The entire Camp assembled in the Mammoth Hearth, waiting for the commencement of the Spring Ceremony. The people who were to be celebrated for birthdays or for other things were sitting apart from the rest of the group.

Mamut, Fawzi, and Ada sat next to each other, intently waiting for quiet. When there was silence, Ada first began playing her wooden instrument. At the beginning of the song, it was a slow, sad whistle. It gave Isabelle chills, as it stayed at the low tone, before becoming a higher note. It must have symbolized the awful, long winter. The quiet note became louder, louder, until it stopped completely. Isabelle’s heart skipped – it was powerful. It was the end of winter! Mamut and Fawzi slowly began tapping the drums. One tap at first, almost as if they had accidentally hit them. Fawzi hit it twice, placing another hand on the side of the face of the drum to make the note higher, hollower. Mamut hit it twice, just as she had, but before he had finished she hit it three times. Continuing in this fashion, they eventually met up in the same tune, Ada joining in just as the drums matched in beat. It became more uplifting, moving, almost putting the people of the Camp in a trance. They were following the music, anticipating how it would end but not wanting it to stop. The three musicians filled the entire earth-lodge, with such pure emotion. It was one of the most amazing things Isabelle had ever been a part of. They eventually met up together, all of them, making their music as loud as they could. They were so intent, so focused; Isabelle believed they were one. In one finally blast from Ada, and a final pulsing beat from Mamut and Fawzi, it was over. Everyone cheered, watching the three try to recover from their soulful harmony.

Tortue and Mouette stood up at the front of the rest, who were seated. Being Headman and Headwoman, brother and sister, they would lead the Ceremony.

“Well...” said Tortue. “We have made it through another winter!” Everyone cheered again, while Isabelle watched Randir trying to calm her infant.

“So now, we have much to celebrate,” he continued. “Births, Promises, pregnancies... and birthdays!”

Isabelle glanced down at her cup of bouza. Everyone in the Camp, besides the youngest of the children, had one, including Tortue and Mouette.

“Let us celebrate those first,” suggested Mouette. “Cheers to Gaven!” she exclaimed.

There was not much celebration, but he was only turning three. “Cheers to Tive, now twelve!” At each celebration, everyone took a drink. Isabelle did not, though – bouza had made her feel awful the last time she drank it. She noticed that Randir did not, either. She could not be in a dazed state and still take care of Keane properly.

Afterwards, Tortue turned towards the group of people Isabelle sat in. In it were Canari and Brishen, Numair, Randir, and Keane, Rose and Chicot, and Isabelle. She looked down at her cup of bouza, hiding her face. Growing up concealed in the shadows did not exactly prepare her for a spotlight of any kind.

“Cheers to Rose and Chicot, Promised to be Mated together at the Summer Gathering!” The Camp Members clapped and cheered for them, tipping back their cups of bouza.

“And Cheers again to Canari and Brishen, who will also be Joined at the Gathering!” Again, a zealous crowd applauded and whooped. “Plans are already being made for construction of a new earth-lodge, to the west of here, which will be carried out in a few years. Canari will be Headwoman of her own Camp sooner than she knows!” Canari, overjoyed, put her arms around Brishen and hugged him.

“Congratulations to Randir, for giving birth to a beautiful baby boy less than a week ago! And, finally, good wishes to Isabelle and her upcoming role of mother!”

After everyone finished cheering, Farouche stood up and hooked her arm with Tortue’s. “We have something to say,” said Farouche.

The crowd quieted down, but before she could speak, Numair asked, “You’re not pregnant again, are you?”

Farouche blushed a bright pink, but voiced, “No. Me and Tortue want to acknowledge our wish of adopting Isabelle.”

All eyes were suddenly on her. “What?!” asked Isabelle, quickly. Farouche had never asked her about this! Now she was looking at her, expectantly. How Isabelle wished the Mamutoi had some modesty!

“I... but...” How could she, politely, tell her no? “You have given me a home, and fed me, and cared for me, but I was not planning on staying forever-” she quickly replied.

The mood quickly changed, because of her refusal.

“But why not?” asked Farouche, disappointedly.

“I already said... but... I come from a place where-”

“Where? What place do you speak of?” asked Tortue, quietly. He did not seem angry, just curious. He did not understand why she said no.

Isabelle took in a deep breath, and slowly began. It had to come out sometime, even though she would not have picked to share her secret with the entire Camp all at once. “I was three, and Lida, a woman, found me. I am not sure where I came from before then, but it does not matter. Lida brought me up, and loved me, even though I wasn’t her daughter-”

“What was Lida? What she Tanadoi, one of those from the east?”

“No, northwest – she was Clan, I was Cl-”

“You were brought up by those Flatheads?” asked Ada, in disgust.

“Yes – but they aren’t like wha-”

“You lived with those...?” asked Farouche, confusedly.

‘Isabelle did not seem like she could have been brought up by those kinds of people. It they even were people.’

Renard was startled. She – this gentle, intelligent young woman – had been brought up by those animals? It was unbelievable...

Brishen put a protective arm around Canari, and asked Isabelle, “So, you are one of them? Those things that created Farouche’s monster?”

“Monster?” asked Isabelle, in tears, over a whisper. She could not believe the prejudice, the extreme enmity the Mamutoi felt towards their northwestern neighbors. Moreover, to make fun of the adopted son of the Headman’s wife! Gaven was different, but he was not a monster...

“Brishen!” exclaimed Canari, in disbelief, before Tortue angrily stomped towards them.

“Never say that about my son!” yelled Tortue.

Isabelle was frightened of Tortue, for her was angry, furious, and he was quite big, and to see someone that large angry was scary.

Isabelle did not know what to do. Her head was in her hands, and she was sobbing uncontrollably. Lida... If they knew the kindness, beauty, and love that Lida shared with everyone, than they would not be able to call the Clan animals. They were people too. And even though some were bad, there were good people.

She had finally found people who all – nearly all – liked her, and accepted her as one of them. But why couldn’t they accept her once they knew her past? It was as if she would never, ever be truly trusted, loved, or allowed. She would never truly belong because she had been Clan.

Brishen and Tortue, both intoxicated, were still angry, and a few people were upset, including Ada, Farouche, and Fawzi, because of their new knowledge of the adolescent’s past.

Isabelle could no control her sadness, even when she felt a bony hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her.

It was Mamut, who said, “This is not where you should be right now.”

It was obvious that she was in distress, and sorry for what she had uncovered about herself. Isabelle let Mamut help her up, and the last thing she saw was Farouche’s folded arms and untrustworthy glance at her. Even the Headman’s wife, with a heart of gold, could not accept her anymore.

Monster. It was the only thing she could think about. She was not a monster. Neither was Gaven, Farouche’s son. Neither was... Monster. That word made her sob harder.

Mamut hugged her and let her cry into his shoulder, like a parent would let a child do.

Afterwards, he watched her walk out of the lodge and into the inky darkness of the night.

»

Ada woke up the next morning. The night before had been awful, and even ten hours of sleep couldn’t rejuvenate her. She had an awful headache. ‘It must be from the bouza’ she thought, as she stretched and looked out from her bed platform.

Surprisingly, she seemed to be the first one up – besides Mamut, of course, who never failed to get up before anyone else.

Ada got out of bed, dressed, and walked past Isabelle’s bed. She was surprised, because she saw that Isabelle was not in it. Ada quickly noticed that none of her things was there, either, except for a small pile on top of the platform. She saw a folded pair of pants – a man’s, by the look of them – and, on top, a small, ivory carving. A fox?

Ada’s mind quickly put everything together.

Isabelle was gone!