Pillar of Fire (Book One-The Whale Hunter Series)

by Karah Quinney

  Situ saw that the outcome of a fight between the two men wouldn’t do anything to heal the rift that had developed amongst the warriors. Anger burned in his chest as Chumal remained silent and watchful.

  “Sarnom, the men are concerned for their women and children. We have left our village defenseless to attack, while we hunt the pair that you seek. I am certain that you and Chumal realize that we must return to the village before first light so that our people will have food to fill their bellies.” Situ’s voice was placating as he struggled to hide the anger that he felt.

  In his opinion, Sarnom had not acted with good judgment and Chumal refused to consider the concerns of the men that he led.

  “My wives will not go hungry while we search the forest.” Sarnom boasted of his success in the hunt as the men silently watched him. “I will not rest until they are found.”

  Situ couldn’t remember the last time that Umati, Sarnom or Chumal had joined the men on the fishing boats or taken their spears into the forest to hunt prey. It angered him that Sarnom would dare to boast, while many of their women and children had little to fill their bellies. Umati was worse, taking a double portion of food if he felt so inclined. He was too busy with other matters to consider the wellbeing of their women and children. His body had gone to fat long ago, but he was their chosen leader and his position demanded their respect.

  “We will search throughout the night. We will not rest until we find Talon and Sunflower. Anyone that remains behind or returns to the village without my consent will be dealt with by my brother, Umati.” Sarnom’s voice was cold and cunning.

  Situ watched the silent communication that passed between Sarnom and their war leader. His gut clenched in dread.

  “Continue the search!” Chumal shouted with eager agreement, sending the men on their way.

  Situ sighed heavily as he turned away from the direction of their village. Everyone present knew that Sarnom’s whisper in his brother’s ear was as good as the voice that issued forth from Umati’s lips.

  Talon wondered what caused the shadows to return to Kahm’s eyes. Kahm sat with his eyes tightly closed although he was not sleeping. Talon heard Kahm’s rapid intake of breath and he knew that he had remembered something painful. It was the same way that Talon often felt when he remembered the death of his mother or the loss of his father.

  Kahm’s clenched fists caused Talon a moment of concern. It was clear to see that he lived in the forest alone. The cave was eerily similar to the inside of a lodge. There was a sleeping place and a fire pit as well as various items that spoke of careful use.

  It was a fortified place, which offered shelter and security. It would have been ideal for them if he had been able to find the cave unoccupied. He lowered his gaze to the ground so that Kahm wouldn’t see his thoughts if he happened to glance at him.

  It was wrong to wish that he and Sunflower were alone in the cave, but Talon sought only to protect his sister. Nevertheless, he knew that there must be something special about Kahm if Sunflower trusted him. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have thrown herself in front of his arrow and let her voice run free. It was obvious to Talon that his sister trusted Kahm, but he would reserve judgment, until the man proved himself worthy of his trust.

  Kahm didn’t move. He had fallen asleep sometime after giving in to the agonizing pain of losing Oi’yan. He tried to console himself with the knowledge that Oi’yan was safe with Miche, but as much as he respected his brother, he didn’t want to think of Oi’yan as Miche’s lifemate. The fury that came to him unbidden caused Kahm to open his eyes with a heart-wrenching gasp for air. He didn’t move. He knew that if he moved he might do something that would endanger those around him.

  Kahm opened his eyes and it was just as he thought, the sickness that bent his mind had overtaken him again. Wolf sat by the cave entrance and his ears lifted as Kahm shifted position. Talon move quickly across the cave floor but to his eyes it appeared as if he walked slowly and each sound was magnified and pronounced.

  Kahm’s forehead was covered with sweat and his heart pounded in a fierce rhythm. His eyes bulged in barely concealed panic and his limbs began to tremble. Suddenly, the scent of lavender overwhelmed him and then he remembered the girl. Sunflower.

  She touched his cheek with cool fingers that trembled slightly as he forced himself to remain utterly still. She wiped the sweat from his brow and the weight on his chest decreased as he envisioned the lavender plant that grew in the rocky crags in the forest. Her compassionate gaze met his and he found that he could finally breathe again.

  Talon silently berated himself for allowing Sunflower to slip past him. He moved quickly across the cave to intercept his sister before she reached Kahm, but he was too late.

  He had never seen anything like the unidentifiable expression upon Kahm’s face. The man was a battle-hardened warrior and Sunflower couldn’t know that she faced a raging black bear hidden under the guise of a man’s skin.

  Talon called Sunflower away, but she ignored him. As his breathing returned to normal, he realized that he had spoken to his sister and she couldn’t hear him. He gently pried her away from Kahm’s side as the man gulped ragged breaths of air.

  Kahm’s hands opened and closed convulsively and he was thankful that he had removed his weapons before falling into a fitful sleep. Shivers of dread moved over his back and shoulders at the thought of what he might have done to Talon or Sunflower if they had approached him while he was lost in a senseless fog.

  He rose unsteadily to his feet as the world returned to normal and he managed to make it to the cave entrance before he lost the contents of his belly.

  Kahm didn’t venture far from the cave opening. When he returned, he rinsed his mouth with tepid water and then sat by the rocks near the fire circle.

  “Are you sick?” Talon asked as Sunflower stared at Kahm across the empty fire circle.

  Kahm remained silent. He couldn’t bring himself to speak of his illness with Talon. His head jerked once in response and then he turned away.

  Sunflower looked at Talon for clarification, he clasped her shoulders, and then he pointed at Kahm. Sunflower followed the line of Talon’s finger until her gaze rested on Kahm’s face and then Talon mimicked the act of vomiting.

  Sunflower wanted to offer help, it was simply the way of healers and she was a healer by birth. Her chest fluttered in excitement at this new understanding.

  In the past, she had tried to use hand gestures and signs to speak to her brother, but if others were nearby, Talon would clasp her hands together and hold them still. Eventually, she came to the understanding that the use of hand signs in front of others was forbidden. She was frustrated with her inability to communicate her thoughts, yet, she trusted her brother implicitly.

  Talon saw the exact moment when Sunflower made sense of his gestures. Suddenly, her eyes lit with a mischievous light and he groaned as she pointed at him.

  “What is it?” Talon rolled his eyes in brotherly angst as Sunflower pointed at him again. “Yes. I am Talon.”

  Talon made a sign for his name that Sunflower had given him at an early age. He shaped his right hand into a claw, like the talon of a hawk and pressed his hand against his chest. He had never forgotten her name for him.

  Sunflower seemed to understand that they were no longer under the restrictions set by Umati and Sarnom. Talon blinked away the unexpected moisture that filled his eyes as Sunflower pointed to her chest and thumped it twice.

  She wanted to know her name, created by him with hand signs.

  Talon looked away for a moment and he found Kahm watching them with undisguised interest.

  “You are our beautiful Sunflower.” Talon moved his right hand through the circle of his left and opened his fingers the way a flower opens to sunlight. Sunflower mimicked his movements perfectly. Sunflower.

  Talon swallowed past the uncomfortable lump in his throat as Sunflower laughed without sound. She signed her name repeatedly as Wolf licked at her heels. />
  The happiness on the girl’s face seemed to shatter and transcend the bulwark that Kahm had erected to protect himself. His carefully ordered world had been disrupted and he realized that he needed to gain a better understanding of the danger that stalked them at every turn.

  A noise just outside of the cave caused Kahm to instinctively reach for his spear. There had not been any indication that the Hokum warriors were nearby, but he had also been distracted by selfish wallowing. In an instant, he was forced to face the realization that their safe haven had been discovered.

  Talon was instantly alert as he saw Wolf rush forward to stand at Kahm’s side. He glanced uneasily at Sunflower and found that she was wide-awake and alert to danger. Kahm raised his hand in a gesture that ordered them to remain silent and still.

  Cold sweat broke out on Talon’s skin as he heard the same sounds that had alerted Kahm to an intruder. His fingers closed around the short spear that was as familiar as his own hand. He took three silent steps forward as Kahm moved to the cave entrance. There was a shuffling sound that caused the fine hairs on the back of Talon’s neck to stand on end. Whoever approached did so without regard for stealth.

  Kahm stepped into the darkness of the night. He knew that by moving forward he risked revealing the location of their hidden cave, but he hoped to draw danger away from Talon and Sunflower. Wolf remained glued to his side, but he could feel the vibration of his body as he waited for a sign from him.

  A rustling in the brush captured Kahm’s attention and he heard the sound of heavy breathing. He sensed movement from Talon as the youth rush forward and he accepted the unspoken pronouncement that they would face their foe together.

  Kahm released a war cry that reduced the forest to an eerie silence as he ran forward with Talon on his heels. Wolf was a blinding blur of fur and gnashing teeth as he followed Kahm into the fray.

  There was a shout from Kahm, followed by a bellow from Talon as they simultaneously threw their spears toward their intended target.

  The sound of chewing filled the small cave. Talon sucked the marrow from a bone as he tossed the discarded piece toward Wolf. Sunflower smacked her lips together as she sated her own hunger.

  Kahm spoke between mouthfuls. “We attacked and killed a wild boar as if it posed a threat to our lives.”

  Talon smothered a wry grin as Kahm set aside a portion of his meal and returned to the task of butchering the very animal that had drawn them from the cave.

  “We didn’t retreat when our fearsome foe expressed his displeasure.” Talon replied, as he used his hunting knife on the boar’s thick skin.

  Kahm couldn’t remember the last time that he had laughed, but their surprise upon discovering the boar was enough to incite true amusement. Yet, they had also learned something of vital importance about each other. They were capable of acting together, in calm efficiency, to face an unknown threat.

  Kahm tossed a few choice pieces of meat to Wolf as the animal caught them in midair. Without another word, Talon removed a portion of meat and began the process of cutting it into long strips. Though Sunflower had offered to assist with the butchering of the boar, Talon refused. His sister would take on the task of cooking the meat so that they would have a source of nourishment for many days to come.

  The joyful way that Sunflower accepted the spoils of their unexpected hunt caused Talon’s chest to swell with pride. Kahm had rationed their small store of food due to the necessity of sharing what was meant for one with two others. Sunflower’s show of appreciation was telling. Despite his intentions to remain uninvolved with the pair, he threw Talon a questioning glance.

  “We have not always had enough to eat.” Talon’s eyes held an expression of strong resolve as he explained his sister’s behavior.

  An unexpected pang filled Kahm’s chest and he swallowed past the lump in his throat. Such simple words, but they held a wealth of sorrow. Kahm nodded solemnly before returning to the task at hand.

  Sunflower removed the last traces of the meal that she had prepared. Kahm and Talon had eaten until their bellies were full. Talon groaned as he pressed his hands against his aching stomach, while Kahm offered a few uncooked strips of meat to Wolf.

  He watched with interest as Sunflower efficiently moved about the cave, but her continued silence concerned him. He knew that she was capable of making sounds, but she held her laughter inside. Before he could stop himself, he voiced his thoughts to Talon.

  “Your sister is not mute. Why does she remain silent?” It was not Kahm’s way to speak or act impulsively, but something about the siblings drew him in.

  “In our village it was forbidden.” Talon answered truthfully, despite the wave of shame that swirled inside of him.

  Kahm’s relaxed face clouded into stern lines as repeated the word used by Talon. “Forbidden.”

  The cloud of confusion cleared as Kahm realized that the villagers refused to hear the sound of a deaf person’s voice, no matter the occasion. Theirs was a burden that a part of him feared, as he was already cursed with an ailment that he couldn’t escape.

  Talon placed his hand upon his sister’s shoulders and took two cautious steps away from Kahm as he edged closer to the entrance of the cave. Tension filled the air and he took Kahm’s glowering silence to mean that they were no longer welcome to remain with him.

  “What would happen if Sunflower returned to your village without your protection?” Kahm saw an expression cross Talon’s face that he couldn’t name. “This man that you flee from, what are his plans for your sister?”

  Talon’s throat convulsed before he responded. “Though Sunflower is eleven seasons of age, she is not yet a woman.”

  Talon’s eyes flashed for a moment in the darkness as he searched Kahm’s gaze. “Sarnom would cause great harm to Sunflower, if given the chance.”

  “How would he harm her?” Kahm asked.

  Talon spoke through clenched teeth even as his hands fisted at his sides. “It is unspeakable.”

  “Unspeakable.” In a single instant Kahm understood everything. With a dark frown, he passed his palm over the edge of his hunting knife. A part of his spirit that had rested dormant for far too long roused as if from a deep sleep. He barely recognized his own voice when he finally held up a hand in a gesture that was unmistakable.

  “Stay.”

  “Tell me about your village.” Kahm added a piece of wood to the small fire that filled the cave with the scent of smoke. Earlier, he and Wolf scouted the surrounding area without finding any sign of Sarnom and his men. Sarnom. At least now, Kahm knew the name of the man that threatened Talon and Sunflower.

  Talon eyes clouded as his thoughts centered upon the people of his village. “The Hokum people once belonged to a prosperous village, but now they face starvation. They have hardened their hearts to change and they will not survive as long as it is so.”

  Talon’s throat felt raw as he thought of his mother and grandmother. Gone forever. He was angry and disappointed with the way that he and Sunflower had been treated by their own people. In comparison, Kahm was gruff, silent and brooding, but he had not done them harm. Talon couldn’t say the same for those of his shared blood. Disappointment tinged his voice as he responded to Kahm.

  “Does the bounty from the ocean not provide for your village?” Kahm spoke with quiet deliberation as Talon painted a picture of life within the Hokum Village.

  A movement from Sunflower drew his attention. He recognized her thirst for knowledge and he interspersed his words with hand signs for her benefit. She was eager to learn more and explore the world around her, now that she had been given permission to use her hands to sign words and thoughts.

  Talon answered Kahm’s questions, but his attention was drawn to earlier in the day when Sunflower had pounced upon Wolf and then announced that he was named Wolf. She did so by signing the word with her hands. They didn’t have the heart to inform her that Wolf had already been aptly named.

  Sunflower seemed to sense that they
were withholding something from her, but she was easily distracted as she tried to name Kahm. Talon was forced to explain that Kahm already had a good name, but Sunflower was welcome to give him his own special hand sign. Sunflower had spent the entire day contemplating their host with a look of intense concentration that only served to unnerve Kahm. She didn’t take the task lightly. Sunflower wanted to give Kahm a name with hand signs that would honor him.

  “There is not enough food to feed a growing village.” Talon responded in answer to Kahm’s earlier question. Sunflower recognized the hand sign for food and her eyes were alight with interest. Talon’s gaze turned serious as Kahm’s voice drew his attention.

  “The forest teams with life. Why is it that your hunters do not search out more productive hunting grounds?” Kahm was careful with his choice of words. He didn’t wish to insult Talon, but he couldn’t understand what would drive his people to remain in a place where they would eventually face starvation.

  “Our land is sacred.” Talon’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. He had always wondered why Umati didn’t simply insist that they move the location of their village. The Great Water had always provided in the past and the Hokum villagers believed that it would always provide for their future. However, the condition of the men, women and children of the Hokum Village continued to deteriorate with each passing season. “What about your village?”

  “The Chimar Village does not starve.” Kahm thought of the sprawling village that he called home and he was surprised at the sense of pride that filled his chest.

  His village was made up of several families that lived in lodges constructed with sturdy poles taken from the bounty of the forest. His father had designated men of a certain age and ability as elders of their village. Before illness brought him low, he had once sought to become the next leader of the Chimar people.

  “We hunt the whale in times of less than plenty.”