by Sandra Lang
Waking up each morning is not as difficult as it once was. I wake up next to Tarok every day and every day I am glad that I decided to let myself be happy. I understand what the woman in white was speaking of when she said I would experience great happiness until the end of my days. Being bound to Tarok for the rest of my days surpasses the great happiness I hope she was talking about.
Tarok usually rises much earlier than I do for his training. Yet I try to wake just a few minutes before he does so I can witness the one time he is truly at peace. He is not awake, if his breathing is any indication, so I stare at him freely. He is the true definition of a warrior in my opinion. Everything about him exudes strength and masculinity. There is no softness about his features. Hard, straight lines cover his body. His strong jaw and straight nose are no exception. His dark brown hair spills onto the pillow. Normally he wears it tied high upon his head like the rest of the warriors. Each night he takes it out and each morning puts it back up.
Next I look at our arms lying next to each other. I had always found the contrast between our skin distasteful – a sign of my oddness. Now I look – really look – at it and… well, I can only describe it as odd fascination. Here I am lying next to the future Chief of our tribe. Me – the Moon Child – lying next to Tarok – the Sun Warrior. Granted I only said that to him as an insult and as a way to prove our difference, yet I look at him now and I see that he is the embodiment of the sun just as I am the embodiment of the moon.
“Did your mother never tell you that staring is rude?” he asks without opening his eyes.
“Your mother was around long enough to teach you not to fool people.”
He opens his eyes and smirks at me. “I guess we both never got the lessons we should have learned.”
Tarok’s hand finds the back of my neck and he pulls me close to kiss my forehead before moving down to my waist and pulling me into him. I wrap my arm around his middle and snuggle up to his warm chest.
“Did you sleep well?” I ask.
“Very. Did you?”
“I did. Are you training today? Or watching the traders leave?”
“I was thinking a little of both. What about you?”
“Namira said something about wanting to talk to me last night.”
“You know that is a bad idea.”
“I know. But I am the Wise Woman and I have to set an example. She is part of our tribe whether we like her or not. It is the right thing to do.”
“Take Nura with you.”
“Of course I will. I do not go anywhere without her. Oh, and I was thinking we could have our midday meal with Tala and Merick.”
“Where? Here or there?”
“Does it really matter? Their hut is ten feet away from ours.”
“Ours is bigger.”
“You are impossible, you know that?”
“You tell me every day.”
“I do not. I tell you I love you every day.”
“Same thing.”
“Hardly.”
We dress then eat. My cooking has yet to improve, but Tarok does not say anything about it. Just as I begin to think it is better than his father’s cooking, I remember that his grandmother Pema probably cooked for them while he was growing up. My food could never compare to his grandmother’s and again I am glad he has not said a bad word about my cooking.
“If you are late, I will assume the worst,” Tarok warns.
“The traders are packing up and going home. What more is there to worry about?” I say as I begin walking toward the break.
I stop mid-stride before turning back and running into his arms. I kiss him and hug him tightly. “I love you, Tarok, future Chief of Kurtu’lak.”
He smiles and kisses me again. “I love you, too, Wise Woman. Get going so you can hurry back home.”
One last squeeze and I am on my way with Nura. We walk with purpose toward our destination. I wonder what Namira will talk to me about. Maybe she has decided to join the traders and leave our village. The thought brings me both pleasure and sadness. As much as I dislike the woman, I do pity her. She did not have much of a chance growing up with her scheming grandmother and mother. Maybe I should not forgive her, but I will. I am the Wise Woman and it is my duty to be an example to the members of our tribe.
I see her standing at the breaking of the surf. There are some boxes lying along the beach ready to be loaded onto the waiting boats bound for the ship belonging to the traders.
“Good morning, Namira. Lovely day, is it not?” I say loudly.
She faces me and nods. “I think it will be.”
“So what did you want to talk to me about?”
“I just wanted to say that I am sorry. I have been so horrible to you.”
“Yes, you were. I had to leave because of you.”
She hangs her head in shame. “I know. I thought I had grown up and gotten over it in the four summers you were gone. But I guess I did not. Everything was going so well and then Tarok started paying attention to you more than me.”
“I promise you, Namira, I had no intention of any of this happening.”
“No, I get it. His spirit calls to you and yours to him. I cannot compete with that. I do not want to compete with that. I was so jealous that I said such awful things to you and about you. I should not have done that.”
“As much as I dislike the things that you have done, I am not sure all of that was your fault. It seems like your grandmother and mother are a little obsessed with having you bind yourself with Tarok.”
“Can I be honest with you, Wise Woman?”
“Of course.”
“Looking back on all of it, I am not sure if it was because I was in love with Tarok or because my mother and grandmother were in love with the idea of the binding. It has been their plan for me my entire life. It was never part of my plan.”
“You are not bound to this tribe, you know. There are six others and a whole lot of space in between. It took me five summers to figure out where I belong.”
She pauses and nods. “Were you scared when you left?”
“Absolutely terrified. But you know, I have you to thank for it. As much as I hated you for it, because of you, I am where I am today.”
“As much as I hated you coming back to the village, I am glad that you did. Tarok is much happier with you than he ever was with me. I finally started to see it when we were talking with the Matrons and at the binding ceremony. He has never looked at me the way he always looks at you. I should have seen it sooner.”
“But you started to, that is all that matters.”
“I should have seen it at the celebration when we got back to the village. He just was not the same after he took you home.”
“I would not know.”
She shifts her weight nervously. “It was not me.”
“What was not you?”
“I did not put the coals in your boots. I swear it. My mother grabbed the boots after I told her that you and Tarok had gone off to the river. She went to the fire put the coals in the boots and left them. I wanted to tell you, but I did not think you would believe me.”
“I probably would not have. But I appreciate your honesty, Namira. She is not planning on doing anything else to me, is she?”
“Not that I know of. I would hope she has given up.”
Comfortable silence breaks over us. We stand looking out at the waves in the bay.
“So what are you going to do now?” I ask.
“Finding another tribe sounds nice. I need to get away from my mother and grandmother.”
“You should try Prate’ilan. You cannot get any further away without leaving the Seven Tribes and all the men are nice there. It was my second favorite tribe while on my journey.”
“What is your first?”
“Mosh’ilan. I made some good friends there.”
“That man you kissed?”
“Yes. The man I kissed is there and he is a dear friend, nothing more.”
“With the way you are around
Tarok, I would not think you had any male friends at all.”
“If Tarok had his way, I do not think I would,” I say with a smile.
She laughs. “It is a good thing your friend lives far away then.”
“I wish you and I could have been friends, Namira. I do not think you are all bad.”
“Some things are not meant to be, I guess.” She sighs. “I have not had a female friend in such a long time.”
“I could always use another if you are interested.”
“I would like that.” She smiles softly.
Someone behind us begins to clap their hands. “Good work, Namira,” the horrid man from the west says when we look over at him.
The confused expression on her face matches my own. “Namira? What is going on?”
“I do not know. I had nothing to do with this,” she says with wild, pleading eyes.
“You had everything to do with this, Namira. You asked her to meet you away from everyone and led her right to me.”
“Akari, please believe me, I had nothing to do with this.”
The panic in her eyes is real. I can feel the fear radiating off of her as strongly as the morning sun beating down on our skin. “Everything is going to be okay, Namira,” I say trying to calm her down. “What are you doing here?”
“I am just collecting the last of my boxes.”
He nods his head. Pain erupts on my head, then my knees. I hear screaming as my vision blurs and I do not see anything more.