wonder! I will find her! I know I’m not strong; I know I’m young. Everything you say is true, but someday I will find her.”
Hunter sighed. “When the trader comes, we will ask him to inquire about her. Perhaps he can bring us news in the spring. Can you live with that?”
Karsh nodded slowly. “If we knew . . . if we knew where she was . . . or who she was with, and that she was all right, I would feel better, and maybe then I could go after her. I can’t wait until I’m grown though.”
Hunter’s face was still troubled, but he stood up and reached for his shirt. “We will ask the trader. And you must stay here during the hunt.” Before Karsh could protest, Hunter held up his hand. “The women will need you. Perhaps you can help stand guard. Rand and Alomar will stay as well, and one other man.”
“Who?”
“We will draw lots.”
Karsh scrunched his face up. “No one wants to stay.”
Hunter went on quickly. “And besides, the trader may not come before we leave. If he comes while we are hunting, you must be here to instruct him about your sister.”
Karsh nodded slowly.
“The tribe needs you to be faithful now, Karsh.”
“I will be. And, Hunter?”
“What?”
“I’m sorry.”
He smiled. “That I’m so old? I’m not yet thirty.”
Karsh smiled. “No, I meant, I’m sorry she died. Ella. I’m very sorry.”
Together they walked back to the village.
Chapter Five
The Blens camped for several days at the place called Three Rivers, where three streams merged in a pounding, foaming rush. Small bands wandered in from all directions until more than three hundred people filled the plain. All brought food to share from their summer raiding.
They were not all alike. Feather could see that they were a motley bunch, united only for convenience. They were the outcasts of other tribes, she guessed, and had made a wild, bullying tribe of their own. In the evenings they gathered to feast and tell of their exploits. During the day the men who wore the necklace went out to hunt game to replenish the meat supply.
Feather had the unpleasant task of helping Hana and some other women butcher the game. She was surprised that the men were successful day after day and brought enough to feed all the people. There was even some left over to dry for their journey.
“They go far across the plain and into those hills,” Hana said, pointing to a misty blue smudge on the horizon. “Not many people live out here, so the animals flourish.”
In the weeks they had marched to get here, Feather had seen huge herds of antelope, deer, wild cattle, pigs, and other hoofed animals she did not recognize. The game was much more plentiful than in the area where the Wobans lived, and she was sure they were far beyond the bounds of the old kingdom of Elgin.
She saw Tag and the other boys practice shooting their bows and slings during the long afternoon hours.
“Don’t you hunt?” she asked him one evening.
“Not yet. Soon. After the City of Cats.”
Now that they were among so many other people, Feather was less fearful. She could blend in with the crowd of women and girls without being noticed, and Tag managed to find her at least once a day for a few minutes of conversation. In the evening they could slip away for a short time while the others visited and ate around the fires. There was a large rock not far from Feather’s sleeping spot, and they could sit behind it and not be seen. They were still careful not to be seen much together, but Feather had grown to trust Tag and look upon him as her one true ally.
Hana did not treat her harshly now but relied on her as a diligent helper. Feather was glad for the days she could work quietly beside Hana and the other women of Mik’s band. She hated the one day when they all went out to skin and butcher game in the field. The men had found a herd of huge, shaggy cattle and slaughtered six of them, then summoned the women to do the hardest part of the work. The
Hunter sighed. “When the trader comes, we will ask him to inquire about her. Perhaps he can bring us news in the spring. Can you live with that?”
Karsh nodded slowly. “If we knew . . . if we knew where she was . . . or who she was with, and that she was all right, I would feel better, and maybe then I could go after her. I can’t wait until I’m grown though.”
Hunter’s face was still troubled, but he stood up and reached for his shirt. “We will ask the trader. And you must stay here during the hunt.” Before Karsh could protest, Hunter held up his hand. “The women will need you. Perhaps you can help stand guard. Rand and Alomar will stay as well, and one other man.”
“Who?”
“We will draw lots.”
Karsh scrunched his face up. “No one wants to stay.”
Hunter went on quickly. “And besides, the trader may not come before we leave. If he comes while we are hunting, you must be here to instruct him about your sister.”
Karsh nodded slowly.
“The tribe needs you to be faithful now, Karsh.”
“I will be. And, Hunter?”
“What?”
“I’m sorry.”
He smiled. “That I’m so old? I’m not yet thirty.”
Karsh smiled. “No, I meant, I’m sorry she died. Ella. I’m very sorry.”
Together they walked back to the village.
Chapter Five
The Blens camped for several days at the place called Three Rivers, where three streams merged in a pounding, foaming rush. Small bands wandered in from all directions until more than three hundred people filled the plain. All brought food to share from their summer raiding.
They were not all alike. Feather could see that they were a motley bunch, united only for convenience. They were the outcasts of other tribes, she guessed, and had made a wild, bullying tribe of their own. In the evenings they gathered to feast and tell of their exploits. During the day the men who wore the necklace went out to hunt game to replenish the meat supply.
Feather had the unpleasant task of helping Hana and some other women butcher the game. She was surprised that the men were successful day after day and brought enough to feed all the people. There was even some left over to dry for their journey.
“They go far across the plain and into those hills,” Hana said, pointing to a misty blue smudge on the horizon. “Not many people live out here, so the animals flourish.”
In the weeks they had marched to get here, Feather had seen huge herds of antelope, deer, wild cattle, pigs, and other hoofed animals she did not recognize. The game was much more plentiful than in the area where the Wobans lived, and she was sure they were far beyond the bounds of the old kingdom of Elgin.
She saw Tag and the other boys practice shooting their bows and slings during the long afternoon hours.
“Don’t you hunt?” she asked him one evening.
“Not yet. Soon. After the City of Cats.”
Now that they were among so many other people, Feather was less fearful. She could blend in with the crowd of women and girls without being noticed, and Tag managed to find her at least once a day for a few minutes of conversation. In the evening they could slip away for a short time while the others visited and ate around the fires. There was a large rock not far from Feather’s sleeping spot, and they could sit behind it and not be seen. They were still careful not to be seen much together, but Feather had grown to trust Tag and look upon him as her one true ally.
Hana did not treat her harshly now but relied on her as a diligent helper. Feather was glad for the days she could work quietly beside Hana and the other women of Mik’s band. She hated the one day when they all went out to skin and butcher game in the field. The men had found a herd of huge, shaggy cattle and slaughtered six of them, then summoned the women to do the hardest part of the work. The
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