“I know where they are,” Oh’na grumbled, not in the least bit pacified. “I don’t want to go. Where’s Chele?”
Ah, now she remembered Chele.
Addie lowered to her hunches. “Chele’s a might sick, baby. You know that, yes? She can’t take you to bathe.”
“What’s a baby?”
Addie smiled with one corner of her mouth. “That’s a word my people use for infants. It’s also a word we use for someone we like very much.”
Oh’na’s little feral face fell. “Is Chele going to die?” she asked quietly. Oh, Oh’na saw things; she was just very good at blocking out what scared her.
Addie sighed. “Not yet, little one. But I’m afraid Chele has lost her strength. It is up to you and me now to take care of ourselves, and of her.” A quick glance confirmed that more people had gathered at the plaza. “Come on, a quick bath, and then we eat.”
Oh’na went along but she complained the entire time.
Back in the middle of their new settlement, the High Counselor Chemmusaayl took center stage. Addie and Oh’na settled behind the semicircle of their tribesmen.
Chief Net’ok stood tall behind Chemmusaayl, a splendid backdrop against the yellow-robed smaller man. On his right side stood Qalae with her porcelain blank face, and on his left side stood the brutish Vuskas whose wife, an older, unpleasant woman of volatile temperament sat as close to the “center stage” as possible. She wasn’t well-liked for her bossy manner and her tendency to favor only those in her inner clique. She was yet to exchange a word with Addie who she considered being as important as the beige lizards that crawled about.
Zoark remained invisible.
People quieted down, and Chemmusaayl raised his arms.
“People!” he addressed the gathering. “We have arrived at this wonderful place.” The silence was expectant, people waiting for him to explain more about what was so wonderful about this place. “Our warriors had great luck on their first hunt, and today we celebrate!”
At this, folks responded with a cheer. Chemmusaayl went on some more about how they would not experience hunger any longer, and that women would once more concentrate on making clothes and pottery, and raising children rather than worry about provisions. He elaborated on the topic of children, speaking about high hopes for more of them being born to the tribe as he slanted a sideways glance at Qalae who remained impassive as always.
“But not all is safe here,” he said, getting to the problems they now faced. To think of it, without having ever taken a communication class, Chemmusaayl had mastered the sandwich approach of delivering bad news between the good ones. Addie gave him props for political acumen. “We share this land with other tribes, and our scouts have reported seeing signs of more than one. We will compete for resources.”
Addie listened closely as he described what appeared to be a more densely populated prairie. She didn’t have much experience in tribes interacting with each other, but some of the cave paintings depicted wars, and it was an unpleasant reality.
“We also know about a marauding tribe that preys in this land.” A murmur of voices underscored Chemmusaayl’s words. “Care must be taken to prevent our people from becoming their prey. Our tribe needs to build strength. Our men aren’t as many as we would need here, and every one must be of top power.” He paused for emphasis. “Iguell. Oh’nil. Step into the circle.”
Surprised murmurs accompanied the two men taking their position in the center.
“You’re both fine warriors, but we know that a warrior’s true strength comes from a woman. The time has come for you to reach your full potential. You are to take mates.”
Qalae gave a small aborted jerk next to Net’ok but otherwise showed no reaction. Iguell looked pleased with the news; Oh’nil’s face revealed nothing.
Vircea and Melmie were called into the circle next.
“Iguell will take Vircea as his true mate. Oh’nil will mate Melmie.”
Addie gasped.
“What, Addie?” Oh’na asked next to her.
“Melmie’s too young to take a mate!”
Oh’na’d forehead furrowed. “She’s much older than I. She has long worked as hard as grown women, and she knows how to run a home.”
Now that she knew her better, Addie estimated Melmie to be fifteen. She eyed the tall red-haired Oh’nil with his strong warrior’s build that would only grow heavier after mating. He would be massive like Vuskas. Like Hoban had been… Addie shuddered, scenes from the city flashing through her mind in rapid succession. Janna-Beatrix deep-throating Wynn behind a teepee… Dannica moaning, railed from behind by a full-bodied For man with a scarred face… Hoban’s hot, carnal eyes on beautiful, frail Anne…
Running a house was all well and good, but taking a mate meant things a girl as young as Melmie may not be prepared for. And children. She would quickly start bearing children.
The proceedings went on, Chemmusaayl making things official. The pairs in the circle joined their hands. Vircea looking unperturbed; Melmie uncertain.
A quick check revealed that Illied was not pleased. She sat primly alone and looked on as her underage daughter was given away to feed a warrior’s strength through coupling, and she looked… annoyed. Twin grooves of vexation appeared around her mouth, and her eyes held a hard gleam that looked almost like determination.
