After the announcement, Chemmusaayl wrapped up the assembly pretty quickly and called for celebrations to begin.
Vircea brought out her flute, her intended Iguell by her side. Hunlath the toolmaker brought out a hollowed-out club to beat like a drum, and the music started. People got up and laughed, talked, and danced in their strange stilted manner with little hand movements that Addie could best liken to Irish dancing, and indulged in the feast. But Addie did not enjoy it. Neither did she want any meat, raw as it was. The sight of so much of it turned her stomach.
She sought out Melmie who was standing alone, a little apart from the gathering.
“You aren’t eating, Melmie,” Addie said softly.
“I will, later. I’m not very hungry right now.”
“Are you nervous?”
“I guess I am. It’s a little unexpected.”
“Do you like Oh’nil?”
Melmie trained her large eyes on Addie. “Does it matter?”
“Of course it matters! It definitely should.”
“I guess I like him. Pawi says I should be glad, with him being old Chief Unn’s son and all.”
“But if you didn’t like him, for example… could you refuse?”
“I suppose I could. But to what purpose? The High Counselor would be disappointed in me for shirking my duty. You heard him, we need strong men. Oh’nil has to be tapped. The people would be disappointed if I refuse.”
“Oh’nil is strong enough as he is,” Addie argued.
“It matters, Addie. And my pawi, she would be disappointed.”
“Disappointed? She must be so angry.”
Melmie shrugged non-commitantly. “She is, a little. As a widow, she should have had the first pick.”
That was not exactly what Addie had expected Illied to be angry about, but it worked all the same. “Is that so? Well, then, she can have Oh’nil. Problem solved. Let’s go talk to the High Counselor.”
Melmie wasn’t in a hurry to go anywhere. “The High Counselor has spoken, Addie. He knows my pawi is unattached. If he wanted her to mate Oh’nil, he would have decreed so. No, I am to become his mate, not my pawi.”
Despaired, Addie dropped her hands at her sides. “Why?”
“That I don’t know. Maybe he thinks my pawi is too old. Maybe he has other plans for her. Why are you asking all these questions?”
“Because you’re too young! You should stay with your pawi for a little while longer. She should want it, too. Without Wixab, she must feel lonely in her teepee.”
Melmie’s eyes flickered. “I never liked Wixab. But I had no choice as I was little. What if she mates again? I’d rather keep my own house and deal with my own mate than with hers.” Melmie motioned toward Illied in that special For way and walked away before Addie could come up with another argument. She stood there and looked at the spot where Melmie was just standing in stupid puzzlement.
She had had no idea of the girl’s feelings toward her step-father Wixab, toward her mother Illied. It seemed like every time she thought she was getting better at understanding what the For people thought and how they acted, a new curveball came out of nowhere that made it glaringly obvious that she and her human standards didn’t match their reasoning and their beliefs.
Chapter 27
“Yes, yes, it’s still bad. Don’t fuss.” Chele fell back onto her pallet after an assisted trip to the bushes that seemed to have exhausted her. “I need time to regain my strength. What more do you want from me?”
Addie remained silent. Almost two weeks passed since the assembly, and during this time Chele had shown Addie lots of bluster and little real progress. But she did stand up on her own this morning.
Addie helped her visit the bushes as unobtrusively as possible to hide from the world the fact that Chele was, temporarily at least, an invalid. She knew well by now that tribal citizenship hinged on a body’s good health.
“Can you lift your leg at all?” Addie asked.
Wearily, Chele lowered to her pallet. “Some,” she admitted with resignation. “But it hurts. I just need more time.” She stretched on her bed and closed her eyes. “I hate being in this state. Even Zoark is better off at this point. He, at least, can walk around.”
