The Marrow Thieves: Kiiwen Summary & Analysis

Everyone runs. They bury Minerva's body and leave their captives with soup and a blanket. As they bury Minerva, Rose cuts off her braid. Frenchie does the same. It makes him feel vulnerable and increases his grief. Frenchie thinks that Miig is now their elder, and nobody mentions that in losing Minerva, they lost the key to taking down the schools. They travel for ten days and then set up camp. Summer arrives over the next few weeks. Chi-Boy and Wab begins living together, and summer clothing makes it obvious that Wab is pregnant.

The Council works hard to piece together the words of the Cree language that they know, as well as the stories. Bullet suggests they start a youth council to pass on what they know to the youth, and they put Slopper in charge. He excels at this. Frenchie explains that they're desperate to create "the kind of Indians who could not be robbed."

One day, Rose takes down her tent and packs up to leave. Frenchie learns how to write "family" in syllabics and when Rose comes to say goodbye to everyone, he hides in the trees until dusk. He hates himself for it, but thinks that he can't leave his family or Dad. He reasons with himself that going back on the run is silly, and fingers Miig's pouch. He opens it and finds tobacco and a half-full glass vial that Frenchie believes must be Isaac’s bone marrow. Frenchie knows he needs to give the pouch back.

Frenchie heads back to camp and wanders to Dad's tent. As soon as Frenchie sits down, he starts to cry. Dad puts down his book and says that Mom was always smarter than he was. He says that once, she caught him drinking and told him seriously that running is only effective if he's running toward something rather than away. Frenchie tells Dad that he has to go. Dad kisses Frenchie's head, and Frenchie feels safe enough to run away. He quickly gathers up his things, leaves his tent and Miig's pouch, and runs after Rose. Twenty meters into the woods, Rose's voice startles him. He asks why she's not far away, and she says that she wanted to give Frenchie a good chance at finding her. Frenchie leans down to kiss her but stops when they hear runners.

Frenchie hears three people too close to hide from. He and Rose slide down behind a log. The runners don't sound like Recruiters, so Frenchie peeks. He sees Derrick and calls out. Derrick says that there are people that they're going to "welcome." Frenchie tries to figure out how to convince Rose to stay so they can help when she stands and runs after Derrick. Frenchie runs after her, excited at what they might find.