Crebulan, Markolan, Ranie, and Oma rode steadily northward for about half a moon. Oma rode double with Ranie most of the time, partly as they were the two lightest, but also because Crebulan wanted Oma to gain some fluency in Mamutoi before they arrived at the Summer Meeting. The two young women spent most of their riding time chatting, which led to Ranie learning of a complication for Oma. Ranie was describing a typical Mamutoi Mother Festival when Oma asked a question.
"You say, at Mother Festival people share Pleasures?" she asked. "And sharing Pleasures, that is when man relieves his needs with a woman. So what is signal of Others, so I will know if man want me?"
"Signal?" the startled Ranie questioned back. "What do you mean by that?" She twisted around to look at her younger companion.
Oma, blushing, made the signal. "When man wants to relieve his needs, he make that sign to woman he wants. I always wonder what it feel like, but I am ugly. No man ever signal me, no boy either. But Creb-oo-lan says Others will think I am pretty. Maybe at Mother Festival some man will want me and I finally find out."
"Oma, believe me, you are very pretty to the eyes of the Others. Many men will want to share Pleasures with you, and they probably won't wait for a Mother Festival, either. But Others don't have a signal like the Clan," Ranie said. Then she thought about it for a moment. "Well, I suppose we sort of have signals, but nothing so obvious as that. Men will kiss a woman they want… how she responds tells him if she also wants him or not."
"Woman allowed say no to man like that?" Oma was incredulous. "And he not get angry? Also… what is kiss?"
Ranie was momentarily at a loss, but she gathered her wits and attempted to explain. "Among Others," she said carefully, "men don't command as they do in the Clan. They ask instead, and if a woman is doing something else, they are not disturbed if she tells them she is busy. For example, when Crebulan got two rabbits the other day, he asked me to clean them. But I was in the middle of putting up the tent, so I told him he'd have to wait."
"Yes, I remember," Oma nodded. "But what is kiss?"
"That one is very difficult to explain," Ranie laughed. "It's a touch of mouth on mouth. I'll demonstrate with Crebulan when we stop for the night. Which," she added with a glance at the sky, "should be any time now."
Sure enough, Markolan and Crebulan were slowing their mounts and scanning the landscape for a good campsite for the night. When they found a pleasant spot adjacent to a brook, they dismounted and started unpacking tents and bedrolls. Ranie and Oma quickly joined them.
"Crebulan, Oma wants to know what a kiss is; care to demonstrate?" Ranie invited with a grin.
Crebulan gave her his slow, charismatic smile in return. "Do you really think I would turn down an opportunity like that?" he teased. Then he tipped up her chin and gave her a lingering kiss while Oma watched in unabashed curiosity.
"We need to talk… she isn't actually a woman yet," Ranie whispered before Crebulan released her.
He nodded to her, then smiled at Oma. "So, that was a kiss. What do you think of it?"
"I think Others have strange ways," Oma laughed. "But kiss look nice. Maybe someday I get kiss, too."
"I'm sure you will, Oma, I'm sure you will. But right now, we need to finish setting up camp and get the meal started. I don't know about you, but I could just about eat a mammoth right now."
"I am hungry," Oma replied.
Ranie and Oma headed for a stand of berry bushes while Crebulan and Markolan finished pitching the tents and started the fire. Markolan was spitting a bustard when Crebulan approached him. "Ranie just told me Oma isn't technically a woman," he told his friend. "But I don't know that we're going to make it to the Mamutoi Summer Meeting in time for her to join in their First Rites. Not to mention, it would be hard on her, when she doesn't know the customs. I'm no Zarnadoni, but I think we ought to make a ceremony for her before we get back to the Mamutoi. I'm too closely related to her, though, as she's the daughter of my brother's mate. Would you be willing to partner her for First Rites?"
"Of course," Markolan replied. "But not tonight. We should stay camped for at least a day or two if we're going to do this properly. Well, as properly as possible," he grinned.
"I'll carve a donii for her tonight," Crebulan said. "If Ranie is willing to help, we can stay here over tomorrow and have Oma's First Rites then."
Crebulan, busy carving, asked Ranie to stay up with him for a few moments after Oma went to bed that evening. He let her know what conclusions he and Markolan had reached, and she agreed that it was the best thing they could do for Oma. The young Clan-raised woman was going to have to deal with enough strange customs, once they arrived at the Summer Meeting, as it was. Ranie agreed there was no point insisting she be treated as a girl, when by Clan custom she was a woman. Better to have a private First Rites now, so Oma would truly be a woman when they reached the Mamutoi.
Everyone was up at the usual time in the morning, but by agreement, the two young men gulped a meal and disappeared, to return at sunset. Oma was confused. "Why Creb-oo-lan and Markolan go?" she asked.
"It has to do with you," Ranie said carefully. "You told me yesterday, no man has ever relieved his needs with you. By the customs of the Others, that means you are still a child. But by Clan tradition, you became a woman when you bled for the first time. Crebulan thought it would be a little easier for you if we… the three of us, I mean… made sure you were a woman according to the Others, before we actually reached the Others."
"But if Creb-oo-lan or Markolan will relieve his needs with me, why they go away?" Oma asked, still puzzled.
"Well…" Ranie wasn't quite sure how to explain. "Let me ask you a question, then maybe I can explain better. In the Clan, is anything special done when a girl is signaled for the first time?"
"No," Oma replied. "Sometimes, not always, she bleeds little bit, has to go clean up."
Ranie sighed. "All right, so to the Clan, the first bleeding is what makes a girl a woman. To Others, it is when a man relieves his needs with her for the first time. It is done with a special ceremony. We are going to have that ceremony for you today."
"Why"
"You already think of yourself as a woman, right?" At Oma's nod, Ranie continued. "So, to keep everyone else from treating you as a child, we are making sure you are a woman by the standards of the Others. Besides," Ranie smiled, "you admitted yesterday that you wondered what it was like to share Pleasures with a man. Here's your chance to find out."
Oma laughed. "I not think of it that way," she said. "So, is ceremony why Creb-oo-lan and Markolan not here? Clan women not allowed take part in most ceremonies, but when are allowed, must do purification apart, not near men."
"Exactly right," laughed Ranie. "Markolan will teach you about Pleasures later tonight. He will return when the sun goes down. For today, I will help you purify yourself and try to answer any questions you have."
"One question, why Markolan?" Oma hesitated, wanting to be clear. "Is not I not like Markolan, he is nice. But so is Creb-oo-lan. I just wonder how they choose."
"Crebulan is the brother of the man of your hearth," Ranie said seriously. "By the customs of the others, he is too closely related to share Pleasures with you." She continued to explain kinship as counted by the Mamutoi and Zarnadonii while they bathed and combed out their hair. She had Oma rest while she prepared the evening meal and cleaned up afterwards. Just as the sun was setting, Ranie sent Oma into the tent to await Markolan.
And just in time, as the two young men appeared across the brook. Crebulan escorted Ranie into the other tent as Markolan joined Oma.
Markolan was a little nervous. Zarnadonii traditions held that only mated men could take part in First Rites, so this was his first time participating in such a ceremony. But, he thought, he did have experience with Pleasures. What must Oma be feeling? After all, she'd grown up without even the idea of Pleasures. He looked at her in the moonlight filtering in through the tent's open smoke hole, and reached out to caress her cheek. "Are you scared?" he asked.
"Maybe little," she admitted. "Not used to man so close. I am ugly, men not like be too close."
"You are not ugly, Oma. Not to the Others. You are very pretty. Many men will want to be very close to you, Oma." He leaned in and kissed her softly. "They will want to give you Pleasures." He kissed her again, feeling her beginning to respond. Slowly he deepened the kiss, pulling her into his embrace. She quivered slightly in his arms as her breath came faster. "What are you feeling?" Markolan whispered as he nuzzled her ear.
"Dizzy," Oma murmured. "And like… like expecting something, but not sure what." She stiffened slightly, then relaxed as his hand moved up to cup one breast. "Clan men not ever do that… but feel good."
"It will feel better with your shirt off," Markolan replied, moving his hands downward. He lifted the bottom of her shirt slightly. In response, she pulled it off completely. He removed his own shirt and pulled her back into his arms, wanting to feel her flesh against his. He pressed his face into her neck as he caressed her breasts.
"Dizzy," she breathed, almost moaning the word.
He pushed her gently onto her back and stretched out beside her. She gasped as his mouth closed over her nipple, sending waves of pleasure coursing through her body. He let his hand drift downward once more, feeling her jump and quiver as his fingers brushed across her mound. He untied the drawstring of her breeches and drew them down. He also removed his own breeches, freeing his stiffened manhood from the confining leather.
Oma's head was whirling with the sensations Markolan was producing within her. No Clan man ever touched a woman as he was touching her. She wondered vaguely if she should assume the position for him when she felt his hardness pressing against her thigh but she wasn't sure if she could move. She cried out in astonished pleasure as he trailed a single finger over her mound and probed gently within.
Markolan struggled for control as his finger met her moist warmth. He kissed his way over her body until he was crouched between her legs. He gently spread her open and leaned over to taste of her warmth.
Oma's breath exploded in gasps and cries as Markolan's tongue teased at her flesh. She was unaware that she was thrusting her hips upward at his touch. She only knew she wanted, needed more.
She was ready, Markolan thought, and he wasn't sure if he could wait much longer. He slowly sank his shaft into her welcoming warmth, pausing when he felt his progress barred. He withdrew slightly, and worked her node with a single finger, then thrust hard as he felt her pleasure peak.
Stars exploded behind Oma's eyelids as pleasure she never knew existed overwhelmed her. She barely noticed the slight twinge of discomfort at his initial penetration.
Markolan gritted his teeth, trying to give her a moment to get used to the sensation. But his own need was too great. He began a rhythmic movement, thrusting deeply into her moist depths. She matched his motions as he increased the pace, feeling his own pleasure mounting. Suddenly, she peaked once more, her pleasure triggering his own explosion.
They rested together for a while, then Oma smiled. "Thank you, Markolan," she said simply. "I am happy you make me woman, show me Pleasures. Thank you."