Travels

Chapter 4

Travels

About 2 months later

That damn fucking blizzard just won't go away.

I really hated this blizzard. I hated feeling this helplessness and most of all, I hated this world.

With a great effort, I willed myself to not cry. I have made great efforts in all this time to control my emotions better. Now I rarely felt my emotions getting better of me.

Unfortunately, this was not that situation.

Sitting in a cave, I pondered over the last 2 months.

It had been a little less than 2 months since I started traveling. And I know this because I counted.

Now, I am traveling back to my place. Apparently, I was quite wrong in my calculation. The winter was already here in 3 weeks since I started traveling. It even started snowing after I started traveling, which was all of a sudden for me at that time. I had never seen snowfall in my life so truthfully, it was quite an enjoyable experience. Although, it soon turned into horror.

I found a few tribes in my travels but I had no luck in joining them.

I encountered the first tribe after 3 days of traveling. It was good that some members of the tribe came every day to the river to fill the utensils of clean drinkable water, otherwise, I would have missed them.

I introduced myself as a traveler and in need of a new tribe. They were wary of me (which was good) but still took me to their elders as they alone couldn't decide on the matter. I even thought of leaving my bows and arrows behind when I was going to the tribe but I decided against it. If it came to fighting, I would at least have a chance with them at my side. I wasn't confident enough with the dagger as the only weapon with me.

In between the travel, I asked them about their tribe's name to which they replied 'Thenns'. For a second I thought I heard wrong. I asked him again to which he replied "The Thenns". I was really surprised by the name. For a moment I even thought that I reincarnated in some sick world with the mixture of 'SEE' and 'Game of Thrones' series. Thankfully, they weren't cannibals then again the Thenns from the books weren't too.

The tribe was what you would expect in this era. Houses were made of wood. People wore handmade clothes. Some even wore furs. Anyway, I was quickly taken to the elders. After some waiting, they graced us with their presence (note the sarcasm in my voice)

There, when I asked the elders to join the tribe, they quickly refused to take me in. I was flabbergasted at their blunt and quick refusal.

I told them I was good at catching fish, I could cook and I was willing to learn but they refused. At first, I thought that they had sensed that I was lying to them about the name and age. I told them my name from the previous life, so I knew I didn't lie. I also told them I had seen more than 10 summers in my life. I didn't lie as I had seen more than 21 summers in my previous life alone.

They didn't need to know that this body has never seen any winter or summer considering he lived underground. Moreover, I am sure that the way I spoke told them I was mature enough to mistake me for an older boy than my current body was as they could mistake me for just being a short boy.

In the end, I couldn't take it and ask for the reason. They said that they just gave taxes to the House Kane and they have to be frugal in spending their larder. Apparently, they grow grains. They couldn't take 1 more mouth to feed when the winter was at their doorstep.

Their justification was sound but hollow to my ears. I will not lie. I cried openly in front of them but their hearts were made of stone. They stood by their decision.

Still, some good came out of it. They agreed to house me for a night. Thankfully they gave me a broth in the dinner and a warm place in a hut to spend the night. To tell you the truth, it was very comforting after more than a month of sleeping outdoors.

It was also good that I dodged the Witchfinders. I could have escaped them if it came to the meeting with them, but I didn't want that situation to happen at all.

I stayed there for a day and night but even that time was enough to glean some helpful information from them. They happily provided me information about the surrounding tribes and also to steer away from which tribes. It was good that I encountered a relatively good tribe. You wouldn't believe but according to them, most of the tribes have slaves nowadays. There is no doubt in my mind that if I had encountered them, I would have become a slave too though I could have easily escaped them.

They also told me to stay away from the path which leads to the silk and other traders as they would definitely catch me as a slave.

I also traded half a dozen fish, for the spices from the cooks. I had enough food with me at that time that those fish wouldn't put a dent in them. Moreover, they could go bad if I didn't eat them in time. Considering, I was only a single person, I felt it prudent to trade them.

Every night I would lay traps in the shallow waters of the river (as I traveled along the river) before going to sleep. On most days, I would get 1 or 2 fish for breakfast. There have been only a few times when I didn't get any but on some days lady luck would smile upon me and I would get more than what I would need.

On seeing so many fish at once, they were astonished. I could even see that they even reconsidered their decision. But in the end, the majority of the elders stood firm in their decision.

They probably thought I swim to catch the fish and I wouldn't be able to do it when the winter arrives and the water gets cold or even the river gets frozen. I couldn't even tell them otherwise. These people were a superstitious lot. Even if I show them my way of making traps, they would label me as a witch. The less said about my tri-spear, the better. So I didn't say anything.

These people used some plants that grew nearby as spices. I didn't need to take the spices in large quantities. I just needed one of each. I memorized the plants. Now, I could just pluck the spices during traveling. I definitely had seen some of them near the spot where I first found myself. I lamented that I didn't know about them before as they could have made the food delicious.

I also got a good working pot as the fish were quite a bit more than some measly grams of spices. It was made of metal and its handle was covered in leather so, in my opinion, it was a great deal. My stone pan was good but this was better. With it, I was able to save so much time that is wasted on cooking. Moreover, the new pot was quite light compared to the stone pot.

The cooks also told me a multitude of information on how to mix with which meat for the best result. The head cook (a woman in her early 30's) even told me that she had the opportunity to skin a bear once that wandered in the village and got killed by the warriors of the village. From her tone, I knew they didn't get out of the fight unscathed. She probably lost many friends and acquaintances in that incident.

I also knew that I could encounter a bear in my travel and knowing how to skin it and how to save its parts other than the meat would be great. So with some flattery, the head cook told me and the others, how to do it right and what parts to save, etc.

But there was one type of information that stood above the rest. They knew about the Alkenneys tribe. They said it was a 2-month journey from their place. The problem was that they could even walk in low visibility. Sure, I could also walk in the low visibility but I didn't want to. I was also a bit rusty in only using my other senses. I did use them while on my traveling. But I was far from perfect and I didn't want to take a chance.

But then again, they needed to rest their bodies. Moreover, they have to walk carefully while I could even run during the day. So, in the end, it all evens out. If I had been older, I would have been the faster one but as it stood, we would be about the same in covering the distance.

I was sure that I couldn't reach there before winter so I decided to try my luck with the nearby tribes first. Seeing that they took Maghra in the winter considering that there was a blizzard going at that time, they would definitely take me in even if I reach there in the middle of winter.

After staying there for a day and night, I took off in the direction of another tribe that they mentioned. The tribe was in a different direction as the Alkenny's but I decided to go there.

The winter was already on the doorstep at that time. It didn't matter if I join any other tribe. First comes, my survival. Everything else comes after it. I could just change my tribe once the winter was over.

It was also the reason that I decided to check for the nearby tribes which could take me in. I decided that if I was unsuccessful in gaining entry into any of the tribes, only then I would travel to the Alkenney tribe.

So, I took off the next morning. I followed their direction to the letter.

I found the Stoner Tribe a week after just as they said I would. The tribe was known to use stones in a variety of ways that were found aplenty around their homes. They also had warriors proficient in using slings. Unfortunately, they too refused to take me in. Their reason was also the same. They couldn't feed 1 more mouth when the winter was at their doorstep.

I again bartered 2 fish and my old shoes for a new pair of shoes. I had outgrown my old shoes. I didn't want to part ways with them as they were made by the boy's tribe. They reminded the boy of his tribe. But then again so did the loincloths in which the tribe decided to exile him. I definitely wasn't going to prefer some sentimentality over my chances of survival.

Moreover, my new shoes had some space to fill in case my shoe size grows. I tucked some extra spare clothes to fill that space for now. They also mended all of the clothes and my extra furs into a thick cloak for 1 more fish. At least that way I didn't have to worry about the furs slipping from my body while running.

Thankfully, they too provided me with the food and shelter for the night.

The same happened with the next tribe, Waku Tribe too. Unfortunately, they were in dire need of food. Apparently, they didn't even have enough to feed themselves.

I traded a deer that I encountered in the path for 2 bear traps made of metal. To tell you the truth I asked for them on a whim. Apparently, they were really desperate for the food as they didn't even barter much and agreed to give me 2 beer traps instead of just 1, which would have been the most I would have gotten any other time if I had been lucky.

I felt a little bad to take advantage of their situation but I buried that guilt deep down. This world was based on survival of the fittest and if I wanted to survive, I would have to make these types of choices a dozen more times and if the situation called for it, I would do it in a heart-beat. I would feel guilty at the end but even then, I would do it.

Anyway, that deer would last for days if they are careful enough although they wouldn't get the skin of that deer as I told them bluntly that I would take it back. It would be perfect for sleeping on in the travel as it is quite soft. On the other hand, bear traps could even save my life. I made sure to sleep on some high ground during the nights but I couldn't always find one. Sometimes, I had to sleep on the ground too. I had been lucky so far then, but I didn't want to rely on my luck. You never know when a bear trap could save your life.

The traps could be lodged in one place by buying a wooden nail in a hook. That way the animal would not run away with it and you could easily kill it.

Still, we were all happy. They would get extra food and I would get some way of making sure that I survive. Unfortunately, they were a little miffed about the hard bargaining so I got the shelter but not any food. Or maybe they couldn't even afford to give me even that much. Still, it was okay. I could and would go hungry for one time. It wasn't that problematic.

The next day, I took my leave even before the sun had risen and walked back to the river. Thankfully the traps, I laid there caught 2 fish. I quickly started a fire and roasted them. After eating breakfast, I was once again on the road. Truthfully, by that time, I was not very hopeful that the next tribe would take me in. Moreover, the winter had come. I couldn't take the chance to travel more. I would need a place and I would need it fast. It was good that I was clad in so many furs otherwise I would have died long ago though I could have done without their weight.

Still, I decided to try my luck one more time.

The fourth tribe was none other than the Haveya Tribe which was shown in the 8th episode of season 1. They too refused to take me in. I didn't even have something to barter as the game was getting rare as the days and nights were getting colder and colder. It was a miracle I was able to make my ends meet with the traveling. Truthfully, I had eaten mostly fish for that week and most of them were those which I hunted with my spear. The fish were rarely getting caught in my traps.

Thankfully, they gave me a warm room for the night and a bowl of broth for filling my belly as an apology which I gratefully accepted. I also gave them all the bones I had, as thanks though I saved both tusks from the boar as it was my first difficult kill.

After that fiasco, I started traveling back. I didn't want Alkenneys to refuse me too. I think all these rejections made me fear that they too would refuse me. Moreover, I would be neck-deep in the snow if that happens. I know that in the TV series, Maghra was taken in a blizzard which would have been in the middle of a fucking winter so they would for sure take me. But then again, She was pregnant with a child. Maybe they pitied her.

Moreover, Baba Voss was in charge of the tribe at that time when they took her in and I am damn sure Baba Voss is not the leader of the tribe now.

How do I know? Well because the ruler of the Payan kingdom is King Kane. I couldn't find out his name but that alone tells me that I was quite before season 1. Maybe, even before that. I kicked myself for not inquiring about this in the 1st or even the other 2 tribes.

Anyway, in any case, I didn't want to jeopardize my chances of joining the Alkenny Tribe so I started traveling back.

I started getting problems after that. Less and less fish get caught in my traps while the winter was getting colder. It also started snowing during the day.

The thing is that the 4 tribes were located at a rough distance from each other. If I had looked through the map, I would have found that they were located on the imaginary corners of a square.

But as I didn't know the area at all, I would have gotten lost. That's why I had to travel back on the same path. I cried in frustration when I realized that. I had already left the Haveya tribe so I couldn't even ask them for the direction. I didn't want to go back as they might not know the direction for the 'Thenn' tribe and I didn't want to waste any more time.

It took me an extra day to reach the Waku tribe and 2 days more days to reach the Stoner tribe than it should have taken. Thankfully, even in the winter, I had enough furs to keep away the cold. They didn't keep me fully warm but they still kept most of the cold out. The walking helped in the days while the fire helped in the night when I stopped for the rest in keeping me warm.

I bartered 2 fish for dinner and shelter each time. I couldn't have asked them for hosting me free of charge. That would have beyond insensitive when winter has already come.

I also learned why the Stoner Tribes were called the stoners. Apparently, they got their name because they make a hell of marijuana and most of them are even addicted to it. I didn't get to know before as their stock was taken as the tribute by the witch-finders and they hadn't made more when I came for the first time. But, when I came for the second time, they had prepared a batch.

They even gave it to me to smoke it but I declined. I had never smoked drugs in my previous life and I wasn't going to start now. Moreover, I would need to be at my best and I don't think I would be able to keep my mouth shut while I was high. I didn't want to wake up to find myself in ropes and witch-finders coming to burn me.

Moreover, I knew I didn't want to get addicted to the stuff like the children of the tribe, already were. I could have told them that it was dangerous but again, I kept my mouth shut. They wouldn't listen to a boy that they barely knew. The orgy after that was something I wish I didn't have to see. Sometimes, the gift of sight is more like a curse. I would have probably enjoyed it if I was older and I didn't have to see naked males.

Anyway, I quickly got out of that tribe before even the sun was up.

I again encountered the Thenns Tribe back in my journey though it took me 3 days more to reach there. Still, anyhow I was able to travel to all of them. I bartered 2 fish each for the dinner and shelter again. I spent the night there and got out the next day. These stops made the travel bearable with a warm broth to eat and a warm bed to sleep in; otherwise, I would have been a lot more frustrated.