Vivien and the Scoria

Chapter 8: A Lesson in Patience

"I met Will when my mother left Merasa to join Lady Hannah's kaula in the Badlands-"

I had to interrupt him there, already confused. "Kaula? Lady Hannah? What are you on about?"

He looked slightly amused at my questions, but carried on regardless when I made a show of pulling one of my daggers out to clean it on Annabelle's dress. "Right, quick lesson on the barbarians then. Um, Lady Hannah is the current leader of the Barbarians, and I use leader in a very loose way because the barbarians don't really follow the structure of a hierarchical society that Merasa does. The barbarians are made up of multiple clans, each with a head family that ensures the welfare of everyone in their clan. Lady Hannah rules over all those head families and ensures that justice is equal throughout all of the clans. Since she can't be in many places at once, she has kaula, female followers who have dedicated their lives to serving Lady Hannah's family. They travel throughout the Badlands and meet with the clans, enforcing Lady Hannah's rule in her place. They also engage in trade with merchants who stop at the Temple of Penjaga. My mother left her family here after my youngest brother was born to become a kaula. Apparently her mother had done the same thing years ago. It was a family tradition, I guess."

He trailed off for a moment, giving me time to process the influx of information just relayed to me. I had had little to do with the barbarians over the years, besides Tessa's introduction into Will's family almost 6 years ago, and the slaughter of my family at the hands of a group of barbarians that had broken into the city during the Years of Indecision. I had never really been interested in learning about the barbarians and their social structure, having been far more interested in the Other-World Portals and trying to learn how to wield as many weapons as I could get my hands on. You could say that I had a very full on childhood, and honestly I don't know how Twister dealt with me, an angsty Will, Rin as a toddler, and Rosa as a newborn all at the same time with no help from any sort of mother figure in our lives.

"...Paddy was assigned to help my dad with adjusting to life as a single father, as part of his early training to become a Tanah leader." Blaze had begun speaking again, so I resumed paying attention to what he was saying. "Will was staying with Paddy for some reason early on after my mother left, and we became friends when Paddy came over to help. He'd dragged Will with him, and then left him with me and Janna, my twin brother, while he helped my dad with my youngest brother. My sisters were a lot older than me and Janna, and had already married off to Udarah men. The rest of the family blamed my dad for my mother running off to become a kaula, and refused to talk to us for a year. I spent a lot of time with Paddy, Will, and Janna that year. We've all been friends since. I was out of the city on a trade run with Janna when Will had his Test, and I only got back a couple of days ago. I hadn't realised that he would be gone so soon."

"Well I now know more about your personal life than I ever wanted or needed to. Wonderful." I stated sarcastically, though deep down I was incredibly proud of Will and Paddy, the boys they had been, and the men they had grown up to be. "Thanks though. It was good to hear about Will. He kept a lot of secrets from me, and it's just now coming to light exactly how many there really were."

"You know that he was just trying to keep you safe right?" Blaze interjected softly.

"I know. But sometimes, I'd rather know what he was hiding rather than look like a fool who has been kept in the dark about all the important things in my brother's life." I muttered, scratching lines into the table with the dagger that was still in my hand. Blaze put his hand over mine on the dagger, and I looked up to meet his eyes.

"It's time you know the secrets now Vivien. Will kept you in the dark to keep you safe, but with him gone, it's become safer if you know everything. Will you come with me to Twister's shop, and I'll explain everything?"

I raised my eyebrows at this, and pulled my hand back from Blaze's, tucking the dagger back in its sheath. "Right now? It's late; the shop isn't even open at this hour." I wasn't ready for sleep, like many would be at this hour, but I wasn't up to traipsing down the mountain to Twister's shop only find it closed, and then have to traipse back up the mountain to come home again.

"Twister makes exceptions sometimes."

"I'm sure he does..." I muttered, and stood up. "Well, if we're going, I'm not wearing this. Go outside and wait, I'll be out when I find something else to wear, that isn't a dress or completely covered in blood.

"Blood? Why were you covered in blood?" Blaze asked inquisitively, standing up as well, and moving to hover just behind the chair he was sitting on, one hand balanced lightly on the back of it.

"That is a story for another time. Now, shoo. Out." I told him sternly, waving my hands in front of myself to shoo him out. When he didn't move, and simply continued to stand behind the chair, staring at me with a slight head tilt, I shrugged and unzipped the dress at the side where the two halves met. This caused Blaze to realise that I was serious about undressing, and he squealed before bolting out the door, slamming it shut behind himself. I rolled my eyes at his actions, but still felt the flush in my cheeks due to the embarrassment I felt at doing what I had done. I may be a bit of a wild child, but I still valued my modesty, no matter what my previous actions may indicate. 

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Everything after this is the old story. There will be many irregularities if you dare to continue reading. Seriously, I don't recomend it. I've changed the plot so this chapter does not line up with the next one at all. Please don't continue reading.