by Heidi Skarie
When the medicine man finished chanting, he said inwardly, I’ll prepare a poultice for your injured friend.
As he left the teepee, Erling rolled over and asked in a groggy voice, “What’s going on?”
“The village medicine man is helping Jake. Go back to sleep.”
The medicine man returned with a bowl and large leaves. The bowl contained a clay-based mixture that he put it on Jake’s shoulder wound and head injury. Jake mumbled in his sleep as the medicine man placed leaves over the clay. When he finished, he covered Jake with the furs.
The fire will sweat out evil spirits, the medicine man said. It is a gift from the Great Spirit of Light.
Michio slid out of his body and found himself in the Inner Worlds with the medicine man and Master Bakka, whose skin tone had changed to blue. Michio realized the Master appeared this way so the medicine man would accept him as a holy man.
The Ancient One appears, the medicine man said. He comes to give my people hope. We are a dying race, but the laughing river will lead us to the Ocean of Love. Michio, you are also the Light. You will carry the torch someday and sing the sweet music of God for my people to hear.
Time disappeared for Michio. He was physically in the teepee, but as Soul he traveled in full consciousness in the Inner Worlds. He saw the laughing river and floated on its upward current to a huge swirling ball of Light, brighter than a thousand suns. Once there he stood beside Master Bakka, unable to go any closer to the source of Light.
When the experience was over, Michio floated on a wave of Light back into his physical body. When he opened his eyes, he felt uplifted and refreshed. The medicine man was gone and sunlight shone through the small opening at the top of the teepee.
The fire had died down to glowing embers, so Michio put more wood on. Afterwards he touched Jake’s forehead and was relieved to find his fever had broken.
Michio shivered when he stepped out of the teepee into the cold air. In the early morning light, he saw a series of teepees spread out among the trees. The camp guards were the only two warriors awake. One handed Michio a clay jug and pointed to the woods. Michio went in the direction the guard pointed and soon heard running water. He arrived at a stream bank and drank the cool water from his cupped hands. Catching sight of his reflection, he realized he looked as ragged as the natives with his dirty clothes, unkempt wavy, brown hair and start of a beard. For all his intelligence, education and knowledge, he was less equipped to live in the wilderness than these people. He also knew this tribe’s spiritual beliefs were more closely aligned to the Truth than many great civilizations he’d visited.
Michio stripped and stepped into the clear, cold stream. Mud from the bottom oozed between his toes, bringing back childhood memories of playing in the stream near his home. Tensing in anticipation, he waded out further, then made a shallow dive into the clear water. Chilled, he scrambled back ashore and quickly dressed.
He filled the jug before heading back to the village where a native handed him a cloth and a jug. “Should I remove the clay from Jake’s wound with this?” Michio asked. The native smiled, revealing a nearly toothless grin. “I understand. Thank you.”
The man said something else and handed him a pile of clothes. Examining them more closely, Michio saw leather clothes for all of them. “Thank you,” Michio said again, smiling. The man smiled back and pointed to the center fire, then to the warm clothes.
“You mean, they are warm like the fire.”
The man nodded.
Michio returned to the teepee and found everyone still sleeping. He threw another log on the fire and set the jug beside it to heat the water. Then he undressed and crawled into the furs beside Toemeka. His body went to sleep, but he stepped out of it in full consciousness.
Instantly he was with the medicine man, looking at a mirage. Hundreds of Owayan people stood at the edge of a river. One by one they stepped into it and swam toward a glowing Light.
Master Bakka stood close by. The end of a people; a new cycle begins.
Michio awoke several hours later to feel Toemeka’s kisses on his ear. Her small body was entwined with his. “Wake up,” she whispered. He ran his hand through her hair and down her back, feeling a stirring in his loins. Aware of where they were, he took a deep breath and removed his hand. He lay back and closed his eyes.
Toemeka moved on top of him, her breasts pressed against his chest. “Don’t go back to sleep,” she said softly.
“It wasn’t sleep I was thinking of.” He slid his hands onto her buttocks and drew her hips against his, knowing she could feel his desire for her.
She kissed him. “Too bad we’re not alone.” She moved off him and reached for her clothes. “They’re still wet,” she said. As she spread her lightweight blouse out to dry in front of the fire, Michio noticed a large bruise on her left hip and leg from when she’d been thrown by the axterdon.
“Does you hip hurt?”
“I’m stiff, but it’ll heal.”
Michio sat up. “We’ve got new clothes.” He glanced at Jake and Erling. Reassured they were still asleep, he drew her against him and kissed her, then lowered her back down. “You’re even more beautiful in the firelight,” he said. Her face was softly lit in the flickering golden-red light and she looked vibrant and alive. Her smooth skin glowed and her dark eyes were soft and luminous.
“How is it you smell so fresh and clean?” Toemeka asked.
“I went for an early morning swim in a stream near here.”
“I’d like to bathe.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea with a camp full of men nearby.”
She wrinkled her nose at him. “I’m not going to swim in camp. I wonder what they have to eat. I’m starving.”
Michio sat up and handed her the clothes the native gave him. Toemeka’s face lit with delight as she examined them; her enthusiasm pleased him. She slid on her still damp blouse, then put on the clothes Michio gave her—a leather skirt and jacket and pair of fur-lined moccasins. “Finally! Some decent shoes. There’s hardly anything left of my slippers.” She rose and went over to Jake, checking his wound. “Who put the poultice on Jake?”
“The medicine man. Jake was running a fever last night. I brought in a jug of water and a cloth to wipe it off, but I thought I’d wait until the water heated up and he’s awake.” Michio slid on a leather shirt and pants.
“I’ll take care of Jake. The water should be warm enough by now and you need some sleep.” She placed her hand on Jake’s forehead and he opened his eyes. “Your fever’s gone,” she said.
Jake smiled at her. “You’re a pretty sight to wake up to.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Like I might live, after all.”
Michio watched them, uncomfortable that Toemeka was so intimate with her former lover. Her face was soft with concern and compassion for Jake.
“I’ll wash off the poultice the medicine man applied while you slept.” She pulled the water jug away from the fire, splashed warm water onto the cloth and used it to wipe the clay off his shoulder wound. “Your wound looks better.”
“It feels better, but I doubt I’ll be able to travel for several days.”
“We’ll stay long enough for you to heal.”
“It’s too dangerous for you to stay with Commander Rochambeau and his men hunting you. You and Michio should leave. Erling and I can follow when I’m better.”
“We’re safe for the moment,” Michio said. “The medicine man put a shield of protection over the camp.”
“I don’t want to bring death to the camp,” Toemeka said.
23
Misunderstandings
After tending Jake’s wounds, Toemeka left the teepee. Michio grabbed his jacket and followed her, annoyed she hadn’t waited for him. When he stepped outside, he saw Toemeka talking to a warrior by the center fire. Kumaroo stood next to the warrior, watching her every move. Michio immediately realized he’d have to tell her what Jake told him about the O
wayan culture.
The warrior handed her a rifle and she walked toward Michio, smiling triumphantly. “Look, we have a weapon.”
“How did you convince him to give it to you when you don’t speak a word of Owayan?”
“I pointed to the rifle, then to the woods and he handed it to me.”
Michio took the heavy rifle from her. “Good idea, but don’t you have a blaster? “
“The battery’s dead and yours was lost in the river.”
On the way to the stream, Michio said, “Jake told me a married Owayan woman doesn’t interact with any man beside her husband — unless she’s unhappy with him and wants to attract a new one.”
Toemeka looked at him with raised eyebrows. “And you’re just mentioning this to me now?”
“There’s more. Kumaroo’s a powerful man in the tribe and he’s taken an interest in you.”
“This just keeps getting better. Anything else I should know?”
“Women aren’t normally in a warrior camp and they never ride axterdons, so you’re somewhat of a novelty, especially with your white skin. You’ve gained some of the other men’s interest as well.”
“I see. Why didn’t you tell me this last night?”
“You were already afraid of Kumaroo and I didn’t want to upset you even more. I was planning to tell you today. Should we leave the tribe and set off on our own?”
“It might be for the best.”
The woods consisted of huge, old-growth trees and they followed a narrow animal trail to the stream. Toemeka knelt beside it and took a drink, then looked up at Michio, squinting through the bright sunlight. “Let’s walk downstream, so I can clean off this dirt.”
She went around the bend, then took off her moccasins and jacket, before wading into the water wearing her blouse and leather skirt. “Brrr-r-r, it’s cold.” She splashed her face and arms with water, scrubbing off dirt as best she could. When she came out of the stream, Michio notice her thin blouse looked nearly transparent where it had gotten wet.
She smiled seductively. “You’re supposed to be keeping guard.”
“So I am.” He reluctantly looked away from her and scanned the woods, suddenly feeling like they were being watched.
Nearby, Toemeka turned melancholy as she pulled on her jacket and moccasins. “I miss Baymond,” she said. “It’s a terrible, constant ache in my heart. I feel like I’m missing all these precious moments of the early months of his life.”
“I miss him, too.”
Her eyes filled with love as she spoke again. “I’m sorry for all the distress I’ve caused you. You’ve got a right to be angry with me for leaving on the rescue mission without telling you and then taking off on my own. Instead you’re been patient and understanding. I’ve made a mess of things.”
“I feel some of the fault must lie with me since you don’t feel you can confide in me and have to sneak off on your own.” He leaned down and kissed her.
A stick snapped and Michio looked up to see Kumaroo step onto the bank. The warrior began speaking in Owayan; his words were accompanied by hand movements.
Unable to understand the language, Michio clasped Toemeka’s hand and led her back toward camp, annoyed with himself for being so careless. Owayan warriors were nothing to fool around with.
“Kumaroo was watching me this morning,” Toemeka said. “He makes me uneasy. Do you think he followed us?”
“It looks that way. I have a bad feeling about this.”
“He probably thinks I’m ugly because I don’t have tattooed, blue skin.”
“He probably thinks you’re an exotic beauty. Besides he could always tattoo you and pierce your nose.”
“Perish the thought!”
Michio found the idea unsettling as well. He didn’t like the idea of tattoos marring her lovely face.
When they arrived at camp, Toemeka put her hood up and lowered her head. Michio scowled at the men who watched her every move as he led her to the teepee. Michio held open the flap and she went inside. He glanced back to see Kumaroo returning to camp. The two men’s eyes locked for a moment, then Michio followed Toemeka inside.
“All the men are staring at me because none of you thought to tell me the customs,” Toemeka said, looking from Jake to Erling. “I thought we’d been on enough missions together that you’d understand how important it is to share crucial information.”
“This coming from the woman who took off in the middle of the night on her own,” Jake said from where he lay on his fur. “You freaked out when you saw Kumaroo. I didn’t think you’d react well to knowing we were going to a war camp of Owayan warriors, who consider women little more than chattel.”
“I didn’t freak out.” She shrugged. “Well, maybe a little. Who wouldn’t? He’s scary looking.”
“All the same, she’s right,” Erling said. “We should’ve told her. It was a bad call.”
“I was going to tell you when we reached the camp,” Jake said, “But we were all worn out and I didn’t think of it.”
Erling rose. “I’ll get us something to eat.”
Michio looked at Toemeka. “It’s best that you stay in the teepee today.”
“It seems I must, under the circumstances.”
Erling returned shortly with a large clay bowl of stew and four crudely carved spoons.
“Are we all going to eat out of the same dish?” Toemeka asked, making room for Erling by the fire.
“That’s the way things are done here,” Jake said.
A whiff of the stew hit Michio’s nostrils. “Smells good.” He dipped his spoon into the stew composed of hunks of meat and cut-up roots. It was flavorful and awakened his appetite.
After they’d eaten, Michio said, “I’m going to talk to the chief and make plans for getting back to Borko.”
“How are you going to do that?” Toemeka asked. “You don’t speak the language.”
“The chief speaks the universal language,” Jake said.
Erling stood. “I’ll come with you.”
“Toemeka, don’t let anyone come in except the medicine man,” Michio said. “I’ll leave the rifle in case you need it.”
He followed Erling out of the teepee.
***
The group gathered around Zac when he began telling Onolyn the next part of his story. The adventurous tale helped relieve the tedium of sitting in the dark cave and kept everyone’s mind off the fear that the sinkhole would be discovered. Zac had made up stories since he was a child and was delighted to have his skill coming to such good use while they idled away the hours.
The first day Benray had demanded total silence and no light. That suited Zac just fine. He’d been up all night scouting. Najetta and most of the others rested or slept as well. The break was welcome after so many days of hard travel, taking turns scouting, or keeping guard duty at night.
The no-light rule had been relaxed when Breezy needed to relieve herself. Benray had turned on a globelight and they searched for a designated area to use. A narrow side passage that led to another small opening was soon discovered. It was unanimously decided that was the best spot for personal time.
By the second day, most were getting restless and worried about running out of water and food, but Benray wouldn’t allow anyone to go outside. He didn’t want to risk leaving a trail that would lead the Samrat soldiers to their hiding place.
The storytelling began when Onolyn complained about going stir-crazy. Worse, she kept fretting about Toemeka, Michio, Erling and Jake. Zac was worried too and wanted to leave the sinkhole to search for them. He thought the men would’ve found Toemeka by now and rejoined the main group.
Kynail was supposed to be watching for them. But anything could have gone wrong. Kynail might have been killed or Commander Rochambeau might have captured Prince Erling and the others.
Zac wished he’d insisted on staying with Prince Erling as his bodyguard. Koriann would never forgive him if Erling was killed. On the other hand, it was he who’d led Er
ling’s family to this swallow hole where they could hide until the danger passed. Moreover, Toemeka, Erling and Jake were all competent field agents and Michio was an Ashimsa warrior. They could fend for themselves.
To entertain and distract Onolyn, Zac had decided to tell her one of the stories he’d made up and expanded on over the years. Once he’d began his tale, conversations around them stopped and everyone listened. In his mind he’d created an elaborate, fully-formed world with interesting, adventurous characters. He was glad to let everyone into this world.
Zac enjoyed it when people laughed at a funny part of the story. He especially liked watching Onolyn’s expressions as she listened intently. In the dim light, her pretty face glowed and her strawberry-blonde hair looked golden. He bet she’d never been called carrot-top as he had been. His hair was an embarrassing flame of bright orange-red.
He and Onolyn had grown closer on this trip. First, by sharing a tent, hiking and scouting together. Now they were hiding together. She even trusted him enough to sleep beside him every night. Not that he could try anything in a crowded cave.
Zac’s voice was getting hoarse and he told the group he needed a break. He reached for his water flask and found it empty.
“You’re a wonderful storyteller,” Najetta said. “I can’t wait to hear more.”
Zac grinned. “I’m glad you like it. I’ve never shared it before. Does anyone have water? My throat is parched from talking and I’m out.”
“I’m out,” Najetta said.
Onolyn picked up her flask and shook it. “I am, too.” She looked around the cave. “Does anyone have any water left?”
“I don’t,” Richwood said. “None of us thought to fill up our water flasks before hiding. We were in a hurry to get here.”
“We’ll die without water,” Onolyn said. “Benray, you have to let someone go get water.”
“You can live a few days without water,” Benray said. “It’s too risky for anyone to leave the sinkhole.”
