After stale bread and hard cheese, tasty red berries growing by a little stream brought a light to the students’ eyes. Although two students, for different reasons, were reluctant, Ilika began the math game again, with much greater success. The well-worn track slowly became a wagon road as they continued over the hills southward.
The day was nearing its end as the troop began to look for a place to camp.
No large trees offered shelter on the open hills, but the warm day promised a pleasant evening and a star-studded night.
Mati was leading when suddenly Tera called out loudly in her two-toned voice and broke into a trot.
“Tera! Where are you going in such a hurry?” Mati demanded. She was about to bring Tera to a halt when they crested a slight rise and could see a shepherd’s wagon, pulled by another donkey, coming toward them.
The driver brought the wagon to a stop and let Mati approach. Tera pranced right up to the other donkey and stood sniffing and squeaking.
Mati looked at the wagon, and was surprised to see a girl not much older than herself with wild curly hair. “Hi. I’m Mati. This is Ter.”
“Hi, Mati. I’m Noni, and your Ter is talking to my Ri. Bringing up the rear somewhere is Bo.”
Just then, two other groups approached. From behind Mati came the nine walkers. From behind Noni came dozens of sheep, with the biggest dog Mati had ever seen nipping at their heels. As soon as the dog sensed strangers, he
gave a deep bark that would have frozen the blood of anyone not on good terms with his master.
“It’s okay, Bo,” the shepherdess said, “they look like nice folk.”
“Everybody, this is Noni, and Ri, and Bo,” Mati introduced. “Noni, this is our teacher Ilika.” She went on to name all the others, and each smiled or waved. The sheep flowed around the gathering of humans and donkeys, then spread out to work on the new grass.
“I was about to make camp,” Noni said. “If you don’t mind all the critters, you can camp with me, share grub and stories.”
Ilika looked around, and everyone appeared to like the idea.
“There’s a good place just up here. Come on, Ri, haul the wagon up to camp, then you can go play with your new friend. She’s a jenny too, so you won’t get into any trouble, and she’s older, so she probably won’t challenge your over-inflated donkey pride.”
Several of the students chuckled. Noni guided the wagon, and the sheep slowly made way.
The campsite nestled in a hollow out of the breeze, with a sandy area and fire pit. Noni brought her wagon to a stop, set the brake, and climbed down to unharness Ri.
“Okay girl, go play. Come back by tomorrow morning.”
“You let her run free?” Mati asked, still mounted.
“Oh, yeah. She won’t go far — she prefers my company to wolves and mountain lions. Bo will keep an eye on her.”
Mati thought about it as Rini untied her bedroll. “I’ve never let Ter run free. Do you think she’ll stick around?”
“I’ve never seen a donkey run away from a good owner . . . as long as no jacks are around. There aren’t, or Ri would tell me and . . . you know . . . get herself in trouble.”
Mati dismounted and held Tera’s halter. “If I let you run and play with Ri, will you stay close to camp?”
Tera made a squeaking sound.
Mati’s face twisted with thought and worry. They could all see Ri prancing to and fro in the grass, and Tera’s eyes sparkled with longing.
Finally Mati took a deep breath. “Okay, Ter, just remember there are wolves and things out there, so stay near camp. Go play!”
Tera dashed away. After Ri reared up in dominance, and Tera hung her head in submission, the two jennies were soon dancing and prancing together among the sheep, who bleated loudly when their serious grass eating was interrupted.
For the first time, Ilika watched Miko strike sparks with the flint and knife into a pile of dry grass.
Miko looked up as soon as he had a steady flame. “You don’t use flint and steel in your country?”
“Well . . . we probably know about it, but I just never learned how.”
Miko shook his head in disbelief.
Before the sun set, Boro picked helpers to carry firewood from the nearest tree-lined gully. Toli looked more confident with each armload he added to the growing pile.
Sata balanced the bronze pot on rocks Miko carefully placed, and Noni brought dried vegetables out of her wagon to add to their salt and spices. Rini sliced bread and cheese with the help of Bo, who checked both to make sure they were edible.
“It’s so nice having all this help!” Noni remarked, stirring the soup. “I usually have to get my own wood, water, everything. Ri and Bo are wonderful, but this is their time off.”
The twilight darkened as everyone gathered around the fire. Tera and Ri lay in the warm sand between the wagon and the fire. Bo had his eyes closed as Rini scratched behind his ears.
“Don’t you get lonely and scared, being all alone?” Neti asked.
Noni smiled. “I’m never alone! Ri and Bo are here, and the sheep, and the wild creatures that call to each other. The clouds, the sun, and the stars keep me company.”
Neti squirmed and frowned with discomfort at the idea.
Buna, on the other hand, was sparkling with curiosity about the shepherdess. “Where did you . . . get the sheep?” she asked.
“When I was thirteen, my father died and my mother started spending
time with an old soldier who had liked her for years. I decided it was time to make my own way. I had raised four sheep in our old back pasture, so I took my sheep, a little sack of food, a few coppers my mother saved for me, and hit the road.”
“But . . . you’ve got sixty or seventy or . . .”
“Eighty-seven. Sheep have babies. Also, stray sheep just seem to find me.
I can think of about ten that just showed up.”
Buna chuckled. “How do you make money?”
“I learned places to sell their wool, and sometimes them.” She noticed the cringe on Buna’s face. “I know. For years I never thought I’d sell any of them.
They’re my friends, they keep me company, give me milk. But there just got to be too many!”
“Wouldn’t you feel safer if you had a man with you?” Neti asked.
“Me, I don’t care for men. I mean . . . you guys are okay, I just mean . . . for my own close, personal relationships.”
Buna snickered at the thought and flashed Noni an understanding smile.
“How did you get that neat wagon?”
“That’s my pride and joy, and she cost me fifteen sheep. Ri cost me five more. Before that, I had an old canvas tent that was always leaking.”
“Can I see inside?” Buna asked with a light in her eyes.
Noni grinned, and she and Buna looked at each other for a long moment.
Deep Learning Notes
Jennies (female donkeys) can be fiercely competitive. Luckily, Tera was much older and wiser, and so she accepted the submissive position for the sake of friendship.
A smooth, glassy rock like flint or obsidian works best, but many rocks will create hot sparks when hit by (or upon) a piece of steel. The sparks must be caught by tinder, light and dry material that catches fire easily, such as fuzzy cotton, and then blown into a tiny flame. That tiny flame is then transferred to kindling, pieces of thin, dry wood, and eventually to larger wood.
Neti and Noni have very different opinions about being alone in the wilderness. Which do you relate to best?
In your opinion, does Noni’s dog Bo provide her the same protection a man would provide?