Page 140 of Fumiko and the Finicky Nestmate
He rummaged up a smile. “What is it you wanted me to see?”
“A surprise. You will like it. Sister does.” And raising her voice a little, she called, “It is good, isn’t it, Sister?”
From one of the bigger hammocks, suspended way out over the water, though well above it, Fumiko hushed them and beckoned.
Moments later, Akira clambered awkwardly into the relative safety of the nest, where Fumiko made sure he had a quilt and a pillow. He flopped onto his back, gazing up at the sky between the branches. “Is there a meteor shower or something?” he guessed.
Fumiko giggled. “You are looking in the wrong direction.”
“Not up. Down,” said Zuzu.
“They’re on the beach. The view from here is perfect.” Fumiko scooted a little closer to the edge and pointed. “I don’t think they’ve noticed us.”
Akira rolled and wriggled into a spot alongside hers. No surprise, Zuzu nestled right in. He couldn’t complain. It felt safer, being surrounded. They were a long way up, but a gap in the branches gave a seaside view of the beach.
Colt, Bavol, Argent, and Hallow lounged in the light of a bonfire, which Sinder was still feeding from a tidy stack of cordwood. Those absent were likely patrolling. But their informal meeting wasn’t the reason Akira had been summoned from his bed.
Fumiko whispered, “This is a little for me, but I think it’s also a little for you.”
On the smooth sand of the beach, Juuyu and Suuzu stood a short distance apart, arms moving in measured patterns. It was pretty clear that Juuyu was leading and Suuzu was learning. After another repetition, they added footwork. Pacing, pivots, springing steps and swirling turns that brought flight to mind.
“Do you understand?” asked Fumiko.
“Juuyu is teaching Suuzu the steps to a dance.” Hardly surprising, since Juuyu had fostered his younger brother. In all the ways that mattered, he was Suuzu’s parent.
The movements didn’t look too difficult, but the combinations grew increasingly complicated. And there was no way a human could have achieved some of their leaps. Juuyu paused to speak, and Suuzu retried a sequence. Then Juuyu stepped in, standing behind his brother in order to correct the placement of his arms. Precision was tantamount for a people who communicated with every nuance of posture.
Both moved this time, and there was more assurance to the steps, to the sweep of their arms. They’d even matched the angle of their heads, which made Akira even more sure that there was a message to this dance.
“Can you hear them?” asked Zuzu.
Akira strained to listen, and little by little, he caught sounds. “Are they humming?”
It was suddenly easier to tell because those around the bonfire added their voices. So maybe it was a traditional song? Or maybe they’d been practicing long enough for the others to pick up the melody line. In Akira’s experience, Amaranthine loved to sing, and many of the clans had folk songs in common.
Argent’s voice carried confidently, but that didn’t help Akira. All of their most important songs were in Old Amaranthine.
“Do you understand?” Fumiko asked again.
“Not exactly. I mean, it’s a dance.”
“It’s a courting dance. Juuyu told me he’s keeping a promise to his brother tonight.”
Suuzu was learning a courting dance?
“Phoenixes have all sorts of traditional dances,” Akira whispered. “Why are you so sure this is for courting?”
“I know because I heard.” Zuzu pointed to Juuyu and Suuzu in turn. “He dances for Sister. And he dances for you, Brother.”
“Brother?” he echoed weakly.
“Is that not how it works?” Zuzu’s gaze was soft and serious. “Sister is Juuyu’s nestmate, and you are Suuzu’s nestmate.”
Was he brother-in-law to a tree? Akira supposed so, but he brought out his usual protest. “Suuzu is my best friend.”
“Yes,” agreed Fumiko. “And he dances for you, so watch.”
Akira did not look away. Thanks to Uncle Jackie, they hadn’t had a moment alone. No chance to talk. But here was a message without words, carrying loud and clear across the water.
