* 64*

     Ky'tulendu sped alone through the blackness of the night in the skimmer towards the Atanzi camp. The only illumination in the dark cabin was by the instrument lights on the control panel. The greenish yellow lights played over his leonine features as he tried to keep his mind on flying. He wasn't going as directly back to camp as he might have. He wanted time alone to think, to plan, to be by himself. Most especially he wanted to think about what had just happened in the cave.
     Sun Dancer, that was what had happened. His heart felt suddenly light at the very thought of her. Her name fit her somehow. She was sunlight dancing on water, sparkling through the morning air and now her warmth danced in his heart. There was a bounciness to her, hidden under the surface that made her seem more full of life. Though it looked like life had been doing its best to wear her down. Even now her situation was going to be more difficult.
     Gods, what was he going to do with her? In most of the native's eyes she was now his slave. That idea repelled him, but that was the way of this culture. Somehow he would have to make her a free person of her own worth in their eyes. It was not going to be easy, he knew this.
     His major problem was going to be with White Deer. She would not be so easily put aside for Sun Dancer. If he had not mated with White Deer it might be easier. He had mated with her and he had been her first man. Honor if nothing else bond him to her. There were also their positions within the framework of this fledgling community. To cast White Deer aside for a woman of no status was unthinkable, even for love.
     And did he love this woman, whom he had not even spoke to? He thought so because with one look into her odd colored eyes he had become lost. That was like a thing of fable--this love at first sight. He had thought he had experienced it with White Deer . It had only been an illusion and a very hollow one at that, he realized.
     His odd behavior around White Deer now became understandable and clear. Even after their fantastic lovemaking he felt nothing inside for her. There was no closeness, no true sense of bonding, no communication between them except on a short time limited basis after they had made love then it faded instead of strengthening as it was doing with the other couples.. Nor was there the long distance communication between them as he had expected to experience.
     He did not love White Deer. He was not sure he could. There were sides he was seeing of her that made him dislike and despise her. The thought of living with her for the rest of his life was becoming more and more unbearable even without the addition of Sun Dancer into his life. He had felt trapped since this morning in his room during their fight. The feeling had not left. It had worsened hour by hour.
     How was he to get out of this honorably for himself and for her? This was in many ways a political marriage and he knew it. It was the perfect match to bring harmony to their peoples, to show their unity as one. Why had he been drawn to her in the first place, and she to him? Power recognizing power? Or what? He didn't think that the bonding process could allow bonding between three mates.
        Under the native customs he now understood he could take Sun Dancer as a second wife with White Deer as first. They could accept that-- could he though? Could his heart accept such a simple solution? That was really the question. Unfortunately, this was the only solution that he could see--the one that kept coming back to in his mind--taking two wives under the native laws to satisfy the demands of politics and of his heart.
     He quit his thinking on this painful subject as he saw the lights of the camp. He angled his craft down closer to the landing field, initiating landing procedures. He touched down and
the craft settled comfortably on the level ground. He shut off the controls and got out. B'tunku stood nearby waiting for him arms folded across her chest with a hint of impatience in her stance. Somehow he was not surprised to see her.
     "Hello, Doctor," Ky'tulendu said casually greeting her as he walked towards her on the sparsely lit landing field. She was in uniform with the an addition of a jacket against the cool night air.
     "Evening, Asenti. I was not sure whether to expect you tonight or not. I thought you would have you hands full with the natives and would be helping them relocate in the morning.", she questioned.
     "That was what I planned, but it didn't work out that way. I needed to come back here," he said abruptly, not really wanting to get into a conversation with her right now.
     "White Deer?" she pushed.
     He sighed disgustedly at her for hitting on target. "Yes, but not for the bond. I need to talk to you. I have a real problem," he admitted, giving up.
     "You?"
      "Yes me. I met a woman tonight or I should say I saved a woman from her brother-in-law who was beating her. Because of their laws she is now my property--my slave."
     "That sounds interesting. Go on," she said cocking an eyebrow in amusement.
     "I'm not sure how to say this, but from the moment I saw her I wanted her. I don't understand it, but it's true. And I don't want to bond with White Deer. But I have to and I have to marry her. I'm very confused how can I want two females at once, or want to bond with two? Is it even possible?" he asked, his voice sounding strange even to himself as they walked towards the lights of the camp.
     She thought for a moment, trying to remember all that she had read on the history of their people and on bonding. Finally she spoke. "It's rare but it has happened in the dim past. It was very difficult on all the parties involved. You are not thinking of trying this, are you?" she asked him suddenly alarmed.
     "Maybe, I don't know. . . I can't see any other solution. I have to marry White Deer. We have mated. If I reject her now, don't marry her, then the alliance that has been so carefully forged will fail. I feel strongly about this. It's this merging of ours politically that has become even more important now."
     Why now? What else happened over there? You were supposed to give me a report," she reminded him none too gently. "You are getting very bad about that, Asenti."
     "Yes, I know. Our lives are not as they were on ship. There never seems to be time to call or keep you posted on what is happening."
     "So what is happening?" she pressed.
     He felt almost embarrassed to tell her, under that cold penetrating gaze. He coughed to clear his throat. "The council has decided to make me Overchief of all their people with In The
Forest as my Underchief. The ceremony will be in three days. At that time I am expected to marry White Deer to symbolize the union between our peoples. Further, some of the people have decided to move here, while others have elected to stay at the old village, once we have rebuilt it."
     "I see. I'm glad you let me in on all this, Asenti. And how many natives are coming and where are we going to put them?" she asked pointedly, keeping her temper under control.
     "Approximately a hundred and twenty natives will be arriving tomorrow. They have asked to have separate living arrangements from our camp over in the woods so it will be more like their village. They do want running water and lights. I understand you already have worked out a workable housing design for the natives with Sees Far."
     "I did, earlier today. I managed to get four units finished by nightfall and some work done on the community center for both cooking and for preparation of their animal hides. So how many units do you estimate will be needed?" she asked getting practical.
     "Twenty, twenty-five maybe--all small one family units, not barracks like ours," he reminded her.
     "I'll see to it because it sounds like you're going to be very busy. Overchief, huh? It's logical with Thunder Arrow gone. You defeated him so in their eyes you are the strongest warrior and you already are leader here. In The Forest doesn't mind being Underchief?" she questioned.
     "Doesn't seem to. The council wants him to have more experience before he is made a full chief. He and O'vettun will be living at the old village by council request. It will remain as it has always been with no conveniences or technology. Any of our people who wish to live there can--provided they respect the native ways and live like one of them."
     "How is O'vettun?" she asked out curiosity.
     "She seems to be fine. She has gone native from head to foot. She seems happy with her new life and In The Forest. I have released her from service to Command. I plan on issuing a general release from service to everyone."
     "WHAT??" B'tunku yelled, in disbelief, stopping dead in her tracks to confront him. They were in the middle of the camp now and he felt very uncomfortable as if every set of eyes in camp were on them. "Have you lost your mind? How are we going to run this camp? How is anything going to get done or accomplished here?" she loudly demanded of him.
     He laughed at that. "Simple, Doctor, we put things on a voluntary basis for one and we create a council and under structure similar to the natives' for running the camp. We are now a community. What worked on ship will not work here. If you can't see that, I'm sorry. You might find that when work is put on a voluntary basis that it will be done and done more efficiently than it is now," Ky'tulendu told her.
     Even in the darkness he could feel her eyes on him, and could feel her skepticism. "I'm not sure this is going to work. Our people are used to rigid structure, set duties and procedures. Not to mention set work hours. Their days have been regulated from school on--to give them unlimited freedom. . . . Some will not be able to cope and will feel lost without their routines."
     "You worry too much, Doctor. Interacting with the natives they will see that it is not all unlimited freedom. To survive we will all have to pull together. We will have structure, but it
will not be as was it on board ship," he explained.
     She shook her head, "I still think you have gone mad, Asenti. We will see how your great experiment works out. When do you wish to announce your new order of things?" she inquired.
     "Sometime during the ceremony. I will ask that it be held here if at all possible. Roaring Wings still has to prepare me for it--whatever that means."
     "Sounds mysterious. He is well? I miss him in many ways, " she sighed wishing that her mate was there. She had calmed down her anger somewhat by the time they had reached her building.
     "Yes, I'm sure you do," Ky'tulendu replied meaningfully and then added. "I left him watching over the woman, Sun Dancer, until I return. I still don't know what I am going to do with or about her. I thought I loved White Deer, and that she was my bond mate. She's not--this woman, Sun Dancer, is--I'm positive! I feel no pull to White Deer, even though we supposedly have begun the bonding, though to Sun Dancer the pull--it is pure agony being here." he said suddenly, the words difficult to speak.
     "You do have a problem, Asenti. White Deer is not going to give you up. She is convinced she loves you and you are her mate. Now you say you feel nothing for her, no pull? Right now, if it was a true bond we wouldn't be standing here calmly talking, you would be making a mad dash to where she was."
     "I thought so. But I feel nothing. I noticed that this morning when I decided to go to the village. It didn't bother me to go--it should have--but it didn't. That's when I suspected something was not right."
     "Who knows about this?"
     "Only Roaring Wings and In The Forest, and now you," he answered.
     "Good, keep it that way, especially to White Deer. She is too jealous and possessive of you already. You must go through with your bonding with White Deer, and the marriage. As far as what to do about this woman, Sun Dancer, I can't say yet. Let me think on this," B'tunku told him seriously.
     "I know, I'm feeling very trapped, B'tunku, but I will go through the bonding. Is she in my quarters or her old ones?" he asked, suddenly not sure.
     "Her old ones I think. No, wait a minute, the sentries reported she had gone back to yours about an hour ago. I believe she is still there." she told him, standing on the steps to her own.
     "I'll try my quarters first, then. Goodnight, Doctor," he said taking his leave and heading for his quarters a couple of buildings down from hers.
     "Goodnight, Asenti, and good luck," she wished him sincerely watching him leave. Then she went in, shaking her head over the Asenti's predicament.
     Ky'tulendu approached his building, looking up for lights on his room. He saw none, and he breathed a sigh of relief. For all his saying he wanted to talk to White Deer he really didn't want to. He glanced at his timepiece. It was later than he thought. If he went to bed he might get six--seven hours of sleep. He needed that for the long day ahead. He went in and up the stairs to his room.
     Noting that his room was still locked, he opened it with his key and stepped in turning on the lights. A nude White Deer sprung up immediately from her nest of covers on the bed and stared at him with surprise then an angry frown. He stood frozen in the doorway debating whether to run or get it over with. His expression was the equal to hers and to her mood.
     "You did come back, Ky'tulendu. At least you were truthful about that," she taunted, rising lazily and sensuously from the bed trailing her sheet, her hips moving suggestively as she walked towards him. "You could close the door," she suggested warmly changing her frown to a seductive smile.
     He did close the door, but he remained where he was watching her warily. "I said I would. You could have gone with me. You didn't have to stay here."
     "I like being here. I like the nice things of your world. It is all clean, no mud, no dirt, or cleaning animal hides or having to cook over a smoky old fire."
     "I thought you liked doing that. You liked your ways over ours."
     "No! That was Falling Leaf, not me. I like your smokeless fires, your kitchens, and your magic machines. You make things easy not hard. You sleep on nice clean pieces of cloth, with soft mattress, not dried grasses covered with dirty, smelly, old animal hides. You don't have to fight to keep bugs and dirt out of everything. You have water anytime you want. Don't have to go to the creek to fetch it, or take a bath in cold water with fish in all kinds of weather. My people might like to keep old ways. I do not."
     "I can see that. If you like conveniences then use them. I will not make you stay with the old ways if you don't want to."
     "Thank you, my husband," she smiled, and inwardly he cringed at her endearment and her closeness. "I do not wish to talk about clean sheets anymore, I want to talk about us. I am very glad that you are home. It was very lonely here. I missed you," she purred coming up and pressing her naked body suggestively against him.
     "And I missed you," he lied, trying to feel and react to her as if he had missed her and was still in the throes of first bonding. He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her in closer, she sighed contentedly, then lifted her head to be kissed. He went through the motions, but he did not feel a thing.
     If she noticed he was faking it she didn't care as long as he touched, and fondled her, and made love to her. She stripped him of his clothes, and he did not resist. White Deer took his clawed hand in her small human one and led him to the large bed. She sat him down on the edge of it then pushed him back, laying on top of him and began kissing up and down the length of his body, but his mind was elsewhere. What should have aroused him to a frenzy was causing nothing.
     White Deer redoubled her efforts. He responded but it was on a purely mechanical basis. She seemed not to care, she took him, and he then he took her angrily, without feeling for either himself or for her. She thought it was wild passion from him. He made it a means to release his anger and frustration as he had with prostitutes in the past. It might as well be rape, and she didn't care. There was no bonding, no communication between their souls, only flesh banging against flesh with no tenderness involved.
     He climaxed and immediately rolled over away from her. She lay there battered, yet fulfilled at least on the physical basis she had wanted. She had wanted to feel ravished by him and she had gotten her wish. So she was sore in places from his love making, she didn't care. She would take him any way she could.
     In the back of her mind she realized the closeness and the subpsyhic closeness they had first experienced was not there. There was an iron curtain, a wall between them. She accepted this because she wanted to be the wife to the Asenti of the Atanzi.
     Like her father, she too was power hungry and ambitious. Binding him to her through sex was one way she was sure that would work. She knew she had lied to him about being his bondmate.
    She didn't care because when she had seen him that first time she had recognized his power, and knew that he would soon be the chief over all. She had to be the wife of such a man even if he was an animal. She could live with it, and she did think of him as an animal just as her father had. However, she overlooked this in the face of his overwhelming masculinity and sexual prowess. For she was a woman who sought pleasure and stimulation and he offered both.
     She had found out that he was one of the dreamers and played on that. She faking being one of them herself by using the story she had heard from one of the other dreamers about him. She had heard Sun Dancer's description of him via Beaver Woman and remembered it when she had heard about his sky-canoe crashing nearby. When she saw him she used the details to convince him she was his intended mate since she knew by the stories that none of the dreamers could see each other clearly. Then she had used her sensuality to make him think he was feeling the bonding pull. It was all very cleverly worked out to hook him including her trip to the village so she could get close enough to seduce him.
     She felt no more for him than he did for her. She was very good. She hoped that her faking her feelings and protestations of love for him would work. As long as he married her and made her his official wife all would be fine. She knew his honor would make him go through with it. Now that he had had her physically he couldn't reject her no matter what he felt for her.
     After their marriage she would start working on him to take over the other clans on the island and then with their mighty weapons they would conquer the tribes on the mainland and rule over all. It was a good plan which she would force him into. Where her father had failed she would succeed.
     She smiled to herself, and Ky'tulendu saw it. "What makes you smile?" he asked her as he lay stiffly next to her.
     "I am just happy and contented, my husband, because I am so much in love with you and look forward to our life together," she lied sweetly, and rolled over into his arms to lay against his chest.
     He raised an eyebrow, and looked sideways at her, but he could see no outward signs of deception. He knew she really didn't mean what she had just said. However, if that was the way that she wanted to play, so be it, he thought. "I am happy that you are happy. Let's both get some sleep now. I still have to go back to the village and supervise moving your people."
     "I understand, I will try to be less demanding of you from now on. I am sorry for getting angry with you this morning. You are the Asenti, not an ordinary warrior. You do have duties to our peoples, and I must learn to share you."
     Ky'tulendu was slightly taken aback with her new attitude. He hoped it was genuine, because if it was, it would make it easier between them. "Thank you White Deer, I need your support and your understanding. I'm glad you have calmed down."
     "It took a while, but I did. I spent most of the afternoon thinking of you and how I could help you. I will try to be a better wife to you in the future, my husband," she apologized sounding very sincere and in her own way truthful because she did plan on being the model wife to get what she wanted.
     "And I will be a better husband, I promise," he said.
     "I believe you. Now get some sleep, my beloved. You are tired, we will talk in the morning," she said sweetly, and pulled the covers over them both and turned out the bedside light.
     He felt her snuggle closer and finally he knew she slept, but he lay for a long time in the dark thinking and wondering what was really going on. No answers would come and that worried him even more.

* 65 *

     Early the next day Ky'tulendu was over at the native village to help with the relocation of the people who wanted to come to the Atanzi camp. He left the welcoming and organization of the housing assignments to B'tunku and to White Deer, who had volunteered to help. He was afraid to question his new wife's motives too much, so he kept quiet and let her. She was being the model wife, undemanding, yet attentive, and not questioning anything he did or said. He was beginning to believe that what had happened the other day was a fluke, and she really was as he had first perceived her.
     He did finally tell her about the council's decisions and he could tell she was more than a little pleased. The news that they would be married in three days made her ecstatic and she literally jumped around in joy unable to control her excitement in between kissing him passionately all over his face and neck.
        When she had calmed down she told him that she would see to the preparation of their clothes and make arrangements for the feast afterward. He was becoming more and more surprised at her apparent efficiency, and again he was having to reevaluate his original assessments of her. Something though deep inside told him not to believe or trust her. He wasn't sure what to believe--his intuition or what he was seeing. Only time would show him which was correct.
      At the caves above the native village In The Forest and Roaring Wings had things well in hand. Already crews were beginning to clean up the mess from the flood in the old village and the children were out looking for what had been washed away searching in the huge log jams and piles of trash left behind along both banks of the creek. Many of the lodges were still usable. Though there were many that were not.
    B'tunku had sent some workers over to cut wood for the new lodges and do whatever else was needed, but Walks In Silence had sent them back saying that they would do things in the old way. Ky'tulendu bowed to his wishes and sent the workers back to the site of the new village to help with building construction there.
     Ky'tulendu began sending small groups of people over on fliers to the Atanzi camp shortly after he arrived. With well over a hundred people to be transported with their belongings. It was going to be long day. Since no more than eight adults could go in one of the two larger crafts and four in the five smaller ones there were going to be many trips.
     The damage to the native crops was almost total. Some of the root vegetables had survived, but all the beans, corn, squash, pumpkins, and leafy vegetables were gone. All the stores of grains, dried vegetables, nuts, meats, and berries were also gone. The storm had also stripped the berries and ripening fruit from the bushes and trees surrounding the village. What clothing, and household utensils they hadn't been able to move were also gone. Some things they might be able to replace by trade with the other tribes, but most belonging were gone forever and would have to be recreated or made from scratch.
     Already the hunters were out working on the meat supply problem while some of the children not going to the Atanzi camp or searching the brush piles were combing the woods looking for nuts and berries not washed away by the storm. Everyone from the oldest to the youngest was helping to put their community back in order after the disaster, Ky'tulendu was really amazed at how well they all worked together.
     Sun Dancer had gone down to the village to help on one of the cleanup crews. She was not slated to go to the new camp until towards the end so Roaring Wings thought she could be of use in the village. Since he was also aware of the effect she had on Ky'tulendu keeping them separated seemed like the wisest thing to do. The shaman had her go with him to see what was left of his lodge when he got some free time from his duties supervising the flier trips.
     She walked respectfully behind the shaman. She knew from the explanations he had given her that she was now the Asenti's property, but until he returned the shaman was in charge of her.
        He had not known Sun Dancer too well before. She had always kept to herself when she was a girl, and after her marriage even more so. After her husband's death she had been rarely seen because Beaver Woman had put many duties on her. So this trip to his former lodge was to see what kind of person she really was and to get to know her better as well as forewarn her of the problems she might be facing with both Ky'tulendu and White Deer.
         As she walked respectably behind it was all too apparent that she was very much in awe of the shaman and he knew he would have to be the one to break through her shyness and conditioning.
     They reached his lodge, and Roaring Wings stopped a short distance from it just surveying the damage. One whole side had been caved in then washed away, which had caused the thatched roof to cave in. What was left was three walls falling in on themselves and the sides and floor thickly covered with mud.
     He reached the lodge and began throwing pieces of the remaining walls away to see what was left underneath. When he had gone off to the Atanzi camp most of his medicines and ceremonial equipment had been left behind. Gifts from his former patients, mementos of his childhood, and his marriage had decorated his walls or had been carefully put away.
     Digging through the rubble with Sun Dancer's help he found only bits and parts of his past. The more he dug the more depressed he got. Finally after awhile he called a halt to their looking and he told her to go help some of the others. He could not allow himself to shed any tears for what had been lost, it was a useless exercise. This destruction, he felt was an omen showing him that this part of his life was now over and it was time to move on to his new life among the Atanzi with B'tunku, his new wife from a distant star.
         He gathered up what few belonging had been left intact, and went back to the cave to meet with Ky'tulendu.
     Ky'tulendu had just returned from taking a group over to the camp and returning. He saw Roaring Wings and waved to him. The shaman came over trying to look cheerful.
     "Hello friend, how goes the work?" Ky'tulendu asked him stepping out of the skimmer.
     "It is slow because of all the mud covering everything that wasn't swept away. How is at the new camp?"
     "Busy, with the lodges going up very quickly. B'tunku and White Deer seem to have every-thing well in hand." Ky'tulendu replied.
     "White Deer?" he asked, his eyebrows arching suspiciously at the mention of White Deer helping someone voluntarily.
     "Yes, she wanted to help with the settlers. When I went home last night she was very pleasant, and has stayed that way. It is almost like I imagined her being mad at me," he said pleasantly.
     Roaring Wings quirked an eyebrow at him, wondering how naive the Atanzi was. "Are you sure it was White Deer you went home to?" he asked crossing his arms across his chest as he stood and regarded the Atanzi with a frown now.
     Ky'tulendu looked at him puzzled. "Yes, why?"
     "It has never been in White Deer's nature to be that forgiving unless she wanted something or could get something by acting sweet and innocent. She is her father's daughter. Helping the settlers, that is also unlike her. She always wanted everyone to wait on her hand in foot. She has always been a very lazy girl by nature and since she was the chief's daughter she thought herself too good to work," Roaring Wings explained to his skeptical friend.
     "So you think she is up to something?" Ky'tulendu asked, taking in what his friend was saying since he knew the woman better than he did. He could put two and two together and see where the shaman was going with this and he was not pleased.
     "Possibly. She wants this marriage to you because it will bring power and high status for her, especially now with your elevation to Overchief. What else she wants is unknown."
     "All the Atanzi conveniences for openers. She has very strong opinions on how much she likes them and wants to learn all about them. She's very much in favor of the school and learning my people's history and knowledge."
     "She must be up to something if she is that eager to learn. I used to give her lessons in the history of our people, and in our customs and she was one of my worst students. I can't see
her changing overnight. She still claims that you and her are bonding?" he asked.
     "Yes, as strongly as before. That is the part I don't understand. I don't feel anything, no pull, no psychic level bonding--nothing. I can not feel her, and I should be able to if all the reports are true and what you and In The Forest have told me is true too."
     "Yes, you should be able to know what ever she is going, her moods, her fears, her hopes, and her heart. I can with B'tunku even standing here talking with you. I know all that she does and says and I ache to be with her."
     "So White Deer is faking it?" Ky'tulendu asked wanting a verification of his suspicions.
     "Most likely. Just watch your back around her," the shaman warned him.
     "Thank you for the warning and your honesty. I will. And now on another subject, where is Sun Dancer?" Ky'tulendu asked getting into the subject he really wanted to talk about.
     "Down at the village helping with the clean up. It gets her away from Beaver Woman and Marks On Stone. You have made an enemy with that one. He will not forgive or forget how you defeated him and took Sun Dancer away. I would stay clear of him."
     "I plan to. How many more people do we have left to go over do you think?"
     "Twenty, maybe. Two or three more trips," he calculated.
     "Are you staying or going back, my friend?" Ky'tulendu asked for the first time, not having thought about until now.
     He smiled, "Going back. Lost Owl will stay here, so that there will be a shaman for our people in both places. I have B'tunku to go back for and there is much I want to learn from your school. I want to teach your people too about our customs and our beliefs so we do not appear to be so mysterious to them."
     "If you think there is only twenty left, that should about do it here. Do you want to go get Sun Dancer or should I go?"
     Roaring Wings shook his head, "Neither, I'll send one of the children. She does not wear a translator and she does not know you yet. Then there is your problem with her." he reminded him that he had not missed a bit of what had occurred last night.
     The shaman called one of the children over that were taking a break from the cleanup crews and playing outside the cave. He told one of the girls to go fetch the woman. The child nodded happily and ran off down the hill to go find her.
     When the child left, they continued their discussion out of earshot of the others. Ky'tulendu was decidedly uncomfortable under his friend's gaze because he knew the problems Ky'tulendu was letting himself in for. "I have decided to have her live in the new camp in her own lodge and stay away from her until my life with White Deer is more settled," Ky'tulendu told him, sitting down on one of the large rocks by the entrance of the cave.
     "It is a good idea, but it will not work, Asenti," his friend told him truthfully.
     "Why not?" he asked confused.
     "She is your slave, your servant. She knows it, whole tribe knows it. She does not have man to provide for her, hunt for her, or family to look after. It will shame her in the eyes of the people to be outcast like that," the shaman explained.
     "What if she had job, duties, and her food was provided in exchange for her working would that be acceptable?"
     "Maybe," Roaring Wings agreed, mulling that possibility over. "You mean like helping at the new school, or helping the doctor, that kind of job?"
     Ky'tulendu inclined his head. "Yes, something along those lines. I do not trust myself to have her near me, waiting on me hand in foot, or could I bear to see her serving White Deer. If White Deer learns of my interest then I fear the woman's life will be unbearable. If she has her own home, a job, then she can be her own person and I do not have to be actively involved in her life."
     "It is a sensible solution, Asenti. It will be hard on her alone, but you are right that it would be even harder on her being White Deer's slave. I will explain to Sun Dancer on the trip back what is going to happen. She is coming now," Roaring Wings warned him looking down the trail.
     Ky'tulendu stood up and kept his expression pleasant, but neutral when he at last saw her. Inside he was far from being calm. He felt like a boy with his first crush, sweaty, and nervous around her, with butterflies in his stomach.
     Sun Dancer looked up at him shyly, her gold eyes meeting his sky blue ones and he felt totally lost. Then when she smiled he thought the sun had risen again.
     He felt a strong hand on his arm and he heard Roaring Wings speaking to him as if from a far distance place as all he could see was her. With a wrench of will power he torn his gaze from her and concentrated on what Roaring Wings was saying.
     "Asenti, we must get going. The people are boarding the ships. It's time we loaded up and left too," he informed him, steering him away from Sun Dancer's hypnotic influence.
     "Yes, . . of course," Ky'tulendu replied, finding his voice again. "I must make my farewells to In The Forest and Walks In Silence. Take Sun Dancer and get her on board. I will be there shortly," he instructed, walking away into the cave.
     Roaring Wings did as he had bid and motioned the woman to follow him back down the path to where Ky'tulendu's skimmer waited.
     Ky'tulendu did not spend too long of a time in good byes to the council and his underchief. He made sure that they had at least two working communicators to keep in touch with the main camp. This was the only concession to Atanzi technology that the council would grant. Both were to be kept in the possession of In The Forest and O'vettun and to be used only for emergencies. He wished them all well, and to see all of them in three days for the ceremony which they would be holding at the Atanzi camp.
        Leaving the cave he felt better than he had. Everything was working out better than he had hoped. He had his peace with his new neighbors. They were building homes, a community, with new friendships and new loves. They were creating a new world where they all had a chance to be happy and free.
        He looked out at a sky as blue as his eyes, a sky framed by the rich varied shades of green of the tall ancient trees and felt a wild joy in his heart, more so than when he had opened that hatch the first time. At last he was home, finally home at last.

End Part 10/10

Please let me know what you think. These are all my own originial characters and concepts. And this was Published in 1993 by Roaring Lion Press.
Email me at either BrdOFire@aol.com or
brickle-macky@geocities.com