ICE BURIAL: The Oldest Human Murder Mystery (The Mother People Series Book 3) by Joan Dahr Lambert

sister who had lost her child?
    The answer to that question came the next day, when she told Durak what she had learned from Mara.
    “ Rofina! ” he exclaimed, when Zena spoke of the child who had been taken from Mara ’s sister. “ Rofina is the sister of Mara. So that is what happened to her. ” His face twisted in anguish as he thought of the suffering she must have endured.
    He told Zena of their meeting, of his strong feeling that he and Rofina belonged together. Zena was unsure what to say. She had never known Durak to react so intensely to a woman, and she believed him, but at the same time she was afraid for Rofina, who had already suffered so much. Still, Rofina clearly needed help, and Durak might be able to provide it.
    Sorlin joined them and Mara ’s story was repeated in whispers . Later, when Hular and Lief came into the hut, Zena confided in them as well. She was worried about entrusting the information to so many, but if she was to fulfill her promise to Mara, she would need their help .
    “ Do not speak of this aloud,” she warned them. “The people here must not know why I have come, or what I hope to do with your help.
    All of them promised caution, but Zena ’s warning had come too late. The next day , they all noticed that people looked away from them instead of calling out a friendly greeting as they had before .
    “They must have heard us call you Zena, and they know that name,” Sorlin reported, and described a d isturbing conversation she had overheard among the villagers. “ One woman said that Mara and her mother cause nothing but trouble, and that the woman called Zena and the people with her would also cause trouble. The others agreed. They said that to hear the name Zena made people think of the old ways, and that was not good because the old ways had gone and they did not want to think of them any more.
    “ Then a man said the Leader knew what was best for them, ” Sorlin continued. “ He sounded very certain, and they all agreed. ”
    Hular looked at Sorlin in astonishment. “ How did you manage to hear so much? ”
    “ I hid in some bushes near the place where they gather, ” Sorlin answered with an impish grin. “ After all, they must hav e done th e same or they would not have known we are Mother People. Besides, Zena said to discover as much as we could. ”
    “ And so you did, ” Zena answered, amused by her stalwart friend. Still, what Sorlin had heard was discouraging. To change these people again would not be easy!
    “ I f the villagers remember the name of Zena , it can’t be too long s ince they were Mother People , ” she observed.
    Durak nodded. “ I believe that Mara ’s mother was their wise one then. I could feel it when I met her, even though she now looks old and afraid. ”
    Zena nodded, remembering the woman who had traced the spiral sign of wisdom for her to see. She must be Mara ’s mother, which explained why Mara knew so much of the Goddess. She wished she could ask the woman to tell her more of what had happened here, but she did not dare. As Mara had warned – and they had just learned - Korg had ears and eyes everywhere, and unless they were very careful, Mara and her mother would be singled out for punishment.
    “ But now the villagers have different ways, ” Hular said thoughtfully, “ ways that seem wrong to us. To kill an infant is terrible, but at the same time I can understand why it might be done. Through the death of one child, a child too young to be afraid or understand , many lives could be saved, great suffering avoided. ”
    “ We do not know that, ” Sorlin objected , her tone scathing . “ I certainly do not believe bad things will happen unless a child is killed. Even the Mother cannot prevent storms and other disasters, though She often warns us with Her signals so we can prepare. And we cannot avoid all suffering or all difficulties in our lives. ”
    “ A child is a gift from the Mother, ” Durak said slowly, “