Return to Eden

your fish. May your tharms drown in the ocean and never see the stars!"
    There were even angrier shouts at this.
    "You should not speak like that. Not about the tharms," Herilak said.
    "I said it and I will not take back my words. Since you hunters believe that we stupid women do not have tharms—I see no reason to worry about yours. Do you leave in the morning?"
    "Yes."
    "Does your sammad march with you?"
    "They do. We have talked about it and they will go south."
    "Even your mastodons are wiser than these sammadars. I will travel with you."
    Herilak nodded in gratitude. "You will leave with us." He smiled. "I can always use another strong hunter at my side."
    "Hunter and woman both, sammadar. Don't ever forget that."
    Everything that could be said around the fire had been said. Merrith left them and went past the dark mounds of the tents, to the meadow where the mastodons were tethered. Her old cow, Dooha, lifted her trunk and smelled the air, rumbled a greeting to her and reached out her trunk to touch her with the delicate tip. Merrith patted its hairy surface.
    "I know you don't like to walk after dark, but it's not far. Now—stand still."
    Merrith had her mind made up long before the meeting around the fire had begun. She had struck her tent, tied it and all of her bundles to the carrying poles which she now secured to the mastodon. Dooha rumbled complaints but permitted herself to be led away. As soon as Merrith knew that Herilak was leaving she had made preparations. The rest of the sammads could stay here by the river and get fat and oily eating fish. She would go south with Herilak's sammad. It would be good to move on—and she was fond of Malagen. There was no one else here who she cared about—or who cared about her. When she dropped the travois behind the tents and tied Dooha to a tree she went to Herilak's fire. Malagen looked up at her, smiling with pleasure. "You will come with us!"
    "I will. This place stinks too much of fish."
    Malagen leaned over and whispered. "It is not only you—but Fraken, the alladjex is coming too. That will be very good."
    Merrith sniffed loudly. "Old Fraken is a burden. He eats his fill of others' food." Malagen was shocked.
    "But he is the alladjex. We need him."
    "Not that old windbag. I have forgotten more healing poultices than he ever knew how to make. Don't confuse him with your Sasku manduktos. They are at least possessed of some wisdom and leadership.
    This one is too old and foolish. He will be dead soon and boy-without-a-name will take his place."
    "It is not true that Fraken can see the future with the owl packets?"
    "Some say so. I have little faith in the skins and bones of regurgitated mice. I can tell the future without their help."
    "You can?"
    "I'll show you. He did not say it yet—but Nivoth will be leaving this sammad before morning."
    "May Kadair always guide you!" Malagen's eyes were wide in the firelight. "You were not here, could not have seen, but Nivoth just dragged his tent away."
    Merrith laughed out loud and slapped her thigh. "I knew it. But it took little intelligence to predict that. If we go to search for Kerrick and find him, why then we may find Armun who went to join him. Once she knocked Nivoth to the ground with her fist, broke his nose, that is why it is twisted so. He has no desire to meet her again. It is very good to see his back."
    "You know everything about the sammads. You must tell me."
    "Not everything, but enough."
    "You will put your tent here?"
    "Not tonight. It is rolled and on the poles, ready to leave in the morning."
    "Then you sleep in my tent."
    "No, it is the tent of your hunter, Newasfar. There can only be one woman in a tent. I will lie by the fire. It won't be the first time."
    The fire was cold ashes by morning, but the night had been warm. Merrith lay, still wrapped in her robes, as the morning star faded over the ocean in the first red touch of dawn. She rose and had tied the poles of the travois into place long before the others emerged.
    "If you sleep until noon you won't get far today, Herilak," she said as he emerged and sniffed the air. He scowled.
    "Your tongue first thing in the morning is no pleasure."
    "My tongue only speaks the truth, great sammadar. Is it true, old Fraken joins us? His love for Kerrick was never that great."
    "His love of warmth is. He fears the winter here."
    "That I can understand. How far do we march?"
    "Today, until we camp by a small river we have stopped at before. If you