Winter's Tree

16 - All Will Be Well

Makaro left with Oyeka two days later. He did not try to speak with her, nor she with him. She hadn't stayed long that night, fleeing back into the shadows of the tents, towards her own, where she had cried herself to sleep.

On the day of their departure, she did not see them off, busying herself instead with seeing to the stores of winter supplies. With the herd yet to arrive and the first snows of winter threatening the skies, the clan grew restless with worry. Ensuring a well-stocked reserve would do much to assuage their fears. Acorns and dried tubers were not inspiring to the palate, and their bland flavour, eaten day after day, would set many of the people's teeth and tempers on edge. They were wholesome, though, and filling. They had seen them through many lean winters before and would again if needed.

As was customary they kept the stock a small distance from the camp, and by the time she returned to the tents, Makaro was already gone. She wondered briefly if Tebia had seen him off, but pushed the thought away angrily. She would not think of it. Not now. There were too many things to do.

She stopped often, on her way towards the main fire, to speak with the people of the clan. Her father had tasked her with the duty of raising the spirits of the people, and she did her best to comply.

Some of the people expressed concern about the early winter, fearing, perhaps, the spirit of the gods were angry with them. Others were afraid the blue-eyed men would come again and kill them as they had killed Bene's people. Most, though, were worried about the absence of the herd. All three of these things gnawed at Ayessa as well, but she could not tell them that.

"People need to know someone is in charge," her father had said, "that someone is doing something about their fears and worries. They need not know that that someone is also afraid. That is a Chieftain's solemn secret and his greatest burden. We carry the weight of these things so our people do not have too. Do you understand that, Ayessa?"

She hadn't then, but she did now. What she told them instead was that they had a plan. The invaders would not come, the winter stores would carry them through, and summer would come again.

"All will be well," she said, over and over till the sound of the words lost all meaning to her ears.

She paused to watched Judaii and Heime, who were helping the men of the clan strip wood off branches for tent poles. The new men and woman who had arrived with Bene had been sleeping under skins since their arrival, but with winter coming, they would need warmer accommodations.

The two young boys were solemn and serious faced. A byproduct, perhaps, of what they had seen. They were not brothers, but both had lost their family during the massacre of their people, and both stayed now with Fakeem in her tent. It could not lessen her own loss, but caring for them seemed to give her renewed purpose.

Reaching the main fire, Ayessa seated herself beside her father.

"And what do the people say today, daughter?" he asked her, his voice low, for her ears alone.

"The same as yesterday," she admitted. "They worry about the winter, about the strangers, but mostly about the herd."

Her father tapped two fingers against his lower lip as he gazed into the flames, deep in thought.

"Perhaps it is time we found the herd," he said after a moment.

She frowned. "You want us to go find the herd?"

"Not us. You."

"Me?"

"They can't be far," he said. "No more than a day or two. Take Eshemwa, he will keep you safe."