“What?” Qalae prodded. “You’d rather eat Boroms?”
“No, it isn’t that. Of course I’m glad the hunt was successful. But…”
“But?”
“It took them five days to catch the Teks. Five days! I used to find them in the thicket behind my old place. And since when did Teks become a cause for celebration?”
Qalae’s eyes flickered. “Since they’ve become our only available meat source.”
“How long can we live like that?”
The queen’s freaky feral eyes looked into the distance. “We’ve got a little while if we plan carefully.”
“It isn't better here, on thisother side,” Addie voiced what she was thinking.
Slowly, the queen abandoned her contemplation of the horizon and gazed at Addie. “Remember, we left the Valley of Rare Flowers for a reason. The food was growing scarce,” she reminded pointedly. “There were Wrennlins.”
“I’d rather go back. It was warmer, at least.” Addie shivered inside her chic self-made sweater. The wind was particularly biting today.
Qalae shrugged noncommittally and moved away.
To commemorate the successful hunt, the High Counselor called for a celebration. “We will get together tonight, good people. There will be a contest to show how strong and skillful our warriors are in combat. There will be music.”
Melmie found her and grabbed her hands, excited. “Today is a good day, Addie! We eat and we celebrate. These days have grown few and far between. Aren’t you excited?”
Addie smiled weakly and squeezed Melmie’s hands back.
“I am. Today is a good day.”
But her words sounded hollow to her own ears.
The hunters rested in preparation for the contest while the women skinned and butchered the Teks. The best parts were carefully packed with spices and put in clay bowls for tonight. The rest of the meat was sliced thin, also rubbed with spices, and strung up to dry. Two young boys were ordered to stand guard by the drying meat against poachers of the animal variety. They remained unimpressed with their important task and were picking their noses and playing with rocks from boredom.
As usual, Addie assisted with the feast preparations but was reluctant to come out and mingle and watch the contest despite Oh’na’s bossy demands she came with her.
But when the first sounds of the flute floated on the air, the music finally enticed her to come forward. Standing in the shadows, she listened to the flowing tune and the occasional beat of the makeshift drum that underscored the melody here and there.
The people held their breath, sitting around in a reverent circle, absorbing the rare gift of music with their entire being. They loved music. They had this potent, almost hypnotic attraction to it.
Strange folk, these For.
When the last haunting note died, Addie found a seat apart from the others. Gone were the times when she had been forced to sit alone because no one welcomed her. She could join Chele if she wanted, or Melmie, or bend the custom and plop right next to Qalae. The queen would shred her with an icy glare but do nothing to order her away. Yes, she’d definitely come very far.
The heavy melancholy that had gripped Addie wouldn't lift. She didn’t want to talk to anyone. She didn’t want to be here at all, but everyone was expected to attend the contest.
So she sat by herself but kept the arena in her sights.
When the first fight was over, Qalae clapped her hands twice and smiled at the victor.
Chief Net’ok nodded in agreement, clearly approving Qalae’s rare participation. Chemmusaayl looked on, decidedly unimpressed.
Iguell leaped into the ring followed by another young warrior, but Addie’s attention was not on the martial moves. All she could think about was Zoark, and how sharply she missed their impersonal couplings. No matter how much she hated them at the time, nothing was worse than not touching him at all, not feeling that rush of power she experienced when he sought her out with his green-on-red gaze.
She experienced vague nausea at the thought of never having another chance with him. Or maybe the nausea was from pregnancy.
Addie smiled in irony. She carried a piece of Zoark inside her now. No matter how much he tried to untangle them, she’d never be free of him for as long as their child lived.
Her hand crept toward her stomach and pressed gently. It was flat, but for the first time, it had becomereal. She had a baby inside her. She would soon give birth and become a mother.
