Onio (25 page)

Mel
heard Onio take a short breath, but he walked slowly and with great dignity
toward New Moon. He knelt in front of the king and New Moon put his frail hand
on Onio’s head. Glaring up at Iron Hands, he hissed, “Your own nephew…you tried
to kill your own flesh and blood!” His eyes blazed with shame and loathing.

“Go
boy,” New Moon told Onio, “and stand back with your family.” Once the young
warrior was standing between Mel and Petal, the king struggled to his feet.
Although he was at least a foot shorter than Iron Hands, New Moon seemed to
tower over the humbled sasquatch.

“I
would have you undergo the testing, but I happen to know that the test has
failed at least three times in your life already. I think it is a waste of time
and energy. I allowed you to take tribe members away from your home clan…after
all, these things happen sometimes, usually when a tribe becomes too large to
sustain itself properly.” He paused for a moment. Tears glittered in his eyes
and he quaked with sorrow and rage.

“What
you did, however, is unforgivable. You attempted to murder a family member, and
you seized the mantle of leadership only your brother is entitled to! You are a
traitor to our society and a disgrace to your own people!”

New
Moon reached down and lifted a cup of water to his mouth. He drank deeply of
the water and then, staring Iron Hands in the eye, he proclaimed, “I hereby
banish you from this continent’s clan. Go from this gathering place and never
return. We are your people no more!” Then the old king turned the water cup
over and splashed its contents on the ground.

Iron
Hands screamed, “No!” but four enormous guards seized him. He hollered and
howled, writhing maniacally, but to no avail. Mel watched as their enemy was
dragged out of the chamber.

New
Moon stood still and wiped tears from his old eyes. He seemed very tired now
and his personal bodyguards helped him onto his carrying pallet. His voice rose
once more, “Now it is time to celebrate!” he cried. “I will see the kings at
first light,” he added, and then his attendants carried him away.

At
first, the mood seemed somber as the kings, their families and the sasquatches in
the cavern turned to one another with hushed and worried voices. Apparently,
this sort of thing was very unusual and only ever done as a last resort. Mel
realized that she didn’t care in the least.
That sasquatch tried to kill me,
and the man I love! I hope he rots in hell
! she thought savagely. Onio’s
hand sought hers and when she looked up at him, she saw that his eyes shone
with the same savage glee as hers.

Then
out of the hush, there arose a loud pulse of sound, then another and another.
Turning toward the adjacent wall, Mel saw that the stretched hides were
actually drums. She stared in wonder as the drumbeats filled the air and the
flutes, horns and shortened sticks wailed, clacked and sighed in accompaniment.
Mel saw the sasq people smile and shout in joy and saw many of them join hands
and move in an intricate pattern of interlocking circles. Within seconds, all
of the sasquatches danced the song of devotion. A few moments later, Onio
grabbed Mel’s hand and they joined in the celebration.

Chapter 29

Mel,
Tanah and the sasquatches danced late into the night. There was an abundance of
food and drink, casks of ale and berry juice. Occasionally, a shout rose into
the air, followed by a hush. The drums ceased their pounding and flutes stopped
whistling. Someone was sharing the precious Fire Root tea.

Mel
watched as a dozen or so warriors at a time shared the precious elixir, which
they did with humble gratitude. There was always enough, and Mel marveled at
how the tea was portioned. Although there seemed to be very little, it looked
as though, somehow, every warrior received at least one sip. It was as if the
warriors were hit by a jolt of electricity when they drank the tea. Inevitably,
their heads rolled back and they screamed with joy and exuberance. Then the
drums and flutes sang and throbbed again.

Mel
stood back and watched as Onio took his turn at sipping the tea. Although
hundreds of sasq warriors stood between her and the one she loved, when Onio
finished his eyes sought hers with the unerring accuracy of a heat-seeking
missile. He was standing by the fire looking straight at her. She wished
she had brushed her hair…she wished…and then, without thinking about it, she
walked straight across to him, and he opened his arms.

He
had held her before, briefly, but this was different. It felt like coming home
from a long journey, and at the same time, it felt like the first day of
spring, when all the beauty and possibility of the season lie ahead. They stood
there without speaking a word, his arms around her shoulders, hers around his
waist, her cheek against his heart, his fingers moving against her hair.
I
will not think beyond this moment
, she told herself
. I will store this
up to remember always
. A moment later, he was swept away again into the
dance.

Later
he came to her and asked if she would dance with him. At first, she demurred,
not knowing the steps, or if she would be welcome to participate, but his eyes
compelled her, beseeched her to join him. She placed her hand in his and the
shock of his touch was almost too much to bear. She knew that she was
hopelessly lost in love and her heart despaired.
Have I come all this way to
die of a broken heart
? She wondered. Staring up into Onio’s eyes, Mel heard
no words from his soul song, but the heat of his gaze made her knees go weak.

He
shook his head, grinning. “Melody, rejoice!” he murmured. “This is a rare
occurrence and the songs heard today are very old and filled with power.” Mel
knew she was spoiling the party and decided to experience what joy she could
find while it lasted. Smiling, she let herself go and danced.

Mel
and Onio danced until she could dance no more. Gasping and laughing in
exhaustion, Mel held her hands up in the air and shook her head when Onio tried
to drag her out on the floor again. Smiling, he nodded and led her over to
where Rain sat on the stage. He stayed with them for a few minutes, grinning
out at the crowd, while Mel drank some berry juice and wiped the sweat from her
face. Then, young Arrow shouted for his idol, Onio, to join him in the dance.
Grinning, Onio ran off the stage and was soon lost within the crowd.

Mel
stared out at the laughing, dancing sasq people and knew she had never been
happier. She realized, for the first time in her life, she felt as though she
belonged. She thought it ironic that she was more at home with these strange
and exotic creatures than she ever had been with her own kind. She sighed,
wondering what was going to happen to her. Watching Onio take the hand of one
of the young female sasquatches and twirling her around in his arms, Mel felt
frightened.

Although
Onio was unfailingly polite and always saw to her safety, Mel thought that he
was withdrawing his affections from her.
Of course, and why not
? She
thought.
Look at what my people are doing to his right now! It’s a wonder
they don’t kill me in revenge
!

A
large warm hand touched hers and she started with a gasp. Rain stared down at
her, smiling. “You must learn to guard your thoughts, girl. Onio and anyone
else who wants to listen to you can hear your words as plain as day.” There was
a broad grin on the old female’s face, and Mel realized that Rain heard her
every thought. Blushing furiously, Mel stared at the toes of her sneakers.

“Melody,
do not be ashamed of yourself,” Rain said. “I think that First Son feels for
you very deeply. He is only thinking of the welfare of his people!”

Mel
nodded, and muttered, “I know. I don’t blame him….” Then to her surprise and
humiliation, she started to cry. It was too much…all of it! First, her mother
died, and then she was in a car wreck…then abducted and almost murdered by Onio’s
own uncle! Then the mad chase through the tunnels, and the alien…Melody sobbed,
and the tears she hadn’t realized she was holding back poured down her face.

Rain
gathered the small human girl in her arms and comforted her. “Shush…shush,” she
murmured. Bouldar walked over to see what the matter was. Then Petal and
Hunter, who held his ex-wife’s hand in his, came to see. Finally, Onio stopped
dancing, and with a look of fear on his face, jumped up on the stage and knelt
by Mel’s side.

“Melody,
are you hurt, or in pain?” Onio asked. Rain rolled her eyes and Petal grinned. “What?
Why do you scoff?” Onio demanded.

Rain
glared at her grandson, and said, “Has the journey addled your wits, boy, or
made you blind?”

Onio
glared back for a moment but he was beaten by the knowledge in her eyes. He
hung his head and whispered, “I did not want it to be so, for the health and
safety of the tribe. Nevertheless, I feel…I feel love for this girl. I would
marry her, but I fear the reprisals at this time of trouble!”

Mel
hiccupped once and turned around to stare at Onio in surprise. Her beautiful
gray eyes were red with misery and her nose ran. His green eyes stared into
hers and then she was in his arms. They kissed and the drums, pipes and
cacophony of the dancing sasquatches faded to a whisper. As far as Mel was
concerned, she and Onio were the only people on the planet, and her
inexperienced kiss held all of her heart’s passion in its innocence.

Then
Onio, still holding her protectively, withdrew from her kiss. Staring up at his
grandfather, Bouldar, Onio said, “Grandfather, I ask your permission to marry
Melody. She has no one to mourn her passage into our society. Her ears can’t
hear the world around her unless she is with us. She is brave, smart, and
strong. To cast her back now would do her harm, and I think my heart might
break from sorrow.”

Bouldar
gazed back and forth between his grandson and the small human girl, who was
beaming with joy. He remembered his feelings for Petal’s mother and the
heartbreak that followed their coupling. He never forgot the reaction of that
girl’s family or the deadly war that tortured him and his people for so many
years. Gazing at the two young people before him now, though, melted the ice
that lingered around his own wounded heart.

Onio
had never lied to him about anything important. When he said that the girl
Melody had no family to mourn her passing, Bouldar believed it to be true. He
also remembered how the soul song almost killed her. To look at her now,
however, one would believe that she was already sasq.

He
used the soul song to test his theory. “How do you feel about this, girl?”

Mel’s
eyes grew huge when the king spoke directly into her mind. She was used to it
by now, but this old king’s voice was so powerful, so compelling, it staggered
her senses. Trembling, she nodded and said, “I…I love him, sir. I would be a
good wife to him.”

Bouldar
turned to Rain, who stood smiling, and then to Petal, and her husband Hunter,
Onio’s parents. “What do you say?” he asked.

Hunter
studied Mel’s body critically and muttered, “She is not too small. The breeding
would work.”

Petal
gasped and slapped his arm. “Enough of that talk, husband! Of course it will
work, and my son will be gentle with the girl, won’t you, Onio?”

Onio’s
face was as red as Mel’s was and he exclaimed, “Mother…Father, stop! I will be
fine and so will Mel!” Mel giggled nervously, and then they looked up at
Bouldar again, who regarded them all with a small smile on his face.

Nodding
gravely, he said, “Then so be it. You are now married.” All at once, a huge
roar rose up behind them. Onio and his new wife turned around and saw that,
unbeknownst to them, all of the sasquatches had ceased their festivities to
observe this newest drama. To Mel’s vast relief everyone seemed pleased with
the pairing. The drums began to pound again, this time in an entirely different
pattern.

“It’s
the wedding song, wife,” Onio murmured and led her out onto the floor. Pausing
for a moment while the closest sasquatches, grinning and slapping Onio and Mel
playfully, gathered in a more or less loose line behind them, Onio took one
step forward, and two steps back, before turning to Mel and indicating she
should do the same.

The
steps were repeated, much to the amusement of their fellow dancers and the sasquatches
who watched. Onio explained the meaning, while the sasqs behind them giggled
helplessly, falling over one another’s feet, and gasping with laughter.

“It
is said, in a marriage, every step a male takes, his wife must pull him
back…for the male is foolish and daring, while the female is wise and must
temper her love with caution and wisdom.” Onio grinned. “So…the marriage dance!”

Mel
laughed and the two of them led the dance, while her new clan members howled
with glee.

***

Hours
later, while Onio and Melody explored one another’s bodies with a pleasure so
keen it resembled pain, and their gasps of passion rose into the air, a lone sasquatch
warrior ran through the night’s shadows.

Iron
Hands’s teeth clenched in rage and his heart over-flowed with vengeance. How
dare that doddering old king usurp his right to Bouldar’s tribe? It was
written…somewhere, he knew, that if a king lost control over his clan, a close
relative, like a brother, could seize the mantle of leadership, if only to keep
the clan safe! Well, as far as he was concerned, Bouldar lost control years ago
when he bedded that small human whore!