Onio hardly seemed winded but he shook his arms as though his hands were cramping. Mel realized that he had held her tightly the whole way to keep her from falling off. She got to her feet and walked to where he stood. Taking his giant hands in hers, she began to massage his fingers and palms. She pulled his fingers out to relax the muscles and tendons. She dug her fingers deeply into the fleshy part of his thumbs and Onio sighed with pleasure, smiling down at her with gratitude.
Toward the last part of the overland journey, Wolf had reached down and scooped the dog up in his arms. Smiles’s tongue hung out of her mouth at first and Mel wondered if the poor thing was going to have a heart attack. Finally, she had wriggled around a bit in the sasquatch’s arms so she could face forward. Her ears flew back in the breeze and she grinned at the passing scenery while being carried along. Now that the dog was on her own feet again, she waded deeply into the stream and shook her body furiously.
Wolf sat down on the ground and lifted his face to the falling sun, sighing with fatigue and closing his eyes. Within seconds, he fell asleep. Looking at the king’s guard, Mel realized that Wolf was very old. A million wrinkles creased his cheeks and the silver fur was obviously a sign of old age.
Mel marveled at his strength. Looking at Onio, Mel whispered, “Will he be all right?”
Onio looked surprised. “Yes, that is Wolf’s way…to sleep while he can. We might try to do the same. Wolf’s actions tell me we might be running through the night.”
Mel made a nest in the fallen leaves on the ground. She was exhausted, although she had done nothing but ride all this way on the sasquatch’s back. Her eyes felt gritty, and her thighs stung. She felt Onio place a fur over her and then she slept.
Minutes later a large hand shook her shoulder. The moon was high in the sky and the stars glittered like jewels on black velvet. Onio leaned over her and said, “Climb on my back again, Mel. We need to leave…now!”
There was such urgency in his voice her heart quivered with fear. She rose, stifling a gasp of pain and scrambled onto Onio’s back. They were off and running before she even had a chance to wipe the sleep from her eyes.
Their flight was slower this time, more cautious than before. Often Wolf paused, lifting his wide nostrils into the air, eyes scanning the forest before moving off in a different direction. Mel thought at one point that they moved in a circular motion, crossing twice over the same creek bed. They were being followed!
Mel’s heart slammed in her chest as they reached an open plateau. There was nowhere to hide. Wolf and Onio sprang into an all-out sprint. The two big males raced across the frozen ground at astonishing speed. Mel’s eyes watered and her lips peeled back with the force of their movement. She had no way of knowing how fast they were actually going but she guessed it was close to fifty miles an hour. It was uncanny—supernatural. If she weren’t so frightened, she would have howled with glee.
Then, just like that, it was all over. Mel saw at least a hundred huge figures stand up from where they crouched in the weeds, the moon’s glow illuminating the clubs, staffs and enormous, lethal looking spears in their hands. Wolf and Onio came to a halt, heaving and shuddering with fear. Rage made them draw back, snarling, and Onio put Mel on the ground, standing over her protectively as the enemy sasq circled them in silence.
Mel saw Onio turn to the left. She could see by the look on his face that something new and even more horrible was approaching. She looked past his legs and saw something she knew she would never forget for as long as she lived; which, she acknowledged fearfully, might not be very long.
A gigantic male sasquatch walked into their midst. He was so big Mel gasped with wonder. Nine feet tall at least, he towered over every sasquatch there. Even the mighty guard named Wolf looked puny compared to him. He wore the hide of a polar bear, head, teeth and all, like a cape over one shoulder, and carried a staff that was almost as tall as a telephone pole.
One side of his face was scored with claw shaped scars, and the eye socket sported some kind of huge glittering gem instead of an eyeball. He wore a crown on his head that gleamed with metallic splendor, and a smile on his face that made Mel want to shriek in terror.
Chapter 11
“Wolf,” the fierce king of the northern territories said. “I would talk with you.”
From where Mel lay on the ground, she could see Wolf’s shoulders stiffen. He drew back in consternation, his heavy brow lowered into a scowl, and he glared.
“What does Two Horses have to say to the likes of me?” he growled.
The giant sasquatch smiled, gazing back and forth from Onio to Mel. The jewel that took the place of his lost eyeball glittered red and gold. “Is this First Son—the mixed breed?” he asked.
“What is it to you who this insignificant boy is? I would have safe passage from you and your warriors. Truce has been called for many seasons now. There is no reason for you to detain us!” Wolf was screaming now, almost incoherent in his rage. He lifted his enormous war club and brandished it in threat.
Two Horses’s guards raised their weapons as well. For a moment, Mel thought that the soldiers would attack. She put her head between her knees and prayed for a swift end. Two Horses lifted his hand though, and his sasq guards stepped back.
“Be easy, Wolf. I mean you and your fellow travelers no harm this night. What I have to say though, concerns the boy known as Onio. It is important.” Mel saw the king sway slightly. One of the guards closest to him stepped up and murmured in his ear.
The king glared and barked, “Leave off! I’m fine!”
Mel studied Two Horses. She saw that there was a large bandage on the king’s belly, spotted here and there with blood. Wolf was looking at the injury as well. Putting down his war club he said, “Very well, we shall speak with you. Is there a place we can go so we are not so exposed?”
The king nodded and said, “We have brought a sledge. Normally I would scoff at such a contrivance but as you can plainly see, I have suffered an injury recently. Let us go…I think we have much to discuss and little time to do it.”
Onio said nothing during this exchange, but it was plain to see he was keenly interested in the other sasquatches, who in return, seemed interested in him as well. Most of the enemy sasq studied Onio with bland curiosity, others glared at him with hatred, and still others stared with friendly excitement.
Onio reached down and helped her to her feet with careless courtesy. He looked her in the eye and whispered, “Do not use soul song, Melody.” His voice seemed to come from a million miles away. Mel marveled that she could hear it at all. Looking around she saw that none of the other sasquatches that surrounded them heard the exchange. She nodded and looked away quickly.
The sasquatches walked for about a half mile until they came upon a long wooden sled. Four of the biggest guards positioned themselves at the front of the sled, picked up the handles and waited while the king, two of his guards, Onio, Wolf and Melody climbed aboard. Then the sled moved ahead with a jolt. The party headed toward the forest that loomed in the distance. They moved slowly in deference to their wounded leader, but Mel was still amazed at how quickly they sped across the ice and snow covered pastureland.
When they reached the edge of the forest, the sasquatches abandoned the sled. Then, after helping their wounded leader to his feet, they formed a single line and strode through the forest on a game trail that Mel couldn’t have spotted if she’d tried. Within minutes, they arrived at an encampment. There were two large hide tents and a bonfire.
A large tattooed female was turning the haunch of an animal on a spit. Her face and arms were hairless and covered with scars. Each scar was tattooed with pictures and shapes so that when she moved the art on her body writhed and leapt as if it was alive. Her long hair was plaited and dyed as well. Mel saw that there were streaks of red, blue, green and yellow in the female’s braids, which hung down to her knees in colorful profusion. The female was human!
Mel gasped when the woman turned to face t
hem. One of her eyeballs was missing and in its place was a jewel, perhaps an opal, which burned with a light of its own. It sparked and smoldered in the socket like a living cinder. She walked toward the king and grasped his two arms in her hands, smiling at him with love. Mel realized that this strangely beautiful woman was Two Horses’s wife.
Mel and her two companions hung back as the fierce old king embraced his mate. One of Two Horses’s guards said, “Tanah, our queen, has made food for us to eat. Two Horses will rest for a while now. Please be seated and take your rest. We will call for you shortly.”
Mel, Onio and Wolf sat by the fire and watched as Tanah walked by her husband’s side into the larger of the two tents. Wooden plates heaped with roasted meat and tubers were brought, and all three of them tucked into the food with gusto.
“What do you think, Onio? Is this some sort of trick?” Wolf murmured around a mouthful of food. He glanced here and there suspiciously, clearly expecting an ambush from Two Horses’s soldiers.
Onio shook his head, “No,” he replied, “No, I think that Two Horses needs our help. He is a terrible and mighty king, yes, but I believe that he wants to talk with us, not attack us. You know as well as I that we would be dead now if that was his wish.”
Wolf snorted contemptuously, but seemed to agree. Nodding, he said, “That he brought his queen on this rendezvous speaks to his weakness. I wonder what animal dared to ruin Two Horses’s reputation in battle.”
Onio shrugged and continued eating. Mel wondered what they were eating. It was slightly sour and greasy, but she could taste rosemary and sage on the meat and the potatoes were tender and moist. She ate every bit of it and licked her trencher clean like Onio and Wolf did when she was finished.
An hour or so had passed when the king’s guard approached. “Our king would speak with you now,” he stated. Mel finished wiping her face and hands clean with a soft piece of woven grass matting. She rose to her feet, the fine meal forgotten now that their audience with the northern king was at hand.
They walked into the tent and saw that Two Horses was lying on a mat in the far corner of the tent. Tanah was leaning over him. The worry on her face was plain to see. Mel looked closely and saw that there was a large circular hole in the king’s lower abdomen. She was no medical doctor but she knew a gunshot wound when she saw one. She saw Onio’s eyes grow wide as he seemed to come to the same conclusion.
“Come and sit here beside me,” the king muttered. His face was white under the heavy facial hair. Mel saw that some of the jagged edges of the wound were turning green, and her stomach swooped with nausea. Tanah was mixing herbs into a bowl of steaming hot water. There were a number of bloody washcloths soaking in the bowl.
They sat close to where Two Horses lay. The smell that rose off the festering wound was hideous, but they moved closer when he gestured at them impatiently, saying, “Come closer, I don’t want to yell.
“I brought you here to tell you about what has been happening in my territory these last few seasons. I know, Wolf, that your people and mine have made war in the past. I do not defend my actions to you, or anyone. But I think that now it is time to make peace and join together, as one tribe.” He started coughing. The pain in his belly made tears start from his eyes. He gasped in agony.
Mel turned to Onio and spoke as best she could. “Onio…the cillen? Um…the botix?” Her words were garbled and she blushed in embarrassment. Onio stared at her for a moment in confusion, but then his eyes got big as he realized what she was trying to say. He reached over and grabbed his bag. Instantly, a giant spear was at his throat. The point of it drew a bead of blood that was as bright as a ruby.
“What are you doing, half breed?” Tanah snarled.
Onio held his hands up and said, “Mighty queen, there is medicine in my kit. Strong medicine. I got it to help…well…I got it. Maybe it will cure your king!”
Tanah gestured with the spear, “Show me this cin,” she said.
Onio opened the leather bag very slowly. He rummaged around inside the bag and pulled out the remaining antibiotics. He handed the bottle to Mel, who studied the label and counted the pills inside. There were only twenty pills left. She didn’t think that would be enough, but she shrugged and passed the pills back to Onio with a nod.
Onio handed the bottle to the king’s wife. Tanah promptly threw the bottle in the corner of the tent with a snarl of disgust. Oh well, Mel thought, we tried to help. It’s not our fault that the woman distrusts us so much.
Two Horses stared at them with eyes that glittered with fever, but were wise with understanding nonetheless. “Tanah, leave off threatening these people, please. I need to talk to them without having you poke them with your spear. Also, please bring me some water.”
Tanah bowed obediently and walked out of the tent. The ailing king closed his eyes for a moment. Then he said, “Please forgive my wife. She fears the loss of her life-mate.” He sighed, and after a moment, began speaking again.
“Wolf, I know that for many years your people and mine have been at war. It has been our way…more territory, game and food has always been my goal. But the enemy now is more terrible than any foe our tribes have faced before. They come in giant black birds that swoop down out of the clouds and paint the ground red with our blood. The small human soldiers spill out of those birds like bees from the hive and chase my people down like vermin. At last count, sixty-three sasq in the northern territories have been killed or taken by these warriors. My son was stolen during the last moon. I was shot when I tried to take him back.” He closed his eyes, which were bruised with illness.
“My scouts tell me that you go to the High Peaks tribe. That is good. They need to know Two Horses’s words, and heed his warning. The small humans are moving against us. Any treaties of peace between our peoples and the small humans have been forgotten with the passing of time. I would have ten of my best warriors accompany you to the high mountains, Wolf. There are many hazards along the way, as you know. There are animals, warring tribes and the small human armies that haunt the roads between here and there.”
Two Horses started coughing again; great, heaving groans of pain filled the tent as the struggling king fought for air. Tanah, the queen, stepped back inside with a bowl of water. “Go now, my king needs to rest,” she snapped, kneeling beside her husband. Her shoulders heaved with grief.
Wolf, Onio and Mel got up to leave. Before they stepped outside into the clear mountain air, Mel stopped and stared into the corner of the tent. Onio held her hand, but she broke free and ran over to pick up the discarded bottle of antibiotics. She snatched the pills up and set them close to where Tanah crouched, weeping beside her husband.
Tanah did not realize the girl was there and continued to cry as Mel stepped outside. Onio’s eyes gleamed as she stood beside him in the chill air.
“You are very kind, little girl,” he murmured.
“It’s too little, too late, I think. But it seemed cruel not to try,” she answered silently.
She looked around furtively, hoping that the other sasquatches did not hear, but they were all busy, and Mel could hear their many voices mingling in the back of her mind. Taking the hand that Onio offered, she went and sat with her companions by the fire.
Chapter 12
An hour or so after Mel and her companions left the king’s tent, a large male approached. He bowed slightly and said, “The queen wants to speak with you, but not until later on today. If you are willing to accept our company on your journey we shall leave at nightfall.”
He turned and left, leaving them alone by the fire. Mel used soul song to speak. “Onio,” she asked. “Are the sasq nocturnal?”
Onio smiled and shook his head. “No, not normally. You can understand though, why a large group of travelers would want to take shelter in the darkness. There are too many smalls…everywhere…during the light of day. We prefer to stay hidden if at all possible, especially now that your kind is actively hunting us.”
Mel win
ced and shook her head. “I’m sorry, Onio. Up until a few days ago, I never even knew you existed. I’d heard of sasquatches, but I honestly thought you were a myth, or fairy tale. Now to hear that soldiers are actually hunting you down…well, it all seems unbelievable to me.”
Onio nodded. “There is no need for you to apologize, Melody,” he murmured. “Up until recently, the sasq people have lived in secret, and happily so. Thirty seasons ago, though, something changed. A….” He paused for a moment, searching for the right words. “A master soldier, a leader of other soldiers, began an active campaign against us.” He glanced around furtively, apparently checking to see if their conversation was being monitored. Satisfied, he spoke again. “There is some speculation amongst the tribes as to what happened—”
Wolf, who lay back on his rucksack and appeared to be sleeping, suddenly broke into their discussion. “Tread carefully, Onio. The queen’s grief is raw, and she will tolerate no disrespect from you, or anyone else for that matter.”
His words were so hushed it was as though he hadn’t spoken at all. As for anyone watching, it appeared as though the big male was only sleeping in the early morning sunshine rather than carefully watching, and guarding against any threat.
Onio lowered his voice and continued. “Never speak of this, little girl, but I think it best that you know who you are traveling with, and why the threat is so real. Many, many seasons ago, a small human child was taken from her people and brought to live with the sasq. That child was a little girl named Tonya, who is now the wife of the king, Two Horses. Many people think that child’s brother is the same soldier that hunts us so ruthlessly now.”
Mel started to respond but thought better of it. It was plain to see that Tanah loved her mate, and that she had made herself welcome and happy amongst the sasquatches. How would this brother know that though? Did the brother, the soldier, know that his sibling was alive and well, or did he assume the sasq had killed her? It was sad and frustrating. Mel felt tired even thinking about the series of unfortunate misunderstandings that must have occurred to bring about this state of war.
Onio Page 7