Mikus the Turk

Trouble at home

Mikus trudged along the well worn mud path back to his family hut. He lived by the village wall so it was only a short walk from the market place which was the village hub in the centre of it all. He thought about the events of the past few minutes and grinned to himself, a few other villagers looked at him oddly as he passed but made no comment.

After having convinced himself that his plan in stealing a seed roll with only a raw carrot was a stroke of genius and that he, Mikus, was the most cunning in all of the Turk tribe his mind turned to other matters.

Mikus had friends, quite a few, and he chatted to them regularly. He had his parents that he could talk to as well but there was no one he felt he could really confide in. No one he could talk to about his feelings and other personal matters. His friends would just laugh at him and say he was being a creep and his parents were busy all the time. So trying to find someone to tell about his mornings adventure was rather difficult.

"What I need is a girlfriend!" Mikus exclaimed rather loudly. Preferably a hot one a small but insistent voice in the back of his head added. he had just turned off of the busy paths near the market place so there was no one else around to hear this sudden realisation. Mikus was pleased for that.

A girlfriend is just what I need he carried on thinking, someone to wash my clothes when mum is at her sister's house, someone to cook me kebabs for dinner, someone to tell how great I am. This plan sounded perfect.

There was just one hitch in this otherwise well thought out plan...
Most of the girls in Philonum had boyfriends and the ones that didn't made even Preshus look attractive. The same Preshus Mikus had run into this morning and who did not compare favourably in the looks department with the goat Mikus had in his garden as a pet.

Pondering this slight snag Mikus came to the conclusion he would have to look elsewhere for his new, attractive girlfriend.

He followed the meandering path a little further in the shade of some small trees growing up along the side of the route. The air was still and humid which amplified the warmth of the summer day. Over in the distance, past the village wall Mikus could hear the cooing of wood pigeons and the chatter of a woodpecker carving out a home for itself.

Closer to him though he could now make out another sound which did not fit in with the picturesque scene ahead of him.

A series of sobs and wails were coming from a house down by the village wall at the end of the path.
Mikus's house!

He ran down the short distance left between him and his house passing a man dressed in the blue cloak and drawstring messenger bag of the Muroc postal service.

He reached the half-door at the entrance to his house in record time and barged straight through it.
The hut was rather large inside. There was an open lower floor where his family's daily activities such as cooking and eating were carried out.

Above this was a second floor made of cross beamed logs with a rough plank covering that covered half of the roof space of the hut and was accessed by a ladder. This is where Mikus and his family slept.

On the lower floor Mikus located the sound of the sobbing.

His mother, Debbus, was on a stool by the fire, clutching a stone tablet weeping. His father was hugging her tightly and Mikus rushed over.
"Mum, Mum, what's wrong!?"
His dad turned to him and over the noise of his mums sniffing and snivelling started to explain.

"The Postman just delivered this news tablet, the village where your mum's sister lives has been attacked. Her sister is amongst those missing!"
At this Debbus broke into a fresh wave of sobs drowning out the noise of all else in the hut.

"We need to talk to the Chief my love, he will find your sister, it will all be alright, you'll see." Mikus's dad desperately tried to reassure his wife.
Sniff sniff came the reply.
"Err yes (sniff) if you umm... If you think that's best" Debbus managed to say through her tears.

Mikus's dad helped her to her feet. With his arm supportively placed around her shoulder the two of them set off slowly through the door and up the path which Mikus had rushed down only moments ago.

Only it didn't seem like moments ago to Mikus. He was shocked. Not only at the disappearance of his aunt but at his parent's appearance. To him they had always seemed so strong, so brave, invincible almost. Yet his mum had been reduced to tears in front of his eyes. Mikus wanted to help, to make it all better but there was nothing he could was there? The chief will sort it out he tried to convince himself.

Bending down he picked up the stone tablet that carried the message the postman had delivered.

A short blunt message was carved into the sandstone tablet. It read...
VILLAGE OF CARACUM ATTACKED
YOUR SISTER AND FAMILY MISSING
The harsh lines of the runes reflected the message they delivered. It was brutally forward and to the point. Mikus understood this was due to the limited number of words you could fit on a stone tablet and the time it took to inscribe them but he could see how it's insensitivity upset his mum.

He decided to put the heavy tablet somewhere out of sight so it wouldn't hurt his mum further. He settled on the garden around the back of the hut where his pet goat lived, hiding it under the straw it usually slept on. It would be safe there for the time being.

With that done Mikus left his hut and retraced his steps back up the mud path after his parents. If he hurried he would be able to hear the chief's plans for rescuing his aunt!
Mikus quickened his pace.