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She decided to take a walk by herself. The other girls at the summer meeting seemed deep into what they were doing and she did not want to bother them. She made a detour, down to the river. She was walking along and remembering her mothers sharp angry words. She started to cry. As the first tears came, someone was there to comfort her. She knew it was a man, and from the conours of his body and male scent, she knew who it was and was greatful for his presence.
She had spent many years watching him at summer meetings. She thought that he had watched her also. Other girls had bragged about his touch, his kiss. She had kept her distance though, even while being drawn to him. He had followed her to this spot before, only hours before, both too shy to speak. This time was different, she needed the comfort and they needed an excuse to break down the adolecent barrier that builds between young men and young women. They talked for the first time and she found out that his kiss was sensational. He asked her to Promise to him. He had fallen in love with her too from afar. She accepted. They shared exquisite Pleasures out of sheer joy of finally being with each other.
Her tears fogotten, she looked into the eyes of her beloved Carnec, kissed him once more and ran to find her mother.
" Mother, motherrrr!" The young woman was shouting without relizing it. She was bubbling over with excitement! She couldn’t wait to tell her mother the news! " What is it? Can’t you see, I am busy?" said her mother. " And quit shouting. Young ladies of high status do not shout! Will you ever learn?" Jecie was involved with the other women of the Council of Sisters and wanted to cover her embarrasment of her oldest daughters intrusion. They had been debating the proper punishment for two girls who had been fighting, pulling each others hair out. Both girls were bruised and sullen. Both looked contrite. But a lesson had to be taught.
" Nothing, mother, it can wait." the girl knew that the Coucil of Sisters were working on matters far more important that what she had to tell her mother. Nothing she ever tried to tell her mother mattered anyway. She walked dejectedly toward her other age mates. Those who had received their First Nights three summers ago. She thought of that night in the tent. She had had the most wonderful experience. Not like some of the other girls. She had been blessed by Mut soon after. Debbie was a beautiful healthy girl. Which of course added to her status.
She had no brothers, but was the eldest daughter of the headwoman of Crane Camp. The Crane hearth boasted a lineage back to the first Mamutoi. She had a dream. She wanted to continue the great line of headwomen that she was from, but she had no brothers. She had convinced her mother to adopt for her a brother, in name only. She would never be like her mother. But would she ever get to tell her mother the news?
" Crozie!" ” Jecie said with great force for women of high status did not yell or shout. She yanked Crozie from her reverie, but before she could open her mouth, Jecie hurried on. " I have found a brother for you! You will have your dream and your status too! The name only adoption has been held. Neither of you were consulted because we know you already get along. His name is Carnec of the Leopard Hearth." With that revelation, Jecie hurried on, she had other matters to attend to.
The news that Crozie had wanted to share with her mother was no longer important. They must have held the name only adoption this very morning. Carnec was now her brother! She had a brother! But her happiness in this caused her heart to crumble. She knew that a high status woman never went against her mother. She would not argue.
Carnec heard the news in a similar fashion. He had had the dream to be headman of his own camp. He too was elated to be told he had a sister. He too would not go against his parents wishes even if it broke his heart. The Sisters had misunderstood the relationship that had developed between Crozie and himself.
Jacie did understand though. She had observed the recent developments in the Leopard hearth. He was an only child of the hearth. His mother fell in status because of this and her mate had taken another. The lowered status of Darlie and in effect Carnec had an effect on Jacie. Until the news she would have encouraged the mating. Now her daughter would get the mate that her status deserved and still have the comfort of having carnec near. His status was good enough to be her brother.
Another, higher status man of the Crane camp had recently asked Crozie for her promise. Jacie not only encouraged this relationship, but pushed for them to participate in the Matrimonial that summer. Crozie’s status shown in her elegant tunic. Her breasts were beautifully displayed. Manec knew that he loved her.
Carnec had also promised to another by the end of the summer meeting. The four of them could be seen making plans for the knew lodge. They could not wait until the next spring’s fruition of their plans. Manec and Charie had known about the love that Carnec and Crozie shared. But they also misunderstood it. Carnec and Crozie would often take walks together, but that was dismissed as planning.
At the end of the Meeting, Carnec and Crozie vowed that they would never be alone together again. That the love they shared was never meant to be. The status each had with their respective mate would make their camp, a strong camp. It was a combining of the Crane, the Leopard, the Lion and the Boar heaths. It would always be a strong bond. When they said their farewells, those of Carnec and Crozie meant more than those of the others.
That winter was a long one. The excitement over plans for the new lodge were intensified when Crozie realized that she had been blessed again. Jecie then knew that the new arrangement was right. The new lodge and the mating would be blessed with the birth of a headwomans child. Crozie learned all she could for her mother, that was when her mother had time to teach her. She tried to love Manec, but it never worked.
By the next spring, plans for the new lodge were completed. Crozie and Manec and Carnec and Charie had enticed many people to the new lodge. It would be full. The lodge was built on days jouney from the Boar Camp, where the Leopard hearth was and two days journey from the Crane Camp.
The lodge was finished soon that spring. Construction seemed to take no time at all. Soon after the completion, just after the individual hearths were marked, Crozie went into labor. She gave birth to a healthy srong son. The little boy came into the world in full force, making his opinions known. Then the unexpected happened. Crozie was having more pain and more labor. The second child was a girl. She was not as strong as her brother, but the twin births were a blessing on the new lodge and added to Crozie’s already high status. They were named and accepted among the Mamutoi.
Lavan and Fralie were happy children. They brought happiness to a lodge that was ever increasing. A lodge full of young people brought a lodge full of babies. As Lavan grew older, he began to resemble the headman. Some thought that this was natural for a boy to look like his family. But Crozie knew. She had not shared Pleasures with Manec. He never asked and she never offered. They had grown to love eachother and to respect eachother, but Crozie did not want to share something that felt so right with another man. She had never forgotten the tender touch of Carnec. Crozie knew that Manec was who started the twins. She knew, but she dare not speak against the traditional belief of the others. She also knew that very few in the lodge knew about the relationship they had shared before becomming brother and sister.
The bad things started to happen soon after the twin’s weaning year. Lavan began to be a bad boy. Not just as any little boy was at that age, but almost as if evil spirits posessed him. The hide that Crozie had so carfully worked and made white was thrown aside haphazardly and as if he did not care. Crozie thought her little boy was just growing to fast. She missed her baby boy and started to sleep with his white well worked hide. As he grew older he didn’t need his mother. The man of his hearth was not enough either. At summer meetings he started hanging out with the other bad boys. After another scolding on the status he had, he decided to go on a journey. He never returned. He was rumored to live among a group of roughians who lived near the Great Mother River. The mother took solace in the only remnant of her son.
It was a Mother Ceremony the winter after the Summer meeting when Crozie had reached womanhood. The forbidden Pleasure had been denied too long and the bouza had it’s effect. Carnec and Crozie could no longer hold back thier desire for one another. They shared a night of Passion, of forbidden passion. Charie and Manec had found each other too, but their Pleasures were not between siblings. Soon the story was out and the troubles increased for the Lodge. The Crane and the Leopard hearth’s status fell.
.............................................................................. Just then a muffled scream and cough could be heard in the lodge. Crozie rose to see how Fralie was doing. Frebec was there, helping her. Ayla was there soon after. Crozie was lost deep in her own thoughts but her daughters pain brought her out of it. She realized that in trying not to be her mother, she had become her mother, with all the status pushing and short-temperedness. She resolved to change, but right now, Ayla needed her help.
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