The Last Sundancer (14 page)

Kaichen
left a small gift of thanks behind for the black-tailed rabbit that had come to his arrow.  He skinned the animal and quartered the meat, after burying the entrails.  He saved the organs for Amara, though his mouth watered at the thought of well-cooked organ meat.  

Antuk had an able hand over a cook fire, though Kaichen could hold his own if he was pressed to do so.   He did not expect
Amara to cook for them until she recovered from her ordeal.  She was like a scared bird without wings, jumping at every sound and uncertain of her steps. 

Kaichen’s natural inst
inct was to offer comfort to Amara, but he was not unwise to the ways of men and women.   It would take time before Amara could see him as her lifemate.  He only hoped that she had released some of the fear inside of her heart, if not all.  Amara’s eyes told him that she had lived without protection for too long. 

He carefully removed all sign of his presence from the land around him.  It bothered him that he could not take the time to cover their tracks but finding water was more important than hiding their trail. 

The meat from the rabbit would keep them alive for now, but if they did not find water soon, the hand of death would sweep them away.   It was another burden heaped upon the others that rested on his shoulders.  

Kaichen returned to the place where Antuk rested with the woman.   Even from a
distance, Kaichen could see that Antuk had built up a small fire in anticipation.   What concerned him was the tendril of smoke that lifted into the air, creating its own dark cloud against the peerless blue sky.   

The fire would be noticeable from a vast distance, even with the smattering of canyons and caverns that dotted the land.   Kaichen felt worry pierce his heart and his hunter’s instinct whispered to him
telling him of hidden dangers.  

Kaichen hurried forward with lithe grace and firmly reigned in control.  If he made it back to their fire only to find Antuk lifeless and
Amara gone, he would never forgive himself. 

Antuk hummed as Amara wrung her hands together.   Kaichen had gone to find something good to eat and Antuk knew that his friend would return with meat for them to eat.  The mesma was used only to stave off hunger and it always brought about a grimace of distaste.  Fresh meat was always preferable to mesma. 

The woman’s agitation was obvious to Antuk, but he could not communicate with her.  He had placed one beefy hand upon her shoulder as he tried to offer her comfort but her eyes had
widened in apprehension. 

He did not want the woman to fear him.  He would never hurt her.  She was like the desert butterflies that he loved to look at.  As a
boy, he had chased the winged insects and held them in the palm of his hands only to release them again.   Kaichen’s woman was more beautiful than the colorful butterflies that he admired from afar. 

Someone had caused her harm and
he knew that she was upset by the way that her hands twisted together and her eyes flitted from one place to another.  

Kaichen
told Antuk that he was not to allow the woman out of his sight.  Antuk did not think that he would need reminding of such a thing.  He knew that she would die alone without their help.  Already, she was weak from her ordeal and tired.  What would happen if she tried to run from him? 

Antuk could not imagine grabbing hold of a woman so small and delicate.  If he did not look at the curves of her
body, he would think that she was a child.   He guessed that she was of a similar height to many other women, but something about her appearance made her seem fragile and delicate.  

Antuk tried to ignore
Amara, but her expression made him nervous.  Once, she had spoken and pointed back the way that they had come.  But Antuk made it clear to her that he could not understand her language.   She huffed and then shook her head sadly and he knew that she was disappointed. 

“Kaichen will return soon.” Antuk assured the woman.

Amara only recognized her husband’s name and found no comfort in his effort to reassure her. 

Amara rested upon her folded knees as she watched the land for any sign of moment.   Kaichen had chosen a location that offered shade but he had not taken a defensive position.  Settled out in the open the way that they were had left them open to an attack.

She bit her lip as she looked at
Antuk as he patiently tended the small fire.  She had rarely seen anyone put more effort into starting a blaze.  Antuk used a stick that he carried with him and a round stone as well as small twigs and brush.  Before long, the first tendrils of smoke formed and then Antuk blew with all of his might.

Amara almost laughed.  Almost.  Antuk managed to blow out the spark of fire and he growled deep in his throat as he started again.  

Soon white smoke appeared again and Antuk choked as he fed the fire with small twigs.  Amara noticed that the fire was small and Antuk managed to keep it from growing without allowing the fire to die out.  She wondered if he sensed the danger that stalked toward them. 

The small hairs on her arms stood up and
she found it difficult to catch her breath.  She tried to communicate her concerns to Antuk but he had quickly grown distracted by his inability to understand her words.  She felt an urgent need to warn Antuk of the danger that surrounded them. 

Yet
, Antuk was lost in his own thoughts and he paid her no attention at all.   His weapons were tossed aside, far from his reach.  She eyed his large hunting knife and then considered making another effort to communicate her concerns.

A shadow moved in the distance and Amara froze even as her breath shuddered free. 

Kaichen was relieved to see that all was well.  Antuk tended to a small fire in anticipation of fresh meat.  His concentration was complete and he did not look away from the slow dancing flames when Kaichen walked forward. 

Kaichen saw that Amara’s hand rested a hair’s breath away from the hilt of Antuk’s hunting knife.  Even as he watched, she slowly withdrew her hand and clasped her fingers together.

“Did you have need of a weapon?” Kaichen never too
k his eyes from his wife’s face as he handed his kill to Antuk.

He saw that her eyes widened in surprise and then almost immediately she lowered her gaze so that he could not see her
expression. Kaichen thought that she would refuse to answer his question but when she next lifted her gaze to meet his he realized that she had used the moment to gather her courage.

“There was a shadow where there should have only been sunlight.” Amara ran her tongue over her lips which were far too dry. 

“You were startled by a shadow?” Kaichen believed her, but he also sensed that there was more that she had left unsaid.

He could only wonder w
hy she continued to hold back.  What did she fear?

Amara’s tongue rasped over the fullness of her mouth though there was no moisture there.  Antuk worked over the fire until the meat was fashioned upon a small spit that had been thrown together far faster than Amara had thought possible.  

“Did you find water?” Antuk raised his head and spoke suddenly drawing their attention. 

“I did not find water my friend.” Kaichen responded in his language and
again in Amara’s language. 

He was surprised when her eyes did not flash with bitter disappointment. 
They were in danger of dying unless they found water.  The fresh meat would help them for a short time and perhaps make the lack of water less evident, but if they did not find water soon death would follow shortly after.

“Why do you fear shadows?” Kaichen returned his attention to
Amara.

“There is much that I should tell you.” Amara’s words were a dry rasp in her throat, but there was nothing to be done for the thirst that afflicted each of them. 

Even the horse and donkey were in danger.  Kaichen did not speak.  He simply eased his body to the ground so that he facing Amara in a kneeling position.  

He could tell that his nearness disconcerted her, but he would not continue to stand over her while she looked away.  Amara glanced at him as if she expected him to speak, when he remained
silent, she frowned.

Kaichen did not like the way his insides quickened over
Amara’s change in expression.  He could not help but to notice Amara’s delicate winged eyebrows that drew together in concern or her lips which she pulled between teeth that flashed white against tawny skin.

“It is said that I am beautiful.” Amara’s lips twisted in disdain over the way that others often
stared at her when they bestowed a compliment upon her. 

It was almost as if they wished that she could share the blessing that had been given to her.  Whether it was truly a blessing or a
curse, she did not know.  Yet, she was surprised when Kaichen once again remained silent.  

“Several traders make their way to our village throughout the changing of the seasons.  In this
way, my people make good trades and learn about the many bands and villages that exist upon the plains.  It was not long ago that the words that came to us struck fear into our hearts.” Now that Amara had begun to speak she found that the story flowed easily from her lips, though their sound was bitter. 

“Our village was small, barely more than a band of people that clung together through rain and the lack of water, endless harvests and the lack of food.  We live at the mercy of the small stream that flows through the place where we rest our heads at night.” Amara accepted a piece of the meat that Antuk had deemed ready to eat. 

She chewed quickly, closing her eyes as she forced the animal’s fatty juices to flow into her mouth.  She swallowed slowly, savoring each drip of moisture.  Embarrassment over her actions caused her to glance up, but Kaichen and Antuk were enjoying their meal just as thoroughly as she was.  They did not glance her way until the last bit of food had been shared between them.  

“Raiders have plagued our people.” Amara closed her eyes as she remembered the fear that had run through their village when they were first told about the raiders that pillaged and plundered. 

“At first, we did not believe the message that was given to us.  But then the traders that always found their way to our small village, never arrived.   “Some of the men of our village journeyed far to seek word from the nearby villages but they did not return.  Others went, but none came back.” Amara almost choked on the tears that clogged her throat.  Her hands were clenched but she forced the rest of the story to pour forth from her lips. 

Amara stopped speaking for a moment as she struggled with her memories of those dark days.

“Your village did not choose to stand with the other bands that were nearby?” Kaichen waived Antuk to silence as he asked his question. 

Antuk wanted Amara’s words explained but Kaichen sensed that now was not the time.  Amara’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears and her lips trembled as she forced herself to speak.   Kaichen would not delay the telling of her story so that he could assuage his friend’s curiosity. 

“I do not know the answer to your question.  Most of the villages nearby were made up of small bands that joined together out of necessity.  They did not have warriors amongst them, their men were hunters only.  They were not like you.  They were not hunters of men.” Amara description of a warrior seemed to strike Kaichen like a blow. 

Yet, it was too late to call the words back, for they had already been spoken.   Kaichen’s face was a mask that did not betray any emotion.  His eyes were steady upon her face and so Amara continued. 

“The warriors came to our village even as the sun breathed its first light upon the land.  I was by my mother’s side and I ran with her.  We had been able to elude the raiders each time that they came but one of the trader’s saw me as I played my flute by the water’s edge.  I remember that he stared at me for a long time before my mother noticed the attention I had drawn and spoke strong words to the man.  I was only a child at the time and as the seasons came and went we hoped that all was forgotten.” Amara thought of the many times that she had tried to forget the trader’s interest. 

He and his companions
never returned.  Amara and her mother hoped that the traders would forget about her ability to call the music forth. 

“My mother wanted to destroy the flute, given to me by my father.  I could not bear to part with it.  If I had known then what I know now, I would have given
it over to my mother to destroy.” Amara looked down at the flute in her hands. 

The treasured instrument
was all that she had and yet, she would deny her gift if it would bring back those that had been lost.

“The trader told others of your
ability to call the music forth?” Kaichen could understand why a man would desire Amara.