by Kurt Winans
“I thought I heard a voice from somewhere on the other side of those trees.”
Having reached the thicket of trees, Aurora began to weave her way through them. It was her hope that the close quarters might slow down the advance of the rhinoceros sized wolf. Now running short of breath, she loudly screamed out for the entire moon to hear, “Somebody please help me!”
This time all six of the hunters heard the voice, as the first man said, “It’s coming from over that way.”
Stopping within a dense area of the thicket, Aurora prepared herself for battle. She knew that her current position offered her a better chance against the animal than trying to outrun it for several miles. The odds were still against her. Superior size and strength eventually prevailed in most cases, but she was determined to make the wolf work for his kill. Her plan was simple. Beat the attacking creature in the head and neck area with her pointed rocks until the bitter end. Luckily, just as the huge creature began to crash wildly into the trees surrounding her, the group of Mayan hunters had closed in on her screams for help.
From roughly one hundred yards away, the hunter who initially heard the strange voice exclaimed, “Look. Over there!”
A second replied, “The animal has someone trapped within that tight grouping of trees.”
Now looking more closely at the person under attack, one of the other hunters said, “That is the woman from the newcomers’ colony that I have been telling you about.”
With lightning quick efficiency, the six hunters moved in. They circled the wolf creature and relentlessly stabbed away at it with their spears. Once the animal had been subdued, the hunters turned their attention to the woman still tucked into the small pocket of trees.
Aurora, with fists still tightly clenched, was trembling. A small amount of blood dripped from the sharp rocks and her fingertips, but its color did not match that of the wolf creature. Throughout her attempts to stab at the lunging animal, she had not been able to inflict any damage. In contrast, adrenaline during the moments of the attack had caused her to squeeze the rocks to the point of creating several cuts in her palms. Staring at the hunter directly in front of her, she attempted her best Mayan and said, “Thank you all for saving my life.”
A hand from another hunter shot through the trees to grab her wrist, as he stated, “I claim this woman as mine. I was the one who heard her cry for help, and identified where she was so that we could save her.”
Another said, “That is true, but you have no specific claim to her. We all attacked and brought down the creature in a coordinated effort to save her life.”
“I tell you this woman is mine.”
“We all have equal claim to her.”
The lead hunter quickly intervened. Looking at each of the other five men in the group, he said, “Who has claim to this woman is not for any of us to decide.”
The hunter who knew Aurora more intimately than the others chimed in, “She is free to decide who has claim to her, and it may not be any of you.”
Having recognized his voice, Aurora snapped her head in his direction and her broad smile revealed instant relief. She said, “I’m glad you came to my rescue.”
The lead hunter spoke again in response to the question of claim. “Only the King can decide who shall have claim of this woman or if she has the right to choose. For now, our task is to clean this kill and prepare the meat for transport. After that is done, we can begin the journey back home. We will take the woman with us, and when we arrive tomorrow, we will present her to the king. If he does not want her, then any of you who wish to stake a claim can present their case. Until then, no one touches her. Is that understood?”
With an affirmative nod from each of them, the lead man then reached between the trees and carefully removed the hand of his subordinate from Aurora’s wrist.
Earlier that day, Ross had sent out an inquiry to discover if anyone had seen Aurora. Eventually, word came back from Megan Crenshaw that a few members of the agricultural team had seen her jogging solo along the path leading to the rocky point. They had not been witness to her possible return, as they had been occupied with their respective tasks. Ross knew that Aurora hadn’t returned, and it was obvious as to exactly where she was headed. He quickly assembled a group of twelve that included Colt, Gabriela, and four of the young Peruvian runners. Leaving Jessica in charge of any colony matters that might occur in his absence, he then headed off toward the Mayan city.
At first light the following morning, Ross sent the four runners ahead from the shelter at the midway rest stop. He had asked them to scout ahead and speak with any Mayan citizens they encountered to ask if Aurora had been seen. When they had tangible information, they were to come back along the main trail to reunite with the group and report their findings. Several hours later, as Ross and the remaining seven closed on the Mayan city, he spotted the runners heading toward him. They had good news to report, as they had been informed that Aurora was safe in the residence of the King.
Following their customary bow and handshake, Ross greeted the Mayan King by saying, “Hello my friend. It’s good to see you again.”
“Thank you, and welcome back to my city.”
Although in less need of Gabriela’s translation skills with each passing month, Ross still preferred to have her by his side when conversing with the King. In simple terms, she helped to avoid any possible misunderstandings as the two leaders spoke with each other. With her help, he inquired, “I understand that a woman from our colony is safely in your care, and with your permission, I would like to see her.”
The King nodded, and while motioning for one of his wives to retrieve Aurora stated, “The hunters who found her said she was far from the main trail that joins our two cities.”
“Far from the trail? Was she lost?”
“She wouldn’t say, but when they arrived with her this morning, they claimed to have saved her from certain death.”
Entering the room with her escort, Aurora said, “Hello dad. How are you?”
“I’m fine thanks, but the more appropriate question is, what happened to you?”
“I had a close call, but thanks to the six men who saved me, I’m fine. My minor wounds have been tended to, and I have received food and water.”
“Indeed. The King was just commenting on your rescue. Would you care to elaborate for me?”
After hearing the tale of the events that had transpired the previous day, Ross shook his head in disbelief. He knew that Aurora had been very lucky. Her actions during the most recent adventure were beyond foolish, but at least she had not been killed. It was bad enough that she had attempted to make the journey to the Mayan city on her own, but to then take on the additional risk of a theoretical shortcut was incomprehensible. If not for the group of Mayan hunters that just happened to be in the right place at the right time to hear her screams for help, the outcome would have been terrible. If that were the case, it was probable that no trace of her would have ever been found.
Turning to Gabriela, Ross said, “Could you please ask the King if I could meet with the six hunters as soon as possible. I would like to personally thank each one of them for saving my daughter’s life.”
She delivered the request, and then listened intently to a rather long winded reply before the King motioned for an aid to retrieve the men. Turning to Ross, Gabriela said, “Sir, it looks as if we might have a new problem.”
“What do you mean?”
“The King has informed me that some of the hunters wish to claim Aurora as their own for saving her life.”
“Claim her?”
“Yes sir, it’s one of their traditional customs. After the hunters saved Aurora, they presented her as a gift to the King. He did not want her as a wife, so the right of claim fell to any of those who saved her.”
“Wonderful! And you said that some of the hunters wish to claim Aurora.”
“Yes sir. According to the King, three of them do.”
Turning to Aurora wit
h a measure of visible frustration on his face, Ross said, “You failed to mention during your recent explanation that three Mayan men want to claim you as a wife.”
“That’s news to me, but it is flattering.”
Gabriela interrupted them by adding, “Although some would consider Aurora’s predicament to be rather flattering, you have not heard the ramifications of a multiple claim.”
Before Ross could obtain a more detailed account of the ramifications that Gabriela referred to, the group of hunters entered the room.
Aurora said, “Those are the men dad.”
“Good. I want you to follow my lead as I thank each of them individually and shake their hands. Gabriela would you be kind enough to lead us along the line and translate our words toward, and the reply from, each of the hunters?”
“I will indeed sir. We should start at the left end of the line. The leader is the one wearing ceremonial attire.”
“Are you sure?”
Aurora intervened, “I think she’s right dad. He was the one in command while we were in the wilderness.”
As he moved down the line, it became obvious to Ross that number three, five, and six were the men who wished to claim Aurora as their wife. The last of those three had rightfully received the most interest from Aurora. She informed Ross and Gabriela that he was the man she had been seeing so much of during the past three months. Her giddy smile and flirtation in his presence became the trigger for the ensuing altercation, as the previous man in line snatched her wrist as he had done in the wilderness.
His forceful Mayan words came too quickly for Ross to comprehend, but the intent was clearly understood. Ross asked Gabriela, “What exactly is this man trying to tell me?”
“That he maintains the first claim to Aurora, and he will fight any man to the death that stands in his way.”
As Ross stepped back and around Aurora to a position directly in front of the man, he said, “Is that so? Ask him if that includes her father.”
Upon hearing the question, the hunter glared directly at Ross for a long moment to evaluate his resolve. Although at least twenty-five years his senior, Ross did not blink, so the man eased his grip on Aurora’s wrist ever so slightly.
Seizing the moment to pull free from the hunters grasp, Aurora interjected, “I thank you again for helping to save my life, but you have no right to claim me as your prize. Only I will decide if any one of you can have me as their wife.”
Gabriela responded, “It may not be quite that easy. Sir, I think our best move would be to ease the tension by thanking the King once again for his hospitality toward Aurora. Then we should be on our way as soon as possible.”
“That’s an excellent idea. Aurora, you should take the lead on Gabriela’s suggestion.”
As she led their approach to the King, he motioned for the three suitors to advance. Colt then spoke loudly enough so that Ross could hear, “Three hunters moving on your six sir.”
Turning to confirm, he responded, “Thank you Colt.”
Gabriela helped translate Aurora’s thankful message to the King, then listened to his lengthy reply. Turning to Ross she said, “Sir, the King wants you to know that he was impressed with your bravery. You showed strength of will by staring down a man who is much younger and stronger than you in order to protect your daughter. Because of that, he has made a special consideration in how to handle this case.”
“I’m glad to hear that everything has been cleared up. Thank him for the kind treatment of Aurora and his words for me. Apologize for any misunderstanding there may have been, and that we look forward to his next visit to our colony.”
“That may be sooner than you think sir.”
“What do you mean?”
“The King intends to visit our colony in ten days.”
“That’s good news, but why?”
“As part of the special consideration, and he will bring a larger than normal entourage for the occasion.”
“What occasion?”
“Please be cautious of how you physically or verbally respond to this sir. Remember, this is not the most favorable arena to disagree with the King or attempt to undermine his authority. If you resist his will, you should wait until you have a more substantial supporting cast to stand your ground.”
“Understood, now please tell me what we can expect from the King and his entourage during the upcoming visit.”
“It will be a first ever event outside the confines of the Mayan domain. Their traditional customs require that the three hunters standing behind us will fight each other to the death for Aurora, and the survivor will take her as his wife. If she refuses to do so, then a male member of her family must fight the victor to the death for her honor. If it comes to that sir, the King is granting you the privilege of fighting his victorious hunter in the presence of your people.”
Aurora stated bluntly, “This is absolutely insane. Who gave the Mayans the right to decide what I do with my life?”
Feeling thoroughly frustrated at the unforeseen turn of events that now confronted him, Ross replied, “Apparently you did Aurora. From the moment they had to save you from your own foolish and shortsighted arrogance.”
Gabriela pressed, “Sir, your response to the King?”
“Please tell him that I understand the significance of the event, and all that will transpire.”
“Is that all?”
“As you said, this is not the place to contradict his will.”
Aurora had kept to herself during the journey home, and the days that followed. Throughout that time she had done some deep soul searching, and had arrived at the realization that the needs of the colony far outweighed her own personal desires. She, nor any other individual within the colony, was important enough to risk possible war with the nearby Mayan civilization. In spite of being in love with only one of the three men who would fight to the death for her hand, she would take her place as the wife of whichever hunter emerged victorious. Of course the choice of Aurora’s sacrifice to maintain the peace as opposed to war could potentially be avoided. First, there was the possibility that the man she loved would be triumphant during the upcoming battle. That outcome offered the best case scenario. If one of the other hunters emerged victorious, then a less likely scenario could also become reality. Ross might be able to defeat a man who would probably be somewhat weakened by the effort needed to slay two other men.
While on the journey back from the Mayan city, Ross had already been mulling over that possibility. At the midpoint overnight rest stop, he asked Colt, “When we get back to the colony, can you help prepare me to fight a Mayan hunter?”
“Absolutely sir, and it would be my pleasure to do so. Did you have anything specific in mind?”
“Some hand to hand combat techniques with a knife or spear would be a good place to start. Then compliment that by teaching me some moves to use his weight against him.”
“That sounds like a good strategy sir. We can begin the training soon after we arrive at the colony if you like.”
“Thanks Colt. I think we should.”
Several days later Colt and a few members of the Flight 19 crews were training with Ross. Stopping to check on their progress, Gabriela said, “You look as if you are having fun sir, but I didn’t realize you needed so many instructors.”
Ross replied, “All of these men have been very helpful in preparing me for hand to hand combat, and I think I’m nearly ready to do battle if it comes to that.”
“That’s good to know sir, but hopefully you won’t need to go through with it.”
“Believe me Gabriela, fighting against one of the Mayan hunters wouldn’t be my first choice.”
“Mine either sir.”
From not far behind them they heard Aurora say, “You don’t need to fight anyone dad.”
Turning to see her walking toward them, Ross replied, “What do you mean?”
“I think it’s a wonderful gesture that you are training to fight for my honor dad, but it won�
��t be necessary. I will not be responsible for risking the future of this colony by having you killed by a Mayan hunter. Along those same lines, I do not wish to provoke a possible war between our two civilizations. I have therefore decided to become the wife of whichever hunter wins the battle.”
Ross was proud of his daughter for arriving at such a noble decision on her own, but hoped her intent would not be necessary. There had to be some way of maintaining the peace with the Mayans without an unwanted marriage, or the loss of life. Stepping toward her, Ross said, “Aurora, I’m very proud of you for putting the needs of the many before the needs of the one. You should know that your mother would also be proud of you for offering to make such a sacrifice. That being said, I believe that war can always be avoided if those with opposing views work together in an effort to arrive at an alternative solution.”
“What do you intend to do?”
“I haven’t fully worked that out yet. The King and I may be able to agree that our respective citizens should no longer comingle. That would be unfortunate though, because I believe that both of our civilizations would suffer from that course of action.”
Gabriela interjected, “What about the small groups of hunters or gatherers that would inevitably cross paths?”
“That could be a challenge, but only if those involved in such interactions were not honorable.”
“Please forgive me for saying this sir, but I think you are being overly optimistic about our alternatives.”
“Perhaps you’re right, but optimism has nearly always worked for me. Besides, we still have a little time to come up with other possible solutions. We have two more days before the King and his entourage is scheduled to arrive.”
Ross stood, with Gabriela and others, next to the Mayan King to view the spectacle. They were positioned at the same slightly elevated location above the plateau where Ross had first informed the representative council and the astronomers about the existence of the Mayan descendants. The key players in the upcoming show of force were firm in their respective resolve. Each Mayan hunter was determined to kill the other two men during combat and win the hand of Aurora. Ross was mentally and physically prepared to fight for the honor of his oldest daughter if the hunter of her choice did not win. Aurora had vowed that she would not allow her father to do so. She would become the wife of whichever man survived. And the King, he was ready to prove his superiority over Ross as a leader of people by forcing his hand. The King believed that Ross would never defeat one of his brave hunters in a fight to the death. There would be a marriage, or war would ensue.