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keep us from trespassing on prohibited grounds."
"Why are these places off-limits?" Qonja asked.
"I cannot say." The Skartesh glanced at the chieftain. "The oKiaf do not discuss such matters with outsiders."
While the men were talking, Dnoc came and crouched in front of me. He turned his head and muttered something to Jylyj.
"The chieftain wishes to speak to you, Healer Jarn." The Skartesh moved beside us. "You may look at him."
The chieftain had piercing blue eyes, one of which was surrounded by six parallel scars that formed deep grooves in his black fur. So many beads and
small wood carvings had been added to the dozens of braids in his mane that his entire head seemed to sparkle with light.
He spoke at length, and only when he finished did Jylyj translate the words.
"Dnoc has been having vision dreams of an offworlder female marked by ice and fire," the Skartesh said. "So have some of the other men of the tribe.
The oKiaf believe their dreams are portents, so they were not surprised to see you. He is gratified to know that you are a healer. He believes that is also a
sign."
Dnoc reached out and hooked a sharp claw under the moonstone beads I had tucked under the front of my long shirt. He gently tugged them out and
examined them, and repeated a handful of words.
"He says the necklace you wear is proof of the portent," the Skartesh translated. "He believes it is made of fire and ice, trapped in stone. He says it
marks you as belonging to the great healer."
"We won't tell him that Hawk gave it to me as a gift of friendship." The chieftain's story intrigued me, however. "Who is this great healer?"
"It is only a figure from an old myth." Jylyj didn't seem very interested in it, either. "You should express your gratitude to the chieftain. He pays you a great
compliment."
I nodded and said, "Your words honor me. I thank you."
Once Jylyj had translated that into oKiaf for the chieftain, Dnoc grunted and gave my face a fond pat before standing. He called out, and a moment later
three tribesmen appeared.
As Dnoc spoke to his men, Jylyj said, "They are taking us to the kiafta reserved for special guests. We are to eat and rest until the night fires."
When we emerged from the chieftain's personal kiafta, the crowd of oKiaf waiting outside surprised me. I had thought the tribe would continue to keep
their distance until word that we had been made welcome by their leader had been passed around the encampment.
Then there was their unnerving interest. Hawk and Qonja should have received the most attention, as they were the most exotic-looking members of the
team, but everyone seemed to be staring at me.
I held on to Reever's hand. "Why are they looking at me like that?" I murmured to him.
"I don't know," he admitted. "But whatever happens, stay close to me."
One young male stepped boldly in front of us, stopping us in our tracks. He moved past Jylyj, Qonja, and Hawk and approached me. I studied his pale
gray pelt and the many scarification marks he had on his arms before I realized I was staring. I quickly ducked my head and bit my lip, hoping he hadn't
noticed.
The male went down on his hands and knees as he sniffed at my footgear and leggings. He did the same to the front of my long shirt, rising slowly until
he loomed over me. He bent to sniff my hair, his breath blowing some of it over my eyes.
Reever pushed me behind him and uttered a few words in oKiaf. At the same time, Jylyj moved in and bumped his shoulder into the young male's as he
said something in a challenging tone.
The young male stepped back, looked me over one more time, and then rejoined a group of males. They cuffed him on the arms and chest and talked
very fast.
"It's all right," Jylyj said. "Some of the younger men of the tribe like to test certain boundaries. It's usually tolerated unless it gets out of hand." He turned
to my husband. "How did you know what to say?"
"I absorbed some of their language during my contact with Dnoc." Reever scanned the faces watching us before giving the Skartesh a flat, unfriendly
look. "I hope I made my meaning clear."
"You have," Jylyj said.
I had the feeling they weren't talking about the young tribesman anymore.
"I'm getting a little hungry," I said to my husband. "Jylyj, will they bring our packs to the guest shelter? We need our rations."
The Skartesh nodded and turned to speak to one of our escorts.
Reever gripped my hand a little more firmly. "Nicely done," he murmured.
"I think enough challenges and meanings have been dealt with for one day," I said. "And, as it happens, I am hungry."
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