Read Online Ivory Carver 02 - My Sister the Moon by Sue Harrison - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sue Harrison
Tags: Fiction, Historical, Sagas, Prehistoric peoples, Fairy Tales; Folk Tales; Legends & Mythology, Native American & Aboriginal
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top of the ulaq, watching as Kayugh and Amgigh walked to the high mound of Kayugh's ulaq. Kiin looked toward the beach, listened to the rumble of the waves. The sky was gray, darker near the center and light where its edges met the far limit of the sea. Even the beach was gray, and the tide pools reflected the sky.
Then she saw Samiq standing alone beside the blackness that marked the place of her woman's ceremony fire. His back was toward her, but he turned. He turned and slowly raised one arm, one hand toward her, fingers splayed. And without thinking, Kiin stretched one hand toward him.
TEN
SAMIQ WATCHED AS KIIN FOLLOWED AMGIGH TO Kayugh's ulaq. Anger pressed hard into Samiq's chest, but he was not sure whether he was angry with Amgigh for taking Kiin as wife, with his father for making the trade, or with Kiin for walking so easily in Amgigh's wake, as if she had always been wife, as if she wanted Amgigh as much as Samiq wanted her.
You are foolish, he told himself. She is safe now, away from Gray Bird, safe in our father's ulaq. You cannot be her husband; you are going to live with the Whale Hunters. You will be away for the summer, perhaps longer. Would you rather she was unprotected, beaten and abused in Gray Bird's ulaq?
But he stayed on the beach. The wind turned toward night, cold and bitter, numbing his hands, stiffening his knees, so that he walked slowly, like an old man.
Kiin stroked the whale tooth shell that hung at her side, then folded her hands in her lap. Chagak had given Kiin a corner in the large room for her sewing basket and weaving supplies, and Kayugh had pointed to the sleeping place that would be hers, one near the front of the ulaq. There Kiin spread out her sleeping skins and stacked the grass mats that protected the furs from the packed dirt and rock of the ulaq floor. But now she had nothing to do.
During other visits to Kayugh's ulaq, she had felt no awkwardness, had helped Chagak prepare food or care for Samiq's baby sister, but today Wren was sleeping, tucked away in Chagak's sleeping place, and when Kiin had offered to help Chagak with the food, Chagak motioned her to sit down, to be still. Tomorrow, Kiin would help, tomorrow she would cook and sew, but today was a day to sit, to talk and to do nothing.
Kiin could never remember having a day to do nothing. Her hands could not stay still; her fingers clasped and unclasped until Kiin, embarrassed that her actions were more like those of a child than a wife, tucked her hands up inside the sleeves of her suk and began playing a game in her mind, a game of naming berries—salmonberry, red currant, crowberry—then naming fish—greenling, herring, halibut. .. .
After bringing Kiin to the ulaq, Amgigh and his father went into one of the sleeping places, one to the left of the honored back room, Kayugh's sleeping place. Kiin heard the murmurings of their voices, but could not tell what either man said. Finally when Kiin had named all fish in the world, all berries on the island, all people in their village and the names of any Whale Hunter people she could remember, Kayugh came back into the main room of the ulaq. He stood for a moment in front of Kiin, smiled at her, then said, "My son will be a good husband to you. What food we have is yours. The furs we have are yours. You belong to this family now. I am your father and you are my daughter."
For a moment Kiin sat very still. She wished she had asked her mother questions about the giving of brides. Crooked Nose had told her of men's ways and how to please a man, but nothing of ceremonies. Perhaps Kayugh's words were only a politeness, but perhaps they were a ceremony and there was something Kiin was expected to say in reply.
Finally she said in a very soft voice, "Is-is th-th-this a ceremony?" She could not raise her eyes to Kayugh's face, but then he reached down and cupped her chin in his hand, lifted her head so she could see that he was smiling.
"It is a
Then she saw Samiq standing alone beside the blackness that marked the place of her woman's ceremony fire. His back was toward her, but he turned. He turned and slowly raised one arm, one hand toward her, fingers splayed. And without thinking, Kiin stretched one hand toward him.
TEN
SAMIQ WATCHED AS KIIN FOLLOWED AMGIGH TO Kayugh's ulaq. Anger pressed hard into Samiq's chest, but he was not sure whether he was angry with Amgigh for taking Kiin as wife, with his father for making the trade, or with Kiin for walking so easily in Amgigh's wake, as if she had always been wife, as if she wanted Amgigh as much as Samiq wanted her.
You are foolish, he told himself. She is safe now, away from Gray Bird, safe in our father's ulaq. You cannot be her husband; you are going to live with the Whale Hunters. You will be away for the summer, perhaps longer. Would you rather she was unprotected, beaten and abused in Gray Bird's ulaq?
But he stayed on the beach. The wind turned toward night, cold and bitter, numbing his hands, stiffening his knees, so that he walked slowly, like an old man.
Kiin stroked the whale tooth shell that hung at her side, then folded her hands in her lap. Chagak had given Kiin a corner in the large room for her sewing basket and weaving supplies, and Kayugh had pointed to the sleeping place that would be hers, one near the front of the ulaq. There Kiin spread out her sleeping skins and stacked the grass mats that protected the furs from the packed dirt and rock of the ulaq floor. But now she had nothing to do.
During other visits to Kayugh's ulaq, she had felt no awkwardness, had helped Chagak prepare food or care for Samiq's baby sister, but today Wren was sleeping, tucked away in Chagak's sleeping place, and when Kiin had offered to help Chagak with the food, Chagak motioned her to sit down, to be still. Tomorrow, Kiin would help, tomorrow she would cook and sew, but today was a day to sit, to talk and to do nothing.
Kiin could never remember having a day to do nothing. Her hands could not stay still; her fingers clasped and unclasped until Kiin, embarrassed that her actions were more like those of a child than a wife, tucked her hands up inside the sleeves of her suk and began playing a game in her mind, a game of naming berries—salmonberry, red currant, crowberry—then naming fish—greenling, herring, halibut. .. .
After bringing Kiin to the ulaq, Amgigh and his father went into one of the sleeping places, one to the left of the honored back room, Kayugh's sleeping place. Kiin heard the murmurings of their voices, but could not tell what either man said. Finally when Kiin had named all fish in the world, all berries on the island, all people in their village and the names of any Whale Hunter people she could remember, Kayugh came back into the main room of the ulaq. He stood for a moment in front of Kiin, smiled at her, then said, "My son will be a good husband to you. What food we have is yours. The furs we have are yours. You belong to this family now. I am your father and you are my daughter."
For a moment Kiin sat very still. She wished she had asked her mother questions about the giving of brides. Crooked Nose had told her of men's ways and how to please a man, but nothing of ceremonies. Perhaps Kayugh's words were only a politeness, but perhaps they were a ceremony and there was something Kiin was expected to say in reply.
Finally she said in a very soft voice, "Is-is th-th-this a ceremony?" She could not raise her eyes to Kayugh's face, but then he reached down and cupped her chin in his hand, lifted her head so she could see that he was smiling.
"It is a
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