Before Farren and his men had found them, Antuk had been soothed by the music that Amara called forth from her flute. The sky above them had been a clear blue without a cloud to be seen at any distance.
Yet the air had been thick with moisture and Amara could sense the oncoming rain. She felt the music swell within her and pressed the flute to her lips. Before long, she was lost in the music that swirled around her. After a time, one lone cloud rode the wind to hover above them.
Antuk sat entranced as Amara played on, much to his delight. More clouds formed above them and Amara’s song mingled with their silent beauty. Soon it became evident that it would rain. Antuk opened his eyes and named her Cloud Bringing Woman and Amara smiled.
Her smile had faded as she noticed that Antuk’s eyes had hardened as he looked into the distance. Before Amara could catch sight of the thing that caused Antuk to stand with his weapons held at the ready, she started to tremble.
His posture alone told her that danger had found them. Amara gasped as men rose up from the ground to stand before them. They had slithered on their bellies, covered in red earth and sand. The whites of their eyes stood out in contrast to their dark skin and as they looked at her, she knew that they had heard her flute from a great distance.
“Do not hurt Cloud Bringing Woman!” Antuk bellowed as the men started toward her.
Suddenly Amara sucked in a breath and opened her eyes. She was relieved to see Kaichen striding toward her, but one look at his face told her that they were not yet safe and secure amongst Farren and Tamol’s people.
“It seems that Antuk spun a tale. It is a legend of his uncle’s people.” Kaichen took hold of Amara’s hand without thinking. He was unaccountably glad when she did not draw away from his touch. “He has called you Cloud Bringing Woman in front of Farren and his men. By now the story has spread to Tamol’s band.”
“Perhaps they do not know of the legend, you said yourself that the story was told amongst Antuk’s people.” Amara’s eyes were hopeful for she sensed that Kaichen was even more alarmed than she had perceived.
“Everyone should know the story of Cloud Bringing Woman. In the land of Antuk’s people it is simply a story told to children when it rains. A woman of great beauty opens her hands to the sky and calls forth the rain. The rain is a blessing to both the people and the dry land. The rainy season is offered in response to the humble woman’s cry for relief.” Kaichen’s features were set in grim lines as he spoke to Amara.
Her lovely face was tilted upward as she looked trustingly into his eyes. Kaichen forced himself to continue speaking though he would spare her this new concern if he could have done so.
“My father’s people once worshipped many gods. Their leader, my grandfather, was called Sakyma. He wielded his power over the land and the people that dwelled there. He took slaves and servants without regard for a person’s right to freedom.”
“Kaichen.” Amara spoke his name with effort, she saw that the words that he spoke brought back terrible memories.
Though she was almost certain that he was remembering the history of his people and not his own past.
“One of the ways that Sakyma controlled his village was through sacrifice. He believed that the dark gods that he worshipped punished the people by depriving them of water. He spoke of a woman that could call the rain and he scoured the land in search of her. Each time that his men returned empty-handed he sacrificed one of his slaves upon the temple’s alter. The woman that he searched for was said to have been born of prophecy.” Kaichen released Amara’s hand which had grown cold within his grasp.
“Do not say it.” Amara did not know if she pleaded for herself or the people that had lost their lives to such a vengeful leader.
He held the air inside of his lungs for as long as he could, just as he had been trained to do when seeking calm. But with his inner eye he saw only death and destruction and the end of the world as he knew it. Kaichen bowed his head as he took in a deep breath. “They called her Cloud Bringing Woman.”
Dust settled over the fire which had gone cold long ago. Kaichen lifted his head to stare up at the rock spires where Tamol and Farren took their rest with their bands. He could not bring himself to sleep amongst them and he was grateful that he was not expected to do so. He craved the wide domain of the land, no matter the lack of moonlight.
Amara slept on one side of the fire and Antuk rested while Kaichen kept watch. There was no feeling of safety even though they were close enough to the others to be heard if they lifted their voices in sound.
Kaichen averted his eyes from the place where the fire had been only moments before. Morning light began to bathe the rocks and canyon walls orange, red and yellow. It was a time of awakening and golden moments of light. He listened to the land as it whispered to life around him.
This was his home, a place worth fighting for.
Last night Tamol had told him that he would not deplete the food caches of his people for the sake of Denoa’s band. Kaichen had remained expressionless as Tamol stared at him waiting for his reaction.
“Will you and your men join the hunters of my mother’s people and seek out food for all?” Kaichen’s question seemed to catch Tamol off guard. However, the question was not unexpected.
“Your mother’s band has enough hunters to bring back meat for their people.” Farren spoke up for the first time even as he narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
“My mother’s band has a few men that hunt, but none with the skill that your men possess.” Kaichen did not seek to flatter Tamol and Farren.
He spoke the simple truth. The skins that the women used for sleeping furs, clothing and the making of foot covers gave credence to his words.
“Our hunters are born with the knowledge to hunt and succeed. It is also your birthright.” Tamol’s blood surged through his body as he remembered the glorious days of his youth, hunting at the side of his friends.
Kaichen’s mind turned to Siada. His brother had been denied the right to grow up as a strong young man and to become a skilled hunter.
“My men would be willing to hunt with your mother’s band, if only to show them that we are more skilled.” Tamol’s eyes narrowed until they were mere slits, elongated by dark eyelashes that effectively hid his thoughts from Kaichen.
“It is the same where my men are concerned.” Farren spoke slowly as if weighing his own words before releasing them.
It was in this way that Kaichen came to know that Farren’s words were spoken as a vow. They would hunt together. They would bring enough food back to feed those of their bands.
Tamol and Farren watched as Kaichen turned away from them without further speech between them. Silently the men peered down the side of the cliff as Kaichen deftly made his way to the fire below. Kaichen moved with lithe grace upon the rocky places of their people.
“I could almost believe that Kaichen grew into manhood under my watchful eye. But I have rarely played the fool.” Tamol spoke to Farren who turned to study him for a time.
“Kaichen is more than he seems and he is as crafty as his father ever was.” Farren’s observation was given after much thought and contemplation.
It went unspoken that this was the best time to hunt the buffalo and they would have a better chance of feeding their people during the cold season if they worked together.
“Shale.” Tamol breathed his friend’s name as a silent exhalation given over to the wind. He wished that he could send the river of time flowing backward so that he could see his friend once more. He did not have to look at Farren to know that he had the same thought though unspoken.
“Cloud Bringing Woman, why do your eyes water?” Antuk’s question took Amara by surprise.
She had hoped to gain a moment by herself where she could simply think and breathe in the morning air. She had not dared to move outside of the eyesight of Kaichen and Antuk though she craved freedom.
Amara turned to face Antuk and her lips formed a tender smile. Antuk was o
ften more intuitive than either she or Kaichen had come to expect. He held out a finely woven basket to her and Amara readily accepted the gift.
Antuk’s baskets were intricate in design and almost always woven so tightly that Amara felt certain she could carry water in them without spilling a drop upon the ground.
“You have a special skill with basket weaving.” Amara laughed when Antuk beamed over her praise. “Many would envy such a talent.”
“Men should not weave baskets. Men should fight and hunt for food.” Antuk’s words were spoken in a low growl and Amara knelt beside him to hear the last of what he said.
“But you are a fine hunter and a skilled fighter. I do not think that you should ever stop creating such beautiful baskets.” Amara held the carefully crafted basket in her hands.
She considered the plant fibers that had been carefully intertwined with long blades of wild grass to create a thing of beauty. Antuk had managed to make something ordinary appear extremely detailed and multi-colored.
“You should save your water for the sky. I am a watcher. I know many things.” Antuk responded, bringing Amara’s thoughts back to his use of the name Cloud Bringing Woman.
“I cannot bring the rain, Antuk.” Amara was firm though she hated to see the flash of disappointment in the large man’s eyes. She did not know what Antuk meant by his words, referring to himself as a watcher. “But you are right, you do know many things.”
Antuk seemed satisfied with Amara’s words or perhaps he was not satisfied at all. She realized that he paid her no attention at all as he studied the chiseled blade of his hunting knife and began to sharpen it with careful strokes.
Amara’s thoughts turned inward. The people relied upon the sky just as much as they did the land. It was no wonder that they wished to believe in the Sundancer and the stories of Cloud Bringing Woman.
Yet, no matter how much Amara wished that such things could be she did not wish to carry the burden of the people upon her shoulders. It was this burden that plagued Kaichen, stealing the light from his eyes.
“Tamol. Farren.” Kaichen’s voice rose in greeting startled Amara and she turned swiftly to see that Tamol and Farren stood just out of sight, but close enough to have heard her conversation with Antuk.
Amara felt her mouth go dry. In an instant, she remembered all that Kaichen had told her about his grandfather and the man’s thirst for power.
As she struggled for breath, Kaichen stepped in front of her, effectively shielding her from view with his broad back and strong shoulders. She ducked her head and allowed her hair to fall forward around her face.
Much to her surprise Kaichen clasped one of her hands in his and tucked one side of her hair behind her ear, lifting her chin in the process. Amara was forced to look straight ahead and meet the eyes of Tamol and Farren without flinching.
She was not certain why Kaichen would silently ask such a thing of her, but she also knew that she would not deny him. Kaichen had proven himself worthy of her trust time and time again.
“Return to your mother’s people and tell them that our men have spotted a herd of buffalo toward the rising sun. We will travel behind you to join your mother’s band in a great hunt.” Tamol’s voice was firm and utterly confident. Farren’s nod was quick to follow Tamol’s words.
Kaichen responded by placing one closed fist over his chest. “We are ready.”
He expected Tamol and Farren to issue orders to their men which one of the younger boys would carry on their behalf. He was only glad that with both men he had learned to expect the unexpected.
While Tamol and Farren drew his attention their men had slithered down from the high places that they claimed for their own. They were dressed as hunters, wearing minimal clothing and carrying newly sharpened spears. Kaichen’s jaw tensed as he saw that Pele was amongst the men that had been chosen to go with them.
“Pele is my best hunter. You and he are well matched in many ways.” Tamol’s eyes were assessing as he studied Kaichen.
The silence around them was thick was tension as everyone waited to see if Kaichen would accept Pele’s presence or reject his help.
“Each hunter is welcome. But I will not pull back from delivering a death blow again.” Kaichen’s dark eyes were fixed upon Pele as he spoke loud enough for each man to hear.
He saw that Pele was angry and possibly humiliated by the defeat that he suffered at Kaichen’s hands. He knew for a certainty that the man would soon chose to call him a friend or name him an enemy.
Kaichen led the way with Amara at his side. He did not look back to see if the other hunters followed.
Kaichen walked away with more than he had when he arrived. Though he did not know the men that would soon join him as brothers of the hunt he reasoned that they were bound by blood and vows from the past.
In this way they were alike.
The old women and young children were safely tucked away in the underground cavern that her people had found long ago. Their stores of food were kept in the cool, damp place. If the underground cavern was ever discovered they would lose many lives over the cold season.
Denoa treasured the old ones of her band. They were the life’s blood of her people, telling the stories from long ago, remembering those that no longer walked the land, gone forever to rest with their forefathers.
She raised her eyes high to the red rocks that enclosed and protected her people. Watchers stood on the ridge and they shouted that a band of men approached. Denoa’s heart beat frantically for long moments until the young man above yelled down to them that Kaichen had returned.
“I thought…” Madra stood beside Denoa and she crushed her hands to her mouth to stop the words from being spoken.
“Not yet.” Denoa knew that her friend had feared the worst.
The raiders that often came to pillage and steal were a constant threat. But so far, they had not appeared, other than to leave their spears at the top of the red rocks as a sign of their mark upon the people that dwelled below.
The truth was that they could not take any more. Their band would perish if more of their food stores were taken or damaged. Denoa walked over flooded ground beside her oldest friend and reminded herself that they were not done yet. There was much more to see and do before the breath of life was taken from her.
“Make ready!” Madra called out to the waiting members of her band. The women that were brave enough to remain with them cast eager smiles her way.
Denoa smiled back, though her shoulders were full of tension.
Kaichen had given their people a reason to hope again. He could not know how much his very presence had meant to her, to all of them. Her son had breathed life back into their band with his strong steps and proud bearing, so like his father. So like Shale and yet not. Kaichen was a man that stood apart.
Soon Denoa could see her son clearly as she climbed up to the top of the ridge and looked out upon the land below. Kaichen led the way and warriors flanked him on the right and the left, trailing behind his footsteps. A young woman walked at Kaichen’s side. Amara.
Denoa narrowed her eyes. It hurt her heart that Kaichen did not seek her approval before choosing a lifemate.
“Be glad that your son has returned.” Madra’s wise voice caused Denoa to turn her eyes away for a moment and peer into her friend’s knowing gaze.
“Are we sisters, you and I, that you should know my thoughts so well?” Denoa’s voice held a hint of humor and Madra smiled.
“That we are. But we will let those strong men walking toward us imagine that you are the older sister and I am the younger.” The women shared a moment of breathless laughter as the men drew closer.
“What is it?” Madra saw Denoa’s smile fade and her eyes narrowed into long slits as her lips thinned into a sneer.
Denoa did not trust her voice. She stared at the men striding forward beside Kaichen.
Madra clasped her hands over her mouth as Denoa shook her head in dismay.
“The men th
at walk with my son were once friends of his father. Tamol and Farren.” Denoa pressed her hands together to hide their trembling as she glanced at her friend.
“Farren.” Madra breathed the name of the man that she had once loved more than life itself. Her eyes turned away from the image he presented as he walked toward them. Madra’s silently pleaded for understanding as she glanced at Denoa. Denoa nodded once as Madra took her leave.
Neither woman had expected Tamol and Farren to leave the safety of their bands and join Kaichen as he hunted for food. But they had. Denoa knew how the sight of Farren affected her friend, for he had once been her husband.
It appeared that the foundations of the world that they knew had been shaken to the core.
“Balance must be restored.” Denoa cast her words to the wind as she stood ready to face the past.
Far below, Tamol and Farren marched ever closer, led by the strong footsteps of her son. Kaichen.
Chapter Sixteen
Tense silence reigned as food was offered to the newcomers. Denoa’s eyes sparked with anger as she directed one of the young men to run to the cavern and return with the women and children.
The youth’s eyes were shadowed with doubt but Denoa’s expression dared him to voice his concern. He nodded humbly and ran off to do her bidding.
If only Kaichen responded to her in such a way. Denoa glanced at her son and she saw that he was aware of her anger and frustration. His stance practically dared her to object to the intrusion of Tamol and his men even though she knew that it was for the benefit of her people.
Tamol’s eyes were upon her and for that reason alone Denoa held her silence and deferred to her son.
“Kaichen, your woman does not take the place of a wife by sitting to the right of her husband?” Tamol’s voice was mild, though it hid a challenge within it.
Denoa’s eyes widened when Kaichen looked up at her and then glanced over at Amara. The young woman had remained standing, uncertain of her place. Denoa saw that Amara held her flute the way that others held a treasured weapon. A long moment passed and then Kaichen spoke.
The Last Sundancer Page 21