Beyond Belief (Clan of the Ice Mountains Book 4)

by C. S. Bills

  “And easier to keep your balance on firm ice. No rocking boat under your feet.”

  “Watch out!” Tingiyok shouted.

  Attu looked ahead. Several ice chunks had drifted with the wind, and the path to shore had suddenly closed.

  Rovek swore as an ice chunk swirled toward him in the increasing wind. Waves began churning among the ice chunks, and the men struggled to keep their crafts from hitting the ice chunks or flipping in the waves.

  Attu had never seen the ocean change this fast. His boat rocked so hard Attu knew without the weight of the dead nuknuk steadying him, he would be in danger of flipping over.

  Ubantu struggled to keep his skin boat upright as the gale increased. A huge wave hit the back of Tingiyok’s craft and it rose in the air and then dropped, skewing sideways. Tingiyok paddled forward furiously, which saved him from getting too much water in his boat, although Attu could see Tingiyok was now sitting in freezing water. The Elder took a pouch held open by bone sewn into the top and bailed the water from his boat.

  The men hurried toward shore, dodging the careening ice chunks, their boats clustered around Tingiyok’s to make sure he could make it in his waterlogged craft as they struggled to find enough open water to navigate in. Ice crashed against the beach, piling up and blocking much of the shore. Ubantu led the way through the ice, and with one last push, they paddled furiously to land, jumping out of their skin boats into the freezing water and lifting them free of the deadly ice as it chased after them, pushed by the wind and waves.

  Suka and Rusik helped Attu pull the nuknuk free of his boat, and the two men hauled the animal out of the water as Attu carried his boat up the beach and collapsed beside the others, far up the shore and away from the crashing ice.

  The weather grew colder and the bay froze. A dusting of snow gave the men a chance to track, so a group of them went inland to try again for larger game. They came back with two moose. The Clan celebrated with a feast, and Attu could see the other hunters were as happy as he was not to have to venture out in the skin boats again.

  “Where is Attu? I need him.” Attu heard Keanu as she approached their shelter. He was holding his fussy daughter, trying to keep her quiet while her brother slept. Rika had stepped out of the shelter to relieve herself before feeding the pooliks their late morning milk.

  “He’s watching our children,” Rika whispered back as she opened the door flap.

  “Tell him to-”

  “I’m coming,” Attu said and handed his daughter to Rika as he stepped out. She hurried back in, closing the door flap against the biting wind.

  “A large group of people with animals like the paddle antlers are heading this way from the north,” Keanu said. “I just saw them.”

  “Do they have sleds with the bear-like animals pulling them? How far from us are they? How long before they get here?” Attu’s heart pounded in his chest like a Nuvik drum. “Are they-”

  Keanu held up her hand to stop his flurry of questions. “These are not the same men. No sleds like we saw in your vision. They are moving with a large number of the paddle antlers. They have the bear-like animals, but they aren’t pulling sleds. The animals were circling the paddle antlers, keeping them together, but not attacking them. I’ve never seen anything like it before. And even stranger, some of the paddle antlers were pulling hides and what looked like supplies behind them, like the way you pulled the meat from the tuskies back from the hunt. Men and woman were leading them with ropes.”

  “People? Leading paddle antlers?”

  “See for yourself.” Keanu shared the memory of what she had seen with Attu.

  “They don’t seem to be organized for attacking other Clans,” Attu said, pulling back from Keanu’s thoughts. “All those women and children and animals would surely hamper them if they wanted to fight. I can’t see them leaving the women and children without losing control of the animals as well. But there’s really no way to tell for sure.”

  “At the pace they’re traveling, they’ll be here in two days.”

  “We need to hide from them until they pass,” Veshria remarked at the fire that evening.

  “Keanu said they didn’t look dangerous. They are traveling with their women and children.”

  Veshria snorted and looked ready to say something when Rusik put his arm on hers. She sighed and said nothing.

  “I think Veshria’s right,” Suka said. “The Ravens had women and children, and look how dangerous they were. I don’t think we should take the chance. Just hide and let them go by.”

  “We can’t hide whenever other people come,” Mantouk said, his voice scornful. “We are not cowards.”

  The men argued among themselves, but Attu was careful they did so in the Nuvik way, one at a time, with the others respectful and listening. Attu sat to one side, listening also, but he did not give an opinion. He noticed Rovek deep in conversation with Kossu, and after a while, Rovek moved his hand out to speak.

  “Kossu and I have been talking about these strangers moving with a herd of paddle antlers and using the bear-like animals to somehow keep them together. If they are also using some to pull supplies, then obviously they’ve somehow tamed these paddle antlers to do their bidding, too. The way they are coming, they’ll travel south across the range where the rock men are. What if the rock men have been put there by this Clan to keep their animals from stampeding toward the river? What if they travel this way, south, every year?”

  “That makes sense,” Mantouk said. “I’d like to know if the rock men are theirs, or if there are other Clans responsible for them. Shouldn’t we try to find out?”

  “Can we hide the women and children and send a few hunters out? Maybe stay up on one of the hills where we could have the advantage if they try to fight or chase us?” Soantek asked.

  “I don’t want any of our men taking such a risk,” Yural said. “They might get killed.” She held her son tighter, looking to Ubantu for agreement. But he said nothing.

  “We’ve got to know about others who travel through our land, don’t we?” Tingiyok asked. “Know if they are friends or enemies?”

  “This is our home now,” Farnook added. “We must stand strong here, or we could be overrun and destroyed, like my people were when the Ravens came. These people aren’t like Attu saw in his vision, but that doesn’t mean anything. They still might be dangerous. Or they might be friendly, like the Nukeena. Either way, we need to know.”

  “We were many men with no women, yet still friendly,” Bashoo said, looking at Suanu and Brovik. His face grew tender.

  What should we do, Attuanin? Attu prayed as the others talked.

  The discussion continued for a while longer. Most of Attu’s people seemed conflicted, wanting to know about these people, but also not willing to risk exposure of the Clan. There was no clear leaning either way.

  “I sensed no evil from them, not like the Ravens,” Attu said, finally deciding to speak. “These people might know something about the men with the bear-like animals pulling sleds, or other dangers that we know nothing of, dangers these people may have faced or are facing right now. And although I felt no evil coming from them, I did sense fear in them.”

  “I did, too,” Keanu said. “Something is wrong. That is why they are moving so fast, even with the women and children.”

  “Do you think it’s worth the risk?” Ubantu asked.

  “With our women and children hidden in the caves, I do,” Attu said. “What do you think?”

  Tingiyok nodded his agreement. Yural had grown thoughtful after her first dissension. She met Attu’s eyes now and nodded her agreement. Mantouk said yes. Rovek was next, and then Ubantu. Soon it became clear that most of the men and women thought that to find out about the rock men and other potential threats was worth the risk, even if these people turned out to be enemies. And some, like Farnook, felt that they must stand their ground and proclaim this bay and the surrounding area as taken to any who came into it.

  “We will meet
them while protecting ourselves us as much as possible,” Attu said. “I think I have a way we can do that.”

  Attu and his men stood on the ridge of the last hill, looking down at the valley between the hills and the river plain.

  “Keanu said they are moving this way and we’ll be able to see them soon,” Soantek said.

  “You said it felt as if they were rushing,” Ubantu said. “But you saw no one chasing them?”

  “No.”

  “Look. There they are.” Rovek pointed to a small dust cloud rising from the north.

  “Move to your places.” Attu reached for his spear. The men moved off the ridge and down.

  Rovek and Suka flanked Attu as they reached the center of the narrowest part of the valley between the hills. The others hid behind rocks and small hills on either side of them. One of the bear-like animals was running ahead of the strangers. It saw Attu and rushed at him, teeth bared. Attu pushed his mind out to the animal, and its ears flattened as it jumped back in surprise at Attu’s mental touch. The animal pulled its mind away, and Attu let it go.

  The animal turned and ran back toward the men moving in front of the herd. The few strangers in the lead saw them, but before the strangers could stop the oncoming herd, Attu, Rovek, and Suka were surrounded by paddle antlers and more of the bear-like animals, milling about in noisy confusion.

  “What do we do?” Suka shouted.

  “Stand still. Don’t move,” Attu said.

  Rovek’s eyes were wide, and Attu could feel him shaking. A paddle antler tossed its head a hand’s width from Rovek’s face. Rovek flinched but held his ground.

  Women and children hid behind the paddle antlers that were pulling sledges. One of the women held a knife. Then one of the men yelled something, and Rovek looked to Attu in surprise. “Did that man just shout out a warning to the others in Nuvik?”

  “I heard it, too,” Suka said. “It sounded like he said there were armed men ahead.”

  Are you all right? Tingiyok mind spoke, his inner voice tense with fear.

  Yes. Stay hidden.

  Attu and the others watched as a few of the men began driving more of the paddle antlers around them. Before Attu could move to free himself and his men, the entire herd had completely encircled them, effectively trapping them in place as a larger group of strangers approached them, weapons raised.

  Stay where you are, Attu mind spoke to Tingiyok as the man’s thoughts, normally well guarded, flooded Attu’s mind with his desire to come to their rescue.

  “What now?” Suka asked.

  Attu motioned, and the three men positioned themselves back to back, facing out.

  The strangers drew closer and a chill ran down Attu’s spine.

  “They look like Nuviks,” Suka said. “Like Farnook.”

  Attu agreed. These people were smaller of stature and darker skinned than Attu’s Clan, but with Nuvik facial features. One of the men, apparently their leader, stepped forward, his staff ready at his side. He searched their faces, looking as surprised as Attu at the resemblance between them.

  Something in Attu’s spirit rose up, and he motioned for Rovek and Suka to imitate him. Their eyes widened, but they moved to face the strangers with him and grinned broadly as Attu grinned, thumping their spears across their chests three times. “We bring no evil,” they said.

  The lead man’s mouth dropped open in shock. He recovered, however, and thumped his own spear across his chest three times. “I am Toonuk.”

  “I am Attu. We are Nuvik. People of the Waters, once Ice Mountain Clan.”

  The man pronounced his words oddly, but Attu could understand him. “We are Nuvik, too.” The man grinned again. “Tuktu Clan.”

  “They’re Nuviks?” Rovek popped his lips, then jumped back as all around him, the men, women, and children of these paddle antler people popped their lips in response.

  “Throw me in a nuknuk breathing hole,” Suka said, staring in awe at the strangers. “I don’t believe it.”

  “Brothers,” Attu said and stepped forward to grasp the arm of the leader of the Tuktu.

  Chapter 6

  Toonuk walked into Attu’s camp well before their agreed upon time to meet. He had one of the large bear-like animals at his side, and Attu’s people moved away from them both as Toonuk saw Attu, raised his hand in greeting, and sat near Attu at his cooking fire.

  Toonuk’s bear-like animal lay at his side, and Toonuk draped a hand over the animal’s back, running his fingers casually through its lustrous fur. Attu watched the two in fascination.

  Brovik was nearby with his kip, and when they saw Toonuk and his animal they both froze, staring. Ganik walked by, his kip pulling first toward Brovik and his kip until it spotted Toonuk’s animal and stopped, the hair on its back rising. It growled. Ganik looked to where the kip was staring and stopped to stare, also.

  “Bring him here,” Toonuk said. Ganik looked to Attu. Attu nodded, and the boy walked forward slowly as his kip continued to growl. Toonuk’s animal stood up and stared back at the kip. It took a step toward them.

  Attu moved to stand.

  “It will be all right. Moon Shadow will not harm the pup.” Toonuk motioned for Ganik to come closer.

  As the two animals came toward each other, Attu pushed his mind out to the kip. He saw confusion in the animal’s mind, anxiety mingled with excitement. He wants this adult one to be a leader. He wants or feels some need of his protection.

  The adult and kip came face to face. Then Ganik’s kip dropped low to the ground, its muzzle reaching up to the adult, licking it, whining, and wiggling an impossibly flexible body.

  The adult stood his ground, accepting the kip’s groveling, then, to Attu’s surprise, it dropped low in return, rear end in the air, and made playful yipping sounds.

  A flash of movement, and Brovik’s kip pushed in, dragging her rope, groveling and yipping, licking and wiggling alongside her brother. Brovik squealed and chased after his kip, but Suanu grabbed him and picked Brovik up as the boy struggled.

  Toonuk released the female kip from her rope. “Go. Run,” Toonuk said, and the large male bounded off, the kips chasing him.

  Ganik cried out while Brovik still squealed in his mother’s arms.

  “Do not worry, little ones. Moon Shadow will bring them back once they are worn out,” Toonuk reassured Ganik, then looked to Brovik, smiling at Suanu. Ganik frowned, but said nothing. He turned away, his shoulders drooping.

  “He does not believe me,” Toonuk said, his face thoughtful. “Or perhaps he doesn’t like being called little?”

  Ganik made a sound in his throat.

  “Ah,” Toonuk said, nodding. He turned to Attu. “I know I am here before our agreed upon time, but I wanted to talk with you before everyone gathered. We have much to discuss.”

  Attu nodded and waited for the leader to continue.

  “We have been harassed on our journey south by a band of Tuktu thieves.”

  “Thieves?” Attu’s heart started pounding. “Where?” He half-stood on instinct, as if an evil Tuktu might even now be lurking at the edges of their camp.

  “There is no immediate danger.” Toonuk motioned for Attu to sit again. “We’re quite sure the men left our trail several days ago to go east where they can find the wood to build sleds for the winter. It is past the time of snow, and they took a big risk to continue following us as long as they did.”

  “They were following you?” Attu clenched the handle of the knife he’d been sharpening.

  “It’s very unusual to be this far into the cold time without the ranges of hills and the flat land to the east being covered in snow as high as a man’s thighs, drifting much higher in places,” Toonuk said, ignoring Attu’s question as he continued to explain. “If the snow hits before they have sleds built, those thieves will be stranded. Then the murderers will starve to death.”

  “Murderers?” Attu’s heart pounded.

  “Yes. They are Tuktu outcasts, thieves and murderers, taking wh
at they want and killing whoever stands in their way.” Toonuk spat off to the side. “I wish they would get stranded. We’d all rejoice and thank the spirits if they died.”

  “But they are Tuktu? And yet they steal from you and kill your people?”

  “Yes. I wanted you to know of the danger. It is a complicated story of how these raiding bands of thieves came to prey off our Clans. We can speak more of it tonight, when all your people can hear. But for now we believe we are safe, so you are as well.”

  “Why not tell me now? There may be more we need to do to be better prepared in case they attack.” Attu knew his people had prepared as best they could for the attack of the men he’d seen in his vision, but now that Attu knew there was a real enemy, perhaps nearby, and not just the one from his vision, he needed to learn whatever Toonuk knew as soon as possible, so he could protect his people.

  “I didn’t mean to cause you alarm, but just to explain why we cannot stay more than one night,” Toonuk said. “We’ve been held up already for almost a moon and must get farther south before it snows and travel becomes harder. We’ll talk tonight.” The Tuktu leader rose to go, whistling to call his animal to his side.

  Frustrated, Attu stood also. “But-”

  Toonuk whistled again, cutting Attu off. His large animal ran through the camp toward where the two men stood. One woman screamed and grabbed her small child up into her arms as the bear-like blur of fur dashed through an open area in the camp, followed by the two kips barking madly and trying to keep up.

  Toonuk turned to Attu in surprise. “Why is that woman afraid of my dog?”

  “Dog?” Attu asked. “Your what?”

  “That is what we call these animals like my Moon Shadow and your pups, although your male seems larger than our pups are at his age. What do you call them?”

  “We have no real name for them. We have been calling them kips.”

  Toonuk’s eyebrows rose as he stared at Attu. “Like nuknuk young. Why do you call them that?”

  Attu quickly shared the story of their find, and when he got to the part about the smaller female, Toonuk stopped him. “Black, brown, and white, all on the same animal?”