“Did you explain to him that it is hard to announce one’s arrival if one has never been here before?” asked the prince.
“I tried,” Na’gu’set replied. “I told him that we are peaceful travellers who wish to speak to the elders of the village. He said that would be impossible, for they are in a state of war. It seems that trouble has been brewing between the Oneidas and the Mahican nation to the south. They say we are Mahican spies.”
“If they think we are spies, then why haven’t they attacked us?” asked Prince Henry, sizing up the enemy as his hand flexed lightly on the hilt of his sword.
“Curiosity,” Na’gu’set explained. “Your strange metal armour has some of the Oneida warriors wondering if, instead, you are spirits of the earth. They are not familiar with what you call iron, so they want to find out more about us before they kill us.”
Prince Henry looked to his men and signalled for them to hold steady. Slowly, Prince Henry took off his helmet and passed it to Na’gu’set. As Prince Henry’s golden curls fell to his shoulders, a large number of Oneida warriors gasped in surprise.
“Give this to Odatshedeh. Tell him we are not spirits, but we are also not Mahican spies. Tell him we have come from a distant land, and that we come in peace. Say the helmet is a gift from one brave warrior to another.”
Na’gu’set nodded and carried the helmet to the leader of the Oneida. He explained Prince Henry’s words. The warrior carefully took the helmet from Na’gu’set, his eyes widening, surprised by its substantial weight. Examining it, then rubbing his hand on its smooth surface, he carefully raised it up and lowered it onto his own head. The other warriors seemed to relax and encircled their leader. Dozens of hands stroked the strange cool surface of the helmet. Odatshedeh finally spoke to Na’gu’set, who then returned to the prince.
“It seems that your gift of the helmet and the acknowledgement of being fellow warriors has convinced Odatshedeh to agree to our request. They have agreed to take us into the village and see the band elders, but only if we disarm ourselves here.”
“What?” questioned Whipper. “We can’t leave ourselves defenseless. Not with the most precious relics in all of Christendom in our care!”
“They could slaughter us!” cried Angus.
Prince Henry looked to his men then back to Odatshedeh, who had removed the helmet and waited impatiently for the party to comply with his demand.
“Lads, I don’t think we have much choice. They could kill us anyway, weapons or not. I think this is our one and only chance to make a powerful ally.”
Prince Henry unbuckled his sword from around his waist and passed it to Odatshedeh. Without further questioning, all of his men did the same.
Twenty-Nine
As the disarmed Templar knights followed the long train of warriors into the village, Connor noticed that many of the daily chores, from weaving to flour grinding, had been left scattered on the open ground in the race to safety. Word had quickly spread throughout the village that a peaceful settlement had been reached with the strangers, and hundreds of women and children poured out of the longhouses to see the visitors for themselves. They stared and whispered, commenting on their pale skin and golden locks of hair. The children stayed close to their mothers, some clutching little dolls made of corn husks. Connor kept looking down in fear of stepping on human waste. Of the few Scottish villages he had visited, they were always filthy cesspools, with excrement simply thrown out the windows and onto the dirt streets. To his amazement, the Oneida village was as clean as the forest. In fact, he was stunned by the overall beauty of the village itself.
“How can so many people live in one spot and not have it looking and smelling like the disgusting towns that we have back in Scotland?” wondered Connor aloud.
“And they’re well fed,” noted Angus. “Not a starving one among the lot of them. Think of all the poor little waifs wandering about our towns back home.”
The warriors led them to the centre of the village and a smaller bark-covered building. Odatshedeh pointed to Prince Henry.
“Only you and I can approach the council,” Na’gu’set explained. “Leader to leader.”
Prince Henry looked to Whipper, who shook his head in concern. “It’s my job to ensure your safety, Henry. You need at least one of us to go in and watch your back.”
“We had better follow their rules if we are going to win their trust,” replied the prince. “Na’gu’set will keep an eye on things for me.”
Whipper frowned, eyeing the dozens of cold, fearless warriors surrounding them. “Aye, sire,” he responded reluctantly.
“And their band council is quite different from that of the Templar Order,” explained Na’gu’set. “Inside the meeting den, you will see the chief and the clan mothers. The clan mothers are the women elders who are responsible for choosing the chief and can veto any of his decisions, including whether the tribe is to help us with our dilemma. You must treat the women as equals if you are to win their trust.”
“Now that’s a concept the Templar Order should adopt,” mused Princess Sarah.
Prince Henry shot his sister a look, then stepped forward with Na’gu’set. “Thank you for your wise council, my friend. I think it is time to see if our request will be considered.”
The prince, Na’gu’set and several of the warriors entered the building through a leather doorway while the rest remained outside the entrance. The knights formed a protective ring around the princess, and the battle-hardened warriors spent the time simply staring silently at each other. As the time passed, more and more of the Oneida people began to focus their gaze on Sarah. She would normally have felt uncomfortable with all of the attention, but she noticed it wasn’t so much herself as her dress that was getting the attention. They seemed to be taken by the long, flowing materials that covered her entire body. The Oneida women, she observed, wore only a short skirt of leather that stopped above their knees. A sleeveless tunic covered their tops, while their long, beautiful black hair either hung straight down to their waist or was elegantly tied back in a long braid.
Na’gu’set finally reemerged from the hut. He caught some of the native conversation among the women and smiled at Princess Sarah.
“The news is good. Prince Henry will be out soon.”
“What are they talking about, Na’gu’set?” asked Princess Sarah, nodding to the crowd.
“The Oneida are wondering if you have mortal legs beneath your dress. Some think that you are a sky spirit and have the power to float above the ground.”
Laughing, Princess Sarah did something she would never think of doing in Scotland. She lifted her skirt up off the ground to her knees and swung her foot back and forth. The gathered people smiled and began teasing those who had thought she was a spirit.
Prince Henry and the chief emerged from the building. The crowd hushed as they approached the two groups of warriors. Over the chief’s leather tunic hung strings of colourful beads and shells. His grey hair was braided back into a thick ponytail. Three large feathers splayed from the top of the ponytail; two were pointing up and one down. As the pair stopped, a dozen of the largest warriors fell in behind their leader in a show of strength.
Prince Henrywaved everyone in. “This is Chief Sakokeaeh, and he has welcomed us to his village. The council listened patiently to our long tale. We explained how we were in need of their assistance. They asked if we were willing to barter in order to secure their help, and I offered them a dozen hunting knives and two swords. The elders have never seen iron before, and they were fascinated by the weapons. After many questions, the elders finally accepted the offer of weapons and told us they would be honoured to help us.”
Chief Sakokeaeh turned to his people and spoke briefly in his native tongue. Immediately, the mood lightened. The Oneida people swarmed the visitors, tapping their knuckles on their steel helmets, feeling the sold, iron blades of their swords and rubbing their hands on the strange chain mail. Eventually, the Templars were led to a n
earby longhouse and were supplied with washing basins and baskets of food.
At night, the village burst into booming rhythms, dance and an endless feast. The newcomers were overwhelmed by the celebration and tried their best to join in. The men were passed small clay pipes, and Na’gu’set demonstrated how to puff on the end of it. The Oneida called the burning leaves in the pipe tobacco. The men always smoked their pipes, Na’gu’set explained, when big decisions were made. Sarah laughed as the children grabbed her bandaged hands and led her off to dance around the blazing fire. The stress of the past weeks melted away, if only for a single night.
Early the next day, Prince Henry insisted on getting down to business. He divided the knights into three parties, and they were sent out with Oneida guides in order to find an appropriate resting site for the Ark and its treasures. After three frustrating days of searching, a perfect location was finally discovered; a small cave a short distance to the north of the village and hidden in the base of a gentle valley. When Connor arrived at the cave, he couldn’t help but smile.
“Look at the hills above the cave,” said Connor.
Angus shrugged. “What of them?”
“Don’t they look remarkably like the graceful curves of a reclining woman?”
Angus’ eyes widened. “Aye! I see it now.”
“I think that Mary Magdalene herself is going to help watch over the Ark for her image is burned into those hills.”
“Then it is the perfect place,” agreed Angus.
For two weeks, both nations pitched in to build a chamber that would protect the relics from future dampness and weather. The knights then carefully transported the Ark of the Covenant and the other precious items into the cave. Prince Henry led a moving ceremony in which he related the significance of each relic as well as the losses that had led them in their journey to their Oneida friends.
Prince Henry turned and faced the Oneida people. “We thank the entire Oneida nation for your contribution to the security of our treasure. Your generosity will never be forgotten.”
Chief Sakokeaeh stepped forward with his warriors. The elderly leader held up an intricate woven belt decorated with tiny purple and white seashells. The design on the belt had two parallel lines of purple crossing a sea of white. A small purple Sinclair cross floated between the two lines.
“This wampum belt,” explained Chief Sakokeaeh, as Na’gu’set translated, “is the treaty that we have sealed with you, our Templar brothers. We give it to you to take with you to the other side of the Great Water. Only when this belt is returned, either by you or your descendants, will the Oneida people allow the Ark and its treasures to be disturbed.”
“Thank you, my friend,” said Prince Henry, taking the belt. “It is with a sad heart that I announce that we must leave your land. The early autumn storms will soon be upon us, and if we do not depart now, we will need to winter once again in these lands. Back home, my people are at war, and I’m afraid that another winter in this beautiful land cannot be an option. We must return to Scotland as soon as possible.”
“But Prince Henry,” interjected Whipper, “what about the Ark? Can we simply leave them sitting here in an open cave?”
“Aye, that is a problem,” agreed the prince. “We don’t have time to properly conceal the mouth of the cave. It will take months, if not years, to ensure that the entrance to the cave is undetectable.”
“Someone will have to stay behind,” suggested Connor.
Prince Henry frowned. “I do not want to order men to remain with the Ark. This is a commitment that must be taken on freely. It is an act that is not only holy in nature but critical to future of the Templar Order. Chief Sakokeaeh has already agreed to allow those who choose to stay to hold honorary status within the Oneida nation. I will send a ship in a year’s time to return to this land and bring anyone who stays home to Scotland.”
Connor stepped forward. “I volunteer. It will be a great honour to stay and finish the project.”
“I’ll stay as well,” said Angus, moving to Connor’s side. “I like the idea of remaining close to my father’s grave for another year.”
Prince Henry smiled warmly at the young men. “Thank you, lads. I can’t sacrifice more than four men. We’ll need the remaining men to sail the two ships home. Are there any others willing to stay?”
Two older knights without family also volunteered. Finally, Na’gu’set stepped through the crowd and joined the other four. “I will also stay here with my friends.”
Prince Henry looked upon the selfless group and blessed them for their effort. As the Templars prepared to depart, Prince Henry approached Chief Sakokeaeh with Na’gu’set. “Thank you for your kindness and your friendship,” he said.
Chief Sakokeaeh smiled. “I hope our paths cross again in the near future.”
“As do I,” agreed Prince Henry. “You explained to me how a great leader named Dekanawidah had brought peace, civil authority and the Great Law to the surrounding Iroquois nations. You don’t know how much I admire and envy your people. I can only hope that some day the people in my own land will become as enlightened as yours.”
Chief Sakokeaeh nodded. Two women approached the men and left a large basket of maize and vegetables at Prince Henry’s feet. “Take this food with you. It will keep you and your people healthy during your long trip over the Great Water.”
“Thank you, my friend.”
“Go in peace.”
Surprised by a soft hand on his shoulder, Connor turned to find Princess Sarah standing next to him. Even in her dishevelled state, Connor still found her beautiful. His heart pounded as her smile lit up the afternoon sky.
“Are you sure you want to stay?” she asked. “This place is so far away from home.”
Connor smiled. “I owe your brother everything. If he says he needs a volunteer for a task, I will always be the first in line.”
She looked at her brother as he conversed with the chief. “I think after your bravery on Oak Island, you can consider your debt to him paid in full.”
“Actually, it’s more than just that. I have been given the task of protecting the Ark of the Covenant! What God-fearing knight would not give his life for such an honour?”
“What about me?” she asked plainly. “I no longer have a knight to look over me. I was hoping that you might be interested in being my personal guardian.”
Connor blushed. “Never have I been more honoured in a request, my princess. But I don’t think you will need a guardian for much longer. Upon your return to Scotland, your life will change forever. You are destined to be married to a powerful prince or clan leader. Your offspring will expand the Sinclair name, and the Magdalene bloodline will continue. I can feel that your adventure is only just beginning. Go home, princess. Find a good husband. Have a family. Tell your children about our time in this new land so that your brother’s accomplishments will never be forgotten!”
Solemnly she leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “Thank you, Connor. Thank you for saving my brother. You are a very perfect gentle knight.”
With a final farewell, Prince Henry, Princess Sarah and the other knights followed a band of Oneida warriors south towards the great river. Angus sauntered up between Na’gu’set and Connor and put his arms around them both as they stood watching the departing group.
“At this time of year, it will be a long and dangerous voyage back to your land of Scotland,” predicted Na’gu’set. “The autumn storms will soon be upon them.”
“I don’t know about you, but I have a strange feeling that I might never see them again,” said Angus, as the procession disappeared into the distant forest.
Connor looked at his friends and smiled. “Whether we see them again or not . . . I do know this. You two are my family now. With the three of us together, and the Ark of the Covenant to care for and protect, I feel that my home is already here.”
Thirty
It was a long and perilous journey for the two Scottish ships
as they plied the waters south of Greenland. A pair of autumn storms ripped across the angry ocean, creating monstrous waves that battered the vessels and crew into a deep icy coffin. After four grueling weeks, the weather finally calmed enough for the sodden crews to make repairs to the ships. Luckily they had been blown eastward, and after a few more days of sailing under fair skies, they cheered with jubilation as the familiar silhouette of the Orkney Islands emerged on the edge of the horizon.
The euphoria of surviving their journey home, however, was short-lived. As the two vessels plied their way through the channel towards Kirkwall and the Sinclair sea fortress, Prince Henry sounded the alarm. The men on both ships quickly ran to their stations. Ahead, in the darkened waters of the sea fortress’s harbour was the prince’s worst nightmare. Four large British warships were using their new cannons to blast at the foundations of the Sinclair sea fortress. Columns of English troops could be seen attacking the castle’s main gate. His fleet of ships billowed dark clouds of smoke into the air as their torched hulls burned furiously along the shoreline. Prince Henry cursed the sea gods as he realized that he had arrived home a week too late.
He commanded the two returning ships to be lashed together. He then leapt from his ship to the vessel attached to his rail. Antonio, the captain of the second ship, left the rudder and joined Prince Henry at the bow. Together they stared at the nightmarish scene.
“The English are laying a full siege on Kirkwall,” said Prince Henry, grimly. “Douglas was a fool. He double-crossed me, and the English double-crossed him.”
Antonio shook his head in frustration. “And there is no chance our two vessels will make any difference in the battle. We do not have the ammunition to match their numerous cannons, and after a month at sea, the men are weak with hunger. What should we do?”
Prince Henry pointed to one of the warships raising its sails.
“It appears that we’ve been spotted.”
Betrayed Page 22
