ithout thinking Jon’lan shoved himself away from Marad and jumped up onto the platform where he grasped the woman’s hand. He wrapped his free arm around the young girl that knelt at the woman’s side even as the ground beneath him began to tremble. He pulled them both with him as he ran for cover.
Taikiuu had never in her life witnessed anything as fear inspiring as the land breaking open in front of her. The crowd around her surged in terror as each person tried to find their balance and stay away from the craters that were opening directly under their feet. Jon’lan pushed his way through the crowd of people who ran screaming in every direction.
Keeping a sense of direction while the ground shook was nearly impossible, but he could see through the falling ash the white tipped wings of Hawk circling in the air above him. Jon’lan kept his gaze fixed on the bird and headed in that direction, the woman put up no resistance to his touch or his efforts to hurry them to safety.
He suddenly felt her jerk upon his arm and following her gaze he saw the small girl child that had been offered only moments ago as a living sacrifice to this very mountain, her parents had abandoned her as they sought to save themselves. Jon’lan dove toward her where she knelt on the ground. Tears streaked the child’s face as the ash produced by the mountain began to fall, covering every surface.
After seeing the young child abandoned to die Taikiuu felt a maternal pull that gave her speed and she lunged forward and swooped the child into her arms, shielding her body just as the ground beneath her feet began to surge and crumble into nothingness.
Jon’lan grabbed the woman before she and the child fell to their deaths. With a mighty pull he began to lift her from the edge of the crater that she clung to with one hand. Taikiuu had never been more afraid, but she found that even facing death her concern was for the child that clung to her, screaming for her mother. Taikiuu held her with one hand, knowing that if the trader lost his grip on her arm they would both be lost. She felt the trader’s grasp tighten on her wrist and silently willed him the strength to pull them to safety.
Kii screamed at what she thought was the death of the Ada’na, Her sobs were caught in her throat as she saw the trader reach into the gaping mouth of the crater and pull Taikiuu and the little girl up until they were once again on firm ground. She ran to Taikiuu’s side stopping just short of touching her as she cried in relief. Jon’lan did not allow even a second to pass before he once again started off to where he had last seen Hawk circling above.
A furious bellow sounded over the screams and cries of the crowd and Jon’lan looked behind him to see Marad stumble to his feet as he raced towards them and then was blocked by a newly formed crater. The sight of the red lava bubbling to the surface inside of the craters before him made Jon’lan slow for a brief moment to find an opening and a way of escape.
Never did he for one second think that the warrior would let them pass willingly even as they were all faced with certain death.
Jon’lan knew that his instincts were correct as he raced directly towards the man, releasing his hold on the woman. Jon’lan jumped into the air using all of his strength to throw the man to the ground as his feet connected with the warrior’s chest.
Jon’lan regained his footing in a tumbling roll and did not lose a second as the woman streaked past him with both children at her side. Jon’lan saw that her eyes were filled with triumph for one brief moment as she glanced behind her.
She thrust out her hand to Jon’lan, beckoning him to run in front of her once again. Jon’lan needed no further encouragement as he clasped her hand and ran headlong into the dense forest that offered an escape from the madness that raged all around them.
The land seemed to tremble with malevolence as Kii did her best to keep up with Taikiuu and the trader. She held on to the ceremonial garment that she had made for Taikiuu as they raced through the forest. Trees that had lived for generations fell to their right and to their left. The trader seemed to be able to find a rhythm in the madness of their flight and shielded them as best he could whenever he sensed danger falling from above.
Hot ash fell from the sky coating every surface; animals ran past them screaming in agony as their fur burned. Kii did her best to keep the hot ash from burning her exposed skin, but in several places she felt searing pain. She did not allow this to stop her from running faster than she had ever run in her life.
She believed in her heart that what she raced toward would surely be better than what she left behind. Taikiuu renewed her grip on Kii’s hand and she clasped the small child to her breast as the trees finally parted, allowing them to leave the forest behind and reach the safety of the trader’s boat.
Kii huddled on the boat as the village burned behind them. She held the small girl whose name she didn't know to her chest. Taikiuu had lovingly entrusted the small child to her as she fearlessly took up the second pair of oars.
Kii wondered if Taikiuu had ever rowed a boat in her life, but the woman’s bravery when faced with adversity didn’t surprise her in the least. Kii watched as Taikiuu looked around frantically trying to make sure that they were not followed. Kii wondered if death followed behind them even now.
She said a quiet prayer to the One in hopes that it would be heard and they would have a blessing of safe passage to wherever the trader had come from. For a moment Kii thought of her first family and the things she had learned from her father, a powerful leader who had been killed when their village was besieged by a war party.
Kii had known fifteen seasons of life and she had spent the last seven seasons as a slave. Eventually Kii had become a servant to the Ada’na and her life was filled with kindness and love. Although Kii had not been allowed to touch Taikiuu, except to brush or plait her hair, she had known kindness from the woman that was revered by her people.
Her heart beat faster than the wings of a bird as she thought about the way her life had changed in the last few moments. She could almost taste freedom.
Chapter Five
Kii was distracted from her thoughts by the shivering of the small one that she held. Rain suddenly started to pour down upon them and she wanted to shield the child as best she could from the downpour. This child was probably no more than three summers, though she was tiny for her age and malnourished.
Kii began to hum a sleep song to her; it was not one that she had learned at the breast of her own mother, but one that she had taught herself as a child for comfort at night. The child began to respond to the song, her sobs calming into little hiccups and sighs; shortly she fell asleep, cradled in Kii’s arms.
Taikiuu forced herself to find a sense of calm. She had just become lifemate to a man that she barely knew and left the only people that she had ever known. It was a possibility that they would be captured before they could even make it past the great river beyond.
She looked at the trader as he handled the boat expertly. He had rigged some type of thin material above them that caught the wind, giving them a slight advantage as they both rowed frantically.
His brow was creased in concentration and Taikiuu willed strength into his limbs as she prayed that she would be able to impart power to this man. It seemed that he found a second wind and the small boat seemed to skim above the water barely touching it at all.
Taikiuu glanced behind them as often as possible looking out for pursuit, for a moment she seemed to hear cries behind her but then she wondered if it was only in her mind. Surely she could not hear over the force of the storm, yet still she sensed that they were being chased.
Jon'lan rowed as fast as he ever had before. He worried over the woman and two children that were with him on his boat. Surely they would all be slaughtered if they were caught or perhaps sacrificed to whatever gods these people worshipped.
He forced himself not to think of their fate if they were captured, for now he could think only of getting them away safely. Another man might have been daunted by the storm that confronted him, but Jon’lan was a man born to the water.
/> He knew the way in which a storm could swiftly arrive and then depart as if it had never been. For now he planned to use the storm that nature provided as cover. Because of the pouring rain and rough water anyone that sought to pursue them could not make out their boat as a target for their spears and arrows.
Jon’lan hoped that the storm did not worsen but at the same time he wished to the heavens that it might not abate before they were safely away.
Taikiuu watched as the water that lashed the boat threatened to engulf them at each dip of the river. She could not understand how the trader was able to avoid the rocks that seemed to spring up before them at every turn.
It was almost as if he had found a pattern in the river that only he was able to see. The rain continued to pour down upon them, plastering their garments to their skin. The cold seeped into Taikiuu’s bones and she shook with shudders, further weakening her as she tried to row.
Jon’lan pushed them harder, he recognized what Taikiuu did not, there were seasoned warriors that followed them and until they made it past the river beyond they would not be safe. Even then the warriors might pursue them; Jon’lan realized that he was taking away their prized possession. The insult would not be tolerated lightly.
Time moved slowly even though Taikiuu and Jon'lan paddled the boat with a fierceness that neither had ever known before. Jon'lan was cheered by the thought of their pursuers trying to maneuver through the water in their long canoes which were common to these people.
He had equipped his own boat with paddles as well as oars for rowing. Additionally, a rudder had been added to steer the boat while using the sheep bladder to sail through open water. Right now it was helping to keep some of the downpour from the children.
Finally when Jon'lan's very strength seemed to have been removed from his limbs they hit open water. This was the place Taikiuu's people had named the River Beyond. It was a mystery to them. They had never explored this far before.
Fortunately, Jon'lan had come this way through his trade route. He remembered that he had traveled on open water over several days hoping to run into land. As his provisions had started to run out on the final day he had come upon the village of Aztlan. He dreaded the journey ahead; his provisions were enough for one person, not four. Taikiuu seemed to sense his unease. They both rested their oars on the inside of the boat, panting with exhaustion. Kii kept her head bowed, cradling the young child in her arms.
Marad and his war party paddled relentlessly through the rain and rushing water. It would undo his honor to have his boat outrun by one man, a woman and children. His warriors were trained to endure great suffering and this night he vowed they would all suffer so as to save their honor.
Even as his heart beat with fury he felt that this night would prove him triumphant. The water appeared to froth with rage as the rains suddenly stopped.
The three men that Marad had brought with him stopped paddling and all turned to look behind them, they could just make out the tall trees that overshadowed the village of Aztlan. They all watched as the village itself seemed to rock on its very foundation. An eerie silence filled the air and then suddenly the volcano that his people revered spewed forth great burning plumes of lava and fire.
Marad felt his heart stop in his chest as the village he had known and loved since birth seemed to rise up and heave itself in two. Lava flowed freely covering every Haik, ever walkway and spilling into the river. Marad watched as the molten lava seemed to spew up from the land and twist the world apart. Even at this distance the screams of his people pierced his ears.
Those who could do so took to the water for safety as they launched themselves and their children into fray. He could hear the whispered pleas of his men who huddled in the boat against the searing heat and burning rock that flew through the air. Marad felt a savage wrath surge through his soul. His people, the ones that he sought to rule, had been destroyed in one night. His soul screamed for revenge, repayment. Only the blood of the Ada'na would suffice.
It was that woman that had brought about the suffering of his people. It was possible that a few of his people had survived but the village itself had been devastated and was beyond saving. The volcano had given no warning, no hint of disturbance, yet it seemed that at the beckoning of the Ada’na the great volcano had given voice to its long pent up rage and unleashed complete devastation upon the People.
Taikiuu placed both oars under her legs so that her hands were free. She quickly signed a few words to Kii. She heard the young girl’s sharp intake of breath.
Often when a sign had not yet been created to describe something that Taikiuu wanted to express they would create a new sign. Taikiuu did so now. She rapidly fired signs at Kii and the girl translated out loud for Jon’lan’s benefit. Jon’lan’s back was turned to both of them and it was difficult to hear over the rain so Kii had to shout.
“The Ada’na says that a great disturbance has happened in the village of Aztlan. She says we must take cover now.” Kii shouted to be heard over the fierce wind and driving rain.
“Where should we take cover?” Jon’lan shouted back directing his words to Taikiuu. They could no longer see the island of Hetmos. They floated on a large body of water and the nearest bank seemed to be a great distance away.
“She says we must make it to the caves if we are to live.” Kii’s voice trembled as she relayed Taikiuu’s words to the trader. She could see the Ada’na gathering all of her vital force within herself so that she would not show fear at such a crucial time. Kii did not see any change in the weather, it was no worse than before, but she had learned long ago to trust the Ada’na’s instincts and heed her warnings.
“Honored trader,” Kii spoke loudly but with humility, “The Ada’na knows the danger we face. She does not ask you to go to the caves without reason. She senses a great disturbance and feels that we will not be safe on the water any longer.” The last of her words seemed to be swept away by the wind and rain which had increased drastically in only a few short moments. The trader seemed to heed her words as he steered the boat in the direction of the land that was barely visible in the distance. Slowly they began to make headway. As they drew closer to solid land a deafening roar filled the air.
Kii felt a blast of wind at her back and looked to see what disaster lay behind her. She cringed when she saw the gigantic cloud of smoke reach up to the heavens as it darkened the entire sky. The rain suddenly stopped and thick ash began to fall from the sky. Kii knew this meant that the sleeping mountain had awoken and their island home of Hetmos faced certain destruction. Jon’lan yelled for them to row with all their might as he too recognized the danger.
He yelled for them to go faster until his voice went hoarse. It seemed that they rowed endlessly while the world became swamped in an unnatural silence and the water began to churn with layers of burnt ash. Kii felt burning stings upon her cheeks and she swatted the air in front of her face. It felt as if small insects were feasting on her exposed skin. She swatted her neck only to find that the water was boiling hot and each splash seemed to singe her skin.
Kii lifted the little girl back onto her lap; she was awake now and crying softly. She uncovered her own hair leaving it vulnerable to the burning ash that fell from the sky and wrapped her head covering over the child’s trembling body. The water around them continued to froth and bubble. Soon it seemed they would be boiled alive unless they reached the safety of the island.
“The water is heating.” Jon’lan yelled to be heard over the frothing water and wind.
Taikiuu had taken note of this as the sizzling water splashed against the side of the boat. Land was only a short distance away, yet it seemed to last a lifetime as the water became a raging beast fighting to drown them in its fiery depths even as they struggled to survive. Finally the boat ran into shallow waters and then beached upon the land.
Jon’lan pulled with all his might; he feared that they would be swept away into the boiling froth. Taikiuu grabbed the sides of the boat and
held it steady while Kii scrambled out along with the small child.
Together they all dragged the boat as far inland as it would allow. Never before had Jon’lan seen anything like this powerful shaking of the ground. The land seemed to heave and rumble under his feet. He wondered if perhaps they had condemned themselves to certain death by beaching on this part of the mainland. Surely it would succumb to the force of the water.
He feared that they were already doomed even as he hoped for a safe haven. He voiced his concern to the woman. “How do we know that this part of the mainland will not be swept into the sea as your home island was destroyed?”
His words carried over the sound of the water and rain. Taikiuu lifted her gaze to meet the trader’s inquiring eyes. She noted that no sign of fear was present on his face and she admired his control.
“We will be safe here.” She signed these words to Kii and listened as the girl translated to Jon’lan.
“Such simple words to seal the fate of four lives?” Jon’lan could not stop his questioning remark. “What arrogance is this?” He asked as his eyes flashed with hostility, he thought for a moment that perhaps he had misjudged the woman.
Taikiuu shook her head emphatically “Not arrogance.” She signed and then as Kii spoke the words Jon’lan followed the direction her finger pointed only to gasp in shock. Kii squinted, hoping to see whatever it was that Taikiuu had revealed to the trader. She craned her neck to see into the dark forest that was surrounded in mist. Her heart seemed to fly from her body as she saw a sight unseen before in her short lifetime.
Animals of all kinds roamed the forest; predators along with their pray stood shoulder to shoulder, wolves ran besides deer, rabbits and birds of all sorts.
Keeper of the People (Book One) Page 6