The noise outside the tent crashed through Kailynn's dreams of struggling with the Ash Queen for control of her body. All the while Annie stood with a knife in her chest chanting through the slice in her neck, Join me, Join me Kailynn.
Panting she sat up in a panic. A fine film of sweat coated her body, clumping the layer of ash that she was still covered in. She brushed her long hair back from her eyes and studied her body. She was a mess. Chunks of wet ash clung to her where it hadn't been wiped away by Alac throughout the night. She wiped at the smears of blood that had been left on her skin from his wounds. Waking or sleeping she felt like she couldn't escape having someone else's blood on her.
The blanket dropped from the entrance and four of the bear women came into the tent. One carrying another bear hide garment, and another holding various jewelry made from the teeth and claws from what Kailynn presumed was bears. The other two carried Kailynn's pack and her weapons. Her daggers, bow and arrows were all clean but had been redecorated to match the tribal style.
"What is all the noise and shouting out there?" Kailynn peered around the women to look out at the camp. She stepped out of the tent and looked around at the tents coming down, fires being put out and things being packed away onto the backs of horses and oxen.
The women exchanged a few guttural sounds among themselves and the oldest one stepped forward.
"Mother Bear, not good for you be seen now." She gestured for Kailynn to follow her. Another of the women came up and placed the bear skin from last night over her. Kailynn motioned for the older woman to lead on. They led her to a stream down a small hill that was just out of sight from the busyness of the camp. The two youngest women walked into the stream and stood still, the water covering them up to their lower thighs. The oldest woman motioned for Kailynn to join them.
"Mock-tar Bay-Her, beh-goh"
Kailynn looked at her quizzically, "What?"
"Mother Bear, water."
"You want me to wash?"
The old woman pointed at the stream, "Beh-goh."
Kailynn turned and walked into the stream.
The two women standing in the water crossed their arms over their chests, "Mock-kah."
Kailynn started to sit but the older woman grunted, "Khet!"
One of the women in the stream motioned with one finger raised, "Mock-ahn-tor. Khet bah-tek Beh-mock."
"Um, okay?" Kailynn stayed standing. The two young women started pouring water over her and wiping her skin down. Kailynn reached down and cupped water in her hand to clean herself from Alac's seed inside her. The nearest woman that was washing her grabbed her hand.
"Khet bah-tek Beh-mock!"
"What? I need to clean myself." Kailynn's tone was annoyed. "Khet!" She was fairly sure that meant No or Stop.
The older woman came splashing through the water and stood in front of Kailynn. She bowed her head and then looked up into Kailynn's eyes. Slowly the woman reached out for Kailynn's cupped hand and turned it over, pouring out the water.
"Mock-tar Bay-Her, Khet bah-tek Beh-mock." She cleared her throat. "Mother Bear no kill cub."
They wanted her to get pregnant, for the Mother Bear to have a child.
The older woman motioned to the two washing women, "Tor-Kah!"
She gently turned Kailynn to walk out of the stream, lightly applying pressure to her back until she walked from the water. Once out of the water, the waiting third woman swiftly dressed Kailynn in the bearskin. It fit over her head like a dress, but it swept away under her chest and behind her back leaving her entire abdomen exposed. It then wrapped around her again to cover her lower pelvis and rear end down to just below her upper thighs. It was designed to show off her belly, Kailynn realized. The other women in the camp wore bear skins as well of a similar length but were completely covered from the neck down.
The women then arranged two strands of bear claws across her stomach and drew tribal markings on her skin. They placed a string of teeth around her neck and wove two braids with more claws into her long dark hair. They then curled the braids around her ears and painted more symbols on her forehead, cheeks and her pale bare arms and legs. They tied sandals onto her feet with the leather straps ending just below her knees. Then all four women kneeled in front of her. After a moment the oldest looked up and nodded at Kailynn.
"Ah-korr." She murmured raising her hand. Then she bowed her head again.
"Ah-korr?" Kailynn repeated, lifting her hand in a similar fashion.
The women all rose to their feet. Ah, the word to stand. Kailynn thought to herself. The women ringed themselves around her and they marched her into the camp. Once the tribe caught sight of her, all activity ceased and they all stood stock still as she was marched to the center of the encampment. Where is Alac? Kailynn wondered. Not knowing what was next she would have felt better with him by her side. The women stopped in the center of the ash circle where she had killed the former camp leader.
"Mock-tar Bay-Her." The old woman said in a low calm voice. Everyone dropped to their knees except Alac who had just been interrupted from trying to talk to an old man by his sudden drop to his knees. Alac's eyes fastened onto her immediately as he took in the beauty of the Wildling Mother Bear.
The older woman cleared her throat from where she kneeled.
"Oh!" Kailynn cleared her own throat and mimicked the low tone that the woman had used earlier, "Ah-korr." She raised her hand and everyone stood, then resumed their business of breaking down the camp. Alac appeared at her elbow.
"Kah-tor." the older woman bowed her head with the other three and they backed away to a respectful distance.
"Mock-tar Bay-Her." Alac's sea-green eyes roamed over Kailynn's body before boring into hers. "You look amazing. Should we go back in the tent?" He flashed a wicked grin at her.
"No." Kailynn swatted at his hand as it curved around the edge of the dress where it wrapped under her breasts. "They wouldn't let me wash Alac, they want me to get pregnant!"
Alac's hand dropped. "Oh." A playful smile curved his upper lip, "You would look amazing pregnant in that by the way."
"Oh, shut up Alac! Seriously, help me find a place to clean up!" Kailynn's tone told him she wasn't in a playful mood.
"Okay, okay." He laughed at her growing anger. "Lets go back in the tent. We know they will leave us alone in there and I will get you some water."
"Thank you."
"Oh and Kailynn?"
"Yes?"
"You do look amazing in that."
Kailynn sighed. "You aren't getting anymore from me for awhile Alac, I'm too sore."
"Thats not how I meant it. I am serious. You look like a Wildling Princess."
"Haven't you heard?" Kailynn smiled coyly at him, "I'm a Mock-Tar Bay-Her now."