Excerpt: A Winter Song

Prologue

“Come back here!” Shalen wove through the tents in the center of camp with single minded intent, her hair streaming back in thick black ropes as she chased after a boy several years younger than her. His expression was gleeful while hers promised mortal damage if she caught him. “Kalabash! You’re going to pay for this, you dirty little rat!”
“Shalen!” The voice sounded through the camp just as Shalen was almost in reach of her brother – whose face turned triumphant at the sound of their father’s call. He knew he had escaped retribution for now. She paused before turning back. When Kalabash stuck his tongue out at her from what he deemed to be a safe distance away she almost went after him despite the knowledge that disobedience to their only surviving parent wasn’t a great decision. Fixing him with a minatory glare she turned and stalked back in the direction of her father’s voice before she did something that would get her in worse trouble than ignoring him.
The camp was not very large and her legs were long, so it didn’t take Shalen long to find her way back to the center of camp where her father stood just outside of the chaksha. As soon as he saw her he turned and ducked inside the tent clearly expecting her to follow him. She slowed just slightly, her palms dampening with perspiration as she realized that she was being invited inside of the tent of commune. It was not the first time she had been invited inside where the tribe’s elders performed their business, but it did not stop the thrill of anticipation with a hint of fear that ran down her spine as she opened the flap and saw all of the elders gathered around the fire. All of their eyes were on her, but hers immediately went to the point opposite her where her father sat. In the semi-darkness of the tent his eyes appeared as molten gold as they reflected the fire. The bow she presented to them was more jerky than calm as her nerves reflected in the instinctive show of respect then she waited, her heart racing, for further instruction.
“Come, child. Join us in the light of the fire.”