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As the sun slowly approached the horizon and the sky turned purple, the expectant members of the tribe gathered around the field where fights were held.
When sunset came at last, they lit torches. The adversaries came from their huts, the serious expressions on their faces showing their concern about the outcome of this decisive confrontation. Mboare followed his wife, one arm across his son´s shoulder. His somber look reflected his sorrow because he would be witnessing a fight between the woman he loved and his revered sister.
Akiko, Sergio and Thiago were there too, very sad as they felt responsible for this rupture in the tribe´s harmony and worried that one result of the fight would adversely affect their own mission as well as their fate.
Awatere, carrying her spear, stood in the middle of the field. The opponents placed themselves at her side. The oil covering their skin reflected the torchlight, and the paintings that adorned them seemed to come alive in the flickering light. The judge lifted her spear high in the air and then lowered it as she stepped back.
The fight began, the shadows amplifying the warriors´movements. Boharati threw a punch that Iviruti easily ducked. Then Boharati threw herself over her rival, trying to wrap her in her arms. Iviruti forced her back and freed herself.The chieftain counterattacked and hit Boharati in the face, but received a kick in her stomach. Boharati pressed her arms around her rival´s neck, trying to choke her. Iviruti, almost fainting, slapped her opponent´s ears, stunning Boharati for a moment.
As Iviruti tried to recover her breath, her rival attacked again. The chieftain stepped aside, so Boharati´s punch missed her. Then Iviruti contacted Boharati´s jaw with a sharp jab. The warrior fell to the ground, and quickly grasped a handful of dirt and threw it at Iviruti´s eyes.
The chieftain, blinded for the moment, was about to receive a hard attack from Boharati, but Awatere stopped her, barring her way with the spear, "Stop! That was a treacherous action, Boharati!"
Iviruti wiped her eyes and the fight continued. Boharati aimed a punch at her rival, but the leader reacted quickly. She crouched, so Boharati´s fist hit the air well above her head. Now Iviruti grasped her rival´s ankles and stood up, pulling with all her strength. Boharati fell to the ground and Iviruti immobilized her using her superior strength and her weight.
Seeing that, Awatere announced, "Iviuti has won! She is still our leader!"
Akiko and her friends sighed with relief as the warriors followed the victorious chieftain to her hut.
A desolate Boharati looked at them, seeing all of her plans frustrated and facing an uncertain future. For a moment she felt lost in time and space, but then Mboare came to her, holding little Pumiwi´s hand. The family united in a tight embrace and then slowly walked to the hut they would soon have to leave...
* * * * *
Next morning, Boharati and her family gathered their things and got ready to leave.
A sad Mboare went to say farewell to his sister, taking Pumiwi with him. When he stood in front of the chieftain's hut, he struggled against the knot in his throat before he was able to speak. At last, he called, "Iviruti...! Are you there?"
She came to the door and looked at them intently, visibly affected until she could control herself and greet them, "Mboare, dear brother...! Pumiwi, my little nephew!"
"We... we came to say... goodbye"
She sighed, "I know…"
"It´s hard to leave... and it´s worse that it´s because... of you."
Iviruti replied in a painful tone, "Please, Mboare, don´t say that! Do you think that I didn´t suffer knowing that my victory meant exile for you...?" She added harshly, “But as you know, there was no option."
He looked down and sighed, "Sorry sister... I... don´t mean to blame you. You did what you had to do, and well, if things had been different, now I´d be going through the pain of seeing you leave, alone."
The chieftain nodded, "That´s right... Well, at least Boharati will have both of you with her. Being with family makes things easier."
"I love her, and she´s the mother of my son! How could I leave her alone?"
Iviruti said softly, "I know, I know! But let me also tell you this... Boharati threatened my authority, so she is banned... That´s not the case with you and Pumiwi. You can return anytime to us, and you are free to come and go. So, if you ever need help, don´t hesitate to come and tell me. I wish I could do more for you, but..."
"Thank you, Iviruti! I appreciate your offer."
"I´ll always think of you both and pray to the Mother of the Forest for you."
"I ... will miss you, sister!" He hugged her closely.
She put her arms tightly around his shoulders, "And I will miss you too...! Take care, and good luck!"
She embraced her little nephew. "Good bye, Pumiwi! May the Spirits always bless you and may we see each other again soon!"
As father and son left to join Boharati for her enforced departure, Iviruti quickly entered her hut in time to conceal the tears falling down her cheeks..
Efigênia was reading the news online, when she received a Skype call. She accepted it, the video screen opened and she could see Romualdo, the manager of her fazenda in the Amazonian land.
"Good evening, Dona Efigênia."
"Good evening. Romualdo. So, everything´s all right there?"
He hesitated, "Well, actually... Things are not happening for the best."
"What? What do you mean?"
"Do you remember the three men you sent here?"
She was already impatient, "Yes, sure, what´s up with them?"
"The police came to investigate..."
Efigênia interrupted him abruptly, "What!? Those idiots.."
"They were killed by a jaguar."
She opened her eyes wide, "A ... jaguar?" Then she asked anxiously, and with a touch of hope, "And the anthropologist...?"
"She and the others are unharmed. They went to the police and made their report... I´ve seen the photos of he traces and the wounds. It was undoubtedly a jaguar."
Efigênia, now extremely puzzled, "But... how is it possible? How did they escape being killed by the jaguar?"
Romualdo explained, "They were away at that moment... According to what they told the police, they were exploring the forest and the three men were in the camp preparing the food. They heard screaming and a gunshot, but when they came back..."
She completed, "It was already too late, right?"
He nodded, "That´s right."
"So, the plan failed... But why did the police go to question you?"
"They found out the guys were criminals with very bad records.. They wanted to know if we knew it and why we had hired them," Romualdo answered.
"Oh! And what did you say?"
"Of course, I told them I knew nothing about their past. I said we needed porters and those three offered to do the job so there was no reason to suspect them and to make further enquiries."
Ephigênia smirked skeptically, "Hmm... did they buy that?"
Romualdo shrugged, feeling uncomfortable, "I´m not sure... Then they asked me why those guys would ask for a job..."
She nodded, "Aha... A logical doubt. Asking for work does not seem to fit criminals."
"Sure, but I said I had no idea, and I could not know their reasons to do it." ****
She pondered that for a moment, "Yep, that´s good. Seems like a sensible answer. I think you did well."
Romualdo smiled, "Thank you". Then his face turned serious and he asked, "But what are we going to do now, Dona Ephigênia?"
"I´m not sure yet. I have to think of another plan." She was thoughtful for a moment, "Do you think the anthropologist and her fellows suspect anything?"
The manager replied, "And how would I know? They did not come to the fazenda, so I could not talk with them."
She replied, "Right, and that´s the key, now that I think of it... They went to the police, and not to the fazenda... This means they most probably know or suspect something. Otherwise, they would have gone to you personally..." She thought for a moment, "You know, now I wonder why the police went to question you... "
Romualdo started,as if he had just realized it, "Oh, yes... you´re right! Hmm... I don´t know. The only possible answer I have is that the anthropologist´s team told the police about your offer to send porters with them... Then, when they tried to locate the dead guy´s family..."
"Their criminal past came to light. Yes, that´s possible...Well, Romualdo, thank you for the call. I´ll let you know what to do as soon as I have an idea."
"All right, Dona Ephigênia. Goodbye."
"Goobye, Romualdo."
She ended the call and remained pensive, "So, I need to kill the anthropologist and her fellows before they open their mouth... But I also need to know where that damned tribe is, so I can get rid of them..."
* * * * *
After the forced departure of Boharati and her family, the Kawapore village was covered by a cloud of sadness, because many of the villagers (especially Iviruti) missed them; however, as time went by, things slowly returned to normal and the chieftain slowly recovered her spirits.
One day, Iviruti invited Akiko to have a bath and swim in the river. Akiko accepted enthusiastically.
"Come then!" Irivuti, very pleased. Then she looked at Sergio and Thiago, who were busy with the boat motor and suggested they come too... "Well," she hesitated, "I´ll tell you of another place were you can bathe."
Thiago answered, "Thank you very much. You´re very kind, but we must finish this job. Maybe be we´ll go later with the other men."
Iviruti nodded, "Good then!" She turned to Akiko, "Shall we go?"
When the two women arrived at the river. Akiko quickly threw off her clothes, leaving only her bra and underwear on and the jaguar token always hanging from her neck. She started running, "Come on, Iviruti! Last one in...
"No, Akiko! Be careful!"
But it was too late.. Akiko, her knees already into the water, suddenly stopped, her face disfigured by an expression of great pain.
Iviruti quickly went to help her get back to the beach. There, she made Akiko sit down on the white sand and examined the wounded heel.
"Ah... as I feared... a stingray."
The anthropologist nodded, crying, "Yes... and it hurts so much!"
"You need help... I will take you to the village."
"But... Iviruti..."
"Come on, don't argue. Put your arms around my neck!"
"What are you..."
"Just do what I say."
Akiko meekly obeyed, and Iviruti lifted her in her arms.
The warrior carried her with no apparent effort and Akiko, though in terrible pain, admired her serenity and great physical strength.
When they arrived back in the village the alarmed Sergio and Thiago ran to them, asking what happened.
"I was stung. It was a stingray."
Both men men turned pale. "OH!"
Thiago recovered first, "Sergio, please put water on the fire... I´ll fetch the painkiller and the antibiotic... Good we brought them."
Meanwhile, Iviruti helped Akiko sit. Sergio came back with a clean towel and pressed the wound.
Akiko screamed. "Aah..! What... are... you doing?"
"I´m sorry... But I must let the blood out, so the poison goes away with it, too."
Thiago came with the injections.
Iviruti asked, "What´s that?"
"Medicine... One, to relieve the pain, and the other, to prevent infections."
The chieftain nodded, "I see... Well, take good care of her. I´ll get Agarepa. Her herbs and her magic will be useful..."
Akiko said, "I hope so... You know... now I´m wondering... the jaguar token should have protected me..."
Iviruti replied firmly "It protects you against the dangers in the forest... not the river. Actually, you were imprudent going into the water like that... but you were lucky."
"What? Lucky?"
"Well, imagine if there had been a piranha instead of the stingray..."
Sergio nodded, "That is true. Now test the water, please... It must be hot, as hot as you can bear it... but should not burn...
* * * * *
After leaving the village, Mboare had assembled branches and leaves to makea temporary refuge. Boharatti attended to the gathering of food including fishing.
This day, her husband smiled when she returned from the river, and said, "Good! That´s a nice fish you caught!"
She returned the smile, "Yes it is and I'm pleased to see you have a fire ready. But... where´s Pumiwi?"
The litle boy came from inside the refuge, ""I´m here, Mom. Look! I gathered these fruits..."
She embraced and kissed him, "Oh, how nice! Well done! So, you climbed a tree?"
He answered proudly, "No, Dad helped me reach them!"
His father smiled, "But soon, when you grow up more, you will be able to climb alone."
Boharati agreed with that, and added, "Ah, I am so happy you are with me! I feel we can do anything together..."
Mboare came and hugged his wife and son, "Of course! We´ll be all right together..."
"Yes, and it´ll be better when we find a place to settle, with a stream nearby and a good hunting area.." Boharati, the warrior, musing aloud., picturing the day when she will bring down large game with bow and arrow.
* * * * *
That night, the moon shone over the forest, and the air was full of the sound of many insects, frogs and nocturnal birds.
Iviruti was in her hut, resting on her hammock but unable to sleep.
The chieftain reflected about that day´s events and sighed, "Ah! I should have warned her before... But, Blessed Spirits! It didn't occur to me she would act so recklessly... as if she didn´t know the danger! Ah, I wish Akiko were more careful! Fortunately I was with her..."
She saw again Akiko´s expression of agony when she was stung. "She´s like a little girl, she needs to be protected..."
Then she remembered carrying the anthropologist in her arms, those soft arms around her neck and Akiko's warm breath caressing her cheek... A strong feeling of tenderness overwhelmed her.
She saw again the vision of Akiko throwing off her clothes and running into the water, her hair flying free, her joyful eyes, the curves of her body... The warrior´s heart started to beat stronger and faster and the warmth crept over her. Iviruti was confused, "What's this?" She sat up so suddenly it caused the hammock to sway, almost throwing her to the ground. "No. This cannot be happening. I hardly know her. How ..?"
Memories came rushing back, "Ah, Tiranwari, “she sighed. "You were so joyful... so full of life... and so beautiful... If I had noticed that jarará *..." She gasped, remembering her beloved´s horrible death, caused by the snake´s poison. "No, no, I don´t want to suffer this again..! I must do my best to protect Akiko... she must be kept safe...she has family, loved ones.”
Then she started... "Loved ones.... But, how did she get past my shield, my resolve to protect my heart from pain. ." A troubled Iviruti slept fitfully in her shaky hamaca that night.
*"Jarará": poisonous snake from South America (Bothrops sp.) Also known as "fer de lance"
* * * * *
When Akiko awoke the morning after the accident, she managed to dress herself with a great deal of effort. She then struggled, limping, to join Sergio and Thiago who were preparing breakfast.
They were alarmed and rushed to help her, each taking an arm to support her weight until she sat down.
Thiago lightly scolded, "Dr. Tsurugawa, you should be resting and not walking around!"
"Yes, you should have called us to help you!"
"Don´t worry. It doesn't hurt as much as yesterday. In fact I feel a lot better."
"I´m glad we all had the antitetanic vaccinations before the trip. One risk less to worry about!" Sergio observed.
Akiko nodded, "Yes, that´s right."
"But why did you run into the water like that?" Thiago was still at a loss to comprehend what happened. "You are used to the field trips, you know the risks. You should have walked in slowly, sliding your feet, so the stingray could move away."
"I know! I don't understand it myself." She sighed, "All I can say is, it was one of those moments of distraction everyone has, when we do stupid things...."
Sergio ended the conversation, "Oh, well, that doesn´t matter now. Now we must care about your recovery."
After breakfast, Sergio examined the wound and changed the bandages.
Arriving at that moment, Iviruti greeted her guests and asked Akiko about her health.
"I´m much better, thank you. "The painkiller worked, and Agarepa´s herbs and chants helped me, too."
An enchanted Iviruti smiled, "Glad to hear it."
Sergio said, "The wound is healing, but it will take time for a complete recovery."
The smitten chieftain hastened to assure Akiko that she and her team were welcome to stay in the village as long as she needed or wished.
A bit overwhelmed, Akiko smiled, "Thank you, Iviruti."
"We will be pleased to have you."
The anthropologist took one of her hands, held it gently, and looked into her eyes. "We are very indebted to you."
* * * * *
After some days travelling in the forest, the family stopped at a place near a small pond. Her bow and arrow in hand, Boharati stalked the forest wild life. She managed to kill two "moitú"* and returned to their camp feeling very pleased with herself.
Mboare was happy to see the fowl, too. He helped Boharati prepare the birds for their meal.
Later that evening, the family, sitting in front of the fire, enjoyed a nice dinner.
Leaning back, the satisfied warrior looked steadily at her husband, "I... was thinking of something."
"And what is it, my love?"
"There are trees and shade here, we have water, and also game to hunt... Perhaps we don´t need to go further..."
"You mean, you´d like to stay here?"
"Yes, I think we could make this place our new home."
Mboare´s big brown eyes shone with joy, "Yes, sure! I´ll start building a hut for us if you want."
She smiled and embraced him, "That´s great! I´m so glad you agree, my dear!"
He held his son in his arms, smiling cheerfully, "Did you hear, Pumiwi? We´ll soon have a new home! You will help me carry palm leaves, eh?"
Pumiwi put his arms around his father´s neck, "Yes, Dad!"
*Moitú (also muitú): great curassow (Crax alector). It´s a tropical bird related to hen, turkey and pheasant.
* * * * *
Although the pain had mostly disappeared and the wound was healing well, it was necessary that Akiko stay off her leg a while longer.
She stayed in the hut, talked with the Kawapore who visited her and made notes of her conversations with them.
One day Iviruti went to the hut. Akiko was very focused on her writing and didn't notice the warrior enter, so she flinched when Iviruti greeted her.
Akiko chuckled, "Oh, Iviruti, you startled me!"
"Sorry... I didn´t not notice you were so distracted."
"No, not distracted... just very concentrated on this."
"But what were you doing with... that stick... and why are you making those marks on those white sheets?"
Akiko smiled, "This is called a pen... to draw these marks you see on the , the white sheets... we call paper."
"But why?"
"It helps to remember things... I can write what I think, or what other people think and say so it can be known by other people, and remembered from now on by the grandchildren of our grandchildren and their descendants."
Iviruti looked at Akiko skeptically, "Really?"
"Oh yes! There is a land very, very far away called Egypt, where people lived many, many years ago... when the oldest trees of this forest were still young. But they left their writings, so we know who they were, how they lived and what they did."
Iviruti scratched her head, trying to understand ," That´s hard to believe..."
"But it is true... And that´s what I am trying to do for the Kawapore."
"And is that so important?"
"Yes! As I told you once, if my people know the Kawapore, they will respect them, and so your tribe will go on living peacefully according to your traditions."
Iviruti reflected on this, "And... can I know the signs? I would like to write as you do.... but I ..."
"You can learn!"
"Do you think so?"
"Of course! Anyone can read and write... I can teach you if you want. I can teach the children, too."
Ivirut beamed, "Really? That would be wonderful!" She held Akiko´s hands between hers, "Thank you so much!"
“Don´t thank me! You received and accepted us; you are teaching us your language…”
“And I also am learning a bit of yours…”
Akiko commented, “Yes, you learn very quickly. I am very glad that now we can communicate better. I remember at first, when Thiago had to translate to Xingu for us…”
Iviruti nodded, “And hat made things rather hard.”
The anthropologist suddenly remembered, “Oh by the way, you speak Xingu, but we never heard about your tribe. You know, my people and the Xingu have been in contact for many years, but they never said anything about the Kawapore.”
“Well, my father was Xingu.”
“Oh! How´s that possible?” a surprised Akiko exclaimed.
“He got lost in the forest and my mother found him. He was ill, almost dying, and she brought him to the village. Of course, Agarepa took care of him and healed him.”
“Agarepa?”
“Yes, she was young then, but she already was our shamaness.”
“And then?” Akiko´s curiosity was still not satisfied.
“Well, my mother and he fell in love, married and had two children. I was the firstborn and then my brother Mboare....”
“I see. And he would speak Xingu to your mother and you.”
Iviruti nodded, “Yes, we used both languages at home. Others, like Okavura, learned it, too, so they could talk to him”
“And of course, since he had a family, he stayed here.” Akiko concluded
“That’s it. He never returned to his land and people.”
Akiko thought for a moment, “So, that explains everything... Thank you, Iviruti! It was a question that puzzled me a lot.”
The chieftain shrugged, “Why didn´t you ask earlier?”
* * * * *
During the next days, Mboare was very busy building the new hut for the family, cutting trees for the columns and canes for the walls. Boharati dedicated herself to hunting and fishing to provide the food.
Then, Mboare had to construct the roof. He cut palm leaves and placed them carefully. At last, it was ready, so he climbed down to where Pumiwi was waiting, looking at him.
He hugged his son, "See, Pumiwi! That´s our new house! Do you like it?"
"Oh yes, dad! It´s wonderful!"
"Well, come with me, we must bring our things inside."
They went to their temporary shelter and gathered their belongings.
Right that moment, Boharati arrived.
Mboare greeted her with a triumphant grin, "You come at the right moment, dearest. I finished building our home."
She smiled back, "Well, I´ve got what we need to celebratel" She showed them a young capibara she had caught.
"Splendid!", he commented.
Pumiwi was happy too, "What a good catch, mom!"
"Come, let´s go to our hut!",Mboare suggested.
When they arrived, Boharati left the capibara by the door, then looked at the hut for a long moment, carefully studying it.
"So, do you like it?"
She held his hand, "Oh, yes, it´s such a nice house!"
But Mboare noticed a touch of sadness in her voice and eyes, "What is it, my darling?"
"Oh, nothing... It´s just that..." She sighed, "If we were in our village, now we would call Agarepa to bless the hut..."
He tried to comfort her, "That´s right... But we can still pray to the Mother of the Forest to bless us..."
She put her left arm around his shoulder and smiled at her husband, "She´s already blessed us! We have water nearby, now this fine home. We haven't lacked food since we came here, and, most of all..." she reached her right hand to Pumiwi, who held it, "... we have each other."
Akiko began to give the lessons, teaching Iviruti and the children to write and read.
She was happy to be useful in that way, since the wound still prevented her from walking too much or standing for too long.
Children learned fast, but it was a more difficult for Iviruti. Akiko often had to guide the chieftain's strong hand as she clumsily traced the first letters. In those moments, the warrior´s cheek blushed deep red. apparently out of embarrassment. Akko noticed it an wondered about the reason, but attributed it to the warrior´s shyness. Eventually, Iviruti became an eager, excellent pupil. Akiko was pleased to see Iviruti progressing so well.
On her part, Iviruti wanted to give Akiko a present to thank her for the teaching. However, nothing seemed right: she couldn´t give Akiko fish or game, because Sergio and Thiago were always attentive, providing their team leader everything she needed. Fruit? That didn´t seem worthy of a warrior. Flowers? That would fit for two in love.. and she wanted to show gratitude. But then the chieftain was carried on by her own musings ,"Well, and so what? If I... No,no that can´t be.. Akiko will leave, return to her own home... Well, I could... But... If I don´t like her land? ..." She shook her head, "What a silly thought! I am grateful, and I admire her, but it´s only that. "
One night she lay awake on her hammock mulling over her options. At length, she reached a decision. "Oh, yes! That´s it! She´s given me this new skill… I can read and write... and well, there´s a skill I can offer her. I´ll teach her to use a bow! "
Next day, after the class, she approached the anthropologist hesitatingly, "Akiko.... I.. I've been thinking...you... you are teaching me... And I want to thank you."
A puzzled Akiko said, "You are very welcome! But really... I like doing this..."
"Well, I want to give you a present."
"Oh,please, you don´t need..."
"You taught me how you write and read, so now I´ll teach you how to use a bow as a gift."
Akiko shook her head, " Oh, thank you, but I don´t know if I can... I´m not so strong, you know."
Iviruti put her hands on her friend´s shoulders and insisted, trying to encourage her, "Oh, yes, you can! It takes more skill than strength. I´ll show you how."
The anthropologist thought for a moment and smiled, "All, right, I´ll be your pupil. I do appreciate this... I´ll get to understand better the life and the feelings of the Kawapore. This is really a nice present, Iviruti." And she warmed to the thought that she might be able to contribute to the village's store of vittles.
The chieftain smiled back, "I thought you would like it!"
* * * * *
The family settled in their new home and soon became used to living there. Boharati roamed through the area, learning the best spots for hunting and fishing.
One morning, she decided to explore a new area where she had not been before. She said goodbye to Mboare and Pumiwi as she set off, not exactly sure how soon she would return.
Walking slowly through the forest, alert to any movement in the undergrowth, Boharati would occasionally stop and look up toward the canopy, searching for monkeys or birds among the branches. Her ears were primed to detect any game or possible danger. The bow and arrow were ready in her hands, all of her body was prepared to react and release the tension in a flash if necessary.
At last, she reached an open area. There, to her great surprise was a group of strange animals grazing. They were huge, had horns and their colour was light grey, almost white. She also noticed that these animals had a hump on their shoulders and kept in contact with loud calls, "Mooh–mooh!"
"I´ll try to get closer." Boharati started walking toward the herd, but the animals just looked at her for a moment, and continued eating the grass as calmly as before.
The hunter was pleasantly surprised, "Oh, those are silly beasts! They don´t fear humans... It should be easy to kill them, and with so much meat, we will have food for a long time... Hum... I wonder how they taste... "
She prepared her bow and an arrow, but stopped suddenly: her practical mind overcame her hunting instincts. "No, I cannot bring down one of these... mooh-moohs right now... If I kill it, I won´t be able to carry it. And... If I bring only a part of the meat home, vultures will eat what is left, so it´s not worth coming back to take the rest... I must come again with Mboare and Pumiwi, and camp here. Once I kill a mooh-mooh, we can cut the meat into pieces, smoke them and carry everything home... Their skin will be useful, too..."
That evening, Mboare was surprised to see his wife had caught nothing, but understood when she told him about the new territory she had seen and the strange animals, the
"mooh-moohs". They ate some of the food they had stored and agreed that the next day they would go on the hunting expedition.
* * * * *
A small private plane landed in the landing field of the fazenda.
Romualdo and other workers were there to greet Efigênia and to unload her luggage which they took to the house.
"Your bedroom is ready, and a bath, too, so you can refresh." The head caretaker told her.
"Thank you! That´s always great after a trip."
"And then... what would you like to do, Dona Efigênia?"
"Well, we should check the account books and get a good look at the numbers."
He hurried to reassure her, "Yes, of course. You´ll see that everything´s going OK"
She answered coldly, "Better for you... Then, we must see what's to be done about those friggin´Indians and the problem with the land."
Romualdo smirked, with a cruel look. "Yes, that is something that needs to be fixed."
"And then, tomorrow, have my horse ready. I'll ride out to check on the land and the cattle."
"Ok, I´ll arrange that."
* * * * *
As promised, Iviruti began teaching Akiko how to use a bow, how to sharpen the points, straighten the shafts, cut and tie the feathers to make the arrrows, how to tie and untie the bow´s string andhow to bend it.
All this showed the anthropologist the need to be patient and have a strong will, and improve the precision and skill of her hands. At last, it came to the crucial lessons on how to aim and shoot.
She was feeling really honoured and proud of herself when she went with Iviruti to the training grounds with the other warriors.
She tied the string, bent the bow and checked the tension while the other warriors looked at her approvingly. As she stood in front of the target, Iviruti corrected the position of her back, shoulders and hands.
After a failed shot, the chieftain made her demonstration, and hit the target easily. Akiko watched her so intently she could not help noticing how sharply the shadows outlined the warrior´s strong muscles.
Now it was the student's turn again and the warrior decided to guide her. Akiko became almost breathless when she felt the warmth and strength of Iviruti´s body wrapped around her back, their faces almost cheek to cheek, the chieftain´s soft , yet strong hands gripping hers... The anthropologist felt her cheeks burning and did not notice when their entwined hands released the arrow and hit the target. As if at a distance, she did hear the enthusiastically cheering warriors.
* * * * *
After an uneventful trek through the forest, the family arrived at the open field. Boharati was amused to see the stunned expressions on the faces of Mboare and Pumiwi when they saw the "mooh-moohs" for the first time. Her momentary levity gave way to concentration as she prepared for the hunt.
She checked her weapons and worried that she had not found the curare plants to poison her arrows, hoping that the wounds wold be enough to kill those powerful beasts. "Well", she thought, "I´ll have to aim carefully and hit it in the neck, right in the jugular. That should cause death quickly."
Boharati advanced cautiously, while Mboare and Pumiwi remained behind, hidden among the trees. Boharati got closer to the animals, and, as before, they did not seem alarmed by her presence. The hunter took an arrow, tensed the bow and chose her target.
She aimed at a young calf, thinking it would be easier to kill and process, and sufficient for their needs.
Suddenly she heard a loud noise at her back. When she turned, she saw a man sitting on the back of a strange long-legged, fast running animal that was like... like a hornless deer!
The man was shouting something, but Boharati did not understand. Not knowing if he would attack and thinking that her family and herself could be at risk if discovered, she shot an arrow. The man fell off the animal, and Boharati ran toward the trees.
Ze Lucas, a horseman who was herding another group of cattle in the distance, saw a hunter, a woman, apparently wound his fellow herder, Alfonso. He started the pursuit, put his horse to a full gallop and shot his gun into the air as a warning. But was too far away and could not stop the woman, who hid among the trees and disappeared.
Ze Lucas stopped his horse: he couldn´t ride into the dense forest. Besides, he only wanted the hunter to leave the area; that was enough for him.
A moment later, he dismounted and crouched next to his wounded comrade. At that moment, Efigênia and Romualdo arrived on the scene.
"What happened here?" the land owner asked. We heard gunshots..."
Ze Lucas quickly stood up and took off his hat, "Oh yes, Senhora Efigênia! We saw an Indian stalking the cows. We wanted to scare her away and..."
"Oh! A... woman?" Efigênia interrupted him.
"Yes, Senhora, a woman. You see, she wounded Alfonso with an arrow..."
Alfonso spoke up, "It´s only a wound in my shoulder, but if the arrow was poisoned..."
Romualdo scoffed, "Oh, come on! You´d already be dead. Curare would be having its effect by now."
But Efigênia wasn´t paying attention to them, lost in her own thoughts, "Hum... so a woman, eh? Very interesting..."
The ranch manager heard her speaking to herself, "Well, don´t worry. I´ll bring men with dogs and track her. We want no Indians hunting here, right?"
"Oh, no, no dogs! On the contrary: we´ll leave some presents for them."
Romualdo looked at her in disbelief, "What!?"
Efigênia raised her eyebrows "Well, Romualdo, we need to win their confidence... until we know where this tribe lives."
"Oh, I see…"
Meanwhile, Ze Lucas helped Afonso to stand up and mount his horse to go home.
* * * * *
The next day Akiko got up and dressed quickly. Iviruti had said that they would go hunting to practice her newly acquired bow skills. The anthropologist sighed when she remembered yesterday's events, the powerful and protective presence of the warrior that enveloped her, the firmness and softness of her touch. She was puzzled by her own feelings and her reaction of embarrassment.
"What?... what is this?", she wondered. "Why do I feel so... so… troubled when I´m with her? I... I almost feel like a fool!"
"Oh dear, I´m so confused now.!" Looking at Tavinho´s picture, “I was so sure of my love, but now...! I... I don´t know what to do... I mean... It´s not that I don´t love you... You´ll always be dear to me and I still appreciate what we've shared ... but now.. there's this strong attraction I am feeling toward Iviruti...I am always thinking of her. Can that mean I am falling in love? And...would that be right? ...Ah, Tavinho, everything seemed so clear... Now things are changing, and I don´t know what to do about this mess in my heart... "
She looked at the picture for a moment and then put it again in the bag before leaving.
* * * * *
Iviruti selected Mbenbetari to join them on the hunting party for Akiko's initiation. The two warriors didn't have much luck but the beginner showed some skill when one of her arrows brought down an aguti.
"Good. Akiko! Now you must pray to the Mother of the Forest and thank her," the chieftain advised.
Mbenbetari seconded the praise, "Yes, well done! Now you´re a hunter!"
After silently offering her prayer, Akiko modestly replied, "Well, it´s not a big catch or a lot of meat for the tribe, but..."
"It is not bad, since it is your first hunt... And speaking of that, you must bring it to Agarepa. That is the tradition."
"All right, let´s go, then."
They arrived at the hut of the shamaness and the chieftain gestured to Akiko, who went into the hut first.
She greeted the shamaness respectfully and then offered her the aguti.
Agarepa received it gratefully, "Thank you! I am glad you learned to hunt. Now I must pray and ask the spirits to give you luck, so your arrows will never fail and you can bring down big game."
The shamaness made a small fire and burned aromatic herbs as she chanted a prayer. When she finished the ceremony, she told Akiko, "Now you are blessed and accepted as hunter of our tribe"
This moved the anthropologist deeply and she expressed the hope that she would be worthy of the honor.
"You surely will... Otherwise, Iviruti would not have taught you."
The chieftain nodded, "That is right!"
Menbetari expressed her belief also that Akiko would certainly be a good hunter.
The anthropologist murmured in confusion, "Well, thank you again."
"You do not need to thank... You earned your place among us." After a short pause, Agarepa said, "But it is getting late... You should go back to the village."
Iviruti looked at the younger women, "You two go on.I will join you later... I want to have a talk with Wise Mother."
"We can wait for you," Akiko proposed.
Iviruti blushed, "Well, thank you... but...uh... we need to talk alone."
"Oh, all right then."
Now that they were alone, Agarepa asked Iviruti what was on her mind.
"Wise Mother, I wish to speak as woman to woman rather than as a suppliant."
Agarepa bowed her head and nodded slightly in assent, thoroughly intrigued by this request and the demeanor of the clan's chieftain.
"I ... .. I think I am... falling in love... " a short pause..."with Akiko."
"Oh? What makes you think so?"
"Well, I ... my heart beats faster when I see her ... or think of her. And... well" She blushed, "I .. think of her too often. Especially since I brought her back from the river, and then when I... "
"I see.. Yes, no doubt you are in love her!" The shamaness needed no further details to see the truth.
"So what do you think of it?"
"But.... what can I do? We ... we are different ... belong to different worlds..."
"Yes. That could present a problem..."
The chieftain continued, painfully, "And then, there is Tiranwari. How can I forget her and...?"
Agarepa interrupted, "My dear, I know how much you loved her, but you must live your life."
"And betray her memory?"
"Memories are only that, Iviruti! Just memories... What you had, what you remember, will always be in your heart. Nothing will change that. So... how could you betray Tiranwari´s memory?"
The chieftain replied, "Bur her spirit..."
Agarepa interrupted again, speaking in a confident, reassuring tone, "Do you think she would like to see you sad? You loved her and she loved you! She would certainly want you to be happy."
Iviruti sighed, "I suppose so..."
"Do you have any idea how Akiko feels about you?"
"No... I do not. I am so afraid of doing something... something foolish."
"Just be careful and observe her. You will find out. And if she has feelings for you... well... that is something you two will have to work out."
"Thank you for your thoughts, Wise Mother. My heart is more at ease about Tiranwari and it helped to talk about my feelings for Akiko."
"You are welcome, Iviruti. Feel free to come and talk any time you need to. I wish you good luck, in love."
The somber warrior nodded and as she turned to leave, missed the smile that spread across the face of the Seer.
* * * * *
The family succeeded in eluding Efigênia and her cohorts and returned to their camp.
A couple of nights later, Boharati and Mboare were abruptly awakened by the screams of Pumiwi.
The warrior hurried to her son´s hammock and embraced him, "My child, what is it?"
"Oh Mom, that... that man on the strange beast..."
She stroked his hair and kissed his forehead, "No, no, don´t worry! There´s nobody except us here... It was only a bad dream."
"The strangers will not come here? They will not follow us?"
"No, my dear, they wo´t come." She reassured him, "The forest is too big... They´ll never find us here." Kissing his forehead, his mother reassured him that everything was all right. "Go back to sleep, dear."
She settled next to him and began humming a cradle song, but her thoughts were elsewhere. The boy's nightmare reminded her of the tense encounter during her attempt to kill the mooh mooh.
Soon Pumiwi fell asleep, but she didn´t move, distracted by her own worries.
Eventually, Mboare whispered, "Aren´t you coming to sleep, my dear? Our boy´s sleeping again."
She whispered back, "Yes... I´m coming,"
"Thinking about those strangers, right?"
"Yes", she admitted softly. "It was great luck that I escaped from those men..." Boharati said. She sighed and went on, "I wounded one of them with my arrow, and…"
Mboare interrupted her, "But you had to defend yourself. No one could blame you for it, not even the strangers."
"And I had to protect you, too! If that man had found you..."
"Well, my dear, don´t worry about that anymore."
"You know, I think perhaps we´ve offended them... If they´re living there and those mooh-moohs graze in that zone, then... well... it´s their hunting field by right."
Mboare was puzzled, "But... you were against strangers... you said you didn´t want them to destroy our forest..."
"Of course! We have to protect our village and our territory... but as long as they live in their land and their own homes and stay there, I have no problem with that."
"Hmmm.. I see."
"The question is, what to do now..."
"Maybe we could move again... go away... They could be looking for us..."
She sighed, "I know... But I´d be sorry to leave...go wandering again.. This is a good area for us...And you worked so hard to build us this hut... If we could only make the strangers understand that we´ll just stay here and won´t trouble them again as long as they don´t trouble us..."
She thought for a moment, and told him, "I know what I´ll do. I´ll catch a good game and bring it there, where the mooh-moohs are ... as a peace offering. It´ll be a sign of good faith... they´ll know I didn´t want to trespass their hunting territory."
He was doubtful, "Hum... I don´t know..."
"What else can we do? We cannot face them alone. It´s that... or else, go search another area of the forest"
He realized the sense of her words, "Yes, that´s true... So yes, we can try and do as you said."
* * * * *
Ephigênia was lounging in the spacious living room of the fazenda reading the paper when her ranch manager came in from checking the fields.
"So, Romualdo? Any news?"
Detecting a slight quaver that told him she was a little unsettled, he shook his head and told her that no one had seen any trace of them."And the fishing rod and hooks we left as presents are still there ."
"Well, seems we´ll have to be patient... It won´t be easy," She sighed, suggesting he was right about her present state of mind.
"Really, I don´t know if this will work..."
The ranch owner stared coldly at her manager, "Tell me, when did any of my plans fail?"
Chastened, he answered, "Never, Dona Efigênia," and tried to make amends, "You are very clever, and always know what to do."
She snarled, losing what patience she had left, "Well, then, trust me!"
Wincing at her tone, he looked everywhere but at her, and murmured, "Yes, dona Efigênia."
With a look revealing her cruel intent, "Believe me... It´s time well spent. Once we´ve contacted them and won their confidence, they´ll guide us to their people and then..." She paused and ended, "We´ll kill them all!"
Like a knave, he grinned enthusiatically, "Oh, yes!"
* * * * *
Back at the village, Akiko and her team became aware of a lot of unusual activity among the villagers. There was much coming and going from hut to hut, whispering and smiles. Akiko looked out and stopped one of the warriors passing in front of her hut: “Kinuwa, what's going on? Everyone seems so happy and cheerful, but..."
The warrior grinned, "It is great news! You know Mbenbetari, of course... our youngest warrior."
Akiko nodded, "Sure! So?"
"Well, she offered a necklace to Anangura, Tukuma´s son. He accepted it, so they are going to get married."
Thiago, smiled, "How nice. When will that be?"
"Some time soon. Their family and friends will help them build their hut and they will go on a hunt and also gather food for the celebration. It can be in a few days, when the new moon becomes a crescent."
Akiko chuckled, "Good! They won´t have to wait for so long, then."
Kinuwa chuckled, too. "We are all surprised that they did not announce it sooner. We all knew this would happen."
At this moment Iviruti joined the group, "Good morning, friends! Well, I suppose Kinuwa has told you the news..
Akiko greeted her, trying to understand the tingling that seemed to accompany her every contact with the chieftain, the warrior she is finding so captivating. Managing to maintain her presence of mind, she asked Iviruti how the marriage ceremony was conducted.
It was several days since the head warrior's talk with the Seer when she confessed her love for the anthropologist. The two had not had much contact since: Iviruti taking care of village affairs, Akiko, spending time with her journal.
During such festive times Iviruti tended to melancholy, remembering her lost love. Her strength never failed her in public, she always had a strong presence. Particularly now, as she looked at Akiko to answer: "They will sit together in the same hammock. Then Agarepa will say prayers for the good fortune of the couple and will give them her blessings, and after that, we all eat, sing and dance... And what do your people do when they get married?"
"Oh... I´d say it´s similar. The families and friends join together for the ceremony, but the big difference is that we have a... a priest, a man, who says the prayers and the blessing. Then, after that, it´s like here: everyone celebrates, eating, dancing and singing."
Kinuwa asked the question Iviruti had on the tip of her tongue, "And you, Akiko? Are you married? Or are you going to be married?"
At first startled by the sudden, unexpected question of such a personal nature, but realizing the unsophistication of the young warrior, Akiko recovered quickly to answer: "No, I´m not married, and yes, I will marry one day."
Iviruti tried to feign indifference to cover her shock, "Really?"
Akiko saw the pain in her eyes and murmured, "Yes" And wondered, "What happened to her? Why does she seem to be hurt? Maybe...?"
Warrior Motokori joined the group, greeting everyone cheerfully. Seeing her friend, "Ha! Kinuwa, I found you at last! Are you ready to go fishing with me to catch our breakfast?"
"Oh, sure, let´s go!" The young warriors took their leave and walked away, arms around each other. The surprised Sergio and Thiago, not yet completely adapted to the warrior womens' ways, this part of their culture, covertly stared after them. Akiko looked openly at them and noticed Iviruti was watching her intently.
Once the couple was gone, the chieftain murmured,"I... I must go now: I have something to take care of. See you later."
A puzzled Akiko responded, "Oh... yes.. sure. See you, Iviruti"
* * * * *
That night, Iviruti lay on her hammock trying in vain to sleep. Thoughts constantly troubled her, filling her soul with questions about Akiko. So many questions without an answer...
"So, she is going to marry? But... Why didn´t she say anything about it...? Well, why would she? She had no obbligation to do it... Afterall, I didn´t tell her about my marriage with Tiranwari, either... But now, what can I do? What can I say? How could I make her stay with me...? And again,.. why would she? What can I offer her...?"
Iviruti sighed, dispaired and taken aback.
"Just be careful and observe her. You will find out. And if she has feelings for you... well... that is something you two will have to work out." The words of the Seer came back to Iviruti as she saw that something passed between herself and Akiko and she knew each recognized something had happened. She'd felt pain, Akiko saw it and appeared confused.
"So, is there still hope? Or... Am I deceiving myself? Maybe I´m seeing what I want to see...Well, I must be patient and try to find out more..."
Meanwhile, Akiko was also trying to find answers to her doubts.
"It´s so strange... Iviruti seemed so happy at first, and then, when I mentioned my possible marriage she suddenly looked sad, and became distant... And then went away... I wonder why. Could it be she... she loves me...? Ah, Nossa...! What should I do? I... I feel attracted to her, but then... there´s Tavinho, too. He´s a nice, good man, I like him, we lived so many great things, we enjoyed such wonderful moments...and yet, the fire of passion between us is getting cold now... Why...? All the same... what would my future be with Iviruti? And how could I ask her to share her life with me? Do I have the right to do so? It´s so difficult... I... I do love her, but I don´t want to hurt her, or give her false hopes. It would be an unsensitive, selfish action, and I cannot do that..."
* * * * *
Putting her plan into motion, Boharati went out to hunt game. She found and finished off a small deer.
She was satisfied with her catch and according to plan took it to the field of the mooh-moohs. Upon arriving there she noticed something bright, a long, thin object wrapped in red fabric.
"What is this?" She looked around: nobody was there. She approached the object slowly and cautiously poked it with the tip of her bow. She pried it gently, keeping herself as far from it as she could, but ready to back off or jump away, fearing it could be a trap. Nothing happened. The warrior poked again, harder.
Reassured, she moved closer and summoned the courage to open the package. She inspected the content closely until she understood.
"Of course! It is a fishing rod! Not bad, we can make good use of it." Then she inspected a smaller package and decided the objects were fishing hooks though they were different from the ones the villagers used.
This was confusing her. Such tools lying about like this in a grazing field didn't make sense, unless... unless they were purposely placed there to send a message and since she was the only person they'd had a glimpse of, Boharati, in her desire to make peace with the strangers, concluded they might have the same wish, and maybe these were a peace offering from them. This fit in well with her own plans so she decided to keep the rod and hooks. Then she cut a cane, tied the red fabric to the deer and hung it from the cane.
"So, they should notice this. No way they can miss it with this red cloth. Hope they will understand that I accepted their gifts and left this as an offering. And since it is hanging, the vultures will not be able to reach the deer."
When all was done, she returned to the hut.
"Boharati, my darling! So good you´re back! But... what do you have there? "
"It is a fishing rod, and I have hooks, too!"
He scratched his head, "What...? But... where did you find that?"
"In the field of the mooh moohs. Seems that the strangers left it there as some kind of offering since we did have a conflict."
"Well, that is very interesting…An offering…A peace offering."
"Yes, I cannot believe it myself, but it was there. It was so obvious, wrapped in a red cloth that anyone could see from a distance. What else could it mean? They had left it there to be seen. Why would they do that? It was meant to be for us, I am sure."
He thought for moment, and "Yes, it looks that way. It is curious that both of you had the same idea."
"It is indeed. Now I think it seems we were wrong about the strangers: they are not bad people after all." She sighed, "Wish I had understood it earlier!"
Mboare tried to comfort her,"Well, do not worry. I am glad that everything is going well for us and that now we will be at peace. This present you found is a good sign."
She nodded, "Yes, it appears the strangers do want peace. That is good for us".
He replied eagerly, "May the Spirits listen you!"
Boharati was silent for a moment and then spoke up, "You know, I wonder if they found my offering, and accepted the deer I left. If they took it, we´ll know they understand we have good intentions. And we will know if we can trust them or not. I will go see what happened."
* * * * *
Efigênia and Romualdo were preparing the invoices and the necessary papers to send the cattle for sale next day.
Alfonso came and stood at the door, "Good evening, Dona Efigènia, Dom Romualdo... Excuse me for interrupting, but..."
"So, what´s up, Alfonso? I hope you bring news."
"Oh, yes, Senhora! I went to the field and found someone had taken away the fishing rod, and..." he rubbed his chin in bemusement, "there was a small dead deer there."
"Really?" She gestured with her head, "Come in!"
"Yes, the deer was tied with the red cloth, hanging from a cane..."
The ranch owner spoke as if to herself, "So... seems she wanted us to see it... Interesting."
"Who are you talking about?" Romualdo asked her.
Looking at him with contempt, she snapped, "The warrior woman, of course!"
This surprised Alfonso, "You mean... the woman we saw the other day? The one that wounded Ze Lucas? "
She couldn't have been more scornful, "Is there another one around?"
Romualdo asked, "So what? That doesn´t bring us closer to finding the tribe."
"Well, I already told you, be patient! We have to win their confidence. And you see, she left us the deer... Maybe as a compensation, or perhaps an offering"
The manager shrugged, "And what´s next, then?"
She raised her eyebrows and calmly said, "We'll, send her another present, of course!" She turned to Alfonso and gave him instructions, "Tomorrow first thing in the morning, you´ll take a knife, a machete and an axe and leave them there where you found the deer. Wrap them in the red cloth to make them visible."
Alfonso opened his eyes wide and stuttered, "But... but... Senhora... she... she wounded one of us!"
Romualdo supported him. "Yes, you can´t give her weapons! She could use them against us."
The ranch owner shook her head, "No, she won´t."
Romualdo crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her skeptically, "And how can you be so sure?"
"I understood from Akiko, the anthropologist, that loyalty is a high priority with them. She accepted our gifts, so now she will consider us as friends and won´t turn against us. They have an honour code, you know." She turned again to Alfonso who was looking at them in disbelief, "So, go now and do as I told you tomorow morning." She regarded his puzzled expression for a moment, then smirked, remarking amusedly, "Oh, I know what you´re thinking, but don´t worry. Believe me. You do as I say and we won´t have trouble again with those Indians."
"As you wish, Dona Efigênia."
* * * * *
Next day, Boharati went to the field of the "mooh-moohs", feeling very curious to see what had happened. She was happy to see that the deer had been accepted, and also pleasantly surprised to find the machete, the knife and the axe.
"These are beautiful tools", she thought. "Seems the stranger wanted to give back with another present the deer I offered them."
She hurried back to her family to tell them the news.
Mboare was happy to see his wife, "Oh, my darling, so good you are here!"
Pumiwi cheerfully ran to his mother. "Oh, Mom, you are home at last!"
Boharati stooped to embrace him. She left the tools on the floor and stretched out her arms to her son.
Then Mboare saw the presents, "Oh! What is that? Another present?"
The warrior held Pumiwi in her arms and stood up, "Yes. It seems the strangers really want our friendship, does it not?"
Mboare nodded, "Yes, seems so." He examined the objects, "These are fine tools, they will be very useful. And they could also be weapons to defend ourselves."
"You are right. You see, they trust us and do not fear us."
"Good. We are all happy about that."
She hesitated, "And now I am thinking... We ought to show them the same confidence."
"Oh my," he started, "Why?"
"I know, I know, it may seem strange, it may seem foolish, but they gave us a great proof of good faith, is it not so?'"
"Yes, certainly, but..."
"And I feel we should respond. I will give them a spear and arrowheads. That will show them we trust them, too, and that there are no ill feelings as long as they respect us. "
Mboare shook his head energetically, "No, no! You have already risked yourself too much! Things are all right as they are, so let us keep them so."
"Do you think there is danger? After such a present as they gave us? Why would they give us a knife, an axe if they do not consider us as friends? "
He thought for a moment and admitted, "Yes, what you say is true."
"You know, I´d like you and Pumiwi to come with me." She turned to her son and smiled, "It will be a nice walk. We can gather fruit and…"
Mboare protested, "You... you cannot risk our son! Boharati, these last days I spent awful hours fearing what could happen to you. And now..."
"But you admitted yourself they trust us and that they want to be our friends. So, what do you fear? I assure you, there will be no risk!"
He sighed, surrendering at last, unable to reply to her apparent logic, "All right, we will do as you want."
* * * * *
Feeling the need to talk to Agarepa, Ivituti now stood in front of her door: "Wise Mother! Are you there? It is Iviruti!"
The Seer appeared, smiling kindly, "Hello, my dear! Please, come in! What brings you here?"
"I need your advice again, Wise Mother"
Agarepa´s deep look studied the warrior, "It is about Akiko, is it not ?
The cheftain sighed. "Yes. I just learned she intends to get married with one of her people."
The shamaness thought for a moment: "And what can I do to help you?"
Iviruti pleaded desperately, "Please, tell me how to win her heart! You know, I would like it so much if she stayed, if she would choose me... "
Agarepa replied sadly, "I am sorry, but that is not in my power."
"What? You mean, you cannot do anything?"
Responding to this desperate cry, the shamaness answered sharply, "Iviruti, I wish I could! I want your happiness as much as you do, but I also have to be honest with you, my dear. I have known your mother, I have seen your birth, and I saw you become the brave warrior and the strong, wise leader you are. I would never deceive you with false promises."
Iviruti looked down and murmured, "So, there´s no hope, then..."
Agrepa scolded her, "Do not say that! You cannot give up hope. I know it is difficult for you now, but be patient and keep your faith."
The cheftain retorted bitterly,"And meanwhile, she will marry someone else..."
"But she is not married yet, and things can still change. I will ask the Spirits...that is something I can do. If she is meant for you, then you have nothing to worry about. You will be reunited and nothing will ever separate you. "
An apprehensive Iviruti hesitated, "And... if... she is not meant for me? What then?"
Agarepa looked steadily into her eyes and asked, "Do you really love her?"
The chieftain started at the question, "Of course I do! Why would I come here and ask you all these questions?" Then she went on enthusiastically, "And how could I help it? She is so delicate, she seems to be fragile and yet can be so strong... You know, she reminds me so much of Tiranwari... not in the look... but she seems to have the soul of Tiranwari in her."
"Well, if you love her and want her happiness, you must be ready to accept what she chooses to do with her life. I know it is hard, but..."
Iviruti nodded, "True… love cannot be forced."
"Do not worry about that now, until we know what the Spirits say. Maybe there will be good news for you tomorrow."
"May the Mother of the Forest listen to you!"
* * * * *
Alfonso rode to the grazing field that lay within in the area of the fazenda. There, he saw the red cloth carefully folded and empty: the presents were gone.
"Meu Deus! Then, Dona Efigênia was right: She came here again! I´m sure she will be pleased to know this!"
He hurried back to the main lodge to inform the landowner about the news.
Som time later, Efigênia was sitting with Romualdo on the veranda of her house, discussing plans to expand the fazenda and increase their business.
She was saying, "I don´t know if you´ll agree, but I think it´s a good investment."
"Yes, I think so."
Right that moment, Alfonso arrived, dismounted and greeted the two.
"So, Alfonso. What did you find?" She asked.
"The tools were not there. She´s been here again, as you thought she would."
Romualdo looked thoughtful, "Very interesting... And now what?"
"Now is my turn... I will take the next present, and then wait. It is time to make contact."
The manager objected, "Contact? But how are you going to talk to her? You will have no way to understand each other."
Efigênia scowled at him, "You continue to underestimate me and I am getting tired of that. You be careful," she warned, and stomped off the veranda explaining, nevertheless, that she had a copy of Akiko's report that contained many words and phrases of the Kawapore and that she studied them carefully.
"Oh, I see...A really clever move!" a contrite Romualdo grovelled.
* * * * *
The next day, Efigènia, Romualdo and two of the fazenda workers went to the grazing field, carrying a set of stainless steel cooking pans as a present.
They chose a place and waited. Soon their patience was rewarded: they saw a woman warrior appear from the forest.
Efigênia was the first to recover from the amazement. She left her hiding place, holding the pans.
The warrior started, but Efigênia reassured her, speaking haltingly in Kawapore, " I... come... in peace!"
Boharati carefully placed her bow and arrow on the ground, "I come in peace."
"My... name... Efigênia."
" E–– fi– genia. .. I am... Boharati."
"Bo... ha.."
"Boharati."
Efigênia offered the pans, "This is... for you".
The warrior accepted the present, "Thank you." Then, she gave her hostess a package with arrow and spear heads.
The landowner was not very impressed, but all the same, she thanked the warrior.
The men, now more confident, approached the women.
Boharati became alarmed when she saw them, but Efigênia calmed her fears, "... My friends."
The warrior watched them carefully, "Friends?"
"Yes, don´t worry."
Boharati turned around and called, "Mboare! Pumiwi! Come, there is nothing to fear!"
Father and son came reluctantly, and the warrior introduced, "Mboare, my husband ... Pumiwi, my son... my family."
Efigênia nodded, "Your ... family." She gave an unconvincing smile to Pumiwi, "A nice...boy... "
Boharati smiled proudly, "Oh, yes"
But Mboare did not feel flattered, and asked rather harshly, "You speak some of our words... How is that possible?"
"Akiko."
Boharati was surprised, "You know Akiko?"
"Yes."
Mboare was still very skeptical.
The land owner continued, "Akiko .. is ... in your land,? I... want... to go... there."
The warrior became tense and asked her why.
"Akiko... my friend. I want... to ... see her."
Boharati was thoughtful, "Hmm... I see."
"Please... I want ... to go. Take me!"
Efigênia, taking heed of the attitude of the warrior and her man, changed the subject. She made a gesture inviting them to follow her, and the family accepted. The group headed to the main house of the fazenda.
Boharati and her family were surprised when they saw the house. They had never seen such a big building. Efigênia showed them all around and they wondered at all the new things they discovered: the electric light, the running water and the television.
After that, she offered her guests an abundant meal. They were somewhat shy and halting at first, since most of the food was new for them, but once they carefully tasted it, they liked the unusual flavours and enjoyed it.
Since it was already late, Efigênia invited them to stay for the night, and Boharati and her family accepted gladly. They slept very well, very comfortably.
Next morning, after sharing a good breakfast, the family prepared to leave and return home.
Efgênia gave Pumiwi a bag with toys, and then turned to Boharati, "I want ... to go... with you... I...meet Akiko, see village ....know ...your people..."
The warrior said quickly but firmly, Oh, no!...I mean... no strangers can come there. I no want Akiko, but..."
The landowner hurried to calm her down, "I am sorry." After a pause... " So, goodbye! We... meet again? You... visit me again?"
"Good...bye! Thank you. A nice visit. I think yes."
The trio started on their way, watched by Efigênia and Romualdo.
The manager said, "Well, all this for nothing... they won´t show us the way to their village."
She snarled, "Oh, why do you always understimate me? The teddy bear I gave the boy has a tracking microchip hidden inside. I put it in last night, after they went to sleep."
Romualdo gaped at her, then muttered, "Oooh... that´s so clever!" He scratched his head, "But... how did you guess she had a child?"
"Oh, well, I didn´t guess.... How could I do that? Fortunately, I had bought those things as Christmas presents for the children of our staff..."She smirked, "Not that I really care, but it makes a good impression on their parents, so they will work harder for me..."
"Guess you´ll have to buy more toys, then..."
She said with a cruel look, "it´s worth it." With a head gesture, she beckoned him, "Come on! Let´s connect the antenna and turn on the computer to download the GPS coordinates."
* * * * *
The next day, Efigènia, Romualdo and two of the fazenda workers went to the grazing field, carrying a set of stainless steel cooking pans as a present.
They chose a place and waited. Soon their patience was rewarded: they saw a woman warrior appear from the forest.
Efigênia was the first to recover from the amazement. She left her hiding place, holding the pans.
The warrior started, but Efigênia reassured her, speaking haltingly in Kawapore, " I... come... in peace!"
Boharati carefully placed her bow and arrow on the ground, "I come in peace."
"My... name... Efigênia."
" E-- fi- genia. .. I am... Boharati."
"Bo... ha.."
"Boharati."
Efigênia offered the pans, "This is... for you".
The warrior accepted the present, "Thank you." Then, she gave her hostess a package with arrow and spear heads.
The landowner was not very impressed, but all the same, she thanked the warrior.
The men, now more confident, approached the women.
Boharati became alarmed when she saw them, but Efigênia calmed her fears, "... My friends."
The warrior watched them carefully, "Friends?"
"Yes, don´t worry."
Boharati turned around and called, "Mboare! Pumiwi! Come, there is nothing to fear!"
Father and son came reluctantly, and the warrior introduced, "Mboare, my husband ... Pumiwi, my son... my family."
Efigênia nodded, "Your ... family." She gave an unconvincing smile to Pumiwi, "A nice...boy... "
Boharati smiled proudly, "Oh, yes"
But Mboare did not feel flattered, and asked rather harshly, "You speak some of our words... How is that possible?"
"Akiko."
Boharati was surprised, "You know Akiko?"
"Yes."
Mboare was still very skeptical.
The land owner continued, "Akiko .. is ... in your land,? I... want... to go... there."
The warrior became tense and asked her why.
"Akiko... my friend. I want... to ... see her."
Boharati was thoughtful, "Hmm... I see."
"Please... I want ... to go. Take me!"
Efigênia, taking heed of the attitude of the warrior and her man, changed the subject. She made a gesture inviting them to follow her, and the family accepted. The group headed to the main house of the fazenda.
Boharati and her family were surprised when they saw the house. They had never seen such a big building. Efigênia showed them all around and they wondered at all the new things they discovered: the electric light, the running water and the television.
After that, she offered her guests an abundant meal. They were somewhat shy and halting at first, since most of the food was new for them, but once they carefully tasted it, they liked the unusual flavours and enjoyed it.
Since it was already late, Efigênia invited them to stay for the night, and Boharati and her family accepted gladly. They slept very well, very comfortably.
Next morning, after sharing a good breakfast, the family prepared to leave and return home.
Efgênia gave Pumiwi a bag with toys, and then turned to Boharati, "I want ... to go... with you... I...meet Akiko, see village ....know ...your people..."
The warrior said quickly but firmly, Oh, no!...I mean... no strangers can come there. I no want Akiko, but..."
The landowner hurried to calm her down, "I am sorry." After a pause... " So, goodbye! We... meet again? You... visit me again?"
"Good...bye! Thank you. A nice visit. I think yes."
The trio started on their way, watched by Efigênia and Romualdo.
The manager said, "Well, all this for nothing... they won´t show us the way to their village."
She snarled, "Oh, why do you always understimate me? The teddy bear I gave the boy has a tracking microchip hidden inside. I put it in last night, after they went to sleep."
Romualdo gaped at her, then muttered, "Oooh... that´s so clever!" He scratched his head, "But... how did you guess she had a child?"
"Oh, well, I didn´t guess.... How could I do that? Fortunately, I had bought those things as Christmas presents for the children of our staff..."She smirked, "Not that I really care, but it makes a good impression on their parents, so they will work harder for me..."
"Guess you´ll have to buy more toys, then..."
She said with a cruel look, "it´s worth it." With a head gesture, she beckoned him, "Come on! Let´s connect the antenna and turn on the computer to download the GPS coordinates."
* * * * *
Meanwhile, in the village, Akiko and her crew were having really busy days. They took many pictures and filmed the construction of the new hut, and took notes of their talks with the Kawapore about their wedding traditions. Then they recorded the preparations of the wedding party: the hunters went to look for game and Akiko accompanied them.
It was a great experience for the anthropologist, who was very happy and proud to be accepted as a member of the group. All the same, she was puzzled by Iviruti adopted towards her. the seemingly distant attitude. Thinking back, she traced the change to the day the chieftain heard her say she would marry someday. That connection provided the quandary she found herself in regarding the chieftain.
When all was ready, the food prepared, it was time for the ceremony. The villagers lit torches and followed the couple to their hut. The bride and groom entered and sat together on the hammock. Agarepa stood in front of the door, solemnly said the prayers and blessings, and when she ended the ceremony, there was much cheering and clapping.
Now it was time for the celebration, and banquet. Everyone was happy, as they sang and danced in honour of the couple.
Akiko, Sergio and Thiago were glad to be there to witness this aspect of the tribe's culture. Besides sharing and enjoying the joyful moment, they also took pictures and made mental notes of the details, which would be of interest for their work.
Akiko was somewhat disappointed when Iviruti joined the dance and did not invite her. This caused her to ponder her own feelings, since, actually, there was no reason why the chieftain should dance with her. At last, she danced, too, when other villagers, including the just married couple, encouraged her to join in.
Later, when the general enthusiasm died down, she sat down to rest and saw the young warriors, Kinuwa and Motokori, leaving together, hand in hand.
Akiko saw that Iviruti also sat down, joining the couple´s parents' conversation. "Seems as if she is avoiding me... I can´t understand it."
Karupuri, Tukuma´s husband, offered the chieftain a drink, which she accepted.
Akiko stood and left the party right that moment, so she did not notice Iviruti fixing an attentive look on her while she had a sip from the gourd. The leader listened distractedly to her companions, then murmured an excuse, stood up and left.
Most of the participants continued singing and dancing without paying attention to the chieftain´s actions, but Mahintere, another warrior, watched her closely and silently followed her.
* * * * *
Akiko walked up to her hut by the moonlight, but stood outside looking at the sky instead of going in. She had a fright when a shadow suddenly appeared, but calmed down when Iviruti moved into the light.
"Oh, Iviruti! You scared me!"
"I am sorry, Akiko. I saw you leave the party and I wanted to see if you are well."
Akiko smiled, "Oh, yes, I´m really fine, thank you! You shouldn´t have worried."
"So, why did you leave, then? The party is still going on."
"I know, but... It´s just... at that moment I needed some quiet and wanted to look at the stars. That helps me relax."
The warrior nodded, "Stars are beautiful."
Akiko looked at the stars again and said softly, "I wonder what the Kawapore legends say about the stars."
Ivruti chuckled, "Well, it is better that you ask Nyamatiri... she is our storyteller. But if you want, I can tell you a legend about the Sun and the Moon."
An excited Akiko, "Oh, sure, I´d love to hear it!"
"The Sun and the Moon were a young couple, deeply in love with each other. They wanted to marry, but Kurupira, the Mother of the Forest, said they should never do it."
"Oh! But why?"
"The Sun´s ardent, powerful passion would burn everything the moment they united."
"I see..."
"So the unhappy lovers were separated: the Sun shines over the land with golden light during the day and the Moon spreads her silver light during the night. But the Moon was so terribly sad that she started crying. She cried and cried many days.... and so the Big River (the Amazones) was created, formed by the tears of the Moon."
"That´s a really nice story... but also so sad, isn´t?"
Iviruti replied in a subdued tone, "Yes, it is very sad... As sad as I will feel when you leave."
Akiko tried to comfort her, "But you shouldn´t be sad. Yes, I will go back to my home, that´s true, but I will come again."
"But we are friends. Friends shouldn´t separate."
"No matter the distance, friends can visit each other! And I´ll come again to see you... and the Kawapore."
The chieftain replied in a tone that sounded reproachful in spite of her efforts, "But you are going to marry, right?"
Akiko was shocked, "Well, yes, that´s what I was planning." She went on, her eyebrows lifted by the surprise of the revelation, "So, that was worrying you? That´s why you´ve been distant with me these days? Why?"
"Well... yes. I did not want to say this now, but it is time you know it."
"And what is it, Iviruti?"
The warrior declared passionately," I love you, Akiko!"
Akiko´s mouth opened in a perfect circle, "Oh! So... what I suspected is true. You ...."
Iviruti continued, "Yes, I am in love with you!"
Akiko sighed, "Ah, Iviruti, you.... you are beautiful, strong and brave, and a great person. I am grateful for everything you've done for me, saved my life, protected me, made a hunter of me. You are someone I deeply admire. But it´s not just about me ...there´s someone else and.. I don´t know what to say... I don´t know what to do...
The chieftain regained some self-control, "Well, I know this is very sudden for you and I don't want to cause you distress."
Akiko sighed, "Oh, Iviruti, I wish I could reply to you, but you know... I´m so confused... I do not understand myself, how I feel, and..."
"I know. And I am not asking anything from you. Take your time, I´ll be waiting, and when you have worked things out for yourself, I will accept whatever it is, I promise you. And ...” Iviruti paused, absorbing her disappointment along with the revelation of 'someone' Akiko is close to.
"Yes?" Akiko waited anxiously.
"I hope, at least, we will always be friends."
The anthropologist sighed with relief, "Oh yes, for sure. The best thing that has happened to me is your friendship."
"Good then. I feel the same. So, good night, Akiko! Sleep well."
"Good night, Iviruti! Wishing you the same."
Iviruti was on her way back to the party, when a figure suddenly stood in her way.
"So, your little protegé turned you down? I had never imagined you could lower yourself so much, Iviruti!"
"Mahintere! You were spying on me? Who is lowering herself, then?"
"You are the chieftain ouf our tribe! You cannot make yourself the toy of a stranger."
"Oh! Iviruti said dismissively, "Where did you get that idea?'"
"You show her too much deference," Mahintere hissed.
"You are jealous..." Iviruti's brows raised in surprise.
"How dare you accuse me of that? I have been patient and waited for you, I respected your grief for Tiranwari. Until now I kept quiet and said nothing, but I am a warrior and I cannot accept to see our leader falling for an outsider."
"I am Kawapore and always will be! That will not change, no matter whom I love. And let me remind you, Akiko is not an outsider: she adopted our traditions and became a hunter."
Mahintere scoffed, "A... hunter? Oh, pleeease! You saved her from being eaten by an anaconda, you rescued her when she was stung by a stingray. Yes, really a hunter! And what did she capture? An aguti!" She chuckled, but it was more a taunt than in good humor.
"Yes, an aguti," Iviruti responded patiently, "but you should also be honest and admit that she caught a monkey and two ducks for the wedding.
"Begginner´s luck..."
Abruptly, Iviruti cut her off, "Enough! Listen, Mahintere, I have already faced Boharati about this. If you have any further objections, you know what you can do! So, are you ready to challenge me?"
The jealous warrior thought for a moment, then reached out a hand ad stroked Iviruti´s cheek and answered softly, "No... I still love you too much for that."
Removing the hand, and stepping back a little, Iviruti told her gently but with unmistakable authority, "Well, there is nothing more to talk about, then."
Whereupon Mahintere warned her, "But you better be careful! I will be watching you both, and I will not hesitate to act if you do something against our people."
"I do not understand you. In one instant you love me too much and in the next, you promise to continue spying on me. My advice to you is, visit Agarepa for guidance. You are clearly unsettled. Now I am leaving."
Not a little disconcerted, Mahintere stood looking after her as she left the moonlight and disappeared under the canopy of trees.
* * * * *
That evening, Boharati and Mboare were talking about their visit to the fazenda, while Pumiwi played with his new toys.
"It was a nice visit, wasn´t it? Efigênia received us very well"
"Yes.", was the laconic comment.
"I am sorry I´m banned from the tribe, because I would like to guide her to our village. She seems to be a good person, and besides, if she´s a friend of Akiko´s, then there should not be any problem."
Mboare replied alarmed, "But if my memory is right, Akiko said those men she sent tried to kill her and her companions!"
Boharati thought for a moment, "Yes, that´s what she said."
"Then, it´s better to keep her away from our people!"
The warrior replied, "But do you think Akiko said the truth? After all, the men were killed by a jaguar."
"And why would Akiko lie?", Mboare asked
"And how can you be so sure it was Efigênia? Perhaps the men acted on their own for some reason we don´t know."
"Hmmm... maybe", he admitted
Boharati insisted, "It simply cannot be her! How could she send men to kill other people and be so nice with us, and make Pumiwi such nice presents?"
He stroked his chin watched his son playing with the teddy bear for a moment, and finally agreed, "You are right, it wouldn´t be logical. Everyone has only one face, one tongue, and one heart."
She nodded, also watching her son with a smile, "That´s true, and that´s why I think we can trust her."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back at the fazenda, Efigênia and Romualdo were at the computer checking the GPS coordinates revealed by the microchip.
She seemed frustrated, "They haven´t moved from that point."
Romualdo agreed, "Yes, seems that´s their home."
The landowner was confused, "I checked with Google Earth, and apparently, there´s nothing there."
"Well, I´ll get a group of men ready and go explore."
"No, I´ve got a better idea: we can locate them with a plane."
* * * * *
Later that night, Iviruti was resting in her hut, but her worries did not let her sleep.
"And if Mahintere is right? She turned me down and I made a fool of myself! Oh well, what else could Akiko say? She has someone else. But wait a moment! She did not give me a decisive no. She needs to think about it. It is like Agarepa said; time will tell. She knows now how I feel." She sighed.
"And now I have to wait, and accept whatever happens. It is all or nothing, but I will have an answer and, no matter what it is, these doubts, this uncertainty will be over. "
With this thought, she finally calmed down and fell asleep.
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Across the compound, in her bed, Akiko was tossing and turning, unsettled by her conversation with Iviruti.
"What have I done? I rejected her? As I guessed, she is in love with me. Oh my. I was not ready, her declaration was so sudden coming after ignoring me practically all day and then all evening. And how did I react? Like a school girl: I don't know how I feel. I don't know myself.
"She is beautiful and strong, a lovely person, level-headed, brave. I remember the moment when we felt that connection, when I knew she meant more to me than ever before. That other time when she taught me how to use the bow and arrow...I can still feel the thrill that went through me when she put her arms around me. I...I felt such an urge to turn my face to hers..."
Akiko's thoughts quickly switched.
"The excitement I once felt with Tavinho had already passed, but this was more intense than I ever felt with him. Should I do as expected and marry him, whether I like it or not?
Mother is right: can a wife leave her husband alone for long? More than that, he already said he´d rather like me to teach at the University and do research in the lab. It would be a problem for my career, because I prefer field work!
"Oh, why am thinking all this? I want to come here and be with her because I love her, and that´s all!"
She sighed, "I was such a fool! I hurt her! Well, no, maybe not. I said I was not sure, and she said she would wait. Of course, I must go home first, talk with Tavinho and tell him things changed. Iviruti will certainly understand I have to cut my relationship with him before we can be united. I´ll talk with her in the morning, and tell her what I have decided."
* * * * *
Iviruti woke up early in the morning, and left her hut in time to see Agarepa preparing to leave. The shamaness, who had spent the night in Okavura´s hut was saying goodbye to her hostess.
Iviruti called her, "Wait, Wise Mother! You cannot go alone!"
The seer stared at her, puzzled, "Why not? I can walk alone. I followed the trails in this forest long before you were born! I know well this jungle."
"All the same, it would not be worthy or respectful to let you leave like that!"
Agarepa´s deep eyes studied her carefully for a second, "You would like to come with me?"
The chieftain nodded, "Of course! I would be honoured to accompany you."
The shamaness finally accepted. "Well, let us go, then!"
They left the village and walked in silence, side by side.
At last, Agarepa asked, "Well, Iviruti, are you going to tell me what worries you?"
Now Iviruti was surprised, "How do you know?"
The shamaness answered with a smile that lit her old, wrinkled face and made her eyes sparkle humorously, "Well, when you
said you wanted to come with me, I guessed you needed to talk to me."
Feeling encouraged, the warrior told her all about her conversation with Akiko first, with Mahintere later, and the thoughts she had last night.
Agarepa reflected a moment and said, "You have done well. It is what you had to do."
"I only fear she will leave and marry one of her people."
"No, do not worry! The Spirits showed me she is meant for you."
"Really?"
"Yes! Do you doubt my word?
"Oh, no, Wise Mother, but now... It does not seem so."
"After you last visited me, I talked to the Spirits and they showed me you two are going to be united."
"But when? She did not respond to me, she answered coldly to my declaration."
Agarepa replied sympathetically, "I know it is hard to be patient, and I also know you have been very patient, my dear, but do not hurry to make conclusions! You did surprise her and she is not prepared yet. She needs to look into her heart. That is what she said, yes? Now wait until she gives you an answer."
Iviruti sighed, "Yes, of course! What else can I do?"
"Well, you ought to take care of Mahintere," the shamaness said worriedly.
"Oh, Mahintere? She said she still loves me, so she will not confront me."
"But she said she will watch Akiko and you. She will be spying on both of you."
"I do not care. After all, if Akiko is not interested in me, she has nothing against me, or her."
"But she is jealous and that could be dangerous. She could try to hurt Akiko... or worse."
Iviruti´s jaws became tense and her eyes turned into two thin lines. The threat was evident in her harsh tone, "She had better not try!"
"Then YOU will have to watch her closely."
"That is what I will do. Fortunately, Akiko also has Sergio and Thiago to care for her. I think she will be safe."
The Seer thought for a moment and agreed, "Yes, I think so."
At last, they arrived at Agarepa´s hut. Iviruti said her goodbye and started back to the village.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile, Akiko woke up, too. She got dressed, quickly had a light breakfast, and then went to Iviruti´s hut.
She was disappointed not to find the chieftain there. She saw Nyamatiri and asked her.
"Oh, she went with Agarepa to her hut quite a while ago. I am sure she will be back soon."
Akiko followed the path that led to the hut of the shamaness, but didn´t need to go far, because she met Iviruti, who was coming back.
"Hello, Iviruti! Good morning to you!"
"And good morning to you, Akiko! What brings you here?" "I needed to talk to you."
The warrior was surprised "Is it so important? You know, we could have talked later, in the village."
"Yes, it is important, and It´s something I want to tell you in private."
Iviruti asked anxiously,"And what is it?"
"What I should have told you last night: I do love you, Iviruti!"
The chieftain could not believe it, "What? So you...?"
Akiko repeated, smiling tenderly, "I love you, yes!"
Iviruti embraced her, "Oh, my dear, I am so happy!"
"That´s what I want, to make you happy"
The chieftain chuckled, "Well, you did take long to decide."
"Well, I knew it before, but did not want to accept it. There were many things to think about: I am in a relationship with Tavinho, and I thought it would be wrong to leave him. Finally I realized I must do what I really feel, and what I feel is my love for you."
The overjoyed warrior, "Oh, Akiko, this is so wonderful! That is why you said you would marry. I cannot believe this is happening!"
Akiko smiled and put her hands on Iviruti´s shoulders, "But it is the truth: I love you!"
Ivirutie stroked Akiko´s hair, "My dearest!"
Akiko joked, "Yes, dearest, but you were not easy to conquer, either!"
The warrior´s features became somber, "It was hard for me to accept my feelings... I had a wife, Tiranwari."
Akiko was stunned, "Oh! So you were married before? And what happened to her?
The chieftain sighed, "She died because a jarara bit her."
The anthropologist murmured "I´m so sorry"
Iviruti went on, "That was a long time ago, but it was such a great loss for me. I did not want to fall in love again, because the memories were still alive, the pain was still there. Besides, you are a newcomer here... I did not know what the rest would say"
"I understand. Well, it doesn´t matter now, as long as we love each other."
"That is right."
"And we can live happily together."
Iviruti´s eyes opened wide with surprise, "Akiko! What do you mean? You say you ... would live here? You ...would marry me?
"Oh, yes!"
They kissed.
"My true love, my Iviruti!"
"Akiko, my sweet one! So, you would be ready to live here with me in our hut?"
Akiko sighed, "Yes, but... there´s something I need to do first: I must go to my land and my people, and see Tavinho to tell him I don´t love him anymore."
The chieftain thought for a moment, "I understand. But you will be back soon, right?"
"WE will be back soon!"
Iviruti raised her eyebrows "We? You mean...'?"
"We can go together, if you want."
"Oh yes, I would like that very much. I want to know your home and your people."
Akiko moved closer in the arms of her beloved, "Great! I´m so happy you are coming! Now we can be together and don´t need to separate. And it is very good, because now you can meet our leaders, and speak for the Kawapore yourself."
Iviruti beamed, "That is right. So, when do you want to leave?"
"I´d like to do it as soon as possible, but we have to wait until the rainy season is over. What do you say?"
"I agree, you are right. It will be safer to go on a journey then."
They kissed again, and Iviruti said, "Oh, Akiko, I am so happy and I would like so much to stay here with you all day, but unfortunately, we have to go back to the village. I have things to do, and besides, people must be waiting for us."
"Yes, of course. Let´s go"
And they started back, walking hand in hand.