We rode into the village and I smelled something extremely delicious on the air. We hadn’t eaten since the eggs and mushrooms at breakfast.
Isobeau and the rider stopped in a clearing near the edge of the village. She dismounted as did the rider.
“I am Ruis,” said the rider, “and this is my mara, Passelanda. Here, let me help you down.”
Ruis reached up toward me as if to catch me like a child climbing off the monkey bars and into the arms of her mother. It was a bit embarrassing that I couldn’t dismount Arion on my own, but for as much as anyone knew, that’s the way we did it back where I came from. I took some measure of relief in that and gladly slid off Arion and into the arms of Ruis. Isobeau stood to the side, a flat, hard look on her face. What is that about?
A circle of women closed around us. My eyes widen as more and more of them gathered.
“They. Look. Like. Me!” I said shaking Isobeau’s arm to get her attention. As if she couldn’t see the resemblance herself. My hands absently went to my hips, around to my ample ass, touching last my jiggly thighs. The women looked at each other, smiled, chuckled in recognition. It was like a mirror - they were women of plenty, women of considerable heft, women who could throw their weight around, women who took up space.
“Oh. My. God!” I finally managed to say.
“Oh. You are from the Skandans? God worshipper?” one of the women at the front of the group asked.
I seemed to have lost the ability to speak and could only stare at these women. We look like we all came from the same wide-hipped, big-assed, thick-thighed mother! This is fantastic!
“This is Betty,” Isobeau said, “Betty of Afaraway.”
“Ho, Betty of Afaraway!” the women said in unison.
I raised an eyebrow at Isobeau - Afaraway? She shrugged. That could be where I’m from I suppose. The alternative would be - Hi, I’m from a library that caught fire. Oh? What’s a library?
“Afarway? Where’s that?” asked a woman to the side. Her hair was streaked with green at each of her temples.
“Uh. Uh,” I stammered.
Ruis broke in, “Sisters, sisters! Let us give Betty a break, shall we? There will be plenty of time to get to know her. Better. So much better.” She looked at me and winked. “I for one, am starving. How about you, Betty? Isobeau?”
I looked over at Isobeau and saw again that hard, flat look. I looked away.
“Yes, I am sooooo hungry. We haven’t eaten since breakfast,” I said, “Isobeau was saying she was famished when we were up on the hill and whatever you are cooking smells fantastic!”
The women began dispersing, the buzz around us rose as they began conversations again. Two women walked with Arion and Passelande to a stable. Girls were flitting about, picking flowers from nearby patches.Two very young girls came up, each taking one of my hands, smiling up at me. They pressed their faces against my thighs. Whoa, that’s a surprise.
“Is this some kind of greeting or something?” I asked Ruis.
“These two had their mother taken,” Ruis said in a low, confidential voice, “They were able to escape and we protect them now. You are so like their mother, that’s why they want to be close to you. They would be putting their faces on their mother if she were here.”
“But, uh, why me?” I said, “By the looks of it, just about any of these women could be like a mother to them.”
“True. And no doubt any woman here would be willing to nurture the girls,” Ruis said, “But do not believe that because they look like you, they are like you. There is something different about you that brings them in. Like moths to a candle flame.”
Ruis stopped in mid-stride and turned toward me. She was a bit too close, way too much into my personal space. I could feel her heat.
“But you probably know that, Betty, right? You know the light you give off? As for me, I can say you are incredibly attractive. Betty.”
I was caught a bit off-guard because no one had ever said that to me. Back home, I was more used to insults, looks of disgust, and sometimes with a bit of fear. Ruis was certainly not voicing an insult - it seemed like she really meant it. I felt hot. I was blushing.
“You girls go to the table and make sure a place is set for Betty?” Ruis said to them. They ran toward the main structure we were approaching.
Turning again toward the main yurt, Ruis looped her arm through mine. “I hope you allow me to show you around after dinner.”
I looked back to ask Isobeau if we might all sit together, but she was not walking with us. She was no longer in sight.
“We should find Isobeau. She thought something was following us on the way here. And before that, there were these shadow things that came after us after the library caught fire,” I said, “I think it’s important you and everyone here knows.”
Ruis shrugged. “Oh, do not worry so. The guard will raise the shield. We have a watch that is twice the size since Tatha - those little girls’ mother - was taken. As for Isobeau, it is likely that she is with the guard now, telling them what she felt and saw.”
So don’t worry my pretty little head is what you’re saying.
“Say, uh, Ruis, what am I getting myself into here?” I said, looking up at her.
She winked, smiled, and said nothing. We kept walking.
Flirt. You flirt. I better watch myself tonight. I just hope there’s no diamond faery juice or anything like that with dinner.
Ruis pulled back the flap and we entered the great room of the biggest yurt I have ever seen.