curse and the curse of the Mother.”
The silence in the hut was absolute.
Ronan tore his eyes away from the Mistress’s, looked around him, and knew that Arika had won. Since birth the men of the Red Deer had been bred to revere the Mistress. They would not go against her now.
Into the silence came the voice of a child, crying from the door opening, “Mistress, do not believe her! She has tried to seduce Ronan before…”
It was Nel.
Arika looked at Erek. “Get her out of here,” she said.
The big hunter put his hand upon the child’s thin shoulder.
“Na!” Nel tried to pull away. “You must listen to me! Ronan is telling the truth!”
“Go outside, Nel,” Ronan said. He did not look at his small cousin; his eyes were all for his mother. They looked like black holes in his stark face. He was breathing like a suffering animal.
“It is not finished between us, Mistress,” he said.
“Sa,” said Arika wearily. There was the taste of sour bile in her mouth. “I am thinking that it is.”
She said to Pier, “Take him away.”
* * * *
The challenge had come too soon, Ronan thought, as he put together the pack of belongings Arika was allowing him to bring away with him. A little more time, another year perhaps, and the men would have turned against Morna.
Arika had seen that, of course. It was why she had acted so decisively. She knew she had to get rid of Ronan while still she could.
As always with her, the daughter came before the son.
Cast out. He was cast out from his tribe. Cast out from the other tribes in the vicinity as well, for none of them would dare to risk Arika’s calling down on them the wrath of the Mother.
He could not quite comprehend it. Every man belonged to a tribe. It was not possible to survive without the companionship of one’s own kind…
That, of course, was what Arika was counting on. She thought she was sending him to his death. It is finished, she had said.
“Ronan…” He looked up. Tyr was coming into the men’s cave, and there were tears in his dark blue eyes. “Ronan, I do not believe her,” Tyr said. His voice was shaking.
Neither do most of the other men, Ronan thought bitterly. But they will not stand up to her. Not even Neihle…
He made himself shrug, as if it did not matter. “The Mistress has spoken, and the tribe will obey.”
“I will go with you,” Tyr said.
Ronan stared at him, surprised. “Did you not hear? The Mistress said she will curse anyone who comes with me.”
“I do not care,” Tyr said passionately. “I will go with you anyway.”
Ronan thought, Now that he is out from under the Mistress’s eye, Tyr can act like a man. But he cannot stand up to her face-to-face. None of them can.
“Na, Tyr,” Ronan said. “Stay here where you belong.”
“I belong with you!” Tyr cried.
Ronan turned his head away. “I do not want you.”
Dusk was falling and the sky over Deer Hill had turned to lavender when Ronan turned his back upon the Tribe of the Red Deer and began his lonely walk down the Greatfish River.
Nel and Nigak were waiting for him around the second bend.
He saw the sleeping skins at her feet and said, “You cannot come with me, minnow.” He spoke as he had not spoken to Tyr earlier, gently.
“You cannot stop me,” Nel said. He was close enough now to see that her eyes were red and swollen from weeping. “I hate her!” Nel cried. Her small hands were clenched into fists at her sides. “I hate them both! I won’t stay here with them, Ronan. I won’t!”
Nigak’s ears were at half-mast as he looked anxiously from Nel to Ronan and back again. He whined, but neither youngster paid him any mind.
“She has thrown you away the way she throws away a twin,” Nel said passionately, “I hate her!”
“I am no helpless babe, Nel,” Ronan answered. “Nor do I mean to perish, I promise you that.” His face hardened. “I would not give her the satisfaction.”
“It’s what she wants.” Nel began to cry
The silence in the hut was absolute.
Ronan tore his eyes away from the Mistress’s, looked around him, and knew that Arika had won. Since birth the men of the Red Deer had been bred to revere the Mistress. They would not go against her now.
Into the silence came the voice of a child, crying from the door opening, “Mistress, do not believe her! She has tried to seduce Ronan before…”
It was Nel.
Arika looked at Erek. “Get her out of here,” she said.
The big hunter put his hand upon the child’s thin shoulder.
“Na!” Nel tried to pull away. “You must listen to me! Ronan is telling the truth!”
“Go outside, Nel,” Ronan said. He did not look at his small cousin; his eyes were all for his mother. They looked like black holes in his stark face. He was breathing like a suffering animal.
“It is not finished between us, Mistress,” he said.
“Sa,” said Arika wearily. There was the taste of sour bile in her mouth. “I am thinking that it is.”
She said to Pier, “Take him away.”
* * * *
The challenge had come too soon, Ronan thought, as he put together the pack of belongings Arika was allowing him to bring away with him. A little more time, another year perhaps, and the men would have turned against Morna.
Arika had seen that, of course. It was why she had acted so decisively. She knew she had to get rid of Ronan while still she could.
As always with her, the daughter came before the son.
Cast out. He was cast out from his tribe. Cast out from the other tribes in the vicinity as well, for none of them would dare to risk Arika’s calling down on them the wrath of the Mother.
He could not quite comprehend it. Every man belonged to a tribe. It was not possible to survive without the companionship of one’s own kind…
That, of course, was what Arika was counting on. She thought she was sending him to his death. It is finished, she had said.
“Ronan…” He looked up. Tyr was coming into the men’s cave, and there were tears in his dark blue eyes. “Ronan, I do not believe her,” Tyr said. His voice was shaking.
Neither do most of the other men, Ronan thought bitterly. But they will not stand up to her. Not even Neihle…
He made himself shrug, as if it did not matter. “The Mistress has spoken, and the tribe will obey.”
“I will go with you,” Tyr said.
Ronan stared at him, surprised. “Did you not hear? The Mistress said she will curse anyone who comes with me.”
“I do not care,” Tyr said passionately. “I will go with you anyway.”
Ronan thought, Now that he is out from under the Mistress’s eye, Tyr can act like a man. But he cannot stand up to her face-to-face. None of them can.
“Na, Tyr,” Ronan said. “Stay here where you belong.”
“I belong with you!” Tyr cried.
Ronan turned his head away. “I do not want you.”
Dusk was falling and the sky over Deer Hill had turned to lavender when Ronan turned his back upon the Tribe of the Red Deer and began his lonely walk down the Greatfish River.
Nel and Nigak were waiting for him around the second bend.
He saw the sleeping skins at her feet and said, “You cannot come with me, minnow.” He spoke as he had not spoken to Tyr earlier, gently.
“You cannot stop me,” Nel said. He was close enough now to see that her eyes were red and swollen from weeping. “I hate her!” Nel cried. Her small hands were clenched into fists at her sides. “I hate them both! I won’t stay here with them, Ronan. I won’t!”
Nigak’s ears were at half-mast as he looked anxiously from Nel to Ronan and back again. He whined, but neither youngster paid him any mind.
“She has thrown you away the way she throws away a twin,” Nel said passionately, “I hate her!”
“I am no helpless babe, Nel,” Ronan answered. “Nor do I mean to perish, I promise you that.” His face hardened. “I would not give her the satisfaction.”
“It’s what she wants.” Nel began to cry
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