Antuk could not imagine grabbing hold of a woman so small and delicate. If he did not look at the curves of her body, he would think that she was a child. He guessed that she was of a similar height to many other women, but something about her appearance made her seem fragile and delicate.
Antuk tried to ignore Amara, but her expression made him nervous. Once, she had spoken and pointed back the way that they had come. But Antuk made it clear to her that he could not understand her language. She huffed and then shook her head sadly and he knew that she was disappointed.
“Kaichen will return soon.” Antuk assured the woman.
Amara only recognized her husband’s name and found no comfort in his effort to reassure her.
Amara rested upon her folded knees as she watched the land for any sign of moment. Kaichen had chosen a location that offered shade but he had not taken a defensive position. Settled out in the open the way that they were had left them open to an attack.
She bit her lip as she looked at Antuk as he patiently tended the small fire. She had rarely seen anyone put more effort into starting a blaze. Antuk used a stick that he carried with him and a round stone as well as small twigs and brush. Before long, the first tendrils of smoke formed and then Antuk blew with all of his might.
Amara almost laughed. Almost. Antuk managed to blow out the spark of fire and he growled deep in his throat as he started again.
Soon white smoke appeared again and Antuk choked as he fed the fire with small twigs. Amara noticed that the fire was small and Antuk managed to keep it from growing without allowing the fire to die out. She wondered if he sensed the danger that stalked toward them.
The small hairs on her arms stood up and she found it difficult to catch her breath. She tried to communicate her concerns to Antuk but he had quickly grown distracted by his inability to understand her words. She felt an urgent need to warn Antuk of the danger that surrounded them.
Yet, Antuk was lost in his own thoughts and he paid her no attention at all. His weapons were tossed aside, far from his reach. She eyed his large hunting knife and then considered making another effort to communicate her concerns.
A shadow moved in the distance and Amara froze even as her breath shuddered free.
Kaichen was relieved to see that all was well. Antuk tended to a small fire in anticipation of fresh meat. His concentration was complete and he did not look away from the slow dancing flames when Kaichen walked forward.
Kaichen saw that Amara’s hand rested a hair’s breath away from the hilt of Antuk’s hunting knife. Even as he watched, she slowly withdrew her hand and clasped her fingers together.
“Did you have need of a weapon?” Kaichen never took his eyes from his wife’s face as he handed his kill to Antuk.
He saw that her eyes widened in surprise and then almost immediately she lowered her gaze so that he could not see her expression. Kaichen thought that she would refuse to answer his question but when she next lifted her gaze to meet his he realized that she had used the moment to gather her courage.
“There was a shadow where there should have only been sunlight.” Amara ran her tongue over her lips which were far too dry.
“You were startled by a shadow?” Kaichen believed her, but he also sensed that there was more that she had left unsaid.
He could only wonder why she continued to hold back. What did she fear?
Amara’s tongue rasped over the fullness of her mouth though there was no moisture there. Antuk worked over the fire until the meat was fashioned upon a small spit that had been thrown together far faster than Amara had thought possible.
“Did you find water?” Antuk raised his head and spoke suddenly drawing their attention.
“I did not find water my friend.” Kaichen responded in his language and again in Amara’s language.
He was surprised when her eyes did not flash with bitter disappointment. They were in danger of dying unless they found water. The fresh meat would help them for a short time and perhaps make the lack of water less evident, but if they did not find water soon death would follow shortly after.
“Why do you fear shadows?” Kaichen returned his attention to Amara.
“There is much that I should tell you.” Amara’s words were a dry rasp in her throat, but there was nothing to be done for the thirst that afflicted each of them.
Even the horse and donkey were in danger. Kaichen did not speak. He simply eased his body to the ground so that he facing Amara in a kneeling position.
He could tell that his nearness disconcerted her, but he would not continue to stand over her while she looked away. Amara glanced at him as if she expected him to speak, when he remained silent, she frowned.
Kaichen did not like the way his insides quickened over Amara’s change in expression. He could not help but to notice Amara’s delicate winged eyebrows that drew together in concern or her lips which she pulled between teeth that flashed white against tawny skin.
“It is said that I am beautiful.” Amara’s lips twisted in disdain over the way that others often stared at her when they bestowed a compliment upon her.
It was almost as if they wished that she could share the blessing that had been given to her. Whether it was truly a blessing or a curse, she did not know. Yet, she was surprised when Kaichen once again remained silent.
“Several traders make their way to our village throughout the changing of the seasons. In this way, my people make good trades and learn about the many bands and villages that exist upon the plains. It was not long ago that the words that came to us struck fear into our hearts.” Now that Amara had begun to speak she found that the story flowed easily from her lips, though their sound was bitter.
“Our village was small, barely more than a band of people that clung together through rain and the lack of water, endless harvests and the lack of food. We live at the mercy of the small stream that flows through the place where we rest our heads at night.” Amara accepted a piece of the meat that Antuk had deemed ready to eat.
She chewed quickly, closing her eyes as she forced the animal’s fatty juices to flow into her mouth. She swallowed slowly, savoring each drip of moisture. Embarrassment over her actions caused her to glance up, but Kaichen and Antuk were enjoying their meal just as thoroughly as she was. They did not glance her way until the last bit of food had been shared between them.
“Raiders have plagued our people.” Amara closed her eyes as she remembered the fear that had run through their village when they were first told about the raiders that pillaged and plundered.
“At first, we did not believe the message that was given to us. But then the traders that always found their way to our small village, never arrived. “Some of the men of our village journeyed far to seek word from the nearby villages but they did not return. Others went, but none came back.” Amara almost choked on the tears that clogged her throat. Her hands were clenched but she forced the rest of the story to pour forth from her lips.
Amara stopped speaking for a moment as she struggled with her memories of those dark days.
“Your village did not choose to stand with the other bands that were nearby?” Kaichen waived Antuk to silence as he asked his question.
Antuk wanted Amara’s words explained but Kaichen sensed that now was not the time. Amara’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears and her lips trembled as she forced herself to speak. Kaichen would not delay the telling of her story so that he could assuage his friend’s curiosity.
“I do not know the answer to your question. Most of the villages nearby were made up of small bands that joined together out of necessity. They did not have warriors amongst them, their men were hunters only. They were not like you. They were not hunters of men.” Amara description of a warrior seemed to strike Kaichen like a blow.
Yet, it was too late to call the words back, for they had already been spoken. Kaichen’s face was a mask that did not betray any emotion. His eyes were steady upon her face and so Amara continued.
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bsp; “The warriors came to our village even as the sun breathed its first light upon the land. I was by my mother’s side and I ran with her. We had been able to elude the raiders each time that they came but one of the trader’s saw me as I played my flute by the water’s edge. I remember that he stared at me for a long time before my mother noticed the attention I had drawn and spoke strong words to the man. I was only a child at the time and as the seasons came and went we hoped that all was forgotten.” Amara thought of the many times that she had tried to forget the trader’s interest.
He and his companions never returned. Amara and her mother hoped that the traders would forget about her ability to call the music forth.
“My mother wanted to destroy the flute, given to me by my father. I could not bear to part with it. If I had known then what I know now, I would have given it over to my mother to destroy.” Amara looked down at the flute in her hands.
The treasured instrument was all that she had and yet, she would deny her gift if it would bring back those that had been lost.
“The trader told others of your ability to call the music forth?” Kaichen could understand why a man would desire Amara.
He had only to look at her and he was well aware of her feminine grace.
“We are in great danger.” Amara lowered her head and shook it sadly from side to side. “The man that was injured by Antuk’s arrow will not stop until he has completed his quest. If the raider still lives he will not be able to return to his people unless he has me at his side. The warrior that you wounded will not cease until he has kept his promise to his leader. If he still lives, he will find me, of this there is no doubt.” Amara’s gaze was fathomless, endless and full of despair.
Kaichen took in Amara’s grief stricken words and he placed a comforting hand upon her arm. It pleased him when she did not shrink away from his touch. He cast his eyes away to search out their surroundings. They were unprotected and at risk as they waited out the hottest part of the day without anything to use as cover should they need it.
His movements were carefully controlled as he rose and walked to his horse.
“Leave the fire burning.” Kaichen said nothing further as Antuk looked at him quizzically.
A fire was never left alone to burn without end. The dry land around them could easily ignite and burn without cease. Antuk was not so lost in his own world that he did not know this simple truth.
He made his displeasure known by grunting several times and mumbling under his breath. Kaichen would have been amused at any other time to hear his friend call him slow-witted and abnormal. But his neck prickled and the hair at his nape stood on end.
“Come to me, slowly.” Kaichen spoke to Amara in her language.
Kaichen spoke quietly and she did not know what she expected, but she thought that he would at the very least search the area for a threat.
She stood and walked toward him and only as she drew closer did she realize that he kept hold of his horse’s mane. She also noticed that he kept his horse between them and the place where she had seen the shadow that did not belong.
“Kaichen, how many worlds do you think there are?” Antuk went about the task of seeing to his donkey as if nothing was amiss.
“I don’t know Antuk. Load up and we will talk about it on the way.” Sweat beaded upon Kaichen’s upper lip as he considered their options. Danger was near and they were out in the open, unable to defend themselves against their unseen enemy.
They could make a run for the rock formations that were barely visible in the distance or they could head for higher ground and seek the advantage.
“I thought that you would know the answer.” Antuk’s sigh was heavy with disappointment.
“I think that there are three worlds. The world of flesh and blood, this world that we live in and the world of the spirits. But there is also a world of timelessness where there is no past, no present and no future. That world is not one that we can enter except through death.” Kaichen responded quietly and Antuk nodded sagely as if he were in complete agreement, though he stroked his donkey’s nose absentmindedly.
Amara stared at Kaichen in confusion for his words were not known to her. Kaichen had purposely responded to Antuk in their tongue. He held her upper arm and she thought for a moment that he meant to lift her, but instead he held her steady.
She could not understand his language and for the first time her inability to comprehend his speech frustrated her.
“What did you say to Antuk?” Her question seemed to catch Kaichen by surprise and he glanced at her for an endless moment before looking away without answering.
His eyes moved left and right over the land around them. Amara was momentarily distracted when Kaichen’s grasp tightened upon her arm.
“There is danger. Remain quiet.” In truth, Kaichen did not see anything amiss, but he followed his instincts and he could not afford a distraction.
Amara had given him insight into the minds of the raiders. If the injured warrior still lived, he would not simply go away, counting his losses. It was highly likely that they were being pursued, even hunted. His senses were alert and though he felt foolish for dismissing the danger posed by the raider so easily, he did not allow shame to sway his current actions.
“Antuk, do not touch your weapons for a time.” Kaichen called out as Antuk walked beside his donkey. Antuk always imitated Kaichen. If Kaichen did not ride, then Antuk would not ride.
“I have no use for weapons.” Antuk responded with a shake of his head.
Kaichen knew that his friend referred to the lack of animals to hunt. There were not any herds of buffalo, bison or deer nearby. Antuk enjoyed eating, just as all men did, even if he refrained from making the kill, he contributed in other ways.
Amara remained silent and watchful. Kaichen released her arm as she tried to understand her body’s response to Kaichen’s nearness but she could not make sense of it.
“Tell me more about the music that you call forth with your flute.” Kaichen’s words were a quiet command and Amara jerked her head up to study his face. She could only see the thick mass of black hair that hung past his broad shoulders. He kept his face turned away as he walked ahead of her but she knew that his stare was hard and unyielding. Amara considered how much to tell Kaichen.
Her mother had always urged her to keep silent and never share her talent with anyone. As a small child, she had been allowed to play her flute for the village when her father died but Amara could barely remember that time or the day of her father’s death.
When she closed her eyes, she saw flashes of times past. She remembered her mother’s laughter and her father’s deep chuckle. She could hear her own childish giggles as her father lifted her into the air.
She opened her eyes, returning to the present as Kaichen waited for her to speak.
“At times, it is almost as if I have a fire inside seeking to escape. The urge to fill the world with music overcomes me. I do not make a claim of great skill. The instrument is a part of my spirit, but sometimes I fear that it uses me.” Amara ducked her head as Kaichen glanced back at her.
Amara thought that she had said too much. Perhaps she should have said less or given more thought to her words. Even as the thought occurred to her she wondered when she had begun to seek Kaichen’s favor.
She told herself that she should be careful, it was foolhardy to rest her hopes in one person, even if that man was her husband.
“Your words are confident, but you will not draw forth a song for us. Why do you hesitate?” Kaichen did not want Amara to stop speaking, he admitted to himself that he was utterly captivated by the soothing sound of her voice.
“I call forth the music only when my flute speaks to me.” Amara ducked her head as she considered her boldly spoken words.
Antuk could not understand her words and yet his head snapped up and his eyebrows drew together in concern over the tone of her voice. Amara started to apologize but she glanced up at Kaichen and gasped instead.
His stern features were relaxed and his lips were tilted at the corners as if he held back a smile. Surprise surged through Amara even as she held her breath in the hopes that he would not only smile, but also laugh.
The moment was lost when Kaichen spoke a few soothing words to his horse.
“Where are the people of your birth? What are they called?” Her words were quiet and contrite but she was eager to hear his answer.
She wanted to know more about the man that had taken her as his mate. She had decided to give Kaichen her trust. But how was she to know whether or not they belonged to the same village claimed by the raiders that plagued her people? Perhaps they walked toward it even now.
“My mother’s people do not have a name. They are simply people of the desert sand and red rock.” Kaichen no longer felt the imminent threat of danger and he allowed the tension to drain from his body.
Without another word, he turned and lifted Amara to rest astride his horse. She did not tense as he lifted her and when her deerskin dress brushed his face she did not pull away.
Kaichen forced his eyes away from the sight of her well-toned legs as they instinctively guided his horse. He knew that she was slowly learning to trust him and he did not intend to give her a reason to fear him.
“Where will our journey take us?” Amara frowned as Antuk’s donkey stopped walking.
Antuk pushed at the animal’s hindquarters and Amara gasped. The donkey could easily buck and kick him, but Kaichen did not appear concerned.
“Do not fear for Antuk, he is larger than his donkey. If the animal kicked him, then he would simply kick it back.” Kaichen did not expect to coax a smile from Amara and he called himself a fool as his heart sped inside of his chest when her lips twitched.
She had to know that he spoke with the deliberate intention of calling forth her smile.
Amara glanced back to see that Antuk continued to push the stubborn donkey forward as the animal cried piteously. Antuk’s head was perilously close to the donkey’s hind parts.
The Last Sundancer Page 10