Interesting turn of events

It's amazing how much quicker going down a mountain is compared to going up one. We arrived at the valley camp yesterday afternoon in time for a late afternoon meal and a rest in the warm sunshine. It may have been a rare rest if what the other travelers say is true.

They're heading south east to avoid what they believe is a large contingent of soldiers heading towards the larger known townships- like the one my family lives in. The rumor is that the city to the north of our current position had an uprising. The peasants were starving to death, even worse than usual since the air pirates have doubled in number and their attacks on the cities supply chains have increased. This means that the city leaders are taking even more away from their lower classes, where even less is available than usual. Eventually something has to give.

Unfortunately for the lower classes of the cities, they don't seem to have much in the way of education or strategy planning. They always seem to wait to revolt until they're on the edge of death already and easy to disperse. The rumor circulating now, though, is truly disturbing. The city is one of the largest around, and so has quite a large population of peasants. Numbers equal power- of a sort. The other side of the coin is that the General of the city is a cruel, horrible man. Rather than simply dispersing the crowd of hungry people, maybe giving them a penance to satisfy their empty bellies, he killed them! Each and every one.

Now, the city has no working class to serve the leaders. The soldiers have been sent out to the known townships to capture as many travelers as they can to replenish the lower classes. Easier said than done, though, as we won't submit to being slaves easily.

I'm filled with worry for my family. Whereas it's true that the township has some amazing defenses, it's still vulnerable to attack. Most of the people that live in the townships are young families and the elderly. It's where I was raised, though. Even though I can't imagine settling into that sort of life again, I still think of it as home. It's a concept that Steve can't seem to grasp. His family was always on the move; one of the ones I used to envy as a child.

Luckily, the township is home to a large port for the air pirates, Skyrates as they've begun to call themselves. They help to strengthen the town's defenses, and they'll fight if need be. I can only hope there's enough willing to fight to overwhelm the soldiers that are marching south even now!

Steve and I are now faced with a difficult decision: continue south, or change course. We cannot fight in a battle, and would be more hindrance than help in the great scheme of things. But then I will be sick with worry for my family until I know what's become of them. We are still several days travel away from the the township, at least 2 days behind the soldiers if the rumors are true. Steve's tried to find the documents on the machine to show what is happening, but the security is tight; we're blind to their plans. 

Rough night

We made it to the top of the hill and found a suitable place to camp the night just as dusk fell yesterday evening. As we began to prepare the evening meal, Lola suddenly announced she could see orange glowing spots in the valley below us. Sure enough, camp fires! Unfortunately, it was already too dark to make out if they were fellow travelers or soldiers, so we had to play it safe. No fire.

We hurried through our cold meal, then all piled into one bed with all the bed clothes. Even though the weather is definitely warming up, the nights are still a bit cold. Especially out top of a hill with no fire to chase the chill away.

There are times we envy the children's ability to sleep no matter what is going on. Steve and I both had extremely broken sleep; waking up to every sound or sense of movement. We both had time away from the warmth of our bed to check on the camp fires below and satisfy ourselves that no one had spotted us.

I was not looking forward to going back down the mountain we'd just scaled to take the long way around a troop of soldiers!

This morning, Steve and I dragged ourselves away from the covers at first light, ready to pack up and head away from the potential threat. Honestly, I could have stayed in bed, it's not like my eyesight is good enough to see anything!

We let out a sigh of relief and instantly set about making a fire to cook the morning meal on. The wagons and carts were a sure sign of fellow travelers. Thank the Mother!

We're about to set off again, making our way down the hill towards the camp. It will be nice to talk to others and get some news of what's happening in the area. And after last night, Steve and I will certainly be needing a rest!

Berries!

We've stopped for a rest and our mid-day meal, with a special treat- berries! Ian found them as he was chasing a rabbit into the brush- much to our dismay, rabbit stew would taste quite good. Fresh blackberries make for a nice sweetness and help add a little interest to our meal of flat bread and hard cheese.

We should be able to make it close to the top of the hill by late afternoon. Though it is quite warm today, and this hill seems to be getting steeper with each step forward. I will be happy to put it behind us.

On the move

We've put a lot of land under our feet in the last 2 days, but we may need to slow our pace a bit. The children are driving Steve and I nuts! They get so restless, and the travel wears us out something chronic. Being on the constant look out for all sorts of dangers uses up so much precious energy.

At least we've found a nice spot to bed down for the night. It's on a slight rise, so we're able to see a fair distance away. Over the next few days, we'll be going over mountain terrain. It can get tricky as the horses don't care for some of the more narrow paths, and the engines don't always give quite enough power to get to the top of some of the steep ridges. Not to mention the predators seem to be larger in the hill country. But all of that is worth the sight of the ocean from the top. When the sun is setting and it seems like the end of the world is bathed in a fiery orange glow, it takes your breath away.

If these children don't stop bickering and pestering me every 5 seconds, though, I'm not sure I'll survive much more of this trip!

Butterfly adventure

Yesterday I told the children to watch out for fairies when they went running off in the morning sun, and I thought they assumed I was nuts for suggesting such a thing. Turns out, Ian thought I was telling him to catch one or two!

Several hours after they went hooting off, Lolah returned without her little brother. Seems he had disappeared chasing a butterfly, just one more sign of Spring, and she had no idea where he had gone! It's been quiet in our little valley, so we weren't too worried about him. He goes off on his little adventures quite regularly, and it's not unusual for him to wander back to camp in late afternoon in search of a meal. He's always had a strange affinity for animals, too. He seems to understand them better than he understands people, and animals respond to him. In some ways it's reassuring.

As the light started fading, however, I started getting a bit tense waiting for him to return. Steve said I was being silly, that Ian would come strolling back asking for food like he hadn't been gone all day. Still, I noticed Steve keeping a watchful eye on the horizon as well. I was preparing to take the dog out to search for the boy child, when, sure enough, he came running across the grass. The first words out of his mouth were, "Can I have something to eat?"

He'd followed the butterfly further than he realized. It had landed on him in the morning sun, and when he asked it if it knew where the fairies were hiding, it went flitting off. He took that to mean, "Follow me, I'll show you." It took him to a clearing with a large tree on the south side. He climbed the tree, searching for the fairies, but was very apologetic that he didn't find any. I assured him that I understood. Sometimes I forget that he's caught my whimsical nature. Steve and Lolah are very much the opposite- the world is as it appears to be. For Ian and I, though, the world only shows us a fraction of it's secrets. You have to pay close attention if you want to see into the cracks of reality.

Our reality, though, is that we are beginning to run low on supplies. We'll have to pack up and get on the move again if we want to reach a township without foraging. We're not far from the township where I was raised and where my parents still live. It will be a good place to refresh our supplies and catch up on news.

Growth

Yesterday was a day of work. The weather was a puzzle of showers; the pieces of cloud outlined by the sun who peeked his face out now and again to promise to come back soon. We spent our time making necessary repairs to the planting cart. The buds on the wild plants are beginning to form, which means it's just about time to start our spring plantings.

The sun must have won his battle sometime in the night, because this morning he lived up to his promise. The sky is a pure blue dome overhead, seeming to stretch on forever. The sun once again has his spring warmth, and is filling the grasses with an illumination that almost seems to come from within the delicate shoots themselves. There are still droplets of dew clinging to the greenery, but the sun makes that even seem magical. Everything is sparkling and new and wonderful. I told the kids not to roam too far as this is just the sort of morning the fairies will love as well. They just rolled their eyes at me and went running off to the creek down the valley.

Everything seems to be waking up again! We had so many birds serenading us this morning that Steve had a sudden inspiration. He disappeared into the wagon, emerging a short time later with his guitar. So, with his gentle strums, and the birds singing, I danced for my morning meal. It's funny how the Spring can make you feel so alive again.

We'll be planting most of our seeds today. It's a bit nerve wracking as we could yet still get a freeze or two in the next few months. Such is life.

Today is promising to be a good day!

Runaway

As dusk fell yesterday, the wind and rain intensified. We huddled together under our shelter playing games, eating, drinking, and trying to forget the weather. Despite the storm, it was turning out to be a rather enjoyable evening. 

Unfortunately, Lucy, my favorite goat, did not agree. Now, I know some people might find it strange to have a favorite goat, but I assume those people have never had a goat. I raised her from a baby- her mother was killed by a pack of wild dogs when Lucy was newly born. She has a sweet disposition, is a bit timid, but very affectionate. 

Something must have spooked her, though, because in the midst of the storm as the light was fading, she somehow managed to slip her tether and run off! I was beside myself with worry, so Steve set out after her, cursing the entire way. 

It wasn’t long before he returned; soaking wet and covered head to toe in mud with a quivering Lucy, also covered in mud, in his arms. Despite the situation, we couldn’t help but laugh at the image he presented. He tied Lucy back up- still cursing her for being a stupid, irritating beast and I think there were a few curses in there for me loving her- where she could stay warm and dry, then cleaned himself up quickly. As he warmed himself by the fire, he explained what had happened. 

He caught up with Lucy on a rise. She was only too happy to come to him as she was terrified! As he began walking back to our camp, Lucy in his arms, he slipped in a patch of mud. The sudden jolt startled Lucy who started flailing, forcing Steve to further lose his balance and they both went down; skidding down the rise in the mud. When they finally came to a stop in a mud puddle, Lucy was still panicking, so Steve had to wrestle her down to prevent her from hurting him or herself. 

Next time she runs off, Steve said I will have to go after her myself. 

This morning, the sun is shining once again, but Steve is not feeling the best. Apparently the slide yesterday threw his back out. He’ll be fine, but we’ll stay put for a few extra days just to be sure. 

Lucy is in fine mood this morning, and had an extra cuddle for her hero.

Winter's return

We've enjoyed a few days of warmth and sunshine, and were welcoming the Spring with open arms. Winter, it seems, had other plans. She's come back for, hopefully, one last hurrah. So, we've bundled up against the chill in the air, and are waiting it out. Steve's just stoked the fire to coax a little extra heat out of it as we watch the rains approach from across the valley.

Even the animals seem to be feeling the cold. I've caught the dog curled up in the middle of our bedclothes several times today, and the cat has spent most of the morning asleep on my lap. She makes a wonderfully warm companion, but it does make working on the blanket I've been crocheting a bit difficult!

I am grateful for the rain, of course. We have plenty of water containers that need to be filled in preparation for the hot summer months ahead. Water can be hard to come by out here! Still, I can't help but dream of the long summer days to come.

Wake up call

This morning we awoke to quite a commotion! A herd of Oleophontus were moving down the valley not far from where we've set up camp. The rumbling of the ground beneath their giant forms and their plaintive calls to one another were loud enough to pull everyone out of our cozy blankets into the crisp morning air.

The children were beside themselves with excitement. Even Steve and I were amazed to see such a large herd! I've only seen 3 oleo's in my time- all when I was still very young. I had thought they had all been killed. This group, however, seems to have been doing well; we could even see a number of babies in the middle of the larger adults.

They are more impressive and beautiful than I remembered. The largest would've been taller than 3 wagons stacked one atop the other. They look similar to what was once called an elephant- in fact, it's believed they were originally bred from those ancient creatures. Looking at their enormous tusks, 2 curving up around their trunks, another 2 sloping down and forward, it's really no surprise that they were engineered for war. Their feet are incredibly dextrous, and the younger, smaller individuals even picked up items with their toes to inspect them.Light, dusty tan, they would easily blend into the back drop of the land if they weren't so huge!

In the wars, the soldiers would armor these creatures and fix spikes to them. Then they were starved and beaten, making them horribly mean. It was said they would actually go out of their way to kill a person! After the wars, of course, they were much too expensive to keep and were either killed or simply released into the wild. These ones must be the descendents of some of the more clever animals that actually survived! And although fearsome looking, they seemed to exhibit gentle kindness to each other. Several times we watched as one would lovingly caress another with it's trunk or playfully bump into one.

They seem to me to be not much different from ourselves.

I'm certain they knew we were there. We were down wind from them, after all. But still, they acted as though they didn't care. A few of the younger ones looked our way, but none made any move to come any closer.

I wish them well, and hope we'll see more on our journeys.

Strange new machine

This is truly a fantastic invention!

But I should really explain how it came to be that I am now writing on it.

Two weeks ago, we came across a pair of travelers who were stopped. The man, who called himself Adam, explained that when his wife, Lorna, came down with a fever, they could no longer travel with the rest of their group. They had fallen behind, and so, when Lorna's fever intensified the week before, they were forced to stop.

Of course, we were suitably nervous to be around someone so sick, but it is our duty to help others where we can. My herbs were coming along nicely, and I thought I had something that could at least reduce her fever. I made a tea for her to drink, and we agreed to stay with them for 3 days. After which we would move on regardless of her condition. Luckily, she responded to the herbs almost immediately and her fever came down enough for her to rest.

Although low on supplies ourselves, we shared what we had with Adam, who was very grateful. By the second day, he trusted us enough to tell us his secret. He had a contraption with which he could monitor the movements of the soldiers! Steve, of course, was very interested in such a miraculous device, and Adam did not disappoint. Not only could his machine predict the movements of the soldiers, it could also show approximate locations of cities and towns, weather patterns; it even had books to read! Adam called his machine a Discrete Terminal, or DT for short. Ian misheard him, however, and now everyone calls the device a Dotty.

On the dawn of the third day, Adam had horrible news. A troop of soldiers he had been monitoring had changed their direction and were now heading almost directly towards us! We had to move, fast! But Lorna was still very weak, and their equipment was worn out. There was no choice. They had to come with us.

We broke camp as quickly as possible, and set off for a nearby town that we knew existed, although it didn't show on Dotty. Traveling was rough for poor Lorna, so we couldn't push as hard as we would've liked. I only prayed that the soldiers were far enough back that they wouldn't be able to see the dust kicked up by our wagons.

Fate, it seemed was on our side.

We rolled into the town after 2 days of travel. We had had to stop twice at night to tend to Lorna, who's fever started creeping up again with the harsh pace we had to keep to to make sure to avoid the soldiers. This town was newly established, though, and none of the cities knew about it, yet. Adam and Lorna would be safe here until she recovered.

We were able to trade for the supplies we needed, but we were anxious to be on our way. The close call with the soldiers had made us nervous. Even an unknown town could be a death trap if the cities found out.

As we secured our wagons and bid farewell to the town, Adam came running out of a dusty torn wagon he had bartered from one of the town's members, clutching a battered brown leather bag to his chest. He shoved it at me saying, "Take it! Please. She'd be dead without you." Then he turned and hurried back to the wagon.

It was Dotty. This was truly a treasure. I wasn't sure if I could accept such a generous gift, but Steve insisted.

I'm still clumsy on this thing. It in turns seems to have a mind of its own like a teenager, and at others needs absolute care like an infant. Steve has become incredibly adept at deciphering the weather maps and soldier movements. Lola has discovered that she can use it to access music. Even Ian has found games to keep him entertained while we trek across the terrain. I love the books, though. Each evening, after our meal, we gather together and read a passage from one of the many stories available. We've started with a classic called The Passage. It's strange how people of the long past thought the apocalypse would happen.