by J. H. Hayes
"Not a buck," Fahim contradicted him, "The Ta'ar require more. They demand more."
Azerban's fury was building. He made no attempt to suppress it. "What more do you demand? Surely, you don't mean to suggest another-"
"I do!" she interrupted again, barking at him. "The Ta'ar do! And I will... we will consent to Their requirements."
"What??" Azerban nearly exploded, turning again to face her. "And exactly what offering do you have in mind? We have no other captives."
Now she faced him also. "We need no captive. There are other options." She raised her voice to match his, although they went unheard by any others amidst the great noise of the oblivious revelers and the droning music.
"What other option, then? Do you propose we kidnap a Kebar, or another of the neighboring peoples? It is beyond all-"
"A Kebar will not do," she interrupted once again, lowering her voice once more, "or any other savage. They are unworthy subjects for the Ritual. The Ta'ar demand an offering of greater value. Of greater significance. A gift we prize above all others. Something we cannot do without..." Her voice trailed off at the end and her eyes emptied, as if she were in deep meditation.
Azerban stared into her lost gaze. He dared not consider what he knew Fahim had in mind. "Again I ask you, what are you proposing?"
"A Natu, Azerban," she said evenly. "A Natu."
At first, Azerban simply stared at her, completely taken by surprise, although deep inside he feared she would come to this sooner or later. He'd found her talk of worthy sacrifices in past meetings foreboding, whether he was consciously aware of his suspicions or not. What could be worthier than one of their own? Now it seemed so obvious. He stood there, eyes locked with hers for a long while, a battle of wills unfolding while the rest of the three camps unwittingly caroused in lost abandon. His next words exploded from his mouth, "You cannot! I will not let you!"
He cast his opposition with such force, with such volume, that those nearby flinched in alarm. They stopped and stared at him, not sure if they’d actually heard what they thought they just heard. He cowered slightly, embarrassed at being caught addressing Ta'araki in such a manner.
"The Ta'araki will discuss this later," she replied calmly. "Good night, Azerban." Then she turned and disappeared around the edge of the crush of revelers.
---
Dogahn danced with Ilaya and Aisika on either side, each draped up against him. He might have enjoyed the attention thoroughly, but was presently distracted watching Azaria. Jealousy brewed inside him like a thrashing tornado as he kept close watch on the very masculine hunter's hands on her back. She had hers wrapped around Jochan’s neck. There was nothing unusual in the way they embraced as they swayed to the throbbing beat, but Dogahn couldn't help his fevered response. He glared as Jochan mouthed unheard comments into her ear and she responded with laughter, teasingly slapping at his chin. This has gone on long enough, Dogahn thought - too long. He wanted to make his way over to them, to claim her back, but whenever he started, either Ilaya or Aisika would step in front, blocking his way.
Deciding he'd tolerated enough, he took Aisika in his arms and whispered in her ear, "Aisika, I'm getting thirsty. Would you get me something to drink?"
"Of course!" she answered at once and made off toward one of the men still holding a half empty bag. He then took Ilaya in his arms, lifted her up and spun her around, making sure to place her down behind him, before turning toward Azaria. Ilaya wrapped her arms around his mid-waist from behind, but he unhooked himself with his much stronger hands and said, "Why don't you dance with Tiriz for a while? He's all alone over there. I'll be back in a bit."
She looked back at Tiriz and realizing Dogahn was correct, agreed, "Okay. But don't try to sneak off with Azaria. There's still a lot of fun left tonight."
Dogahn sighed, having finally rid himself of the twins and turned to retrieve what was his. He was only a few paces away when another arm hooked his and spun him around.
"Hi!!" Yumineh said, radiating a playful smile. "Where are you going? You haven't danced with me all night." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in. Dogahn looked over at Azaria and Jochan, but Azaria had her back to him, her arms still around Jochan.
He looked back at Yumineh and sighed again. "Nowhere." He put his hands on her hips, bringing her in close before looking back to Azaria.
Yumineh placed her hand on his cheekbone and forced his gaze to hers. "Let Azaria have her fun," she said. "She's not going anywhere with him." She spun around and pushed her backside into him, rubbing rhythmically with the beat of the thrumming music.
With Yumineh in his arms, grinding against him, Dogahn thought back to the Long Run, when he'd grown excited watching Yumineh's nearly bare, bouncing humps as he ran behind. He’d wondered then what it would feel like to have her up against him. Now he knew - and he liked it even more than he'd imagined he would. He moved his chin over her shoulder and inhaled deeply, indulging in the sweet flowery scent she wore. As they danced, Dogahn spied a threesome several paces into the crowd. A pretty woman, a few winters older than them, was dancing closely with a man on either side. The top of her skin outfit was pulled down with her ample breasts exposed. As they turned, Dogahn saw the bottom of her skin was hiked up above her hips and the younger man was thrusting himself up against her, his tunic hiked up also. Dogahn’s urges fully awakened as he watched the two men take turns with the attractive woman, all three of them continuously moaning out in carnal exhilaration. With Yumineh in his arms and pressed against him, it wasn't long before he felt the familiar tightening in his loins.
Whether or not Yumineh became aware of his state, he never found out. She didn't pull away, but continued to squirm up against him as they danced. Her warm, sleek body meshing with his kept his mind off Azaria and Jochan. He wasn't watching them when Jochan thanked Azaria for the dance and excused himself from her company, however he did turn to see Azaria kiss him on the cheek and swivel away. A surge of panic gripped him as he realized his awkward situation. He ripped away from Yumineh and turned to flee, hoping Azaria wouldn’t notice who he was dancing with. He didn't feel guilty about it exactly, but knew she wouldn't appreciate his choice of partners. Azaria had made it perfectly clear to him what she thought of the Fox Camp girl. He hurried away, and didn't look back, but could hear Yumineh saying something as he turned to go. Pretending not to hear, and with no particular destination in mind, he simply made for the straightest path away from his friends, toward the outer edge of the mass of dancers.
As she watched him go, Yumineh felt a hand wrap around her waist and knew without looking who it was. She knew Azaria was the reason Dogahn had left. She smiled as she looked over at her, not in pleasure at seeing her rival, although she didn't mind if the other girl thought so. Rather, she smiled because she knew Dogahn’s mind. "Did you enjoy the dance with Jochan?" she asked.
"Yes!" Azaria smiled back. "Do you know where Dogahn is off to? I saw him rush away."
"I'm not sure. Maybe he needed some fresh air. It's getting awfully hot and sweaty in here."
"Mmm, I hope you're right. I hope he's not angry with me for dancing with Jochan for so long. I just didn't know how to break away. I owed him so much, I couldn't be rude."
"I wouldn't worry about it. I don't think he was even paying attention. He seemed to be enjoying himself," Yumineh said.
"Really?" Azaria asked.
"Yeah. Don't worry."
"Yumineh!" Azaria said, turning suddenly, grabbing her arm. "Is that Daneel??"
Yumineh looked in the direction Azaria pointed and saw Daneel, lifted completely off the ground, with her arms and legs wrapped tight around Luzon, the giant Boar Camp boy who’d stumbled across Dogahn and Azaria’s private moment and mocked Dogahn. Their mouths were locked together, with Daneel appearing to be trying to lick the back of his throat.
"Aahhhh!" Yumineh screamed. "It is!! What is she doing with Luzon!?"
"Ewwww, it is Luzon, isn't it?" Azaria laughed
, leaning against Yumineh's shoulder. "What is she thinking?"
"What's so funny?" Dogahn asked, as he approached from behind. He’d made a quick loop, pleased to find his embarrassing little problem dissipated. He looked in the direction they were facing and, not believing what he was seeing either, exclaimed, "Holy Ta'ar! Is that Daneel on top of Luzon?"
"Yeah!" Azaria laughed, looking toward him and taking his hand. "She's going to have a lot of explaining to do tomorrow! How did she end up with him anyway? I left her with Brutim."
Dogahn didn't find the sight so funny. He didn't like the arrogant, hulking boy, nor the fact that he was taking advantage of Azaria's closest friend. At least, he assumed Luzon must be taking advantage of her. Knowing Daneel, he admitted it was possible she was taking advantage of him. "She's had too much to drink to know what she's doing. I'm going to get her," he said, pushing between Azaria and Yumineh.
But Yumineh caught him by the wrist. "Wait, Dogahn," she said.
"What? Let go of me, Yumineh," he said.
She was caught off guard by the anger in his voice and almost obeyed, but knew if she let him go, Luzon might beat him to a bloody pulp. She couldn't let that happen. "Dogahn," she said, looking him in the eye. "Azaria is tired. Take her to her shelter. I'll go get Daneel and make sure she gets to her furs safely, okay?"
Dogahn was unconvinced, but knew the consequences of confronting Luzon could be brutal. Still, he didn't want to appear to be backing down so easily. He looked over to Azaria, who grabbed his other wrist. "Yumineh's barely sipped the poison tonight. She'll be fine. Now's our chance."
"All right," Dogahn reluctantly agreed. "But come get me if he won't behave himself."
"I will," Yumineh promised. "You two get out of here before Ilaya and Aisika catch you."
"Thanks Yumineh!" Azaria said, hugging the slightly taller girl. "Be careful. Good night!"
Yumineh embraced them both, her eyes following Dogahn until they were out of sight. She hated watching them leave together, but it had been a good night overall. She smiled inwardly. I danced with Dogahn. I know he enjoyed it. I could feel how much he liked dancing with me. She stood near the middle of the crowd, watching Daneel and Luzon a little longer, before noticing Tiriz locking lips with Ilaya. She smiled. They make a good match, she thought. I wonder where Aisika is. She should be back with Dogahn’s poison by now. Maybe I should go find her, just to make sure she's okay. She glanced back at Daneel once more and shook her head before making off to find Aisika.
7
Azaria lived in an era of transition. As the last ice age ended, the great frozen glaciers receded north and left in their wake overflowing rivers winding through vast expanses of fertile land. Massive herds of gazelle, and smaller numbers of aurochs, horses and red deer migrated through this region, providing abundant sources of sustenance for the people who moved in following the glacier's recession, not to mention the furs, bones, sinew, stomach linings and other items the Natu made use of. Huge flocks of crane, duck and geese also passed through, providing more sources of nourishment. The rivers were overstocked with countless varieties of fish and amphibians and the mammals that fed on them, like the playful otter and the industrious beaver. The Natu took advantage of all of it, and in doing so thrived.
Azaria walked hand in hand with Dogahn, straggling behind a mass of hunters on their way to where scouts had reported the sighting of an immense herd of aurochs. Large, communal hunts were at the heart of the Natu’s strategy for surviving the winter moons. When successful, they provided a huge supply of meat which could be salted, dried and stored for easy access when fresh protein was scarce.
The site was over a full sun's walk to the southeast, past a series of rolling hills dotted with sparse forests. Several paces in front of the couple were a band of female hunters, not all of them as young as Azaria and Dogahn. She watched as they one by one glanced back and then quickly looked away after meeting either her or Dogahn's gaze. She’d noticed many younger women had been paying more attention to Dogahn than usual, even for him, and thought she knew why. He'd always been one of the more popular young men among Boar Camp, but now that they were so clearly together, he’d become almost irresistible. It was almost as if the other women had been jolted into realizing the handsome young man may soon be unavailable, and were now ruing their hesitation in pursuing him. She smiled at the thought. She'd never been overly confident, but Azaria had a good sense of how Dogahn felt about her. It would take more than a few conspicuous flirtations to tear him away. Their strategy of trying to meet his eye while she walked beside him was amusing. As if that would work.
She was intensely happy with their blooming relationship, although she hadn't seen as much of him as she would have liked. He and Tiriz had been obsessed with preparing for the aurochs hunt, practice she would have welcomed had she not been so busy caring for her mother. Dogahn did make sure to spend at least a part of each evening with her though, a gesture she appreciated. She thought he'd probably rather spend the nights with his other friends than with her family, but she always left the decision up to him and he always chose her. Later on, she looked back on those evenings fondly. They were simple nights, and Dogahn was developing a real rapport with Quzo and her father. It almost felt like he was becoming a member of their hearth.
Azaria did have one regret however. As their bond matured, Dogahn seemed less and less able to contain his masculine desires. She knew men had strong needs, could even be aggressive – it was a behavior young women were constantly warned about - but it wasn’t a subject for debate. Azaria well knew what happened to young women who couldn’t control themselves.
A young women’s chastity, was more than highly valued. Promiscuity before tying would utterly destroy a girl's status. Harsher still, it reflected badly on her immediate family. Only a man of extremely low status, or perhaps a lonely, aging hunter looking for a mate to care for him would even consider bonding with a young woman with such a belittling mark.
For the boy involved, the situation was more complex. On the one hand, the nature of young men was well known. Deflowering an untouched girl would bring a kind of respect to the boy among his peers and even from some of the less-principled older men. Although his status would not escape detriment for such behavior, in the end, the desire to spread his seed, reinforced over millions of years of natural selection could simply be overwhelming. Even the women of the community understood this need and it was for that reason he would not bear as much responsibility for the depraved act as the girl would. Life was not always fair in Azaria's world. The only grace which might come from a forbidden encounter would be a resultant birth, proving the boy's potency and the girl's fertility. These were highly valued attributes, as the community's survival was based on a heavy stream of newborns. Too many were lost at birth or before full development, along with the resources wasted in raising them. In fact, this line of reasoning was often employed when a young man - or an older one - engaged in persuading an unbonded girl to couple with him.
However, Azaria had no intention of allowing herself to be sullied, despite whatever frustration Dogahn had to endure.
After a full sun of walking, Dogahn's father Irizahner, and the other elder hunters decided to camp for the night. Dogahn made his approval clear, remarking that it was a good spot, since they were close to a small stream and more than halfway to the area of the latest sighting. If they traveled at the same pace tomorrow, they'd probably be able to make camp around mid-sun and prepare for the hunt the next morning. Any decisions concerning strategy would be made that evening after scouts had surveyed the lay of the land and the position of the aurochs herd.
Whether Dogahn's conclusions were correct or not, Azaria didn't care. She was just happy for an end to the march. She wasn't overly tired, but was getting hungry and wanted to start preparations for cooking the grouse she’d downed. She noticed most of the rest of the hunters seemed to share her sentiment. Although each was responsible for feeding him or herself,
none would want for food. If any were unlucky enough to not have caught some sort of meat during their march, they'd be able to trade with someone who had. And there were plenty who had an overabundance of kills by sundown. Azaria saw one hunter with a litter of hares and plump birds strapped over his shoulder. She wasn't sure why he'd bothered with so many, nor what he’d do with them all. Perhaps he just wanted to make sure everyone had enough to eat. Whatever the case, in addition to meat there were lots of other things to eat. If anyone had neglected to bring food with them, now that they had stopped for the evening, they could gather roots or fruit or even try for river-meat. On the way, Azaria had found several varieties of sweet berries and filled half a basket. She'd also gathered some young, tender sprouts and greens which she would stuff inside her grouse before cooking. In fact, she already had more than enough food for herself. But she was thinking of her father also. And Dogahn. Now that they were together, she felt a responsibility to make sure he had enough to eat too. She wasn't sure where the desire came from, but it made her feel good to have someone to care for.
Her father tended to ignore the little things like eating and washing during the large group hunts. Most of his focus was directed toward broader issues. Azaria was sure he was lost deep in thought, wondering what strategy would be most effective against the aurochs and what rituals he should perform to ensure the hunt's success. As the cardinal Ta'araki on this hunt, he’d take blame for any failures, although he’d get only token credit for a triumphant result. Azaria knew the hunters would claim the glory for that - and that it didn't bother him. He was more concerned with ensuring Boar Camp had enough to store for the upcoming winter.
After claiming a scrap of dirt to build a fire and lay down their furs and preparing the meat and other items they had procured, Azaria and Dogahn sat down to their first official meal alone together. She'd just returned from bringing her father the food she'd prepared.
