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

by Karah Quinney

  “Is it about Sunflower?” Kahm’s eyes twinkled as Oi’yan gasped at his words.

  “You already know?” Oi’yan narrowed her eyes and thought of all the nights she had lain awake wondering how she explain everything to Kahm.

  “I know that she is special. I know that she is a child with eyes far older than a child her age should have.” Kahm leaned close to his wife and kissed her soft lips as she molded her body to his muscular frame.

  “My first band had a prophecy about a child that walked in this world and the world of sacred fire. I believe that Sunflower is that child.” Oi’yan watched as Kahm turned to her with his chiseled features held carefully expressionless. His eyes narrowed, but Oi’yan didn’t miss the glint of pride in his gaze.

  “Kahm, this is serious.” Oi’yan sputtered as her husband continued walking. He kept a slow pace due to her condition, but with his very steps, she saw that he urgently wished to return to the Hokum Village.

  “I know.” Kahm nodded sagely. “Tell me of this prophecy.”

  Oi’yan growled low in her throat as her husband chuckled. She knew that he thought her beautiful when she showed her anger. She took a deep breath as she related the words of the prophecy as told to her so many seasons ago.

  The sun blazed over the Hokum Village as the people continued to celebrate the success of the whale hunt. Talon walked amongst them with Sunflower at his side.

  A commotion drew Talon’s attention and in the distance, he saw two figures emerge from the forest. He caught a glimpse of a wolf entwined with the distant figures of a man and woman and he immediately realized that Kahm had returned with Oi’yan.

  Sunflower’s eyes lit with excitement though she didn’t run and throw herself into their arms. Instead, she walked forward, carrying herself with a delicate grace that bespoke her position as the sister of the Hokum leader.

  Oi’yan laughed openly as Sunflower marveled over the baby in her arms. “He is a beautiful child, well formed and proud like his father.”

  “Yes, just so.” Sunflower signed to Oi’yan as she beamed in excitement. Kahm studied Sunflower as she turned bright eyes upon him. “I had hoped to find Talon resting, but I can see that he is as stubborn as I remember.”

  Sunflower nodded carefully. She hid the worries that weighed upon her heart as she allowed herself a day for joy and rejoicing.

  “I am glad that you are both safe. I worried for your life, more than I did for my own.” Kahm spoke mildly, but Sunflower could see the intensity burning in his eyes.

  “You did?” She spoke with hand signs as all eyes turned to Kahm.

  “If any harm had befallen you, Oi’yan would have felled me where I stood.” Kahm’s mouth crooked up into a half smile as his wife swatted at him. It was good that he could make light of the past few days.

  Kahm searched Talon’s gaze and saw the shadows in his eyes. “It is good that you are well.”

  Talon would never forget the look in Kahm’s eyes when he discovered that he was injured.

  “Where is Miche?” Kahm asked. “The three of us have much to discuss.”

  “Miche left, two days past.”

  Talon’s reply froze Kahm’s heart in place. He wanted to bellow his denial.

  Miche couldn’t have gone ahead to face the Mingha warriors without the help of the men of Talon’s village. Why would his brother do such a thing? If the Mingha were as fierce and formidable as Kahm had been led to believe, then what chance would Miche stand against them on his own?

  The same questions that he asked himself swam in Talon’s eyes as he faced Kahm. Talon flexed his left arm and felt the injury anew. He was not yet fit for battle, but soon he would be well. He would see to it.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  “We must take the warriors that are willing to fight with us. We will go after Miche together.” Talon sharpened his knife as he spoke. He was humbled to have received the knife as a gift from Ad’isi. The weapon was well balanced and made of one solid, sharpened piece of whalebone. Ad’isi left the handle empty of carvings, with the knowledge that Talon would add his own etchings to the knife over time.

  Situ sat with them at their invitation and he didn’t raise an objection as Talon offered Kahm the help of the warriors of the Hokum Village. Talon had already spoken with him and explained the challenges that they faced. Situ knew that if they did fight against the Mingha, eventually the Mingha would bring the fight to them.

  Kahm and Miche had proven themselves to be loyal friends of the Hokum Village. It was Talon’s decision to help strengthen the bond between their two villages with his offer of assistance and Situ trusted his instincts.

  “I do not disagree with you, Talon. However, I fear that we will be too late. Miche should have waited for my return.” Kahm silently gathered his carrying pack as well as the weapons that he carried.

  Talon stood and offered his right arm as Kahm clasped his wrist firmly in return. “Those now loyal to me will extend their loyalty to the Chimar Village. Together we are strong.”

  Later in the day, Talon spoke to the warriors gathered on the beach. He knew each man by name. The white bone of the whale stood out in contrast to the sand at their feet. The successful whale hunt was the reason that their women and children wouldn’t know the sharp pain of hunger during the cold season to come.

  “I do not expect the men of this village to blindly follow me. I am a man of this village by right and by the sacred ways of the hunt. But you do not yet know me as a leader of men.” Talon looked each warrior in the eye as the water surged over sand and rock.

  Kahm and Situ stood on either side of Talon as he spoke. “I ask that you join me as we face a common enemy. The Mingha, the dark ones, are a threat to our very survival. Join me in this fight against those that would kill, capture and enslave our people. Join me, not as men under my command, but as brothers, fighting as one against a common threat!”

  Talon’s voice was the voice of wisdom and power as it rang out over the crashing waves. The Hokum warriors stood strong against the cold breeze that blew in from the sea.

  They watched Talon with a mixture of awe and inspiration. Sarnom had ruled over them with fear as his weapon and he had wielded it successfully, much to their shame.

  The young man standing before them had been brave enough to challenge Sarnom by right of blood. A few of them had spoken of leaving this place, the sacred land of their ancestors. However, it was obvious that their war leader, Situ, stood behind Talon and trusted his judgment.

  Each of the men realized that their lives might be forfeit by agreeing to Talon’s request. However, it didn’t escape their notice that Talon asked them to join him in the coming battle when he could have rightfully ordered them to do so. This alone won them over to his side.

  Each man pledged to fight together as brothers against a common enemy. Their bond of unity was forged on the beach that rimmed their village and Talon swore that he wouldn’t break their trust.

  “We are the Hokum. Our fathers settled upon this bluff and built our village overlooking the Great Water. Our people have lived and died since the founding of our village and now we must defend our way of life. We will ensure a future that is free for our women and our little ones. With spear, with arrowheads made of the sacred whale bone, with knives carved from the same, to the last man, for our freedom, we will fight!”

  Talon stood as a man amongst men and his words inspired those around him to hold on to the dream that he held out before them.

  Kahm knew that Talon had a special purpose; he was a natural leader of men and such a rare gift was not something that could be taught. Talon inspired others to band together behind a single purpose and they rallied to support him. Kahm had no doubt that he would remember this day for as long as he lived.

  Talon raised his spear high as he roared a battle cry that resonated in the hearts of each man present. The Hokum warriors raised their voices to blend together until their battle cry reached the heavens above.
/>   “When do you leave?” Wiope whispered her words to Situ as she lowered her eyes in dismay.

  She had hoped that Talon would bring peace to their village. Could she have so easily misplaced her trust?

  “Immediately.” Situ hated to see the pain in Wiope’s gaze and she immediately smiled in the way that he loved, until her eyes lit with joy. “I will return to you, Wiope.”

  “Do not promise that which is not yours to give. Fight well and I will wait for you, we both will.” Wiope touched her stomach as she openly admitted her pregnancy to her husband.

  It had been too much to hope for after such a short time, but her womb already quickened with life. Situ’s eyes lit with happiness and determination.

  He pressed his mouth to hers and breathed in her essence. “We will leave the boys that are too young to become warriors. Two of the older men are not fit to join us on our journey, but they are good warriors. They will stay behind and protect you.”

  Wiope listened to her husband’s words as if from a distance. The life that she had dreamed of living with Situ disappeared like mist before her eyes. Would she ever see him again? Would he return to her? Who could say?

  She promised Situ that she would wait for his return. She told him that he knew the ways of her heart even as she struggled against the burning desire to hold him to her breast before he pulled away. “Be strong. Fight well. Return to me.”

  Situ nodded once and then he was gone. He took with him the image of his wife standing strong and proud. She didn’t shed the tears that shimmered in her eyes.

  Instead, she lifted her chin and smiled just for him. He would do all that he could to return to her embrace.

  Kahm knelt before Sunflower as she helped him into his parka. She had woven reeds tightly together so that arrows couldn’t penetrate the matting. She sewed the protective barrier into the parka that he always wore and Kahm accepted the gift that would carry him into battle. Talon wore a similar parka, given to him by Sunflower. He looked into Sunflower’s eyes and nodded reassuringly.

  Sunflower signed the words that needed to be spoken, “Talon has always protected me and I have always known that he would give his life for me if needed. I felt safe and secure with my brother in the world and I was not alone. Yet, it has only been since you and Oi’yan welcomed us to your hearth that I have felt the wholeness that comes from family.”

  Kahm remained silent as Sunflower held up a staying hand. “I do not know the losses that you have suffered and I do not fully understand the danger that you face. I ask only that you remember that we await your return. I will ask the Great One of All Things for a special blessing upon the village of Chimar. Let the Mingha flee from your spear, your arrows and your flashing knife! Let them run back to the place from which they have come!” Sunflower placed her closed fist over her heart as she finished signing her words.

  Kahm was overcome with the urge to bow low before Sunflower. For a moment, she was not Sunflower at all, but some powerful being from a time long past.

  Oi’yan’s words of prophecy came back to him as he focused his full attention upon Sunflower and he couldn’t find any words with which to respond.

  Sunflower hugged him once fiercely and then turned and fled with Wolf at her side. He watched as she ran down the beach and he didn’t turn away, even when the distance hid her form within folds of endless sand.

  Kahm turned to his wife as she bravely wiped at her tears. “I need to know that if danger comes to the Hokum Village while I am away, you will escape to the cave that once gave us shelter. Sunflower will help you care for our son, but you must promise me that you will go together.” Kahm held Oi’yan close as she gave voice to her promise.

  “There are no words left to say, my husband.” Oi’yan sternly reminded herself to remain strong for Kahm.

  “We will save our people. Those who remain will live free and we will slay the Mingha where they stand.” Kahm swore on his life to do just so.

  “I have no doubt.” Oi’yan looked at Kahm with shining eyes as he pressed her soft form into the hard plains of his body. She fit perfectly against him, just as she always had.

  Their son was nestled in the hollow created by their joined bodies. Kahm looked into his wife’s eyes and knew without a doubt what he needed to say.

  “When I grow old, I will know that all that I am and all that I have become is because of you.” Kahm had no doubt that Oi’yan was stunned by the words that he murmured against her ear even as he pressed his hand over her heart.

  She was the strength that he relied upon. She held on to him with quiet confidence as he kissed her lovely upturned face. He trembled with the need to return to his wife before he ever took a step away from her side.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Talon sat with Sunflower on the bluff overlooking the beach and the great water below. Kahm, Situ and the other men would be ready to depart soon.

  “The people have used every part of the whale. They honor you as their leader. They call you the Whale Hunter.” Sunflower’s eyes beamed with pride. Her brother was a strong warrior, but she didn’t allow his solemn demeanor to sway her exuberance. He might threaten her with dark looks, but she knew that he was full of bluster and bluff.

  “Whale Hunter? It sounds as if you have been sharing stories with our people.” Talon tousled Sunflower’s hair and she grinned at him with unabashed delight. His sister was becoming a young woman, but Talon wanted to hold on to this moment forever. It bothered him to leave Sunflower behind and he promised her that when he returned he would teach her how to defend herself.

  “Talon, why did you not teach me this before now?” Sunflower’s gaze was direct and penetrating. Her nimble hands flew over the words that she signed.

  “Such things are usually forbidden.” Talon answered with a light shrug of his shoulders.

  “Why?” Sunflower used her voice to ask the question and Talon looked at his sister. He stopped gazing at the sea and really looked at Sunflower.

  She shimmered with power.

  When he blinked, she was just as she had always been. She was simply his sister, Sunflower.

  They sat for a long time staring out at the water before them while Sunflower asked questions and Talon provided the answers whenever he could. They both knew that this was merely a reprieve from the future that awaited them.

  Very soon, they would stand with Kahm to fight for the freedom of the Chimar Village. They would seek a victory that would ensure the safety of their own village. Their bond was strong and remained unbreakable.

  The future that awaited them was uncertain and unknowable and the land changed with the seasons as the weight of responsibility settled upon Talon’s shoulders.

  Talon knew of the prophecy spoken by Oi’yan’s first band and he didn’t question such things. Sunflower had always been special in his eyes.

  “What is this?” Sunflower gave voice to her question as she held the small pouch in her hands given to her by Talon. He smiled knowingly as her eyes sparkled with delight.

  “Long have you loved my necklace, made of the multi-colored stone chosen by our mother. Now you have your own amulet to wear upon your neck, let it guide you all the days of your life.”

  Sunflower stood upon the bluff that overlooked the sea as she bowed low to her brother. “You honor me.”

  “It is you that honors me.” Talon’s words were hidden from Sunflower’s eyes for she turned away and didn’t read the words upon his lips.

  She kept her rapt attention upon the contents of the amulet. Two stones were wrapped securely in a small deerskin bundle. A leather thong was fashioned to hold the amulet together.

  “I have never seen anything like them before.” Sunflower whispered the words reverently as she looked with radiant eyes at her brother.

  “Long ago, I found the stones within our mother’s things. I knew that they were a treasure that she had saved for you.” Talon cleared his throat as Sunflower danced with joy. How long would his siste
r remain untouched by the harsh world that forced them to fight for their very survival?

  They would journey forward together, relying upon each other for strength. Talon watched as Sunflower reverently held up the two stones and struck them together causing a spark to flash forth that rivaled the sun.

  He didn’t need to instruct her on the use of the stones, she instinctively knew how to call the sacred fire forth, just as he knew that she would. Sunflower opened her arms to the heavens above as the sun’s light blessed them and Talon leaned back on his elbows and enjoyed the tranquil moment. Wolf watched them out of wise eyes as Sunflower stepped into the light of her destiny.

  Talon was the same youth that had grown into a man under the luminous pillar of fire. Sunflower was the girl that walked in both the world of the living and the land of sacred fire.

  Author’s Note:

  I hope you enjoyed reading Pillar of Fire (Book One) as much as I enjoyed writing it. The characters of this book live in my imagination and I simply had to capture their story exactly as I envisioned it.

  Writing this series was a true journey of the heart after completing The Guardian (Book One), The Chosen One (Book Two) and Dreamkeeper (Book Three). I enjoyed delving into a time before the first Guardian and Keeper of Secrets. It is possible that Sunflower is an ancestress of Yaa (Read the first series if you have not met Yaa!).

  I hope you will look for Sacred Fire (Book Two), the sequel to Pillar of Fire (Book One) and add it to your list of favorite reads. Tell a friend! Please post a review and tell others what you absolutely loved about this book.

  The Whale Hunter series is dedicated to my husband. Thank you for your unending support. Last but not least, I sincerely thank the readers that enjoy the stories that I live and dream, each day. Thank you!