She nodded. “I believe that is reasonable. Which means we can be ready to leave in, let me see—if we send a runner tomorrow morning—two days for him to get there, two days back, then five days to pack. We could be ready in, say, nine or ten days. But it may take us three or four days to get there, carrying our belongings and shepherding the children.”
“In total, then,” Seedpod said, “we could expect you at the new village site in about ten-and-three days.”
“Yes.”
“Good.” Seedpod nodded. “By the time your runner returns here, Musselwhite, Pondwader, and I should be at Windy Cove. If the site has proven out, we will leave Windy Cove five days later. That way we can all start for the new site at about the same time.”
“And arrive at roughly the same time,” Floating Stick added. “This will be helpful. We can organize our clans and aid each other with setting up shelters, then hunting and gathering food. It will be a good way for new relatives to become acquainted.”
Floating Stick smiled and Seedpod nodded approvingly.
“It is settled then,” Moonsnail said.
“Yes.” Seedpod slapped his hands on his knees. “And, if you have nothing more to discuss with me, Moonsnail, I will begin packing for my trip home.”
Moonsnail nodded. “Will you be staying this night will us? Or do you plan to leave later today?”
“I’ll need to consult with Musselwhite. I don’t—”
Floating Stick sniggered, then leaned backward and laughed aloud. Seedpod turned to peer at him curiously, and Floating Stick said, “That may depend on whether or not your new son-in-law keeps your daughter busy in the blankets all day! Eh, Moonsnail? What do you think? Will Pondwader let his wife up long enough to get packed for the journey to Windy Cove? Or will he keep her pinned to the floor mats?”
Moonsnail chuckled. “We shall see.”
Seedpod’s white brows arched. With a smile, he said, “If Pondwader is still alive after trying to pin Musselwhite to the mats, we had all best help him get packed—because he’ll need to run fast.”
Floating Stick roared and clapped appreciatively while Moonsnail chuckled. Dark Rain smiled. Only Kelp seemed unaffected by the joke. In fact, she seemed dejected by the entire discussion. She had begun following the edge of her big toe with her thumb.
Moonsnail waved a hand at Seedpod. “Go prepare your things! I will be over later with food and water for your journey.”
Seedpod bowed. “My daughter and I thank you.” Then, as an afterthought, he smiled and amended, “My daughter, son-in-law, and I thank you.” He turned and walked across the village toward the council shelter.
Floating Stick rose on rickety knees, still snickering. His stringy old muscles quivered. “Call if you need me, Moonsnail. I’m going to go and nap. All this talk of coupling has sapped my strength.”
“You old fool,” Moonsnail said affectionately. “Go on. Go home to your wife. I will let you know if anything of importance occurs.”
Floating Stick nodded and headed toward his own shelter on the southern end of the village. Sunlight sparkled in his wispy hair as he bent over to talk to a crowd of children playing in the sand. Bright giggles erupted, and two little boys rose and clung to his hands as he continued on his way.
Moonsnail smiled. What an old fool he was. She had known him for five-tens-and-five summers, and had enjoyed every moment. He’d been quite a prankster as a youth. One of his favorite tricks had been to hide in the blankets of newly married couples and leap up just before they found him. If they found him. He claimed he’d witnessed the conception of half a dozen babies because the couples had not discovered him until too late—and, knowing him, it was probably true.
Dark Rain got to her feet and stretched her arms over her head in that lazy sensual manner that made her breasts strain against her tunic. “Mother, I’m very tired. I think I’ll go take a nap, too.”
“Please do.”
Dark Rain hesitated, then eyed her askance. “Why? Are you planning on talking about me when I’m gone?”
“You may be absolutely certain, daughter of mine, that I will save anything unpleasant to say to your face. Now, go. I wish to speak with my granddaughter.”
Kelp seemed to wake. She jerked and looked up. “What? What did you say, Grandmother?”
“I said I wish to speak with you.”
Kelp blanched and peered fearfully at her mother. Dark Rain’s eyes narrowed, as if she sensed something amiss, but didn’t know what.
“Leave, Dark Rain,” Moonsnail ordered. When Dark Rain opened her mouth to say something else, Moonsnail cut her off with, “Do I have to find my walking stick to beat you?”