by C. S. Bills
“That’s not why I want to go,” Rika interrupted him. She gave Attu a hurt look before busying herself straightening their shelter.
“It’s all right to admit your Father can be difficult at times. He’s growing so dependent on you to do everything for him. It isn’t helping him get stronger.” Attu moved to stand beside Rika, and took the fur she had rolled at least three times out of her hands.
“I know. But I can learn from Limoot. She’s a strange person, and she makes my spirit shiver, but she knows much.”
“Just be careful.”
“Rika, where are you?” Paven hollered from his shelter. “I said I didn’t want fish stew again. This food you make me is vile.”
Rika sighed. “I’m coming, Father.”
“Suka’s been hanging around our shelters, have you noticed?” Rika said one evening as they sat in front of the fire. It was bitter again, cold dampness that sank into Attu’s bones.
“That’s odd. Don’t you think Suka would avoid Paven, considering your father killed his father?”
“I think he’s lonely. And you’re his friend.”
“But he’s hanging around a lot when I’m not here?” Attu stopped sharpening his knife, and his brows furrowed.
“Don’t get any ideas, mighty hunter,” Rika said, a sly grin lighting up her face. “It’s not me he’s here for, or Paven. I think he’s hanging around watching to see if Limoot and Farnook will come. He listens and helps when they’re here. He fetched water for Farnook the other day, so she wouldn’t have to carry heavy pouches. Extra wood shows up for the fire when she’s here as well, so Limoot can’t order her to fetch any. I told you Suka is fond of her.”
“What does Limoot think of Suka’s help?” Attu asked. “She’s a smart woman. She must see something’s happening between them.”
“She hasn’t said anything, but I think Limoot wants to learn from us, about us,” Rika explained. “I don’t think she sees Farnook as a person at all, the way she acts toward her. And we both know that coming to see Father is just an excuse for her to report back to Kagit what she sees going on here.”
“Why do they care?”
“I don’t know, except she usually asks about when we think we’ll be leaving, heading north, and if Paven will come with us. She always gets a question in about Ashukat, and I swear the other day when I mentioned how confused he’s been lately, she started to smile. She hid it quickly, but that’s what it looked like to me.”
Rika bent to roll another fur. “And I’m beginning to pick up on some of their words, enough to know that Kagit’s woman doesn’t like Farnook coming all the time. It’s more work for the rest of the women when Farnook’s here. Farnook belongs to Kagit’s third woman, and from what I’ve seen, Limoot should have no say in what she does with Farnook. But whether or not those women are the women of the leader makes little difference to the Ravens. Limoot is definitely the woman in charge among them all. She’s been helpful, and I’m learning a lot, but she scares me, Attu. Something about her, something besides the way she treats Farnook. I think she has knowledge, like Elder Nuanu had, but the understanding seems dark, not good, like Elder Nuanu’s was.”
It started raining again, and Attu and Rika moved into their shelter, where Rika had a small fire smoldering. She added a few dry sticks from the pile she kept in the corner of the shelter, building it up against the night’s chill. Although the fire made the interior of the shelter smoky, it was at least warm and dry.
“Limoot orders Farnook around, and although I haven’t seen her hit the girl, she treats her roughly,” Rika continued as she tended the fire. “Did you know the Raven women make Farnook carry wood long distances through the forest alone? She walks the path below the sheer drop near the river, too.”
“Suka says that area is dangerous,” Attu said. “He heard some of the Raven hunters talking, and they started bragging, showing him some rock bear claws. When he asked where they’d come from, one of the hunters showed him. The bears hunt where the fish are thick in the river and it’s shallow, grabbing the sunset fish and fighting with one another. They said the bears attack humans if they come too close.”
Rika shuddered. “That must have been what Limoot was teasing Farnook about the other day. She made her tell me. Limoot was saying Farnook is too thin and smelly for the bears. She said Farnook needn’t worry about the bears. They won’t eat her. They won’t even go near her.”
Late the next day, Attu was walking up the beach toward the shelters with Ubantu and Suka when Paven’s shelter flap erupted and Limoot stalked out, followed closely by Farnook, who was scrambling to get the old woman’s equipment back in her basket. A half-empty bowl flew out of the shelter, just missing Farnook’s head, as Paven shouted obscenities at the backs of the women.
Limoot turned and, seeing Attu, strode up to him, a string of incomprehensible words spewing from her lips. She stopped after a moment, then signaled for Farnook to translate.
Farnook gaped at the woman. Limoot shoved her roughly and spoke again, her voice menacing.
Farnook turned to Attu. “Our healer says she will not come again to this place, where the injured man is vile to her. She says Paven is an angry bear who put his own leg in the way of a tuskie and deserves to suffer. She says she is Raven. She is Raven healer, direct blood to Raven himself, because she is mother of Kagit, and she will kill Paven if he ever tries to touch her again. And she knows many secret ways to kill.”
Secret ways to kill? Attu looked to Rika, who shook her head.
She’s furious, Rika mind spoke. She’s trying to intimidate us. Scare Paven. Besides, she’s probably found out everything she can about us for Kagit and this will be her excuse not to come anymore. We haven’t needed her for a while, but she would never acknowledge that; she’s too vain.
Farnook was still trembling. She looked at Attu and Rika, obviously having heard them. She appeared sullen as she looked away. Turning back, her eyes had suddenly changed to a flat black and her face now appeared as if she were much older, as if she’d aged from a young woman to an older one in the time it took to blink.
Attu’s blood froze. He’d seen this transformation before, when Elder Nuanu had spoken with Ashukat’s voice, as if two faces appeared at once in one face.
Farnook spoke then, in a voice not her own. “Many have died because of Limoot,” the voice said. “She cries out in her sleep from the deaths. She cannot be trusted. But Rika must come to the Raven camp. Only she can-”
Limoot narrowed her eyes at Farnook and swatted her with the long walking stick she was carrying.
Farnook jerked, her head snapped back, and she stumbled. Attu reached out to steady her and felt the violent trembling in her arm before Farnook pulled away from him. She looked terrified.
Farnook bent to gather up the things she’d dropped. Rika helped her.
Attu searched Rika’s face, but she seemed to have not seen what Attu had seen, or heard what he had heard. Instead, Rika was staring at Limoot in surprise at the old woman’s swatting.
Farnook stood again and looked at Attu. Her face was a mixture of surprise and fear. Attu’s heart clenched.
What did I say? What happened?
Attu heard her thoughts and realized Farnook wasn’t mind speaking to him, but her out-of-control emotions were causing him to hear her thoughts. What is wrong with me? My mind. What did I do?
It’s all right, Attu mind spoke to Farnook. Someone was speaking through you. Do you know who it was? Attu looked at Farnook, the question on his face, but she looked away from him, shaking her head violently. She looked at Suka, her own face flaming.
Ubantu was holding Suka by the shoulder. Suka was breathing heavily, but he stood still.
Attu calmed himself, nodding as if Farnook had only spoken Limoot’s words and not someone else’s.
“Tell the great healer Limoot we have been honored by her visits and we are grateful for her help. Rika will continue to come to the Raven’s camp, with her per
mission.”
Attu looked at Farnook, who had gained control of herself again. He mind spoke to her. Do you remember what you said?
Yes. I warned you. Or I mean, the other person, that other voice, warned you... Shock at what had just happened was overwhelming Farnook. Stop mind speaking to me. I don’t want you to. It’s too dangerous...
You are powerful in the Gifts. I don’t think most remember if someone speaks through them. Don’t be afraid of what just happened. Do you know who spoke through you?
Farnook’s eyes widened and she shrugged her shoulders, then looked down, translating what Attu had spoken for Limoot. The old woman huffed a reply in Attu’s direction before walking slowly back toward the Raven Clan’s camp, Farnook several feet behind her.
Who was it? Attu asked again.
Farnook moved faster, as if she couldn’t get out of the Expanse Clan camp fast enough. She didn’t answer.
Attu looked around at the others. Hadn’t anyone else heard Farnook speak in another person’s voice? But everyone around him seemed fine.
What just happened?
“Are you sure that’s what the voice said?” Rika asked Attu as the two of them walked back from Attu’s family’s shelter after joining them for the last meal of the day. It was dark, and for a change, the sky was clear. Bright stars shone down, sparkling on the choppy ocean. There was no moon. “I felt odd for a moment, and then I was all right again. I looked around, and it’s as if I lost a moment or two. The others say the same. No one but you remembers hearing Farnook say anything in that brief time. Are you sure she spoke with the voice of another?”
“Yes. I’m sure she said others have died because of Limoot. She said Limoot dreams about them. Limoot suspected something was happening, so she hit Farnook, but I don’t think she heard her, or we would have seen a reaction to Farnook’s words, or the words of whoever was speaking through her.”
“All I know is that Paven yelled at Limoot because she put a stinging poultice on his leg. He grabbed her arm and twisted it. If I were her, I’d have been furious, too. Don’t think I haven’t thought about giving Paven too much potion to sleep, and he’s my father.” Rika sounded ashamed, but Attu knew she was also angry. “I didn’t hear any voices.”
“But I did. I’m sure of it. Why would someone we don’t know speak through Farnook, warning us? I don’t think you should go to the Raven camp anymore.” Attu reached for Rika’s hand, but she turned to face him instead.
“If you’re right, and I believe you,” Rika said, “this must be a Gift only you have. You said Farnook said I needed to go.” Her brows furrowed. “Or the person speaking through her. Something needs doing only I can do. Perhaps they need some healing skill Limoot doesn’t have?”
“How would someone else know what that might be?”
“A person from the Between of Death would. What did Farnook look like when she spoke in the other voice?”
“That’s the strange part. It looked like Farnook, only older. Still a woman, still Nuvik.”
“It could be any female Nuvik from the Between.” Rika ran her fingers through her hair, separating the strands and re-braiding it. Her fingers moved automatically.
“I’m not surprised Limoot has nightmares about people who have died in her care,” Rika said. “As old as she is, that would be many, Attu. I know I’ve had my share of nightmares. Healers can’t save everyone, and people die horrible deaths sometimes, even when the healer does all she can.” Rika shivered in the sharp chill of the evening air.
Like Rika’s dream. But this is different. “The voice speaking through Farnook said people have died because of Limoot, not in spite of her trying to help them. She’s dangerous, Rika, more dangerous than we realized.”
“I can’t believe that.” Rika looked up at Attu, tears threatening to spill over. “I won’t believe it. She’s a healer. A healer wouldn’t harm others on purpose.”
Attu realized Rika’s view of other healers was based on her own feelings about serving others, her own selflessness. She just can’t see it any other way. He sighed, and reached for Rika again. This time she let him wrap his arm around her. They walked toward their shelter, and she snuggled into his side for warmth. “I guess perhaps we’ll never know who gave me the warning. But I will be careful.”
They walked together in silence. Rika shivered and drew her bark cloak around herself.
“Cold is definitely coming,” Attu said as they walked. “And these clothes don’t keep us warm.”
“I’ll work on new fur ones. Maybe it will get cold and dry enough soon so they won’t rot.”
They continued walking, listening to the gentle waves against the rocky beach and the trees moving softly, appearing black now in the darkness.
Attu didn’t want to think about Rika struggling to heal people, living with the pain of those who died in her care. It was what she was born to do, and try as he might to keep her from such sorrow, he had no right to tell her not to follow the call the spirits had given her. “I’m just concerned for you, that’s all,” he said, moving back to the subject of Rika going to the Raven Clan’s camp.
“I know. But I want to learn all I can from Limoot, and as much knowledge as I have, she has different skills. She knows more about the plants that grow around here than even the Seer healer knew. Limoot says the Raven spirit teaches her many things. How else could she know, since she’s never lived here before? It’s strange, but what she’s shown me works. And my father would have died if it weren’t for her seeing the tusk fragment embedded in his leg bone.”
“Just promise me you’ll be careful when you’re there.”
“You swim every day?” Suka asked as Attu dragged himself out of the frigid water one morning. Attu could see his breath as he peeled off a tight-fitting hide vest and reached for a fur to wrap himself in.
“A good day to practice,” Attu said. “Tingiyok comes with me most days, but today Ashukat needed him. He says the Seers didn’t go usually go out on the water when it got this cold. But we’ll be farther north. The ocean may be this cold most of the year, so we’re trying to figure out what we can wear in the icy water. These sealskins,” and Attu held up the vest he’d been wearing, “with the hair removed, are warm both in and out of the water. Water gets between them and my skin, but my body warms it. And they don’t weigh me down. But sometimes air gets into them, and my body is pulled up at odd angles where the air is trapped. We’re not sure how to prevent that.”
“I saw one of the Ravens using a large animal bladder in the water near the boat building. He said you blow them up with air and tie several to the line of your spear, causing large sea animals to stay at the surface, not be able to dive.”
“So they make them hold air on purpose.” Attu grew thoughtful. “I wonder if they’d keep a skin boat afloat as well, or a person, if they fell into the water. The outriggers keep the boat steady, but they don’t help it float if it does get flipped. But what if the outrigger had bladders attached?”
“We should try it.”
The two set about stabilizing one of the skin boats with blown up seal bladders and stomachs on one side of the skin boat and on the opposite side, on the outrigger. If they could get them to hold, a person might be able to right a flipped skin boat and climb back in it without the whole boat sinking. Then they could bail out the water and make it to shore without staying in the icy water too long. But Attu and Suka were doing something wrong. The bladders leaked.
“We need to ask the Raven hunters how they make these,” Suka said after their third attempt failed.
“I can’t think of another way to fix these.” Attu set the seal bladder down in disgust. “It’s probably something simple. I just don’t know what it is.”
“Let’s go.”
Suka and Attu were watching one of the Ravens on the beach near the largest cedar house. He was motioning with his hands, showing them how to prepare the stomach of a seal to use as an inflatable for hunting. One of the hunte
rs closed a seal stomach end with sinew and fish glue. They’d tried doing that themselves, but the stomach kept leaking. The hunter was showing them how to roll the ends first before gluing to get a tight seal on both ends that would hold air once it was inflated.
The inflated bladders the hunter had finished were dangling on a nearby tree limb.
Attu reached to touch one.
“Hih no, shutak, shutak!” A woman screamed and both Attu and Suka turned to see where the yelling was coming from. There was a scuffle up by the cedar houses.
The man inflating the bladders moved his hand in a dismissive motion as if to say, “Ignore them; it’s just women’s nonsense.”
But the screaming continued.
Suka popped his lips. “Farnook.” He took off running toward the sound.
Attu followed.
Near one of the fires, the sour-faced woman Attu recognized from their very first meeting with the Ravens had grabbed Farnook by the hair and was beating her with a large wooden spoon.
Kagit’s third woman.
Attu cringed at the sound the wood made as it struck Farnook’s back through her thin garments. There were angry welts rising on her upper arms, and she was cringing down, trying to become a smaller target for the woman’s blows.
Suka roared with anger. He grabbed both of the woman’s arms, twisted the spoon from her grasp and flung it off to the side with one hand. He squeezed her other wrist until she screamed and let go of Farnook’s hair. Farnook fell to the ground, rolling into a ball as if she expected to be kicked.
The woman turned on Suka, who had let go of her but was now standing between her and Farnook.
The woman shouted at Suka and made to grab Farnook again, but Suka blocked her path. The woman, much smaller than Suka, beat his chest, but he simply stood there, taking the punishment of her fists without uttering a sound or moving out of the way.
They were surrounded now, men and women both watching the woman beat on Suka, while Suka stood like an unmoving rock in the river against the flow of her rage.