Once a Ing

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Once a King

Part 9: Do you remember Gustek?

Skryba, these are the first words I heard from Nik when we counseled with Jadzia, the morning after we all bathed together. Since my mind was still in my dreams, my dreams of Alla, dreams that were contrary to our custom and so weighted me with much guilt, I had trouble bringing myself back to understand Nik's words.

So, Nik repeated these words, sensing that I had not truly heard or understood them. Jadzia looked as though she knew exactly where Nik was going. But I was still stupid with unlawful desire.

I DID remember Gustek, but was also ashamed to remember that I had not seen or thought of him, since we were nowe together at the removal of the symbol of our childhood, the removal, the cutting off and burning of the breechcloth.

Therefore, I blurted out exactly those thoughts, "Since the removal of his breechcloth, I had not seen or thought of him. Why do you ask this now? Has something happened?"

There was the slightest of hesitation on Nik's part, as he and Jadzia passed some signal between them--but it was Jadzia's voice I heard:

"What happened, happened that night. Gustek was no longer a child, but the moon and firelight revealed that he was not to be one of the Eagle Clan."

If I was not so bewitched...my error, not hers, by Alla; I might have blushed. Of course, we all of the clan; children, men and women, knew there could be no transformation of the buc, except when a woman summoned a man to her...and yet, last night, it was Alla's choice, but it was not the traditional summoning. Her time with me, her choosing to come to me was not custom.

Jadzia continued, but I listened as if at a distance. "We now see that things are changing, with what Alla has done, her choices, maybe we were too quick to decide Gustek could not be an Eagle Clan man."

Nik picked up the story. "Since Alla saw you, come to you, Jadzia and I have wondered--no, we decided; that we must reach out to Gustek, and bring him back, if not into the clan, then an ally."

I finally picked my way through the fog in my head. "So, what happened to Gustek?'

"He was banished from the clan," said Nik and Jadzia, almost in unison. "I was searching for a family far from the clan, but not so far that I could still check on him," this was from Nik.

Jadzia, ever motherly, "We wished him well, in another tradition he would do fine, but with our ways, he might find it difficult."

"And now after all these years--although in truth, it was but two or three--you think you two were in error?" I asked, with some bitterness.

Both Jadzia and Nik lowered their heads...the unsaid "YES" being a shout to me!

At the time of the removal of the breechcloths, I had not thought Gustek had committed any wrongdoing, all the nowe, I believe were startled at the transformation of his buc. It was sudden that we were all suddenly unclothed; for the first time, the nowe saw another unclothed, but only Gustek's buc was transformed. We knew from childhood, when we were old enough to understand things, that the coicie had the power to transform the buc. All children knew this, but what it meant, what that transformation looked like, no one had explained.

"So, for this automatic response of his body, Gustek was exiled?" I asked.

"Yes," Jadzia and Nik said in unison, and then Nik slowly explaining, "It was clear that this was no conscious misdeed on his part. He could not know the ceremony of the nowe; he could not know that all would suddenly be unclothed. It was something in his nature that transformed his buc...and that is not our belief, that is not the way of the Eagle Clan. Only the coicie have that power. Men cannot transform their buc without a coicie."

Jadzia continued, "Now, we see through the example of Alla, that the nature of the clan is changing. We, three, show that the clan is changing to the new path we have decided to follow. We are the wisdom of the clan, this is not hubris--at this word, Nik had a small smile--it is simply the truth. Pawel, you, Nik and I, Jadzia, are the collective wisdom and memory of the clan. The others are good, sometimes very good at DOING things; none of us three is the best at doing a thing, but we ARE the only ones thinking of the future and trying to plan."

Silently, I agreed. But I feared that our wisdom was not adequate to the task, still it was true...there were no others.

"We will see Gustek tomorrow." This was Nik speaking.

I looked surprised. "He is so close?" I asked, in wonder.

"Yes, but today the council will decide how to distribute the gifts of the ancients. Hirek is scouting ahead, as we counsel here. When he returns, our group will approach the spot in whatever "military formation" our war leaders decree. But only the council will enter the store of the Pia Fidelis."