Read Online Ivory Carver 02 - My Sister the Moon by Sue Harrison - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sue Harrison
Tags: Fiction, Historical, Sagas, Prehistoric peoples, Fairy Tales; Folk Tales; Legends & Mythology, Native American & Aboriginal
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daughter," Gray Bird said, and he strode to Kiin's side and pulled her suddenly to her feet. "She is not too thin." He pinched Kiin's legs, her arms, cupped a breast with one hand. His fingers were cold against Kiin's skin. "You will keep her fat?"
"Yes," Kayugh said.
"Yes," Amgigh answered, and Kiin blushed for she knew Amgigh was not supposed to speak. In trading for a first bride, the father traded; the son watched.
Gray Bird pulled Kiin's new suk from a pile of furs where she had carefully laid it. "You see she does fine work," Gray Bird said.
Kiin felt blood rise to her cheeks, and the heat from her skin rose to burn in her eyes. Blue Shell must not have told Gray Bird who gave Kiin the suk. And Kiin must remember now to tell her mother what Gray Bird had done. If Blue Shell ever told Gray Bird that Chagak had made the suk, if Gray Bird realized that he had become a fool in his trading, he would beat Blue Shell until she could not stand.
Amgigh took a long breath, and Kiin, looking from the shadows, caught Kayugh's eyes. She shook her head. Don't tell him, she begged silently. Please don't tell him. Think what he would do to my mother. He might, in his embarrassment, refuse Kayugh's offer, allow Qakan to trade her to people from another village.
Kayugh held his hand up toward Amgigh and stared at his son until Amgigh dropped his head.
"Kiin has many talents," Kay ugh said. "That is why I want her for my son."
Gray Bird puffed out his chest, strutted to the center of the ulaq and squatted beside Kayugh.
"He thinks he has won," Kiin's spirit said. "He thinks he has bettered Kayugh in his game of trading."
Kayugh looked over Gray Bird's head to Amgigh and nodded. Gray Bird turned and watched as Amgigh unlashed a knife from his left wrist. He laid the knife across his palm and held it out to Gray Bird, handle first.
"My son makes knives," Kayugh said.
Kiin saw Gray Bird's back suddenly straighten. Amgigh's knives were treasured by all the men. Big Teeth said he had known no finer. This particular knife was short bladed, the right size to fit inside the sleeve of a man's parka. The blade was black, nearly translucent at the edges, knapped from Okmok's obsidian. The knife was hafted with seal gut to a smooth piece of ivory, marbled yellow and white. The end of the handle was plugged with a stopper of walrus ivory. Amgigh pulled the ivory plug from the handle and shook out three birdbone gorges. Amgigh slipped the gorges into the knife handle and pushed the ivory plug back in place.
Gray Bird smiled and reached for the knife. He tested the edge with his finger, held it up to the light from an oil lamp. He pulled out the plug and examined the gorges.
"You will have the four skins back to me in"—he paused— "twenty days?"
"Yes," Kayugh said.
"Take her," Gray Bird said motioning toward Kiin, then he turned his back to his daughter and the men, and dragged the twelve finished skins into his sleeping place.
Kiin's eyes widened. It was done. So quickly, it was done. She stood, uncertain what was expected of her, but when Kayugh said nothing and Amgigh remained with his back toward her, she pulled a seal bladder container from the storage cache and using the flat of her knife blade, pushed the meat she had ground into the container.
She picked up her sewing basket and suk, then taking one of her mother's largest baskets, filled it with her naming gifts. She hurried into her sleeping place to gather grass mats and sleeping furs. When she came back into the main room of the ulaq, she found that Amgigh was waiting for her. He took the bundle of mats and sleeping furs from her arms and watched as Kiin put on her suk and picked up the basket. Then still without speaking, Amgigh led the way up the climbing log. Kayugh was already at the top of the log, the rolled green skins in his arms.
The wind was strong and it pulled at the basket Kiin held, but for a moment she stood on the
"Yes," Kayugh said.
"Yes," Amgigh answered, and Kiin blushed for she knew Amgigh was not supposed to speak. In trading for a first bride, the father traded; the son watched.
Gray Bird pulled Kiin's new suk from a pile of furs where she had carefully laid it. "You see she does fine work," Gray Bird said.
Kiin felt blood rise to her cheeks, and the heat from her skin rose to burn in her eyes. Blue Shell must not have told Gray Bird who gave Kiin the suk. And Kiin must remember now to tell her mother what Gray Bird had done. If Blue Shell ever told Gray Bird that Chagak had made the suk, if Gray Bird realized that he had become a fool in his trading, he would beat Blue Shell until she could not stand.
Amgigh took a long breath, and Kiin, looking from the shadows, caught Kayugh's eyes. She shook her head. Don't tell him, she begged silently. Please don't tell him. Think what he would do to my mother. He might, in his embarrassment, refuse Kayugh's offer, allow Qakan to trade her to people from another village.
Kayugh held his hand up toward Amgigh and stared at his son until Amgigh dropped his head.
"Kiin has many talents," Kay ugh said. "That is why I want her for my son."
Gray Bird puffed out his chest, strutted to the center of the ulaq and squatted beside Kayugh.
"He thinks he has won," Kiin's spirit said. "He thinks he has bettered Kayugh in his game of trading."
Kayugh looked over Gray Bird's head to Amgigh and nodded. Gray Bird turned and watched as Amgigh unlashed a knife from his left wrist. He laid the knife across his palm and held it out to Gray Bird, handle first.
"My son makes knives," Kayugh said.
Kiin saw Gray Bird's back suddenly straighten. Amgigh's knives were treasured by all the men. Big Teeth said he had known no finer. This particular knife was short bladed, the right size to fit inside the sleeve of a man's parka. The blade was black, nearly translucent at the edges, knapped from Okmok's obsidian. The knife was hafted with seal gut to a smooth piece of ivory, marbled yellow and white. The end of the handle was plugged with a stopper of walrus ivory. Amgigh pulled the ivory plug from the handle and shook out three birdbone gorges. Amgigh slipped the gorges into the knife handle and pushed the ivory plug back in place.
Gray Bird smiled and reached for the knife. He tested the edge with his finger, held it up to the light from an oil lamp. He pulled out the plug and examined the gorges.
"You will have the four skins back to me in"—he paused— "twenty days?"
"Yes," Kayugh said.
"Take her," Gray Bird said motioning toward Kiin, then he turned his back to his daughter and the men, and dragged the twelve finished skins into his sleeping place.
Kiin's eyes widened. It was done. So quickly, it was done. She stood, uncertain what was expected of her, but when Kayugh said nothing and Amgigh remained with his back toward her, she pulled a seal bladder container from the storage cache and using the flat of her knife blade, pushed the meat she had ground into the container.
She picked up her sewing basket and suk, then taking one of her mother's largest baskets, filled it with her naming gifts. She hurried into her sleeping place to gather grass mats and sleeping furs. When she came back into the main room of the ulaq, she found that Amgigh was waiting for her. He took the bundle of mats and sleeping furs from her arms and watched as Kiin put on her suk and picked up the basket. Then still without speaking, Amgigh led the way up the climbing log. Kayugh was already at the top of the log, the rolled green skins in his arms.
The wind was strong and it pulled at the basket Kiin held, but for a moment she stood on the
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