Lost

Chapter 91: "The Guardian of the Zamarud - I"

"Last were the people of Oochath tribe, my tribe. These were the poorest and the most humble of the Sthooriy. Living high on the mountains, the Oochath usually lived off of hunting in the wild forests and picking the fruits that grew there. Apricots, plums, walnuts and almonds were usually collected and stored for the cold winters. Some of the Oochath offered labor in the other three tribes - building structures, working on the fields or herding their animals - in exchange for grains, or weapons, or dairy products,"

"The Sthooriy were a self sustained community with little exchange with the rest of the world. The valley and its people were separated from the outer world not only by the sky high mountains of the Himalayas but also by their strong traditions and distinct customs. Free, unconquered, and hardened by battles and brutal winters, the Sthooriy lived according to their own rules and with their own rich culture, passed down with purity from one generation to the next. When the British colonized the neighboring India, the Sthooriy were left alone after a few unsuccessful attempts to force the tribes to kneel,"

"The valley was usually peaceful, with each tribe going about its business, but there were times when the Sthooriy fought amongst themselves - breaking and making new pacts. The Tor Gul being stronger than the others militarily, usually coerced the Manzanee and Landhini tribes into giving up a large share of their grains and their dairy to the 'Protectors of Sthooriy'. The two tribes were unhappy with this unjust coercion. Not only because they were not able to trade the excess of their produce, but also, because in case of an attack –which was an extremely rare occurrence - the four tribes protected Sthooriya with equal contribution of body count and material. The weapons stores that the Tor Guls boasted of and used for intimidation were full, with little use or need to add to. They had no contribution in the production. Consequently, the Tor Guls' claim on the produce was largely seen as unfair. However, fearing plunder and brutal punishments, they made sure the ever growing bellies of the Tor Guls were full, even if they did little for the benefit of Sthooriya except perhaps not slitting throats for fun."

The Oochath tribe lived far away from the dirty politics of the richer, more important tribes below. They were comparatively underprivileged, but they were a happier people. They had little to offer in form of natural resources and it was hard to attack a community located at heights which were not only tough but dangerous to climb. This served as a protection from the manipulations of the other tribes – especially the Tor Guls. Peaceful and humble, the Oochath rarely invited trouble while working for the other tribes. Physically light and speedy with strong limbs, no one could outrun a Oochath who would always race up the steep slopes to take cover amongst the tree, in case of an emergency."

"One very cold winter, however, the Oochath were faced with the horrific threat of the entire tribe starving out. The weather that year had been colder than it had been for decades. The crops were affected. The produce was small and poor in quality. The meadows never turned green and as a result the animals became weak, decreasing the milk and meat production of the Shepherds. The river froze, fish were scarce. As the winter started drawing close, each tribe became more and more protective over their scarce supply of food in the stores. The Tor Guls made an open announcement. Not a single grain or an ounce of animal produce was to be consumed until the Tor Gul's store houses for winter were filled to the last inch. The Manzannee and the Landhini openly refused to comply, but with the first elder whose head was chopped of in front of everyone in the tribal gathering, the rest of them quietened down and obliged. However, behind the backs of the Tor Gul soldiers, the two tribes risked harsh punishments by trying to steal out of their own food to feed their kids when the snow would start falling,"

"With all of this going on, the Oochath tribe was facing the worse kind of trial. Like usual, they offered firewood and labor in exchange for grains, meat and dairy products. However, with the brutal demands of the Tor Guls, the farmers and the shepards demanded more firewood and labor in exchange of lesser amount of produce. As the two tribes emptied out their stores to fill those of the Tor Guls', they became more and more reluctant to sell their own bread and butter. However, once the Tor Guls were satisfied, there was little left for the tribes themselves. By the time winter drew near, the producers flat out refused to do business. The Tor Guls demanded that the Oochaths also contribute to the needs of 'The protectors of Sthooriy'. Knowing the Tor Guls would consider themselves too important to tire themselves with the painstaking climb, the tribe of climbers told them there is nothing to give up, which was quite literary true. The fruit was barely enough for the tribe itself, there really was nothing to give up."