Free Blood Bride (Aarabassa World) by Catherine L Vickers Page A

just make out some large dark shapes on the horizon. He hoped they had finally reached the end of their trek and the Ruling Village was now within sight.
    They had ridden through many fields of short dry yellow grasses and passed over flat dry dusty terrain that appeared never ending. There had been a few small rolling hills covered in purple heathers with an occasional black rock jutting out, as if it had fallen from the skies and landed randomly. Within Leon’s travels that moonwake, he had not noticed many trees, but the Cherok’s had assured him that there were ancient woodlands scattered around their homelands. 
    They arrived at the outskirts of a large bustling village. As they passed by the fringes, he watched with interest as the farm workers tended their fields. They too stopped to stare at his arrival with curiosity. 
    Mud-brick huts created drab little quarters set out in long rows of straight streets. Cherok villages are designed with two main roads cutting vertically and horizontally through the middle to meet at a cross roads in the centre thus splitting the community into four sections. One section accommodates the horses and Centaurs with large stables and open paddocks. Another quarter houses larger buildings for the leaders such as chiefs, healers, head tradesmen, teachers and their families. A further segment is allocated to farming of vegetables and livestock such as pigs and cattle. This is the working sector where villagers trade with markets. The last quarter is mainly for villagers’ dwellings of smaller mud-brick houses all built closer together than in the Ruling sector.
    Labour is divided by gender. The males are mainly horsemen, hunters and warriors. Females are typically farmers, cooks and heads of households. Throughout history, this has worked well and there are many such villages scattered throughout the Crackon Kingdom.
    Riding slowly down the main street of the farming quarters towards the centre point, they arrived at a large square courtyard. This is created  for communal events, and here the people had already begun to gather to see who it was their chief waited for.
    The people parted to allow the stranger to pass through the crowd. A quiet humming of many voices murmured in the air. Curious little faces of children poked through the frontline of adults who pushed them back, just incase this stranger was a danger. Leon’s party came to a halt and the young Cheroks that had accompanied him dismounted, Leon followed suit. Phellip approached him with an old man, Chief Dallheim his father, ruler over all the Cherok Tribes.
    ‘Greetings Prince Leon,’ the Chief hailed in an aged croaky voice. ‘You honour Cherok people. We greet Royal guest.’
    ‘The honour is all mine Chief,’ Leon replied feeling quite confident with the necessary royal etiquette, he was after all trained to be an ambassador for his people. ‘I am pleased to enter your Royal Village and have parley with the Chief of the Cheroks.’
    ‘Come, Leon. We talk. I have bad news I speak with you, in peace.’
    Leon imagined this news was probably of his lost brother, Raphael. He had felt so sure that Raphael still lived.
    Following the Chief and Phellip to a house much the same as the others but larger, Leon dreaded all the while what the news could possibly be. They entered through a rather small doorway for such large people, and then passed through a low roofed room. Any who carried weapons hung them on various hooks and shelves, Leon followed suit and placed his two daggers on a table. The chief smiled at this respectful gesture. They continued through the building and entered a large hall with a much higher ceiling. Chief Dallheim introduced Leon to various head figures.
    ‘This Head Trader. He make sure all village equal share of trading. He take care trading arguments.’
    The Chief continued down a line of men.  They spoke to him in their native language. Leon understood some words but not enough.
    ‘Head