Eclipse Dancer: A Historical Fantasy Series (The Peacemaker’s Tale Book 8) by W. Michael Gear & Kathleen O'Neal Gear

Author:W. Michael Gear & Kathleen O'Neal Gear [Gear, W. Michael & Gear, Kathleen O'Neal]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wolfpack Publishing
Published: 2024-10-22T00:00:00+00:00

18

As High Matron Kelek made her way across the dark plaza of Atotarho Village with her guard, her old heart thumped. She felt weary beyond exhaustion. White hair hung about her wrinkled face like a cloud of spiderwebs. The meeting with the village councils from Turtleback and Hilltop had not gone well. All day long Atotarho Village had been in an uproar. Accusations had flown about like diving falcons. No one had been left unscathed, especially Kelek. She felt as though she’d been pecked to pieces by a flock of rabid turkeys.

The sight of the Bear Clan longhouse made her utter a deep sigh. She longed to sleep. As she parted the entry curtain, she shivered in the sudden warmth, and headed toward her chamber at the far end of the house. Her guard dutifully stuck close behind her, his war club in hand.

At just past midnight, the six-hundred-hand-long house appeared still and quiet. Less than a dozen people sat around the thirty fires that sparkled down the center aisle. A few of the curtains had been drawn closed across chambers, but most remained opened to the warmth from the hearths. People slept beneath piles of hides with dogs curled up beside them.

When she reached her chamber near the south entry, Kelek turned to her guard. Thirty summers old, with short black hair, he wore a greasy cape streaked with soot. He’d just returned from the Standing Stone battle, like so many other warriors, and looked as though he hadn’t even changed clothes. It was disgraceful.

“Be vigilant, Hakowane.”

“I will, High Matron.”

His voice was utterly devoid of emotion, which she found peculiar after the day’s emotional turmoil.

Kelek scrutinized him. He was slender now, but as a child, he’d been known as a glutton. He’d seemed to spend every waking moment shoving food into his mouth, which is why she’d never really liked him. Not only that, he had a pointed face that resembled a long-tailed weasel’s, the eyes dark and beady, the nose pink, and ears too big for his small head. When he smiled, his pointed teeth resembled fangs.

“You’re from the Eti’gowane’s lineage, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Matron.”

“High Matron,” she corrected.

“Forgive me, High Matron.” He bowed in apology.

“The Eti’gowane has been a good Matron of the Cornfields.”

“It’s kind of you to say so, High Matron.”

The man seemed distracted, his eyes shifting around as though he expected monsters to emerge from the night shadows. She reached over to unhook her curtain from its peg. As it fell closed across her chamber, he vanished, but as the curtain swung, she glimpsed him slip his war club into his belt and draw a chert knife. An odd choice. Any warrior worth his reputation would have stood guard with his war club. It was more threatening.

At this moment, however, she didn’t have the strength to care.

Kelek walked over and sank down on the deerhide-covered bench that lined the rear wall. Her chamber was large, four paces long by three wide. Pots and baskets nestled on the floor beneath the bench, and sacred masks hung upon the divider walls.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.