Introduction/Rules | Prologue Part 2

Spring 1888

in the parlour of the Tangle family home, Brindleton Bay

“For the final time, Stefan, I will not pay for any more schooling for you! Your brothers never needed any, so why should you? They’re all doing just fine as salesmen for the Lumber Mill. There’s no shame in a hard day’s work – I’ve been doing it all my life, and so shall you!”

“But – Father – I don’t want to join the business as a junior sales associate. You know I’ve never been good at sales.” Stefan tried to keep the whine out of his voice, but he was quickly losing patience with his elderly father.

“Balderdash. There is no such thing as being bad at sales. It just means you have to work harder. You’ve always been too lazy for your own good. A steady job would do you a world of good.” Newton Tangle adjusted his tie and went to the sideboard to get a drink before he continued, “What you need is to find yourself a nice woman from a respectable family and start a family. I need more grandchildren. There’s plenty of room in this house for you to bring in a wife and start on your heir.”

“A wife? But I’m barely eighteen!”

“That’s when your brothers got married! Why do you think you’re better than they are?” Newton threw his arm in the air and took a bracing drink of whiskey. “All your life you’ve been contrary – why should I have thought you would be any different now!”

“I’m not! I’m … ” Stefan reached for some semblance of control on his anger. He was tired of his father putting him down and comparing him to his perfect brothers. “I won’t do it, Father – I won’t be your lackey at the Mill like my brothers!”

“Then you’ll be forfeiting your inheritance! I’m not giving you a choice, here, son. You’ll join the workforce and the Mill, and find yourself a respectable wife. Or you’ll be finding yourself a new place to live. Now begone!”

Livid, Stefan stormed out of the parlor, grabbed his hat, and continued straight out the door of the house. He’d never considered that his father would be so opposed to him returning to school and becoming a lawyer – but to threaten losing his inheritance was extreme, even for his father.

After a long walk around Brindleton Bay to cool off, Stefan headed home, only to find his mother waiting in the Foyer for him.

“Why must you always fight with your Father, Stefan? He only means the best for you!” she asked before he could say anything.

“It’s not my fault. He always expects things from me that I’m simply not going to do!” Stefan replied, trying to keep a rein on his temper.

“What are you going to do instead, then? You know there’s no one in town that will hire you on if you’re not working for your Father!”

“I’m going to look, anyway. It’s not fair that the entire town always seems to be on his side! Next thing you know, he’ll be arranging my marriage because I’m ‘taking too long’!”

A guilty look from his mother was all he needed in reply to that. “Don’t you even think on it. I’ll find my own wife – in my own time!”

“Of course you will, sweetie.” His mother took his shoulders in her frail hands and patted them as if to comfort him. “But while you’re looking for that job you want – and a wife -perhaps it would be easier on everyone if you just reported to the Mill first thing in the morning. You know how hard Father is on me when you won’t cooperate….” She looked at him beseechingly, letting her sentence trail off.

Sighing, Stefan looked away and replied, “Fine.” Breaking his mother’s hold of him, he turned and headed up the stairs to his room, his mind whirling. Surely someone in town would hire him and he could quit working at the Mill for his father…. the entire town couldn’t be in his pocket, could they?

Fall 1888

in an upstairs bedroom at the Bates family home, BRINDLETON BAY

Juliet stared out the window, watching her little brother playing without a care in the world in the front yard. Wryly, she wondered if she’d ever been given time like that in her entire life. Maybe when she was small, before her father died. Before Mother remarried. … But even then, Juliet doubted it. She had never been the boy that her parents had wanted, and if felt like she’d paid for it dearly with all the daily chores she was expected to do. Wash the clothes, the dishes, the linens, the floor. It seemed like something was always dirty – and it was always her job to fix it. Never Mary. Poor, poor Mary.

Juliet rolled her eyes and walked over to her wall mirror. Her step-sister’s husband had died shortly after the marriage, and, bereft, Mary had run home to her father for solace. Not only did he comfort her, but he gave her the best room in the house, making Juliet sleep in the kitchen on a cot. He claimed it was so Juliet could be closer to where her chores were, but that didn’t exactly make her feel better.

Wild giggling outside brought her thoughts back to her brother. If only he hadn’t been born. He had been a late surprise for her mother, who had thought she would never have an heir, and he had been the apple of his parent’s eyes ever since. He could do no wrong – and he certainly wasn’t expected to do any chores. He had school, after all. He was destined to be a well-respected teacher, like his father. .. Or that’s what everyone expected.

Juliet didn’t plan on staying around long enough to find out. Surely she could find a husband before she ended up a spinster maid, always caring for a family she hated. She examined her figure in the mirror, smiled, and smoothed her blonde hair back. Somehow, she had to convince her mother and step-father to start letting her run the errands into town so she could see and be seen. She was never going to find a husband to take her away from here if she couldn’t actually get out of the house to meet the bachelor in question.

Spring 1889

Behind the Deadgrass Discoveries Museum, Brindleton Bay

Juliet stood off to the side, watching Stefan Tangle quietly. He was a hard man to figure out. She knew of his rumored temper, but she’d certainly never seen any evidence of it since he’d begun courting her. They’d met in town when he’d practically stumbled over her in the town General Store, and she had done her best to flutter her eyelashes and simper like the town girls who always had beaus. He had been attentive ever since, taking her for Sunday drives after church – when the weather in this cursed town cooperated – and, while he had never been the most talkative and affectionate of men, time with him had been enjoyable. At least while she was with him she wasn’t having to wash something else at home.

Her step-father had been reluctant to allow Stefan to court her at first, and it had taken the Tangle family reputation and all of Juliet’s powers of persuasion to convince him that this was a good idea. After all, getting on the good side of one of the more powerful men in the county couldn’t hurt his precious son’s prospects later in life. Or – at least, that’s what she’d told her step-father. He didn’t need to know that Stefan had already confessed to hating this town as much as she did. He worked for his father at the Mill, but all he talked about when he did talk was finding a new place to work and live. .. Which worked out just fine for Juliet. Getting out of this town sounded like the perfect opportunity to her.

She glanced under her lashes at other couples walking past, heading for the beach below. Perhaps she could convince Stefan to make their arrangement more permanent, to take her away from here. She was doing her best to be exactly what he wanted – or what she figured every man wanted – a respectable society wife.

She took him by the arm, and steered him away from all the other people on the shore. Maybe she could get them a more private area up by the lighthouse, and get him to pay attention to her and not the water below.

By the end of the evening, she had – hopefully – snared even more of his affections. She had even let him steal a private kiss when no-one was around, and with any luck, that would start pushing him towards proposing. She had no idea what men actually looked for in a woman, but certainly a girl who hinted at so much more than a kiss but never gave it would spark a man’s interest. No way would she allow more than a kiss – because she knew that was a quick way to be a mistress instead of a wife – but the kiss had seemed harmless enough.

Stefan escorted her back to her family’s home, and they said goodnight at the door under the watchful eyes of her mother in the window. She turned to watch him go in the dim glow of the street lamps, marveling at the fine figure he cut in his tailored suit. Then, before her mother could find something else to complain about, she hurried inside to take care of the evening chores.

Introduction/Rules | Prologue Part 2

Chapter Four | Island Spirits Welcome page | Chapter Six

Nork’s day started pretty much like they always did. By the time he woke up, Utel was already busy in the garden, even though the baby had kept them up at all hours of the night. The baby seemed very strong, and her cries were potent. It boded well for her continued survival. It was too bad it wasn’t a boy, but Nork was sure they could try again.

Nork went out to join Utel in the garden, and was feeling magnanimous enough to help her out. After the herbs she gave him for his fish, Nork had changed his mind about gardening. Perhaps it wasn’t a waste of time, after all.

The morning didn’t stay normal, however, because of the huge monster plant that Utel had somehow grown. She had continued to care for it, and it had grown and grown. This morning, it had produced a tasty-smelling fruit, and no warnings from Nork would keep Utel away from it.

Before he could save her, the plant devoured Utel with one gulp. Nork yelled and ran towards them, intent on killing it and freeing Utel, but before he could attack, the plant spat her back out. She was filthy and uncomfortable, but she was alive. Nork made up his mind to keep an eye out on that plant, and to keep Utel safer from now on.

Later in the day, after Utel had cleaned up in the waterfall and returned to the hut to care for the baby, Nork visited the village hot springs. To his delight, Utas was there. Immediately, he began flirting with her, but she was initially unhappy with his advances. Nork felt very confused, but he persisted.

Eventually, she came around again, and she seemed suitably impressed by his stories of his long journey to get to the village.

She insisted on talking about inane village gossip, however, and Nork was “forced” to find a way to silence her.

The night had a satisfying conclusion, after all, and Nork headed home with a huge smile on his face.

The next morning, the skies opened up, and the rains came down with a vengeance. So much so that neither Nork or Utel needed to make their daily trips to the waterfall. Utel simply showered in the rain near the garden. Nork certainly didn’t mind the view!

As the storm worsened, however, Utel retreated to the hut to care for the frightened baby, leaving Nork to his woodworking. He wasn’t about to seem like he was afraid of the lightning and run to the hut like everyone else.

With no one watching, however, the lightning really was pretty terrifying. In the interest of keeping the woman and baby safe, he decided the hut was probably a better idea.

Late that night, after the storms subsided, Nork lit the campfire and cooked some dinner. Only to have a spare spark hop out of the fire and nearly set him ablaze. Despite all the rain, the log chair caught fire quickly, and Nork was left to simply watch it, and his dinner, burn to ash. Dejectedly, he returned inside and “borrowed” some of Utel’s veggies. When she wasn’t watching, of course.

The time flew past, and before Nork knew it, the youngster had grown into a toddler, and was getting into everything. Nork was glad he had been right that the baby was strong. Speaking of babies, he had recently found out that his liaison with Utas had also borne fruit, she now had a baby by her side, as well. Nork felt absolutely swelled with pride, and hoped this baby would be as strong as his first one was.

Nork was getting pretty good at his woodworking, and everyone in the village was starting to take notice. He was getting orders for raised garden beds like the ones he’d built for Utel, and he’d come up with other things to build, too. He still went out fishing with the guys from time to time, but for the moment, he had so many requests for things that he felt chained to the bench. He had even been able to figure out a tub that held water, so they wouldn’t have to carry the toddler to the waterfall to bathe her. She still seemed perpetually dirty, though, because she was constantly “helping” her mother with digging in the garden.

Nork wouldn’t admit it to anyone else, but he was getting quite attached the the little one. When no one was looking, he even hugged the child affectionately.

They were almost like a little family, and Utel seemed to thrive as a mother. She cooked daily vegetable feasts in the barbecue pit, which Nork was more than happy to partake in, as well.

The little one really seemed to enjoy playing in the water, and Nork was glad they didn’t have to carry it far from the ocean for her to play in in her little pool. Now other mothers had taken notice, and poor Nork had more work to do than ever.

He was determined to give Utel a baby boy, however, and now that there was “room” in the hut, he made sure to “work” on that, too.

Little Saazul didn’t seem to mind, and found ways to get filthy while Utel and Nork were “busy”.. giving Utel more work to do when they were finished.

Soon, Utel’s belly began growing, and Nork watched her almost possessively, hoping that this youngster would be a strong baby boy to carry on his legacy. Luckily, Utel had been staying away from that monster plant, and allowed Nork to care for it. Nork had found he could keep it pacified with cuts of fish from his fishing forays… so he had one more mouth to feed.

Things were definitely looking up for Nork, after all. He didn’t like to think back on his reluctance to move away from his old home, but he was glad he had taken the mystic’s advice.

Chapter Four | Island Spirits Welcome page | Chapter Six

Chapter Three | Island Spirits Welcome page | Chapter Five

Utel’s garden was thriving, and her belly grew with every day, it seemed. Nork was able to spend plenty of time with his new friends, the Fishermen, and, slowly, Utel was starting to meet the other village women. Everyone seemed busy with preparations for the upcoming celebration, though, and she didn’t want to intrude. She had things to get ready, as well, because she was planning on cooking a vegetable feast for the ceremony, as a thank-you to the tribe. With everything going on, it wasn’t surprising that some mornings she accidentally slept in.

Nork, however, was not impressed with Utel’s lazy mornings. He had gotten used to her herbs on his fish, and eating them plain simply wasn’t the same. The least she could do was get up in time to help him with breakfast!

This morning, shortly after Nork finished cooking his fish and Utel finally got up, Chief Guar showed up with the anticipated news. The Ceremony was set for this evening, at the temple. Neither Utel had nor Nork had had reason to visit the temple yet, and, individually, both had felt they would be intruding to go there before the ceremony to induct them into the tribe. In other words, being finally officially invited to the temple was a thrill.

Utel spent the rest of the morning harvesting the necessary vegetables, fruit, and herbs for her feast, and packing it in baskets. The butterflies of nervousness flew madly in her stomach, and she tried in vain to convince herself that it was just the young one inside her. The trek up the volcano to the temple was undertaken with reverence, and Nork was even magnanimous enough to help carry her vegetables.

The temple was already teeming with activity when they arrived, and the cooking pit was prepared for Utel’s feast. She hurriedly packed the vegetables and herbs in the pit and started them cooking. She then arranged the fruit on the table, and villagers quickly began testing them, remarking with pleasure at the quality of her produce. Utel flushed with pride, and went about meeting the other ladies she hadn’t seen before.

Nork helped ready and light the bonfire with his fellow fishermen, and they looked on happily as the village all started crowding around the flames.

The party continued as the sun slowly set, and the bonfire was enjoyed by all for it’s warmth and light. Having two new members of the village was a huge moment for the tribe, and extremely unusual, so the opportunity for a day off of work was gladly received by each and every member.

Utel called everyone to partake in her vegetable feast, and she nearly quaked with nerves as the entire village lined up to try her offerings.

The feast was well-received by everyone, much to Utel’s surprise, and several women asked for sprouts from her garden to enhance their own plantings.

After the feast, the Chief called everyone to the bonfire, and the men, including Nork, all did their traditional fire dances in celebration of the new village members. Nork told the story of their long Journey, and of Utel’s vision. He even managed to sound less sarcastic about the visions this time.

By the time the Ceremonies were over, Utel was exhausted… and had fallen asleep on one of the stone benches. Nork helped the women with cleanup for the feast, even though it was considered women’s work, to make up for her not being able to help.

By the time everything was cleaned up, most of the village had headed home, and Nork made one more round around the temple, making sure it was pristine. Much to his surprise, some spirits showed up, giving their blessing to the new villager. He started in fright, but then shrugged. Perhaps Utel’s visions were correct. This WAS where they belonged.

On the way home from the volcanic temple, both Utel and Nork availed themselves of the waterfall for a cleansing ritual, then trudged the rest of the way back to their homestead.

That night’s sleep was by far the best they had slept since arriving, and, to Nork’s chagrin, both slept in the next morning.

In the days following the ceremony, Nork and Utel became very popular members of the village.

Nork did small things around the village for the ladies, and one of them, Utas, seemed very thankful.

Nork and Utas spent the afternoon flirting and checking the fishing traps around the village.

Later, they played in the sand together, and she introduced him to some other villagers.

Nork felt completely welcomed, and an idea started forming in the back of his mind.

Every night for the next week, he labored late into the darkness, building and building.

The hut, however, was finally complete. Since they were official village members, Nork knew it was time to solidify their place in the village by no longer living in a flimsy travel-tent.

The hut was just in time, too, since that night, her labor pains began. In a panic, Nork ran for Saelua and quickly vacated the hut to allow for the midwifery. To Utel’s relief, the process was over by the morning light, and she named her daughter Saazul.

After caring for the new baby, Utel fell into an exhausted sleep in the new hut, completely spent.

Despite the fact that infant care was women’s work, Nork showed a sensitive side and helped care for the baby while letting Utel rest and recover. Just holding the young one made his chest fill with pride, and he made a resolution to himself to try for more young ones as soon as possible.

Bonus Out-Take

Poor Utel is tired of being stinky…. (or maybe it was the fish Nork was cooking??)

Chapter Three | Island Spirits Welcome page | Chapter Five

Chapter Two | Island Spirits Welcome page | Chapter Four

The very first thing Utel did upon waking up was to start planting her garden. As sure as Nork was that they were going to get kicked out of the village, was as sure as she was that they would be staying. She had faith in her vision. And her vision told her this is where she would live and raise her children. To do that, she would need a steady stock of food. The best way to achieve that, as far as she knew, was a garden that would produce all year round. The plants she had collected on the trip were a good starts, but she would need others as the seasons progressed.

The Fishermen turned out to be a bunch of jovial fellows, who were more than willing to have Nork join them for the day. In fact, they welcomed him wholeheartedly to the village, which made Nork feel ever so much more welcome.

They showed him some of the best fishing locations around, and they caught a decent haul to feed the village, along with just enough for Nork to take home a fish or two to his hut for dinner. (He had been quick to say he didn’t need more, because his traveling companion wouldn’t eat fish – which ensured several rounds of hilarity with the men.) He said farewell to Brak, Dhok, and Tik, and headed back to his camp.

The sun was setting by the time be got home, and Utel was apparently already asleep, so he built a fire as quietly as he could and cooked his well-earned dinner. He was afraid to do too much to make this a home just yet, but, with Utel’s efforts at gardening, it was clearly already looking like a decent homestead.

In the morning, Utel work up early to take care of her plants. And then she had a thought. They would do so much better in better soil than the sandy beach soil. Perhaps Nork was handy with tools and could make her some raised garden beds? She was more than willing to get good jungle soil from the areas around the beach and move it to their garden, but she had to have a way to keep it here. So, she brought her idea to Nork.

Nork, who was feeling magnanimous after a good sleep and a great day yesterday, agreed to try. He built himself a workbench and started working immediately. He then pointed out the waterfall, trying not to wrinkle his nose too much and offend the stinky Utel.

Utel, of course, knew very well where the waterfall was, but she wasn’t going to tell Nork that. She went and washed up, then spent some time catching frogs and playing in the water. It was a glorious day, and she couldn’t see any reason to not celebrate it.

On the way back, she found some trash on the beach and quickly cleaned it up. She believed in keeping her environment clean – even if it wasn’t at her homestead.

Nork was taking a break for lunch when she returned, and had already made great progress on building planter beds for her garden. Utel thanked him profusely, and offered him some herbs to make his fish taste better.

Warily, he sprinkled some on the fish while it was cooking, and immediately a mouthwatering aroma filled the area. His eyes lit up, and Utel could see her gift was more than payment enough for the garden boxes. The rest of the day was spent in companionable silence, Nork working on boxes, and Utel filling the ones he’d built and transplanting the plants into their new homes.

By the end of the day, they were both exhausted, but happy with the work they had done, and Utel couldn’t help but give Nork a big hug for all he had done. He was surprised, but, amazingly, not upset about her intrusion into his personal space. Both headed to bed full, tired, and content.. a recipe for a good night’s sleep.

The next morning, Nork surprised Utel with a Bee Box. He’d even found a hive and managed to transplant them into the box already. This would mean her plants would thrive.

Utel couldn’t help it. She jumped excitedly into Nork’s arms to thank him for his hard work.. and then wondered if he had held her close that long on purpose.

Not long after breakfast, Chief Guar and Saelua stopped by with good news. The chief had had a meeting with his elders, and after watching Nork and Utel’s work ethics and efforts to make a home, the elders had decided that Nork and Utel were more than welcome to join the tribe officially. A ceremony was planned for a few nights from then, and they were strongly cautioned to attend in their best clothes.

Saelua had other news. She had had another vision regarding Utel.. and this one showed her very pregnant, and very happy. At first, Utel laughed, but Saelua assured her that Nork was the man she should pursue for the strongest child. And Utel definitely wanted her child to be strong and capable. After some thought, Utel decided there was nothing to lose by at least trying a couple times. If the vision was true, the seed would be laid easily, right?

So, after the chief and the mystic left, Utel propsitioned Nork. Being a red-blooded male, he wasn’t about to refuse her, either…

… So the courtship began in earnest.

Once they were both exhausted, Nork dug up a pit for cooking in, and Utel prepared a feast of island vegetables to celebrate their acceptance to the village. It took a while to cook.. but by the time it was done, even Nork couldn’t resist the smells coming from the cooking pit.

Nork tried to remain taciturn, but it was hard when the food was this good. They both ate off of white shells that Saelua had brought them, and thoroughly enjoyed every bit of the meal. Then, they retired for the evening.
A day or two went by, and they finally fell into a companionable rhythm. Nork would go fish with his buddies, Utel would garden. Saelua had brought some more plants for her to add to her garden, and it was growing fabulously. Already she was starting to get some decent harvests.

And even more important.. her belly was growing. Sealua hadn’t been kidding when she said Nork was the strong male Utel needed to choose. There was now a baby on the way – even more reason for Utel to be glad for the official ceremony to bring them into the tribe.

Chapter Two | Island Spirits Welcome page | Chapter Four

Chapter One | Island Spirits Welcome page | Chapter Three

Nork’s feet hurt. He was tired of following Utel through the wilderness. A chance to stop and rest sounded perfect, and as they arrived, the two of them parted wordlessly to go about their own business. Utel went off on her search for plants (At least, that’s what Nork figured she was doing…) and he set up the camp and got out his fishing gear.

He grumbled inwardly about having to set up the camp by himself, but his highest priority was his growling stomach.. so fishing it was. He fished… and fished… and fished.

For a while, all he caught was weeds. At least he was spared the humiliation of Utel laughing at him over it. She still had yet to reappear.

In fact, she didn’t come back until he had gotten so desperate he was catching frogs for bait. Of course, she laughed at him and offered him some of her infernal strawberries. He refused on principle, and went back to fishing.

The shadows were long by the time he had finally caught a fish big enough to be worth eating, and he sat down wearily to cook it.

---

Utel wisely left Nork alone, feeling that he was as prickly as the cactus they’d passed in the desert. She felt much better herself – refreshed, even, after paddling about the stream for a bit to get clean and taking care of other business in a handy bush. She worried about her strawberry supply lasting for the whole journey, but she’d seen some bushes with almost ripe berries on them – perhaps they would be ready to pick tomorrow. Leaving Nork to his hard-won fish, Utel turned in for the night.

The next morning, she was up early in the rain. She played happily for a minute or two, then went about her morning business. She had berries to pick. Sure enough the bushes she’d seen had ripened overnight, and there were some flowers and herbs to pick, too. She wasn’t sure if they had medical applications, but she dutifully picked them anyway, planning to experiment with them once they had arrived at their new home. It was afternoon by the time she finished, and headed back to the camp.

---

Nork was fuming. The rain was incessant, and had made catching a fish for breakfast way less than fun. And where had Utel been off to all day? He had had to tend the fire in the rain and try to catch his breakfast all at the same time. He thought tending fire was a woman’s job, beneath him… but he needed that fire for when he caught fish.. so he tended it all the same.

After finally catching a fish, he sat down, ate it, and continued to tend the stupid fire in the stupid rain. Waiting for Utel. By the time she came back, Nork was utterly done. Done with the rain, done with this place.

“We GO.” Nork said simply, putting out the fire in one dash of water and beginning to pack up camp. Luckily, Utel said nothing, just pitched in to take the tent down and get the fire to a transportable state.

They walked in silence for the rest of the day, watching as the trees slowly grew taller and covered in vines. Utel was fascinated by the plant life, but she didn’t see much that she could harvest, so most of it she left alone.

Before long, the trees utterly dwarfed them. Utel scavenged for some rock crystals, never knowing what they might be useful for, and felt very small indeed.

They stopped for the night deep in the forest. There wasn’t a fishing area to be seen, and Nork, who was still out of sorts from the constant rain at the meadow, had to partake of some of her precious stock of berries. His grouchiness made for a long night, but a short morning as they made quick work of picking up their camp and moving on.

Finally, they came across another fishing area, and while they didn’t want to stop for the night yet, Nork insisted he be given time to get a “proper meal.” So Utel set up the fire and waited.

Luckily, the fish were plentiful and Nork had no trouble catching a decent sized fish. Neither had ever seen a fish like it – but it was certainly food. Nork cooked it, ate it, and then helped dismantle the fire so they could move on.

The deeper they went into this jungle, the more perilous the way became. There were many sorts of creatures the like of which they had never seen before. Bright green snakes, strange hooting creatures hanging from the trees, and the feeling of predators lurking around every corner.

Neither dared to stop long enough to do more than eat a few berries and continue. After a particularly scary near miss with a black jungle cat, they decided walking through the night was the best course of action, and Nork made makeshift spears for protection, and on they trudged.

At another point, Nork got attacked by spiders, and got a couple nasty bites. Utel worried about them, but hoped the town mystic would have some sort of medicine to help him out. Nork didn’t like being worried over, of course, so he brushed aside her concern, and on they walked into the lightening sky.

The longer the walk, the shorter the trees… and slowly, the terrain underfoot turned to sand. Soft, lush beach sand like Utel remembered from her dream. Somehow, without missing a beat, she knew exactly where to go… and they emerged from their jungle trek nearly on top of the mystic’s hut.

Saelua was thrilled to see them, and hustled them to her warm fire to hear the tale of their journey. Upon seeing Nork’s spider bites, she tsked to herself, and went into her hut for a while. She came out with food for both of them, and herbs to put on Nork’s wounds. They all ate peacefully, relating the tale of their trek as they ate. Uacro played not far from them, pretending he wasn’t interested, but Utel could tell the boy caught every word. This was a story of adventure he would surely embellish and tell all his island friends. Utel smiled to herself just thinking about it.

After eating, Saelua took them through the village, up a hill, to meet the chief. They needed his permission before actually joining the tribe or even camping in the area.

The chief’s name was Guar Doknen, and he seemed reluctant to let them stay. However, he did see the wisdom in allowing them to at least set up camp on a nearby island, and gave them directions to find it. He also told Nork where he could find the village fishing camp, should he want to help out in the morning in return for the Chief letting them camp here.

It was dark before they got to the camping place Guar had mentioned, and they quickly set up camp and went to sleep. It had been an EXHAUSTING journey. One they were glad to have over. Now they just had to make sure they were accepted into this tribe.. but only good skills and personalities would do that.. and right now, their only skill left was in falling asleep. Perhaps tomorrow would be better. Utel had faith that Saelua also would put in a good word for them, and that things would turn out well.. while Nork saw the more pessimistic side, and was sure they would be out on their rumps by morning. Figures, Utel thought. That’s Nork for you. She chuckled to herself, and slid into a dreamless, deep, restful sleep.

Chapter One | Island Spirits Welcome page | Chapter Three

Prologue | Island Spirits Welcome page | Chapter Two

Nork was annoyed. Then again, when was Nork not annoyed today. Why had he agreed to this silly Journey? And with such a disagreeable female as Utel. He’d never really liked her, preferring the company of the other females of the village… the ones that didn’t talk back. After the brutal winter in the village, though, there weren’t many of those left. Nork had been raised to trust completely in the village mystic, so when she said go.. he went. He should have changed his mind at the last minute, though, when he found out the vision that was sending him on this quest wasn’t actually the mystic’s vision. How could he trust Utel’s vision? She wasn’t a mystic by any stretch of the imagination. Active, yes – Outgoing and friendly, yes .. but she didn’t even eat fish! How was she going to survive a long journey without eating meat? .. And what if they got lost? She’d never even left the village to hunt – for obvious reasons. Nork was utterly filled with doubt.

And now he had to deal with her stopping at every harvest-able plant on the way. They were NEVER going to make it there at this rate. She had mentioned an Oasis they could camp for the night in – but he was sure she’d never actually been there. His urgings for speed, though, fell on deaf ears when he tried mentioning them, so finally he just shut his mouth and trudged on.

Deep in his heart, he knew his village was doomed – so there was little point in turning back. If this journey didn’t work, there was nothing to go back to. The mystic was right in one thing – the future lived elsewhere. Nork just didn’t want to have to follow this particular female to find it.

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How had she gotten stuck with Nork? The strongest in the village? You mean the dumbest. She’s seen bags of rocks that were brighter. He was even complaining every time she stopped to harvest more food. Wasn’t he hungry, too? Having a garden ready to plant when they arrived was important for their survival, yet he seemed to be in such a hurry that food wasn’t on his mind at all.

At least he wasn’t trying to lead. He didn’t know where he was going, but she did. She felt confident, and full of hope. Their new home would be amazing. A paradise full of food and friendly faces. She couldn’t wait to get there, but the mystic had said the journey was as important as the destination. She didn’t understand why, but she had faith that the mystic was correct.

The day crept past in hostile silence, one harvest-able plant at a time, but by the time the sun was still in the sky, they had made it to the Oasis, and Utel had a healthy feast for dinner with a stockpile of vegetables and some herbs to plant when they arrived at their new home. Utel happily set up camp while Nork, seeming exhausted, set up his fishing pole and tried dejectedly to catch a fish for his dinner. Why he wouldn’t even consider sharing her strawberries and carrots, she didn’t know, but he had definitely turned up his nose to her produce.

Utel went to fetch clean water and to take a bathroom break in a nearby bush, glad to leave the grumpy Nork behind. He was apparently a better fisherman than she had given him credit for, however, because by the time she returned, he was proudly grilling his fish on a stick.

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Nork grilled his mouth-watering dinner happily, wondering where Utel had wandered off to. She was probably hunting down more of her stupid plants.

When she returned with kindling, however, Nork tried to re-evaluate his new partner. Maybe she wasn’t the brightest, but at least she was easy on the eyes.

He surreptitiously watched her poke at the fire with a stick, and tried not to laugh too hard when she managed to catch her stick on fire.

By the time his fish was done, the silence had been broken, and they chatted cheerfully about the hope both were finally feeling, with full bellies and a safe camp. Maybe things weren’t going to be too bad.

The next morning, Nork caught another fish, roasted it, and had most of it eaten before Utel had hardly even risen for the day.

He thought to scold her for her laziness, but instead he put out the fire and helped her break camp, packing things securely away for the day’s trek. He felt filthy and the day’s sun was already scorching, but there was still a long way to go.

As the day passed, they got closer and closer to the mountains. The baked desert ground slowly gave way to cool, refreshing grass beneath their feet. Utel wasn’t even stopping for produce – perhaps because there really wasn’t any in this desert.

By the time they arrived at a suitable camp, both were miserable, and the companionable silence had stretched thin again. They put up their tent, built a fire, and both split up to take care of business.

Nork’s first task  was to take a bath in the stream, then find another area where he hadn’t scared off all the fish to find some dinner. He was starving. Perhaps Utel’s idea to carry food with her wasn’t the worst idea in the world. He fished as the sun went down, hoping to catch something large enough to fill his belly. Her idea may not be too bad, but he wasn’t about to admit it to her, and he was even less inclined to ask to share her vegetables.

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Utel, meanwhile, had mostly filled her belly, and, out of pure curiosity, was roasting some juicy beetles she had caught to see how they would taste. She quickly found out that they didn’t agree with her stomach, and she had a couple more berries while she waited for Nork to reappear.

It was completely dark by the time he had returned with a fish, and he sat miserably down by the fire to roast it. Before long, he had managed to catch both his fish – and himself – on fire. Utel splashed him with water, and they both ran to the nearby stream to wash off.. and poor Nork had to admit her strawberries weren’t too bad after all.

Breakfast consisted of veggies and fish, although Utel wisely passed on the fish. They packed camp in near silence, and headed off before the sun had completely risen.

The forest and the terrain seemed nearly impassable at times during the day, and the sun was frustratingly absent behind the trees. Utel was nearly at her wit’s end by the time they found a lush meadow, and she finally could again see where they were going. With the plentiful fishing, and things to harvest, both agreed to spend a bit of time here, resting for the next leg of their journey.

Prologue | Island Spirits Welcome page | Chapter Two

Island Spirits Welcome page | Chapter One

The air was crisp and clean, and smelled like salt. It left Utel very confused, because the air where she lived was hot, heavy, and full of desert dust. She opened her eyes and immediately knew she was somewhere else. The trees looked similar, being the palm trees she was used to… but everything else was different. There was lush vegetation everywhere, a virtual paradise. Birds sang from the trees in hope, and there were signs of animals aplenty. Following the sound of rushing water, Utel rounded a corner to stop and stare.

Now this was something she had never seen. Water pounded down over a cliff face, crystal clear and bountiful. The sounds of fish playing in the resulting roil of water was intriguing and made her stomach growl. It had been a long time since she’d had a succulent fish, living off scraps of drying vegetation in the desert and whatever the aging hunters of her village could bring in. Which wasn’t much. It had been a particularly brutal cold season, taking the lives of many of the village’s most vital and healthy people.. leaving nothing but skeletons where there had been a prosperous village.

Pushing these thoughts our of her head, and refusing to wonder at her good luck, Utel thanked the Watcher and hurriedly stripped down to her skin and waded into the cool water. She avoided the deep areas instinctively, never having learned to swim, and sidled up to the falling water, letting it run down her body and wash the constant dirt away. The water was so powerful it nearly hurt, but the sensation of being clean for once was so amazing that she welcomed the small pain.

Heading back to the bank of the water, she suddenly realized she was not alone. She was not worried about modesty, for that was never something she’d worried about in her short life with a closely-knit family that lived practically on top of each other in small caves in the desert. However, she did not know this Sim’s intentions, so she was immediately wary, and she dropped to a defensive crouch, squinting her eyes to focus on the woman that stood on the other bank past the spray of the salty water.

The woman was old, but healthy, and looked well-fed. She spoke something, but Utel had to shake her head, unable to understand a word the woman said. The woman tried again, then pantomimed eating something, pointing at Utel and motioning for her to follow her. Finally understanding, and not feeling in any danger, Utel gathered up her filthy wrap and followed the woman warily into the underbrush.

They came out onto an expanse of water and sand like Utel had never seen. A large wooden craft of some kind was tethered to a tree that was clearly heavy with mouth watering coconuts, and Utel briefly wondered if the wooden monstrosity was a way to get the food down. She was quickly dissuaded of this thought, as the woman climbed INTO the wooden shell and motioned Utel to do the same. Utel did so, carefully, and with no small amount of fear, but the woman ignored her unease and simply untied the rope and used a wooden stick with a flat end to push away from the shore. Utel squeaked in fear and distress, but again, the woman smiled gently and she confidently moved the craft away from the sandy shore.

Gripping the sides of the shell tightly, Utel watched in utter horror as they moved farther and farther into the water, but still the old woman showed no fear. The flat of the stick she held slapped the water rhythmically as they slid seemingly effortlessly through the impossibly blue water. Slowly, Utel’s curiosity got the better of her and she peered over the edge of the shell, wondering at the amount of fish and colorful life she saw under the surface of the water. Surely, she had died and gone to the afterlife, to be where food was bountiful and within reach. Before Utel could really form much else of a thought, the woman paddled around a corner and a small hut came into view.

Utel looked in consternation, wondering what held the little structure up. Just then, a young boy ran out of the opening of the hut, waving excitedly and calling, again in a language Utel couldn’t understand. The woman tied the boat up to the wood that ran it’s way around the strange man-made cave, and confidently exited the wooden craft, making her way towards the beach. Utel looked around in confusion, wondering what she was supposed to do, then the old woman motioned for her to follow her, and Utel finally understood. She slipped over the edge of the rocking shell, and waded towards the shore.

The boy greeted the woman enthusiastically with a hug, then warily peered around her skirts at the new addition to the beach. Feeling more than a bit confused still, Utel motioned to her chest and simply said her name. “Utel.” Then she motioned towards the pair standing in front of her. Both replied with sounds like Utel had never heard before, and she shook her head in confusion, trying to say her name slower to them, in the hopes that they would understand to say whatever they had said slower.

“UUU-aaa–crooww” the boy said, pointing to himself, then pointed at the woman and said slowly, “Saaaaeee-luuuu-aaa”. Utel tried making those sounds, pointing at each in turn, and the boy nodded enthusiastically.

After several more repeats of halting introductions, the boy turned to the woman and babbled incoherently in their language for a moment, before motioning both to follow them towards a steaming pit on the beach. The woman reached the pit first, and pulled the leaves back to release mouth-watering smells such as Utel had never beheld before. Nearly weak with hunger, she knelt down beside the pit, and took the trencher of food she was offered in utter gratitude.

For a while, the only sound was of the three of them eating, although the boy couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off of Utel in his curiosity. At the end of the meal, he collected the wooden trenchers and headed off towards the water, clearly intending to clean them up.

The old woman grunted, said something approximating Utel’s name, and motioned for her to follow her into the man-made cave. Utel followed, gasping at the array of dried herbs and plants hung up from the hut’s windows. Never had she seen such bounty, and she couldn’t identify a single plant. Slowly, it dawned on her that this woman must be a mystic or shaman to have such knowledge of plants. The woman lit a bit of leaf, wafting the powerful smell over both of them, and indicating that Utel should breathe deeply.

Utel started to feel a bit woozy, and quickly sat down in front of the woman, fearing for her balance. The woman indicated she should breathe deeply again, and Utel did, wondering if it was the smoke that was making her feel wobbly.

“There, there, dear.” the woman said, and Utel looked at her in consternation. “Can you understand me now?” the woman asked, and Utel nodded mutely, her eyes wide in wonder. How did the woman suddenly know how to speak her language??

“You’ve come a long way, Utel.” the woman said, her voice deep and powerful. “And you have a far longer way to go.”

“What?” Utel asked in confusion, wondering if she was hearing things.

“You must not be confused. You’re having a vision, dearie. You must hear me and understand, or your very life is at stake.”

Utel looked at the woman, wide-eyed and mute, trying desperately to understand.

“You are still in your dry homeland, you are merely asleep.. but before you wake you must hear me. Find a strong warrior to accompany you – and pack all your things. You must walk many days to get to where I am. Follow the mountains into the trees, until the trees start to thin. You will find a grassy clearing with plentiful fish, but you must not stop there long. The trees will become thick again, and very tall. Make your way ever on, until the water is clear and you can see the smoking mountain. Beside the mountain, you will find your new home. And me. I will be there too, and I will help you and your warrior find a new village that will welcome your youthful energy.”

Utel shook her head in confusion, but the woman merely repeated her directions, then slowly motioned Utel to lay down on a pile of furs nearby.

Unable to speak for her exhaustion, Utel complied, and laid down, soon drifting into a deep sleep.

When Utel next awoke, she looked around in fear… for once again, she was in her small cave in the desert, and she had nearly slept so long the fire was out. In panic, she built the fire back up, then squatted next to the flames pensively. Clearly she had dreamed, but never had she had such a vivid dream. Peering outside, the early rays of another scorching day were coming over the horizon, and Utel made up her mind. She quickly packed her small store of personal things, and headed towards the main cave.

She found the mystic mixing some sort of concoction in a bowl in the back of the main cave, and she approached her warily, not wanting to distract her from her task.

“Utel, I expected you this morning.” the ancient woman said quietly, looking up to see if anyone else was in hearing distance. “You’ve had quite a night, I think.”

Utel nodded, wondering how on Earth the mystic knew the things she clearly knew.

“I think you should follow your heart, Utel” the woman said, motioning to the bundle of personal things she carried. “You have far to go, and not much time to travel the distance. This tribe is dying, Utel. You are young, you are strong, you need a tribe that can appreciate you. Take Nork.”

“Nork?” Utel said, wrinkling her nose. “Why Nork?” she asked, thinking of the selfish young man the mystic indicated.

“Because he is the strongest. The rest are needed here. Nork will make a good protector, a good father for your young.” the mystic continued, completely ignoring Utel’s sudden protests. She patted Utel’s shoulder, and placed a small packet of medicinal herbs in her hand. “For your journey. It’s the last I have left, and you may need the medicine on your way. You must not argue, you don’t have time. Go. Pack the rest of your camp. I will get Nork.”

Utel, struggling to understand exactly what was happening, took the herbs and returned to her small cave, packing up her shelter and what she would need to start a fire. She packed all her survival tools, and shouldered her packs confidently, returning to the main cave where the mystic waited with Nork, who was similarly burdened, and looking no more pleased than Utel felt.

“Utel, you know the way.” the mystic said. “Do not waver from your path. You will know where to camp each night if you search your heart. Now I must go tend to the chieftain. His days are numbered, and I must ease his passing.

“Can you believe this?” Nork finally said as they watched the old woman toddle away. “Traveling so far on just the mystic’s vision??”

“It wasn’t the mystic’s vision.” muttered Utel… and she quickly turned and walked away. Towards the mountains in the distance. She knew of an oasis halfway there, but they would need to travel quickly in the day’s heat to reach it before nightfall. And arguing about it with Nork was definitely not high on her list of priorities at the moment. For now, she felt sure of her future. She didn’t know why.. but she did. And she wanted to get back to her dream. Back to Uacro and Saelua. And all that food. If traveling with this man was the Watcher’s will.. who was she to argue. Arguing took too much energy, anyway, and she would need all of that for this journey. She could hear Nork complaining behind her, but she didn’t slow her walk. She had too far to go. If he was coming, so be it. If not, she would go alone. It did not matter to her.

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Author’s Note: This is the start of my Sulani History Challenge. I’m not sure exactly where all this backstory came from… I just sat down and started writing. But that’s the way all good stories start, right? I hope you liked the start of this, and I hope the rest of the story is as good as the beginning of this is! My intention was to just start in on the challenge and let the story happen, but for some reason I started writing this prologue, and .. well, it’s here now. So here it will stay. Enjoy!

Island Spirits Welcome page | Chapter One

I spent quite a lot of time getting ready for my history Challenge on Sulani, and literally built the whole world from scratch. Initially, I had planned to download some from gallery, but it didn’t turn out that way. I had the hardest time building the sims for this (creating sims is REALLY not my thing), but I got them all done and moved in. Now all I have to do is start playing!

(more…)

“I’ve been wanting to do a History Challenge for quite a while, and the new world coming out seems like the perfect excuse. My other new game is based solely on the Mermaids.. this one is based on Island Sims and the challenge itself.”

When I started this challenge, I had so many fun ideas floating around in my, admittedly, overactive imagination. I quickly started to find out it’s very hard to reconcile the game play with the story. There’s so many things that the challenge asks you to do that are hard to reconcile with an understandable story. I have pulled this story back off hiatus, thankfully, and have been able to come up with ways to involve the challenge rules into the story.

One final note: This story has a “bit” of a spin-off coming soon. Two members of this story will be setting off on their own to start a new challenge/story. Expect to see this launching in the next month or two! AND – even better – it will be moving to Twitch! For more information, see The Timeline Children page!

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