griefs of life, all of it.
Stop that, said Su-Li.
Sunoya stopped and eyed him. Then she stroked Dahzi’s hairy head.
If they hear you, said the buzzard, they’ll trap us in here. Hewas perched on a rock outcropping at the mouth of a cave, sniffing into the darkness for Inaj and his men.
“I know you don’t like caves.” This was their second night in one.
You’re one of the People of the Caverns.
“And you can’t stand being shut in. But before we get to the Socos, we’re going to have more nights in caves.”
Sunoya put Dahzi, the Hungry One, on one of Mother’s tits. No one else paid attention. Dak gnawed on his piece of dried meat. Mother dozed and sometimes growled at Dahzi.
You’re not taking this seriously.
She saw his words painted in lurid colors in her mind. She said, “You said they’re far behind us.”
Maybe they’re moving to night, Su-Li said, catching up.
“No.” She looked into Su-Li’s eye and thought her calm made him back him off a bit.
They’re fast and we’re slow, he said. If you were sure I’m wrong, you wouldn’t be whispering.
Sunoya reflected that it was odd that, though he didn’t have a voice, Su-Li could take a tone with her.
Tomorrow we run like hounds toward the Soco village, said Su-Li.
“All right.” She cradled Dahzi and rocked him. She gazed into his face in a dreamlike state.
Finally she stroked Su-Li’s feathers. “The Immortals forbade me to bear a child, and then gave me this one.”
When Sunoya ducked out of the cave the next morning, she gave thanks to Thunderbird again. Though the little party had climbed higher and higher into the mountains, the weather was still warm. “Doesn’t feel like Falling Leaf Moon,” she told Dak. “The day is good.”
She had the elk robes for blankets, but both days and nights were the temperature of a cave, and that was a blessing.
She looked up at Su-Li, high as the tops of the nearest balds. He flashed a warning to her: Get going.
They trundled down and down and on downhill. “Not fair,” mumbled Sunoya, out of breath. “Downhill hurts my legs just like up.”
Still, at midmorning they stood and gawked at the Soco River, the only big stream they had to cross. It was running full and wild.
Su-Li landed on her shoulder. “The Immortals, are they abandoning us?” Sunoya said.
They gave you this child for a reason, said Su-Li.
Sunoya eyed the raging river. The rain had swelled it, and the warm days were melting snow off the summits.
It’s not deep here, Su-Li told her.
“But it’s rough.” She hesitated. “I might fall.” She thought of the waves jostling her and the slippery rocks on the bottom and clutched Dahzi a little tighter.
There’s no better ford downstream, said Su-Li. I’ve checked. Look upstream yourself.
The river was a huge, frozen waterfall. It was beautiful, high as a hill, sparkling like a thousand suns.
She looked at her companion. “Right. No time for sightseeing.”
I’ll see how far back they are.
Sunoya gazed at the river and thought. Once her people had lived at the seashore, so the old story said, until they were driven out by a larger tribe. In those days they paddled about the water like turtles, and some swam underneath the surface of the sea, like fish. The Galayi were still strong swimmers. But people said you could go into a freezing river in a cold moon and lose your mind and drown.
Sunoya looked from Dahzi in her arms to Dak, lapping at the edge of the water. She took a deep breath, swallowed a horrible glop of fear, and set to work.
When Su-Li wheeled back toward them, she was done. Dahzi lay facedown, lashed to Dak’s back and bawling. She’d wrapped him in fur as well as possible, but he wanted only to be held. “I carry you,” she told him softly, “and we both die.”
Su-Li landed on the sandy bank. Get going!
Sunoya looked back at the turbulent water, glinting with threat.
Inaj will rape you and kill you, said
Stop that, said Su-Li.
Sunoya stopped and eyed him. Then she stroked Dahzi’s hairy head.
If they hear you, said the buzzard, they’ll trap us in here. Hewas perched on a rock outcropping at the mouth of a cave, sniffing into the darkness for Inaj and his men.
“I know you don’t like caves.” This was their second night in one.
You’re one of the People of the Caverns.
“And you can’t stand being shut in. But before we get to the Socos, we’re going to have more nights in caves.”
Sunoya put Dahzi, the Hungry One, on one of Mother’s tits. No one else paid attention. Dak gnawed on his piece of dried meat. Mother dozed and sometimes growled at Dahzi.
You’re not taking this seriously.
She saw his words painted in lurid colors in her mind. She said, “You said they’re far behind us.”
Maybe they’re moving to night, Su-Li said, catching up.
“No.” She looked into Su-Li’s eye and thought her calm made him back him off a bit.
They’re fast and we’re slow, he said. If you were sure I’m wrong, you wouldn’t be whispering.
Sunoya reflected that it was odd that, though he didn’t have a voice, Su-Li could take a tone with her.
Tomorrow we run like hounds toward the Soco village, said Su-Li.
“All right.” She cradled Dahzi and rocked him. She gazed into his face in a dreamlike state.
Finally she stroked Su-Li’s feathers. “The Immortals forbade me to bear a child, and then gave me this one.”
When Sunoya ducked out of the cave the next morning, she gave thanks to Thunderbird again. Though the little party had climbed higher and higher into the mountains, the weather was still warm. “Doesn’t feel like Falling Leaf Moon,” she told Dak. “The day is good.”
She had the elk robes for blankets, but both days and nights were the temperature of a cave, and that was a blessing.
She looked up at Su-Li, high as the tops of the nearest balds. He flashed a warning to her: Get going.
They trundled down and down and on downhill. “Not fair,” mumbled Sunoya, out of breath. “Downhill hurts my legs just like up.”
Still, at midmorning they stood and gawked at the Soco River, the only big stream they had to cross. It was running full and wild.
Su-Li landed on her shoulder. “The Immortals, are they abandoning us?” Sunoya said.
They gave you this child for a reason, said Su-Li.
Sunoya eyed the raging river. The rain had swelled it, and the warm days were melting snow off the summits.
It’s not deep here, Su-Li told her.
“But it’s rough.” She hesitated. “I might fall.” She thought of the waves jostling her and the slippery rocks on the bottom and clutched Dahzi a little tighter.
There’s no better ford downstream, said Su-Li. I’ve checked. Look upstream yourself.
The river was a huge, frozen waterfall. It was beautiful, high as a hill, sparkling like a thousand suns.
She looked at her companion. “Right. No time for sightseeing.”
I’ll see how far back they are.
Sunoya gazed at the river and thought. Once her people had lived at the seashore, so the old story said, until they were driven out by a larger tribe. In those days they paddled about the water like turtles, and some swam underneath the surface of the sea, like fish. The Galayi were still strong swimmers. But people said you could go into a freezing river in a cold moon and lose your mind and drown.
Sunoya looked from Dahzi in her arms to Dak, lapping at the edge of the water. She took a deep breath, swallowed a horrible glop of fear, and set to work.
When Su-Li wheeled back toward them, she was done. Dahzi lay facedown, lashed to Dak’s back and bawling. She’d wrapped him in fur as well as possible, but he wanted only to be held. “I carry you,” she told him softly, “and we both die.”
Su-Li landed on the sandy bank. Get going!
Sunoya looked back at the turbulent water, glinting with threat.
Inaj will rape you and kill you, said
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