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

by Karah Quinney

  The men of their village wore a similar type of headpiece to shield their eyes from the sun during the hunt. A band of animal skin was stitched with painstaking care by the lifemate or mother of a warrior and on occasion, certain men were honored to receive a band made by the hands of their fellow hunters. The band that held Kahm’s feather in place was such a gift. Oi’yan knew that Kahm was deserving of such an invaluable gift.

  Suddenly, Talon let out a war cry that drew Oi’yan’s breath from her body and then he fired an arrow directly at Kahm’s chest.

  The attack happened so quickly that Oi’yan couldn’t track the arrow. Her eyes were riveted upon Kahm and what she saw caused her to place one hand over her mouth and the other over her heart. Kahm held the arrow between two hands pressed palm to palm.

  Miche shook his head in wonder. “What type of trick is this?”

  “It is not a trick!” Talon called out from his place a few paces away. He stalked back and forth with proud strides that gave a glimmer of insight into his skill as a hunter.

  “Show him the rest!” Kahm gestured at Talon and although his eyes widened slightly, he didn’t need further prompting. Talon cried out loudly and things slowed before Kahm’s eyes as the young man notched one arrow and let it fly.

  Even as Kahm reached out, Talon notched a second and third arrow and sent them into the air in rapid succession. To Sunflower and Oi’yan, the movements of Talon’s fingers were a blur of motion, but to Kahm it seemed as if he moved at a snail’s pace.

  Within the space of Kahm’s first breath, he caught one arrow, by the time he inhaled to take his next breath the second and third arrows were in his hands. He heard Oi’yan’s startled gasp even from a distance.

  Talon cleared his throat as Kahm’s eyes flashed at the unintentional challenge.

  “Knives.” Kahm said the word quietly and Talon grew quiet and motionless. They had only tried the knife throwing once before. Talon’s aim was deadly and he had made it clear that he wouldn’t be the cause of Kahm’s death

  “Knives.” Kahm repeated.

  Only Kahm knew what Talon was truly capable of with weaponry. Talon wondered for one moment if Kahm was ready for this particular challenge. Talon had trained like the others of his village to become a warrior. The only difference was that Talon had always held back, somehow knowing that if he exceeded the others in talent or ability they would challenge him. It was not fear that caused him to hold back, but concern for Sunflower.

  Talon sensed that if his sister was ever alone, even for a moment, she would pay for his mistakes.

  With a deep inhalation of breath, he turned his back to Kahm and lowered his bow to the ground. Oi’yan sat with her back so straight that she appeared almost rigid, cut from stone. Sunflower’s eyes narrowed in concern. Had she read Kahm’s lips? Oi’yan had been practicing the words that Sunflower remembered with her and together they were creating new signs. Sunflower had even spoken, though she couldn’t hear her own voice. Talon saw all of this in an instant and then he turned in one fluid motion and threw his knife directly at Kahm’s heart.

  Miche moved forward to intervene, but the pain in his side almost crippled him. He had faced many men in battle, but had rarely seen a knife thrown with such deadly intent and accuracy. Even as the knife arched through the air, Miche knew with a gut wrenching certainty that it would hit its mark. “No!”

  Miche heard his own cry of denial as Talon pulled another knife from his moccasin and threw it while still curled into a half crouch. Yet, even as he called out to his brother, he knew that he had not acted quickly enough.

  Kahm saw the knife as clearly, as if it was not still thirty paces away. He pulled the knife forward in his mind, even though it was still at a distance. He easily sidestepped the weapon as it spun through the air and even as it sped past, he reached out and grabbed it from the air as easily as he would a ball thrown by a small child.

  When Talon let the second knife fly, Kahm heard Miche cry out and he was almost distracted, but he forced himself to focus completely on the knife and not the enhanced sounds around him.

  Talon’s second knife was in Kahm’s hand as if it had never been in the air.

  “I know what my eyes saw, but I find it difficult to believe.” Miche could barely catch his breath as Kahm and Talon faced him.

  “Be calm my twin.” Kahm spoke directly to Miche using the secret saying that they had always shared.

  “It is just as I have said, my illness is a warrior’s gift that enables me to have an advantage during battle. Talon’s sister told me that this gift was known to the ancients.” Kahm rushed to explain as Miche stared at him without comprehension.

  Yet, it was Oi’yan that drew his attention. She scowled at him angrily from her perch upon the rock. His breath caught in his throat as he watched her place both hands upon her belly. Her face was radiant when she was angry and it was difficult to focus his attention on the matter at hand.

  Oi’yan was angry that Kahm had not bothered to tell her what he would do, before allowing Talon to test his skill. Kahm gazed her way for one moment and she felt his searing gaze down to the tips of her toes. The baby chose that moment to kick and Sunflower placed her hand upon the place where only moments before the baby’s foot had appeared.

  Oi’yan immediately felt calmness flow into her. She saw that Sunflower’s face blazed with joy as she greeted the new life that was sheltered under her heart.

  Kahm saw that he was forgotten as Sunflower deflected Oi’yan’s attention, if only for a moment. “Listen to me, brother. My illness is not an illness at all, it is a blessing.”

  “Yes, I understand.” Miche shook his head in wonder as he considered Kahm’s claim.

  “I am not weak, I am not a fallen warrior and I have never been disloyal.” Kahm spoke proudly as he looked at his brother.

  “I will consider all that you have shared with me, but you must believe that I am glad for you.” Miche turned and walked back to the cave, leaving Kahm to face the others.

  “I am sorry that I didn’t warn you, Oi’yan.” Kahm knelt before his wife in apology. She looked away from him with a huff of anger that quickly dissolved when he took her small hand in his much larger one and kissed it.

  “I am happy for you, but you must also keep in mind that I am heavily pregnant with your child and should not suffer a shock if it is avoidable.” Oi’yan’s voice rose with each word and then she held out her hand as she allowed Kahm to assist her.

  Kahm glanced at Talon and the young man swept his hand out over his stomach in the shape of a pregnant woman’s belly. Kahm cleared his throat to disguise his laughter as Oi’yan took several deep breaths.

  “It is a good thing that I have learned to control what at one time seemed to be the onset of madness. Talon and Sunflower told a remarkable story which helped me to see the truth that was right before my eyes.” Kahm’s hand swept toward Talon and Sunflower. “Talon has a mighty throwing arm.”

  Oi’yan immediately voiced her agreement as Talon stood taller. Sunflower signed to them that she would look for plants nearby. Talon looked after his sister who walked with Wolf at her side and he noticed that she didn’t look back. She moved with a confidence that Talon had never noticed before.

  He saw for the first time that his sister was capable of being independent. Allowing Sunflower to explore the world around her without him was an adjustment that he would need to make if he wanted to help his sister.

  Before the loss of her hearing, she had been a laughing, smiling child, ever eager to explore her surroundings. Talon could clearly remember the sound of her laughter, but she had become solemn and withdrawn, until now. He realized that Sunflower was learning to walk a path that he had always hoped would be hers to follow. She was learning to walk without aid.

  “What a beautiful sight.” Oi’yan whispered as she stared after Sunflower.

  Kahm lifted Oi’yan into his arms effortlessly and he smiled in masculine satisfaction as she molded h
er supple body against him. He was ever aware that their child was nestled within the confines of her womb. Kahm sighed in contentment and Oi’yan shrieked in delight as he carried her to the cave that was their home.

  For a moment suspended in time, all was well in their world and Oi’yan held the memory close to her heart.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Miche remained perfectly still as Sunflower inspected his wound. She had a light touch, but her delicate forehead was slightly furrowed as she gave his injury her complete concentration. She rubbed a smelly substance over the wound before covering it with clean padding made of dried leaves.

  Miche lay back against his sleeping furs and allowed a slight grimace to flicker across his face. He was impervious to the pain of his wound; it was the look of hope upon the girl’s face that he wanted to avoid.

  Sunflower looked at him as if she expected him to do something amazing, something special. Yet, she couldn’t know that he was a traitor to the Chimar Village. By seeking a place of mightiness and power for himself, he had been the cause of overwhelming suffering for his people. He was no one’s savior.

  As Sunflower stared at him, Miche felt that she saw the immeasurable guilt that he carried. Without meeting her gaze, he turned away and faced the dark cave wall. She silently waited for him to respond, but he refused to turn and face her. He felt the butterfly touch of her fingers upon his shoulder before she moved away.

  Sunflower was troubled. Miche’s side was not healing properly and if the wound didn’t begin to close on its own, she would need to burn the entire area. Sunflower had never seen such a thing done before, yet her mother had helped her to memorize all the healing traditions that had been passed down for generations.

  Talon caught Sunflower’s eye and he immediately came to her side. “What is wrong?”

  Sunflower saw the worry in Talon’s eyes. Kahm made certain that Oi’yan was comfortably settled and then he approached the pair. He bent down to one knee and looked into Sunflower’s troubled gaze.

  “Sunflower?” Kahm gently clasped Sunflower’s shoulder and his chiseled features softened as she met his eyes.

  “Miche will need fire on his wound.” Sunflower signed her words as Talon spoke them aloud. She had given Miche’s name a similar hand sign to Kahm’s name.

  “I do not understand.” Kahm responded with a frown of confusion.

  Sunflower narrowed her eyes and Kahm felt like a mere ant under her haughty scrutiny. Talon shrugged his shoulders as if to say he was used to such disdain.

  Oi’yan looked on from her place beside the fire as Sunflower approached. Sunflower picked up Kahm’s hunting knife and held it over the flames until it grew hot and then she lifted the weapon toward her arm. Kahm moved so quickly that Oi’yan lost sight of him from one moment to the next. He clasped the knife as he removed it from Sunflower’s hands.

  “She is only showing you what she intends to do.” Talon found his voice as Kahm looked his way.

  Sunflower raised her eyebrows dramatically and held out her hand with a long-suffering sigh. When Kahm took a deep breath and released the weapon, she once again mimicked searing the skin on her exposed arm.

  “You mean to sear Miche’s wound closed?” Talon took the few steps needed to reach Sunflower’s side.

  “Is this commonly practiced within your village?” Kahm asked in bewilderment as he glanced at his brother. Miche was turned away from them, but Kahm knew that his brother was not sleeping.

  “No, I have never heard of such a thing.” Talon watched Sunflower with new eyes as he wondered what else their mother had taught Sunflower during the time when she could still hear.

  Kahm looked at Oi’yan and then back at Sunflower. Her hands were now fisted at her sides and her lips were pressed together in determination. She had the same tenacity and strength of will as a woman fully grown.

  “I will tell my brother.” Kahm said, as Sunflower quietly watched him.

  Talon didn’t have to translate Kahm’s words with hand signs. His intentions were clear. As he spoke, the tension in Sunflower’s shoulders eased. In that moment, he understood that she didn’t want to bring Miche further pain, but she believed that it was the only way to help his brother.

  “Miche, your wound is not healing properly.” Kahm spoke to his brother, despite the lack of response. Miche’s back remained turned, but Kahm could sense the tension emanating from his brother.

  Kahm spoke to his brother’s back and as Miche continued to ignore him, his frustration mounted. “Sunflower has looked at your wound and she worries that it has not closed properly. You will need to allow her to help you.” Kahm waited for his words to take affect, but Miche didn’t respond.

  He clasped his brother’s shoulder and while he expected resistance, he was surprised when Miche turned toward him so that they faced each other.

  “Will you allow her to help you?”

  “No.”

  Kahm reeled back in surprise. He had not expected his brother to deny their attempt to help him.

  “Then you will die before we can help our people.” Kahm understood that grief weighed heavily upon Miche’s spirit and he felt the agony that came from the loss of their entire way of life, but he was not willing to give up.

  “Will you allow Sunflower to help you?” Kahm repeated the question.

  “You will have to hold me down.” Miche’s eyes met his with anger and a challenge that Kahm sensed but couldn’t understand. The will to live was stronger than the despair that he felt. Before Miche could change his mind, Kahm grasped his wrists and held them down to his sides with a power that consumed Miche’s own ebbing strength.

  Oi’yan was there with both hands on each side of his head and she covered his ears as he felt fire sear the flesh of his wound. Sunflower’s eyes streamed tears as she pressed the heated knife to Miche’s wound, yet she didn’t falter. She hoped that in this way she honored the memory of her mother who had taught her that a healer couldn’t hesitate.

  Oi’yan’s ears rang with Miche’s hoarse cries of pain, but then Talon was there with something solid for Miche to bite down on. She knew that Kahm felt the burning agony just as Miche did. It was the way of twins and it was one of the reasons that twins were not allowed to live. What one experienced, so too did the other. It was an abomination and should not be, yet it was.

  Miche’s muffled screams only ceased when a wall of darkness swept over him.

  The cave filled with the smell of burning sage wood. It was Talon that had taken the sage from his sister’s hands and set it upon the fire. His efforts worked to cover the smell of burnt flesh as Miche mercifully drifted into the world of dreams where there was no pain.

  Sunflower could only hope that the wound would finally heal. With a deep breath, she placed both hands over the wound and said a silent prayer to the Great One of All Things.

  Kahm kept vigil by Miche’s side throughout the night and he refused all food and water. In the silence of his mind, he allowed himself to think of all that had befallen them and for the first time he sensed the pattern that had been hidden from him since Miche and Oi’yan’s arrival.

  He possessed a mind that blended strategy effortlessly into everyday life. It was the way of his father and his father before him. Only Miche rivaled him in his ability to plan and strategize.

  There was a chance that they could help their village and those that still lived, but if Kahm took that chance, he would risk the lives of Oi’yan, Sunflower and Talon. What right did he have to sacrifice their lives for a chance at freedom?

  It was this thought that kept Kahm up well into the dawn light. Sunflower came and went throughout the night and never once did she interrupt Kahm’s silent meditation.

  She checked Miche’s wound and listened to his breathing before returning to her sleeping place. Though Talon had accepted his place in their lives, he had not given up all of his duties as her protector. Each time Sunflower stood, Talon’s eyes followed her about the cavern until she retu
rned to his side.

  In the morning, Oi’yan moved to Miche’s side and dribbled water over his cracked lips. He instinctively swallowed and moaned slightly before blinking his eyes. Pain immediately caused him to tense as he felt the agony inflicted upon him by a mere girl. He would have moved to a sitting position, but it was Kahm that held him firmly in place.

  Miche bared his teeth and would have lashed out at his brother if not for the agony reflected in Kahm’s eyes.

  “I am sorry, my brother.” Kahm’s voice was pitched low. “You are not allowed to die, for we have a battle to fight and win. Together.”

  The brothers stared at each other for a long time, both taking in the sight of the other. They were so closely matched that they could have been one person peering into a pool of water. Miche relaxed back into place and said simply, “Tell me.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Hetol eyed Matiye as he took his place around the village fire. It had not escaped his notice that Sarnom had not bothered to seek him out and it galled him to admit that Sarnom’s interest rested solely upon Sunflower and Talon. He felt certain that he could regain his cousin’s favor if he managed to succeed where the other men had failed.

  “Matiye, I must speak with you and I am glad to find you alone.” Hetol allowed fear to fill his voice as Matiye eyed him cautiously.

  “What is it that you wish to say, Hetol?” Matiye asked, without bothering to hide his disinterest.

  “Sarnom believes that one of the warriors must have withheld information from him since the search for Talon and Sunflower proved unsuccessful.” Hetol shrugged his shoulders as if to say that he knew such an accusation couldn’t be true.