Ma’ki was not curious about what was going on. Death was something normal after all, and he did not share the same morbid fascination many had towards it. But when he saw his father with a deep frown on his forehead coming his way, he felt something was wrong.
“The woman with black blood on her hands,” the chieftain spoke. “She is the one who died. The old women do not know why.”
Ma’ki nodded. “Take me there, father.”

He followed the chieftain to the hut of the tribeswoman who was now dead. The women were gathered there to prepare the burial.
He took a long look at the body. An old woman was trying to wash the victim’s hands, but blood kept pouring, dark and thick.
“Let her,” he commanded, and the woman rose her eyes. Ma’ki now understood what Ay’len meant. “Put her body on fire; it is the only way to cleanse it.”
“What?” the old woman almost yelled at him. “We do not burn our dead,” she spat angrily. “Be gone. This is not a man’s place, to teach us what to do.”
“You will take her body and burn it, as I say,” he said through his teeth. “This is a bad omen.”
“Disrespecting our dead is a bad omen,” the woman confronted him.

Ma’ki was about to say something, when he saw Di’rah with a familiar pot in her hands, acting like she had no idea what to do with it. A sudden realization struck him. He hadn’t wondered when he had found no food outside his tent the day before. He had no intention to eat it, anyway. But now, he felt that it had been more than a good decision. It had been one that had saved his life.
“What’s with that pot?” he asked the old woman directly.
“Nothing,” Di’rah said quickly, but he could tell she was lying. “Just something that they stole.”
“The food was poisoned,” he said.

“What food?” the old woman pretended not to understand.
“They ate the food. The woman is dead now.”
“I ate nothing,” the dead woman’s husband intervened. “She didn’t let me. She said I was stupid. I don’t deserve to eat. I told her stealing is bad.”
“Where did you steal it from?” Ma’ki demanded, and the fear in the man’s eyes confirmed his suspicions.
He could not say any more. His father had sent him that food, and the only person who had eaten from it was now lying in a pool of black blood.
He took Ta’yee outside and away from the hut. “Father, who prepared the food you sent me?”
The chieftain looked at him, apparently confused. “We should convince them to burn the body. Why are you asking me about yesterday’s food? Didn’t you like it?”
“I didn’t eat, father. She did,” he pointed towards the hut.
Ta’yee could not find his words. “Son, are you sure?”
“The food was poisoned, so tell me now, without any lies, who prepared it?”
“It was … your wife. Ci’tali”, his father whispered.
“I will confront her about this,” the older man spoke.
“There is no time now. We need to convince them to burn the body,” Ma’ki urged, pointing towards the hut.
Ta’yee nodded and went inside. Ma’ki heard his father’s voice raising.
“We will be cursed,” an old woman yelled. “We’ll be forgotten by gods.”
“No, we will be cursed if we don’t burn her,” he entered the hut, to help his father.
“What do you know about curses?” Di’rah spat, annoyed that Ma’ki was apparently suspecting something.
The hunter fell silent. He could not tell them about Ay’len.
“Pala’ka spoke to me. He told me about a great danger coming from a woman with black blood on her hands.”
“Pala’ka doesn’t speak to hunters,” one of the women intervened. “Your tongue speaks evil.”
Others hurried to agree.
“I am your chieftain, and I command you to burn her,” Ta’yee boomed over all the voices.
“Then burn us all,” a cavernous voice spoke.
“I will gather the men to force you away. Do you want this?”
“Disrespect us, and you will be cursed, chieftain,” one of the old witches bellowed.
A crowd had gathered in front of the hut in the meantime. Ta’yee and Ma’ki went outside.
“We need to burn this poor woman’s body. It is for the sake of the tribe,” the chieftain spoke first.
An old woman appeared next to him. “We will be cursed for this. We need to let her body dry in the sun.”
“I am your chieftain, men, and women of the tribe. I am the one to protect you.”
“Then burn it!” someone yelled.
“Do you believe what Ma’ki dreams of Pala’ka?” the old woman continued. “You all know he is mad with grief still. His words are those of a mad man!”
The crowd fell silent. Ta’yee intervened.
“Ma’ki told me about the bad omen, and it happened. Now we need to listen to him and burn the body. If we don’t, we may all become ill.”
“Let the women handle the burial. This is nothing to do with us. If Ma’ki’s right and they aren’t, then they will fall ill, not us. And we will not anger the gods”, someone spoke from the crowd.
Ma’ki shook his head. “You have all lost your minds?” he spoke. “Fire is the only answer.”
“Ay’len made you mad!”
“You lost your mind!”
“Don’t listen to him!”
The hunter froze. He now understood how Ay’len must have felt when he was threatened to be killed by his tribe.
“You can all die, for all I care,” he bared his teeth. “And I should leave you.”
“Why don’t you leave?” someone yelled at him.
“Go to your healer!”
“Share his fate!”
“No one wants you here!”
Under the protection of the crowd, they could speak whatever they wanted. Ta’yee could not believe his ears.
“Ma’ki is my son. I am not sending him away because you want so.”
“Chieftain,” Di’rah spoke from behind the other old women. “Ma’ki is as good as gone anyway. He should free Ci’tali and leave to find his fate if this is what he wants.”
Ma’ki stared at the woman. She had to be somehow involved. But he didn’t care. He had found the woman with black blood on her hands. He could leave now and never look behind.
“Is this what you all want?” he said triumphantly, feeling a sensation of liberation washing over him like he hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Yes! Leave us! Let Ci’tali have another husband!”
He felt like laughing. The idiots wanted that crazy woman. They could have her. His real wife was like no other, had always been, but the fools had had no eyes to see him. The only one who had ever truly cared about them all, besides only, probably, his father. So he, Ma’ki, the hunter, could not save them. He only had one duty now.
“Kaa’sa,” he called for Ay’len’s mother. “You must leave. Take your daughters and their families, and go somewhere, as far as you can. The fools do not heed my words.”
“He sent you, didn’t he?” the woman spoke.
Ma’ki nodded silently. “You heard.”
“Yes, and I knew, even if you didn’t come to me,” she caressed his cheek briefly in a motherly gesture. “But we will not leave. This is our tribe.”
“Kaa’sa,” Ma’ki warned. “Ay’len spoke of great danger. You are not safe.”
“Have you told your father to leave, too?”
“And what did he say?”
“He won’t leave.”
Kaa’sa smiled. “Pala’ka is just, Ma’ki. He will tell the bad from the good.”
“Please,” he begged. “Ay’len will want to know you are safe.”
“But we are, Ma’ki. Don’t you see? He always kept us safe. He gave away all he had so we could all be safe. If this is our fate, this is what we should go through to repay his kindness, it is just.”
“Ci’tali.”
She didn’t want to hear that voice.
“What is it, Di’rah? What is this?” she pretended to have just been disturbed from something important.
“What have you done?” the old woman whispered to her. “I told you to be careful.”
Ci’tali studied the woman’s face for a bit. Di’rah looked scared, her eyes darting in all directions.
“I don’t understand what you are saying.”
“What I gave you. For Ma’ki,” the old woman hissed, grabbing Ci’tali arm and shaking her. “I told you to give him a little.”
“What does Ma’ki have to do with this? It’s a woman who died,” she pushed Di’rah away from her.
“So you wanted him dead?” the woman stared at her in disbelief.
“And if I did?” Ci’tali pushed her chin upwards, with pride.
“You fool! Ta’yee will know about this!”
“About what? About how you helped me poison his son? Do you think I’ll leave you out of this?” she smiled cruelly.
“You!” Di’rah felt like choking.
“Yes, me. I made you all send Ay’len away, and he is dead now. Just like I wanted. And now, that stupid Ma’ki got away. I was so close. Do you see, Di’rah? I can do everything I want,” she was the one to grab the woman’s arm and shake her.
“You are … mad,” the old woman tried to get away from her.
Their fight stopped when Ma’ki stepped into the hut.
“What are you doing here? Get out!” Ci’tali yelled at him.
The hunter pushed her away from his path. He searched with his eyes until he saw what he was looking for. He took the baby in his arms and held him tight for a second. After that, he turned on his heels and headed for the door.
“Where do you think you’re going? Leave Na’el! Di’rah, stop him!” she cried out, and she tried to grab Ma’ki by one arm.
The man pushed her away with ease, making her stumble and fall. “I won’t leave him here, to die with you.”
Di’rah stood still. She was looking at Ma’ki wide-eyed. Maybe he was right.
Ci’tali hurried outside after the man. “Don’t take Na’el, please, Ma’ki,” she begged.
He was walking fast, with large steps. “You took Ay’len from me. I hope you feel like I felt then. I hope you feel your heart ripping apart.”
“Please, please,” she begged with tears in her eyes, trying to grab him but he shook her off him.
“You deserve it. The death that’s coming. But he doesn’t. He comes with me.”
She tried to follow him, but Di’rah caught her from behind, pulling at her long dress. “You will stay here, with us, Ci’tali!”
She tried to fight the old woman, but the bony hands were grabbing her arms, her legs, whenever she got free from their grip. She cried out, desperately, while looking at Ma’ki’s silhouette getting further and further away with her baby in his arms.
He had no food, nor shelter. He only had faith. With Na’el in his arms, he was marching forward, not knowing where he was going. The baby was silent, he had not cried for a second, even when he had been taken from his mother. Ma’ki was checking him from time to time; the boy was sleeping soundly.
He searched the sky with his eyes. “Ay’len!” he called, and at his cry, an eagle descended from the blues above, landing swiftly on his shoulder.
The eagle flew before him, guiding him. For suns and moons, he walked, the eagle showing him the way, leading him to places where he could find food and water. All this time, the boy in his arms slept, not asking for food or his mother. Ma’ki knew he had to believe.
He was almost at his wit’s end, when he heard the voice of his beloved, ringing like music in his ears.
“Ma’ki,” the healer called and hurried by his side, to help him walk. “What happened?”
“They didn’t listen,” he murmured while letting his lover kiss him gently and take Na’el from his arms. At that moment, the boy moved and started crying.
“He is hungry, the little one,” Ay’len cradled the boy in his arms. “Now I understand what Pala’ka sent me.”
Ma’ki entered the cave after the healer. He stood frozen upon seeing the scene before his eyes.
“Ay’len,” he called in a whisper.
“Don’t be scared. She has milk,” Ay’len caressed the animal’s thick fur.
“It’s a wolf,” Ma’ki spoke, not believing his eyes, as the healer continued to touch the animal.
“A wolf-she. And she’s a mother. Na’el will eat,” he said and carefully placed the small boy close to the animal’s belly. Reaching blindly for the tit, the boy grabbed it and sucked greedily.
“He was so silent as I walked towards you. I was afraid …” Ma’ki did not finish his words. “The moment you pick him up, he starts crying,” he shook his head and smiled.
He approached the wolf carefully. Then he noticed the fur ball nestled in the animal’s fur.
“She has cubs,” he noticed.
“Only this one left. When I found her, she was hurt. She was probably attacked; she protected her cubs, but the other two were killed. I brought her here. Now she is better. But I think she will stay with us for a while.”
Ma’ki sat down, too tired, yet so happy. Ay’len came to him. “I’ll bring you some food now.”
“No, just stay with me,” he asked and pulled the man he loved in his arms. He kissed Ay’len hungrily, but slowly. “I don’t need any food,” he whispered through the kisses, but right then his stomach growled. Ay’len pushed him away, laughing.
“I think you do. Just like Na’el,” the healer turned his head to check on the baby boy who was now sleeping, nestled to the wolf’s belly, without a care in the world.