The Last Sundancer (45 page)

Kaichen did not know how long he stood upon the natural rock formation, formed by hands greater than his and set perfectly in balance long before he was ever born.  He focused only on finding the silence within himself, so that he could look without seeing, listen without hearing.  The sounds of the day faded away and even Azin’s constant presence was far removed from the place where Kaichen roamed.  Though he never moved from position, his thoughts flew far away.   He did not know the exact moment that the secret of the spire was given to him.  He only knew that he held knowledge inside of himself that had not been there before.  With lithe grace he climbed from his position upon the rock and anchored himself upon the summit only to gaze into Azin’s face. 

Azin cleared his throat but he did not speak for a time.  He simply studied the land as it fell away before them.  Peace and beauty.  Even with his advanced age, there was still so much that he did not know.  He thought that even if he lived another lifetime he would not come to a full understanding of all that there was to know.  However, as he stared at the upturned face of the young man beside him, he wondered if the same could ever be said of Kaichen. 

Azin had never had a young person learn with the same ferocity and openness of mind that resided within Kaichen.  If he told the boy that he could fight harder, faster and with more lethal skill, Kaichen simply stared at him for a time and went off to train.  He never doubted Azin’s observations or criticism.  He never questioned his teachings or his direction, but what was more, he never hesitated.  Ever. 

The word fearless did not define Kaichen, it simply described him.  The same could be said of many warriors, but Kaichen stood apart as different.  Others noticed, but their whispered words and wide eyes did not affect Kaichen.  He simply kept them at a distance.  The only one that he allowed close was Antuk.  Azin understood the friendship between the young men.  Kaichen never asked Antuk for more than he could give and both young men accepted the other as a brother without judgment or hesitation. 

“Do you know the secret of the spire?
” Azin’s voice interrupted Kaichen’s thoughts.

Kaichen was silent for a time and then he simply nodded once in response. 

“I thought that you might consider declining the challenge that I set before you.  Only two other men have tried and succeeded.  Another man tried and failed.” Azin did not have to describe what failure meant.  If a man lost his balance upon the spire, he would fall to his death far below. 

“Who was the man that succeeded in learning the secret of the spire?” Kaichen’s voice always surprised the listener.  It was a dry rasp, hovering slightly above a whisper. 

“Your father and one other.” Azin did not have to see Kaichen’s face to know that the young man had already known the answer to his question though he was surprised that someone else had conquered the spire.  “The name of the man that failed is no longer spoken.”

Kaichen simply nodded.  Accepting the words without question. 

“Why is it that you accept my words without question?” Azin’s voice held no hint of the irritation that he felt but his eyes spoke volumes.

“You have never lied to me and you have always told me exactly what I need to know.” Kaichen’s response was so utterly simplistic that Azin almost missed his handhold as they started down the narrow spire.  He laughed ruefully over the wisdom of a young man, not yet fully grown.  Kaichen was so much like his father that at times Azin had to remind himself
it was the son of Shale that he spoke to and not the man himself. 

“You never
questioned that you could remain perfectly balanced upon the rock above, did you?” Azin spoke again once they were at the bottom of the spire and could look up at the rock that teetered in place, high above.

“You have never asked me to do anything that I could not conquer with time and knowledge.” On
ce more Kaichen’s answer surprised Azin.

“You saw the danger for yourself.  The rock teeters upon nothing more than a narrow summit of stone.” Disbelief tinged Azin’s words as he t
ried to understand Kaichen.  Suddenly, a memory of Shale standing before an injured mountain lion as he danced before the animal and all present, came to mind.  Shale had aptly been give the title of Sundancer, but it was no more than he deserved. 

Azin looked away as tears filled his eyes and he blinked to clear his gaze, cursing his old age.   Until now, he had not dared to believe that the legend of the Sundancer could actually come to rest inside of the battered and scarred young boy that had been given into his care. 

Kaichen had grown into a young man under the guidance of his watchful eyes and strict instruction.  But Azin could not claim to have instilled wisdom into the man standing before him, that trait had rested within Kaichen all along. 

Azin turned back to Kaichen as the young man patiently waited for the opportunity to speak.  It was only then that Azin remembered that he had spoken words of disbelief to Kaichen. 

He rested his hand upon the young man’s shoulder as Kaichen informed him that he had used his fear and doubt, transforming them into peace and beauty, only then had he been able to balance upon the rock without falling. 

“Even an old man can learn to embrace humility if it is taught to him in ways that are irrefutable and wise.” Azin meekly bowed his head to Kaich
en in a show of deep respect.  “A lifetime has come and gone in the blink of an eye and at times I fear that no one has taken notice. I have often wondered if anyone would be left to care or remember.  Now I know the answer to my question and I am deeply humbled.”

As Kaichen stood upon the ledge with Amara tied to his back
, Azin’s wise words came to mind and Kaichen forced his body to grow still. A warrior’s strength rested in the place of knowledge and wisdom that lived within each being. 

Doubt eroded superior physical ability faster than anything else.  Kaichen breathed deeply and sought peace as he released the doubt and fear from his mind.  Peace and beauty.  Amara was the epitome of both peace and beauty and it was easy to focus upon her.   

With deft movements of his hands Kaichen reached for the rock below him, he concentrated fully on remembering the exact placement of his hands and feet during his climb.  He reminded himself that memory and strength could overshadow weakness.  He quickly moved past the stakes that had been driven into the rock wall.  At times he used only the edge of his foot to rest upon a foothold and at other times only the bottom of his toe held them in place.  Amara’s hands were clasped firmly around his neck and he kept his pace as slow and steady as possible.  Rain battered against them but Kaichen kept his eyes wide open and his breathing under control.  The hardest part of the descent was beneath him.  He would have to hang by one hand and use the full length of his reach to find a handhold. 

Down below
Tamol felt his entire body quake as he and his men watched the awesome display of power taking place above them.  Thunder and lightning battled against each other, coming so close together as to almost be indiscernible except for sight and sound. 

The storm had reached the height of its fury but Kaichen still worked to descend with Amara secured upon his back. 

Antuk stood uncertainly, shifting back and forth in obvious upset but there was no comfort for him. 

“If they fall into the river from that height it will be like hitting the ground.
  No one could survive such a fall.” The man’s words were unwelcome, but true, no one objected to his observation.  He boldly continued speaking as the others divided their attention between him and the pair hanging precariously above. “Why would he descend now?  He should have waited.  He seeks death.”

Antuk moved so quickly that
Tamol never saw him shift position.  One moment the man was staring up at Kaichen and Amara and the next moment Antuk had the man pinned to the ground beneath him.

“Do not speak again.” Antuk warned through clenched teeth as he pressed his full weight upon the
man. 

Tamol
and Pele were the first to step forward as they tried to stop the other men from attacking Antuk.  Tamol watched as his men surrounded the pair and he was finally forced to speak.  “Do not harm Antuk.”

Tamol
saw the moment when Pele shifted his gaze away from Antuk.  Tamol had given Antuk his protection and also his favor.  The other warriors stepped back at once and they watched warily as the large man slowly stood.  Antuk did not look at them.  His eyes reached upward, seeking the pair that even now dangled from the wet rock above. 

“Do not speak death into the world. 
Kaichen will survive.  Watch and see.” Antuk’s words carried over the sound of the storm and all eyes turned to watch the marvel before them.  

Tamol
helped the uninjured man to his feet and pierced him with a stony glare.  “I would not speak again. He could have easily taken your life.”

The warrior nodded even as he
turned to study Antuk.  Tamol understood the man’s confusion.  Most of his men had brushed Antuk’s abilities as a warrior aside, even though he had fought with them in battle. 

Most assumed that he was not a threat and several now reconsidered their initial assessment. 
Tamol stared up at Kaichen and Amara. 

He thought that
Kaichen was a fool to risk his life in such a way.  His people needed him now more than ever.  But Tamol knew that if it had been Denoa high up on a crumbling ledge, Shale would have risked life and limb to save her.  It gave him no comfort that he would have done the same for Denoa if given the chance.  Tamol was as surprised at the changes that had risen up in his spirit over time.  He was not the same man that he had been so long ago.  He could not pinpoint the exact moment that he began to change, shifting his thought process and actions. 

His thoughts turned to Kaichen’s mother
as he considered that Denoa was already weak, battered and bruised. She could not take another blow. Tamol thought that even an emotional blow like the death of her son could steal the life left in her.  Tamol set his concerns aside as he willed strength to Denoa’s son.

Kaichen dangled precariously from the ridge above as water trickled between his fingers and down his arm.   He swung for a moment as he blindly reached out for the handhold that his memory told him was there.  The problem was that he could not see the handhold; he could only hope to catch it on the first try.  Kaichen swung free and reached with his arms spread open and Amara dangling from his back.   Though her weight was slight, it was also a burden that he had not carried when he climbed the cliff face.  The extra weight was enough to cause him to misjudge the strength needed to complete the swing through the air.  He reached for the handhold and missed. 

Amara gasped but she kept her silence, muffling her cry of fear into the back of Kaichen’s neck.  His breathing was a dry rasp as he shifted position and swung once more, straining for the slightest indentation in the rock beside them.  

Amara wanted to shout with joy when he caught the handhold and held on.  Within a moment of finding traction Kaichen released his right hand and placed his foot directly upon the rock.  One hand kept them anchored in place. 

“My strength is failing.” Kaichen’s fingers ached with the weight of their bodies as he searched for the next placement of his hand. 

“You are Kaichen, son of Shale, the first Sundancer of the people.” Amara’s voice trembled as she spoke the words of strength to Kaichen, her mate, her husband.  “You will not fail.”

Kaichen closed his eyes and reached down as far as his hand could travel.  There was another place for his hand and foot, if only he could find it.

“Remember who you are.” Amara whispered softly and Kaichen blinked, clearing his gaze as he lost his first handhold and they started to fall. 

There was no time to scream or cry out in fear.  Amara clenched her arms around Kaichen’s neck and simply held on.  If they were going to die, she wanted to linger over the feel of his thrumming heartbeat.  She wanted to remember the dark glow of his skin and the sense of masculine strength that Kaichen embodied with his every movement.  Before she could grasp her thoughts to her heart and speak words of love to her husband, they were jerked to a halt that jarred them against one another it.

“What happened?” Amara could no longer hide the shaking of her voice.

“
Amara, you can open your eyes now.” Kaichen’s voice held a smile and he shouted to be heard over the storm.  Amara blinked repeatedly before her eyesight became clear.  Kaichen had managed to descend the rock face far more quickly than she would have ever expected.  She saw that he held out his hand and she watched as the men that stood on the opposite side of the river sent a rope over to them.  Before she had time to grasp the danger that they still faced, they were pulled across the river and strong arms lifted her, untying the rope that bound her to Kaichen.

“Leave her!” Kaichen growled as he gained his feet and lifted Amara into his arms. 

He stumbled once and Amara clung to him, unsure of the tremors that wracked his body.  She was shaking so badly that she could not be certain whether she shook him or he shook her.