Freude and her friends had always grown up hearing about the Seven Tribes. There were always seven tribes in the nighttime stories mothers told their children, and the tribes all faced challenges together. But if one were to ask about the Alegri tribe, he would find that any given member could name no more than six who attended the Versammlung, the Meeting, an annual inter-tribal celebration. And each tribe name had a meaning. Freude's own, Alegri, meant Joy. Her mother's clan, Geist, meant Spirit. Umore meant exactly what it sounded like: Humor. Suerte and Sante meant Luck and Health, respectively. And Caradad meant Charity.
Then there was the fabelled Mascari tribe, the last of the seven.
Some said Mascari meant maliciousness. Others said it meant malcontent or murder. No one knew.
According to the Elders, who taught the younglings everything they might should know to live well, there had been no contact from any Mascari since before the last Great Famine, which was known to have occured in the Elders' elders' time.
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