birth knife. Then the placenta came in a rush of blood and water, and Ligige’ wrapped it in a mat, set it aside to burn later.
“Lay her down,” she told Yaa.
Yaa scooted from behind Aqamdax, gently settling her to the mat-covered floor. Ligige’ cleaned and covered Aqamdax, then took the baby from her arms and washed him. She wrapped him in the softened hare pelts Aqamdax had prepared for him and handed him back to his mother.
“He is so small that he may not know how to suck. Try him and see.”
She watched as Aqamdax rolled to her side, pulled up her shirt and offered the baby her nipple. He turned his head and clamped his mouth over it, began to nurse.
Ligige’ chuckled. “Yaa, stay here with her. I have other things to do.”
Ligige’ left, carrying the afterbirth. When the burning was done, Ligige’ returned to the lodge, ducked her head inside.
“They are both asleep,” Yaa whispered to her.
“Stay with them until Aqamdax wakes up. Don’t you wake her; let her sleep. Then come get me.”
Ligige’ walked toward the village. It was always good to tell a father about the birth of a son. This child was small, born too early without doubt, but he was strong. He nursed well, and Aqamdax would be a good mother. The child should live, at least until the starving days of late winter. Then who could say? But why think about sorrows that might never come? There would be time enough to mourn later, if the child died.
She scratched at Star’s lodge, heard Long Eyes lift her voice in a vague answer. Ligige’ crouched to crawl inside and almost ran into Chakliux.
“A son!” Ligige’ said, singing out the words.
She saw the pinched look of worry on his face. “Aqamdax?” he asked.
“A strong woman. She will be a good mother.”
Chakliux closed his eyes, let out his breath.
“Where is Night Man?”
“Inside.” Chakliux stood back, held open the doorflap. He waited until Ligige’ was in the lodge, then he moved his lips in a silent prayer of thanksgiving. As he crawled back inside, he heard Night Man’s voice raised in anger and so stayed near the entrance, his eyes turned away.
“You are sure the child was born early?” Night Man asked.
Ligige’ had squatted beside him, her hands draped over her knees, and Chakliux, glancing quickly at her and then away, noticed that she looked tired. She was, after all, an old woman, and she had been awakened early to tend Aqamdax.
“He is very small,” she said, “but strong. Already he is eating.”
“You think, then, that he will live?”
“No one can say for sure. He must decide for himself whether he wants to stay in this world. I have seen large babies die and weak ones live, but there is no reason why this child should die.”
Night Man grunted, and Ligige’ said, “If you want to see him, I will bring him outside to you. Come to the edge of the village.”
“No, I will wait until it is time for his mother to leave the birth lodge.”
Ligige’ shrugged, and Chakliux realized that since Star was not there, perhaps he should offer food.
“Aunt, you are hungry,” he said, and fetched a bowl, filled it with broth and meat.
She took the bowl and ate, and to Chakliux’s surprise, Long Eyes stood and unhooked a water bladder, offered it to Ligige’. Perhaps a baby in the lodge would bring Long Eyes back to them. At one time, she had been a fine wife to Cloud Finder. It would be a good sign if her spirit decided to return to the village.
Chakliux heard a scuffling in the entrance tunnel, then Yaa was back in the lodge, her eyes dancing.
“I went to your lodge first,” she said to Ligige’. “Then I thought you might be here. Aqamdax is awake.”
“No problems?” Ligige’ asked.
“I don’t think so.”
Ligige’ stood and dipped her bowl into the cooking bag. “Then I will eat a little more before I go back. You have the food Aqamdax set aside for herself?” she asked through a mouthful of meat.
“It is in the
“Lay her down,” she told Yaa.
Yaa scooted from behind Aqamdax, gently settling her to the mat-covered floor. Ligige’ cleaned and covered Aqamdax, then took the baby from her arms and washed him. She wrapped him in the softened hare pelts Aqamdax had prepared for him and handed him back to his mother.
“He is so small that he may not know how to suck. Try him and see.”
She watched as Aqamdax rolled to her side, pulled up her shirt and offered the baby her nipple. He turned his head and clamped his mouth over it, began to nurse.
Ligige’ chuckled. “Yaa, stay here with her. I have other things to do.”
Ligige’ left, carrying the afterbirth. When the burning was done, Ligige’ returned to the lodge, ducked her head inside.
“They are both asleep,” Yaa whispered to her.
“Stay with them until Aqamdax wakes up. Don’t you wake her; let her sleep. Then come get me.”
Ligige’ walked toward the village. It was always good to tell a father about the birth of a son. This child was small, born too early without doubt, but he was strong. He nursed well, and Aqamdax would be a good mother. The child should live, at least until the starving days of late winter. Then who could say? But why think about sorrows that might never come? There would be time enough to mourn later, if the child died.
She scratched at Star’s lodge, heard Long Eyes lift her voice in a vague answer. Ligige’ crouched to crawl inside and almost ran into Chakliux.
“A son!” Ligige’ said, singing out the words.
She saw the pinched look of worry on his face. “Aqamdax?” he asked.
“A strong woman. She will be a good mother.”
Chakliux closed his eyes, let out his breath.
“Where is Night Man?”
“Inside.” Chakliux stood back, held open the doorflap. He waited until Ligige’ was in the lodge, then he moved his lips in a silent prayer of thanksgiving. As he crawled back inside, he heard Night Man’s voice raised in anger and so stayed near the entrance, his eyes turned away.
“You are sure the child was born early?” Night Man asked.
Ligige’ had squatted beside him, her hands draped over her knees, and Chakliux, glancing quickly at her and then away, noticed that she looked tired. She was, after all, an old woman, and she had been awakened early to tend Aqamdax.
“He is very small,” she said, “but strong. Already he is eating.”
“You think, then, that he will live?”
“No one can say for sure. He must decide for himself whether he wants to stay in this world. I have seen large babies die and weak ones live, but there is no reason why this child should die.”
Night Man grunted, and Ligige’ said, “If you want to see him, I will bring him outside to you. Come to the edge of the village.”
“No, I will wait until it is time for his mother to leave the birth lodge.”
Ligige’ shrugged, and Chakliux realized that since Star was not there, perhaps he should offer food.
“Aunt, you are hungry,” he said, and fetched a bowl, filled it with broth and meat.
She took the bowl and ate, and to Chakliux’s surprise, Long Eyes stood and unhooked a water bladder, offered it to Ligige’. Perhaps a baby in the lodge would bring Long Eyes back to them. At one time, she had been a fine wife to Cloud Finder. It would be a good sign if her spirit decided to return to the village.
Chakliux heard a scuffling in the entrance tunnel, then Yaa was back in the lodge, her eyes dancing.
“I went to your lodge first,” she said to Ligige’. “Then I thought you might be here. Aqamdax is awake.”
“No problems?” Ligige’ asked.
“I don’t think so.”
Ligige’ stood and dipped her bowl into the cooking bag. “Then I will eat a little more before I go back. You have the food Aqamdax set aside for herself?” she asked through a mouthful of meat.
“It is in the
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