by S E Turner
The hunter slowly gripped his spear, his eyes locked on the vulnerable unsuspecting victim. With cunning perseverance and without arousing suspicion, the General found the balance of his weapon. Calmly and carefully, he raised the murderous shaft until it was aligned with his eyes. The victim was the perfect target—the eyes were focused elsewhere. The predator kept the prey in sight and with a perfect stance, leaned back, took aim and followed through with immense power. He exerted a force so strong that it separated the heavy blanket of brume and knocked away several arrows on its path. The breath of the flying weapon was heard by Keao's ear as it struck him. The weapon was much faster than his reflexes. His life flashed before him and everything that might have been. Everything that he had been through, everything that he had taught Ajeya: be silent, be vigilant, be invisible. Never become a target, never take your mind off the task. Think, feel and survive. He knew that he had let the clan down, he had let himself down, but mostly, he had let Ajeya down. The long stem was all that could be seen as it impaled him on the unforgiving steel, and he sank to the ground.
Ajeya ran over to him. 'Keao, Keao!'
By the time she reached him, his breathing was getting more laboured. He was struggling. She was holding his hand, willing the life he so desperately needed. 'Don't leave me, Keao. Please don't leave me. You are strong. You are the owl, remember. I watch out for you and you watch out for me.'
He looked at her and breathed in deeply. He remembered what he told her all those years ago.
'The owl is the greatest predator of the forest. It has total awareness of its surroundings so it can hunt in the dark using sound alone to guide it to a kill. It will watch the movements of its prey for hours before choosing the right moment to strike. It has perfect patience and perception and its stillness makes it invisible.' He looked at her. 'Have you ever seen the bird behind the call?'
She shook her head.
'That's because it is special and can hide. But the hare can see it. The hare can see everything. It will be a very special guide for you, Ajeya, because it will know where everything is, good and bad, and it will protect you.'
He coughed meekly and blood spurted out of his mouth. He struggled to speak, and she held his hand. 'I am no longer the owl, Ajeya. It does not live in me anymore. I am a fraction of my former self and I should have listened to you.' He coughed again.
'Don't speak,' she told him. 'And never forget that you are the owl, Keao. It does live on in you.' She looked around with wild eyes.
'Quickly, someone, get help!' she screamed out the order.
Twenty men rushed over, but he waved his hand to dismiss them and his voice was barely a whisper. He struggled to say the words and each sound took all his strength.
'It's too late, dear sister. It's too late for me, but not for you. The skills I taught you live on in you. You are the hare, Ajeya. The hare can see everything. The hare is all powerful. Much more powerful than you know. It will protect you.'
'Don't you leave me, brother. Don't you dare leave me, don't you dare.'
'I'm sorry, Ajeya,' he rasped. 'But I will look down on you from wherever I am. I will continue to guide you–in spirit form. I won't ever leave you. But look after Red for me. Take care of Rufus.' He groaned with the pain and his breathing was shallow. 'Tell them I love them. Please tell them.'
'You are not going anywhere. We are going home together, and you can tell them yourself. We will practise together again, just like we used to, do you remember? Do you hear me, Keao. Do you hear me!'
But he had already gone. Somewhere he was flying above her, looking down on her, trying to give her strength, trying to pull her up and look at the man by her side. But she wailed and sobbed as if she would never recover from her loss. All that Dainn could do was to put his arm around her and try and take away some of the pain.
As the fighting ended and the injured were escorted back to the Clan of the Mountain Lion, a melancholy Storm approached him. 'When you are ready, comrade, I will take you to get that mangled arm treated.'
He looked down at the butchered appendage hanging at his side, he hadn't even realised he was hurt. 'I have to help my wife. I can't leave her.'
'No, Dainn, you go with Storm,' said Ajeya wiping the tears from her eyes and trying to find a strength within. 'We need to find out what happened to the General and only Namir or Lyall can tell you that. I will take my brother back with me on Moonlight, and you stay here with Storm.'
'Ajeya, I really don't like leaving you here on your own,' he protested.
'Dainn, I am not on my own. I have my brother, albeit in spirit, but he is still with me. And besides, look at your arm. Storm is right, you probably won't even make it back, and I can't lose you, either.' She stroked his blood-stained face. 'There are lots of men and women waiting for me now. I will go with them. I will need to speak to my father, and to Red and Rufus, and tell them how valiant this man was in battle and that he was a true hero to the end.'
Dainn hugged Ajeya tightly as if he would never let her go. 'You really are the most courageous woman I have ever met. And I love you so much.'
'I love you too, Dainn. I love you very much.'
A dozen men helped put her brother across her horse, and as she watched her husband being escorted towards the Clan of the Mountain Lion, she led the way back to the Hill Fort Tribe.
If she thought hard enough, she could bring him back to life. If she could pretend and camouflage and vanish, surely the opposite worked as well. So, she brought him back to life in her thoughts and soon she was sitting beside him in the cart on that very first day when he held her hand. Then she was running with him, chasing butterflies and bees. Throwing snowballs at each other. Running through the grass firing a catapult like he had taught her. Hiding in the wagon when he told her to keep her head down. Sharing the same bed and feeling so safe with him by her side. She remembered it all so well, and a whole lifetime came flooding back. At a time when spirits should have been so high and filled with the adrenaline of winning the battle, they marched back in unison in a sombre mood and her tears fell silently on to her brother's back. But he was more than a brother to her—he was her soul mate, her teacher, her mentor, her guide, and he was the first man to call her beautiful. She would never forget him.
Chapter Forty
Two iron braziers filled with charcoals had burned in the Meeting House throughout the morning, taking the bite out of the November chill. Ajeya came in early with Jena to replace them for the ceremony. Heavy tapestries covered the windows, blocking out the grey afternoon. The vaulted chamber was dimly lit which made Keao's face look warm and glowing as he lay in his long narrow box on a supporting table with Red whimpering over him and Rufus comforting her. Ajeya looked at Colom standing on the dais, stooped and gaunt, slowly arranging the ceremony vessels by the Blessing Tree and wearing the guise of a withered old man in the autumn of his life.
In front of the long box stood the thrones made out of rich mahogany and red wood, and at that moment, they were the strongest presence in the room. Hagen was already sitting on one, his face looking straight ahead, his hands in his lap holding the solitary feather from an owl. Jena had never seen him look so frail as he did right now. The huge doors opened, and silently the forlorn faces of the tribe filtered in. Stone expressions, fixed glares, cotton handkerchiefs held against snuffling noses, swollen puffy eyes wet with tears worn by all. Those who had fought the war were now struggling with their consciences and asking themselves—could they have done more?
For Ajeya, she had wept a thousand tears that morning alone and shook her head despairingly at the long wooden box in front of her. 'If only he had listened to her. If only he had stayed back with his wife and son. If only...'
Colom lit the lanterns by the Blessing Tree and guided Red and Rufus to their thrones in front of the long box. Jena and Ajeya then took their seats beside the family. When they were seated, Colom raised up his arms and closed his eyes to bring in the spirits. The congregation bo
wed their heads as the omniscient powers entered. Red's heart began to race as she knew they had come for her husband. Hagen stopped breathing as he felt a chill on his neck. For him, Keao had already gone.
'Friends, family, loved ones, sisters, brothers, sons and daughters,' Colom began. 'It is with much sadness and deep regret that we meet today to say goodbye to one of our own.' He paused as he too felt the chill. 'One of our family has been taken to the next life where he is needed to move on from this mortal domain.'
The tapestries twitched and a whisper of breath was felt by all.
'Keao was a strong man, a proud man, a courageous man who gave his entirety so that we all may live in safety. And forgoing all fear, he has shown us what bravery and courage really means.' He stopped to compose himself. 'Sometimes we cannot find answers, sometimes there are none. For Red and Rufus, the explanation may never come. But be secure in the knowledge that Keao led a good life and made a difference to so many; we all know that his memory will live on in the people whom he touched, and that his bloodline will continue in Rufus.' His words weaved round the echoing chamber as he invited Keao's widow to the front and held out the blade of a sharpened knife. 'Your blood flowed as one when you were joined in marriage. Now the spirits ask for your blood in death.'
Red rose to her feet, dazed and unsteady, though thoroughly prepared. She looked straight ahead and held out her warm hand over Keao's cold body.
Colom made one swift movement and the blood dripped from her palm over his heart.
'This will protect him in the afterlife.'
The blood ran down the side of his body and spooled into an ever-increasing circle on his white shroud. Colom then gave her a white ribbon to wipe her hand and tie it on the Blessing Tree.
Her eyes were focused on the soft, smooth white material that was now stained with her blood as she wound it around a branch. She was aware of someone weeping behind her and took in a deep breath of air as Rufus tied his pure, untouched ribbon next to hers. The rest of the family were then invited to leave gifts in the long box. The mourning family stood up. Ajeya tried to stay strong for her mother. Hagen prayed that Keao was in the arms of his mother.
A strand of hair from a cow’s tail was offered by his son who had entwined it with an auburn curl from his own locks. Hagen followed next and placed the owl's feather in Keao's left hand. Ajeya wrapped his right hand around a catapult. Jena was the last to make an offering and had made woven figures of his family and placed them around his body: on his head, his heart, and his arms representing peace, love and strength. Each one of the family prayed for everlasting life and asked for the spirits to take care of him on his next journey. The lid was closed for the final time and Colom put his hands on the cover.
'A man such as Keao is a fearless man. He will be safe from all because the body is covered in wood and the soul is covered by the defence of honour. This soul, that is now on another journey, will fear nothing, for he is protected by the blood of the living and the gifts that will escort him to the next life. The spirits favour this man.'
Colom bowed to acknowledge the end of the ceremony.
The pallbearers stepped forward to take him out to the fields where a plot had been decided by Red. On a hill overlooking the valley, his final resting place lay beneath a century year old oak that was home to a magnificent tawny owl. It was the place where they used to sit when they first met and the place that he loved the most.
Chapter Forty-One
The air was warm and heavy with the scent of flowers on this beautiful day in spring. The small party of Keao's family were gathered by the site of the funeral mound that stood under the old oak tree. It was covered with the tumbled colours of wild blossoms and a whispering breeze caressed the land. Dainn stood alongside Ajeya and laid his wreath of fresh blooms on the grave. It was the first time that he had visited the site having only returned home a few days before.
'I am so sorry that I was not here for you all.' His voice was faint and tiny.
'My love, we know that you were here in spirit, and you were the first one to get to him before he died,' said Ajeya, fighting the sting in her eyes. 'You comforted him and held him until I got there.' She held his hand while her words stood strong.
'It seems like only yesterday that I was talking to him.' he was still void of strength.
'I know,' said Hagen. 'I think that time stands still when someone you love has died. It always seems that no time has passed since their last words.' He took hold of Jena's hand. She knew what he was referring to. Hagen laid a spray of owl feathers next to the wreath. 'It gives me comfort being able to touch the wings of an owl.' His voice was melancholy. 'It makes me feel closer to him.'
Red touched his arm as she led Rufus back down the hill. Hagen and Jena followed, and last came Dainn and Ajeya. She always looked behind her, hoping to see a glimpse of the bird, even a wing or hear it call... but she never did. No one ever saw the tawny owl—he concealed himself and silently soared, only once in a while leaving a feather to show his presence.
By October, Dainn had been summoned away again. His assistance had been requested by the King of Durundal who needed his help in finding Namir, King of the Clans. The leader had been missing for several weeks now and his aide had been discovered washed up in the river. When the messenger told Dainn and his family it was the Emperor Cornelius who was now considered a possible threat, Jena's face was ashen with a stark horror and this time Ajeya wanted to know why.
'The past always catches up you at some point.' Jena's eyes were sad, and her smile was dry.
'What do you mean, mother. The past always catches up with you?' Ajeya's voice was anxious and fuelled with uncertainty.
Jena looked at her daughter, a fine young woman who would be twenty-two next spring. She thought about her own life and how many years did she really have left? She looked over at Hagen—he was day dreaming in the rocking chair on the porch and had taken to smoking a pipe in the winter of his life. His old wrinkled face creased into a smile when he caught her looking at him.
Colom and Peira were attending to their herb garden; stooped and slow, their creaking bones and sagging skin evidence of a lost youth. Everything takes its toll eventually.
But now it was time. She had to tell Ajeya everything, because this proud intuitive woman was beginning to sense that all was not as it seemed. It would be wrong to dismiss her with false statements. Her daughter was worth more than that. She needed to know the truth about where she had come from and where her ancestral roots lay.
'Come with me, my darling. Let us sit by Keao's tree a while and he will be with us as I share this story with you.'
Ajeya's face froze with concern but she followed her mother as requested. Hagen took in a long draw from his pipe just as Peira lifted her head to watch the two women disappear up to the brow of the hill. They both knew what she was about to do.
Chapter Forty-Two
She leaned back in the chair and relaxed. 'So that is my story. My mother told me all of this eight months ago and left it up to me when I came to see you. It was a lot for me to digest at that time, but mother was most insistent that we pledge our allegiance and commitment to you.'
The men looked mesmerised and couldn't speak, so she continued.
'Dainn arrived home a month after being asked to join the search party,' she said looking at Lyall. 'And we got word of your safe return after the thaw.' She turned to Namir. 'I wanted to wait until you had settled in and fully recovered from your terrible ordeal before I came here, so that is why I have left it until now.'
Namir nodded at her foresight.
'So Rufus is your nephew and Dainn is your husband. What a small kingdom we are part of,' said Lyall, visibly moved by the saga.
'And so intricately entwined with each other's lives,' said Namir.
Ajeya nodded her head with pride.
'Does Dainn know you are here?' asked Namir sensitively. 'Does he know who you are?'
'Yes, he does. As soon as
he returned, I told him everything. My mother wanted me to tell him. She didn't want me to keep secrets from him, and I couldn't have done that anyway.'
'So, will you ever tell him who his real father is?' asked Lyall beneath the concern of a raised eyebrow.
'Yes, I will have to,' she replied, fully understanding the sentiments of his question. 'I think everyone is entitled to know where they come from and who their real parents are. It doesn't stop me loving Hagen any less. He is my father and Keao is my brother. But I still had a right to know the truth. I still had a right to know about my blood father, the Emperor Gnaeus, and about my blood brother, Cornelius.'
Lyall and Namir offered their agreement by way of a nod and a mutual understanding.
'It is indeed a stoic story,' hailed Namir. 'And you have my fullest admiration and praise. Your mother also has my deepest respect for being so honest with you and protecting you as she has.'
'Hear, hear!' echoed Lyall. 'And I offer my heartfelt thanks to you, your family, and your clan in supporting us in our fight for freedom and the war for justice.'
Namir nodded in agreement and Ajeya raised her head in pride.
'With you and Dainn ruling over Ataxata, peace will prevail, and all the clans and non-clan dwellers will be safe in that knowledge.' Namir's praise was high.
Ajeya fell silent and she felt a whisper curl round her face. She looked out of the window to see a tawny owl fly past. It looked at her for a split moment before disappearing into the abyss again. Tears came to her eyes and she felt her heart miss a beat.
'Thank you for your humble words and depth of honour.' She took a deep breath. 'But with your kind permission, there are still a few things that I don't know. Things that haunt me and keep me awake at night and I know that you can provide the answers.'
