Page 147 of Sun Warrior

“Almost. They have to weave twenty-eight cocoons. They say they can get most of them done before we have to leave. The rest of them, well, they say they can weave as we go down the river.”

“If they say they can do it, they can,” Mari said.

“So, we’re going to need to take some of the rowboats—like the one you and I escaped the island in,” Nik said. “The other boats, the kayaks, are smaller, but they’ll be helpful if we can rig floating litters behind them. Not much room for passengers with whatever it is the women are weaving the cloaks from. Do you know what it is?”

“Of course. It’s hemp. Nik, that reminds me. We’re going to have to take several young plants and cuttings with us, as well as seeds and roots and bulbs. It’s going to take up a lot of room, but it’s part of what Antreas said we needed to do.”

“Antreas said you needed to fill a boat with plants and cuttings and such?” Nik looked utterly confused.

“Well, sort of. He said we had to prove our worth to the Wind Riders. Nik, Earth Walkers can grow anything. So, let’s show them. Let’s show the Wind Riders plants they’ve probably never seen before, and let’s show them that we know how to grow, harvest, and use the plants. Do they know what a wapato root is, and how delicious it can taste if you bake it just right?”

“They probably don’t, but I’m with you, Mari. My mouth waters every time I think about wapato baked with garlic and salt.” He sat up straighter, obviously excited. “And there’s more, right? More plants like wapato and hemp that Earth Walkers know about, but no one else does?”

“I don’t know what the Wind Riders know or don’t know, but Earth Walkers know plants. And that’s a valuable knowledge,” Mari said.

“I’ll tell Antreas to plan fortwoboats, at least, filled to overflowing with plant things,” Nik said enthusiastically.

“Okay, I’m going to need help at my burrow. In the pantry Mama and I have many roots and seeds, as well as dried herbs, fruits, and vegetables. I need help packing it all up after I go through it. The medicines must all come with us, but I’ll try to take only the plants that can be eaten on our journey, or replanted once we arrive.”

“Good idea. But wait—does that mean we get no alone time tonight?”

Mari smiled at his sweet puppy-eyed expression and kissed his lips softly. “That is exactly what that means.”

Nik gave a dramatic, long-suffering sigh. “Is this part of Earth Walker courting?”

“No, silly.” Mari kissed him again, this time lingering and whispering against his lips. “This is part of getting ready to travel to a new land.”

“Someday we’re going to be in our new land, surrounded by our Pack, watching Wind Riders race over the plains, and I’m going to pick you up and carry you into our burrow or nest or den or what-the-bloody-beetle-balls-ever we call it and have my way with you. No matter what anyone says.”

“I hope that’s a promise, Nikolas,” she said, her gray eyes sparkling mischievously.

“Oh yes, my Moon Woman. It’s definitely a promise.”

CHAPTER 32

“But we’re breaking with tradition anyway, so I didn’t think this would be such a big deal.” Isabel was talking earnestly to Sora as Mari and Rigel made their way past clusters of women, busy with everything from weaving travel cocoons to gently packing seeds and roots and pods into woven containers, to the entrance to the birthing burrow. She’d been on a quest to find more storage containers so she and Nik could continue to pack up her burrow.

“Oh, good! Mari can decide,” Sora said.

“I can decide what?” she asked, stepping into the relative quiet of the burrow.

“Sora says tonight Isabel is going to dance her name for the moon and then tomorrow it’s my turn,” Jenna explained, closing the door against the outside noises of a Pack frantically preparing to move. “Well, Isabel says she wants me to dance with her.”

“And I said that was breaking with tradition. That it would be traditional for a Moon Woman to dance with her apprentice, so you or I could join her. But for two apprentices to introduce themselves together?” Sora shook her head. “It’s not done.”

“Isabel, why do you want Jenna to join you?” Mari asked.

“Jenna and I aren’t traditional Moon Woman apprentices. Danita wants to draw down the moon. We don’t. We just want to be Healers.And since we’re different, I thought it would be nice if we introduced ourselves to the Goddess together.”

Jenna dimpled. “Isabel and I make a good team. Someday I hope she can draw enough moon magick to help with our healing and I’ll be an expert on tinctures and salves.”

“And it doesn’t bother you that Jenna might be drawing some of the Goddess’s attention away from you tonight?” Mari asked Isabel.

The young woman looked honestly surprised. “No! I never even thought of it that way. I just thought that since Jenna and I are a team, it made sense to dance our names as a team. And I think the Goddess has enough attention to split between us, don’t you?”

Mari met Sora’s gaze. The other Moon Woman shrugged. “You make the decision.”

“Then I think it would be lovely if the two of you introduced yourself together as Healer apprentices,” Mari said.