A flash of understanding passed across Akonha's eyes. He was frozen for a moment. Indeed this had not occurred to him. Such an act as the Coat had done was not acceptable among the People, but a child from it would not be punished for the father's sins. In this case however, the child would perhaps be seen as an abomination and would be evidence of deceit as well. There was no way for Enonai to escape these truths, if there was a child. Akonha could be judged for his part in the deception too.

He stood up and looked about them then began to pace as Enonai curled over onto the ground. Again she wished to become part of it and leave this trouble she had not invited.

Akonha paced with his thoughts. His hand gripped so tightly around the metal buttons that his palm began to ache. He stopped and opened his hand to look at them. Nine small disks with symbols raised and metal loops at the back. Buttons. Their design had given him an idea of something good, originally. As he looked at them, he realized that what he felt could not be changed, even by this new possibility.

Enonai felt his hands gently lift at her shoulders. He sat around her, facing her very closely. She was wrung out. She leaned against his upraised knee and looked up at his face from her tearful one.

"Akonha, I owe you too much already. I cannot ask you to share this burden."

"Then do not ask." Oddly, he smiled. "Perhaps there is no burden." He was a little uncomfortable with the topic now, not being entirely sure of things nor if it was his place to ask what they really needed to know. "Is it not true that you can know within a moon whether or not there is a child?"

She blushed, knowing what thoughts were leading his question. "Yes. I... " This was terribly embarrassing to discuss. Had they been courting as was usual, he would know when she went off to the women's lodge and how the moon's cycles affected her but they had not begun in the usual way nor known each other long enough to have covered this. "I should know before the next full moon." She looked up to the sky then and realized it would be a long frightening wait with so much in the balance.

Akonha was still smiling at her when she looked back at him. He reached just beneath her ear and gently caught a thin strand of hair. The strand slipped through his fingers as he drew his hand back. When he held the end of the strand, he began to twist it in his fingers. He looked from Enonai to his hands and threaded her hair through the loop of one of the buttons.

She furrowed her brows, having no notion what he was doing or why.

"There are nine." He said again, as his fingers worked. He slid the button up closer to her neck and braided her hair to secure it in place, then he drifted back to thread another. "I shall braid four into your hair and you shall braid five into mine... for now, in such a strand that none can see." He was actually grinning now and Enonai was still quite puzzled. "I will always owe you the extra one, so you need not worry for owing me any more."

She was beginning to see what he'd meant of the symbols but still they had not determined what to do if... Yet, she held out her hand and Akonha's eyes sparkled as he transferred five of the buttons to her. He shivered slightly as her delicate hand reached beneath his ear to draw out a strand of hair as he had done.

"I shall likely return with the party just before the next full moon." He said as he threaded the third. Enonai, much more practiced at braiding beads into hair, had already caught up with him. By the time he finished the fourth button in her hair, she had used her five as well.

She ran her fingers along the metal adorned braid then looked up to catch Akonha's eyes on her face again. He stood up and offered his hand to her, which she squeezed as she rose to stand with him.

"When I return, then we shall know if there is a child or not." His face and voice became somewhat somber again. Enonai could say nothing. How hard she would pray that, by the next full, there would be such proof. Akonha lowered his head to kiss her cheek then whispered against it. "If there is not, then I would ask your father to allow you to come live in my lodge. I would ask you to complete the joining ceremony with me, beneath that full moon, my Enonai."

Her shuddered breathing caught in her throat and she could only nod, then press her cheek against his. After a moment, she drew back again and let her hands rise up and press over his chest. While she found her voice, he felt her hands shiver against him. "Yet, Akonha, if there is... " She needed to say that he could sever all ties with her. She needed to tell him that she didn't know what she would do but he should have no more contact with her. She must spare him that. But none of those words would escape her throat. Enonai let her head rest forward against him too. Already her prayers would begin. May there be no child from this.

His arms wrapped around her and drew her body against him. She felt his words as she heard them and still could not believe. "If there is... then we still join on that full moon and soon find reason to steal away from camp, to our own place, where none can know." He swallowed around the heaviness in his throat. "I love you, Enonai." His voice was broken and husky with emotion. "I will love your child... if there is."

( Continued Page 6 or back)