ICE BURIAL: The Oldest Human Murder Mystery (The Mother People Series Book 3) Read Online Free

fur clothing and he shivered. It would be good to escape the worst of the cold and snow as well, but best of all would be to see the great water he had heard so much about. It went on and on, people said, straight into the sky. There were pieces of land inside it - islands they were called , with trees and even mountains on them . The Mother People held their ceremonies on one of these pieces of land set out in the water, he had been told, and he wondered how they got to th eir island. No one could walk over the water.
    They must be clever, these Mother People , he reflected, taking out a piece of dried meat to chew as he walked. He liked their ideas, too, or what he had heard of them. They were peaceful folk, who went their own way and made no effort to convince others to think as they did - unlike the new leader, who seemed to wind an invisible rope around the minds of his followers so that they could no longer think for themselves. Worse, they forgot to enjoy their lives and be grateful for the won ders that lay all around them. T hat seemed to Lief much more sinful than to disobey some rule the leader had created.
    A hare darted across his path, and he took out his bow and an arrow. A roasted hare would taste fine at the end of the day. He was just about to shoot when the sound of women’s voices distracted him. Lief was surprised. He had not known of a village in this area. To stop and speak to the women would be pleasant. He could find another hare later.
    He strode toward the women , eager for company, but his steps slowed as he came closer. Th is was not the high-pitched chatter and cheerful conversation of women doing daily tasks, but a low, monotonous droning that made him feel unaccountably sad . Perhaps it was a ritual of some kind.
    Abruptly, the sounds stopped. The sudden silence was unnerving . It was broken by sobs and moans that came from one person . Lief frowned. Perhaps one of the women was hurt, or in pain. He knew something of healing since he traveled so much alone , and might be able to help.
    Peering into a small clearing from the trees , he saw a group of wome n sitting in a circle on the ground. They wore the dark headscarf that was required for women in this area. All but the one who moaned were looking straight ahead. Their arms were held in front of their chests, palms pressed together , t heir eyes expressionless . They paid no attention to their companion , who lay prostrate on the ground , weeping piteously. A faint scent of milk emanated from her. Had her infant died ? But if that was true, surely the other women would be comforting her.
    Lief stared, appalled but fascinated. Should he go to the woman’s aid? The other women had not even looked at her, and that was cruel if she was suffering. Then it occurred to him that this might be the women’s place, the Ekali, where women went in the middle of the moon’s cycle. If that was the case, he should not be here. Men were not permitted in the Ekali, and he had always respected this custom. But that did not seem right, either. There were no shelters here, nor even signs of a fire. How could the women stay here without those?
    The sobs stopped, and Lief breathed a sigh of relief. Whatever this ritual was, it was no concern of his. He should not be here. He crept back into the trees , his feet as silent as those of a hunter or an animal whose survival depended on not being heard . He was certain the women did not know he had watched them.
    Taking a deep breath , he tried not to think of the scene he had witnessed. It had disturbed him, and h e felt impelled to put distance between himself and the clearing .
    Before he had gone very far, h e heard twigs snapping behind him. Alarmed, he crouched down behind a thick stand of bushes. Had he been seen after all? Maybe someone was following him, angry at his intrusion. The men of the northern tribes sometimes attacked strangers; he had been forced to defend himself with his knife and his bow and