by V. R. Janis
Stolen Light
Title Page
Book 1 of the Light Chronicles
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CHAPTER 1
V. R. Janis
Other Books by V.R. Janis
Hidden Magic Trilogy
Hidden Powers
Hidden Memories
Hidden Conflicts
Reflections Series
Unique Adaptations
Stolen Light
Book 1 of the Light Chronicles
V. R. Janis
eBook version
Copyright © 2013
Published by Ojibwe Wonders Publishing.
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ISBN: 0984789642
ISBN-13: 978-0-9847896-4-1
DEDICATION
For my family
Without you, none of this would be possible
CHAPTER 1
I knew something was following me.
I saw the shadows flitting from tree to tree. Were they friends or foes? I shifted so a tree was at my back. I wasn’t taking any chances.
My arrow was already notched, the string pulled taut. When I saw another movement on my right, I released it, then took a deep breath as I heard the thud of the arrow hitting home.
The buck that I had been hunting took one staggering step and crumpled to the ground. That took care of one of the shadows, but what about the others? I searched the area through my lashes as I bent my head to study the buck.
He was huge, definitely weighing more than I did, most likely twice as much. I knew it was going to be hard to get him home by myself. I guessed this was one of those moments when I would have to live with the consequences of my actions.
I was happy to have the buck, just needed to figure out a way to drag it back to the house.
My brother was miles away, hunting in the northern plains, so his help was not an option. I preferred to hunt in the forest near our home. I guess this was just another thing that made us different.
If I had missed the shot my brother would never have let me live it down—not that I had missed one that close in a long time. Everything was a competition between us. Father would have been disappointed too; he expected the best from us.
I ran over to the buck and slit his neck to drain the blood. Then I pulled my arrow out. I laid my hand above the slit near his cheek.
“I am thankful, pikicila, older brother, that you gave your life so I may live.”
I slit him from neck to rump and pulled out his insides. I kept the heart and liver, putting them back inside him so they would not get damaged.
I went to search for two young trees to make a travois to drag the buck home. I found two strong ones and used my sword to cut them down. I laid tobacco down as an offering for the lives I took.
I hauled the trees back to the buck and laid them beside him. I was happy I had decided to bring my rope. I crossed the trees to make a triangle and then tied my rope around the spot where they met. I then wove the extra rope between the two trees so I would have a net to set his body on.
I grabbed his antlers and started to pull him onto my contraption. My muscles strained against the massive weight. I knew I could not have dragged him home any other way.
I heard a noise behind me.
I started to glow as I dropped the antlers. I had my sword pointed at my cousin’s throat before he took another step closer to me. I focused on calming myself down and my glow receded.
He looked comical and I knew I would not forget the look on his face anytime soon. He froze with one leg in the air and the other in tiptoe position. He started to shift for better balance, but it made the blade press deeper into his skin.
“Ow! Come on, Wakangli. I concede, so you win. I told your brother this was not going to work.”
I held my sword steady. “What was not going to work, cousin?”
He huffed and started to raise his arms; I took a step closer, pressed my sword deeper and shook my head.
He growled. “Release me, wana!”
I laughed. “Or what?”
He started to grumble and mimic my brother. “Iyatan said, ‘Sneak up on her and try to make her miss her shot. It will be easy to do.’”
His voice returned to normal. “Easy does not begin to describe how this was for you.”
I still held the sword against him while I reached back into my belt for my knife. I threw it toward my right, into a tree next to my other cousin’s head.
He flew to the ground and shouted, “Holy Tatanka! Wakangli, you could have hit me. We surrender.”
“I wasn’t even close,” I laughed. “Now what should I do with you two?” I looked to my younger cousin on the ground. “Tanagila, you will help drag the deer back.”
He stuttered in indignation. “Bbbbut...but… that’s not fair.”
I looked at my other cousin, still posed and starting to sweat. “Wagnuka, you can take a turn.”
I lowered my sword and slid it into its sleeve. Wagnuka lowered his head and stomped away. “No! No, fairy princess. I will not help.”
I hated when they called me that; it was what my father called me. It made me seem delicate, and that was one thing I was not.
I walked over to my knife and yanked it from the tree.
I kept track of Tanagila’s eyes so I would not accidentally meet his gaze, even though he kept trying to catch mine. We both stood next to the tree, watching as Wagnuka ran for home.
I turned and put a hand on the tree’s rough bark. “I am sorry, tree. I did not want to hurt you, but I think I would have been in more trouble had I put a hole in my cousin.”
I sent some of my energy into the tree and helped it heal. Then I turned toward Tanagila.
“What is the matter with him? Why is he so mad? I wasn’t going to hurt him and he knew it. I just like to make him sweat.”
“You know how he is. He takes things to the heart. He almost had you. You have to admit he was almost upon you. It bothers him that he can never get the best of you.”
“I heard the crinkle of the leaves. It could have been anything, but I always try to stay on my guard. That is what Father drills into my head every day.”
He shrugged his shoulders and I continued, “You two should know that. Father makes you train with him too. No hard feelings?”
“No hard feelings from me. I can’t speak for Wagnuka. You do make a habit of frustrating us most of the time.”
“Oh well, I guess I will have to deal with him sooner or later. Hopefully later. You do have perfect timing though; I needed some help to drag this deer ho
me.
“It will go much faster with two of us,” I said. “If we take turns, we both won’t get so tired. When we get home I will make you a cake, after….”
“Let’s go then.” Tanagila smiled and grabbed the poles.
I knew that I had to wait a minute to talk again, because nothing was going to get into his head after he heard the word “cake.” He usually had a one-track mind and most of the time it was pointed toward food.
“You do have to do something else and you don’t have a choice.” I grinned wickedly at Tanagila. “You have to help me get back at Iyatan.”
He smiled. “With pleasure.”
The hike back to the house didn't take long with Tanagila and me working together. We passed the time planning our attack on Iyatan.
The hill going up to the house was going to be the end of me. My arms were burning, and Tanagila was grunting as he pushed the travois while I dragged it. I yanked hard and landed on my butt. Tanagila laughed until he was on the ground next to me.
“Your face was amazing—the shock and indignation on it. It is just too bad no one else was around.”
He looked around and then shrugged. “Maybe I can use it for blackmail at a later time.”
I lifted my end of the travois and glared at him. Then I let my face soften. “Go ahead and try. We'll see what happens.”
He started laughing again. “Okay, I am ready. Don’t be so sensitive.”
We dragged the deer to the back of the house where a table sat waiting. We used this table when we were preparing the animals for the pot. I grabbed a knife out of the box sitting under the table and started butchering the buck.
Since my brother, our cousins and I were the main people to use the knives, it was our job to make sure they were clean and sharp. The table and knives always had to be ready for the next person to use. It was a dirty job, but I didn’t mind.
We knew no one would cut up the deer and haul it inside for us because most of the hunters were gone. One of our rules is: “If you bring it to the house then you have to prepare it.”
The cook loved fresh meat, but she wanted it off the animal. She always got sad when she saw the animals’ faces. I felt for her, so all this work was worth it because she was a good cook.
Tanagila helped me carry the meat into the kitchen for the cook to deal with and then went to his room. I went back outside and stretched out the hide between rods that formed a square. The stretching rack was situated against the house. I could hear Tanagila singing as he cleaned up, and my brain was screaming at me to make it stop. He meant well, but he could not carry a tune.
I grabbed a scraper out of the box and spent hours scraping the hide clean. Then I left it to dry in the sun so it would be ready to bury in ashes.
While I was cleaning up the scraps, Tanagila tried to creep up behind me.
“Nice try, but you sound like a skunk running through the bushes. Are you sure you cleaned up? You smell like one too.”
“Hey!”
“Did you get what we need, Tanagila?”
“How did you know it was me? I could have been the enemy. Or Wagnuka.”
“I knew.”
I threw a scraper at him and he screamed, “Hey! I'm clean.”
“You got clean too fast, Tanagila. I still need help to clean the table and knives. You know we cannot leave it like this.”
“Fine I will help you, but if you put any of this stuff on me, I’m gone.”
“Let me see the bag and what you brought me, my favorite and most loved cousin.”
He grinned as he handed over the bag. “Flattery will not get you anywhere, cousin.”
I laughed as I opened the bag and found a drum stuffed inside. We were going to scare a big-headed hunter. He didn't know what was coming for him. I looked up and grinned.
I went to the stables and stepped up to the stall that held my horse, Wicahpi. I rubbed my hand down her white forehead and patted her neck. She was a beauty, with her full white body, silver mane and tail.
She was bred by an Elvin horse master from our continent, Tatowapa. The land of my birth was known for horses, sailing and the people who were the natives of the land. The wind was a constant companion on the island; maybe that is why sailing and merchants were the main income for our people. I am proud of my homeland.
I wanted to see the other continent called Aglapta, which was home to the other elves. I heard that it is a cold place where it rains constantly. This is where many of the storytellers born to our people are from. I wondered if I would like this place.
I opened the stall and walked Wicahpi out. I was ready to jump on her back, but she stepped away from me.
“We are going to get Iyatan back and I need you. Will you help me?”
Wicahpi shook her head back and forth sharply, then headed back for her stall.
“Iyokipi, you won’t get in trouble if we are caught. You will be back in your stall before the night comes fully.”
Wicahpi stopped and turned to look at me.
“Please! I will give you extra oats.”
Her head started to nod before I even finished speaking. I knew if she disagreed with what I was up to the best way to get her to help was to bribe her. The best way to bribe her was through her stomach—and sometimes with a good brushing.
“Thank you,” I said. “Thank you so much. Now, we are going to the edge of the north forest. We need to go as fast as we can before Iyatan comes home.”
We sped across the land with Tanagila and Wagnuka behind us. Wagnuka glared daggers at me, making me wish he had stayed behind, but he still followed. We made it to the edge of the forest and spotted Iyatan’s horse. We led our horses behind a bend in the trees, dismounted and headed into the plains.
We did not go very far out into the grasslands before we spotted Iyatan. Tanagila crawled over to me and handed me the drum. Then we stayed on the ground, waiting.
Iyatan crept slowly toward us, keeping his eye on his target, a herd of buffalo. He kept his back toward us, unaware of the scare he was about to receive. He stepped closer. I waited until he was right in front of us, then I sprang up, pounding the drum.
My brother shot up into the air and screamed, “Wakangli! How dare you!”
I started laughing.
I did not say anything as I motioned to Tanagila to wait and be quiet. I looked around, but did not see Wagnuka anywhere.
“Wakangli! I can’t believe you did that,” Iyatan said. “You ruined the hunt.”
I felt the ground rumble and looked up to see the herd of buffalo that my brother had been stalking stampeding toward us. I grabbed at Tanagila’s shirt and ran for the trees. Iyatan didn’t have time to run and was caught in the middle of the herd. It seemed to take forever for the end of the herd to pass. Iyatan lay sprawled on ground, not moving.
Tanagila ran to him but ended up on his back with Iyatan leaning over him. Iyatan was glowering so much his blond hair seemed to have gained a red tint. He was bleeding from his head and he curled inward toward his stomach. I felt so guilty, and knew it was time for me to face him. I jumped and ran from the tree where I was hiding and came up behind him.
“Iyatan, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I am fine, no thanks to you. I used the earth to give me strength.”
“I’m sorry. Your trick could have ended just as badly.”
“Wicaka.”
“So play nice and I will too. You know it was your fault; you started it.”
He turned toward me with murder in his eyes. He didn’t say anything, but spun away and shuffled toward his horse. I yanked Tanagila to his feet and followed.
“Come on, Iyatan. It was a joke just like the joke you had Tanagila and Wagnuka play on me. It was fair and we did not mean for anyone to get hurt.”
“Fine! You win, Wakangli. I should not have played a trick on you.”
“Then stop pouting.”
“You cost me the hunt. Also my head and side hurt.” He smiled with excitement, despite
his anger and pain. “We need to hurry home. We sail in two days. That was a good trick though. You scared me.”
He frowned. “You know, if we did not have magic that would have ended me, right?”
“Niye? The almighty Iyatan? I did not believe that it was possible. Thinking about it now, it was not the best idea I have ever had. I am glad you are okay, brother.”
I grinned and he grinned in response, then nodded. After I handed the damaged drum to Tanagila, I walked to Iyatan’s side. Wagnuka seemed to have disappeared. I whistled for Wicahpi when we cleared the trees.
My horse didn't come when I whistled. She always came when I called, even when she was mad at me. Tanagila’s horse was missing as well. The only horse still around was Pailepi, Iyatan’s charger. The ground was churned up around him and he was panting.
We tried to get near Pailepi, but he danced away from us and reared up.
We had to get Iyatan up on his horse.
I looked around one last time. “I wonder where Wagnuka went?”
Iyatan sighed impatiently. “I don’t know, and right now I don’t care. We need to hurry to get back before Father finds us gone.”
“You didn’t tell Father that you were going hunting either?” I laughed. “We had better hurry then or else suffer some crazy punishment.”
We finally got Iyatan on Pailepi’s back and started the long trek home. We kept a steady pace, letting Iyatan carry the drum as we walked.
Mischievousness glowed in Iyatan’s eyes as I looked at him. “What is it, Iyatan?”
Iyatan looked at me with innocence. “I could not find my sock this morning. I was wondering if you could help me find it when we get home? Please.”
I groaned as the sock, wherever it was, began to glow. There was nothing I could do to stop it. Once someone mentioned something lost, my powers always kicked in. The sock pulled me toward it, wanting to be found.