Here's a New & Fresh update and probably the longest one this far
Huzza!
Enjoy...
“Acroney, don’t leave me here,” a younger female Toicer said.
“Stay here and don’t move”, Acroney said to her while he grabbed a knife from a table and went away.
Outside the triangle shaped hut a battle ruled, a bloodstained battle between the Toicers and the Wolclarks. Gunshots and splashing sounds of sharp spears and arrows pierced threw the fighting opponents and cried down the birds’ songs. Cries from children and babies from different parts of the area accompanied. Huts were burning and the thick smell of blood made people feel sick.
He saw one of the old members that tried to fight against a tall Wolclark – probably one of their leaders generals –, which almost stabbed him through his gut with a machete. Luckily the Wolclark missed and the old Toicer smashed an acid stone in its head. The enemy fell down on the ground and blood ran out and colored the grass red.
Acroney turned his head and saw his father together with a bunch of soldiers who prepared themselves for another attack. The father, Igorney, saw his son and called on him. As Acroney walked towards him, a shadow appeared from behind and smashed Acroney in the head.
The son hit the ground and everything went black.
Chapter thirteen: The trip to Noka - part four: A familiar friend
Stranger and Maki had set up their camp for the night and were about to eat something, before get some sleep. The fire was glowing, and they planned the next days wandering - looking at the map and point out where to head next.
- Well we've traveled this far, but there's still a quite long bit to go, Maki sighed.
- Yeah, it sure is. But I guess we'll reach Noka's lair pretty soon - if we're moving in this speed as we've done the whole time we ought to be there... perhaps tomorrow night or the day after tomorrow, Stranger said.
- I suppose yer right. I've been thinking on what ways we'll have to take to reach the village and I suggest we could take this Monterya road beside the river here and then walk straight this road, in to the Dingum forest and after that take the small shortcut here. That would give us a trip, both safe and peaceful.
- That's a good idea, Maki. But if we're now about to get someplace tomorrow, then we better get some rest.
- All right, let's go for it.
They both went to bed - extremely exhausted - after the days' wandering.
* * * * *
Stranger couldn't sleep. He was too tence and excited to reach Noka's village. Or was it something else?
He turned around on the soft blanket to find a more comfortable position - but without results. Suddenly a snoring sound came from the other side of the tent; a loud and rough snore. "Maki...", Stranger thought, "I'm trying to sleep here and you keep me awake... Great. Could it get any worse?"
Just as Stranger almost succeded to fall asleep, he heard something rustling outside. He sighed. "Awww man! What now...!" He rose up and sneaked out from the tent to see what was bothering him. And he saw something really strange. A small and thin figure stood bent over the bowl with leftovers, which stood on the burned wooden sticks, and ate fast. The figure wore a dark cloak and a hood. "Now that fellow mustn't have eaten anything for several days, poor creature", Stranger thought while he crouched down slowly, to make sure he didn't get noticed. A familiar scent reached the Steefs nostrills and made his eyes go wide. "It can't be!"
He cleared his throat - quite loud - and the creature stoped eating and looked at him with suprise. It had some of the leftover clear soup around its mouth, which dripped down at the earth.
- Liana, Stranger carefully asked while he sneaked out from the tent to meet the figure.
- Stranger...? Is it you, the creature asked.
- Yes it's me.
The creature took of the hood. A teenage Legendary girls' face got visible. She smiled.
- Stranger, it is you!
Liana ran towards him and embraced him with her small arms around his waist.
- I've missed you, you scrawny Steef!
- I've missed you to, Liana, Stranger said as he returned the hug.
- What are you doing here anyway? Did ya find the Steef tribe? If ya have, shouldn't you be with them?
- I sure did... but I'll not be staying now. I ought to ask you the same; shouldn't you be with your own kind?
Liana let go of Stranger and answered with sadness:
- ... I was going to... but no more.
- What do you mean?
- The night after I helped you and your Grubb to escape from the village, then the Alpha leader and some of his guards banished me. If I return they'll torture me first and then they'll kill me.
- Banished? Because of us?
- No not 'cause of you. You guys helped me to see the real life behind the walls of laws and rules. I owe you one.
- I rather owe you one after the great thing you did , Stranger said as he stroke her cheek with a gentle hand.
- Is the Grubb still with ya?
- I'm afraid not... she missed her tribe and returned to them.
- Oh, I'm sorry 'bout that. So... where are you headed?
- I'm going to meet up with Noka, the Steef leader of the west and do the same I did to Vivay, the Steef leader of the east.
- Rule and conquer, eh?
- Nah, not exactly.
Suddenly the Legendary's eyes went wide and the ears pointed down.
- Eh, what's the matter, Stranger asked while he turned around.
There among the blankets, a hairy Steef head was staring at them with red-brown eyes. Stranger chuckeld.
- Don't you get scared - it's jus' Maki, Vivays son.
The girl calmed down, trusting Stranger completely.
Chapter thirteen: The trip to Noka - part five: Regrets and Luckyness
- Well Frayda, Vivay begun, I'll leave you in the hands of Acroney here now and wish you two good luck. I've to go back to my village, before the inhabitants get worried.
- Thanks for everything Vivay, may the Holy water bless your people and may the spirit of the Elders watch over you, Frayda said as she bowed to show her gratitude.
The Steef leader returned the gratitude by bowing back.
They saw him walk away over the green hill and watched him as he disappeard in to the woods.
* * * * *
- Are you hungry, Acroney asked.
- A little bit, the Grubb answered as she patted her stomache.
The Toicer filled a cup of clean soup from the bowl that stood over a fire, in front of his home, and gave it to her. Frayda began to drink of the warm soup and it reminded her of the food Stranger had brought with him on the first days of their journey. She sighed. She couldn't jus' forget Stranger or his pleading eyes; it was too much touching for her to carry. A tear ran down the cheek and fell to the ground.
- I can't do this, she sighed again, I've to help him.
- What? Whom do you talk about, Acroney asked.
- Stranger... needs me, I can feel it. He and Maki must have gone lost in the woods or maybe...
- Stranger? Who's that? Your boyfriend?
- No, no, no! He's not my boyfriend! Stranger is the protector of the Grubbs and perhaps the next leader of the Steefs' generation.
- Oh, sorry.
There was a pause.
- Did you jus' say protector?
- Yeah, why do you ask?
- If the Steefs are protectors of the Grubbs... then why did he refuse to bring ya with him?
-
He didn't refuse, but I did. I wanted to get back to my own tribe - I said I'd return, to my inhabitants, after a couple weeks or so, but there has almost gone a month and I feel bad for my people.
- So that's why you needed my help to get back to the village?
- Not anymore...
- I beg your pardon?
- I've changed my mind. I have to find Stranger and Maki... and you will help me.
- Uhm, excuse me. I thought you cared 'bout your people, are you going to leave them?
- No I'm not going to leave them, but my Steef fellows need me more than ever right now and you've got to lead and protect me on the way, jus' like Stranger did.
- Wait a sec, I thought
you guided him?
- Aww, whatever... Can you help me, Acroney?
- Well, I still have to keep my promise to Vivay... all right I'll help you.
Frayda felt a warmth inside of her body and smiled of joy.
Chapter thirteen: The trip to Noka - part six: Agreements and Farewells
Stranger, Maki and Liana had been walking for several hours now without taking a break and they all were tired. But they seemed to have luck with the weather though, the sky was full of clouds and quite calm winds blew around them. Nothing would stop them for reaching their destination - their goal.
- I'm tired and cold, Liana said.
- I know, we all are, but we've to continue. It isn't far from Noka's lair now and we can't have anymore breaks, Maki explained.
- I agree. I know you have different habits, but from now on you've got to get used to it, Stranger replied.
- Easy for you to say, Liana said as she continued to walk.
After a while they reached a pretty tall hill and began to get across it. Liana sat on Stranger's back - after she alomst succeded to fall to the ground of tiredness - while the two Steefs walked to the top of it. When they had reached the top they saw - to thier relief - not too far away, Noka's village.
- All right, Maki began while he looked at the map, now we've to cross the Dingum forest, that doesn't seem to be so big or deep.
- Okay let's go for it, Stranger said while he looked at the tired Legendary, you ready?
- I'm... yawn... ready, she answered.
With those words they marsched away in to the Dingum woods.
* * * * *
The fog of the forest kept the plants and the remaning leaves of the trees weat and watered the mosses. A breeze of fesh clean air touched their nostrills and made them feel free.
- We're almost through it now, Maki said still followed by Stranger and Liana.
They continued to make sure no time would be lost.
Abrubtly a couple of tall and lightbrown creatures stood with loaded crossbows pointed at them. "Oh, no... not again," Stranger thought while he protected Maki and Liana.
One of the creatures said:
- Who dare to enter the Land of the Toicers? What before me I see nothing more than two scrawny donkies with thier rider.
- What is your quest and what kind of reason do you have to pass, the other one asked.
- Donkies? Donkies! You call me a donkey, yer overgrown sack of potatos, Maki shouted out in front of the Toicers.
- Eh, Maki calm down, Stranger began while he pulled Maki's arm, I'm Stranger and these are my companions. We are on our way to Noka, the Steefleader of the west.
- Who's that girl on your back then? She isn't a Steef, now is she, the first Toicer asked with wrath.
Liana climbed down from Stranger's back and walked towards them and looked in their eyes with burning anger.
- I might not be a Steef, but I still got the same rights to pass like they have. So don't try to stop me!
- You're that Legendary girl, huh? The one who got banished by her own kind, the other Toicer asked.
- Maybe I am... maybe I'm not...
Just when she turned around the first one said while putting down the crossbow:
- Wait! All we want to ask is if you want to stay with us, the tribe of Toicers. We don't want to hurt anyone, we jus' protect our territorities from enemies. We also do know Noka, he and some of his guards help to protect our homes and in exchange they get food to eat which we hunt for them. There are jus' a few of us left who survived the war between the Wolclarks and we don't want to bring up any more fights.
- A war, Liana asked.
- Yes. One of the coldest wars we've ever had since a few generations back.
- But why do you want me in your tribe?
- We've never seen a Legendary in ages and our leader would appreaciate if you would join. Do you accept?
- I... don't know, She looked at the two suprised Steefs and then back at them, it came up in such a haste...
- We understand. You feel free now when you don't have any rules to follow, but it isn't the same in our village. We do have rules that may be quite strict, but not as the Legendaries.
- How do you know the Legendaries? I mean if you haven't seen them for ages then how is it possible to know that they have rules that are more strict, Stranger asked.
- Our shaman in the tribe has shown his visions to us and that includes the history of the Legendaries and what they'll do next. He knows everything and he can't have wrong.
- Oh, that explains alot, Maki said.
The Toicers nodded and the eyes fell on Liana again.
- What's your name, the other Toicer asked.
- My name is Liana, the Legendary answered.
There was silence.
- I've made my decision, Liana continued, I will join your tribe.
- Great. Our leader will be so proud, the first Toicer said.
- But what'll happend to Stranger and Maki?
- They have the rights to pass and will be honoured by our people that they brought you here safe and sound, the other one said while he bowed to show his way of appreaciation.
Stranger and Maki returned the bowing and said farewell to Liana, aware of that she'd get a new home and a family who would love her. They waved them of while the two Toicers and Liana walked deeper in to the woods.
- I'll miss her, Maki sighed.
- Yeah me to, but we're not far from reach our goal, Stranger said.
- You're right, c'mon let's go to Noka's lair!
~DS~
and well I'll take it from the start:
ain't somebody going to read anytin' ? 
