The Wings of Creation

by R. David Anderson

  It was a mildly warm morning with a slight breeze, and the fog was gone. The fog had been our friend the past two days, but it was nice to see the rising sun again, with sunlight filtering through the leaves of towering trees.

  Many of our food sacks were now empty, and I cleaned them out so we could pack them with this fresh supply of smoked meat. Then I helped to prepare a breakfast of meat on skewers. We were able to make some baby food from some left over flat bread, adding water to make a pate.

  The scouting party still had not returned by mid-morning. We discussed sending out a search party at noon if they were not back by then. I was feeling extremely fearful for Amara and the warriors with her. She had certainly encountered trouble somewhere.

  Several women started a prayer vigil for them. I joined for silent prayers, and the utterance of chants to the river goddess. I said my own chants to the moon goddess. We held hands as we said our chants.

  Almost noon and still no Amara. We packed the smoked meat into the leather sacks, then refilled our water sacks. Everything was ready to go.

  At noon the warriors Telk, Voca, and Kion discussed our options. Voca wanted to send out a search party right away. Kion argued against it. He reminded everyone that this would leave only one warrior to defend the group. Telk suggested that we move the group onwards towards the River Village, searching along the way for the scouting party. Everyone agreed with this plan.

  We left camp and headed towards the river, trying to retrace the route of the scouting party. Telk led our group with Kion at his side. Voca guarded our rear. Amenta and I carried the canoe.

  We walked a long way through the forest, then we saw open fields on our left side, and a small stream to our right in the woods. The open fields had been crops which were now scorched by fire. We avoided the open fields, staying in the cover of the trees near the stream.

  Telk and Kion stopped suddenly. Telk raised his hand to halt the group. We waited and listened. Near the stream the reeds and tall grasses were moving from side to side. Either there was an animal there or someone was concealing their movement. The rustling stopped.

  We were poised and ready in case this was an Umbunti ambush. Again, the tall grass moved ever so slightly. We were ready to fight, our hands on our weapons.

  Suddenly, Amara and the warriors An-kel, Summa, and Oci emerged from the tall grasses, all covered in mud. Everyone cried out in joy and relief, but there was something wrong. It was written all over Amara’s face.

  “Fall back! Fall back!” She screamed, waving her arms. “There are several Umbunti war parties on our tail! We need to get out of here!”

  Several arrows were shot in our direction, hitting trees or falling harmlessly to the ground. We were suddenly in the midst of a great battle; there were war cries from either side of the stream. Warriors charged at each other, spears held high and ready to strike. The combined forces of the cliff and River Village tribes charged from the opposite side of the stream, attacking the Umbunti positions.

  An-kel, Telk, and Kion immediately got into the archers’ stance behind a stand of trees and they shot several arrows into the Umbunti lines. Suddenly they were surrounded by the enemy. Now there was hand to hand fighting. The Umbunti wielded axes. Our men used their shields to deflect the blows from the axes but the shields began to shatter against the constant battering.

  Voca and Oci joined the fight. Together they were able to push the Umbunti back. The enemy warriors retreated to join up with the ranks of the main assault. The battle continued to rage on both sides of the stream.

  We retreated, reversing our course. We had to abandon the canoe. An-kel and the other warriors caught up to us and urged everyone to run. A few Umbunti warriors had decided to attack us. The adults picked up the younger children and we started running. Arrows swooshed from above and came close to hitting us. An arrow landed right in front of me. Another arrow grazed Aleya’s arm, and she began to bleed.

  Telk and Kion fell to the rear and shot several arrows up into the trees. We heard a scream as an Umbunti warrior fell onto the ground not far from us.

  We hurried away from this grisly scene. We narrowly escaped.

  We were now able to slow our pace. I attended to Aleya’s wound. I dressed it and applied some soothing salve from Amara’s pack. The bleeding stopped.

  Amara told us what had happened on their scouting expedition. They had encountered a large band of Umbunti near the river. They retreated and hid in an abandoned hen house; hiding there all night, surrounded by the Umbunti.

  They narrowly escaped the hen house before sunrise, catching the enemy warriors off guard as they ate breakfast. They made it to the stream, and crawled on their bellies through the mud, unaware that our own warriors were on the other side hiding in the forest, ready to engage the enemy.

  We made it to last night’s camp and discussed our plans for an escape route. The river and lowlands were now too risky. These areas were now teeming with Umbunti warriors. I suggested that we move southeast towards the mountains. This was the best way to go since enemy movement was away from this area.

  Amara agreed. “Saline knows the mountains. She is at home there. She can lead us to safety.”

  An-kel, Telk, and Kion were convinced. “Saline will lead us to her people,” Kion said.

  Voca was angry. “Why do we allow these females to tell us what to do? We are warriors. Women should not control us or tell us what to do!”

  Oci agreed.

  “Are you with us or not!” Kion shouted.

  “We will follow your tracks at a distance,” Voca exclaimed, making a fist and pounding his chest. This was the warrior sign of power.

  It was midafternoon. We rested and ate some of the smoked meat. We were now strong enough to forge our way towards the mountains. There was still much sunlight left in the day.

  After much walking, we were nearing Swan Lake. The mountains were not much farther ahead. I heard familiar bird calls, and I looked up in the sky for the great winged creatures. The great birds of prey appeared above. They circled near Swan Lake, then moved towards their nesting grounds in the mountain cliffs.

  I set our course in that direction; my ancestral home, where the great birds of prey fly upon wings of creation.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The Wings of Creation

  By sunset we had made excellent progress towards the mountains. I found the trail that would take us directly to Bone Woman’s house.

  With daylight rapidly fading we quickly established camp. We constructed a simple shelter from tree branches and bark. Soon there was a crackling fire going in a rock lined pit.

  Voca and Oci camped nearby. They refused to join us, continuing to protest my leadership role. A few men of the warrior class resented female leadership. I was sure that they would not be able find their own way through the mountains and getting lost here could be deadly by simply taking a wrong turn. I really had no patience for their foolish pride. They would only freeze out here with no fire or fall off a cliff.

  Amara, Aleya and I picked some edible mushrooms to go on our meat skewers. It was delicious. Voca and Oci had none.

  We lit all our torches and sat in a circle around the fire. Now we could relax and tell stories by the crackling flames. Around the circle, one at a time, everyone shared a personal story.

  Amara’s story was about her canoe. She was upset that we had to abandon it. She told about all the adventures she had on the river in that canoe. She vowed to retrieve it once all hostilities had ended.

  I told an ancestral creation story about the great sky bird as told to me by Bone Woman. It is a scared tale of my people, known as the Wings of Creation. The great winged creature rules over Earth, sky and sea, and over all living things.

  Kion also shared about the great sky bird. He told how it is a companion to all warriors, imparting strength, vision, and guidance. The bird’s feathers are highly prized and worn as an ornament in a warriors’ headbands.

  In the morning
, we ate some fish that Telk and An-kel caught in a nearby stream. We also had smoked meat and some herb tea.

  We broke camp by an early morning sun. I led the way up the mountain trail into the high cliffs. The lowlands were now a wide wooded expanse below, and the great sky birds soared above us, their screeching calls echoing from the surrounding cliffs.

  Voca and Oci followed us closely. They were not mountain people and did not want to get left behind. I hoped that they would eventually accept my leadership, it would certainly make life easier for them if they put away their stubborn pride…

  We walked until about midday on a strenuous trail. It was difficult, especially for the children and the mothers carrying babies. We paused to rest and eat lunch.

  The morning chill left as brilliant sunlight warmed the mountain air. There was no fog down in the lowlands forest today. The gloom was gone, and this lifted our spirits tremendously. We were filled with hope, having come from captivity to a new sense of freedom. The mountains seemed to stir our souls to a greater level of awareness.

  We were close to Bone Woman’s house. As we continued along the trail the scenery became more familiar. I could now see across the valley floor towards the rock shelters and the Cliff Village. The trail wound around the jagged cliffs, and along high, steep ledges. We passed several rock outcroppings with spectacular views.

  There it was; Bone Woman’s house, hidden back in a small crevasse, barely discernable to anyone unfamiliar with this location in the mountains.

  I led everyone to the house. I called out Bone Woman’s name. “Aivena! Aivena! Are you here?”

  All was quiet. I lightly knocked on the door. Bone Woman did not answer. I tried to push the door open, but it wouldn’t budge. It was locked from within.

  “Aivena!” I yelled. “Aivena! Are you all right? Are you in there?”

  There was still no response. Bone Woman was not home. I began to fear that something had happened to her. I wondered if she were too sick to come to the door.

  Amara looked at me. “What should we do?” She asked with a worried look.

  I thought about it for a moment. “We need to take down the door. Bone Woman may be in there and need our help.”

  An-kel and Kion pulled their knives out and started cutting at the leather hinge bindings. It was a difficult task. The hinge binding was tightly wound and coated with resin on the outside. An-kel had to chop the bindings with his axe.

  The door crashed inwards. The house was dark and all the windows were covered with woven grass mats. It appeared that no one had lived in the house for many days.

  “Where is Bone Woman?” Amara asked.

  “It looks like she has not been here in a while,” I answered. “She may be at the caves.”

  “The caves?” Amara echoed.

  I could tell by her tone that she had no desire to look in the caves. She had been terrified at the caves the last time we were here. The ancestral caves were not my favorite place either, but we had to go look for Bone Woman.

  Kion and Telk removed the window mats. Light now streamed into the house from high up near the roof line, where the windows were located.

  The house was not large enough to fit everyone comfortably. The women with young children and babies stayed in the house, while everyone else stayed outside, where a canopy was placed on the front of the house near a large fire pit.

  We ate a meal of skewered meat, except for the babies. They ate minced softened meat.

  I told An-kel about a nearby mountain stream. He and Telk went to fill our water skins.

  Amara and I went to look for Bone Woman. We walked the narrow pathway up to the ancestral caves. We paused at the small entrance. Cold drafts poured out of the cave opening with a heavy rancid smell in the air.

  “Aivena, are you in there?” I shouted.

  There was no answer. We would need to go into the cave and search for Bone Woman. I started to enter the cave.

  “Are you going in with me?” I asked Amara.

  “Why do you have to keep your dead in caves, Saline? We bury our dead.”

  “We revere our ancestors,” I explained. “Our ancestors did it this way. We still worship our sacred caves. But we no longer place our dead in these caves.”

  I crept forward into the dark recesses of the cave. Amara followed behind me slowly.

  “Aivena,” I called. My voice echoed down the narrow cave.

  Still no answer. We walked to the back of the cave, being careful not to disturb the bones of my ancestors.

  “Saline, she’s not in here, let’s go!”

  I could sense that Amara was getting very uncomfortable. “We need to make sure. She could still be in here somewhere, we haven’t checked the side passages.”

  “Side passages?” Amara repeated slowly, her voice quivering.

  “Yes, there are many side…”

  A shrill scream suddenly reverberated from all directions; a woman’s scream. Amara and I ran for the cave entrance. It felt like the cave was closing in, as though the dead were reaching out to touch us. The scream was loud and continuous, penetrating our souls. Once outside the cave we stopped to catch our breath. The scream continued.

  “What is this?” Amara demanded, looking very distraught.

  “It is Bone Woman,” I replied. “She is performing a rite.”

  “Then Bone Woman is here,” Amara said. “Should we go see her?”

  “No, we must not disturb Bone Woman during a rite.”

  “What is this rite?” Amara asked.

  I listened to Bone Woman’s wails. This pitch was different from the harvest rite. It was a higher, distressing scream.

  “It is the rite of mourning,” I said somberly. “Rite of mourning for fallen warriors.”

  Amara and I returned to Bone Woman’s house. Everyone was unsettled by the screams reverberating from every high cliff, loud enough to be heard throughout the entire valley. The screams echoed from cliff to cliff in an incessant endless reverberation.

  I told the people what was happening, and how this ritual was an important rite of mourning.

  “How long will this last?” Telk asked.

  “We will mourn for many days. The rite initiates the period of mourning.” I answered.

  “How long will Bone Woman scream like that?” Amenta said. “It is unsettling to our children.”

  “Her screams will be over soon,” I replied. “Then Bone Woman will stop and she will be in meditation. I will go to her when the sun sets. I still don’t know where she is, somewhere higher on the mountain.”

  The wailing went on much longer than I had expected. It would stop for a while and then start up again through much of the day. It finally stopped by late afternoon.

  I could now hear her chanting from a ledge above the ancestral cave. I found a narrow pathway that went up to the ledge. I slowly climbed up the trail. I stopped a few paces away from the precipice. I saw her. She was kneeling, arms raised, chanting the prayer of the dead.

  I knelt down and repeated the prayer with her.

  “As dust and ashes, we return to our Earth Mother, may these wandering souls be at rest in the abode of our ancestors. All life begins and ends, as Mena fades away and reappears. For all there is comes to an end, and from death comes new life and completion.”

  Bone Woman chanted the prayer over and over. Suddenly she was silent. She trembled. The majestic birds soared overhead on a sudden burst of wind. The spirits moved in the mountain.

  Bone Woman raised up, and turning around, saw me kneeling on the path.

  She smiled at me with an expression of peace on her face. “Saline, you have come to the abode of the sacred mountain.”

  She walked to me and took my hands, caressing them lightly. “I am happy to see you, Saline. You have been in my thoughts and dreams.” She looked in the direction of her house. “I can hear many people from below…”

  “Yes, Aivena. Amara and I have rescued those people of her village held as slaves in the U
mbunti camp. They are at your house. We came here to escape the battle near the river.”

  “That is wonderful, Saline, that you and Amara have rescued these people. This makes my heart glad. We need to sing and dance, to celebrate this great feat. Yes, we will have a large feast.”

  A ritual feast was a tradition of my people after a great victory in battle to honor the dead and living.

  “We will prepare for the feast,” I said.

  “Come, Saline. We will go to my house now.”

  We walked the trail back to the house. Amara, An-kel, and all the people greeted Aivena. Aun, Cian, and all the other children ran to meet us. Bone Woman embraced and kissed the children.

  “Aivena, where are you staying?” Amara asked. “You have left your house?”

  “The battle was getting close,” Aivena explained. “I was advised to leave my house for my own safety. I stayed in my hut, which is well hidden above the caves.”

  “The fighting must have been terrible,” An-kel said.

  Aivena nodded. “I have been informed on the battle. Our warriors defeated the invaders in the lowlands near the cliff village. And now we have won the battle near the Beaver Marsh. We have won a great victory. Now let there be a celebration with a great feast! All warriors and hunters can go early in the morning to the forest below and harvest the bounty of the land for our feast.”

  “I will go and gather the greens, herbs and roots,” I said.

  An-kel looked pleased. “We will hunt the forest and fish the streams.” He said with a smile. “We will have the best feast ever!”

  Bone Woman, Aleya, Amara and I gathered the children together and we made shell jewelry. Hair ties for the girls, head bands for the boys. It was wonderful to see the children so happy and free-spirited. Now we could forget about all the terrible experiences of the past several days, our enemies were far away.

  I made a large pot of soup for our evening meal. I put in all the smoked meat that we had remaining in our packs, and there was a lot left. I added some dried lentils and flour that Bone Woman gave me. Everyone enjoyed my soup. We must have used every clay dish in the house, and once it was served it was gone.