25 "Lord," replied Swift Deer, "I do not know how to answer you. The thought has never occured to me! I simply start talking to them...'Nice day, isn't it?' 'That is a lovely dress you have on!', 'You are very handy with a needle!' Then, of course later on I say other things concerning their eyes, the shape of their body, intimate things. It is not something I learned, Lord, it is just something I do."
26 The Dove nodded. "In other words," he said "it is something that comes from within and is not something that can be taught."
27 "Perhaps, Lord," agreed his friend, "that is true. But tell me. Why do you ask this question? I do not see why you would need to woo a woman at all! There is not a day that goes by that someone is not presenting their daughter to you, or that a clan sends some woman for you to bed because they want your child in their house. Lord, you merely need to point your hand and beckon a maiden to you, and any in the land will go to your bed!"
28 "That," answered The Dove, is precisely the problem! There is one I am interested in, but if I express that interest, she will come to me because I am The First Speaker. But I do not want a woman because I am First Speaker, but because I am me!"
29 Swift Deer did not totally understand, but he knew his friend was troubled, and wished any way he could, to lift that trouble. "Who is the one you desire, Lord? Let me make inquiries as to her status. Maybe she is spoken for, maybe she is not."
30 "I do not even know her name," explained The Dove, "but come tomorrow, after evening meal, and I will point her out to you. But you must promise me, you will not approach her, or, her family. They must not find out I am interested in her! I merely wish to know who she is and where she lives."
31 "If that is your wish, Lord," agreed Swift Deer. "I will carry out your orders. I will be here tomorrow night!"
32 The following morning The Dove continued his duties as usual. The Priests of The One had asked an audience with him, and he granted it.
33 "First Speaker," complained The Priest of The One, "we do not understand your people's attitude. The previous Speaker allowed us to pay a fee and worship in your land as we pleased. Now you tell us we do not have to pay the fee, but we cannot worship as our God directs. Why has your people's attitude changed?"
34 "The Speaker before me," answered The Dove, "was evil. He broke many of our Laws. One of those Laws is that we can never commit sacrifice or allow sacrifice to be committed in the land we rule.
35 When The Speaker before me allowed you to do this, he broke the sacred trust between us, and our Lords.
36 We cannot allow you to sacrifice, not within the confines of our land. If we do so, our Lords will turn against us, and we will have troubles, as we did before."
37 The Priests of The One gathered and talked amongst themselves. "Lord," they asked, "there is, in the desert below your land, an abandoned village where we once worshipped. Do you consider this place below your territory?"
38 "That place," answered The Dove, "is a desert outpost. It is used by all caravans during the winter season, and we claim no authority over it."
39 "Then," asked The Priests of The One, "may we journey there each winter season and commit the sacrifices that are required by our law?"
40 "As long," agreed The Dove, "as you are outside of our territory I can have no say over what you do or do not do. But I will warn you this, if I ever hear that you have committed a HUMAN sacrifice in this place, willing or not, I will take dominion over that land and you will be permitted no sacrifices at all.
41 Your people are welcome in my land as long as you obey our Laws. Break those Laws and I will gather you up and send you to that Land where your religion rules. Do you understand me clearly?:"
42 "We understand," The Priest of The One answered, "and we will obey." With this they left The Dove's presence.
43 Now, that night, after the evening meal, Swift Deer stood with The Dove in the shadows of the balcony, watching the women come to the fountain for water. Swift Deer saw many lovely maidens, their hoods thrown back, as was tradition, while the mated women wore their hoods up, to shelter their faces.
44 "There she is," sighed The Dove, "coming with those three women there, the only maiden among them!"
45 Swift Deer studied the woman. She carried herself well. She was not a real beauty, but her looks had a certain charm, and even from this distance her smile seemed to light her face. Yes, this was a woman of character, one he would have expected The Dove to choose! He nodded to his companion and disappeared, a few minutes later appearing on the streets below. Looking up and nodding to The Dove he disappeared into the crowd. For several hours The Dove paced nervously. Then, hearing footsteps on the stairs he rushed over.
46 Swift Deer entered, set down on a cushion, and stretched out his legs. "WELL?" asked The Dove, "WELL?"
47 "Her name," reported Swift Deer, "is Yellow Blossom. She is of The Standing Turtle Clan. She lives in the crafts district of the city.
48 She is the only daughter of the family, and her mother died several years after she was born. Her father is a weaver known for the excellent blankets that he makes.
49 She has two brothers, one who is learning his father's trade, and another who is a cripple. He was wounded in The Battle of The Lords Fire, and cannot use his legs. But he keeps the books for his father, and other craftsmen in the neighborhood, and makes a decent income.
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