- 8 hours ago
- #full
- #shortfilm
- #high
#FULL EPISODE #shortfilm
FULL VERSION #High Quality
#FULL EP
- FULL EP 2026
FULL VERSION #High Quality
#FULL EP
- FULL EP 2026
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:05before father left to join the army he made a promise if i die on the battlefield you can find
00:13another man to marry like the hunter on the edge of the village but that huntsman vance had a
00:18crippled leg and a scar that split his face in two one punch they said could drop a full-grown
00:24tiger they also said he'd already beaten his first wife to death marrying mama to him was the
00:31same as sending her to die three years later word came that father was dead grandma and the village
00:39elders collected 20 silver coins from vance they sold mama off the news arrived on the day mama was
00:45washing clothes by the river deep winter the water was thick with floating ice cold enough to cut
00:51bone grandma wouldn't allow her to use hot water she said firewood was precious not for a worthless
00:58brat who couldn't produce sons i'd haul extra firewood down from the mountain but it always
01:06went straight to uncle dale's fire pit if mama or i used so much as one extra stick grandma beat
01:13us
01:13cursed us for three days straight i tried to help with the washing mama waved me off the river's cold
01:22little one go play over there where the sun hits it's warmer in the dead of winter midday sun was
01:29the
01:29only warmth we ever had when the laundry was done when we walked home grandma and the village elders were
01:36already waiting they'd been in such a rush but not enough to walk down to the river and find us
01:41you take
01:42this long wandering off who knows where worthless brat roy's barely gone and already your hearts
01:49drifting
01:55the soldiers sent word roy's dead you killed him every bit of bad luck he had started when he
02:01married you he's gone now so hurry up and remarry don't stay here dragging our family down the bundle
02:06was small two of mama's worn out dresses grandma didn't look like she was grieving her own son she
02:13looked the same as always like someone had told her the village dog had died mama said nothing she just
02:19held my hand tighter grandma can i bring my daughter with me mama wasn't crying much she was only worried
02:28about me see if the huntsman's willing to pay for her a girl this size sell her to a broker
02:37and you'd get
02:37ten silver easy mama's grip went tighter around my hand we both knew the moment she left grandma would
02:44sell me she wouldn't keep me a single day longer than she had to mama shouldered her bundle and held
02:51my
02:52hand grandma and the village elders herded us to vance's house he was inside sharpening a blade
02:57the scraping sound never stopped his bad leg jutted stiffly to one side it couldn't bend a scar ran from
03:04below his left eye all the way to the right corner of his mouth like something had tried to split
03:09his
03:09face in half i stepped behind mama vance looked us over you people forced this woman on me 20 silver
03:18is already too much don't push it further he clearly hadn't wanted to take mama let alone me dead weight
03:25she dragged my roy saved your life once now he's dead and we're delivering this woman straight to
03:31your door you should be on your knees thanking us she wants to bring the girl along as your daughter
03:35you get a wife and a child all at once i'm not asking for much another 10 silver and we're
03:41done
03:41most families earned two or three silver in a year 10 silver could buy a full acre of good farmland
03:48i was not worth that much people in the village said he was a silent man but when he opened
03:56his
03:56eyes and looked at you really looked it could stop your heart cold grandma shoved mama hard mama's thin
04:03frame nearly went down mr heart my daughter eats very little she can work please could you give us
04:11somewhere to go vance finally looked at me a long unreadable frown mama tugged at my hand i dropped to
04:18my knees beside her with a hand call him something i stared up at vance at the scar my lips
04:26shook papa
04:27vance went still the scar looked even more ferocious when his face froze like that grandma's foot
04:35complete with my back your real father's barely cold and you're already calling some stranger papa
04:40worthless brat just like your harlot mother heart already belongs to someone else she kept kicking
04:47i lay flat and didn't move didn't make a sound that was how it worked stay still let her finish
04:55and
04:55she'd stop mama tried to crawl to me one of the village elders kicked her back it was always like
05:01this in
05:01roy's household mama couldn't save me she couldn't save herself enough vance stood he went inside he
05:10came back and threw 10 silver coins onto the ground this girl is my child now i looked up at
05:18vance
05:19mama hadn't caught what he said i had grandma grabbed the silver and turned to leave vance blocked her
05:26he demanded a written contract grandma refused vance snatched the silver right back no contract
05:33no silver in the end with the village elders and the village head as witnesses the contract was signed
05:40both mama and i became part of vance's household mama put down her bundle and started working
05:47immediately if she stayed busy enough maybe vance would let me eat more maybe he wouldn't hit me
05:53vance's house was plain three main rooms a hall in the center a bedroom on each side only one
06:00bedroom had a bed the other was empty mama led me to the woodshed the firewood was stacked clean
06:06the floor was tidy mama shifted some wood and found a board she built me a rough bed out of
06:12it
06:14don't be afraid little one
06:21mama i'm not afraid at roy's house it had always been the same when father was home he'd say i
06:28was in
06:28the way always getting between him and mama when they were trying for a son he'd chase me to the
06:34woodshed roy's woodshed was filthier than this rats snakes frozen solid in winter a furnace in summer
06:41i'd survived all of it mama held me against her chest maybe once i give him a son things will
06:48ease
06:49up i said nothing i'd long suspected father's cruelty toward mama had nothing to do with sons
06:56mama why did father want you to remarry vance before he left father had kept mama on a tight leash
07:03wouldn't let her leave the village wouldn't let her look up when she passed a man grandma would curse
07:09her for it too said she was out there tempting people mama's bitter laugh stayed locked in her
07:15throat because vance was the only one who could pay that much
07:23she didn't finish she didn't need to father had sent mama here to die
07:30father had been planning to sell mama even before he left he knew he wasn't coming back
07:35he made sure mama would have nowhere left to go i'd worked this out some time ago not because i
07:41was
07:41clever they'd been obvious about it the whole village talked not long after we arrived vance
07:47came back carrying armfuls of thick wooden boards he disappeared into the empty west bedroom steady
07:53hammering rang out one blow after another mama stood outside the door she wanted to ask where the
07:59food stores were so she could start dinner but she didn't dare after a while vance came back out
08:05he saw us both still standing there he frowned something you need his voice was rough i flinched
08:12and nearly stepped back but we were alone here mama and me if i stepped back she'd be standing by
08:19herself i held my ground i took mama's hand and stood beside her vance noticed something shifted in
08:25his brow mama asked carefully i i want to ask it's nearly dinner time if you get the grain out
08:33i can
08:34cook you've worked hard all day you should eat vance frowned harder he looked us up and down like we'd
08:39said something strange then he pointed at the kitchen in there
08:47the key vance's frown deepened he walked over and kicked the kitchen door open he looked back at us
08:55i had the feeling he was asking with his eyes whether we were simple no lock no key
09:02roy's kitchen was always locked the grain the oil the salt the eggs everything in locked cabinets
09:08grandma would measure out exactly what was needed for each meal set it on the counter then stand
09:13there watching mama cook drop a single grain of rice get a lecture that lasted half a day
09:19she called us starving ghosts said we never worked only ate she was afraid we'd steal food mama and i
09:26stepped into the kitchen grain oil salt all of it just sitting out in the open mama stood there for
09:33a
09:33long moment she glanced toward vance he'd already gone back out she was almost afraid to touch anything
09:39she was afraid she'd cook it long and he'd come back angry beat her like grandma she was afraid of
09:46being accused of stealing eventually mama cooked the food sat on the table the two of us stood in the
09:54courtyard neither of us moved toward it vance came back carrying two large wicker baskets he saw the food
10:00on the table he saw us standing there his frown deepened he washed his hands sat down saw us still
10:07standing he told us gruffly to sit he scooped himself less than half a bowl of rice not enough
10:14food cook more tomorrow he ate fast loud and efficient finished in minutes but barely ate half of what
10:22was there done he sat sharpening his wood cutting knife watching us eat mama hesitantly filled my bowl
10:29we ate both keeping our eyes on him i noticed it quickly when i ate fast he looked away when
10:35i slowed down
10:35and tried to set my chopsticks down he frowned he was telling me to keep eating mama and i finished
10:41every last bite then we sat waiting to be scolded or hit vance put the knife down wash up and
10:48get some
10:49sleep you've worked enough today mama hurried to heat the water she waited for vance to finish washing
10:57then after a moment washed her own face and hands and feet it's the first day if i'm clean he'll
11:06find
11:06less to resent she muttered it while she scrubbed eyes dim i used her leftover warm water the heat spread
11:13up through my hands and feet all at once so this was what it felt like to wash with hot
11:18water no wonder
11:19grandma and uncle dale always demanded extra buckets in winter i went to the woodshed for the night mama
11:25stopped me at the door cover your ears no matter what you hear tonight don't come out pretend you
11:32heard nothing you understand i nodded hard i knew once when father was hurting mama i'd run in crying
11:40and begged him to stop he'd kicked me so hard i ached for half a year this time i wouldn't
11:46make a sound
11:46we both had to survive stay alive and there was still hope even if i didn't yet know what that
11:52hope looked
11:53like then the woodshed door was kicked open vance stood in the doorway holding a lantern staring at
12:00me where i lay in the straw i shrank back cold sweat poured down my neck once father had come
12:07home half
12:08drunk in the middle of the night and walked into the woodshed he beat me nearly to death he said
12:13i was
12:13a burden my fault he had no son my fault he lost money gambling that night mama grabbed the woodcutting
12:20knife and told him she'd take his life that was the only thing that saved me vance was stronger
12:26could he put me down in three kicks but he wasn't drunk he wasn't angry he reached down and grabbed
12:32me under the arms like he was picking up a stray chick he carried me into the west bedroom mama
12:38was
12:38already standing there quietly the empty room wasn't empty anymore a wide wooden bed stood against
12:44the wall worn but tidy vance set me down he turned and walked back to his own east bedroom the
12:51door
12:51closed within minutes his snoring came through the wall mama and i stared at each other
12:58that night we slept restlessly but we slept warm i burrowed into the quilt and said quietly mama
13:05it's so warm i had never been this warm in winter not once and i'd eaten dinner my stomach was
13:11full
13:11this i thought was what being alive was actually supposed to feel like mama stroked my hair little
13:17one you called him papa today do it again tomorrow keep calling him that okay vance was already a better
13:27father than roy had ever been the meals got bigger after that and slowly mama didn't dare increase the
13:33amount all at once she added a little each day until she finally understood his appetite
13:39he ate a great deal roughly as much as mama and i put together but he never once stopped us
13:44from
13:44eating if we ate too little he'd frown he hunted large catches he sold sometimes he'd bring back a
13:51rabbit or a wild chicken and he'd have mama stew it he ate half the rest went to us i
13:57had eaten meat
13:58three times in my life before that this was the fourth it was so good no wonder grandma and uncle
14:04dale had always been so desperate for it mama saved the extra pieces for me i ate without thinking too
14:10happy to pace myself that night i woke in the dark with my stomach seizing up in cramps i rolled
14:16across
14:17the bed in pain mama rubbed my belly it didn't help she ran outside and scraped ash from the bottom
14:24of the
14:24cooking pot stirred it into water and brought it to me i took one sip and vomited everything up
14:32vance burst through the door one look at me he wrapped me in the quilt hoisted me onto his shoulder
14:36and ran mama stumbled after him she didn't say a word he ran all the way to the village doctor's
14:42house at the edge of the road and kicked the door in the whole household lurched awake they started to
14:46complain then they saw his face and went quiet the doctor checked my pulse then asked what i'd been
14:52eating what did she eat over aid indigestion nell's been underfed all her life eat this much meat at
14:58once and her stomach can't manage it she'll be fine i'll give her something to bring it up keep her
15:03warm
15:04light food for a few days she'll recover she gave me something i vomited loudly and at length the smell
15:10filled the whole room the doctor's husband muttered from the corner never had good food her whole life
15:16body can't handle it when she finally does vance looked at him one hard stare he retreated to the
15:22back room i was humiliated getting sick from eating too much meat just like grandma had always said i was
15:29a bottomless pit with no sense vance carried me home over his shoulder on the way back he said gruffly
15:37you've really never had meat before i thought he was scolding me this was only the fourth time
15:44before we only ever got a piece or two grandma had never let us have even the broth he made
15:52a low
15:52sound eat more often enough and this stops happening i was wrapped too tight in the quilt and didn't quite
15:58catch it the next few days i could only drink porridge vance brought back millet he brought back brown sugar
16:06millet and brown sugar were things only new mothers got after childbirth a bowl or two a little sweetness
16:12stirred in i was getting a full bowl at every single meal i was eating better than mama had after
16:20giving
16:20birth to me vance watched me eat every morning until the color came back to my face when it did
16:26something
16:27in his own expression finally loosened he fixed the village doctor's front gate as payment for the house
16:34call then he pulled the doctor back to check my pulse again only when she said i was fully recovered
16:40did he walk her out he said he was going up the mountain to track a big animal might be
16:45gone several
16:46days he told mama to bake a stack of flatbreads for the road mama kneaded the dough with lard and
16:52mixed in
16:52brown sugar the flatbreads came out golden and fragrant she pressed into his hands the thick insoles
16:59and padded cap she'd sewn over the past few days vance took the flatbreads he looked at the insoles and
17:04the cap he looked up at mama something in his eyes went soft new year's coming when i sell what
17:10i
17:10catch we'll go buy supplies think about what you want mama held my hand as we stood at the door
17:16to see
17:17him off his figure moved away from us uneven but steady i couldn't help shouting after him
17:24papa come home soon vance stopped he didn't look back he lifted a hand in our direction go inside
17:31it's cold we waited five days he didn't come back the cold deepened on the fifth day snow began to
17:41fall
17:41mama watched the sky go dark she looked at me she pointed to the food stores and told me to
17:47mind myself
17:48cook my own meals if i got hungry mama's going to find him i'll be back soon
17:54take care of yourself she changed her clothes and strapped the wood cutting knife to her body
17:59she found the oil lamp i tucked a small sickle under my clothes and followed her out wherever you go
18:06i go we'll bring papa home together vance was my papa now he was a better papa than roy had
18:13ever been
18:13i was never going to have a different one mama let out a long ride if something goes wrong out
18:19there
18:19you standing alone in this house isn't any safer all right together we held hands and went up the
18:27mountain we'd only ever been to the edges gathering firewood we almost never went deeper in wolves in
18:33wild boars tigers but with mama beside me and the thought of papa waiting somewhere in that cold i wasn't
18:40afraid the snow came down harder it was barely past midday but the sky had gone dark moving through
18:48the forest was difficult every step was uncertain we'd break through a soft patch and sink to the
18:54knee mama pulled me out each time and prodded the ground ahead with a stick we hadn't gone far when
19:00we
19:00heard heavy footsteps in the trees mama raised the wood cutting knife i raised the sickle we stared into
19:06the dark ahead both terrified if we were going to die out here at least we'd die together the footsteps
19:12came closer a large figure emerged from between the trees a tall man with a stiff lopsided gate dragging
19:18something massive behind him a tiger we stared he stared back i let go of mama's hand and ran
19:27i threw my arms around his leg and looked up the tiger dropped from his grip and hit the snow
19:32he looked down at me then up at mama what are the two of you doing up here he reached
19:37down and grabbed
19:38me under the arms trying to lift me his hands had nothing left he couldn't manage it i held onto
19:45his leg he came to find you been gone five days the snow started i was afraid
19:53the last time she'd gone out searching for a man who hadn't come home she told roy she was worried
19:58he'd been hurt he'd slapped her across the face said she was cursing him said her worrying was the reason
20:04all his bad luck found him after that she stopped saying she worried about roy she stopped worrying
20:09about roy at all vance looked at her the corner of his mouth moved he wanted to smile years of
20:16not
20:16smiling seemed to have made him forget how but he explained this one was big it took longer than i
20:22thought get the fire going start dinner a tiger that size he must have been dragging it for hours he
20:30was
20:30running on empty but he didn't ask for help he would get it home himself mama stood watching him
20:35torn she didn't dare disobey but she wanted to help i ran forward and grabbed one of the tiger's hind
20:41legs
20:44papa we'll all go back together i wasn't very strong and touching that leg even a dead leg sent a
20:52chill
20:52through me that had nothing to do with the snow the tiger was enormous dead as it was it still
20:58looked
20:58vicious mama hesitated then she stepped up together vance's mouth twitched he agreed
21:08the three of us dragged the tiger back home by the time we reached the village the snow lay thick
21:14on
21:14the ground the whole village was dark the lanes empty we made it inside at last the tiger lay in
21:21the yard
21:22half buried in white still looking dangerous i wasn't afraid of it anymore
21:26i circled it a few times just to prove it then ran back and pressed myself against papa's leg
21:33papa's so strong he killed a tiger all by himself
21:37vance was too exhausted to move but he reached down and rested his hand on top of my head
21:44his hand was huge and rough and heavy but when it rested on my head it was light it was
21:50warm
21:50roy had large hands too they'd never been rough he rarely did anything that required effort he wasn't
21:58very strong either every time he'd pick to fight and come out worse he'd curled up on the ground and
22:04he hadn't even tried to fight back but when he hit mama and me he hit hard in this village
22:10most men were
22:11like that hands that fell hard on their wives and children i had always thought all fathers were the
22:16same turns out some of them were different
22:22the next morning before dawn vance fetched an ox cart he woke us up and we rode into town together
22:28to sell
22:29the tiger in the county seat he went straight to a large estate he clearly knew well he called someone
22:35out fletcher fletcher came to the door his face lit up when he saw vance the two men grabbed each
22:41other
22:41by the shoulders talking like old friends so papa could be like this animated warm full of words mama and
22:49i hung back staring at the tall heavy doors the high threshold the stone lions flanking the gate
22:55we didn't dare step forward vance looked back at us and said something to fletcher fletcher studied
23:01us then reached into his coat and pulled out a small cloth pouch here child take it i didn't dare
23:08he pressed it into my hands papa nodded i took it
23:15thank you uncle fletcher inside the pouch was a small piece of silver i walked it over to papa papa
23:22and tucked it into his hands for you fletcher blinked then he laughed loud and warm well old
23:28vance you've got yourself a devoted little girl you're a lucky man that one's for your papa
23:35this one's yours keep it fletcher bought the tiger and invited vance to stay for drinks
23:40vance shook his head nothing at home need to stock up for new year next time then and you'd better
23:46actually show up the tiger had sold for a good sum vance walked us through the market first a
23:53wonton stall for breakfast a big bowl each thin wrappers fat filling floating in rich broth that
24:00steamed in the cold air mama was afraid to eat but vance had already paid wasting it was worse
24:06she tried to give me her bowl vance stopped her children who overeat end up with stomachaches
24:11mama thought of my illness immediately she stopped after the wontons her face had some color in it
24:17vance took us to buy pork grain flour oil dried spices for cooking then to the cloth shop new quilts
24:24and padded coats mama waved her hands the ones we have are perfectly fine i said the same when we'd
24:31first
24:32arrived the quilts and padded clothes vance gave us had been second hand but they were clean and warm
24:37that was already more than i'd ever had before i had no silver i bought used now i have silver
24:47we buy new in the end they didn't buy ready-made they bought fabric and cotton batting mama still
24:53didn't want to spend too freely i can sew my hands are fast done before new year i promise she
24:59found a
24:59length of dark blue cloth and held it up beside vance this one suits you it was the closest they'd
25:05ever
25:05understood i was almost sure i saw vance's face go red
25:12his face went red and he looked happier he lifted me up and set me on his shoulders so i
25:17could see all
25:17the way down the market road i laughed so hard i could barely breathe it was the highest i'd ever
25:22been
25:23i could see everything mama walked carefully beside us glancing again and again at his leg afraid he'd tire
25:30himself out further along vance bought sesame candy and sugar figurines he bought hair ribbons and flowers
25:38for mama and me both the stall woman smiled at them your wife and daughter are lovely these flowers suit
25:44them perfectly city made you know vance and mama both went red at exactly the same moment on the way
25:50home
25:50i sat in the ox cart holding my sugar figurine and refused to eat it it was a general in
25:56full armor
25:56fierce looking just like papa we passed roy's old house on the road through the village grandma was in
26:03the yard washing clothes in hot water so she'd always known about hot water uncle dale sat slumped under
26:09the eaves doing nothing they'd sold mom and me for 30 silver dale still hadn't found himself a wife with
26:16that money he just sat around and called it waiting for a good match grandma looked up uncle dale looked
26:22up they stared at us slack jawed then their faces turned other worthless brat harrel it
26:32the curse had barely left grandma's mouth when a rock hit uncle dale square on the head
26:37who threw vance threw a second rock it landed straight in grandma's washtub and sent water splashing
26:42in all directions these are my wife and daughter open your mouths against them again and you've got
26:47me to answer to he stood at the gate in the fading light even with the bad leg he was
26:52a wall grandma
26:53and uncle dale bullies who ran at the first sign of real resistance went completely silent mama's hand
26:59found mine her eyes had gone red we rode on when i looked back i could still see the venom
27:05in their faces
27:06then i found my nerve i raised my sugar figurine at them and made the ugliest face i could manage
27:12i had a real papa now they couldn't touch us anymore
27:18i lost my sugar figurine and my new hair ribbon i was too ashamed to go home i hovered near
27:25our gate
27:26going back and forth not able to make myself walk in papa came down from the mountain he saw me
27:33coat
27:34torn face bleeding covered in mud he dropped his firewood dropped the wild chickens he'd been carrying
27:41who did this i'd never seen him this frightened it scared me more than the beating i started shaking
27:48i'm sorry i'm sorry he crouched down he wiped the mud off my face with his rough hands his hands
27:55weren't
27:56steady tell papa who did it his voice steadied me i told him everything halting stumbling over the words
28:05with every sentence his expression darkened he took me inside and handed me to mama then he picked up
28:11his walking stick and walked back out mama grabbed his arm she shook her head papa thought about it he
28:18picked up the thick wooden post that braced the door shut that afternoon the fathers of every boy who'd hit
28:24me
28:24i won't hit a child i'll hit you one more incident and i'll break your legs
28:32every one of them was a grown able-bodied man papa had one good leg he chased them through the
28:39village
28:39anyway one methodical blow at a time then papa went to roy's old house and beat uncle dale in front
28:46of
28:46the whole street you people forced ivy and this girl on me i painted the silver i signed the contract
28:51they're mine if i hear any more talk from your side of the village dale should stop walking alone
28:55after dark uncle dale howled and promised over and over that it would never happen again anyone with
29:02something to say say it to me directly not one person stepped forward several hurried to point
29:09out that grandma's family had always treated ivy and me badly it's true ivy and little nell are well
29:16off with you old vanch you know how to take care of people those two are lucky they ended up
29:20with you
29:20papa walked home carrying the doorpost he stopped in front of me and rested his hand on my head
29:26he held my hand and walked me inside in the lane he said quietly who gave you that name anyway
29:33nell it was grandma's choice half the girls in the village had names like it nell for invite a
29:39brother hope for wish for a son bless for pray he comes papa didn't like it how about clara from
29:46now
29:46on bright as the sun and moon that's what clara means a name for someone with a future ahead of
29:51her
29:53i was six years old and had my first real name clara clara heart
29:59a heart now i told mama grinning she laughed through red eyes pressing the tears back papa said
30:05it twice softly to himself clara heart clara heart that night mama finished sewing the new quilts
30:12she came to me with them folded in her arms clara you're a big girl now time to sleep in
30:20your own
30:20room all right her own room if i moved out where would mama sleep i thought about it for one
30:26second
30:26yes mama you and papa should hurry up and have a little brother or sister for me i'll take care
30:33of
30:33them i meant it a little brother or sister who had papa they'd be wonderful i already wanted to meet
30:39them the next morning papa woke me at dawn clara yesterday was papa impressive very impressive you
30:46can't rely on me your whole life you need to protect yourself do you want to be as strong as
30:50papa yes
30:53i wanted to be strong enough to protect papa and mama the future little ones to hunt on the mountain
30:59and earn enough silver to take care of all of them papa was pleased he pointed at the yard run
31:0450 laps
31:04to start 50 laps by the end i could barely stand he didn't let me stop mama watched with pained
31:13eyes
31:13she said nothing after running came stances and lifting the stone block papa had brought back from
31:20the mountain it was just heavy enough that i could manage it on a good day by evening my hands
31:25and feet
31:26were covered in blisters train hard your papa means it for your good i know mama i understood what
31:33papa's care looked like that night mama carried her new quilt into papa's bedroom they talked quietly for
31:39a while the lamp went out the night was noisy for a bit i slept soundly in my new quilts
31:45anyway
31:46the next day papa woke up late i'd already run 30 laps around the yard by the time he appeared
31:52at the door
31:52all day he and mama kept catching each other's eyes and looking away fast both of them red faced both
31:59of them smiling at nothing if you want to look just look why the sneaking adults were very strange
32:09after new year papa bought several acres of good farmland with the tiger money he farmed in the busy
32:15seasons and hunted in the quiet ones he teaching me how to track animals how to read droppings and prints
32:22which sounds meant danger taught me the knife and the bow how to put a person down using as little
32:27force as possible my strength was still limited progress was slow the village gossiped most of it
32:34came from roy's old household that cripple got a wife and a daughter handed to him for nothing
32:39doesn't matter how smug ivy acts she still ended up with a cripple roy was twice as handsome
32:45roy had been handsome much good it had done anyone he couldn't carry a load or plant a field he
32:51was a
32:52farmer who refused to farm his greatest skill was hitting the people who lived in his house
32:59i glanced at papa's leg he noticed he adjusted his gait and walked more carefully than before
33:05mama caught me looking she smacked the back of my head the moment we were alone
33:09your papa has been nothing but good to us clara don't you dare look at him the way this village
33:14does
33:14don't you dare mama i want to study medicine if i'm good enough someday maybe i can fix papa's leg
33:20i didn't care about the limp i didn't care about the scar i just didn't want him to hurt on
33:25rainy
33:26days i didn't want him working through the pain and never saying a word about it mama's expression
33:31shifted she worried female apprentices were hard to place most healers wouldn't take them but papa had
33:37been standing just outside the door he went quiet for two days then he took me back into town
33:43to fletcher at the large estate fletcher looked me over for a long moment medicine is hard work clara
33:49an apprentice life is harder can you take it i can and when i've learned enough i'll fix papa's leg
33:55then i'll earn enough silver to take care of all of them papa and mama and my little brothers and
33:59sisters
34:00brothers and sisters is there news already papa went scarlet and said it was far too early for that
34:05far too early i moved into the county seat and began my apprenticeship at the clinic i only asked
34:14to bring one thing from home my stone lifting block for training mama couldn't make herself leave she
34:20stood at the clinic door and wouldn't move i waved her off mama come back when i've made something of
34:28myself she laughed despite herself all right mama's waiting the clinic's doctor was warm and patient with
34:36patience with her apprentices she was merciless too slow to learn she scolded you made an error she
34:44scolded you sometimes she hit some of the younger apprentices cried and went home within weeks i wasn't
34:51troubled by any of it she only ever struck the padded parts of the body the force was calibrated sharp
34:56on
34:57impact no lasting harm compared to roy's household this was nothing and when the doctor scolded us i
35:03recognized that look it wasn't hatred it was impatience born from caring she also made sure we ate every
35:10meal every day without exception she never once stinted on food or clothing i could tell the difference
35:18between people who meant you harm and people who were hard on you for a reason i kept lifting my
35:24stone
35:24block i kept practicing the fighting forms papa had taught me my grip got stronger when i started
35:30learning massage and manipulation from the doctor i was already ahead of the others i could feel exactly
35:36where the tension sat under the skin i worked on her shoulders when she'd had a long day she started
35:42looking less grim every two weeks i went home first thing papa's bad leg he refused at first twisted around
35:50in his seat like i'd suggested something embarrassing a few minutes in his eyes went red when he stood
35:55up afterward he walked without catching himself on the doorframe clara's gotten good learning fast mama
36:02asked me to teach her when you're in the city i can work on it for him he pushes himself
36:07too hard i walked
36:08them both through it side by side when i'm not here you can do it for each other they both
36:13turned red at exactly
36:14the same time adults truly inexplicable
36:58what we're trying to do so
36:59but i have to take advantage of that as an entrepreneurial perspective
37:14and so i have to look back to the people who are in the city we're on the city we're
37:14about to
37:14we need to watch the trip to watch the trip to watch the trip to watch god
37:14what's your life's been given so old that you can do it for him
Comments