Tree Singer

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Mayten whistled for Anatolian and ran down the dirt path toward the clan center. The dog seemed delighted to have an opportunity to go for a late outing and sniffed trees and plants along the way, sometimes stopping to make his mark then running to catch up. Mayten was not afraid of the dark, she rather liked the quiet of the clan at night when the regular noises of sawing and building had ceased. She wished she could enjoy it now but her time was limited. Her lantern swung as she ran, illuminating the well-worn path in a staccato fashion, but she didn't really need it, she'd been tromping this path barefoot since she was born and knew every tree root and slick place along the way.

The clan had been carved out of the forest generations ago and the trees used to build the homesteads. They were a clan of boat rights and builders and everything that came with that craft.

The center of the clan was laid out in rings from the central square, which was where the leveling ceremony would be in the morning, and where all clan-wide activities were held. There was plenty of room for a temporary stage to be erected, and community meals and dances. And every third year, when her clan hosted the three-clan gathering, temporary shelters were placed around the outside of the center square and between homesteads all the way back through the five rings of homes. Those who came early got the spaces closer to the center. The last to arrive, had to set up house in an outer ring, further from the fun activities of the festive gathering.

The smells changed as Mayten moved closer to the square and she slowed to be sure of her footing. The damp forest smells were replaced by those of cut lumber and humans living close together. Mayten didn't like it. She much preferred being one of the "hill families" as they were called. Families whose homesteads were bigger and spaced further apart and who generally grew things the clan needed.

Cather lived very close to the clan center because her parents were healers and had to be accessible to the towns occupants. They also needed to live close to the mill, which was right on the shore of the river. The mill was where most of the injuries happened.

As Mayten approached the center, the streets became lined with paving stones, which had been brought in by ships from distant lands or carried down off the mountain. The homesteads here took on a uniform look. Each with a pointed roof, window boxes and scrolled window shutters with intricate designs. Most were painted white but some were in other pastel colors and each family had a small garden to the rear of the home.

People who lived close to the center generally had smaller families, and most of them had members that worked in the mill or in ship building. Mayten enjoyed the center of clan at night as lamp lights illuminated each little home. But it also felt like she was intruding on the intimacy of each cozy scene that shone from open-shuttered homes. She quickened her pace to get to Cather's.

Cather's place was no different than any others except for two distinguishing characteristics. One was the wooden sign above her door that read, "Healer," and the other was a small addition at the back of the house where a garden would normally be. This housed a small room with cots, where those that needed longer-term care could stay.

Mayten admired the flower boxes which were always kept full of beautiful flowers from Mayten's family garden, at no charge of course. Her friend's family was always supplied with the choicest of fruits and vegetables. That's how the clan worked. People traded for what they needed and very little coin ever changed hands within the clan. It was a different story between clans, and with those who came through on trading ships and exchanged goods with the merchants. But within the clan, money wasn't really necessary.

Mayten tapped gently on the door of Cather's home and it was her friend that answered. "I was hoping you'd come by!" She said, pulling Mayten into the warm cozy nest that was her home. Mayten gestured to her dog as the door closed and knew that Anatolian would wait outside the door until she was ready to leave.

Mayten's house was spacious, open and uncluttered, despite the large number of children that lived there. However, Cather's was crowded with overstuffed furniture and knickknacks on every possible shelf. Mayten knew that Cather's mother could never pass by trade ships without coming back with some new trinket. But she never had the heart to throw away anything old.

Mayten's home was spare but lovely as her mother and da both had an eye for beauty and preferred clean lines and wood-carved furniture with colorful cushions. Mayten preferred the openness of it, sometimes feeling unable to breathe in the closeness of Cather's home.

Cather, whose parents were both healers, smiled at Mayten from their place in front of the fire. Mayten waved hello as Cather dragged her back to her own room. Cather was an only child which was unusual in the clan. She'd lost two siblings. One in the fever winter and one older brother in a mill accident. There was an air of sadness about the house that seemed to permeate its very walls. She imagined that to be healers and not be able to save your own children must have made their deaths doubly painful.

Cather dragged Mayten onto her small bed where the girls sat facing each other. "I was afraid you wouldn't come," breathed Cather. Her straight brown hair flying around her pretty heart-shaped face. Cather's skin was the color of pine. One of the lightest on the island, which told of her family's more recent arrival. "It's nearly bells."

"I know. I think Da only let me come because Taiwania is practicing her song for tomorrow in our room, but I can't stay long. I just wanted to see you before..."

"I know," said Cather, gripping Mayten's hand. "Tomorrow, everything will..." her eyes glittered with unshed tears in the lamp light and she swallowed hard.

"He'll be okay, Cather. Tray will be home, more than he's gone probably. And you'll still have me."

Her friend swallowed and gave her a weak smile. "I know. It's just – well, I don't want you to – I mean, once we become initiates, we'll be much busier. I won't get to see you as much and I hate that." Cather turned her face away.

Mayten felt that there was more Cather wanted to say. Was it just that she was nervous about Tray leaving?

"Cather," I'm going to need your help. "There's something wrong with the trees and I can't figure out what it is."

Cather stopped, looking up, her eyes huge. "Did your mother tell you that?"

"No, I can just sense it, but I don't know what it is."

"Cather," came her mother's voice with a tap on the door. "It's almost bells and tomorrow is a big day."

"Alright Ma," said Cather standing quickly. "Mayten, let's pledge that no matter what happens tomorrow, we'll always be friends."

"Of course, why wouldn't we be? But what do I do about the tr..."

Her friend threw her arms around Mayten and squeezed too hard. This leveling ceremony was really getting to Cather, thought Mayten.

Waving her goodbye, she left the house and started to trudge up the hill to home, Anatolian by her side. She was troubled by her normally level-headed friend's intensity. Was there something else wrong? Usually, Cather was the steady one in their friendship, the sweet, happy one. Tray was always clowning and seemed totally unaware of Cather's feelings for him. Mayten the quieter of the three, was more introspective and questioning. But tonight, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more than Tray's upcoming leaving that bothered her friend. The bell in the clan's tower started to clang and Mayten ran.