Bear Heart

by K. J. Colt

  I shook my head. ‘No. I wanted it.’

  Father cringed and turned his head. ‘So you did throw yourself at him.’

  ‘No. We were together; it was gentle. No anger or rejection. But the next day, when I woke up, he was gone. He’d taken my belongings. He’d taken everything except my knife. I tracked him. Knocked him out. Tied him up. Took everything of mine and his and left.’

  ‘What then?’

  I sighed. ‘I headed home. I went via the river and witnessed Lild’s death. He became trapped under the ice. Sankat was his Watcher. The Wolf elder. Skelkra killed all the other Watchers, and he left Sankat alive. I saw it.’

  ‘The Watchers swore an oath to reveal the identity of cheaters. Skelkra said that you killed the other Watchers and Ketnal. Sankat supports his claim.’

  I wiped my face with my hands. ‘It’s not true.’

  Father grabbed me by the neck and pushed me up against the wall. ‘Do not lie to me, daughter.’ The pressure against my throat made it hard to breathe. Father’s face glowed with anger, and he gritted his teeth.

  ‘I promise you on Mother’s grave, Father, I am not lying. Skelkra put a spear through Ketnal, and then he killed Thixal and Emarkasa.’

  Father loosened his grip at the mention of the Bear elder’s name.

  ‘And Tasz the Bird elder. Skelkra cheated. I bet the wolf he claims to have caught was already dead. His challenge was to strangle the beast. I bet he trapped it or stabbed it. He knew I had the bear head; he had to find a way to beat me.’

  Father punched the wall beside my head. ‘If he has bonded with you, then he will rule anyway.’

  ‘But he would share power with me. I would rule over him. He doesn’t want that. He wants everything.’

  ‘It’s your word against his.’

  ‘Wrong. It’s Jeykal’s word and mine against his.’

  Father stepped towards the middle of the room, his movement aimless and lost. ‘Jeykal is popular. Many believe him to be honest and good. The elders will believe his words over Skelkra’s, I am sure.’

  Several warriors burst into Father’s hut, interrupting our heated exchange. ‘We’ve been assigned to guard your daughter,’ the first man said.

  Father nodded.

  ‘Guard me? You mean make me a prisoner,’ I said.

  ‘In case you are found guilty.’

  ‘And is Skelkra under watch too?’ I raised my eyebrows at Father.

  He sighed. ‘I will tell the other leaders of your story and insist he also be placed under watch.’

  I crossed my arms. ‘Give him to the Lion tribe. When they hear how Skelkra speared their next leader, they’ll make sure he behaves.’

  ‘Take her back to her own hut,’ Father said to the warriors. He took one last look at me and left.

  Later that day, my own servant, Corilksa, washed the blood from my body and dressed me in new clothes. The medicine woman, Gevilka, came to treat the wounds. She brought a large case of remedies.

  ‘Not broken. But very bad. Rest for six weeks.’ She presented me with a proper sling. ‘I will visit in several days to remove the maggots.’

  I watched the tiny grubs crawling about my flesh. She made me remove my shirt. Then she wiped my back where the bear had scratched me. She also cleaned the wound where the hawgrald had clawed my shoulder and my upper thigh where the larvae wiggled.

  ‘You need food. Water. Now.’ She ordered Corilksa to bring me a meal. Before Gevilka left, she turned to me. ‘See, I warned you about Wolves baring their teeth.’

  After a meal of pork and vegetables, I bathed, pulled on clean clothes, and readied myself to face the tribe council, the elders, and the humiliating accusations Skelkra would reveal to my people. My stomach did a little flip at the idea of seeing Jeykal, as he was the only person who would truly know that I told the truth.

  I made my way outside, where the sun sat low behind the dividing mountains, casting long shadows over the muddy street. People stopped to stare, gossip, and scowl as I made my way to the council hall. The warriors who’d been guarding my hut followed close behind me. I turned to look at them. One sneered, a Wolf warrior, and the other, a Lion warrior, seemed equally prepared to slit my throat.

  Inside the large hall were thirty men and two women—the mothers of the dead. Both glowered at me. I gulped.

  My father whispered softly to the Lion leader, and both regarded me with sombre expressions. I moved to Jeykal. His eyes were red, his face puffy, and his arm swollen with bruises. Someone must have roughed him up. I touched the back of his elbow, and he took a deep breath.

  ‘It will be well,’ I said, trying to reassure him, but my voice held little conviction.

  Jeykal didn’t look at me.

  The room filled with people—a sea of red hair and blue eyes. Some shoved and pushed, while others ducked and weaved to get a clearer view of Skelkra and me. The more passive onlookers settled around the doorway; behind them, heads bobbed up and down, and necks stretched. There were only the five main tribes there; the lesser tribes were not permitted to witness or to be involved in diplomatic decisions. I’d always hated that rule and believed that every person had the right to partake in the dealings of punishment.

  Father addressed the room. ‘Welcome, my fellow tribesman, elders, leaders, mothers, daughters, sons, brothers, sisters. The last Bestial Passage occurred three hundred years ago. And for the last two days, sons from the Wolf, Lion, Hawgrald, and Snake have competed against my daughter for the right to rule. Unfortunately, cheating has occurred, and laws have been broken. For the first time in our history, Watchers, our wise elders, were killed.’ Father paused to let the information sink in.

  Murmurs and whispers rose from the crowd. Bodies shuffled, and heads twisted this way and that.

  ‘My greatest sympathy to the families of Thixal, Abel, Tasz, and Emarkasa. Those wise men and women were our guides. Without them, we will find ourselves lost.’

  Father rubbed his hands together while his eyes scanned the room. I followed his gaze, finding some with heads lowered and others sobbing. The Watchers were often peaceful, knowledgeable, spiritual, and wise. Their deaths were a great loss. Only Sankat had survived. My eyes fell on the elder, his long beard falling across an arm that gripped a walking stick. He appeared harmless and grieving but for his empty eyes and turned-down lips. Skelkra stood to his right, his arm around the elder’s shoulder. I would expose them for what they were—liars and pretenders!

  Father continued. ‘What is not uncommon in the Bestial Passage are challenger deaths. Regardless, their deaths are no easier to bear. We mourn the loss of Lild and Ketnal, who also died.’

  Father straightened and raised his chin and his voice. ‘Now! We must discover the truth of what happened in the Death Peak Valley.’ He glanced at me, and my stomach rippled with fear. ‘My daughter, Klawdia of the Bears, has been accused of cheating by Skelkra, son of the Wolf pack leader. And she in kind has relayed her own version of the events. And lastly, there is Jeykal. We will now hear them speak in their defence. Jeykal’—Father looked at my friend—‘you will speak your recollection also.’

  Jeykal nodded.

  Father gestured for Skelkra and me to stand on either side of him. I caught the eye of a Lion warrior, and his hand tightened around his spear. He sneered at me. I knew what he thought. He expected me to kill Skelkra right here in the room. For a moment, I wanted to do it. No, I had to be calm.

  I moved centre stage, all eyes on me and Skelkra. Some shook their heads, others curled their lips, and one man bared his rotten teeth. My stomach knotted and churned; I felt lightheaded and took a deep breath.

  ‘Skelkra, so far the winner of the challenge, will speak first.’ Father stepped aside, and Skelkra took Father’s place and raised his hands. ‘My fellow tribesmen, I am here today to give you the truth. There is a reason women shouldn’t rule; they do not understand leadership. A true leader does not betray, manipulate, cheat, or lie. And Klawdia has done all of these
things.’ He pointed at me.

  I gripped the sides of my pants. The crowd stared at me, most eyes judging, some unsure, some wild with hostility.

  ‘I met with Klawdia soon after waking at the Death Peaks. I knew Klawdia would probably die in her attack against a bear. So I wanted to help her. Together, we hunted prey to tempt one bear away from its pack. After she attacked the beast alone, I saved her from her injuries.’

  I could feel the maggots crawling inside my leg wound. They were growing.

  ‘During our pre-passage training, Klawdia showed signs of her growing affection for me. I did not feel the same. When I tended to her wounds in the valley, she allowed her immature passions to become aroused. Her injuries scrambled her mind, and she forgot her own sense. Wearing little already, she began to undress, tempting me with her body. I refused. I do not care for her that way, and I never will.’

  My heart felt as if it would burst. He had flirted with me, embraced me, taken care of me, and then made love to me. All of it had been a lie. I was a fool. I gritted my teeth, keeping composure in the face of such hurtful words. I wanted to kill him, and maybe I would get my chance.

  ‘Not wanting to lead her heart astray, I left Klawdia by a warm fire. I covered her with cloth that I needed for myself. I wanted her to live and return home safely.’

  Some of the girls in the audience batted their eyelashes at him. They were welcome to him—if I didn’t kill him first.

  ‘And then, the next day, she attacked me, tied me up, and stole everything I had. My Watcher disappeared. After hours of pulling and tugging at my restraints, I finally managed to get free.’ Skelkra held his wrists up to the crowd, showing the red scars of his struggle.

  The audience gasped, and I wanted to roll my eyes. I thought about my near-broken arm. No one had shown me sympathy for that. I eyed Skelkra’s wounds, feeling somewhat smug that I’d hurt him.

  ‘Afterwards, I tracked my Watcher’s footprints and found him dead at the bottom of a steep mountain cliff. Part of it had collapsed. I climbed down to the body and buried it in the wild snowlands by the river where the snakes lived. He was a Snake, after all.’

  I looked over at the members of the Snake tribe; they had lowered their heads. How could Skelkra tell such lies? Where was his heart? Skelkra hung his head for a moment as if to join in the Snake tribe’s mourning. I bit down on my tongue. I turned to Jeykal and saw the fear in his eyes.

  Skelkra lifted his head and threw a meaningful look across the crowd. ‘I found a sharp rock, used it to carve a spear, found a deer, killed it, and set my trap. Soon, a wolf came along, and I killed it with my bare hands, choking it to death. This was my quest. I removed the head with a sharp rock and aimed for home. On the way, I met with Sankat, who told me of Lild’s death. We decided to return together. That night, we travelled by the stars and saw a wood fire. Knowing it was likely one of my fellow challengers, we moved closer to listen to their conversation. Ketnal was there.’

  People shuffled forward in their chairs upon Skelkra’s mention of the Lion boy.

  ‘He asked Klawdia and Jeykal for food, shelter, and the warmth of their fire. Ketnal admitted to having lost his supplies. He had nothing, and they had everything. But Klawdia and Jeykal turned the Lion boy away.’

  Angry mutters rose from the Lion tribe. Lion warriors stared me down. My eyes swept to Ketnal’s family, and the mother’s eyes turned demonic as she muttered under her breath. She whispered a curse, and I suddenly felt claustrophobic, as if death were nearly upon me.

  ‘Suddenly,’ Skelkra said, swishing his hand, ‘Klawdia threw a spear at Ketnal. It killed him instantly. But we must remember she had already captured her prize, the bear’s head. It was her right to kill another challenger. But her next action is unforgivable. She killed every Watcher within her reach, slashing at them with a dagger in each hand. Tasz managed to get away, but soon after, she took a bow and arrow and hunted the old man down. Later, I found him dead.’

  The holes in his story gave me hope. First, I was too injured to run and slash at anything. Second, anyone who visited the scene would know that the Watchers died from stakes, not knives. I itched for my turn to talk.

  Skelkra lowered his head, and in a sad voice, said, ‘I… I wanted to stop her. But I couldn’t. I was afraid she might kill Jeykal; he was terrified, too. She’s bullied him into being her friend. I wouldn’t trust his word.’

  ‘This is unfair!’ I shouted. ‘He’s telling everyone not to believe us. How will they hear our story fairly if he poisons their minds?’

  My father raised an eyebrow at me and turned back to Skelkra. ‘Stick to the story, boy.’

  Skelkra bent forward. ‘Yes, Chief.’ He turned back to the people. ‘Afraid for the life of Sankat, my people’s revered elder, I made him return home with me immediately.’

  ‘Is that everything?’ Father asked him.

  Skelkra paused for a moment and then nodded.

  ‘Then it is Klawdia’s turn to talk.’ Father gestured at me.

  I took a deep breath and moved to stand on the spot Skelkra had previously occupied. I stole a glance at him as he returned to his mother and father. They patted him on the back, and his mother kissed his cheek. Skelkra caught me looking, and his eyes lightened. He was enjoying this! How could I have ever let him touch me? My hands shook, and my knees wobbled. I took a deep breath. I raised my eyes to meet the hateful gazes of my people. They’d already condemned me—I had nothing to lose.

  Chapter Seven

  My mind went blank, and my words caught in my throat.

  ‘Go ahead,’ Father urged.

  I could see the panic in his eyes. I worried that these people didn’t want the truth. Maybe what they wanted was a male chieftain. Maybe what they wanted was to be led by the Wolf tribe.

  ‘She’s guilty! See how she stalls,’ someone shouted from the crowd. ‘She’s thinking up lies.’

  The crowd broke into angry mutters, but Father silenced them.

  I closed my eyes for a moment and centred myself. When I opened them, I spoke. ‘Skelkra has lied to you today. My family has ruled over Ruxdor for generations. I have my mother’s blood. My father’s blood. They are honest people, and so am I. Clear your minds of Skelkra’s words and hear mine as fresh and real. Listen to me, for if you judge me wrongly, your next leader will be a murderer and a liar. In opening your hearts to me, you will discern the truth.’

  I rubbed my sweaty palms on the sides of my pants and met the many eyes of unconvinced tribe members. Some of them had softened, and others nodded. That gave me hope—confidence reignited in my gut.

  ‘I followed the Death Peak Valley River. On my travels, I saw Lild hunting for his prize. I did not interfere, and he did not see me. I tracked the bears only. On the mountain, Skelkra found me, flirted with me, and followed me. He did not leave me alone and convinced me that when I attacked a bear, it would kill me. He played on my fears and made me need him. I let him stay close. I had been given a bow, so Skelkra and I made arrows, and I killed a hawgrald for us. We cut it in half so he could trap a wolf and I could lure a bear.’

  I paused for a moment. Soon, I would tell them of my shame, of how I’d given myself to Skelkra. I could think of no other way to show the truth. I breathed in sharply. ‘The sun set, and a determined young snow bear hunted fish. I lured him with the fresh meat to a ravine, where I lay above, waiting. He ripped at the meat, and while he was distracted, I jumped on his back and stabbed him twice, hitting a blood vessel. The bear clawed my back and my leg, but I survived. Skelkra stopped the bleeding, and even though I was weak and dizzy from loss of blood, I cut off the bear’s head. I woke up by a fire. Skelkra had already cooked and hunted for us. We ate together, and later, we were close. We kissed, and we bonded.’

  The crowd whispered. Some people shook their heads, and a couple argued over the details. I had cast some doubt on Skelkra’s story, and that made me more determined to reveal every single fact.

  ‘While I slep
t, Skelkra took everything. He’d planned it from the beginning.’ My shame was great as I admitted to my people that Skelkra had been smarter and more cunning than I was. I hated him for that. ‘Later, I found him. I knocked him unconscious and tied him up. I could not see his Watcher. I believe Skelkra had already killed him. So I took Skelkra’s belongings as he had taken mine. But I had my prize. He did not have his.’

  I looked at Skelkra’s father, whose arms were tightly linked with his mate’s. Her hand grasped the hilt of a knife. She wanted to kill me. Well, she would have to wait.

  ‘I decided to return home. I made my way up the river, limping and staggering from the pain in my leg. Thixal was close by, and I saw Sankat, Lild’s Watcher. Lild had grown frustrated. He hadn’t yet caught a water snake. He edged onto the thinnest part of the ice and fell in. He became trapped in the current. I tried to help, but I couldn’t run, and he was dragged under the ice, where he drowned.’ The memory sat heavy in my heart. ‘Sankat didn’t even try to help him.’ I took a moment to glare at the Wolf elder. ‘I took some of Lild’s things.’ I reached into my pocket and retrieved the drawing I’d taken from Lild’s knapsack, the instructions to catch his prize.

  Father took the paper from my hand and presented it to Lild’s mother and father. They no longer looked angry; instead, their eyes watered, and grief buried itself in their hearts.

  ‘I wanted to kill Sankat for dismissing Lild’s death. Instead, I made my way home. That night, I built a fire, and Jeykal found me. He had not caught his prize, and he decided to help me get home. Ketnal came to our camp. He’d been hunting in the woods. He was desperate, asking us for help. Having been betrayed once by Skelkra, I did not trust Ketnal’s intentions. I only trusted Jeykal because I knew his heart.’ I spared a brief glance at Jeykal.

  ‘In the meantime, Skelkra had gotten loose. He must have made a spear, because out of the dark, one flew through the air and embedded in Ketnal’s chest. It killed him instantly. Then Skelkra killed Emarkasa and Thixal with stakes. After that, he jumped on me, seriously injured my arm, and took my dagger into the woods. Moments later, I heard Tasz scream. Skelkra had killed Ketnal’s Watcher. He has no honour. He is a cheat.’