the Naming Beneath the Crying Sky

THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS!

Houseboats were to get further away from sharing too much space with the WOLVES that would get into our heads... had to prove the loyalty of every other tribe and shield or else there would be violence where it was supposed to have none FAR away from the rest of the world.. please stop thinking that people of the sky were rapists merely because you have been living among cats or something too much?

Pride is the worst sin!

Of course things might change the further you go to another direction as the devil was found where the goat hides were not enough and people would be more motivated to take seal skins or whatever from others among other things... because of the addition of cattle.. either way I was merely PRACITING and would not consider these to be "A-rated" film ideas quite yet.. if you have already read what I was writing please understand that I was not getting enough space to be able to have a cleaner head or habit.

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  For many weeks the rain would not stop pouring on the Isle... food was scarce, illness spread, and workers were forced to either labor in the rain or take care of the sick so little work could be done for almost a month straight but it felt like longer as the entire year suffered... finally the Sun returned for a few days and brought partly clouded skies with some random showers. Many people had the tendency to become sick when the seasons changed which sometimes gave some an excuse not to bathe but there was a belief among the people that the person had to be clean and so did the water in order to stay healthy. The fact that washing with water at the wrong place or the wrong time being possible was never ignored and although the people may have looked like they crawled from a hole at times they knew that they were clean inside even it took awhile to find a worthy drink. Everyone knew that getting too wet or at the wrong time was a risk so some used that excuse to avoid bathing and remained stubborn with the claims that it made them sick whenever they would wash. Sure people have a different opinion on what made a person clean but typically the thought of fresh, hard-working, and innocent rang true. It was noticeable that happier and more thankful people did not catch the Tickle going around as bad if at all while the angry or otherwise cursed were at the most risk so certain people with known issues kept a dot between their brows for others to pay closer attention for when they are cursing. The have a dot on the brow indicated that the person was to be extra cared for so that the pathway before the person was never cursed.

Whenever the season changed the people prepared to face these challenges but when the weather had a dramatic change of any kind it felt as though everything was cursed for no apparent reason so the people practiced treating every sacrifice with utmost respect believing that they were cursed by the nature for not respecting it enough or at least had to accept that it was possible and they knew of the eyes of gravity always rest upon them from somewhere at all times no matter whether there be light or darkness. Every life form among them, down to the very insect, would be thought about and methods of communication with them were practiced somewhere among the tribes even if only for a brief period to ensure no cries were ignored. This assured peoples spirits that nature would not be as cruel during the next cycle but some argued that the insects lied to them because they wanted to eat them as food and were not to be trusted and that the animals may not forgive them ever despite their best efforts of the Stroking or ritualistic love before every sacrifice. The most common conclusion people came to was that everything in the darkness or a mirage came from what was expected or at least what influenced it so those who had their fears were usually laughed at as children of sorts. Some felt the need to bury the dead and feed them while others felt the need to drown the dead in the Ocean or burn them with fire as it was believed possibly a faster way to return to the human consciousness allowing reincarnation or the return to the greater living, of sorts... even the timing was tested and could be important if the dying person made such a wish to be born again and had permission... the Oracle always taught that every thought was true and that a line would always have to be drawn as an attempt to measure them because no person alive was ever sure what the future would bring and simply being alive was a miracle within itself and that the only truth to be known was the need to be here and understand the need to be somewhere else entirely someday. Every idea a person had was to be tested throughly as it effected not only nature but their neighbors as well, so generally every different idea was not only respected, but tested thoroughly to ensure the best chances of survival, giving every person a feeling as if they were in charge of the grand scheme of things since they were all part of the Orb, as the Oracle would put it. No idea was mocked or put down but many were laughed at, of course... before neighbors pitched in any help needed to ensure the best test results possible so there was never mocking unless trade with involved.
To have more of the truth is to have more power to curse others with knowledge necessary for saving lives, herbalism, or changing habits and practices and all of this was the guarantee to increase the lifespan of everyone. The Oracle had the knowledge which not only multiplied life, but divided it as well, although this was proven to be difficult as no one was forced to obey her and act on fixing the curse with her plan always with motivation alone. It was believed that to be alive was to suffer as if every person was in a forge wielding into something much more beautiful and it was also known that with suffering and tough love came evolution. Only the strongest survive among human beings and there is no other way to ensure our existence the most unless it was through the knowledge of assurance. The Mother of Nature or known to most as the Oracle, was the oldest woman alive in the heavens because she was the oldest and the Eye of the World where the wisest Kings of all the world meet due to their maturity and respect for change and adaptation for their grandchildren and followers in the Above and the Below. Since women tend to live longer than men it was tradition of all the Orb to share all knowledge with her and as much of it as possible. The process of safely sharing knowledge and trade during this meeting was one of the most strict and serious matters every culture involved came across during their lives. These traditions had been held for countless generations as far back as anyone could remember to ensure the survival of our species and the animals in which we cared for and made deals with. Those who had dedicated their lives in obtaining knowledge for her or delivering her curses were her Crones. Between each meeting her Crones gathered the knowledge of all within the vicinity of her but had the unfortunate job of relying upon facts for information no matter how offensive some of the claims were to some people and this was why they called the gift of knowledge from her a curse. She had always known of ways to increase someone’s lifespan more than anyone else as this was her job and what her title demanded of as the oldest woman of the heavens alive. They were said to have been cursed to serve her and were also known as her slaves in a sense, assigned to the Oracle by the heavens and help from families that had faith in her ability to save others.
On this island, the Clans of the Eye were like the clans in many other places nearby, identified themselves from the animal which they cared for, their chosen sacrifice, idol of worship, and what started as paintings on the drums showing the animal along with things that they may have to offer for trade. Many generations later these drums became shields that represented their social status and held onto the tradition of using the universal language of art for trade and travel purposes which although some feared and most people believed it to be the only ticket to not having to work for a dozen years or more when struck with the luck of great success. When villagers wanted little to no part of a family crest, they were able to enter any one they wanted as a Foot immediately if any task should arise in which they needed help with but for the most part people kept within their family tribes. Sometimes a drum or shield would be turned upside down and filled with sand to deal with more complicated trades or discussion between those who did not speak the same language so that they were able to draw the exchange until an agreement was met or declined.
Anyone was allowed to challenge the trader to a trial to determine if they were unfair or cheating in some way. This required many witnesses to be present and a challenge of some kind to be agreed upon, the winner being allowed to obtain what was needed so long as everyone felt that it was a fair exchange drawn out in order to ensure that the loser still won in a way and came out with something being just a little bit less than what was originally wanted but this was also rarely done, especially among people that spoke different languages, out of respect and kindness. Challenges typically happened within tribes. There was a certain Boar Clan that had the reputation of causing others to challenge their honor as a trader but during the last few cycles no problems had existed. They were caught once pulling a scam where they would color code using the tail of a pig in the drawing in a way which every person attempting to trade would be pushed into a deal they had never agreed to... but be put on the spot and either challenge the trade or accept because of being tricked into feeling bad from the lack of communication. The Bull Clan was who were designated to keep an eye on them... using the tail of the cow as a direction pointer to a trouble maker if any were around. The people of the Bull Clan were usually respected as policemen of sorts since they had less need to trade and were there more for the company and assistance to other tribes. Violence typically never occurred between two different clans because someone within their tribe was always there to declare a challenge first in order to keep the peace.
It was said that at one time the land was connected to others but the water and snow had receded leaving it protected by the surrounding body of water keeping out any dangerous predators that were said to devour children and sometimes even the biggest among the most trained men and according to the drawings and knowledge accumulated through trade... some had a way of killing from the other side within the body after the encounter using the world of dreams and turning their blood bad. Always the fear came regarding the more populated areas outside of their Island with tales of occasional violence such as duels perhaps resulting in an actual death or something even more frightening came from a dispute at a much larger scale but for the most part the tribes, hunters, and gatherers were well known and trusted so any word of significant potential dangers were usually foretold and any bad behaviors observed as well so that the person fortunate enough to travel to their area would be later educated by them, sometimes passing a trial of behavioral tests through the ring to determine whether it was safe to have the person as a citizen or not, the goal of giving them better tools and ideas to return where they had come from if their left wrist bracelet was never removed. The very few who were rejected by the people did not know that they were and were usually led off on a task for opportunity and sometimes even leading to the thing that the person was after which they would not find among them.
Some people believed that the stories of monsters were just to keep the children safe at home so that they did not get lost but others swore of real incidents were people came up missing or were found dead and sometimes worse, although this was rare because people had a trade network that kept an eye on anything noticeable heading toward their neighbors. It was pretty easy for even the most remote Clan among them to be warned of unexpected visitors ever since tales of real violence between people came, for example, and many times not necessarily alerting the newcomers at the same time according to events which had taken place far away. They also had to prepare for the worse because they knew the dangers of what would happen if a land elsewhere which was very populated started to run out of food and turned to more desperate measures for survival since this was the biggest factor which led to people committing the horrible act of hurting other human beings. Because of this it was the tradition of the sixes to meet with Mother Nature or the Oracle to ensure that every civilization was self-sustainable.  Also, every man was aware that some men were unable to find mates they had set eyes on and have a chance of losing patience with the urge to do whatever it took to earn her. Because of these constant threats in the minds of some, the people worked well together and had an understanding between them which everyone agreed with regarding bad situations that may ever come up although for the most part they were not even possible and just in the mind. Those who were unable to find a mate did not tend to linger and usually left for lands more populated with word of finding what they were looking for later on in life but of course some husbands were always paranoid that a certain individual had not actually left and was planning on returning to take what he wanted by force, although such a thing did not occur as far as the people knew, the thought had occurred and the worry had existed regardless, of course.
A lot of the time those who were not lucky enough to find a mate in an area with more men than women became traders and traveled to far away lands where they at least were able to lay with someone respectfully along the way and possibly taking an oath to serve and protect certain wealthy families who took them in. Also, the Crones of the Oracle were known to care for the men that had been turned down by most women... many times traveling with him to a distant place where he has a better chance at starting a family of his own or finding one in need. Crones were rumored to be part Wolf and could not have children. Because of this they had often sang songs of woe and they were also the only women that could have a drink of mead without breaking any unspoken law. They delivered messages to the most dangerous and far away areas to save the lives of others through the curse from the Oracle and sometimes the journey was long so a drink or a song at a stop along the way was commonplace. They tended to travel even to the places where it snowed a lot so having a snuggle buddy here and there as company was almost always guaranteed while traveling. The men made the women feel safer for the most part although there had been a few run-ins regarding the cursing because the knowledge was sometimes offensive yet they never pulled any punches. Since they were free to do as they wish, most of the time the complaining did not occur until after the bitch had left. Sometimes the Wolf stays behind for a few minutes to enhance the menacing mood as intended. It was never a good thing to be cursed and such a thing was said to possibly kick out anyone, no matter who, from heaven if they did not try their best to live as long as possible like the rest. The competition of who would be the healthiest was so constant that often times people would die before coming forth with information that would have possibly saved their life. Every birth, diet, habit, and death was to be told to the Crones who would later at some point report everything to the Oracle for the ALL or in other words, the knowledge of everything to be shared with traditionally the six Wise Kings of all the known world with the most resources to share and beyond or any other respectful elder who made the journey without the aid of others or especially with the aid of others sometimes done by traditionally faking their death so that their family would not follow. In other words, anyone respectful and ready were welcome to meet the Oracle. Kids from other cultures were typically not welcome and stopped along their journey. The reason was simple... heaven was for the dead or the dying to share the knowledge of everything, not kids to return home and brag of their journey increasing the chances of others to want to take on the venture without being ready.
During the last full circle of the last year, the center was met through hardships of failing crops, starvation, and sickness that came from the constant rain forcing the people to resort to more difficult measures to guarantee their survival through it with enough to make it another round without risk and they needed help again. As the children were sick in their beds, the Mothers often told them about how the heavens would open up their gates and angelic feathered lovely creatures would come down and take them to a place of pure beauty to meet the forest  master once they were able to get through this rough time and they were told that they would aquire the knowledge of everything if they were strong and determined enough to hold on as long as possible. For those who lived within the vicinity of the Oracle or heaven, their kids were able to go through the ring of education and meet her during the process.
Among some of the hungriest families were the Violet Clan of the Bull found on the Northern end of the Island between a large lake and the Ocean, some of the men even to the point of curing themselves by drinking the milk of their stock as it was only meant for women and considered too dangerous and risky for men to drink. During pregnancy a woman was scolded if she did not quit drinking milk immediately. If she did than the child would be viewed as a possible mutant, according to the Oracle who had the knowledge of All and she then would be cursed to have to wear horns while doing chores for the next neighbor who becomes pregnant to ensure that she did not either. The Mother Head of the Clan had recently passed due to the inability to deal with a failed pregnancy as she was unable to make it to the water on time and the Father told his two children that this was why the rain had fallen down upon them so hard the weeks following. The good ship never came for her, he would tell his children, and she had to be sacrificed in order for them to pass through one of the most difficult rings and trial of their life in the eyes of Nature or the All. He blamed the sickness on living in dirty conditions, not being forgiven for the inability to care for others, and the sickness that comes from the First and the thirst that always follows them as they run from the Tickle. Everyone knew that this island had not always been populated by human beings but as the legends went, Nature felt compassion for the wandering people from the lower lands and brought more warmth with every Spring and due to the dangers that possibly came from there home and the Tickle which made them fall ill, the land was split with seas and the waves of goodbye were to last for countless generations ahead creating a new form of paranoia because of solitude and possibilities of the unknown. Nature was said to be the force that holds everything to the ground just as a Mother clings to a child against her breast and the more that we feed from her, the more she breaks down and cries because she knows that one day we will no longer need her. The grieving Father worried of the great shame which he had for failing the Mother of his children and felt the need to work extra hard with more generosity than ever before for his starving neighbors to feel forgiven from every direction even though he knew that she understood fully how much he had tried and his inability to predict the possible tragedies ahead. Feeling her presence crying as loud as the rain fell for his feelings of failure only pushed him harder in fear that his children would be next if his need to be here for them was not proven to everything in the unknown, including himself.
He was seen as a sort of leader for his Clan which he had earned by passing through many rings of trials until he was able to put his face against the Bull and so many tests were passed through the ring rarely would anyone put their hand behind their back or foot behind their leg to challenge his authority. Unfortunately, he had to challenge others who drew a circle onto the ground or dropped their shield or drum before him for a quick debate to ask for his cattle for food at times during previous years but this year he did not have it in him to go against the spiral or accept the responsibility of witnessing anymore death which could have somehow been prevented. The decision to lose earnings with most of his trades was hard because especially with each cattle he was judged for how it would be sacrificed as a result in the exchange and if it was not done with the utmost respect, Nature may not stop pouring down tears constantly upon them which was causing the death according to their traditional beliefs and logic up to this point. He almost always agreed to the drop of a shield because he was a well-trained and strong man with the plan that made it pretty close to impossible for a violent result to occur so he almost always won the duels of planning and whenever he would help them up afterward if it ever came to that, ending the challenge, and they had surrendered to his will and apologized for their failing gardens, he would give them a cow anyways in exchange for nuts, fish, seaweed, seeds, berries, and vegetables as the drawn agreements following the spirals demanded, keeping his respect among even those he sometimes conflicted negatively with. This was what the head of each Clan was for... his capacity to think for others which was measured from how much he wept for them as well as how strongly he felt emotions when a mistake was made of any kind. Every time the kids would cry because they had loved the cow and hated to see it go so would stroke them with love around one thousand times instead of the typical one hundred as performed during the final stroking. They would partake in the stroking before saying their goodbyes and gift the sacrifice with many necklaces they made while stuck inside at times. He told the children that they were now old enough to let it go and ready to move onward to the realm of the heavens while pointing at the sky towards the beach and he also promised them that he would be there for them so long as they wanted to be here as much as him.
As Spring came the father seemed to be acting very unusual... he changed their routine of doing things and made sure that they focused more on clothing and make-shift rope than preparing food for the cattle as they had done every year prior. Something was different about him which he had refused to acknowledge unless he was not looking into their eyes as if what he knew what was coming was going to pain him even further if he did. They also understood that what was coming was to be a great gift that was so good that they were unable to go and get it if he told them what it was. He had also focused on tar production for multi-purpose glue much more than usual... often times making far more than what they really needed and when asked why he would remain stubborn and quiet about it, pointing at the heavens to silence them... whenever he pointed at the sky and the children would not quiet immediately, he would move his finger to his lips with a daring fatherly look as a warning not to challenge his authority or they would have to work late always using a reason that really made sense in the eyes of his young and that the work was needed to save their loved pets and their disobedience may have cursed them.
The ceremony in a nearby forest held for their mother was done in the rain, of course... and many people shown, even some of them they had never seen before from a nearby island. She was covered in a beautifully woven white shroud with various objects placed on her chest, one of them indicating her name among those who speak a different language, and the others were probably the names of others under her care that she had lost during her lifetime, including those who were sacrificed for her life. The fact that she was dead never really hit the seemingly emotionless children until many nights later when they cried together knowing and accepting the loss. That night the father showed them a log with what appeared to be her face on it and told them that the best way to find her again was to recreate her experience with children of their own someday and that if the heavens allowed, they would have their own face on a log somewhere and spread the love which she had for them onto others. He explained that trees watched them with a slower awareness and wanted to remember their beauty long after they were gone. A sort of glue was used to preserve the logs after a person’s face was poured into it. His son had asked if she was hurting and could feel pain later because he had noticed bloodstains on the stone her body was last seen upon and the Father put his right hand on his heart and pointed to his temple with the other hand promising that she was now closer to that now than her own body which was being returned to Mother of all things, assuring them that she was there whenever they spoke of her, always a part of her there whenever they thought of her, and always embracing them whenever they felt she was there watching over them. That night was the first time they had heard their Father weep uncontrollably and he did not bother to hide it from his kids. Shedding tears was believed to be one of the needed ways to stop the rainfall. The thunder and lightning indicated that the spirits were angry that there was life around them that needed to cry out the pain instead of hold onto the anger which drove the storm.
The morning that the rain had stopped, the Sun came out brighter than usual and the kids were allowed to play instead of work a longer day as they had expected to. The flowers were growing back from a long winter and they played in a field that they knew since they were toddlers. This was the field where they were named. Once in awhile they would have a picnic with their parents on the day of rest and the kids were encouraged to find a lucky four leave clover for good luck but of course they only searched for them sometimes. The girl liked to pick apart the plants and watch everything in nature while the boy liked to run around with a stick as a club and beat the plants as if they were monsters trying to kill him, often done in private so his parents would not see him destroying nature in such a carefree fashion. Whenever they would go to their parents for any reason before they were ready they would sometimes get angry and tell them to search for a clover, demanding more time alone together. Many stories led up to the magic which comes from finding one of the four leaf clovers and although excited to find one at first, they lost their enthusiasm when they had realized how rare they were and so searching for them was often boring at times. They were not allowed to interrupt the parents though until they had either found one or they called for them, especially while they would giggle underneath a blanket thinking that they were alone sometimes quietly moaning from what must have quite the foot massage they have seen them give each other. Whenever sent off they had to stay in their protected area. The daughter would search for them near a cowhide with a tree painted on it while the brother would search for them in a more distant area near a cowhide with mountains painted on it. Their parents had explained that one day he would visit a great valley and she would find some very special berries to eat.
One day the brother found a four leaf clover and he was given special treatment and could do whatever he wanted! Everyone but the daughter praised him as if he was now blessed and in charge of everyone. Even the neighbors paid a visit to see it with a chuckle and did everything that he had asked them to... seemingly drawing in a crowd of people, who kept bringing him gifts and called him the luckiest boy alive, and asked him what they should do for him next. He explained that he needed some time to think about it and then was able to lazily eat nothing but delicious berries all day without interruption or demands to return to work until his annoying sister wanted some during her break and he refused to give her any since he realized that he was possibly going to run out and did not feel like sharing. The Mother came to them with a rush in response to the little girls tears as a result to his shouting at her to be left alone when she would not obey like the others and she asked for an explanation from her son with a look of disappointed shock. The boy stated that because he had the clover he was going to keep the berries for himself and that she could take a handful and then he would have the neighbors give her more later, blaming her for being impatient and demanding. She then asked if he was sure it had four leaves on it and took the clover from the boy for closer examination, confirmed its value, praising the luck that he was given, then suddenly she tore off one of the leaves and told the boy that he now had to give the torn leaf to the person that he hurt the most or he would lose all of his luck forever. By her look he knew how serious she was and also inside he knew that what he had done was wrong but when he realized that the neighbors were watching and one even seemed to be enjoying it while trying not to laugh, he ran away in tears feeling hurt and lied to by all of them... the feeling of real betrayal.
Outside many of the neighbors who were apparently watching from behind the surrounding foliage came out to comfort the hurt sister while the Mother gave the leaf to her then told her that her name would be Clover to those who did not speak their language which fit well because her eyes were the same beautiful color. The freckle-faced girl giggled and cheered up immediately as the people all clapped for her. Her red curls bounced with glee as she blushed from the attention then asked about her brother and when he would be named as she searched a bit for part of the clover that he dropped as he left. She would remember the look on her Mothers face forever at this moment as she told her that she now had the four leaves so had all the luck in the world so she could do whatever she wanted, such as give her brother a name. She asked her what she thought her brothers name should be. The girl thought for a moment... looked around and then picked up the branch that he was playing with earlier. The Mother took the branch, agreed that it fit well after a look to her husband for approval, and then asked her what the best way to get her brother out of his hiding spot was. At first she did not know the answer until the Mother gave her a knowing look down at the clover and then back to wait for her answer. She knew what she was to do and went to find her brother and give back his clover with all four leaves. It took some time but with the help of the neighbors cheering him on as the luckiest boy again when he came into view, he apologized to his sister for not sharing his luck more earlier and by the time that he was told what his name would be, he had almost forgotten the clover all together while smothered with their attention as they had praised his ability to strike the weeds indicating that he would grow to be a strong protector for his family.
The Mother with some looks from neighbors asked him if he had hit the plants with hatred. When he had assured that he only struck down the evil plants that had a way of biting back the Father had laughed along with the neighbors saying something about having new information for the next bitch’s visit. Just to be sure, his Mother had him promise to dedicate the next day to stroking the plants with love much the same way as they did for their animals.
Branch was not as shy as his sister and had dirty brown hair just like his Mother, somewhat tan without freckles, and darker pigmentation in places where the Sun does not shine. He loved the name that his sister chose for him and felt a bit luckier to have her than the clover ever made him feel. His Mother saw the look he gave his sister at that point and asked if he would ever allow anyone else to do the same thing that he did to his sister as her protector. The boy nodded when she reminded him that not everyone is as nice when they have all of the luck in the world and he promised to share with her more going forward and defend her if she is hurt by anyone else who ever finds a clover. She laughed and then asked him what he would do if it was a girl who wanted to hurt her. He appeared confused for a moment and then said that he would get her brother and challenge him. The audience roared in laughter. She then asked him what he would do if he was nice to her? Again, stumped by scenarios he had never had, he stuttered that he would tell her that she had better stop or she might lose the duel and then... cheer for my sister! The pressure of the neighbors much older than him put him on the spot. He did not recall ever seeing the women get into duels like the men did but he knew that his Mom was a very strong woman and trained to deliver it if she had ever wanted to much more than he was. She had also been through this ring which the Father spoke of sometimes and through this ring they also found each other as mates but for some reason they would never go into details of what it was about or what it was like no matter how much the kids begged to know.
The day after the young ones were named they had started to regularly practice using the slingshot. There was always the award when the pyramid of distant rocks was knocked over. The real challenge came with learning how to use the sling while riding on their Father’s shoulders. They thought that they were doing great at it until one of the festivities with the other Clans where their skills were matched during a competition. They did not come out last but close enough to feel like they did. It seemed that many of the people participating were not fond of the challenge and it was not nearly as joyful as the other games that they had played. One family had even refused to participate which everyone seemed to understand. The following year that family made a new game for the kids to compete in which was a sort of hide and seek game, the goal being first to reach a finish line before being touched by any of the parents searching for them. None of the kids ever made it to the goal but on rare occasions, one was lucky enough to, perhaps with a little favoritism from some parents due to circumstances.
It is said that the time before the ring is the time of innocence.