by Sandra Lang
“You are intended?” I ask in disbelief.
Tala squeals with joy. “Yes! Is it not wonderful?”
“When did this come about?”
“Just after Merick returned with the warriors. The bonding ceremony is in a half cycle.”
Despite my happiness for my bond-sister, I cannot help but feel jealous at her future. I love her desperately and am so glad that she has finally found happiness with the man she desires. Yet… inside I feel disappointed that the man I have been in love with since I was fourteen will never be my bond-mate. I smile and hug her and pretend I am relishing in her good luck.
Tala tells me the story of him declaring his intentions and how they asked her family for their blessing. She then tells me of the preparations they have already made for the ceremony and what there is left to do.
“That is wonderful, Tala. I am so happy for you.”
Her smile widens a little more in a more mischievous manner. “I heard that you and Tarok had some time to yourselves. What happened?”
“I, um… I will have to tell you about it later, okay? I forgot that Natoak asked me to meet with him this afternoon.”
“Oh… of course. I have to meet with Merick anyway.” The smile is so prettily etched on her face that all I want is to stop looking at it.
I quickly walk off to Natoak’s hut. The fates must be displeased with me because between me and safety stands Tarok. His hands are clenched at his sides. There is no warrior’s mask, just pure anger.
“What have you been telling people?” he asks when he catches sight of me.
“I do not know what you are talking about.”
“Apparently the entire village thinks something is going on between us. What have you been telling them?”
“I have told no one anything. We are not the only people who knew about us getting trapped in the storm.”
“I thought I made it perfectly clear that-”
“You have. Do not speak of it to me again. You will be glad to know I will not get in the way of you and Namira living a happy life together.” I shove past him and continue my way to Natoak’s hut.
“What is that supposed to mean?” he calls after me. “Akari!”
I turn to call back to him. “It means I am not your problem, future Chief.” Before he can say another word I turn around and effectively end the conversation.
Natoak is waiting outside his hut for me when I walk up – more like storm up – still seething from my encounter with Tarok. “I see you survived the Summit,” he says lightly.
“Just barely,” I groan.
“Come inside. I think it is time you had some tea.”
I hang my head and wish I did not have to tell him the sour news. “I lost the satchel with the herbs in it.”
He frowns slightly. “What happened?”
“I nearly drowned and then I could not find the satchel.”
“It is not as bad as you think, Akari. We will just have to ration what we have until next summer.”
“You sound so optimistic.”
His wizened old face smiles pleasantly. “In times like these, optimism is all we have. Come inside and tell me your worries.”
A cup filled with tea is waiting for me on the small table. I take it into my hands and test the heat of the water. I find it is the right temperature and sip from it.
“I take it you have heard of the new arrangement.”
“Yes, Merick and Tala. I knew it would happen eventually.”
“You know as Wise Woman you have a duty to approve of their bonding and to give your blessing.”
“I know. I have already been trying to figure out what I should say to them.”
“It also means you will have to approve of Tarok’s.”
That catches me off guard. I look up at him and study his sympathetic face. “It seems I am the last to know.”
“The tribe does not know yet. And they never will know of the arrangement made by the Matrons. You must not give away their secrets.”
“Then why do I have to know? I would rather find out that he was in love with her the whole time and that I never stood a chance.”
“I understand that. But as Wise Woman-”
“It is my duty to know the important aspects of tribal life. Even the aspects that are meant to be kept within the select few. Trust me, Natoak, I know.”
“I have meant to tell you about it.”
“You were just worried I would run away again. I am not going anywhere. My duty to my tribe is above my duty to myself.”
“Yet it bothers you greatly.”
“You have no idea.”
“Given your history with Namira, I am not surprised in the least.”
“How did Namira get to be chosen?”
“As Shaman to Wise Woman, there is a ritual performed when the future Chief goes on his first Great Hunt. The Matrons gather in the Sacred Glade and decide which House would make the greatest alliance with the Rising Sun House. In times of war or threat, bond-alliances are made with other Chiefs and their daughters.”
“There is nothing Tall Grass has to offer Rising Sun. Their sons are terrible and their daughters are not far behind.”
“As Natoak to Akari, I think Liuka influenced her mother Aeria.”
“I doubt much influencing went on there. From what I have heard, the women of Tall Grass will do almost anything to improve their station.”
“Juni was from Fertile Earth and no one thought they had anything to offer.”
“They have plenty to offer! A lot more than Tall Grass. Even Wide Net could offer better daughters.”
He shakes his head with a laugh. “There is no point in trying to figure out the reasoning behind the Matrons’ decision.”
“Does Namira know?”
“Of course she does. It has never been a secret to either of them.”
“When are they going to become officially intended?”
“That part is up to Tarok. He knows he cannot be Chief without first having a child.”
“What if he never has a child?”
“Then Merick will become Chief.”
“I guess Tala would have a bit of work on her hands then, huh?”
Natoak nods with a chuckle. “They both would.”
I smile and finish the rest of my tea. “I had best get back. I think I am supposed to help Tala with her ceremony gifts.”
Natoak stands and takes the cup from my hands. “I will see you tomorrow.”
Instead of going straight home, I decide to walk through the forest and into the Sacred Glade. As I step into the Glade, something moves. I freeze in my steps and so does the movement. I look closer and see animal fur peeking over the smaller of the two stones. I move closer as quietly as I can. A head looks up and over the rock.
Seeing the head of a wolf staring back at me causes me to stop dead in my tracks. The wolf looks at me and I look at it. I hold my breath as I wait for it to become scared and run off or growl at me at the very least. The wolf does neither. It just stares at me and I stare right back.
“If you are going to try and kill me, could you please do it quickly?” I plead, knowing full well it will not understand me.
The wolf gives a little whine. I wait a few minutes longer before moving closer. The wolf does not move at my approach. It just watches me. When I am close enough to get a good look at the animal, I see one of its front legs is at an awkward angle. Its ribs are prominent as it lays its head back down.
“No wonder you are not moving.” I look around for some branches to splint the bones of the leg together. “I will be back, okay? Do not go anywhere.”
I run back to the village and past Deep Forest House. The work house is only a few yards away from it, which is where I stop. Father is inside working on spear heads with Reven at his side.
“Father, I need a bucket.”
He gives me a questioning look. “What for, Akari?”
“I just need it, okay?”
He shakes his head before p
ointing toward an empty bucket. I take it and walk briskly over to Sharp Stone to steal a couple pieces of wrapped meat. Next I make my way to the river to fill the bucket of water. I lean down and push the bucket into the slow moving water. I stand up at the sound of a voice, the water emptying back into the river.
“For a Wise Woman, you are very strange.”
I turn around to face Harod who does not wear the same warrior’s reserve that Tarok does, even though he is a warrior, too. He smiles at me and holds his hand out to take the bucket from me. “You are going to spill more trying to carry it than you would if you let me do it,” he says.
I reluctantly hand him the bucket. “I am capable of doing things on my own.”
“I do not doubt that,” he says as he crouches beside the river to fill the bucket.
“Thanks,” I say meekly.
“Why are you filling a bucket anyway?” He stands and holds the bucket in his hand without the outward appearance of strain.
I eye him suspiciously and decide if he will keep my secret or not. “Will you keep it between the two of us?” I ask.
He laughs easily, reminding me of Erak. “I would be too afraid to break my word to the Wise Woman.”
I smirk. At least someone respects my station in this tribe. “Come with me and bring the bucket.”
We walk into the forest and toward the Sacred Glade. I can feel the curiosity wafting off of him but he does not ask. He simply follows me as we walk down the worn path. We enter into the Glade and stop.
“What are we doing here?” he asks.
I turn to him and give him a stern look. “What you are about to see cannot be spoken of to anyone. You break your word and I will bring the anger of the spirits down upon your heard, do you understand me?”
He has enough self-preservation within him to look mildly afraid before agreeing. “I will not say a word.”
“Good. Do not make any sudden movements and walk quietly.” I begin moving toward the stones in the center of the Glade where the injured wolf lies.
It growls as we approach. I can hear the change in Harod as he realizes we are going to give the water to it.
“You cannot be serious. A female wolf is just as dangerous as a male,” he whispers angrily at me.
“She is injured and starving. I will not let her die this way.” I take the bucket from him and push it toward the wolf. I kneel near her and set the whale meat in front of her.
“She will not be able to drink from the bucket with a broken leg,” he says kneeling beside me.
“What do you suggest we do?”
“Get a bowl. But one of us will have to come back frequently to check that it still has water.”
“Someone is going to have to keep feeding her, so we can do that when we check on her water.”
“Her leg might not even heal on its own.”
“Then we are going to have fix it for her.”
He gives me a hard look. “You want to set the broken leg of a wolf. Do you not have any fear, Akari?”
I frown at him. “Why should I be afraid? She needs help and I can help her.”
“What if it does not heal? She will not be able to hunt and will not survive.”
I nod, conceding to his point. “Then I guess I will have to take of her for the rest of her life.”
He gives me a questioning look. “Akari, she is a wild animal. What makes you think she will stay with you?”
I give him a small smile. “What makes you think she will not?”
He breaths a laugh and looks back at the wolf. “If you are sure, I will help you. But if she attacks you at any point, I will not hesitate.”
I smile gently at the wolf who looks at me and our eyes meet. “She will not attack me.”
I send Harod away to get a bowl for water and a few more scraps of meat that will not be missed. I sit a safe distance away from the wolf and watch her watching me. “How long have you been out here?” I ask her. She does not answer, just continues looking at me. “Not too long, I hope.”
When Harod finally returns he hands me the bowl and the meat. I fill the bowl and push it toward the wolf. She drinks greedily, causing me to fill it several times before she moves back to eating.
“I noticed that you and Tarok are not talking,” Harod says as he sits back against the larger rock and watches the wolf.
I take seat near the water bucket and the smaller rock and draw my knees to my chest. “Are you his messenger now?”
He smirks. “No, I am not.”
“Do you always do as he says?”
“Not always.” He is silent for a moment, before opening his mouth to speak again. “What happened during the storm?”
“Which story have you heard?”
His face becomes serious. “I want to hear yours.”
I think back to the moment I could have kissed Tarok. “Nothing happened during the storm.”
He looks down at his hands. As he tilts his head downward, I swear I can see the hint of a smile crossing his lips.
I fill the wolf’s bowl one last time and pick the empty bucket off the ground. “Thank you for your help today, Harod. I appreciate you coming around when you did.”
He smiles and says, “You are very welcome, Akari. I will check on her tomorrow morning.”
“There will be no need. I go to the Shaman’s hut every morning and will come around at that time. You have given me enough help. I do not want to burden you with her care.”
“It is no trouble. I will meet you at the river and carry your bucket of water for her.”
“Thank you.” I smile at him, take the bucket and leave the Glade.
The following day, we decide that she will just have to trust us enough to set her leg properly. I grab the straightest spear shaft I can find and have Harod break it in half. He cuts the ends so they are even and will not catch if she walks. I take a strong strip of leather from the pile and we walk into the forest. We give the wolf her food and get close enough for Harod to lay atop her and hold her down. I strap the shafts on either side of her leg and pull until I hear the bones pop and crack back into place. She whines and fights a losing battle against Harod’s weight.
“I am very sorry,” I say, running my hands though her fur and trying to calm her. She looks me straight in the eye and I get the feeling she understands what I am saying.
I push the food closer to her so she will not have to move very far to eat. I had talked Natoak into giving me an herb that dulled pain which I then pushed into the meat. Harod and I back away at the same time and leave her alone.
For the next quarter cycle, we meet twice a day to visit the wolf and to make sure she is eating and getting plenty to drink. For the first few days I had been dodging the questions my family had regarding Harod’s near constant presence and our secret meetings in the forest. Finally, I told them he was in need of counsel from the Wise Woman and I heard no more from them. I knew they did not believe me and kept waiting for us to announce intentions that will never come because I do not feel that way about Harod.
On the eighth day, Harod does not meet me at the river. I think it very strange as he has always arrived at the same time. I do not want to wait any longer and venture into the forest without him. The wolf lays in the Glad without putting weight onto her broken leg. She lifts her head when I get closer and makes no move to growl. She simply acknowledges my presence.
I tentatively reach out to offer her food from my hand. Until this point, she has never accepted food from my hand nor have I truly tried offering it to her. She sniffs it before taking it from my hand and chewing it. I move my hand along her head and into the fur along her body. Her ribs are not as prominent as they were eight days ago, which I take as a good sign. She is still thin and I wish there were more I could do for her.
“You cannot stay out here. We are going to have to get you back into the village. I will take care of you there.”
I stand up and try to find a way to get the wolf back to th
e village. She is on the small side, even for her gender, and given that she is thin, I decide to take the risk of carrying her.
I kneel beside her again. “I am going to pick you up. Do not become angry, I am trying to help you. You will get more food when we get to my home. I promise you will be okay.”
Her eyes meet mine and soften. I hope that she understands me enough to know that my intentions are good. My arms move to beneath her body and I struggle to lift her. She weighs more than I thought causing me to struggle a little. She whines as her injured leg bumps into my body.
“I am sorry.”
Each step is difficult, but we make it through the forest and out into the village as the sun begins to set behind the mountain. On the other side of Deep Forest, I feel my arms beginning to give out. “Okay, girl. I need you to walk with me.”
I set her down onto her paws and hope that she will limp along beside me. To my relief, she does. Together we walk the rest of the way to Sharp Stone where I again lift her into my arms and onto the platform.
“Akari! What are you doing?” My mother shouts when she sees me and the wild animal.
“She is hurt, Mother. I am going to take care of her.”
“That is a wolf, Akari. Wolves do not belong with us.”
“Her leg is broken. She will die out there.”
“As is the way of the wild.”
“I am not letting her die. Simple as that.”
My mother glares at me and calls for my father. He steps out of the hut and looks down at the injured beast then at me. “It stays outside and goes back to the forest as soon as its leg is healed.”
“You are encouraging this?” Mother screeches.
“It will get her mind off of recent events,” he says lowly.
“What events?” I ask.
He shifts uncomfortably and Mother smacks his arm. “Namira announced that she and Tarok are intended.”
Chapter Fifteen