The New World (The Last Delar) (12 page)

"Fine! Enjoy staring at the moon like a useless bush," Taeau says before he stomps back to his bed. He covers himself with his furs and falls asleep, but he does not sleep well.  Throughout the night he has the feeling he is being watched.  His dreams keep repeating the same images.  A rocky cliff and a high pitched screeching. The sky goes white, blinding him until he opens his eyes.  He does not mind the dream, for any dream other than his usual nightmares are welcome.  A gurgling noise startles him, and when he turns to see what it is, he notices Tib snoring and choking on his own saliva.  Taeau shakes his head and tries again to fall asleep.

In the morning, Taeau wakes to find Leotie missing.  Mia-Koda is preparing their meal, and he asks where Leotie has gone.

"She left right before dawn to tell the Enopay that we would be arriving today . . . I suggest you ready yourself for the day ahead."

Taeau lowers his head and gathers his things.  He loads the wagon and takes a seat next to Mia-Koda.  They do not travel far before men on horses surround their wagon.  The men do not speak or make eye contact as they escort the wagon to the tribe's camp.  The men sit proudly on their horses and carry their spears close to their chests.

"Who are they?" asks Taeau.

"The warriors of the camp . . . and the heads you see popping up and down below that small hill, not far ahead, are Enopay children trying to catch a glimpse of you."

Taeau sees the children look up at him and giggle; they watch his every move with great curiosity.  Taeau sees the silhouette of the tribe's huts and smoke from the morning fires.  He sees that the huts are small and not made to be permanent.  They look, as Leotie said, as if they could be broken down and moved in a very short time.  In the middle of the camp there is a large hut that rises above the others.  Ornately painted, it must belong to the Chief, Taeau figures.

The Enopay people gather around the entrance to their camp and watch in anticipation as Taeau and Mia-Koda approach.  The warriors gallop toward the camp, shouting and screaming, kicking up the dusty plain beneath their horses.  Taeau grows more and more anxious, not having been around a gathering of people this size since he left the Menoli city.  Mia-Koda watches as Taeau squirms in his seat, and she smiles as she sees the sweat drip down his forehead.

"When we enter the camp, you will get down from the wagon and walk straight to the main hut.  You will bring nothing with you, and you will not look back . . . if you do, Taeau, you will show Alo that you are not yet ready for his teachings.  I have watched you grow up from an infant, and we have been together a long time.  It is time for you to become the man that you need to be.  I believe in you, child . . . as I always have, but I cannot help you walk this path.  You must do it alone."

"I know there is a path in front of me, but I do not see it.  I feel like I am trapped in the dawn, yearning for the rising of the sun to warm my skin but it never comes.  You say I must walk it alone, and so I will . . . again, alone."

"No, never alone, and one day you will understand that.  Besides, Tib will be staying with you.  I have tried to tell him he cannot, but a long time ago in a dark, cool meadow, he swore an oath, and Wickers would choose death over the disgrace of breaking such a vow.  Taeau, you must protect Tib from others in the camp who might want to buy or steal him for a slave.  He has been a good Wicker, and I will miss him greatly."

"I promise," says Taeau.

Halting at the outer edge of the camp, Taeau steps down from the wagon and stands in the tall grasses.

"It is time, Taeau.  Do as I have told you, and do not let them break you.  Become a man your parents would be proud of."

Taeau nods his head and begins to walk to the camp.  The Enopay stand together like a wall between him and the huts.  He fears what will happen if they refuse to move out of his way.  When he reaches the Enopay, the crowd opens and lets him through.  He takes a deep breath as the crowd follows him. A young girl charges at Taeau and tears away a piece of his clothing.  She raises it into the air, shrieking loudly.  The crowd turns wild, ripping off his clothes and shouting at him.  He struggles to move forward, shoving through the suffocating riot.  A rock strikes him on the back of his head, bringing him to his knees.  Blinking and kneeling on the ground, he can feel blood streaming down his face.  He grabs the back of his head and feels the wound.  He looks up, but has to squint to see through the cloud of dirt.  He chokes on the dust and struggles to his feet.  The Enopay continue to abuse him, yet he pushes on and moves closer to the center of the camp.  He is focused and determined to make it to the hut and not to shame Mia-Koda.  A female grabs his necklace and tugs on it hard, trying to rip it from his neck.  Taeau and the stranger begin to struggle, stumbling into the crowd.

"No! Stop! Don't! That's mine!" screams Taeau as he tries to free himself from her grip.  But it is too late.  His necklace is already glowing, and the woman's hand starts to burn.  She screams in pain, pulling harder on the necklace and trying to escape.  A loud crack pierces the air, and both Taeau and the woman are thrown to their backs.  The woman is left squirming on the ground, holding her nose that is gushing blood.

The crowd becomes quiet, staring from the wounded woman to Taeau in confusion.  The Enopay tribe steps back.  Their mood has now changed from excited to fearful.  Taeau sees the mistrust and anger in their eyes.  He preferred the shouting and the beating to the cold, heartless stares of the people now. Moving quickly away from the stalled crowd, he walks to the main hut and ducks through the doorway.  Taeau's face is caked with coarse soil that has mixed with sweat and blood.  His head throbs, his ears ring, and when he enters the hut, Taeau notices an older man in fine-looking furs staring at him.  The man is weak looking and long white hair hangs over his face. There is nothing welcoming in his eyes, only a cold tired glare greets Taeau. The man holds a long spear decorated in many colored feathers.  On his head he wears the scalp of some beast with two curved horns.  The man continues to sit, and he examines Taeau from the far end of the room.  He raises his hands.  The few elder warriors that have followed Taeau into the hut lower themselves to their knees.  Taeau looks around and does the same.  The man, whom Taeau has concluded is the Chief, waves his spear at the Enopay.  They rise and quickly leave the hut.

The Chief then motions for Taeau to approach him.  Taeau obeys and tries to appear proud as he limps toward the Chief.  The Chief points to where Taeau is to sit.  Taeau makes no attempt to start conversation, so they both sit and wait in silence.  Finally, the flap to the outside opens, and a man enters the room.  He is older, but not as old as the Chief.  He wears no shirt, and around his neck are many necklaces with small pouches attached to them.  He walks with a large staff that is curved at the end.  His nails are long, and his eyes dark and reflective.  He has a clean face, and long black hair tied back like a horse's tail.  Following him into the hut is Tib, who sees Taeau and quickly runs to his side.  The Chief then stands and approaches the black-haired man, while Tib pats Taeau on the leg and brushes at the dried blood on his face.

"I'm fine, Tib," Taeau says softly.

Taeau believes that the black-haired man is Alo.  He seems wise, and he has a presence about him.  The man begins to argue with the Chief, and Taeau suspects that the Chief does not want him to stay.  Alo then hands the Chief something that makes his eyes open wide, and Taeau has a sinking feeling that the Chief has just been bribed.  The Chief walks back to his place and sits down to examine the gift.  He raises his hand and nods his head, but never takes his eyes off what he holds. Looking down at his gift the Chief sees in the stone what he desires most and like all people who grow old, he wants what he can never have again, he sees the faces of loved ones he has lost and a tear begins to build inside his eyes.  Alo lowers his head to the Chief, walks up to Taeau, and motions for him to follow.

Relieved, Taeau leaves the hut, while the Chief continues to rub the object with lust in his eyes.  They walk through the camp to its southern edge, and no one pays any attention to Taeau and Alo as they walk.  They stop in front of a pile of sticks and furs lying on the ground.

"Mia-Koda has secured you a place with the Enopay.  Here is everything you need to build your hut.  I will come by in the morning.  Be ready."

"Yes, thank you."

"Here is some dried meat for your meal and a water bladder." Alo then abruptly turns and leaves Taeau there, confused, with Tib by his side.

---

Taeau stands over the scattered materials for his hut, looking at them with confusion.  He stares at Tib who is looking at him with his one large eye.  Tib's markings begin to flutter, and Taeau can tell Tib is as bewildered as he is about how to build the hut.  Yet Taeau is relieved to have something to do that will distract him from the anxiety of his new life.  Tib is a good help to have, and he seems to know more about building a hut than Taeau thought.  When the hut stays up for more than a few moments, they decide it’s strong enough to sleep in.

Taeau feels a sense of accomplishment as he sits outside watching the cerise sun slowly set, engulfing the sky in a rage of color.  When the sun has gone and the moon starts its climb, Taeau enters his hut.  There are a few leftover furs that he makes into a bed.  Taeau wraps the blankets around him and notices that most of the furs used by the Enopay come from the same type of animal.

Like most nights, he struggles to sleep, but tonight with the constant teasing from the Enopay children it has become impossible.  Taeau can hear the children creeping close to the hut, then running away yelling and screaming.  He does not mind the children because he remembers playing similar games as a child with Ven.  Taeau lies in bed and notices that the camp has become strangely quiet.  He looks outside his hut to see what is going on.  Taeau observes everyone in the camp sitting outside their huts gazing at the moon.  Small children sleep in their parents' arms as their mothers sing to them.  He watches young lovers kissing and holding each other close, and elders staring at the moon lost in the memories of their youth.  Everyone is at peace, and it makes Taeau feel utterly alone.

The darkness of night gives way to the rustic rising of the morning sun.  The wet, life-sustaining dew that covers the golden grasses now begins to fade.  Taeau wakes to loud noises and movement all around him.  He opens his eyes, but everything is still dark.  He feels a weight on top of him, and hears Tib thrashing and grunting close by.  The hut must have collapsed during the night, and Tib is trying to escape.  Taeau tries to get up, but he is tangled in the furs.  He hears laughter coming from outside as someone lifts the furs off him.  Taeau looks up to see Alo and Leotie glaring down at him.  She has a nasty smirk on her face as she turns, shaking her head and walking away.

"Does she enjoy seeing me make a fool of myself, so she can give me that look?"              

"I asked Leotie to walk with me to your hut so she could tell me of your travels.  She does not understand why I have taken you into our camp, or why I will be teaching you the wisdom and secrets of our people.  She distrusts strangers more than other Enopay . . . I think because she was once a stranger to our people herself.  Come, leave your Wicker behind to rebuild your hut," says Alo.

"Where are we going?"

Alo turns to Taeau.  "You will call me 'Gahano.' The word means 'spirit guide' in the Enopay tongue.  You have not yet earned the right to call me by my Enopay name.  You will also learn when and when not to ask questions.  This is a time not to ask, but to follow."

"Yes, Gahano," Taeau says, with his head down.

"Mia-Koda has told me of your past and of your troubles.  Fear and guilt are powerful emotions that can destroy a man.  You blame yourself for the deaths of loved ones, yet what could you have done differently? You must learn to accept loss and sorrow, stand up to fear, and wash yourself of the stink that is guilt."

"What do you know about what happened? You were not there.  You didn't see the life leave their eyes and me just standing there in the bushes with my mouth open and tears running down my face."

Alo stops and strikes Taeau with his staff, knocking him to the ground. "I know plenty of death, for I have seen more than my share of it.  So do not think you are the only one in this world dealing with the pain of losing someone he has loved." Alo looks down at Taeau and kicks dirt toward him.  "Has my blow killed you, child, or do you enjoy staring up at me from the ground with a dumb look on your face?"

Holding his ribs, Taeau gets to his feet, "No, I am fine."

"Can you continue to walk with me?" Taeau nods.  "Then keep up, for life does not wait for us no matter the pain we feel or the horrors we have seen."

They walk together to the outskirts of camp in silence.  Taeau continues to rub his ribs. Taeau and Alo come to a weak wooden fence that encloses the Enopay horses.  The colts stay close with their mothers in the center of the herd, protected by a ring of males.  Far away from the herd is a lone black male, strong and unkempt.  He is eating prairie grasses and staring out at the horizon beyond the fence.  The black horse has a stripe down the front of his face that flashes as he looks at Taeau.  He seems different from the others, alone, out of place.

"That is a newly caught stud from the edge of the flatlands.  He is of a wild breed and is not taking to captivity or to the other horses," says Alo.

"Why is that, Gahano?"

"Some animals are not meant for captivity.  They may be too aggressive or too independent in spirit.  He has yet to be broken, and he will not work or carry any goods.  He will have to be slaughtered for food and hide by winter if he does not change."

Taeau looks up at Alo, and then back at the black horse.

"Mia-Koda has paid for you to have a horse of your own.  You will need to learn to ride if you are to survive in our world.  Go into the pen and pick out any animal that is not already marked."