Branding

For the most part the branding went well. There were several of the women that came to help that had never branded before, and I tried to teach them how it was done. I am a firm believer in women knowing how to do such things. Think about it. A woman that has no mate should be able to do these things. I have a great deal of respect for those women that are independent enough to want to do things for themselves. I will admit to getting irritated at times with women that will not ask for help when they need it, but that does not mean I respect them any less.


I know that in many ways they are considered weaker than men, but trust me, in my way of thinking there is no such animal as a "helpless woman". There may be those that manipulate a little more to get men to do things for them in the guise of being helpless, but most are quite capable. Case in point, take women like Tarra, Noya and even Cana. Most of them would fight you to keep you from taking things from them that they are capable of doing. Trust me, I know this, I have tried. And all three of these women know who to go to for help. They will not stand around looking forlorn and helpless, they will find a way to get things repaired.


If your wagon cover needs repair, find a leather worker, if the metal bands on your wagon are worn, find an ironworker. Axle's need greasing, grease them yourself or get a slave to do it. My mother was that way. She considered the things around her wagons as falling under her domain, and Skies help you if you tried to take that away from her.


But I digress.


It is always good to see our people working together, it brings a flavor to the work being done. Yamka caught onto the branding really quickly. I will not worry about her not being able to take care of her herd as she accumulates it. And watching Cana is amazing, she just has this way of working that beast of hers' so that they make cutting the calves away from the herd look simple. I have some out riders that I want her to teach that to, including me. You could tell that Tarra and Kaeli were also adept at branding, and that this was not their first, and it is always good to have them around to help guide the younger ones. Asria did show up, and I would not expect her to participate in her condition, but I got the distinct impression that branding was not for her. Too dirty.


Mezoo even showed up, and brought her curiosity with her. I think the women in her family have tended mostly to their verr herds, and less to the bosk, so much of this was new to her. With Yamka's help, she even tried her hand at branding a few. With more practice, they will all be first rate branders.


Taking a break to share food and drink and conversation was even nice. And it gave us a chance to relax. I took Mezoo over to see where the iron workers were working on the branding irons. Sort of a I am man, I will show you how it is done thing, but it did not turn out that way. In that manner of hers, she began to ask questions. Clear cut questions. Those questions that always surprise and interest me when they come from her.


We talked about metals, the ones that were stronger, the ones that were more pliable and how when you mixed them you had something strong, yet flexible. What made me say what I did, I have no idea. But, I shared with her my view that people were like metal in some ways. You took something strong, mixed it with something more malleable, honed off the rough edges, and you were left with something much more interesting. At first there was puzzlement in the look she gave me, but I stood there and watched it in her eyes. The growth of a new idea, from that small seed that I planted. That, is what attracts me to Mezoo.


We did not get to finish our conversation, as there was a commotion near the branding fires that I needed to tend to. It seems that Yamka had been kicked by one of the calves. Kicked badly enough to have broken a rib? Or so Kaeli diagnosed. I will have to keep an eye on that particular little calf. Seems he is stronger than most.