Bonfire (1)

When night fell, A-Narah followed Feme out of the tent and headed to the center of the village. A large fire was at the cent and food was being roasted. People had laid out rugs and cushions on the ground to sit on. The women cooked and prepared the dishes for everyone to eat. The men rolled out barrels of water and one barrel of precious wine. Water was hard to come by in the desert, but they knew where it could be located, but wine was a real rarity. To get wine they needed to trade with other tribes or trade with people from the middle continent. The men were allowed to have a cup of wine a night. Women could only drink water or goat's milk.

A-Narah joined Feme on her rug. A-Narah saw Lael and the others through the fire and on the other side. Feme noticed where A-Narah was looking and said, "After dinner you can join them. First, we will serve the men so that they can eat, and then we will have our dinner."

"Why do you eat separately?" At home she wouldn't always eat with her father or brothers at dinner, but they would still at times eat at the same table together. They couldn't start until father had taken the first bite, but they would all share food and company.

"We do it to show our respect to the men of the tribe. The spend the day protecting and providing for us. This is a small way to show them thanks. They bring us the meal and we will serve it to them. When they have had their fill and regained their strength then we will eat the rest," Feme answered.

A-Narah wasn't sure how she felt about this. It was very different from how she was raised. There were some parts that weren't as restrictive as the Middle Kingdom. Women could walk about freely and interact with the men, but the needs of the men were always put before a woman's here. At home, women were confined to their homes, but they were treated like treasures. The men were the ones who doted on the women. Her brothers would always offer her the best cuts of meat, and her father would spoil her with anything she asked for. She could see similarities but the relationship between men and women were different here.

"Ara!" Anis waved at her and came over. "Feme," Anis added politely.

A-Narah scooted closer to Feme so that Anis would have room to sit on the rug.

"Hello Anis," A-Narah said. Anis looked different compared to earlier that day. Her clothes were no longer a dull and worn out, but bright and eye-catching. Her hair had also been brushed, but instead of wearing a full braid, Anis had done half of her hair into a braided crown that went around her head and the rest was left loose down her back. Looking her over A-Narah found Anis to look prettier than she had before. It was like comparing a withered leaf to a little daisy.

Anis sat down next to A-Narah and smiled brightly. After having looked Anis over once, A-Narah turned away. The girl might have made herself prettier, but having grown up next to Senna it was doubtful that girl would be able to use her looks to grab A-Narah's attention. Any girl wanting to compete with A-Narah based on looks was bound to be disappointed, A-Narah had long discarded any competition of that nature away years ago.

The women sat and waited for the men to finish eating. The women rotated nights on who would be cooking and serving. Many of the younger, unmarried girls were eager to do these tasks. It was another way for them to interact with the men and display their skills. Once the men were done and were ready to enjoy their wine the women got up to eat.

"Why don't women drink any of the wine?" asked A-Narah curiously. A-Narah glanced over to where the men sat. There was one large barrel that was in the center of them, but none of the women had gone over to get some or to even serve it.

"Women don't drink wine," Feme said.

"Why is that?"

"Wine comes from blood. The warriors drink it to restore any blood that was lost. It is better for women to drink the water which cleans our bodies and, in the morning, milk, which they will use to feed babies."

A-Narah dubiously looked away. She knew that wine came from fruit like grapes. She had asked her mother about it once, and at home the women drank wine together with the men. They even drank rare wines during days of celebration. Wine had nothing to do with blood.

A-Narah didn't like this place. Women were controlled too much. Before her movements might have been restricted, but she could eat what she wanted and do what she wanted. The way people here lived was just, abnormal. Even the way the women dressed. The clothing was too bright and showed too much skin, and besides the leather, their fabrics were much coarser than the ones she had. She now understood why the teachers would describe this place and these people as more barbaric compared to the people of Middle Kingdom.

A-Narah didn't comment further. Although, she didn't like what she had seen so far, she like Feme. And she didn't want to insult her or her way of life.

Anis pulled on A-Narah's arm. "Are you done? You can go see your friends now."

A-Narah put down her plate and got up with Anis. Many girls had already wandered to where the young warriors were seated. One of the older men with graying hair in the tribe, took out his drum and began to pound a rhythmic beat. The confident girls began to dance around the fire. Their shadows looming and hanging over their audience. A-Narah found her friends and sat down by them. She sat next to Lael and he smiled and patted her head. They all turned and quietly watched the dance.

"Anis, why aren't you joining them?" A-Narah whispered to her. Anis sat by her side, on the end of the rug.

"Only the girls who have someone they like will dance. If their feelings are reciprocated then the man will join and partner with her in her dance, but that usually only happens if they already have an agreement for marriage."

"So, you don't have anyone you like?" A-Narah asked.

Anis bit her lip and pulled her knees to her chest. She had to remind herself that Ara didn't know about her situation and wasn't purposefully mocking her. "No," Anis said, "I haven't found anyone like that yet."

After hearing Anis's reply A-Narah awkwardly looked away. She should have known since Anis wasn't dancing. She hadn't meant to poke at Anis. She more than anyone could understand not having a fiancé, or losing one. For girls around their age it was almost a crime to not have a marriage prospect.