Thunder Horn Clan Ch. 01

Murani sat on the gruesome battlefield, motionless, while the skies opened up a torrent of rain. Her long auburn hair was wet and matted to her bare back. Her green eyes were wide with horror and fear, yet she did not weep. Murani was just 5 years old. She had been sitting there for over two hours.

As she stared blankly across the wet and blood-soaked valley, she slowly became aware of movement. Murani blinked. Perhaps someone else from her village lived!

Slowly, she pulled herself up and began running to the figure in the distance. Murani's feet sloshed in the goopy mud as she ran. "Mama?! Papa?!" She cried out.

The rain started to let up, giving Murani a better look at the unknown being. She squinted to make out features...big...muscular and...horns! It was a Thoran! They were large, bull/buffalo like people that were known by Murani's village to be fierce and mean, and she was running right towards a huge male!

Trying to stop, Murani's feet slipped several times on the soaked earth, and she fell backwards. Her small rump hit the muddy ground first and then her head. Murani's eyes fluttered a few times, and then the world went dark.

Reidar had been out hunting when he caught the stench of battle and came to investigate. It was apparent that the onslaught was over long ago, but he decided to search for anything of value that might have been spared.

Holding his new found battle axe, Reidar starred into the rain with a puzzled look etched across his broad face. What did he just see? Did he really see a small creature just vanish before his eyes? Reidar pulled the brown leather hood over his thick, furry ears and long, black horns. The battlefield made him uneasy, but he decided to have a closer look.

Reidar almost didn't see the small human girl. Her tiny frame was coated in the thick mud which made her almost invisible. He had never seen a human before, but he had heard stories. Humans were the boogiemen to the Thoran children. The clan elders spoke of their cruelty and how they liked to enslave Reidar's kind.

He stared down at the motionless body. Reidar took a quick glance around then knelt down to the girl. His large, hairy hand gently brushed the girl's cheek, wiping a bit of mud from her face. Reidar snorted. Humans were pinker than he had imagined. He wondered how it was possible that such a delicate looking creature could be capable of the terrible deeds of which the elders spoke. Deep in thought, Reidar crossed his large arms. Staring at the girl, his mind wandered to his former mate and their daughter. They had died more than two years ago from a sickness that had consumed the clan. Only about half of the population had survived. Reidar had been one of the lucky ones, lucky being a relative term. Before he even realized what he was doing, Reidar had picked up the girl and put her body over his broad, leather-cloaked shoulder. This child didn't deserve to die like this, human or not. She was innocent of her people's alleged crimes.

On his way back to the village, Reidar had already made his mind. The girl was apparently an orphan now, so she would stay with him. He knew he'd catch grief for it, but he really could care less. Who would stop him? Reidar was one of the most respected men in his village, he was the largest and strongest man in the village and he was best friend to the Chieftain.

It took Reidar a couple of days to get back to his village. Along the way, he had time to think about the situation and how exactly he would handle it. For the sake of the girl, he decided to keep her hidden until she was well.

Murani took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. She was so comfortable lying in the soft bed she didn't remember the horrors at first. Murani stretched out her arm and yawned. She was clean now, her naked body covered by a soft saber pelt and her hair tied in two braids. Her eye lids flickered as she began to open her eyes. Fogginess...a large, etched silver ring...attached to a huge black snout...a great, hairy face and a braided beard....AND THE LARGE, SHARP, BLACK HORNS! Murani's eyes shot open and she tried to scream, but nothing came out. Her heart pounded in her throat instead.

Reidar's ears went back. The girl was terrified of him! He needed to calm her, but how? He took a step back and held up his large hand, "please, don't be afraid!"

Murani pulled the pelt up around her face. What did he say? She couldn't understand Thoran. She just stared at Reidar with wide eyes.

Reidar realized that she didn't understand him, so he tried shaking his head and tapping his thick finger against his lips.

Murani stared. As she looked at the giant beast, she stopped shaking. There was something about Reidar that Murani found comforting...perhaps it was his eyes. They were a soft brown, almost like a deer's. Her terror started slipping away. But she did wonder why she was there with the large beast. The pelt remained around her face and all that could be seen of her were her large green eyes.

Reidar slowly sat down at the foot of a chair. At least she had stopped quivering, he thought.

Murani turned on her side so she could look at Reidar. He didn't move. Her young eyes inspected her new environment. She was in a stone home with a thatched roof. A fire was burning hotly in the fireplace as an animal of some sort was being roasted in the flames. There were many oil lamps providing light in the dwelling. On the wall hung a large sword, hammer and battle axe. Murani cringed. She shut her eyes hard at the memory of the battle. It was tough thing for a child of her age to wrap her mind around.

Murani's eyes went back to Reidar. He was a very large and muscular beast. The hair from his chin and head was coal black, braided and bound with bright red findings. There was a huge silver ring in his snout. It appeared to be engraved with writing of some sort. He wore brown cloth breeches, a red cloth shirt and an embroidered leather vest. Murani also noticed that he had hooves and not feet like hers. He sad on his side with an arm crossed over his knee.

Reidar watched the child look about his home and his person. His soft, brown eyes never left her. Patience was something he had learned from hunting. There were many occasions where he had to sit still for hours waiting on his prey. However, this time he was using it for good.

Murani was now sitting up in bed with the saber pelt wrapped around her. Where was she and what was his name? She faced Reidar directly. "Murani," she pointed at her self.

Reidar stiffened. A surprisingly strong voice came out of the child, but he didn't understand. He waited for her to do it again.

"Murani." Again, she pointed at herself.

Ah, that must be her name, Reidar thought. "Rani," he mumbled.

A giggle escaped her and she shook her head. "MUR-ani."

"Murani," Reidar managed to say.

She smiled and nodded. Murani hoped that he understood that it was her name. She then lifted her small finger towards him.

"Reidar." It meant 'warrior' in his clan's tongue.

"Reidar," she said and he nodded.

For the next couple of months, Reidar kept Murani hidden. He often sneaked her out of his home on hunting trips with him. It amazed Reidar how quickly the girl picked up his language, but then, what choice did she really have? He was her family now.

When enough time had passed, Murani told Reidar of her village and how it had been destroyed by a terrible group of humans called Medis. They were who her village had done battle. She had been knocked out in the valley and awoke under a dead body. Murani had wondered if anything remained. Reidar acknowledged that nothing was left. She took the news quietly. Nothing was said of that again.

Reidar noticed that Murani took interest in his activities. So, he taught her how to track animals and how to sew. Her small nimble fingers were better suited to tight stitching that were his and she quickly excelled. Reidar often brought her cloth and leather that Murani quickly used. She had made her own garments and shoes, which was something that the Thoran had no use.

As they sat eating dinner one evening, Murani noticed Reidar was deep in thought. His eyes were staring at the rabbit and potatoes on his plate, yet he did not eat.

"What's wrong," she asked.

"The people have become suspicious. They have noticed my new clothes and asked of their origin," he touched his new vest that Murani had made. His eyes shifted from his food to Murani.

She wiggled in her chair nervously and fear crept to her face. Murani could guess what he was about to say.

"I have to tell them of you."

Reidar had told her the he would tell the clan some day and he had told her of their possible reaction. However, she had hoped that the day would never come. Murani trembled.

"Come to me," he said. Of course the girl was afraid. He told her what the people thought of humans.

Murani climbed into Reidar's lap and he put his big arms around her, protectively. "Please don't be frightened, little one."

"They are going to hate me," she sobbed against his chest as she held fistfuls of his shirt.

"Murani, no matter the clan's reaction, everything will be okay." Reidar hugged her tight, "you'll see". Reidar was sad. What a terrible ordeal she had gone through in the past few months. It was hard to believe she withstood it all. He knew she was very strong.

Murani fell asleep in Reidar's lap.