Just A Normal Morning

THE FUELHER DUSTED her clothes, shoving the rabbit to her companion as the children, seven identical 10 year olds were already lined out, feet bare with their heads cast down as she knelt in front of them, Sher and Cher nodding in greeting.

The tallest of the bunch looked up, wincing immediately when she flicked a finger at his exposed forehead.

"Hyung!" he cried out, their village's slang for older brother.

"No, he's not saving you this time Hun" the Fuelher frowned, her partner bobbing his head in agreement as he rubbed through white fur.

"What did I tell you about causing trouble Hun?"

"We did not mean to" a child with front bangs whispered out, his sister completing his sentence "we just wanted the rabbit as our hunt because Fuelhr and Fuelher would not let us join for the hunt game tomorrow"

She sighed, nodding to the Fuelhr to hand the rabbit to Hun as she helped them with their footwear "and never run around barefoot again"

She turned to the woman who handed her the foot wears talking to her companion in hushed tones, picking up on the dialogue "The mornings are getting colder by the day, and the Fuelher is not keeping warm in those clothes and fingerless gloves, you should get your mother to talk to her"

"Alright Hun, Dun and Gun, you three make sure to put all the hens back in their cages" she instructed "Bun, Eun and Sun, you're helping the ladies tidy up, and Jun.." she trailed off, noting his pale state, before pulling him along "you're coming with me"

She strode past the Fuelhr, him running after "A'yin" he called, ruffling the child's hair "is Jun okay?"

"He's pale, overworked his weak heart" she replied, sighing when he held up her hand, taking off the bitten glove and inspecting her skin.

"It's fangs did not get past the glove A'yang, it's okay"

"He's okay" they watched the physician repack his acupuncture needles "he just needs rest so you can check on him later" he pushed them out

"And you Fuelher, you need to rest before you lead the hunting party out for the game, so unless you want me to put you to sleep" he raised the needles threatening "I suggest you leave"

They both rushed out, side by side, the village already as good as new and the only evidence to the chaos earlier, the tables being fixed and scattered footprints.

She bounced forward, avoiding moving tables and running children, she stopped beside an elder threading a basket

"Good day lady Wong"

Smack. The older woman hit her with the top of her walk stick, spitting in contempt as she addressed the male

"I am no Lady....."

"Keep your betrothed on a leash, Fuelhr"

"It was but a compliment" Ayin, the Fuelher massaged her red shoulder, falling into the hammock hanging in the largest compound

"She hates me"

"And I brought you something" the Fuelhr chuckled, digging into his satchel and tossing her a green fruit. She frowned, glaring at the bitten into apple and tossing it back at him

"Don't test me A'yang"

"Fine" the Fuelhr relented, tossing her a pink fruit, watching the smile that graced her face

"Yes, it is from the only tree uphill, it produced it's first fruit of the year, I have been waiting for so long for it to turn pink, it did at dawn"

He pushed her back into the hammock, draping a quilt over her as she bit into the fruit in satisfaction

"You need all the rest you can get, my Fuelher"

she kicked him back as he laughed

"I'll check on the seven"

The Tai tribe was known to be blessed with birth. A set of twins, Sher and Cher. The traders, Pogo and Pao, the physician and Lady Wong, all birthed in sets of two, and then the seven.

Seven identical children born minutes after each other by the same mother.

Hun, the oldest. Eun, Dun, Gun, Sun, Bun and Jun.

Jun born last with a weak heart, he barely survived childhood. All seven were lucky survivors.

Their mother died at childbirth and their father, a few days earlier in a hunting incident.

The mother of the Fuelhr taking them as her own and the nursing village mothers taking turns to feed the seven with their own.

The survival of the seven was a collective effort, each villager playing a crucial role in nursing the seven and the physician staying up to make sure Jun did not die in his sleep as the first few years were critical and winters the worst for both.

Jun and the Fuelher, an incident when she was 10 left her with a minor heart and blood disease.

Minor in the fact that she could do any and everything strenuous but winters were critical to her, minor exposure to the cold would leave her dangerously sick and an amount of bleeding would kill her faster than a normal human.

Whenever winter closed in, the Tai's became overprotective of their Fuelher, but the Great mother, mother to the Fuelhr was worse than overprotective.

Although old and sick, winters were the only time she left her compound and followed the Fuelher wherever she went, keeping her son, the Fuelhr as a watchdog around all season long.

There were no slaves with the Tai, all citizens equal with no power disputes or currency, they were farmers teachers, physicians, dancers, hunters, gardners, miners, every profession had a use and every thing in the market are purchased on exchange.

You want grains, you make an exchange with something you own, the only times food was distributed were during winters from the granary.

For a small, border tribe the children were educated on foreign customs, reading and writing and everyone knew everyone. And although secluded from civilization, they were surviving just fine.

To make sure their Fuelher survives every winter, the youths volunteer to hunt through out the winter to keep the Fuelher indoors in the reinforced thatch and wood house as long as possible, the ladies and experienced women volunteer to watch and help her with all chores and activities and the physician treating her through the season.

The Fuelhr, A'yang the only acknowledged male descendant of the Tai leaders and the Fuelher, A'yin, betrothed to him at birth because they share the same birth date and the prophecy from the previous Great mother.

The Fuelher was a spectacle. As tough and resilient as a wild Boar all through two seasons and as weak and helpless as a chick during the third season.

And the cold was just around the corner, but the great hunt was closer.