Spirit Quest

by Jennifer Frick-Ruppert

  With the sling riding between them, the two men were able to trot back to the village through the forest, carrying Roncommock along as if he were a slain deer or bear. Well, he was in a little better shape than that, but not by much! And, because of my small size and exhaustion, I was little help.

  Arriving at the village, they took Roncommock straight to the wigwam of the medicine man. It seemed that everyone from the village was there. My sister was standing off to one side, and as soon as she saw me, she turned and left, no doubt to inform our mother. Roncommock’s wife was also waiting, but dared not enter Eracano’s wigwam, for women were not supposed to interfere when a wounded man was fighting in the spirit world. It was too distracting and might cause his spirit to lose the fight if he sensed his wife nearby.

  Other than the two men carrying Roncommock, I was the only one to enter the wigwam of the medicine man. First Eracano removed the bandage I had applied.

  “You did this?” he asked in what I interpreted as a rather displeased tone. I felt concerned that maybe I had done a poor job, but answered honestly.

  “Yes, I found a puffball and some moss, packed the wound, wrapped it with my loincloth, and then bound the whole package with my belt to make it tight.”

  “This is a good job. How did you know to do this?” he asked as he worked, cleaning the wound now with water in which several herbs, including blue wild indigo, were steeping. I realized now that he was concentrating, his gruff tone a function of his focus rather than an evaluation of my work.

  “My mother showed me these healing herbs. Puffballs are good for stopping blood flow if sprinkled directly into the wound. So are spiderwebs, but I did not find those. Instead I used elderberry, whose leaves not only slow bleeding, but help in healing. I did not have a rock mortar to grind them, so I chewed them a little to break them up and release their healing power before I put them next to the wound. Then I packed in some moss to absorb the blood.”

  “Yes, your mother is a good healer, almost as good as I am! Without a doubt, she is the best at assisting with childbirth. We are lucky to have her in our village.” He briefly looked me over, and I could see the questions in his eyes. “I am surprised that you have been watching her and have learned some of what she knows. Most boys would be too busy hunting or playing at war games with their friends.” I did not respond.

  He worked for a long time without speaking. I was amazed to see that he actually pulled together the torn flesh, using a fish bone and some dried opossum-gut fiber to pierce the flesh and hold the worst of the torn sections together.

  “Does your mother have any of the prepared root of golden alexanders? It will help heal these wounds and prevent a fever from setting in.”

  “I will go ask her.”

  “And bring me some more elderberry leaves. I am pleased with how they have worked in your preparation. I want fresh leaves to pack around the wound. Along with the spiderwebs I have gathered, they should slow the bleeding to a stop.”

  When I emerged from the wigwam, I saw Ascopo squatting on the ground, clearly waiting for me. Ascopo was my best friend, who I’d known for as long as I could remember. We were both born during a cold winter season, when ice formed on the creeks and snow lay on the ground, but neither of us had seen snow since. Every winter we hoped to actually see the white flakes fall from the sky, but so far we had been disappointed.

  “Skyco!” he said. “What’s going on? I heard that Roncommock was injured. Someone said he was shot, but then Tetepano said it was a bear!”

  “Come on. We don’t have time to talk. Help me gather some elderberry leaves. I will tell you while we pick the leaves.”

  We ran to the riverbank, where I knew elderberry grew. It was nearly dark, but the moon was up and provided enough light. We located the plants readily, and Ascopo helped me pick several handfuls of leaves. While we were picking, I told him about the bear, how it appeared from out of the dense brush with no warning and attacked Roncommock. Ascopo’s eyes were wide open and white in the moonlight.

  “A bear? Wow! How did you get away?”

  That part was too embarrassing to tell. Yelling at a bear? Not too smart. Instead, I said, “We aren’t finished gathering yet. Come along with me to my mother’s wigwam. She has some herbs that Eracano needs.”

  While I entered my mother’s wigwam, Ascopo waited by the doorway. My mother was inside and had already pulled out her baskets of dried herbs. She suggested that I take some dried geranium root along with the golden alexanders root I asked for. Before I left, she hugged me close and said, “I am glad you are safe, my son. Come back and tell me what happened to you as soon as you can.”

  Ascopo and I hurried back to Eracano’s wigwam, but Eracano would not allow Ascopo to enter. A skin was hanging in the doorway and Eracano barely pushed it aside as he pulled me in. As Ascopo turned to leave, he hung his head and said, “See you in the morning, Skyco. I want to hear the rest of the story soon.”

  Eracano used all the herbs I brought him to prepare the poultices for the wounds. As he packed a poultice first around the leg wound and then around Roncommock’s damaged shoulder, he sang to the spirits of the world that surround us all. He asked them to protect Roncommock and return him to us as he bound up the wounds with fresh new bandages. Instead of skins, he used cloth made from the inner bark of mulberry trees. I began to grow sleepy from his droning voice. Firelight flickered on the walls of the wigwam and seemed to make the spirit animals that were painted on the walls come alive.

  “We are finished now, Skyco. It is up to Roncommock to return to us from the world of the spirits. The bear spirit is powerful. Only the rattlesnake is more dangerous to fight in the spirit world. You have done well to help him and we must hope that our care is enough to prevent his injured body from distracting his spirit. Go and rest yourself.”

  I returned to my mother’s wigwam, where both she and my sister, Mamankanois, awaited me. Their fire was burning low, but they had set aside some food for me. I was grateful, but I could hardly eat because they asked so many questions.

  “Yes, the raid was successful. At least I think so. I didn’t actually see the raid because we were positioned to the south, as you well know, Mother. I think you must be the reason that I was not allowed to go along with the main war party. Why wouldn’t you let me go?”

  “Now, Skyco, you know that you are too young to be on war raid. You haven’t yet been through the husquenaugh. And you are too important to this village. I didn’t want you in harm’s way and my brother, chief Menatonon, agreed.”

  “But we heard you were shot at anyway!” Mamankanois piped up and I could have swatted her as our mother’s face reddened into an angry hue.

  I tried my best to downplay the drama.

  “It was nothing, really. One rogue scout found us, but Roncommock took care of him.” This statement calmed my mother considerably, I was glad to see. My sister was just trying to get me into trouble.

  “Yeah, but then a bear attacked him. How did that happen? Wasn’t he supposed to be watching out for you?” Once again, I could have smacked Mamankanois for insinuating that I was in danger. She smirked as we both noticed the color rising again in Mother’s face.

  However, Mother turned to her and said, “Mamankanois, it is not your place to question another’s duty or loyalty. Roncommock is Skyco’s teacher and protector and our village’s chief shaman. Not another word from you!” Now it was my turn to smirk.

  She turned to me and asked, “Did Eracano use the herbs I sent with you? What is his prognosis for Roncommock?”

  I told her what the medicine man told me—that we had done what we could do and now awaited the return of Roncommock from the spirit world. With my stomach finally full, I became incredibly sleepy. I lay down on my sleeping mat and fell asleep immediately. I did not even remember dreaming, waking only after the sunlight struck my face the next morning.

&n
bsp; Mother was awake, but Mamankanois was already gone.

  “Ascopo awaits you, but before you go with him to check on Roncommock, please stop to see Jackáwanjes. She too wants to hear of her husband’s progress. It will ease her mind to speak with you.”

  Ascopo was bursting with questions.

  “Is it true that you frightened off the bear without a knife, a bow, or even a spear? That is what the men are saying! I can’t believe it, Skyco. How did you do it?”

  “What do you mean, Ascopo? You seem to have the entire story memorized and I only told you a little bit last night.” The last thing I wanted was for Ascopo to exaggerate what I’d done. I didn’t have too many friends other than Ascopo, and even he seemed a little jealous of me.

  “I’ve been outside Eracano’s wigwam, same as everyone, waiting to hear if Roncommock is okay and listening to the men talking. They say that Roncommock was protecting you from the bear when it turned on him, but that you scared it away somehow. You didn’t tell me that last night. Why not?”

  Luckily we’d arrived at Jackáwanjes’ wigwam and I ignored Ascopo’s questions. When she saw me walking up to her doorway, Jackáwanjes smiled in appreciation. She had short vertical lines tattooed under her eyes and they crinkled when she smiled, accentuating her emotion. “I am on my way to see Roncommock and will return as soon as I learn his condition,” I said to her.

  On reaching Eracano’s wigwam, Ascopo waited outside again. As I entered, I was relieved to see that Roncommock’s eyes were open. He had returned! He won the fight with the bear in the spirit world, and I was glad to see him alive and awake, if rather pale.

  “Teacher, can you talk with me?” I asked hesitantly, worried that he might be too weak.

  “Yes, Skyco. What is on your mind?”

  “Why did the bear attack you in the first place? You are a shaman, not a hunter or warrior. Didn’t the bear recognize you?”

  “Skyco, the bear was protecting you because his spirit told him to do so. The bear knew you had been attacked by an enemy warrior and felt your alarm. When I passed him, he thought I was that enemy and the threat on your life. Remember, I wore a warrior’s loincloth and carried a bow and arrows rather than wearing my shaman’s cloak and medicine pouch. The bear attacked me to protect you. After the physical fight, I slipped into the spirit world, where I continued the struggle with the bear spirit. When the bear stripped me of my physical being and searched my spirit in the spirit world, he realized that I was your protector. That is the reason I was released. That, and the fact that he recognized you when you spoke to him.”

  Roncommock paused, and I realized that he was preparing to tell me something serious.

  “You must remember this, Skyco. The bear is your guardian spirit. He chooses few men to protect. He is the strongest of animals, but wise enough to know when to fight and when to retreat into brush. He does not fight every time he is provoked, but only when it is appropriate to do so, and then his great strength comes to his aid.”

  Wow! The bear was my guardian spirit! I felt pride that he had chosen me, but also awe. It was a lot to live up to—that of the bear spirit—and I hoped I was up to the task. I was rather small and puny to be a bear.

  “When I am healed, Skyco, it will be time to turn to your training in the spirit world. It is very unusual that the bear recognized you so early, even before your spirit quest. The spirits are ready for you now, and we will oblige them by beginning with learning the way of the spirits before you learn the ways of the warrior or the hunter. You must enter upon the sacred quest as soon as the spirits decree it, even before you enter the husquenaugh. Your training will differ from that of the other boys who will also undergo the next husquenaugh as you pass from childhood to adult. You have more to learn.” He sat back against the soft skins. “But now I need to rest. Please tell my wife that I am no longer in danger.”

  The husquenaugh! I was too young for that, wasn’t I?

  As I emerged from the wigwam, my mind reeling with new ideas, Ascopo interrupted, “Your mother was just here. She said that you must go to her wigwam directly. While you are there, she will visit with Jackáwanjes about Roncommock.”

  “How does she know what to tell her? How can she possibly know that he is recovered?”

  Ascopo just shrugged and said, “She seemed to know. She was smiling.”

  I was relieved that Ascopo was no longer pestering me with questions. He walked beside me, deep in thought, and I was surprised when he stopped at his family’s wigwam and said, “See you later, Skyco.”

  “Aren’t you coming with me?”

  Ascopo shook his head, but didn’t say anything. That seemed strange. He always asked questions.

  When I reached my mother’s wigwam and entered it, I found Chief Menatonon waiting for me instead of my mother. I was surprised, but managed to appear calm even though he was fantastically outfitted. Resplendent in a mantle of iridescent green feathers collected from the heads of ducks and sewn onto a skin that rested across his shoulders, Chief Menatonon sat proudly on a beautiful mat woven from reeds dyed in yellow, red, and dark brown. The rectangular copper gorget identifying him as chief lay against his bare chest on a necklace composed of smooth, carved shells. He was an old man, and, unusually for a chief, his limbs were crippled. The tattoos encircling his once strong biceps sagged slightly under the weight of his aging skin. He is, however, a very wise and thoughtful leader.

  He looked at me, not unkindly, and said, “Sit, Skyco,” motioning to a mat directly in front of his. It too was a finely woven reed mat, dyed with colors of red, yellow, and brown. As I sat down, I carefully folded my legs so that each foot was underneath a thigh and rested my hands atop my knees, palms down, adopting the position I was taught. The chief smiled reassuringly.

  He motioned to a new loincloth that was lying on a reed mat between us.

  “This new loincloth, with its band of red, is for you. We have heard that you used proper medicines to treat Roncommock’s wound and had the knowledge of binding it as well. You traveled a long way and returned safely to the village on your own, then led the warriors back to rescue Roncommock. You have done well. Congratulations, Skyco. I am proud to call you my heir. I know that you will succeed in the husquenaugh.”

  I stopped to admire the beautiful loincloth before I put it on. I could hardly believe it was mine. It was fringed along both the upper and lower edges rather than having the typical straight, simple edges. Instead of the normal brown color, it was white because it was made from the belly skin rather than the back skin of a deer, but the upper fringe and a band along the lower edge were dyed red.

  I tied a new, soft-leather belt around my waist and tucked in the front of the loincloth, allowing a short flap to overlap and hide the belt. The loincloth was cut in a circle so that once tucked in under the belt, it left the sides of my hips uncovered. The upper red fringe folded neatly over the belt, and I adjusted the loincloth to make the fringe hang down about the length of my fingers from the belt. The entire loincloth swung almost halfway down my thighs, the lower fringe ending just above my kneecaps. But, wait, did he just say husquenaugh?

  Two of his most trusted men, Cossine and Tetepano, entered the wigwam, helped Chief Menatonon to his feet, and stood behind him to help if needed. He grasped my shoulder as he stepped outside, granting me special recognition with his touch and guiding me through the door. My heart was thumping with pride, but also with anxiety.

  When I emerged, most of the village was there, and Chief Menatonon raised his hands and said in his booming voice, “You see before you my kin and recognized heir. I submit Skyco for the next husquenaugh. If he succeeds and becomes a man, he will be your next chief.” He released my shoulder and the other members of my village inclined their heads in agreement.

  I lay awake long into the night. On the one hand, I was proud of myself for scaring off the bear and returning my teach
er to the village. But could I really be the next chief? And the greatest of all trials, the husquenaugh, loomed ahead. It is a grueling ritual, testing us in both body and mind to determine whether we are strong and worthy enough to represent our tribe as full members. If we cannot complete the husquenaugh, we cannot become adults in our tribe. To fail is to die.

  The Black Drink

  Ascopo was waiting for me the next morning, on the trail to the back side of the midden, the place at the village’s edge where we relieve ourselves and discard any leftovers from harvest and hunting.

  “Your uncle has really done it now!”

  I sighed.

  “Yeah. I can’t believe I’ve got to go through the husquenaugh so early. I thought I had a few more seasons left to prepare myself.”

  “Well, don’t worry, Skyco. As soon as my mother heard the news she made my uncle submit my name too. Now both of us must face it, and I have you to thank for that!”

  I felt terrible.

  “I’m really sorry, Ascopo. I don’t know what else to say.”

  Ascopo glowered at me for a minute, but when I added, “I’m glad I’ll have you with me,” he broke into a lopsided grin.

  “Listen, what if we take off right now, leave the village, and avoid this whole, scary scenario? You and I can go somewhere on our own. We’re almost old enough and I’m sure that if we stayed together we’d be fine,” he replied.

  “Wait,” I said, “I have another idea. Roncommock told me that I have to start my study with him immediately. I am sure I can drag it out so that it gets too late in the season for the husquenaugh.”

  Ascopo rolled his eyes and snorted, “You know that will never work. Come on; let’s get out of here right now!”

  We took off down the trail, heading anywhere except back to the village. We were laughing at our escape, giggling about what we would do, when we turned a corner around a big tree and nearly ran smack into Roncommock standing there.