He refused to let his thoughts turn to Rhea, already he missed her, but he had forbidden her to follow him into the ambush set up by the Hetmos warriors. He was certain that she would have fought at his side, but she would have also risked her life for him and the lives of her cubs who were still nursing. She seemed confused when Anaay ordered her to stay behind, but he had been adamant and she listened.
Now as he read the signs on the ground he wished for the big cat’s presence, the men that walked ahead of the Ada’na had no injuries from what he could tell, they were at their full strength, whereas Jon’lan and Anaay had used what was left of their energy to run as far as possible. They would be hard pressed to go up against fresh uninjured warriors and win. But Anaay would try, that was his resolve, he would do what he could, even giving his life for First Man and First Woman if necessary, although he hoped that it would not come down to a choice between life or death. He was thankful for Hawk’s presence the bird would alert them if anyone else was close by.
Taikiuu shivered in the cold as her legs grew numb. The little cub had burrowed into the warmth of her fur parka and he rested warm against her tunic. His little heart beat rapidly and she knew that by now he was hungry for his mother’s milk. There was nothing that she could do and she vowed that she would not allow him to starve in the cold of this dark place.
It was impossible to light a fire and she stood on a ledge that only allowed her to shift her weight from left to right, she could not bend or sit. Taikiuu knew that soon exhaustion would force her to kneel but she refused to give in to the temptation. For now, her legs would holder and she could not worry about when the time came that her legs would not hold her. That time was not now.
Jon’lan and Anaay lost the trail again only to find it as they rounded a bend and Anaay held up his hand. Jon’lan had grown used to the steady pressure of Hawks talon’s resting against his shoulder and although he was tired beyond measure he was still thankful that his friend had returned to him.
“Something happened here.” Anaay studied the ground in confusion and Jon’lan tried to spot the trouble.
“It looks like Taikiuu’s footsteps going forward and also coming back towards us.” Anaay spoke quietly as he sorted out the puzzle in front of him.
Jon’lan and Anaay couldn’t imagine that Taikiuu had managed to elude her captors by herself, without any weapons. Jon’lan carried her walking spear tied to his pack and he also had Kii’s bow and the arrows that where left.
“I don’t understand what I’m seeing.” Anaay muttered as he read the signs again and then his heart stopped for a moment as he realized that somewhere along the way they had missed Taikiuu. Perhaps she was injured or so weak that she could not cry out for help. But they had missed her for a certainty. Anaay also saw what he hoped were Rhea’s footprints, he couldn’t be sure, it was possible that another large cat roamed the area, but it wasn’t likely. He hoped that she caught up with Taikiuu somehow along the way, not only was she a source of warmth, but she was also a sure guide back to the band.
Jon’lan and Anaay turned to go back the way they had come, eager to find Taikiuu in case she was in a bad way. Hawk screeched as he spotted what they could not, Rhea now raced towards them with two cubs trying desperately to keep up. Anaay skid to a halt as he waited for the cat to approach them. She walked towards them with no hesitation and he knew at once that it was indeed Rhea.
“Where is Taikiuu, First Woman?” Anaay immediately asked the cat but she ignored him, taking the time to see to her cubs.
“I can tell from the tracks that she walked with Taikiuu for a time, along with her cubs. But why isn’t she with her now? Where is Rhea’s third cub?” Anaay spoke mostly to himself as he watched Jon’lan whisper to Hawk and then raise his arm to release the bird into the air. Rhea growled menacingly, she did not like having the large bird so close to her cubs and she sheltered them now with her body.
She tolerated the hawk when she had to and only his sharp beak and talons kept her from approaching him as prey, but she would not allow him to come near her young. Hawk rose effortlessly into the sky and surveyed the area around them. He hovered on wings that were easily a man’s arm span long. Jon’lan watched the bird intently, although he was not ignoring Anaay by any means. He waited as Hawk circled an area once and then again signaling to Jon’lan who took his cue and ran towards the spot below the circling bird.
Anaay caught Jon’lan before he could slip into the crevice that was concealed between several rocks. Jon’lan jerked to a stop and peered down into the hole. He could see nothing; it appeared to be a never ending opening into the belly of the mountain. He got on his hands and knees and yelled down into the crevice and he waited with bated breath for any answer.
Yet there was nothing. Rhea came up behind him and chuffed into the crevice and Anaay pushed her back out of the way. Even as he wondered where her third cub was he heard the small cry that was almost indistinguishable due to the howling of the wind. Both men stilled as they heard another noise, one that had Jon’lan gasping in shock.
“Taikiuu?! We’re here!” Jon’lan shouted into the crevice eager to hear his wife’s reply, yet there was only silence. He couldn’t be sure that she had really cried his name until he heard it again. Her voice was weak but clear, she was trapped inside the crevice and although he couldn’t see her, she must be close. Jon’lan immediately opened his travel pack and withdrew a length of rope. He saw Anaay’s face change into one of concern when they saw that the length of the rope was not nearly as long as they might need.
“I’m going to lower the rope down.” Jon’lan yelled out. “Tie it around you firmly and we’ll pull you up.” Anaay nodded in agreement even as Rhea tried again to peer down into the crevice, she was eager to be reunited with her cub and her body needed to release its milk soon. Anaay shoved her away as he helped Jon’lan lower the rope, they waited for the tug on the end of it that would tell them that it had reached Taikiuu. Jon’lan knew that his wife had been alone in the cold for far too long. As he waited for her answering response he could only pray that she still lived.
Chapter Fifty-One
Taikiuu drifted in a world of ice and cold. She felt warmth at her breast and realized that it was the little cub that she held, trying to get warm as it shivered against her. Shudders racked her body and her legs had grown numb, along with her fingers. She was surprised that she still stood on her own two feet.
From a distance she seemed to hear Jon’lan shout to her and she wanted to answer, but her throat was dry from lack of water and her lips were cracked and chaffed. She thought that perhaps Jon’lan had come to her from her dreams, for surely he was all that she dreamed of, even now as she lay drifting between this world and the dream world that beckoned her.
Again she heard his voice calling to her, assuring her that he would have her in his arms soon all she had to do was look up. The cub began to cry and Taikiuu stroked its fur and murmured to it, finally she blinked her eyes open and looked up to the top of the crevice, she saw shadows there, but her heart would not allow her to believe that it was truly Jon’lan, come to rescue her.
The last time she had seen her beloved was burned into her memory, he had been barely breathing and dying of the poison that had invaded his body. And yet, again she heard him call down to her. She shook herself and forced sound through her lips, hoping against hope that it was Jon’lan who called out and not the warriors that sought to capture and enslave her.
Jon’lan lowered the rope down slowly, he didn’t want to bypass Taikiuu since she had only made a small sound, he couldn’t be sure that the fall hadn’t injured her. When he received no response after calling out to her again and again, he began to worry that she was too far away to hear him. He looked at Anaay who grimaced in understanding.
Taikiuu forced her tired body to respond; she looked up as a rope came down towards her and then stopped short. It was just within her reach. She would have to jump in order to reach it, she gla
nced down at the yawning hole that went deep into the mountain, if she missed on her first attempt then she would certainly fall to her death. Taikiuu worked to warm her numb fingers and palms.
She shed the protective mittens that encased her hands and blew warmth into her palms, rubbing briskly. Nothing seemed to work, until she rubbed her palms and fingers over the cub’s warm fur and belly. The young cat generated warmth and seemed not to feel the cold the way she did. She gently tucked him back into the warmth of her body and then belted her parka at the waist so that he would not slip out when she released him.
Taikiuu yelled as loud as she could and she could only hope that her weak voice would reach the top of the crevice. She heard a shout from above and then she leapt out into the open space reaching for the rope that would pull her from the belly of the Great Mountain. She felt the rope make contact and then she felt the burn as she slipped down almost losing her grip except for the knot that Jon’lan had surely made at the end of the rope for just this reason.
It halted her fall and she hung limply with both hands grasping the rope above her and the cub digging its nails through the inner lining of her clothing and piercing her skin. The pain seemed to trigger some response inside of Taikiuu and she yelled, finding renewed strength as she tried not to look down into the beckoning darkness of the mountain.
Jon’lan and Anaay both felt the rope pull taut when Taikiuu caught the end of it and hung there waiting for them to pull her up. Anaay braced his legs as the impact hit him and he backed up in sync with Jon’lan as they both worked to pull First Woman from the depth of the crevice. Anaay found a boulder blocked his progress backwards and then thinking quickly he used it to anchor the rope and turned at an angle so that he was passing Jon’lan as the man walked backwards. He craned his neck to see how much progress they were making and he saw Taikiuu’s bare hand clasped around the end of the rope and her knuckles were almost white with strain. Rhea circled the crevice chuffing deep in her throat as if issuing encouragement to them all.
“Grab hold of her!” Anaay shouted as he saw her grasp slip. “I will hold her weight!”
Jon’lan needed no further encouragement, from the moment he had caught sight of Taikiuu’s hand he had wanted to leap to her side and pull her up, but he wasn’t sure that Anaay could hold her full weight alone. He yelled that he was releasing the rope so that Anaay could further brace himself and the young man was almost horizontal to the ground in his efforts to keep the rope anchored. Jon’lan slid to the side of the crevice and he clasped his wife’s frigid hand in his own and then regardless of his own safety he grabbed her wrist with his other hand and held tight.
“I have her Anaay!” Jon’lan shouted as he looked into his wife’s terrified almond shaped eyes. Anaay immediately scrambled to his feet and ran to grasp Jon’lan’s legs as he helped to pull them both away from the yawning mouth of the crevice. Taikiuu emerged slowly as they pulled her up and it was as if she was reborn, blessed by the Great Mountain as she reentered the land of the living. They all lay panting upon the ground as Rhea sniffed Taikiuu’s parka until she saw that her remaining cub was safe. Taikiuu managed to hand the cub to Rhea and she lifted him by the scruff of his neck where he hung limply in her protective grasp. Rhea carried him off to the relative safety of the other two cubs, which were nestled securely inside of Anaay’s carrying pack.
Anaay wiped the tears that streaked down both sides of his face, less anyone realize how scared he had been to lose First Woman. Even now Jon’lan caught his breath and pulled Taikiuu into the shelter of his body. Anaay rose and used the remainder of his fire rock in order to get a small fire going, he also wanted to give the pair time to collect themselves.
He was not the only one moved to tears at the reunion. Taikiuu lay with her eyes closed as her husband whispered to her of his love and relief that she was safe. She was too weak to respond to him with anything more than a nod as he spoke to her. Yet she knew just as surely as if she had spoken aloud that he was aware of her love and thanksgiving.
The fire began to warm her slowly and shudders wracked her body, but she did not fight them, she welcomed them. Already she could feel the pain in her limbs that told her that she was regaining feeling there and she did not resist it as it roared through her form. Taikiuu meditated on healing quickly, she reminded herself that the body was just a shell that held the life force that sustained it. She knew that she must go through the pain to preserve her own life and by doing so she protected her unborn child.
Jon’lan covered her with his fur to help ward of the worst of the chills. He took a small clay cup and heated water for her to sip. When her fingers were no longer riddled with pain she removed a few herbs that she sprinkled into the hot water, making a tea that would strengthen her. Jon’lan rained kisses over her beautiful face and caressed her cheeks and chin, kissing the tears that blinked from her eyes as she smiled at him.
“I knew you would come.” Taikiuu whispered as he leaned close and she felt his tears mingle with her own, his body shuddered as well, but it was in relief, not pain.
“I barely survived the poison from their weapons.” Jon’lan admitted, “But Anaay convinced me that you had saved us with the leaves that you left behind.”
“I had to surrender or risk the entire band.” Taikiuu informed him, needlessly. He had already surmised as much. He simply nodded, not willing to scold her when she had shown such extraordinary courage.
“The others?” Taikiuu asked and Jon’lan knew that she wanted word of their well being.
“Kii and the children were safely down the mountain and into the valley below when last Star Feather saw them. Roark is in need of your help; he was unable to journey any further and still lies where he fell. Star Feather is with him and she is using the healing that she learned from you to tend to him. But we must return quickly. Where are the men that captured you?
“I left them lying in their own vomit and feces, tied up hand to foot.” Taikiuu gestured weakly and Jon’lan and Anaay threw each other startled glances.
Jon’lan choose to allow Taikiuu more rest before he asked her anymore questions, for now it was good to know that his wife was safe and secure in the sheltering protection of his arms, where she belonged. Still, he marveled at her ability to escape and elude her captors. She was a slender woman and had been taken without any weapons, yet she had managed to render seasoned warriors helpless. Anaay shook his head as he too struggled with the idea and Jon’lan merely through him a smile which made the young man laugh for the first time in many days.
Anaay allowed the cubs out of his carrying pack and he watched as they bounded after their mother who led the way back towards their makeshift camp. Anaay gave her a few cues which she followed, slipping into the familiar pattern of their days in the forest together. Jon’lan walked with Taikiuu, helping her along while guarding their backs.
They decided to leave the warriors to fend for themselves, whether they lived or died would be up to the Creator, it was not Jon’lan’s concern and he would not be moved on the subject. Taikiuu pushed her body to the end of its limits of strength as she sought to keep up with the men, but she wanted to reach Kii and Mar-ee more than she wanted to rest.
The child in her womb was well if the movement that she felt even now was any indication. She could only be grateful for that blessing. It would have been more than her heart could hold if she had lost the precious life that she carried, Jon’lan’s child.
Roark was the first to spot them, the large cat walking ahead of them was the first indication that they were near. Next he made out Anaay’s lithe form followed by two figures walking close together, from the distanced they appeared as one. Star Feather’s breath caught as she recognized Taikiuu and she gasped with her hands pressed against her mouth in utter delight. Her hearth sister had returned. Surely it was a blessing beyond words.
She rose to her feet, checking on Roark once more before he nodded at her and she ran to greet the three of them. She sm
iled at Anaay and he laughed openly as she ran past him before coming to stop in front of Jon’lan and Taikiuu.
Star Feather stared at Taikiuu for a moment as if drinking in the sight of her and then she bowed deeply at the waist expressing her joy in the only way that seemed fitting. Taikiuu touched her shoulder and the women embraced, shedding joyful tears. They were overjoyed to be together again.
Star Feather trembled as she stood back from Taikiuu and she answered the unspoken question in her hearth sister’s eyes. The children. “I went to look for them and I did not find them, not even a trace.” Jon’lan stopped their progression forward as he heard Star Feather’s words.
“What do you mean?” Jon’lan forced himself to speak even as his gut clenched he thought of Mar-ee, his happy child and Kii, newly transformed from girl to woman. He thought of Yaa and Giad, inseparable but stronger as individuals now that they had Star Feather and Roark as parents. He thought of Mantiloff, Roark’s youngest son and his heart seized in his chest.
Roark spoke when Star Feather could not. “Star Feather went in search of the children, knowing that they needed to hear that we lived. She journeyed far down into the Valley, and when she did not find their camp, she searched even farther. She called to them and they did not come to her and she could find no trace of their footsteps or travel.”
Taikiuu held herself rigid as she clasped Jon’lan’s hand and he looked at her aware of the fierce light that had entered her shining eyes. Their children.
“Has the Old One awoken yet?” Jon’lan asked tightly, “Has he spoken?”
Roark shook his head. “He lives in the world of dreams after the blow that he took to his head. Star Feather has fed him a weak broth and taken care of his bodily needs, but so far he has not awoken from his deep sleep.”
Keeper of the People (Book One) Page 55