One of Many Battles

Chapter 3

 A couple hours passed after Mathius met Anua in the expansive meadow, and started their trail towards a settlement due northeast of where she was found at.

Mathius soon brought her to the place he was living, were quickly erected structures made for a large group of people of both young and old living in the area.

In a significantly nicer structure beyond the settlement by a few meters, a woman called Amaidalora, sat hidden within the structure. She sat with her back erected straight, long strong legs criss-crossed comfortably on hay padded flooring along with grass from before setting up the structure.

Amaidalora, had fiery red hair, that was short in areas, while some strands streamed down her back. She wore a top that appeared made from the foliage and the many things that surrounded them. Vines, leaves, and bark to dress as a top, then the branches that fell as skirts tied with vines to cover more.

While men of the settlement just dressed with skirts made form vines and felled branches which were coated in thick leaves still. It was a simple way for them to take care of attire, Anua felt, from seeing the many different adults and kids that wore the same color toned clothing.

Looking down upon herself, she wore only a tank-top, and a pair of underwear, but it did cover what was necessary too.

"Didn't they say clothes were not easily transferred over to other eras? Wait, why is it cloth and silk is not good through time periods, but the bracelet was fine? Very strange..." She thought, looking about herself for a few moments.

"Anua." Mathius spoke, before nudging her into the structure with Amaidalora, who sat rather rigid in the room and almost appeared as a bronzed statuette, her skin coppery and figure rather still, even with the soft breathing.

Legs long, and muscular, that when she stood, was able to stand closer to seven feet tall and challenge some of the tallest individuals that may exist, if she needed to.

 Amaidalora's light blue eyes opened, them shining a silvery gleam in them as the sun peaked periodically through the cracks of her home into her eyes.

"You are a young thing with old strings, are you?" Amaidalora spoke with a gravely voice that showed a lack of use, but still held strength in her words. Anua gave a firm nod towards the answer to enunciate, but was not sure what she was agreeing to.

"Who are you?" Asking the question to have a name for the rather intimidating woman before her, Anua tried to focus on the woman's striking eyes, instead of how different and sometimes revealing the clothing was.

"Amaidalora.. Amai.... Lora..." She muttered between a few different names under her breathe to where Anua felt the few names mentioned were either pet names used by other people, or shortened versions of her name that she had accepted long ago.

"Amai? Why are you in here, when everyone else is outside?" Anua wondered, voicing her curiosity at how everything is going on. She read about many things in the time she was alive, before coming to the past. But, was not aware of what was going on.

Amai, the woman gave a small twinge of a smile before looking back towards the entry way where the beautiful sky was turning an array of colors, and hues.

"The night will be coming soon, and you will see why." She spoke with the same deepness, and slight bravado to hint feminine, and being masculine as well.

(As Night approached, things seemed to change, Anua was thinking she would watch with Mathius the ceremony or the event that was to occur in the night.But, that was not the case for Amaidalora took hold of Anua's arm firmly and took her to another area of the fortress and started to work)

"The night will be coming soon, and you will see why." She spoke with the same deepness, and slight bravado to hint feminine, and being masculine as well.

Anua stood once more and left after struggling for a moment on what gesture to use in showing respect to a figure of higher status.

"Just come when summoned." Amai spoke calmly, before closing her eyes in a near meditative state and seeming to ignore everything around her.

Shrugging a bit at the rather relaxed accommodations, went to look around the expansive settlement and the many homes that were erected and became owned by a particular pair of people or family.

The homes were made from the trees around them, some even had tree house homes and made a way to work them snuggly into a grouping of trees for a good gathering, whether they wanted to feel the wind or stay dry, but still see the further reaches beyond them.

"It seems what I was taught could be wrong..." Anua spoke softly, in awe of the skilll and maneuverability to make a settling ground the people worked with. Looking around, it appeared they had a small store room of food in the center of town for any citizen to reach, but also easily defendable of bandits or other types of enemies that may approach.

Mathius was walking a few feet apart from Anua, showing her around briefly and spoke fondly of the people that resided, along with the good memories he had with them too.

"I remember going into Lake Cala-vici, it is down south and close to the town, Calvicie, their structures look similar to sandstone.." Mathius spoke, trying to explain where the place was briefly, before continuing with the story he wanted to tell. 

"Well.." He said, clearing his throat briefly, " Luci would watch over me and the others in the lake, but sometimes we would wander off, like the little kids we were and one time we snuck back to her holding a bee hive and baby cub. The cub was covered in honey, while we were as well, but the bear cub scared Luci out of her mind." He started to snicker, a toothy grin bared as he thought about the past experiences at the lake.

His eyes flickering over to a woman that was far in the distance, her frame looked frail from age, but she held an abundance of strength in her dark brown eyes that gazed back at Mathius. He quickly looked away, almost like he did not want to be caught looking.

Watching the way Mathius was with everyone, even with a few people like Luci, who was an older woman, but also was seen as the apparent elder of the village. She was turned to for advice and how to lead, or guide the people, even in helping as a midwife to future families, and the newborns.

Once the sun was just kissing the tree line, Amaidalora appeared before everyone in front of her own hut. Her height making it so the top of her head brushed against the top of the doorframe, when she exited the small structure which would be normally comfortable to stay in for others around six foot five.

She gazed down towards Anua for a long moment, before her head gave a slight nod seemingly and started in a different direction deep in the woods. The many people of the settlement started to follow with the woman leading, through the woods and deep into the night. The sounds of owls, bugs, and other nightly creatures skittering about the only sound heard under the crunch of branches under foot.

"This night seems to be only beginning it seems" Anua thought, bracing herself for the journey beyond her, following near by Mathius and the many others of the settlement.