Hot & Bothered

I caught my reflection today at the stream. I was not certain if it was truly my body reflecting back at me. I used to be a very solid warrior but now as I look at the water, I am not the same as I once was. I have been spending alot of time in the forge and the heat from the forge itself makes a Tuchuk lose some of that thickness in his body. This season though has been especially hard and I am not eating as much as I used to. I suspect this is the result. On the plus side, I am seeing muscles I have not seen before because there is nothing covereing them now. I tell myself I am going to be fine for if there was a true problem, Silken would surely have said something. Just another perk of having a healer as a mate. The heat though is becoming more of a problem as the season wears on. The stream, like my body, is shrinking. Especially as of late. The grass is sadly dying and the bosk are now getting restless. The weakest ones have started to succomb to the heat. Life on the plains, in general, has slowed to a crawl. One does not need to be a spex to know that something is different on the plains. You can almost taste it, smell it in the air. Something is wrong and it shall show itself sooner or later. Preferably sooner, I hate waiting.

Play With Fire, You Will Be Burned

I hear only silence as I open my eyes. Left to right, right to left. I am in a wagon...no, I am my wagon. Sleeping. Why? Then it comes back now...I was at the forge, hammering out a collar when the hammer strike sounds hollow. A sound that is not good for either you just cracked your hammer or the metal was weaker which, in turn, breaks. It did break, I heard it. I turn to find it as it fell on my blind side when it occuredto me I heard the break but not it hitting the ground. The curvature of the collar and the shape of the hammer after so many poundings just made for a rather unfortunate accident. Now, this whole thought process was instant in my head. Just as quick as that thought came so did the collar that was snapped in half. It shot up and into me. Natural reaction was to get it off and I do so. I do it by quickly clamping my hand on it and throwing it down. I quickly leave the forge and mount my Kaiila and ride out to the plains. I go far enough now to know I am alone and then let the anger for my carelessness out. Let the pain it is causing me out. A fierce primal roar comes out and echoes around me on the plains. Now, I have to control the pain for a burn is not like a quiva strike, lance strike or any weapon strike really. It burns and continues to do so to you for some time. I close my eyes and focus on the pain and to no longer let it be in control for I am in control. I did this for some time. How long? I do not know. I am brought back to the plains now with the sound of someone approaching and looking slowly, I know it is Silken. Silken treats my arm and gives me things for it to help in dealing with the burn. After such, I do feel tired. Really tired. Before I can even ask Silken what it was I had, I am asleep. I never fall asleep like that. Not that fast anyway. Odd.

Silence Is Golden

I find it amusing now, thinking back to the night that I had asked Ayg to claim Silken. I truly hadn't planned on asking that night. I knew I would be asking I just did not know when. We are standing back some, there was a large crowd there and a young warrior asked what the bride price would be for another young tuchuk woman. There were congratulations given but it did not seem, at least to me, to make a true impact. Everyone was happy but it is the cycle of life...young mate and have kids etc....It then just hit me, I do not want to be without Silken. We have connected far beyond what I would have ever of thought. Physically, She is what any Tuchuk warrior would desire. Silken though also challenges me. I have to keep my wits about me, but that is in the best way possible. It is also what I find most appealing. As I am coming to this conclusion, I notice I am taking her by the hand and making my way to Ayg himself, and let him know I wish to claim Silken. When the words left me mouth I believe all words being spoke at the time had stopped. The fire was quiet. Then it started...questioning their own ears, wondering what Silken had done to me. The moment of silence, of shock was one of the funniest moments to me. With the Ubar's blessing along with the Ubara I did claim Silken that night and I had taken her back to my wagon. Our wagon. Our wagon, to be shared as mates of the tribe.

Something old, something new

I have been welcomed back and I am happy to have found some familiar faces. I hear that Shi is still about though have not come across him. I have seen Noya on my first night back but not since. I do miss talking long into the nights with Noya. I have also come across Silken. I know her from when I was here the first time around. Even my brief second stay. She has always been a feisty woman. She has hair that looks like it has been set aflame, the color so deep. We talked, of course, before but due to the course of events...We never truly developed anything more than just the same way you would treat a Tuchuk brother or sister you see rarely. We talked but about nothing truly important. " How are things?" " I see you are well". Now though, upon my return...We talk. Moreso than we ever had. I do not know if it was because she feels alone or something else. Maybe just because we are from a time of Tuchuks that not many know of any more. We have a connection because if this. One I know that was not there when we were younger. Odd how time changes things.

Home...Always the same and always changing

I am now home. As different as it looks with so many different people, it is still home. It is still as familiar as the day I left. I am much older now though than I was when I was the young, ambitious warrior ready to fight and show I am to be feared. My fighting days are still not over though and I would die a warriors death on the plains, defending the tribe, the skies and the stars above. That is a warriors death. That is a Tuchuks death. I do not wish to leave again. I hope to remain until that day that the skies call for me. In glorious battle, defending the tribe that has welcomed an old warrior back to his true home.

Risen from the Ashes

I am Ashoak Ley. At one time I was Ubar to the Tucuk tribe. I have been commander of 10,100 and 1000 and also commander of the Ubar's guard. I have earned the scars that adorn my face. I was not born to the Tuchuk tribe though. I was born in a city, which one it was I no longer recall. I have been mated before and now looking back - my duty, to put tribe first at all times, also cost me my mates and the children they bore me.

It took all that for me to know I had been faithful to the tribe, would have given my life for it but would not give this same kind of attention to my mates or children. With this revelation, I had left. I had to have distance, as painful as it was, for me to regain my sense of priorities. Tribe above all was the mantra I lived by but was not my mates and children also part of that tribe?

I was gone for many,many moons but have now returned. Not as Ubar or commander. No, just a a Tuchuk warrior. A proud Tuchuk warrior with a new sense of order. Tribe above all still rings true but now also goes deeper than that.