“Now, that’s like Sur Sceaf being thrown into a pit. That does sound exciting.”
Sur Sceaf was wrapping his deck up in its water proof leather pouch.
Going Snake asked, “Surrey, where did you get that pouch?”
“My mother made it for me. See the Fire-Swan and Fanisk on it.”
The boy turned to Little Doe. “Mother will you make me a pouch like Surrey’s to carry my cards in.”
“I will but you have to cut the leather for me and maybe Ahy will bead it for you if you keep feeding her horse and the oxen.”
“I can do that right now, Redelfis promised me some of his elk hide.” The boy rose when Fromer came storming up to their blanket, red faced and indignant.
“Why Fromer,” Sur Sceaf said, “to what do we owe this rare pleasure of having you join us in learning our Herewardi catechism.”
Fromer blurted out, “Catechism, thou sayest. Tool of the Devil, I say. No, I am here because thy friends, the savages and heathen over the hill there, are flaunting their nakedness once again for all to see.”
“As you know we agreed to keep our separate spaces. I explained that to Onamingo and he took the boys to a safe place away from your women and your children. LaCrosse is a healthy sport that builds our young men into better warriors. You would have an argument only if they were over here playing in front of your women. And they are not.”
Elijah added, “Sur Sceaf chose to honor us by having them play elsewhere. They have been playing that game often during our trek. It’s a common practice among all other tribes. If thou hadst not been away from our camp today, thou wouldst not have even noticed them.”
“Well, we did not agree to become prisoners in our own camp.”
Mendaka added, “And we did not agree to become Quailors nor be governed by Quailor Law. If you wish no offense then do not go wandering into our space to look for offense.”
Redelfis and Herman came striding into camp side by side. Going Snake ran up to Redelfis, “Did your team win, Reddy?”
“No, the whites beat us by two points. I wish I hadn’t taught Ilkchild how to play. He scored both of those points.”
Herman leaned closer to say something to Redelfis before leaving.
Redelfis and Going Snake continued into camp. “It was a great game of LaCrosse, Father. Weather was a bit strange too, first sunny then foggy. Appears the sky is very unstable today. We had the perfect place to play except for a big boulder smack dab in the middle of the field. I knew Herman could remove it. I fetched him from his forge and he pulled the rock out like a team of oxen and hurled it off the field for us.”
Sur Sceaf caught the accusing look that Fromer directed at Elijah. Linney and Ichabod hung back and waited for Fromer’s next move.
“I told thee, Elijah, this was a slippery slide into a sink of iniquity. I told thee what would happen and now it has. Something must be done to remedy this. Thou wilt not do it, so I suppose we dycons will have to.”
Fromer jerked his head up in frustration and stormed off with Linney and Ichabod trailing.
Redelfis said, “What was all that about? He acted like he hated Herman for doing a good deed.”
Sur Sceaf told him, “When a man is shunned, they do not count his good deeds as merits.”
Redelfis asked, “What crime did he commit that requires him to be shunned?”
Elijah clarified, “Under Quailor Law one can be shunned for any number of sins be they little sins or big sins. But Quailor Law strictly forbiddeth anyone to reveal that sin. Only a man of a dark heart would ever reveal another man’s sin unless it affecteth harm to some one else. The person must endure their outcast status until the dycons and priests can agree they have fully atoned. This giveth them the necessary space to repent in. But some never return.”
Redelfis said, “I don’t care what he did. He’s been a great help all along the trek. Anytime anyone needed assistance, he was there.” He glanced at Elijah. “Please, don’t take offense Brother Elijah, but the same cannot be said for many of your people.”
* * *
Since Pyrsyrus’ cooks had all day to prepare dinner, Sur Sceaf and the others feasted at his brother’s board enjoying a sumptuous dinner. After dinner Faewylf took her silk to Little Doe’s tipi to instruct the Sharaka women in the spinning of silk thread. A practice she had begun while they waited here at Glide Garth. Because working with silk is a guarded Herewardi secret, she had obtained permission to teach several vetted Sharaka women of good standing in Little Doe’s tipi. The wind was picking up and the air had taken on a biting chill. Sur Sceaf added additional firewood to the small traveling stove to take off the nip in the air.
Lana offered some mulled wine to Swan Ray and Face-of-Stars. Sur Sceaf had a krug of dark ale. Lana moved her chair closer to the stove, took a sip and then turned to Sur Sceaf.
“I happened to see Taneshewa returning to camp this afternoon. She didn’t look happy. In fact she looked like she could spit hornets. I have to assume that thou didst finally tell her I am thy wife.”
Swan Ray gave him a piteous look and continued with her weaving. Face-of-Stars tried to look busy sorting herbs. The silence was so loud it was painful.
“Lana, you are perceptive as always. In my stubborn determination to handle this my own way I ended up bungling everything with Taneshewa. The past three weeks were going so well, so I deceived myself, thinking my way must be the better way, but you were right. She took it as a malicious deception. I should have introduced her to you way before now. Now she feels mocked and betrayed. How in Woon’s name can I convince her that from the very beginning, all my intentions were honorable? The actions I perceived to be for her own good were driven by my fears of losing her.”
Face-of-Stars volunteered, “If I had been her, I would have gutted you like a fish and then cut off your wares for allowing me to believe Lana was not your wife all this time. Sometimes I wonder if you men have any brains at all.”
Lana and Swan Ray exchanged looks. “You’re right Face-of-Stars. Men have no idea what women think. Paloma warned me thou wast this way, Surrey. Thou hast no clue about the way a woman feeleth when her emotions are high. I feel so sorry for Ahy and for thee. For in thy blindness, thou hast created that which thou didst fear the most.”
“I feel like a kid pulling hot soup off the table onto myself. And now, I have no idea how I can make it right or if I even can ever clean this up.”
Swan Ray gave him a sympathetic look. “I believe Ahy truly loves you, Sur Sceaf, but she is a young woman who has been deeply wounded by two men she cared very much about. The trust she offered you had just began to bud, but now I fear it may have withered and died.”
He winced at her blunt words.
Swan Ray continued, “My advice is you had better just lay your head in her lap and bare your back for a whipping all the same. Whatever you do, don’t try to defend yourself on this one.”
Lana nodded before adding, “At the moment, I’d advise thee to give her some space to think things through. Thou must needs remember, she still carryeth the shadow of her former lover.”
Face-of-Stars tied the last string around a bundle of earth-smoke before turning. “I could speak to her, Sur Sceaf, on your behalf? I have made friends with Mendaho who is her best friend. Girls listen to girls, you know.”
He smiled at Raven’s Tongue’s eldest daughter. “That is kind of you, maid, but I have decided to take another approach.”
Face-of-Stars gave him a challenging look. “Maybe you better share that with us before you actually do it. And this time maybe you’ll do some listening.”
“Why do I feel you’re all against me?” Sur Sceaf shook his head. “But that’s not all that’s preying on me now.”
Swan Ray volunteered, “We want to help.”
“Perhaps! The damned dycons under Fromer are stirring discontent throughout the Quailor Camp. I swear, I’d like to toss that scrawny little worm into an ant hill.”
Lana decla
red, “According to Mama and Papa things were going very good in the Quailor Camp, even after the Booger Dance.”
“That was my hope also, but Hartmut warned me that Fromer intended to make trouble of one sort or another. That is the primary reason I halted the train here in hopes of extinguishing that spark of rebellion before it catches and spreads. But now, perhaps that was a mistake as well.”
Swan Ray exclaimed, “On the contrary, I think it was a brilliant idea to sojourn here at Glide Garth. Have you not seen how well the Sharaka, the Hickoryans, and even many of the Quailor are mingling in peace and exchanging ideas and developing new friendships. Methinks it’s been a great success.”
Face-of-Stars added, “From what I’ve been seeing, it wouldn’t surprise me to see many couples forming among the young people. Already the youth are clustering to share music, songs, dance, and tales. Even, Herewose has been visiting Tiny Owl at her father’s fire on a nightly basis.”
Lana said, “I know my people. There are very few who think like Fromer. I believe the goodwill the Booger Dance hath generated will spring up anew.”
Sur Sceaf finished his ale and then got up to feed the stove more logs. “I agree that most of the Quailor are good and reasonable people who care about the same things we do. But Fromer has taken advantage of every crisis moment to further his own agenda and in times past even had a ring in Elijah’s nose by which he led him about. Now Elijah has found the strength and has claimed back the mantel of his leadership and it’s unsettling Fromer. For the success of our unity we must find a way to defrock Fromer without arousing resentment.”
Chapter 20 : Bad Spirits
Long Swan’s Log: On Ice Day, a time of enforced rest commemorating the beginning of winter and the end of movement, in the Year 583 H.S.O. Lord Prince Sur Sceaf ordered the exodus remain at the Clashing Rivers. The decision was not made lightly, for winter was setting in, but the dissension stirred up by the Quailor dycons has not dissipated as Sur Sceaf and the other Leaders had anticipated. The spirit of contention has only been intensified by the Retrenchment Movement under Fromer Muckenschnabel. Sur Sceaf is under the edict of the Roufytrof to not bring the exodus into Witan Jewell until there is a semblance of harmony among the three tribes.
Once the decision had been made, Sur Sceaf dispatched runners to Witan Jewell explaining the reason for the delay along with the warning that their arrival might be postponed until as late as the Dark Moonth. The silver harriers are to report back on the status of preparations being made for the settlers in Urford and Maiden’s Head. Additionally, Sur Sceaf requested grain and fodder, specific medical supplies for the hospitalers, blankets, and basic commodities which are now in short supply.
We three emissaries, along with the leadership of the three tribes concur with Sur Sceaf to remain encamped at Glide Garth and have authorized Lord Sur Sceaf to execute any means the Ur Fyr directs him to use in resolving this disharmonic element that threatens the unity of the three tribes. The leadership will declare the reason for the extended stay to be the need for building barns and corrals in Witan Jewell and on the coast to handle all the excess livestock. Fortunately, the god’s have tempered the winter, there was no snow in the mountains and as of yet no hard frost here in the Valley. Game and fish are still quite plentiful. There is ample pure water and fuel and sufficient forage for the livestock. As Glide Garth is a mere twenty miles of easy riding from Witan Jewell the fyrd’s are serving us on a rotational basis so that they can be with their families in their home settlements.
It is a personal matter, but one of significance as it adds an additional stressor on Lord Sur Sceaf. A rift has opened between the chief’s daughter, Ahyyyokah Taneshewa and Lord Sur Sceaf. He had sought to take her as his seventh bride, but has inadvertently driven her away. Now she refuses to speak to him, and the impact on Lord Sur Sceaf’s disposition is marked and noticeable. Lord Sur Sceaf conferred with me and we prayed for guidance from the gods. The Ur Fyr witnessed to him that the Norn Sisters have woven him a number of possible outcomes, and that he needs to weigh his options most deliberately before embarking on one of the paths the Sisters of Fate are presenting him.
* * *
Sur Sceaf ordered the encampment to continue to sojourn at the Clashing Rivers along the Northern Fork of the Umpqua River. After delivering his copies of the directives to the various Tribal Leaders, Sur Sceaf and Hartmut decided to make the most of the idle time the arrested camp gave them. They decided to go hunting together, something they hadn’t done since boyhood.
About an hour before undown they rode hard from the place of the Clashing Rivers due south along the banks of the river until just before twilight when the deer begin to move. It wasn’t long until they spied a group of deer browsing in a hawthorn and madrone thicket. They quietly dismounted and walked their horses over to a large rock outcropping where they tied their horses and took cover in the rocks near the trail, it being the path the deer would most likely take to get to water.
Sur Sceaf studied the herd’s movement. “They will be moving on this trail before long. Here is their trail. They must go to the river for drink.” Sur Sceaf readied his bow.
Hartmut removed his bow out of its sheath, cleared his throat, and whispered, “Surrey, I’m sorry the dycons are poisoning the sense of commonwealth thou hast worked so hard to build between the tribes. Most of them are simply too self-indoctrinated to ever change. They favor retrenchment because they fear change and the changes thou art planning doth utterly terrify them. Fromer hath taken advantage of that fear and whipped them into an even more irrational state. Sadly this showeth how dangerous zeal without knowledge can be. Elijah and the other priests have told them how much this arrangement can help them. They simply do not care how much thou canst help them. Thy efforts to accommodate them will never yield the fruit thou desirest.”
Sur Sceaf looked up at the browsing deer. “So what do I do? Let them continue to spread their contention?”
“No, as thou hast noticed Fromer and his cadre usually avoid me. I have found they only care about how much thou canst hurt them, not how much thou canst help them. So far, thou hast not put any hurt on them.” Hartmut counseled, “In the name of harmony, thou hast only endured their hostilities and ingratitude. Thou art not going to like this. I admire thy forbearance and thy tolerance in aid of the good of the three tribes, but thy actions only serve to embolden them. Confront them like thou wouldst any bully on a playground. Punch them before they can punch thee.”
“What? You want me to horse whip them? Knock the hell out of them?” Sur Sceaf grinned, “Because that would give me real pleasure.”
“Exactly! Let me offer thee a suggestion. We are going to fight fire with greater fire. Today, when they called for a vote of no confidence on Elijah, they showed me how this should be done. They were using that which they fear the most.”
“Obviously, you have a plan cooking in that clear thinking head of yours.”
Before Hartmut could reply Sur Sceaf caught sight of the deer heading toward the river. “I remember Ludwig was involved when Elijah chose Fromer’s predecessor, Fritz Baron.”
“That’s right, thou wast there. Would that Fritz still was. So thou dost probably also remember that they have their supporting body called the Seventy.”
“Oh, yes, a very original name.” Sur Sceaf laughed. “But it would seem to me nothing could ever get done because they always needed a full Quorum to vote.”
“We’re just waiting to get settled before we all decide whether to keep the ten dycons of the seventy who stayed behind or replace them with new ones.” Hartmut looked over the rock to see if the deer were approaching yet. “Now since ten of the Seventy have stayed behind in Salem. That meaneth they do not have enough votes to ever overthrow Elijah because it must be a unanimous, on site, vote. A minor technicality, but one Fromer must concede to nevertheless. Two dycon’s, Luther and Walter, will never vote against Elijah, and I’ve heard there may be even more. Which meaneth From
er doth not have unanimous support for himself. He’s obviously blind to this weak spot and now it’s time to strike back.”
Sur Sceaf glanced up at the browsing deer. They were approaching rapidly. “Here they come. That buck is mine. It’s a perfect seven by seven.”
Sur Sceaf could only think of placing his diplomatic arrow through Fromer’s heart as he released the string of his bow and watched the buck collapse to the ground. Hartmut’s arrow found the heart of a nearby doe. Together they ran over and claimed their kills.
While field dressing the deer, Sur Sceaf asked Hartmut. “Before the deer came. You said you had a suggested plan.”
“Sad, but true.” Hartmut began gutting the doe. “As I said before, Fromer is blind to this weak spot.”
Sur Sceaf hurled a rope over the branch of a large madrone and hoisted the buck up in the tree for skinning.
“So how can that hurt Fromer?” He asked, as he tied off the rope.
“It’s simple. Elijah hath the heart and will of the entire High Priest’s Quorum, plus the voice of the people on his side. Together they could counter with a vote of no confidence in Fromer and if approved, he would be removed from the picture as chief dycon. All thou must do is go visit Fromer with Elijah and threaten him that if he soweth anymore discontent and doth not show the total support he pledged at the Council of Three Tribes in the beginning, then he will be ex-communicant; the most frightening word of all in Quailordom. Of course, that would require a ten day waiting period because that is the time frame allotted for such matters.”
“What if Fromer demands a vote of no confidence anyway?”
“It would be foolish to do so. He does not have a unanimous majority. He can do nothing and Elijah can not become an excommunicant.”
“Brilliant Hartmut! I’ll drink to that.” He pulled out a flask from his saddle bags, held it up and said, “Peach brandy.” He took a swig and then handed the bottle to Hartmut. “I will do exactly as you say, but I will go alone and stop this nonsense once and for all.”
The Frightful Dance (The King of Three Bloods Book 2) Page 36