by Sharon Sala
***
Tyhen was dreaming. She knew it was a dream because although the wind was blowing, she could not feel it on her face. Her throat hurt and there was blood all over her fingers, but she couldn’t remember why. She heard people crying and screaming and before she could figure out what had happened, Acat was leaning over her and shaking her shoulder and Yuma was running into the room.
He dropped to his knees beside her bed and laid his hand on her forehead, feeling for a fever.
Tyhen pushed his hand away and frowned at Acat. “What’s the matter with you two?”
“You screamed,” Acat said.
“Like you were being murdered,” Yuma added.
At that point, Cayetano came running with two of his guards behind him. “What happened?” he yelled.
Tyhen sighed. “I am sorry. I am sorry. It was a dream.”
Singing Bird slipped into the room and quickly sent the guards away and sent Acat to the kitchen for a sleeping potion for Tyhen. Once they were alone, she closed the door and turned to face her daughter.
“It has begun,” she said.
Tyhen frowned. “What has begun?”
“You are not dreaming. You are having visions of what will be,” Singing Bird said.
Tyhen sat up. Her voice was shaking, her eyes wide with shock. “The other night I dreamed a mountain exploded and fire ran like water from its mouth. That cannot be.”
“A volcano,” Yuma said.
Singing Bird nodded.
Tyhen covered her face. “You mean that thing is real?”
“I have seen such a thing,” Cayetano said as he smoothed the hair from her face. “But it was a long time ago when I was a child, before we came here to Naaki Chava. Many people died.”
Tyhen shuddered.
“What did you see tonight?” Yuma asked.
“My throat was hurting and there was blood all over my hands. People were standing all around me. Some were crying and some were praying.”
Singing Bird frowned. “Were you hurt?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I woke up.”
Singing Bird frowned at Yuma.
“I will never be far away,” he said softly.
Singing Bird’s shoulders sagged. At that moment she felt helpless and old. When Acat came back with the sleeping drink, instead of giving it to Tyhen, Singing Bird drank it herself, then excused herself and left.
Tyhen felt broken, helpless to recreate the safety of home.
Yuma saw the pain and fear on her face and couldn’t walk away.
“I will stay with you,” he said.
Acat lay down on her sleeping mat and turned her face to the wall.
“Lie down, little whirlwind,” he said softly.
“I won’t sleep,” Tyhen said as she crawled back onto her bed and rolled over on her side.
“Then neither will I,” he said and got into the bed behind her, put his arm over her body, and pulled her close.
Shocked by the intimacy, Tyhen was trembling so hard she could barely breathe, but when he didn’t move again, she began to relax. She never felt the skip her heart took as it shifted into the rhythm of Yuma’s pulse. All she felt was the wash of comfort roll through her as she closed her eyes.
Chapter Six
The last day of the festival was bittersweet for Singing Bird. All of her old friends who’d made the trek to Naaki Chava were packing up to go home, making farewells difficult to face.
Singing Bird sent several packets of new books she’d made down to them and had already said her good-byes. She was putting up a brave front, but her heart was breaking. All too soon she would be waving good-bye to Yuma and Tyhen, too. She didn’t know if the twins were going to go with them, but if all four of her children left at once, she would be lost.
Cayetano was in the throne room settling a dispute that had arisen between three families during the festival. It was too soon for Singing Bird to resume her classes, so she started toward the kitchen. Even though she was the chief’s woman, everyone worked and today she needed to stay busy.
The door to Tyhen’s room was open as she passed. Thinking she might be inside, she stopped and went back, but it was empty. Then she remembered she’d seen her leaving with Yuma and the twins. She started to leave, then stopped and gave the layout of the room a second look.
Tyhen slept in a bed that was not on the floor like the beds the New Ones slept in, while Acat preferred the woven sleeping mats from the old ways. But it was the sight of Acat’s bed that had Singing Bird thinking. Originally she had stayed as a nursemaid and a servant, but Tyhen didn’t need that any longer. Truthfully, the only person Tyhen needed now was Yuma.
Singing Bird knew and accepted sex as a natural way of life, and since she was looking for a job to keep her busy, she decided this was it. It was time to give Tyhen a room of her own.
The first thing she did was roll up Acat’s sleeping mat and then left with it under her arm. She and Acat came back a few minutes later with more bedding and another small shelf and table. After moving the bed from one side of the room to the other, she stood back to look.
“Acat! Bring new candles and torches and send one of the girls with a pitcher of fresh water, and two cups for the table.”
Acat giggled. “You make a place for Tyhen and Yuma.”
Singing Bird shrugged. “It is time.”
“He is very handsome and very tall,” Acat said.
Singing Bird nodded. “His people were from a tribe called the Cherokee. Many of them came here.”
Acat stopped, eyeing Singing Bird carefully, remembering when she’d first come with the New Ones that she’d been different, too.
“Was that your tribe?” she asked.
Singing Bird stopped, letting memories wash over her. Her eyes were filled with tears when she looked up.
“My father was Muscogee. My grandfather was Navajo.”
“But they did not come,” Acat said.
Singing Bird’s voice was shaking. “My father died when I was younger. My grandfather died on the walk to Naaki Chava.”
Acat heard the sorrow in Singing Bird’s voice. “Then that is good. They did not have to face Firewalker,” she said.
Singing Bird turned around and looked at Acat in amazement. “You are right, and I never thought of it like that before. Thank you, Acat. Thank you for that. It has given me a different way to look at their absence in my life.”
Acat beamed. “I will get torches and candles now.”
“Don’t forget the water and cups.”
“I will not forget,” Acat said and hurried away.
Singing Bird moved from bed, to table, to shelf, touching this and moving that, continuing all around the room until she was back at the bed again. If Tyhen and Yuma had not already been together, it would happen soon. She wanted her daughter to be happy and feared those days would be few and far between.
***
Adam and Evan were the obvious choices to take over the duties of the temple until or if Cayetano decided to replace the shamans. However, they had already announced they would not live in it. It was too reminiscent of where they had lived before Firewalker.
Landon Prince, the man responsible for the experiment resulting in their births, had accumulated a massive collection of mystic and magic items, and the temple was a dark reminder of that time. The good part about Firewalker was that it had killed Landon Prince before he killed them. And now that they were here in Naaki Chava, they didn’t need illusion and tricks to be the eyes and ears for Cayetano. What they knew was real.
By the time they reached the temple, a large number of people were waiting. The men in the group would do the heavy lifting and the women would clean. But as everyone started inside, Tyhen hung back.
Yuma saw the dark frown on her face and picked up
on her reluctance. “Is everything okay?”
“No.”
Adam looked back. “Are you coming?”
She repeated her answer. “No. I am not welcome there.”
Evan frowned. “What do you mean?”
“The spirits do not want me.”
Adam frowned. “We will perform a cleansing ceremony after we finish, and clear the air of any angry spirits.”
“I want no part of it,” she said, still remembering what she’d dealt with at the gorge.
“We will see you later,” Yuma said and led her away.
She was quiet as they walked.
Yuma had his spear, so instead of walking back through the city, the fact that he was armed made him comfortable enough to take the trail through the jungle that led back to the palace. It would be a change of scenery and hopefully take her mind off of dark things.
Little did Yuma know, but Tyhen’s mind was not on dark things, but on the rise and fall of Yuma’s chest, and the way his hair moved against his neck with the rhythm of his stride. Everything about him was pleasing to her eyes. She thought about the journey to come in the days ahead, and what it would be like to take it with him. She already trusted him, and she had love for him, but she had yet to share that love with him.
“What are you thinking?” Yuma asked.
Tyhen was taken aback that he’d asked her that question when the answer would have been “thinking of you.” Instead, she gave him a less specific response.
“The uncertainty of our future.”
He took her hand as he set his spear against a tree. “We may not know the details of what we’ll find or the dangers we’ll face, but we know what we’re supposed to do. That is a given, as are the feelings I have for you. There is nothing uncertain about that, and I have never denied them or hidden them from you.”
“I know, but—”
He put a thumb over her mouth. “The word ‘but’ does not exist between us.”
He took her hand and pressed it over his heart, then put the flat of his hand on her breasts. Her face flushed, but she stood her ground.
“Feel that?” he asked.
“I feel your heartbeat.”
“No. Close your eyes,” he said softly, and then when she did, he asked again. “Do you feel it now?”
For a few moments she didn’t move, and then all of a sudden her eyes flew open, her lips parting in amazement.
“They beat in rhythm! Our hearts beat at the same time, at the same pace!”
He pulled her close, so close he could feel the warmth of her breath against his face.
“Apart, we are a man and a woman. Together, we are one.”
Tyhen shivered. The ache to know him was strong.
Yuma could see the want in her eyes. This day had been a long time coming. “Only you, little whirlwind, can tell me when to stop.”
He cupped her cheeks, slid his mouth across her lips, centering on the warmth and settling into the kiss like they had done it a thousand times before.
When the world began to spin, Tyhen put her arms around his neck. It was better than she could have ever imagined and then it was not enough. Her heart was pounding and there was a knot in the pit of her stomach.
Yuma didn’t dare take his hands from her face for fear of where he’d put them next. He’d known forever that the kiss would never be enough, and then she moaned.
He tore his mouth from her lips.
She staggered then opened her eyes. “I didn’t say to stop.”
“But I heard—”
She grabbed his shoulders in frustration.
“What you heard is my pain. I ache for you, Yuma, only you. I belong to you. I want to be with you.”
Yuma leaned forward until their foreheads were touching, and this time he was the one who groaned.
“I have waited a long time to hear these words, but here is not the place. I cannot put you in danger, and laying you down in the middle of the jungle is that and more.”
He felt her frustration as she hid her face against his chest. “Walk with me,” he said and took her hand.
When she acquiesced without a sound, he picked up his spear and turned around.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Back to the palace.”
Her heart sank. It was an impossible place to be when all she wanted was to be alone with him.
“When we get there, I will find a place where we can be alone, and I will ask you again if you are sure.”
Tyhen’s heart soared. She turned, her eyes flashing. “I said yes here, and I will say yes there, but I will not walk with you.”
“But why—?”
“You’ll have to catch me.” She flashed him a grin and turned around. Leaping forward, she began running back the way they’d come.
Yuma didn’t hesitate as he gave chase. He could hear her laughing ahead of him and grinned. Making love to this “woman on the verge” was suddenly out of his control.
***
Tyhen heard Yuma thrashing through the undergrowth behind her and ran like there were wings on her feet. She wanted to be caught, but not too soon. When she burst out of the jungle behind the temple, she was running at full speed and laughing.
Adam saw her first and had a moment of panic. She’d gone in with Yuma, but was coming out alone. And then he saw the joy on her face and heard the laughter and knew it was a game. Seconds later, Yuma ran into view, giving chase.
“Run, Yuma, Run!” Adam shouted.
Evan turned to see the race in progress and added his encouragement, but he was cheering for Tyhen. “Run, little whirlwind! Don’t let him catch you!” Evan shouted.
Tyhen’s head was down and her legs were flying as she dashed across the playa toward the street leading through the market. It didn’t take long for the people there to realize a race was in progress. They quickly joined in the excitement, cheering the chief’s daughter as she ran.
Yuma was running hard and slowly gaining, but it wasn’t easy. He had watched her play baseball plenty of times, but never realized how fast she really was. If he hadn’t needed the breath to run, he would have laughed. She needed this moment of joy as much as he needed her.
Tyhen heard the shouts and laughter, but the faces were a blur. She was all the way through the market and starting up the slope toward the palace when Yuma’s shadow suddenly loomed in front of her. Her heart skipped a beat. He was closer than she thought!
Just the thought of being taken down from behind made her lengthen her stride, putting everything she had left into the effort. But her best was not enough as the shadow grew bigger, coming closer and closer. Now she could hear the thump of Yuma’s footsteps and the short, rhythmic sound of his breathing.
Her capture was imminent and the joy that shot through her was physical. She looked up at the palace. When she saw it was too far away and she was never going to make it, she started laughing.
Yuma grinned. She knew she was caught and still she wouldn’t stop. He dropped his spear and lunged forward, grabbing her left arm and bringing her to a sudden halt.
She spun around so fast he nearly fell on her, and then she launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck.
“You caught me!” she cried.
“Yes I did,” he said, laughing. He swung her off her feet and threw her over his shoulder, then pointed at a young boy who was standing nearby. “Boy! Hand me my spear!”
The boy bolted out from behind the table where he’d been standing and grabbed the spear, then ran all the way back to Yuma, excited to be touching the weapon of such a mighty warrior.
Yuma nodded his approval, then winked as the boy laughed and ran off. Yuma shifted his load to a more comfortable position and started toward the palace with Tyhen hanging upside down, laughing hysterically.
***
After making the changes to Tyhen’s room, Singing Bird tried to focus on something else, but to no avail. She took a piece of fruit out to her bench near the entrance overlooking the city below. It was one of her favorite places to rest. She began peeling back the skin with her fingers and took a small bite, but the taste didn’t tempt her and began feeding it to the tiny monkeys who came down from the trees. Usually, they made her laugh, but not today. Instead, she took a deep, shuddering breath, swallowing past the knot in her throat as she gazed down into the city, then realized she couldn’t see for the tears.
“Why, Niyol, why? Why didn’t you warn me this would happen? Wasn’t what we lost to Firewalker enough? You were a greedy messenger of death, taking my only child, too. I hate you! I will hate you with every breath in my body for the rest of my life.”
Cayetano walked up behind her in time to hear her angry vow and quickly sat down beside her. The monkeys scampered back up into the trees as he took her in his arms.
“No, Singing Bird, no. Listen to what you say. It was hate that began all of this, remember?”
She covered her face and began to sob. Her voice was trembling, her shoulders shaking with every breath. “I don’t know how to give her up.”
Every sob was like a knife in Cayetano’s heart, and a reminder that all of this turmoil fell back on him and what he’d done so long ago. He pulled her into his arms and held her tight, then tighter still.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, my little bird. Forgive me. Please forgive me.”
It was the utter sorrow in his voice that pulled Singing Bird back from the edge. She began wiping away her tears as she turned to face him.
“There is nothing to forgive and it is long since over. It was just a moment of weakness and I let it in. I beg your forgiveness. This is not how the wife of the chief of Naaki Chava should behave.”
He took her hands and kissed them both and then placed them on his chest. “What can I do to make you happy?” he asked.
