Vuskas spoke up, voicing his support for Zoark’s idea. Ell chimed in. Oh’nil shouted loudly into the crowd, and soon the men were all talking, surrounding the chief and Vuskas, and the High Counselor was frowning and nodding, his ever-present stick tapping against his side.
A plan had taken hold.
???
Addie waited for him until Ehr had set and Ihr arose. After having given her a lingering look, Zoark had disappeared in the chief’s teepee, swept there by the agitated, chattering men, and stayed ensconced with them. Suddenly, they needed him and clamored for his opinion. What a bunch of bullshit.
She sighed. A strategic attack required careful planning, Addie got that. But would one of them give a thought that Zoark was tired? He was wounded and he needed rest. He needed attention. He needed to be with her…
She seethed and worried as she sat there alone waiting for him to emerge from the blasted advisory tent and guarding a bowl of food she assembled for him. Vircea had brought a small amount of dried Tek meat for Zoark that she and Iguell were willing to share, and Addie had rooted around her and Chele’s food supplies and added a good amount of dried berries to go with it. Chele had watched her take their berries, Addie knew, but wisely kept her silence. If she hadn’t, Addie would have scratched her face bloody like a mad she-cat she’d become.
Oh’na came out and joined Addie, but she didn’t touch her as had become Oh’na’s habit. Instead, the little girl gracefully tucked her heels under and let her arms rest loosely in her lap. A little stone dagger she’d started carrying of late was tucked into the newly cinched waist of her shirtdress. Oh’na looked so forlorn.
“What’s the matter, butterfly?” Addie reached over to lightly squeeze her arm. “Are you upset about the marauders?”
Oh’na turned her large For eyes on her. The look in them was wise and clear. She distantly resembled Chele with her short upturned nose and straight slashes of dark eyebrows, but her larger features and a flatter, rounder face bore a stamp of a strong character that Chele didn’t have. And her eyes. When did her eyes become so knowing?
“No. Marauders are scum. They deserve to be killed.” There was no heat in her voice. “Zoark is right, they will always come back for as long as they live. Kind of like Wrennlins.”
Addie shuddered at the mere mention of the monsters.
“Is that why you’re sad, Oh’na?”
The girl dropped her head, hiding her face from Addie. She nervously fingered a string of her sash, wrapping it around her finger and unwinding it again.
Addie waited.
Oh’na finally said, so quietly that Addie strained to hear her. “I meant to ask… Will you mate with Zoark?”
“Yes, probably.”
“You will soon have your own baby.”
Addie understood. “Yes, I will.” She tugged Oh’na closer and enveloped her in a hug. “But you’ll always be my baby too. A woman can have many babies, you know. Brothers and sisters. Like Zoark and Oh’nil and Vircea.”
Oh’na looked up, the light of tentative hope filling her eyes. “Do you think so?”
“Of course!” It was hard not to let tears form. Addie’s voice cracked with emotion. “I will talk to Zoark, and when we have a teepee of our own, you can come live with us.”
Oh’na gave it a thought. “I don’t think Chele will let me. I have to stay with her until she dies. She always talks to me aboutob-li-gations.”
Addie chuckled. “I see. She may have a point, but we’ll sort it out with her. Together.”
???
Oh’na was long gone back to the teepee when the men finally dispersed. Zoark was one of the last ones to emerge from the chief’s teepee, and immediately he noticed Addie sitting there. He exchanged a few words with Oh’nil who nodded and headed home.
Zoark limped to Addie. He dragged his foot noticeably.
He lowered to his haunches next to her.
She handed him the bowl. “Eat.”
He took the bowl and began to eat, slowly, chewing every bite with care. Half his face had swollen and his lip and nose were busted blue, crusted with dried blood the men didn’t even let him clean.
I want to heal you,Addie thought, strangely reluctant to break their silence. There was so much she wanted to say to him, but the words stayed within.When I thought you died, I wanted to die with you. Only the baby kept me from plunging a knife through my broken heart. There is no one after you. The world will stop spinning if you aren’t in it. No one matters like you, Zoark. My love for you is complete.
She said nothing out loud, but Zoark’s tired, blood-orange eyes stayed steady on her face. She didn’t need to say it; he already knew.
