Tanah nodded and said, “I’m sorry Blue, I forgot. These people are members of Bouldar’s tribe, except for the small human, who is…a guest of theirs. This is Onio, Wolf, and Melody.”
Blue studied Mel for a moment, then Wolf, then Onio. His eyes grew wide as he saw that Onio was a mixed breed like himself. His pale face flushed with pleasure, but then his expression darkened and he turned back to Tanah. “Mother.” His voice shook with grief. “I am so sorry about my father…was it a fine burial service?” Tears streamed from his eyes and his shoulders hunched over with grief.
Tanah shook her head, lifting her son’s chin to see into his eyes. “Blue Sky, your father is not dead! Please don’t fret so!”
Blue stared at her in shock and muttered, “But I saw him get shot by the soldier’s guns!”
Tanah nodded. “It was a close thing, but Melody saved him with her magic pills! He is resting now but will survive the injury.”
Smiling, Blue wiped the tears from his eyes and said, “Thank you, Melody, for saving my father, the king.”
Mel smiled in return and listened while the young sasquatch recounted what happened.
“As you know, Mother, my friends and I were hunting when the small soldiers in their black birds came. Father was hunting as well, but he and his group were too far away to do anything besides watch as we were rounded up and taken away. The last thing I remember was my father being shot before a man in a white suit sprayed some sort of cloud on us. I slept then, and woke up to find myself and my friends in a faraway place of white walls, rolling beds and terrible sights and smells.”
Blue started crying again in remembered fear. “Oh, Mother, it was awful!” he sobbed, while the sasquatches who listened stirred uneasily. “There were fifteen of us and, one by one, they were taken away. I could hear their screams as they died and their soul songs were silenced forever!”
Falling Waters offered a jar of water to the heartbroken sasq warrior. Blue gulped it down, trying hard to gather his wits so he could resume his sad tale. A few moments later, Blue continued speaking, “Five of my friends and cousins were dead when the medics came to get me. That is when I met Ann.” The young warrior studied the diminishing shape under the funeral blanket.
“I was afraid to speak to any of the small humans in that place of death, but I saw something in the lieutenant’s eyes that made me think he cared about what was happening to our people. He was very sad, Mother, and horrified by what was taking place. I spoke to him then, and he.…” Tears fell again from Blues eyes. “He saved me at great personal risk to himself!”
Blue Sky sat up straight and rubbed his hands over his face. Apparently, the time for grieving was over. When he looked at them again, his eyes were clear and anger glittered instead of tears. “Ann and I escaped and drove in his car for many, many miles. We were chased by the black birds, but managed to make our way here to the tunnels. I would have asked him to join our tribe but the bear came first…I tried to fight the beast but I was too weak!” He sat now, spent and dried-eyed, miserable in his shameful weakness.
There was nothing but silence for a moment and then Onio spoke. “I hear that Blue Sky is very cunning and performs feats even the mighty sasquatch dare not try.” Every sasq warrior turned to face him. He grinned and added, “I hear that Blue Sky swims like a trout in the raging waters!” Murmured chuckles rippled through their ranks. Onio gazed down at Blue and continued, “It is said that, with Blue Sky’s help, Two Horses has never suffered a defeat in battle.” The sasq warriors stirred with pride and many of them stabbed their spears onto the floor in approval.
Onio lifted his voice and shouted, “It is said that, when the son of Two Horses and his queen Tanah was born, the moon hid her face and the stars shone red in the sky…the prophets say that Blue Sky’s birth proclaims a new era for the sasquatch people!”
Tanah was on her feet now, her eyes bright with pride, and the sasquatches raised their spears and hammers in tribute. The young sasq warrior named Blue Sky stared up at Onio with gleaming eyes, and a small smile etched his lips. He stood up and addressed the audience.
“It is also said that Onio, grandson of Bouldar, was born on the same day as Blue Sky, son of Two Horses,” Blue whispered, “and that the stars proclaimed prophecy about us both.” He bowed to his father’s guards and clasped arms with Onio, who grinned in triumph.
Suddenly, a sharp whistle pierced the air. The sasquatches whirled and faced south with pikes and spears raised in readiness. Two sasquatches were walking toward them. The one in the lead stopped and placed his weapon on the ground at his feet. Raising his empty hands in the air, he called out, “I am Ramsey and this is Willow. We are scouts for the king! We would accompany you to the conclave, if you permit!”
Mel saw that the two scouts rivaled Two Horses in size. Their bodies rippled with muscle and both of them showed the scars of battle, old and new. They seemed very calm though, and courteous. Wolf and Pony were not as easily persuaded, however. Pony snarled, “How many more of you are there?”
Ramsey replied, “Many scouts accompany us, at least fifty. Do not be alarmed though, guard, we are here to keep you safe, not to harm you.”
Pony and Wolf exchanged a measured glance, and then backed away so Tanah could approach. As was only proper, both Ramsey and Willow bowed low as the queen walked toward them. Blue Sky and Onio stood tall in watchful silence. Although they were smaller than the other sasquatches, they were still formidable, at least to Mel’s eyes.
“We have come to seek council and help from the king’s conclave,” Tanah announced.
Ramsey replied, “We know why you have come, queen of the north. The kings are awaiting your arrival.”
Tanah turned around and studied Pony’s face for a moment in surprise, then shrugged and answered, “We are ready to go with you now. Just give us a couple of minutes to gather our things.”
Ramsey bowed once more and said, “We will wait until you are ready.” Turning away, Ramsey joined Willow, and they walked a few yards away and stood patiently against the wall, while Tanah’s people gathered their belongings together. The medics lifted the funeral blanket from its place on the now empty floor of the cave and Blue paused one last time to say farewell. The dog whined and wagged her tail bashfully.
A few minutes later, Mel, Tanah and the sasquatches moved down a new tunnel accompanied by guards of the kings’ conclave. It seemed to Mel as if every fifty feet or so, another scout joined the group. They would appear, as if by magic, out of thin air. It was impressive and frightening. Mel understood that the scouts outnumbered them five to one, and if the engagement were hostile in nature, they would all be dead by now.
She walked with Onio and Wolf, directly behind Blue, Tanah and her guard Pony. The only sign Onio gave of tension was the fact that he kept Mel’s hand clasped firmly in his, as always when he was nervous. She heard Blue say, “Mother, I am surprised that Thunder did not accompany you on this dangerous mission.”
Mel saw Tanah’s shoulders hunch as if she just received an unanticipated blow. Then, before she could utter a word, Pony said, “Your half-brother was a traitor, Blue Sky, and he is dead now!”
Blue stopped dead and his mouth hung open in shock. Mel and Onio pulled up just short of knocking the people in front of them down on the ground. Wolf stood close and watched Blue’s eyes carefully as he processed this new and terrible fact. Blue looked down at Tanah and whispered, “Mother?”
All the sasquatches stopped, including the king’s guards, and watched as tears pooled and ran down Tanah’s cheeks. “It’s true, my son. Thunder was conspiring with the small human soldiers. He betrayed our position to them and tried to hurt Onio’s guest. I…I killed him myself!”
The queen broke down completely then, hunching over in shame. It was clear to Mel that Pony wanted to comfort Tanah, but he was afraid to touch her before Blue Sky could respond.
For Blue’s part, a resigned sadness filled his eyes as he gazed at the grief-str
icken woman. He gathered her in his arms and she moaned. “Our king will be so angry with me. He will kill me, I know it!”
Blue Sky shook his head. “No Mother, he will not. I know that my father, the king, has long despaired over Thunder’s actions. I always knew that he hated me, but it amazes me that he would take such drastic steps against the whole of the sasq peoples. Come and dry your tears. We must go.”
The sasquatches continued walking down the tunnel. They walked for another mile and then, gradually, the tunnel filled with light. Mel looked around and saw the tiny flames she had first noticed in Bouldar’s cave that speckled the walls, casting everything in a golden glow. She could hear a sound too, communicated telepathically through her friend’s ears to her own.
It was a low roar, like the pounding surf at high tide, that seemed to shake the very ground they walked on. Mel looked up in confusion and saw Onio and Wolf exchange an equally bewildered glance. Then she saw an opening in the tunnel and a wide-open space beyond that. One by one, the sasquatches walked through the opening and then Blue and Tanah, Onio, Wolf and Mel stepped through, as well.
Suddenly, the muted roar grew into a full-throated scream as thousands upon thousands of sasquatches shouted, First Son!
Blue Sky!
First Son!
Blue Sky!
First Son!
Blue Sky!
Chapter 28
Mel and her companions stood on a high ledge at the top of a vast underground cave. Stalagmites and stalactites rose and fell in dazzling splendor like pillars of heaven, and the gem-encrusted walls cast rainbows into the mist-filled and smoky air. The cave was enormous, twice as big as a football field. Bathing pools bubbled and hissed, and a hundred fires flickered in the ambient sunlight that filtered down through the ventilation shafts.
There were a thousand different smells; roast boar, venison and bear, cooking vegetables and stews, and the unique smell of the sasquatch people…musky and fragrant with the smell of moss, leaves, earth and the bergamot they favored.
“Come Melody, the kings await our arrival,” Onio spoke into her thoughts. Glancing up at him, she saw that lines of worry etched his mouth and dug furrows into his forehead. She saw the queen look up at her son and noticed the same doubt in their expressions. It seemed that prophecy was about to be fulfilled, whether the two young warriors wished it so or not.
Mel followed the sasq and their queen down a long stone path. Every few feet or so, a warrior reached out and clasped Onio’s or Blue’s forearm and said,” First Son, Blue Sky…a change has come!” By the time they reached the cave floor, Onio looked as though he wanted to bolt and so did Blue. They moved toward the front of the cave where a rock dais rose up into a sort of natural stage. Suddenly, the crowd of sasquatches parted and Mel heard Tanah gasp. Looking up, Mel saw that Two Horses had arrived before them. He half-sat and half reclined on a fur-covered bench. When he saw his wife, he threw his head back and howled with glee.
Tanah shrieked his name and started running toward her husband, but then she stopped. Mel understood that Tanah hesitated out of fear and shame, but the mighty northern king shouted, “Wife! Come to me now, for I have missed your embrace!”
Tanah ran to her husband and just as they reunited in joy, Mel heard Onio’s shocked voice say, “Mother, is that you?”
Mel turned to her right and saw Bouldar, Rain and Petal standing on the stage as well. Onio let out a shout and in two strides ran up onto the stage and twirled his mother around and around in his arms. Mel grinned and then felt a trickle of alarm. Looking past the happy family, she saw Drak and Iron Hands as well. Drak seemed pleased enough at Onio’s sudden resurrection, but the look in Iron Hands eyes left no doubt that his rage was not forgotten.
As though sensing her fear, Wolf took Mel’s arm and said, “We must watch that one, girl. He has not forgiven or forgotten his grudge against you or First Son.”
Mel nodded her head and then Onio was back at her side. He looked happier than she had ever seen him. Taking her arm, he said, “Mel, come and sit with my family. The high king will be arriving soon.”
She followed him onto the stage and was surprised and touched when Rain and Petal hugged her fondly and called her daughter. Wolf bowed low to his king and stood between Bouldar and Onio, watching everything and everyone with careful eyes. Mel sat down on a bench and watched the sasquatch people in their underground meeting place, known as the King’s Conclave.
It wasn’t very formal, just a lot of different family units sitting together on the stage. It DID look as though each tribe made an effort to identify themselves, though. There were rough flags and banners, and each king wore a wide decorative belt. Bouldar wore a beautiful, if modest, belt festooned with many multi-colored stones. Iron Hands’s simple leather belt was held together with a fist etched out of iron.
Looking out at the crowd, Mel saw a peculiar sight. Large scraped hides were being hung and stretched across the wall adjacent to the stage. Each of the hides was painted with strange symbols, and Mel decided to ask Onio to teach her the sasquatch written words.
There was a stir in the crowd and then a hush fell as an ancient sasquatch was carried onto the stage. Mel could tell that he was once as huge and hale as the other sasq warriors were, but time had taken its toll. Now he was hunched over so much he was no taller than Mel. Most of his big, square teeth were missing, and he peered about as if he was blind. He grinned, though, and the sasquatches cheered, sending jubilant echoes through the air, and a nest of bats squeaking and careening upwards into the airshafts.
Onio had sat down close to her a few minutes earlier. He grabbed her hand unconsciously and Mel basked in its warmth. “That is New Moon, Melody,” Onio murmured. The awe in his face was plain to see. “It is said that he was an old sasquatch when the small humans first came to this land five centuries ago.”
The ancient king was placed gently onto a large rock that was covered with soft furs. He was brought food and drink, which he ignored while staring out over the assembled masses. The cries and shouts died down and silence fell as the sasq waited for their supreme ruler to speak. Finally, New Moon said, “It has been long, far too long, since my people gathered together like this, and my heart rejoices!”
The assembly burst into a spontaneous cheer at the king’s words. There was a strange warbling shriek and Mel stared about in confusion. Leaning towards her, Onio pointed into the crowd, and Mel saw that a number of warriors held some sort of horn or flute to their lips. The sound she heard through Onio’s senses was the sound of the sasq’s musical instruments.
“This is a time of great sorrow though, for all our people,” he continued. “We have gathered to discuss what must be done. I shall be meeting with all the kings to assess the damage and the losses. We will try to decide the best way to deal with the small humans and their war machines.” He paused and looked around fitfully. “It is not time for that, however. We are not all here yet. Some of our cousins are missing or having trouble making their way here. I only pray that they too, have not been captured en route.”
He stared out over the crowd and mischief twinkled in his large brown eyes again. “For now, I would have you celebrate this rare occurrence. I would have you lift your voices in praise and welcome. I would have you eat and drink the sacred tea! The kings will attend me tomorrow, at first light.” With those words, New Moon was helped to his feet. He made to leave, then he paused and turned to face Bouldar. Murmuring to his attendants, he sat back down and gestured to Bouldar and Iron Hands to come forward.
Bouldar nodded and rose with calm authority. Iron Hands, however, started violently and his face flushed. Mustering his dignity, he stood and moved to stand beside his enemy. The old king stared up at them from where he sat. “How does it happen that a younger brother takes the place of an older brother as king of a tribe?” His voice was mild but chilling in its coldness.
The kings, and their families, stopped what they were doing and sat back down. Exci
ted chatter paused and died as well, leaving the cavern in silence as the sasquatch people listened intently to the high king’s words. Iron Hands glared at the audience and blushed, but Bouldar answered promptly. “When the older brother dies, New Moon.”
New Moon nodded thoughtfully. “And yet I see you, Bouldar, standing here before me, alive and well.” Turning toward Iron Hands, the king snapped, “How dare you usurp your older brother’s authority?” Iron Hands stared at the floor beneath his feet.
“Worse yet, I hear you tried to put an end to our prophecy by killing Bouldar’s grandson!”
Iron Hands opened his mouth to protest but the old king was having none of it. “Silence! Oh, I know why you did it, Iron Hands. For some of you, hatred and prejudice rule and no amount of reason will turn you from that path of self-destruction. Onio, come to me now!”
Mel heard Onio take a short breath, but he walked slowly and with great dignity toward New Moon. He knelt in front of the king and New Moon put his frail hand on Onio’s head. Glaring up at Iron Hands, he hissed, “Your own nephew…you tried to kill your own flesh and blood!” His eyes blazed with shame and loathing.
“Go boy,” New Moon told Onio, “and stand back with your family.” Once the young warrior was standing between Mel and Petal, the king struggled to his feet. Although he was at least a foot shorter than Iron Hands, New Moon seemed to tower over the humbled sasquatch.
“I would have you undergo the testing, but I happen to know that the test has failed at least three times in your life already. I think it is a waste of time and energy. I allowed you to take tribe members away from your home clan…after all, these things happen sometimes, usually when a tribe becomes too large to sustain itself properly.” He paused for a moment. Tears glittered in his eyes and he quaked with sorrow and rage.
“What you did, however, is unforgivable. You attempted to murder a family member, and you seized the mantle of leadership only your brother is entitled to! You are a traitor to our society and a disgrace to your own people!”
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