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

by Karah Quinney

  Talon threw a large piece of wood into the fire, sending up a scattered spray of burning ash that lifted into the glittering heavens. “Just as you have spoken, so let it come to pass.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Hetol hurried to find Sarnom. His cousin had summoned him before the sun could even make an appearance in the sky. He was at once anxious and overcome with barely concealed hope.

  Talon had surprised him by returning to their village to retrieve Sunflower. Hetol admitted to himself that the girl’s wide brown eyes and striking appearance tempted him. He yearned to possess the one thing that Sarnom coveted. Innocence.

  The slithering realization erupted inside of him every time he imagined Sarnom taking Sunflower to his sleeping furs.

  Talon’s interference had ruined his plans to offer Sunflower to Sarnom in exchange for a reward. Though he didn’t favor any particular woman in their village, he wanted his own lodge and a wife to serve his needs as a matter of status and prestige. Sarnom had benefited from his relationship with his brother and he wanted the same treatment. He noticed that Sarnom’s back was turned to him as he entered the dwelling.

  Hetol was surprised by the feeling of confidence that surged within him as Sarnom met his gaze. “Very soon, you will hunt the whale.”

  “The men that go with me will be successful and our people will decide in my favor. I am the brother of their former leader.”

  Hetol thought that Sarnom’s confidence was unfounded. Sarnom was not well liked, though there was not a soul brave enough to speak disparagingly in his presence. Hetol almost envied Talon’s ability to stand firm in the face of Sarnom’s wrath. Even their war leader, Chumal, hurried to comply with Sarnom’s every whim.

  “You didn’t bring Sunflower to me when you had the chance.” Sarnom’s eyes glittered menacingly as he stalked forward.

  “I sought to ensure that we were not followed. I didn’t wish to bring danger to your lodge.” Hetol withheld a victorious smile when Sarnom’s eyes bored into him as he weighed the truth of his words.

  “You feared that Talon had followed you back to the village, yet you didn’t alert our warriors?” Sarnom’s voice held an undercurrent of warning even as he stroked a hand over the hunting knife sheathed at his waist.

  “I was wrong to hesitate,” Hetol quickly inserted. “Yet, it was just as I feared. As you saw for yourself, Talon was not far behind us.”

  “You have disappointed me far too often where Talon and Sunflower are concerned.”

  Hetol thought of the way that Sarnom’s interest in him had waned since he had first taken notice of Sunflower. He ignored the sick feeling in his belly as he allowed anger to simmer in his soul. There was always a way to deflect Sarnom’s attention and he had prepared in advance.

  “As I stood guard, I overheard the men with Talon speak of a threat posed by those that have overtaken their village.” Hetol saw the dangerous gleam in Sarnom’s eyes and something inside of him flickered and came to life. He glorified over the thought that he had given Sarnom something more valuable than Sunflower. Knowledge.

  Hetol denied the slithering snake that wound around his soul as he nodded his head in ready agreement. He wanted to believe that the sickness that twisted Sarnom’s soul was no longer with him now that he had turned his attention to Sunflower. He struggled not to flinch as Sarnom clasped his chin and forced his head back, until he couldn’t look away.

  “I have decided that you will join me on the whale hunt and you will stand at my side as Talon is ousted from this village.” Sarnom removed his hand from the knife at his side and stroked his palm over Hetol’s face in a familiar gesture. He dropped his parka to the floor and led Hetol to recline upon his sleeping furs.

  “Yes, Sarnom.” Hetol cringed as he watched Sarnom move toward him. He knew from previous encounters that it was best not to offer any protest.

  “You will be disciplined for your disobedience. But first, you will tell me all that you know.”

  Kahm inhaled the scent of the forest, oak and pine, along with an essence that was none other than the wide domain of nature itself. Talon and Miche sat around the fire as Kahm spoke to them in low tones.

  Only the men that hunted the whale successfully knew the full meaning of the primordial chant that fell from Kahm’s lips. He spoke in the Chimar tongue and the words had been given to him by their father and his father before him.

  “We ask a blessing for our people. Let the great beast of the watery deep come to our spears.” Kahm waved the scented bushel of dried grass and roots over the fire before carefully placing them on a spit for roasting. The fragrance drifted to the heavens above, carrying his words along with their request for a blessing.

  “We ask that you guide the hand of Talon, a strong hunter.” Kahm spoke more forcefully and Talon opened his eyes when his name was called. Miche rose and lifted the clay bowl that held the sacred red paste known to the whale hunters of the Chimar Village.

  Some believed that the color itself lured the whale to them. Others believed that the color red held an ancient power; it was the color of the hunt, the color of blood, which gave life.

  Kahm only knew that the whale hunters throughout time had worn the red paste under their eyes and the whale had come to their spears. As the air swirled, he breathed in the scent of their sacred offering.

  Talon and Miche did the same and with each breath, they were fortified. Kahm’s voice lifted and carried up to the heavens as he lowered his head in supplication.

  If they failed, if they faltered, all would be lost. However, if they succeeded, they would save the Hokum Village from starvation and they would give the captive people of the Chimar Village a chance at freedom. That was all that Kahm asked for, a chance.

  “May the power of the Great One of All Things be with us.” Kahm’s steady voice was a fervent benediction.

  Talon and Miche opened their eyes as if waking from a long sleep. Kahm reached out his hand and the men clasped wrists in a show of fidelity and brotherhood. Talon led the way toward the beach where the other men waited.

  “Talon.” He recognized the voice of Matiye, his friend.

  “Matiye it is good to see you again.”

  “Talon, there were times when I thought of following you and Sunflower.” Matiye sighed heavily as he clasped arms with Talon in greeting. “You should know that I am the reason that Hetol found Sunflower. I went with the other men to search for you and I noticed a rocky crevice that would have been a likely place to hide. I never intended to share my suspicions with Hetol and if anything had happened to Sunflower, I would have blamed myself forever.”

  Talon saw the truth reflected in Matiye’s open gaze and he nodded in understanding. “Hetol is a trickster. It is not your fault that he does Sarnom’s bidding.”

  Matiye sighed in obvious relief and then his eyes brightened. “I hope that you will choose me to accompany you on the whale hunt.”

  Talon was humbled by Matiye’s open display of loyalty. They had been friends even when he was clothed in ragged garments and had nothing to call his own. Matiye risked the wrath of those loyal to Sarnom by openly offering his support before the other men on the beach. “You are my first choice, Matiye.”

  Kahm eyed the pile of wood that the Hokum warriors had gathered together. Their boat would hold up to eight men. The traditional boats held ten to fifteen men, but in an effort to avoid further delay, they planned to make the boat a slightly smaller size. Kahm sensed an air of disharmony fueled by Sarnom’s attempts to draw their attention. When Sarnom took his leave, Kahm addressed the men that remained by Talon’s side.

  “Make no mistake, we have offered to teach you this new skill, not for our benefit, but for yours.” Kahm studied each able-bodied man that faced him. “By learning how to hunt the whale, your people will have the knowledge of the whale hunters from the beginning of the world. Never again will you have to go hungry unless that is your choice.”

  Situ observed the men around him
. Chumal had made it clear that he expected every warrior to side with Sarnom, but he sensed that several of the men were undecided. By hunting the whale, Talon offered them a gift that had not been theirs for so long that it was like a forgotten memory. He offered them hope.

  Situ reminded the other men that their loyalty must rest with their village, despite Chumal’s threats. They must each think of the women and children that relied upon them. Each man was given the opportunity to consider the coming challenge and the loss of life that might ensue.

  On the outside, Talon didn’t appear to be any different from the young man that left their village in the dark of night with his sister at his side. It was true that he had grown taller and more muscular, but upon first inspection, he appeared to be the same youth that they had always known.

  However, when one looked closely, there was a hidden fire that burned in his eyes and an undeniable sense of rightfulness to see him take the lead in the whale hunt. If they were successful, the whale hunt would provide an overabundance of food for all to share.

  However, if they failed, Talon and all who stood with him would face Sarnom’s wrath.

  Talon was surprised when several of the men sought him out and offered their assistance in helping him bring in the whale. The dangers were many and the risks were almost insurmountable, yet he didn’t back down at the prospect of facing death so that his people might survive. He felt as if he had come full circle as he stepped foot upon the path set by his father.

  Ad’isi pulled him aside and Talon remained silent as the older man spoke.

  “I knew your father.” Ad’isi spoke with a voice that was aged, weathered and full of wisdom. “You are the image of him and you should know that he would approve of your effort to wrest control of our village from Sarnom. You will do what you must to protect those too weak to protect themselves. That is the mark of a true warrior.”

  Talon had already come to terms with his father’s actions, but Ad’isi spoke from a place of knowledge and understanding.

  The mere thought of Sunflower suffering hunger or deprivation prompted Talon into action. He was not immune to the cries of hunger that had arisen from the village children during times of famine, nor had he hardened his heart against those that had turned away from him in the past.

  He had once shared a lodge with most of the village families and while Sunflower was his primary concern, he knew that many other children suffered the sharp pain of hunger.

  “I will go with you to hunt the whale, if you have need of men to fill your boat.” Situ’s voice broke into Talon’s thoughts and his offer stunned him.

  “Situ!” Chumal snarled in warning.

  “I am a man capable of making my own choice and I choose to walk the path set by Talon.”

  “Any man that goes with me to hunt the whale should understand that their lives will be in the hands of the Great Water. I cannot guarantee your safety.” Talon met Situ’s eyes with a measured glance that also encompassed the other men. He blatantly ignored Chumal and Sarnom as both men stood nearby. Kahm demonstrated how the frame of the boat should be built and the men set to work.

  Sarnom stalked toward his lodge without glancing over his shoulder, while Chumal and their men remained behind to oversee the making of their boat. Their own fishing boats were similarly made and the adjustments were not a hardship. Sarnom’s wives provided skins that had been stretched to accommodate his boat.

  Talon and Kahm were forced to take apart an abandoned fishing boat and use those skins for the construction of their boat. Kahm noticed that only a few skins came from the seals that had once wreathed the beaches with their dark brown bodies and hoarse barking. Before Kahm could mention the lack of sealskins, Situ spoke to them for the first time that day.

  “We have not been successful with finding seals to hunt. In times past, we would find them basking in the sun on their favorite resting places, but no more.” The other warriors agreed with grunts and nods.

  “Have you considered moving to more fertile areas and finding different hunting grounds?” Miche spoke as Kahm and Talon worked side by side.

  “It is not our way to leave the land of our fathers.” Situ replied.

  “Our fathers journeyed here from some other place, did they not?” Talon posed the question with quiet deliberation.

  Situ and Matiye gaped at Talon in open astonishment, but there was only silence from the men that were undeniably loyal to Sarnom.

  After a time, Kahm drew their attention back to the task at hand, but he knew that a seed had been planted by Talon’s carefully worded question. His father believed that once a thought was introduced it could never be removed. Kahm hoped that his father’s teachings would prove true.

  “Talon’s boat will be finished by the time that the sun seeks its place of rest.” One of the men stood back to survey their combined efforts.

  “Sarnom and the men with him have already finished constructing their boat. It is said that they seek their rest while we continue to work.” Another warrior stepped forward to lend a hand, relieving a man that had worked tirelessly for most of the day.

  “Tomorrow, we will hunt the whale!” Talon’s proclamation quickly spread amongst the men, women and children of the Hokum Village.

  Talon stood on a rock overlooking the beach. The sand stretched out in front of him for as far as the eye could see. Wave after wave rolled forth from the Great Water to lap at the beach. Sunflower remained at a distance, but he knew that her thoughts were with him.

  “You must learn to release the fear that wells up inside of you.” Kahm said. “When you have harnessed your thoughts, throw your spear at your target with the full force of your weight behind it.”

  Talon struggled with the long throwing spear used to hunt the whale. The weapon was made of two long poles that were tied together and the weight was foreign to him. His hand already throbbed from holding the spear high over his right shoulder.

  “The pool below is deep. Sight the target below and when you are ready, you must throw yourself as a sacrifice against the whale that you hunt.” Kahm extended his hand and Talon relinquished the throwing spear. He noticed that Kahm held the weapon with ease, as if it was an extension of his arm.

  Talon watched as Miche threw a seal skin into the water below. Kahm readied himself and then launched his body high into the air, setting the lance at an angle as he hurtled toward the water.

  As soon as he surfaced, Kahm held up the speared sealskin. Ordinarily, Talon would have remarked upon the awe-inspiring display of skill. However, the pressure that weighed upon him day and night defused his natural exuberance.

  He needed to learn to imitate Kahm’s movements exactly. He told himself that if he did just so, the whale hunt would be successful. When Kahm returned to the ledge, he reverently handed Talon the long spear and this time Talon gripped it with quiet resolve.

  Miche and Kahm watched Talon practice until the sun slid below the great water. Talon’s arms and legs trembled from the strain, but he wouldn’t allow himself to give in to fatigue.

  “Light the fires.” Talon was not afraid of the water or darkness, but he was afraid of what his failure would mean to the people of his village.

  Miche and Kahm built two fire circles that lit the ledge and cast shadows upon the dark pool below.

  “Talon, remember that the whale will come to you and give its life, but only if you are worthy.” Kahm knew that the solemn young man needed the same reminder that he had been given.

  Miche looked on silently, but Kahm sensed the exact moment when Miche remembered the last man that had uttered those words. Their father, Uton, had given them the same memory to treasure and pass on to their sons.

  “I want only what is best for my people. This village will starve if they face another season of cold. You have said that the whale meat can be stored to last throughout the cold season. It is this goal that I seek to attain.” Talon’s body threatened to collapse with weariness. All day long, he had lau
nched himself into the water below in an attempt to master the secrets of the whale hunt.

  “Then your purpose will prove true.” Miche turned toward Talon in acknowledgment.

  Talon nodded his understanding as he stood upon the ledge and looked into the murky depths below. He envisioned the gray whale. The seal skin below shifted and turned until it became the whale that he hunted. He coiled his body and with a mighty leap, threw himself into the dark sky. He felt the rightness of the long spear’s angle as it entered the sealskin moments before he landed in the water.

  Kahm and Miche pulled Talon up and slapped him heartily on the back. The men planned to watch Talon practice again tomorrow and then assist in the completion of the boat. Finally, when this last task was finished, they would begin the whale hunt.

  “There have been times in the past when a whale chooses to give its life as an offering to our village by washing ashore. Often our hunt is successful, but it does not come without grave consequences. Men have lost arms, legs and even their lives in an attempt to capture the great sea beast.” Kahm studied the men around him as his gaze roamed over their faces.

  Talon listened with rapt attention even though he knew the stories spoken by Kahm and could repeat them word for word.

  “It is with great respect that we hunt the whale. Never should a man take for granted the life of such a sacred beast. The meat taken from the whale will be stored and dried, giving life to all who partake of it. The blubber can be used for many purposes along with the oil, whalebone and skin. Nothing is wasted. Nothing.” Kahm gestured to his brother and Miche stood as all eyes turned toward him.

  Their message was filled with deep respect, in keeping with the oral tradition passed down for generations. The two men were a marvel to the villagers. Twins were rare and men that looked identical to each other had never been seen inside of the Hokum Village.