Fires of War (War and Deceit #4) - Erin O'Kane Page 0,15

her arms crossed and a neutral expression on her face, so I know she’s not happy. “Any other objections?” After the Great Mother’s display, I know no one will stand against me, but I get the feeling she was hoping that someone would say something. Not because she doesn’t want me to complete the ceremony, but because she’s seen how exhausted I am. Any sign of weakness in the tribes is frowned upon, so she’s trying to spare me any embarrassment by not raising the subject more than she already has. Realising I’m not going to let it drop, she sighs and rubs a hand over her face, nodding her head. “Then let’s do this. Please return to your places,” she addresses the chiefs, directing them outside the tent.

As they start to file out, she catches the arm of one of the passing tribesmen. He looks much like any of the other tribesmen. His beard and tattoos make him look intimidating, but it’s his golden hair that causes him to stand out. It’s probably fitting then that he’s the Chief of the Golden Hawks Tribe.

“Arne, are you ready?” Revna queries, and from the way he rolls his eyes, I get the impression they’ve had this conversation many times before.

Grinning, he reaches out and grips her shoulder. “Yes, Revna, I know what to do.” She reluctantly grins and nods her head. The chief steps away from Revna and turns to me, his expression sobering, but there is still a curious, friendly gleam in his eyes. “I look forward to welcoming you to my tribe, Clarissa.”

I smile at him in return, too exhausted and anxious to say anything, and thankfully he accepts this with a nod and leaves the tent. When Revna spoke to me about accepting my place amongst the tribes, there had been the difficulty of deciding which tribe I should belong to. Apparently, I couldn’t be accepted as a tribesperson without belonging to a specific tribe. When I asked why I couldn’t be in the same tribe Revna was in, she explained they weren’t technically a tribe, but more of a group of tribespeople who had left their tribes to look after the sacred stones and meeting place like a religious mission. Although Tor has been working on greater equality for women in his tribe, he hadn’t wanted me to join the Eternal Brothers. It may have been the Golden Hawks who had banished my mother in the first place, but my aunt has assured me that Arne is nothing like the old chief and ways are changing. Besides, there is something nostalgic about belonging to the tribe that both my aunt and mother belonged to, and it makes me feel closer to them.

Now that everyone but my friends and Revna have left the tent, my aunt walks towards me with a frown, crouching in front of me. Concern flashes in her eyes, and I see her hands flutter on her knees. For a second, I think she’s going to reach out to me, but her jaw tightens and she grips her knees instead. “Are you sure you’re ready for this? You just collapsed, no one will think less of you. You were just a vessel for a goddess.” Although she says this, we both know that’s not true. There will be some who will judge, who will see a weak female who can’t cope with the job the goddess has given her.

Meeting her gaze, I give her a tight smile. “I’ll be fine. Just give me a minute and I’ll join you.” Making a noise of displeasure in the back of her throat, she shakes her head and pushes up to standing before turning away and stalking from the tent, her cloak swishing behind her.

Feeling like I’ve been run over by a wagon, I drop my head into my hands, groaning as someone rubs my back in slow circular motions. The pounding in my head is slowly fading thanks to the contact with Vaeril and Tor, and I’m gradually starting to feel semi human again. Wait, can I even say that anymore? Semi half human? Semi half elf? Snorting, I lift my head, feeling dizzy as everything that just happened begins to dawn on me. Fantastic, I’m going hysterical.

“So,” Naril drawls, drawing my focus from my near breakdown. Glancing over, I see he’s looking down at his nails, using his dagger to sharpen them into claw-like points. Feeling my eyes on him, he lazily rolls his head around