Chapter 15

After Still Shadow and Villo Burn had gotten their wrists tied, the village had enjoyed a feast in celebration. There wasn't enough time to put any big feast together, but it was a good celebration anyway. All were pleased to see Still Shadow happy once more. Little Hawk was sad to see his mother leaving the village, but happy that he would have his own lodge, that he was sharing with Wolf Fang, his best friend and cousin. He wondered why so many of the village girls placed themselves in front of any path that he chose to walk. He was a hunter, he didn't know what to say to girls.

His cousin, Twisted Path, was really the only girl that he had talked with for more than a few words at a time. He knew that he would soon have to find a woman for himself, but was unsure about how to go about doing so. Wolf Fang was in a similar quandary. He had spent more of his time lately looking at the girls of the village, but had no idea of how to proceed. His mother was always telling him to hunt less, and to spend more of his time by the river or in the nearby woods where the women gathered food. He was a strong hunter, and he enjoyed doing it. What his mother suggested was not something that he would enjoy.

Bent Willow and Two Bears sat together by the cook fire in front of their lodge. They had been speaking for some time about the coming wrist binding ceremony for their daughter and Hooting Owl, her intended. Two Bears was still unsure that Twisted Path was making a good choice. Owl spent most of his time trading for the things that he needed. He was likable enough, but he never hunted, and he hadn't been seen hunting since his manhood ritual had been concluded. He didn't truly have a skill that could be relied on in the event of changed conditions. It might not always be so peaceful that trade was open among all of the local villages. How would he feed a family in that case?

"Two, how many summers has Path waited to be asked by someone to be his mate? Do you know how old she is?" Two Bears thought about the question. He knew that he had passed twenty summers when Willow had brought him Twisted Path. He was now past forty five summers. Could it be true that his daughter was already twenty five summers? Where had all of the time gone?

"She is twenty five summers. Fang is older, and he doesn't seem concerned yet. Not everyone finds the right mate as early as we did. It is better to wait for the right person. Stick had twenty two summers when he wed, and he was reluctant even then."

"It is different for a woman Two. A woman needs her time when she can make her children. Path cannot wait much longer if she is to be a mother. Owl will make a good mate. Hawk and Fang would never let Path's food mat stay empty. There is more to being a good mate than simply being a fine hunter. Owl needs a woman for his lodge and Path will be that woman. It is settled."

Two Bears remained unconvinced by Willow's argument. He did know that feelings could grow after the binding of the wrists took place. He could only hope that that would be the case with his only daughter. He had seen her face when Hooting Owl had come by their lodge to announce his claim on Twisted Path. Almost, she had not come out of the lodge. This was not going to begin as most matings did. There was no real friendship or closeness between those two. Twisted Path had been surprised when Hooting Owl had come to make his claim. Two Bears did not understand the youth of today. Something like this would never have happened when he was young.

Twisted Path was busy in the woods gathering for that evening's meal. In spite of what her parent's might have thought, she was looking forward to having her own lodge. She knew that she wasn't as pretty as many of the other girls in the village, but she was a good gatherer, and she had all of the skills needed to make a good mate. Her father had mistaken her hesitance at coming out to meet Hooting Owl as reluctance or disappointment on her part. In fact, she was simply overwhelmed by the relief she had felt at having been finally chosen by someone.

She knew little about Hooting Owl. He was older than she was, had never taken a mate before, and he spent most of his time visiting other villages and trading his goods for other goods. It seemed a funny way to live, but he had been doing it for a long time and seemed to lack for nothing. She had gone with her mother and inspected his lodge carefully. Other than needing a good cleaning by a woman who knew how to do one, it seemed to be in fine shape. The cooking fire wasn't as nice as she was used to, but her mother told her that it could be changed after the binding had taken place.

She was thinking about what Hooting Owl would want from her when they were in their sleeping furs. After they had announced their binding intentions, he had tried to kiss her, and then had placed his hands on her in a manner that was too familiar for her. She had moved quickly away from him, but her heart had been beating faster, and she had wished later that she hadn't been so timid with him. She wanted to make him a good mate, but she hoped that he would have patience with her at first.

Hooting Owl sat in his lodge wondering again whether he had made the right choice. He knew that he was fortunate to have any woman accept him as a mate, given the fact that he didn't choose to hunt. He had never liked hunting. He had always been able to provide himself with all that he needed, by spending far less time and effort trading, than hunting would have taken. He acquired more trading goods after every trading season, who could ask for more than that. He had looked carefully at all of the girls in the village, wanting to pick one who might accept his offer, but one who had the disposition and temperament that would accept his absences and not fault him for his not being a hunter.

Twisted Path had been his first choice, really the only one that he would want. It had taken a long time for him to work up the courage to go to her father's lodge and announce his intentions towards her. He was afraid that he had been too forceful with her after they had announced their binding intentions to the village. He had no experience with girls. They had always been difficult for him to understand. His body ached though for a woman's touch, and he still had hopes of having some children. He had waited until he felt that he could wait no more. Still, without knowing the other person, how could you know what they were really like? Suppose Path was different from what he had seen as he observed her these past several cycles of seasons?

The binding ceremony went well, with both sets of parents doing what was expected of them. The feast was very large, and Two Bears was impressed with all of the delicacies that Owl's parent's had provided. Had he known that most were binding gifts from Owl's trading partners in all of the surrounding villages, Two might have been even more impressed. There was an impressive amount of strong drink, and even Straight Arrow was seen celebrating his cousin's binding by drinking often from the skins. After he had drunk his fill, Arrow joined many of the other young hunters as well as the uncommitted girls, as they danced by the feasting fire.

The strong drink had liberated him from most of his shyness, and he was soon walking around among the young girls of the village, making his presence felt. To do what he was doing would be considered very bold by all who witnessed it. He would stop and speak with some of the girls, often telling them that he found particular features or traits of theirs very appealing. No one remembered Straight Arrow ever being so social before. He had been making his way, slowly and purposely, to one particular girl. She was the sister of one of the young boys who helped to tend the fires at Arrow's foundry.

He knew her name, Sweet Water, and the fact that she had fifteen summers. He also knew that he felt so drawn to her that it was affecting everything that he did. Nothing had ever come between him and his metal making before. It was because of her that he was acting so unlike himself. If his mother still lived in the village, he would have asked her for advice about what to do. His Grandmother was still too sad from the loss of his grandfather, even though it had been over two full cycles of seasons since he had died.

"I am Straight Arrow, and you are my target." He laughed when he said that, in the hopes that she wouldn't believe him too forward. Being so close to her was overwhelming his senses. He wished that he had thought to bring along a skin of the strong drink to assist his failing courage.

"I know who you are. I wondered if you would make it as far as me without passing out from the drink. You are acting much different than usual."