A sudden hush fell over the crowd at Zarina's words. Tarvec looked shaken by her statement. Only a few people still living at Lion Camp had known Rydag, the mixed-spirits boy whom Nezzie had adopted so long ago, although most of them knew the story. But no one had ever considered the possibility that other people might also accept mixed spirits children… children who, unlike the sickly Rydag, would live to adulthood and take mates. Everyone looked at Nezzie and Talut, waiting to see their reactions.
"I'm sorry I couldn't meet him as well," Nezzie said. "But I'm a little confused. I thought I remembered Jerekal as being Zelandonii, Jondalar's people. But Tarvec and Lativec said that our visitors were Zarnadonii, just before Dannie brought you all inside. Am I just remembering the name wrong?"
"No, you're right. Jerekal was Zelandonii," Zarina answered. "It's a long story…"
"In that case, why don't we wait until after we eat to hear it?" Talut suggested. "I'm sure you all are hungry… and I know I am," the big man grinned. "Besides, Nezzie still makes the best stew anyone ever tasted."
"And you still think that complimenting my cooking will keep me from calling you a glutton when you go back for a third and fourth helping," Nezzie chuckled. "But you're right, long stories are best told and heard on full bellies. Much as I hate to let either of these two out of my sight, why don't you introduce them around while Dannie and I finish fixing the meal."
Talut did as he was ordered, making sure that Zarina and Willora met everyone. He was privately pleased to note that only a couple of people seemed hesitant about greeting Zarina, and those two had not been raised at Lion Camp.
Tarvec, standing off to one side, still couldn't believe that Zarina openly admitted to being of mixed spirits. More than that, he couldn't believe that Nezzie and Talut still accepted her as kin after she said so. Tusec, Bectie's oldest, who was Tarvec's age and also learning to train wolves, wandered over. "What's wrong with you?" he asked.
Tarvec shook his head. "I… I just can't believe it… about Zarina, I mean. And that Nezzie doesn't care that her own daughter…" He shivered slightly.
Tusec glared at his friend in disgust. "Oh, grow up, Tarvec! What difference could it possibly make to you?"
"But… but… I thought she was so nice!" Tarvec exclaimed. "I really liked her, coming here from Mammoth Camp."
Now Tusec laughed aloud. "Yes, well, she does seem nice… pretty, too. So tell me, how does you knowing that she's mixed make her any less nice?"
"Ahh, well…" Tarvec couldn't actually think of a good reason.
"Uh-huh," Tusec grinned. "I thought so. Well, while you are busy learning to keep an open mind, I'm going to go get to know Zarina." He strolled over to where Talut was still introducing the women around. "Talut, it is entirely unfair of you to keep such beauty all to yourself," he said. "Besides, you'd be far too old for them even if you weren't their kin. They need a handsome young man to escort them around. But since we haven't got one here in Lion Camp, I humbly volunteer my own services instead. If you would permit me, ladies?"
Talut's booming laughter filled the lodge. Tusec stepped forward and offered his hands to Zarina and Willora just as Nezzie called that the meal was ready. When they took his hands, he led them ceremoniously to the cooking hearth.
After everyone had eaten their fill of Nezzie's mammoth stew, even Talut, who had indeed gone back for a third helping, people began congregating at Mammoth Hearth to hear the visitors' stories. Only Tarvec hung back a ways, still disturbed by Zarina's earlier admission.
Zarina began the storytelling, relating the tale of Latie's Journey with Jerekal and Bologan of the Zelandonii. She spoke of how the three caught up with Danug less than a day's travel from the Losadunai, where Bologan's Promised mate awaited him, and of how they crossed the glacier with Madenia's infant.
She told of Latie's meeting with Echozar of the Lanzadonii, and of how Latie was immediately attracted to him because he reminded her of Rydag. Echozar had been mated, she said, and had a daughter born to his hearth, so Latie hadn't admitted her attraction. But his mating was unhappy. He quickly found himself drawn to Latie, but didn't wish to interfere in her happiness with Jerekal. So even when his mate died in an accident, he hadn't told Latie how he felt. But Jerekal, who considered Echozar a good friend, was able to see how the other man felt, and suggested to Latie that he'd be willing to co-mate with Echozar.
Zarina spoke of how Latie adopted Dalzarna, the daughter of Echozar's spirit, when she mated Echozar and Jerekal. And of how Jerekal, knowing that the Zelandonii people were prejudiced against those of mixed spirits, decided to found a whole new people.
Willora took over then, telling of the Zelandonii Summer Meeting, where several families joined the Zarnadonii. And she made everyone laugh with the story of Danug's stormy courtship, if it could be called that, of Jondalar's sister Folara. Then Zarina astonished everyone with the story of Latie's twins-plus-one, all three of whom survived. Next, Willora spoke of the early raiders, which led to the friendship between the Zarnadonii and Crun's clan.
And then it was Crebulan's turn. He told how Ayla brought new ways of thinking to the Zelandonii, especially once she became One Who Serves, and how those new ways began causing rifts within the Zelandonii. The people of Lion Camp were appalled by his tale of the slaughter at the Ninth Cave, and the subsequent attack on the Zarnadonii, which killed Echozar. But they were cheered to hear that the remnants of the Ninth Cave joined the Zarnadonii and found a new home, while Mut herself rendered judgement on the evildoers. Finally, Markolan spoke of the peaceful years that followed, and the Journey that the foursome made to find the Mamutoi.
When the tales were finished, there was a moment of silence in the lodge. Nezzie was the first to break the spell. She hugged Zarina and Willora tightly. In a voice thick with emotion, she told them, "It's late. You need to get some rest tonight, but tomorrow I want to hear all about your brothers and sisters. And I do mean everything!" She hugged them both once more before she headed to Lion Hearth and her own bed.
Tusec smiled admiringly at Zarina. "Nezzie's right, you must be tired," he said. "But I hope you'll find some time tomorrow to meet the wolf pups that I'm learning to train. I think you'll like them." He smiled again, and added, "You're also invited to meet the pups, Willora. Markolan and Crebulan as well."
"I would like that, thank you," Zarina replied with a yawn. "Sorry, it's not the company. I am tired. If you don't mind, I think I'm going to find my furs."
"If you need any help, just let me know," Tusec half-joked. "It would be a pleasure to find your furs."
Willora choked back a laugh as Zarina blushed.
Tarvec couldn't sleep. He knew he ought to be grateful that he'd found out that Zarina was mixed before he'd had an opportunity to share Pleasures with her. Mut knew, he never would have suspected… she might not be as beautiful as Willora, but she was quite pretty. He'd always thought that mixed people were ugly. Mut made them ugly on purpose, his mother told him, so that they wouldn't find mates. Without mates, they were much less likely to spawn more mixed children.
He tossed and turned in his furs. So, if that was true, Tarvec wondered, why had Zarina's mother mated a mixed man? With the agreement of her first man, even! What decent man would be willing to co-mate with an abomination? He supposed he could maybe understand Zarina's mother; after all, Nezzie had taken in that mixed boy all those years ago. So it was possible that Latie just didn't realize that there was a difference between showing kindness towards a mixed child and mating a mixed man. But Tarvec would have thought that her other man would have dropped her like a hot cooking stone when she first showed an interest in the mixed man.
Tarvec sighed and rolled over again. He didn't know what to think. Oh, he knew what his mother would say. She'd say how lucky he was to have avoided being tricked by the abomination, that some evil spirit must have made her attractive to lure men to an unfortunate fate. But… but… Zarina seemed so nice on the trip from Mammoth Camp, he just couldn't think of her as evil. Lion Camp didn't seem to think she was evil. More to the point, Tusec didn't seem to think so.
And that was the other thing, Tarvec thought. Tusec certainly hadn't wasted any time making up to Zarina. Not only that, his friend didn't seem to think that anything bad would happen as a result of sharing Pleasures with her. He wondered if Crebulan or Markolan had ever shared Pleasures with her… and if so, if anything had happened to them. His mother told him that sharing Pleasures with an abomination or a flathead would cause his manhood to wither. But he'd seen both men passing water during the time they traveled together… they looked normal enough. Then again, maybe they hadn't touched her. He wondered if he could find out which it was. Because if they had, and they were unharmed, he was going to have a lot of thinking to do. Tarvec sighed once more, and forced himself to relax. He needed to sleep.