Tunnel To The Tree
MARTEN WAS A good digger, and true to his word. Though he did dawdle a bit trying to figure out where to start digging.
"Hmmm," he thought aloud. "Gotta dig two tunnels. Gotta reach Krabby-bonnia and Geezhigo-Quae! Where best to dig? Where best to dig...?"
Remy, Winter Born, and Kenu attempted to help him, X'aaru also sniffing along; they wandered around the edge of the woods, pointing out good spots, which Marten always insisted on examining thoroughly before shaking his head. "Nope!" he said each time. "Gotta be JUST the right place! I know shortcuts, and they're FICKLE! You wouldn't BELIEVE how many tunnels I had to dig just to end up with ONE that leads to Glooskap!"
"Maybe that's why each one of them is a nightmare," Charmian, who wandered after them a bit to watch, grumbled.
Marten hopped atop a fallen tree and waved his hands. "I see I have some explaining to do! You see, a shortcut works best when there's something about it that reminds you of where it's TAKING you!"
X'aaru blinked, then his head popped up. "Oh! Like the shells you dangled all over that one shortcut! Seashells?"
Marten nodded, looking quite pleased with himself. "EXACTLY! And all this time YOU thought I was just being silly!" And here he stuck his tongue out at Charmian, who started fuming so much that Thomas took her hand and led her back into the camp. Marten waved at the others.
"So, you think you can find me some spots to dig in like THAT?" he asked. "One for Baboon-ickia, and one for Geezhigo-Quae?"
"Something that's like winter could lead to where Kabebonikka lives!" Winter Born suggested.
Remy stuck his tongue out at her. "But where are you going to find winter in the middle of the summer?"
Winter Born's spirits fell. "Maybe something like a mountain?" X'aaru offered. "They did say he lives on a big mountain...didn't they?"
The others' faces lit up. "That's got to be it!" Winter Born exclaimed. She and Remy went running off to the northwest of the forest, where they had spotted some hills before. Marten turned to Kenu and X'aaru.
"Now, someplace to find a tunnel for Geezhigo-Quae--?" he prompted.
Kenu started hopping up and down. "She's the Sky Mother! I know the perfect place to get to her--from the SKY!"
X'aaru's head sank a bit. "But...won't that be rather hard--?" he exclaimed.
Kenu's feathers sank as well. "Oh...I never thought of that." He started nibbling on his lip.
Marten waved at them. "Don't give up just yet! How about someplace high? I bet that'd work!"
X'aaru perked up and his tail started wagging. "Someplace high with a TREE!"
Kenu began hopping again. "I KNOW WHERE TO FIND ONE!" he yelled, so loudly that the ground shook and the others winced; he put a hand over his mouth and coughed meekly. "Um...I mean, follow me!" He turned and started running off vaguely southward, X'aaru following.
Marten waved at Kwemoo and Maang, who had perched atop the log. "Go after them and make sure they don't get lost--and make sure I don't get lost following them!" The loons o-ho'ed and flapped off, and Marten sat down on the log to wait.
A short while later Kwemoo--for Marten could tell them apart--returned, and Marten scurried off southward. Kenu had located a little rocky outcropping closer to the now-distant Gitchi-Gami, so the Mikumwesu carefully peered about, making certain that no mitchi manitous were nearby. He spotted none--in fact, several of Manabozho's wolves were about, and he waved at them, and they drifted closer to the rocky outcropping. A stunted leafless twist of a tree crowned it, its roots still digging into the crevices, and Kenu stood by proudly while X'aaru sniffed around for a softer spot to dig. He pointed one out and waited hopefully while Marten poked at it a little. The Mikumwesu looked skyward, licked his thumb and stuck it out, hopped in a circle, stood on his head, twirled his tail, and finally drew an X in the soil. "Looks good!" he proclaimed, and the other two hopped up and down in silent glee. "You guys get started on it. Be back in a few minutes or so!" he promised when Maang arrived, and raced off northwestward to see what Winter Born and Remy had managed to find.
He had to hop over some more fallen trees, and nearly tumbled into a patch of swamp, so he was in a considerably poorer mood by the time he reached them. Still, he had to admit that the large mound they'd located was impressive--"And it's even covered on top in white flowers!" Winter Born added excitedly. He of course had to go see that for himself, ooh'ing and ahh'ing and plucking a few to stick in his cap before he commenced licking his thumb and hopping around and twirling his tail again. He marked an X in the midst of the little white flowers, and gave the two children a thumbs-up signal. "Good choice! You guys start digging and I'll be back in a jiff!" So saying, he raced back southeastward, clambered back atop Kenu's crag, and began digging furiously in the hole that the other two had started. For a while he dashed back and forth between the two areas, digging furiously, and at such a pace that several of those from the camp drifted out into the open just to watch him go running past every fifteen minutes or so. Charmian raised her eyebrows, admittedly impressed.
She rather wished that she'd brought some popcorn, as she and Thomas had to sit down after some time, yawning and rubbing their eyes a bit as the night wore on; the clouds had cleared and the moon was bright, so they could basically see things, though the air was rather chilly by now. At last Marten emerged, gasping and huffing, and scampered up before them to come to a halt. His tongue dangled from his mouth and his hands hung at his sides, his fingernails filthy and his fingers themselves stained with dirt. He reached up to nudge his cap back up and left a dark little smear on his forehead. He pointed south.
"Th...that...t...tunnel's...pretty much...d...done," he panted, looking ready to collapse. Charmian got to her feet, biting her lip and wishing that Justin were with them.
"You're going to be okay?" she asked uncertainly.
Marten managed a nod. "Y...yeah...sure! Mikum...Mikum...we're always doing hard stuff." And as if to punctuate this, he promptly collapsed with a tiny puff.
Charmian refused to leave until she and Thomas had carried him back to the camp, first washing him off in Mishupishu's stream, then propping him up near the fire. She stuffed his mouth with marshmallows left over from her negotiations with the Seneca, and the Mikumwesu sat chewing on them assiduously, making all sorts of gummy gooey noises. As soon as he finished, Francois handed him a piece of dried fish, and he started chewing on that just as cheerfully. Charmian made a face and turned to leave the camp again.
"Maybe he's pregnant," she said as they walked. "In any case, I think Remy and Winter Born should be able to handle themselves until he's recovered."
"You're going to be heading through to speak with Geezhigo-Quae?" Thomas asked.
Charmian nodded. "Just to clear a few things up."
"You really think you should be heading there on your own? That one tunnel they're digging looks like it should lead right out toward Lake Superior, you're aware."
"I have the wolves standing around to keep their eyes open," Charmian said. "Normally, I'd bring Niskigwun with me..." Her spirits sank a little. "But I think he needs all the rest he can get. Hopefully he'll be better before we can leave." She sighed.
The rocky crag came into view, X'aaru and Kenu standing outside the tunnel entrance, preening and dusting themselves off. "I rather get the feeling the old bird will be as good as new," Thomas offered as they drew close to it, and her face scrunched up.
"Old bird! You're lucky he's not here, else I think he'd brain you for that!" She slowed her step and peered at him a bit uncertainly, fiddling with her vest. Thomas tilted his head a little.
"What is it?" he asked.
Charmian pursed her lips, then bit one. "Nothing," she said at last, and resumed climbing.
"What?" Thomas said again, following. "You were going to say something, weren't you--? What was it?"
"I was just wondering if I should give you your other gift," Charmian called back over her shoulder.
"Oh." Thomas furrowed his brow. "You mean the one that's so much nicer than what you already gave me--?"
She shot him a dirty look. "I worked on that thing when I should've been studying! I'll have you know I got a B because of you!"
Thomas laughed. "That's so horrible. Honestly, what is it? Did you do any worse in classes because of it--?"
She stood up beside X'aaru and stuck her tongue out at him. "None of your business! If you're going to be that way, I'll just save it until after I get back!"
Thomas made a show of rolling his eyes and sighing gustily, but shrugged as he joined them. "What can one do," he said. "When you have to choose between your friend, or getting a passing grade in--"
She elbowed him in the stomach. "HA HA! I said LATER!" She gestured at X'aaru and Kenu. "You two are staying here? This hopefully won't take too long. I just have to ask her a few things, then come right back."
"We'll think about clouds and birds and things!" Kenu promised. "Just so you make it through all right!"
"I'll think about rainbows," X'aaru said, and lowered his head a bit. "If that helps."
She patted him. "I think it will. Well, see you guys in a bit--and watch out for Lynxes and stuff." She squatted and ducked her head, clambering into the little tunnel entrance. She crept along in it until what little light there was behind her began to fade, and she heard the others above offer a final farewell, before she at last dug the Weaver webs out of her pocket and began gingerly pressing tiny bits of them against the earthen walls. She had no clue how far back this tunnel would even go, nor how it would end, nor how it could logically be expected to lead her to the right destination, but she decided to trust in luck and think about clouds and birds and rainbows and things. As the tunnel closed up around her, growing colder and making her shiver, she bit her lip and thought about the Sky Tree as well, poking webs into the walls and thinking again of her strange dream.
A red tree...was it telling me two things at once? Should I even ask about that? Or should I trust anyone at all?
Even Niskigwun said he thinks she's holding something back from us...why? I understand if she doesn't trust me...but him? I always thought they were so close...
She made certain to be sparing putting up the bits of Weaver web, although she had no clue how much she should be using. "Marten said it really lasts," she muttered, nearly bumping her head. "Then again...Marten's been wrong before."
She at last reached a dead end, and had to squat staring at it in the dim glow of the webs, unsure of what to do now. She chewed on her lip and poked at it with her finger a few times; the soil was loose, like they'd just stopped digging in the middle of things. She seriously wondered how they would know when or where to stop, then sighed and told herself to just stop thinking so much.
"My problem is," she said, starting to poke bits of web around the dead end, "I think too much in MAINLAND terms! When I should start thinking like the Island--or whatever THIS place is!"
She finished what she was doing, then started digging at the loose soil. To her great surprise, bits of light began to appear as it crumbled away, and her spirits began to rise again--apparently the tunnel led somewhere. She felt a fresh stab of anxiety as soon as she realized that she wasn't quite sure where somewhere was--but decided not to worry about it too much. "I suppose that if I'm captured, I can just dig my way out of it!!" she muttered, and poked her hand through, watching the remains of the dead end fall away before her.
She found herself very promptly surrounded by speartips, each of them pointed straight at her head. Her eyes grew to the size of moons and she opened her mouth, but no sound came out. The people surrounding her all wore odd leather masks over their faces, and she wondered if she was about to experience being eaten alive firsthand.
Then the one standing closest to her stood up straight, and tore off his mask. It fell to the ground and her mouth fell open when she saw his pointed ears and the turtle tattoos upon his breast, feathers decorating his sparse clothing and weapon; she glanced around at the rest of them and saw that they all looked much the same, and what was more, she could clearly see the leather straps of their wingcases upon their backs, and just like that, her spirits shot up once again.
"THE MAINLANDER!" the lead Michinimakinong yelled, and the rest of them all raised their spears with a collective shout, making her jump. Before she could speak she was being yanked out of the tunnel and set on her feet. She blinked in confusion and looked around again, seeing that she'd apparently popped up right in the midst of a quarry or mine. More Michinimakinong were still at work chipping at the rock, though they had slowed down somewhat and were staring at her. The lead Michinimakinong grasped her hand nearly hard enough to hurt and pumped it up and down enthusiastically.
"You come with GOOD NEWS!" he cried--she noticed that he appeared to be somewhat younger than Niskigwun, and didn't wear nearly as many feathers, though there were still a good deal of them trailing from his head and adorning his arms and legs and spear. She blinked a few times, not sure what to say in response, but he was gesturing away from the hole before she could speak. "You have obviously come to speak with the Sky Mother!"
"Well--yeah--kind of," Charmian managed to get out, and the next thing she knew, she was being paraded along by the Turtle Fairies, as if she were the guest of honor. She remembered how they'd treated her when she'd first trespassed in the Fairy Realm, and felt her ears grow hot. Just how had their impression of her changed so drastically since then...?
"The Pearl Feather must be defeated already!" the Michinimakinong with her exclaimed. "This is why you come, with such wondrous news! Surely--?"
"Well," Charmian said, rubbing at her neck, "not quite...but I do have to speak with Geezhigo-Quae."
"Oh." His mood deflated a bit, then he perked up again. "It is of little concern! Niskigwun and the rest are with you and things will be set right before long! Surely--?"
Charmian slowed a little, which was difficult, considering all the Michinimakinong surrounding her. "You know Niskigwun?" she asked.
His eyes widened a little, then he drew himself up, feathers flaring. "I am his younger brother--Cheengwun!"
"Brother?" Charmian blurted out, and felt her heart nearly fall into her feet. She started walking even more quickly now, trying not to cringe. He never told me he had a FAMILY!
Cheengwun hesitated a moment before following. "You have news of Niskigwun--?" he asked, and that just made her feel a hundred times worse. She waved at the air and tried to feign a smile, but knew that it came out looking like a grimace.
"Um...he's resting..."
"Oh!" Cheengwun raised his spear. "Because of all the FIGHTING AND CONQUERING!"
The others raised their spears and yelled; Charmian wondered if she should have brought Kenu along after all. She finally slowed down again, realizing that she had no idea where she was going; she paused to glance around at her surroundings, but she appeared to be in some kind of rocky forest, and it didn't look at all like the meadow surrounding the Sky Tree. She started chewing on her lip furiously and turning in circles; Cheengwun frowned a little on seeing her confusion, then began pacing along in front of her to keep in her sight.
"Something is wrong, human--?" he asked.
"Well..." She rubbed at her head now, feeling utterly foolish. "I have to get to the Sky Tree but I don't even know where I am! Maybe you could point the way--?"
"OH!" Cheengwun gave a winning smile and slapped a hand to his head; she blinked again. The gesture didn't look like anything the staid and serious Niskigwun would engage in. "I can fly you there!" he offered.
Charmian peered at him uncertainly; he wasn't quite as tall as Niskigwun, and she could tell that Niskigwun himself was tall for a Michinimakinong; she'd been surprised that he could even carry her weight. "Well...I don't want to slow you down or anything," she said at last, unsure of how to delicately put it.
Cheengwun just turned around and popped his wings loose of their case; Charmian felt a pang on seeing them, remembering her last sight of Niskigwun. "Don't worry! There is a reason why they named me Cheengwun!"
"What's it mean?" Charmian asked, as she took a step forward and tentatively put her hands over his shoulders.
Cheengwun just gave her that smile again. "Meteor!" And just like that, they were zooming up into the air, and she dug her fingers into his shoulders with her eyes popping and her lips peeling back from her face. It felt like the hair would tear itself from her head, or her clothes would go flying off, or something else equally embarrassing; she managed to force her head to the side so that she could at least see and breathe, and blinked tears from her eyes to see Cheengwun's wings beating faster than those of a hummingbird. She also spotted the ground zooming by below, and practically felt her face go green. She decided that she would never take walking for granted again.
Soon enough, the edge of the great meadow appeared, and she lifted her head a fraction to see the Sky Tree coming into view. Cheengwun began to descend, and she felt a bit of relief, then cut off a scream when he didn't slow down as he aimed at it. She ended up squinching her eyes shut and pressing her head between his shoulderblades when the blue branches zoomed up at them, then she heard and felt leaves rustling on all sides, and whimpered, fearing the feeling of one of the branches tearing into her at any minute. That didn't happen, though, and another moment later they halted abruptly, and she felt her feet touch something solid. Her eyes popped open as Cheengwun leaned back to deposit her on one of the wide main branches, and she promptly crumpled into a quivering pile, now digging her fingers into the bark and chattering.
Cheengwun brushed at his feathers and grinned. "There! As quickly as anything! Now you may speak with the Sky Mother!"
Charmian had to force herself to get up, which was difficult, considering that she'd never considered gravity a greater friend than she did now; still, she stood, still wobbling, and smoothed at her clothes a bit, swallowing and trying not to throw up. "Y...yeah...th-thanks," she said in a thin voice.
Cheengwun bobbed his head and gestured at the nearest entryway; she started walking toward it, if walking was the right word for very stiffly and gingerly moving her legs along. Just as she reached the trunk Cheengwun called out, "Niskigwun! You said he fought well--? Will he be coming through soon?"
Charmian halted, wincing. She peered over her shoulder; Cheengwun still smiled at her, looking hopeful. Her heart sank down toward her feet again; she bit the inside of her mouth and tried to lie, but the words wouldn't come.
"I'll just be a few minutes," she murmured, and turned to enter the trunk, though not in time to miss the way that his smile faded and a slightly perplexed look entered his eyes.
Her feet felt like lead as she trudged along the corridor.
He didn't tell me he had a family, she thought again, sighing miserably and avoiding the stares of any of the other Michinimakinong she passed. He never said anything. I never even knew! She sighed again and her shoulders slumped. I know barely anything about him at all, she thought with some surprise, and slowed to a stop, biting her lip pensively.
I was surprised to learn about 'Bozho and Turtle...and Francois's family...and Moon Wolf's vision and Singing Cedars's too...how well do I know any of them...?
She shook her head, bit her lip harder, and pressed on. There would be time to get to know people better later.
She at last recognized the hallway leading to the great room, and drew close to the doorway, slowing down again just outside it as if expecting the entry to malfunction; but it opened up the same as always, and she tentatively stepped inside. She nearly missed Geezhigo-Quae at first, as the manitou woman wasn't standing on her balcony for once; she saw something move, and turned her head to see her standing near one of the cabochons set in the wall. She blinked, then lowered her hands from where they'd been touching the crystal, and its glow faded; she turned and came walking Charmian's way, surprise on her face.
"Charmian...?" Charmian started walking toward her and she stopped. "How did you come here?"
"You didn't see...?" Charmian asked, looking at the cabochon with a small frown.
Geezhigo-Quae shook her head. "Sometimes I see...and sometimes not. I rather had the feeling that he was obscuring my view, at times." Now she frowned. "Are all of you returned, then? How did you come if not through the Tree...?"
"We dug a tunnel," Charmian said; then, "Long story." She shuffled her feet. "I came to talk to you about Megissogwun--and about the Red Swan," she added, deciding to just lay all her cards on the table. She felt that resolve waver just a bit, however, when Geezhigo-Quae furrowed her brow at the name.
"Red Swan...?" When Charmian nodded the old woman just looked even more perplexed. "I do not know this name."
"You--you don't?" Charmian blurted out, stunned. When the manitou shook her head, she held out her hands and started sputtering. "But--I figured you HAD to know her! Megissogwun went after her first, before you!"
"There was another manitou he sought out--?" Geezhigo-Quae asked, sounding genuinely surprised.
Charmian nodded vehemently. "I figured it had to have something to do with what's going on now--because he talks like he KNOWS you! REALLY knows you!" When that resulted in an even stranger look she started rattling it off nonstop. "Even Niskigwun thinks so--he talked like he knew you more than he should--and you've never heard of the Red Swan?--how come you don't know?--Megissogwun went after her a long time ago, and caught her, but she got away or something and now she's trapped by Mishosha--she hides in a cave--she's really powerful, and spins dreams--she's dressed all in red, and Cutfoot said that Megissogwun made a really bad mistake going after her because of her power, even though she was just a little girl, but nobody's heard of her since because she's been TRAPPED, and then he went after you..."
At the words dressed all in red, Charmian noticed a subtle change start to come over Geezhigo-Quae's face; her skin started to pale, and the blueness of her eyes increased, though the glow that arose in them was dull and pallid somehow. Even her wings started sinking, and Charmian trailed off when she saw how awful she now looked, as if she were ready to be rushed to an emergency room somewhere. Charmian blinked and took a step forward.
"Geezhigo-Quae?" she asked, growing alarmed. "What is it!"
"Where did you get this name Red Swan?" Geezhigo-Quae nearly cried, and Charmian flinched, unused to the sharp tone of her voice. She started fiddling her fingers, feeling beyond uneasy by now, but forced herself to respond anyway.
"She--she told me herself," she said.
"You have spoken with her--?"
Charmian blinked. If she hadn't known any better, she'd have thought that that was disbelief she heard. "Of course! Lots of times! I figured she had something maybe to do with why Megissogwun went after you, and the Island, and everything--maybe he attacked you because she got away from him? Maybe this is his entire point--trying to kidnap powerful manitous. First he went after her, then you...now Manabozho and Turtle...who next?"
Even as she spoke, Geezhigo-Quae was already shaking her head. "This is not possible," she said adamantly, making Charmian fall silent again. "You could not have spoken with her, and she could not be trapped in a cave somewhere!"
"Why--why not?" Charmian protested, growing ever more confused. She clenched her fists. "I SPOKE with her myself! You think I'm lying now--? I saw her with my own eyes--so did Winter Born!"
Another shake. The strange fearful glow didn't leave Geezhigo-Quae's eyes as she said, "It is not that I do not believe you--it is just that it is impossible. Megissogwun did not go after some other manitou child long ago. He did not kidnap another one."
Charmian's brow furrowed. "But--how do you know?"
The Sky Mother's wings quivered as if with cold. "Because I was the child he kidnapped so long ago."
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