by Karen Pepin
I managed to finish before three others. Not the best finish, but I was pleased. More than that, I’d had fun. I couldn't remember the last time I laughed so much.
"Do you do this often?" I asked Davin when he sat down by me.
"Whenever we can. And why not. It makes a boring job more enjoyable." I completely agreed.
"Good. You're done," Ta'Bor said, jogging up to us. “Gather up the meat and skin. We are leaving the clearing as soon as possible."
"Why the urgency?" Davin asked.
Ta'Bor frowned and said, "Bollar. There are at least three packs spotted, heading in this direction. We'll leave the offal and bones for them to fight over and take our prizes elsewhere."
A whistle sounded.
"Time to go," Ta'Bor said, turning away.
The clearing erupted in a new flurry of movement. I mounded all the meat I'd butchered in the center of the katerri skin and bundled it into a carry sack. The faint, yipping cry of the coming packs could be heard now and spurred us all to move. Clan members, unencumbered by katerri meat, ran beside and guarded those who had made a kill as we fled the meadow. Several hills later, near a stream, we reached our new camp.
I spotted mother setting up a smoking fire and brought my hide-wrapped meat over to her. She hugged me carefully to avoid getting blood from my kill on her and congratulated me on my success.
"I'm so proud of you," she whispered in my ear. Lasa stomped over. She had not managed a kill. She glowered at me and my bundle.
"You're a mess," Lasa said, wrinkling her nose, as if appearance was the most important thing.
"Yes," mother said, gesturing to the nearby stream. "Leave the meat with us. We'll start butchering while you clean up." I grinned at her and Lasa, left my bundle, and went to wash. Many clan members from both clans were doing the same. The water was deep enough here to swim in if desired. I stood in the shallows and scrubbed the blood from my arms. A whoop of laughter came from behind me as Davin and a couple other men from his clan ran by and splashed into the stream, dousing everyone around. I shook the water from my face and hair. The woman next to me bent double, laughing at the men wrestling in the water. Then she shook her fist in mock anger.
"You got me all wet," she complained.
"That's not all wet, Shel," Tobi said, making his way towards us.
"Oh no," she said, backing away. But Tobi was quick. He pulled her into the water and she shrieked and laughed, pushing him under the minute she got free. Davin looked at me. I quickly fled the stream. He met me on the shore, dripping water and smiling.
"You didn't think I would do such a thing to you too, did you?" he asked. I laughed.
"Why do you think I got out of the water?"
Davin chuckled and squeezed the water from his hair. I watched, momentarily mesmerized by water droplets racing along his strong arms. I snapped my mouth shut before I could embarrass myself. Davin’s eyes met mine and I couldn't move. I didn't want to move.
A cough from behind me broke the moment. Of course, Ta'Bor.
"I better get back."
Davin’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the chief's son.
"Of course. I will see you later," he said. I turned and marched past Ta'Bor to our camp without saying a word to him. I looked back once and saw him talking to Davin.
When I reached the fire where mother and Lasa were working, Lasa took off for a “break” in the direction from which I had come. Mother wrapped another chunk of meat in a broad purple leaf.
"Can you bring me some more Hori leaves?" she asked, nodding towards a nearby tree.
Freshly picked Hori leaves helped speed up the meat curing process. The leaves, combined with the smoke from the fire, dried the meat into a tough jerky that would not spoil.
As I plucked a few leaves, I looked for Davin. Lasa was talking to him and a few others by the stream. I was not surprised. I made a neat stack of the large Hori leaves and trotted back to mother. If we could finish the rest quickly, maybe I could talk some more with Davin. I couldn't stop smiling at the thought.
Mother and I finished wrapping the meat and putting it on to smoke. I added a few more green branches to the flames. Lasa came back smiling.
"You are in a good mood," I said. "Speak to anyone special?" I couldn't remember the last time I saw Lasa looking so happy.
"I may have met someone in Tika'Chen's clan who I am interested in," she said, beaming.
"That's wonderful news," mother said.
"Yes, it is," I said.
"Are you thinking of taking him as your mate?" mother asked.
"I don't know. I mean, I barely know him. But, I am hopeful. With our clans traveling together, we'll have time to see if we'll make a good pairing."
"That is wonderful," I said, grinning at my sister. "I hope it works out and brings you happiness."
"Both my girls are growing up into fine women. I noticed someone interested in you as well, Ani," she said. I flushed.
"We'll see."
Lasa laughed a delighted sound instead of her usual mocking chuckle.
"I'm sure everything will work out. Just wait and see," she said with a wink. Mother gave us both hugs.
"Wanderer's blessing," she said. "For both my girls."
Lasa and I exchanged a look. For the first time in years I felt like I had my old sister back. Seeing her bubbling like this made me realize how bitter she had been at not finding a mate. It was like a weight had lifted from her spirit. It would be a boon to the clans if we both found mates.
Clans encouraged matings so that both parents could raise a child. If one parent was lost, the child still had another to guide them. But having a mate wasn't required. During one Gathering, Meri'Chal had coupled with a man from Tulok'Vash's clan and they had eventually parted ways after deciding they weren't a good match. Months later, she discovered she was pregnant. We had not run into Tulok'Vash's clan since the birth and for all Chal or any of us knew, the man might have chosen a different mate. I was sure Meri'Chal wanted to see him again, if only to let him know about his daughter. He deserved to know he had a child. Either way, if we did meet up, they might not choose to mate.
Matings could be dissolved as well, if the couple had grown apart. The only time the chief might refuse to end a mating was when there was a child on the way. If, after the birth, the couple still wished to dissolve their mating, then the clan would discuss it.
The clans carried no stigma against women having children outside of a mating. The happiness of each clan member was more important. Besides, the whole clan was family to each child. All children were blessings and were cared for as the precious gifts they were. Without children, the clans would die out.
With so many hands available for tasks, I found I had time where I wasn't inundated with work. Tika'Chen's clan used this time to hold little contests of skill, such as hunting with a sling, and to share information, like different ways to cook meals. I didn't take part in the contests, but I did watch and cheer on those who did. Many men from my clan took part. Ta'Bor, in particular, seemed interested in these events and participated as often as he could. He won often, but he also lost some. He tried hard and took every contest, win or lose, seriously. Davin, on the other hand, tried just as hard, but also had fun. There was such a light-heartedness to his spirit that I felt lifted just watching him.
One early morning, Davin woke me, his gentle hand stoking my face and hair. I looked up into his smiling face, dim in the flickering fire light. Stars studded the dark sky above him.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Come with me," he said. I opened my mouth to protest, but he put a hand to my lips and said, "Trust me." I untangled myself from my sleeping fur, picked up my spear, and took his outstretched hand. He led me away from the camp.
The darkness under the trees made it hard to see the branches in front of my face or the brambles at my feet. I followed him carefully. Yet, ever since the hunt, I felt less clumsy and mor
e in tune with my body.
Davin led me out onto a rock bluff overlooking a green valley. Stars twinkled in the sky, fading rapidly as the horizon grew brighter. First, a pale, light blue line glowed, then dusky pink and finally gold. Davin wrapped his arms around me and we watched Anari break the horizon, followed by Ahuna. The light poured over the land, chasing the darkness and shadows away. I felt like I could float way. Only Davin's warm arms anchored me. It had been a long time since I last watched the suns’ cresting just for the beauty of it. I leaned back into Davin's embrace, savoring the warmth of his skin against my back. I looked up at him, smiling.
"Thank you," I said.
"You are welcome." His smile warmed me more than his arms around me, yet his voice made me shiver to my toes. We stood there for a time. When the suns were well above the horizon, we reluctantly returned to the camp, hand in hand. We parted ways then to prepare for the day. Each had clan finished smoking their share of meat yesterday and it had been decided that we would all start heading south again.
"Where have you been?"
I rolled up my sleeping fur and tied it to my pack. I couldn't stop smiling.
"Ta'Bor was looking for you. I had to prepare the travel food because you were off wasting time," Lasa complained.
Ta'Bor had been tasking me with that duty off and on during the trek north, but it wasn't my job per se. Anyone could be asked to do it. Probably because it cut into the time she wanted to spend flirting, I thought in annoyance. I deserved a chance to flirt a little too. It was so like my sister to become angry at me for unintentionally dodging a job because she wanted to avoid work herself. I shrugged off her words. The memory of Davin's arms around me grounded me and helped me to smile at my sister.
"I'm sure he appreciated your help," I said.
"Ha. You are just trying to avoid carrying your weight in the clan."
She smiled, believing her barb struck true.
"Considering how often I do tasks from suns’ rise to suns’ setting instead of staring at my reflection in the stream or styling my hair, I think I am carrying my weight just fine," I said.
Lasa’s cheeks flushed with rage and she huffed off. I flushed as well. It felt good to stand up to my sister, even though I knew she would make me pay for my words. I finished organizing my pack and pulled it over my shoulders. Turning, I practically ran into Ta'Bor, who had been standing silently behind me.
I gasped and jumped back.
"You need to pay better attention to your surroundings," he said.
"Did you need something, Ta'Bor?"
"Where were you this morning? It's not safe to leave the camp alone in the dark."
"I took my spear and I wasn't alone," I replied.
"All the clan was here, but you. So, who were you off with?" he demanded. His arrogance that he had a right to know my private business set off my temper, a temper already primed from my words with my sister. I considered telling him I was taking a squat in the bushes, but there was no reason for me to lie.
"That is none of your business," I said.
"As the chief's son..."
"You are not chief yet," I interrupted. "I was nearby, not alone, and armed. That is all that really matters."
"That is not the case," he sputtered. "The clan needs to be able to find everyone in case of an emergency."
"Was there one?" I asked.
"No. There wasn't, but..." I cut him off with a wave of my hand.
"Ta'Bor," I said calling up my patience, "if you or anyone else truly needed me, you could have simply called. I was close by. And if I had needed more help than my companion could provide, we could have called."
"What of your duties? You make the traveling rations."
"I have been doing so recently at your direction, but others have also done that duty. You never gave me an indication that it was my sole duty or that it was my responsibility daily."
"Well, now you know."
"Very well," I said. Making it my duty alone was hugely unfair. I had done nothing to deserve to be punished. I considered speaking to Ven'Ta, but that would probably make things worse.
"And next time, tell someone when you leave camp," he threw the words over his shoulder as he stomped off. I sighed. The day had started out so magnificently, but now I was saddled with travel ration preparation daily for the unforeseeable future. All I wanted was another morning—many mornings—with Davin.
As I filled my water bag at the stream, I considered how I could complete my morning tasks and still have sunrises with Davin. What if I set up the rations the night before? There was no rule about doing them in the morning. Then I would have suns' cresting free to watch with Davin. If he wanted. Pleased with my plan, I trotted over to where everyone was gathering, still smiling.
The two clans were mingled and separated into multiple smaller groups. Our chiefs directed us to spread out and locate the herds or find forage or a new campsite for this evening, preferably near the herds. I ended up in Ta'Bor's group. My sister was placed in Davin's. The look she gave me as they headed off worried me.
"Ani. Hurry up," called Ta'Bor, eager to get us all moving. I shifted my pack higher on my shoulder. I caught Davin's eye, waved, and set off under Ta'Bor's watchful scowl. I wished I had been in Davin's group. I wished I knew what my sister planned to do to get back at me for this morning.
Initially, Ta'Bor took us at a fast pace, snapping instructions tersely. Once we were clear of the others, he slowed down, giving us all time to forage. All the while, little worries plagued me. At least Ta'Bor's mood seemed to improve as we walked.
Ta'Bor slowed up until he was walking next to me. I plucked some glas berries off of a nearby bush, gathering a double handful before continuing onward.
Ta'Bor just kept glancing at me. Finally, his looks unnerved me enough.
"What?"
He looked like he was chewing over some thought. The silence got on my nerves.
"Ani, I..."
"Ta'Bor," interrupted Blae, a young man from Tika'Chen's clan. "You need to see this." Blae gestured to another clan member, whose name I didn't know, and to the ground in front of them. So many of our group clustered around them that I decided to wait to find out what was going on. Instead, I found another glas berry bush and denuded it as quickly as I could while they were talking, all the while wondering what Ta'Bor had been about to tell me.
I caught the word "bollar" and looked up. Several hunters examined the bushes on either side of the trail and the dirt itself. I shifted closer to them.
Uly'Cendran pointed out the paw prints for me. A large pack had come through here, probably not too many days before us. The good news was it meant we were on the right track for the next herd. We would just have to be on guard.
"Stay together and move out," Ta'Bor instructed us. "We don't want to startle any nearby katerri or alert the bollar. We'll let the others know what’s out here when we meet back up."
We continued to hunt and forage, but were more watchful now. Several hunters in our group, from both clans, managed to catch some small game. Using his sling, Ta'Bor caught two rochin, the long-eared, furred animal that scampered in and up the trees. I admired his technique-smooth, easy, competent. The good-natured boasts from those who caught some small game carried to my ears, but Ta'Bor did not join in. I shifted my pack to my other shoulder. It had grown full with the foodstuffs that I foraged.
Around mid-afternoon, we met up with Davin's group. They had found a good camp site for the night, a clearing with water nearby. He grinned when he saw me and threw an arm around my shoulders, escorting me into camp.
He had caught a rochin and three multi-legged wivern, each about as long as his arm, a decent size. I sat by the fire and began cleaning and peeling my own contribution to the evening meal.
"I'd ask how your hunting went, but it seems you had no problems," I said. "My sister was in your group today."
"Ah. Lasa," he said. "She's persiste
nt."
"Persistent?" I asked.
"It's nothing. She tries hard to catch something that is not interested in being caught by her."
Davin ran his thumb across my forehead, wiping away the frown wrinkles.
"Don't worry so.”
He cleaned the four skins as the spitted meat roasted over the open flames. We chatted about our day. I told him about the bollar tracks and scat. He told me that they found signs that the katerri herd was holed up in a blind valley nearby, one which looked to only have one exit. If we could corner them there, we could take however many animals we needed for meat, but still pick and choose to leave the prime males and females intact to rebuild their herd. Despite all the meat we already had, it was a good idea to create a buffer of food for lean times.
Lasa sauntered over and said something in Davin's ear. He stopped smiling and waved her away. Lasa's face twisted as she stomped off. My chest tightened. No matter how angry she had been at my words this morning, why was she wasting time seeking revenge when she could be spending time with the man she desired? Unless something had soured her chances with him? I hoped that it hadn't. My heart sank. Seeing the angry woman she had reverted into made me realize that even if she found what she was looking for, Lasa would never truly change. And how intolerable it must be to see me so happy.
As I worried about my sister, Ta'Bor marched up, planted himself on the other side of me, and began skinning his game. I couldn't help but think briefly of the phrase, "Trouble comes in twos." He glowered at his work. Why he insisted on sitting so close to me was a mystery. I could barely peel my roots without knocking into him.
I would have enjoyed sitting with Davin, taking my time with my work while we talked, but not with Ta'Bor hovering like a grim, lowering storm cloud at my side. I placed the last of my roots in the hot ashes to cook.
I laid a hand on Davin's shoulder and went in search of the travel ration pouches. Several more groups had returned while I worked, only one remained out. I gathered the pouches that were available and filled them for the morning. I would fill the ones for the last group once they arrived.