Celestial Roots

Chapter 25 - Séarrub's secret

Thanks to Ergatul's care, Slavan recovered from his fever and quickly regained weight. When Taghna saw him, while he was enjoying the sun, lying on the thick grass and dressed in the traditional clothes of the muïréal, she saw the evolution of her brataïr. The still childlike features that characterized him after the stroigïl had given way to a nascent beard, a determined jaw and a deep gaze marked by trials. He had become a man.

Little by little, the two brataïr integrated the village of the Great Plains. Eager to help those who had saved them from certain death, Slavan and Taghna did their utmost to help the villagers. They were thus able to discover the habits and differences of the village as they went about their work.

At first, Taghna was very worried that the muïréal were so poorly dressed. She had dressed in the lightest loincloth she could find, more out of mimicry towards her peers than out of necessity, not feeling the bite of the wind on her skin. She feared that those who had not benefited from Lorgá's gifts would freeze on the spot.

She realized, however, that the adults didn't pay much attention to the elements, leaving their arms and calves exposed, and that even children got rid of their big jackets at the first opportunity so they could run and play at their leisure. She guessed that during the summer, the temperatures were mild enough for anyone to enjoy them.

That wasn't the only thing that surprised Taghna. Despite the apparent barrenness of the Great Plains, the muïréal were particularly ingenious at making the most of what nature had to offer. On her first excursion, Taghna accompanied Gedrï and the couple from a village she did not know. They went a short distance from the village to harvest Taghna's favorite food, mil.

There were holes in the ground that were so well hidden that Taghna almost fell into one of them. She noticed that the holes were far from empty and were full of bees. Gedrï explained to her that the insects produced the much sought-after mil. All they had to do was smoke the hives to get the precious nectar.

Taghna was also amazed to discover the cereal harvest. Some grasses, which tips were bent under the weight of large seeds, proved to be nutritious and, above all, practical to transport. They grew in thickets scattered over a vast territory. Once crushed and dried, the seeds made a beige powder. Mixed with water, they would make pancakes or flatbreads.

Other parts of the vast muïréal territory contained peat, a kind of soil that could be burned. Being the only source of combustion in the village, this ground was precious and occupied most of the activities of the inhabitants at one time or another during the day. Large blocks were pulled from the ground with short, thick sticks before being carried into the cave and cut into smaller pieces.

The Great Plains proved to be more diverse than Taghna had imagined. Some parts, irrigated by tiny but numerous streams, formed swamps. These were considered very dangerous and children were not allowed to go there under any circumstances. It took a great deal of experience to discern where the ground became too wet and could swallow up those who ventured into it.

The waterlogged earth attracted a wide variety of small animals. It was up to the Abtui, who were used to this type of environment, to exploit these foodstuffs. They caught frogs, all kinds of insects and some fish. These catches were eaten the same day and provided fresh food that was much appreciated by the whole village.

Gedrï explained to Taghna that there was a large body of water several days' walk southward. The child could not define its size, but his exaggerated gestures indicated gigantic dimensions. His néach, two Abtui exiles, went there regularly to fish, prepare and dry the fish they caught.