Jon'lan finished with his washing and found his way along the path back to the village. He was aware of his surroundings in a way that few men were. It was a game he played with his mind at times when he tried to test his memory. The goal was to try to remember everything that he had previously walked past.
He wound his way around individual dwellings that seemed intentionally thrown into his path, smiling slightly to himself as he realized that he had indeed been paying attention to the way he had come. There in front of him was his bird, resting against their trade packs.
"What do you say then, Hawk, do we stay for the ceremony or move on to the next island?" Even as Jon'lan asked the question he thought of the captivating young woman with the almond shaped eyes, and the long shimmering black hair.
He looked expectantly at Hawk for an answer, and the bird’s pale eyes stared back at him. The bird shifted his gaze slightly to the left of Jon'lan, and at that moment Jon'lan turned swiftly to find that the woman he had been thinking about stood behind him.
Taikiuu watched the stranger who spoke to animals and she wondered for a moment if he were of sound mind. But she saw the spark of intelligence flare in his eyes as his gaze swept over her, taking in every detail. Taikiuu could tell by looking at his boat and trading packs that he was obviously a trader from a far away land. Although it was not her place, she wished only to warn him away. This place was not safe for him.
As the man watched her with an intensity that felt like a physical touch Taikiuu had to refrain from patting her hair into place or checking her clothing. Once more she raised her hand in front of her in greeting. Jon’lan again took in every detail as he looked intently at her hand and the markings on her palm.
"Hello again, is this the way your people greet each other?" Jon'lan asked out of curiosity, as he raised his hand palm out. He arrived early this morning while the village was still at rest. A few warriors had been guarding the beach. They had appeared friendly enough as they eagerly helped haul his trading boat inland.
The men had spoken jovially between each other, and none had greeted him in this fashion. But then he had never traveled this far before, to the famed island of Hetmos, the name translated to mean "First Land". Jon'lan reached out his hand, palm up, fingers closed in imitation of the woman’s gesture.
He saw the corners of her mouth lift into a gentle smile, and for a moment he forgot to breathe. He couldn’t help but think that if her smile made him forget his thoughts then her laughter would surely steal his heart. As she moved forward he admired her grace as well as her intoxicating beauty.
They stood two arms length apart with their palms held close together but not touching. Jon'lan could feel the heat radiating in the space between their hands. His fingers moved forward of their own volition as if to touch her palm.
Taikiuu swiftly stepped back before he could make contact, she gazed at him searchingly and for a moment he felt as if the world stood still. He was rendered speechless when she gestured swiftly with both hands. She looked at him once more before turning abruptly and walking away. Jon'lan stood stunned.
He wasn't sure how it happened, but he knew he had done something to offend her. She looked at him in such a way that no words needed to be spoken, she had tried to make friends and then he had offended her somehow. It would not be the first time that he had broken some unknown taboo while in a foreign land.
As he collected his thoughts he opened his mouth to call out, but he did not even know her name. As he turned away he noticed a young girl watching him from the shadows of the trees.
She was small of stature with eyes that were older than her years. Her black hair was cut at the shoulders and she gazed at him intently. Jon’lan wondered if all the young girls of this village wore their hair in such a way. The young girl appeared to be fearful and Jon’lan immediately felt compassion for the child.
“The Ada’na does not wish you harm, you must leave quickly while there is still time.” The girl’s soft voice carried to him on the wind.
He stepped forward to question her, but his movement startled the girl into motion. He was powerless to stop her as she turned and fled into the trees disappearing before he could speak. Jon’lan frowned in confusion.
He had not heard the beautiful woman with the markings on her palm speak. Perhaps her hand signs were a way of communicating that was foreign to him but common to these people.
He realized that in the last few moments he had scared away both a woman and a girl. Hawk squawked as if to voice his concern and Jon’lan did his best to ignore the bird as he returned to his work.
The village was awake and Jon'lan was in the midst of trading with the Hetmos people. He had never traded so well before in his memory. He wasn't sure why this village was not swamped with traders. The people had come to him before he could even set up and unpack.
An island elder approached him, and they had immediately started looking over his stock. Jon'lan knew that his own people would sell their life’s spirit to have some of the jewelry that these women wore. He even noticed that the children all wore shiny bracelets and anklets that gleamed in the sunlight.
He promised himself that he would bring back a few precious items for his mother and sister. His sister Laloni was to be married soon. It was the custom of his village that the woman should go to the man's family.
His heart ached at the thought of his young sister leaving their village forever. Laloni was beautiful in heart and in visage. She was their mother’s daughter, after all. Jon'lan smiled at the thought of his sister, with her wise brown eyes, and winsome smile. Laloni would be glad that he compared her to their lovely mother.
Taikiuu watched from a nearby Haik as the man smiled to himself, she wondered what he was thinking; unconsciously her hand crept up to her amulet hanging from her neck. She felt the familiar hardness of the precious stones wrapped securely within a leather thong.
Her expression was unreadable and she glanced around as she felt the change in the crowd gathered. One moment there was a jovial feeling of relaxed anticipation yet the moment she clasped her amulet there was tension in the air. Those nearby moved away quickly the moment she raised her amulet.
She sighed inwardly and dropped her hand back to her lap, continuing her weaving while pointedly ignoring the villagers. A hint of anger arose in her heart. It was not fair that she should be so different from the other young women her age. It was not fair that she should be so harshly judged by those that she loved so dearly.
Her eyes flashed over to the stranger again and her heart felt bruised in an unfamiliar way to see the village girls of marriageable age surrounding the handsome trader. He smiled at them politely but his eyes kept scanning the crowd. He was searching for something or someone and she wondered what or who he hoped to find.
His gaze landed on her and she held her breath for a moment, maybe more, then she exhaled slowly, bowed her head and continued her work. Perhaps the trader would choose to heed the warning delivered to him by her young servant, Kii. Perhaps in this way he would save his own life and leave the island before it was too late.
At Taikiuu’s feet rested her weaving basket, which was filled with string, dyed red, blue, and orange, the rest was the color of the matting, a warm brown. Taikiuu closed her eyes briefly as she tried to focus again on the image she wished to impart with her weaving.
Her breath fluttered from her parted lips as she felt power surge through her and then she had the image firmly in mind and began to sew again. She breathed deeply and opened her eyes determined not to make a spectacle of herself. She remembered all too clearly the last time she had allowed one of her pieces to capture her mind so completely.
It had been a hot day, such as this one, and she had gone most of the day without drinking enough water. While sitting in the sun, an image had arisen in her mind's eye. It was a pattern, a pattern that she seemed to know without knowing.
She began to sew fervently as if the image would flit away before she c
ould finish. For hours she sat with her eyes slightly closed, using only her fingers to build the pattern.
Finally it felt as if she was drifting away upon a cloud, and she opened her eyes as if from an unnatural sleep. She contained her surprise, finding the villagers all bowed down before her, as she sat with her legs crossed in the middle of the village square.
It had taken all of her courage to stand and begin walking back to her Haik. Before she could leave the village elders surrounded her and took the pattern that she wove without her permission.
Taikiuu snapped her eyes open, bringing herself back to the present as she glanced down at her work; she was startled to find that more than half of the image was now completed. She had even succeeded in keeping her lines straight. The corners of her mouth lifted with mirth although she would not allow herself to smile in front of her people.
She was always in total control. Just as she could not bring herself to ask her own people how she had come to be in the village square that fateful day, when she had started her sewing outside of her own Haik. She did not ask, for they would not answer her. She was the Ada'na and therefore a sacred being.
Jon'lan found that it was hard to keep his eyes off of the beautiful creature whose hands moved so gracefully over her weaving mat. It was as if she were creating music with her hands, or speaking some language with signs.
His eyes shifted to a young warrior who suddenly blocked his view. The man effectively cut off Jon’lan’s line of sight as he tried to keep his eye on the graceful young woman. The warrior tapped his spear upon the ground as if he hoped to startle Jon'lan.
Jon'lan took his time appraising the warrior; there was something he did not like about the man at first glance. It was something more than the way that the man purposely blocked his view. Jon'lan had learned to follow his instincts and so he waited. The man stood only a few fingers shorter than Jon'lan's own imposing height.
Finally the man spoke, making what appeared to be an obscene gesture with his hands. Jon'lan felt his temper flare, he knew trader's pigeon, but he did not know the Hetmos language. This warrior spoke to him in the Hetmos tongue which was either a sign of disrespect or ignorance.
Jon'lan looked to the village elders and found that their eyes were cast away from him. He wondered, in that brief moment, what had changed? One moment he was trading more than he ever had before in his life and the next...this. Jon'lan waited. The man spoke while an elder translated in trader's pigeon.
"My name is Marad, you are not welcome here. Go." There was a sudden silence that began at the head of the trader's table and ushered out to the crowd in an unseen wave.
Jon'lan steadied himself and finally he spoke, "By your own elders I was made welcome, you are not welcome at my trader’s table. Go." Jon'lan held the man's gaze. He was unwilling to look away and he would not step back in fear.
Marad studied the trader. He was surprised that the man would do anything other than tremble in his presence. His body was young and firm and he too, could have been a warrior, but most likely he had never even killed an animal for food. Marad didn't like the looks the man kept throwing toward his chosen mate, the Ada'na. He hoped to intimidate the trader into leaving or perhaps push the man into a fight.
Marad pondered over how to handle the situation that faced him. He wanted the trader dead and he would see it done by his own hand. Marad wished that there was some offense the man might have made, so that he could slay him there on the spot. The crowd waited with barely concealed anticipation, sensing as one that something was about to happen.
A cry came from the distance. It was the sound of a woman’s keening wail that caused all eyes to turn away from Marad and the trader. Taikiuu rose gracefully and headed toward the commotion. The elders parted the crowd for her, as the village people were not allowed to touch her without permission.
The people formed a circle around the woman that had caused the commotion. Even in their haste to see what had befallen the woman they still moved aside for the village elders and the Ada'na. Jon'lan was loath to leave his trading supplies unattended but he was compelled to move forward. He motioned for Hawk to keep watch over his supplies and walked toward the woman’s eerie keening.
He pushed his way through the crowd, in the middle of the circle of people was a woman cradling a small child, no more than two summers old. It was obvious that the child was not breathing, and he listened as the village women began a death chant.
Their song was recognizable even though the language was foreign to Jon’lan’s ears. Jon'lan looked for blood or any sign of a wound to see why this young child had died. He was startled from his inspection when the woman, the beautiful one who did not give him her name, kneeled in front of the mother and motioned for her to give the child over.
The mother was torn between her grief for the child and what appeared to be an order from the other woman. The Ada’na. Jon’lan heard the woman’s title spoken aloud for the first time and he wondered at its meaning.
Maybe he had not judged the young woman properly if she would interrupt a mother's grief. It was not his place to object and so he remained silent. Taikiuu motioned for the woman to give her the child again. Even through a mother's grief the woman recognized an order from the Ada'na.
A few of the child’s relatives told those gathered around that the little girl had been found by the water’s edge. She was trying to gather water for her mother as her older sisters did every morning and must have fallen in only to drown.
Taikiuu positioned the child on the ground, the little girl’s arms were limp, and her lips were turning blue as she watched. Silencing the people's cries from her mind Taikiuu focused her complete attention upon the child.
She leaned over, letting her hair create a veil around the child's face. She did not want the people to see what she was about to do. Sidestepping the tiring and impossible process of granting a person permission to touch her, Taikiuu listened for the child’s heart tones. Then she cupped her hands over the child's mouth and pressed the girl’s lips to her own. She blew her own life breath into the child. Just as the Great One of All Things had done for First Man, so she did for this child.
She felt the child’s chest rise, but sensed somewhere deep within her that this was not enough. She flipped the child onto its side and thumped her hard on her back, ignoring the gasps from the crowd and the startled cry of the mother. Then she again repeated the process of blowing her breath into the child. Precious moments slipped by and there was no response from the child.
Finally she felt the child shudder and then begin to cough and sputter for air. Taikiuu held the child as she expelled more water from her small body. The mother screamed as her grief turned into a cry of utter joy and she fell upon her daughter scolding and kissing her at the same time as the child recovered her breath. Taikiuu moved carefully out of the way. She did not wish to bring shame upon this family by allowing the mother to touch her without permission.
The crowd parted for Taikiuu as she moved forward, this time without the village elders in front of her. She kept her chin held high as she walked through the crowded throng of the People.
The villagers were joyful that the child lived, but there were no cheers of thanks or any display of appreciation. Taikiuu understood that she would never to be accepted by her own people. She knew true loneliness as the Ada’na and though she did not show her pain, it marked her deeply inside.
Jon'lan stood with his mouth open in awe. He'd never seen anything so amazing, so miraculous. He wanted to run up to the woman and ask her what she had done. He wanted to know how she had brought the dead child back to the world of the living. Jon’lan thought back over the course of his life and remembered the men, women and children that had lost their lives to the rivers that he had known since childhood.
He didn’t know if what he had just witnessed was magic or some form of healing art and he felt full of unanswered questions. It dawned on him, that no one else had reacted in the same way.
They appeared happy that the child lived, but there was no wondrous joy, no awe inspiring cries of delight, save his own silent admiration and the child’s mother who was now surrounded by the women from the village. Still, Jon'lan's mind burned with questions.
If his village were to have one such as this young woman amongst them they would revere her as a most high one among women. But these people, they were almost ungrateful. Jon'lan noticed that the crowd started to disperse. He moved forward and knelt beside the weeping woman and the now weeping child. The woman was laughing with joy, kissing her daughter and hugging her all at once.
The other women moved aside at his approach and Jon'lan wished he could communicate with the mother in some way, but he doubted she understood trader's pigeon.
He watched as several of the women stepped forward and ushered the woman and the child away. Rising to his feet, Jon’lan made his way back towards his trading post, but not before he heard a word feared among most of the People, including his own. "Witch."
Jon’lan did not need to have full command of the Hetmos people’s language to understand the cruel word and its implications.
He turned his head, looking for the person that would voice such slander. But the crowd had thickened again and the person was lost to him. A seed of something Jon'lan had not felt in a long time was planted inside him with that one word. He pondered over the feeling but could not place a name to the emotion that he felt. He would set this aside to study later, when he could find peace within himself as his father had taught him.
Taikiuu retreated to the solitude of her Haik. The elders would leave her to her own spiritual cleansing. They did not dare to direct her in such matters any longer.
Sliding down against the wall of her Haik she allowed the fear and grief from the child’s mother to slither its way out of her spirit. Great, racking sobs consumed her and she cradled her face in her hands, fearful that anyone lurking about might hear her.
Keeper of the People (Book One) Page 2