Chapter 20; Two Blessings
Then it happened. The Watcher spoke. A rumbling was heard far below the ground. People ran screaming about away from the giant stone head. Some fell over each other trying to get away. No cracks formed. No one died. A geyser of warm water shot from one of the upper vent holes, showering the gathering with water and new tears brought from far below the earth. The men pulled the hoods of their robes over their heads so that they wouldn't touch the raw stones. Happily, they knew that these needed no cleaning as they hadn’t formed any crust. They were quickly dropped into jugs of water to cool them. The women scrambled about filling their skirts with this new treasure. Surely this mating could receive no higher blessing.
Jin and Lar never moved. Although they were chilled to the bone, they only sat and smiled at each other. The Saddush pulled his cloak forward. He let the hot stones bounce off him. When the shower was over, he pointed at the new couple, “They alone have been doubly blessed with the both the watery tears and the jeweled tears of the Watcher. We have witnessed a miracle!” The People cheered.
Zet and Lov mother ran to them and hugged them both, “Your wedding has been twice blessed. Even the Watcher wants you to return to the world of the living.”
Lar turned to his new bride, “It is true. However, I feel myself to be thrice blessed, my mother. I also get this jewel.” He kissed her and continued, looking deeply into ther eyes, “Thee, my love, have brought me back to life.”
Jin reached out to touch her new husband’s face. She stroked it. She gave a wry smile, “There may be more life than Thee bargained for. I am said to have quite a temper.”
“Ah, yes the rumors may be true. Thee will have to go a distance before topping your sister’s temper tantrums. I consider that a feisty woman adds spice to my day’s drudgery. My work here is dull.”
“I will add that spice. But, I will leaven it with as much love as you can bear for sweetness.”
“I will savor every taste, what ever you choose to add.”
Once the excitement was over, the People returned to their wedding duties. They formed a circle, woman on the inside and men on the outside, around the new couple. Because they were to end up in the mountain, The shape was a half circle.
They sang the Wedding songs as the couple began the wedding dance. With swirling arms, they stepped slowly around the great circle toward each other. When they met at the peak, they made a small twirl holding their right hands high and touching a silken scarf that Jin held.
Once they had met, they went on their way. Reaching the door of their new home, they turned. Then, they took a large step in toward the center of the circle. People stepped out of the circle and the circle shrank. They began their dancing stroll again until they met, took one turn and made around to the doors again. Again, people stepped out of the circle and the dance began once more. This repeated until Jin and Lar were standing next to each other by the small fireplace.
Years ago, some one had carved a fire place into the stone walls of the doorway. Someone had built a little fire in it. They faced the inner circle. The only ones in the inner circle were the Shiree, their parents and Kiv and his wife.
Some one handed Kiv, representing Lar’s male family members, a pot of flaming liquid. Kiv poured Lar a glass of the raging drink. He took a sip and gave a sip to Jin. Together, they threw the rest into the fire making a huge fire ball.
Throughout the ceremony, Lar had stared into Jin’s eyes. He tore his gaze from Jin's eyes and looked at his new father-in-law. “I will not bother you further this night. I know you must say your goodbyes. I will come for her tomorrow."
Jin stopped him with a hand against his chest. She leaned forward and whispered into his ear, “If you will have me, I will come with you tonight.”
Lar shrugged and smiled, shyly. Quickly, she walked over to her father. She kissed his head softly. “Enjoy the treasure that my husband paid for my Bride Price. I no longer need it. As long as I have him, I have all I need. Keep the jewel and live long and enjoy it!” The crowd applauded her speech.
Kal was speechless. He turned the ruby over in his hands. His mouth stood open. One of the elders poked another and stage whispered, “Even half of that Tear would feed an entire family for the rest of any man’s life.”
Then she walked over to her step mother standing off to the side. “Look under your pillow, Mav. I have kept my part of our bargain as you have kept yours.” Mav lost all interest in the breaking crowd. They were congratulating Zet and Kal. She dove onto her bed and rummaged through the pillows. There it was, her treasure for this night’s work.
Jin walked over and Lar put his arm around her and drew her close. Kal followed her and hugged them both. He looked at Jin and Lar with tears in his eyes. “I love you, girl. I loved you when your mother handed you to me in the birthing tent.” He looked at Lar, “And you, boy…I loved you as if you were my own wild child. But, my love is great enough to give you to each other as husband and wife. I will always love you.”
She hugged him. “I love you, too, Father.”
He pointed up at the Watcher, “Now, he has showed that he loves you both as well. Enjoy each other.” He kissed his daughter goodbye.
Jin turned to Lar. She put his hand on her heart and held it in her left hand. “I will be your mate and you will be mine.”
He took her hand with his free hand. He put it on his heart. “I will be your mate and you will be mine.”
Arms around each other, they went away from the crowd into their cave home. The men had laid a path of small torches for them back to the stairs deep in the mountain. The women began scurrying around to gather every last one of the Tears shining in the firelight. Paying no attention to them, the new lovers went up the old steps to their home.
Up in the mountain the lovers spent their nights in joy and harmony. Their days were spent apart. He gathered his stories and wrote them all into the new scrolls that Kal had brought to him. Jin did what the other women did. She gathered stones. Only now, she worked hard at it, gathering from the new crop of jewels that had spewed all around the mountain by the Watcher. She gave them and a hastily scrawled list of goods to her husband. “Here…go see the Tear Master…do your husbandly duty. We will need these things to live well.”
“My…are we not the harpy…I thought you did not wish to live like that. Shall I call Thee Mav of the Mountain?”
“Oh…you…” she took a mock swing at him that he easily ducked. He grabbed her and they fell together on the pillows and coverlets. It was some time before he was able to comply with her wishes. He gave the list and the stones to her father, “Father, please take these stones to the Trading Time. Here is a list from my good wife showing her wishes for the year to come.”
“Aiya…my son she leads thee about quite well for a new wife.”
“I wish I had a defense, but, sir, I do not.”
“I will have Bel Al bring these on his next crossing.”
“Excellent. Good day, sir.”
She watched him go down. It was cooler up here and she was tired from her days of busy gathering. She looked at the little world that they would share alone after the People had gone. Around the pool, there were a few date palms, and off to the side, she saw a small herd of goats that rambling around on their mountain.
She looked to her storerooms. It had been filled by the gifts from the People. Lar was busy most evenings with blessing the newborns. She would sit on his nose perch and watch him as he spent his afternoons teaching the teen aged boys the rote and law of the Watcher. For each of these tasks, He received return blessings of food and cloth.
All of the rest of their food came from the traders. Several wagons had been filled just for Lar. The young boys had unloaded these items over the first days of Gathering time. Of course, some trading was done with the few caravans that stopped on the way across the Great Desert. They would water their animals, stay a night or two and go on, never suspecting the brown stones that they wal
ked over were the gems of the People.