The New World (The Last Delar) (11 page)

He begins to read again.  "You should be the slave of no one, my child.  You have great power inside you.  Bind yourself to me, and I will teach you to use this power.  I will teach you about the world and all the creatures in it.  I will grant you limitless power, so one day you will be the master."

He is filled with excitement; the nameless boy likes the idea of learning very much.  "Y-y-es, I will bind myself t-t-to-o-o you.  Will you be my new master?"

"Place your hand upon me, my child."

He places his hand on the book.  The same feeling of pain returns as the book pierces his flesh, and blood rises around his fingers.  The book's light ashy cover grows dark, and the boy watches the book's skin changes from brittle and broken to healthy and smooth.  His eyes become heavy, and he falls asleep next to the book.

He wakes feeling very hungry.  He looks at the book, and there is an apple beside it waiting for him.  He pounces on the offering and devours it with a ravenous hunger.  The apple warms his belly, and he feels fuller than he can ever remember.  Strength fills his aching arms and he stretches and rubs his belly.  He does not know whether it is night or day, for the only light he can see is the candles flickering on the walls.  He looks next to him and feels comfort at the sight of the book.  He crawls to see if there are markings on the page waiting for him.

"My fallen son now begins your new life.  Take me into your hands and embrace your destiny."

The boy takes the Ixkin onto his lap and eagerly begins to read the markings that appear.

CHAPTER SIX

Waking, Taeau gasps for air.  He rubs his swollen, bloodshot eyes and wipes sweat from his forehead.  He looks up at the moon, and his eyes shimmer, reflecting the moonlight.  Taeau pushes himself to his feet and wraps his bed furs around his shoulders.  Making sure not to wake Mia-Koda, the boy slips out of camp.  He shivers as he steps on cool leaves filled with their payment of dew from the night.  Taeau stands taller now than the day he left his home in the Menoli city nine years ago.  His body has grown lean and strong, and his hair has become wild and confused like his spirit.  Walking away from camp, he comes to a small stream and takes a drink of the cool water.  He stares at his reflection as droplets from his lips ripple through his image.  Taeau sits down against a tree and stares numbly at the moving stream.  He has always liked the sound of gurgling water and the way it clears his mind. The darkness of the night fades and moisture from the coming dawn gathers on the plants and trees.  A tugging on his blanket shakes him from his mindless wondering.  Tib is trying to get his attention and bring him back to camp.

"Oh, okay, Tib, I'm coming," Taeau manages through a yawn and stands up to follow the Wicker.

Back at camp, Taeau notices that Mia-Koda has started cooking breakfast.  Tib goes to work cleaning, and Taeau follows him and starts his morning chores.  The silence of their morning routine is interrupted as Broomay begins to stomp and snort at the ground.

"Whoa, boy.  Settle down," says Taeau as he strokes the horse's neck in reassurance.  Taeau combs Broomay's thick, knotted hair with his fingers to calm the animal.  He looks up over the horse's mane and stumbles backwards, startled at the sight of a young woman holding a long bow.  She is dressed in strange clothes and stands beside a horse with patch-colored fur. She lets down her hood, revealing her face and long black hair.  Motionless, Taeau stares at her. She has markings painted on her face, legs and arms. The cloth of her clothes is made from an animal he has never seen. Her chest is tightly wrapped in furs and her loincloth hangs down to her thick furry boots.

"Mia-Koda!" yells Taeau, but the old woman's hand is already on his shoulder, reassuring him all is as it should be.

"Do not be alarmed, child, for she is here on my invitation.  Good morning, Leotie.  I hope your trip was safe and without trouble."

Leotie bows her head before speaking, "Yes, Mia-Koda, it was . . . is this the boy you spoke of in your writings?"

"Yes, this is the boy.  Taeau, this is Leotie of the Enopay people." Taeau gives her a small smile and nods his head.

"Is he of a sick mind, Mia-Koda? I saw him staring at a stream, whispering to himself."

"You were watching me?"

Leotie pays no attention to Taeau.  "I hope you do not mean to bring a boy with a lost mind into our tribe."

Mia-Koda chuckles, "The teachings of Alo, your shaman, is why he goes to your tribe."

Taeau has become annoyed at how everyone seems to be speaking about him but not to him.  He glares at both Mia-Koda and Leotie.  "What is going on? Where am I going, and why do I not know about it?"

"Oh, now you decide to talk to me? Well, since you have been so quiet and lost in your own thoughts these past few seasons, I did not want to disturb your solitude to tell you." Leotie snickers at Mia-Koda's words.

"What is so funny, huh? Who are you anyway?"

"I am the one who was watching you all night.  I could have taken your head at any time, and there was nothing you could have done about it."

Taeau's blood heats with anger.  "You think so? Well, why not try it now?" he asks as he reaches for a wooden staff in the wagon.  Leotie smirks at Taeau, chuckling again, which only makes the boy angrier.  With speed and skill she grabs an arrow from his quiver and loads her bow, pointing the stone tip at Taeau’s head. Taeau suddenly feels silly standing alone with just a wooden stick.

"Put your staff back, Taeau, before you get yourself hurt again," dismisses Mia-Koda.

Taeau's face flushes with embarrassment.  His necklace dimly glows red, and he slams the end of his staff into the ground with such power it creates a shockwave, causing Leotie to step back in alarm.  She lifts her eyes from the ground and peers at Taeau with suspicion.

"Leotie, mount your horse, and we will follow you out of the forest."

"Yes, Mia-Koda," she says, and swings her leg over her horse and begins to trot off into the forest with Mia-Koda, Tib, and Taeau following close behind in their horse-drawn wagon.

The morning passes quickly, and Taeau remains silent with a clear scowl on his face.  He refuses to speak, trying to wait for Mia-Koda to apologize to him for keeping such secrets.  But as the sun rises higher in the sky, Taeau becomes impatient with Mia-Koda's quiet humming. "Why did you not tell me about this?" Taeau asks with a hint of sadness.  His mentor looks up at her student, who has grown tall over the last two summers, and answers him clearly.

"I am sending you to live with the Enopay tribe and into the teachings of the tribe's Shaman.  The Shaman is wise, and he will help you find yourself and your vision.  I have taught you many things over the time we have spent together.  Alo will complete your training. He will help you better understand yourself and the power inside you.  I have kept you away from others for too long, which may have been a mistake . . . I think.  You have become too solitary, and your mind wanders to a past that you should have long ago accepted.  You must take the journey that all boys do and become a man.  Alo, I have chosen to guide you on this path."

"Have I not been a good student?" whispers Taeau as he tries to fight back his emotions.

"Yes, child . . . you have.  You learn quickly and do not argue, but there is more to life than just doing what you are told and following instructions.  You still have much to overcome, and I cannot teach you how to become a man.  I have chosen a better teacher than myself for this part of your journey."

Taeau has never understood Mia-Koda's many speeches about the man he needs to be.  He sits silently, staring out at the landscape as it passes by, and wonders when the time will come when he can make his own decisions.  Tears well up in his eyes, but he dares not let one fall, especially with this strange woman so close.

"You will understand soon . . . when we depart you will be a boy, but when we meet again, a man will stand before me."

Taeau, sulking and wanting to make his teacher feel badly, brushes her hand from his shoulder and stares off into the forest.

---

The Black Forest has been the only home Taeau has ever known, and now in the company of a stranger he reaches its western edge.  They have arrived at the plains of Ora, a flat land of rolling hills and tall grasses.  Taking his first steps out of the forest, Taeau raises his arms to block the light of the sun.  He stands still, watching the grasses sway against the quiet prairie wind.  Lifting his face to the sun, Taeau takes a deep breath, inhaling the perfume of the plains.  The smell of the grass and dirt fill his mind with thoughts of his father.  He wishes his father was here now by his side. Together they could listen to the soft songs of the golden grasses.  Taeau knows it would be something his father would like very much.  Taeau is startled as Mia-Koda rests a hand on his shoulder, smiling at him as they move away from the setting sun.

That first night in the plains while sitting by the fire, Taeau is mesmerized by the night sky.  It's as if he is looking at it for the first time.  Free from the confines of the forest, he has never seen the moon or her children stars with such clarity.  Overwhelmed by the majesty of the celestial heavens, he realizes how little of the world he understands.  It is on nights like these when he feels most alone, and memories of his mother are the only things that bring him comfort.

They travel deeper into the prairie and Taeau becomes more curious about Leotie and her people.  Each night, Leotie arranges her bed in alignment with the moon's path, and when the moon is in a specific position, she grabs a handful of dirt and sprinkles it on herself.  She then sits silently, watching the moon with a strange peace that Taeau is sure he has never felt.  When he asks Mia-Koda about Leotie's strange nightly rituals, she explains that the word "Enopay" means "people of the great night star." The moon is sacred to Leotie's tribe, and everything in their culture revolves around its movements and cycles.

When the four travelers come within a day's journey of the Enopay camp, Mia-Koda explains to Taeau what he should expect.  "You will have to build your own hut and tame a horse . . . you --"

Taeau's head perks up, "I will be getting my own horse?"

"Yes, you will learn to become a fine rider, among other things.  The Enopay are great horsemen, and anyone who wishes to become a man in their society must have at least one horse."

Taeau has never imagined having his own horse.  He has never lived alone before, and a deep feeling of excitement comes over him.  "But how will I pay for all of this? I have no precious stones nor valuables to trade."

"True, you have no real possessions to barter, but I have secured your apprenticeship with Alo.  He will give you a horse and supplies for a hut.  In return, you will obey him without question and become his student.  If you do not, it will be a great insult to me." Mia-Koda smiles warmly at Taeau,  "This is not going to be easy Taeau . . . many Enopay will not like you.  They do not take to strangers easily; it took me a long time to gain their trust.  Do not ruin that for me."

"I will not shame you, Mia-Koda.  I promise."

"I doubt you will, child."

The night's sky is especially clear, and Tib is trying to play with Taeau, waving around a burnt stick like a sword.  Leotie sits outside of camp staring up at the moon.  Taeau watches her and thoughts of being left with strangers unnerves him.  Taeau thinks back to his parents and his old home in the Menoli.  He has no idea where his parents are or if they are still alive. He does not even know the road home.  These thoughts weigh heavily on his heart.  He remembers his mother's sobs the day he left and the warmth she always brought him.  Taeau grabs a handful of dirt and touches his fist to his forehead.  With his eyes closed, he swears an oath to himself that he will see this journey through, no matter how hard the path, so that if he is ever to see his parents again he can so without shame.  He opens his eyes and stares up at the moon, and slowly lets the dirt filter through his fingers.  Taeau looks back to Leotie and walks over to her.  He sits down besides her and tries to think of something to say.

"You come over here for a reason, or just to make stupid faces?"

Taeau, looks at her and begins to regret his decision to talk to her.  "Are all the Enopay as warm to strangers as you?"

"Not many strangers come to our tribe unless it is for war or trade."

"What is it like where you are from? What do people do there?" Taeau says in the friendliest voice he can muster.

Leotie sits silently, and Taeau can see she is thinking of what to say.  "We travel with the seasons, following the great herd, so you had better learn to break down your hut quickly.  We don't wait for stragglers, and we will leave you to the beasts and the sun if you fall behind.  We are the greatest hunters in the land and all other tribes fear us.  I am the best tracker the Enopay have.  I imagine you will be Alo's pet while you stay with us."

"Yes, I am to become his apprentice . . . do you know him well?"

Leotie chuckles, "I do, and when you are finished cleaning his hut, you can do the same to mine.  Now leave me alone."