Love Thine Enemy

Feast

I stopped at the river on my way back to rinse off the blood in my fur. I was healing quickly and did not want anyone to know I'd been injured, lest they think less of their 'moon warrior' or stop believing that Tunmo defeated a beast. My pace was slow back to the village, following Tunmo's scent and allowing myself time to dry and heal a bit more. I really was in no hurry to return anyway. I was used to living alone, and though these people were interesting to watch, I valued my solitude.

It wasn't long enough before I reached the edge of the wood and entered the village, darkness hiding my presence for a short while. A large fire was burning in the middle of a stone pit amongst the cloth houses, many people dressed in skins and dancing wildly around the flames, chanting and hollering to the moon. Tunmo was seated in a large circle with the others, watching the festivities and clapping and whooping along. Someone had smeared the bear's blood across his cheeks and forehead in a marking; I supposed it was to show his bravery and success. He looked utterly happy in that moment, and I was content to just sit in the shadows and watch this strange people come together in a strong bond of fellowship I would never understand or feel.

"Lovely feast."

I did not startle at Adda Faw's voice, smelling her scent long before she stepped beside me. I turned to look at her attire, heavy necklaces and face paint, before looking back at the fire.

"You bring Tunmo back," she whispered, tentatively placing a hand on my hunched back. "Thank you. He safe, proud now. You do this. Do this for him. Good Nashoba."

I didn't respond to her in any way, but her words struck pride in my chest. I had brought him back, and now he was a brave warrior among his people. A boy became a man.

"Tunmo," Adda began again, "he smart. Too smart for here. I sent him off, learn good language from teacher. Bright future. Smart."

That explained his developed speech. I watched him more closely and realized maybe he didn't really belong in this place. He had potential that would not be met in the woods hunting hogs or in the rivers catching fish. I had no aspirations. My only goal from day to day was survival. It was strange to think that if Tunmo was meant for something bigger than this place, perhaps I was meant for something bigger, too.

"You could stay," Adda said quietly, not looking at me anymore. Her eyes reflected the fire before us. "Tunmo love you. My people respect you. Stay? You have home here."

My ears perked at that word. Home. Did I have one, maybe years ago? Was there a place I belonged? Could this place really be my home? I mulled her words over, uncertainty holding my excitement at bay.

"Think on," Adda said after a moment. She came around to face me and began straightening out the feathers in my fur that had become ruffled in the woods. She took yet another necklace from around her neck to place on me, but this one was different. The beads were black and the thread strong, a carved bone made into a wolf head with a feather in its fur hanging from the middle. She looped it around my neck to let the art piece hang against my chest.

"Nice to have home," she whispered. "Nice to have people."

Her rough hands patted my chest twice before she turned with a small smile and headed to the circle of her people around the fire. I sat for a moment longer, thinking her offer over, then got up and sauntered over to the group. I chose to sit behind Tunmo, towering over his head, and surveyed the festivities again. His pride at having me pick him to sit by did not escape me as his chest puffed up. He leaned his head back and gazed at me briefly with a grin before going back to singing along with the dancers.

"Nashoba!"

I swiveled my head to see Notali dancing over to me, a raccoon pelt hooded over her hair with the teeth of the animal hanging down on her forehead. She held a large stone covered in that steaming brown meat I'd been given earlier in the day, a smile on her face, and my mouth watered. Without her even coming to a complete stop before me, I snatched two pieces at once and scarfed them down with no regard to the hotness of it. Notali's eyes widened but her grin never faded, so I assumed the meat had been meant for me anyway. She knelt down before Tunmo and offered him a piece as well, then turned around and made her way around the fire to serve others. My stomach growled at the sight of others eating, causing my feet to carry me forward toward the meat with plans to take the rest.

Adda Faw stopped my stalking of the meats by placing a bowl of steaming stew, white hash, corn, and something else I didn't recognize in front of my paws. She stroked my head as I bent down to eat, causing a growl to erupt from my throat only by instinct. No animal likes to be touched while eating. She retracted her hand but did not seem offended; she simply began clapping her hands to the music again. This gesture didn't seem like much of a deal to her, but to not be struck after growling at the hand that fed you was new to me. Pasos' punishment was delivered swiftly if I ever showed aggression toward him.

The food was gone all too quickly while I was stuck in my thoughts, but my stomach no longer howled and this new steaming hot type of food satisfied me more than my fur covered kills in the pit. I sat back on my haunches and lowered myself to the ground so that I lay between Tunmo and the warrior to his left. The man tensed as my shoulder brushed with his but made no move to protest. Tunmo instinctively reached out a hand and placed it on my side, eyes sparkling as others watched his actions in awe.

The dancers began pulling people from the crowd to join them, the food was still being passed around, drinks were shared, and these people celebrated me far into the night. I was given blankets and beads and food and trinkets to show their praises, and I allowed anyone who wished it to stroke my fur.

Looking around as the sun began to rise, I felt my heart begin to settle into the rhythm of the drums and the melody of the Windigo, a song that soundly oddly like home.