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Though she had questioned why the Councilman had asked her to stay behind, she remained silent of her confusion. There was nothing she could truly offer him — she was not a warrior, nor was she a craftsman or a hunter or a tender of the pack animals. Periwinkle eyes remained fixed on the features of the Ahote man. He had been so stern while addressing the rest of the Tribe, perhaps even cruelly cold, but as they left (she watched only for a brief moment as Dawali left in his shame), his demeanor shifted. The black-cloaked Guardians dispersed, leaving them alone to return to the Town Hall, and she watched a smile come to the jaws of the Anasgayv. It was strange to see him smile, bringing a handsome light to an intimidating face.
Her fingers found the thick, feather-and-bead adorned locks of her hair and worked to comb them in the all-encompassing habit that defined so many of her emotions as he spoke of how glad he was that she had remained. In truth, it had been because he'd asked, and because she had the respect enough to listen to a command from any Councilman. Chitsa held no allegiance to Dawali's leadership, there had been no reason for her to deny Maska his role within the Tribe that functioned so similarly to the Great Tribe.
He expressed sympathy for Dawali, and she understood that he did not mean he had pity on her brother. The Amara tugged loose a feather, working quietly to replace it as she turned away the concern she felt for the newly ranked Itawamba. "I apologize for how they treated you at the meeting, Councilman Ahote. Dawali is a good man, he simply...has had errors in his judgement, about what he's done and how he's taught them." She did not excuse his actions — the news that Chief Aatu was angry made Dawali's actions wrong, though she had thought certain actions wrong even before that. "And Nayati, he...his anger is simply out of concern for his friend." Again, she defended only the two men who mattered in the present: a brother who had raised her and what had been her closest childhood friend. If her mind had worked more like Maska's, there would have been more to apologize for, but her beliefs — while traditional — were not so extreme.
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