just to keep her balance. When she hit the flat part of the trail, she settled into a steady jog. The hunters would be gathering at the Nandi village soon. She circled a stand of acacia trees and stopped short. Kibii was standing there. The expression on his face made her stomach twist.
“Kibii! What’s wrong?” Beryl cried.
“You should be ashamed of yourself.” His voice was low and angry. “You don’t belong on a hunt.”
“Why not?” Beryl shot back.
“You are only pretending to be a warrior. You have not trained. You could be hurt or killed.”
“I’m trained well enough.” Beryl tried to sound confident. “Kibii,I’ll be all right. Your father will look after me.” She reached out to pat his shoulder.
Kibii recoiled from her hand. “He may get hurt because he has to look after you!”
“Is that why you’re upset? You’re worried about Arap Maina?”
“No, of course not.” Kibii bristled at the insult to his family. “He is a great warrior.”
“Then what’s the problem?” she asked, exasperated.
“You used to respect our traditions. But now you are just like the other settlers. You take what you want.” Kibii stared at her with his dark eyes. Beryl was shocked to see that he was almost in tears.
She shifted from foot to foot, tugging on her braid.
“You should have to wait, like me!” Kibii burst out. He turned away, his straight back rigid with anger.
“If I don’t have to wait, then neither should you,” Beryl said eagerly. “What if I ask your father…?”
Kibii gave her a withering look. “Beru, you can make up your own rules, but I cannot. Besides, my father would never let me go. I will not go after the lion for two more seasons.”
“I’m really sorry,” she said.
“You say you want to be like me, but I would never do what you are doing.”
“I said I was sorry, but I’m going on that hunt.” She was beginning to get angry herself. “You would do the same if you could.”
Kibii shook his head. “It’s not just me who is angry. All the boys are. Mehru is the worst of all; you’ve made an enemy.”
“He never liked me. But what about you? Are you still my friend?” Beryl asked in a small voice.
“I haven’t decided yet.” He turned his back on her and headed for the village. She followed, but her feet felt heavy.
They arrived at Arap Maina’s hut as the pink of the sunrise appeared over the mountains and the valley began to emerge from its nighttime shadows. The village dogs greeted them with their wet noses and wagging tails. She thought regretfully of Buller, left asleep in her hut. She wished he were here. The village had suddenly become a place full of strangers speaking a foreign language.
Arap Maina’s wives were preparing the fire. Naipende nodded to Beryl in greeting, and Namasari gave her a piece of fruit. From their silence, Beryl knew that they, too, disapproved.
Arap Maina stood in the doorway of his hut, waiting for them. Kibii nodded stiffly to his father. Arap Maina patted the boy’s shoulder. “Kibii, you may blood the ox.”
Kibii’s eyes lit up. This was a worthy task. He nodded eagerly and ran toward the cattle enclosure in the center of the kraal. Beryl started after him, but Arap Maina stopped her with a gesture of his hand.
“No, Beru. Women do not touch the ox before a hunt. It is forbidden.” A shadow passed over Arap Maina’s face, and Beryl knew he was thinking that girls do not hunt either. But he said nothing.
As they waited, Arap Maina prepared for the hunting ritual by breathing deeply, standing on one leg. To Beryl, he seemed to be in a trance. She lifted her right leg, but her left leg seemed to have a mind of its own. Hoping Arap Maina wouldn’t notice, she switched from one foot to the other.
She caught a glimpse of two brown eyes staring at her from inside Arap Maina’s hut. It was Kibii’s older sister, Jebbta.Glancing warily at her father, whose eyes
“Kibii! What’s wrong?” Beryl cried.
“You should be ashamed of yourself.” His voice was low and angry. “You don’t belong on a hunt.”
“Why not?” Beryl shot back.
“You are only pretending to be a warrior. You have not trained. You could be hurt or killed.”
“I’m trained well enough.” Beryl tried to sound confident. “Kibii,I’ll be all right. Your father will look after me.” She reached out to pat his shoulder.
Kibii recoiled from her hand. “He may get hurt because he has to look after you!”
“Is that why you’re upset? You’re worried about Arap Maina?”
“No, of course not.” Kibii bristled at the insult to his family. “He is a great warrior.”
“Then what’s the problem?” she asked, exasperated.
“You used to respect our traditions. But now you are just like the other settlers. You take what you want.” Kibii stared at her with his dark eyes. Beryl was shocked to see that he was almost in tears.
She shifted from foot to foot, tugging on her braid.
“You should have to wait, like me!” Kibii burst out. He turned away, his straight back rigid with anger.
“If I don’t have to wait, then neither should you,” Beryl said eagerly. “What if I ask your father…?”
Kibii gave her a withering look. “Beru, you can make up your own rules, but I cannot. Besides, my father would never let me go. I will not go after the lion for two more seasons.”
“I’m really sorry,” she said.
“You say you want to be like me, but I would never do what you are doing.”
“I said I was sorry, but I’m going on that hunt.” She was beginning to get angry herself. “You would do the same if you could.”
Kibii shook his head. “It’s not just me who is angry. All the boys are. Mehru is the worst of all; you’ve made an enemy.”
“He never liked me. But what about you? Are you still my friend?” Beryl asked in a small voice.
“I haven’t decided yet.” He turned his back on her and headed for the village. She followed, but her feet felt heavy.
They arrived at Arap Maina’s hut as the pink of the sunrise appeared over the mountains and the valley began to emerge from its nighttime shadows. The village dogs greeted them with their wet noses and wagging tails. She thought regretfully of Buller, left asleep in her hut. She wished he were here. The village had suddenly become a place full of strangers speaking a foreign language.
Arap Maina’s wives were preparing the fire. Naipende nodded to Beryl in greeting, and Namasari gave her a piece of fruit. From their silence, Beryl knew that they, too, disapproved.
Arap Maina stood in the doorway of his hut, waiting for them. Kibii nodded stiffly to his father. Arap Maina patted the boy’s shoulder. “Kibii, you may blood the ox.”
Kibii’s eyes lit up. This was a worthy task. He nodded eagerly and ran toward the cattle enclosure in the center of the kraal. Beryl started after him, but Arap Maina stopped her with a gesture of his hand.
“No, Beru. Women do not touch the ox before a hunt. It is forbidden.” A shadow passed over Arap Maina’s face, and Beryl knew he was thinking that girls do not hunt either. But he said nothing.
As they waited, Arap Maina prepared for the hunting ritual by breathing deeply, standing on one leg. To Beryl, he seemed to be in a trance. She lifted her right leg, but her left leg seemed to have a mind of its own. Hoping Arap Maina wouldn’t notice, she switched from one foot to the other.
She caught a glimpse of two brown eyes staring at her from inside Arap Maina’s hut. It was Kibii’s older sister, Jebbta.Glancing warily at her father, whose eyes
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