“Is it war that you seek or is it peace?” Kahm’s voice held a barely concealed threat. He was overcome with battle rage as he stared at Sarnom. It enraged him that the man would dare to ask about Sunflower, a girl that was not yet a woman.
Sarnom was rendered speechless by the undeniable ring of authority in the man’s voice. He saw the warriors at his side shift in place and he realized that it had been a mistake to underestimate the man that accompanied Talon.
“I am Sarnom, the next leader of the Hokum Village.” Sarnom glared at them angrily as he considered how he should go about ordering Talon’s death. He wanted to peel the skin from Talon’s body and watch as he screamed in agony.
Kahm didn’t respond to Sarnom and his lack of a reply drew the gaze of every man and woman present.
“I am Kahm, the son of Uton, leader of the Chimar Village.” By speaking his father’s name, he gave voice to the hope that Uton still lived, but Sarnom would never understand that hope. The man eyed him coldly and then returned his dark gaze to Talon. “Talon has chosen to sit at my hearth.”
The Hokum villagers didn’t hide their astonishment over Kahm’s declaration. The village warriors spoke amongst themselves until Sarnom shouted for quiet.
“Silence! You whisper like old women! The next man that speaks out of turn will be whipped!” Sarnom’s angry voice betrayed his disbelief.
The man standing before him was not Dyami, Talon’s father. Sarnom would never forget the man that had dared to challenge his authority. Yet, he saw that Dyami’s very essence was reflected in his son’s withering gaze.
Situ narrowed his eyes as Sarnom usurped Chumal’s position as war leader by threatening the very warriors that he led. Situ remained silent, but only just so. Everyone knew that Talon’s father had the inherent right to challenge Sarnom for the position of leadership.
Sarnom had somehow convinced Dyami to leave their village, never to return. Situ had always suspected that Dyami would have fought for the right to lead their people, if not for whatever threat Sarnom held over the man.
“Talon and Sunflower have accepted a place at my hearth by sacred ceremony.” Kahm’s quiet words held a hidden challenge.
If Sarnom planned to claim Talon or Sunflower, he would do so now. Kahm could see that his words had taken the man by surprise. Sarnom’s eyes burned with anger, before he gathered his thoughts together and spoke with the cunning tongue of a serpent.
“Then you now have an alliance with the Hokum Village, for Talon and Sunflower are valued amongst our people.” Sarnom gritted his teeth as he lifted his hand in a gesture that encompassed the villagers that had gathered around the fire circle.
He wanted Sunflower as he had never wanted another girl. Yet, he couldn’t challenge the man standing in front of him without knowing more about him. He remembered the Chimar Village, having heard about it in his youth. Umati had agreed that they should not seek out the various villages and bands that were nearby and Sarnom saw to it that his words were obeyed by all.
“If what you say is true, then how is it that Talon and Sunflower were cast out of the Hokum Village?” Kahm’s question was met with utter silence.
Sarnom’s lips thinned in anger. “We sent hunters in search of Talon and Sunflower. Until now, we feared that they were dead, killed by some great beast of the forest.”
Sarnom’s face was red with anger as he denied Kahm’s accusation. He had ordered Situ to kill Talon and return with Sunflower. Each warrior gathered near the fire circle knew that those had been his orders.
“It is clear to everyone present that you would have ordered Talon’s death and taken Sunflower without question.” Kahm’s words were spoken with such disdain that Sarnom flushed with rage.
“Who are you to question my decisions? Do you seek to challenge my authority as the leader of the Hokum Village?” Sarnom forgot all reason as he responded with an angry shake of his fist just as Talon moved forward.
“He does not challenge you, Sarnom, but I do!” Talon pounded his throwing spear once forcefully upon the ground. For the first time, Sarnom saw that Talon was no longer the destitute youth from the past, but something more.
There was a moment of stunned silence, then Sarnom laughed with a cruel twist of his lips as Hetol and a few of the other men joined in.
“You dare to challenge me?” Sarnom shouted as he turned to face Talon. “You are no one. Nothing!”
“My challenge stands.” Talon’s stance was rigid and unshakeable as a sound of alarm traveled through the crowd around them.
“Kill him!” Sarnom shouted to Chumal. “Kill them all!”
There was a moment of stunned hesitation amongst the men and Situ raised his voice to be heard. “Talon, by what right do you challenge Sarnom?”
Talon surprised them all by staring Sarnom in the eye despite the threat to his life.
“By right of blood.” Talon responded in a loud voice, despite the gasps and shocked cries that came from the villagers. “My father’s band discovered the place where we have built our village. By guile and deceit, Sarnom and his brother took over the leadership of the Hokum Village. Many of you know this to be true.” Talon silently thanked his sister for sharing the stories told to her by their mother, it was in this way that he came to understand his father’s past.
Sarnom turned to Situ as he shouted. “How dare you question my orders?”
Chumal raised his weapon against Situ as Sarnom’s eyes gleamed hatefully.
“Our people starve, while you delay finding another way to feed them. How long will you allow the women that stand in the sacred position of a mother to cast their children to the wind? How long will you continue to see their grief as a necessary sacrifice?” Talon spoke to the heart of the people listening and he knew that he spoke for those that couldn’t speak for themselves.
“Our women sacrifice so that others might live.” Sarnom grabbed Chumal’s weapon out of his hands and advanced around the fire toward Talon.
It would be easy to send his spear plunging through the young man’s lean frame. It would be a simple thing and he would have the immense satisfaction of killing Dyami’s son.
“Do not raise that spear if you value your life!” Kahm’s voice was filled with an unmistakable warning. “My brother will not hesitate to send his arrow flying into your exposed chest.”
As one, the villagers looked to the forest where Miche stood with his bow raised. A cry of alarm carried to their ears as the people began to back away in fear. Miche stood close enough so that everyone could see his face and the crowd murmured as they saw that he was the image of his brother in every way. Sunflower stood at his side and the people whispered that she was a shadow of the forest come to life.
“I will become the leader of the Hokum Village at the end of my time of mourning.” Sarnom’s eyes glittered with menace as he ignored Kahm’s threat. “Due to necessity, I must cut short my grief.”
“Situ,” Talon called out. “Is it true that Sarnom has been chosen as the next leader of the Hokum Village?”
Never before had Talon considered facing Sarnom without fear of reprisal, but he stood with his shoulders drawn back and his chest out as Situ regarded him warily.
“There was not a choice to be made.” Situ answered despite Chumal’s threats and Sarnom’s seething gaze.
“There is always a choice.” Talon’s gaze swept over the warriors that stood in a half circle behind Sarnom. “I openly challenge Sarnom for the position of leadership over the Hokum Village, by right of blood.”
Sarnom’s insides churned with rage as he considered the threat posed by Talon. The young man standing before him had dared to challenge his position in front of the men of their village. Sarnom waited for the men to laugh and ridicule Talon’s charge, but silence reigned.
“It appears that your village has a choice to make. Will you choose Talon or Sarnom as your leader?” Kahm spoke from Talon’s side as Sarnom angrily gaped at him.
“There
is no choice to make! I am the rightful leader of the Hokum Village!” Sarnom shouted through clenched teeth as his hand twisted around his spear.
“When we last saw Talon, he was half starved, clothed in rags and unable to feed himself or his sister.” Chumal laughed maliciously as the crowd sided with him. “Who is he to say that he should be our leader?”
“If you allow Sarnom to lead this village in the same manner as his brother then your women and children will not live out another changing of the season!” Talon’s voice was filled with dire certainty as he locked eyes with Situ and Matiye, followed by Chumal and the warriors that he led.
Sarnom immediately shouted in denial, but the damage was done. The people of their village looked about in confusion and fear.
“What is the harm in letting Talon speak?” One of the men called out despite the murderous glare that Sarnom sent his way.
As the disharmony within their village hit its peak, Talon spoke. “Is it not so that Sarnom and our former leader didn’t take part in the hunt, yet they both took of the spoils? Is it not so that we have been forbidden to hunt the great sea beast that is capable of feeding our village, season after season?”
Situ was surprised to hear Talon speak in such a bold manner. The young man that he knew had never voiced a complaint, however, neither had the other warriors. Talon displayed a brave spirit that they had always noticed but never understood. Matiye remained silent, but excitement brimmed in his gaze as he watched his friend speak out against Sarnom.
“Your sister was on the brink of starvation when Sarnom decided to take her as a servant!” Hetol edged forward, inserting himself into the discussion with a cruel accusation. “She would have died if not for Sarnom.”
“Talon, you speak boldly, yet you are no more capable of drawing game from the forest than any of our other hunters.” Sarnom seethed with rage as the people continued to listen to Talon’s claim for the position of leadership.
“I do not seek to draw forth game from a land that is ever changing.” Talon stopped speaking as a commotion from the crowd drew their attention.
Everyone present grew silent as a huddled form shuffled forward.
Talon recognized Ad’isi, the oldest man of the Hokum Village and his very presence garnered their respect. Ad’isi had escaped Sarnom’s notice by living quietly with his family. The skin on his face was stretched taut over the skull beneath. The deep brown color of his eyes had been muted by time and his mouth hung open in a perpetual grimace. He shuffled forward with beleaguered footsteps, yet he held his chin at a distinct angle, one that hinted at intrinsic pride.
“Ad’isi, this matter does not concern you.” Sarnom paid little heed to the old man with the stooped shoulders, except to notice that he appeared to be nothing more than skin and bones.
“I disagree, as the oldest living male, what I have to say holds weight, not only with our village, but with those that have gone before me down the sacred path.” Ad’isi’s voice was feeble, but bold.
“Let him speak!” A few of the men cried out as Situ braced Ad’isi by one arm.
“Talon, you seek a position that offers a heavy burden and a weighty responsibility. Sarnom is the most likely choice as the leader of our village.” Ad’isi watched as Sarnom proudly lifted his chin and the men that supported him came to stand at his side. “However, if you offer a challenge, we cannot overlook this turn of events.
“Heed me!” Sarnom was emboldened by the open display of loyalty shown by several of the men. “I will accept your challenge, Talon. You and I will face each other in a battle, with spears as our weapon of choice.”
Everyone present knew that Sarnom was deadly with a short spear and the crowd murmured as the tension mounted between the two men.
“Sarnom,” Ad’isi addressed Sarnom with a twinkle in his eye. “You have forgotten that it is the challenger that must issue the way in which the challenge will be met.”
Talon stepped forward so that he was face to face with Sarnom. “The first man to bring in a whale from the Great Water will become the next leader of the Hokum Village.”
Situ spoke with Wiope well into the night. His wife was often quiet almost to the point of being overlooked because of her cautious nature. However, with him, she shared her opinions freely. Shortly after they were joined as lifemates, Wiope came to realize that he welcomed her words of wisdom.
“This unexpected turn of events might prove to be a great blessing.” Wiope stroked Situ’s long black hair and ran her fingers through the thick strands as he lay with his head resting against her thighs.
“Talon has a chance to change the future of our village for the good of all. He seeks to take men that use their nets to capture small fish and turn them into men that hunt the great sea beasts. Hunting the whale is no small task. Lives could be lost.” Situ‘s gaze was clouded with concern.
“Lives will be lost when the cold season arrives and we are left without any food. Hunting is scarce, even the hunters that fish do not catch enough to feed our village as it expands.” Wiope spoke wisely for this had become her primary concern now that a child grew in the secret place of her womb.
Who could say if she would be called upon to give their child over to the wind as a sacrifice? Other women had done so and they suffered much as a result. What woman after bringing a child into the world with much pain, wanted to leave that child out in the cold to die? There was not a woman amongst them that wished to do so.
“If Talon becomes the next village leader, he will need loyal men to stand behind him.” Situ clenched his fists as he thought of the strong desire he had to join Talon in his fight to save their village. How long would he have to remain silent while decisions were made that only brought pain and suffering to all?
“A wise man would stand on the side of Talon, knowing that if he was successful, he would be counted as a friend of the new leader of the Hokum Village.” Wiope’s quiet answer surprised Situ.
“My loyalty has already been called into question.” Situ said, with a grimace of disgust.
Wiope clicked her tongue and shook her head back and forth. “Your unswerving loyalty belongs to the Hokum Village, not to one man. Have no fear husband; you will do what is best for our village. This I know well.”
Situ sighed as Wiope leaned down and gently pressed her mouth against his lips. As she exhaled, he inhaled, drawing his wife’s essence into his very being. She was his treasure, his life.
Sarnom threatened the very future of the Hokum Village because of his unerring greed and unwillingness to accept change. The forest no longer teemed with life, the sea didn’t release an abundance of fish, but the great sea beast might prove to be the very thing that would sustain their way of life. Tomorrow, the Hokum Village would be split in half by desperate men in need of change.
Situ would stand beside the man that sought to protect the future of their village. There could be no other way.
The village warriors sat around the fire long into the night discussing the events of the day. Talon rested secure in the knowledge that Kahm and Miche were alert to any danger. Instead of accepting the lodge offered to them by Situ, they retired to the high rise above the village. Sunflower had remained with Miche throughout the day and though she expressed her concern for Talon, he urged her to rest and regain her strength.
Kahm placed his hand upon Talon’s shoulder and nodded in silent acknowledgement. Talon met Kahm’s gaze and the unmistakable pride that resided there almost caused Talon to stumble. Yet, Kahm’s hand also held him steady.
Miche slapped Talon on the back as he took his place beside the small fire that would give them a sense of security throughout the night. There were not any words to express the bravery that Talon had displayed. Instead, both men showed their appreciation by honoring Talon as a man and a warrior, for that was exactly what he had become.
“I must think beyond tomorrow.” Talon added a small amount of wood to the fire as he lowered his voice so as not to wake Sunf
lower.
“If your people side with you, Sarnom will not step aside without a great show of protest.” Kahm glanced at his brother and he saw that Miche agreed.
“You are right. Yet, knowing the man as I do, I have come to learn that we cannot say with certainty what Sarnom will do. It is best to prepare for any eventuality.” Talon’s eyes were alight with intensity as he kept his gaze turned away from the fire, like a seasoned warrior. “I have not had the time to express my appreciation for your show of strength. It is possible that my own village would have cast me out and allowed Sarnom to keep Sunflower as his servant.”
“You wouldn’t have allowed Sarnom to take Sunflower away.” Kahm spoke only the truth.
“No.” Talon’s voice was filled with finality. “Now that I have seen the twisted soul that resides within Sarnom, I would have done everything in my power to see to Sunflower’s safety. I am her brother and it is my duty to protect her.”
Talon shifted his focus to Sunflower’s blanket shrouded form. His sister appeared small and delicate, but she had endured Hetol’s cruel treatment while he forced her to journey through the forest. Despite the knowledge that Sarnom waited for her at the end of their journey. She had not given in to terror or overwhelming fear and he could do no less in return.
“Tomorrow will prove to be a day of days for the Hokum Village.” Talon pressed his hand over his heart as if to ease the pressure that built in his chest.
“We will stand with you, not only because you have become like a son of shared blood, but also because the fate of the Hokum Village has become forever entwined with the future of our people.” Kahm spoke in low tones, but his voice carried to Talon and Miche.
“Our people have become like a rope made of two cords and one day we will form a noose around the throat of the Mingha, our common enemy.” Miche spoke of the threat that the Mingha posed, not only to his people, but also to the Hokum Village. Each word held the need for vengeance against the warriors that had overtaken the Chimar Village.
Pillar of Fire (Book One-The Whale Hunter Series) Page 17