The Last Sundancer

by Quinney, Karah

  Every sound was amplified and the heavens remained silent with fecund expectation before thunder shook the world and the heavens opened up, spewing forth great gushes of rain.

  A rope landed on Tamol’s shoulder and then he glanced up so quickly that his neck made a cracking sound, causing him to wince. “What was that?”

  “The Sundancer.” Antuk’s voice was proud and certain as he quickly looped the rope around Tamol’s waist and secured it. “Climb.”

  Tamol finally managed to close his mouth as Antuk effortlessly boosted him up towards Kaichen’s outstretched hand. The distance was minimal, but without Kaichen’s efforts they would not have been able to make it over the canyon wall.

  Antuk was beside him in a moment as both men helped pull him to safety. Down below, the water had already filled the crevice and began to seek escape. Tamol did not speak as Antuk raised his basket to his lips and drank his fill. He passed the basket to Kaichen who drank deeply before handing the watertight basket to Tamol. Kaichen was the first to step forward and without speaking he checked the wound to Tamol’s upper thigh.

  “It festers.” Kaichen allowed the rain to wash away the clotted blood and he squinted in order to make out the angry, swollen skin that rimmed the jagged wound. “Allow the water to cleanse it for a time and then I will make a paste that will pull the sickness from the wound.”

  Tamol stared down at his burning leg. Kaichen’s fingers probed and poked before he was satisfied with his inspection.

  “What does he mean?” Tamol spoke to Antuk as Kaichen walked away.

  “Kaichen was trained by Azin, in the ways of healers from long ago. If he is successful perhaps you will keep your leg.” Antuk’s voice held a hint of boredom as he patiently explained Kaichen’s words to Tamol.

  “Keep my leg?” Tamol stumbled forward, eager to catch up to Antuk who hurried after Kaichen. Water drenched them with each footstep but Tamol realized he had never felt more alive and more unworthy of each breath that he took.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Pele was the last to catch sight of the thing that had drawn the attention of his men. He pushed them aside as he walked forward, curious to see what drew their interest.

  The body of a woman rested upon the ground as rain pounded all around them. Long, black hair covered the woman’s face, masking her features. Pele knelt beside the body as he turned the woman over so that he might see her face.

  “What will we tell him when he finds out what happened here?” All of the men looked to Pele for an answer and for the first time he stood undecided. A moan came from the woman at his feet and Pele jerked in stunned surprise. She had appeared to be dead.

  “Quickly! Help me move her to a sheltered place.” Pele lifted the woman with the help of one of the other warriors and carried her to rest under overhang. He placed her beneath the sheltering rock as he caught sight of her face.

  He saw immediately that one of her eyes was sealed shut. Her lips were split and blood trickled down her chin. Pele felt the urge to vomit as he looked upon the woman’s injuries.

  Only a few days ago he had seen this woman healthy and whole. Her name had been whispered amongst the men, though out of the earshot of Tamol and Kaichen. Her curves and the fullness of her breasts were noted and remarked upon though none dared to approach her. She was untouchable as far as the other men were concerned.

  The woman moaned again and opened her uninjured eye to stare up at him. There was no fear in her gaze as she took in the sight of the warriors that peered down at her. Pele shifted forward and clasped hold of her hand, though he knew that she would not welcome his touch.

  “You are safe now. I will see to it.” The vow came unbidden from his lips as a single tear trailed down the woman’s once beautiful face.

  “Does the Sundancer live?” The woman whispered through a throat that was raw from the bruising evident upon her delicate skin.

  “I do not know.” Pele was quick to respond but he also held back information that would surely bring this woman even more pain.

  “Have you seen raiders that plague our people?” The question brought Pele’s head down low as he stared at the woman. Even bruised and bloody, she commanded attention with a simple flutter of her dark eyelashes. Pele shifted as the eyes of the men with him turned to survey the small woman.

  “The raiders travel toward your village.” Pele hated to speak the words that would bring pain to this woman’s heart but he knew that she required nothing less than the truth.

  “Then it is over. My people are ill prepared to face such an attack. Even if they are forewarned they will not have enough time to see to the safety of the women and children and defend the food that they worked to harvest.” The woman slumped back against the rock that held her upright and Pele’s fingers twitched with the need to support her shoulders as sobs racked her slender frame.

  “Do not fear. We will seek out my father and your son. Together, we will decide how best to fight against the raiders.” Pele did not know where his words of comfort came from but the woman before him pulled at his heartstrings, making him promise what he would have otherwise held back.

  Pele leaned close to hear the words that were spoken as the woman turned her face away from him. “Too late, too late.”

  Kaichen ran. There was very little strength left in his body but he called forth the warrior’s way, relying upon it to keep his limbs moving.

  Azin would have been proud if he could see Kaichen’s movements and the intensity with which he labored over every breath. He held the air within his lungs for one moment and then released it slowly from his mouth after three long paces. Antuk and Tamol had a difficult time keeping up with him.

  Antuk was not a runner, though he was capable of running short distances. Tamol’s injury kept his efforts limited to shuffling footsteps and a hobbled walk.

  Kaichen soon outdistanced the pair though he knew it was best to remain together. The place where they had last seen Amara was not far. If she was still alive, she would be nearby.

  Amara knew better than to move or attempt to leave the place where Kaichen left her. She knew that he sought only her best interest. Kaichen willed himself to believe these things and with each step he cursed himself for never speaking the words to her.

  “Please be there.” He breathed as he willed himself to move faster, run harder.

  His instincts told him that time was running out or perhaps the chance to save Amara had already slipped through their fingers. Kaichen refused to believe that he would never see his wife again. He focused instead upon the image of Amara’s face and shining eyes.

  He would find her alive; he had to, because living without Amara would be a fate worse than death. For the first time, Kaichen wondered if his mother felt the same way when she thought of his father.

  Desperation gave way to fear and then desperation took hold again. It was a continuous cycle but instead of fighting the sensation he welcomed it and opened himself fully to the riotous thoughts that plagued him.

  He used both the fear and the desperation to fuel his blood and fire his limbs into action.

  Soon. He would reach Amara and then he would know whether he had been blessed or cursed for the rest of his life.

  “Look! What do I see? An entire village ripe for the plunder.” Ni’zin’s scouts had been correct; the people below were unaware of their presence amongst them.

  His men were given the advantage simply because they were on horseback and therefore able to wield their war clubs and spears with excessive force. A few of his men enjoyed killing and Ni’zin encouraged such bloodlust, all to the glory of his dark gods.

  “Kill any man that stands to fight. Keep the boys alive, they will make able warriors one day. The man with the most captives will be given a special honor. Remember that darkness shields our entry into their village. Kill anyone that defies you. There will be time to take whatever you wish once the captives are rounded up. Let this be your first priority.” Ni’zin en
joyed the way that strength flooded through his veins as he spoke to his men. All eyes were upon him and in that moment he felt as powerful as a god.

  He urged his men to remain silent. Soon darkness would fall and then he would give the order to attack. The sun was a red orb in the sky as it slid toward its resting place. Ni’zin commanded his men with an exacting hand that would have made his father proud. On the day of his father’s death he had sworn that he would return what was left of their people to their former glory. Soon all that he sought to accomplish would be his and it would start with the battle waged this night.

  The fourth wife of Sakyma had taught him well and he had heeded her lessons. Men needed to be controlled.

  Only great men were meant to be leaders.

  Ni’zin settled upon his belly with one thought foremost in his mind. He was a natural leader of men and destined for great power.

  Of all the sons of Sakyma, he was the most like his father and his legacy would begin with the crushing of bones beneath his feet as he waged war upon those that were too weak to defend themselves from attack.

  They were not fit to live, but he would spare those that did not fight back. Some of the women would be taken as wives if they were worthy and others would be given as slaves to his men.

  A few of the bravest children would be selected to be taught the ways of his father. Ni’zin had no reason to kill healthy sons that would one day become capable warriors. They would only add to his power after they vowed loyalty to him as their leader.

  Before darkness lost its hold upon the land all would know that he was Ni’zin, son of Sakyma. A cruel smile twisted Ni’zin’s lips as he thought of the bounty awaiting him below.

  The harvesters had done all the work for him and now he and his men would reap the benefits of their labor. It was exactly as his father had taught him, the weak fell under the footsteps of the strong.

  Who was there to challenge his conquest? Silence was the only answer to Ni’zin’s question and it was fitting. No one stood in his way.

  Men that had been cast out of their own bands were welcome amongst the raiders led by Ni’zin and Tonaka. They promised the men glory and power even as he accepted their vow of loyalty. Each man had preformed an act of vengeance, fighting for his place amongst the other warriors.

  Ni’zin began to utter the words of a ritualistic prayer given to him by his father’s last wife. The woman had claimed to commune with the same dark gods that he worshipped and though he did not trust her, he knew that her power had been great. The words spoken by him were as familiar as the sound of his own name. He had uttered the same prayer before each raid and overtime he had watched as his band grew in strength and power.

  “We have already searched this place.” Tamol found his voice as Kaichen stalked toward the place where Amara had once taken shelter.

  The large boulders which had once offered protection were now barely visible. Water swelled and crashed against the rocks that had once stood tall and strong. Kaichen did not speak as he searched for sign of the young woman that was his wife. Amara.

  “Cloud Bringing Woman!” Antuk called out with a loud voice in an effort to be heard over the storm.

  Wind and rain blurred the world around them and Kaichen marveled at the ferocity of the storm. Unlike most storms this one did not quickly fade away and with each moment that it remained it caused the wash of water to become a fast moving river. Trees, branches, rocks and debris were caught by the water and carried forward. Kaichen was careful of his footing as he walked beside the fast moving water. He could not bring himself to believe that Amara had simply been washed away.

  Guilt tore at Kaichen’s mind until he felt that he would surely go mad. He should have noticed that the hiding place he had chosen for Amara was at risk of flooding. At the time, he had only considered concealing her from the eyes of men that sought to harm, pillage and kill. He had thought that he would return in time to keep his promise to her.

  Kaichen looked around at the land of his birth, the dramatic red rock formations and sheer canyon walls were ahead of them. Was Amara’s body somewhere nearby? Bile rose in his throat and Kaichen fought for control even as he met Antuk’s steady gaze.

  His friend’s eyes were trusting and wise, though Antuk soon glanced away as he followed the course of his own thoughts. Antuk never like to hold eye contact for very long. The fact that he had taken the time to try to reassure Kaichen with his direct gaze spoke volumes. Now was not the time for doubt or the burden brought by guilt. Until he was shown otherwise there was still hope.

  “Show me where you were when the raiders came upon you.” Kaichen spoke to Tamol as the man’s head jerked up in response to his words.

  “I will take you to the place and then I will seek out your mother’s body.” Tamol could barely speak past the pain lacing his voice. Kaichen felt the impact of Tamol’s words to the core of his being. He had not allowed himself to consider that Denoa might truly be dead. He lifted his hand from the spear given to him by Tamol and he saw that it trembled visibly. Good. Anger meant that he was still alive. Anger meant that he still had the strength to do what was necessary.

  Kaichen’s voice was a harsh command as Tamol took the lead. “Show me.”

  Tamol stood upon the place that he had been standing when the raiders had taken Denoa from him. He pointed out the place where he had sensed another presence but there was nothing to see. Kaichen and Antuk searched the area as Tamol walked off into the distance dreading what he would find. He did not have to turn to see that Kaichen trailed after him with Antuk on his heels.

  Kaichen was the first to signal an alert to the others. A group of men stood close to a wall of rock and they made no effort to conceal themselves. A woman lay upon the ground between them but they were too far away to see her face.

  “My men have come too late.” Tamol recognized the clothing of his men as well as the colors that they wore.

  Before long Kaichen made out the familiar faces of men that had betrayed him, handing him over to Ni’zin without a fight. But it was not their faces that he searched as he ran forward, heedless of Tamol’s limping run. He looked at the dark haired woman that lay bruised and broken upon the ground and then his world stopped moving.

  Denoa gazed up with her uninjured eye and she felt tears well from the depths of her soul as she looked upon the face of her son.

  Kaichen fell to his knees as he clasped his mother’s hand. “You are alive.”

  Denoa smiled through her tears as she nodded. “Yes, I still live, though the raider that attacked me tried his best to take life from me. I should be thankful that he preferred to leave me to suffer and die a slow death.”

  Kaichen could not help but consider his own circumstances over the last few days. “Death was too easy.”

  Denoa flinched as if Kaichen’s words had been a physical blow. “Mother, did you know this man that tried to harm you?”

  Denoa considered whether to tell her son the truth or keep the man’s identity to herself. If she identified the raider to Kaichen, he would seek the man out and put himself in great danger. Denoa did not want to be responsible for more bloodshed. She had lived through Ni’zin’s attack and she told herself that her scars would fade and her wounds would heal, but she would never recover if she lost Kaichen.

  Kaichen took Denoa’s silence as an answer. He had never seen his mother appear so small and fragile. Denoa was wrapped in an animal skin parka that was not her own. Her hair had come undone and the bruises upon her body were plain to see. Her attacker had not pulled back any of his strength when he used his fist against her.

  “You have found Cloud Bringing Woman by now? I am relieved that you did not leave her with our people, they would not have been able to protect her from the raiders.” Denoa saw flashes of darkness as her vision started to fade away.

  Kaichen was frozen in place as he watched his mother’s eyelids flutter and close. He checked to make certain that she still lived and sighed with
relief. The pain of her injuries had forced her into an unnatural sleep, but she had not died as he had feared.

  “What did she mean when she spoke of Amara? You said that you did not see her.” Kaichen’s voice was accusatory as he speared Tamol with his gaze.

  Tamol had not spoken from the moment that he caught sight of Denoa’s face until now. Kaichen could see that Tamol was stricken by his assumption that Denoa had died at his brother’s hands.

  “I would not have left her had I known.” Tamol stumbled back as if he could undo his actions by sheer will alone.

  “She is alive, Tamol. She will yet live if we protect her and care for her injuries.” Kaichen’s voice was firm as he stood, settling his mother back into place.

  Pele silently watched the interaction between them and Kaichen acknowledged him with a nod. The man had obviously taken care of Denoa and it was also clear that Pele had given Denoa his parka to wear.

  His mother shivered despite the warmth and moisture in the air. She had also been wet to the touch, but Pele had chosen a place of concealment where Denoa could rest untouched by rain.

  “I saw no sign of your wife, but perhaps Denoa was able to see what I could not. There was a moment when she froze but I thought that it was her dread of the raiders that caused her to know fear. I tried to protect her and I failed.” Intense grief caused agony to rise up into Tamol’s chest.

  Kaichen was immediately before him. “You could not have known that she still lived. The raiders do not show mercy. I need you to help me search for my wife. Are you with me?”

  Tamol nodded as Pele also offered his assistance along with the rest of the men present.

  Tamol took a deep breath and instructed three men to stay behind with Denoa and the rest were to come with him and help search for Amara. He spared a glance at Denoa and his hands ached to touch her face and see for himself that she would live. But he knew that she would not welcome his touch and so he forced himself to turn away. It would have to be enough that she still lived.