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a short, but pivotal chapter:

Clanluna

Chapter 68: Mariza’s choice

Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling
Earth’s Children is owned by Jean Auel



(NO!) Thought Mariza. (Now I have to stay with these people who think they’re Clan! And they’ll make me mate that boy and Luna will Bless me again, and I’ll be trapped here for YEARS! And I can’t do anything to stop them any more than I could stop that man. I’m not even a Weech anymore! I don’t even have a wand!)

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Mariza walked back to the cave like an automaton as she ruminated in a pity party about her fate. Zurbgrana and Zariz both attempted to ask her what was wrong, but she just sat there unresponsive. Zurbgrana even tried handing Mariza her daughter. But although she nursed her, she didn’t appear to be aware of what she was doing. She’d made no effort to clean herself up afterwards.

When the other women returned from foraging, Zurbgrana was able to find out what had happened, and even understood a little. . . . she hated Relieving the men of the Other’s Needs too. . . but she’d never even considered fighting them about it!

Mariza was barely aware of the hubbub when the women told what had happened and Zezbrakan gathered all the men together and left. When they returned a half day later with two strange girls tied up, Mariza was snapped out of her trance. The girls or young women were so young that Mariza couldn’t tell if they were old enough for 1st Rites yet! And they were tied up with their legs bound and their arms behind their backs.

“Clean them up! And her too!” commanded Zezbrakan, in signs that indicated the two girls and Mariza. “Tonight we’ll perform the mating ceremony for them and our three new men.”

“Where did they come from?” signed Mariza, indicating the two strange girls.

“Zezbrakan decided that since the Others Relieved their Need in our women, that we could take some of theirs so that the young men could have mates,” replied the medicine woman.

“But . . .but . . . . they CAN’T FORCE them to mate!” protested Mariza.

“The Leader can make us do whatever he wants,” replied Zurbgrana. “This medicine woman thinks that you will be mated to Zurgak. He’s the future mog-ur.”

“But these girls are too young!” protested Mariza. “They probably haven’t even had 1st Rites yet!”

“What are 1st Rites?” asked Zurbgrana, pronouncing “First Rites” aloud.

An indignant anger arose in Mariza! (How dare these people! A Clan woman has to obey anytime ANY man gives her the signal! What is some man gave HER the Signal? If she’s mated, certainly her mate would give her the Signal, and often and if she refused? He’d Force her . . . just like that man did today! And what about these two girls? They’ll be forced too! They’ll be forced to relive what she went through today over and over!)

(But what could she do about it? She didn’t have a wand! Yet Luna always said there was more to being a Weech than just silly wand waving. Is this some kind of test? Did Luna have that man break her wand and Force her to teach her something? To see if she is worthy? What could she do without a wand? She had the knowledge of a medicine woman and would be one if she had let them make her one. . . it shouldn’t have taken this long to recover from that birth. . . she had a lot to teach Zurbgrana . . . There was Herbalogy and Potions, but she’d have to gather supplies to use any of those. . . .There was Astronomy. All she needed was the sky for that. . . Care? . . . There weren’t any magical creatures here besides, Međveđj and Đak. (if she could find him) Perhaps she could make some? She couldn’t transfigure them even if she had a wand. But maybe she could train some? . . . Ancient Runes? It would be hard to charge rune stones without a wand. Difficult . . . but not impossible . . . .Divination she could do. Luna had offered to make copies of her tarot cards, but Ayla had talked her out of it. Mariza’s mother was a great believer that Luna should not make things for people that they were unable to, for themselves. . . But Mariza didn’t need paper to make tarot cards! She could paint some stiff pieces of leather!) And she did have her broom . . . would have it . . . after the shrinking charm that she performed today wore off. . . It was spring, she should soon be starting to receive owls from her mother. She supposed could ask Zeen to make her a new wand . . . NO! Luna had placed this test in her life. She couldn’t try to cheat Luna by whine to her Clan for a wand or magical plant seeds for her garden! She had to show Luna that she was a worthy Weech. This meant living without a wand . . . Doing things for herself by hand. As an adolescent she had resented her mother making her learn hold to make things without magic. . . now she was grateful! . . . She wouldn’t ask for magical plant seeds, She’d breed new ones!¨ . . . and tame new animals!)

A whimper from one of the girls brought Mariza back to reality. . . . And she came to a decision . . . She realized what Luna was asking of her! And she was willing to make the sacrifice to save these two girls.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

(I can’t believe I’m doing this! I don’t even LIKE Pleasures with men!) thought Mariza. She had already dyed the soles of her feet with red ochre and had found a white fur that she was frantically rubbing the red ochre into. She glanced at the girls and the look and fear in their eyes, strengthened her resolve. She worked faster.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

When Zurbgrana tried to remove the ‘wraps of the Others’ from the girls, Mariza shooed her away.

And when Zariz came by the hearth, she gave him special instructions on how to help her tonight.

Mariza did take time to do separate divinatory readings on the girls. One was a woman, the other was not yet one, and neither had 1st Rites yet.

When the Leader’s Mate, Zuragavaka, came to the hearth to tell Zurbgrana that it was time to bring Mariza and the two girls to the mating ceremony, Mariza turned to the two girls, touched each of their hands, as they clung to each other fearfully and said, in English:

“Don’t worry. Everything is going to be all right.”

Mariza then pushed past Zuragavaka, before going into that sensuous walk that she had seen Iga, Griga, Đučaviča, Ura and others do, many times before. She stepped so narrowly her legs almost crossed as she swayed her hips and walked out of the cave wearing only a red stained wrap around her hips and red stained soles of her feet.

“There will be No Mating Tonight!” waved Mariza, imperiously.





Mariza (19) - Other, (Golden blonde hair, sky-blue eyes) Ayla’s daughter, Weech, , Đučaviča’s former 2nd mate. Care prodigy (Stork totem)
---Zariz (4) – ¼ Clan son of Mariza, Weez-ur
---Širiža (0) – Other, Mariza’s daughter, Weech
------Đak (5) – blink-dog
------Međveđj (3) Cave Bear

Zezbrakran (40) – 1/16 Clan son of Zezbraka, Leader
---Zuragavaka (33) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragava, mate of Zezbrakran

Zurbgun (53)-1/8 Clan son of Zurbga, mog-ur
Zurvragun (38) – 1/16 Clan son of Zurvraga, mog-ur's acolyte
---Zurvgakava (29) - 1/8 Clan daughter of Zurvgaka, mate of Zurvragun
------Zurvgak (14) - 1/16 Clan son of Zurvgakava, future mog-ur's acolyte
------Zurvgakun (11) - 1/16 Clan son of Zurvgakava,

Zezbrakruk (37) -1/8 Clan son of Zezbraka
---Zurbgrana (37) – 1/16 Clan daughter of Zurbgra, medicine woman, mate of Zezbrakruk
------Zubgranev (14) – 1/16 Clan son of Zurbgrana

Zuradanak (35) -1/32 Clan son of Zuradana
---Zurvgakaza (32) – 1/8 Clan daughter of Zurvgaka, mate of Zuradanak
------Zuradan (17) – 1/16 Clan son of Zurvgakaza
------Zuradaz – (14) - 1/16 Clan son of Zurvgakaza


Zuradavun (35) – 1/32 Clan son of Zuradava
--- Zuragakada (31) – 1/16 Clan daughter of Zuragaka, mate of Zuradavun
------ Zuragakadava (13) - 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragakada, mate of Zuragavab

Zurvgav (34) – 1/8 Clan son of Zurvgava
--- Zuragakaba (28) – 1/16 Clan daughter of Zuragaka, mate of Zurvgav
------ Zuragakabaza (13) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragakaba
------ Zuragakabava (10) – 1/16 Clan daughter of Zuragakaba

Zuragavaz (18) – 1/64 Clan son of Zuragavaka, future Leader
---Zuragakadaza (16)– 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragakada, mate of Zuragavaz
------ Zuragakadazad (1) – 1/64 Clan son of Zuragakadaza, future leader

Zuragavab (15) – 1/32 Clan son of Zuragavaka
---Zurbgranaza (17) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zurbgrana, medicine woman, mate of Zuragavab
------ Zurbgranazaga (2) 1/32 Clan daughter of Zurbgranaza