Pillar of Fire (Book One-The Whale Hunter Series)

by Karah Quinney

  “She is eleven seasons.” Talon was not used to attention from the women of his village. Generally, they ignored Sunflower and he was shunned by association. Talon didn’t usually care about such things, but under the open gaze of Oi’yan, he was able to see all that he had been denied after losing his mother.

  “Ah, then she is on the cusp of womanhood, though she is small and delicate. How old are you, Talon?” Oi’yan saw a flash of pain in the youth’s gaze but she couldn’t imagine what she had said to cause injury.

  “I am seventeen seasons.” Talon tore his gaze away and once again studied Sunflower. It was difficult to imagine his sister as a woman fully grown, but very soon, she would set the last vestiges of childhood behind her. For now, she was much the same, deeply absorbed in a world known only to her.

  “You are a man of your village. Are you not?” Oi’yan’s hands shook in frustration as she realized that she could do nothing more for Miche. She sighed heavily as she wet a cloth and used it to cool his face. She was not a healer and that was what Miche needed.

  “Yes. I once stood as a man of the Hokum Village, but I no longer stand with them.” Talon responded.

  “I can see that you are very brave.” They both turned at once as Sunflower blinked as if waking from a long rest. She turned to look at Miche once more and then tugged on Talon’s hand.

  “Come.” Sunflower signed to Talon as she stood.

  Her brother looked at her sharply as if he had misunderstood her request. Sunflower made a sound of frustration, grabbed Talon’s carrying sack, and then gestured toward Miche. “Come!”

  Kahm watched the interchange between the siblings and he looked at Talon as he spoke. “Does she know of something that will help Miche?”

  “I do not know, but it is possible.” Talon quickly followed his sister. She pointed at his bow and motioned toward the familiar weapon. Talon grabbed his bow and quiver of arrows in one fluid motion. He sheathed his hunting knife even as he followed her out of the cave.

  “I will need to go with them.” Kahm spoke to Oi’yan as she tended his brother. She was striking in appearance, despite the grief and anger that danced in her eyes. Oi’yan didn’t spare him a glance although Kahm noticed that her shoulders were tense and her chin was held at a proud angle. “I will return.”

  “Of course you will return.” Oi’yan answered as she cut her eyes toward Kahm and then back to Miche. “You might be willing to abandon me and our child but you would never willingly abandon your brother.”

  Kahm remained silent for there were no words with which to respond. For a moment, he thought he saw a flash of pain in Oi’yan’s eyes but then at his continued silence, she turned away. Kahm left the cave but his heart remained with Oi’yan.

  CHAPTER TEN

  “She is very angry with you.” Talon shook his head in grim commiseration as Kahm sighed wearily.

  “I know, but it was for the best or at least I thought so at the time. Now I must find out what has happened to my village.” Kahm studied Sunflower as she knelt in a bed of what appeared to be weeds and tall grass.

  He saw nothing there that would help his brother and he wondered if this search was only a child’s fanciful dream. Yet, what more could he do for Miche? Oi’yan watched over his brother and she had already cleaned and dressed the wound to the best of her ability. Kahm could add nothing to her efforts. Whenever he was near, he was distracted by the sound of Oi’yan’s voice. Her quietly spoken words sounded like a half remembered song.

  “Sunflower thinks she remembers something that may help Miche. I do not know anything about healing, but our mother was a healer and the women of our family have been healers since time beyond memory. If our grandmother was a healer, I do not know. She never spoke of it.” Talon frowned as he thought of their grandmother. She had never spared them any affection.

  Sunflower made a noise, which drew Talon’s attention. His sister’s verbal response reminded Talon that she had not always been silent.

  Talon knelt beside Sunflower as she gathered an odd plant into her hands. She was careful to keep the long green stem and hairy broad leaves intact as she used Talon’s hunting knife with competent ease. Talon cringed as she pressed the knife into the ground and he saw Kahm make a similar expression. A man didn’t give his hunting knife to a woman, nor would he ever use it for anything other than its intended use.

  “We will have to get her a knife.” Kahm murmured as he turned to Talon. “How much does your sister know about healing?”

  Kahm watched Sunflower shake dirt from the black turnip-like roots, before tucking the entire plant into her carrying basket. She held the basket reverently as if it would break at the slightest jarring motion.

  “I think she knows the stories told by my mother, but that was before the taking sickness.”

  “What is the taking sickness?” Kahm’s broad forehead wrinkled in confusion. He had never heard of such a thing.

  “The illness that took away Sunflower’s hearing. We didn’t think she would live, but my mother saved her. The fever seemed to burn away her hearing.”

  “Was no one else sick?” Kahm asked, as he considered the children that died from childhood illnesses with or without the help of a healer.

  “I cannot remember much of what happened during that time.” Talon tucked Sunflower behind him when she started to lead the way back to the cave.

  At Sunflower’s request, Talon gathered clay from a small stream. He kept an eye on their surroundings with a piercing glare as darkness made visibility difficult. Kahm appreciated Talon’s vigilance as he sought to protect his sister.

  “Are you planning to help your village?” Talon asked. “I am certain that you could help your people if given the chance.”

  Kahm was silent for a time, but Talon’s words ignited a spark of fire in his chest. “We will see.”

  Sunflower prayed. This was the way in which she had been taught by her mother. Pray for the Great One of All Things to bless the efforts of the healer. Sunflower could almost hear her mother’s voice in the silence of her mind.

  “This is the way that you should walk. Look! See!” Sunflower focused completely on her mother’s voice.

  It was as if Ivy was right beside her, guiding her hands. She chopped the leaves into small pieces and then added a small amount of boiling water into a small wooden bowl. She used a grinding stone to turn the roots into powder, which she then mixed with the water.

  Oi’yan, Kahm and Talon didn’t speak as Sunflower worked. They were all afraid to hope that her efforts would help Miche.

  “A child of power, no?” Oi’yan barely whispered the words, but Kahm heard her. Kahm always heard her.

  Talon frowned in confusion. Sunflower was not a child of power. She was simply his younger sister.

  “Ready.” Sunflower made a new sign that Talon quickly mimicked.

  Kahm regarded her steadily when she walked close to him and touched his face.

  Sunflower wished that she could tell him not to worry, but she couldn’t promise that her efforts would help. She knelt beside the injured man and removed the dressing that covered his injury. The wound still seeped blood and fluid. Sunflower sniffed the injury and grimaced at the odor.

  She washed her hands three times ceremonially, just as her mother had counseled her. The paste that she had made from the clay gathered by Talon and the crushed leaves coated her fingers as she packed the wound. The man inhaled sharply, but he didn’t stir.

  After rinsing the wound, Sunflower caked the area with more paste and left it open to the air. She dipped her head once in satisfaction and sat back on her heels.

  “Is she done?” Kahm questioned no one in particular. There was nothing more that he could do for his brother. Sunflower looked up as Kahm approached and knelt at his brother’s side.

  “How did the village of Chimar fall?” Kahm asked the question of Oi’yan and he only hoped that she wouldn’t refuse to answer.

  Oi’yan sighed as she met h
is gaze briefly and then turned to settle herself by the fire. Kahm thought that she would remain stubbornly mute, but her voice rose softly in the resounding silence of the cave. Talon tried his best to translate for Sunflower. Kahm remained near Miche but he cocked his head at an angle to better hear Oi’yan speak.

  “Miche told me that they came with the dark of night. We call them the Mingha, the dark ones. Our warriors were not a match for their poisoned arrows and spear tips. The people of Chimar fought for their freedom, but in the end, we lost. The Mingha took those that were beaten and bruised and made them captives.”

  “Your father fell in the second wave of attacks. He fought as a warrior, protecting those that couldn’t protect themselves. Miche returned from the hunt with several other warriors. They fought against the Mingha and Miche was injured. When he awoke, he was in a field surrounded by the bodies of his friends, loved ones, and fellow warriors. He had been left for dead. He said that he stumbled toward the village only to encounter me and my parents returning from our fishing trip.”

  “Miche explained what had befallen our village while we were away, but my mother and father wouldn’t listen. Instead, they left me in Miche’s care and went into the village, never to return. I do not know if they still live.”

  “The Mingha came by water, traveling on long boats that carried many men. They didn’t seek to trade with us or barter, like so many others. Their goal was to take our village by force and they succeeded. We couldn’t stand against their warriors or their weapons and so the village of Chimar fell. The Mingha force all to worship their dark gods of blood and war. They force the women….” Oi’yan paused for a moment as she looked over Talon and Sunflower’s heads to meet Kahm’s gaze.

  “They force everyone to bend to their command. The great ones of Chimar are no better than slaves. Miche had no choice but to bring me to your cave. There is nowhere else for me to go. Even if you do not want me here, this is where I will stay.” Silent tears traveled down Oi’yan’s face and Kahm’s hands clenched spasmodically. He wanted nothing more than to gather her into his arms and comfort her, but he denied himself that which he most desired.

  “How many warriors are with the Mingha, these dark ones?” Kahm’s voice echoed in the small cavern.

  “Miche said that for each of the Chimar warriors there were two Mingha warriors. Their poisoned weapons give them additional power. Once struck, the injured warrior is rendered unable to function within moments. Miche only made it this far, because he removed the arrowhead immediately and flushed much of the poison from the wound. But even now…I am not certain if he will live.”

  Sunflower looked at Kahm with wide eyes. He wanted nothing more than to promise that all would be well, but he couldn’t make such a promise. Sorrow for his people threatened to overwhelm him and he stood unsteadily and left the cave on wooden legs.

  Sunflower reached out and rested her hand upon Oi’yan’s clenched fists. Her eyes were full of understanding as Oi’yan’s arms closed around her in a warm embrace.

  “Tell me about your parents.” Oi’yan felt comfort flow through her as Sunflower settled nearby. The girl reacted to her presence like a flower seeking water. By mimicking a few of Talon’s words, Oi’yan made an effort to learn the Hokum language.

  “My mother was a healer of the Hokum Village and my father was once a hunter, but I know very little about him.” Talon shrugged his shoulders as if it was a matter of little consequence.

  “What is your father’s name?” Oi’yan’s question was met with silence as Talon looked away.

  “His name was Dyami and he left when Sunflower was very young. He left and never returned.” Talon grabbed his hunting knife and worked on removing the sharp edges from a stick while he spoke.

  “His name means Eagle. There was a man with the same name that I knew from long ago, he came from your village.” Oi’yan had an excellent memory and she clearly remembered the exiled warrior from the Hokum Village. He had been well received by the people of the Chimar Village. She knew only that he kept to himself and didn’t draw attention to himself.

  “You knew my father?” Talon lifted his head sharply to study Oi’yan.

  “Yes, it would seem so, but perhaps I am mistaken. I remember that Dyami was more than a hunter. He was the rightful leader of the Hokum Village, overthrown by a man that was ruthless for power.” Oi’yan shook her head sadly, as she remembered the man and his striking appearance.

  “That couldn’t be my father.” Talon responded with narrowed eyes.

  “Perhaps I am wrong. I was still only a girl then and didn’t pay much attention. I remember that he created beautiful things with his hands so that he became a man of fame in our village and then just as suddenly as he came, he was gone.” Oi’yan saw Talon nod bravely before turning his face away from her.

  She had not meant to bring sadness to Talon or Sunflower. She laid her hand upon her belly as the baby moved. Her time of childbirth was near and she knew that very soon she would have a son or daughter to welcome into the world.

  Sunflower moved close to the fire circle as she began to prepare the meat that she had cleaned and seasoned for their evening meal. Oi’yan offered to help and then watched as Talon translated with hand signs once he gained Sunflower’s attention.

  It was difficult to remember that Sunflower couldn’t hear. She moved around the cave with a graceful quality to her steps and her actions were confidant and certain. At first glance, one would never know that she lived in a world of silence.

  “Does Sunflower know the Hokum language well?” Oi’yan asked.

  “She was able to speak our language and hear until she grew ill and lost her hearing.” Talon stubbornly ignored Sunflower as she glanced at him. It was a game that they often played for his sister knew that he was aware of her every movement.

  “If this is so, then she can learn to understand certain words that you speak.” Oi’yan saw the moment that she captured Talon’s interest. “It is true. I will say the Hokum word for our evening meal.”

  Oi’yan waved her hand in the air until she captured Sunflower’s attention. She motioned the girl toward her.

  “What is the sign for meal?”

  Talon made the hand sign and Oi’yan repeated it perfectly. Sunflower’s eyes flashed brilliantly as she watched them.

  Oi’yan signed the word again even as she verbalized it in the Hokum language. At first, Sunflower watched Oi’yan’s hands, but the woman touched her chin and raised it so that she was forced to meet her gaze.

  “Meal.” Oi’yan spoke and signed at the same time.

  Sunflower gasped. It was like hearing the word spoken. She could read the word on Oi’yan’s lips as well as see the sign. She turned to Talon as understanding dawned.

  Since their escape from the Hokum Village, an entire world had opened for Sunflower. It was indeed a good thing.

  Grief weighed heavily upon Kahm’s heart with each inhalation of breath. His father was gone and he would never be able to win his approval. Miche was ill and possibly near death. Oi’yan hated him with good reason and the child that he had hoped for and thought that he would never see was soon to be born. It was as if his world had ended without notice.

  He remembered feeling a shift in the forest that resounded within his bones and then he stumbled upon Sunflower during his hunt. Had it been an omen? Was it good or bad?

  As Kahm turned, he saw Wolf’s ears perk up almost imperceptibly and then the Wolf’s entire body shivered in joy as Sunflower appeared. If Sunflower was here then Talon was almost certainly nearby. The young man never let his sister out of his sight unless she was with Kahm and Wolf.

  Kahm thought of the burden that Talon carried by caring for his sister on his own. While he had provided a safe place for the siblings, he had not worked up the courage to offer them anything other than shelter.

  As he knelt beside Sunflower, a shadow moved, revealing Talon. The young man turned his back to give his sister the privacy that s
he would ordinarily have if she could hear.

  Sunflower looked into his eyes and he told himself that she was simply empathetic and there was nothing else beneath the surface. Yet, Oi’yan’s whispered words about a child of power swirled through his mind. Sunflower took a step back so that he could clearly see her hands.

  “You will be well.” Sunflower’s words were still too limited to express everything that she thought and felt, but her effort would have to be enough.

  Kahm was silent for a moment before he nodded once and then stood as Sunflower clasped his hand. He had come to a decision, which would change his life from this day forward. He would no longer bask in the dark light of self-pity. Kahm waived Talon forward as the young man immediately lengthened his stride.

  “Talon. Sunflower. I should have already told you that I want you both to stay. You are welcome to sit at my hearth. It is for you to choose.” Kahm spoke to Talon as the young man regarded him with eyes that saw everything.

  “I am honored.” Talon was stunned. It was more than he ever would have imagined. Their own people had shunned them, but Kahm accepted them, despite his own concerns and circumstances.

  “I know that you are a man of the Hokum Village, yet your training is not complete. If you accept my offer, I will see to the rest of your training as a man and a warrior.” Kahm said.

  “It would be a privilege.” Talon looked down at his sister who stared at them solemnly. She knew that they discussed something serious by their expressions. “I will talk it over with Sunflower, but I am certain that she will agree.”

  “Just so.” Kahm could think of nothing else to say and so he led the way back to the cave. Sunflower never let go of his hand and somehow that helped him to place one foot in front of the other.

  “Kahm has asked us to sit at his hearth, always.” Talon spoke to Oi’yan as she turned startled eyes toward him.