Akheta came in late that day, I remember. The moon was already in the sky and the light was fading when she came in. Her drape was torn at the shoulder and she had a stratch on her cheek. Joska and I were sitting at the door to the meeting hall, and we saw her as she walked in, trying to blend into the shadows but failing badly. I made to jump up but Joska held me back.
“Perhaps she just fell down. Do not be so quick to judge, Makaya. She seems fine to me.â€?
“But if she is hurt-“ I sat back down reluctantly.
“If she is hurt, Grand Mother will take care of her. See- she enters the hut even now.â€? Joska pointed. I followed her finger to see Akheta slipping through the gap in the wood, her hair whipping through the crack before she vanished entirely.
“Should we tell Grand Father? She was late, after all.”
“I don’t think so.” said Joska. She turned her attention back to the net she was weaving, and I barely caught her next words. “It’s not our business, Makaya.”
But I wasn’t so sure.