Book 4 Chapter 21

Tirr watched with a sneer as the members of Krawl Clan stalked away under the jeers of the Waythe crowd. He turned to go back into his tent when he noticed Dun waving him over with a grin. He clicked his tongue in displeasure but called Maria as he pushed through the tent flap towards where Dun stood with the giant man.

As he approached, the giant named Kos looked down at him with a curious smile, “So this is the little god you found out in the plains Dun? Who would have thought that such a tiny thing would catch your eye!”

Tirr almost stopped in shock, his eyes filled with fury as he looked at Kos, and then Dun. The chief of Clan Waythe gave an embarrassed smile, hiding the shivers that went down his spine as he felt Tirr’s murderous gaze.

“Kos you really shouldn’t…” Dun started to warn him. Yet Kos had already crossed the rest of the distance towards the god, ignoring Tirr’s fury as nothing more than a childish pout as he slammed one meaty hand down on Tirr’s head.

Dun and Maria stared in a mix of awe and fear as Kos proceeded to roughly pat Tirr’s head, tousling his dark hair with a mischievous smile. “Are you sure you’re eating enough boy? You’re so small you look like you might faint. If Dun’s Clan isn’t feeding you right, you should come over to Fui! All of our kids are big and strong!”

Tirr’s anger had reached such a point that it seemed to cross into a new realm. The two things he couldn’t stand no matter how much time passed were people treating him like a child and people looking down on him. Facing this man that had done both and dared to touch him so familiarly, Tirr suddenly smiled…

To anyone who didn’t know him, this smile seemed innocent and precocious. Looking down at the smiling child under his hand, Kos couldn’t help but let out a goofy smile in return. He never noticed how Dun looked away, unable to watch what he knew would happen next, or Maria's helpless sigh.

Tirr, smile still plastered on his face reached up slowly, his hand closing on the wrist that still rubbed his head carelessly. Kos thought that Tirr was enjoying the attention, knowing it was something his children liked. “And you told me he was so scary...” Kos said while looking back towards Dun for the first time, only to notice the strange expression he was wearing.

Just as he was about to ask what was wrong. the little hand on his wrist suddenly tightened. It was the same hand that couldn’t even fit a quarter of the way over the large man’s wrist. Yet as it tightened, Kos felt an unbelievable strength grip him.

Tirr channeled the Blessing of Life through his body as he lifted his arm, still smiling as Kos let out a panicked shout. The giant found himself held over the child’s head like a rag doll, floating there for a moment in disbelief, before suddenly being thrown over the young god’s shoulder where he skidded across the ground before landing in a clump.

The onlookers had been laughing and joking along with Kos only a moment before, stared in shock at the crumpled Kos and the boy who had thrown him. Tirr, feeling satisfied, nodded to Maria, “Go fix the big idiot.”

Maria rolled her eyes, “Maybe you shouldn’t hurt them in the first place if you’re going to feel bad and heal them afterward.” She channeled her blessing as she moved towards Kos, who had finally sat up, holding his broken arm while still looking at Tirr in shock.

Tirr ignored him, turning back to his tent while shouting over his shoulder to Dun. “Come get me when things start…”

It would be hours later that Dun came to get Tirr… The young god had spent the afternoon lazing around, being fed by Sera and playing with Garm. Hearing Dun’s call, he came out with a yawn. A much more respectful Kos was with Dun, coughing awkwardly as apologized and mentioned it was time for the opening of the Moot

Tirr didn’t make things hard for him and followed along with Maria, Doron, and the rest of his representatives, leaving the young Sera behind with Garm. They moved through the valley, now shrouded in darkness and the flickering torches of others on their way to the center of the valley, where a large bonfire had been built.

Around the bonfire the clans gathered, the easy atmosphere that had filled the valley earlier was now gone. Replaced by a tense air of uncertainty and distrust. Most of the tribesmen stuck to their own clans, gossiping as they tried to guess what the moot was going to be about.

Kos said a quick goodbye as he moved to stand next to his own clan and soon everyone seemed to be settled. Over in Clan Krawl, Tirr could see Rev glaring over at them. He thought about mentioning it to Dun, but as an older, beautiful woman stood and the crowd slowly went quiet, he pushed the weaselly man to the back of his mind.

The woman waited until all were quiet before rattling a staff made out of strangely shaped bones. She raised the staff up as she spoke, “I am Fari, Leader of Clan Havo. As decided on at the last Moot, Havo will be acting as host and arbitrator. As the representative of my clan, I now speak to announce the start of our great meeting…”

She turned, suddenly throwing some kind of dust or powder into the fire. The flames rose with a roar, wood crackling within the intense heat. Raising the staff over her head, she called out in a booming voice, “Let the Moot begin!”