It had been to hot to sleep this afternoon. Probably, the concerns for the troop that would be leaving for the valley of trade in the morning kept my mind from settling too. Al that and the fact that I hoped to see Zaira before she left with the Queen.

The Queen had made a wise and necessary decision. There were things we needed and the trading would uplift the spirits of the tribe. But I would sorely miss getting to see Zaira's beautiful face each morning. She and I had not gotten involved. She was always friendly but didn't seem to be interested in any man. I thought she might be even less friendly to me if it wasn't for my relationship with her young brother, Cloch. I really like that boy. An admirable lad who even without a voice could communicate what he wanted to through assigned body motions and facial expressions. Spending time hunting with him had always been fruitful and I learned as much from hin as he had from me. Our friendship was sealed even before I was attracted to his sister.

The sun was going down and I gave five owl hoots then waited to hear return calls that would tell me if the other guards were in place yet. Tonight the tribe would celebrate. Offerings, ritual and prayers would be given tonight. The people would be happy.