bing hoarsely.

Her heart hurt to see him suffer so. She sat down beside him.

For a long time she listened to him weep, waiting for a chance to speak
to him.

She looked at the branch he was holding. It was almost as long as her
arm, and, surprisingly, it had leaves at its tip, even though this was
only the Moon of Buds. He clutched it as a child clutches a doll for
comfort.

Gradually his weeping subsided. She reached out very carefully and
patted his shoulder lightly. When he did not pull away, she rested her
hand on him. She eased herself closer until they were pressed together
side by side, and she slid her arm around his shoulders and held him
tightly.

At first she felt no answering movement. He seemed only half alive. She
wondered if he knew she was here. Then his head dropped to her shoulder.
She felt the weight of his body yielding to her.

She put her other arm around him. She held him as if he were her child.
In spite of his sorrow and her own, it was a great happiness to hold him
like this.

He sighed and wiped his face with his hand. She stroked his cheek,
brushing away the tears.

She wanted to talk to him, but waited for him to speak first.

"There is nothing I can do," he said. "I must go with Star Arrow, my
father."

She studied his face as he stared off into the forest. She could see now
the features of his father in him. There had always been something odd
about his eyes, but she had never been quite able to decide what it was.
Now she saw that they were rounder than most people's. They were shaped
like his father's. His nose was thin and bony, with a high arch, and
sharp at the end, like the beak of a bird. His eyebrows were thick,
black and straight across. His chin was pointed. She loved the
strangeness of his face.

She said, "When it gets dark we could go back to the village and fill
our canoes with food and blankets and tools and weapons. There will be
feasting tonight for Star Arrow. Everyone will sleep soundly after that.
We could cross the Great River tonight, and tomorrow we could be far
away."

He stared at her. "But I do not _want_ to leave my people."

She had not thought that far ahead, about what it would be like to be
away from Owl Carver, Iron Knife, Sun Woman, her sisters, her mother,
all the others. Yes, it would be a great loss. But she could stand the
pain, she thought, if she were beside White Bear.

"But we would have each other. Would it not hurt you less if