Catori’s skirt, made of fluffy animal tails, swayed as she approached Harmony. “Our men will make sure they come back.” Catori started to walk away, much to Harmony’s relief, but she then she stopped. “By the way, you should stay clear of Finn. Nakoma may have plans for him, but Finn and I are meant to be together.”
“Oh, really? Then why throw yourself at Kodiak?” Irked at being forced to stay behind, everything seemed to be out of her control. And Catori’s sassy warning made her blood boil.
“I was having fun,” Catori taunted.
Harmony was human, so she was used to bullies and assholes. Cat Ears didn’t scare her. “Well, maybe I’ll have a little fun while I’m here as Nakoma’s special guest. I’m sure she’d have a laugh over this conversation. Maybe tonight in her private bath we’ll joke about it. And as for Finn, he seemed like he’d like to get to know me better… In fact, Nakoma suggested it.”
Catori’s mouth pinched with anger, and her lion was instantly beside her, its orange eyes fixed on Harmony. Harmony wasn’t afraid of Catori, but her lion, Chaser, was another story. She managed with all her will to ignore the lion and focus on Catori, her eyebrows raised. Bring it!
Catori stalked away and her lion followed her, its nose sniffing the air, on to other things. Harmony exhaled a pent-up breath. How am I going to survive the next few days? If and when they returned, the group still had to trek back to the coast, wait for Calder to make the concoction, and pray the combination returned her home. She felt alone in this realm, just as she’d been alone in her own.
Harmony meandered far enough along the river’s grassy bank to take in the outline of the stone city. Catori left her alone, and Nakoma was off with Finn, so she wandered in self-reflection. A second bridge spanned the upper river. She leaned her elbows on the stone balustrade and looked to the sky, empty save for the sun climbing steadily overhead. As she listened for the sounds of the surrounding forest, she thought she heard singing past the constant noise of the falls. But these people don’t sing. They chant in meditation maybe, but definitely no singing. She shielded her eyes.
Below her, the sunshine reflected off two heads in the water. As the heads glided closer their voices became stronger. Two girls, maybe fourteen or fifteen years old, waved to her. She waved back and they giggled. They swam toward the grassy shore and beckoned Harmony over, laughing as they exchanged words of a song Harmony didn’t know. Intrigued, Harmony ran her hand along the warm rail as she advanced to the end of the bridge.
“Hi,” Harmony greeted them as she stood in the grass on the bank.
“Hello yourself,” answered a high, young voice. The speaker swirled around in the water gleefully.
“What is your name?” asked the other melodious voice.
“Harmony.”
“Harmony…Harmony…” they sang in unison. “Come into the water, Harmony.”
Harmony kicked off the fur boots that were overheating her feet and leaped onto a large, flat boulder, its edge jutting over the water. She peered over the edge and noted the water was knee deep. Harmony sat down to dip her feet into the river.
“It’s cold.” The air temperature was pleasant enough with no humidity, but the gusty breeze brought goosebumps to her flesh. “I like your song. I didn’t think anyone around here sang.”
“Come into the water…”
“Do you sing, Harmony?” One girl floated on her back, her complexion oddly whitish in the dark water.
“Yes. Would you like me to sing you a song?” They responded with gleeful squeals. She couldn’t think of any song they might know, so she decided to sing “Somewhere over the Rainbow.” It made her feel a connection to Dorothy in the Land of Oz As she sang they swam up and gripped the rock on either side of her. Their lips curved upward. Water droplets clung to the eyelashes surrounding their large juvenile eyes.
Reaching the second verse, Harmony heard commotion behind her. Nakoma stood on the bridge, yelling for her to get away from the water. Finn and the other hunters, returning from the forest, surrounded Nakoma and watched in shock. At first Harmony thought the problem was her singing, but then she realized they warned her about something as they waved their arms. The song died on her lips and she felt tugging on her garment. The girls grabbed fistfuls of her tunic, trying to drag her into the water. She pushed against the shoulder of the closest youth, touching her clammy flesh. Electric heat zipped down Harmony’s arm. The girl hissed and withdrew, Harmony’s handprint left a scorched mark on her shoulder.
Both girls simultaneously opened their mouths, unusually wide, revealing razor sharp teeth that extended behind their normal front teeth. Their faces contorted ghoulishly. The girls’ eyes, innocent and puppy-like moments before, turned black and evil.
Advancing, the second girl grabbed Harmony’s bare arm—and quickly released it, as if she touched hot coals. Enraged, the girl’s mouth opened even wider, it seemed she unhinged her jaw. She was about to sink her spiky teeth into Harmony’s arm when Harmony shoved her head, repelling her second attacker. An agonizing scream ripped through the air. The girl pulled away, revealing the burned flesh on her face where Harmony’s hand touched for mere seconds.
Harmony scrambled to her knees, preparing to run, when an arrow, shot from the bridge, whistled by. The arrow sank into the teen’s neck, an arm’s length from her. The creature convulsed and slipped, arched and twitching, under the water. Before Harmony could scream, another arrow hit its target, and the girl with the burned shoulder joined her friend. Their bodies sank, slowly pulled away by the current. Their pasty skin turned gray as they disappeared into the darkness.
Nakoma reached the grass, glaring at Harmony. “Your singing brought the sirens! You endanger us. Singing is a siren’s business and is forbidden to our kind.”
“What the hell? Those girls…those things were sirens?” Harmony, still on her knees, bent forward to cover her face with her hands. But before making contact with her skin she drew back, contemplating her palms and their power. She experienced that same surge of heat as when she blocked the sea serpent. She knew strange and dangerous things swam in these waters, but never had she expected sirens! And my touch burned them! What else am I capable of?
She pulled herself up and faced the chieftain. “No, my singing didn’t bring them. They were already here. It was their singing that caught my attention.”
Nakoma seemed to consider this. “I saw the burns you gave them. How did you do that?” When Harmony shrugged Nakoma demanded, “Let me see your hands. What did you use?”
She stretched her empty palms forward. Nakoma grabbed her wrists forcefully and examined them. Harmony glanced at the hunters who intently watched and focused on Finn who held a bow at his side. He must have been the one to send the sirens to their watery graves.
Nakoma released her, a triumph in her gaze, and declared, “There is powerful energy within you. Let’s go inside for refreshments and we can talk more.”
Inside the city walls, Finn and the other men dispersed. Harmony couldn’t keep her attention off Finn as he nodded farewell to Nakoma and strode away with purpose. The female hunters and their lions gathered near a pool fed by a cascading fountain. They removed their weapons belts but waded in wearing their animal skin loincloths and beaded halter-style tops.
Harmony’s hands continued to shake as her adrenaline dissipated following the energy surge. She sat across from Nakoma as platters of fresh-cut fruit were brought in. Nakoma studied her thoughtfully while she plucked at the fruit and ate.
“You would be a great asset to our people. As I said before, I want you to consider staying with us. I will make it worth your while.” She sucked the juice from her fingers, watching carefully for Harmony’s reaction.
Harmony nibbled on cantaloupe, contemplating an excuse.
“Do you have these abilities in your realm?”
Harmony snickered. “We don’t have sirens…or sea serpents sent by an angry god to kill me, so I haven’t had a chance to try
it out.” She lowered her lashes, realizing her sarcastic tone wasn’t lost on the chieftain. Fear rose as she imagined the chieftain commanding her Amazonian warriors to attack her, or worse, being torn to shreds by a gigantic lioness. “Sorry, I mean no disrespect. I think it’s best if I return to my realm. Perhaps then your god will be happier. Obviously he doesn’t want me here.”
“So, you have encountered a sea serpent?”
“Sort of.” She half-shrugged. “My ability or energy, whatever it is, seemed to keep the sea serpent away.”
“Ha! You have managed to deter the lord’s two most dangerous creatures.” Nakoma laughed again, her chest shaking. “I wonder if your ability could affect Suijin. Could you deter him?”
Nakoma’s comment sent Harmony’s memory zooming to a familiar thought. She had visions of herself underwater, her arms outstretched. A man…a man with scales…reached for her, but she held him off. She blinked, refocusing on Nakoma’s tattoos. One zigzagged from her left ear and curved down her jaw in the shape of a sickle. The second zigzag from the same ear divided, one side stretching almost to her hairline, the other bracketed her cheekbone. Her dark hair was swept back away from her face and held by a band tied in an intricate pattern, emphasizing the dark clay color of her eyes. The tribespeople had lost the luminescent eye glow the coastal clans had.
“Our way of life has changed. The time of relying on the water deity is over. We get what we need and control our surroundings without his help. Hydropower from the falls generates electricity. We grow crops and hunt game. Birth and death ceremonies are the only traditional ceremonies left. However if we could eliminate the threat of the sirens… Well, you see, don’t you, Harmony?”
“You want to use me as a weapon.”
“I can make it worth your while. You could have a mate, a family, and be an important figure in our kingdom. We are a kingdom. You have time to decide.” Nakoma spoke in a lighter tone, “Tomorrow Finn will show you around the city, but for now let’s have a swim before the evening meal.”
While the chieftain joined her companions in the pool, Harmony was visited by a group of friendly young girls with a lion cub. Their curiosity about her hair made her grin. She was reluctant at first to warm up to the children, but they were innocent and she lost track of time talking with them until Nakoma called her to dinner.
Finn joined friends at another table, though relieved, she observed him from under her lowered lashes. She ate and listened to the conversation Nakoma led about the upcoming harvest and the demand for longer hours in the salt mines.
The next morning, while they dressed, a woman informed Nakoma that Finn was unable to join their guest due to a matter needing his attention. Harmony noted the vexed look cross the chieftain’s face.
“Well then, make yourself at home in the city.”
19
Scouts led Rio, Binda and Kodiak up a steep incline and over the crest. In the valley tall, yellow flowers waved in the breeze surrounding Big Bear Lake. Kodiak was thankful the guides led them there. He doubted they’d have found the hidden trials on their own.
“There are the flowers we seek,” Binda pointed.
“It doesn’t look too steep going down,” Rio surmised and prepared to plunge ahead.
“There is danger.” A tribesman halted Rio and pointed to movement in the glade.
Just as the group laid eyes on the animal, it caught their scent and stood on hind legs to its full height, as tall as two grown men.
Binda sucked in her breath. “It’s arctodus simus—a giant short-faced bear!”
“He knows we’re here. Calder failed to mention this obstacle.” Kodiak shook his head at the dilemma. “Is this one of the bears Finn hunts?” Kodiak asked the tribesmen while surveying the area below. At their nods, he probed. “Any suggestions?”
One barrel-chested man replied, “Finn baits bears with honey. When it’s distracted we take him down with our arrows or Finn surprise attacks him with this long knife.”
“Honey, did you say?” Binda asked as the bear advanced in their direction amid the flowers below. “Look there.” She pointed straight out, almost at eye level, in line with the treetops. One tree towered above the rest. Hanging across two of its mighty limbs was an enormous bees’ nest.
“Good catch, Binda! I have an idea.” Kodiak calculated the time it would take the two tribesmen to sprint to the tree and climb to the height of the hive. He explained their roles to the tribesmen, who were known to be good tree climbers. He pointed to the tribesmen’s hunting knives tucked in their belts. “Do you think you can cut it down?”
The men nodded, and one spoke. “We’ll need a little time.”
“Okay. While you are doing that, Rio and I will lure the bear away, toward the water, and occupy him until the hive comes down.” He glanced at his friend. “Rio, once we are in the water, we’ll be able to tire him by swimming under him, popping up a distance away, forcing the bear to swim back and forth.”
The corner of Rio’s mouth lifted. “You make it sound easy.”
Kodiak exhaled his anxiety. “Binda, go into the field and get what we need. Once you are safely back on this ridge, these two will release the hive. Rio and I will make our escape while the bear is occupied with the mother lode of honey.”
Binda cautioned, “Be aware that if the honey fails to attract the bear and he chases us—well, I read the short-faced bear can run at great speed.” Binda’s statistics were confirmed by grim grunts from the tribesmen.
Everyone returned solemn, determined nods.
Kodiak and Rio raced to the water and Rio’s taunts ensured the bear followed them. They dove deep, able to stay submerged longer than the bear. Their game of catch-me-if-you-can with the powerful beast was relatively easy. Resurfacing, Kodiak verified Binda’s location. She safely reached the ridge, her bag full of leaves. She waved for the tribesmen positioned in the tree to release the hive.
Suddenly a second bear appeared on the ridge. The bear stood to full height, its nose raised, nostrils flaring. His growl sent Binda dashing along the ridge. After several feet she dropped out of Kodiak’s view. He cursed.
She managed to find a hiding place and disappeared underground, skidding into what she hoped was a foxhole, the roots and gravel biting at her skin. The bear, reaching her refuge, pawed at the ground and thrust his enormous head inside. Binda wiggled deeper. He pulled his head out, the hole too small to reach his prey. Circling, he pounced, shaking the ground.
The first bear heard the intruder, a potential foe, and left the lake. It shook, sending water sloshing across the grass. The boys swam quietly toward the shore. Just then a splintering, cracking sound echoed in the valley. With a loud swoosh, the hive, heavy with honey, fell from the tree. It burst open on the ground with a thud and a flurry of angry bees whirled into the air.
Both bears rose on their hind legs, their nostrils flaring. As the bears were drawn toward the pool of honey, the tribesmen and coastal friends deftly left the valley.
***
Wandering the vast streets and courtyards was interesting, but Harmony desperately needed some private time, away from prying eyes. The city ran efficiently, its citizens athletic and merry. Frequent swimming seemed popular with the tribe despite their changing ways. Blacksmiths forged steel goods and hunting weapons. Builders added to their great city and maintained it. Men and women toiled in the fields, while others fished and hunted. The women were in charge of making cloth and sewing, while the men tanned hides. They made unique pottery, applied tattoos, and created ornamental jewelry from feathers and bones. They traded cloth, spears, and rope for shell jewelry, soap, and sea delicacies. Harmony was awed by all she learned but was more certain than ever this couldn’t be her home. She had a house, a career to launch and a decaying hotel to save.
Walking beyond the fortress’s walls, she paused, considering her choices. She meandered toward the fields, away from the water’s edge, not wanting another terrifying encounter with sirens. No on
e told her to stay nearby. And she wasn’t guarded. Free to wander through the city and beyond its stone walls, she strolled along the hillside, admiring the view of the metropolis sprawled over the landscape. She wished she had a camera so she could capture her memories here.
She followed a path that sloped downward under shady trees and didn’t go very far before she stopped to listen. What does one hear in the woods if not birds? A snap in the underbrush caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand. Gaze darting over her shoulder, she focused on the brilliant green ferns and the lone wolf standing among them. Still as a statue, its eyes fixed on her.
Rapid-fire thoughts shot through her brain. I shouldn’t have come out here alone… No one will ever find me if this wolf takes me down. Should I stand still until he goes away or should I run? Run!
Her flight reflex kicked in and she sprinted back up the path toward the city, but the wolf dashed with lightning speed to cut off her escape route. She scrambled to a halt, and teetered, struggling for balance. Spinning, she veered off the path, heading down through the brush, hoping to spot a tree with low branches to climb. Hearing the disturbed foliage behind her, she screamed. And suddenly the ground seemed to disappear beneath her feet. As she dropped, she clawed at the overgrown tree roots that stretched beyond the soil into the open ravine. Grasping one tightly between her hands, she felt the weight of her body jerk. Looking down, she saw her feet dangling above a five-hundred-yard drop. She looked up to see she hung several feet from the top of the ledge. Her eyes stung with dirt and she spat a leaf from her lip. Whining, the gray wolf paced on the solid ground above her. She debated: climb down and probably break a bone or climb up and wrestle a wolf?
Hearing a sharp yelp of pain, her head snapped up. Instead of the wolf’s head above her, a man flashed white teeth at her predicament. Finn.
The Rare Pearl (Broken Water Series Book 1) Page 12