The Wings of Creation

by R. David Anderson

  We rolled up the ox hide canopy and placed it in one of our packs. The spears were place inside the canoe, along with everything that we were not taking with us. We could only carry so much in our back packs and shoulder bags. Our bags were loaded and bulged with provisions and necessary supplies. We also carried two quivers filled with arrows and our bows hoisted over our shoulders. We left most of the weapons with the canoe.

  We walked around the forest looking for a good place to hide the canoe. This proved to be a challenge. At last we located a suitable place where there was heavy undergrowth not far from the marsh. We fastened everything inside the canoe with sinew twine and placed it into an upright position against a tree trunk. Leafy vines were used to fasten the canoe to the tree, and then we concealed it with clusters of the vines. The canoe was so well hidden that we could no longer see it even standing nearby. Amara placed some tree limbs as markers so that we could locate the canoe when we returned.

  We were not far from the Beaver Marsh. We walked around it in hopes of meeting the warriors from Amara’s tribe. There were still no warriors at the marsh. It was clear by now that the rescue mission was solely in our hands. There would be no support for our efforts.

  We left the marsh and began our search for the captives. Amara led the way. We headed in a direction opposite the marsh, towards the center of the lowlands. We followed several deer trails. The forest was very wet from the rain. The fog remained so it was difficult to see very far. I was becoming concerned that we were lost.

  “Where is the camp where the captives are being held, Amara?” I asked.

  “I don’t know the exact location, Saline. We must search for the camp. We may find some clues, hopefully. But we are searching in the right area. I am certain of that.”

  We came upon a stream. We sat on a log and watched the clear water flow slowly through pools and eddies. There was some small fish swimming in the current.

  Amara and I rested, and we ate some nuts and dried fruit. My feet and legs hurt from the walking and stinging thistle cuts. I removed my sandals and waded in the cool water. Amara joined me.

  I recalled the salt mines and wading with friends in the cold stream of the mountain cave. Laughing and playing in the water; chewing mint leaves and tree gum; a joyous break from our labors of salt sifting. These were pleasant memories, and I shared them with Amara.

  We washed our faces and rinsed our hair in the gurgling stream.

  “Are you familiar with this stream, Amara?”

  “Yes.” She replied. “It flows from Swan Lake and feeds into the beaver marsh.”

  I saw movement up stream. At first, I thought that it was a deer. But then I realized that it was three young women arriving at the stream. They were Umbunti women. As soon as we saw them, Amara and I jumped out of the stream, grabbing our sandals. We hid back in the woods, peering at the young women through the foliage. They came to the stream to bathe and fill water jars.

  “The Umbunti must be in control of the lowlands if they are allowing their women to come to the stream,” I said, feeling upset.

  “Perhaps only this part,” Amara added. “This may mean that their main camp is nearby. These women may lead us right to it. We will follow them when they go.”

  We watched as the Umbunti women cleansed themselves, splashing water on their hair and faces. They talked in low voices as they finished bathing. Then they filled their water jars in the deepest part of the stream. The women hoisted the water jars onto their shoulders and disappeared into the woods.

  I looked at Amara. She gave me a hand signal to stay. “Wait! We can’t follow them too closely. Give them a good head start.”

  I nodded in agreement. I would have been on their trail immediately. Amara was cautious for good reason.

  Suddenly, five more women emerged from the woods. They were accompanied by three Umbunti warriors. If we had followed the first group of women, we would have been discovered and taken as slaves.

  The fog lifted, and a mid-day sun shone above, its warmth dispersing the chilly morning air. Insects buzzed everywhere at once, bringing the birds into a frenzy in the damp woods, with an elevated level of chirping and high-pitched calls.

  The women cleansed themselves in the stream and they filled water jugs. Then they went back into the woods the same way by which they had come.

  Amara and I stayed in hiding. It was important for us to be cautious now. We had stumbled upon an Umbunti camp supply route. The woods would not be safe this close to their route. We waited to see if there would be more Umbunti arriving at the stream. There were none.

  “We will go now and search for the camp,” Amara whispered. “We must be careful to stay alert. Umbunti could be all around here.”

  Amara started to move away from the stream back into the deep woods. I was afraid that she would lose their trail.

  “It seems like we are moving away from the trail, Amara. We’re going the wrong way!”

  Amara glanced back at me. “We must stay away from the trail. The Umbunti will be there at the trail and stationed up in the trees. We are moving in the same general direction, but at a distance. I plan on turning toward the trail as we near the camp.”

  I was not sure how Amara would accomplish that, but she was the experienced tracker. She had very keen instincts and I trusted her completely in these situations.

  “Is this how you found me at the other Umbunti camp where I was taken?” I asked out of curiosity.

  “No.” Amara answered. “I had good scouting reports on your location and excellent support. We don’t have that here.”

  No support, no scouting reports. Our situation was troublesome. We would have to completely rely on Amara’s instincts to get us there. The success of this mission would be nothing short of miraculous.

  We made our way through the wilderness, keeping within the cover of undergrowth as much as possible. Progress was slow. We were pricked often by thorns and thistles. Large fern growths helped us tremendously, offering the best cover as we moved.

  Amara stopped. She was looking toward her left.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “There is a deer kill.” She said. “The Umbunti have been hunting in this area.” The deer had been slaughtered and there was not much left of the animal. We walked over to inspect the remains “This is a fairly fresh kill,” Amara observed. “Probably from yesterday. The hunters left here headed in this direction.”

  Amara pointed towards the south. “This is the way we should go now, but we will make a wide turn to keep away from the hunters’ trail.”

  “How far are we from the Umbunti camp?” I asked.

  “I think that we are getting close.” Amara answered. “We should be there before night fall.”

  I could see from the suns’ position that it was late in the afternoon. We made a gradual turn toward the east. The ground became rockier. We were heading towards the mountains now. The land began to slope gently upwards.

  The forest cover was still good in this area. Our movements were completely undetected as we moved closer to the camp.

  I smelled a scent in the damp forest air. “Amara, stop!” I implored in a sense of urgency. “I smell meat cooking! Do you smell it?”

  Amara stopped and sniffed the air. “Yes, I do. You are right, Saline. The Umbunti camp is nearby. It is so close that we can smell their cooking. We must be very careful.”

  Amara scanned the forest. “Are you a good tree climber, Saline?”

  “The last time I climbed one was when we were young, and I fell out of that cherry tree and got bit all over by ants.”

  Amara smiled. “We won’t attempt to climb any fruit trees. We need to find the tallest tree and climb as high as we can to scout out the camp.”

  There was a high point not far away. We located several tall trees there suitable for climbing. We selected a huge tree with wide branches on the bottom. It was the highest tree on the ridge.

  We removed and hid our packs and weapons. Only
our knives were kept on our waist.

  The lowest branches of the tree were almost within our reach. We had to shimmy up the broad trunk only a short way to get to the first branch. Amara and I stood on the branch. It was sturdy and easily supported our weight. We climbed branch by branch until we were near the top. The view from the tree was even better than I expected. The Umbunti camp was clearly visible, tucked under the ridge line.

  The camp had many pole supported tents. Only the small tents were enclosed. Several open canopies were held up with rope and posts. Each served a different function: weapons workshops, food storage, and cooking and dining. The camp looked much like a busy village, with multitudes of men, women, and children everywhere the eye could see.

  Amara and I scanned the camp for any signs of the captives. They would most certainly be slaves, forced to work. We gazed at the work sites bit it was difficult to see. The sun was setting and some haze across the sky hinted at the return of the fog.

  We watched and waited, keeping our eyes on the workers. They started to leave their work stations, heading towards the dining canopy for their evening meal. Now we saw several warriors binding the wrists of some people. Amara and I looked at one another and nodded. There were the captives!

  The captives were forced to stand in a line and they were bound together. Then they were led by the warriors to what appeared to be a cage behind the dining canopy. Now we knew where the captives were, but we did not see the children.

  “Remember as much as you can about the layout of the camp.” Amara said. “One last look, then we must go down and get our packs and eat.”

  As we climbed down the tree, I was thinking of a plan to rescue the captives. I would tell Amara about it over our meal.

  As we got to the bottom branch we swung down and dropped to the ground, then we retrieved our supplies. Amara pulled out some provisions. We ate flat bread, cured ham, and a few greens that I had found. We washed it down with bitter herbal tea.

  “I have an idea, Amara.”

  “What are you thinking, Saline?”

  I pointed to a place below the ridge. “I saw some berry trees over there. These trees make strong medicine and we use them to cure many illnesses. The leaves can also be used to cause sleep.”

  Amara’s eyes brightened. “The tree leaves will cause sleep? Do you think that we can use it against the Umbunti guards?”

  “Yes, we can, Amara. I will gather the leaves and squeeze the juices out. Then we can mix in a little water, then put it in the guard’s drink.”

  Amara thought about my plan. “This means that we will have to get very close to the guards.”

  I was feeling confident in my plan. “We will wait for the fog. It will return tonight, I can see it forming now. Then, once we sneak into the camp, you can distract the guards. Then I will put the sleep potion into their drink.”

  “Your plan may work, Saline. If you put those guards out, we will be long gone before they realize the captives are missing.”

  “I need to go now and gather the tree leaves before it gets dark.” I said.

  We went back down the hill towards a grove of nut trees. This is where I had seen the poison berry tree. I was able to find the small tree, but the berries were hard and dry and not usable.

  Amara looked very disappointed.

  “I can get the medicine from the leaves and blossoms,” I explained. “Give me a bowl if you have one.”

  Amara searched in her back pack. She pulled out a small earthenware jar and handed it to me. “That’s perfect!” I exclaimed. “We can make our sleeping potion in it.”

  I picked some leaves and blossoms from the tree and crushed them inside the cup with a hard rock. Then we added a little water to make the potion. I steeped it like tea, then added a little more water so that the mixture was mostly a liquid. The longer the leaves steeped the more powerful the potion would become. I made it strong.

  I tied a square of soft deer hide over the cup to prevent spills, then put it in my side pack.

  We waited for total darkness and for the fog to settle. There would be no moon until just before dawn. We slowly moved closer to the camp, creeping through the underbrush.

  We could now hear talking coming from the camp. We decided to wait behind some bushes just ten paces away from the occupied tents.

  Amara told me in a whisper to get some sleep while she took the first watch. I covered up under a buck skin blanket. I could not sleep. I kept thinking about the sleeping potion I had made. I could have made a stronger potion and put it in the Umbunti’s water supply. I knew about plants in the forest that could kill a grown man. I knew that I was obligated to kill trespassers on our land. Perhaps I should have mixed up more or the poisonous potion. I could have killed hundreds of our enemy with little effort. But this would also have killed women and children. I couldn’t do that. According to the standards of my tribe, it was honorable to fight like a true warrior, weapons in hand.

  I drifted off to sleep. When Amara woke me, I felt rested, even though I had not slept that long.

  Amara had a small drip box. I was to wake her when all the water dripped out. It would be the middle of the night by then.

  The fog was thick as it settled over the woods. I could not see anything clearly at more than ten paces away. A damp cold chilled me to the bone. I took a cloak from my pack and wrapped it around my shoulders.

  The forest was very quiet. Even the owls were silent. Nothing stirred in the heavy fog. The camp was also quiet.

  I listened to the slow drip from the drip box. I stuck my finger into the water. It was halfway drained. Amara was breathing heavily. She was in deep sleep.

  I heard some wolves howling in the distance. An owl hooted from a nearby tree. The forest hunters were now out on the prowl.

  The slow drip hit against the wood base below the box. The box was raised above its base by a narrow piece of wood that inserted into the bottom. This is where the water dripped out. This was a good tool for warriors on night watch. On a foggy night with no moon or stars to measure the night, a drip box became a necessity.

  The waiting became unbearable, sitting and shivering in the cold night. I wanted to be safe in my own bed with Mar and Taer at my side. I prayed for them, for their safety. I prayed for father. Would I ever see them again? Constant fears were going through my mind. The waiting seemed endless.

  I put my finger into the drip box again to measure how much water was left. The water only covered my fingernail. It would not be much longer to wait now.

  I drank some tea. I checked my side pack for the sleep potion. It was ready to go.

  The dripping stopped. I felt anxious. I went over and gently shook Amara’s arm and awakened her. She got up and rolled up the blanket and tied it at both ends, then stuffed it into a drawstring bag. We were packed and ready to get started on the rescue attempt.

  Amara started a small fire from the embers she had saved from the torch, using dry tender which we had brought with us. The fire was low to the ground and we surrounded it with large rocks. It was very unlikely that it would be seen with the rocks and thick cover of fog. The fire warmed us as we huddled around it, a little comfort before we embarked on an extremely risky mission into the enemy camp.

  Amara pulled a small earthenware lantern out of her pack. It had a wood handle on top. She took red hot coals from the fire and placed them inside the chamber of the lantern. The lantern was open at the front, so that light would shine forward. It lit up the area in front of us for about two paces.

  We moved slowly towards the camp.

  Chapter Twelve

  The Umbunti Camp

  It was pitch dark.The soft glow from the lantern helped us to push through a lot of dense underbrush. We stayed off the main trails. The ground gradually sloped downwards as we approached the camp. The underbrush thinned out as we came closer. It was difficult to see anything clearly. We knelt down and looked for the best way to proceed.

  Amara tapped my arm. “We need t
o stay behind the tents,” she whispered. “We will work our way towards the cages.”

  The tents were not placed in rows, so we had to zig zag across the camp from the back of one tent to the next. We went very slow, crawling on our knees. Soon we saw the dining canopy. It was deserted.

  I glanced at Amara. “Should we take some of their food stores?” I asked, remembering how the Umbunti had pillaged food from the storage platform in the caves.

  “That’s too risky now!” She replied. “We have to get to the captives as soon as we can.”

  We skirted around to the back side of the dining canopy, staying low to the ground. Our lantern dimmed. Amara added some more wood chips and stoked it up. We hid near a wood pile. So far, we had gotten into the heart of the camp without being seen.

  Amara and I remembered the camp layout from our tree observations. The cages were just on the other side of the dining canopy. We were not far from the captives.

  We peered around the wood pile. It was difficult to see through the darkness and thick fog.

  We would have to get closer. Amara covered the lantern so that its light would not betray our presence. It was now difficult to see.

  We crawled closer to the cages. There was a glow from a torch not far from the front of the largest cage. The guards were there, keeping warm at a large fire. There was an earthenware pot of hot tea suspended above the flames from a tripod.

  Amara and I hid behind several tall water jugs, listening to the guards talk and laugh. I wondered if they had taken their tea yet. I knew that warriors on night patrol often drank hot beverages all night. We needed to wait for them to go on patrol so that I could deliver my sleep potion.

  Amara and I peeked at the guards between the water jugs. We waited. The men did not move. They seemed to be content to sit by the fire and keep warm.

  “We need to do something to get them away from there,” I whispered.

  Amara looked at me. “I will sneak to the far side of the cages and make some noise. That should get their attention!”

  I nodded in approval. Amara took the lantern and disappeared into the foggy night. She went towards the back of the cages. I waited. I took the sleep potion out of the pack and held the clay jar in my hand. Suddenly there was a loud sound, like two logs being struck together. The guards immediately looked in that direction, then they both ran towards the noise.