Categories > Books > Harry Potter > Clanmariza
CL89
Clanluna
Zeen looked around wildly . . . at the ribbons of smoke going from each hearth out of the cave . . . at the owls . . . at the beehives . . . . at the grazing horses and baby mammoth . . . at the patch of special grass and the stone megalith circle in the middle of it . . .
“You mean you did all this with PLEASURES!” exclaimed Zeen.
Chapter 89: Pleasures
Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling
Earth’s Children is owned by Jean Auel
“Wow! Wait until Griga hears about this!” exclaimed Zeen.
“It wasn’t just Pleasures,” explained Mariza. “I only used them to charge the runestones. The techniques I used to turn the chestnut tree into that orchard and the grass into that field of grain, came from my magical Herbalogy classes. Care of Magical creatures taught me how to tame those horses and owls and bees and dogs and hopefully the mammoth.”
Zeen hadn’t noticed the dogs. He was so used to seeing blink-dogs around his own cave, he’d totally missed the fact that Mariza had created a new breed of blink-dog/Wolf hybrids!
“Potions, helped all this along and allowed me to keep this Clan healthy. Astronomy helped me set the magical standing stones in the right places, and Divination helped me do it all at the proper time,” explained Mariza.
“So even without a wand, you kept being a Weech, doing anything magical you could, without a wand . . .” said Zeen, with amazement. He kept looking around in shock before turned to ask her:
“Why?”
“I didn’t have a wand anymore,” said Mariza.
“Why not?” asked Zeen. “All you had to do is write me and I would have brought you one. Why did you live without a wand all these years when you didn’t have to?”
“Because Luna didn’t want me to have a wand!” said Mariza. “Look, when that man broke my wand and Forced me, I thought my life was over! That I was no longer a Weech. But then the men of the Clan abducted two of the women who currently share my hearth: Vezava and Vojkovica. They were both so young, neither had had 1st Rites yet, Vezava wasn’t even a woman! I realized then, that Luna had taken my wand away as a test, that she had let that man Force me, so I would know, soul-deep, what was in store for those girls if I didn’t help them. Luna was asking me to be this Clan’s clanluna, to turn them into a Clan of the Clanluna.”
“Look, if that ever happens again,” said Zeen, as he waved his wand and levitated a stick. “All you need is a stick and the hair of a magical creature, like, oh say . . . yourself.”
“Ow!” yelped Mariza, as Zeen plucked a hair from her head.
“Then you glue it to the stick,” Zeen waved his wand and a deer foot rose into the air, next to the stick. Another wave and the deer toes were transfigured into glue, which then formed a glob at each end of the hair, gluing it to the stick, then, instantly hardening. “And you have a crude wand good for a single use before it burns out. Granted, you’d soon run out of hairs on your head. But it should last until I can bring you a wand.”
“But Luna doesn’t want me to have a wand,” protested Mariza.
“If she didn’t want you to have a wand, she wouldn’t have suggested that I bring the wands here for Zariz to pick one now, instead of waiting for winter like all the other students,” countered Zeen. “And she wouldn’t have let me tell you how to make a makeshift one either. Now that you know, you need never do without a wand again.”
“Well, thanks for showing me that,” said Mariza.
“Now let’s pick you out a wand,” said Zeen.
Mariza tried out various wands until she found one that was a better match for her than her original wand. Zeen was better at making wands now, than when she was eleven.
The Clan spent the rest of the day packing up for their first Clanluna Summer Gathering. But Zeen did take time out to invite Vazava to go ‘hunting’ with him. When they returned, empty-handed, Vezava had a huge contented smile on her face. Zeen walked straight over to Mariza.
“Listen, I missed something the first time, but when Vazava said it again, I asked her to explain,” stated Zeen. “Did you tell this Clan that you are the Great Mother walking the Earth?”
“No! No! I’ve always denied it!” protested Mariza. “But Vezava won’t listen! I told her about Luna, and she thinks the little bit of magic I can do means that I’m Luna in disguise!”
“Sounds a lot like what happened to my Mother,” mused Zeen, “except, in her case, she really is the Great Mother walking the Earth in a mortal guise. Be very careful. I’d hate for you to end up like my sister did . . .”
Mariza had learned through the owl delivered letters that the Clanlunae had finally seen through Mara after the proclaimed herself to be Gaea and started erasing people’s memories of it. She felt much safer knowing that Mara would not be waiting for her at the Summer Gathering.
“You never did explain to this woman why he looks so strange,” signed Zurbgranaza.
“Zeen, like many of the people of the Clanluna, is mixed, part Clan and part Other,” signed Mariza. “Our Clan, claims to be Clan.” Mariza gestured at the people around them. “But to my eyes, compared to real people of the Clan, you all look like Others. Zeen told this woman that when he looked back through the memories, he saw that Zorg’s Clan was originally Clan, founded by two people that were as mixed as him. But that you have mixed with Vezava’s people so much that you are really one people. Zorg’s Clan and the Vanthonoi are one people! And we really need to do something about it someday.”
“Vezava looked very happy when she came back from hunting with him,” signed Zurbgranaza.
“Yes, amongst the Clanluna, he has quite the reputation for being skilled at Pleasures,” signed Mariza.
“Is that reputation deserved?” signed Zurbgranaza.
“He performed my 1st Rites,” signed Mariza. “He was the best man this woman has ever Shared Pleasures with, but then, this woman does not like to Share Pleasures with men, so this woman is not a good judge. However, immediately after this woman’s 1st Rites, Luna Blessed her with Zariz, and he turned out to be a Weez-ur. This woman thinks that was an endorsement of sorts from Luna.”
Zurbgranaza looked thoughtful for a moment.
“Do you think he might Share Pleasures with me?”
“You could always give him the Signal and see if he responds,” signed Mariza.
“Oh, No! I couldn’t!” said Zurbgranaza, in English as she blushed and looked down.
That night after Zeen shared a dinner at Mariza’s hearth, he turned to her and said:
“Your mate has been acting strange all evening. Do you think she wants me to give her the Signal?”
“You could try it and see if she responds,” replied Mariza, guardedly, as she tried not to laugh at those two.
“All right, Mariza, may I have you permission to Relieve my Needs with your mate?” signed Zeen.
Mariza nodded.
“Zurbgran- Zurbga- Mariza’s mate!” said Zeen before giving her the Signal.
The gleeful look in her eyes as she leaped into position told Zeen that she didn’t mind this at all.
“Was that meant for me?” asked Vezava.
“No. But this is,” said Mariza before giving Vezava the Signal, then pulling her into a kiss.
“Hey, Zuradan, do want to help me Force Vojkovica?” asked Zuradaz, in the Vanthonoi language.
“Oh, Yes!” exclaimed Vojkovica as she frantically began loosening the side ties of her summer dress before pulling it over her head.
Zeen came up behind Zurbgranaza, who was kneeling and presenting like a Clan woman. He pressed himself against her rear before pulling her upright so he could turn her head back and kiss her. While he gently explored her mouth with his tongue, his hands were busy loosening the ties of her summer dress and caressing her through it. Once he could, he ran his hands down her body over her dress to the bottom, then caressed her bare skin as he ran his hands up her body pulling the summer dress off as he went.
The next morning, Zeen helped Mariza’s Clan make final preparations to leave.
“Stupefy!” Mariza stunned a horse, as Zeen silently did the same to another. After each was stunned, they were shrunk down and put in a pouch. All of the animals coming with them, the horses, mammoth, and dogs, were stunned and shrunk down. The Cave Bears and bees would be left here. They could take care of themselves. The owls were sent to the Gathering with messages.
Mariza and Zeen had also shrunken down the supplies they would need for the Summer. Once everything was packed, Zeen enlarged the rope he had made into a portkey and told everyone to hold on to it.
Mariza had warned them that their first time riding a portkey could be unpleasant. But she had not adequately prepared them for the sudden urge to empty their stomachs.
Once that was done, people began to take in their surroundings. . . . Circe Clan was hosting the Clanluna Summer Gathering this year. The Clan of Sphinxes lived in a hidden cave that barely fit them anymore. The rest of the Clans had to set up tents here on the plain. When Zeen arrived, Mariza decided to go the Summer Gathering early. She didn’t want her Clan to be too traumatized by the weirdness of the Clanluna like that mixed clan had a few years ago when the Clan Gathering had broken up. Mariza and Zeen pulled out the tipis and using their wands, began enlarging them and setting them up by levitating the poles into place, and the ropes into lashings, and finally, the covers were levitated into place. Zeen looked at the finished tipis for a moment. Mariza had made one for each hearth in preparation for this summer. The one for her hearth was extra large to accommodate the large number of people at her hearth. Waving his wand, Zeen transfigured away the seams, so that now, each tipi cover was made from a single hide.
“ Cave Lion!” screamed Voljkovica.
“Relax! It’s just a sphinx,” assured Mariza, as she stepped forward to exchange formal greetings with the Sphinx.
The Gynosphinx reared up, allowing Mariza to grab its’ paws and give formal greetings. Once she was done, The Sphinx replied: “Did you know that I am called Ishtarcles? Did you know that I am mated to Madukles, Leader of the Circe Clan of the Clanluna? Do you accept my greetings in the name of Luna?”
Mariza nodded, then turned to the members of her Clan.
“See. There is nothing to worry about,” assured Mariza, signing and speaking English at the same time. “Would any of you like to meet the Sphinx? No one? Vezava, how about you?”
Handing her daughter to Vojkovica, the clanmariza stepped forward to obey her Goddess. The sight of a full grown Cave Lion with the head of a woman frightened her. Fearfully she stepped forward to grasp the front paws of the gynosphinx and give her formal greetings.
Once Vezava was done, Mariza coaxed each of the members of her hearth, and then her Clan, to come forward to greet their host. By the time they were done some more Sphinxes had appeared, so Mariza’s Clan continued to the introductions. The Clan had become much less frightened of the Sphinxes by the time they had met all of them. Though the displacer beasts had caused a stir when they arrived halfway through the introductions.
“Did you bring us horses to hunt?” asked Mardukles.
“No, these horses are not for hunting,” replied Mariza. “They’re like the snorkacks, they work for us. We ride them, the mammoth also.”
“Well, in that case, would your Clan care to join us for a hunt?” asked Ishtarcles.
Mariza hard foreseen that they would be invited on joint hunt with other Clans and discussed with Zezbrakran, the former Leader and 1st Ranked male hunter, what do in different situations. She knew that only the female sphinxes hunted, while the lower ranked androsphinxes watched the cubs and the higher ranked males patrolled the area to prevent other predators from stealing their kill. So Mariza had decided that if her Clan were invited to hunt with the sphinxes, only the women-who-hunt would join the sphinxes.
And so, after making certain that their children were cared for, Mariza, Vezava, Vojkovica, Zuragakabava, Zuragakadava, and Zuragakabaza grabbed their bows and climbed on their horses. The mixed party of sphinxes, displacerbeasts, dogs and women-who-hunt with horses set out across the plains. Eventually, they spotted a small herd of bison. Mariza steered her horse towards the androsphinxes who were taking the long way around the herd to protect their females. Once they were on the other side of the herd, the male sphinxes spread out to form a wide paremeter around the herd, while the women began approaching the herd at a slow walk. The Gynosphinxes, meanwhile, were sneaking up on the herd, spreading out as they did so. When Ishtarcles charged the herd, that was the signal for the rest of the them to attack. The other gynosphinxes, displacerbeasts and dogs all charged the herd. The pets weren't big enought to take down a full grown bison, but they did provide a distraction. When Luna had first made the displacer beasts, the local animals were terified of the blue pumas with tentacles that appeared to be a few feet from their actual location. Now, since they hunted with the sphinxes, the local animals had decided that the displacer-beasts, like the sphinxes, were about as dangerous as cave lions, and treated them accordingly. For bison, the usual tactic in dealing which such large preditors was to spread out, each bison hoping that the cave lion/sphinx/displacer-beast would get another bison that was weaker/older/younger than them. Wolves, on the other hand, were too small to take down a full-grown bison. So the bison would group together to protect the ones who were small enough to be a prey to the wolves. The bision quickly decided that Mariza's dogs were wolves. So the combination of dogs and displacer-beasts and sphinxes left the bison herd too confused to decide what to do.
While they were charging, the women turned their horses to the side so that they could fire their bows. The volley of arrows soared through the air to hit the bison. Each of the women's arrows hit a bison, but the animals were so massive and muscular that only Mariza's and Vojkovica's succeeded in wounding a bison. As soon as the arrows hit their targets, the women urged their horses around the herd.
By the time the women had gotten in position for another shot, the four-legged hunters had reached the herd. Three of the bison went down under the paws of sphinxes, while a pair of displacer-beasts slowed another enough that another sphinx could kill it.
The women were now in position that they could get a clear shot without hitting anyone. All of the women concentrated their fire on the two that had previously been wounded and since they were much closer now, the two bison fell to the hail of arrows.
With six bison down, the rest were allowed to escape. The gynosphinxes ripped open the bellies of the bison they'd downed and started eating the entrails. They'd have to be fast if they wanted to get some before their mates arrived. The women, were being more careful with their kills. Mariza cut them open and gave each woman a warm piece of fresh liver, before burying the hearts where they had fallen. The women then got to work field dressing the bison. For them, the entrails each had a useful purpose, so they carefuly saved them. By the time they finished, the Androsphinxes had arrived. Four of the them took the bison that their mates had killed and began dragging them back to the cave. Mariza, pulled her wand from behind her ear, shrunk the two bison, and tucked them in her purse.
When they returned to their camp, Mariza enlarged the bison and the women began cooking the choicest cuts for dinner, while the rest of the carcases were butchered and dried for winter.
Mariza had feared that the strangeness of the Sphinxes would scare off her Clan, but they had made a special effort to make her people feel welcome and asked lot of interesting riddles, a form of entertainment that the sphinxes prefered instead of storytelling. Communication was not a problem because the sphinxes could all speak English and read the ancient Clan signs. And she had spent years making sure most of the members of her Clan could speak English and Vanthonoi.
After dinner, Mariza gathered her Clan together.
“Tomorrow, Zeen will bring Durc’s Flamel Clan here,” began Mariza, in English and Clan signs. “When this woman first met you, all of you . . . well, most of you . . .” she glanced at Vezava and Vojkovica. “ . . . thought of yourselves as Clan. But some of the members of the Flamel Clan really are Clan. So this Leader just wants to remind you all that Clan people look different . . . even more different than Zeen does. And they think different, too. Their memories make them even more bound by their traditions than you were when this woman met you. There are certain tasks that are gender specific and they will not be able to perform. Also the men will expect women to anything they request, without question and the Clan women will do anything a man asks them to. They’ve been members of the Clanluna for several generations and have learned to avoid asking things of other peoples mates. But there are still occasional misunderstandings, so try to avoid starting a conflict.”
The next morning, Zeen apparated away. When the portkey brought the Flamel Clan, they appeared just outside the ring of Mariza’s Clan’s tipis.
In the winter, Mariza had been able to persuade all but the oldest member of her Clan to wear boots and leggings and tunic and parkas, instead of Clan-style wraps. But in the summer, only the women-who-hunt wore summer-dresses and boots. The rest of her Clan, both men and women wore Clan-style wraps.
Durc’s Flamel Clan dressed similarly. They all wore Clan-style wraps even people like Ruža and Đukić, who had been Đűmbleđores before marrying into this Clan. So the Flamels made a favorable first impression on Mariza’s Clan. . . . but then they started to notice the physical differences that people who were more Clan had.
Mariza (25) - Other, (Golden blonde hair, sky-blue eyes) Leader, Ayla’s daughter, Weech, , Đučaviča’s former 2nd mate. clanluna, redfoot, N: Cr,H,R,Div, Care prodigy (Stork totem)
---Zariz (10) – ¼ Clan son of Mariza, Weez-ur
---Širiža (6) – Other, Mariza’s daughter, Weech
---Vantha (5) – Other, Mariza’s daughter, Weech
------ 5 Blink-wolves (5)
------ 1 blink-dog (3)
--------- 2 blink dogs (0)
------ 2 dogs (2)
--------- 4 dogs (0)
------Međveđj (9) Cave Bear
--------- (5) female Cave bear
------------ (1) female cave bear cub
------ 3 snowy owls (1)
---Zurbgranaza (23) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zurbgrana, medicine woman, widow of Zuragavab, Mariza's mate
------ Zurbgranazaga (8) 1/32 Clan daughter of Zurbgranaza
------Marizurba (5) – 1/64 Clan daughter of Zurbgranaza
------Marizanaza (2) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zurbgranaza
Zuradan (23) – 1/16 Clan son of Zurvgakaza
---Vezava (19) – Other, daughter of Larnva of the Vanthonoi, abducted by Zorg's Clan, clanmariza, Zuradan's mate,
------Marizava (4) - 1/16 Clan daughter of Vezava
------Mariva (1) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Vezava
Zuradaz – (20) - 1/16 Clan son of Zurvgakaza, (Mammoth totem)
---Vojkovica (20) – Other, daughter of Larnza of the Vanthonoi, abducted by Zorg's Clan, mate of Zuradaz, (Shamois totem)
------Marojkova (4) - 1/32 Clan daughter of Vojkovica
------Mojadaza (1) - 1/32 Clan daughter of Vojkovica
Zezbrakran (46) – 1/16 Clan son of Zezbraka, former-Leader
---Zuragavaka (39) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragava, mate of Zezbrakran
------Zuragakama (5) – 1/64 Clan daughter of Zuragavaka
------Muraga (2) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragavaka
Zurbgun (59)-1/8 Clan son of Zurbga, mog-ur
Zurvragun (44) – 1/16 Clan son of Zurvraga, mog-ur's acolyte
---Zurvgakava (35) - 1/8 Clan daughter of Zurvgaka, mate of Zurvragun
------Zurvgakavama (5) -1/32 Clan daughter of Zurvgakava
------Zurvgakavamza (2) - 1/8 Clan daughter of Zurvgakava
Zezbrakruk (43) -1/8 Clan son of Zezbraka
---Zurbgrana (43) – 1/16 Clan daughter of Zurbgra, medicine woman, mate of Zezbrakruk
------Marbgra (4) – 1/16 Clan daughter of Zubgrana
Zuradanak (41) -1/32 Clan son of Zuradana
---Zurvgakaza (38) – 1/8 Clan daughter of Zurvgaka, mate of Zuradanak
------Zurvgakazma (5) – 1/16 Clan daughter of Zurvgakaza
------Murvgaka (2) – 1/16 Clan daughter of Zurvgakaza
Zuradavun (41) – 1/32 Clan son of Zuradava
--- Zuragakada (42) – 1/16 Clan daughter of Zuragaka, mate of Zuradavun
------Zuragakadama (5) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragakada
Zurvgav (40) – 1/8 Clan son of Zurvgava
--- Zuragakaba (34) – 1/16 Clan daughter of Zuragaka, mate of Zurvgav
------Zuragakabama (5) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragakaba
------Zuramariza (2) – 1/16 Clan daughter of Zuragakaba
Zuragavaz (24) – 1/64 Clan son of Zuragavaka, former-future Leader
---Zuragakadaza (22)– 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragakada, mate of Zuragavaz
------Zuragakadazad (7) – 1/64 Clan son of Zuragakadaza, former-future leader
------Zuragakadazama (5) – 1/64 Clan daughter of Zuragakadaza
------Muragakadaza (1) – 1/64 Clan daughter of Zuragakadaza
Zurvgak (20) - 1/16 Clan son of Zurvgakava, future mog-ur's acolyte
---Zuragakabaza (19) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragakaba, mate of Zurvgak
------Zarama (4) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragakabaza
------Marama (1) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragakabaza
Zubgranev (20) – 1/16 Clan son of Zurbgrana
---Zuragakadava (19) - 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragakada, mate of Zurbgranev
------Maraga (4) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragakadava
------Mubaza (1) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragakadava
Zurvgakun (17) - 1/16 Clan son of Zurvgakava, future mog-ur
---Zuragakabava (16) – 1/16 Clan daughter of Zuragakaba, mate of Zurvgakun
------Zuragama (1) – 1/16 Clan daughter of Zuragakabava
------Whinney and various other horses
------3 hives of Bees
Clanluna
Zeen looked around wildly . . . at the ribbons of smoke going from each hearth out of the cave . . . at the owls . . . at the beehives . . . . at the grazing horses and baby mammoth . . . at the patch of special grass and the stone megalith circle in the middle of it . . .
“You mean you did all this with PLEASURES!” exclaimed Zeen.
Chapter 89: Pleasures
Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling
Earth’s Children is owned by Jean Auel
“Wow! Wait until Griga hears about this!” exclaimed Zeen.
“It wasn’t just Pleasures,” explained Mariza. “I only used them to charge the runestones. The techniques I used to turn the chestnut tree into that orchard and the grass into that field of grain, came from my magical Herbalogy classes. Care of Magical creatures taught me how to tame those horses and owls and bees and dogs and hopefully the mammoth.”
Zeen hadn’t noticed the dogs. He was so used to seeing blink-dogs around his own cave, he’d totally missed the fact that Mariza had created a new breed of blink-dog/Wolf hybrids!
“Potions, helped all this along and allowed me to keep this Clan healthy. Astronomy helped me set the magical standing stones in the right places, and Divination helped me do it all at the proper time,” explained Mariza.
“So even without a wand, you kept being a Weech, doing anything magical you could, without a wand . . .” said Zeen, with amazement. He kept looking around in shock before turned to ask her:
“Why?”
“I didn’t have a wand anymore,” said Mariza.
“Why not?” asked Zeen. “All you had to do is write me and I would have brought you one. Why did you live without a wand all these years when you didn’t have to?”
“Because Luna didn’t want me to have a wand!” said Mariza. “Look, when that man broke my wand and Forced me, I thought my life was over! That I was no longer a Weech. But then the men of the Clan abducted two of the women who currently share my hearth: Vezava and Vojkovica. They were both so young, neither had had 1st Rites yet, Vezava wasn’t even a woman! I realized then, that Luna had taken my wand away as a test, that she had let that man Force me, so I would know, soul-deep, what was in store for those girls if I didn’t help them. Luna was asking me to be this Clan’s clanluna, to turn them into a Clan of the Clanluna.”
“Look, if that ever happens again,” said Zeen, as he waved his wand and levitated a stick. “All you need is a stick and the hair of a magical creature, like, oh say . . . yourself.”
“Ow!” yelped Mariza, as Zeen plucked a hair from her head.
“Then you glue it to the stick,” Zeen waved his wand and a deer foot rose into the air, next to the stick. Another wave and the deer toes were transfigured into glue, which then formed a glob at each end of the hair, gluing it to the stick, then, instantly hardening. “And you have a crude wand good for a single use before it burns out. Granted, you’d soon run out of hairs on your head. But it should last until I can bring you a wand.”
“But Luna doesn’t want me to have a wand,” protested Mariza.
“If she didn’t want you to have a wand, she wouldn’t have suggested that I bring the wands here for Zariz to pick one now, instead of waiting for winter like all the other students,” countered Zeen. “And she wouldn’t have let me tell you how to make a makeshift one either. Now that you know, you need never do without a wand again.”
“Well, thanks for showing me that,” said Mariza.
“Now let’s pick you out a wand,” said Zeen.
Mariza tried out various wands until she found one that was a better match for her than her original wand. Zeen was better at making wands now, than when she was eleven.
The Clan spent the rest of the day packing up for their first Clanluna Summer Gathering. But Zeen did take time out to invite Vazava to go ‘hunting’ with him. When they returned, empty-handed, Vezava had a huge contented smile on her face. Zeen walked straight over to Mariza.
“Listen, I missed something the first time, but when Vazava said it again, I asked her to explain,” stated Zeen. “Did you tell this Clan that you are the Great Mother walking the Earth?”
“No! No! I’ve always denied it!” protested Mariza. “But Vezava won’t listen! I told her about Luna, and she thinks the little bit of magic I can do means that I’m Luna in disguise!”
“Sounds a lot like what happened to my Mother,” mused Zeen, “except, in her case, she really is the Great Mother walking the Earth in a mortal guise. Be very careful. I’d hate for you to end up like my sister did . . .”
Mariza had learned through the owl delivered letters that the Clanlunae had finally seen through Mara after the proclaimed herself to be Gaea and started erasing people’s memories of it. She felt much safer knowing that Mara would not be waiting for her at the Summer Gathering.
“You never did explain to this woman why he looks so strange,” signed Zurbgranaza.
“Zeen, like many of the people of the Clanluna, is mixed, part Clan and part Other,” signed Mariza. “Our Clan, claims to be Clan.” Mariza gestured at the people around them. “But to my eyes, compared to real people of the Clan, you all look like Others. Zeen told this woman that when he looked back through the memories, he saw that Zorg’s Clan was originally Clan, founded by two people that were as mixed as him. But that you have mixed with Vezava’s people so much that you are really one people. Zorg’s Clan and the Vanthonoi are one people! And we really need to do something about it someday.”
“Vezava looked very happy when she came back from hunting with him,” signed Zurbgranaza.
“Yes, amongst the Clanluna, he has quite the reputation for being skilled at Pleasures,” signed Mariza.
“Is that reputation deserved?” signed Zurbgranaza.
“He performed my 1st Rites,” signed Mariza. “He was the best man this woman has ever Shared Pleasures with, but then, this woman does not like to Share Pleasures with men, so this woman is not a good judge. However, immediately after this woman’s 1st Rites, Luna Blessed her with Zariz, and he turned out to be a Weez-ur. This woman thinks that was an endorsement of sorts from Luna.”
Zurbgranaza looked thoughtful for a moment.
“Do you think he might Share Pleasures with me?”
“You could always give him the Signal and see if he responds,” signed Mariza.
“Oh, No! I couldn’t!” said Zurbgranaza, in English as she blushed and looked down.
That night after Zeen shared a dinner at Mariza’s hearth, he turned to her and said:
“Your mate has been acting strange all evening. Do you think she wants me to give her the Signal?”
“You could try it and see if she responds,” replied Mariza, guardedly, as she tried not to laugh at those two.
“All right, Mariza, may I have you permission to Relieve my Needs with your mate?” signed Zeen.
Mariza nodded.
“Zurbgran- Zurbga- Mariza’s mate!” said Zeen before giving her the Signal.
The gleeful look in her eyes as she leaped into position told Zeen that she didn’t mind this at all.
“Was that meant for me?” asked Vezava.
“No. But this is,” said Mariza before giving Vezava the Signal, then pulling her into a kiss.
“Hey, Zuradan, do want to help me Force Vojkovica?” asked Zuradaz, in the Vanthonoi language.
“Oh, Yes!” exclaimed Vojkovica as she frantically began loosening the side ties of her summer dress before pulling it over her head.
Zeen came up behind Zurbgranaza, who was kneeling and presenting like a Clan woman. He pressed himself against her rear before pulling her upright so he could turn her head back and kiss her. While he gently explored her mouth with his tongue, his hands were busy loosening the ties of her summer dress and caressing her through it. Once he could, he ran his hands down her body over her dress to the bottom, then caressed her bare skin as he ran his hands up her body pulling the summer dress off as he went.
The next morning, Zeen helped Mariza’s Clan make final preparations to leave.
“Stupefy!” Mariza stunned a horse, as Zeen silently did the same to another. After each was stunned, they were shrunk down and put in a pouch. All of the animals coming with them, the horses, mammoth, and dogs, were stunned and shrunk down. The Cave Bears and bees would be left here. They could take care of themselves. The owls were sent to the Gathering with messages.
Mariza and Zeen had also shrunken down the supplies they would need for the Summer. Once everything was packed, Zeen enlarged the rope he had made into a portkey and told everyone to hold on to it.
Mariza had warned them that their first time riding a portkey could be unpleasant. But she had not adequately prepared them for the sudden urge to empty their stomachs.
Once that was done, people began to take in their surroundings. . . . Circe Clan was hosting the Clanluna Summer Gathering this year. The Clan of Sphinxes lived in a hidden cave that barely fit them anymore. The rest of the Clans had to set up tents here on the plain. When Zeen arrived, Mariza decided to go the Summer Gathering early. She didn’t want her Clan to be too traumatized by the weirdness of the Clanluna like that mixed clan had a few years ago when the Clan Gathering had broken up. Mariza and Zeen pulled out the tipis and using their wands, began enlarging them and setting them up by levitating the poles into place, and the ropes into lashings, and finally, the covers were levitated into place. Zeen looked at the finished tipis for a moment. Mariza had made one for each hearth in preparation for this summer. The one for her hearth was extra large to accommodate the large number of people at her hearth. Waving his wand, Zeen transfigured away the seams, so that now, each tipi cover was made from a single hide.
“ Cave Lion!” screamed Voljkovica.
“Relax! It’s just a sphinx,” assured Mariza, as she stepped forward to exchange formal greetings with the Sphinx.
The Gynosphinx reared up, allowing Mariza to grab its’ paws and give formal greetings. Once she was done, The Sphinx replied: “Did you know that I am called Ishtarcles? Did you know that I am mated to Madukles, Leader of the Circe Clan of the Clanluna? Do you accept my greetings in the name of Luna?”
Mariza nodded, then turned to the members of her Clan.
“See. There is nothing to worry about,” assured Mariza, signing and speaking English at the same time. “Would any of you like to meet the Sphinx? No one? Vezava, how about you?”
Handing her daughter to Vojkovica, the clanmariza stepped forward to obey her Goddess. The sight of a full grown Cave Lion with the head of a woman frightened her. Fearfully she stepped forward to grasp the front paws of the gynosphinx and give her formal greetings.
Once Vezava was done, Mariza coaxed each of the members of her hearth, and then her Clan, to come forward to greet their host. By the time they were done some more Sphinxes had appeared, so Mariza’s Clan continued to the introductions. The Clan had become much less frightened of the Sphinxes by the time they had met all of them. Though the displacer beasts had caused a stir when they arrived halfway through the introductions.
“Did you bring us horses to hunt?” asked Mardukles.
“No, these horses are not for hunting,” replied Mariza. “They’re like the snorkacks, they work for us. We ride them, the mammoth also.”
“Well, in that case, would your Clan care to join us for a hunt?” asked Ishtarcles.
Mariza hard foreseen that they would be invited on joint hunt with other Clans and discussed with Zezbrakran, the former Leader and 1st Ranked male hunter, what do in different situations. She knew that only the female sphinxes hunted, while the lower ranked androsphinxes watched the cubs and the higher ranked males patrolled the area to prevent other predators from stealing their kill. So Mariza had decided that if her Clan were invited to hunt with the sphinxes, only the women-who-hunt would join the sphinxes.
And so, after making certain that their children were cared for, Mariza, Vezava, Vojkovica, Zuragakabava, Zuragakadava, and Zuragakabaza grabbed their bows and climbed on their horses. The mixed party of sphinxes, displacerbeasts, dogs and women-who-hunt with horses set out across the plains. Eventually, they spotted a small herd of bison. Mariza steered her horse towards the androsphinxes who were taking the long way around the herd to protect their females. Once they were on the other side of the herd, the male sphinxes spread out to form a wide paremeter around the herd, while the women began approaching the herd at a slow walk. The Gynosphinxes, meanwhile, were sneaking up on the herd, spreading out as they did so. When Ishtarcles charged the herd, that was the signal for the rest of the them to attack. The other gynosphinxes, displacerbeasts and dogs all charged the herd. The pets weren't big enought to take down a full grown bison, but they did provide a distraction. When Luna had first made the displacer beasts, the local animals were terified of the blue pumas with tentacles that appeared to be a few feet from their actual location. Now, since they hunted with the sphinxes, the local animals had decided that the displacer-beasts, like the sphinxes, were about as dangerous as cave lions, and treated them accordingly. For bison, the usual tactic in dealing which such large preditors was to spread out, each bison hoping that the cave lion/sphinx/displacer-beast would get another bison that was weaker/older/younger than them. Wolves, on the other hand, were too small to take down a full-grown bison. So the bison would group together to protect the ones who were small enough to be a prey to the wolves. The bision quickly decided that Mariza's dogs were wolves. So the combination of dogs and displacer-beasts and sphinxes left the bison herd too confused to decide what to do.
While they were charging, the women turned their horses to the side so that they could fire their bows. The volley of arrows soared through the air to hit the bison. Each of the women's arrows hit a bison, but the animals were so massive and muscular that only Mariza's and Vojkovica's succeeded in wounding a bison. As soon as the arrows hit their targets, the women urged their horses around the herd.
By the time the women had gotten in position for another shot, the four-legged hunters had reached the herd. Three of the bison went down under the paws of sphinxes, while a pair of displacer-beasts slowed another enough that another sphinx could kill it.
The women were now in position that they could get a clear shot without hitting anyone. All of the women concentrated their fire on the two that had previously been wounded and since they were much closer now, the two bison fell to the hail of arrows.
With six bison down, the rest were allowed to escape. The gynosphinxes ripped open the bellies of the bison they'd downed and started eating the entrails. They'd have to be fast if they wanted to get some before their mates arrived. The women, were being more careful with their kills. Mariza cut them open and gave each woman a warm piece of fresh liver, before burying the hearts where they had fallen. The women then got to work field dressing the bison. For them, the entrails each had a useful purpose, so they carefuly saved them. By the time they finished, the Androsphinxes had arrived. Four of the them took the bison that their mates had killed and began dragging them back to the cave. Mariza, pulled her wand from behind her ear, shrunk the two bison, and tucked them in her purse.
When they returned to their camp, Mariza enlarged the bison and the women began cooking the choicest cuts for dinner, while the rest of the carcases were butchered and dried for winter.
Mariza had feared that the strangeness of the Sphinxes would scare off her Clan, but they had made a special effort to make her people feel welcome and asked lot of interesting riddles, a form of entertainment that the sphinxes prefered instead of storytelling. Communication was not a problem because the sphinxes could all speak English and read the ancient Clan signs. And she had spent years making sure most of the members of her Clan could speak English and Vanthonoi.
After dinner, Mariza gathered her Clan together.
“Tomorrow, Zeen will bring Durc’s Flamel Clan here,” began Mariza, in English and Clan signs. “When this woman first met you, all of you . . . well, most of you . . .” she glanced at Vezava and Vojkovica. “ . . . thought of yourselves as Clan. But some of the members of the Flamel Clan really are Clan. So this Leader just wants to remind you all that Clan people look different . . . even more different than Zeen does. And they think different, too. Their memories make them even more bound by their traditions than you were when this woman met you. There are certain tasks that are gender specific and they will not be able to perform. Also the men will expect women to anything they request, without question and the Clan women will do anything a man asks them to. They’ve been members of the Clanluna for several generations and have learned to avoid asking things of other peoples mates. But there are still occasional misunderstandings, so try to avoid starting a conflict.”
The next morning, Zeen apparated away. When the portkey brought the Flamel Clan, they appeared just outside the ring of Mariza’s Clan’s tipis.
In the winter, Mariza had been able to persuade all but the oldest member of her Clan to wear boots and leggings and tunic and parkas, instead of Clan-style wraps. But in the summer, only the women-who-hunt wore summer-dresses and boots. The rest of her Clan, both men and women wore Clan-style wraps.
Durc’s Flamel Clan dressed similarly. They all wore Clan-style wraps even people like Ruža and Đukić, who had been Đűmbleđores before marrying into this Clan. So the Flamels made a favorable first impression on Mariza’s Clan. . . . but then they started to notice the physical differences that people who were more Clan had.
Mariza (25) - Other, (Golden blonde hair, sky-blue eyes) Leader, Ayla’s daughter, Weech, , Đučaviča’s former 2nd mate. clanluna, redfoot, N: Cr,H,R,Div, Care prodigy (Stork totem)
---Zariz (10) – ¼ Clan son of Mariza, Weez-ur
---Širiža (6) – Other, Mariza’s daughter, Weech
---Vantha (5) – Other, Mariza’s daughter, Weech
------ 5 Blink-wolves (5)
------ 1 blink-dog (3)
--------- 2 blink dogs (0)
------ 2 dogs (2)
--------- 4 dogs (0)
------Međveđj (9) Cave Bear
--------- (5) female Cave bear
------------ (1) female cave bear cub
------ 3 snowy owls (1)
---Zurbgranaza (23) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zurbgrana, medicine woman, widow of Zuragavab, Mariza's mate
------ Zurbgranazaga (8) 1/32 Clan daughter of Zurbgranaza
------Marizurba (5) – 1/64 Clan daughter of Zurbgranaza
------Marizanaza (2) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zurbgranaza
Zuradan (23) – 1/16 Clan son of Zurvgakaza
---Vezava (19) – Other, daughter of Larnva of the Vanthonoi, abducted by Zorg's Clan, clanmariza, Zuradan's mate,
------Marizava (4) - 1/16 Clan daughter of Vezava
------Mariva (1) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Vezava
Zuradaz – (20) - 1/16 Clan son of Zurvgakaza, (Mammoth totem)
---Vojkovica (20) – Other, daughter of Larnza of the Vanthonoi, abducted by Zorg's Clan, mate of Zuradaz, (Shamois totem)
------Marojkova (4) - 1/32 Clan daughter of Vojkovica
------Mojadaza (1) - 1/32 Clan daughter of Vojkovica
Zezbrakran (46) – 1/16 Clan son of Zezbraka, former-Leader
---Zuragavaka (39) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragava, mate of Zezbrakran
------Zuragakama (5) – 1/64 Clan daughter of Zuragavaka
------Muraga (2) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragavaka
Zurbgun (59)-1/8 Clan son of Zurbga, mog-ur
Zurvragun (44) – 1/16 Clan son of Zurvraga, mog-ur's acolyte
---Zurvgakava (35) - 1/8 Clan daughter of Zurvgaka, mate of Zurvragun
------Zurvgakavama (5) -1/32 Clan daughter of Zurvgakava
------Zurvgakavamza (2) - 1/8 Clan daughter of Zurvgakava
Zezbrakruk (43) -1/8 Clan son of Zezbraka
---Zurbgrana (43) – 1/16 Clan daughter of Zurbgra, medicine woman, mate of Zezbrakruk
------Marbgra (4) – 1/16 Clan daughter of Zubgrana
Zuradanak (41) -1/32 Clan son of Zuradana
---Zurvgakaza (38) – 1/8 Clan daughter of Zurvgaka, mate of Zuradanak
------Zurvgakazma (5) – 1/16 Clan daughter of Zurvgakaza
------Murvgaka (2) – 1/16 Clan daughter of Zurvgakaza
Zuradavun (41) – 1/32 Clan son of Zuradava
--- Zuragakada (42) – 1/16 Clan daughter of Zuragaka, mate of Zuradavun
------Zuragakadama (5) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragakada
Zurvgav (40) – 1/8 Clan son of Zurvgava
--- Zuragakaba (34) – 1/16 Clan daughter of Zuragaka, mate of Zurvgav
------Zuragakabama (5) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragakaba
------Zuramariza (2) – 1/16 Clan daughter of Zuragakaba
Zuragavaz (24) – 1/64 Clan son of Zuragavaka, former-future Leader
---Zuragakadaza (22)– 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragakada, mate of Zuragavaz
------Zuragakadazad (7) – 1/64 Clan son of Zuragakadaza, former-future leader
------Zuragakadazama (5) – 1/64 Clan daughter of Zuragakadaza
------Muragakadaza (1) – 1/64 Clan daughter of Zuragakadaza
Zurvgak (20) - 1/16 Clan son of Zurvgakava, future mog-ur's acolyte
---Zuragakabaza (19) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragakaba, mate of Zurvgak
------Zarama (4) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragakabaza
------Marama (1) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragakabaza
Zubgranev (20) – 1/16 Clan son of Zurbgrana
---Zuragakadava (19) - 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragakada, mate of Zurbgranev
------Maraga (4) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragakadava
------Mubaza (1) – 1/32 Clan daughter of Zuragakadava
Zurvgakun (17) - 1/16 Clan son of Zurvgakava, future mog-ur
---Zuragakabava (16) – 1/16 Clan daughter of Zuragakaba, mate of Zurvgakun
------Zuragama (1) – 1/16 Clan daughter of Zuragakabava
------Whinney and various other horses
------3 hives of Bees
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