The tribe had grown fast over his lifetime, as the youngest brother left the tent he looked over the surrounding work. He used this notion to remind himself that the elders had done well, all things considered of adapting the tribe to this new cycle of life.
No one liked farming, having to follow schedules set by someone else but people didn't like starving even more. At the time, the tribe didn't have enough members to compete for space to graze animals, so they hovered on the edges of places. When they did fight, it was always an uncertain thing, they would have to scour places clean of people cause they couldn't afford to engage in hit and runs with others, and couldn't afford to have people chase them back to the mountains during farming.
Because they were defenseless during such times, it was better for their warriors to travel further down south and just attack anyone who got to close or to attack anyone who moved north while they traveled the mountain passes.
They had found, some great mountain passes that they could take the goats and sheep during winter, it was colder up their and more brutal a season but there were fewer human tribes up in the mountains and the ones they did meet were a step behind them, they had no archers and no horses.
Horses struggled on the mountain so they often couldn't be used for battles. Coming up behind him, someone grasp him on the back " We are going hunting, the three of us" looking over his should at the stoic visage of his older brother he said back "Batir my brother, I have work to be done. My amour must be put away, and sealed up so the elements do not damage her during the journey."
Waving his head in dismissal the eldest said " Me and Khantur have an idea to discuss this journey, you might need that amour still and I know you like to wear it when you go scouting after our return, you never put it away!"
" What is their to think on? I know from the moment they rejected my compromise that they had already decided to reject us outright anyway, they want to tear the tribe away from the dragon back to the gods. They never planned on hearing us out seriously and took our disrespect as an excuse to ignore us"
Letting out a sigh, Batir said with a look of dismay " You are such a coward as always Toghrul, obviously if they won't listen to us we won't listen to them, now grab a horse and lets get going. Don't worry about the armor we are not leaving yet, just going to figure out when to do it."
" I don't know brother this seems like a lot of risks when the elders are right, the dragon has never demanded we bring him ivory when we first arrive" being shorter then his brother and despite being slightly more stocky, he found himself often greatly intimidated by his brothers.
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What he would call reason they would call cowardice, this had created something of a separation between the youngest and the middle, a gap that the eldest made sure could never be made too wide.
" You will follow, and give input or be taken and told " The eldest voice came out gravelly, making sure the youngest Toghrul would give no resistance on this matter. Then giving him a firm slap on the shoulder saying " If you can convince Khantur, then I will concede but I think he had a second objective for why he wants to go now"
" So this has nothing to do with piety? But instead us obeying our Khantur's whims like slaves"
" Hey! I am no one's slave" Anger flared up, but it quickly faded proving to be more of a playful warning " And I also have my own whims, I hear their is a great medicine man who lives in the city of the Salman."
Taken aback by the hidden motive, the youngest asked with worry " Are you sick?" With a quick and straight response " No" the eldest Batir removed much of his worry and doubt. " Not me, it's her"
" Her?" Toghrul asked, he couldn't put together the clues to figure out who his brother was refuring to? His mother? A lover? Who?
Seeing his confusing, the eldest came forward and leaned into his ear, looking around with suspicion before saying in a hush whisper " The elf" Eye's shooting wide Toghrul said " No!" genuine shock striking him, like he had been struck with a hammer. Trying and Failing to wave his brothers fear away the brother said " Nothing serious, she walks and talks just fine. But her brother has her sheltered away just in case, they do not share their weaknesses with us so we want to kidnap this medical man just in case "
Toghurl creased his brow, saying " Kidnap? From a city with the three of us? Are you insane?"
" The settled are weak, we take from them all the time. This will be nothing but a little adventure, especially if we are smart."
" It could be our deaths! We if the city decides to vent their anger over some other tribes raid on us?" Dismissing his question with a wave and turning to leave, the eldest said " Then we will have vengeance of our own upon them!" Anger furled up in Toghurl, he saw Batir's attitude as something childish and infuriating.
" Coward! You would scoff at helping a our elf!" Batir himself, did not take well to the sudden anger from his brother, and yes while he knew his second brother was over reacting to a minor affliction to an elf, something she got herself from swimming in the rivers at night he was certain that his seemingly intelligent youngest brother would imeadilty see how helpful a healer would be to the tribe!
The only reason Toghrul wouldn't see how benefit this would be for them as a whole must be because his cowardice blinds him!
"Enough, Khantur is waiting for us. We shouldn't speak anymore in the tribe, who knows whoes ear's are in the tents near us, lets go!"
" ... Fine, but I do not like this if you can't convince me you have a plan I won't come."
" Heh, then abandon you're brothers to die?"
Toghrul tried to stutter a response, but nothing came up his words were strangled in his throat by his brothers retort, frowning he saw Batir relax and smile, thinking to himself ' My brother is not a complete loss then' .
