Taught, Be Teacher
THE GRASS STUNG Charmian's bare legs as she walked, her eyes fixed on the shadowy figure of the Sky Tree which loomed above the field, slowly moving closer. Thomas walked just off to her right; judging by the tinkling and rustling noises, she could tell that Peepaukawiss was at her left, the others following. Pakwa, Kwemoo, and Maang drifted overhead while Augwak stomped on all fours, grumbling under his breath. They made an odd group, human and manitou and Wendigo and Michinimakinong, plus two loons, all tramping through the field at night, but there was no one around to witness them. Under almost any other circumstances, they probably would have been bantering or arguing; as it was, all of them but for Augwak were silent, their eyes preoccupied. No one had followed them down into the cave, and so they had not been caught. Yet Charmian knew that if they had stayed on the Island, it would only have been a matter of time.
She knew that Black Elk Horn was somewhat more superstitious than some of the others she'd met, as he'd shown no interest whatsoever in medicine or in speaking with the manitous; so she hoped that he would be reluctant to follow them, even if he did learn of where they'd gone. She hoped that he would show some common sense in their absence. He'd called up a war party her last time there...and back then, nobody had even been attacked yet.
Her eyes stung when she thought of White Coyote and she rubbed at them furiously before continuing, her face almost in a scowl. Right now, she didn't care what Lieutenant Barrington had been through. She wanted to grab his gun and wrap it around his head.
They at last walked through the grass in the shadow of the Sky Tree, the moon gleaming overhead; Pakwa and Niskigwun took turns escorting them all up, and they made their way along one of the shimmering midnight blue branches toward the Tree's center. The dangling crystals lit it up well enough to see without tripping, and in addition little birchbark lamps filled with some sort of flickering substance--fireflies?--were perched here and there; Charmian could just barely see several Michinimakinong peering out of the shadows at them as they passed, but the Turtle Fairies left them alone. As soon as they entered the trunk, the lighting and the air grew warmer, and Charmian walked in the direction of Geezhigo-Quae's main room. She didn't realize that she was clenching her fists until she felt Thomas take her hand and force her fingers open so that she clutched his hand instead.
In silence they reached the main room and the doorway opened, allowing them in; Charmian stepped aside to let Niskigwun through first. Geezhigo-Quae was already looking at them as they entered, and her eyes focused on Charmian's as she approached, Niskigwun offering a small bow.
"This is unfortunate," she said, without any explanation, but none was needed.
If anyone else had said such an understatement, Charmian would have been horribly offended; however, she knew how the sky manitou talked, and merely stopped to stand before her. "The Sky Tree showed you...?" she said, hardly even phrasing it as a question.
Geezhigo-Quae shook her head, startling her. "It did not have to," she said, and took a step aside. Charmian's eyes grew when she saw the face peering out from behind her dress, and her mouth slowly fell open.
Winter Born looked at her uncertainly, fiddling her fingers. "I'm...sorry I used the gateway," she murmured meekly.
Charmian blinked. "Gateway--?"
Winter Born nodded. "The Fairy Arch...I've heard people talk about it before...so I ran down and took it. I saw the big Tree and just thought...if a manitou lives anywhere, it has to be there..."
Charmian let out her breath; that had been her very own reasoning, when she'd first set foot in the Fairy Realm so long ago. "What are you doing here?" she asked, wincing at the bite that entered her voice; both Geezhigo-Quae and Winter Born noticed it, the latter wincing as well, before stepping out of hiding, fingers fiddling even more anxiously. She bit her lip like a child about to be sent into the corner.
"I saw all of the commotion when you came into the camp," she said in a small voice. "I heard that loud noise...and smelled that burning smell...and White Coyote just fell over...and Father got so angry..." She peered at Charmian again. "I thought...maybe you would be in trouble...I didn't know where you would go, but I figured you would try to get off the Island...and that was the only way I knew how..."
Charmian stared at her in silence. She couldn't believe how a mere kid had figured this all out so easily, on her own; she'd never even explained how the Fairy Arch and the Fairy Realm worked to her, before, yet somehow Winter Born had figured it out without any of her help. "You came here on your own--?" When Winter Born nodded she felt her stomach twist. "Did anyone see you--?"
Winter Born shook her head. "No...I was really careful...I sneaked out and made sure nobody saw me!" She looked anxious. "White Coyote...is he going to be all right...?"
Charmian's stomach twisted again when she realized that she had no clue how to answer that. "You came through to try to find Manabozho and then head east," Geezhigo-Quae said, earning her attention, and she nodded. "I have looked through the different doorways and found the one I think would be most appropriate. The Tree tells me that it was recently used without my knowledge. I can only assume Manabozho went out through it."
Charmian let out her breath again. "Thanks, Geezhigo-Quae. Do you mind if we go and wait there?"
The manitou woman shook her head. "Your friends should be along shortly. Then I will make certain you are fully ready to go."
Winter Born abruptly hopped out from behind her. "Can I come?" she asked; everyone glanced at her, and she blushed slightly, but stood her ground; Charmian was more surprised that the tone of her question hadn't been of the same annoying "Can I can I can I?" tone that most children used, but had sounded serious and sincere; she clasped her hands together. "Please?"
"What will Black Elk Horn do if he finds you gone?" Charmian shut her mouth, surprised; she'd been about to ask the question, yet Thomas had asked it instead. "Don't you think that'll make him even more upset?"
Winter Born slowly lowered her head. "I heard you needed to help the Island," she murmured under her breath. "I thought maybe I could help too. Then maybe Father wouldn't be so angry anymore."
"Perhaps she would be safer with us," Stick-In-The-Dirt offered, fiddling his own fingers. "I don't think I like the sound of what the camp might be like right now..."
"Silver Eagle Feather could keep an eye on her!" Charmian protested. Winter Born started slipping back behind Geezhigo-Quae. "Do you really think this would be a great time to have a kid in tow--? Especially considering where we're going--?"
"I had actually thought this might be to your advantage," Geezhigo-Quae said suddenly, making her fall silent. They all looked at her; she gestured toward the doorway. "Niskigwun, please show them to the door room. They should not have to wait long."
"Yes, Grandmother." Niskigwun lifted his spear and everyone, save Charmian and Winter Born, went walking toward the doorway; a few of them glanced back as they went, yet said nothing. Charmian watched them go; she turned back to see Geezhigo-Quae looking down at Winter Born.
"You as well, little one...I just need to speak with her alone for a moment. Do not worry," she said when Winter Born looked anxious, "you should be able to catch up with them; and I do not mind you being in my Tree." She lifted her hand from the girl's shoulder and Winter Born reluctantly made her way across the room. She cast a glance at Charmian as she did so before disappearing, the door closing behind her. Charmian bit her lip and tried not to frown, hating that she felt like she was being left out of something.
"You said you thought this would be a good thing?" she said at last, knowing that it could be rude to speak before Geezhigo-Quae did, yet not being able to help herself. "How can it be a good thing to drag her along and put her in danger, too? Wasn't White Coyote enough?"
Geezhigo-Quae tilted her head. "I was actually thinking of your own circumstances," she said. "This is your third time here, and even though much more has changed on the Island than in your world, still, you are different from the way you were before."
Charmian blinked. "Huh--? What do you mean?"
"For one thing, you are older." She rustled her wings before settling them. "For another, I know a tiny bit of how things work in your world. You came when you were able--which is not always. You have your own duties to your own people and cannot come to the Island whenever you wish."
Charmian took in a breath. "I--yes I can! I just thought it'd be best to wait until school was out, that's all! You mean, you think I can't look after the Island anymore--?"
"This is not what I said," Geezhigo-Quae replied with a shake of her head. "But there may be times when the Island needs you, and you will not be able to come. Remember the last time how the Nathali attempted to call you but you were lost in your own thoughts, and could not hear her?" Charmian blushed and ducked her head, feeling suddenly embarrassed. "I know that you will always be here when you can. But once in a while, such a thing may be impossible." She shuffled her wings again. "I had thought that perhaps you would like to teach Winter Born to take your place."
Charmian's head popped up and her eyes goggled. "T-teach--?" she blurted out in disbelief. "T-take my place--?"
The old woman held up a hand. "Not in such a way as I'm sure you think. She is just a girl. But I sense in her that, should you not be able to be here, she would fill in for you admirably. She has the same heart as you."
Charmian's brow furrowed. "But--she's so LITTLE! How can you think that she's the right one--? What about Red Bird, isn't she the one who's supposed to protect the Island--?"
"Red Bird is the Light of the Island," Geezhigo-Quae corrected her. "She keeps it from going dark from the shadows that are in Ocryx's and Ocryana's spirits. She and Tal Natha do protect it to an extent, but so far, the main task of protecting has fallen to you." She tilted her head again questioningly. "You doubt Winter Born...?"
"It's--it's not that," Charmian insisted, feeling stupid to be arguing about such a thing. "It's just--well--she's only a little kid! A smart one, yeah, but--well, YOU'VE seen all the crap--sorry--stuff I've had to go through just to keep this place safe!" Her ears burned; she hated sounding like she was bragging. "Can you imagine putting a little kid in a position like that? With people beating her up and tossing her off of cliffs and trying to steal her spirit stone and stuff?"
"You know her parentage," Geezhigo-Quae said. "Black Elk Horn and Silver Eagle Feather have taught her well so far. Despite his...flaws...her father is greatly respected, and highly capable. And her mother is teaching her all she knows, yet some of this is proving to be unnecessary. Winter Born has been able to speak with the manitous almost since her birth."
Charmian fell silent at that. "She...she has?" she asked at last.
Geezhigo-Quae nodded. "There are even some who say the ogimah is not her true father, but some manitou is. I know for myself this is hardly true! Yet...there is something different about her." She frowned slightly. "Forgive me for trying out this idea upon you first, Charmian, but it's something I've noticed. Not only in her, but in the other one like her--the boy of the Wemitigoji and the medicine man's daughter."
"Justin and Little Dove?" Charmian frowned. "You mean Page? What have you noticed about Winter Born and Page?"
"I cannot put my finger on it, exactly...yet I receive a different feeling from them. You are aware they are both part Ocryx." Charmian nodded. "One-quarter Ocryx each, to be exact...as Winter Born's mother is half demon, and Sky's father is the same. Since he was quite little Sky has shown signs of being not quite like his parents or his grandparents. The same holds true of Winter Born. I have not seen much yet...but I feel they may be even more powerful, on some sort of scale, than the demon himself."
Charmian stared at her with wide eyes, unable to speak; she had to search for her voice. "More powerful than Ocryx...?" she whispered.
Geezhigo-Quae's ears flared. "I cannot vow this is so," she said, "but it is the feeling I get." She lifted her stare toward the ceiling of the room. "Sky seems to have inherited his father's abilities of healing without medicine...he does not even have to concentrate his powers like the Wemitigoji does. And although she has not specifically done much yet...Winter Born is still quite precocious for her age. She addressed the birds and stones and trees as if they were her friends almost from the start...and what is more...some of them respond to her." She paused. "She did not ever have to learn their tongue, as you did. She still does not understand them at times...but what she does not understand, she can easily figure out. This has always come to her. She takes it for granted. She would have thought everyone was like this, had not her father attempted to stop this."
Charmian blinked again. "Black Elk Horn--? What do you mean, he tried to stop it--?"
"You know already that he does not delve much into the realm of medicine and manitous," Geezhigo-Quae said. "To him, praying to bring down a deer is as close as he will ever get to such things. He leaves such matters to his wife. He would never dare oppose her. Winter Born is another story. I believe the fact that she is part demon and reminds him of what happened with Silver Eagle Feather before made him hesitant to let her develop her powers. He has not stopped her from following her mother's ways--but he has strongly discouraged her from doing anything that might be even remotely influenced by the demon."
Charmian stared at her, unsure of what to think. She knew that Black Elk Horn had never quite accepted the fact that Silver Eagle Feather's first child, X'aaru, had been sired by Ocryx himself...but she'd never thought that he would extend these feelings toward his own daughter. "He won't let her practice?" she asked in disbelief.
Geezhigo-Quae lifted a wing. "Traditional medicine, yes. The medicine she got from the demon...he does not command that she not use it, but he has strongly suggested that she not." Charmian felt her fists start to tighten; she knew Black Elk Horn's idea of suggesting. "The same holds true of the Wemitigoji and his son; he urges him not to use any such powers, yet the boy's mother advises just the opposite when the father is away. I pause to wonder what their medicine would be like if both parents were so accommodating as the mothers." She met Charmian's eyes. "At this rate, Winter Born will never realize her full potential as long as she has only her mother and father to teach her. I had hoped that you might take on such a task. Seeing as you already know how to speak with the manitous, and have gone through much learning and testing yourself. You are already well down the road that she will have to take someday, though I worry that she may be forced to take this road on her own. If you are to teach her...you may make this way a little bit easier for her to bear, when the time should ever come for her to step up to help the Island." She gestured toward the door. "She is already here, asking to do just this--and she knows not a thing of which we have spoken. You know her spirit is good. As I said...it is just like yours."
"But I don't know how to teach anybody," Charmian protested. "I'm not a teacher!"
"Do you honestly think that either of the medicine men views himself as a teacher?" Geezhigo-Quae asked, again gesturing. "In case you were not aware--they do not. Yet you would deny that out of everyone on the Island, you learned best from them--?"
"That's--that's different!" Charmian's face started to go red. "They're MEDICINE MEN! I'm just--a high schooler on the honor roll!!" She waved her hands. "There's a BIG difference, you know! Stick waves a rattle and Moon Wolf talks with manitous, and I--well--wave a pencil and--talk with science teachers!!"
"You deny you have learned much?" Geezhigo-Quae asked.
Charmian shook her head adamantly. "Of course not! Of course I've learned a lot! The thing is I'm STILL learning!"
"The best teachers are those who do not even pretend to know all," Geezhigo-Quae said. "You do not realize? How better does one learn than by making a mistake, or seeking the answer for themselves?"
Charmian chewed her lip. "What I'm worried about," she said, "is making the kind of mistake that gets Winter Born killed!" Anxiety settled on her face. "I honestly don't know anything I could even teach her! Nothing that would help with the Island. You've seen how I need a dozen people to help me out wherever I go! What good could I do?"
"She would have all of you then to learn from," the manitou woman answered. "And you already know far more things than you realize. You've seen how she's already learned from you--merely by making her way here." Her glittering blue eyes softened slightly. "You do not have to take her, Charmian...yet I had thought this might be the best possible thing, as you will not always be able to be here, and out of anyone on this Island who is fit to protect it, I believe she is most fit. She needs only the proper teaching...which she will not get at home." She started walking toward Charmian, and guided her toward the doorway. "You may decide as we make our way there. Your other friends should be coming along right about now. If you decide she may not come, then I will see that she is taken home safely. The decision is purely yours."
Charmian continued chewing on her lip as they made their way into the hall and down toward the door room. She knew that by The decision is purely yours Geezhigo-Quae really meant, I hope you say yes. Still, she kept silent as they walked toward the small room, and they had to slow down outside it, as it was already much crowded by everyone else who had already gone ahead. Footsteps came from the hallway behind and Charmian glanced back over her shoulder, seeing Francois, Walks-On-The-Shore, X'aaru, and Remy coming their way, Marten scampering ahead of them. He waved his hand excitedly.
"Told you I'd get 'em!" he exclaimed, hopping through the doorway. Remy continued right inside with a look of great curiosity; even though he'd been to the room before, X'aaru halted just outside with an anxious look. Francois and Walks-On-The-Shore slowed down, peering around at the wooden walls. Charmian realized that this must be a very strange place for them both to be in, and rubbed at her neck.
"I hope this isn't too much to ask, or too sudden or anything," she said meekly, "but I was hoping you guys might help us out. It's...kind of a long story," she said when they looked at her inquisitively. "Maybe I can explain it as we go."
Stick-In-The-Dirt stepped to the doorway. "The camp," he said, earning their attention. "There was an incident...the reason why we came here. Did...?"
Francois's expression turned grave. "I heard about it...the gunshot was audible from where I was. I didn't dare set foot in the camp...from what I could tell, the ogimah was set on finding the one responsible. By now, one knows better than to deal with him when he's in such a mood."
"White Coyote...?" Charmian asked; Francois shook his head and her face went pale, her fingers going cold. She rubbed them together and lowered her head. "I was hoping he would...he would make it," she murmured, still not quite believing what had happened.
Walks-On-The-Shore stepped past Francois, looking up, down, left, right. "So this is a funny Tree?" he said, glancing in every direction possible. "Are we going somewhere?" He started toward the doorway, stopped as soon as he saw Geezhigo-Quae, looked her up and down, then turned back to the entry. "You look rather like a cloud," he said, and stepped inside. This time Charmian's, Stick-In-The-Dirt's, and Marten's faces all went white; Geezhigo-Quae blinked, her eyes widening, and Charmian could have sworn that her ears went red. A very odd look settled over her face and she shuffled her wings.
"I will take that as a compliment," she said in a flat voice, and Charmian decided that was the best time to go in the room. She grabbed Marten and Francois followed her inside.
Getting to the gigantic Tree was easy enough. It was getting up it that left a little bit more to the imagination.
Lieutenant Barrington had crawled through the dingy little tunnel, and splashed out into the dingy little creek, and tramped his way across the big dingy field...but the shadow of the immense Tree towering over him halted him in his tracks. He stared up at it with goggling eyes. He knew that some species of tree could grow quite large...but this was ridiculous. And if its size hadn't been bad enough...well, the fact that it was blue, with black glittering leaves, certainly didn't help matters any.
His mouth opened and he was ready to even protest aloud...when he considered the circumstances behind his coming here, and shut it, and tried not to scowl. After all that he'd seen, a gigantic blue Tree should have been the least thing to surprise him.
Still, denying its shock value provided no way to reach the top. Even the lowest branches were as high as any normal tree's peak, and he knew that he couldn't hope to climb all the way up there, at least not in any reasonable amount of time. He moved further behind the trunk when he spotted the five who had arrived here not long before him--the voyageur, the savage, the boy, the large winged wolf-thing, and the strange little furry child, strange quintet that they were. They too seemed to be at a loss as to how to ascend. Before they could think about it too long, however, something drifted down from the branches, and Barrington ducked back again, eyes wide
More of those winged people--!
No amount of imagination could explain what he now saw, picking up the three who couldn't fly, the little furry child growing wings and ascending with the rest. He pondered the idea of some sort of contraption attached to the back, which could allow for limited flight; but he knew that nothing of that size would be able to support such weight, unless they were built like birds. And people weren't built like birds...
He watched them disappear from sight before daring to step around the Tree--which took more than a few paces. He peered up into the branches and saw little glittering things swaying far overhead. He considered waiting to see if one of the winged creatures would come down for him...before deciding that that could be a foolish idea. For all that he knew, they didn't welcome his sort here...from what he'd seen, they did look rather like savages.
He put his hand against the Tree's trunk and bit his lip, trying to think. When something tickled his shoulder he jumped with a choked-off yelp of surprise, whirling around and bringing his gun forward in the same instant. He blinked when he saw no one there.
Instead of a person, a vine dangled from the Tree, leaves ruffling in the breeze. It bobbed a few times before falling still.
Barrington stared at this wonder with furrowed brow. He followed its progress up the trunk and could tell that it led straight into the branches. He frowned, then reached out and gave it a small tug. It held. He tugged on it harder, then a moment later was pulling on it with all his might. It still held. He let it go and ran a hand across his brow, letting out his breath. He glanced upwards once more, then his face set and he grasped onto it with both hands, the gun slung over his shoulder again, and started climbing.
A few times one of the winged creatures would come into view, and he would swing toward the trunk to keep out of sight; then he would resume climbing. In this manner he made progress rather quickly, and could even hear talking above by the time he reached the nearest branch. He clambered onto it, gasping for breath and staring with chattering teeth at the ground impossibly far below. He glanced toward the vine, only to see it slowly drawing itself back up into the top of the Tree. Barrington watched it with wide eyes until it vanished, then decided that he didn't care to see any more. Pushing himself up onto his feet, he unsteadily worked his way along the branch and into the Tree. Its doorway opened and then closed behind him.
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