Elevation of Mana Chapter 20 Surreptitious Construction

Adia

As soon as we were home the boys ran off, and all I could do was sigh. They were all hard working on their trapping though, so we could let them skimp on the evening chores. Even my Elian was trying to help, though he often came up with the strangest of ideas. Though he wasn't the only one.

Atie was off as well, still more interested in her pots and things than anything else. She'd kept up with her gathering though, and I had to admit, having something to store water in around the house was nice, I wondered if any of the merchants that passed by would be interested in them when they passed through.

All that could wait for later though, for now I had things that needed doing. Our group headed over to the best section of rocks and began the arduous process of cracking all the shells from today's nuts.

*Boom*

"I've been telling saying for months that we need to put back more skins for clothes, but mother won't listen at all," a younger woman complained.

*Slam*

"Well, she wants bedding right? You need both, and getting someone to part with a larger skin isn't a small thing," one of her friends added with a bit of a shaking finger.

*Crack*

"I hear they use tree branches up in the mountains for that, why can't we?"

*Thunk*

"Dear, they have different trees up there. Oh, that one's no good," an older woman said, tossing a nut that had gone rotten.

I smiled, none of this was really intense, just letting our hands work as we chatted. Someone was always thinking about what came tomorrow, even if it was all small stuff. The seasons came, and they went, and year after year we grew, families getting bigger, members of our village getting stronger. We were still small, and still weak by comparison to most other villages in this region, but we'd only been founded a couple of hundred years ago, so that was to be expected.

Shina, who I'd known since childhood, looked over, eyes gazing off as she ran a hand over her belly. She knew, as did I, her condition. She'd come to see me a few days ago, wanting to be checked on after she began suspecting herself, but it was too early to make any kind of announcement. Children were blessings, and even though we got one every few years, there was no reason not to celebrate. They were also so very fragile as they came into the world, no matter how much I tried to help.

Thinking of my own I looked around. "Where's Elian?" I asked.

"The boys ran off to play," answered Isha, one of the younger girls who often joined in our evening chores.

"All of them?"  I asked.

"Mmm,"

"Has anyone seen or heard any of the boys?"  I asked, rather more loudly.

Several women looked around, increasingly bothered.  Nothing would ever bode well when the entire group of them couldn't be found.

Elian

All of knew we had to hurry, all of us knew the stakes.  Once we'd found the proper spot we started with haste.  I'd used my magic to do the initial digging while the others had gathered tools and the like, and now they were getting the few logs we'd managed to secure in place.

Our little project was very makeshift, mostly just a hole with a bunch of wood serving as the roof then covered in dirt.  It would work as an ice-house, and once it was done I was sure that I'd convince the village that it would work for ice, and to let me make another for us to play in.  I sort of felt bad about tricking everyone into helping me, but I believed myself right, and if I wasn't... we'd still have our secret base.

Many hours of labor had already gone into this project, be it planning or prepping the wood.  Most of that had been distributed here and there, us putting things where they needed to go slowly so that when the time came we could get construction going, but some things couldn't be easily hidden, and the building process was one.

The cousins Alun and Ulun were the fastest by far, and I could see the little bits of magic as they worked together, pushing the roof into place.  Ninden and I were pulling more materials over, along with Rindal, who'd never liked me, but loved this idea.  Finally Olond, our best at stealth was keeping an eye out.

Most of my magic had gone into the digging, so I couldn't well finish it all myself, and anyway teamwork was fun.  Once we had the rafters in place we took our borrowed tools and began covering the whole thing with dirt, leaving only the small entrance.  It was as we were piling the soil high that the first calls came from the direction of the village proper.

"Olond, where are you?"  Came the first shout, the voice feminine.

"Alun!"  Followed soon after.

Olond himself soon appeared, looking at us with large eyes.  "They realized we were gone, they're coming."

All of us took a moment to freeze, we all knew it was coming, only hoping that we'd get enough time to finish before  it did.  It was still too early, still too soon for the disaster that would soon be upon us.

Steeling himself, Olond looked out upon us.  "I'll go, I'll keep them distracted for as long as I can," he said solemnly.

I placed my hand on his arm, and in the most serious tone I could muster spoke.  "Your sacrifice will be remembered."

He soon turned and fled into the lingering twilight, a hero to us all.  If he could just keep them until the men returned we might have a chance, a slim hope that they'd see the greatness of our work and protect us from the retribution that was sure to come.

Soon as he was gone I got back to the project.  Most of my magic was spent, having gone into the initial push.  That was part of why I'd used so much in the beginning though, in case we needed a hard push at the end.  I reached out, grabbing as much of the dirt as I could and piling it on top of our makeshift base, it would insulate, and we needed it done before we were found.

My world briefly spun as I overtaxed my magical muscles, leaving me spent as all the power left me.  It didn't change things though, and soon I'd returned to the pile, helping spread and pat down the mound of dirt.  A few minutes later we were done as we could be, and looked upon our new building.

It wasn't much honestly.  All in all it was just a hole dug into a hillside with sticks and dirt piled to make an impromptu roof.  The entrance was small, small enough that most of our fathers would struggle to enter, and long, about five feet.  The main room inside was around ten feet wide, and nearly the same long, with a low ceiling, and a few larger logs to serve as supports, I'd need to get rock in later for those, but it would serve for now.

No sooner had we gathered for the final inspection then the call came from behind us.

"Found them!"  Came a familiar voice, and I turned to see auntie Atie yelling back towards the main part of the village.

Soon mothers, older sisters, aunts, and the like all descended upon us, all looking quite cross.  I saw Olond, the bravest among us, being hauled forward by the ear.  He gave a smile when he saw us, resigned, but pleased his mission was successful.

My own mother soon made her way to the front of the gathering group, several of whom looked upon our creation with clear anger.

"What exactly do you boys think you're doing?"  She asked as she looked at us.

"Elaya gave us permission," I blurted out, hoping...

"I MOST CERTAINLY DID NOT!"  Came the hollered reply, I should have known she'd be nearby.  The clearly displeased elder stepped into the dying light of the late evening, scowling.

"You said I could put ice in a cave or a hole or something.  So we made a cave, or a hole, or something..."

That excuse flew with all the grace and beauty of a chunk of sandstone, and it was clear from the looks alone that nobody was buying it.  Several were already advancing on their sons.  There was only one option left.

"Run, scatter!"  I yelled at my compatriots, turning to the nearby woods.  We didn't need to get far, just into the shelter there to wait out the worst of the storm.

I made it not even three steps before I felt the magic wrap around me, lifting me from the ground.  I pulsed my mana, trying to undo a spell that could only have originated with Elaya, but to no avail.  Tired as I was there was little I could do as I was pulled back.  The other boys didn't make it far either, each in turn being levitated or wrapped in vines from mother as they tried to dive into the bushes.  None escaped.

When the hunters finally returned a couple of hours later they all had a good laugh at us.  Both for the severity and number of punishments being thrown about.  Our whole group had been sentenced to hard labor in the form of all the evening chores, overseen by merciless wardens who assured us that we'd be taking care of them for all of the foreseeable future.  I myself was tied around my waist with vines to mother, who seemed determined that I shouldn't leave her sight for even an instant.

Elaya took time, now that her work was being handled, to fill our little ice house up, calmly informing us that since that was what it was for, there should be no complaints.  I just hoped it worked, and that they let us keep it.