong and likely sort. They would wail for the sake of decency though. He would regret if this one did not get that chance, for it was her right, but he was not willing to give her up so easily.

As he dragged her into the hut, she had started to struggle again, and he found her difficult to hold onto. The grass screen gave way and soon they were on dry, grassy ground beside a smoldering fire. It sent black smoke up into the top of the hut and hurt Taro's lungs. The smoke hole must be blocked he though, as he pulled her fully into the hut.

Keeping the full weight of his strong things and groin against her upper thighs, and holding her wrists tightly, he started to crane his neck around, looking for something to tie her up with. There were some crude clay pots around and a few sleeping pallets made of woven grass that he could see, but nothing strong enough. He dragged her even further back, passed the fire, to search the dark shadows on the other side of the hut.

 

[LadyCara]

When the unknown barbarian had brushed her hair away from her face, Jaya found it hard to try and not move her hair away, or bite his fingers, probably the hardest thing she had ever had to do. Her body shouting fight, her mind shouting guile and so she lay there as still as she could, not even flitching when his hand ran down her body and removed her knife, even though she wanted to curse him. So maybe he wasn’t such a fool.

When she’d felt his hand touch her skin, his fingers felt rough and calloused from frequently wielding a weapon. Maybe not such a fool as she’d first thought, for foolish warriors do not last long and this one had probably seen many battles. Though strength in body, did not always apply to the mind as well, though in this case she was beginning to wonder if her early thoughts of his stupidity of coming here alone, may not have to be reassessed.

She was surprised when he flipped her over and also by the strength of his hand, holding her in place.
Being dragged to a hut was not comfortable and she began struggling, the thought that he would drag her there and place his seed in her, was abhorrent to her and the only conclusion she had to his actions. She was going to do all that was possible to stop him claiming her, she would only give herself freely once claimed and branded, and even then only to a strong warrior who was worthy of her, she knew what was her due

Jaya found that she had been taken to the sleeping hut, which did nothing to chase away her fears that he may claim her without ceremony or regard for her.

“What do you seek here?” she asked. Her voice loud in the hope that it would carry over to the day hut where the rest of the tribe were gathered around the fire. As she spoke, the smoke tickled her throat and she suppressed a cough.

“Why do you not just leave me here? And go save your village?” she asked.

She could not help but wonder at what sort of man would leave his village to fight and go seek out the village of the attackers, a coward, or a man of bravery?

In one last attempt to try and escape, Jaya suddenly used her foot to give her leverage, kicking it against a sleeping pallet and pushed hard against it, to try and off balance the man who held her. Even though in doing so, she felt a stab of pain in her arms and wrists.

 

[SideShowFreak]

Taro found himself falling backwards from his crouch and dragged the woman with him, though he worried that she would damage herself with her struggles. Her face and torso were off the ground now and he pulled her more securely, worried that she would get loose. This one had fire indeed and he did not want her hurting herself in a way that would not heal. With her struggles, he had little breath left, but he whispered and he drew her back.

"Save my village? When your men come time and again, out of season? When they steal away all of our women, before their bud is fully bloomed? You are killing my village, and we need strong women to seed, or we will die away! Who will your men steal then?" It was the same of the deer, their totem. They hunted it and the noble beasts sacrificed themselves for the good of the tribe, but they did not kill pregnant mothers, or the young, or hunt until there were not enough bucks left to sire children. In another generation, his people would be no more, if these bear did not learn to temper their hunting with wisdom.

He felt something behind his heels and reached around to discover pile of leather straps. All of the tribes used leather straps to secure their clothing, the handles of their weapons and for a multitude of other tasks. He risked grabbing one, but the woman took the chance to try to escape his single handed grasp. She managed to flip over and pulled him sideways, before kicking him in the upper thigh. When she pulled back again, he dodged her foot and dove on top of her, knocking the wind from her. He worked quickly, while she was winded, lashing her wrists behind her back and her ankles together.

If he could have forced her to run with him, he would have, but there was little choice but to carry her. As he wrestled her over his shoulder, he could hear the sounds of wailing cries and the stomping of feet. The bears always stomped pridefully after a hunt, ramming around like big idiots. He had never seen it himself, and had not wish too, but he had hear of it from captured vessels.

The woman started to scream out, but he clamped a hand over her mouth. Her sharp teeth scrapped along his palm, drawing blood, but he remained silent. He cut a big strip off of a sleeping fur and stuffed it in her mouth, before putting another lash around her head to hold it in place. Next, while she squirmed and tried to escape, he used his hunting knife to cut a hole in the back of the hut. He pushed his axe through his belt, though it was awkward, and threw the woman over his shoulder.

As he exited the back of the hut, he might have gotten away cleanly, if it were not for a small girl standing and staring at him with wide eyes. He held up a finger for her to be quiet, but she ran off screaming. Taro tore off away from the huts and to the forest, as a large number of bears started to roar and chase him. Despite the woman across his shoulders, he ran quickly. Part of a deer's training was to bring one of his fallen spirit brothers back to the tribe, across their own back. If you could not carry a spirit brother yourself, you should not hunt one. Such a man would be relegated to the task of carrying for the young and elderly.

The forest closed in around them, as Torc ran onward, jumping over downed trees and trying to elude the hunters. The woman was still struggling and her thrashing was starting to hurt his shoulders and arms, though his legs were still strong.

 

[LadyCara]

Did this man not know it wasn't down to her when the men hunted, who they killed and who they took? Or even who they raided? She was just a woman, even though her father sometimes listened to her, he would often tell her she was just a woman and that it did not concern her. Yes she felt sorry for the villages that were raided, but that was a way of life, but her people were dieing, decimated by sickness, so what were they to do but go out and take from those who had not suffered death like the Bear people. Though she hadn't known that the Warriors of her camp had killed indiscriminately, something she would ask her father about, if only she could get free of this man.

The straps felt tight around her ankles and wrists, though not so tight to turn her skin blue, and though she tried to loosen them, she couldn't get them free and the gag felt uncomfortable, drying her mouth, though effectively holding her tongue in place.

As the Warrior ran, Jaya tried to free herself, to try and off balance the running man by suddenly shifting her weight and kept trying to fight his hold on her, anything she could think of to slow his progress. She could hear her people giving chase, and that gave her hope of rescue, of being reunited with her people, though she knew the men would be tired from their raid, they would keep giving chase.. Bears had a lot of stamina, and unencumbered, she hoped the warrior who held her would tire from her weight and as she wasn't making it easy for him, he would just leave her somewhere.

The man's shoulder dug painfully into her stomach and sometimes he would move in such a way it jarred her, especially when he jumped fallen logs, causing her to grunt in discomfort. She knew she would have scratches on her and legs, from bushes and trees, though they would heal quickly and were only superficial.

Jaya did not want another warriors seed in her, she wanted one of the strong warriors of her own people, she wanted a true Bear, to please the totem. She did not want her body to be defiled by an inferior warrior and all knew that the Bear people were the strongest and the best. Though she had a grudging admiration for this warrior who had taken her, as he was still going when many would have failed. He was also very fleet of foot. Jaya noted, for not once had he stumbled or slowed his pace, and would often go where the foilage was thick letting the forest hide them sight.

Jaya also knew this warrior had the advantage over her people, as he knew they lay of the land, something her people did not as the main Bear encampment lay to the north.

And so Jaya continued to struggle, rocking back and forth and suddenly side to side, to try and loosen his hold on her.

 

[SideShowFreak]

Taro continued to run for his life from the bears, knowing that if they caught up with him, they would outnumber him. He was not afraid to face them in combat. To die in battle was to give back his life to the Forest Mother. Still, he knew that he could not face so many hand hope to survive. His own tribe did not need to lose any more males. He wondered if it was not time to move the village again. If they worked their way up into the mountains to the South, then possibly the bears could not find them. Possibly it was time to seek out the seek out the Dragon King, whether the elders would send him, or not. If he were to leave on such a journey, without consent, they would list him an exile and he would lose his connection to the deer totem. Such a man, without a tribe, was taken on by the Forest Mother herself, but had not totem to speak for him, or watch over him.

After a few miles of running, his legs were starting to burn. The woman had continued her struggles and he had almost dropped her on a number of occasions. He imagined that she would be bruised from her struggles, but bruises could heal. She was strong and would bear strong sons and daughters. The sound of the bears was far back now and he was in very familiar territory.

As he rounded the side of a hill, he past into the huts of the deer clan. Six deer lay in the middle of the huts. Four males, one female and one child had met their end, and would go on to the sacred hunting grounds beyond the forest. Already, the deer were building up a bond fire, to burn the bodies. Their ashes would be spread through the forest, as a sacrifice. Burning the bodies would release their spirits. The deer were stoic, and though some cried, they had all been working to make the arrangements. Taro's owner mother and father were working along with the rest. Rank meant nothing when it was time to give the fallen their last farewell. Taro felt choked up. His joy at finding a strong vessel was tempered by the site of the bodies.

Taro walked over to his mother and pulled his burden off of his shoulders and spoke the words of ritual. "Mother, I bring you a daughter. She will bear you many grandchildren, that your name will not be forgotten by the deer. Make her ready, for at dawn the stag will come to mount her." He laid the bound woman at her feet and sunk to the ground in exhaustion.

 

[LadyCara]

All through the forest Jaya had kept the hope up that her people would find her and show this man that she was too good for him, but even her prayers to the Bear totem went unanswered, like so many prayers had lately. It felt like the Totem were punishing the people of the Bear clan, but she didn’t know why, not until she was taken to the Deer people.

Once Jaya was taken into the village of the Deer people, she knew all was lost and not even her father dare cross the line, for the Dragon King had ruled that once a female was taken to a village, that she was no longer of her former clan. Even if she escaped and returned to the Bear clan, they would beat and kill her, not wanting the taint of an other's clan and so she no longer fought the warrior she knew would claim her.

As she was carried through the village, surreptitious looks of hatred were cast at her by some of the women, for she was not being brought here in victory, but she was the enemy brought in defeat, the person who would remind them of this day. For if she’d been brought here in victory, she would be but one of several females, that would be welcomed as breeders of children. Jaya just hoped the High Woman was strong, for she had the power to douse the flames that could make Jaya’s life uncomfortable here.

Jaya noted the village was well kept, though signs of the raid still showed and the smell of a torched building, dampened by water assailed her nostrils. The Deer people were an orderly people, even their goats were penned.

Jaya expected there to be more people around, for surely the clan was larger than this, but then she remembered the words of the warrior and knew the reason why. Why the Bear leader had done this or the men with whom he kept counsel had raided another clan almost to extinction, she could not understand, though she could guess the reason. For the Bear leader was power hungry and she would not be surprised to find that he would challenge the Dragon King himself. For when the Bear leaders wife had died with the sickness, that was when he changed, no longer the cheerful leader, full of the joys of life.

As she passed them Jaya saw the bodies of the men and the women, but it was seeing the body of the child that caused all fight to go out of her. She felt sadness and horror of what the Bear warriors had done, to take life in such a way was such a waste, for what threat could the child have given. And for the first time ever, she felt ashamed to have been of the Bear.

"Mother, I bring you a daughter. She will bear you many grandchildren, that your name will not be forgotten by the deer. Make her ready, for at dawn the stag will come to mount her."

Jaya lay on the floor where she had been dumped and heard the woman go to her son offering words of encouragement and arranging for food for him. Jaya hid her smile, for was it not the way of all mothers to fuss her son when he was in need, for in her voice, Jaya had heard love.

Jaya did not see where the warrior went as she was taken to a hut off to one side and dumped in the middle of it. How long she was left there she did not know, but soon the Mother returned.

“Taro has chosen you. He is a good warrior and provider and you will obey him and bear him children.” She intoned the words of said by many before her.

Taro, so that was his name, Jaya liked the sound of it and thought it suited him.

The gag was removed and Jaya moved her mouth to work feeling back and to try and get moisture back to her dry tongue, but was glad when they gave her a sip of water.

Jaya would not show the Mother any fear, not for her, the cowering woman sobbing for release. Jaya knew her duty and still felt guilt and sadness for the child. She would give herself to the Deer Totem to do what she could to eradicate the pain and suffering, little though it was.

“I Jaya, no longer of the Bear Clan, shall obey Taro of the Deer clan and bare him good strong children. No longer is the Bear my Totem. I shall follow the Deer Totem and go where it leads.”

Jaya thought she noted a look of approval, the first words were that of ritual though the last sentence she had added on wanting the Mother to know that she renounced her former clan and that she had nothing to do with the atrocities.

Normally at this point, the former totem necklace is ripped from the woman’s neck and the new one put in it’s place, whether it was because the Mother understood what Jaya was trying to say, she wasn’t sure, but instead the Bear Totem necklace was lifted off her and replaced by the Deer.

“My son has chosen well.” The Mother smiled as she untied Jaya’s bonds and helped watched as
Jaya rubbed the feeling back into her limbs.

Food and drink were brought to Jaya and then she was taken to the river to bathe. When she was there, Jaya was tempted to run, but with nowhere to go, soon dismissed the thought. She would accept this new life and she would accept it with honour, not with cowardice and tears.

Soon the women of the village entered ready for the wailing. Jaya suspected it was a way of keeping the woman awake all night so come the dawn she had little energy to fight the mounting. She had seen women brought to the Bear clan village, they had wailed with fear and sadness, but remembered one woman who had done it with dignity and had shown that she wasn’t scared of her new life and it was her that Jaya emulated.

Jaya’s wailing was full of energy and no one would be able to find fault with her and because the woman knew she was there willingly and not likely to try anything stupid so it became a time of celebration. The people of the Deer clan had said goodbye to those who had been taken and who had died and now was the time to rejoice in life and life to come. And so the circle of life and death continues.