Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 119764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
But my female gives me an absent-minded smile, takes my arm, and leads me out of the room.
We head outside, and my cats come running to greet me. I pause to pet and hug each one to let them know I appreciate their affection and check them over. A few need their eyes cleaned again, and I make a mental note so I can show Dakotah later. She moves to the firepit and begins to put sticks in the bottom, building up a pile so she can make the day’s fire. I slide the cat in my arms onto my shoulders and pick up the one rubbing against my legs and move to join her.
I wait for Dakotah to ask me to help her with fire, but she does not. Perhaps she has forgotten? I pull one of the sticks out of the pit and blow a puff on the end, setting it alight, and then hand it back to her. She looks startled, and then sheepish, and puts it in the pile of woodstuffs. “Dankyew.”
She looks so chagrined that I wish I had the words to tell her that it is not a problem. That I want to help her with the tasks she has around the home. That I enjoy assisting her and making her day easier.
But her cheek is turned to me, and I impulsively lean in and press my lips to it.
Her cheek is as soft as her lips.
Dakotah goes still. Her eyes go wide and she looks to me as I pull back, watching her reaction. She gazes up at me, her eyes the same warm blue color that does not tell me if she is happy or sad. They never change colors to indicate to me how she is feeling, and yet her gaze goes to my lips and lingers there—
“Mom?” Ribbit’s voice interrupts.
Dakotah jerks away, startled and skittering backward. She gives a high, nervous laugh and approaches her daughter. I see Ah-gee and Doh-dee standing near Ribbit. Ah-gee has the strange fur atop her head again, and both of them carry their sticks at their sides. My female puts her arms around her daughter and begins to talk in a quick, wild way, gesturing at me, the fire, and then the distance.
The other females chime in. There is a lot of back and forth between all four of them. Doh-dee nods and holds her hand out to Dakotah. They clasp hands and then Ribbit clasps Doh-dee’s hand as well. Ah-gee flings her arms around them both, the fur on her head askew.
Then, they all look at me.
I search my limited vocabulary of sounds for a word to use to communicate with them. Seeing them all jabbering together makes me feel strangely isolated all over again. It is good for them to have each other, but I wish I was included. I say the only thing I can think of. “Meat?”
Ah-gee guffaws.
Dakotah shoots her an annoyed look. She steps forward and moves to my side. “Wok,” she says, and then moves two of her fingers in a downward wiggling motion. “We wok. Journee.”
CHAPTER 30
MURR
After much hand-gesturing, I learn that the finger-waving means going on a journey. Learning their strange sounds are bad enough. Now I must learn hand signals too? Just when I think I am catching on to their strange language, they change it on me. I try not to show Dakotah how defeated the finger-wiggling makes me.
How am I ever going to learn to speak properly to them when all my ways to talk have been stolen away? Again, I push my thoughts at Dakotah, determined to break through whatever is preventing me from hearing the others around me. There is nothing but silence, and I end up giving myself a headache.
Whatever has changed, whatever set my mind back to itself has also stolen away my ability to communicate.
I’m starting to think I’d rather be insane.
The females do not notice my morose mood. They put their packs on their backs and chatter over each other. The two elderly ones—Ah-gee and Doh-dee—take the lead. Dakotah follows behind them, listening attentively to their conversation as they seemingly argue with each other. She carries a stick weapon of her own, the end studded with bits of metal, and holds it as she walks. I notice that she does not seem easy as she moves. Her gaze is locked on the two elderly females, as if she does not entirely trust them.
Perhaps later I should ask Dakotah if she needs them killed. Not all who smile are friendly.
Perhaps this is another reason she asks me to wear the loin wrap. Does she think to protect me from them in some way? Am I misunderstanding that she wishes to keep my male glory for herself?
If so, this is another disappointment.