It Wakes in Me (7 page)

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Authors: Kathleen O'Neal Gear

BOOK: It Wakes in Me
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None of these captives showed torture wounds. They had food in their bellies and the capes they’d brought with them. Feather Dancer was right; they were being well-treated.
The fire crackled to life, and a soft yellow gleam filled the lodge. She fingered Strongheart’s cape, understanding suddenly what he’d meant when he’d said she would need it. “Thank the gods we will have one more cape tonight.”
“Yes. You might wish to ask young Pipit to share your cape. Somehow, in the night, her cape always winds up tucked around the two younger children she sleeps with. When the
adults scold her and tell her she’s going to make herself sick, she claims she doesn’t know how it happened.”
“Which one is Pipit?”
Feather Dancer turned to look at the twelve-winters-old girl she had noticed earlier. “That’s Pipit—in the red-and-blue cape. Her mother and father were both killed in the fight at our gathering grounds, but she doesn’t seem to realize it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Every time the guards take us to a work site, Pipit tells the other children to keep watch for her parents, because they’re coming to save her. Old Jawbone says her reflection-soul is loose.” He gestured to the woman sitting with her white head propped on her knees. She looked too weary to move.
“Do you think,” she asked quietly, “that Grown Bear is organizing the war party to go south for the jade?”
“No, I don’t. I’ve listened very carefully to the guards talking among themselves. Not one has mentioned longing to be chosen for the party. They seem to know nothing about this precious jade.” He paused, and his teeth ground beneath his scarred jaw. “Unless, of course, he’s working for himself, assembling a war party in secret, and his men are under a death sentence if they speak of it aloud.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Nor do I. But I’m beginning to think that Grown Bear made up the story about traveling south to meet the Scarlet Macaw People. The night he died, Blue Bow told Long Fin that he knew nothing about the jade brooch.”
Sora’s head suddenly ached, as though a memory was struggling to rise through the cottony haze caused by the sleeping potion. “Then … where did Grown Bear get it?”
“All I know is that hundreds of warriors from your husband’s village believe it came from the Scarlet Macaw People,
and are willing to do anything to get it. They believe they are joining with two hundred warriors from this village.”
Her head snapped up. “Rockfish’s people promised warriors?”
“Yes, Chieftess, three hundred.”
“But if Eagle Flute Village is not preparing warriors to go south after the jade, what will happen when Rockfish’s warriors get here?”
Feather Dancer seemed to be able to track her thoughts across her souls. He said, “Who says they’re coming here?”
“Well, isn’t that the plan?”
Very softly, he replied, “I’m almost certain that Rockfish’s three hundred warriors will head straight to Blackbird Town, where they will be joined by a few hundred of our warriors, and together they’ll march south for the Scarlet Macaw People.”
“Dear gods, do you think my husband could be working with Grown Bear—” She stopped.
Cold Spring had cocked an ear and was obviously straining to hear their words. Feather Dancer gave the man a lethal look.
Cold Spring rose and hurried back to his place along the far wall. The woman next to him murmured a question, but Cold Spring just shook his head and looked away.
“It’s probably nothing,” she said. “He’s as eager to understand what’s going on as we are.”
Feather Dancer kept glowering at Cold Spring. “Where is Flint? Did you see him?”
“Yes.” She sighed. “By betraying me, he’s become the local hero. Horned Owl has been feasting him and offering Flint his choice of the village maidens.”
Feather Dancer’s face contorted into a grimace. “If I didn’t want to kill him so much, I’d feel sorry for him.”
“Yes. He’s an Outcast now. He will never be able to return to the Black Falcon Nation. He will only have a home among our enemies, and he had better pray that our enemies don’t suddenly wish to become our friends, because he will be the first prize offered as a sign of their good faith.”
She’d seen it happen. When an alien people wanted to create a political alliance with the Black Falcon Nation, a traitor was often sent as a gift. He was killed, of course.
Deep inside her, she uttered a soft prayer that the Loon People never wanted to ally themselves with the Black Falcon Nation—but … if Feather Dancer was wrong, and the Loon Nation
was
sending warriors to join the jade war party, Wink and Horned Owl would very likely forge an alliance.
Either way, Flint must know his days are numbered.
Feather Dancer said, “You should sleep.”
“I’ve been sleeping for days.”
“You will need your strength, Chieftess. Please listen to me. Rest whenever they let you.”
His worried expression told her far more than his words. Was he afraid they were going to torture her tomorrow?
“Yes, you’re right.” She touched his arm gratefully, rose, and walked around the fire toward Pipit.
The little girl anxiously gazed up at her.
“I am Chieftess Sora,” she said as she knelt. “Would you like to share my cape tonight?”
Pipit’s eyes widened. “Will you be warm enough if I do?”
“I think we’ll both be warmer.” Sora stretched out on the floor and held Strongheart’s cape open. Pipit crawled inside and cautiously lay down. As Sora lowered the cape to cover the girl, she said, “Sleep well, Pipit.”
She was silent for a long while; then she whispered, “I can’t.”
“Why is that?”
Pipit licked her lips. “My mother whispers to me all night long. I don’t know how she gets into the village past the guards, but she stands just outside the lodge and calls and calls my name, trying to get me to come outside.”
A chill prickled Sora’s spine. Had the woman’s soul been so worried about Pipit that it had remained on earth and become a homeless ghost? Homeless ghosts frequently went insane and drove their loved ones’ reflection-souls into the forest, where they, too, became homeless ghosts.
She hugged Pipit. “Well, try to sleep. You need your rest so that you can work tomorrow.”
“Yes, I know, but I don’t want my mother to think I’m being bad. If you hear her calling me, will you tell her I’m not ignoring her? I’m just asleep.”
“Of course, I’ll tell her.”
How strange that the girl still feared being “bad.” Pipit’s mother must have scolded her often for not listening to her. Or was there more to it? Had Pipit ignored her mother’s voice during the battle, and that’s why she was captured?
“What happened to your father, Pipit?”
“Oh, he’s well, thank you. He watches over me, day and night. Sometimes I see him sneaking through the forest just beyond where we’re working. He can’t get too close, because of the guards, but he smiles at me.”
All around the lodge, people spoke in weary tones as they crawled beneath their capes. Sora noticed that Feather Dancer shared his cape with the young wounded warrior.
Pipit craned her neck to look up at her. “Thank you for coming, Chieftess. We were frightened before you arrived. We’re stronger now. We know your warriors are coming to rescue us.”
The words were like thorns driven into Sora’s heart. She
wondered how on earth she was going to accomplish such a rescue.
She stroked Pipit’s black hair. “Yes. They’re coming. I promise you they are. Just stay alive, and you’ll be free.”
HIGH MATRON WINK DUCKED BENEATH THE LEATHER DOOR curtain and into the council chamber. As she marched toward the four log benches that framed the fire hearth, the shells sewn around the hem of her pale green dress flashed. “A pleasant evening to you, Sea Grass.”
Sea Grass, matron of Oak Leaf Village, looked up. The old white-haired woman sat on the south bench, to Wink’s right, holding a beautiful bundle on her lap. The fabric was exquisite, tightly woven in red, black, and blue stripes. “Did you bring it?”
“Yes.” Wink held up the wooden box.
“Good. I wish to see it before I take my son home in the morning.”
Sea Grass petted the fabric bundle, and tears filled her eyes. The cleaned bones of her murdered son, War Chief Skinner, were inside, along with his eye-soul, which stayed with the body forever.
Wink sat down opposite Sea Grass and placed the wooden box on the bench between them. They gazed at each other,
probably both thinking about her son. No one knew the exact details. Feather Dancer had found War Chief Skinner lying dead in the forest beside Sora. Both had been naked. Clearly Skinner had tried to kill Sora; his fingers were still wrapped around her throat, and she’d been clubbed in the head. In some still-unexplained way, Sora had apparently managed to slip poison into Skinner’s cup before he attempted her murder. When he’d started to feel the poison invade his veins, he must have attacked her.
Wink expelled a breath and pulled her gaze from Sea Grass.
All around the walls, the sacred masks picked up the reflections of the firelight, and the empty eye sockets flared.
“Sea Grass, I hope you were satisfied with the way Priest Teal prepared your son for the journey to the afterlife.”
“There is no one better than Teal. I know my son’s reflection-soul is safely in the Land of the Dead with our Blessed Ancestors.” She tucked a loose strand of white hair behind her ear and patted the bundle. “I will take his eye-soul home and place it in our charnel house so that my son can advise the Water Hickory Clan for the rest of our time on earth.”
The hurt in Sea Grass’ voice touched Wink. “I’m deeply sorry this happened, Sea Grass. You must know that Shadow Rock Clan will help—”
“Your chieftess killed my son, Matron. You’ve
helped
far too much already.”
Wink’s lips pressed into a tight line, not knowing what to say to that. “Sora is sick. She has an Evil Spirit inside her. We are doing our best to find a Healer. Flint and Feather Dancer should have passed your village two days ago, and by now are well on their way northward to Priest Long Lance’s country.”
Sea Grass gave her a cold look. “What if he can’t Heal her? Many have tried, including Teal, the best priest in the Black Falcon Nation. All failed.”
“Just let me try one more time, Sea Grass. I beg you. If Long Lance can’t cast out the Spirit, then find her wandering reflection-soul and make it stay in her body … I … I will carry out my responsibilities to keep our nation safe.”
Sea Grass’ eyes narrowed. Her voice came out a hiss: “You should have killed her long ago, Wink. If you had, my son would be alive, as would many other people.”
Wink clenched her jaw to keep the hot words inside. After news of the murders and the failed Healing Circle spread across the Black Falcon world, there would be many who agreed with Sea Grass.
“You asked to see the jade brooch that Chief Blue Bow ordered War Chief Grown Bear to bring to Sora. Do you still wish to?” Wink shoved the box across the bench toward the old woman.
Sea Grass glanced at it, but didn’t touch it. “First, I would like to hear, from your lips, the story of how it came to Blackbird Town.”
“Of course.” Wink explained, “Grown Bear said his party paddled south along the coastline for sixteen days until they met the Scarlet Macaw People. They were idolaters, with strange ways, but he Traded with them. He brought Sora the brooch in this box to prove to her—to all of us—how valuable that Trade could be.”
“Rockfish, the chieftess’ husband, told me it could be very lucrative. He also said that Grown Bear had asked us to commit warriors to a war party that would attack the enemies of the Scarlet Macaw People, who own the quarry, so that we might take the jade.”
“That’s right. Sora thought it too dangerous. She said that Blue Bow was asking us first to ally with him, our enemy, then to send our warriors south to ally with an unknown people, to fight a foe whose numbers and strength we did not know, to
gain access to a quarry that might not even exist. She thought it could be a trap.”
“Rockfish told me his people had committed three hundred warriors to go after the jade.”
Wink nodded. “They did. Rockfish’s people promised three hundred. Blue Bow promised two hundred, which is practically every warrior in his village. That makes five hundred. Rockfish’s will be here in a few days; then they’ll march off to meet the Loon warriors, climb into their canoes, and head south around the gulf. At least that’s the plan.”
Sea Grass gave Wink a hard glare. “But we have committed no warriors to go after the jade?”
“Our council vote was three to two against it.”
“Really? I heard that you voted
for
sending warriors. Was I misinformed?”
“Originally, I did vote yes, but I changed my vote.”
Sea Grass’ wrinkles rearranged into suspicious lines. “Why?”
“Because I decided Sora was right. It’s too dangerous.”
While Wink was the matron of the Shadow Rock Clan, and ruler of the Black Falcon Nation, there were three other clans: Matron Wood Fern ruled the Water Hickory Clan, Matron Black Birch headed the Bald Cypress Clan, and Wigeon was in charge of the Shoveler Clan. In addition, each clan village had a matron and a chief who answered to the clan matrons, and finally, to High Matron Wink and High Chieftess Sora.
Sea Grass straightened her hunched shoulders. “Your son is now the high chief of the Black Falcon Nation. What is his opinion about this jade?”
Wink folded her arms over her chest. She didn’t like the way this discussion was going. Sea Grass was a shrewd old leader. What was she after? “My son is
temporarily
the high chief. He will, of course, step down when Sora returns.”
Sea Grass’s eyes turned glassy, as if she didn’t believe Wink.
“Before he became the chief, Long Fin was in favor of joining the war party, wasn’t he?”
“Yes, but I see no reason to reconvene the council at this time. We need to keep our warriors here, in case—”
“Your son may be a ‘temporary’ high chief, but he still has a vote in the council, doesn’t he?”
Wind whimpered around the walls of the Matron’s House and rustled the thatch roof; it sounded like a thousand tiny teeth trying to gnaw their way in.
Wink said, “Are you in favor of committing warriors to the party?”
The old woman tilted her white head. “No, I support our clan matron, Wood Fern. But there are other members of my clan who believe that a few boatloads of stone would help to compensate Oak Leaf Village for the loss of our war chief.”
“Are you saying that these ‘other members’ believe your son’s life is worth the blood of hundreds of Black Falcon warriors?”
Sea Grass shifted on the bench. “Let us speak straightly, Wink. It is customary for the victim’s family to claim the life of the murderer, or a member of the murderer’s family. But you know as well as I that Water Hickory Clan will never get its hands on Sora, and out of respect we would not claim your life—or another member of the Shadow Rock Clan. The stone has become an attractive substitute.”
Wink would not openly say it, but she wondered if that idea hadn’t been planted by Rockfish. Perhaps to help save Sora. Perhaps to enrich his people, or himself.
“Canoeloads of jade will not ease your clan’s grief, Sea Grass, nor will they assuage your anger.”
Wink’s words obviously rankled the old woman, but she fought to keep her emotions from showing on her face.
“Tell me something, Matron?” Sea Grass asked in a mild
voice, as though merely inquiring. “If one of our clans decided to join the war party, would you object?”
Stunned, Wink replied, “Yes. I certainly would. If any clan disobeyed the council and entered into a private agreement that endangered our nation, it could cause civil war. I’m sure your people care far too much for their relatives to do something that foolish.”
Sea Grass’ lips curved into a practiced smile. “As it happens, Clan Matron Wood Fern agrees with you. She is vehemently opposed to sending warriors.”
“Then why are we discussing this? Unless, of course, Oak Leaf Village plans to send warriors on its own?”
“I would never go against the wishes of our clan matron.”
Wink studied her. Was she telling the truth? If Oak Leaf Village disobeyed Wood Fern and joined the war party, Wood Fern would have the right to declare the entire village Outcast. Wink would support that decision. Surely, Sea Grass would not risk that.
“Well,” Sea Grass said. “Perhaps I should look at this brooch that everyone is talking about.” She gestured to the painted box.
“Please.”
Sea Grass pulled the box across the bench and opened the lid. The enormous brooch was magnificent. Rimmed in pure glittering gold, it was the size of two hands put together and made of a green translucent stone that resembled the depths of Mother Ocean’s heart.
Sea Grass ran her fingers over it, and a sudden glint of curiosity lit her eyes. She said, “How strange.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I could be wrong, but I’m fairly certain I’ve seen this before.”
“Grown Bear just brought it. How could you—”
“Oh, I don’t think so.” Sea Grass pulled the brooch from the
box and held it in her skeletal hand while she scrutinized it, obviously comparing it to her memory. “If I’m not mistaken, this belonged to High Matron Red Warbler.”
“Red Warbler?”
“Yes. Sora’s great-grandmother.”
Wink’s mouth gaped. “Are you sure?”
In a barely audible voice, Sea Grass said, “Oh, yes. She wore it once every winter for the solstice celebrations.”
“I don’t remember that!”
“You wouldn’t. You hadn’t been born yet. After Red Warbler ordered the Scarlet Macaw Traders never to set foot in the Black Falcon Nation again, she put it away.”
Wink’s eyes darted anxiously around the council chamber. “Why didn’t she want their Traders—”
“It was a silly matter.” Sea Grass waved a hand. “Red Warbler caught one of them stealing copper breastplates from a storehouse. She said that’s all they did: They stole our sacred art and our stories, and wanted nothing more than to strip us bare before they conquered us. She ordered everyone in the Black Falcon Nation to cease Trading with them.”
Wink inhaled a deep breath and held it while she carefully considered her next words. “It seems we have forgotten that prohibition, doesn’t it?”
The lines around Sea Grass’ eyes deepened. “The world has changed, Wink. Perhaps the Scarlet Macaw People have changed, too. We know their empire crumbled decades ago. I’ve heard they’re living in a handful of scattered towns, just struggling to maintain their traditions. If there was ever a time to attack them and take what we wish, it is now.”
Wink hugged herself. Sea Grass’ eager tone was like a blackness eating at her insides. “But Grown Bear
did
bring the brooch to Sora. I saw it before she did.”
“Perhaps, but I know for a fact that Red Warbler received
many pieces of jewelry from the Scarlet Macaw Traders, as signs of their respect. After she ordered us never to Trade with them again, she put those pieces in a box, and sealed it with boiled pine pitch.”
“How do you know that?”
“Sora’s grandmother, High Chieftess Grackle, was a good friend to my grandmother, and I used to listen very closely whenever they spoke. Grackle told Grandmother about the box. It was to be handed down through the generations, unopened, in case the Black Falcon Nation ever needed it in an emergency.”

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