People of the Black Sun(125)
Riverbank gave her a questioning look, as though he sensed she had news.
Kwahseti beckoned him to lean down, and whispered in his ear, “The Bear Clan High Matron is dead at the hands of her own clan.”
Riverbank drew back suddenly. He gazed at her as if for confirmation. Kwahseti nodded, and he squeezed his eyes closed and bowed his head. She couldn’t tell if it was in mourning or overwhelming relief.
Kwahseti had both galloping through her veins, so perhaps he did, as well.
Gwinodje raised her hands to the assembly, and called, “We come together at the request of the Bear Clan of the Old People of the Hills. Matron Yi from Atotarho Village and Little Matron Adusha of Turtleback Village have been empowered to speak on behalf of the old Ruling Council.”
Every time Gwinodje had used the word “old,” Yi had flinched. She squared her shoulders and stared boldly out at the congregation of elders seated on the benches around her.
Gwinodje turned to Yi. “Matron Yi? As the eldest great-grandmother here, would you address this council first?”
Yi extended a hand to Adusha. “I yield the privilege to Little Matron Adusha of the Bear Clan.”
Gwinodje nodded for Adusha to proceed.
Adusha wet her lips and stepped forward. As she clasped her hands before her, she called out, “I believe, regardless of the terrible injustices that have been committed by a handful of traitors, that this is one nation, and I will address you, with all the love in my heart, as my relatives.”
Whispers passed around the benches. Many heads shook violently. A general din of competing voices arose.
Gwinodje lifted her hands again. “Please, Little Matron Adusha entered our village unarmed and without guards. She deserves our utmost courtesy. I ask that you listen carefully to her words before you make any judgments.”
The assembly reluctantly hushed, anxiously awaiting the next volley from the other side.
Adusha seemed to have prepared herself for the hostility. She mildly looked around, meeting and holding gazes as she scanned the fifty people seated upon the benches around the fire. In a deeply apologetic voice, she continued, “You were betrayed. We know that now.”
Another flurry of voices rose and dwindled.
Adusha continued, “I am not your enemy. I give you my oath. I was one of the witnesses who testified on your behalf before our Ruling Council. You see, I was there in the Wolf Longhouse when Matron Zateri’s grandmother was murdered.” She patiently waited until the voices died down. “Though I didn’t know who he was at the time, I saw the terrible witch, Ohsinoh, enter her chamber. He left very quickly, and when we went to check on the High Matron we found her dead.”
The council house hummed with conversation. Rumors that High Matron Tila had been murdered had been flying about like summer bats, but no one in the New Hills nation knew their truth until this moment. Kwahseti was as stunned as everyone else.
Adusha called, “Let me tell you what conclusions our Ruling Council has come to after listening to many witnesses brought forward by the Wolf Clan elders.”
Yi inhaled a deep breath and slowly let it out. Her wrinkled face had rearranged into somber lines.
“First, Atotarho’s personal guards testified that they had accompanied the Chief to the Bear Clan longhouse in Atotarho Village the night before the High Matron’s murder. The Chief told the Bear Clan matron that he had ‘a proposition’ he thought she would appreciate. It seems clear that in exchange for retaining his position as chief, and being given free rein to make war on distant nations, he offered to claim that the murdered High Matron had named the Bear Clan matron as her successor.” Only the crackle of the fire filled her pause. All eyes focused unblinking on Adusha. “Matron Zateri of Coldspring Village is clearly the rightful High Matron of our nation.”
While the Ruling Council retained its dignity, the people who’d had their ears pressed to the council house walls, listening to the proceedings, burst into cheers. A riot of hoots and cries erupted, along with the sound of pounding feet, as the news swept Canassatego Village.
Kwahseti felt slightly weak in the knees. Chief Riverbank leaned to whisper to her, “I hope they know that the Bear Clan High Matron was only part of the problem.”
“We will make sure they know.”
Yi looked pointedly at Adusha. The Little Matron bowed deferentially and stepped back, yielding the floor to Matron Yi.
Yi walked to the edge of the benches. “The former matron of the Bear Clan, who stole the position of High Matron, is dead.”
Cries of joy exploded in the plaza, while the council house was filled with gasps and murmuring.
Yi raised her voice. “There is—as you all know—another matter to be considered. Chief Atotarho. While our Ruling Council refused to send him the two thousand warriors he requested, he remains in Standing Stone country with a large war party intent upon crushing the Standing Stone People once and for all. What is your opinion of this?”