ICE BURIAL: The Oldest Human Murder Mystery (The Mother People Series Book 3) (15 page)

Durak stared in horror. What had they given her? And why was she here, with both of them?

The drumming sounds had stopped, he realized. Then they began again, and he saw that Korg made them, had stopped only to mix the potion. With practiced hands, he beat gently with two slender sticks against a skin stretched across a large wooden bowl. The rhythm was hypnotic, demanding. After a time, Rofina rose and began to sway seductively. Her eyes were glazed, unseeing, and her lips were parted in a kind of ecstasy. Abruptly, she pulled at the closure to her garment and it dropped away, revealing her pale smooth body. Durak saw Korg
’s
tongue come out to moisten his lips. The gesture was obscene.

“
It works, Leader.
”
Korg did not bother to lower his voice, but Rofina did not seem to hear.
“S
oon, she will be ready for you.
”
His eyes glistened avidly in the glow of the fire.

“
I thank you, Korg,
”
the Leader answered.
“
It is good that this should happen. Rofina will be grateful.
”
Durak could not see his face, but the tone was gentle
.

Mesmerized,  almost paralyzed,
Durak
tried to think what he should do. He must interfere, he realized, must go to Rofina.
Rising, he
opened his mouth to call her name, but a hand came over it; other hands pushed him to his knees and held him there. He struggled against them, but they were too strong.

The drums were more insistent now, and Rofina stopped, listening intently. Then, with a sudden movement, she bent backward, thrusting out her hips in blatant sexual invitation. Dropping the sticks, Korg went close to watch. Twice, Rofina repeated the movement while Korg watched. His face held no expression, but drops of perspiration formed on his forehead.

Durak turned his head away, unable to look any longer. He struggled again to stand, but the hands held him firm, pressed hard against his mouth. He closed his eyes, determined not to see any more, but he could not block out the sounds.

“S
he is ready,
”
Korg said.

Durak heard the Leader rise.
“
I am here, Rofina,
”
he said tenderly.
“
I am here. I will give you what you want.
”
The soothing voice continued amidst soft rustling sounds, and Durak tried desperately not to imagine the scene. Was he lying above her? But why? Why would she let him do this?
She was moaning now, and there were other sounds, sounds that
were torn from a woman and a man as their bodies came together in that frantic moment of need…

Desperate
suddenly to be certain, Durak
opened his eyes. Rofina’s slender body was almost invisible beneath the Leader’s big form, and their joined bodies were moving in a passionate rhythm that
could not be mistaken
…

Durak
’s
stomach heave
d, and he retched
. Abruptly, the hands forced him to his feet, pushed him back in the direction from which he had come. He stumbled away,
choking and
gagging,
uncaring of the noise he made, unaware of anything except the scene he had witnessed. It would never leave his mind; he knew it would not, and the realization brought an anguish so deep it paralyzed his body, so that his legs froze in mid-stride and he fell again to his knees. Each time he saw Rofina, each time he held her in his arms, he would see the scene,
see her pinned under the Leader’s big body, begging for more… Always, he
would hear the
repulsive
sounds...

A deep voice behind him penetrated his paralysis and sent him reeling once more into the darkness of the woods.

“
If you speak of this you will die,
”
the voice warned. Durak did not doubt the words were true.

******************

Sorlin stared at the scene before her with horrified eyes. Too worried about Durak to rest, she had gone to look for him, had spotted him creeping through the woods to this place. She had followed, but she had not dared to alert him to her presence, lest the men guarding Korg and the Leader hear her and know that she, too, was watching. Nor did she dare to hiss Durak
’s
name as he blundered away
,
or to creep after him. Instead, she
forced
herself
to sit
perfectly still, aware that no one could see her unless she moved, so well was she hidden beneath the big fur she used for sleeping.

The Leader and Rofina were still now.
“
I am pleased, my dear Rofina,
”
the Leader murmured to her unresponsive form.
“
Now you are a woman, and that is good.
”
Sorlin saw him stroke Rofina
’s
face with loving fingers before he rose to his knees and pulled his garments together again, and she cringed. To use Rofina in that way and then to comfort her... How was it possible for a man to behave that way?

Korg
’s
words provided part of the answer, as well as more questions.
“
They are always grateful to you, Leader,
”
he said in his ingratiating voice,
“
for helping them to become women.
”

“
It is you, Korg, who makes that possible,
”
the Leader replied.
“
Without you, they would not understand.
”

“
For you, Leader, I would perform any service.
”
Korg bent forward in a small bow, then he walked away.

Sorlin frowned in the darkness. Did they do this often, for many young women? And what was Korg
’s
role? Did he give them some kind of potion that made them desire mating? That must be the case, she thought. She was familiar with many herbs but could not remember one that was used for this purpose, though she was sure it must exist. But why should they do this? Surely, the young women would discover Akat by themselves.

Still, there was something else about Rofina, something about the way her face had pleaded. What she had begged for was not an herb that brought desire, but peace.

She was still asleep. The Leader picked her up as easily as if she was a child and bore her away, still murmuring soothing words. Sorlin waited until she was certain the other men had left; then she rose wearily to her feet. She should find Durak, make sure he was all right. She trudged through the dark woods, calling his name softly. There was no answer, and after a time she returned to the hut
where they slept
. Perhaps he had gone there.

The thought of the hut had come into Durak
’s
mind, but he could not bring himself to go
there
. He did not want to talk, did not want to tell anyone what he had seen, so he just kept walking until exhaustion made him drop. As soon as the light came he rose again, and now all his thoughts were on Rofina. He must find her, ask her. What had they given her and why? Did she know what had happened? But how could she not
know
!

All day he waited in the field, wondering if she would come. Toward the middle of the afternoon, she did. She looked rested now; gone were the dark smudges, the air of tension. She did not seem surprised to find him there. She took his hand as if nothing had happened and smiled up at him.

Durak stared at her
, taken aback by her innocent demeanor.
“
Rofina, the dancing,
”
he mumbled uncertainly.
“
I did not know of the dancing.
”

Her eyes opened wide.
“
Dancing? I know nothing of dancing. Look, the poppies are blooming. Are they not beautiful? Only now, at this season, do they bloom.
”

“
But surely you must remember!
”

Her face clouded.
“
There was something, I thought,
”
she said, frowning,
“
but now I cannot remember.
”

Durak decided to be more direct.
“
Rofina, is the Leader your father or your lover?
”

“
The Leader loves me very much,
”
she replied, moving away from him.
“
He will teach me how to be a woman again, he said.
”

“
Is that why you wish to stay with him?
”

She did not answer. Scuffing against the ground with one toe, like a child, she pondered; then she looked up at him with pleading eyes, as she had before.

“
It is better that I stay,
”
she said finally.

“
Rofina, come with me,
”
Durak begged.
“
It is not right for you to be here, with Korg watching, and the Leader...
”

He could not finish, remembering the scene, but to his surprise, a glimmer of hope came into Rofina
’s
eyes; he saw it clearly before it disappeared.

“
Let us run in the field as we did before,
”
she suggested, looking at him through long pale lashes.
“
That will be fine, will it not?
”

Durak shook his head.
“
I must leave this place, Rofina. Your people do not want me here. I wish you to come with me.
”

Her eyes dropped to the ground again. Desperately, Durak fumbled for more words.
“
It is so fine in the place where I live, Rofina. You would be happy there. The days stay warm much longer, and the mountains are lower, so that all through the seasons we can run in the fields together. There are beautiful streams and forests, and meadows that bloom with flowers.
”

Rofina smiled. For just a moment, the picture Durak had drawn for her became real. In such a place, she would be all right. Everything would be better in a place like that; she was certain it must be. She smiled again.

“
Then I will come,
”
she answered, and gave him her hand. Durak dared not answer, dared not even look for Mara and Runor to tell them, lest Rofina change her mind again. Holding tight to her cool fingers, he led her away from the village and up toward the eastern pass. If they could get over it and down into the next valley he would feel safer.

He soon realized they could not. Rofina became more and more anxious as they walked, and her legs seemed to become progressively weaker. Soon after they had crested the pass, she sank to the ground in exhaustion, clearly unable to go on. Durak crouched beside her and looked worriedly behind them to see if anyone had followed. They had not gone very far, certainly not far enough for safety.

As if to confirm his fears, two figures appeared on the pass
and then
disappeared again behind a ridge that concealed the small lake he and Rofina had just passed. Pulling Rofina to her feet, Durak led her behind some thick bushes. Heart pounding, he waited.
The figures slowly came into view again, and he recognized Sorlin and Hular. The tension went out of him with an audible sound.

“S
orlin, Hular!
”
he called softly.

“
Durak, is it you? We have been looking...
”
Sorlin
’s
eager voice broke off as she saw him emerge from the bushes. Running to him, she hugged him hard.
“
I have been so afraid for you! I dared not leave for home until I knew you were al
l
right.
”

“
Afraid for me?
”

Sorlin nodded
and
looked down at the ground.
“
I saw,
”
she whispered.
“
I saw last night... They did not see me but I was there. I saw you run, but then I could not find you in the darkness, and you did not return to the hut.
”

Durak could not answer. To know that someone else had seen what he had seen filled him with shame. And yet, the others had to know if they were to help Rofina.

“
We were worried,
”
Hular confirmed, placing a comforting hand on Durak
’s
arm.

“
I am all right,
”
Durak mumbled finally.
“
I have brought her with me,
”
he added, pointing toward the bushes. Rofina still sat there, seeming oblivious to him or to anyone else.
“S
he is not well. I do not think she can walk any further.
”