Kish turned to Yochi and Iztali. “You were to bring weapons and Warriors, not artisan slaves and scholars. What do you think will happen when it is discovered that they have left?”
“As I briefed, they helped us get the weapons, Kaloonte’,” responded Yochi. “I could not turn down their request for freedom and knowledge. And, as I indicated, we didn’t have time to search for others.”
Kish shook his head. “Am I awaiting another ch’ab to my chest?” Yochi was silent. “Yaotl!”
“Kaloonte’!”
“When we reach Chay Abaj, you will secure loincloths and lej-xajäbs for your Warriors. They are no longer slaves, Yaotl. They are your Warriors. Train them well.”
“Kaloonte’!”
“Yochi. Distribute the weapons. Everyone is to be armed. In Chay Abaj we will eat, get more weapons and additional supplies for our journey.” He looked up at the broken canopy. “Kinich Ahau is already halfway across the sky. We must go now if we are to be in Chay Abaj before Kinich Ahau leaves us for the Underworld.”
The mountain sacbeob to Chay Abaj was clean, well-used, and it took us to the northwest. Occasionally, we met merchants and slaves with large cuxtals on their backs, climbing or descending the steep gorges of the sacbeob. They ignored us and we ignored them as we raced by. At times, they looked apprehensively at us and I supposed they may have wondered if we were bandits or Warriors from a hostile kingdom. When the sacbeob was along a ridge, the path was level; yet, many times we were marching up or marching down. Generally, however, the altitude of the mountains was becoming less.
We arrived at Chay Abaj just before sunset, reaching the first of a series of low ranges running north to south. We stood on the summit of the southern hill, South Hill, overlooking Chay Abaj and I saw many signs of mining including several wide pits and small mounds of large and crude chay flakes. Chay was everywhere, so much so that I saw very little soil. There were no workers, so I assumed that they had quit for the night. Below the range directly across from us and partially on the slope of a northern hill, North Hill, was Chay Abaj. From South Hill, the sacbeob went down and through the town center where it forked around a central building and small courtyard then continued up and over North Hill. Chay Abaj was not a city, not even a village, just a mining camp. There were three large sheds to the left of the sacbeob, the one furthest north having walls with open doorways and windows. On the right were four medium sized buildings arranged in a square, most likely housing for the supervisors. Beyond that were two very long sheds, side by side, then a large enclosed shed. None of the buildings were made of stone. The roofs were thatched, the posts and walls made of tree trunks and limbs.
Kish had told me that Chay Abaj was an outpost of Tulam Tzu, a mining area and workshop. Thus, I had not expected to find any nobles, temples, large houses, and there were none. There were some Warriors in the central area, but I didn’t know if they made up the full contingent stationed there. I surmised that they were more for keeping the slaves in order than for protecting the site from an enemy attack.
We continued down and as we approached the camp, three men in loincloths, lej-xajäbs, and sparse jewelry approached, two carrying long bate’s. Kish bowed and they returned the greeting.
“I am from the city of Ox Witz Ha, Kaloonte’ of Ajawinel K’an II. We were travelling to Baúl as guards for emissaries of trade and were at Ja’ Xakanul when, because of a strong storm and heavy rain from Chac, its side collapsed. The emissaries, many of my Warriors and slaves were sent to the Underworld by Cabrakan. We have visited the Ajaw of Tulam Tzu and he has honored us with his blessings. On behalf of Ajawinel K’an II, I ask for food, loincloths, lej-xajäbs, and weapons for our trip back to Ox Witz Ha. We will leave, immediately, even though Kinich Ahau soon journeys to the Underworld. If there is food we can have before we depart, that would be good. The Great Ajawinel K’an II will repay your service with q’aq’-puaq and other gifts.”
One of the men stepped forward. “I am Batab of Chay Abaj. Welcome, Kaloonte’ of Ajawinel K’an II. We are just a mining outpost. Most of the men here are slaves that do the mining. There are some slaves trained to work the chay for spearheads, arrowheads, and dart points, and they make blades for knives, for the maquahuitl, and for butchery. They also make bone working tools, and blades for woodworking or shaving. Some even make bifacial retouched flakes. We do not make the wooden parts of weapons here. Those are sent to us and we finish the weapons here. As soon as they are done, we send them to Tulam Tzu. So, we do not keep many weapons here, but you may examine what we have. We will also provide you with some food for tonight, but we cannot supply you for your journey. It will be slaves’ food, as most of our supplies are for the slaves. With respect to your other requests, there is very little need for loincloths and lej-xajäbs here as the slaves do not use them, but we have a few. How many loincloths and lej-xajäbs do you need, Kaloonte’?”
“Five.”
“And how many weapons?”
“The fame of your weaponry has spread throughout the highlands and the lowlands of our land, both in the north and in the south. We do not wish to go back to Ox Witz Ha emptyhanded. As we are here, we would like to use this opportunity to take your great craftsmanship to Ox Witz Ha. As I said before, the Great K’an II will repay you with q’aq’-puaq and other gifts. We will take as many finished blades and weapons as are available and that our slaves can carry without delaying our return to Ox Witz Ha.”
The Batab smiled then nodded. “Follow us and we will provide you with a small meal. During that time, cuxtals with weapons will be prepared.” He and the two guards walked towards one of the long thatched sheds and we followed them. I noted that Kish, Yochi, Iztali, and Teul had positioned themselves at the cardinal points of our group and that they were watching all directions, noting the guards that were stationed at the worksite.
We sat on the rough ground under the shed and, immediately, women dressed only with a piece of cloth around their ch’ench’kils,103 under the direction of a head-woman, brought out mugs of ko’yem and dishes of watered down tiáálinbil.
The Batab approached Kish. “I will leave you now. I go to make sure the weapons are packed. Once it is done, we will return,” he said. “One of the slave women will bring you the loincloths.” The three of them left us and we continued to eat, Kish, Yochi, Iztali, and I sitting together.
“We leave as soon as we receive the weapons,” uttered Kish.
“Do you expect trouble?” I asked.
“When the Ajaw of Tulam Tzu is advised that Iccauhtli, Yaotl, and five slaves have escaped, especially Iccauhtli, Tlacaelel’s chaq’ who ran away with Moyolehuani, Alixel of Tulam Tzu, the Ajaw’s Nabeal Mial … definitely he will send runners to Chay Abaj and Warriors behind. If you had augmented the men you brought with additional Warriors from Ox Witz Ha, it may have been worthwhile to have brought those seven men. The Ajaw Warriors may already be close, at this time. Even without additional Warriors from Tulam Tzu, there are enough guards here to give us a good fight. They outnumber us and they may be better trained than their lack of armor and dress suggest. We may not be victorious and our escape from Xibalba could prove short lived.”
I said nothing, knowing that Kish was right. It was dangerous of Yochi to bring along those men. As far as we knew, they weren’t even highly trained Warriors. Yet, I would have done the same thing.
The head-woman brought five loincloths and five pairs of lej-xajäbs. The lej-xajäbs were made from untanned deer hide, had hemp cord straps, definitely not for workers and slaves. She gave them to Kish. “Thank you,” responded Kish, staring at her. “I will go with you to your shed. I will share your mat with you and make you fruitful.”
My jaws dropped. The woman was mature and good looking, and Kish had made a pass at her. Somehow, I just didn’t think of Kish doing that so openly. But then I didn’t think of him as being a storyteller, either. I was puzzled, not understanding why Kish would want to chakuj
tutuchci at that time. He had said we’d be leaving as soon as we received the weapons. He must have observed something I hadn’t. The head-woman smiled at Kish, gave a slight bow, then left after calling all the other women to go with her. I supposed that she saw us as a group of hungry Warriors wanting to get between their legs and decided not to take any chances.
“I am going to see the head-woman. Yochi, you are Kaloonte’,” advised Kish, getting up. “Yaotl!”
“Kaloonte’!”
Kish handed him the loincloths and lej-xajäbs. “Give these to your Warriors.”
“Kaloonte’!”
Kish walked over to the long and walled shed to the west. As I watched him go, my eyes drifted and I saw that the Batab and his two guards were conferring anxiously with a young man dressed only in loincloth and lej-xajäbs, but wearing ear and nose jewelry, a necklace, and ankle and wrist bracelets. They were on the sacbeob leading to Tulam Tzu, about three hundred feet away from the shed where Kish was headed. The Batab called over four nearby guards that were together, spoke with them, and one raced off towards Tulam Tzu. The group continued talking, not looking towards us, then they walked over to one of the well-built houses at the entrance to Chay Abaj.
The Batab soon left the building and came towards us. “Kaloonte!” he said, as he entered the central shed we were in.
Yochi stood. “Nabe Kaloonte’ has gone to chakuj tutuchci. I am Ukab Kaloonte’.”
The Batab frowned. “Where? In the bushes?”
“No! Nabe Kaloonte’ went to the head-woman’s mat.”
“Oh,” replied the Batab, his forehead still furrowed. “Tell the Nabe Kaloonte’ that it is best for you to spend the night. It is late, anyhow, and you may use this shed. There has been a recent shipment of wooden parts for the weapons, but it will take time to have the weapons prepared. The slaves will labor all night and the weapons will be ready when Kinich Ahau returns from the Underworld.” He made to go then hesitated and turned back. “When your Warriors and slaves have q’oxow-chik,104 go to the top of North Hill, just above the camp. You may use those pits as you wish, Ukab Kaloonte’.”
“We will. I will inform Nabe Kaloonte’ on your suggestion as soon as he has finished and returned.” The Batab nodded then left.
Yochi looked towards Iztali and me. “I don’t like this.” He looked around. There were no guards to be seen. “They have removed all guards from around us. That is to make us believe that there is no danger.” Yochi and Iztali continued eating. I had stopped. “Eat, Chiac,” ordered Yochi, without looking up. “You will need your strength.”
“Shouldn’t we tell Kish?”
“Kish is taking care of his tutuchci as all of us would have done before we marched, but now won’t be able to. Let him satisfy himself and, when he returns, we will tell him and then make a decision on what to do. Kish’s mind will be clear after his tutuchci is softened. That is the Way of the Warrior.” Yochi continued eating. So, I did also. It was a different world.
I had to wonder how many times Kish was softening his tutuchci for Kinich Ahau had already disappeared behind the volcanos and slaves had brought torches to light the shed. Yochi and Iztali were moving among the Warriors talking to them, laughing with them as they told stories. Everyone seemed relaxed, that is, except me. Even Hulse, Clarke, and Anderson were partaking and speaking the language. Well, it had been a year. It would probably only be Rhys and Robertson who would have problems with the language, if they were still alive. I reflected on how I had completely put aside any emotional contact with my men. I had done the same with Molly. I knew that I had to do that in order to survive, but I could not help wondering if I were really becoming the Warrior that Kish expected me to be, a great Warrior of my people, a Warrior that allowed duty alone to be first in his life, a Warrior that would give up all and simply accept it as part of his role as a Warrior, as the Way of the Warrior Code dictated
Kish walked into the shed, straightening his loincloth. All the Warriors jumped up, hit their chests, and shouted, “Kaloonte’!”, that was, except Choco, Teul, and I as we weren’t aware of what was obviously a ritual among the Warriors. Kish hit his chest once, nodded and smiled. Again, it was one of the few times I had seen Kish smile. He must have softened his tutuchci over and over again, many times, for the smile was big and lasting. He saw me sitting alone, away from the Warriors, and walked over towards me. Yochi and Iztali came over immediately and we sat in a circle.
“The Batab has suggested that we remain for the night,” briefed Yochi. “He says that it is late and we may use this shed. He advised that there has been a recent shipment of wooden parts for the weapons, but it will take all night to complete work on them. The slaves will labor all night and the weapons will be ready in the morning.” Kish frowned. “And while you chakuj tutuchci, a Runner arrived and spoke with the Batab.” Kish drew in a deep breath. “Also, the shit-pits are at the top of North Hill.”
Kish looked around. “It is difficult to see as Kaán is dark and Ix Chel mostly hides. Our Chac gods, Can-Tzicnal, Hozanek, Hobnil, and Zac-Cimi,105 still cover U Wach Ulew with dense clouds and drizzle.” He pointed to a torch. “The flames inside the shed have been placed, not to give us light, but to make us blind in the night. And there are no guards to be seen. Even if we are not aware them, we should hear them. They should be around torches, talking, drinking iztāc-octli, smoking k’uutz,106 playing bul.”107
“Perhaps they are at the north end of the camp, awaiting us should we decide to leave tonight,” cautioned Iztali.”
“If they plan to attack us and we leave now, we could walk into an ambush. If we remain, they will strike while we sleep,” warned Yochi.
Kish remained silent for a short while thinking, then spoke. “Go back among our Warriors. Continue to laugh and talk with them. Tell them we spend the night and that when we put out the torches, we will rest, as if asleep, it a circle at the center of the shed. We will not sleep, but be combat ready, awaiting the battle when and if it comes. Tell your Warriors that you, Iztali, once the torches are out, will leave the shed unseen with seven Warriors and await the Chay Abaj guards. If they have decided to battle, they will advance in the darkness and surround the shed so that they kill us on the ground as we sleep without engaging in close man-to-man combat, and without injury to themselves. Iztali! You will station two of your Warriors, covert, at each of the four stones of Kaán.108 As soon as you see the enemy, Iztali, you will make the whistle of the baläm. As soon as they are in position to attack, you will give the roar of the mating baläm, Uwa-Uwa-Roarrr! Uwa-Uwa-Roarrr! Once you roar, you and your Warriors will give the war whoops loudly and charge them. That will confuse them as they will not know how many of us are attacking. Immediately, those of us in the shed will jump up and move out towards them; we keep the circle formation we were lying in. They will be wearing armor and we will be in loincloths. Kill no one wearing loincloths only.”
“Suppose they come dressed only in loincloths?” I asked.
Kish looked at me. “They will be prepared for battle. They will wear armor.” He frowned momentarily. “After the battle, and we have won, take all weapons and return to the center of this shed and await my further orders. We will then disappear into the darkness in pairs and surround the camp. We do not sleep. We wait there until the first signs of Kinich Ahau’s return from the Underworld. Each Warrior monitors what he can of the camp without going back into it, then we meet on North Hill where the shit-pits are. If your reports indicate that the camp is completely ours, as it should be, then we reenter to get food, weapons, and supplies. We take those slaves who want to leave to carry the cuxtals. We travel north and down towards the Ja’-nima’ that leads to the Nohoch Atz’am Ja’.” He looked at the three of us. “Start instructing the Warriors.” Yochi and Iztali rose. “You too, Chiac.”
“What about the artisans?” asked Yochi. “They have no weapons.”
“Tell them that they will be in the center of
the circle. We will protect them, but as soon as weapons are available from the dead guards of Chay Abaj, they are to fight.”
We circulated among the Warriors, laughing, talking, instructing every one of the plan. About an hour later, Kish stood up. “Warriors,” he said, loudly. “It is time to rest. Tomorrow brings another long march.” He then spoke quietly to Iccauhtli and Yaotl. “Put out the torches, but keep embers near and as soon as the battle begins, light them again.”
“Kaloonte’!” they whispered, and soon we were in darkness.
At first, there were some movements as the Warriors settled themselves down to the feigned sleep. Occasionally, there was a sleepy cough and even a snore. It was difficult to see anything as there was no starlight or moonlight. It had stopped raining for most of that day, but the sky was still overcast, the remnants from the storm that had brought the deluge of rains resulting in the collapse of the rim of Ja’ Xakanul.
I kept listening for the sounds of the jungle at night, the sounds that would remind me of my youth, when I hunted with Taat and Bas. I wondered if they had survived the escape from Xibalba and the mudslide of Ja’ Xakanul. I quickly pushed the worry away. I continued listening for the haunting and eerie call of the icim, the soft huff among the trees and kuhoon palms of the ajwoyotz’109 as it searched for food, the grunts of the haaleb,110 and the whistle of the baläm, but there was only the occasional chirp-chirp of a late xir, and the almost inaudible sounds of sotz’111 in flight.
I felt myself beginning to drift, trying to escape the reality of the danger we were in. I fought with myself, bringing me back to the shed’s hard ground we were lying on. In my other world, I would be sleeping on a mattress or in a hammock, unless I was out on a mission, of course, when I would be sleeping on the jungle floor on my ground-sheet. I didn’t miss mattresses or hammocks when I was in the jungle and I didn’t miss either one as I laid under the shed. I was just waiting for, anticipating, what was to come. I raised my hand to Bas’ Green Scapular. It felt warm against my chest. What is happening to you, Chiac? You are being lost in this new strange world of adventure and danger. Molly will never be a part of this world . . . Then I heard the whistle of the baläm and I felt each Warrior’s muscle tighten in the darkness that surrounded us, anticipating the roar from Yochi, but it did not come. I smiled, wondering at the beauty of that ek baläm that walked the jungle around us. I turned on my side, trying not to sleep.
Sisimito III--Topoxte Page 6