[50024 Years Ago/ The Next Day/ The Lake]
Heba was smiling to the rising sun as she carried a gourd of water. The west side of the Lake was a bright purple now, and the color was spreading. But she wasn't smiling to this. Mike had regained much of his strength in the night. He would still need weeks to recover from his broken leg, but he would live.
"Heba." This was the shaman who was coming toward her. With him was the chieftain. The chieftain looked as if he'd just awakened, and he had put his headdress of feathers and shells on backward.
Heba restrained a smile and walked to the men, meeting them near the strange white tree.
"Good morning," she said.
"Good morning," the shaman said, absently, as he looked to the Lake.
"Good morning, Heba," the chieftain said. "How is Mike?"
"He's doing very well. His fever is gone and he's eating. I'm going right now to give him some water."
"That job will have to be given to someone else," the chieftain said, as he turned his headdress around.
"What? Why?"
The shaman pointed out across the water. "Because men from another tribe have been trespassing in the east."
Heba looked to where the shaman was pointing. "Are they hostile?" she said.
"This we don't know. Pult says he saw tracks of a scouting party. It's likely the rest of the tribe will be coming to the Lake soon."
"Well, the Lake is very big," Heba said. "They should be able to find a nice place in the east."
"No, Heba," the chieftain said. "They can't be allowed here."
"Why not?"
The two men looked at Heba as if she were a dull child.
"Because the gods have given the Lake to us," the chieftain said.
"And they expect us to keep it and protect it," the shaman said. "We can't just be giving over our territory to everyone who wanders by."
"Oh," Heba said, "so we will have a war?"
"Not necessarily," the chieftain said. "Most tribes will not chance walking upon sacred ground so the shaman has suggested that we make a trip around the Lake and bless each of the great directions as well as the minor directions and leave shrines as signs of our gods' divine ownership of the Lake. We will need a seer along the way to help. And I would also like to find out just how powerful the gods have made you."
Heba grinned. As with many in the tribe, she had thought of walking all the way around the Lake but wouldn't have dared do it alone. Then she looked to Mike's yurt. "How long will we be gone?"
"Four months," the chieftain said.
"Four months? Why so long?"
The shaman looked to the sky in his impatience then said, "We must set up holy sites to the gods, Heba. You don't do that just by saying a few holy words over the ground. We must camp at each place and stay at each of the great directions to see the full moon and each of the minor directions for the new moon."
"How many people will be going?" Heba said.
"All that are fit to go. Only the very old will be left behind. And Mike, of course."
"But we haven't finished with the village."
"Those who remain behind will continue the construction."
"But what if someone attacks while we're away?"
"Pult and his hunters will travel back and forth throughout our journey. They will keep watch on all sides of the Lake. Don't worry."
"But . . . ."
"This must be and you must go," the chieftain said. "Mike will be fine, and when we get back, he'll be healed."
"As healed as he can be," the shaman said. "His leg will not be as it once was, Heba. He will always have a limp. It's good for you to know this."
"I do," Heba said. She wanted to say that she didn't care, but already the men had turned to go.
"Be ready to leave by noon," the chieftain said over his shoulder. "We will need your auguries for the start of our journey."
"Yes, Chieftain," Heba said and then she stood on the shore of the Lake unsure of how to tell Mike she was going.