Keeper of the People (Book One)

by Karah Quinney

  Taikiuu nodded even as she gazed at him in wonder. She had not expected him to share his plans with her and he seemed to sense this.

  “In my village, the women are honored; children are cared for as the life blood of our band.” Jon’lan went on to describe what he hoped for in their future and he had to force himself not to reach out and touch her. She was his wife, yet by observing those in her village, he knew that she was not used to any physical contact with others.

  Taikiuu nodded as he spoke although she could not imagine that such a future could be theirs. Yet his words gave her hope. His eyes told her that he spoke the truth and his gaze held no deception.

  “Do you wish to bring both girl children to our hearth?” Jon’lan smiled as Taikiuu’s eyes widened in delight.

  She did not have to nod her head in agreement in order to make her wish known to Jon’lan. He knew her answer by the look of relief and pleasure in her eyes.

  “We will tell them tomorrow, for now why don’t you go and keep the girls warm.” Taikiuu reached out her hand to touch Jon’lan and she hesitated in surprise at her own audacity.

  Touching anyone for any reason other than to heal was foreign to her. Jon’lan clasped her hand before she could withdraw it and he was rewarded with a beautiful smile that captivated him completely.

  “Tomorrow.” He said softly as she nodded and made her way back to the children.

  Jon’lan rose early and when he saw that both the woman and the girl were watching him with interest he stopped in the midst of tying his pack and spoke directly to Kii.

  “We would be honored if you would join our small band as a daughter of our hearth.” He knew somehow that he spoke for them both as Taikiuu obviously viewed the girl with great affection.

  Even if Taikiuu had not been allowed to show affection before there was nothing to stop her now. He watched as realization dawned in the woman’s eyes and she looked upon the young girl, who seemed suddenly so alone. Their daughter.

  He didn’t know the traditions of the Hetmos people but he thought that perhaps the Ada’na of previous generations had not been allowed to raise any children born to her. Perhaps his new lifemate had never considered that she would be allowed to be named mother. He watched as both woman and child realized that they had gained something very dear. He knelt and peered at the youngest girl who slept on a pallet close to them.

  “Perhaps this little one would like a new family as well. I would gladly name you both as daughter of our hearth.” Jon’lan looked at Taikiuu who nodded in agreement when he extended his hand to her in question.

  Jon’lan smiled and turned to Kii, “We are waiting for an answer from the girl child that would call herself our eldest daughter.”

  Jon’lan stood to his full height and bowed his head slightly to allow for the low ceiling of the cave. He held his hand out to Taikiuu and she rose gracefully to her feet to stand at his side.

  When Kii started to speak Jon’lan stopped her with a hand sign that he had seen the woman give. “Wait.” Kii lifted her chin until she looked directly into their eyes and only then did he motion for her to speak. Jon’lan would not allow Kii to address them as a servant, not ever again.

  “Gladly, I will name myself this man and woman’s daughter, if they will have me.” Kii spoke through tears as the reality of her words settled down into her heart.

  She felt the lightest of touches and realized that Taikiuu had done something that she had never done before. She had taken her hand gently but firmly. In their village such a gesture would have been forbidden, but here in this new land, where none of the People had walked since time before remembrance, it seemed that perhaps anything was possible.

  The boy watched surreptitiously from his side of the cave. It appeared that they had forgotten his presence. Perhaps now he could run away.

  Although his arm still ached slightly the binding helped tremendously. He felt a tremor in his breath as he watched the people communicate. He wished that he could understand their words but even without understanding their language, some part of him was touched by the family in front of him. Their obvious warmth towards one another humbled him and made him long for the family that he had lost.

  Still he reminded himself that he was an outcast, Boy Alone, and there would never be any place for him amongst the People ever again; let alone a place with these great ones.

  Slowly he started to rise but froze as he was drawn into the piercing gaze of First Woman. He refused to look away. Taikiuu watched him and saw such a look of yearning upon his face that she was at first unable to comprehend the emotion.

  Finally she realized that this boy was also without family or loved ones. Surely he had been abandoned or become lost from his band for he walked alone. Taikiuu moved slowly towards the young boy and she could feel the eyes of the trader upon her but she did not allow this to slow her. Kneeling beside the boy she held his gaze until finally he looked away.

  “He calls you First Woman.” Jon’lan spoke softly from behind her. Taikiuu had not heard his approach. His moccasin encased feet were silent upon the cave floor. She marveled over the mastery the man had with their language. She had never known anyone other than herself that displayed such a unique talent.

  Taikiuu lightly touched the boy’s bandaged arm, pleased to find that the mud had dried into a hard outer shell that would keep the child from injuring himself further.

  He uttered a few words which she could not make out. She looked to Jon’lan for clarification. He seemed to be trying to comprehend their meaning but still unable to understand.

  Again the boy repeated himself and Jon’lan spoke a few words aloud that sounded very similar to those of the boy. Finally he said, “I believe he says release me or kill me.”

  The boy watched the interaction between First Man and First Woman; surely this was who they were.

  He had heard stories during childhood of the great ones, created at the beginning of the world by the Great Being. They were to be man and woman of all the People, father and mother to all children. But some force had intervened and First Man and First Woman were stripped of their lofty place in creation, left to wander the wilderness with only animal skins for covering. Children were born to them, but they did not remember their father or their mother and so they left them to roam the world.

  Finally the world ended and creation began again. Surely this was First Man and First Woman ageless and once again seeking their children. Boy Alone did not know if they were good or evil. The stories never told, nor did they have a beginning or an end. But his band had waited for many changes of the seasons for First Woman to appear so that she could begin the cycle of life that would keep any band strong and alive. His band had been a tribe of men and women, young and old.

  The sickness in his village had killed all the young children and then the women and most of the men. Surely the world had begun again if not only one woman, but two girl children were alive to renew life for all bands.

  These thoughts raced through his mind in mere moments as the woman leaned over him, her scent causing him to think of flowers newly born into being. He wondered if this were the scent of a mother. The woman looked fairly young but then First Man and First Woman had been ageless beings who lived for generations. It was possible that they did not age like the People.

  Boy Alone gasped when the man knelt beside him and spoke a few words that sounded very similar to his own tongue. Surely they were holy beings indeed if the man knew his language. It was obvious to Boy Alone that the man was not of his own band, for his eyes were shaped differently and his nose and lips were also different, although similar.

  Jon’lan also noted that where his own eyes were almond shaped and slightly slanted at the edges, this boy had round eyes with a dark brown coloring to them, his nose was rounded but slightly wider than the children of his people and his lips were thinner.

  The boy’s skin was stretched taut over high cheekbones, but Jon’lan could not tell if this was from
starvation or further sign of the differences between them.

  Jon’lan again tried to speak to the boy in his own tongue since he had not responded to the woman’s language or trader’s pigeon. He still needed to hear more words to get a good grasp of the language. It was easier to trade the boy’s words over to the woman’s language or his own than to do the reverse.

  “We are in danger and must leave this place, you are welcome to go on your way or leave with us.” Again Jon’lan spoke quietly and waited for a response. When the boy did nothing except stare at him as if he had just sprouted horns from his head Jon’lan grew weary with impatience.

  He ground his teeth in frustration and tried again this time using his hands to motion running away together as a group. He mimicked the use of spears to show that they were being hunted. Still the boy only stared at him with a mixture of wonder and fear.

  Taikiuu watched Jon’lan’s final showy display not certain what he would try next. It was obvious that none of his attempts had gotten through to the boy and the sun was beginning to rise, slowly lighting the entrance to the cave. If they did not leave soon, it would be too late to leave at all. They would be forced to stay until dark. Traveleling at night with young children and unknown dangers was something that Taikiuu knew the trader would want to avoid.

  “Ask him where his people are? Why is he alone out here in the forgotten land?” Taikiuu signed this to Kii and listened as she spoke the words to Jon’lan.

  Jon’lan tried asking the boy again using words that he thought the youth would understand. Still he received no response. It was obvious that the boy was either too fearful to respond or perhaps unable to understand.

  Kii approached while holding the hand of her new little sister. She looked closely at the boy her gaze never wavering from his direct stare. Finally she knelt beside Jon’lan and spoke softly, “Ask him if he is too afraid to answer our questions?”

  The boy looked at Jon’lan and waited for a translation and Jon’lan realized that he could understand him after all but refused to respond out of fear. He carefully translated the words as best he could and finally the boy said, “I am Boy Alone.”

  It took Jon’lan a few hands of time to make the meaning of the boy’s words clear. In his own language it sounded like the young man had said, “I am alone as a boy.”

  But because of the way he had stressed the words Jon’lan realized that the young man was naming himself, not making a statement. He relayed his thoughts to Kii and Taikiuu in their own language and then shifted his attention again to the boy.

  “Boy Alone we must leave this place. You may come with us if you choose.” Jon’lan offered the boy his hand and frowned in disbelief when the boy jerked away from him as if expecting a blow.

  Taikiuu gasped beside Jon’lan in a quiet inhalation of breath and Jon’lan realized that she had also noticed the child’s reaction. A swell of protectiveness overcame Jon’lan as he realized that this child had possibly been severely abused in the past.

  In his tribe children were never physically harmed by their families. They were lovingly disciplined if needed but never was a child to be abused. Everyone knew that children were the life of any band. Without them the People could not survive.

  “You may come with us if you choose. Your arm will take time to heal and you are still warm with sickness. My woman would offer you aid and my family would welcome the company of another man.” Jon’lan’s words had the desired effect.

  The youth sat up with interest and his chest swelled with pride as it dawned on him that Jon’lan recognized him as a man, not a boy.

  Jon’lan had not been blessed with any brothers, however, he remembered the time of coming into manhood. It never hurt to offer praise where it was due with young men. Jon’lan guessed the boy to be a few seasons older than Kii, but it was difficult to tell age in one so malnourished.

  Taikiuu did not let on that she understood the words the trader spoke to the boy. Yet she felt that even in the semidarkness of the cave he could see the heat rise to her face when he referred to her as his woman.

  It was true; she was his mate for life. Even though he had not fought Marad to the death, when she had made the choice to leave her people behind she had chosen him for her mate. Just as he had chosen her before everyone at the risk of his own life.

  She felt a small thrill pass through her body and realized that she had let down her defenses and was beginning to trust the trader. A part of her asked what would be so wrong with giving him her trust. Perhaps he was not like the other people in her life whom she had known acted with deceit. So far her lifemate had done nothing to show that he was not trustworthy.

  She resolved in her mind to give trust where it was due and to allow their new relationship a chance to blossom. Taikiuu realized that she was now both a wife and a mother. It was a gift that she never thought would be hers, but that she had always secretly desired.

  Her heart went out to the young boy who so valiantly fought to appear brave as he talked to Jon’lan. He spoke only a few words in response. But by the smile that touched Jon’lan’s lips Taikiuu realized the young man had consented to join them. It seemed as if she was finally able to breathe though she did not realize that she had been holding her breath.

  Chapter Eight

  After gathering up all evidence of their night in the cave and carefully packing everything away into bundles that each person could help carry the small band started out. Jon’lan led the way expecting to hear the woman and girls protest at the cold water that fell from the water fall.

  He was surprised to see that for the moment the stream seemed to be delayed and only a small trickle fell over the cave entrance where a few moments before there had been an onrush of water which explained his wet garments.

  Taikiuu silently ushered the boy and the two girls out of the cave. She was careful to cover any sign of their hidden lair. Jon’lan was too preoccupied with the threat of immediate danger to pay any attention but he decided to store the information away so that he could ponder over it more closely at a later time. Boy Alone looked at First Woman with awe but continued closely behind First Man.

  The events of the morning had proved to him that these great ones did not have evil intent. In fact if he were to believe First Man it was possible that they were in danger, being hunted by warriors who wished to do them harm.

  Though he was careful to keep his thoughts to himself he wondered why any warriors would want to harm those of womankind. He looked behind him and caught the eye of the girl called Kii, she was following closely in his footsteps and when he stopped suddenly she bumped into his back, wrinkling her nose at his offensive smell. He felt his face redden with embarrassment but she quickly masked her distaste with a kind smile and urged him onward with a nod of her head.

  Boy Alone had not considered the rank odor of his body in many moons. It worked to his advantage to take on the scent of the forest when surrounded by creatures that had considered him prey instead of friend. But now he wondered if those of womankind preferred things that smelled as they did, clean and pure. His nostrils flared as he caught the scent of the girl behind him, she smelled of flowers and fresh air. These things confused him and so he focused once again on following closely in the footsteps of First Man but his thoughts were not so easily kept on track.

  Jon’lan did not see any sign of the war party that had pursued them so menacingly into this unknown land. He needed to get to higher ground in order to find their direction and the best route ahead. There were too many unknowns in this land and Jon’lan felt vulnerable traveling out in the open with little protection against attack.

  He glanced back at his small band and each of them seemed to be looking at him with a measure of hope and confidence that he had never known before, except with his sister Laloni.

  Jon’lan noticed a difference in the woman that was to be his lifemate, she seemed more trusting and open to whatever the future might hold for them. His heart thrilled at the thoug
ht of bringing her to his village to live amongst his family. As a trader he had never imagined settling down in one place but now as a man with a newly acquired family he could think of little else.

  They moved as silently as possible through the trees and the dense fog helped but it would not cover the trail that they left behind. Any decent tracker would be able to follow them with ease. Jon’lan realized that there was nothing that they could do about their tracks for now. It would only delay them if they tried to leave a false trail.

  Jon’lan hoped that they could make it back to the beach where Hawk kept watch over the remainder of his supplies. If they could make it that far, then there was hope, if not, all would be lost.

  The Hetmos Warriors

  Marad had not allowed his men to rest all night. He searched the darkness for any sign of the man and woman. The only trail that was discovered was that of a lone man walking, his footprints set deep into the hard packed sand as if he were carrying a heavy load or perhaps a man of great weight himself. Marad followed the trail until it ended without locating the man or the woman. It was as if the trail disappeared into the forest and no matter how long he searched no sign of them could be found. He blamed his men and the animals trampling through the undergrowth searching for a safe haven. The island home he had known all of his life was destroyed and he had witnessed it with his own eyes.

  A sharp pain took his breath away as he once again realized that he had lost everything. If the woman still lived he would find her and make her suffer.

  He vowed vengeance upon the Ada’na and anyone that aided her escape. It was the only way that Marad could justify all that he had lost. Indeed he knew that possessing the Ada’na would be the greatest prize of all and he would do anything to control her power over the People to suit his own purposes.