Melodis Tune

by Melodi's Tune (NCP) (lit)

  Walks With The Wind waved in response but kept his arm on Little Raccoon when she tried to leave to the craft. "Who is dead?"

  Her eyes, large and round with fear, bored into his. He watched as the tip of her tongue flicked out and wet her dry lips.

  "Young Buck," she choked out. "My husband."

  This time Darien let her go. He watched her move with her usual grace towards the others.

  Her husband? According to Tall Cedar, Young Buck had disappeared two years ago. They'd never found a body, just bits of clothing and animal tracks all around. Enough to convince them of the loss of the man. Now, it seemed he'd risen from the dead. Or come back to haunt his young widow. Darien shook his head. She must be mistaken. She had to be.

  An unknown fear seized him as he considered what would happen if she were right. Did that mean that Young Buck would reclaim her?

  The look in her eyes haunted him. She was afraid.

  Okay, what if it was, somehow, Young Buck? Why would he lurk in the bushes instead of making his presence known? The soft breeze turned chill as he remembered what he and Little Raccoon had been occupied with at the time. If it had been Young Buck, alive and in the flesh, both he and Little Raccoon could be in danger. She for committing adultery and he for desiring her.

  Buzzing sang in his ears. The tiny black flies that swarmed this part of the country descended on him. This was one reason the tribe migrated to the seashore each year, to escape the pesky insects. The sea breeze kept them away. As he raised his hand to swat at them, he spied a pair of eyes locked on him through the low brush across the small clearing.

  At that moment a fly flew in his eye. He blinked rapidly against the stinging. When he glanced up again, the eyes were gone. Who would spy on him, on this band of travelers, if not Young Buck?

  A sense of foreboding clung to Darien the rest of the day. He carried his share and more of goods and belongings along the portage trail to the pool below the rapids. With each step he vowed to maintain vigilance. Whether that damned footprint belonged to Young Buck, or to someone else with the same missing toe, it boded no good for the tribe. A stealthy watcher, someone who kept his presence unknown, posed a very real danger to these people. Especially when they were on the move and had their minds on the details of travel.

  He should warn someone. Not the shaman. Talks Much would probably blame Walks With The Wind himself. Tall Cedar and Fleet of Foot, he decided. One was his friend, the other an elder. They would help him keep watch if he could convince them of the need.

  What of Little Raccoon? She was well versed in the ways of the hunter, but what if she was now the hunted? Determination hardened his jaw. Somehow he would find a way to shadow her. A sense of purpose, not just fear for her, accompanied this decision. Again, he was reminded of his reason for being in this time, with these people. Not to enjoy the freedom and rigors of a simpler life, but to return Melodi to her right mind and time.

  The afternoon turned into golden twilight before the entire party assembled once again below the rapids. This stretch of the river was well known. They boarded the canoes and re-ordered their numbers. A commonly used glade was ahead of them only a short ride away. They would camp there for the night.

  This time there was no idle whispering from Walks With The Wind or Little Raccoon. Each sat with watchful eyes turned towards the passing shore.

  "We must speak to your father this night, Tall Cedar, too. They will help us keep watch."

  "No." Little Raccoon kept her voice low. "If it is Young Buck, not a spirit of death, I must deal with him myself."

  "You still love him?" Darien's voice shook with repressed anger. Could she be in love with a man she'd thought dead? He would not accept that. He'd seen the desire in her eyes turn to flame for him, not for a memory. Doubt lingered until her next choked out words chased it away.

  "If it is him, I will send him back to the spirit world. He will not have me again."

  Her head lifted in proud determination, yet Darien detected a tremor running through her. She was holding back strong emotions. In the golden light, Darien admired the strength that reminded him of the Melodi this woman really was.

  "We will talk about Young Buck later. If you wish, we will only tell your father and Tall Cedar that we have been aware of a silent watcher. We'll present our evidence without naming your suspicions. The security of the village is my concern. If it is not who you suspect, then who? And why are we being spied upon? These questions must be brought out into the open. I will come to your wigwam after the meal this evening with Tall Cedar. We will have a small counsel."

  And he would get Little Raccoon alone after that. He was determined to find out the nature of her relationship with Young Buck and discover the reason his memory ignited such fierce emotions in her.

  Little Raccoon pointed towards the shore. Darien beached the canoe along side the others.

  Black flies swarmed without mercy in the still air. The tiny insects bit any exposed flesh. Mothers covered the mouths and noses of small children with lightly woven masks of grass. These allowed air to pass in and out yet kept the bugs from being breathed or swallowed. Young boys gathered both dry and green wood for smoking fires that would help keep the insects at bay.

  Night dropped with the somnolence of the season. Twilight lingered until several fires were smoking around the campsite. Temporary shelters were erected for sleeping. Clouds moved in with the setting sun and the air smelled of coming rain.

  Though the lean-tos would keep any but the most driving rain off the people, they afforded little privacy. The entire village eyed Darien as he waited at the opening to Fleet of Foot's dwelling.

  "Join us, Walks With The Wind," Fleet of Foot invited.

  Tall Cedar was already there having been invited in earlier. Little Raccoon sat in the shadows against the rough wall. Her eyes gleamed a welcome.

  As custom dictated, pleasantries were exchanged before Darien stated the reason for his visit.

  "Fleet of Foot, I have come to you because you are an elder and I hope a friend."

  The older man nodded. Encouraged, Darien continued. "In the past two days Little Raccoon and I have discovered evidence of a danger stalking your people."

  Fleet of Foot's face registered surprise, but only briefly. When he regained control, he said, "What is the nature of this danger, my son?"

  Little Raccoon moved closer to Darien as he explained the feeling of watchful eyes upon them yesterday and the footprint in the soft ground. Her eyes opened wider as he described the eyes watching from the underbrush during their noon stop at the portage passage.

  When he finished, they waited for Fleet of Foot's response. It surprised all but Tall Cedar.

  "You have lightened my heart with your tale, Walks With The Wind. Even though I wanted to extend the hand of friendship to you, I have been heavy with misgivings. I had feared that the footprints we have been finding around the village were a result of your visit."

  Little Raccoon spoke for the first time since Darien arrived. Her words warmed his heart as she defended him. "Father, you knew all along? And you suspected Walks With The Wind? Why? He has been open with us. He saved my life. How could you believe this of him?"

  "The safety of the village comes first, Daughter, as you have been taught from infancy."

  Little Raccoon sat again and averted her gaze in respect for his words, but defiance radiated from her.

  "We suspected Walks With The Wind. As we would any stranger, no matter his story and circumstances, when he comes into our midst and we accept him. I counseled the others to keep him with us, better to have your enemy under your thumb than running unrestrained, I thought. At least that is how I convinced the others to let him roam free among us. Convincing the shaman took many words. Talks Much is a stubborn man. He fears you, Walks With The Wind, but he agreed in the end. Now I know that my trust in you was not unfounded."

  "Do you know who is watching?" Darien felt the warning pressure of Little Raccoon's han
d on his arm. In the shadows he squeezed it. He would not betray her suspicions until he needed to, or until she agreed it would be for the best.

  Fleet of Foot reached to place another log on the fire. The smoldering wood and a rush of sparks masked his features. For an instant Darien thought he saw sadness and fear on the older man's face. By the time the man spoke, he showed only concern for his village.

  "There is a familiarity to the footprints, but our best trackers have been unable to catch the person responsible. The shaman and others would have us believe it to be a spirit or wizard. That's why we suspected you, Walks With The Wind. Now you can help us. Go with Tall Cedar tonight. Keep watch. I will speak to the other elders about what you have told me. It will go far towards regaining their trust."

  "As you wish." After a brief glance at Little Raccoon, Walks With The Wind left with Tall Cedar.

  "Come to the light of the fire, Daughter, you have more to tell me, I guess."

  Little Raccoon glanced nervously at Shining Rock. Her sister acquiesced to their father's nod and left the shelter.

  "Now," Fleet of Foot said, "when did you suspect that Young Buck might not be dead?"

  His question, made so casually, drove the breath from Little Raccoon's body.

  He knew. Now what would she do? She could not lie to her father.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Walks With The Wind sat under the faint light of the crescent moon, watching the shelter where Little Raccoon slept. Though impending dawn was several hours away, he felt no desire for sleep. The information Tall Cedar had shared with him after their departure from Fleet of Foot gave him plenty to think about.

  A tribe to the west habitually raided the hunting lands of this group of people. The invading bands wore their hair shaved into a crescent running from the forehead to the back of their skulls. They painted their faces. Little Raccoon's community called them the Raiding People. It had been several years since the last raid. Since they found mysterious footprints around the village the young men kept watch every night.

  Darien shared this duty with the others. If it helped to prove his trustworthiness, then it was for the best.

  From Tall Cedar, who had known Fleet of Foot and his daughters all their lives, he learned about Little Raccoon's husband. If the man was truly the spy they sought, Darien wanted to be the first to wring his neck.

  Tall Cedar used subtle words. The information he gave Darien was a secret. That he spoke at all was a measure of his trust in Walks With The Wind. Darien understood enough to piece together the story of Young Buck's character and the likely marriage he had shared with Little Raccoon.

  To the boys and men he grew up with, Young Buck had been a braggart and a coward. He was smart enough to present only his best side to the elders and his parents. As the only son of his father, he was expected to follow in the footsteps of that proud hunter. To his embarrassment, his skill with the bow and sling was marginal.

  One day while hunting, thinking he was alone, Young Buck stole a deer from the dead fall of a fellow hunter. He shot it and claimed it as his first major kill. Tall Cedar had witnessed Young Buck's action. He never spoke of it. It was his word against Young Buck's, and the young hunter's father was a powerful man in their village.

  As the years went by, Young Buck's eye fell upon Little Raccoon, who had grown beautiful and graceful. That she was also a skilled hunter both attracted and caused great envy in Young Buck. He resolved to marry her. She would keep him well fed, warm his bed, and all would see that he must be worthy to have convinced this valuable woman to be his wife.

  All went as Young Buck wanted. The young hunter showered Little Raccoon with gifts and attention. She saw only what he meant her to see. Fleet of Foot wondered about his character. Little Raccoon implored her father to allow the joining of the two families.

  Little Raccoon's life became a well-kept secret descent into humiliating servitude shortly after they mated. She never complained, but her vibrant, happy spirit was unaccountably quenched. When asked about the bruise that appeared on her cheek one night, or how she hurt her leg, she always had a ready excuse. She had become very accident-prone since becoming Young Buck's wife. Her family worried for her.

  She managed to keep up the facade until the night she crawled into Plant Growing Woman's tent, bleeding from her woman's place.

  Darien's face grew hot at this part of Tall Cedar's tale.

  In her despair, Little Raccoon revealed to her trusted aunt that Young Buck beat her. She had been carrying his child. If he knew that she had lost the child, even though it was his fault for beating her, he would blame her. Plant Growing Woman cared for her young niece but she ignored the pleas for secrecy. She would keep her own counsel until she saw a need to tell. This had to satisfy Little Raccoon. Shortly after, Young Buck disappeared.

  A movement from behind roused Darien from his thoughts. Tall Cedar appeared beside him and grinned in the pale light.

  "Your turn, brother. Remember all I have taught you." Then the younger man handed Darien a reed flute before melting away into the night forest. Tall Cedar would take his turn at the watch now. Darien focused his energy at enticing Little Raccoon from her bed.

  The first notes he played bleated in the hushed atmosphere of the sleeping camp. What if she didn't hear it? What if she ignored it?

  He nearly lost his courage, but continued to play. This was the customary courtship of these people. If he wished to be accepted by them, and by Little Raccoon, then he would comply. Again he put his lips to the flute and gave the breath of song into the simple instrument.

  * * * *

  The stars shining against the dark of night brought no sleep to Little Raccoon. She twitched on her fur pallet. Shining Rock had left when Tall Cedar's flute song called her out. The tune whispered its entreaty in Little Raccoon's mind, entwining her thoughts with memories of courtship and the subsequent agony of her marriage.

  The honor of being chosen by a strong, handsome hunter had soon given way to despair when Little Raccoon realized Young Buck's true character. The man had been both coward and liar. Participating in the sex act, to say nothing of enjoying it, had been degrading and humiliating. Young Buck alternately scorned her and forced himself upon her. He called her cold when she did not respond to his attentions. At last she started to believe him.

  Envy engulfed her each time she saw the warm, affectionate glances Shining Rock and Tall Cedar exchanged. Fight these feelings though she did, she could not help wishing for a man to look at her that way, to make her feel what Tall Cedar made Shining Rock feel.

  What of the time spent in Walks With The Wind's arms? His touches and kisses affected her like Young Buck's never had. It was more than that. The yearning she felt for Walks With The Wind reached beyond physical longing. A spiritual element infused what she felt for him.

  Just a casual touch ignited her beyond desire. She wriggled at the remembered feel of his fingertips on her sensitive crown of womanhood. She had melted at his touch.

  If she disappointed Walks With The Wind her devastation would be complete. The pain and humiliation sown by Young Buck was planted deep.

  A silent shadow drifted through the open side of the lean-to. Shining Rock's smile shimmered in the dim starlight. Now that her sister was safely back, Little Raccoon settled herself yet again for sleep. Again it eluded her. Destiny waited in the darkness. She was afraid to reach out to it but wished for it to come for her.

  Almost as soon as she though it, a flute squeaked from the darkness. She grinned at the untutored notes and wondered which young brave was calling a trembling maiden to his side.

  Wonder changed to charged excitement as she recognized the tune. Deep inside, Little Raccoon recognized the call -- his call. The man whose fate was intertwined with her own called to her in the ancient language of her people.

  She had been waiting a lifetime to answer it.

  * * * *

  This time the tune emerged clear and strong, different than t
he one Tall Cedar had been teaching him. He almost stopped, fearing the familiar shift into a different time.

  Little Raccoon drifted around the corner of the lean-to and stopped an arm's distance from him. Gesturing, flute against his lips, he led her into the shelter of the trees. She followed without hesitation. At last he reached the spot he'd chosen earlier that evening. A cozy glade bathed in starlight.

  Little Raccoon stepped with the grace of a young doe until she stood toe to toe with Darien. The silvery light enhanced her sculpted face, gilded her raven-black hair. It emphasized the rise and fall of her breasts until he thought he would burst with wanting her.

  For a moment Darien fought a strange confusion. Was it Melodi or Little Raccoon he was about to make love to? In a burst of intuition he realized it didn't matter, she was one in the same person. The desire he'd felt in the twenty-first century had transformed into love here and now. The paradox astounded him in its rightness. He wouldn't deny the feelings anymore. He waited until she put a hand on his chest. That signal was all he needed.

  With a groan, Darien pulled Little Raccoon into his embrace. The doeskin shift was sueded and form fitting. Soft and supple it flowed over every curve of her body as his fingers gave into the need to follow.

  "Your hair smells like wildflowers and wood smoke," he whispered into her ear.

  She shivered.

  Slowly, he told himself, you've waited more than one lifetime for this. As his hands traced lazy designs on her back his tongue flicked at the opening to her ear. Again she trembled, this time she buried both hands into his hair. At her urging Darien moved to kiss her eyes. He saw the stars reflected in them, floating in unshed tears.

  "Why do you cry?"

  Little Raccoon glanced away for a moment. When she turned her gaze back the tears were gone. "I will not please you, but I want to try anyway."

  "You please me simply by standing here. Everything about you pleases me. Now I will please you."