People of the Sea 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
Tags: Fiction, General, Historical, Cultural Heritage, General Fiction, Prehistoric peoples, Mound-Builders
ISBN: 9780812507454
Publisher: Tor
Published: 1992-12-31T13:00:00+00:00

She lowered her eyes, dying to smile over the worry

within.

“You—you’re not eating. Again? Are you fasting for a

reason?”

“Yes,” he answered simply and turned away.

Kestrel frowned but did as he’d instructed and

placed a long stick at his feet while he sliced into the

rich red meat. He skewered a thick steak on the end

rich red meat. He skewered a thick steak on the end

of the stick and handed it to her. Kestrel used

another stick to push the burning wood to one side

and expose the glowing coals. She careful y

propped her stick away from the flames to keep the

wood from burning through. Fat dripped into the fire

and sizzled o- the coals.

The cooking of meat on an open fire took a certain

art. Direct flames charred the outside of the meat,

leaving the

interior bloody. A thick bed of coals, however,

radiated the heat, and if the fire pit was fil ed with

rocks, it held the heat, distributing it evenly.

Kestrel couldn’t stop her mouth from watering as the

meat browned and the rich aroma fil ed the air.

Helper turned his attention from Cloud Girl, his black

nose wiggling as he sniffed and made a grunting

sound.

“I haven’t had venison in six or seven moons. Since

last autumn. It smel s so good.”

Sunchaser glanced up and smiled. “It’s difficult to

hunt when you’re on the run. I would imagine that you

mostly fished and snared rabbits, ground squirrels,

pack rats and such.”

“That.. . and I harvested the newest spring plants.”

The deer fat had melted and combined with the

steaming poplar buds.

Sunchaser used two sticks like tongs to pul the

stone away from the fire so that it could cool and the

salve would steep. The mixture had turned a pale

green color.

Kestrel removed her steak from the flames and

propped it against the woodpile to cool off. Out over

the ocean, the haze of snow bore a pale pink tint,

letting her know that Father Sun had risen. But the

sky stil possessed a tarnished-silver look. “Has

Cloud Girl been asleep ever since I left?” Sunchaser

asked as he studied the baby.

“Yes. I don’t understand it. She’s calmed down since

we’ve been here.

She used to wake me three or four times a night,

wanting to be fed.

Last night she woke me only once. Then I fed her

again just after you left this morning-”

“She probably sleeps more soundly here. The rhythm

of the waves is soothing.”

“Yes,” Kestrel agreed. “It is. I knew it would be.”

Just as Iceplant promised.

She’d been so terrified over the past moon that she

hadn’t had the strength to miss him. But now, after

two nights of rest and good meals, she felt the pain

in her heart reawakening just as nerves shocked by

the blow of a club come to life in a stunning flood of

agony. Against her wil , tears wel ed in her eyes.

Sunchaser shifted uncomfortably and wiped his

hands on his moccasins.

Quietly, he asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“No. I—I can’t. Not yet.”

He inclined his head understandingly, and Kestrel

turned to pul her steak from its stick. She ate slowly,

relishing the wonderful flavor.

Her fingers quickly became covered with ‘ warm

grease. The last time she’d had venison, Iceplant

had brought it to her in the middle of the night.

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