by Karen Pepin
The sand beneath my feet was becoming increasingly rocky. Large, old boulders and chunks of stone that had broken free from the cliff towering above me were now annoying obstacles for me to climb over. I spotted some driftwood stuck in the rocks at the far edge of the tide pools. It beckoned to me like arms of some long-ago drowned ancient sea monster. Beyond that, past the protection of the cliff, the current slapped against submerged rocks, sending foamy, white spray high into the air. Ahuna and Anari's light made rainbows of the mist. I admired the dance of light and water as I pried the branches loose.
I broke up the pieces of wood as best I could. The water-smoothed wood slid around in my arms and I adjusted my grip. Turning back towards camp, I groaned seeing how far I had traveled. Nothing for it but to do it. I jumped carefully from rock to rock until I returned to the beach. Once in the sand, my feet sank deep, making each step a battle. I gritted my teeth. I kept my eyes on where I was walking to avoid sharp rocks or shells. Sometimes focusing on one thing at a time was the only way to go. No distractions other than your own body complaining. The body could be ignored. I glanced up. With still a long way to go, I dropped my eyes back to the sand and struggled on.
Despite walking with caution, I managed to step on something sharp hidden under the sand. I yelped and dropped my load. In my footprint, I found a smooth, grayish shard. Curious, I began to dig around it. The broken, triangular piece was as long as my thumb. I turned it over in my hand. Old bone, I realized. A tooth, but not from a bollar. What creature had such big teeth around here? I looked out at the water and shuddered.
I dropped the tooth back into the sand, buried it, and stepped away. I gathered my load of wood quickly and headed away from the cursed thing. It seemed to take forever to reach camp again. The entire walk, I tried to banish the tooth from my mind, eventually reasoning that the creature that had lost it was undoubtedly long dead.
I set my load down next to the cooking fire and frowned. The fire was burning merrily with wood. Where had this wood come from? Hera sat nearby peeling roots.
"Elder?" I said. She looked up and smiled. The gleam of her white teeth against her healthy suntanned skin made her look years younger.
"Help me with the roots," she said, nodding towards the small pile. Dutifully, I sat and began peeling. I had not planned to help prepare the meal, but Ta'Bor's implied criticism about my usefulness still stung. So, I sat with Hera, peeling root after root with my hotar blade.
"Where did the wood for the fire come from, Elder?" I asked, after a time. She looked at me, puzzled, so I explained. "There was none around, and I was sent to find some."
Hera nodded, still peeling her root in long, graceful strokes. I tried to do mine like hers, but I either cut the outer peel too thinly, causing it to curl and break, or too thickly, wasting the meat of the root.
"You would not have heard then," Hera said. "One of the canoes had cracked from dryness. It could not make the journey."
Ah, I thought. I wish I had known that before I carried all that wood back. Still, losing a canoe was ill luck. The trees from which we hollowed out and shaped our canoes could only be found in the northern lands. The trees anywhere else were too small. Losing a canoe could mean having to leave clan mates behind or sacrificing supplies, or both.
Was this why the Hunter took two of our clan? With them gone, the loss of one canoe was not as dire. The crossing would still be rough: We would have to fit six each of our clan in three of the canoes and seven in the last, plus all of our belongings. It would be a tight and heavy fit. Our youngest clan members - Lina, Talla, and Trev - were small enough that Ven'Ta would probably group them in one canoe. But, then that canoe would only have four adults who could paddle, which would make the crossing extra difficult.
Realizing I had been silent for too long, I thanked Hera for the information. She waved my words away and I tried to return my full attention to peeling the remaining roots with her. But I wondered which canoe I would be in, and with whom. I prayed to the Wanderer not to end up with Ta'Bor. Being the chief's son, he would no doubt be in charge of his canoe. I couldn't stand the thought of doing a crossing with him. I needed to focus on the crossing, not on his inevitable criticism while doing it.
When we finished the roots, Hera and I wrapped them in water-softened strips of tangy katerri meat and put them in the ashes to cook. In a short time, the aroma of cooking meat and roots lured everyone to the fire. My stomach growled. Perhaps in order to reduce the number of provisions we had to carry in the canoes, we could have extra food tonight. That hopeful thought kept me close to the fire. Eventually, our meal was pulled from the ashes and placed on a large flat stone that Trev's quiet mother, Isla'Sher, had scrubbed clean.
The Chief took his portion first, followed by the Elders, and then by the rest of us, as was right. The first bite was heaven. Crisp, sweet root and tangy meat. It took all my willpower not to devour my portion in seconds. I took even, measured bites, trying to make it last. It was filling, but gone too quickly. There were no second portions to be had. A contented sigh slipped my lips and I began to feel drowsy. I looked forward to wrapping up in my sleeping fur on soft sand under the star-speckled sky and listening to the wind and waves until I fell asleep. I already struggled to keep my eyes opened. Just as I was deciding to take my rest, Ven'Ta stood up and addressed us.
"As you know, one of the canoes was lost. We will have to travel the Crossing in the other four and build a new one in the forests of the northern lands for our next trip south. This means our canoes will be very full. The crossing will be more challenging. With this in mind, here are the groups for each canoe."
As the chief began rattling off names for each crew, I locked my jaw, trying to stifle my yawns. I heard my name. I was in the last canoe with my sister, the brothers Col'Ved and Col'Ses, Anuk'Sal, and Ta'Bor. I cursed silently and raised my eyes skyward, wondering what offense I had done to the Wanderer to deserve this. Ven'Ta wished us a good night.
Knowing that tomorrow would be a long and strenuous day, everyone sought out their chosen spots for sleeping. I wrapped myself up in my sleeping fur, my mood as dark as the sky. Tomorrow I would have to do the crossing in Ta'Bor's canoe. Tears pricked at my eyes. Resolutely, I pushed all anger away. I would do my best and prove myself to him, to all of them. Then my clan mates would start treating me like an adult. With that final thought, I rolled on my side and forced myself to sleep.
4
The morning dawned on our clan's frenzied activity to prepare for the Crossing. Ven'Ta directed the controlled chaos, pushing us to quickly pack and store our gear in the canoes. He wanted to start off as soon as the suns fully lit the sea. We refilled our water bags from the fresh waterfall up the beach, and then Ta'Bor called our canoe group together.
"I will be in the front," Ta'Bor said. "Take your paddle timing cues from me. Ani, I want you behind me. Then Lasa, Ses, Ved, and Sal in the back."
I bit my lip to keep from questioning his orders. I spotted Lasa's smirk. I turned away to pick up my pack. My sister grabbed hers at the same time.
"I guess he really does want to keep an eye on you," she said with mock sweetness. I jammed my pack into my spot on the canoe and set a paddle beside it, fuming silently. After all, everyone in our canoe was within five season cycles of one another and I had been paddling almost as long as my sister. I was determined to prove Ta'Bor's concern about my abilities was groundless.
With the packs and paddles in, we slid the canoes down into the shallows. The water was cool on my bare legs and not deep enough yet to wet the edge of my tunic. Sal held the canoe steady as those of us with front spots climbed in. I went first, followed by my sister. While Lasa helped the men in the back, I gave my arm to Ta'Bor and pulled him in. Water made his smooth skin slick. Once in, he gave me a nod and released my arm.
Small waves lapped at our canoe. I knelt above my pack and sleeping fur, keeping them between my legs so that I could rest on them when needed. The
rough-hewn wood of the canoe was already hurting my knees. Sal pushed us out a bit deeper, so we wouldn't become sand-bound and then climbed in as well. We used the paddles to move a small way from the shore while we waited for the other canoes to launch. Once everyone was ready to go, Ven'Ta smacked the water three times with his paddle. The sound rang out clearly across the protected bay. The Crossing had begun.
We started out slow and easy. My arms still ached from the previous day’s labor, but the movement gradually warmed and loosened my tight muscles. We needed to conserve our energy for the main part of the Crossing, over the Deeps, where the swift current would require all our strength and stamina. For the first full hour, we paddled slowly but steadily. With each stroke, head down, I peered into the water. The sandy bottom looked close enough to touch, but was probably more than a canoe-length away. Spiral clumps of purple and red sea leaves swayed. Small, bright yellow and orange swimmers darted and flashed amongst them. As we pushed on, following the other canoes, I wondered what it would be like to live under water.
The shallows were my favorite part of the Crossing. Ever since I was a little girl, I had loved the clarity of the water and the window it provided into the swimmers gliding through their kelp forests.
A light breeze teased my hair, tossing it into my eyes. I tucked it back behind my ears and kept paddling. The suns shone down hot and fierce despite the early hour. I hoped the breeze would gain strength and temper the heat when the time came for hard paddling. I let the sounds of my sister and Ved and Ses talking wash over me, paying no attention to their individual words. Their laughter—even Lasa’s—brought a smile to my face. Everything took on a dreamlike quality as I paddled. Then a sharp look and nod from Ta'Bor snapped me from my thoughts: We would reach the Deeps soon.
A sharp whistle from the lead canoe signaled it was time. The clear water and sandy bottom dropped away sharply into a blue-black abyss. Immediately, the swift current running over the Deeps pushed our canoe sideways. Now the real work began.
"All on the left," Ta'Bor shouted. We all started paddling more vigorously, turning the boat to face the direction of the current. This would reduce the drag on the canoe and prevent us from being splashed or tipped by the cresting swells. As quick as we were to turn though, we still took on good spray. The chilly salt water felt wonderful, and at the same time, shocking. We managed to orient our canoe the right way before being slapped by a full wall of water. I spotted another canoe take a hit too before getting turned. The wave drenched everyone aboard.
"Alternate," Ta'Bor yelled over the wind. He kept his paddle on his left. I shifted mine to the right and dug into the water, trying to match his strokes. He led us at a fast pace, calling for us to switch sides for paddling frequently. Despite our efforts, the swift current carried our canoe away from the others. We were on our own.
We paddled without stopping. I heard my sister shriek when I accidentally splashed her. She poked me hard in the back with her paddle. It hurt, but it was nothing compared to the burn in my arms and shoulders. The pace we were keeping seemed without end. My mouth felt as parched as the land we just fled. Sweat poured down my face and stung my eyes. I had to stop paddling briefly to take a swallow of water. Then I doggedly picked up the rhythm again. The swells lifted the boat up and down in an uncomfortable, rocking motion. Now, I kept my eyes on Ta'Bor's strong back or the horizon to fight the nausea churning in my gut. The northern lands grew closer.
We were over half way there when I felt something bump against the boat. I peered carefully over the edge and nearly fell backwards when a sealio surfaced right by my paddle. It watched me curiously with dark eyes, blinking its double lid. The slick furred head gleamed in the suns' light, bringing out deep purple highlights. Giving a wavering bark, it dove, using its four flippers and tail fin to propel it quickly out of sight. I ducked the splash from its departure, catching a glimpse of its pale belly before it vanished.
I heard exclamations from my clan mates behind me and Ta'Bor looked back at us. Suddenly, the water came alive with undulating bodies of a sealioes. Paddling became all but impossible with the pod crowding the water around our canoe. I smiled at their watery dance, then it dawned on me: Sealioes were harmless in and of themselves, but when animals grouped together like this, it was because they were being hunted. I froze, remembering the stories. Razortooth and daggerfins were huge, dangerous sea creatures that roamed the Deeps and ate the sealio. If one was hunting right now, it could confuse us for the sealioes and attack.
Ven'Ta carried a tooth in his pack from a supposed attack that happened in his great-great-Grandfather's time. During a crossing, their canoe was nearly overturned by something much more powerful than a wave or a sealio. When they finally arrived on the beach and pulled the canoe from the water, they found evenly spaced tooth marks, and the tooth Ven’Ta wore now, embedded in the hull.
"Stop watching the sealios and paddle," Ta'Bor shouted, startling me from my thoughts of the tooth and whatever underwater beast bore it. "They'll move out of the way."
I began to paddle again at the pace he set. The animals dodged our strokes, but remained clustered around our canoe as we moved. I panted with effort, my mouth dry. If the sealioes stayed near us much longer, would it increase our chances of being attacked? No clan canoes were within reach if we overturned. There had to be something we could do to distract their hunter or hunters. Inspiration hit me. I pulled in my paddle quickly.
"What are you doing?" Ta'Bor yelled over his shoulder. Ignoring him, I pulled my spear loose. Carefully, kneeling as tall as I could, I struck at one of the animals as it surfaced. I felt the spear strike true, hitting the sea animal in its side near the second fin. The animal let out an odd barking wail and pulled away so swiftly that I almost lost my weapon. The sealio's maroon blood decorated the water in a growing, glistening slick. All the animals dove, disappearing instantly. I put my spear away and began paddling hard.
"That wounded sealio will bring hunters," Ta'Bor said furiously, never stopping his strong stokes through the water.
"With them around us like that," I argued, "a hunter was surely already near. I just gave it an easier target to go after."
He looked startled, but then nodded. His face was grim and dripping with sweat. Had he been thinking about his father's stories, as I had been? Ta'Bor picked up the pace again. I struggled to keep up and to match him stroke for stroke. I had never seen a razortooth or a daggerfin and I never wanted to. The tooth Ven'Ta wore was longer than his finger. I prayed to the Hunter that I had done the right thing. We continued on, my eyes straining at the dark water for any sign of danger as the land grew closer. It looked like we were going to miss the landing point, but as long as we found the shallows behind it, we would be fine.
I was utterly spent and nauseated from the effort of paddling when suddenly the clear, sandy sea bottom appeared below us. We had made it to the shallows. I whispered a prayer in relief, and then nearly choked when I saw a dark shape, as large as our canoe, swim swiftly beneath us. The gray and black striped, shadowy body undulated smoothly through the water below. Then it was gone, swallowed by the Deeps behind us.
I yanked my paddle from the water. Goosebumps marched along my arms as an icy wave surged through me. Was that a razortooth? If we had not reached the shallows, would it have attacked? I had thought that razortooth only swam in the Deeps. I thought the shallows were safe.
Ta'Bor noticed that I had stopped paddling.
"What's wrong?" he snapped. I looked at him, unable to paddle. My whole body trembled uncontrollably. Despite the hot suns shining down, I felt unbearably cold and stiff. My eyes darted back to the water, afraid the razortooth would return. Something in my face must have told Ta’Bor that I was not simply slacking or resting from exhaustion. He frowned.
"We need to keep paddling," he told me patiently, sounding eerily like his father. "Understand?"
I swallowed hard, but managed a nod. It took me a long moment to
convince myself to put my paddle back in the water. I searched the clear depth until my limbs finally released their tight hold on me.
"Did you see it?" I whispered. The wind pulled my words away before they could reach anyone.
For the rest of the Crossing, I watched the water constantly as I paddled and waited for something to strike the boat again, maybe flip us. We reached the wide, sandy, tree-lined shore around late afternoon. By the time we pulled the canoe from the water, Ta'Bor had decided that we would camp the night on this strip of beach and head west to the meeting site on the morrow. I helped gather wood and set up the camp in an almost automatic fashion. My body did what it was supposed to, but my mind continued to whirl. I prayed to the Wanderer to keep our clan safe and to lead us to the rest of our clan the next day. I prayed to the Hunter to never see a razortooth or any creature like it ever again. My sister pulled me aside after my second trip for wood.
"What is wrong with you?" she asked, exasperation clear in her voice. "You look scared to death. Are you that afraid of spending a night without the rest of the clan?"
"No." I shuddered.
"Then what is wrong with you?"
I hesitated a moment and then blurted out, "I saw a razortooth. In the shallows."
"A razortooth. Really," she said, rolling her eyes. "And what did it look like?"
"Gray and black. As large as the canoe. It swam past us in the shallows and headed back out to the Deeps."
She laughed.
"Your eyes were playing tricks. It was only our shadow on the bottom you saw."
"It wasn't our shadow," I said, but she talked over me.
"Everyone knows that razortooth stay in the Deeps. And they are large, but as large as the canoe? Impossible."