The New Moon
Mooji is kneeling beside me as I wake. "How are you feeling?" she asked.
"I'm feeling much better now. But I just had the strangest dream." I said.
"It was just a dream. Don't fret about it. You need to replenish energy. The feast tonight will be a festive one, so make sure to eat but don't drink any of the fermented drinks." Giken said with worries in his eyes
"The pipe is friendly when it comes to food, so you don't have to worry about her eating after smoking." Mooji interrupted, and they both laughed hysterically.
I force a laugh to join in their conversation, but honestly I felt a little compelled to call out the connection they have, because I am afraid that Giken may not be able to love me in the same way that he does her.
"Come, let's get ready for the feast." Mooji said as she helped me to stand.
For the next few nights, we celebrated my joining the tribe. There was much dancing, singing, and smoking of course, but I still don't feel fully accepted. Nishkaadizi and his followers eye me with much disgust from afar. I get this strong feeling that something bad is going to happen. I wonder what color he transforms into.
*
I am surrounded by men, all looking very different from one another. Everyone seemed blurred and amongst the crowd, I saw Giken.
"Giken." My mouth worded but no sound came out. I pushed through the crowd, making my way towards Giken, but everyone seemed to grow taller and taller and they blocked me from seeing him. I reach my arm out for Giken and he takes my hand, pulling me into his arm.
He embraced me tightly into his arms, but something was off. He was wearing a black cloak. I tilted my head back to look up at his face and realized that it wasn't Giken. A man with deep blue eyes and blue hair peered down at me. His gaze was sincere and full of reminisce that I just froze in place. I know this face.
"Little one?" his voice echoed.
"Jerell?" my voice finally slipped out in sound and I woke up announcing his name.
Ugh, what is happening to me?
The new moon was upon us and it was planned that the Ritual of Senses was going to take place to see what gift the Ma'iingan ancestors would bestow on me. I am nervous. What if it's something I don't want?
On that very same day, the retrieval mission was initiated and a map of the new areas was to be made. The four groups of men rally up as tasks are being assigned. They are creating a map altogether by exploring the borders of their camp. Each Lead is in charge of one side of the compass.
For instance, Pane is incharge of mapping west of camp borders and Jerell of south borders. Kharrl is north of the border and Czechvi was supposed to be east, but east was the river so he was put in charge of camp.
"We meet up at dawn and sketch our maps together and continue again tomorrow. If you reach an impasse, turn back around and we will figure something out. DO NOT ATTACK SAVAGES!! If you see them, just run. We are NOT trying to start war." Pane called out.
Jerelliyus is a natural hunter and his combative skills have improved greatly during these many years. He is the only one allowed to travel alone. Everyone grouped in three or more men with one of them quilling a parchment. A measuring string is used to mark a mile at a time on the drafted map.
Jerelliyus and his followers are divided heading south. Most are spread to go south and south east along the river, but Jerell travels southwest.
He reached a cliff with a deep drop off, near a waterfall and noticed the skid marks alongside the edges. In his investigation, he evaluated some tree roots, clothing materials, and dirt nearby he was able to conclude that someone must've fallen off.
Jerelliyus removes his cloak revealing a backpack he has been carrying with him. He reaches in and grabs a long rope.
He folds his cloak into his bag and puts his backpack back on. Quickly, he ties the rope to a nearby tree and works his way propelling down the cliff.
Jerelliyus's tracking skills are stupendous. As soon as he reaches the bottom, he ties his rope to the side of the cliff, to hide it from view. Working along the riverbank, he finds nothing, which tells him only one thing; the person falling must have fallen into the waters.
Watching the flow of the river, it was obvious, they traveled fast with the currents downriver. He empties one of his water canisters and tosses it into the river to assess its speed. Jerelliyus runs alongside the riverbank, following his canister.
After a long run, Jerelliyus was able to see an area where the canister had pooled into and remained stuck.
"There it is." Jerelliyus said, smirking and sprinting his way down to the cul de sac of water.
Upon arrival, he jumped into the water to retrieve his canister and then worked his muddy way back up to the riverbank. Jerelliyus studied his new surroundings realizing that it looked very staged.
With a branch he just picked up, he swiftly ruffled around leaves and dirt until he hit a pile of stone.
"What's this?" Jerelliyus bents down and starts moving leaves and dirt out of the way, revealing smooth stones and charcoal. "What is this… a firepit of stones?" He rapidly ruffled more leaves around in the area and found more holes with stones. Then he saw the big pile of branches overlapping on top of each other. "They survived the fall." he muttered to himself and smiled.
*
It was almost dawn, Mooji and two of her followers had dressed me for the ritual. No paint was to stain my skin, so I can remain my truest and purest form.
"There will be no moon tonight. It will be very very dark. You will see things and hear things, but just remember there will be people right outside."
"Well, where are we going?" I asked Mooji but she didn't reply.
A long awkward pause lingered for a while before Gimtimi barged in.
"WEY!" she yelled and we all turned our heads to look at her. "I need to hide! Shh, don't tell them where I am." She then dashed under one of the tables wrapping herself in a stitch of fur. Since, her stature was so tiny, you could barely tell she was even there.
Just then Nishkaadizi and Giken barged in.
"GIMTIMI!" they yelled in unison, but were only met with our silent stares.
"Where is that lazy rat?" Nishkaadizi yelled.
"She's probably not here." Giken said, trying to calm Nishkadizi. "I will kill her myself if I find her hiding in here. The ladies are dressing, we should leave." Giken said with haste.
Nishkaadizi quickly turned his face away and apologized as Giken pushed him out to exit. He then gave me a dimpled smile right before running out to join Nishkaadizi.
I smile at the thought of his handsome dimples as I look down, twirling the beads of my necklaces around with my fingers. His smile just makes my heart flutter every time. Then I look up and Mooji is looking at the entrance smiling just like me. She must really love him too.
Gimtimi jumped out of her wrapping and gasped for air. "Why did it take them so long to leave? I nearly died holding my breath!"
"Why did you hold your breath?" I asked her.
"Because, Nishkaadi can smell me. His nose is the best of all of us, you know."
It took a second before I realized that that statement was a reference to their wolf transformation.
"WOW! You look mesmerizing. If only you can give me a kiss, I will do whatever it is you want me to do." She gazed at me all starry eyed with both her hands cupped under her chin as she adores me.
"Shoo! Get out of here. Can't you see we are preparing her for the ritual?" Mooji screeched at Gimtimi."Your nasty presence is going to blotch onto her pureness."
"Aww, but I want to see more. Maybe some perky breasts or maybe just a little cleavage?"
Mooji's followers quickly snatched Gimtimi by her arms and flailed her out of the hut.
"I KNEW YOU WERE IN THERE!!" Giken and Nishkaadizi yelled as they grabbed hold of Gimtimi.
"YOU LITTLE PERV! GOING INTO A WOMAN'S PLACE TO PEEK AT HER WHILE SHE'S DRESSING INSTEAD OF GRATING DRIED CORN OFF ITS COB?" Nishkaadizi shouted and you can hear the people outside scolding Gimtimi's bad behaviors.
"Well, you're one to talk. YOU two were in there too!" People gasp at Gimtimi's words.
"Hey, she's my partner. I can go in if I'd like." Giken responded.
"Yea, you can. But NOT Nishkaadizi."
"How dare you accuse me!" From the cluttering of footsteps you can tell a crowd is growing and without seeing his face, I knew Nishkaadizi was probably as red as a tomato.
"You look so much like us with your black hard and almond shaped eyes. The only difference is that your skin is paler than ours. I've seen some savages coming from the north once, and you look nothing like them." Mooji said, pulling my attention away from the action taking place outside.
"My nana was from China. Her husband was a merchant doing trade off of the Silk Road. I've never met any of my grandparents and have only heard my mother's stories about them. They eloped to London, madly in love and had my mother. She, in time, had me. She never talked about my father nor do I know what titles or House he is from. All I know is that I am Sereen, probably a bastard child."
The room is somber and one of the followers start to brush the tangles out of my hair with a brush made of porcupine spikes.
"What is China?" Mooji asked and I started to explain to her all the stories that my mother had told me.
*
The sky has grown dark. There were barely any stars in the sky nor was the moon anywhere to be found. My heart is racing and my anxiety is peaking high.
"What is going to happen to me? Why am I doing this? What if something bad happens to me, or worse, to Giken?" Questions jumble around in my mind and I start to panic.
"Breathe Sereen. Breathe. Slowly… slowly… ikwaanamo" I calmed myself, but suddenly felt the urge to get some fresh air. "I will be right back." I said to Mooji as I exited outside where I met with Giken.
"Where are you going? Are you not well?" He asked me.
"I am well. I just need to uhh… to uhh…"
"What is it?"
"I need to relieve myself." I said with embarrassment.
"Oh, sorry. Go ahead. Should you need me, all you need to do is call my name."
The festivity continues and it's loud and deafening.
I made my way into the woods nearby and hid behind a tree. I lean my back into the tree and cover my ears to try to get some quietness, just so I can clear my mind. Suddenly, hands reach around from the side of the tree, one hand grabbing my shoulder and the other covering my mouth, pulling me deeper into the woods.