Sometimes thing feel like they are dragging out. Your so nervous or excited for something that your about to do so time seems to move more slowly and the things you are doing leading up to that moment seem to take forever. That's what we were all feeling, we just all have a little different reasons and motives behind it since are all going to have a different experience. Setting up camp did seem to take a lot longer than it ever has before though. It didn't really matter what we were doing it just seems to not be enough, but we were also trying to stay as quiet as possible since we didn't want them to know we were here just yet. It didn't help make the time pass any faster, but we all understood the motives behind what we were doing. The boys set up all the tents while Liz and I took care of the horses and got fire wood.
We finally finished with our tasks. Which meant it was time to let the other clan know we are here as well. The next part was going to be more challenging for the guys that it hopefully will be for us. They are sitting down and getting to know the family which will be taking care of the woman from their protection and from her family. She would start over it's a new life for her which might be the scariest part from her point of view.
The first day of the ceremony is spent with the husband and leaders of the tribe getting to know one another while the women meet the bride to be. The second day is spent out on a hunt. The men all go out and make there own weapons from what they can find and bring back food, the soon to be husband is the leader of the hunt to prove that he can improvise and be able to provide. That day the women spend preparing the bride of her new duties and her new clans traditions. She also must craft two rings for the wedding with the supplies she can find with the help of the women who will be in her new tribe. Which on this occasion is only me and Liz. That night the men will go to the females camp and her tribes women will cook food while she stays at the males camp. Every man from the grooms tribe will return to their tribes camp except the leader and the groom. This will be when we have food brought to us. On the third day both will spend the day getting ready for the wedding. The men and women of each tribe will prepare food, unless they are one of the designated women to help prepare the bride or groom. The women who prepare the groom are women hand chosen to not be married and unable to have children. The groom sleeps with each of them to prepare for the after the wedding. This is to ensure each man knows what he's doing before he's married.
That night at sunset the two will be married and then have a fire, everyone but the newly wedded will eat. They can't eat until the next night as a vow to prove that there bond is strong and that they will not betray one another, after the fire the two are sent out by themselves for the night to a location that man has already set up it is normally set up as a hunting base and left there for the second day of hunting to prepare the feast, and when they leave they come there for the second time they bring items to make it more comfortable for the newly weds and make sure everything is set up properly for them.
It's a long four days because the fourth day is the day that the leaders of each go to the tent. That's when the two must have sex in front of them to prove they have consummated and that the marriage is binding. It's the most awkward part. During this time the camps are being taken down and all of the females belongings are brought over to her new tribes camp then we part ways. She will of had to of said her goodbyes the night of her wedding because that will be the last time she sees the people of her tribe until the breeding season that we share the same fields again which won't be for another 3 years and even then it's not a guarantee that the people she is with today will be there or be alive.
Today will be the start of the ceremony and after this she will have started over. It just sucks that she won't even get to see or meet the person she will have to spend forever with until her marriage. I'm not sure if that or having to have sex in front of the leaders of both tribes is worse because both suck. It's not a tradition or that I would particularly enjoy but it's something we have to do.