Jake made a half-hearted attemptto flirt while she bathed and ministered to him. When she remainedunresponsive and withdrawn, he gave up.
After tending to Jake, Toemekalaid down to nap, but when she closed her eyes she saw Kumaroo.Thoughts she’d been holding at bay rose to the surface. Whydid Kumaroo cut my thumb and place it against his? Was it some typeof ceremony? What does he want from me?She felt unnerved, knowing Kumaroo was probably watching her teepee.The remembrance of his sharp blue eyes tormented her. Finally fatiguewon over her troubled thoughts and she fell asleep.
Toemeka awoke to the sound ofErling and Michio talking softly. She checked on Jake and wasrelieved to discover his fever had gone down. Afterwards, she sat bythe fire next to Michio. “Jake’s doing better. How did your talkwith the chief go?”
“It went well. They’rewilling to help us. After talking to him, we went scouting to seewhere Commander Rochambeau and his men are. It appears they’vetemporarily lost our trail. I’m sorry we were gone so long.” Hepicked up a bowl of stew from beside the fire. “I’m sure you’rehungry. Have some stew.” Michio handed her a spoon.
As Toemeka began eating, Michioasked, “How did you cut your thumb?” His eyes traveled from themakeshift bandage on her thumb to the the blood stains on her skirt.
Toemeka felt the color drain fromher face.
He frowned. “What’s wrong?While scouting, I felt your fear. I hurried back as fast as I couldand was relieved to find you safely napping.”
“I had to leave the teepee —Jake’s fever spiked and I needed to gather some medicinal herbs.While I was at the stream, Kumaroo accosted me.”
Michio’s brow wrinkled into aworried frown. “In what way?”
She related her encounter withKumaroo and her concern that it was some kind of ritual.
“We shouldn’t have left youfor so long,” Michio said, drawing her into his arms.
“It sounds like a marriageceremony,” Erling said. “Should I wake Jake and ask?”
“No, let him sleep,” Michiosaid. “We’ll find out soon enough. Toemeka and I should probablyleave in the morning.”
“I agree,” Toemeka said. “Idon’t want any more trouble with Kumaroo.”
During the night, Jake becamefeverish again and Toemeka stayed up most of the night tending tohim. In the early morning hours she was nodding off to sleep sittingup, when she heard an eerie animal cry. Instantly alert, she wonderedif it was a bashe.
She checked Jake and discoveredhe was still hot and feverish. She treated him again, using the lastof the herbs. As much as she wanted to leave the camp that day, sheknew she couldn’t leave Jake while he still needed her care.Instead, she and Michio would have to go into the woods and gathermore herbs.
Erling and Michio had gone tosleep as soon as it got dark. Michio had been up most of the previousnight and she was glad he finally slept. Tired, she lay beside him,but couldn’t relax. She suspected Erling was right about theceremony. Kumaroo probably thought she belonged to him now and mighteven try to stop her from leaving camp.
When the first rays of dawnlightened the teepee, she woke Michio. “Jake’s worse. I need togather more herbs down by the river. Maybe we can gather themtogether and return before Kumaroo awakens.”
“I could go alone,” Michiosaid, sitting up.
“Do you know what caffray andlamder look like?”
He shook his head with a worriedfrown. “Unfortunately, no.”
“Then you can’t pick themalone.”
Once Michio got dressed, shepulled up her jacket hood and stepped through the door. Kumaroo wassitting by the fire and his eyes seemed to bore into her. She steppedback into the teepee, feeling shaken.
“What is it?” Michio asked.
“Kumaroo is watching ourteepee.”
“I’ll go first. Stay close tome.” Michio swung the rifle over his shoulder as he steppedoutside. Toemeka kept her eyes fixed on the ground ahead of her untilthey were in the woods.
She soon found the caffray, butit took longer to find and gather the lamder. Once procured, shewashed them in the stream as Michio kept guard. When they startedfollowing the trail back to camp, Kumaroo stepped into the pathbefore them. Toemeka’s heart constricted as she fought down panicand the instinct to run. Michio stepped protectively in front of her.
Kumaroo pointed at Toemeka.“Bah-nay,” he said.
“Toemeka’s mine,” Michiosaid pointing to himself.
Kumaroo’s eyes filled withfury. He pulled out a large knife and shook it at Michio and saidsomething in Owayan, then stormed off in the direction of camp.
24
The Fight
The warriors had gathered, weretalking in loud, excited voices when Toemeka and Michio reached camp.Erling wore a worried frown and Jake was fever flushed as the two mencame over to them.
“Kumaroo claims Toemeka is hisby the rules of the Owayan culture,” Jake said. “That ritualKumaroo performed at the stream means he and Toemeka’s blood aremixed and they share the water of life.”
“I was afraid of that,”Michio said.
“I warned you about Kumaroo’sinterest in Toemeka,” Jake said. “In the Owayan culture, a mancan claim another man’s woman. If her current husband objects, hehas to fight for her.”
The natives closed in aroundthem. Kumaroo pushed the hood off Toemeka’s head and grabbed afistful of her hair. As Michio moved to stop him, two natives seizedhim.
Kumaroo said a few words inOwayan, which Jake translated. “He says the woman is his.”
“Tell him she’s mine,”Michio said, straining against the large natives holding him back.‘‘Tell him to let her go!”
Jake repeated what he said inOwayan. Kumaroo jerked back Toemeka’s head by her hair and shecried out in pain. Michio knocked one of the natives to the groundand was immediately grabbed by several more natives.
“Bah-nay!” Kumaroo said.
“Jake, what does bah-nay mean?”Toemeka asked, desperately trying to pull her hair out of Kumaroo’sfist.
“It means the spirit that movesthrough all things has given you to him. You are now of his blood andwill give him children and live in his teepee.”
“Like hell I am! Let go of me,you big oaf!” She jabbed her elbow into Kumaroo’s ribs.
He clamped a hand over her mouthand said something in Owayan.
“He said women are to remainsilent unless spoken to,” Jake translated.
Kumaroo glared at Michio as
