I reached into my shoulder bag and pulled out a present for Amara. It was a fine gem stone. Her eyes lit up when she saw it. It was a purple stone, just the kind she wanted. "I found it up near the salt mine." I told her.
"Oh, Saline, it is so lovely! I can't wait to wear it on my new braided necklace!"
I know that it will look lovely on her. She will have it mounted into a clasp and thread it onto her braided necklace. I will thread my new moonstone onto my headband.
Father traded most of our salt for oil. Many people in my clan trade the salt for olive oil. Our salt will be traded by the River Village boatmen to faraway places. We also traded for scented body oil.
We are satisfied with the trades that we have made. We have enough oil to last us for a long time.
We have celebration with dancing and feasting. At dark Amara and I dance to entertain in our jingle costumes. We love to dance to the drums, shaking and gyrating our hips. I feel so happy and excited that everyone enjoys our dancing. I love the adoration of the people as they watch.
The next morning, we went back to our cliff dwellings. We stored the clay pots of oil up high on the granary platform.
The following day I rose and ate fish, then I went to the forest to gather nuts, tree resins, and herbs. On my way back to the cliff trail, I saw Tam-rue. He was walking towards me. He is a warrior and he has many tattoos on his arms and back, a rough man with an unkept beard. He stopped in front of me blocking my way.
"Let me pass!" I demanded. He laughed and grabbed me by my arms.
"You come with me to my tent! You stay with me Saline!"
"Let me go! I am forbidden to be with a man!"
Tam-Rue just laughed. "Forbidden to be with a man? I see all that goes on in the forest. I know that you have been with Mar, I saw you together many times at the Swan Lake, and I know what you do.”
He tried to pull me off the trail. "You come to my tent, Saline!"
"Stop! No! Let me go!"
He lifted me up and started to carry me towards his tent. I kicked and hit him with my fists, and he dropped me so that I was able to escape.
As I was running, he yelled "I will report you and Mar to the tribal council. You will be banned from the Priestess class!"
Chapter Three
The Tribal Council
When I got to the rock shelter I told father that I was not feeling well. He was working near the fire pit. I went into the hut and laid down on my bed (a raised sinew bonded wood-frame with cushions made of deer hides stuffed with lamb's wool). I closed my eyes.
I was so afraid of Tam-Rue, he had shaken me to the depths of my being. What was I to do? What would happen to me?
The next day I made some vegetable-herb meat broth. I kept busy trying not to think about what had happened. After we took our broth, a messenger came. He told us that we were being summoned by the tribal council.
Father looked worried. He did not know the reason for the summons.
We went to the community tent that was down in a clearing on the floor of the valley, below our cliff huts. It was a most spacious tent with great height, supported by a framework of rough-hewn beams.
We entered. The council members sat on long carved stone benches set within the round pit at the center of the tent. Lit torches on tall poles encircled the pit. The members were high standing tribal elders, six men and six women.
Verdi, the head council woman, stood. She wore a long deerskin pullover garment, with our tribal emblem on the upper left side of her garment. This emblem was a red disk and displayed a crescent moon above two parallel lines (symbol for water).
She addressed us in a commanding voice. "Saline, daughter of Char-di of cliff clan, you are accused of violating the standards of conduct established for the priestess class. The council has been informed that you have had relations with one of the tribal warriors, Mar. What do you say on your behalf?"
I could feel the anger rise within. "No, this is not true. Mar and I are only friends. We talk and that is all we do."
Verdi stood and looked to her left, into the dark recesses of the tent. "Step forward, Tam-Rue, tribe warrior!"
Tam-Rue walked towards the council pit. "What do you say, Tam-Rue, what are your accusations?" Verdi said.
He moved closer to the council members. "I see Mar and Saline touch, and they lay together. She has brought disgrace to the priestess class!"
"This is a lie!" I shouted. "He lies, Verdi! Tam-Rue tried to force me into his tent. I had to fight him to get away, now he tells lies to cover up his misconduct. I have never brought disgrace to the priestess class, he brings disgrace to the warrior class!"
The council members discussed amongst themselves this new accusation.
Father took me by the arm. His face was pale. "What have you done, Saline?" he whispered.
Verdi glanced over her right shoulder. "Mar, tribe warrior, step forward!"
Mar slowly came forward from behind the council. The light from the torches illuminated his attractive face. Light brown wavy hair fell to his shoulders and his beard was well trimmed. He was wearing his warrior’s drawstring vest and leather flapped loin wrap.
Verdi looked at Mar, motioning for him to come closer to face the council members. He stepped down into the pit area and stood close to me.
"Mar, what do you say concerning these accusations of Tam-Rue?"
Mar looked at me, then back at Verdi. "I say that it is not true, Saline tells the truth, Verdi."
Verdi walked closer to Mar, looking him directly in the eyes. "Did you have relations with Saline?"
“No Verdi.”
"But you do have strong feelings for Saline?
There was a pause.
"Mar, answer me."
Mar looked into my eyes. I returned his gaze and nodded. "Yes, Verdi, we do have strong feelings toward one another."
Verdi looked towards her right. "Atula, High Priestess, step forward please."
Atula emerged from a dark corner from the other side of the tent. She approached the council members. She wore a long deerskin vestment with red triangular designs on the collar and hem. She had a necklace of polished beads with the large moon disk affixed. Triangular designs also encircled her head band, with the pearly white moon disk positioned perfectly just above her left eye.
Atula was not old, her long hair still had all its light brown color. She was a very thin and attractive woman.
Verdi looked directly at Atula. "High Priestess, we the high council leave the decision to you in regard to Saline."
Atula turned to face me directly. "Saline, you are so young, yet you now are coming of age where you may bond to a man. But you know if you choose to do this, you must be banned from the priestess class. This is your choice. Tell this council your decision."
I began to tremble, tears streaming down my cheeks. I had deep feelings for Mar, yet I did not want to lose my standing in the priestess class. Atula sensed my feelings of despair.
"Perhaps Saline needs some time to make her decision?" she said.
"Yes, High Priestess, I need time. I need to talk to my friend, Amara from the River Village. I am feeling weak; I need my friend."
Atula turned to Verdi. “What do you decree?”
"So be it. We grant Saline the time to decide her course. I grant her seven days. Are we able to grant her wish to see her friend from the River Village?"
"Yes." Atula said nodding. "We will send for Amara immediately."
Verdi spoke briefly to the other council members. Then she announced: "Saline, you may go. Mar and Tam-Rue stay!"
Father and I walked home. I knew he was not pleased. He was silent for a long time, then he spoke: "Saline, why did you not confide in me? Why have you disobeyed the traditions of our people? Now we may lose all of the privileges granted to us by your position." he said.
"Father, please don't make me feel shame, I did nothing wrong."
"You should have never been with Mar. You knew this was forbidden. Why, Saline?
Why do you cause me this grief?"
I started to cry. "You do not understand!" I yelled, then I ran ahead of him on the trail. I was so upset that I thought about jumping off the cliff.
"Saline!" Father yelled. "Stop!"
I turned and ran into the rock shelter and charged into the hut. I fell upon my bed and covered myself with several fur blankets.
Father ran to the door. "Saline, Saline, talk to me!"
"Go away! Leave me alone!" I screamed.
I cried long and hard. When I had stopped I laid there thinking about everything that had happened to me. Everything was falling apart, I felt torn inside. Why did I have to be born under the sign of priestess?
I thought about the time spent training in the order, learning rites, precepts, traditions. Had I prepared all my life for the priestess order for nothing? Is this what I wanted? I felt like I was being drawn to Mar. I could not deny my feelings for him. I had to decide, my future lay in the balance, I had to make a choice.
I slept late into the following morning. I got up and went the short distance to the stream pool where my people bathe. There was a beautiful waterfall that splashed into the pool from the towering cliffs. I washed my hair and cleansed under the falls. The cool water made me feel better.
The sounds of the waterfall helped to soothe my soul as the waters flowed over me. I dried off with soft deerskin, drying my hair in the sun, then dressed and returned to the cliff dwellings. Entering the hut, I saw that Father was cooking over the fire.
"Good morning, Saline."
"Good morning, father. I see we have eggs today."
Father smiled. I knew that he was no longer angry. This lifted my spirits as we ate our eggs and talked. We spoke of the good times, when we gathered tender wood shoots in late winter in the forest. We dressed in our long fur coats and leggings, collecting enough branches to make many baskets. I loved to go with father into the winter wood, just as the snow began to melt and the rabbits would forage for food. We would take our bundles of sprigs to our hut, and spend days making our finely woven baskets that we would trade in the market. We laughed at how I would sometimes slip and fall as we went down the icy trail, and father would have to lift me out of a snow.
Father looked at me. "Saline, I want you to know that I support you in whatever decision you make regarding Mar. The most important thing for me is your happiness."
He smiled at me, and I gave him a hug. I made his vest wet with my tears of joy. To have his support and approval meant so much to me.
Amara arrived later that same day. She came into the rock shelter and we embraced. Father came over and smiled at us.
"Amara and Saline, you bring each other comfort and joy. I am glad to see you, Amara. I know that you and Saline need to talk, and I give you the hut. I will stay up on the loft."
We thanked father for his generosity.
Amara and I went into the hut, and we talked all day about what had happened to me. Amara felt that Tam-Rue needed to be punished for what he had done, telling me that she knew how to shoot a bow as well as any man, and we could go and give him what he deserved. I laughed at her suggestion, but the thought of it made me feel better.
I did not know what the tribal council would decide in these matters. I knew that Tam-Rue and Mar were questioned after Father and I were dismissed, but I did not know what had happened. I wanted to see Tam-Rue punished.
Later that day as we were talking, we suddenly heard a rustling sound against the hut.
"Hello, Saline, are you in there?" It was a woman's voice.
"Yes, I am here." The door flap opened and there stood Atula! I was surprised to see her. She entered the hut.
"Saline," she said. "I need to counsel you. Amara, you can stay. What I have to say you both need to hear."
"Please sit down, Atula." I said.
She sat on father's bed, made of wide overstuffed cushions of lamb's wool covered with fur blankets. Amara and I sat on my bed opposite her.
"It is good that you are staying with Saline during this difficult time." she said, looking at Amara.
Amara smiled. "Yes, Saline and I look after one another, we have known each other since we were little."
The door flap opened. Father asked if we wanted some fruit juice. I told them how good it was, then he brought in a juice bowl and filled our cups. It was as sweet as honey with abundant pulp.
Atula and father talked about the juice, how delicious it was, then he left.
Atula took another sip of the juice. Then she spoke.
"Saline, I want to assure you that the tribal council and the order of priestesses are doing everything in our power to investigate the charges that you have made against Tam-Rue. It will take time, there is other testimony that we must hear before a final decision is made."
"What will happen to Tam-Rue when you find his guilt?" I asked.
“He will be banished from the tribe for life - we will not tolerate this kind of transgression."
I looked at Amara. She nodded her approval. There was a pause in the conversation. Atula looked as though she were in deep thought.
Chapter Four
Bone Woman
"Saline, I want you to go to Bone Woman,” Atula advised. “Go and see her tomorrow. She can help you to make your decision concerning Mar. She can guide you, she is able to see your life's course. You and Amara go. Go see bone woman.”
I looked at Amara. Her eyes were full of excitement. I knew what she was thinking: another adventure! Amara was eager to go. But I had never actually seen Bone Woman before. I had only heard her frightening chants coming from her cave across the valley. The thought of going up there to her isolated cave high above the forest tree-tops gave me chills.
Atula sensed my misgivings. "Don't be afraid, Saline, Bone Woman will not bite you! She will guide you in your journey, she will light your path. Tell her that Atula sent you. And give her this offering. Atula handed me a large bone which was inscribed with many symbols. I recognized many of the symbols from my training in the priestess class. I realized that I was holding something very old and sacred.
"Ah, you know what it is Saline, I see that in your eyes. The symbols for the Great Mother and all the goddesses worshiped by our ancestors are there. Each is a sign that only we know how to interpret."
I rose to my feet and raised my hands, palms forward at eye level, my fingers together. Then I bowed my head one time. "I will give this to Bone Woman, you have my promise, High Priestess." I said.
Atula stood and clasped my hands in hers. "Saline, faithful daughter of Earth Mother, may Her guiding light be with you. Your heart is pure and you keep the faith, may She guide your decisions henceforth."
Atula kissed my forehead, then she leaned forward and kissed Amara on the forehead. "Bless both of you, beautiful children of Earth Mother." she said. "Remember to tell Bone Woman that I sent you."
I nodded as Atula left. Amara and I stood in silence. I put the sacred bone into my side bag.
We informed father of our plans. He gave Amara one of his shoulder bags. Inside was a bow with arrows. "I hear that you can use one of these, Amara" he said.
"Yes!" she replied. "I beat several men in my village in the shooting competition!"
Father seemed impressed.
Amara and I got up early the next morning and we bathed in the waterfall. Once we had dried off, we put scented olive oil on our skin. We felt cleansed and ready for the day.
We ate a breakfast of gruel and goats milk, mixed with pitted cherries. The natural sweetness of the cherries and goats milk made the cereal taste sweet.
The sun was still low in the east when we left to visit Bone Woman. We walked the cliff trail to the lowland forest, then we took the south trail, which took us towards the high cliffs on the other side of the valley.
I was afraid that Tam-Rue might be lurking about in the deep woods somewhere. Every sound that I heard around us made my head turn that direction. Amara sensed my uneasiness. She quickly threw th
e shoulder bag to the ground, pulled out the bow and had it strung in an instant, arrow loaded! She shot the arrow straight towards a tree at some distance ahead. It struck the tree head on, dead center. I was amazed. She was as good with the bow and arrow as any of the clan warriors!
Once we had crossed the valley, we began our ascent up the mountain. The trail curved towards the east, and we climbed up some very rugged terrain. The trail leveled off, and we passed some uninhabited rock shelters. A little further on we spotted a cave. It was perched up higher on the cliff ledge, and we had to traverse a steep narrow trail to get to it. We were both exhausted by the time we came to the cave entrance. We could hear moaning sounds coming from within.
Amara and I stood at the cave entrance. She touched my arm and pointed across the valley. The rock shelters and cave dwellings of my people could be seen on the other side, although everything looked so tiny from here. Magnificent birds soared above us along the sheer cliff walls. Below was the dense forest dotted with some clearings; fields for grain and grazing.
We heard more moaning sounds. Amara seemed very hesitant to enter the cave. Perhaps she was out of her familiar surroundings, but I was not. It was my time to take the lead. I entered the narrow cave opening, Amara directly behind me. It was dark inside and difficult to see. The air felt heavy and cold with an unpleasant odor. Bones - lots of them, and skeletons… lay in rows along the sides of the small cave. I felt weak. We both turned to leave at the same time.
Someone was standing there blocking our path! Amara screamed. I had never seen her afraid of anything. But now she held on to me like a frightened child scared of the dark.
The Wings of Creation Page 2
