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Enjoy the sequel(excerpt included): SACRED FIRE (Book Two)
Excerpt from SACRED FIRE (Book Two)
The men moved stealthily through the forest. The Chimar Village waited just ahead. They had traveled for many days and Kahm caught sight of what he thought was Miche’s trail only a few times.
At other times, he swore that he heard the footsteps of his brother. What had befallen Miche? Why had he chosen to return to their village without waiting for him?
These questions plagued Kahm until he feared that he would lose his hold on the clear mind that had never failed him in battle. They were facing an enemy unknown to their village until now.
Kahm was a strong warrior, a man of practiced skill. He felt the battle rage that hummed in his blood simmer to the surface. He was able to maintain his hold on the present by breathing deeply as he sought peace and beauty in every breath, just as Sunflower had instructed him.
At a signal from Talon, the leader of the Hokum Village, the men brought their trek to a halt. Kahm moved to the front of the group of men as he recognized the entrance that led to the pathway of his village, his home. His breath quickened as his thoughts returned to Miche.
“We can go no farther without being spotted.” Talon spoke in low tones as Kahm gathered his thoughts to himself and nodded.
“I would suggest that we send one man in at nightfall so that he can scout the area.” Situ, the Hokum war leader, spoke from his place beside Talon as both men nodded in agreement.
“I will go.” Situ offered, but Kahm stopped him from speaking further.
“I know my village in the dark of night, with my eyes closed. I will go. You have done enough for now, my friend.” Kahm knew that his brother was plagued with guilt over unknowingly leading the Mingha warriors to their village. The threat of the unknown troubled him greatly and he couldn’t help but wonder if his brother had already given his life as a sacrifice for their people.
The village of Chimar was almost unrecognizable. Much of the village had been burned and what remained appeared foreign. Kahm couldn’t be certain what the attacking warriors hoped to achieve. Most of the villagers were gathered in a large pen that was not fit to house animals, let alone men, women and children.
He was covered in layers of mud that hid his features from the light of the village fires. The men on guard were fierce in appearance with hair that was sheared to the scalp and long braids that hung from the crown of their heads. He noticed that their skin was stained with unfamiliar markings and he understood why the Mingha were known as the dark ones. Large wooden orbs hung at their ears and some of the men wore a sharpened bone through their nostrils. Despite their fearsome appearance, Kahm noticed that they were arrogant in their duties.
Perhaps the Mingha didn’t believe that the Chimar people were brave enough to revolt. Perhaps they thought that the village of Chimar had no allies to come to their rescue. Kahm didn’t know the reason why the Mingha didn’t guard the village more closely but he planned to use their arrogance to his advantage.
He moved from one dwelling to another until he reached his goal. The lodge that he stealthily approached appeared to be closely guarded, which signified that someone of prominence resided within.
Kahm slid through the shadows as he forced his heartbeat to remain calm and steady. His instincts told him that his brother would be found at the place where the Mingha leader dwelled. As he drew closer, he heard a voice that sounded eerily like his own. Miche!
“I ask again that you accept my offer.” Miche’s voice was firm with resolve.
“I have everything that you value, including the people that your father once led. I have those that will be given as slaves and servants to my council of strong men. What is it that you offer?” If Kahm had not known better he would have believed that he heard the voice of a dark god that walked in a man’s form.
A shiver traveled over his body as he listened to Miche bargain with the voice of evil.
“I offer you my life in trade for my people. We cannot defeat you. We cannot go against you in battle and let the winner take the spoil, but I will lay down my life so that my people do not have to suffer any longer for my foolish mistake.” Miche’s voice was firm and Kahm felt his brother’s pain as if it were his own.
It was beyond belief that the man to whom Miche spoke would be swayed by his brother’s reasoning. If Miche’s mind had not been clouded with overwhelming grief then perhaps he would have been able to see the trap that awaited him.
“It seems that you are already my captive. You are bound hand and foot and it is my knife that is pressed against your throat. Have you nothing of value to bargain with? Your life means little.” The man laughed cruelly as Miche remained silent. The Mingha leader’s voice was raspy and held a dark menace.
“You seek glory. My death will bring you glory. I will fight you on the battlefield in front of your men and I will let you place the killing blow. I will give my life if you will first give my people their freedom.” Miche’s voice trembled in suppressed rage and Kahm felt the same rage travel through his body. Miche was not only his brother, but also his twin; they were bonded soul for soul.
The leader of the Mingha weighed Miche’s words as Kahm looked through the reed walls of the lodge. He caught sight of a cloaked figure standing over his brother.
Miche was on his knees with his hands tied behind his back and his head tilted at an awkward angle. Kahm had to force himself to remain still when he caught sight of the knife held to his brother’s exposed throat. The Mingha leader could choose to end Miche’s life at any moment. He saw that two warriors remained inside the lodge, standing guard.
“I will consider your offer, but you have yet to tell me where you have been hiding since our siege upon your village.” The man laughed wickedly as Kahm fisted his hand around his own knife.
Miche remained silent. He wouldn’t betray the Hokum Village, not even at the risk of his own life.
“My warriors want to explore the surrounding lands. We believe that there are more villages like yours nearby. Perhaps they too have valuables that they are hiding. The Mingha are great men of war, but we are also leaders of men. There are always men like you, men that believe they were born for great power and fall all too easily under the onslaught of our poisoned arrows. Even your language has been easy to master.” The man turned slightly and Kahm was able to see his face clearly.
He was stunned to see that leader of the Mingha had a face like any other. Dark, winged eyebrows lowered over long eyes and a broad nose before the man turned away. A woman moved into view and Kahm froze as the man beckoned her forward.
“Beautiful, is she not? I found her wandering with a small band of people, similar to yours. She has been prepared as my future mate. She will be the first of my wives from this land.”
Kahm couldn’t see the woman’s face, but even from his hidden place, he could see that she trembled and he saw Miche react to her presence. Miche strained against his bonds as the man placed his knife against the woman’s face. She was held prisoner in his grasp as his hand closed around her arm with bruising strength.
“I have given your offer more time than it requires.” The man turned his back to Miche and faced his guards. He pulled the woman close and inhaled the fragrant scent of her hair before addressing his men. “Kill him and hang his head upon a stake at the village entrance.”
Kahm reacted without thought as the guards raised their spears and moved toward Miche. His brother didn’t flinch as he stared death in the face. Kahm entered the lodge and quickly dealt the first guard a killing blow by sending his knife in a deadly arc through the air.
Time slowed for him as he faced the second guard just as the man swung his war club with bone crushing intensity. Kahm used the man’s forward momentum to pull him off balance and then he used his short spear to deliver a piercing cut to his opponent’s torso.
He tu
rned to face the leader of the fearsome Mingha and the man’s maniacal smile brought Kahm up short. He held the woman in front of him as a shield while Miche strained against his bonds.
“You are his brother. Twins.” The man licked his fleshy lips as he called out for his guards.
“I wonder…do you have a wife? Children?” The man with the god’s voice asked Kahm ever so softly as the woman strained against his punishing grasp.
Kahm froze in his approach for one telling moment before continuing to advance.
“If so, they will suffer and scream your name and you will watch them die at my hand.” The man’s voice reached out to Kahm and captured him fully.
“Do not listen to his voice!” Miche’s words brought Kahm back to the moment at hand.
Kahm felt a chill run over his soul. How did the man know about Oi’yan, Sunflower and Talon? He assured himself that Miche had not betrayed him to their enemy.
“Your life is at an end.” Kahm spoke through clenched teeth as the Mingha leader backed away from him. “Release the woman or you will die, it is your choice.”
Even as Kahm spoke, he knew that time was running out. He had no doubt that the Mingha leader would choose to kill the woman. Fear of death was not present in the man’s vengeful eyes. Kahm’s hand tightened upon his spear as the man’s eyes narrowed threateningly.
The woman’s body suddenly went slack and the Mingha leader struggled to maintain his grasp as she fell to the ground. Kahm took advantage of the distraction and threw his second knife so quickly that it was only a flash in the dimly lit dwelling. The man flinched at the impact of the knife and his eyes widened slightly before he struck out with lethal force.
Kahm was hyperaware of each breath that his enemy took and he was ready for an attack. When the man’s fingers touched the hidden dagger at his side, Kahm retreated, moving just in time to avoid the poisoned tip of the Mingha leader’s weapon.
Kahm was skilled with knife fighting and he knew immediately that this man was equally skilled, perhaps more so. He used his spear to strike a blow to the man’s midsection. A weaker warrior would have fallen under such a blow, but not this man.
Instead, he merely grunted and resumed his attack. First blood had been drawn. Kahm heard the distant sound of guards running toward them.
He had only moments to escape. He swung his spear around and caught the man with a glancing blow on the side of the head. His opponent went down with a gasp of air and Kahm held his spear ready to place the killing blow.
The threat issued by the Mingha leader remained with Kahm. He glanced up to see that the woman worked to free his brother. It was obvious now that the she had used her fall as a distraction. Miche was at his side in an instant as Kahm forced his brother to come with him. Miche grabbed the woman around the waist as she started to flee. He quickly subdued her struggles and lifted her over his shoulder. “Kill him!”
Kahm shook his head as he turned to face his brother. “Not this way.”
They fled into the beckoning forest. They were not victorious, for they had lost the battle before it had even begun. Kahm had given away the advantage of surprise by saving Miche’s life. He knew that the effort to save their people had failed. The only recourse left to them was retreat.
They didn’t speak as they ran toward Talon and his men. Miche set the woman on her feet and when she balked, he lifted her over his shoulder. They were outnumbered and there was no time to ask questions. Miche regretted with each step that he didn’t kill the leader of the Mingha when he had the chance.
The man deserved death and more, but Kahm would never kill a man that couldn’t fight back. They reached the place where Talon waited and Kahm signaled the men to retreat. Talon was the first to follow Kahm’s order, but his eyes widened as he saw Miche appear at Kahm’s side with a woman thrown over his shoulder.
The men moved through the forest quickly and they didn’t stop to rest until they were certain that they had outrun their pursuers. Miche dragged the woman along with them and when they came to a stop, he growled at Talon to guard her.
He rounded on his brother and threw a punch that would have knocked a weaker man to the ground. Kahm took the blow to his chin and then slammed his fist into Miche’s face. The men circled each other as they looked for a place of weakness.
“Kahm. Miche. Stop!” Talon shouted.
To his knowledge, they had only sparred with each other in the past. However, this was a fight that had been brewing for some time.
“Miche wants to die!” Kahm growled as he lunged at his brother taking him down to the forest floor. Miche wrestled out of Kahm’s grasp and pinned his brother beneath him.
“I wanted to save our people!” Miche grunted as Kahm’s fist connected with his midsection.
“By sacrificing yourself? You are a fool and he would have killed you!” Kahm threw two more punches but his heart was not behind either blow. Even the battle rage that had given him the ability to take out two of the Mingha leader’s guards had deserted him.
“I do not deserve to live after what I have done. You know this!” The dire agony in Miche’s voice reached Kahm and he felt deeply ashamed that he had raised his fist to his brother in anger. However, he wouldn’t allow Miche to sacrifice himself.
“No! I will tell you what I do know. Self-pity will not serve a purpose except to insure your death!” Kahm spoke with barely contained fury as he pushed Miche against a tree. All of the fight had gone out of his brother and he hung limply in Kahm’s powerful grasp. Kahm threw his brother away from him in disgust. “If our father were alive you would seek his direction in this matter.”
“Father is alive!” Miche felt his anger recede as he spoke of their father. “I saw him with my own eyes and I knew that I had to offer myself in trade. This is my fault!” Miche turned away in disgust as his brother scoffed.
He knew that Kahm thought that it was self-pity that drove his actions, but he was wrong. He was driven by deep remorse coupled with mind numbing regret. What kind of life would he live, knowing that he had been the downfall of his entire village?
“Miche, we can defeat them, but we must work together.” Kahm breathed deeply as the Hokum warriors stood nearby. Talon looked between Kahm and Miche as if he wanted to intervene and the woman that Miche had rescued stared at them incredulously.
Miche looked up from where he knelt on the ground and he knew that he had never felt such despair and hope at the same time. “Then tell me how you hope to defeat the Mingha.”
Kahm studied his brother for a long moment and then he replied, “We will free our people in the dark of night and together we will fight as one force against the Mingha.” Miche grunted as Kahm heaved him to his feet. “It is possible that we can overthrow them, but it will take courage.”
“I have enough courage to take on the Mingha leader himself!” Miche shook free of Kahm’s hold as he met his brother’s gaze.
“It will become more than a possibility, brother. You must remember that courage is not always a voice lifted in a mighty battle cry. Often it is the whispered words of a man that says that he will try again at the rising of the sun.” Kahm didn’t turn his gaze away until Miche nodded in acceptance.
“I am glad that you have managed to settle your differences.” Talon spoke from the place where he stood with the Hokum warriors. “Now we must determine our next step.”
Kahm realized that they were forced to return at a time when the Mingha wouldn’t expect their arrival. It could be done. Kahm vowed on his life that it would be done.
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Excerpt from The Seeking Star (Book One) – Available Now
CHAPTER ONE
Thousands of years ago….
The hunt was long and arduous, but the skill of the hunters brought success to the men that followed the bison. The men moved as one, walking in a single line across the gently blowing grass. Their arms were thick with corded muscle and their back
s were slightly bowed under the weight that they carried. Stalking such large herds often proved dangerous and patience was needed to choose the right place to take a stand and make a kill.
Cahil led the hunt and the men of his village looked to him for guidance. He was the eldest son of Kusug, the leader of their village and his younger brother, Makiye, shared the responsibility of the hunt. They stalked the giant longhorn steppe bison over several days, having traveled a great distance from their village to find the herd. The men were painted for the hunt, wearing the white color of newly driven snow upon their arms and faces. Their near naked bodies glistened in the sunlight as they kept pace with the herd. Each hunter knew that the timing of the hunt must be done together, as one.
The strength of one hunter’s spear was not enough to stop the thundering bison and they would risk life and limb if they were not careful. Cahil waited for the right moment to drive the herd into a natural enclosure provided by the land. He could sense the tension in the air and he was relieved to see that the herd continued to graze without concern as they crept closer, moving like shadows upon the land. Just as Cahil lifted his voice in a deafening shout, he saw his brother break free from the tall grass that hid them and race toward the running herd with a young man at his side.
Cahil’s heart thundered as Makiye dipped into the herd of bison, along with Anuk, a young man barely past his first kill. The other hunters took up the charge, shouting and whistling as they herded the bison toward the hillside enclosure. The men knew better than to slaughter the bison at random. Dark plumes of rolling dust thickened the air as Cahil plunged forward, eager to see to the welfare of Makiye and Anuk. He silently cursed his brother for distracting him when his sole focus should be upon leading a successful hunt. The bison herd moved as one, there hooves thundering over the ground as they unknowingly ran toward the location where several would meet their end.
Pillar of Fire (Book One-The Whale Hunter Series) Page 25