Honor in the Mountain Refuge by Misty M. Beller

Author:Misty M. Beller
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Misty M. Beller Books, Inc.

* * *

In front of them, Uyítpe made a sound to silence the murmurs in the group. Telípe did her best to focus on him and ignore Pisákas. “Our hunt this night was not successful, but we have learned the cat still lives. He still intends danger for our people. We have tracked in a half circle around the village. We have found where he beds down. Even now, warriors stand guard there to catch him.”

Uyítpe’s voice strengthened, echoing through the village, surely waking those who still slept. Mostly the grandmothers and children, by this time of morning. “No one is to leave the village without immediate need until the cat is killed. When the women go to the river, there are to be two braves for every two people. We will station guards around the edge of our camp. More groups of warriors will be sent out to watch over the cat’s nest. Until your turn comes for one of these jobs, you should rest and prepare for battle against this predator.”

The man again called out names, assigning those names to duties.

Beside her, she could feel the tension in Chogan's body as he listened. Meksem's name was called as one of the warriors who would escort the women to the river. Pisákas’s too. Hopefully that would keep him busy for a while.

Water would be the primary need of the villagers. Since it was mid-summer, they would have enough food saved to last a few days at least. But what of the grape root for her brother? Did she dare raise her hand and ask?

She had to.

At first, she lifted her hand tentatively. But she couldn't be a cautious maiden. So she raised her hand fully and waved to gain Uyítpe’s attention. When he looked her way, she lifted her voice loud enough to reach him. “My brother needs a root to help with his healing. We think it might be found by the river to the north. May I go look for it?”

Uyítpe narrowed his eyes, maybe weighing the importance of her need. Or maybe determining who best should accompany her. At last, he nodded. “Beaver Tail and Chogan will go with you as guards.”

Her weary face wanted to pull into a smile, but she simply nodded. “Thank you.”

The group separated shortly after, each person going to their assigned duties. Meksem strode away to gather the braves assigned to her. Thankfully, she took charge of Pisákas first.

Beaver Tail and Chogan turned to Telípe. Weariness showed in both their eyes, but Chogan spoke first. “You are ready to go now to find this root?”

These men needed rest before she forced them back to work. She shook her head. “I need to attend the babes and help with my brother first. Rest a while, and I'll send for you when I'm ready.” They couldn't wait too long, for Gezíu needed the medicine. But a nap should help them at least a little.

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.