The Stream

The woman Noya and I raced at the kaiila track. She was a worthy opponent. It felt good to push my beast to the limits without it being work. I look forward to the next race with her. I finally met Trajen, his mate is Nava. A few free women around the fire though they seem withdrawn and quiet. There are several new slave girls around the first wagons. And some of the ones I met are no longer there. The Spex seems to be wearing her collar well. I begin to wonder if she does not belong in it. I can not see a man freeing a woman from a collar when she proves to be pleasing in one.

Some time during the winter the stream changed course and the large watering hole dried up. The bank caved in and rocks and soil slid into the path of the stream. For the last three days I have been working at dragging the stream and hauling boulders from the low hills to the west with teams of bosk. My muscles are so tight I sometimes wonder if they will ever relax. I never dreamed I would grow any more together with my saddle but the last three days have challenged that theory. Every night I have fallen into my blankets without a fire or food. I eat what meat I have dried and can shove into my belt before I drag myself back out into the saddle. I haven't even had time to gather dung.

I believe today we will actually change the course of the stream back. The old stream bed is drug out and prepared and the other boulders are in place for a small retaining wall so that it doesn't happen again. It was good in a way. We have been able to clean out the watering hole and make it more useful with better drainage that makes the water fresher and less brackish. Easier to do it when there is no water there. But a lot of work no one was planning for.

I've been too busy to think about the other events of this hand. When I start to think I just work harder. It is easier that way.