Senjecas - Chapter 2 - The Youths

Pronunciation table

peműko (labial)								riisűko (dental)								muitűko (alveolar)								vainűko (palatal)							ṡ̨uuše̋nos (vowels with प)								nı̋þo ṡ̨uuše̋nos (weak vowels)
p	b	f	v	m̃	m			t	d	þ	ð	ɫ	l			ṡ	ż	s	z	r	n			k	g	x	ƣ	h	ȝ			š	s̨			i	e	a	ɔ	o	u			ĭ	ĕ	ŭ
प	ब	फ	भ	म़	म			त	द	थ	ध	ल़	ल			च	ज	स	स़	र	न			क	ग	क़	ग़	ह	य			स्व	स्य			इ ई पि पी	ए एै पे पै	अ आ प पा	ऒ ॵ पॊ पॏ	ओ औ पो पौ	उ ऊ पु पू			पं	पऺ	पॅ
/p/	/b/	/ɸ/	/β/	/m̥/	/m/			/t/	/d/	/θ/	/ð/	/l̥/	/l/			/ʦ/	/ʣ/	/s/	/z/	/ɾ̥/	/n/			/k/	/g/	/ç/	/ʝ/	/j̊/	/j/			/sʷ/	/sʲ/			/i/	/e/	/ä/	/ɒ/	/o/	/u/			/ɪ/	/ɛ/	/ʊ/

Glossing abbreviations

1s/p = 1st person singular/plural	ABL = ablative suffix	COL = collective	F = feminine	INT = intensive prefix	PRV = privative prefix	SUP = supine
2s/p = 2nd person singular/plural	ABS = absolutive (an unmarked modifying adjective)	DES = desiderative	FRQ = frequentative	LAT = lative suffix	PST = past	TRZ = transitivizer
3 = 3rd person	ADV = adverb	DIM = diminutive	FUT = future	LOC = locative suffix	REV = reversive	VOC = vocative particle
A(.s/p) = accusative (singular/plural)	AG = agent	ELIS = elision	IMP = imperative	M = masculine	Q = interrogative particle	YNG = young
G(.s/p) = genitive (singular/plural)	AP = agent (active) participle	ELT = elative	INC = inchoative	OCC = occupation suffix	QUOT = direct quotation
N(.s/p) = nominative (singular/plural)	AUG = augmentative	EP = epenthesis	IND = indicative	PP = patient (past) participle	RPR = recent perfective
V(.s/p) = vocative (singular/plural)	CAUS = causative	EQU = equative degree	INS = instrument	PRF = perfect	SBJ = subjunctive

Chapter 2 - The Youths - be̋kus बे॓कुस्

• The shepherds and cowherds had taken their beasts to the shelter of the forests and the nights were lengthening when the labor of Talma came upon her.
• Damvelu waited impatiently outside the kurgan with the other men, leaving to the women the birthing of his child.
• The women had gathered inside and Thunkozu had taken charge.
• As expected a fair head broke through and a boy child was brought into the world.
• The women's laughter brought inquiries from the men and they were informed of the birth.
• As the boy child was put to the breast he opened his eyes and Talma knew whose son he was.
• The laughter had died away, and Thunkozu was awaiting the afterbirth when the crown of another head broke through, a dark crown.
• Her cry of surprise brought the other women, and they watched in awe as she who was skilled in birth and growth gave birth to a second son, a son as swart as his mother.
• And Talma looked upon this shadow of her firstborn and knew whose son he was.
• She nursed her sons through two winters.
• The day on which their weaning was completed, the traveler on the golden animal came again to the village and met Talma in front of her kurgan.
• "You have done well in cherishing my son and his, Talma.
• Come, ride with me again for there is yet another who belongs to us."
• And as the swans flew overhead toward the land from which comes the snow, they rode off to the great ash tree.
• Once again she felt herself lifted from the ground as if she, too, would fly away with the swans to their nesting grounds.
• And once again she felt life begin within her.
• This time they rode back to the village slowly, quietly secure in the presence of each other.
• At last, as they neared the village, he spoke, "This time, sister-wife, there is no need to lie with Damvelu, for the child within you is ours alone.
• She will be given to her brothers when the time is right. At that time I will return."
• He set her down at her kurgan and left as before, toward the setting of the sun.
• Talma stood watching him until he could no longer be seen, then went down into the kurgan to care for her two sons.
• The twins grew up skilled in the arts of the People.
• None could outrun them as they ran with the dogs to tend the flocks and the herds.
• None were braver in fighting off the marauding wolf packs that sought to steal a sheep or a cow.
• None could throw them in wrestling and a match between the two always ended in a draw.
• Although adept with all the weapons of the People, each had a special skill.
• The firstborn was especially skilled with the javelin and could hurl one through the eye sockets of a ram's skull at three hundred paces.
• He was called Nestu by the People, he whose javelin brings death.
• The younger was known as Athnor, swift arrow, because of his skill with the bow and arrow.
• He could bring down a stag in full flight with but one shot.
• Both were comely and, but for their coloring, images one of the other.
• Yet they were not reflections in their behavior.
• Nestu was a good-natured youth, skilled in the customs of the People, courteous to his elders, eager to be of help to others.
• Athnor was a contrary sort, not evil, but sullen, not given to laughter, preferring to be alone, often undoing the work of his brother without intention.
• And yet they loved each other as brothers should.
• In their fifteenth year, as the cold winds began to blow and the flocks and herds were to be led off to the sheltered pasturage, Damvelu said to Talma,*v"They are now of age and it is time that we fulfilled our promise to them and give them their sister to wife."
• "You are right, husband," she replied.
• Ever since the birth of her daughter, truly her father's child, she had looked forward to this day.
• She knew that the boys were ready, even if Athnor was still a little wild, and she knew that her daughter Sulzi would be as happy with them as wife as she was as sister.
• Sulzi had been part of their play as children and had only recently left their company to learn her duties as a woman of the People.
• "You do well to join them now that they may set up their own kurgan before the snowstorm."

Senjecas - Chapter 3 - The Gifts