Begun this day, the ninth day of the Fire Season, Thirteen-hundred and Sixty-Seven years after the Dawn; the book of Vininna of the Woodpecker Clan of the Orlanthi in Dragon Pass.
My clan has always been good to me. When my father and mother were killed in a raid, the leader of our clan, Jonrik, took me in to his stead as his daughter. I was given this book recently, to take note of important happenings in my life. When I was initiated as an adult this last Sacred Time, I had a voice in the clan issues, and when Lismelder, an old woman on the clan ring, died, we put Elgane on the ring in her stead. Elgane advised Jonrik to make peace with the Jenstali, with whom we had been feuding as long as I can remember. The leader of the Jenstali agreed to settle the feud if his son could marry a noble maiden of beauty, intelligence, kindness, and wealth. Jonrik decided that if the other leader could give up a child, he would too, and they made plans for me to marry his son Aski.
I have no choice but to comply, and even if I had a choice, would I really ruin the plans for peace for my own reasons? They are taking me to the Jenstali tula tomorrow.
Eleventh day of the Fire Season
I am miserable! Until I am married to Aski, I cannot leave the stead of the priestess of Chalana Arroy. We are still officially feuding, and I could be killed- or worse. Aski�s sister, Minara, brought me presents from him, a silver bracelet, a beautiful cloak off a deep red color, and an amulet of a glowing stone. They are beautiful, and I will wear them when we are married, but is he trying to buy my affections? Old Arkilla, the priestess, is going blind, so I have to help her.
Twelfth day of the Fire Season
The Woodpecker and Jenstali clans are no longer feuding, and I am the bride of Aski. The crafters painted portraits of us at the wedding.
He is a handsome young man, if a bit unkempt, and he is kind, but I wonder, will I learn to love him? This clan is different from my clan, but is the same in some ways.
Nineteenth day of the Earth Season
We have been so busy with the harvest, and I haven�t had time to write anything for more than a season. Aski is good to me, particularly after we learned that we have already been blessed with children. The priestesses of Ernalda say that it will be a boy, and Aski is very excited. He makes sure that I don�t have too much work to do in the fields. If it is a son, I will name him Orlkarnth. Aski is a weaponthane now, but I still work in the fields with the other women. The leader of the clan is against women fighting. I think that they should build a shrine to Vinga like at home, which lets women fight alongside the men in the fyrd.
Sixth day of the Storm Season
My belly is so swollen with this child I can hardly move. It will not be much longer until I have this child, and I cannot wait.
Third day of Sacred Time
My beautiful daughters were born the first day of sacred time, a good omen. It was not a son, as the priestesses predicted, but twin girls. One has fine blond hair, the other thick red-gold hair. I named them Yerestia and Eonislara. Aski is disappointed that they weren�t boys.
Seventh day of the Sea Season
Aski and another young weaponthane were out patrolling our borders this afternoon, when two outlaw women swooped down and took them back to their camp. I was worried, and urged the clan ring to conduct a divination, but they refused. Later, they came back. The other weaponthane�s wife suspected him of adultery, for the outlaw women often force themselves on men, but he denied it.
Aski came to me, and told me that the outlaws had threatened to kill him if he did not do as they wished, and that they had captured a little child of another clan who they also threatened to kill. He said he could not let them kill the child, so he committed adultery with them, and he begged me to forgive him. I forgave him, but the clan ring outlawed him and the other weaponthane. I was heartbroken, and begged to be allowed to return to my own clan, but they said that Yerestia and Eonislara belonged to their clan, and I could not leave my daughters behind.
Fourteenth day of the Fire Season
Thirteen years have passes since I last wrote in this, since Aski was outlawed. Yerestia and Eonislara are fine big girls now, as you can see below. Yerestia�s hair is still fair and light, and Eonislara is growing taller every day. She is gangly and awkward, but she will be beautiful.
What I am really writing about is Brenna. Three days ago, the outlaw women who took Aski returned. They brought with them a dark haired young girl, and told us that she was Aski�s daughter. She had lived with the outlaws for some time, but they wanted her to be a member of a clan. The clan ring told me it was my decision, and I took her in. She looks like Aski, and immediately became friends with my daughters. I miss Aski. We heard that he had been taken as a thrall of another clan.
My clan disapproved of the taking of thralls, but the Jenstali take thralls, so we have several working on our land.
First day of Sacred Time
My girls, all three of them, have been initiated as adults. I am so proud of them! Yerestia is short like me, and wise in the ways of the world. Brenna is a good hunter, slender and dark like her father, but Eonislara surprised even me! She is tall and shapely, with her red-gold hair glittering and her face sweet. She has many offers of marriage already, and is seriously considering some of them. As for me, I am not as young as I once was, and rely more and more on the thralls to help with work.
Eighteenth day of the Fire Season
I am so angry! A visiting Uroxi warrior, a bit too drunk on the wine we gave him, dishonored Yerestia. I found him by following her screams, and he claimed that it would strengthen him against chaos. He is not married, so the clan ring insisted that he marry Yerestia. She is fearful of him, poor girl, and small wonder. His name is Jarstakos, and he wants to take her back to his clan. I refused to let him, and he came close to striking me before one of the weaponthanes hoping to marry Eonislara stopped him. Finally it was decided that he would come live with the Jenstali and marry Yerestia. She cried and begged not to have to marry him, but to no avail.
Twenty-second day of the Dark Season
Yerestia is pregnant with the child of that Uroxi slime, and she cries every day. She seems to be wasting away to nothing, and I am worried for her.
A handsome weaponthane, a few years older than me, has recently come to the Jenstali clan. He is a Humakti, kind, strong, and just. His name is Leikan, and I love him. I have asked the clan ring to allow our marriage, for he likes me as well, and they gave permission. Now, we just need to wait until a good time.
Fourth day of Sacred Time
Brenna and Eonislara have finally decided to marry. Eonislara is married to a handsome young weaponthane named Markalor. He will be able to provide for her well. Brenna, I worry for a bit. She married old Garrath, a carl some fifty years older than she. I married Leikan, and perhaps our children will play with my grandchildren. Yerestia gave birth to a fine young son, Vastyr, as beautiful and gentle as his mother, but as bullheaded as his father.
Fifteenth day of the Dark Season
Five days ago, there was great cause for rejoicing. By some strange coincidence, or perhaps the will of the gods, Yerestia, Eonislara, Brenna, and I all had children born to us this day. The god-talkers say they will all have great destinies. My son, Orlkarnth; Yerestia�s daughter, Onelisin; Eonislara�s daughter Lismelder; and Brenna�s son, Enfrew. Vastyr is almost a year old, and likes his little sister very much.
Seventh day of the Earth Season
Poor Brenna� Garrath died, leaving her and Enfrew alone. His first wife�s children made her leave, and take Enfrew and her other son Farad with her, because she was the child of adultery, and she has nowhere to go. There is no room in my stead, with Leikan and little Orlkarnth who is almost four now. Eonislara has a second child, little Baranwolf, and there is no room there either. Yerestia has room, with only Vastyr and Onelisin although another one is on the way, but Jarstakos is cruel and will not let Brenna and her sons stay with him. I feel so sorry for her, creeping about like a stranger in her own home.
Fourteenth day of the Storm Season
Brenna found a temporary home with Garrath�s niece, but she has been kicked out of there as well. Enfrew is five, and dismayed at how he has no home, but Farad remembers little else. Leikan is trying to get permission to add on to our stead, but the clan leader is Garrath�s son and hates Brenna, delighting in her misery.
Fifteenth day of the Storm Season
Just when I thought it could get no worse, the clan ring has decided that Brenna cannot raise her sons properly without a stead, and she has no stead. Therefore, her children are forfeit- to Jarstakos! He won�t treat the boys right, and they already have two children. I would take them in if the ring would allow it, but they say that Jarstakos could do it better.
Third day of the Sea Season
Things have finally come to a head with Yerestia and Jarstakos. He beat her even after their third child, little Dorasa, was born. She couldn�t stand him, particularly when he tormented Brenna�s boys, Enfrew and Farad. She told the clan ring that she could not kill him, for that would be secret murder and kinstrife, but she could not live with him either. Since suicide is a sin, she had but one choice. She paid the little silver she had left from her presents at her Initiation, and hired a mercenary to duel and hopefully kill Jarstakos. He is a good fighter, though, and he will beat her more if he wins. The duel is scheduled for next week.
Tenth day of the Sea Season
The duel today was amazing. When the two men faced each other, a stranger ran up. He was skinny and dirty, surely not much older than twenty, but he held a message in his hand. He spoke to me, telling me he was an outlaw, and he brought a message for Vininna and her daughters Eonislara and Yerestia from her husband, Aski. The message read "Dearest, I will not fault you if you married again. I love you still, though I am dying an outlaw and will never see my grandchildren. Know that by the time you get this, I am dead. I hope you are happy, my beloved Vininna. I hope our daughters are well, and our grandchildren as well." As I read, tears dropped to the page. I looked in the young man�s face, and saw Aski�s features. I asked him who his father was, and his answer confirmed my suspicions. He was Aski�s son, as I had thought. I told him of what was happening, and he insisted on helping his sister. He fought in place of the mercenary, and cut Jarstakos in half with a single blow. He was adopted into the clan unanimously, and took Brenna into his stead, along with her children, until she could find a place of her own. His very name brings tears to my eyes: Aski.
Third day of the Dark Season
My Orlkarnth is a man, has been for some time now, but he truly demonstrated it today. My husband Leikan died honorably in battle, leading our clan to victory and my whole family gathered to mourn. Eonislara brought her five children, her husband, her son-in-law, and her granddaughter. Yerestia brought all three of her children, one daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren. Brenna�s sons brought their wives and children, and Aski brought his family as well. Orlkarnth was very close to his father, and wouldn�t come back into the stead until we had already started to mourn for Leikan. When he came in, he brought a treasure none of us had seen before, the Hammer of Urox. It amazed us all, and he threw it onto the fire in the center of the stead. In the fire, we saw the gods, and Lhankor Mhy stepped forward. He recited a poem about Leikan, a beautiful poem. We couldn�t remember it, but it was the most beautiful poem any of us had ever heard.
Ninth day of the Earth Season
I am dying. I�m old, and now I will die. My children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are gathered around my bed, and I am writing this last thing before I die. I hope that whoever finds it can benefit from the many things I have learned in my life, but I doubt anyone in Dragon Pass will read it for years to come. Still, perhaps� Whoever is reading this, may Orlanth watch over you.
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