An Evening with Tiponi

During the evening meal Gonyaul was strategically placed next to the one armed Odsier woman again. He had learned earlier that her name was Tiponi. She had been made to dress up more then usual for the occasion, with her hair and clothing, at the behest of her parents, curtesy of some of the elder women prodding. Her outfit, of tanned hides had a elaborate long sleeve dyed red that hid her missing arm. Gonyaul would come to learn that the name of the tribe would translate to “The Red Hand”.

It was a pleasant night with cheerful company. Tiponi and Gonyaul didn’t seem to eat much as they spent most of the time trying to communicate, primarily gestures. She spoke in Odsier, while he freed himself to speak in Vauxian (which always included the signing). What Gonyaul did eat of the meal was delicious and new to his taste buds; save the pickled tergin roots, those were bitter on his palette.

After the meal, Gonyaul and Tiponi both got placed on the same clean up team. She would talk and he would listen. He would talk and she would listen. And somehow, miraculously they also managed to get their share of tiding up done.

Afterwards Tiponi took him on a walking tour of the tribes camp. She did most of the talking. The two were unknowingly chaperoned from a safe distance. Well Gonyaul didn’t realize it. Tiponi had figured out what was going on when her mother was braiding her hair, weaving in colored ribbons, before the dinner.

When they came back to the outside of her parents’ tent she politely took a seat and invited Gonyaul to join her. She began taking Gonyaul on a tour of the night sky. Gonyaul knew a lot about the stars and joined in, the two sharing what they knew.

The conversation eventually turned to Erewhon. A name Gonyaul heard repeatedly come from her lips and he finally dawned the universal expression of confusion to get her to talk more on the subject. From her explanation he was able to deduce it was their one and only god of everything he thinks?

Even though Gonyaul hadn’t quite grasped the concept of Erewhon correctly yet, the concept of one master creator of everything seemed to resonate with him much easier than the concept of the Pillars. He didn’t know why, but it just felt correct and also aligned with his running internal discourse on there must be a grand designer for the design. The Pillars must be under Erewhon, is how he structured his thoughts.

After the stars shifted a quarter of the night sky, their conversation was interrupted by Tiponi’s father arriving to the tent. He had been the one tailing them. Meanwhile, the mother was inside listening along with two younger siblings trying hard not to giggle.

Tiponi blushed as she stood to follow her father into the tent. Gonyaul rose as well and formally greeted the man in his vauxian ways. Her father looked Gonyaul up and down and didn’t quite know what to make of what he was seeing. It made him pause in whether he would continue to allow his daughter around him. He would be convinced that very night though by his wife to at least give it more time before making a final decision.

After they departed. They two had very different nights. Tiponi, with a hopeful heart, was grilled by her family with question after question. Gonyaul went back to his tent and meditated, danced gratefully for the good day, and then prayed. This time was different, he prayed first to Erewhon on his own behalf and then to Hoi and Cambena on Voah’s behalf.

It was such a wonderful day. He truly hoped Voah had a good day too and was safe. It took him quite a while to replay all the amazing things that he experienced and the people he experienced it with this day. After he expended what was, he began to drift off to sleep with what could be; Voah on his mind.