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air.
    “The smell of the netherworld,” Eera confirmed.
    Nobody cried. The chieftain had been a tenacious woman when alive, and in the celebration of death she had to be honored the same way. If Rika, an emotional girl, would have been on the pyre instead of the chieftain, everyone would be crying and sobbing, as was her nature. Slowly the wood burned away, and the leader in the middle diminished until only charred remains were left. Eera smelled the flames and grunted approvingly. The stinging smell of death had evened out, now was the time for burial.
    The men of the tribe dug a shallow hole through the moss just beside the Seita stone. When finished, they lowered the charred remains of the chieftain into the hole. Atop her they placed two iron-tipped spears, crossed, and a bear’s skull: the marks of a chieftain. They filled the hole until it was even again and stomped it well.
    “This is the chieftain’s stone now. Here we can come for luck and advice, all of us who helped to ease her journey.” Eera’s face showed relief--one great deed done, the other still ahead.
    “The leader has fallen, long live the tribe. A new chieftain on top of the old one!” Eera yelled, so loud that the meadow blared. “Aure the chieftain’s daughter, she is strong. Two husbands. Of her the new leader!” Eera presented her candidate in the traditional way, yelling energetically.
    “Vierra is better, the one called Fargoer! Best hunter, best tracker, best woman with a bow.” Rika introduced the rival. Vierra looked at her friend. I wish I had her faith , she thought.
    Silence fell over the field. Eera continued.
    “Because there are no other candidates, the rocks shall decide. Those who are for Aure, put a white stone in the jar. Those for Vierra, a dark one.” One of the tribe members had carried with her a gathering jar. It was a clay jar of fine craftsmanship with a narrow mouth. During gatherings, all adults always had with them two stones, a white one and a dark one. Now everyone, when his or her turn came, dropped one stone in the jar, either a dark or a white one depending on which candidate was more to his or her liking. When everyone had dropped their stones, Eera took the jar and held it high over her head. She poured the rocks out near the Seita stone, unto the even, mossy surface. Just a few dark stones fell down among the white ones. There were many rocks on the ground. In Eera’s youth, only women could carry gathering rocks, even though men and children could participate by attending the gathering. These days, men were considered equals and could vote, and even male witches had been seen in the winter camps, singing songs. However, the role of the chieftain was still always held by a woman.
    “The rocks have spoken, Aure is the new leader of our tribe.” From some stash in her garb, Eera dug out a necklace made of bear claws. She had taken it from the old chieftain’s neck during her session with the dead. Slowly she strung it around Aure’s neck. It would not be taken away as long as Aure ruled. The tribe, as one, let out a primal cheer, as much for the luck of the new chieftain as to drive away evil spirits. Aure’s sad and tired face turned stern as she started. Now was the moment for which she had been so long prepared.
    Vierra looked at her cousin, who was enjoying that brief moment in time. She had often wondered what life would be like after Aure became the chieftain. Now, in that instant, she saw Aure in front of her as the same Aure as always. The chieftain’s sash wouldn’t change anything between them.
    “Today we get ready for the deer hunt that is coming soon. We will gather our supplies and send the scouts--”
    Aure’s first speech as the leader was cut short by a murmur that started in the crowd. “A Turyan, on holy ground! Turyan, go away!” was echoing from the people’s mouths. And it was true, a black-haired Turyan man stepped into the middle of the meadow. His shoulder was in a