The Last Sundancer

by Quinney, Karah

  “One day people will walk this land, they will step in the places where I have stepped this day. They will look up and see the eagle soar and they will look down upon the green valley that lives even up until that day. But will they look with eyes that see? Will they listen with ears that hear? Will they touch with hands that feel?” Kaichen spoke solemnly as the weight of responsibility fell heavily upon his shoulders.

  “The One who has made the world around me knows the answer to these questions and I….I am just a man. How can I save my people? Why must I carry the burden of innocent lives?” Kaichen bowed his head humbly as the brilliant blue sky shifted overhead.

  There was no answer to his entreaty. There was no response to his unspoken question. Who will save my people?

  Kaichen took comfort in the world around him and he did not ask for more than it was willing to give. He accepted the urgency of his quest with his head bowed low to the ground. With a restored spirit, he returned to Amara and Antuk.

  “The day grows warm with the sun overhead.” Kaichen hoped that his words would elicit a smile from Antuk since his friend appeared troubled.

  “It is hot beyond measure. You know this well.” Antuk responded as he studied Kaichen’s face. “You have sought the spirit world and asked for wisdom. I will not ask if you found enough wisdom to share. Your face shines with all that you found.”

  Antuk’s easy acceptance of Kaichen’s oddities was one of the reasons that the two men were such good friends. Kaichen eyed Amara uneasily. Though she was now his wife, he did not wish to speak of the fire that lit his blood at times without warning.

  The canyons and caverns that rimmed the land often called to him and he would know deep inside that he walked upon a sacred place.

  Amara did not shy away from his gaze and Kaichen was surprised. He expected her to narrow her eyes in distrust or turn away out of fear. Others feared him but Amara simply gazed at him for a moment and then looked away.

  Kaichen could not say why he was both intrigued and amused. He noticed that her small hands found comfort once more in the weight of the strange instrument that she held.

  He had heard music brought from wood before and he appreciated the sound of it, though nothing had moved him to dance. Others felt the beat of the drum and they stepped in rhythm to it, not so for Kaichen.

  “What is this wooden stick that you hold?” Kaichen was surprised by his own question spoken in Amara’s language.

  She raised her head to gaze at him sharply as if he had offended her in some way. Her emotions were plain to read upon her face and Kaichen felt the urge to smile though he denied himself the pleasure. He could not afford to forget the seriousness of his journey.

  “It is called a flute.” Amara did not wish to speak but she was forced to reply.

  She did not seek to anger Kaichen nor did she wish to have the instrument taken away from her. When he grimaced, she feared that he saw the flute as an unnecessary encumbrance.

  She saw that Kaichen and Antuk traveled with only their sleeping blankets and waterskins. If they had more than a small carrying pack and their weapons, she did not see it. As it was, Kaichen was well armed. He carried his quiver of arrows upon his back and his bow was strapped down as if it was another appendage.

  His lean hips were encased by a pair of skin leggings that were cut off at the knees and at his waist was the hilt of a bone knife. The walking stick that he carried also worked as a hunter’s throwing spear. The strap that covered Kaichen’s chest held a medley of small knives and at his waist, there were three small pouches, the same color of his leggings.

  “Have I met with her approval?” Kaichen did not turn back to Amara, though he felt her eyes upon him, he did not speak in her language. Antuk laughed openly just as Kaichen intended.

  “She does not understand your words.” Antuk looked past Kaichen to see that Amara still studied his friend.

  “This I know well, but it is a good thing for a woman to find delight in her husband.” Kaichen motioned for Antuk to follow him.

  They needed to find water soon. Their situation was dire, but a bit of levity relieved the concern that both men felt.

  “Perhaps it will rain.” Antuk spoke quietly as if afraid to voice his hope.

  Drought was common in this land of arid desert floors and forests that sat on high. Small pools of water could be found, but it was often saturated with grime and the droppings of small animals.

  Kaichen would not allow his horse to drink such filth or Antuk’s foul tempered donkey. But his concern was for Amara, his wife.

  He felt the urge to question her arise and he forced himself to control his inquisitive nature. Amara had been through a hardship, he was certain. He would not force her to reveal her shame to them.

  As a man with knowledge of healing, his first concern had been rape. It was possible that Amara had been violated and anger surged through him at the mere thought of her fragile body crushed under the strength of a warrior bent upon taking her.

  If she had been violated in such a way perhaps she had endured it without fighting back. Perhaps this was why she was still alive.

  Kaichen spied one of the plants that his people used to treat burns and rashes. He cut a large leaf filled with juicy pulp and crushed this in his hands. He left the rest of the plant intact. Who knew if another person would come along and need its restorative powers? Kaichen drew abreast of Amara as she walked forward.

  “We will rest here for a time.” It was dangerous to travel in the full light of the sun, without water.

  Kaichen had to set a slow pace and keep alert for any sign of the life-giving liquid that would strengthen them until the next day. Amara looked up at Kaichen before lowering her eyes.

  “Why do you hide your gaze?” Kaichen kept his voice pitched low so as not to be overheard.

  Amara could not think of an appropriate response to his question and so she remained silent. She was relieved when Kaichen looked up and gazed at Antuk with concern.

  “My friend, what are you doing?” Kaichen resisted the urge to sigh.

  Antuk had gathered several long reeds in his large hands and he held them reverently. He appeared to be in deep thought over some unknown matter. Kaichen recognized the signs of anxiety in his friend, but he did not know what to make of it. There was nothing here to cause Antuk any concern except for their evident lack of water.

  “I am gathering reeds so that I can make a long basket that will hold water without spilling even a drop.” Antuk’s gaze remained upon the tall grasses that they walked through, most were discolored and dry from lack of water. His face was flushed from the heat.

  Kaichen urged Antuk to rest. Antuk often forgot small things, like the need to drink and eat to provide nourishment for his body. Such things did not bother Kaichen at all. He simply made certain that Antuk ate when he ate and drank when he drank.

  He realized that Amara had no intention of answering his question. But her silence had been answer enough for him. He sensed a deep well of grief inside of her. She hid her eyes because they were unusual.

  Kaichen clenched his teeth together in an effort to keep silent. When he had taken Amara as his lifemate, he had also taken on the burden of her troubles and worries. He thought to give her more time to become accustomed to all the changes in her life. Yet his body did not wish to listen to his mind. Never before had he been tested by the loss of self-control.

  Azin had put him through every test imaginable and Kaichen had never broken. Yet, Amara looked up at him with the resilient spirit of a desert flower and her intense gaze tested him like never before. He wondered if this was her power and if she wielded it purposefully or with true innocence. Either way, the light in her eyes posed a danger to his heart.

  “Rest here.” Kaichen made certain that the ground was safe before he indicated a place where Amara should sit.

  Antuk plopped down beside Amara, crowding her without any thought to her discomfort. It was obvious that she did not like
to be touched.

  Kaichen ignored her gasp of protest even as he grasped one small, delicate foot in his palm. She soon saw the futility of trying to pull away. His hold was firm.

  Though it was unreasonable, Kaichen knew a moment of disappointment. Amara’s eyes burned with silent fire, but perhaps she did not have the will to fight.

  He knew that he would not cause her harm but it was obvious that she was afraid. The light sheen of sweat that covered her face came from fear instead of the inescapable heat.

  It was good that Amara’s fatigued body could produce any moisture at all. Kaichen knew that this meant that her body was still holding water.

  Her face glistened in the sunlight as Kaichen encompassed her heel with his hand and rubbed the pulp over the bottom of first one foot and then the other. He felt the resistance in her body, though he knew that his hands moved in a soothing pattern.

  Her calves were well toned and the color of newly drawn honey. He studiously ignored the perfection of her form and went about wrapping both feet in hastily made foot coverings.

  Amara tried to hold still, but she was surprised by the intense feeling brought about by Kaichen’s hands upon her feet. She could not stop the words of appreciation that she spoke without thinking.

  “I offer my thanks to you.” Amara bit her lip as she waited for his response.

  “I accept your thanks but there is something that I will ask of you.” Kaichen saw that his words caused his wife to grow tense and fearful.

  He sighed but kept his expression the same. Amara inclined her head as she waited without speaking.

  Kaichen motioned that he would lift her and when she did not protest his arms engulfed her soft weight. He walked a few steps and set her beside a lone sapling that had been battered by wind, rain and the elements.

  “Do you know how to whisper this tree into the ground?” Kaichen’s words were soft, like a gentle touch upon Amara’s skin.

  She shook her head back and forth, drawn to the quiet lull of his voice.

  “A young tree will need help to grow. Perhaps one day a part of this tree will become a bow and another part will become an arrow. But first someone must sound this tree down into the ground.” Kaichen saw that his words had captivated his wife and so he continued. “I will not ask you to share all of your sorrow with me but I will ask that you speak of all that you have endured and suffered. Tell this young sapling of life’s woes and it will respond by digging its roots deep into the soil, speak to it in a whisper and take on the burden that you carry.”

  Amara’s eyes filled with tears for no reason that she could name. She had been overwhelmed by all that had befallen her and now Kaichen gave her an opportunity to release the emotion pent up inside of her. He did not demand that she tell him all that had befallen her and in this way, she knew that he feared that she had been dishonored.

  “The warriors did not take my honor, for some reason they spared me that disgrace.” Amara met his eyes and did not look away.

  Kaichen nodded in acceptance, taking her words as the truth simply because she said it was so. But there was grief, anger and pain in Amara’s spirit and if she did not release it soon, it would poison her spirit.

  “Sound down the tree into the ground. Talk until there are not any more words left inside of you and when you are finished speaking, leave the hurt and pain of the past behind.” Kaichen said nothing more. He touched the gentle turn of her chin so that she would look into his eyes and then he walked away.

  Amara sat for a long time beside the young sapling. Her head was bowed but at times, she reached out a hand to touch the base of the tree. The long fall of her hair covered her face from view, but Kaichen found that his gaze returned to her time and time again.

  When she raised her face to the sun, he knew that she was ready to return to them. Kaichen was by her side faster than thought and he lifted her into his arms with care.

  “I can walk.” Amara knew that Kaichen worried about the cuts upon her feet, but because of his help and the soft padding of her moccasins, she would be fine.

  She could not express with words the relief inside of her spirit as she spoke of her grief and fear. Kaichen had been right to tell her to talk until there were no more words left inside of her. Amara gazed into the face of the strong man that carried her and she wondered what measure of man she had been given as a lifemate.

  “Perhaps you will play a melody for us, while we wait out the heat of the day.” Kaichen could not hide his curiosity about the relationship between Amara and the instrument that she carried.

  At his words, Amara’s back stiffened and she stared down at her hands, which clutched the flute. He carefully settled her upon the same blanket that he used to shield his body from the ground.

  “I will not call the music forth for you.” Amara knew that she could not do what Kaichen asked, not now, perhaps not ever.

  Kaichen raised his eyebrows, but he did not speak further. He did not understand what Amara meant by her words and perhaps she meant nothing at all.

  He was not fluent in her tongue and though she listened to every word spoken between him and Antuk, she showed no reaction. He was almost certain that she did not understand his language and she did not try to speak to them in response.

  Antuk gazed at Amara with hopeful eyes and Kaichen felt laughter build in his chest. He cleared his throat though it only brought to mind how thirsty he was, how thirsty they all were.

  “I will search for water. Remain here.”

  Amara watched as Kaichen walked away. She could not tear her gaze from him though she wanted to look away.

  When he had not responded in anger over her refusal to heed his politely formed request she felt something tear loose inside of her. A small seed of hope had been planted in her heart. When she thought of all that Kaichen had said and done she marveled over her good fortune. Her own mother would not have been able to select a better lifemate for her.

  Kaichen had not taken advantage of her with his superior strength or by use of force. He had helped her and guided her footsteps even though a journey of great urgency was underway.

  Antuk looked at her the way that others viewed a newly opened flower. He admired her for an instant and then looked away.

  Amara did not know what to make of the behavior of either man. At first, she had been afraid to hope and then she had refused to give her trust. But the longer she remained with them, the more that she realized that she had made a mistake. Her judgment was not what it should have been.

  Perhaps she had been more affected than she had thought possible by her ordeal with the warriors that had raided her village. When had she begun to look into the face of kindness and see only harm?

  She wanted to call Kaichen back and explain everything to him. But he was fleet of foot and agile, before she could form her mouth to speak, Kaichen was well out of sight.

  Chapter Six

  Kaichen left a small gift of thanks behind for the black-tailed rabbit that had come to his arrow. He skinned the animal and quartered the meat, after burying the entrails. He saved the organs for Amara, though his mouth watered at the thought of well-cooked organ meat.

  Antuk had an able hand over a cook fire, though Kaichen could hold his own if he was pressed to do so. He did not expect Amara to cook for them until she recovered from her ordeal. She was like a scared bird without wings, jumping at every sound and uncertain of her steps.

  Kaichen’s natural instinct was to offer comfort to Amara, but he was not unwise to the ways of men and women. It would take time before Amara could see him as her lifemate. He only hoped that she had released some of the fear inside of her heart, if not all. Amara’s eyes told him that she had lived without protection for too long.

  He carefully removed all sign of his presence from the land around him. It bothered him that he could not take the time to cover their tracks but finding water was more important than hiding their trail.

  The meat from the rabbit would keep th
em alive for now, but if they did not find water soon, the hand of death would sweep them away. It was another burden heaped upon the others that rested on his shoulders.

  Kaichen returned to the place where Antuk rested with the woman. Even from a distance, Kaichen could see that Antuk had built up a small fire in anticipation. What concerned him was the tendril of smoke that lifted into the air, creating its own dark cloud against the peerless blue sky.

  The fire would be noticeable from a vast distance, even with the smattering of canyons and caverns that dotted the land. Kaichen felt worry pierce his heart and his hunter’s instinct whispered to him telling him of hidden dangers.

  Kaichen hurried forward with lithe grace and firmly reigned in control. If he made it back to their fire only to find Antuk lifeless and Amara gone, he would never forgive himself.

  Antuk hummed as Amara wrung her hands together. Kaichen had gone to find something good to eat and Antuk knew that his friend would return with meat for them to eat. The mesma was used only to stave off hunger and it always brought about a grimace of distaste. Fresh meat was always preferable to mesma.

  The woman’s agitation was obvious to Antuk, but he could not communicate with her. He had placed one beefy hand upon her shoulder as he tried to offer her comfort but her eyes had widened in apprehension.

  He did not want the woman to fear him. He would never hurt her. She was like the desert butterflies that he loved to look at. As a boy, he had chased the winged insects and held them in the palm of his hands only to release them again. Kaichen’s woman was more beautiful than the colorful butterflies that he admired from afar.

  Someone had caused her harm and he knew that she was upset by the way that her hands twisted together and her eyes flitted from one place to another.

  Kaichen told Antuk that he was not to allow the woman out of his sight. Antuk did not think that he would need reminding of such a thing. He knew that she would die alone without their help. Already, she was weak from her ordeal and tired. What would happen if she tried to run from him?