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"Ae-iya- haw- Pull, and sink, stretch and rise, Ae-iya haw-"

_ "Grow big and tough, bark-strips,little bark strips, for my children's clothes"_

_ "Ae-i-ya haw, Pull and sink, stretch and rise, Ae-iya haw-"_

_ "Sink once for husband, sink twice for me, make good clothes for our family"_

_ "Ae-i-ya haw, Pull and sink, stretch and rise, Ae-iya haw-"_

Falling Star stood waist-deep in the coolness of the creek, stretching and soaking bark-strips with her mother and the other Yew does, yet the young doe's heart was elsewhere, deeper still, verily, in the abyss of fevered thought. As she sang in rhythm to the pulling and dipping of the earthen fibres, her gaze would wander from her distaff and unto the reclined stag high upon the knoll, who, to her dismay, returned her gaze every so often with nought but an objective survey as he scratched away in those strange, bound-white leaves.

Falling Star...

She could never tire of looking at him; even when the others had become acquainted to his outlandish, overclothed Stone-Tribe mannerisms, she found herself even more enamoured of his new, strange and why, even endearing _customs. For one, his blushing and nervousness around her and the other does was quite refreshing compared to the Yew stags accustomed to females going bare-chested. Not to mention, he was ever so polite and gentle, unlike the rough stags their age. She sighed; therein, too, was the problem, Tobias _hamah's shyness.

Falling Star.

The young doe looked again to Tobias hamah, who then locked eyes with her. As usual, he tensed, flushing, and spun his head away. Despite her friendliness, company and numerous hints of affection, Tobias_ hamah_ was still painfully reserved. Falling Star then sighed wistfully, again; her friends and family, with that universal swiftness befitting such matters, had come to call her Sighing-Star as of la-

"FALLING- STAR!"

"Oh! Yes, Owa-"

"THE THREADS, CHILD, THE THREADS!"

"The threads?- Aga!"

Falling Star dove frantically for the now meandering bark threads, having been careless loosened from her spindle in her lovestruck stupor. Reaching for the last bark-thread, she had overestimated her reach, and plunged headfirst into the waters, bare rump breaching. Her splashing drenched the others into silence...then the younger females tittered while the older women smiled knowingly as they shook their heads. Falling-Star whimpered, burning now with embarrassment. She dared not to see the knoll now, but the doe was certain that the pronghorn had seen her folly.

Her mother, Brightstar, who resembled a mature and plump Falling-star, deftly spun the rest of the bark threads onto her spindle as she waded over to raise her daughter up.

"Falling Star! This is the third time this afternoon you've let loose the thread!"

"My apologies, Owa."

Brightstar's expression softened. After all, Falling-Star was among the best bark-weavers among the tribe; even Aesha- Humm often made requests for her daughter's handmade barkcloth bracelets. Embracing her daughter, she noticed a very flustered Scholar endeavouring to catch his fluttering white leaves. Catching a sheet on the precarious cusp of the hill, Tobias locked eyes momentarily with Brightstar, who smirked mischievously at him, mouthing the words :"She's got the eyes for you." To this, Tobias went a deeper shade of red, and squeaking a barely discernible "eep", disappeared from view. Brightstar giggled, and returned her attention to Falling-Star.

"Is this about Tobias ham-?"

"OWAAA!"

Falling Star rose suddenly from the waters, like as she gripped her mother's arms imploringly.

"Owaa! Please! Not so loudly!"

"Why not?" Brightstar grinned much more broadly, shaking off her daughter's surprisingly vice-like grasp and pulled her daughter lovingly again to her generous bosom.

"Oh, hush now. The way you make love-eyes at him, the way you seem brighter when he comes by, and how you keep losing the bark threads Tobias-_hamah _(here she felt her daughter tense...and heard a muffled "_Owaaaa!" _)..why everyone knows you enjoy him!"

"But he doesn't seem to enjoy my company...he's always so tense and shy, Owa despite how much I try to warm him.."

Chuckling softly, Brightstar leaned down to kiss Falling Star's head, fondly remembering the troubles she had as a maiden in love.

"Oh, my honeyed Falling-Star! How you've grown, how you've grown..."

"Thank you, Owa..."

"Well".. The deer leaned down close to her daughter's ear. "If you really want to get to his heart, all you have to do is..."

With each whispered syllable, Falling-Star's burned redder and brighter util her mother whisphered about _that _and _that..._at which point, Falling Star whipped her head up and out, mouth agape at her mother's words.

Brightstar laughed heartily, tussling the younger doe's head. The other does, upon hearing the commotion, left their distaff tightly wound by the banks as they adjourned to tease and congratulate Falling Star and her mother.

"Well then, my dear Falling-Star, time for a meal break, don't you think? I shan't think we shall be able to finish the bark-threads together today."

"But, Owa.."

"I'll take care of it with your mother. Best to get food when it's fresh and ripe, my dear."

To a chorus of "Get him, Falling Star!" shrill whistling and other cheers,a rather red Falling-Star set off with the blessings of her fellow Yew does.

Tobias scrabbled against the back of the tree, notes clutched tightly to his heaving chest. Facing away from the creek, Tobias stared down the other side of the knoll, where bared, very male Yew stags sang the crude work-chant of timber hewing till his rigid, tense body relaxed.

Tobias exhaled, going limp, but careful to retain his notes this time. It had been hard enough trying to ignore the impropriety of the Yew women as he observed the making of traditional Yew bark-textiles, but seeing Falling-Star's...

He craned forward, sliding just a little down the hill in his anxiety to hear the vulgar lyrics and sweaty, muscled men toil away. As his frame softened once more, he slowly shuffled up the hill to rest against the tree. Alas, thoughts and visions of Falling-Star flashed across his mind again; but the men had just adjourned for a meal. Hurriedly, he tore through his notes, hoping his studies would distract him from Impropriety.

From a cultural standpoint, Lehsunian women were expected to be modest, polite and demure, very much like his own Owa, a Lehsunian-assimilated Yew tribal. Consequently, the scholar's first few days with the Yew tribes quite upset him. Though they were polite and demure, the Yew women were also very frank and outgoing, but most shocking of all, they simply girded their loins with embroidered bark-cloths, and the young maidens bared their chests! It had been a month now since his fieldwork had begun, and he was still not accustomed to such. Impropriety.

He had to admit, he was appreciative of Falling Star, who was, indeed, polite, kind, and gentle. However, he found her too outspoken and rather forward, and the doe asked more questions than he normally tolerated in a woman. Worse still were her forward ways of affection, combined with her bare-chested Impropriety...He sighed....if he was to court a lady, she would definitely have to be Lehsunian, demure, silent, gentle, kind, not learned or possessed of too much of an inquiring spirit, and most importantly, very, very ,VERY modest, especially with regards to costume.

From the corner of his eyes, Tobias heeded the sudden darkness. Was it already evening? Shaking his head in disbelief at his dalliance, he looked up from his notes...and froze as he took in all too much full Impropriety.

"Tobias _hamah..._would you be so kind as to partake a meal with me?"