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by
It had been a month since Billy's tragic death had rocked New Gaia. Gabrielle had returned to Tala's village to continue her sojourn with Tala's people, but messengers only came once a week after it started snowing on a regular basis.
With the first snows, Gabrielle had gotten an idea. Now, she just had to convince Tala of its merit. It was easier than she thought.
"I want to teach your people how to ski," Gabrielle began.
"What is ski?" Tala asked.
"Skiing is a sport, a game, my people play in the snow," she explained.
"A game? Okay, teach me," Tala requested enthusiastically.
"Well, we have to make some things called skis and some poles, first."
"How do we make skis and poles for skiing?"
"Well, we need some wood. We'll have to dry it first, which will take a little time by the fire. Once we have the wood, then we'll figure out how to make the skis. We can just use branches for the poles."
"Okay," Tala replied.
Winter was usually very boring and anything to break up the monotony was welcomed. A game sounded especially good to Tala. Gabrielle kept her occupied with learning how to speak, read, and write English, but she could only spend so much time on those things before it became a little repetitive. Gabrielle was learning to speak her own language through practice, so they hardly spent any time specifically on Gabrielle's lessons.
Tala organized a group of her people and they all went out and chopped down a few trees on a bright clear day. The exercise felt good and Tala whooped as the tree she was working on was pushed over by her younger brother, Kuta. Her older brother, Riku, had remained at the longhouse to keep an eye on everything for her.
When the sun began to dip in the sky, Tala led her group back to the longhouse. They remained outside to section the trees into the lengths Gabrielle specified, then brought the smaller pieces to sit by the fires inside the huge building. They made sure not to set them too close to the fire, though.
After a couple of days, the strips of wood were ready and Gabrielle showed Tala and several others how to scrape each plank to smoothness, curving the ends up slightly. Then she cut strips of leather to wrap around the middles of the planks and created loops that a booted foot could be slid into.
Once everyone understood the process, it only took two weeks to make enough skis for everyone who wanted to participate. Some of the younger children and elders wouldn't be able to join in the fun, but they would still watch.
Finally, the morning came when Gabrielle promised to show everyone how to ski. She stood at the top of a small hill and slipped her feet into the straps of her makeshift skis. She picked up the two thin branches she'd scavenged off the ground on the way there and pushed herself over the edge of the hill.
She smoothly skied down the slope and grinned as the air rushed past her body. It felt great to be moving so fast again. She'd forgotten that 'need for speed' that had put her in the front seat of every roller coaster she could find when she was a teenager.
She glided to a stop at the bottom of the hill and skidded around so she could look back up at everyone still at the top of the hill. There were a lot of astonished gazes staring in her direction, but several people immediately tried to follow her example. Most of them tripped and fell in their enthusiasm. Everyone laughed, including those that fell, but it didn't stop anyone from trying to ski down the hill themselves.
Tala made her way unsteadily down the slope, but she didn't fall. When she came to a stop beside Gabrielle, she was grinning widely. She turned around and started back up the hill. That was when she realized she couldn't walk the way she normally did and slid down the hill.
Gabrielle yelled for her attention, as well as the others who were having the same amount of luck getting back up the hill, and demonstrated how to walk sideways to gain purchase in the snow. Everyone started to mimic her and most were able to make their way back up the slope, but a few, who kept falling, decided it was easier to remove the skis and climb up the normal way, replacing the skis once they were at the top again.
By the end of the day, everyone was exhausted, but in high spirits. As the sun descended through the trees, the Iroka and their honorary member, Gabrielle, sat in the giant longhouse and ate a well-deserved feast.
**********************
Skiing became a regular outdoor activity, but many days, it was way too cold to go out for more than a couple of minutes at a time. Gabrielle played the indoor games that Tala's people seemed to enjoy and showed them how to play a few that she knew. It passed the time and only a few fights broke out from the inescapable syndrome of 'cabin fever.'
Gabrielle was surprised the first time it happened and Tala made no move to stop the altercation from progressing. When she'd risen to step in, Tala had held her back and shook her head. After the third time, and Tala still did nothing, Gabrielle couldn't hold back her anger.
"Why do you let them hurt each other?" she asked in Tala's native tongue.
"It's for the good of the tribe. It keeps them strong," Tala replied.
"If someone dies, it won't be for the good of the tribe," Gabrielle argued.
"No one will die," Tala assured her. "If I tried to stop them, then my people would die."
"I don't understand," Gabrielle said confused.
"Do you know of the wild brothers of the dogs we live with?" Tala questioned her. They had many dogs in their camp, a comfort Gabrielle hoped to bring back with her to New Gaia in the Spring.
Gabrielle realized she was referring to the wolves in the area. She nodded. "We call them wolves. One is called a wolf," Gabrielle supplied, interjecting the English words into the flow of the foreign language she was speaking in.
"Wolf. My tribe is like their tribe. There are many little fights, but no one ever dies and it keeps us strong."
Gabrielle thought that over and decided Tala had a point. Letting her people blow off steam like that on a regular basis was better than trying to suppress it and then have it blow up in one nasty confrontation. Tala seemed to know her people better than they did.
**********************
Back in New Gaia, Tristan and Gregory were lying in bed discussing Gabrielle and Tala. They each had their own point of view on the matter.
"I think Gabrielle will eventually end up with Tala. I think she's finally met her match in that tall woman," Tristan said.
"I'm not so sure that's really a good thing. If they do get together, it will most likely mean a new leader will be chosen for Tala's clan and that new leader might not be as trustworthy as Tala seems to be," Gregory offered.
"Maybe Gabrielle will choose to stay with Tala at her village," Tristan replied, turning his head to see his lover's face in the flickering candlelight.
"That's not very likely and you know it. Gabrielle's far too aware of her responsibility to New Gaia and her people. She won't abandon us, even if it means losing her own personal happiness." Gregory's face was grim.
"You're right, but I also think the same could be said for Tala. From what I've seen of her, and from Gabrielle's reports, she's a very conscientious leader who cares about her people deeply. She won't just leave them to be with Gabrielle."
Gregory's face quirked and Tristan knew he'd come up with an idea. "Maybe neither of them will have to leave their people. Maybe Tala's tribe could come live with us."
"It's a possibility." Tristan sighed. "At any rate, this is all just speculation, since they haven't done anything yet."
Gregory twisted to look at Tristan with a puzzled expression. "How can you be so sure?"
"Gabrielle would have told me," Tristan replied confidently.
"Do you think it'll be good for Gabrielle? I mean, her being with Tala?"
"Yes. Most definitely."
Gregory pulled Tristan to his mouth and kissed him deeply. He eased away, then said, "Me, too."
Tristan drew up their furs as Gregory extinguished the candle.
**********************
It was a short, but cold, walk from the main longhouse to Tala's home. As soon as they arrived, Tala used the torch she'd carried from the longhouse to build up a small fire in the center hearth to warm the shelter. The snow that was packed around the outside walls worked well to insulate the cabin and soon, the whole place was comfortably warm.
Tala stripped down to nothing, as soon as it was warm enough, and Gabrielle undressed down to her shirt a few minutes later. Their nightly ritual was well established and Tala waited on the furs for Gabrielle to bring her brush.
Gabrielle sat behind her and gently combed through the fine, but thick, hair. Gabrielle still hadn't been able to figure out how Tala made the purring sounds and Tala hadn't been able to shed any light on the matter. She would only tell Gabrielle she made the sound when she felt content. Other than that, she had no explanation for the how of it.
Gabrielle finished the grooming and Tala leaned back, opening her arms for Gabrielle. Gabrielle eagerly entered the warm embrace. It was nice having a human hot water bottle to keep her warm on these frigid nights. Not to mention the complete bliss she seemed to feel every time she was held by the tribal leader.
Tala turned her head and kissed Gabrielle directly on the mouth. Gabrielle did nothing to stop her. The feel of Tala's tongue entering her mouth had short-circuited her brain. There was nothing else in the world, except Tala's mouth on her own. After a minute, Tala gently pulled back.
As soon as Tala's lips left hers, Gabrielle was able to regain some of her composure and scooted away. She held up her hands to stop Tala from kissing her again. Tala looked at her, clearly confused.
"We shouldn't..." Gabrielle took what she hoped was a calming breath. "We shouldn't do that," Gabrielle finished shakily.
"Why?" Tala asked.
"Because we don't love each other," but even as Gabrielle said the words, she knew she was hopelessly in love with the blue-eyed woman.
"Explain 'love.' Please. Try," Tala implored her. She desperately wanted to understand what it was Gabrielle needed from her.
Gabrielle sighed and sat up. She wrestled with the notion of trying to come up with an explanation for an emotion, especially since she'd failed miserably twice before. Tala watched her intently, waiting. Gabrielle tried to think of an explanation that Tala might be able to understand on her own terms.
She put her hand over her heart. "Remember what I said before? It's a feeling. Here. Inside. It's a feeling of closeness and need. A need like that of water for a thirsty man, or food for a hungry child. It feels like if you were to be separated from the one you love that your heart would break." Tala watched her. Gabrielle dropped her hand from her chest. "I don't know how else to describe it."
She lay back down and looked up at the roof and then back over to Tala, who hadn't taken her eyes off the small woman. Tala leaned over her and tried to kiss her again, but Gabrielle turned her face to the side and pulled away.
Tala stared at her meaningfully. Then, almost in a whisper, she said, "Mine."
Gabrielle stared at Tala, and realized for the first time, after hearing Tala whisper that declaration almost every night before falling asleep, and sometimes in her sleep, that Tala hadn't been referring to her as an object. The look in Tala's eyes could only be described as love.
"You love me," she said surprised.
Tala took Gabrielle's hand and placed it over her heart. "You live here. If you die, I die. Is that 'love'?"
Tears sprung in Gabrielle's eyes. "Yes. That's love."
Gabrielle slid her hand up to cup Tala's cheek. Tala leaned down again to kiss Gabrielle, and this time, Gabrielle met her more than halfway. Tala rested her entire body against Gabrielle's, as she sank into the kiss with no more protestations from the woman she loved, and Gabrielle felt Tala's muscles melt into her own. Her hands entangled themselves in Tala's hair, while Tala's tongue wrapped itself around Gabrielle's.
Gabrielle reveled in the weight of Tala's body on top of hers. Instead of being stifling or confining, she felt an overwhelming sense of security and comfort, not to mention arousal, from being covered by the solid weight of Tala's long body. She wanted to pull Tala even closer.
Tala's thigh seemed to naturally find its way between Gabrielle's legs and she pressed it against Gabrielle's center. She grinned into the kiss she was still sharing with Gabrielle when the smaller woman moaned from the pressure against her sex. Gabrielle's hips automatically pushed up and she began rubbing herself against Tala's leg in a rhythm that was unmistakable.
Gabrielle wrapped her legs around Tala's large thigh and pressed herself harder against it. Tala pulled away from the kiss and looked down at their undulating bodies. She grinned and reached for the hem of Gabrielle's leather shirt. Gabrielle raised her arms from Tala's head and shoulders and Tala slid the shirt off the blonde's torso.
Tala's eyes fixed on Gabrielle's breasts with a look that Gabrielle, despite a few niggling self-doubts, had to admit was admiration mixed with a healthy amount of awe. There was no mistaking the desire in Tala's glittering blue eyes.
Tala smiled. Gabrielle's breathing was already coming in pants and Tala's keen sense of smell was being overwhelmed with her lover's strong sexual scent. She practically growled and Gabrielle whimpered in response.
"Tala, please," Gabrielle spoke breathlessly in Tala's native tongue. She wasn't sure she could be any more specific.
"Gabrielle," Tala replied.
Tala was well aware of the powerful connection that saying your lover's name could create and she was gratified to see the strong effect it had on Gabrielle.
Gabrielle's eyes fluttered and it took all her willpower to keep them open and focused on Tala. Tala's smile never faltered as she lowered her head and sucked one of Gabrielle's hard nipples into her mouth. It was then that Tala found it impossible to keep her own eyes open as she tasted Gabrielle's skin for the first time. A groan issued from deep within her chest and she instinctively forced her thigh even harder against Gabrielle's rocking pelvis.
Gabrielle let out a high-pitched whimper at the tingling touch at her breast and the sudden increase in pressure between her legs. Her arms wrapped around Tala's broad shoulders and her hands pulled at Tala's back. Her hips rocked up higher as the sensations at her breast increased in intensity and she felt Tala begin to move against her in the same rhythm.
Tala's tongue twirled around and around the taut nipple she'd trapped within her mouth. She sucked hard, then licked at the bud again. She drew away and looked up at Gabrielle's face. She lengthened her torso so that she could reach Gabrielle's mouth again and plunged her tongue inside.
Gabrielle whimpered and groaned and just started sucking on the oral intrusion. She couldn't think beyond the pleasure she was feeling. It seemed all out of proportion to what was actually being done to her body. But it was Tala that was touching her and Tala that was loving her.
Just the feeling of Tala's tongue in her mouth was bringing her close to orgasm. She could feel it building in the clenching of her abdomen as Tala's tongue thrust in and out of her mouth. The sensations were too intense. Gabrielle snaked her arms from around Tala's back and grabbed Tala's face. She held on and plunged her own tongue into Tala's mouth and poured all her feelings into the kiss.
Tala groaned. Her mouth was being devoured, but her natural response was to give as good as she got. Her hands, which had been stroking up and down Gabrielle's sides and hips, chose more decisive routes. Her right hand pushed between Gabrielle's back and the furs they were lying on and cradled the small woman's body, while her left hand moved between her thigh and Gabrielle's mound.
As soon as Gabrielle felt the change in Tala's caresses, her head fell back and her legs loosened their grip on Tala's thigh and spread wide to invite Tala in. Tala let Gabrielle pull away from the kiss and moved her thigh away a little to give herself more room. She rubbed her whole hand against Gabrielle's labia, coating it again and again with Gabrielle's essence. The back of her hand, the palm, all the way up to her wrist, was covered in wetness as she used her entire hand to rub over and around Gabrielle's sex.
Gabrielle felt like she could barely breathe. She'd never felt anything quite like what Tala was doing to her. She'd had many lovers and they all invariably focused on her clitoris or vagina to stimulate her. Tala twisted her hand around as she rubbed up, down, around, and side to side over Gabrielle's entire sex. Gabrielle's hips had a mind of their own as they matched Tala's movements.
Tala could hear Gabrielle's breathing accelerate and she pressed her hand a little harder against Gabrielle's pubis. Gabrielle's legs spread wider and her hips arched up, presenting herself to Tala. Tala took the welcome invitation and pushed two fingers inside Gabrielle. Gabrielle instantly clamped down on the fingers inside her.
"Tala!"
Gabrielle's body tried to sit up, then her head slammed back into the furs and her hips pumped up to help Tala move in and out of her as she rode her climax to its end. As the waves receded, Gabrielle raised her right hand from where it had clenched the furs beneath her and grasped at Tala's neck to pull her down for a heated kiss. She wanted to share everything she had just experienced with Tala through that kiss, but she knew a mere kiss wouldn't even come close.
Tala removed her fingers from their slick nesting place and Gabrielle groaned into Tala's mouth. However, being released from her anchor allowed her to maneuver Tala onto her back.
Tala let herself be pushed over and Gabrielle quickly straddled the woman. She leaned over and possessed Tala's mouth and Tala's hands went naturally to rest on Gabrielle's hips.
Gabrielle's tongue never stopped moving. Even when she was finished with Tala's mouth for the time being, it continued to dart out and taste the native woman's skin as she moved over Tala's neck, down the center of her chest, and over each of Tala's breasts. She sucked and licked and even bit a few times around the hard peaks of Tala's breasts, increasing Tala's breathing to gasps and eliciting moans with each pull of her mouth.
Tala's hands slid up to cup Gabrielle's head. Her fingers played with the short strands of blond hair and clawed up and down the back of Gabrielle's neck. Gabrielle felt shivers run down her spine from the touch, but then she was moving lower and Tala's hands just held on.
Tala felt Gabrielle's tongue taste the skin of her stomach and it clenched involuntarily. The flesh was sucked on and she completely lost control of her breathing.
"Gabrielle," came out in a harsh gasp and she looked down to see hazel eyes look back up at her.
Gabrielle moved lower and her hands trailed up and down the tops of hard thighs. She pushed on the insides and Tala spread her legs apart. Her knees came up and her heels anchored into the furs. Gabrielle grinned. Apparently, Tala knew what was coming. Gabrielle didn't disappoint her.
Gabrielle lowered her mouth to Tala's mound and drew the tip of her tongue down the center of Tala's slit. Tala spread her legs even wider and her nether lips parted. Gabrielle drew her hands closer to her body and used her fingers to uncover the flesh she wanted to taste. As soon as it was exposed, Gabrielle buried her mouth in Tala.
Tala cried out at the sudden touch and Gabrielle made a mental note to ask about the word she'd never heard before. Then her attention refocused on the task she was currently engaged in. Gabrielle wanted to watch Tala, but her eyes closed as she tasted Tala for the first time. Her fingers, having done their job, moved to wrap around Tala's thighs to hold her still.
Gabrielle became lost in her feast. It wasn't even about the tastes or scents she was being assaulted with. The textures, the way Tala moved under her mouth, the fact that Gabrielle's name was the only word Tala seemed to be able to utter with any kind of coherency, was filling Gabrielle up with a feeling she'd never had before. It was love mixed with devotion and the physical expression of her love for Tala was more intense than she had ever imagined it could be.
Tala writhed in her pleasure. There was nothing she had ever felt that even came close to this concentration of joy that seemed centered in the heart of her being. It felt as though time had ceased to exist and she would feel like this forever. But then Gabrielle's mouth began sucking harder and the blond head moved in circles against Tala's sex and she felt herself beginning to peak. She didn't want it to end, but she wanted that ultimate release and strove for it, her hips grinding again and again into Gabrielle's face.
Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she stopped breathing for a moment as her climax hit her all at once. Then her scream echoed off the walls of the hut and her pelvis jerked up over and over. She held Gabrielle's head against her as the waves of her orgasm crashed through her body.
Finally, Tala's grip relaxed and Gabrielle slowly pulled her damp face away from Tala's satisfied sex. She licked her lips then wiped at her face before slowly making her way up Tala's body. She kissed Tala full on the mouth, driving her tongue deep, then drew back.
"Mine," Gabrielle whispered with all the seriousness of having just claimed the heart of her love.
Tala stared into Gabrielle's eyes just as seriously and caressed a wet cheek.
"Mine," Tala whispered back.
Gabrielle reclined her body next to Tala's, but then Tala pushed her away. Gabrielle looked up in confusion and not just a little hurt, but Tala continued to turn Gabrielle over. As soon as Gabrielle was situated, facing away from Tala and on her right side, Tala spooned her body behind Gabrielle's and her left arm came over Gabrielle's side. She cupped her hand to Gabrielle's sex and Gabrielle parted her legs a little to let Tala's hand cover her completely before lowering her leg again to trap Tala's hand.
"Mine," Gabrielle heard whispered in her ear again and then she felt Tala's fingers flex slightly.
Gabrielle turned her head to look back over her shoulder at Tala and found a mischievous grin waiting for her.
"Yours," Gabrielle replied and her own left hand went down to cover Tala's.
It wasn't long before both women fell into a contented sleep.
**********************
In the morning, Gabrielle woke to find herself naked and in the strong arms of her new lover. When she tried to pull away to look at Tala's face, she was held tight for a moment.
Tala said, "Mine," and then allowed Gabrielle to move.
Gabrielle raised herself up on her elbows and looked down into Tala's eyes. They were such a beautiful shade of blue. She had never seen quite that shade of color before Tala.
Tala stared up at her and then said, "I love you."
The way she emphasized the 'I' and 'you' made the phrase sound different to Gabrielle's ears. It wasn't a practiced declaration, the way it would have been for someone who grew up with the phrase. She knew that Tala understood the meaning they had come up with for the word 'love,' but Tala's emphasis on the two of them showed that she felt they were the most important parts of the sentence. For some reason, that meant more to Gabrielle than anything else she could think of at the moment.
She ducked her head and kissed Tala thoroughly, trying to convey all the myriad emotions she was feeling for the other woman. When she broke the kiss, she told Tala, "And I love you." Tala beamed at her.
**********************
Cameron arrived from New Gaia several days later. When he entered the huge communal hut, he caught Gabrielle and Tala in the middle of a breathtaking kiss. He noticed that most of the tribe was going on about their business, though a few were watching the happy couple with looks of knowing humor that even Cam could read as meaning 'it's about damn time.'
He walked over to Gabrielle and pasted his eyes to the floor. He glanced up every few seconds to see if they'd stopped kissing yet. He was only a couple meters away when they broke for air and Gabrielle noticed him.
She blushed, knowing she'd been caught, but then sat a little straighter in Tala's lap and tried to look Chief-like. There was just too much humor in her eyes though, to really make it work. And Tala's wide grin didn't help matters any.
Cam handed over the rolled up piece of parchment he was carrying. "Here's the report for the past week," he offered.
Gabrielle took the report. "How are things going back home?" she asked. She opened up the roll and began to scan, as Cameron told her the latest gossip going around New Gaia.
"Well, things are pretty good. Jonathan and Gloria had a fight, but they made up a couple days ago. And Julia seems to be courting Stephanie now, but I don't think Steph's real interested. I think she's had a thing for Kelly ever since... Well, anyway, um, Tom's finally finished with the plans for the windmill, so we can get started on that as soon as the snows melt and everything," he concluded.
"Sounds good. Why don't you go get some food and warm up by the fire," she suggested.
Cam left and went to join the rest of the tribe.
"I have to get up. I have to go write up my return messages for Tristan," she told Tala.
Tala let her go, her grin still plastered on her face. Gabrielle smiled in return, then ran the few meters to their hut. 'Our hut,' she thought fondly to herself. 'I like the sound of that.'
She wrote up two messages. The first one was for the regular reports she issued that would be read by everyone on the Council. The second one was a personal letter to Tristan, telling him that she had joined with Tala and that she didn't know what the repercussions would be for their two peoples, but that they had until spring to decide what would happen.
She sealed the personal message with wax from the candle she was using for light and then pressed her personal seal, a capital G inside the circle part of the symbol for female, into the drying wax. As soon as it was done, she returned to Tala in the longhouse.
In the morning, Gabrielle sent Cameron off with the two messages safely tucked inside his double-lined fur coat. She and Tala spent the day leisurely exploring each other with kisses and caresses. She thought over the conversation they'd had the night before, which had led to this particular display of affection.
"Everyone is very happy that you decided to choose me," Tala told her as they snuggled under the furs. "They all think this will make our tribe much stronger. They're also happy that I've found my mate. As leaders for our tribe, we have a duty to show everyone that we are strong together."
Gabrielle realized this meant that kissing in public would almost be required in order to keep up morale. She was cool with that, as David would have said. The fact that she knew a dozen or more people were watching her make out with their leader seemed to have a mildly erotic effect on her. Actually, it was more than mild. It wasn't long before Gabrielle was dragging a very unresisting Tala back to their private hut.
**********************
Cameron arrived back at New Gaia with the messages and Tristan looked them over. The first was just the standard report. He would read it to the Council in the morning before they got sidetracked with the business of running their community. The second one he knew was a personal message for his eyes only. That's why it was sealed. He broke the wax and unrolled the paper.
He began to read. "Dear Tristan, Tala and I have finally become one. I know, I know. Get that silly smirk off your face." Tristan laughed, when he realized he was smirking.
"You were right. I'm in love with her and I think I have been since the beginning. She loves me, too. You should have heard her. It was so romantic, even more so because she wasn't trying to be, she was just telling me her heart. She placed her hand over her heart and told me, "You live here. You die, I die." I cried it was so sweet. Those words will forever be etched in my heart.
"Well, I would have told you this anyway, but I really do have another reason, besides sharing information with my best friend. I realize that this will bring up questions for our two communities. Will I live with Tala here, will Tala come to live with me in New Gaia, will we retain our individual residences, or will we live with each group part of the time? I don't know. It's only been a few days and we're still most definitely in the honeymoon stage. Of course, there's also the possibility of our two peoples merging together. Who knows?
"I do believe we have time on our side, however. Since I was planning on remaining here until Spring anyway, no decisions really have to be made until then. I would like you to start thinking about it, though.
"Oh, and one more thing. Cameron saw Tala and I kissing and I didn't try to hide it from him. You will no doubt be hearing a lot of gossip soon and will probably have to field a lot of questions. That was the other reason I wanted to tell you privately. I wanted to warn you so that you could be prepared. In fact, you might want to make a general announcement that I've joined with Tala and am very happy, but have no plans to leave New Gaia at present. Something along those lines should help everyone feel happy for me, but also curb any fears that I'm leaving them for Tala.
"I want you to know, Tristan, that I have every intention of remaining Chief of New Gaia for as long as everyone will have me. I will not abandon my responsibilities to our people. Well, it's almost dinnertime here, so I'll close this letter for now. With Much Love, Gabrielle."
Tristan closed the letter and sighed. He was very happy for Gabrielle and thought the rest of the community would be too, but he knew Gabrielle was right. Everyone was used to having Gabrielle lead them, even if she was off living with Tala for the time being. If you included the first time around and the year of planning, then Gabrielle had been leading them for nearly three years.
And Gabrielle had been right when she'd told them that, though changing leadership on a regular basis would be good for a stable community, it could be disastrous for their burgeoning one. Everyone, including Tristan, was used to looking to Gabrielle for the answers.
It wasn't that she always knew what to do. It was that she had a way of listening to everyone's ideas and then putting a plan together that used the best parts of each, giving them the greatest chance of success. A compromise with Gabrielle, really was a compromise; everybody won.
Tristan pulled out a piece of parchment and began working on his announcement speech.
The following morning, Tristan called for attention in the middle of the morning meal.
"Good morning. I have some great news. In a letter I received from the Chief last night, I learned that she and Tala have joined."
Everyone cheered, as Tristan had expected. Most of the town had seen the way the two of them had acted around each other and knew it was just a matter of time. But then, just as Gabrielle had predicted, the questions started coming.
"Will the Chief be resigning so she can stay with Tala's tribe?"
"No, at this time, Gabrielle has no plans to relinquish leadership."
"Will Tala be coming to live at New Gaia then?"
"As far as I know, Tala has no plans to do so."
"Then where will they be living?"
"At this time, neither Gabrielle, nor Tala, have any definite plans. They're simply enjoying having found one another. Nothing will be determined until Spring, when the Chief originally planned to come home from her ambassadorial mission."
"Is this a ploy by the Chief to keep Tala from attacking us?"
"No, Gabrielle is very much in love with Tala, as Tala is with her. And Gabrielle would never do something like that. And anyway, even though we've chosen to live a simpler life, anyone attacking us would be cut down in minutes with our superior technology. And that superiority will continue until age and wear and tear destroy the weapons we brought with us to safeguard us in our endeavor to build a strong and lasting community. Gabrielle knows that, and so would have no reason to offer herself in such a manner."
"How does Tala's tribe feel about them joining?"
"At present, there is no word on that front, but Gabrielle didn't seem concerned with any opposition there, so we probably shouldn't worry about it."
"When will they be visiting us again?"
"Again, no plans have been made, but the message will be given to Gabrielle that her people want her to bring her new love for a visit."
The questions died down then and everyone started talking about having a party for when the couple visited again. Tristan breathed a sigh of relief that the questioning was over for the time being and joined in with the preparations for a congratulations party.
Continued in Chapter Eighteen