Dindi
"Don't look at them, niece," someone whispered. "It's bad luck."
Dindi jumped. She had not heard the Blue Waters guide, Svego, walk up behind her.
"What's wrong with them?" she asked in a quiet voice.
Three thin, ragged people sat outside the giant bone wall around the clanhold. They were so dirty it was hard to tell, but Dindi guessed one was a man and two were women.
Their skin was covered in horrible scabs and swollen bumps. It looked like one of Gwenika's pretend sicknesses—Puss-Filled Putrid Pox—but real and worse.
"They are the Shunned," Svego said without emotion. "Do not look at them. Do not listen to them. They will beg for food when we pass. If you feel sorry for them, you may throw scraps. But do not speak to them or show kindness. Throw the food like it is trash. Let them fight for it in the mud."
Gwenika cried out, "That's terrible! They are clearly sick. They should be healed, not thrown away like old bones!"
Dindi was glad Gwenika said it. She felt the same, but she would not have dared speak.
Svego looked around quickly to check the host Tavaedies, but they were far ahead and had not heard.
"The Shunned are taboo!" Svego hissed. "If you are kind to them or speak well of them, you will become taboo too!"
"But that's not fair!" Gwenika said.
"Zavaedi, please shut her up," Svego said to Kavio.
"Zavaedi, please let me help those poor sick people," Gwenika begged.
Kavio turned and looked at the beggars. Then he looked at Svego, and at Gwenika. He looked troubled, but he shook his head.
"Say no more, Tavaedi Gwenika," he said.
"But—"
"Enough, Gwenika!" Brena snapped. "Zavaedi Kavio has spoken. Do not shame our tribe."
Gwenika crossed her arms. She stayed quiet, but her eyes burned.
Inside the clanhold, the skin tents stood in a circle around a wide, flat space of hard dirt.
The women and children of the clan waited there, along with more warriors.
Like the men, the women wore very little, only long strings of shells. Their hair was very long, most below their waists, and some to their calves. Even the married women wore their hair loose, except for tiny braids with cowry shells.
The Blue Waters women were clearly beautiful. They had firm breasts and large eyes lined with black kohl.
But they did not look kind.
When Kavio greeted the clan and thanked them for their welcome, their lips curled in mockery.
None of the women offered food.
The old aunties of the clan pointed to a place under a sealskin cover near the bone wall. That was where the guests were allowed to sleep.
Svego said to Kavio in a quiet voice, "This clan gives tribute to Nargano, but they are not close allies. They will let us stay, but not warmly. We should not stay long. Can you send your people to hunt and gather today? If you bring back meat, they might be more friendly."
"Yes, but first we will claim our space," Kavio said. "Is that half-tent really all they offer us?"
Svego shrugged, like he thought they were lucky to get even that.
Kavio frowned. "Then we will put up our own tents, as if we were camping in the forest."
So they set up lean-tos in the space near the bone wall.
Dindi felt safer once the leather tents blocked the angry stares.
They made a small fire. The weather was fair, even for mid-winter.
Still, Dindi and Gwenika huddled together.
Everyone else stayed close to the weak fire. Even Vultho. He sat hunched, growling at everyone, even his kin, but he stayed near.
Only Gremo sat far away, as far as he could without leaving the tent.
"So, Svego," Kavio said. "What is this about the Shunned? If they carry disease, why not send them to the Deathsworn?"
Svego crouched by the fire, resting on his toes.
"They do not spread sickness. They were born with spoiled magic. They cannot become Tavaedies. Their magic rots them inside. It bubbles out like pus and scars their skin. It shows their ugliness to the world.
"They are cursed, most of all to themselves.
"Their families feed them, but they feel only shame. No love."
Across the fire, Gremo raised his head. He stared at Svego with narrow eyes.
Dindi saw Gremo's aura crackle. She shivered.
"Spoiled magic?" Kavio asked. "Are they hexers?"
"No, Zavaedi," Svego said. "They have magic. But it is taboo."
"What crimes have they done?"
"They were born. For people like them, that is crime enough."
Svego shrugged. He did not seem to notice Gremo's growl.
"I don't understand," Kavio said flatly.
Svego only shrugged again.
"They are Imorvae, fool," Rthan said suddenly. "And you already knew that."
"Lady Mercy," Brena whispered. "You do that to your Imorvae?"
"Don't twist my arm!" Svego said. "I'm only the guide. The law is older than anyone. We may not question it. We may not even speak of it."
Brena looked at Rthan. "You agree with this?"
"My opinion is not the dung you step in," Rthan said. "The real question is, will Nargano treat you as a guest, Kavio, or treat you as one of the Shunned?"
"No, no," Svego said quickly. "Nargano already knows the son of the White Lady has six Chromas. That's what matters. We don't care about outsiders. You are weaker than us anyway. But for our own kin, we demand pure magic."
"Now I feel better," Kavio said with heavy sarcasm. "But Svego is right. We cannot change the traditions and taboos of the Blue Waters tribe.
"We should go hunt now, like Svego said before. Gwenika, stay away from the Shunned, do you understand?"
"Yes, Zavaedi."
"Stay close to your mother and her slave."
He smiled coldly at Rthan.
"I need some herbs…" Gwenika began.
"Your handmaid will gather them. Tell her what you need."