“I seek to understand the damage you do to my world.”
“We and we do not damage.”
Even if these creatures could make blocks of metal or rock fly, she questioned their intelligence. Not only did they speak oddly, but they used words that were untrue. “You damaged this place,” she contradicted it.
“We and all we seek ore.” The last word did not sound Rownt. It did not sound like a word at all—more like an insect chittering in the night.
“Define ore.”
A great shivering went through the creature and several limbs twitched. Perhaps the stranger communicated with his own people through some sort of visual signs. Many hunting groups developed a system of codes so that they could speak to each other across the valleys without spooking the prey animal between them. After a time, the creature said, “Ore is rock appropriate to make metal.” It tapped its claw-like appendage against the machine that translated. It tinged.
She knew that sound well. When she had still worked as a hunter, she had often traded for weapons that sounded like that. She held up her reialet and tapped a spike. “Is this metal?”
“Yes.” The creature said.
“There is no metal in these rocks,” she said without any doubt. Rocks that yielded metal were so valuable that those who controlled the area could demand a high price for their weapons. There were few places where a trader could find enough profit to prove her value, but in the matter of metals, there was more profit to be had than traders to claim it. “The rocks for ore are far away and removing them from the ground does not require damage.”
More shivering. She was a hunter, and she knew the movement of grass, or of an animal’s hair as it moved. This creature’s hair moved in segments, some with the movement of the limbs and some against. It was an odd creature that learned to control the direction of hair. She had skinned and studied prey and found nothing that would suggest an animal that had muscles fine enough for such an ability. It said, “Different metal. Different ore. Different rock. The ore we and we need is here.”
She had to admit a great ignorance in the placement of value on rocks. However, she did not know of anyone who valued rocks in this valley, and she did not know the relative worth of the rocks against the need of the hunters to maintain land appropriate for their prey. “Your removal causes damage.” By saying as much, she was effectively claiming the valley as part of her territory. The other Grandmothers would not be pleased, especially the eldest.
However, if she did not claim the valley, it would be their hunters who suffered. A town rose or fell on the strength of hunters. Those who tended plants could provide many calories and valuable nutrients for those in town, but a Rownt required much protein. Only hunters could provide that, which is why one often said that a Grandmother provided the eggs but the hunters fed the egglings. Eggs were common enough, but someone had to provide for egglings no matter what. Only hunters could do that. She would not have her town forced to seek other ground because the hunters were unable to feed them.
There was more odd movement of hair. “We and we need ore.”
She took a step closer, signaling her unwillingness to back down. “We need the valley.”
“Describe quality of need,” the creature said.
Her eyes widened. Perhaps these creatures were also students of calti. It was said that information was only proper currency for Grandmothers, but she decided to share some truth with the strangers. “This valley provides food for our town. You drive away the prey that would feed the children of my village.”
That caused another series of spasms and jerks as if the creature were unwell and some fever drove its movement. “We and we provide food, we and we take ore.”
Apparently, they were negotiating. She feared that when she got home, the other Grandmothers would turn their back on her, and she would once again have to claim her name and possibly find another village, one far enough away that they had not heard stories about the Grandmother who overreached and suffered disgrace and exile. But there was opportunity here. As a hunter, she knew the value of rocks that produced metal. If there were such rocks here, the bounty should go to her temple. Crafters of weapons and diggers of rocks would come to Prabrateakil and share their good fortune.
“If you want ore, show us which rocks you want and we will trade them to you without damaging our land.”
“We and we and all the we need rocks fast.” The creature had answered so fast that she got the impression that it was convinced that Rownt were weak or slow. Or perhaps it questioned whether Rownt could learn to use tools. However, in a mere century since the first Rownt had seen a stranger use a projectile weapon, craftsmen had learned to make them in such numbers that they were replacing reialets and tej among those who hunted large prey.
“My people are very strong. We learn easily, and if you wish us to trade rocks, we can trade many rocks. But if we must defend this land, you will get no rocks and we will damage many of your square flying carts.” She kept her voice firm, even though she felt the warmth of battle and fear in her bones.
The creature's reaction was like one who had been so badly injured that it lost control of its limbs. It twitched and writhed. “We and we need ore,” it said.
She dropped her reialet to the dust. “Then let us trade.”
