Passion's Series (29 page)

Chapter Five

In the morning, a hunting group of six set out in high spirits.  Many from the village stood near the village entrance to watch them go and wish them well.  It was to be the first hunt for two boys aged 12 and 13.  An older hunter was with them as well, Climbing Bear, the uncle for the boys who oversaw their training personally.  As part of a lesson, Raven was to be in charge of the overall hunt.

Whooping and elated calls followed the hunters as they approached the entrance.  As they ran out the gate, all six fell into the strict silence required of them.  The pace quickened dramatically too, with Raven taking the lead and pushing them all to maintain one speed.

Raven was happy to find the run easy to him, and kept a watchful eye on the boys to ensure that neither fell back nor stumbled.  He noticed that the uncle had a strap looped about his waist above the breechcloth, understanding it to be the means by which the man would correct the two youngest of the group.  A quick snap from the leather would keep the new hunters in line.

All day they ran, pausing only shortly to check trails and consider signs of game.  They were not tracking anything yet, but keeping to areas that would suit them best for the following day.  Admirably, the boys kept up throughout their loping movement among the trees and hills.  Raven timed his breaks carefully to check for signs of game, thinking it a good way to give the youngest two a rest without showing that he was doing so and diminishing their honor.

As the evening wore on, the entire group was nearly sprinting at the end of their day's travel.  Everyone, even Antelope, seemed as if he felt the test of endurance.  The boys had grimly set jaws and narrowed eyes.  Finally, Raven signaled their halt as they filed into a narrow draw in the shadow of a steep hill.  A stream gurgled to meet them, and they followed this until they reached a small waterfall.  Here, next to the fall's small pool, they made camp.

Sunset painted the forested hill in crimson and shadow.  Gentle gusts tumbled leaves through the air and scattered the waterfall in small bursts of spray.  Each of the troupe took turns dipping into the shallow pool, curling themselves up so that the water covered them completely.

Raven did this with a feeling of calm that stunned him.  The ceremony in the depths was coming to mean much, for nowhere else had he gained so much insight into his internal dilemma.  Words touched his lips in whisper, “Give me the wind, give me the breeze...”

After all completed the rituals they built a fire and all happily gathered around to enjoy its warmth.  None would admit it, but the night was cool and the
water had chilled them.  They ate supper, a welcome meal after fasting since the night before.  Finally, the meal was finished, the fire banked.  Then, everyone, tired from the day's activity, rubbed its ash on his chest in preparation for the night.

At daybreak, everyone got up expectant and restless.  They returned their campsite to the land as much as possible, and Raven took the lead once more.  This time, the pace was much slower, a stalking walk up the hill with frequent stops to check for spoor and other sign.

When they found a deer, each knew their attack would take place without hesitation.  As part of challenging the developing warriors, the hunt would be carried out without weapons.  They would corner one of the animals carefully and come together as a group to subdue it.  Ideally, such a task would take place upon a young buck or a smaller doe.

Thankfully, they had found a small group of deer without alerting the animals to any human presence.  The youngest boy was chosen to stalk a small doe, assigning him the task of creeping as close as possible to their prey.

Though the moment was crucial, Raven had been distracted.  Movement caught his eye in the woods, and a figure that looked human disappeared behind a tree.  Gritting his teeth in frustration, he went to investigate this potential threat.  With Panther missing, and reports of mercenaries possibly being in the area, he would forgo the hunt in the off chance that there was danger.  He gestured for Bear to take over the group.

All direction and instruction was carried out in silence.  The boy did his part as Climbing Bear gave signal, and the rest of the hunters crept around the deer, spreading into a circle that would surround all of the creatures.  Remaining deathly quiet, it would be up to the one boy to signal when the rest would jump forward for the final attack.

Though he was only 12, the youngest was careful yet quick.  He praised the winds for sending the deer's scent to him and not the other way around.  Every time one of the deer even flicked an ear, his body went rigid.  After stopping and starting a hundred times, the doe was nearly an arm's length away.  The moment had arrived, and the boy sprang with a mighty kick of his legs.  His leap was true.  Strong arms and hands shot around the deer and clenched its underbelly.

The deer scattered.  They sprang forward like oil skittering across a hot pan.  All of the hunters ran forward, ignoring the other animals and closing in on the one.  Now it was only a matter of holding it down and killing it.  Though stumbling from the boy's weight, it was still zigzagging through the woods.  Helpfully, it was slowed drastically both by its panic and the captor's grip.

Antelope reached the deer first, then Bear and the other young boy.  The rest of the group closed in as well.  Each of the hunters grabbed hold of a leg, or the neck, or just a handhold of fur and skin.  Seconds after the youngest hunter leapt, the animal was subdued.

Climbing Bear handed the youngest his knife, trading places with the boy to hold the beast from bucking away.  Confidently, the triumphant boy grabbed the back of the doe's neck, murmuring words of thanks with a glance upward, “Oh Great Terrestrial Hunter.” 

The young brave offered up prayer to the Great Spirit and thanked the creature for its sacrifice to bring food for the village.  Then he honored the dear by ending its life in the manor all young braves are taught.  The prayers of thanksgiving and honor to the deer is a sacred and necessary act that the young brave performed with great respect. 

With the creature dead, they made camp where they had felled it.  The fire built, they fed a piece of the deer's tongue to the flames.  All were talking about the hunt, and speaking on everyone's contribution to a successful kill.  The mood was lighthearted and triumphant.  They noticed Raven was missing, but had seen him stalking something else toward a thicker grove of trees. 

Bear had waved the others away from following, “Let him go, we must attend to the kill.”

Raven Cloud was far from the group.  Creeping along, he snuck up on the person hiding nearby.  After he caught a second flash of movement, he knew someone was spying on them.  Suddenly, he heard the faint snap of a careless footfall in the wrong place.  The twig gave away the other's position.  Instantly, he sprinted toward the sound, drawing his knife.

Rounding a large, ancient tree, he raised his blade to strike.

“Buffalo, no, stop!”  Golden Dawn raised her arm in defense, eyes wide as she looked up from a crouched position on the ground.

Raven gaped, lowering his weapon, “Golden Dawn.  What are you doing out here?  What madness persuaded you to follow a hunt?”  Dawn stared at the ground, forcing her face to remain expressionless as she hid the shame and anger she felt.  They had not even seen her, or heard her.  She had kept silent, had kept out of sight, and there would not be a single word of praise for any of her abilities to remain hidden. 

Struggling to control her voice, she answered, “I wanted to practice.  I wanted to try my own hand at being on the hunt.”

              “And New Moon, does she know you are out here?  Will she be worried for you, wondering what has become of her daughter?” 

Dawn realized her Buffalo fought to control his anger.  Never before had he shown real anger at any of her reckless escapades.  Buffalo’s anger with her caused her pain as no punishment could.

              Her head sunk lower, “I told her I was going to gather items for dying baskets.  She did not know I'd be gone for more than the afternoon, let alone several days.”

             
Raven reached out, taking Dawn's hand and pulling so that she would rise to her feet.  He jerked his head back toward the group, “Come, we will show them your presence, and then I am taking you back to Chota Town before you are missed any longer.”

             
As the two approached the fire Dawn noticed nearly everyone showed at least a bit of shock at the presence of New Moon's daughter.  Anger showed in their gazes as well.  Each looked away openly ignoring her.

“An unwelcome guest might bring bad luck to a hunt, for such a person is not included in the ceremony that all others attend.”  Climbing Bear spoke gruffly, seemingly addressing the fire without looking at the intruder.

Dawn’s heart felt like it was breaking as her Little Buffalo begun ignoring her as well, going as far as refusing to look at her while speaking to Bear, “This one will return to the village early, perhaps so as to lead any stray creatures away from the remaining hunters.  In such a way, it is hoped that the party might remain longer without worry of disturbance.”

Golden Dawn stood away from the fire, away from everyone else, staring out into the woods.  She was furious with herself.  Her attempt had been going well, and it was so close to succeeding.

Bear nodded to Raven, “This is a wise action you will take, and I approve of it.  Go, tell the village of our success, and let them know that any lingering presence has been dispelled.  It must be so for the safety of all involved.”

The sun was already getting low, well past midday.  Raven gave one last nod to the hunt's new leader, and then gave a wave toward Antelope.  Without another moment's delay, he tapped Dawn on the shoulder and gestured for her to follow him.  They took off at a run.

As they sped through the woods, Dawn spoke defensively, “I was taking care of myself, you know.  You could have let me leave without the others being any wiser of my presence.”

Raven glanced at the smaller figure, frowning lightly, “You would have me leave New Moon worried for her husband and her daughter?  Are you so cruel?”

Dawn stumbled at that, caught by the truth of his words.  Raven’s hand shot out to give her support.  She recovered, jerked her arm from his grasp, and then sped up, forcing Raven to do so as well.  Dawn was fast, but she knew Buffalo had the advantage of size and more experience with long-distance running.  She could not outpace him, no matter how she tried.  Her anger spurred her on, however, and she sped up again.

“Your silence speaks volumes.”  Raven shook his head, and concentrated on their route.  “I believe we will make it back before night has long fallen if we hurry.”

Dawn did not respond, but as she ran, unwanted tears formed in her eyes.  She intended to impress Buffalo with her determination and endurance.  Hastily, she wiped at the dampness, refusing to show weakness.  Unfortunately, the roots of a sprawling tree caught her foot and twisted the ankle, and suddenly she tumbled with a soft cry.

Raven Cloud jerked to a stop, “Funny Face.”

Chapter Six

Sitting around a small fire, Raven mixed leaves and mud in a small bowl-shaped hole he dug into the ground.  Packing the dirt until it was hard, it made a suitable container for making a quick compress.  His water skin was nearly empty, so he made the fire and settled Golden Dawn next to it as he ran to the nearest stream.  On the way back, he gathered leaves, realizing that his near-sister would need help with the swelling that her injury would cause.

As always, Raven analyzed the recent development and tried to sort out what it all meant.  All the anger he felt vanished when he heard her gasp and saw her tumble hard to the ground.  He knew Funny Face wanted to impress him, but why in such a way?

What is she thinking?  Was there no thought of her mother?  Did she not know that such actions would not speak well of her in the village.  Why did she seem to have little care of how others perceived her yet took pride in how she held herself up?

As he approached the campsite he squatted low and watched his little Funny Face.  She sat stiff upon the stone where he had left her.  His heart ached for her when she angrily wiped her tears.  She took a deep breath and then surprised him when she looked up and looked directly in his direction.  He knew she could not see him, yet it seemed she could.

“I know you are there, Raven Who Flies To Meet The Clouds.  Stop stalking me!”

“I am impressed,” Raven said as he stood and stepped from his hiding place.  “I have never been able to hide from you, yet you remained invisible to a hunting party.”

“Now you say this, when I sit here with a swollen ankle and bruised pride.”

“Maybe now is when you needed to hear it,” Raven responded softly.

He reached down to retrieve the ingredients he had gathered to treat Dawn’s ankle.  Once he finished the compress, he took her ankle in hand gently, “We will have to stay here through the night.  Carrying you in the twilight would be dangerous, and I will not make you limp along in the dimness either,” he said, considering how it got dark faster in the woods, where leaves and branches already filtered sunlight heavily.

Raven flinched when Dawn gritted her teeth at his touch, for it was a bad sprain.  Raven's touch was incredibly controlled, but he knew even a finger's weight pressed into the bruising caused Dawn pain.

“If you were to bind it tightly, I am sure I could keep moving.”  Dawn offered.

“I will not have you hurting any more than necessary, Funny Face.”  He tried to shrug off the lingering anger he felt at her intrusion into the hunt.  It had been such a stupid thing to do…and he thought himself to be impulsive.  He had no doubt that Dawn rivaled him in that particular trait.  His face tightened as he held off a smirk from reaching his expression.  It would not do to make Dawn think lightly of her transgression.

“You do not really think my face is funny, do you?”

“No, of course not.”  Using his knife, he cut a long strip from his waistcloth, mentally reminding himself to make a new one soon, “I could not imagine your face any other way.”  He packed on the mud and leaves carefully, and then wound it with the leather.

“Then why do you still call me Funny Face?”  She breathed in sharply as Raven tightened the strap further around her ankle.

“It is different.  Your eyes are so startling to see.  Their blue is like that of the great ocean on a calm day, or like the cloudless sky.”  He tied off the leather expertly, “Now carefully, wiggle your toes.  Panther always said you must do so to ensure the blood remains good.”

She did so, toes curling up and loosening, “You look different in a good way too, Buffalo.  There is much we have in common.”  Dawn's gaze wandered toward a break in the trees where she could see a small patch of the sky, “I am sorry for what I have done.”

Raven sat back on his heels, peering at Golden Dawn with a creased brow, “You could have been hurt, and none would know where to find you.”

Her apologetic tone disappeared instantly, replaced with haughty defense, “Yet I was not.  I fed myself, and was unseen by experienced trackers.”

“Too proud to admit that you are at fault, or too blind to see what you risked?”

Silence settled between them, and they did not say another word.  Raven examined the dressing to assure himself that it was not too tight yet wrapped well enough to hold in place.  Once completed, he moved to the fire, breaking it down to prevent any unwanted eyes from easily finding them.  He continued the process of covering it in dirt and removing as many traces of having been there as possible.  By then, the darkness was complete, the night already cooling and alive with the voices of invisible creatures.

Raven's eyes had gradually adjusted, and once his task was completed, he watched the woods with careful intensity.  He listened, wary and worried.  The remnants of anger still burned, but Golden Dawn's life was ever precious to him.  The girl remained silent, and he could see the outlines of her body on the ground where she had moved herself to be farther away from him.

Dawn had pulled her knees into her chest, peering out into the forest and no doubt reflecting on her actions.  Raven felt he could almost hear her thoughts as her body tensed and twitched as she argued within her own mind.  No doubt, she could see the others' reasons for anger, but did not completely understand why they would not acknowledge her ability and success.  The coolness of the looming night apparently began sapping her warmth, and it was impossible for her to control a sudden shiver.

Sitting down beside her, Raven mimicked her pose, knees to his chest, “Are you cold?”

The girl shook her head, trying to force her body to be strong, “I will be fine...”  Yet, her chattering teeth betrayed her.  Regardless, Dawn kept her tone firm, “I am as strong as a warrior, as able as any hunter.”

“I must take care of you.  You are my responsibility.”

“Little Buffalo, I...” 

All further protest silenced as Raven lifted her.  He cradled her gently, standing effortlessly under her weight and walking to a nearby tree.  There, he crouched, and while still holding her took a seat and leaned back against the tree.

“I have told you often, I am no longer Little Buffalo.  Your willful ways are amusing, but in some things you must learn that there is no altering the outcome.”

Raven could feel the internal battle Dawn fought.  It radiated from her body as she first melted toward the warmth he offered and then tensed as she battled her own weakness.

Dawn tried to push her legs away from him and get free, “You would not accept such treatment yourself, why expect it from me without complaint?”

His hands clamped down on one ankle, arm wrapped around the other leg like a vise, “Shh, sleep now.  We still have far to go in the morning, and I do not wish to worry your mother any more than needed.”  He hated to treat her so, but it was necessary to protect her.

Raven stroked Dawn's golden hair, unable to prevent himself from giving a soft smile.  He felt her breathing beginning to even.

As consciousness left her, Golden Dawn felt the remembered flashes of dreams stream through her memory.  They spoke of a future that seemed promised.  Being protected by Raven Who Flies To Meet The Clouds seemed right.  With a sense of belonging comforting her mind, she drifted into further dreams.

Raven felt Dawn relax within his arms.  He also felt a growing sense of peace, though he could not identify its source or reason.  It was a welcome relief from his usual nature of questioning and seeking answers.  Enjoying the sense of calm, his gaze steadied on the darkness before him, and the night passed with his mind in less turbulence than usual.

***

As light filtered through the trees, Raven rose with muscles aching and body tired.  Golden Dawn still slept in his arms, and at first, he maintained a slow but steady pace to prevent her from waking.  She was light, and it surprised him how much life and energy such a small figure could contain.

They were over halfway back to the village when Dawn woke up, blinking back a sleep heavy with dreams, “Are we already moving?  Why did you not wake me?”

Raven picked up the pace, breaking out into a jog, “You needed your rest, and it would not be good for you to walk on your hurt leg.”  He kept his gaze on the woods ahead of him, carefully picking out their route.

“We only gain strength through what we overcome, even mother said so.”

“Yet strength will do little good if you do not grow older to use it.”

Dawn scowled and Raven was glad he had an answer she could not argue with.  “You have an answer for everything, Little Buffalo.”

He jerked to a halt, grabbing her good ankle and hanging her upside down, “I grow tired of little minds that cannot grasp new changes.  Perhaps I will change those minds myself, allow them to see the wisdom of recognizing improvements in life.”

The girl squirmed, but was cautious of hurting her sprained ankle and unable to escape the iron grip, “Raven Cloud!  Raven Who Flies To Meet The Clouds!”

“Now promise, you will use my proper name, and cease this silly game of yours.”

As out of sorts as she was, and unable to control her current predicament, Dawn grinned, “I promise, yet have won all the same.  I have forced your hand, and have the more power for it.”

Raven rolled his eyes, pulling his squirming burden back against his chest with an exaggerated sigh, “If you were not hurt, I would drop you on your head and let you roll down this hill.”

“If I were not hurt, I would drop you on your head!”

He laughed, “Oh, were that to ever happen, you could call me anything you wished.”  Without another moment's hesitation, he took off at a run down the
slope.  Despite their bandied words, he felt lighthearted and happy.  The worry was leaving him.  Soon enough, their home would be in view and all would be back to normal.

Yet when Chota Town did peer out from behind a wooded hill, the sense of well-being began to seep away.  As they so often did, questions began swirling in Raven's mind.  Was this really his home?  Why was he back in the Colonies?  Where was Panther?  Where was his true father?  These continued to be unanswered long after the young half-breed walked back into the village.