Page 46 of Planet Zero
“Uh-huh. To say how grateful he was for Oma.”
Chele harrumphed and resumed her task of carefully twisting Boroms off their stems with her long, work-roughened fingers.
“Chele, is it true that mated men hurt without laying with their partner?”
“Of course they do.”
“I didn’t know. When Hunlath said about hurting, I almost didn’t believe him.”
“Is it what he is afraid of?”
“I think he is a little scared of what would happen to him should he lose Oma,” Addie admitted.
Chele chuckled. “Young Hunlath has been listening to tall tales. Yes, male power needs relief, and without a woman, it will eat the man from inside out. But it isn’t like he’ll succumb the next day. Plenty of men lose their mates. They have time to find another, and oftentimes the chief will help to arrange for one.”
Addie fell silent. “Is it what’s wrong with Zoark?”
Chele’s smile slipped. “Zoark,” she said, and the name came out pensive. “It’s a shame what happened to him.”
“Illied said before that he should’ve died.”
“And he should have. It is no life for the likes of him.”
“Because he’s crippled?”
“Yes. He has no future. No woman will accept him. When Zoark was ruined by the Wrennlins, he should have at least stayed untapped. But no, he mated with women in that city of yours. What was he thinking? He knew what it would do to him.”
“Maybe he thought he’d stay in the city forever.”
“Then he should have. Why leave? But he did, tappedandruined. But it’s on him, he knew the consequences.” She shook her head.
“Does it mean your tribe doesn't want him?”
“No. He’s weak and weakening more and more. He will succumb,” Chele went about gathering herbs as she spoke, her tone even and indifferent. Zoark meant as much to her as a bush stump that rose nearby.
“But he was allowed to stay?” Addie pressed, wondering why Zoark interested her more than the stump.
“Because of Oh’nil. Oh’nil petitioned the chief on Zoark’s behalf. Zoark’s tolerated so long as he behaves.”
“Behaves?” Addie trailed behind Chele who went along a thin strip of moss collecting tiny yellow leaves with red tips.
“Around women, I mean. If he so much as looks at a woman with hunger, the men would run him to the ground like a bad-smelling lizard. And he knows the rules. His father was a chief, you know that?”
“Zoark’s father? No, of course not. Before Net’ok?”
Chele moved her head in the negative. “Of another tribe. Old Unn. Good chief. Theirs was a strong tribe.”
“Where is his tribe now?”
Chele shrugged. “They are no more. Unn perished on the same trading trip that crippled Zoark. Upon his death, men fought for dominance so much that it weakened the tribe. Eventually, they dispersed. Oh’nil and Vircea traveled the plains before they came to live with us. And later, Oh’nil found Zoark by himself in the plains and brought him here.”
“It was kind of Oh’nil to bring him home, to petition the chief to let Zoark stay.”
Chele made a non-committal sound in her throat. “They are siblings.”
Addie’s head whipped around. “They are?”
“And Vircea. The red-haired clan of old Unn. Strong men. Or they could have been.” Chele looked into the distance. “I heard it said the elders of Zoark’s tribe had thought he would make a fine chief one day to take over his father.” Chele picked up her basket. “It only shows that no one can see the future. Come on, Addie, we’re done here. Illied will be waiting.”
