Shung grunted. "Not this night, Little Cham. Come. The celebration awaits."
Shung guided Achan down a maze of stairs and bridges to a wider staircase that led to the center platform. Three thrones were arranged on one arc of the perimeter, facing the bonfire. A young man sat in the throne on the far left. He was as hairy as Shung, but slimmer. His tunic and trousers were made of short brown fur. Red fox tails hung around his neck like edging on a robe. It also circled around the tops of his deerskin boots. He wore a necklace dripping with at least two dozen cham claws.
The center, and largest, throne was empty. A matronly woman sat in the throne on the far right. She wore a tunic of white fur with matching boots and dark leather trousers. A white fur hat tied under her chin. Long salt-and-pepper braids spilled down into her lap.
The dancers and drummers were still chanting. "Hey ya hey! Hey ya ho! Hey ya ha! Hey no no!"
The young man stood and held up his hands, palms out. The drums trilled, voices warbled, all sounds increased. Achan shrank into himself at the noise level. The young man clenched his hands into fists and the noise stopped. He stared at Achan and spoke in a commanding voice. "Prince Gidon Hadar, also called Achan the Cham of Sitna. We welcome you to Berland, we do. We welcome you, our future king."
The man went down on one knee.
Beside Achan, Shung went to one knee. All around him fur-clad men, women, and children knelt. Across the platform, one boy still stood, looking lost. Sparrow.
Achan didn't bother hiding the grin in his voice. Still trembling after your flight?
Sparrow jumped, eyes darting everywhere but Achan's direction. Where are you?
The young leader stood and approached Achan. They were about the same height, but this man was several years older. He wore straight spears of white bone through each ear that looked to have been stabbed through and forgotten.
"I am called Koyukuk Orson. I am heir to Berland and Therion Duchy, I am. My father, Duke Orson, has not yet returned from Mahanaim where he attended Council." Koyukuk gripped Achan's shoulder and steered him before the matronly woman. "Please, meet my mother, Duchess Crysta."
Achan bowed. "I am honored, my lady."
The crowd cheered.
Koyukuk led Achan to a slender young woman standing beside his throne. "Please, meet my betrothed, Kumna Attu."
The woman curtsied. She wore a creamy suede tunic and trousers. White fur fluffed out of her neckline and cuffs. Dark braids twisted in a pile atop her head. She had wide eyes and full lips, yet a small loop of bone through the center of her nostrils gathered all Achan's attention.
"Kumna will be your first dance, she will," Koyukuk said. "In this you will show me honor."
Dance? Achan had never danced a day in his life. Gren had never been willing, afraid of getting in trouble. Achan tore his eyes away from Kumna's nose ring and took in the pretty woman. How fortunate for Koyukuk that all the women in Berland didn't look like his foreboding sister, Lady Gali, who had been among Esek's prospects to marry. Achan steeled himself. Did that mean Lady Gali was now among his prospects? The woman was as broad as a Kingsguard soldier.
Achan bowed and said, "Thank you," because he could think of nothing else to say to the gift of a dance.
Koyukuk led him to the center throne, cham claw necklace clacking. "Our guest of honor will sit in my father's chair."
Achan froze. Koyukuk wanted him to sit on a throne?
"You honor us to do so," Koyukuk said.
Achan reached for Sir Caleb's mind but guessed what the knight would say. He spit out a flowery response. "Thank you. You honor me with your offer."
Koyukuk smiled and gestured for Achan to sit.
Achan stared at the wooden throne. Could he really do this? Play king? It still felt like a game.
Sometime tonight, Your Highness, Sir Caleb said.
And here I thought you'd deserted me, Achan said.
You were doing fine until now.
Emphasis on "were"?
Sit.
Achan turned, lowered his eyes, and sat.
The forest filled with cheers. The drumming and chanting commenced. "Hey ya hey! Hey ya ho! Hey ya ha! Hey no no!"
A cluster of men wearing painted, wooden masks skipped out in front of the throne and began to dance and sing.
We come from land of forest,
Where kuon and cham roam free.
Sun fled far and took our stars,
And night will always be.
The Darkness tries to catch us,
And cause us all great fear.
No matter how it blinds us,
Arman is always near.
"Hey ya hey! Hey ya ho! Hey ya ha! Hey no no!"
The dancers scurried away, and the crowd formed a circle around the platform from one edge of the thrones to the other. Kumna pulled Achan from the chair. Her hands were small and warm, and the white fur on her cuffs tickled the tops of his hands. Achan's fur cape slid off his shoulders and landed in a heap by the throne. Cold air crept up his tunic. He tensed as Kumna drew his trembling form into the open space.
Everyone watched.
Kumna lifted their hands above their heads, stepped close, and stomped with one foot. Her dark eyes met his and she drew back, released his hands, and danced around to his back. He tried to turn, but she set a hand on his shoulder. "Stay."
She shimmied to his right and stomped her right foot, shimmied to his left and stomped her left foot. She danced her way around him until they faced each other again.
Achan merely had to stand still? No trouble there. But the couples pairing off around them proved the dance more complex. Not only did Achan have to stomp when Kumna did, he had to shimmy the opposite way, and when they finished the sequence, had to take the lead while she stood still.
Achan stumbled through the routine several times. Would this "song" ever end? Koyukuk appeared with a sweet-faced girl with wide, sparkling eyes and fat braids.
Koyukuk placed the new girl's hand in Achan's. "Yumikak is Kumna's little sister, she is. Very beautiful, yes?"
Achan bowed and met the girl's mischievous eyes. "She is indeed."
Yumikak rewarded him with a wide smile and slid her other hand into his. She started moving immediately as if she'd invented the dance. By now, Achan knew enough to keep up.
The tips of Yumikak's braids whipped Achan when she spun-a move she must have added since no other dancers were spinning. She also stomped with style. A double stomp. A stomp in slow motion. A stomp where both feet danced a jig. Achan tried to keep up, curious what she might do next.
Though he sensed no change in the drumming, Yumikak began a new dance. She twirled and rocked back and forth, whipping him repeatedly with her braids. He didn't mind-it didn't hurt-but could think of nothing to do but stand and watch.
Having fun?
Sparrow! Achan's gaze swept the crowd. Are you dancing?
She looks a bit young for you.
Does she? Achan smiled at Yumikak. I think she's charming.
Sparrow snorted. Of course you do.
Are you jealous? Sparrow didn't answer. Admit it, Sparrow: you want to dance with Yumikak, don't you?
I never dance with people whose names I cannot pronounce.
Achan gripped Yumikak's shoulders and yelled in her ear, "We must find my friend. He needs to dance but he's shy."
Yumikak's dark eyes widened. "Your friend? Some are over there, they are." She pointed to where Sir Gavin, Inko, and Sir Caleb were dancing with some older Berland women.