People of the Mist(143)

“Cousin, you are beyond your age in wisdom.” He rubbed the back of his neck to ease the tension. Such foolishness and disobedience. All this trouble because of a young headstrong woman? How had things gone so wrong in Shell Comb’s daughter? Of all the freshly made women in the clan, Red Knot should have understood the profound responsibility that was hers.

Quick Fawn shrugged. “She told me I was a foolish child. She said that I’d never understand the path to greatness. And then she told me something that made no sense.”

“And that was?”

Quick Fawn frowned, concentrating as if to get the words right. “She said, “She can cover her tracks with ashes, if she wants. But this mistake is taking her life into her own hands.” “

“What does that mean?”

Quick Fawn shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve thought about it. “She’ could be the Weroansqua. Red Knot didn’t say “I am taking my life into my own hands.” That would make you think she might have been talking about herself.”

“And the ashes?”

“I don’t know. Do you? Did you burn something for the Weroansqua?”

Nine Killer shook his head. “No. I mean, nothing out of the ordinary. We’ve burned long houses on raids, but not on special orders.”

“Is there some adult ritual I don’t know about? Some ceremony where tracks are covered with ashes? Maybe something in the HuskanawT’

“No. Nothing like that.” He paused. ” “She can cover her tracks with ashes, if she wants. But this mistake is taking her life into her own hands.” That makes no sense. How can a mistake take her life in her own hands?”

“I told you, Elder, I don’t know what she meant, but she sounded very serious about it.”

“I believe you, cousin. Then what happened?”

“I asked her one last time, pleaded with her not to run off. I started to tell her about her duty again, and she cut me off.”

Quick Fawn stared hollowly at the steaming pots. From the vacant look, she was reliving that night. “She got this hurt look in her eyes, Elder. As if she couldn’t believe I would be telling her this. “I thought you’d be happy for me, Quick Fawn,” she said. Then she shook her head. “But I guess I’ve misjudged you just like I’ve misjudged so many others.” “

Quick Fawn wiped her hand under her nose. “I said I wanted her to be happy, but that there were things we all had to do. That for her, as part of the Weroansqua’s family, she had even greater responsibilities than the rest of us.”

“That is true,” Nine Killer replied. “Everything comes with a price, cousin. Especially authority.”

“I could tell you about responsibility in the Weroansqua’s family,” she said. “But I won’t rob you of your precious illusions.” She laughed’ then mocking me. She said, “You’re so pitiful! Go ahead. Be a slave to them for the rest of your life.” That’s when White Otter showed up. She didn’t even say anything. She must have heard the tone in Red Knot’s voice. White Otter just turned around and walked off.”

“And then Red Knot left?”

Quick Fawn swallowed hard. “Red Knot said, “There goes another fool. Marry her to that monster—or marry him yourself, but promise me one thing.” I said I would.”

“And what was that?”

“She said, “Don’t tell anyone I’ve gone. They’ll find out soon enough.” ” Quick Fawn wrapped her string around her fist, pulling the fiber tight enough to stretch her smooth skin. “I just nodded and turned around to leave. I went halfway back to the long house and stopped. I couldn’t just let her go. I had to go back and tell her that I’d go to the Weroansqua if I had to. Anything to stop her.”

Nine Killer heard the reservation in her voice. “Then, why didn’t you tell someone she was going? As a clans woman, you could have come to me.”

“I would have awakened Mother and told her first. She could have taken it to you, or the Weroansqua.” She looked up, expression anguished. “Red Knot would hate me for the rest of my life. But I couldn’t let her leave,” let her disgrace our clan that way. We’d all have to pay. It wasn’t right to do that to the Greenstone clan, to her mother, and the Weroansqua.” Quick Fawn took a breath. “But then I didn’t have to. I thought the man and woman would tell on her instead.”

“Man and woman? What man and woman? Did you see someone else out there?”

Quick Fawn nodded. “I cut across behind the House of the Dead this time, thinking I’d catch Red Knot on the way to get her things.” Quick Fawn twisted the loop of string into a knot. “They didn’t hear me coming. They had been in the shadows behind the House of the Dead, just around the curve of the wall from where we’d been standing. I could see them silhouetted against the firelight reflecting oh the palisade. They were standing up, arguing in whispers.”