The night's celebration was not interrupted by the joining ceremony. It just became part of the event. Neither was it entirely a surprise when Chief Innowe stood to make the announcement. Amonee and Arawan had hardly eaten during their efforts to share the news throughout the camp.

Upon the Chief heralding the event, the Shaman and his helpers brought out two buckskins, placing them together end to end before the ceremonial post. They brought out several of the tribal ritual pieces, including the cracked skull of a coyote. Coyote had long been known in legend for spoiling a marriage with infidelity. To have such a symbol was to ward off his influence. The wedding pitcher was brought out as well. This pitcher's style would ordinarily be used as a vase but this one served a unique purpose. One spout was painted with a broad white stripe for the woman's role in creating and bonding life. The other was marked in brilliant blue symbolizing protection, honor and other duties of the man. The body of the clayware was marked with symbols of the sun and moon and the womb of earth in between.

The Chief was handed a long wide leather strip, carved with many symbols of ritual, marriage and fertility. It was well worn for all its use on such occasions. He looked aside and even had he not known Akonha, the hunter's broad smile would have given him away as a man about to take a wife. The young smiling woman beside him was most assuredly Enonai. He gestured for them to take up their places, each standing on their own buckskin, with hands clasped between them.

Akonha looked over at Enonai and squeezed her shaking hand. She looked back at him and held on for strength as he raised their hands toward Chief Innowe. The chief stepped in and smiled to both then began to speak as he slowly wrapped their hands together in the length of leather. "Do not fall prey to Coyote's wiles." He grinned to Akonha and then to Enonai. Both blushed. There was always a smattering of snickers among the watchers too, with this opening warning phrase of the ceremony.

"Maintain good fortune and share in what ills there may be, such that the bond between you strengthens." More he wrapped, binding their hands together loosely. The large crowd, in fact, the entire camp, watched silently now. "Raise fine children, teaching them the ways of the People, strengthening one and all." There was a sea of smiling faces around them and even Amonee, who was on the verge of tears, smiled brightly for her daughter. Arawan too, as jaded as she was, being such an old woman, felt almost as if her own daughter was being married.

"Look to elders, mother and father, storytellers and other keepers of the sacred knowledge, in times of hardship..." The chief finished the binding and placed his hands over theirs as he looked meaningfully into Akonha's and Enonai's now solemn faces. "... but look most to each other as your two spirits entwine to one... against the wind, beneath the rain, around the fire and over the earth. Until you rejoin the clay, may none come between you."

With these words hanging in the air, the chief stepped back and bowed respectfully to the newly joined couple. The Shaman came forward and lifted the wedding pitcher. It had been filled with a somewhat intoxicating mixture of herbs infused in juice. Many had come to look forward to this part of the ceremony, if only to see the new couple get drenched while trying to catch even a sip from the double-spouts. Akonha scrunched down, so that perhaps the pitcher would be level between he and Enonai, but it didn't help. It was even more difficult to drink while laughing, which they both did as the syrupy concoction leaked out around their mouths and down their necks.

When the Shaman finally tilted back the pitcher, Kai was the first to whoop in the background. After that, there was much cheering and singing and laughter. The orderly crowd returned to their reckless enjoyment of this night, with their party safely home bearing good news and the added celebration of a joining.

Akonha drew Enonai to him with their hands still bound. His other arm caught her up in an embrace while he curled over her to whisper against her neck. "Until the earth reclaims me..." He could say no more. His joy of holding her, having her for his mate, was overwhelming. Enonai too was unable to speak. Her arm held tightly around him. Her hand squeezed his within the leather binding. She would never be able to say what this hunter, this warrior, meant to her.

Eventually Enonai's mother and father waded back toward the ceremonial post. Those congratulating them had managed to move them away or made it seem so. They sought their daughter and her new husband, however, when they reached the center of the camp, there was no sign left of them but the length of leather binding, curled onto one of the buckskins. Wahrune chuckled and eventually, Amonee laughed as well. Her husband gave her a sly look which she knew very well and perhaps if Kai was to be out here in the festivities for a while... Amonee grinned to Wahrune then nodded and began to weave her way through to crowd toward their own lodge. She was confident Wahrune would catch up and hopeful that he would injure none in the process.

( Continued Page 11 or back)