Birth of the Chosen One

by Roger Kenworthy

  “Oh, most powerful spirits, look down upon this young son, our future leader, with compassionate eyes. Extend your good will to him for every day of his life; may he live long, and may he rule wisely. It is told to me by my ancestors that a baby born when the sun shines shall be a great hunter. A boy born when the moon shines shall be a great protector of the clan. He entered this life just before the moon slept and just before the sun awoke…he receives the good from the shadows of the sun and the light of the moon. He’ll be a great hunter and he’ll be a great protector of our clan.”

  Every eye in the circle was wet with tears; tears of joy and hope. They had their new savior of the family when the spirits called Tusik back to be with them.

  “Oh, most powerful spirits, look down upon this young daughter with compassionate eyes. Extend your blessings to her every day that she walks with you in the realm that we cannot see; we can feel that she is there, but she is also here. She is of both worlds now and for as long as the sun shines and the rains fall. It is told to me by my ancestors that a baby who steps into the spirit world in the sunlight shall return to its parents in a few seasons. There is no need to fear the spirits. A baby who steps into the spirit world in the moonlight shall return to its parents after one season. Their fear shall end quickly. Our daughter shall return and sit with us around our fires once again to eat food, to sing songs, and to sew leather.”

  Silence. A bony arm reached for the gourd; dried lips found their place and drank curdled blood. He came alive again after the hallowed gift passed his mouth, renewed by the spirits. After being refilled, he invited each clan member to drink a small portion of the sacred liquid.

  With his arms held high in the air, Narizon continued. “Women, drink from this vessel handed to me by the spirits and it shall give you fruitfulness, cunning, and patience. Children, drink from this vessel handed to me by the spirts and it shall give you humility, respect, and persistence. Hunters, drink from this vessel handed to me by the spirits and it shall give you strength, wisdom, and courage. Forest Clan members…this sacred crimson blood now lives within you, through you, around you. The kind spirits live within you, through you, around you.”

  Each thirst was quenched…spiritually and physically.

  “This day we have joy…this day we have sadness; this is our life. Our life is like a hunter’s sharp spear point; it brings joy and it brings sadness. The joy is that a hunter eats another day when he uses his spear as shown by the multitude of spirits. The sadness is that a hunter takes the life of a beast when he uses his spear as shown by the multitude of spirits. The clan eats, survives another day when the beast gives its soul to the hunter. The beast dies, its soul taken and its young left to meet the spirits.

  All ears were focused upon the shaman’s spiritual message.

  “And so, it is with each of us; we feel sadness each day and we feel joy each day. Each day is like life…many seasons pass as the yellow sun awakens, crosses overhead, and slips into the night. When the sun rises from behind the mountains, we are born and travel outside the spiritual realm. When the sun returns behind the mountains, we pass into the spiritual realm. This is the cycle of life and death. One is born and full of life within our forests and plains…one has passed and is lifeless within our forests and plains. If you shed tears, do so in joy and not sadness; for each of us shall travel to the spirits and each of us shall return from the spirits.”

  The members of our clan felt immense sadness but also great joy; the dichotomy of life and death hung over our heads, but we still had hope…hope from what Narizon shared with us this day.

  “Brothers, sisters, children; I have shared every word that the spirits of the winds, rivers, and plains have asked me to share with you this day. Let us drink from this consecrated vessel one last time and then we shall give our bodies life; life from the body of the beast gratefully provided by the spirits that walk with each beast we hunt and kill.”

  Silence. Movement. The dust arose from our feet.

  His spoken message was complete; now, it was time to conclude this sad and joyful celebration with more dancing and drumming. Narizon boldly took hold of his staff, looked eagerly at the crowd of followers, and began to gyrate wildly as before. He stopped, jammed his staff into the soft dirt that covered the cave floor…the bleached white skull hung high above the heads of all. We were subjugated by this symbol of knowledge and purity. As it peered down from such a height, it dominated the crowd as though possessed by the spirits. Some swore upon the memories of our ancestors that it spoke to them…it told them to obey the shaman and never go against him. His words, sacred, delivered directly from the spirits to us to avoid pain and suffering in this life and the afterlife as well.

  Now, with both of his hands free, he cradled his drum; he started slowly to beat it and sing along with it. They were one, connected by their differences, not separated by their differences. He whirled once more, slowly and then quickly; as he drummed faster, he spun faster. His feet woke the dirt of our cave from its sleep as it formed dark clouds…clouds that swirled and soon concealed Narizon. Only his drumming and chanting told the tale that a man was hidden in the clouds of black that zigged and zagged its way around the clan members.

  Silence. Motionless. The dirt settled at our feet.

  “Clan members, the spirits are joyful this day; they are satisfied that we have respect and reverence to them and for them. They have told me that it’s time to eat the meat of the beast that they gave us this day.”

  It was as if a rain shower had just ended; the rain falls to the lands like rivers in the warm season and then it stops, so did the theatrics of the shaman.

  “Let us eat and give more praise to those who exist but are not seen; to those who are heard but do not speak; and to those who guide us but are not touched.”

  With those words, the women began to hand the chunks of cooked meat to the hunters and injured first; then to the women; and finally, to the children. The cave was alive with the thankful voices of our clan. The sound of hungry teeth breaking bones announced the delicacies that awaited inside for the ones who received such gifts.

  The shadows became long, the air cool, and the birds silenced as the sun was about to disappear. Each stomach full, each member would live once more from what the spirits supplied to us on this festive yet furtive celebration.

  Less than a handful of sunny seasons had passed; father and mother were blessed by the spirits as my siblings Ava, Keagan, and Toska joined the family. As our numbers grew, the hunters were gone for many suns at times to find enough food to sustain the clan. Our success could lead to our failure.

  2

  “Ovark! Ovark! Where are you…do not hide from your mother like a beast who waits to prey upon an aged caribou. Come here, and now! I shall tan your hide the same as we do with a cave bear. Your behind is going to be ruby red as the sun before it meets its wife during the warm season. You shall be sorry to make your mother anxious about your whereabouts. Come out, and now!”

  Cries for help, but no child appeared from the shadows. Now, it was serious. Night was quickly approaching. When the moon shone down upon the lands, the beasts hunted…in packs or alone, all intent upon a single goal. A kill.

  “Elder, can you help me try to find my son, Ovark? He has not been seen while the shadows are changing. Please? Do not tell Tusik yet; we do not want him to worry over nothing if we find our little one.”

  “Brave Johar, there are two things that the spirits can help me with. First, I shall find Ovark, and second, I shall not tell my son that his first son was missing and caused us great worry.”

  “Thank you wise Tosak. I know that you are always here to help each member of the clan, your family. We love you for still assisting when you are able after living for so many seasons. May the spirits have you live forever with us.”

  “Such kind words, but there are more seasons behind me than in front of me, my child. Only the compassionate spirits know when these tired eyes shall exper
ience their final season with our family. I must go now; you know that these old bones move slower than they used to. I shall return with Ovark.”

  The wise one looked wherever he believed that a child could hide from his elders: the far and dark reaches of the cave; hidden tributaries and bends in the river; within insect infested tree trunks…not a single hair from the boy’s head could be found. The spirits did not fulfill Tosak’s desires. He had no choice but to return to a distraught mother and share some sad news.

  “Mother…he cannot be found by these seasoned eyes and ears. He does not answer my call. We have one thing that we must be do, and it must be now before the shadows grow any longer.”

  Through tears, mother approached father. “Tusik, I do not know what to do...I am out of my mind from worry and dread. Please help! None of the women have seen Ovark since the shadows from the morning sun were short. Your father searched for him and there is no trace of our boy. I am worried; he is very young and knows not what lies out there amongst the trees, rivers, and mountains. Why, he could be taken by a beast for all we know, and there would not be a trace of him remaining. His youthful body eaten by many young mouths, hungry mouths. The spirits may have taken our son, our future leader…”

  “What? Johar, he barely walks…what could possibly have happened to him? Now, tell me what you know, and do not leave out any detail that may help us find him…alive. Have no worry, my wife. We shall see his smiling face, touch his glowing skin, and hear his loving voice.” Father tried to add hope to the latest drama faced by our clan.

  It appeared to be a bleak situation. In the past, many of our clan just disappeared, never to be seen again, taken by a malevolent spirit or most likely a hungry beast with a litter to feed. There was a puddle of curdled blood or a few strands of black hair, but mostly there were little physical remains left as a body disappeared. Each species wants to survive; none wants to face extinction. It is eat or be eaten during these seasons. It was never safe for a young child or even a solitary woman or man to be out away from the clan since there were numerous predators that traveled the lands hunting for their sustenance. There was also an unforgiving environment; freezing river waters, howling nighttime winds, lightening shocked hillsides …all intent upon taking a soul to meet their ancestors and the spirits which abounded all around them.

  Mother continued with her explanation. “I don’t know; the women have been busy sewing and preparing new hides to keep us warm when the cold season begins. Our awls worked as hard as our tongues did. He was left with the older children; perhaps you can speak with them. They would not say a word to us, since they believe they are in trouble.”

  “They shall be if they do not share the truth. Alright, that’s where this will start, but it shall not end there. Galan, let’s talk to the youthful minders and find out when they saw him last. We have to act quick before the unforgiving moon rises from behind the cold mountains.”

  “I’ll get a few hunters together.” Galan also tried to comfort mother. “Don’t worry Johar, we’ll get that boy of yours back before the campfires in our cave see dancing shadows upon the walls.”

  “Thank you, Galan; if anyone can find my boy, it is you. We all know that you are the best tracker we have. May the spirits guide you to him, and return him as soon as possible.” Mother was hopeful.

  “Proud mother of my child, our hunters shall find him before the sun retreats for the night and the cold embraces our lands. We must get him back here or he won’t survive the night. The night spirits or the beasts might claim our boy; the future of our clan rests upon his young shoulders; rests upon our weathered shoulders…we must find him.”

  These words of dread had just passed over father’s lips when he saw that two handfuls of hunters, led by Galan, had joined him in his quest for a lost son.

  The brave tracker looked as if the darkness of the warm season had just enveloped him. Sadly, he explained why the despondent clouds hung over him. “Tusik, I have some more sad words to share with you. We do not have a missing child…we have several children missing, so Ovark can’t be alone wherever he may be. You are a wise leader, and I think you know what this means.”

  “I do. My friend, let the spirits be kind to our children and help us find them. Who can be the ones who boldly walk into our lands and steal our children right before our eyes? They shan’t get away with such foulness. Hurry...let us go and talk with the youngsters first, and then we can make plans for where we should start to look.”

  The glint of eleven obsidian spear points reflected the glowing rays of a tired crimson sun; the moon waited patiently for its call to oversee the lands, waters, and skies below it. Would either shed tears for four missing souls? Would their young names from the past be remembered in the future?

  The rather imposing bodies of father and the hunters gathered around the ones who were responsible for watching the young children as the women worked. As father approached, their youthful eyes were as large as an owl’s hunting by the light of a half-moon.

  “Now, let’s talk about what happened to Ovark when he was in your care, and don’t forget anything. We need to know the truth about what took place. You shall not be punished if you are truthful with your words…if untruthful, then you shall face the wrath of the spirits; your fathers and mothers as well. Go ahead, Randar. Don’t be afraid; we just want to know what happened and when you saw the missing children last.”

  With dread on his tongue, the boy explained. “All of us were playing with the carved animals from the cave; we were brave hunters. Just as we were about to capture the toy beasts, a young deer ran past us. We were surprised but acted quickly as real hunters do. We gave chase; through the forest and down near the river. It was quick and outran all of us. We were tired and unsuccessful. We failed to bring the beast down; when we returned, our young brothers were missing. We searched, yelled their names…and nothing.”

  “Show us where you were playing, Randar. Men, perhaps, there is some sign of what happened there. Walk carefully, eyes opened…do not miss anything that appears to be a sign of our children.”

  “Here, this is where we left them.”

  The hunters gathered around the exact spot… moving blades of grass, upturning handfuls of mud. The lands never surrendered anything belonging to the four missing children.

  A new strategy was used. The men walked in ever larger circles where the children had last been seen. It was the sharp-eyed Gaylan who noticed something of importance. A clue.

  “Tusik…look!

  A single carved creature, two small and two large footprints.

  “So, our thief has two legs and not four. What tribe Galan?” Father was red with anger.

  “I am not sure, but look closely…that footprint is heavily calloused. This hunter has walked a great distance and for many years; an experienced hunter and possibly a leader of this band of evil. He’s kidnapped our children!”

  Bundan made an astute observation. “I don’t believe that he is alone; there must be more, but we have no signs as to how many more. If we catch one, don’t kill him…we must discover what their intent is. Sacrifice? Slavery? May the spirits help us find our children before they face such perils.”

  “I agree. Bundan, take your men and go that way. Gaylan, search near the river, and I’ll go with the rest to where the sun sleeps at night. Alright, if you find any more clues…yell as loudly as possible. If we find nothing, we meet at the river before the sun sleeps this day. We need one of us to go back to our cave and ask the women for a handful of gourds filled with bear fat. We can use it to light our way as the sun begins to sleep.”

  “I’ll go Tusik; I’ll be quick, so the moon doesn’t catch my shadow.”

  “Thank you, brave hunter…now, go! Ovark, where are you son?”

  “Children! Can you hear us?”

  “Ovark. Answer me boy.”

  Desperation hung in the still air, the sky spirits mute, the sun shed sad tears. My name reverberated off the cliffs an
d canyon walls that dotted our hallowed lands. But, their cries of desperation weren’t answered. My ears didn’t hear them.

  Darkness set in; the moon accepted its responsibility to light the path of the hunters. The light from above was augmented with bear fat torches. The thick fat was wrapped around a sturdy tree branch and then lit. Ghostly beams of light shone brightly for as far as the hunters could see.

  “Tusik…here!” Gaylan knelt at the telltale imprints left by large feet, no doubt, from grown men, but as they continued on, impressions of the smaller children’s feet disappeared. “They’ve picked up their hostages; they must be carrying them now. That way, they can move quicker…imagine, trying to outrun us with our children being dragged along as beasts from a successful hunt.”

  Bundan deduced. “Men, we know there must be a least as many men as our children. One couldn’t easily run away from us with a child under each arm.”

  “Yes, you are right. And Gaylan, I do not see any blood…. this is a good sign. Surely, they would not be traveling with the dead body of a child; that makes no sense. Even the spirits would descend from the skies and pour out from the waters to make these evil men answer to a heinous wrath from our protectors.”

  “The trail goes this way…”

  They all ran quickly after Gaylan, their blood racing, prepared to do battle with the thieves who had plucked the young children from their clan. The torches of fat sizzled as they were carried high to the sky spirits…a sweet smell juxtaposed to the desperation of the men.

  “Quiet…do you see that fiery glow ahead of us? Campfires?”

  The hunter’s backs were parallel to the black earth as they crawled to the source of the light. A handful of dark hide structures, fires still smoldering. Father signaled the others to form a circle around the entire encampment.