Broken Rock Bay (Clan of the Ice Mountains Book 3)

by C. S. Bills

  Rika wasn’t asking, Attu realized, so he said nothing.

  “We are both like Dran, aren’t we?” Rika sighed. “And it’s worth it, to do what we do, isn’t it? I know I can’t help putting others before myself.”

  “Which is why you need me to tell you when to rest. You’re–”

  Rika interrupted. “You are going back to that dangerous place, and I want you to be careful.” She poked him in the chest with her finger. “No being the hero at any cost. There are plenty of other hunters to do what needs to be done.” Rika gazed into Attu’s eyes, and the fierceness he saw there reminded him of the look she’d given him the day they’d met, just before she started stitching the deepest wounds he’d gotten from the ice bear attack.

  “I will be–”

  She stopped his words with her fingers on his lips. “You are coming back to me. And our child.” She leveled one more glare at him, then rose on her tiptoes and kissed him.

  It was mid sun, and after Tingiyok’s group had departed, the rest had been preparing for those traveling south.

  Attu looked over to where Suka was outfitting his two-person skin boat. He had reluctantly agreed to Farnook’s plan after much persuasion, but by the look on his face, Attu could tell he was still sulking. Attu grabbed up his empty water skins and called for Suka to get his, walking toward the edge of the forest.

  “Farnook will do what needs to be done, Suka, and you’ll be there to protect her.”

  “She shouldn’t be putting herself at such risk,” Suka said. “I still can’t believe everyone else agrees with her.” He kicked at a stone lying in his way as they walked the well-worn path through the forest to the place the women drew water from the river. The cool of the pines was welcome today. Attu still hadn’t gotten used to the heat of summer, even the gentle heat of this more northern place.

  As they approached the river, the sound of flowing water grew, and ahead a large bird soared through the clearing near the river’s edge. Attu felt his spirit lurch, but he yanked it back to himself as Keanu had taught him to do. It had been the only thing she’d been willing to show him so far, a better way to resist the pull to move into an animal’s mind. She was still too afraid to work on what she thought would be the next logical step, to accompany Attu into an animal’s mind. She’d said she didn’t think she could pull Attu’s mind back out if he hadn’t strengthened his ability to resist in the first place. She’d never had an Elder to teach her, and she simply did it without knowing how.

  Good. Her mental approval broke into Attu’s thoughts.

  How do you know every time this happens to me?

  No reply.

  Knowing how to pull back is not enough. And what about the dreaming?

  Pray you don’t, was Keanu’s terse reply.

  “I know this is a risk, Suka,” Attu said, pulling himself back from his mental conversation with Keanu and remembering his purpose for getting Suka by himself. “Farnook suffered so much at the Ravens’ hands.”

  “For most of her life,” Suka said. “So why does she want to return? It makes no sense to me. She said even Caanti was mean to her, at least at first.”

  “What if you look at it this way,” Attu said, kneeling at the river and filling the first of his three water skins. “This is Farnook’s chance to get back at the Ravens once and for all. Not only are all their hunters dead now, but Farnook will help the Nukeena women escape and any others who wish to, as well. If all goes the way she thinks it will, no one who remains will try to stop them. It will be Farnook’s victory over those evil ones among the women who mistreated her since she was a child. She’ll be able to save her friend, Caanti, and the Raven hunters’ spirits will see and know you have once again fooled them, Suka.”

  “I guess I never thought Farnook needed to take revenge on those women like a hunter might against other men.” Suka looked thoughtful as he filled one of his water skins. It bulged as he brought it out of the water, twisted the top, and clamped it shut with the attached bone device.

  And I don’t think she does, but this is what you understand, my cousin, so I’m letting you think it. I’ll have to explain to Farnook later...

  “Any way we can continue to punish those Ravens, especially Kagit, even to hurt their spirits gone Between by taking more of their women, is something I can agree to.” Suka filled the last of their skins and stood, pulling the heavy water-filled pouches over his shoulder by their carry straps. “Especially for Farnook’s sake. Why do you think she didn’t tell me herself she wanted revenge on these women?”

  “I don’t think the other women of our Clan would understand. Farnook is still new among us. She probably doesn’t want anyone else to know how she feels.” Attu tried not to feel guilty about planting ideas in Suka’s head, but he needed his cousin to support their plan or it wouldn’t work. And Farnook needed her man with her, not against her.

  “I know she wants to fit in, and I tell her she is, but she sometimes seems worried about it still.” Attu could tell Suka was pondering the idea of Farnook’s wanting revenge, but hiding her feelings about it from the other women and from Suka.

  “But she does want revenge,” Attu said, grimacing at his deception but determined to follow it through.

  “How do you know?” Suka looked at Attu, suspicious.

  “Wouldn’t you?” Attu faced Suka. “Wouldn’t you like revenge on those women who harmed Farnook? That’s what she wants, by taking all the rest of the women, the ones who did no harm and suffered almost as much as she did at the Ravens’ hands. She wants that, but she can’t say it, because she’s a woman and revenge is a man’s place.” Attu realized he was beginning to believe in the possibility of Farnook wanting revenge, not just saying it to convince Suka. Perhaps she really did.

  Why else would she be willing to risk so much to get those other women out? And the way she plans to do it...

  “Do you think I should talk to her about it? Let her know I understand?” Suka asked as he turned to walk back.

  “No. You just need to know that’s the reason behind her plan. Allow her to keep her woman’s dignity about the revenge part of it.”

  “All right. I don’t want to embarrass her. But knowing makes it easier to agree to what she’s planning.” Suka seemed satisfied with his decision.

  Good. Now I won’t have to say anything to Farnook. She can just think her man has come around to her way of thinking because of what she’s told him.

  Attu grabbed up his own water pouches and tried not to feel guilty about tricking Suka into their plan. The two walked back to camp, talking about the place to the north where they both prayed their long journey, almost three turnings of the seasons as far as Attu could figure it, would finally come to an end.

  “Rika, Veshria needs you!” Yural called from the other side of the camp.

  Rika picked up her bag and ran out of the shelter, Attu at her heals.

  “Is it her baby?” Rika said as they neared Veshria’s shelter.

  “No, it’s her tooth. Rusik came and got me when he realized Veshria was going to use the root again.”

  “Don’t let that healer near me!” Veshria screamed as Rusik reached out for her.

  Veshria slapped her man’s hands away. “She’s friends with Keanu. They’re all evil. I told you we shouldn’t have come with them, Rusik. Now they’ll let me suffer, rather than give me the potion of roots I need.” Veshria began wailing.

  In the shadows of the shelter, Attu saw Ganik and his little sister, Tishria, crouched down in their sleeping furs, clinging to each other.

  “I’ll take them to my shelter and keep them there until this is over,” Farnook said. She went to the children, who immediately clung to her. Farnook left the shelter with them.

  “Thank you,” Rika said as she motioned for Rusik to join her outside the shelter. “That rotten tooth has got to come out, and I can’t give Veshria anything for the pain that won’t also affect her baby. This is going to hurt her. Really hurt her, Ru
sik, but after I clean out the evil spirits of infection in the hole where her tooth was, Veshria will be fine. No more tooth pain.”

  “But she doesn’t want you to touch her.” Rusik’s eyes kept darting back to the door of the shelter where Veshria now mewled tortured cries that set Attu’s teeth on edge. With each cry, Rusik seemed to fold in on himself like he was being punched by invisible fists.

  “You will have to hold her down,” Rika said. “Attu, call for more hunters to help us.”

  “But what about you?” Attu asked. “I don’t want you risking–”

  “I’ll be fine. I’ll tell you what to do and won’t come near Veshria until you are all in place.”

  When they were ready, Rusik went back into the shelter to get Veshria. She began screaming again, and ignored Rusik’s pleas to let him carry her out.

  After a few moments, Yural stepped forward. “Enough of this foolishness,” she said. “Delirious or not, that woman needs to calm down. Her baby is at stake.”

  “Don’t get too close to her,” Ubantu warned.

  “I won’t.” Yural marched into the shelter. “Quiet!” she commanded. Attu felt the power in his mother’s tone. Veshria stopped her screaming and began whimpering instead.

  In a few moments, Rusik came out with Veshria in his arms. Yural kept her distance, but Veshria was watching her, and Yural kept her gaze steady on Veshria.

  “Lay her down,” Rika said.

  “Now, these men are going to hold you steady,” Yural said, “and you’re going to let them. Do you understand?”

  Veshria nodded her head slightly, moaning and cupping her right cheek in her hand.

  “Soon this will be over and that evil spirit tooth will be out. But it’s going to hurt. Try to hold still.” Yural took her place behind Rika, so Veshria could still see her face as Rika worked.

  “Turn your face toward me and open your mouth,” Rika said. As Veshria opened her mouth, Rika hooked a curved piece of rock on the left side of Veshria’s cheek between her teeth, so she couldn’t close her mouth again. Veshria’s eyes grew wide, and Attu gagged at the sight and smell of Veshria’s rotten tooth, but he kept steady, holding Veshria’s head and shoulders and keeping himself where he could move between Rika and Veshria if needed.

  “You’re doing fine. Hold still,” Yural coached Veshria in a tone that allowed for no resistance.

  Rika pulled a tool out of her pouch. It had a sturdy handle on one end and a sharp hook on the other. Rika was careful to keep it out of Veshria’s line of sight. “Ready?” she asked the hunters holding Veshria down.

  Everyone nodded.

  “I’m going to pull the tooth now,” Rika said, and before Veshria could react, Rika flicked the tool into her mouth and with a hard pull and twist, the tooth popped out, along with a spray of blood and pus.

  “Uhhh,” Veshria grunted and passed out.

  “Eewww,” Attu and Yural said as they both pulled away reflexively, wiping at their faces.

  “Good,” Rika said, ignoring her own sprayed face as she studied Veshria. “She waited so long the tooth was practically out on its own. With her unconscious, that will make the clean out much easier.” She grabbed a potion-soaked strip of hide.

  Attu and Ubantu finished preparing Attu’s skin boat for the journey. It was growing dark as they walked back toward camp where fresh meat was cooking over the central fire.

  Attu’s stomach growled in response to the delicious smell. “I couldn’t eat anything earlier today, after helping with Veshria. Now I’m starving.”

  As if in answer, his stomach gurgled even more loudly. They both laughed.

  But Ubantu grew serious again as he spoke. “I know you need me to stay, Attu, along with Rusik and the other strongest hunters, but my spirit is yearning to go with you, my son.”

  “I couldn’t go if I didn’t know you were here protecting Rika, Mother, Meavu, and the others. Suka won’t allow Farnook to go without him, and I couldn’t ask any other Nuviks to go back to that evil Raven camp, not even you.”

  “I would go. I could–”

  “I know, Father, and I would like you with me as well.” Attu stopped and placed his hand on his father’s shoulder. “We don’t know if Farnook’s plan will even work. This whole idea is risky. But I think we must do it for the Nukeenas’ and because it is the right thing for us to do as true Nuvik hunters. I believe the spirits will look upon us with favor for helping the Nukeena women captured by the Ravens get their own men back, and for their hunters to find women to build new lives with. And even though it was Attuanin’s choice to kill all the Raven hunters, we need to give those women a chance to have hunters who will honor them and protect them, a chance at a good life with these Nukeena to make up for the lives they lost with their own people. That is worth the risk.”

  “Is that what you told Suka, to convince him to stop squirming over this like a poolik whose wetness coverings are drenched?”

  Attu laughed again at his father’s accurate description of his cousin’s fussing. “Something like that, only with a twist of revenge in it. I’m surprised at how strongly I feel about giving the women still in the Raven camp a second chance. I just can’t help thinking if it were Meavu, or Rika, or Farnook, I would pray another hunter would do what I could no longer do, having been killed.”

  “I’ve been thinking perhaps the spirits of those hunters gone Between are compelling us to help,” Ubantu said as they turned and continued up the beach. From the dead calm of the evening, a gust of wind blew past them through the rustling trees, the strong pine scent filling the air around them, swirling up bits of sand before heading out over the bay.

  “I think we have our answer,” Attu whispered. The two walked in silence the rest of the way to camp.

  Chapter 14

  The journey back to the Raven’s camp was uneventful. Suka led the way with Farnook, and the familiar bay came into view after only nine days of strong paddling. Attu hadn’t realized just how slowly they’d traveled after their initial rush to escape the Raven hunters’ pursuit. They passed the islands, which were now peninsulas, an undulating mass of volcanic rock covering everything in sight. Small bits of grass and other plants were already growing in many places, softening the brittle-looking rock with new life. Attu was amazed to see the change in just a few moons.

  Everyone stayed on the lookout for killer whale fish, but none were spotted. Attu thought the predators might have continued on their northbound journey and hoped that meant much game was available farther north, for surely the killer whale fish followed the nuknuks, seals, and schools of large fish.

  They reached the bay of the Ravens at dawn, slipping just to the tip of the point before beaching their boats. Suka stayed with Farnook, Soantek, Shool, and the other Nukeena. Attu and Cray crept through the woods near the beach around the point, approaching the Raven camp from the north, walking past the remains of the old Nuvik camp, and moving up to the ridge closest to the Ravens, where they could see what changes, if any, the Raven women had made to the camp.

  It was mid-morning by the time Attu and Cray lay flat, peering over the edge of the rocks down into the heart of the Ravens’ settlement. It seemed smaller to Attu, even though the log houses still stood. The whole area around the camp was dirty, littered with bones, and old fishnets, and abandoned fire pits. It smelled.

  They watched as a few women stirred something in a large pot over the one fire burning in the clearing, and a group of young boys came up from the river, their nets filled with fish.

  “Ai,” Cray said. “Fuva, ai.”

  “Ai,” Attu agreed. “They seem to have enough food.”

  The two watched the Ravens for a long time. To Attu, it seemed the women were going about their business as if there had been no change. There were fewer of them, but it was possible many were out gathering or doing jobs their men had done before, like cutting wood. What was most changed, of course, was the lack of men loitering about the camp. And no giant canoes filled t
he beach, just a few log boats like Keanu had made, simple platforms designed to get the Ravens out into the bay to fish for the large sunset fish and to dive for shellfish. Attu pointed to the spots Farnook had said would be ideal for them to hide. Cray nodded his understanding.

  Cray pointed to the great Raven totem, still lying on the ground near the largest log house, its end reaching toward the water, away from the dwellings, its base stretching halfway across a deep hole, falling in at the edges. Beach grass had sprouted where the dirt from the hole had been piled, and it waved in the breeze. The pole itself was dirty. Apparently, children had been running up and down its length, throwing mud from the dirt pile. The Raven totem’s wings had been broken off, and just the thickest parts near the totem itself remained. Attu wondered if the Raven women had used what they could of the wings for firewood.

  Attu motioned and Cray nodded. They’d seen enough. It was time to head back to the others and prepare themselves.

  We are all in place, Attu mind spoke to Farnook. His hands were trembling as he held his spear in his hands. He prayed he didn’t have to use it. Killing women or young boys trying to act like hunters was not something Attu wanted to be forced to do.

  It will not come to that. Farnook’s voice sounded confident in his head. Tell the others I’m ready. Light the fires.

  “Farnook is ready,” Attu whispered to Soantek, who motioned with his hand and called, sounding like a night bird hooting through the trees. After a moment, another night bird hooted back.

  Attu lit the pitch torches they’d brought. The long torches were covered in a black bitter-smelling substance gathered from the pines. They flared bright orange in the darkness and put out so much smoke Attu had to hold his hand over his mouth as he waved his torch.

  At the sight of the sudden light and smoke, Raven women screamed, and their little ones wailed as they pulled back from their evening fire. A few grabbed up weapons but most seemed stunned. Each of the men was covered in mud from head to foot, naked, and in the darkness, with the torches in front of them, and at the distance they were standing from the Raven women, it seemed like the torches were waving themselves, held by disembodied spirits.