“People die, so, let's go into my lodge and speak. Baker and Wilson, stay with the prisoner, and we need someone to get a doctor. I can smell his infection from here.”
“I've sent Ralph for both the shaman and preacher, so maybe working together they can save him.”
“Let's hope he lives long enough to tell us what we need to know. Now, let's go into my lodge and speak of what you found at the village.”
A fire burned in the center of the lodge, smoke exiting from a small hole at the top. The lodge was constructed of sod, furs of different large game covered most of the floor, and a small cast iron pot of tea was heating on the coals.
Once all were seated around the flames, Mongoose asked, “Amon, is your wound healing?”
“Yes, but once I speak with you, I will see the shaman. I see no traces of infection, but the pain is severe at times.”
“Tell me what you discovered at the village.”
Amon spoke of what he knew, and Mongoose didn't comment until he grew quiet. Then she said, “I don't think they have many guns, but why did they attack us out of the blue like they did? I realize they're our enemies, but neither of us have attacked villages previously. We raid for women or children or steal horses, only I know of no instance where a complete settlement has been wiped out.”
“Maybe they've decided to wage full war on us.” Ella said, as she gazed into the eyes of Mongoose.
“It could be they're being pressured by another clan and being forced west.” Georgia said and then shrugged.
“Well, this attack on us cannot go without us teaching them they cannot lash out violently, kill and capture people of the Eagle. They cannot go unpunished. We must meet force with force, and in three days time we will visit the village responsible for this attack. The Wolf Clan, like ours, is made up of many small villages. Since each of us must move frequently to follow game and gather our wild foods, most villages are small. The prisoner will tell us what we ask, or his torture will be great.”
“This man is a brave warrior and I think,” Amon said, “torture will gain little. Allow him to drink alcohol or smoke marihuana and his tongue may loosen faster.”
Mongoose nodded and said, “That is an idea, but if the infection is bad, we may never learn what he knows.”
The chief passed around sassafras tea as they discussed the coming attack. The shaman entered and said, “The body of Lee has been removed and will be prepared for a warrior's funeral. The prisoner is in sad shape, and my assistant Lucius is cleaning the man now. I do not think the man will live, no matter what we do for him.”
“It matters little, Julian, because he'll be put to death anyway.” Mongoose said, and then continued, “When you leave, I'll go to your lodge and see what I can learn of the guns. If I feed him our strong drink, he may speak openly with a woman.” She finished her tea and said, “I have many ideas that I need to speak to the council about tomorrow. We must strengthen our village, have more Dog Soldiers in the field, and get their approval to attack the Wolf Clan. I'll ask them to meet at noon, when the sun is at it's highest.”
Julian stood and said, “If you wish to speak with our prisoner, we must hurry. I do not think he will last this night.”
“Come, Ella, and help Amon stand and move to the shaman's lodge. Once we are there, you will no longer be needed and may leave, because he will remain there.”
The walk to the shaman's lodge was short and soon Amon's injury was cleaned, bandaged and wrapped. He was given a new bottle of alcohol to sip from and a cup of beef broth to drink.
Mongoose squatted beside Calvin and asked, “What is your name?”
“C . . . Calvin. Friends . . . call me . . . Badger.”
“Badger, I was sent to ask you who has the guns.” Using a rag in pan of cool water, Mongoose wiped the dying man's forehead as she spoke. Her tone was tender, as she was caring for him.
“Asa . . . has them.”
“How many does he have?”
“J . . . just three . . . pistols. Two . . . with him.”
“Are you in pain?”
“Y . . . yes, I . . . hurt.” His body quivered as he spoke.
She poured him a cup of the drink and fed it to him slowly. He was sweating and his flesh smelled sour.
“Does Asa have many bullets for his guns?” she asked a few minutes later as she wiped sweat from his bare chest.
“He . . . he claimed . . . a case, only he . . . lied. When . . . he gave . . . one pistol to . . . Byron, he gave . . . him one box.” Calvin arched his back, gave a loud groan, and his body quivered violently. A minute later he said, “H . . . he had two . . . boxes . . . left.”
“Where did the guns come from?”
“C . . . Cave People.” Calvin suddenly gave a hideous scream. His eyes grew large, he attempted to sit up, and a rattling was heard deep in his chest as his body jerked madly. He then fell back to the blanket, his open eyes unseeing—he was dead.
In his drunken stupor, Amon said, “Damn me, is he dead?”
Mongoose knew death well, but she felt his neck for a pulse, and found nothing. She replied, “Uh-huh, he's dead.”
The next day at noon, the council of elders was meeting to discuss the changes in their security and to hear what Mongoose had to say. Most were old men, years past their prime, but they were wise with many years of war behind them. Each had at one point been a brave and respected warrior or chief; now they served the tribe with their wisdom.
Mongoose explained what she'd discovered during her conversation with Calvin and Amon. The old men listened closely, but said nothing. Then Amon, who'd been brought to the meeting on a stretcher asked, “If I may speak to the elders?'
Jeptha, one of the oldest, said, “Of course you may speak and from your heart. You are a proven warrior among The People.”
“I would stand out of respect for all of my elders, could I do so, but it is not possible.”
“We know of your injury, so speak, my son.”
“The attackers were many and I guessed their number at a hundred or slightly more. Of our dead, most died from the bow or lance. Only two died by guns. Once the attack was complete, the Wolf People moved toward home, but we saw where a small group was following us. Then, after it was full darkness, we attacked them, but one man got away. The captive, the one that just died, was the escapee and he returned later to follow us toward home. I think the Wolf People want to attack this village next.”
Silas, another of the old ones, asked, “Mongoose, what ideas do you have for defense?”
“First, father,” She addressed him in such as a term out of honor and respect, “I do not think three pistols are something to fear and would not turn the course of a battle. I do agree with Amon, that our village is the next target for them, if they can find us. We need to increase the number of Dog Soldiers we have scouting around our village, prepare more traps, and have a plan of action in the event we are attacked.”
“Your words are wise for one so young.”
The entrance flap to the lodge opened and in stepped a Dog Soldier called Uriah. Blood covered his face and chest, and the broken shaft of an arrow was seen in his side.
“Who had done this?” Jeptha asked.
“They—come.” Uriah said, and then collapsed to the dirt floor.
Silas stood and said, “Someone bring the shaman and do it now!”
Chapter 4
ASA WAS LIVID because many days had passed, and he'd heard nothing from Calvin. He was in his lodge speaking with Ninian, the shaman, when the medicine man said, “I have dreamed that Calvin and all his men have passed over the other side.”
“All of them? They were each proven warriors.”
“Calvin was a good warrior, but was he an adept leader?”
“Your words are true. What else have your dreams told you?”
“Not much more, other than the Eagle People know we'll come for them.”
“It matters little, because they do not know when we'll come f
or them. They have rich lands, clean water, and much wood, while we have little.”
“The Eagle People number how many?”
“It is hard to say because like us, they live in small villages and move as needed. If the water disappears or herds move, then so do all people.”
Ninian nodded and said, “It has been this way since the forming of villages, many long years ago.”
“The Eagle People have rich land, with many wild cows, sheep, and other foods. Their waters are clear and safe to drink. We must take their land from them.”
“I do not think you have given serious thought about what you wish to do. Like any people, the Eagle Clan will fight for what they now call their own. We will lose many warriors, and we may never recover, if too many die.”
Asa shook his head and said, “Foolishness. Any People can recover, given enough time.”
“Maybe.”
“I tire of this conversation, because I hoped you could help me.”
“I will return to my lodge then. You know how to conduct war as well as any man on earth and while I can pray for you, I know little of the art of killing. Besides, I'm an old man and must soon go to my blankets.”
“Wait, I have ten beautiful women taken from the Eagle People, and want to give two of them to you for your valuable knowledge and wisdom” Then raising his voice, he called out, “Bring the women in, Byron.”
One-by-one they were brought into the lodge and Ninian selected two young ones. He was smiling when Asa said, “They will keep you warm on cold nights, but always remember they are Eagle women and cannot be trusted. None of these has eaten since the day they were taken, so I'm sure if you offer one of them a little bread and meat, tonight she will keep your blankets warm. As you know, a hungry woman will do much when she is hungry enough.”
“It is common to keep captive women hungry before making them a wife.”
“As I reminded you, do not trust them. I hope my gift has pleased you.”
“It has, very much so, my friend.”
“Byron, take the two captives to the lodge of Ninian.”
The girls, wearing crude metal chains around their necks, were led to the lodge of the shaman and it smelled of strange things. Once inside, Byron chained them to the support pole and then tossed the keys to Ninian. “They are your responsibility now, old man, so watch your ass. More than one man of The People has been injured or killed by a slave.” he said.
“I was breaking slaves before you were born, boy. Get out, before I turn you into a bat or something.”
Byron laughed loud and long as he left.
The captives, both close to nineteen, were terrified and knew what was coming. Ada was the stronger of the two mentally and physically, and more mature as well. Her body was fuller, her eyes were blue, she had long blond hair, and she'd entered training to be a warrior. Her father always said she should have been born a boy. She was near the fourth year of warrior training and had progressed to the point she was to be taken on the next raid. She'd fought until knocked unconscious and awoke in chains.
Theodosia looked younger than her years, lacked any real warrior training, and was spoiled by her parents. Her red hair was cut short, her lips full, and her eyes green. Until taken captive, she'd never missed a meal or been mistreated. Sitting on the dirt floor of the shaman's lodge, Theodosia was in shock at the brutality she'd seen during the attack and her suffering since captured.
Ninian looked at both young women and was attracted to Ada. He found her blond hair and blue eyes stimulating. The other woman reminded him of a child, and he had no interest in children. He'd trade her for something or sell her if he could. Or, he might train her to cook for him.
Hours later, moving to Ada's side, he squatted, lifted her dirty chin, and asked, “Are you hungry?”
“Yes.” His face was almost touching hers, and his breath was foul.
“If I feed you, you must do something for me.”
Sickened by the very thought of him touching her, she replied, “What of my friend? Will you feed her as well?”
“My dear, do you understand what I want from you? Have you ever lain with a man before?”
“Yes, once. Feed us both and I will do as you wish.”
“Yes, I'm sure you will, won't you? Hunger forces everyone to comply eventually. Let me roast some meat and prepare some bread, then we will get to know each other better.”
Near Ada was a small stick, maybe six inches long and as big around as her little finger. As Ninian prepared the meal she knew if she attacked the old man, she had to be ruthless and cold-blooded. But, a warrior of the Eagle People did not need a weapon to kill, because all things could become a weapon. First, I must disable him and then kill, she thought as she caught the shaman smiling at her. She returned the smile.
Like all hungry people, both young woman ate slowly, enjoying not only the taste of the food, but the texture and juices as well. Ada was unsure of the time, really not caring, because death was preferred to slavery. However, she thought it was close to darkness and if she could escape, maybe she could steal horses for them. She expected little, if any, help from Theodosia and suspected she'd be more of a liability than asset, but if possible, she owed it to her People to take her along to safety.
When the meal was complete, the old man moved toward her and undressed her, taking his time to enjoy her beautiful body. The stick was behind her back and so was her hand. As he leaned forward to kiss her, she brought her hand up and struck him hard in the left eye. Then, pulling the crude weapon from his injured eye, she struck hard once more to his throat. As his scream started, she struck his nose hard, with the palm of her hand, and felt something break. His scream died instantly as cartilage from his nose entered his brain. His body fell to the ground and shook as his body started to shut down. She removed a small skinning knife from the man's belt and cut his throat.
Pulling the keys from from his pocket, she unchained both of them and then said, “We must try to steal horses and leave. Can you do this?”
Theodosia sat unmoving, her eyes open wide in terror.
Shaking her hard, Ada said, “We must hurry, because someone may have heard his short scream. If they find us here and him dead, they will torture us to death.”
The young girl was still frozen in place.
“Come and do it now, or I will leave you behind.” She saw a butcher knife, bow and arrows, which she took, but no other weapons. Ada then picked up two wool blankets, a full water bladder, and flint and steel she saw by the fire pit. She glanced at Theodosia, slowly shook her head, and left the lodge. It was full dark, with a quarter moon out. It was then she felt her friend touch her arm and heard her whisper, “I am here.”
“Stay behind me and we'll make for the horses. I may have to kill a guard. If so, I will touch you and you stay in place. Once the job is done, I will return for you.” She handed one of the blankets and the water bladder to the woman.
“I understand.”
Staying in the dark shadows, they made their way slowly to the herd. Seeing a young boy guarding and on the other side of the animals, she helped Theodosia onto the back of a horse and she'd just mounted when a warning yell was heard in the village. They've found the dead shaman! Ada thought and then yelled, “Ride!”
Arrows passed them in the night and one flew very closely to her nose, but missed. She leaned forward on the animal so she presented a smaller target, and kicked the big animal in the ribs. She shot forward and soon passed Theodosia.
After a mile or so, she slowed down to a fast walk, knowing the horses couldn't keep the fast pace up for long. As they moved, she glanced at the stars and headed west, toward her People. When she glanced overhead, she saw the sky was clear, so no rain would wash their tracks away.
An hour later, Theodosia said, “I hurt.”
“Were you hit back there?”
“I felt a blow to my back, but no pain until just a few minutes ago.”
“Damn, not good. Pull i
nto the small clearing off to the right and stop where I can take a look at you.”
“There is no light.”
“The light of the moon will be enough, if you've taken an arrow.”
“I don't want to die!”
“No one said anything about you dying. Now, get off your horse and let me check you.”
In the dim light, Ada could see where an arrow had taken her in the shoulder, high, missed the bone, and was sticking out front. She broke off the arrowhead, which brought a loud gasp, and then pulled the arrow out of her back. She'd lost a lot of blood.
“You'll be fine, just through your shoulder. I'm going to bandage you up and then we need to ride again. If your start feeling weak, let me know, okay?” she said and then thought, we have to keep moving, injury or not. If they catch us, we'll die a horrible death.
Ripping part of her blouse and Theodosia's, she soon had the injury bandaged.
“Here, I'll help you mount and then we need to get moving. I don't think they'll follow us at night, but by God, they'll come as soon as the sun comes up.” Ada said, but thought, I hope my bandage job stays on you or you'll bleed to death way before sunrise. But we have to keep moving, no matter the risk.
They moved all night, due west, and just as a false dawn was seen, Ada turned north and rode up a wide but shallow stream for almost five miles. Then she cut the back out of her shirt, tied some patches of material on the hooves of each animal, and grinned. It wouldn't completely eliminate the tracks, but it'd reduce them a great deal. She checked on Theodosia's injury, which was bleeding again, then cut the back out of her shirt as well and bandaged the wound once more. She stuck the bloody rags in her pant pockets, not wanting to leave any evidence behind.
An hour later, when they entered a patch of mixed hard and softwood trees, she dismounted, and made a trap. She'd learned to make the trap early in her warrior training and it was a simple one. A thin vine crossed the trail, about three inches above the dirt, and a limb with five sharpened stakes tied to it was held in place by a simple release line. A stake in the ground held the release line tied to the limb taut and ready. The trap worked well in moderate weather, but if it turned too cold or icy, the trap would freeze in place and not work. Once the trap line was moved, by a human or animal, the release was pulled from the holding stake and the limb would swing over the trail, impaling anyone in it's path. It struck with a great deal of force.
Eagle People Page 4
