Ivory and Bone by Julie Eshbaugh

Author:Julie Eshbaugh
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers
Published: 2016-04-15T16:00:00+00:00

SEVENTEEN

I hike back to camp alone, thinking of Lo the entire time, except at brief intervals, when the thought of you somehow creeps in, unbidden and unwelcome. Your face appears in my mind’s eye—the memory of your expression when you sprang from the woods while chasing the elk, landing right in front of me. I remember the sound of your voice when you first saw my wounded back, the curve of your throat above the white bone pendant that hung around your neck at dinner.

The memory of that pendant takes on new meaning now. Do you, like Lo, wear a replica of the one you destroyed?

Later, I hear the feast getting under way in the center of camp, but I decide to remain in my hut a bit longer. I don’t want to run into you. At least not until Lo is here. After all that I learned about you today—about the cruel way you’ve treated Lo—how you preferred to destroy something that symbolized your status and position rather than turn it over to her—I don’t think I could stomach another tense and insincere exchange of pleasantries with you.

My mind floats back to the meal at your camp and the question you asked me—what traits would make a woman a good wife. My answer—cooperation, patience, lack of arrogance—I realize now that all these traits belong to Lo, and not a single one to you.

The music starts up. Kesh’s flute is clear and strong tonight. I can’t help but think that he is showing off a bit. But if Kesh is showing off, maybe that means that guests are arriving from the Bosha clan.

Maybe Lo has arrived.

I pick up my new parka, but I hesitate, remembering how I’d believed it to be a gift from you, only to learn that it was actually your way of returning a gift to me. Still, it’s the cleanest and nicest I own. I shrug it on.

Out in the gathering place, people are standing shoulder to shoulder. It’s impossible to get a view of the whole crowd. My entire clan is here, plus at least ten people from your clan. Smiling and nodding at a few of your clan’s elders who I recognize from my visit but don’t know by name, I snake between smaller groups, catching snippets of conversations—How has the hunting been for you this summer? How do you feel after such a long trip on the water? Everyone seems to be putting history behind them and making friends. No one would guess that our two clans had come so close to war just five years ago.

Out on the far side of the square, near the path that leads away from camp to the meadow, I find Seeri and Pek. Behind them in the gathering shadows I hear laughter, and squinting I make out the shapes of two figures running, a boy and a girl—my brother Roon and your little sister, Lees. A squeal pierces the air—I can only guess Roon has caught Lees, though her laughter convinces me she wasn’t too upset to be caught.

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.