HOME | DD

Description

A Legend of the Before People, of Atelani, the First Female Chief

Kohu was a fool. Shaman or no, he should have accepted the Chief’s offer of additional warriors. Now it was simply the old buck and himself. And why was Kataku here? For all of Kohu’s magic, the wise one apparently could not find this anakanu without a guide.

They had been walking in silence for half the day. Orokila Way Camp was far behind them; the villages in this part of the forest had been emptied and the two travelers had encountered no one else on the trail. Kataku was growing increasingly uneasy. His ears swiveled in all directions and he peered often into the fastness of the trees. As the nervous warrior reached for the courage-giving oluka leaves in his pouch, Kohu finally spoke: “we are near.”

Kataku almost choked. Of course they were near, but he did not want to hear it from the shaman’s mouth. “Yes,” he replied. The place where he had tethered that girl was close; he was sure of it. For a moment, he felt a sharp pang of guilt. He had left her to a terrible fate and he did not want to think about the gruesome scene that doubtless awaited them.

Kataku almost missed the rope that still dangled from the small tree. There was no blood, no bones, nothing that spoke of the horror that should have unfolded here. The sacrifice was gone and for all Kataku knew, she had been able to free herself before the anakanu arrived. The thought was not unwelcome.

The warrior held out the end of the rope for Kohu to see. “I tied her with this.” The shaman merely grunted. It was plain to Kataku that the wise one was uninterested in whatever had happened to that girl. He was looking for something else, something evil, and it was not here.

“We must go further,” Kohu said. “Take me to the place where your trail-brother disappeared.” Kataku swallowed hard. That too was a mystery. Yet he felt certain that in that spot Kohu would find all that he was looking for --and more besides.

Description

A Legend of the Before People, of Atelani, the First Female Chief

Kohu was a fool. Shaman or no, he should have accepted the Chief’s offer of additional warriors. Now it was simply the old buck and himself. And why was Kataku here? For all of Kohu’s magic, the wise one apparently could not find this anakanu without a guide.

They had been walking in silence for half the day. Orokila Way Camp was far behind them; the villages in this part of the forest had been emptied and the two travelers had encountered no one else on the trail. Kataku was growing increasingly uneasy. His ears swiveled in all directions and he peered often into the fastness of the trees. As the nervous warrior reached for the courage-giving oluka leaves in his pouch, Kohu finally spoke: “we are near.”

Kataku almost choked. Of course they were near, but he did not want to hear it from the shaman’s mouth. “Yes,” he replied. The place where he had tethered that girl was close; he was sure of it. For a moment, he felt a sharp pang of guilt. He had left her to a terrible fate and he did not want to think about the gruesome scene that doubtless awaited them.

Kataku almost missed the rope that still dangled from the small tree. There was no blood, no bones, nothing that spoke of the horror that should have unfolded here. The sacrifice was gone and for all Kataku knew, she had been able to free herself before the anakanu arrived. The thought was not unwelcome.

The warrior held out the end of the rope for Kohu to see. “I tied her with this.” The shaman merely grunted. It was plain to Kataku that the wise one was uninterested in whatever had happened to that girl. He was looking for something else, something evil, and it was not here.

“We must go further,” Kohu said. “Take me to the place where your trail-brother disappeared.” Kataku swallowed hard. That too was a mystery. Yet he felt certain that in that spot Kohu would find all that he was looking for --and more besides.