Phwolfe Song (Golsidan Revival Series Book 1)

by Kimberly McLaughlin

  “Thank you, my friend.” Anna grasped Dasie’s forearm. Dasie had just released her from a huge debt. The one owed a life debt chose when and how it got paid. They could ask for anything and the debtor was honor bound to see that they got it. “May your blood stay strong, Sharp Eyes.” Dasie smiled, pulled the wolf sculpture tight against his chest, and sat down.

  Anna took the basket from Kantuia, bowed, and held it out to Brema. She said the traditional words. “If you would please accept these gifts, as a token of the honor in which you are held.” Brema shook as he took the basket and set it down. His eyes widened as Anna flipped back the cloth. “A token of the honor Wolfe holds for you.”

  Brema took a deep breath and reached out slowly. Anna sent an image of the running wolf out to the people and explained. “See how this running wolf is hurt, he bleeds, yet he runs for the good of the pack. Wolf hunts fast, strong prey.” Anna sent out images of elk, pronghorn, Whitetail deer, bison, and moose. “Wolf often gets kicked.” She sent more images out. “But wolf refuses to give up. The pack needs to eat to survive so wolf runs down the prey as he bleeds. Brema, you ran as you bled. You ran to get the help your pack, your friends needed. Wolfe holds you in high honor.” Anna bowed low.

  Brema’s voice shook. “I hold Phwolfe in high honor, for Phwolfe ran to attack takosund. I will gladly run with pack-runner, pack hunter Phwolfe any day.” Brema smiled widely, bowed, and sat quickly down.

  Anna took the basket from Caso and turned to Sato. “If you would please accept these gifts, as a token of the honor in which you are held.” Sato nodded, set the basket on the table, and turned back to her. She flipped back the cloth and grinned. “A token of the honor, Wolfe holds for you.” She sent out the image of a wolf teeth-bared, ruff on edge, standing guard over an injured wolf. “A wolf guards his friends, even when he knows the cost may be very high.” Anna sent the memory of Sato saying “You take out the eyes and move. They wrap where they last saw you.” Then she sent the image of Sato taking out the takosund’s eyes and standing, unmoving in front of Brema, guarding Brema with his own life. “You guarded your friend, even though you knew takosund would wrap there. You could have jumped out of the way. But you remained, showing the depth of your courage and loyalty.” Anna took Sato’s shoulders and turned him towards the watching people. “This is a hero.” She exclaimed. “Wolfe holds this hero in the very highest honor.” She stepped back and bowed.

  Sato trembled. “I couldn’t leave Brema unguarded. He was bleeding and he couldn’t defend himself. You throw steel well, Phwolfe.”

  “You taught me well, Chief Sato.”

  “We taught each other much. I will gladly harvest, hunt, teach, and learn from Phwolfe any day.” Sato bowed and sat down.

  Anna took the last basket and turned to Desvren. “If you would please accept these gifts, as a token of the honor in which you are held.” Desvren set the basket on the table and turned to her with a smile. She flipped back the cloth. “A token of the honor Wolfe holds for you, my teacher, my tai’twain, my love.”

  She sent out an image of the howling wolf. She lifted the misty plastic from the wolf’s mouth and showed how it formed a stopper for the wolf shaped bottle. She placed it back into the wolf’s mouth. “You called me, Desvren. I heard your call deep inside me, beneath the memories, where the feelings live. You called to me and I waited for you. I never had a human love, a human bonded one. I never even thought of having one. You called me and I waited for our time to come. This is the calling wolf. When a wolf wants to start a pack, he needs to first run, hunt, and survive alone.”

  Anna sent out images of a lone wolf running, hunting, sitting and staring at the stars. “When the right time arrives, the wolf calls. He calls for others who hunt alone, live alone. They come together and become a pack. I heard your heart call mine, Desvren. I am so glad that our time finally arrived.”

  Des pulled Anna into a tight hug, wedging the wolf bottle between them. Anna’s mind touched Des’s. I want our time to go on forever, she sent to Des. She heard a voice clearing and Des pulled away. “We called each other love.” He carefully set the calling wolf on the table.

  “Let’s pass out honor gifts.” Anna said.

  Dasie, Brema, Sato, Des, and Anna started passing out honor gifts to the cool shift. Anna’s seventh, “If you would please accept these gifts, as a token of the honor in which you are held.” happened to be to Cima. She brushed Anna’s arms as she grasped the basket. Anna felt her joy; the yarns, oh the beautiful yarns. She felt her wonder over the dyes, my goodness, the vibrant dyes. Then Anna felt her consternation. What could she trade to get more yarns? Oh, what could she use for the witness fees?

  Wait, Anna’s mind said. She took a deep breath. “Phwolfe makes an offer to all. After the presentations get finished, Phwolfe will stand here until twelve to witness trades. I will witness your trade for free, if you agree to witness two trades for free. It is feast day, a time of friends, a time of clan. I refuse to accept anything from honor gifts on feast day as a fee. I intend to show my appreciation by witnessing for free, to others who also wish to show their appreciation.”

  “I will witness with Phwolfe for free.” Des announced.

  “Me too.” Sato cried.

  “Here after the presentation, we also witness for free.” Dasie and Brema announced.

  Anna nodded and went to get the next honor gift. After they finished handing the cool shift their gifts, they helped hand out to the special volunteers and then the volunteers. Smiles decorated every face, displaying white teeth on some, dimples and wrinkles on others. Eyes glowed, when people spotted the mewu eggs and leka. Finally, everything got handed out.

  The Phsatorae motioned Anna onto the top of the dais. He turned to the gathered people. “The hunter Phwolfe asked for only one thing of Satorae as a gift. Please read Phwolfe’s request from the Elders.”

  The people glanced at each other. They smiled knowingly, a great gift. The hunter must have asked for one great gift. A hunter who took three takosund in an ambush turned into a hunt deserved a very great gift. As they read the Elders their expressions changed to shock and confusion.

  Gresa read in the last group. “Is this all the hunter Phwolfe asks for?” He exclaimed.

  Anna nodded. “Yes, it is the greatest gift I could receive.”

  “Why?” Tista cried out from the back of the room.

  “Everyone knows that the Golsidan part of me shares a tai’twain bond with Des. But some wonder about the human part. When we return to Golria, many there will doubt the human part. I want the people to know without a doubt that my bond to Des holds true for every part of me. I want them to know that I am completely bound to Des in every way possible. The only way for a human to show such a bond is by marriage, by both of us totally binding to each other heart, mind, and soul. It wouldn’t matter, if Wolfe clan never came to be. If the Phsatorae binds the human Wolfe to the Satorae Desvren in front of the approving eyes of his clan-brothers, no one could ever doubt that I belonged with Des.”

  “You want nothing else, Hunter? You deserve more?” Gresa shouted.

  “No!” Anna said. “This is the most valuable gift, I could ever receive. This says that even if Wolfe fails, I still get to stay with Des. Allowing this says that Satorae clan accepts and wants the human Wolfe to be with Desvren. Please allow me to marry him as a human so none can ever doubt our bond, because you sanctioned it.”

  Smiles bloomed once again amongst the people as they hand signed each other.

  Anna spoke again. “I ask you to allow and witness this. I implore you to accept me Anna Wolfe Phwolfe as Desvren’s tai’twain wife. I request that the Phsatorae marry us. Will you allow this gift?”

  The yes’s rang out. The Phsatorae stepped forward, reached behind his back, and pulled out the most special gift. He flipped back the cloth.

  Anna lifted up the stick. “This stick symbolizes my whole life.” She measured off the end from where the carvings began, to where the
woven braided embroidery floss hung in a flow of multicolored tassels. “This represents my life till now. These carvings, nicks, cuts, and gouges are my life’s joys, aches, and pains.” She ran her fingers over them, and sent the images out to the people. A broken arm, a skinned knee, winning a race at school, the horrible gouge that stood in for the three weeks the state separated Anna and her twin Andy. A tracing denoted her high school graduation. A deeper carving symbolized buying her house. The blue floss lined tracing portrayed Andy’s and Tara’s wedding. The deep long gouge depicting the loss of Andy and Tara’s first child. The elaborate tracing filled with gold floss representing Anthony’s birth. She ran her fingers down the length of her life and sent the images of it to the people. “No real pattern. Just bumps and ridges, nicks and gouges, and then you come to here; this braid, this time, this moment. The promise of the future hangs here in these bright tassels. All of the pain and the aches reside here in this sharp knife, waiting to be etched on this life.”

  Anna turned to Des. “I offer to share this life and all the joys and pains that the future holds in trust for us with you. Will you bind yourself to this stick with me and let me give this life to you?”

  Des’s lips pulled up, dimpling his cheeks as his hand grasped the stick beside Anna’s. The Phsatorae wound the braid over both their hands. Then he started with those well-known words, “We are gathered here today to join these two people in holy matrimony. Any who object must now stand forth, or forever hold their peace.”

  No one stepped forward to object or moved at all during the whole ceremony. At the end when Des and Anna kissed, the clapping and cheering began. The Phsatorae raised his hands. “Wolfe and Satorae are now bound hand to hand and heart to heart. Any who threatens one, threatens the other. We have been honored with a tai’twain marriage. Satorae clan witnessed the Phwolfe bond to Desvren. The gift has been given and accepted. Let the celebration and trading begin.”

  Des and Anna with hands still bound to their stick of life witnessed trading for free alongside Dasie, Brema, Fienu, and Sato. With all the free witnessing, the trading went fast. People filed out carrying their bounty. The cool shift resorted to using the carts.

  They managed to load Des’s basket and tray onto a cart. It proved to be rather difficult because Des refused to let anyone untie them from the stick.

  Sato groaned and shook his head. “With him, it is always sticks.”

  Anna laughed. “Sato and Fienu, could you come over to our place tomorrow hot for lunch. Des and I want to discuss something with you.”

  Sato smiled widely. Fienu beamed. “Yes, we gladly accept your invitation and look forward to visiting with you.” Sato said. They waved goodbye and headed home.

  Unloading the perishables into the cooler while hand tied to a stick ended up being real interesting. Finally, when everything got put away, Anna leaned over and kissed Des’s shoulder. Her mind touched his. Honey, we have all of tonight and tomorrow warm to do whatever we want. She licked and nibbled her way up his neck. She reached his ear and began to whisper in it. “I really want to...”

  Des untied them from the stick. They made long, slow, sweet love. Anna fed him mewu eggs and nibbled on roasted savti. They lay awake well into the night laughing, planning, sharing, and loving.

  CHAPTER 7

  The Marriage Stick

  They woke up late in the warm. The first words out of Des’s mouth were. “I really love that stick.”

  Anna laughed and laughed. “You know everyone is going to want to strangle me. I got you started on the stick thing again. Are you going to go on and on for thirty annuals, about this stick?”

  Des shook his head. “No, this one I plan to go on and on about for a lifetime.”

  Anna couldn’t help it. She needed to kiss him for that sweet statement which led to it being quite late when they finally got out of bed. Anna walked to Des’s cabin for a shower, and threw a batch of clothes into wash, then she jogged back home.

  They put away the rest of Des’s honor gifts and then tried to decide where to put the wolf bottle and their marriage stick. A knock on the door and a glance at the clock, showed them that Sato and Fienu had arrived.

  Anna opened the door. And Des immediately blurted out, “Sato, where do you think I should put the stick?”

  Sato muttered under his breath while rolling his eyes.

  “Anatomically that suggestion is impossible Sato. Another plan like wrapping it around his skull might be achievable.” Fienu said.

  “That happens to be my tai’twain husband you are talking about damaging. I think you should back up my suggestion. Glue two carry nets to the wall and weave the stick through them. That symbolizes both of us carrying it through life.” Anna looked at Sato and winked.

  “A most excellent idea, especially since you both work as agri-farmers, allowing the nets to also represent your trade.” Sato said with a smile.

  “Yes, and you could each hang things from your net that signify other parts of your life, a throwing knife for the hunter Phwolfe, a healers badge for Desvren.” Fienu added.

  “I really like that idea. Des, it would be just like you said about being tai’twain. Each of us possess our separate lives but the tai’twain connects and makes us together accomplish all that we’re meant to. Think of it, in thirty or forty annuals, we could look at the wall and see all that we had achieved hung there separate, but connected by our marriage stick, just like tai’twain accomplishes in real life.”

  Des slowly nodded. “Yes, that sounds like an excellent idea. What about my wolf bottle?”

  Sato shook his head as Fienu sighed.

  “Sweetheart, the bottle needs to go on the table after we fill it with gesar syrup and then our guests get to use and admire it.”

  Des nodded and walked into the kitchen area. “I’ll go fill it, right now.”

  “Sato, Fienu come in friends. Let’s order up something to eat. Des won’t want to talk until after we admire his wolf bottle.”

  “It is a commendable piece of work. How did you make the sculptures?” Fienu asked.

  “I went on to the design page. I drew them from different angles, merged them together, touched them up, choose my colors, and then ordered them through the supply processor.”

  “I have never heard of anyone using the design page that way.” Sato said.

  Anna shrugged. “It worked. I’ve been using the design page quite a lot. I’d like to hear your opinion on some of the things I drew up. But that’s the third matter. Can you two stay for an hour or two?”

  “Of course, it’s a day off. What’s the first matter?” Sato asked.

  “Sitting and eating a good meal with friends.” Anna smiled. “Yesterday at the feast, I discovered that I really like gesar flatbread. Come share a meal with us.”

  They sat and ate. They poured gesar syrup out of the wolf bottle. Des smiled broadly every time someone picked it up. Fienu set it down with a grin. “The design really looks quite ingenious. I’ve never seen an animal-shaped bottle before.”

  “Really! Human-made bottles come in all sorts of shapes. A lot of them get made more for decoration instead of as a functional bottle. Most people consider the extremely elaborate ones to be a form of art.”

  “Maybe, you can take up bottle making as your craft hobby.” Sato said.

  “Yes, I think I will do that.”

  Des finished eating, sat back, stretched, and casually said. “We wish to discuss a birth contract with you.”

  Fienu started to choke on his flatbread. Sato reached over and slapped him on the back. Anna shook her head. “Des! Sometimes you need to give people a little time to work into a subject.”

  “It’s all right. We hoped that you wanted to discuss this. He just surprised me.” Fienu said.

  Anna nodded. “Des has a unique way of surprising people. I wanted to know more about Golsidan childbearing, and what a birth contract involves.”

  “We will gladly answer your questions.” Sato said.
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  “Okay. I carry the child for a month; you carry it for thirty-five months. What is the normal birth weight?”

  “Eighteen to twenty-six pounds.” Fienu said.

  “Oh my God, how long does labor take?”

  “What is labor?” Sato asked.

  “You know when the child gets born, labor, childbirth.” Anna said. She reached out and touched Sato’s hand, shooting him an image of her labor with Anthony.

  Sato jerked back. “What was that? That never happens to us. You mean humans actually go through that to have children.”

  Anna nodded. “How are Golsidan children born?”

  “When the time comes, the tail womb unlaces, and the child climbs out.” Des said.

  Anna shook her head and took Des’s hand. “I am lost. How about you clue me in?”

  Des mentally showed her that the tail womb got held closed and protected by two layers of interlaced cartilage fingers. When the time came for a child to be born, the fingers unlaced, rupturing the birth sac and the child literally climbed out of the tail womb.

  “The children are born mobile!”

  Des nodded and sent her more. Golsidan children possessed a full set of teeth, and control of their body functions at birth and they walked within minutes of it. By the end of their first day, they could communicate mind to mind, talk, and run. Their learning actually began in the womb through trance teaching. They usually got put in an Isadi suit on the day of their birth. They slowly built muscle strength over the first annual of their life. They grew at a slower rate than humans. They often got apprenticed to help at different jobs by the time they reached age four.

  Why wouldn’t a clan want to raise children like these, they seemed to be perfect. Anna’s mind asked, what’s the catch?

  Isadi suits are extremely expensive. They need to fit well. Even with the fact that they grow slowly, a child needs a new suit every growth spurt. And nothing guarantees them fitting into someone else’s already used one. Most of the time, they don’t. While a child’s learning starts in the womb, they learn better with small doses of knowledge at a time so it takes annuals to fully educate them in a trade. Although they apprentice to help at jobs, they can’t do a lot because of their small size. Golsidans don’t reach adult size until their mid-thirties.