Death in the Time of Ice (20 page)

Enga Dancing Flower sat with her sister, Ung Strong Arm, and Lakala Rippling Water outside Lakala’s wipiti. The three females twisted leather straps into braids they would give to Doon for hair adornments at his Ceremony, which would take place soon. Sister Sun was dipping toward her beloved mate, Brother Earth. This night Sister Sun was arraying herself in rosy, glowing cloud garments for her tryst.

Ung Strong Arm,
thought-spoke Enga,
I am worried about what Hama said about us.

That we were not wanted by Aja Hama?
Ung chortled.
No one can believe that. Sannum Straight Hair was one of the males who brought us to the tribe from the woods. The other Elders, Panan One Eye and Cabat the Thick, were also there. Many who are still with us can say she willingly took us in and raised us.

And even if some did say you were unlucky,
put in Lakala,
Aja Hama would not have wanted to expel you from the tribe.
She bit off a leather strip and tied the end.

But we must do something,
thought-spoke Enga,
to show Hama we have worth to the tribe. That we are true Hamapa and did not kill Aja Hama.

But do you think she will bring this up again?
asked Ung.

I believe she will try to get rid of us,
answered Enga.
She has always hated us. Especially me.

A long shadow fell across Enga and she looked up and gave a wave to Jeek as he passed. To rest her eyes from the close work in the waning light, she watched him saunter to the end of the row of dwellings. Jeek would make a fine-looking male soon. He was built sturdy, like his mother, Zhoo of Still Waters and, like her, his disposition was calm and sensible.

He stopped and looked around. Enga perceived a desire, directed only to her, for her to follow him.

I wonder,
she mused to herself, Ung, and Lakala,
where young Jeek is going. Something has been bothering him lately. Have you noticed?

Besides hunger?
asked Lakala.
And young Gunda?

Enga smiled. The growing attraction between the two young ones made her happy, as it did the rest of the tribe.

I’ll be back soon,
answered Enga as she put down her handwork and got up to follow Jeek. Ung’s puzzlement trailed after her.

Where was that boy? Enga stood on the path in the woods. She had tracked him by smell for a distance, then lost him. His odor wasn’t on the trail at this point. He had left the trail. Why would he be going into the woods at this time of late sun? Soon the Passage Ceremony for Doon would begin. Could this have something to do with Doon?

She pictured Doon being named, standing with his stooped shoulders before the Hama to receive the touch of her gourd. Then she remembered that he had showed them the beaver tracks this morning. Tog Flint Shaper had noticed her doubting that the tracks were actually made by a beaver and had let her know his opinion that they looked authentic after he and Bahg Swiftfeet followed them. At the time she had wondered if they had followed them far enough.

I wonder if Jeek is checking the beaver tracks. He is a clever child.

Enga retraced her steps back to the point where Doon had shown them the large prints leading away from the village, down the trail. Now that she pondered it, why would a beaver follow their trail? It did not go to a beaver lodge.

The beaver tracks left the narrow footpath at the same point Jeek’s scent did. Branches were broken where the tracks had gone, and she saw the footprints of Jeek’s wrapped feet in the moist earth of the forest floor, beside the beaver tracks. Now she was sure her thinking was right. Jeek doubted the tale related by Doon. Enga did also. Jeek was not hiding his passage through the underbrush. He probably left a trail for her to follow.

She put her feet in Jeek’s footprints to hide hers and crept through the dense growth of tender ferns and young trees. Somehow, she did not want anyone to find out she was here, checking up on Doon’s tale. Enga kept quiet, not knowing exactly what Jeek was doing, and suspecting he didn’t want anyone else to know but her. She stole through the woods, noticing the light starting to fade rapidly with the bedding down of Sister Sun.

Then she came upon Jeek. He stood gazing at two huge old tamarack trees. Their trunks were bare of needled branches at ground level since they grew close together. A youth like Jeek would be able to squeeze between them, but a grown male like Tog Flint Shaper would have a hard time.

Jeek sensed her behind him and slowly turned. His lips trembled and his eyes shone with tears. He pointed at the tracks he had followed to this point. Enga saw the problem at once. The tracks led between the trees and continued on the other side.

This cannot be
, Jeek thought-spoke, just to her.

You are right. If those tracks were made by a beaver, it would be a large one, like the one that attacked Kung. The tracks are large. No beaver, not even a small one, could go between those two trees.
Enga felt cold inside. A dull ache gripped the back of her head.

They both used their personal dark colors to funnel their thought between just the two of them. Jeek’s thoughts came to Enga through a narrow, grape-tinted tunnel.

Shall we see where the tracks end?
asked Jeek. He had worried half his brown-blond hair from its leather binding and chewed on a thick strand.

There is no need of that. We need to get back before Doon goes through his Passage Ceremony. The Elders will have to decide what to do about him. If he becomes a Named adult, his punishment for deception might be much worse. Maybe, if he has not yet passed into adulthood, he can be dealt with as a child and his offense can be pardoned.

Enga held the colors of midnight wrapped around her mind as she and Jeek crashed through the forest. This misdeed needed to be announced in person, not transferred by thought. The light of the forest was approaching the hue of her mood. Her head pounded with pain.

At last they neared the village. Darkness was complete in the woods. A glow came through the trees from the Hamapa fire. From a distance, Enga caught the last haunting notes of the song of Lakala Rippling Water, singing Farewell to Childhood. They stepped up their pace.

We will be too late
, thought-spoke Jeek.

Maybe the Passage can be undone.

They stumbled onto the edge of the Paved Place. Enga ran through the sitting Hamapa and slid to a halt in front of Hama just as Hama placed her gourd on the shoulder of Teek Pathfinder, who knelt in front of her, looking up to Dakadaga, the Spirit of Mother Sky. Cabat the Thick squatted beside him to steady him.

Hama spoke:

“Hoody! Listen! The Most High Female Speaks.”

What was this? This was not Doon. Enga blurted her surprise to the whole tribe.

Hama shot a thought at Enga and Jeek, who now stood beside her.

Why are you late? Where have you been? Sit down. We will talk later. It is now time for the naming of Teek.

But Teek is already named Pathfinder
, thought-spoke Enga.

Sannum Straight Hair tugged on the edge of her mammoth cloak and she sank down beside him. Jeek joined her.

Sannum sent a private message to Enga and Jeek.
This is the surprise of Hama. Teek is receiving a new name because of the ordeal he went through. You missed the other surprise, the naming of the New One.

The New One? He is now a tribe member?
This surprised Enga. She looked around for him. He was close at hand, on the other side of Sannum. A wide grin split his long, pale face. Enga tried to think his grin made him look foolish, but there was something appealing about his happiness.

Yes, the New One is now named Stitcher. He will just have that single name, our Hama declared. Can you see the carvings he did for her? She showed them to us when she named him. They are sitting on the ground next to her.

Enga’s shock flared. She had seen both those carvings. The little mammoth was the one the New One, now Stitcher, had given her. The other had disappeared from Aja Hama’s wipiti after her death. Another Pronouncement jerked her attention back to Hama.

“Dakadaga sasa vav Teek. Rowah Klack.”

Dakadaga has given the name for Teek. Bearclaw.

The Hamapa approved of the new name. They nodded and sent thoughts and hoots of congratulation to Teek Bearclaw. Enga joined in. The name was fitting.

But those carvings! They did not belong to Hama. Stitcher may have stolen them and given them to her, but he did not make them for her. But what could Enga do about it? She could not say that Hama was lying. That would make her hate Enga and her sister even more. She almost whimpered.

But what of Doon?

The Hama nodded for Teek Bearclaw to rise and return to the group. Cabat and Sannum helped him as he was still weak.

Then Hama summoned Doon. He jumped up and walked to her with a puffed-out chest.

“Nasa!” called Enga Dancing Flower aloud.
No!

Hama glared. No one thought-spoke, let alone spoke out loud when Hama was Pronouncing. She turned slightly away from Enga and spoke.

“Dakadaga sheesh Doon shensoha. Hamamapapa vava Doon Wadunk Fada.”

Dakadaga, bless the adulthood of Doon. The Hamapa name Doon Beaver Tracker.

Enga was on her feet, waving her arms, Jeek beside her. She sent her thought as urgently as she could.
Wait! Halt!

Stiff vibrations came from her tribe, telling her to sit down and be quiet.

Hama glared at Enga, touched her gourd to his shoulder, and continued. “Shensoha Doon.”

This is the adulthood of Doon.

Enga interrupted again, sweat springing to her face and her palms at the audacity of what she was doing. No one had ever faced down a Hama in the middle of an Official Pronouncing.

Doon did not track any beaver. He made the tracks.
Her knees shook, but she stood her ground.

You are not telling the truth
, thought-spoke Hama.

I am telling the truth. Doon is not
, answered Enga, leaning forward, trying to impress Hama, feeling her face contort in fear.

Jeek sent her a surge of encouragement.

Panan One Eye jumped to his feet and Cabat the Thick heaved himself up.

You defy Hama?
Cabat sent amazement with the thought. It was one thing for him, the Most High Male to do it, but quite another for her.

But Panan heeded Enga.
Why do you think this? We all saw the tracks. Fee Long Thrower and the baby were injured. Surely a beaver did this.

Jeek and I followed the tracks into the woods. If you see where they go, you will know a large beaver did not make them.
Enga sent them the picture of the tracks going through the narrow passage between the ancient trees.

Chaos broke out. Everyone leaped up and swirled around Enga and Jeek, pressing so fiercely she feared they might be crushed.

Chapter 16

Bahg Swiftfeet gazed on the sleeping form of Fee Long Thrower, his beautiful mate, and feared for her future. This was the fifth new sun she was unconscious. Her dark hair, the same dark hair of most of those related to Hama and Aja Hama, lay damp and matted around her peaceful-looking face. Bahg pulled back the bearskin that covered her and stroked her silky white arm, peppered with soft, downy, dark hairs. He leaned close and crooned a low, desperate, humming chant into her ear.

His meditation was interrupted by the awakening squeal of his son. The baby was hungry. Some of the females had assisted the baby, held him to Fee’s breasts, at first bulging with unexpelled milk. Bahg thought the baby had gotten a little bit the first day. But the second day of Fee’s coma, he seemed unsatisfied. He squalled as he tried to suck. Bahg guessed that Fee was not producing much milk. The baby cried for most of the second and third days of Fee’s coma; then Roh Lion Hunter had come to help.

There had been no babies born to the Hamapa for six years, no babies who had lived, that is. Roh had lost a child a few moons ago and she had tried yesterday to nurse the infant. The suckling had soothed the baby somewhat, but Roh did not think he was getting very much milk, if any. The baby only occasionally cried now. He was exhausted.

Fee needed to awaken very soon. She had been attacked by what Bahg, and everyone else, had believed was a beaver. But how could they have been so stupid? Beavers do not attack people.

Bahg hadn’t been paying that much attention to the discussion at the meeting last night, exhausted as he was from getting Teek back to the group the day before, then dealing with the infant. He had been overjoyed, as the rest of the tribe was, that Teek was well enough to hobble out to the meeting and receive his new honorary name, Bearclaw. Dakadaga knew he had earned it. Teek was proving himself to be a valuable asset to the Hamapa and Bahg was glad they were not going to lose him.

The Storyteller had told the Saga of the Time of Crossing. The Hamapa never tired of that vision of their distant ancestors making the long journey across the narrow strip of land to reach the place where they now lived. Many other journeys were made, of course, before they ended up here, but that Crossing had been what brought them to this land of many animals and streams.

Their old land had been a good one, too, but other beings competed for the game. The others battled the Hamapa ancestors and drove them away from the best hunting places. Those other beings, taller and darker than the Hamapa, more like the Tall Ones, used dogs for hunting and were able to kill more game, and more easily than a Hamapa ever could.