Talon was completely focused on his return to the Hokum Village. Sunflower had shared all that she knew about their father with him. He understood much from her hand signs and gestures. He had been wrong about his father and nothing he could do would change the past, but he would honor his father’s memory by standing in his place.
Umati was not fit to lead the Hokum Village for even one more day. This Talon knew well, but he wondered if his people would accept him as their new leader. As the silence of the forest became oppressive, he shared his concerns with Kahm and Miche. Both men listened to him and nodded their understanding, but Kahm and Miche were undeterred.
“Sunflower is no longer available for Sarnom to claim. Even if he has taken her back to his dwelling, we will claim her as ours.” Kahm knew that his words of reassurance were unnecessary.
“She walked behind the man that took her. I can see where her footsteps stagger.” Kahm pointed to a track upon the ground.
Talon searched the ground and found a sign that told him that Sunflower had fallen, but she had not braced herself for the fall.
“Her hands are tied behind her back.” Talon spoke through clenched teeth as he described what he found to the others. “Without her hands she cannot make word signs.”
He removed his knife and cut his forearms in a show of grief and anger. When Kahm looked into Talon’s eyes, he saw raw grief and a thirst for vengeance. Talon had shed the season of his youth, just as a snake sheds its skin.
“Today, the men will bring in a bountiful catch of fish. I can feel it!” Umati reached out to clasp Sarnom’s shoulder as he watched the waves crash upon the beach.
Sarnom glanced at his brother quickly and he saw that Umati’s eyes were fixed upon the rolling waves. “I wish to send the men back out to hunt for Talon and Sunflower.”
Umati sighed heavily before responding. “Many of our warriors have been on a hunt in a forest that has abandoned us. Yet, when they return, it appears that you would send them out searching for those that have run away. It is enough!”
Sarnom sucked in his breath as Umati turned appraising eyes upon him. “You said that if we kept Talon and Sunflower close, we could keep them under our control. I need to find them.”
Umati scoffed. “They are not a danger to us, nor are they a threat to our village.” He shook his head as he eyed his brother. “No, it is best that they are lost to ways of the forest. You will not look for them any longer. I forbid it!”
“No!” Sarnom shook with anger as Umati’s eyes swept over him dismissively.
“Sarnom, listen closely! You would do well to forget that Talon and Sunflower ever lived.” Umati made a slashing motion with his right hand. “You should be thankful for my forbearance.”
“Umati...” Sarnom started to speak, but his brother turned to face him with a cruel twist to his mouth.
“Your lack of self control is one of the many reasons that you will never be anything other than the brother of a powerful leader. Did you think that I was unaware that you covet the position of leadership that I hold, by right of birth?” Umati’s acerbic words were tinged with laughter over Sarnom’s bitter expression. When Sarnom remained silent, Umati spat upon the ground at his feet. “You are a fool!”
“Umati!” Sarnom’s voice held a warning, but his brother turned small, flat eyes upon him as his belly shook with mirth. It was Umati’s laughter that ignited a fit of rage the likes of which he had never known.
“You are weak, Sarnom, but never fear, you will come to appreciate your place beneath me. It is by my own hand that I have granted you the small amount of power that you wield over the Hokum Village. Yet, everything you have been given can easily be stripped away.” Umati gestured toward Sarnom’s fine garments that had been carefully stitched by his wives and the many shell, turquoise and coral necklaces that he wore.
He dismissed his brother with a contemptuous wave of his hand as he turned toward the Hokum Village.
Sarnom could barely contain the rage that consumed him, as it seared through his core in eddying waves. He saw his brother turn away with his chin raised in pride and he remembered every insult, every slight that Umati had ever committed against him.
He didn’t stop to consider his actions as he took a step toward his brother’s retreating form and yanked Umati’s head back with a sharp snap. His gasp of shock was cut off abruptly by the quick twist of Sarnom’s arms as he felt the accompanying snap of his neck. Umati gasped for air that was there for the taking, but no longer his to claim. His eyes were full of shock and accusation, but Sarnom remained unmoved.
“You brought this upon yourself.” Sarnom spoke to his brother as life faded from his eyes. “Rest assured that everything that you have will be mine.”
He stood slowly, shaking slightly as he surveyed his handy work. There was an unexplainable rush of satisfaction that surged through his body as he considered his impulsive actions. For too long, he had allowed his brother to remain in the position that he coveted for himself.
He quickly dragged Umati’s body near the large boulders that had claimed more than one life from their village. He would blame his brother’s death on the tidal waves that had taken the lives of their villagers in the past.
Everyone was aware that even strong men could drown if they were trapped by the tide. His brother’s body was battered by the rocks and waves, but he didn’t bother to glance back as he wiped away all signs of his presence upon the beach. He suppressed a dark shiver of excitement as he touched the one thing that he had always sought but never attained until now. Power.
The day sped by quickly as they moved fluidly through the forest. Miche remained behind as planned, while Talon took the lead with Kahm following closely behind him. They both sensed the moment when their presence was discovered.
Talon stiffened almost imperceptibly as he slowed his hurried pace to a walk, just as Kahm immediately shielded him with his body. He had dressed as a son of the Chimar Village and all who saw him would know that he held a lofty position within his village. Kahm wore a bone necklace and turquoise armband that glinted in the sunlight as he lowered his spear and waited. The men tried to quiet their heavy breathing as the forest pressed in upon them.
“I stand with you, Talon.” Kahm said as Talon gave an almost imperceptive nod to show that he heard, but other than that one motion, he remained completely still.
The forest was eerily silent as Kahm forced his body to relax. He kept his arms deceptively loose at his sides. Already his ears picked up the sound of footsteps approaching from his left and right. He knew without a doubt that armed men surrounded them on all sides. He could hear the sound of arrows being notched into place.
“Show yourselves!” Kahm called out in the Hokum tongue that was now familiar to him.
A shadow moved between two trees and then Kahm saw the face of the first warrior. A second and a third man quickly followed him with their spears raised for attack. Another man streaked forward, intercepting the other men. “Stand where you are!”
“Situ.” Talon spoke for the first time as he addressed the man that had prevented the other warriors from striking.
“Why are you here?” The man that spoke was young, but his eyes were hard and unmoving. “Who is the man with you?”
Kahm narrowed his eyes and remained silent for a moment longer than necessary. “I am Kahm, the son of Uton. I am from the village of Chimar.”
“We are searching for Sunflower, my sister. You will take us to her.” Talon spoke with authority as he grunted once and lowered his spear to the ground with a heavy thud. “Now!”
“You are not in a position to make demands.” Situ indicated the spears held by the Hokum warriors, poised to strike. “If Sunflower has returned to our village, we have not seen her, but you must know that you will not be allowed to leave.”
Talon ignored Situ’s warning. “My sister’s footsteps lead to the Hokum Village. Her hands were tied behind her back. Tell me, which one of the men of
this village would bind a young girl and drag her through the woods? You do not know which of the men from our village has taken my sister?” Talon’s voice was caustic and bitter.
“Hetol has not been seen for a few days. It is possible that he took it upon himself to bring your sister back to the village.”
“Back to Sarnom.” Talon ground the words between clenched teeth.
He struggled to keep the rage out of his voice as he stalked forward, brushing past the men that encircled them with their weapons drawn. If they had been given orders to kill him on sight, then they would have to strike him from behind.
“Sarnom ordered your death.” Situ said as Talon caught sight of the stunned reactions of the Hokum warriors.
“I wouldn’t have expected anything less.” Talon heard Kahm call out a warning, but he was wholly unprepared for the glancing blow that spun him around as pain exploded near his temple.
His last thought was that every moment that because of his failure, Sunflower would be left alone and afraid.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Situ and another warrior dragged Talon’s limp form between them as they entered the Hokum Village. Kahm glanced at Talon with concern as he was dropped unceremoniously upon the ground.
A low groan from Talon assured him that the blow he had suffered was not overly severe. Talon blinked and opened his eyes as Kahm helped him to his feet.
He noticed that the Hokum Village was just as Talon had described. A central lodge housed the majority of the Hokum families and in the center of the village, he caught sight of a fire circle. Kahm recognized the lodge that sheltered the village hunters because the dwelling was adorned with the skulls of many animals, openly displayed at the entrance.
He was impressed by the variety of animals hunted by the Hokum, amongst which were deer, elk, and antelope. However, it didn’t escape his notice that many of the kills were old. He saw very few signs of success from a recent hunt.
Kahm turned his attention to the sizeable main lodge, which was wreathed with tanned skins. He knew at once that they stood before the dwelling of the Hokum leader, Umati.
“Where is Umati?” Talon asked as he touched the tender spot on the side of his head.
“You seek Umati and not Hetol?” Situ raised his eyes in surprise as he glanced around for Chumal. He had no doubt that their war leader would be eager to claim success, once he caught sight of Talon.
“Hetol is a trickster. He will answer to me for any harm that has befallen Sunflower, but I must speak with Umati.” Talon said.
A cold voice from behind drew their attention. “Talon, you have returned.”
Sarnom approached the group of men as Chumal moved forward to join him.
“I have returned for one reason and one reason alone.” Talon’s eyes roved around the village as many of the women and children came forward. He didn’t see Sunflower amongst them and his growing panic only increased. “Where is Hetol?”
“Is this how you greet the man whose brother leads your village?” Sarnom’s tone was caustic as he stared at Talon and the man that flanked his side. “Who is this foreigner that you have brought with you?”
Situ stood fast when the man next to Talon studied him with cold, piercing eyes. He took it upon himself to send one of the younger men to find Umati, even as he turned back to the matter at hand. He was not surprised to see Chumal puff out his chest and lift his chin as Sarnom clapped one hand upon his shoulder.
“Talon!” The sound of his sister’s voice had gone unheard for so long that Talon almost failed to recognize Sunflower’s call.
He turned to see Hetol standing at the edge of the forest with a bedraggled Sunflower tethered to his waist by a rope. Nothing short of death could have stopped Talon from going to Sunflower’s side. Kahm fearlessly stood between him and the Hokum warriors as Talon strode forward and cut the rope that bound Sunflower to Hetol with one clean swipe of his knife.
Sunflower trembled in his arms as he pressed her face against his chest.
“Did he harm you?” Talon signed his words to Sunflower even as she shook her head in denial. Tears slipped unbidden from her wide eyes as she gulped air and shook her head in denial.
Hetol hesitated as he met Talon’s gaze, which held the promise of dire retribution. A bellow of rage reached them as Sarnom caught sight of Talon’s hand signs.
“You would curse our village with your actions!” Sarnom shouted as he stalked forward.
Talon turned Sunflower so that she faced away from Sarnom. His entire body vibrated with rage, but his movements was carefully restrained and measured as he severed the rope that bound her wrists together.
Sarnom started to speak, but a cry from behind drew his attention.
“Sarnom! Come quickly, your brother has been injured!” A young man called out as a hush fell over the villagers.
Several of the women screamed in horror as two men brought Umati forward.
“Does he live?” Sarnom turned to the women that crowded around Umati as he caught sight of his brother’s body, lifeless and still.
“He has breathed his last breath!” The grief stricken cries of their women swirled around them as Umati’s face was covered by clinging hands.
Sarnom fell upon Umati’s body and released an undulating death cry into the air.
Large trees encircled them protectively and the abundance of life in the forest gave a cacophony of sound to their surroundings. Yet, all sound faltered for a moment as Talon recognized Sarnom’s voice lifted in grief. Situ and the men with him stood silently at a distance, ever watchful. He had been pressed by Chumal to guard Talon and the others while Sarnom grieved for his brother.
Due to Sunflower’s affliction, they were held outside of the boundaries of the Hokum Village by men sent to guard them.
It was true that they were capable of defending themselves, but they were outnumbered. Sarnom had not even bothered to disarm them. It was his way of showing them that he was in complete control.
Talon’s thoughts turned toward his sister. Sunflower was wrapped in a warm blanket and she drank a soothing brew of her own making. She had managed to share her story with them although her words caused Talon’s hands to clench with unspoken anger.
“He came for me like a shadow in the forest.” Sunflower’s hands flew over the words as if by sharing her ordeal she could escape the terror that had overtaken her.
Talon’s jaw tightened as Sunflower spoke of being bound and dragged by Hetol through the forest. She had offered an apology for leaving the protection of the cave, but Kahm held up his hand for silence.
“At any other time, you would be safe in this very same forest.”
“How did you stop Hetol from harming you?” Talon voiced the question that was foremost in his mind. Besides a few scrapes and bruises from the journey, Sunflower was unharmed.
“I told him that if he touched me, he would lose the ability to hear.” Sunflower shivered over the memory. “Oi’yan has practiced speaking words with me.”
“Ah.” Clearly, this answered Kahm’s unspoken question.
Sunflower still preferred hand signs to spoken words, but she was proud of her ability to master the language of her birth. “I can understand you by watching the motion of your lips if you speak slowly. I escaped harm by making Hetol fear me.”
Talon regarded his sister with new eyes. “How did you manage to strike fear into Hetol’s soul?”
“When he reached out to me, I spoke every other word and he thought that he was losing his ability to hear.” Sunflower would have smiled if the situation had not been so dire. Her ploy had worked for a moment, but before she could flee, Hetol looped a noose around her waist and tied her hands behind her back. She shivered over the memory of her own helplessness. “I knew that you would find me, Talon.”
Talon nodded once with finality, because he couldn’t find his voice. His sister offered to see to the bump on his head or the cuts upon his arms and he allowed her to aid him, simply
because it brought her comfort. He didn’t tell her that he had made the cuts upon his forearms for her. He was certain that she knew. It galled him that he couldn’t reassure his sister, but they were captives and because of Umati’s death, they were now at Sarnom’s mercy.
Before their journey, Kahm asked him if he could see himself fighting against the men of his village. Talon answered that he didn’t seek to kill any man, but he would defend himself against any threat. Kahm and Talon exchanged a measured look before preparing their weapons.
Kahm had given Talon the secret to conquering his fear by telling him that Sarnom was not a god, nor did he have the powers of a god. He was vengeful and full of deceit, but he was a man like any other man and he could be defeated.
He didn’t waver from the course that he had set for himself. Instead, he clung to the new light of understanding that flowed through his mind.
“We are with you, Talon.” Kahm’s voice was strong as he sat by the low burning fire.
“For far too long, I remained silent as Sarnom used fear and terror to bend the villagers to his will. His brother’s death has opened a way forward for the Hokum Village.” Talon was silent for a long moment as he glanced at his sister’s sleeping form. “I am the only man that can stand between my people and the fate that awaits them if they are left to suffer under Sarnom’s cruel hold.”
“Where is Sunflower?” Sarnom called out as he caught sight of Situ and several Hokum warriors entering the village with their spears turned toward Talon and the foreigner.
“She slipped away during the night.” Situ watched Sarnom steadily as the man flushed with rage.
“You cannot keep track of one small girl?”
Sarnom’s voice sent an icy chill over Situ’s shoulders, but he didn’t respond. He had no idea how Sunflower had managed to slip past his men, but they were all wary of the girl because of her inability to hear. In a blatant display of disrespect, Sarnom abruptly turned his attention away from Situ.
Pillar of Fire (Book One-The Whale Hunter Series) Page 16