Two-Spirit

Chapter 17

"Do you like it?" Amadah asks as we eat our breakfast which is what she calls selugadu (Corn pone) along with some kuwa berries. The selugadu reminds me of cornbread.

I nod as I chew. "You should wake me so I can help you cook."

"If you like but I enjoy cooking for you." She says with a smile and I can't help but return one. I notice the crumbs at the corner of her mouth and wipe my own for any.

"I want you to teach me, so I can cook for you at times." I reach out and swipe my thumb over her mouth clearing it of the crumbs since I don't think she was going to.

She doesn't seem to mind only responding with a smile. "You learn when you help. Today I am to hunt would you like to join?"

My answer doesn't take much thought. I don't enjoy watching animals be killed but I do enjoy time with her. "I'll hunt with you." I take a bite of my selugadu.

Her smile is bigger now. "Lovely, we will go after washing."

Her people seem to wash more than my own, sometimes twice or three times a day. I thought it strange at first but maybe we are the strange ones. After we eat we wash in the river. She wears her dress for the day while I wear mine as well. Once we return to her hut we find Inola inside, waiting for me.

"Are you ready?" She asks.

I remove the chewing stick from my mouth. "I'm to help Amadah hunt."

She looks to Amadah seemingly sad. ("You're stealing her from me?")

Amadah seems annoyed as she removes her own chewing stick, it seems Inola is good at that. ("Yes now off with you.")

She laughs before looking to me. "I'll come for you tomorrow then."

I smile. "I'll be waiting."

She leaves while me and Amadah enter her hut. I sit on her bedding as I clean my teeth waiting for to get what is needed.

"What did she say to annoy you?" I ask as I watch her.

She sighs. "That I am taking you from her."

I giggle, I'm not sure why that is annoying as I find it funny.

She grabs a bow and quiver full of arrows with different colored points from the wall.

"Why aren't you using a gun?"

"We only use guns for war or if we are in desperate need for meat. I enjoy bow hunting even though we aren't to get a kill every hunt. It gives the animals a fair chance." She puts the quiver over her along with the bow before placing her chewing stick away.

I hand her mine and we leave after she puts it away with hers. We reuse it until there is none of the stick left.

"We must be quiet or the deer will scare." She says once we are out of her village and traversing through the woods.

"How long will it take?"

"Until we kill a deer or scare them trying."

"Are you a good shot?" I ask while my eyes look around. I will always enjoy the beauty in their woods no matter how many times I see it.

"I think so. You can tell me."

I look to her with a smile. "I'm sure you are, you're quite perfect."

She glances at me, only staring with a look I can't quite pin. She then smiles. "I'm flattered you think such. I think you to be the same."

I smile once more before I continue my admiration of the woods.

"Would... you like to try the bow before we hunt?" I look to her at that.