Hand of Fire (The Master of the Tane)

by Rath, Thomas

  Dor grabbed his friend’s arm pulling then both to a stop. “You cannot place this kind of guilt upon yourself, Thane. It was you who stopped and made us go back in the first place. If anyone is to be labeled a coward this day then it is I. The only thing I could think of was saving my own hide.”

  “I do not call you coward my friend,” Thane said with eyes hard and down cast. “It was you who led the troll away from the village and then faced him without fear.”

  “Yes, but if you hadn’t stopped and followed us and then shot him when you did, my fingers would have been more trophies for his necklace.” Dor patted his friend on the back. “Come on Thane, we did well today. No one can expect us to have done any different. Today was the first time we ever faced an actual troll, not to mention we are just eight cycles in life. I would say we did well,” Dor gave Thane one of his mischievous grins. “Did you see the look on Tam’s face when she ran past us with that ugly troll following right behind her?” Dor barked out a belly laugh. “I bet she won’t be following us around for a long while.”

  Thane looked up at his friend and smiled slightly remembering the almost comical sight before becoming deathly serious again. “Just one thing DorMar,” he breathed while grabbing his arm. “I want you to hear what I now say and never forget it.”

  Dor stared at him, the laughter dying away as he nodded. “All right, Thane. Whatever you say.”

  Thane’s eyes bore into Dor’s head sending a slight shiver up his friend’s spine. “I swear by the five Tane and all that is holy, including my life, that I will never run away and leave my friends to suffer at the hands of our enemies again. Never.”

  Dor watched his friend in stunned silence feeling a bit uncomfortable about the seriousness of the words he had just witnessed. For once in his short life, words completely escaped him. What could you say to such an oath? Everything he could think to say in that short moment seemed trivial and base. Were words even necessary? Finally he croaked out dumbly, “As you say, I know it will be so.”

  Thane gave only a brief nod before releasing Dor from his unrelenting gaze and turned back towards the village. Both boys started home again in silence as the sun made its last good-byes before giving the world over to the night.

  As Thane and Dor finally neared the village proper they could hear the excited voices of the Chufa populace. The small town had gathered at the council fires in the village center after Tam had run in screaming death and destruction. There was a great commotion going on as each person tried to speak above his neighbor filling the night air with a loud rumble as everyone wondered at the fate of the two boys and those who looked for them. Neither of the boys wanted to be faced by the whole Chufa race at that moment so they said good night to each other and each made his way back to his home alone.

  Thane snuck quietly through the trees that outlined the village watching intently for any sign of the many guards that would now be patrolling the town’s perimeter. With a quiet step, not common for one of his young age, he made his way around to the back of his families hut and then crouched low in the brush as a Chufa guard made a near silent pass of their home. He waited a couple of minutes to be sure the watchman was well on his way and another wasn’t coming before creeping up to the back side of the hut and relative safety from notice. His mind still raced with the events of the day and what it all meant. How was it that he could sense the troll before it had attacked them? Worse of all, how could he have left Tam all to herself to face the beast alone? No matter what Dor said, he still felt a coward. He wondered how his father would react when he heard of what had happened. Their relationship was cordial at best. Something like this was sure to send his father into one of his blind rages. He could not understand why his father disliked him so. Ever since he could remember, his father had practically ignored him as if he did not exist at all. It hurt, but he had tried to accept it as best he could. One day he knew he would make his father proud and then they would be close like Dor was with his father.

  “He’s a freak!” Del’s voice crashed through the hut wall and into Thane’s private thoughts. “Maybe it would be best if he was killed.”

  “How can you say that about your own son?” Lyn countered with horrid shock shaking her voice. “He’s special. Even the Kinpa think he may be of great worth to the whole Chufa race.”

  “How do they know?”

  “DelVen! Do you dare speak of the holy Kinpa in such a way?”

  “The whole town talks ill of the boy,” Del said. “He’s not like the rest of us and I’m tired of hearing the remarks of those around me about how we’ve bred a freak and a bad omen! Because of Thane, I’ve lost standing in the village.”

  “You’ve lost?” Lyn screamed in disbelief. “What about your son? That poor boy does everything he can to get you to accept him and be proud of him and all you can see is the TanIs he carries. He loves you because you are his father and you talk about his possible death as if he were no more than an insect.” Lyn began to weep uncontrollably.

  There was silence for a long moment before Thane heard the cloth covering the entrance to their home flung aside and then watched from the rear shadows as his father stalked away. He felt the moisture of his own tears touch his cheek and wiped them away quickly and furiously trying desperately not to cry. Maybe he should go away now and never return. Maybe then his father would love him. And even if he didn’t at least then he wouldn’t cause so much trouble between his father and mother. The sound of Lyn’s sobs broke through the hut walls and he knew he could never leave. It would break his mother’s heart. He knew she loved him dearly and he loved her with the same intensity. Besides Dor, and possibly Tam, his mother was his only real friend.

  Wiping away more tears, he snuck around to the front of the hut and quickly slipped in through the cloth covered opening. His mother looked up as if to say something and then stopped when she realized it was her son come home alive. “Oh, Thane,” she blurted as she rushed to embrace him while new tears gathered and ran down her face. “Are you all right? Are you hurt? What happened? Is Dor well?”

  Thane couldn’t help but laugh as he pulled away from his mother’s grasp. “I’m fine mother, everything is fine. The troll is dead and no one was hurt. It was my fau....” A clap of hands outside interrupted him. Thane paused as his mother went to the door. Pulling back the cover, she was met by the five Kinpa. Lyn immediately stepped aside inviting the holy men in with a warm greeting. After returning the kind words with kind words of their own they all entered.

  “Well, Thane,” TanVerPa said as all five surrounded the boy in a half circle. “It seems you have had a busy day.”

  “We are glad to see you are well,” FelTehPa added.

  “Are you hurt in any way?” BinChePa asked while taking Thane’s head into his hands to examine it.

  “Thank you,” Thane stammered pulling himself gently away. “I am well BinChePa.” He knew it was the time of his instruction as to the responsibilities of his Tane. Having a part of all five required all the Kinpa to be in attendance which always made him nervous. He always felt they were examining him whenever he was in their presence. They looked at him in a strange way as if not quite sure of what they were dealing with and then they would ask so many strange questions. It made him feel very self-conscious.

  “If you will excuse me, Kinpa,” Lyn said as she turned toward the door, “I will leave you to your teaching and return later.”

  “As you wish,” TanVerPa said absently, his eyes still holding tightly to Thane.

  When all were settled TanVerPa began. “Tonight, young Thane, we will instruct you in the ways of the five separate Tane and their functions in Chufa society. Each has its special reason and each plays an important part in the everyday lives of us all. Since you have all five Tane, naturally you shall be trained in the uses and responsibilities of all. You are a special child Thane and you carry a great burden which you must bear well.”

  Thane watched the Kinpa with a sense of dread
at the words that dripped from his mouth. Now he would be forced to spend time in the fields planting and gathering water and all the other dull activities that were carried out daily. Having the curse of all five Tane would mean he would have even less time to do the things he desired. All that Thane really wanted was to learn the uses of bow and knife so he could protect his people from the trolls that infested the mountains. He never again wanted to feel the fear he felt today.

  “To start with,” TanVerPa continued, “we will teach you the history of our people and the great sorrows which brought us to where we are today. It is important that you listen well and remember the story of our fathers so their misdeeds will not be forgotten and repeated.” TanVerPa’s voice had suddenly become stern causing Thane’s thoughts to return abruptly to what the holy man was saying. He could sense a strange feeling in all the Kinpa that could not be ignored or passed over. They all seemed to emit great anger and sadness that, in turn, caused his heart to feel heavy with sorrow. All the Kinpa’s faces were cast down except for TanVerPa who looked straight into the boy’s eyes as if reaching for his soul. Thane quickly cast aside his earlier thoughts of disappointment and concentrated intently on what the Kinpa was saying, his nervousness returning.

  “Many, many cycles past,” TanVerPa continued, “long before any of the most ancient of our people was alive, we roamed freely across the face of the whole land. Then, our great Mother was new and full of the sacred trees of the forests. We know them only as the YeiyeiloBaneesh, their true name lost with the centuries. Everywhere our people could be found tending the woods and the creatures that lived within them. All of our Mother’s creations lived well with one another and we were their guardians.

  “There was one among our people who was well blessed of our sacred Mother and possessed great powers which he used to gain favor in the eyes of the other Chufa. He proclaimed himself guardian of the people and his followers shouted his name calling him the greatest of all Chufa ever. Because of his powers and the great number that followed after him, he was lifted up above the wisdom of the Kinpa in the eyes of the people.

  “All was good and the great one of the Chufa led well having a straight heart, until the others came. They were a white skinned race of barbarians called HuMan who came from across the great waters having no thought for the good things of our Mother but instead were set on destruction and war. At first, the great one convinced the rest of the Chufa to allow them to live amongst us believing that all creation was good in the heart and that the barbaric ones would turn from their black ways. Cycles past and the evil ones did not change but instead became worse, destroying the trees of the forest and killing the beasts of the land. They even captured our own people to become ones to do their bidding. It was an ugly time and many were killed before the great one finally led our people against the white skinned evil ones.

  “The war was long and many lost their lives in defense of our lands and homes. The white skins fought well but could not root us from our forest homes. We would ambush them and then retreat into the woods where the white skins would become easy targets to our bows if they dared follow. Finally, the leader of the white skins became weary and sued for peace between our peoples making great promises to us of renewal and change. All were to attend the peace treaty held in his home of stone where, it was promised, all would be made right. Our people rejoiced at the day and all but a few attended with joyful hearts at the coming of peace and renewal.”

  TanVerPa stopped for a moment letting his head drop as great sadness filled his voice. “That day the great one betrayed his people and our race was almost destroyed.”

  “No!” Thane whispered, his eyes spread wide in horror. How could one of our own betray his people?

  Not hearing the boy’s exclamation, the Kinpa continued. “By some great and evil magic they destroyed our forest home. One moment the forests were there and all were joyful in celebration and then suddenly they were gone. Some of our people died from the shear misery that filled their hearts while others were cut down unmercifully by the white skinned warriors. All who had attended the celebration were destroyed. The only ones to escape were the ones who had stayed behind to tend the forest that had suddenly vanished around them.

  “They ran with all speed to the mountains to the east as the white skins chased them day and night. Some fell along the way but others made it to the mountains and began to climb. They left the white skins behind and felt somewhat safe when they found caves to dwell in but other things such as trolls infested the dark underground. More were killed and some took sick from the evil spirits the white skins brought.

  “Finally, a few made it to the other side of the mountains where they found the Ardath, the woods we live in today. There were so few of our fathers left that for many cycles it was unsure as to whether our race would continue.” TanVerPa paused and looked up. Thane quickly wiped a tear from his eyes and they sat staring at one another while the others looked grimly into the fire. TanVerPa smiled sadly with a poorly masked effort at cheerfulness. “Well,” he finally said, “as you can see, we have survived and our numbers are many again.”

  Thane looked down into the flames and tried to control the deep emotions that such a terrible story brought into his heart. How could one betray his people so? How could his heart become so twisted and evil to help kill those who loved him? “And what ever happened to the great one?” Thane whispered.

  “It is not known what happened to the great one. Even his name is not remembered because of his great evil. But, one who died in the mountains of the white skinned sickness said he saw the great one with the white leader soon after the forests became no more. It is in this way that we know he betrayed our people. For who else had such power?”

  All sat in silence while each went over in his own thoughts the significance of what it meant to the Chufa.

  Finally, Thane hesitantly asked, “Has no one ever returned to see if the white skins still remain in the land of our ancestors?”

  “A few have gone in the past,” TanVerPa responded. “But they never returned. It is thought that they were either killed in the mountains or were taken and killed by the white skins on the other side. The white skins have not come after us here so it is believed they think us extinct. For this reason it is no longer permitted to cross the mountains and seek the lands of old. For, if the white skins were to find us again they would surely destroy us all.

  “Now my young friend,” TanVerPa breathed trying to clear gloom that had settled in the hut like a thick fog, “we must continue on with your lessons in Chufa life and the five Tane that help us to live as we do.”

  Each of the Kinpa took turns explaining the duties and activities of the Tane in which they were chosen to lead and the significance it had on the lives of every Chufa. They droned on about the importance of the ceremonies and other things but Thane’s mind was elsewhere. He would nod every once in awhile to feign an attentive ear but he couldn’t escape the horrors of his people’s past. Until this day his world was safe within the confines of their little forest. All the dangers that existed were the trolls. Now he realized how large and dangerous the world really was. It made him afraid and excited all at once. Many times he had ventured down to the shores of the great waters and strained his eyes to see if he could spot anything on the horizon. What was on the other side of the water or behind the mountains for that matter? The wonder at it ate at his bones and made his feet itch. One day I will find the answers, he thought nodding again to the droning Kinpa.

  The following morning he was up before the sun. Today was the day he and Dor had been awaiting for most of their lives. Finally they would receive the training they most desired from DaxSagn the great protector. Dax was the most skilled in the entire village at the bow, the knife, tracking, and wood lore and now the two boys were old enough to enter into his teaching.

  Thane didn’t want to be late, so he had arisen an hour early to get the dead wood gathered for the cook fire and fetch the wa
ter from the stream. His mother was rising just as he was returning with the bucket and bade him to sit for a moment with her.

  “Mother,” Thane said anxiously, “I must not be late today. I’ve heard tell DaxSagn has a terrible temper when anyone comes late.”

  “Oh dear boy,” Lyn smiled, “you have plenty of time to visit with me a moment yet before you must be on your way. Now come and sit while I start the cook fire. You must eat something before you go anyway, now come and take a seat.”

  Thane sighed but obeyed his mother. Lyn went to work at breathing the coals back to a blaze while Thane fidgeted next to her. “I don’t suppose I will have this fire hot enough to heat you some tea before you must be off,” Lyn smiled, “so eat some turnips and corn cake and we can visit a bit before you go.”

  Thane jumped to the mat where they stored their food and quickly tore off a piece of cake and grabbed a couple of turnips before sitting back down next to his mother. He quickly bit into a turnip and choked on a piece too large to fit down his throat thinking the sooner he finished eating the quicker he could be on his way. “Easy now,” his mother scolded with the hint of a grin. “Don’t kill yourself before your first lesson.” Lyn chuckled and then watched her boy as he finished the last bit of cake. She wondered where the past eight cycles had gone. She looked into his unusual green eyes as they stared pleadingly at her and her heart felt on the edge of bursting for the love she had for her child.

  “Mother, I have finished. Can I go now?” Thane looked as if he was ready to jump out of his skin.

  “Yes my son,” Lyn said gently, “you may go. But get a drink before you leave and remember that we love you.”

  Thane smiled. “I love you too mother,” he answered and then frowned as he looked at his rising father. “Good-bye Father.”

  “Get out of here before you’re late,” Del grumbled. “And you had better do well,” he yelled as Thane grabbed his bow and quiver and pushed past the cloth opening. Del mumbled something about a green-eyed devil but Thane didn’t hear him; he was at a dead run when he left the hut.