Wood Run
BLACK ELK HORN stumbled as he clambered up the snowy slope of the East Bluff, in the last direction where he'd seen the spy before he'd disappeared. He gritted his teeth the entire way, his eyes burning; he didn't even feel it when he slipped and slammed his arm against a rock, before shaking the sting away and continuing his climb.
I should have known it! That that STUPID girl wouldn't keep her eye on him! I do not care how the manitous listen to her--this is the last time I ever listen to a mainlander...!
He glanced briefly at the others climbing up the slope along with him, before turning his attention back to the top of the bluff. It seemed so far away, but he couldn't turn back now. He reached up to grasp onto a sapling when a strange noise filled the air--a crunching, tinkling sound, like breaking ice--and his head shot up when something bright flickered above. Everyone else lifted their heads as well.
What looked to be an impossibly tiny shooting star soared out overhead, beyond his range of sight; he blinked in surprise, when seemingly a hundred more joined it, tiny bolts of light zooming through the air, leaving glittering trails behind them as they soared out over the lake. Black Elk Horn nearly lost his balance, the sight startled him so much; he grabbed onto the sapling and managed to keep himself from falling down to the shore, and one of his companions grabbed onto his wrist and pulled him back up. He swept snow from himself and stared shakily up at the sky but whatever it was was now gone. He didn't dare look back, lest he lose his balance again; climbing had never been his strong suit.
"Wh...what was that...?" one of the men asked.
Black Elk Horn continued staring skyward, then ground his teeth again and turned back to the slope. "I do not care what it was!" he snapped. "Keep climbing!"
The others peered at each other uneasily, but obeyed, turning and grabbing onto the roots and rocks and making their way ever higher. The strange glittering lights had bothered him as well, but there were bigger things to worry about right now. Like where that spy had gone, and what he was doing. He pulled himself over an outcropping and clenched his teeth together so hard that they hurt, yet he didn't care.
Once I find him...I will KILL him myself! And that stupid mainlander will NOT stop me this time!
The canoes' progress had slowed considerably, closing in on the great shattering sheets of ice which lay before them. They slowed to a stop out in the middle of the water and their owners stared at the massive hunks and shards, frowning slightly.
"He was not lying," someone murmured. "This place is accursed."
The man in the lead canoe glanced at the ice sheets and scowled slightly. "It's only ice. Hardly a reason to keep away, if there are such treasures upon this Island as they say!"
"Treasures--and monsters!" someone else cried. "You heard what Singing Cedars said of this place! There are medicine men and great wolf creatures and all sorts of hideous things--"
The leader turned his head and hissed at him, making him fall silent. "Singing Cedars has always been a coward!" he snarled. "You wonder why he even took this job--? To make up for all his failures in the past! Not that it's helping him much!" He jerked his hand forward at the ice. "We go as far as we can. If by the time we reach the ice we do not see anything, then we may head back, and leave HIM behind! There is hardly any use for him in the tribe anyway!"
The rest of the men muttered sullenly but picked up their paddles again, putting them in the water. After merely a stroke or two someone gasped and reached out to grab onto the leader's arm, nearly tipping his canoe.
"Look!" he exclaimed before he could be struck, and pointed urgently at the Island looming out of the ice ahead. Everyone turned and squinted their eyes.
A long ridge of a bluff ran along the east side of the Island, which they were now facing. The entire Island was coated in snow, yet somehow from the thick cover of the trees, they could see a very faint flickering. The leader dug in his canoe and pulled out a spyglass, putting it to his eye and aiming it at the moving figure. He caught sight of white and red, a piece of cloth flickering in the breeze.
"It's him!" he stated, and put down the spyglass, his jaw setting. He jerked his hand again, and put his paddle to the water; everyone else followed suit, and skimmed quickly toward the ice. Its pinnacles and blocks grew ever closer, but they determined to paddle as quickly as they could until they should reach it; and only then would they pause to figure out what to do.
After several moments another cry went up, and they glanced upwards. Their eyes grew round at what they now saw; tiny streaks of light shot across the sky, coming from the Island and headed out toward them. They stared in awe at the strange sight, and a few of them started to fidget nervously.
"What is that--?" somebody whimpered.
"A sign! A bad sign!" somebody else cried. "Singing Cedars was right! This Island is telling us to go away!"
"We have to leave!"
"If we set foot on it, it'll never let us return!"
"No!" the leader barked, and they all fell silent, staring at him in confusion. He watched the little shards of light as they gracefully approached, arcing through the sapphire blue. His eyes were mesmerized.
"It is a sign," he murmured, the little lights growing closer. "But a good sign...this Island is welcoming us!"
"Welcoming...?" They all looked at each other, then back at him, their faces disbelieving. He pushed his canoe forward through the waves a few strokes before halting and watching the little bits of light begin to descend around them, sweeping down toward the water. A few of them struck its dark surface and vanished from sight; everyone looked at them, a few gasping and jerking away, a few leaning closer in wonder.
Their leader set his eyes on one tiny light heading straight for him, and his eyes grew. It was so beautiful! And...it was coming right at him! Without thinking, he spread out his arms to welcome it--surely it was some sort of friendly spirit--and before he could even react, the tiny light struck him in the chest. He jerked, but it wasn't even painful; he blinked and put his hands to his chest, but the light simply faded away. His brow furrowed and disappointment began to settle over him...when it glowed again, and he could see it embedded deep within him. He gasped.
Around him, more of the little lights began striking his men, some of them flinching, some of them gasping and trying to bat them away, still others merely watching with curiosity.
"What...what are they...?" somebody murmured in confusion.
"Friendly spirits," the leader whispered, as the glow in his chest faded away. He stared at it a moment longer before picking up his paddle. As soon as he did, the great hunks and sheets of ice ahead of him slowly parted, and revealed a clear path of water to the Island.
Everyone stared at this in silence. At last their leader turned to look back at them and his eyes lit up with glee.
"What did I tell you? It welcomes us!" And he put his oar to the water and started paddling forward at an unnatural speed, his mouth twisting up in an awful grin and a cackling laugh escaping him. A moment later the rest of the men followed, their own eyes likewise lighting up with a strange yellow light, as they made their way unhindered to the east shore.
Charmian, Moon Wolf, Niskigwun, and Singing Cedars stood in a bewildered jumble on the East Bluff, staring out toward Lake Huron. Niskigwun had landed on his hands and knees and he stared over the water in open disbelief. Charmian and Moon Wolf peered at him uncertainly, before Charmian took a step toward him, her voice tentative.
"Niskigwun...?"
Moon Wolf's brow furrowed. "That was..."
"The spirit stone," Niskigwun said in a broken voice. His wings trembled--Charmian had to assume that they had returned when Justin had healed him--then she gasped and jumped back when he started slamming his fists into the snow, like a toddler throwing a fit. "The SPIRIT STONE! The one I was supposed to take back to Geezhigo-Quae and DESTROY!"
Charmian winced at the awful sound of his voice and hurried to stand beside him, trying to take hold of his arm without getting hit; she was surprised to see tears streaming from his eyes, though he seemed more furious than anything, baring his teeth and pummeling the snow as if it were an unfortunate pillow. "Niskigwun--" She had to take a step back to avoid injury, as he didn't seem to notice her. "Can you be sure that was it--? I mean--why did it explode like that? Maybe it's destroyed already--?"
"No, it ISN'T!" the Michinimakinong snapped. "It can only be destroyed through FIRE! Fire MUCH hotter than anything even YOU can produce!" he snarled at Moon Wolf, who also flinched and took a step back. "If it has split, that now means there are MANY spirit stones to deal with! It could possess DOZENS of people!"
Charmian's brow furrowed. "Dozens? But--who is there left? It already got Augwak, and Chepi, and Thomas--who else is there that Chakenapok can try--?"
Niskigwun swept a hand savagely across his eyes, gasping for breath. "He can try anyone. Any person he likes! He could have even gotten me if he'd wished!"
"But--he didn't get you," Charmian protested. "So what is he doing now--?" She glanced at Moon Wolf. "Moon Wolf--? Do you have any..." She paused and trailed off, seeing the look on his face; she started chewing on her lip. "What is it?" she asked, her anxiety growing.
"The way the stone split," Moon Wolf murmured. "He would only compromise it this way if he did intend on it possessing more than one person...true?"
"I already said this," Niskigwun grated weakly.
"What're you thinking, Moon Wolf?" Charmian asked.
Moon Wolf lifted his head and stared in the direction of the lake again. "They all disappeared into the east," he said. "Why would he have them all go east? Away from the Island? What's out there--?"
Both Charmian and Singing Cedars drew in a breath at the same time. Before she could speak, the Iroquois was dashing toward the bluff as fast as his legs could carry him. Charmian blinked, then gawked. "HEY--!" She bolted after him, but Moon Wolf grabbed onto her arm and pulled her back.
"He's going to get away again!" Charmian cried. "Black Elk Horn will KILL me if I let him go!!"
"He'll come back," Moon Wolf said, dragging her back from the bluff.
Charmian cast him a confused look. "How can you know that--?" She blinked again, then looked in the direction Singing Cedars had gone in. After a moment her face went white.
Niskigwun stared at them. "What? What is it?"
Moon Wolf let go of Charmian's arms and she rubbed them. "Chakenapok's next targets," she murmured. "I think we just figured out who they are."
Niskigwun's brow furrowed. "More windlings--? That many of them?"
Charmian shook her head. "No...not windlings. But plenty of them!" She cast Moon Wolf a look. "I think I should at least be nearby when he comes back!" she said, and he didn't protest when she turned and jogged away into the trees.
Niskigwun's confused look only grew. "Comes back?" he exclaimed, and looked at the medicine man as well. "What does she mean, comes back? Why would he?"
"He's gone to greet his friends," Moon Wolf said.
"And this is a reason for him to come back?"
Moon Wolf paused, then met his eyes. He lifted one shoulder.
"As soon as he meets them...I would say yes."
Singing Cedars stumbled to the edge of the bluff once more, gasping for breath and leaning against a tree; he winced and pressed a hand to his wound, and his fingers came back sticky. It barely bothered him now, though. One glance down showed him numerous shapes making their way up through the drifts; in the lead, those men of the enemy chief, and down on the shore, canoes pulling up with his own people getting out of them. His face lit up.
They saw me!
Unable to stop himself from laughing gleefully, he waved his arms and let out a whoop. The heads of those nearest him popped up immediately and he recognized the enemy chief as soon as they set eyes on each other. He looked stunned for a moment, then he bared his teeth and started scrambling up the slope even faster. Singing Cedars just grinned at him and held his place. At the rate at which his own men were starting to climb up the bluff, he doubted that he would be in much danger even if the chief did manage to reach him.
Feeling emboldened, he even stooped and waved at him as he climbed--"What's wrong, is your knife weighing you down?"--and started laughing. Black Elk Horn's face turned furious and he nearly slipped, but reached back to yank his knife free just the same.
"You wish to find out?" he snapped, just as an arrow struck the slope right beside his arm, slicing through the snow with a dull plunk.
Black Elk Horn blinked at the arrow, then glanced over his shoulder. Singing Cedars couldn't see his face but he could tell what it must look like, since everyone else climbing the bluff got the same look at once. He laughed again when they had to duck their heads to try to avoid a barrage of arrows fired by the others still lower on the bluff. Singing Cedars watched his fellows lift their bows and aim them upward, letting the arrows fly; soon the woods were filled with the whizzing noises of them zipping by, and they just nearly missed a few of the men, who started trying to scramble for safety. Black Elk Horn clamped his knife between his teeth and clambered up the slope toward Singing Cedars.
Singing Cedars put his hands on his hips and snorted at him. "What do you think you will do if you reach me--? Cut off one hair? That's all the time they'll give you! You can have a hundred arrows in your back before you--"
Thwap! He cut himself off with a gasp when an arrow lodged itself in the tree just beside him, much higher than even Black Elk Horn's head. He glanced at it, his face going pale, and heard Black Elk Horn snort in response.
"What's wrong?" he challenged, his voice muffled by the knife. "You've been here so long they do not recognize you?"
Singing Cedars glared at him. "You are the one they will not recognize, once I take that knife from your teeth!" He took a step back, crouching and readying himself to try to wrest it from the chief's hands before he could tackle him, but at that moment two or three more arrows flew past his head and he cringed and ducked.
"HEY!" he yelled, a note of panic entering his voice when more of the projectiles flew over him. "They're right in front of you! Don't shoot ME!"
He saw Black Elk Horn open his mouth to say something, only to gasp when an arrow sliced at his sleeve. A second later he was pulling himself over the edge of the bluff and running forward, and Singing Cedars was running away, yet they barely even glanced at each other. The rest of Black Elk Horn's men scattered, some ascending the bluff and others trying to climb off through the trees and snow; the new arrivals climbed up much faster than they had, some of them leaping atop the bluff already, brandishing their bows and knives and grinning as they came running through the snow. Their feet flew through it as if made of fire.
Singing Cedars shouted over his shoulder, his voice going shrill with fright. "Shoot THEM! Not ME!"
One of the men let out a cackling noise and lifted a tomahawk in the air, whirling it in his hand and then letting it fly. It sailed past Black Elk Horn and straight at Singing Cedars, who let out a cry and fell in the snow. The weapon thunked into a tree; he opened his eyes and saw Black Elk Horn run past him, then pushed himself up with a wince and staggered after him.
What are they doing! Don't they remember who I am--?
He recognized the leader of them, dashing straight at him now, and whirled around and put his hands up into the air. "Wait--!" he yelled, hoping frantically that one of them would recognize him--had they come here to attack him, after all?--and he did see recognition in the other man's eyes, but that didn't stop him from grinning and lifting his knife. Singing Cedars balked and spun around. He had enough time to run several steps before the knife flew past his head, slicing into his ear. He let out a startled yelp and grabbed at it, losing his balance and tumbling into a hollow. The woods all around him filled with the sounds of running and shouting, arrows and knives flying; he put his arms over his head and froze that way, not knowing what else to do.
They've gone crazy! They'll kill anything--!
He heard a scuffling noise, and lifted his head to see one of his own tribemates halting at the edge of the hollow. He gave the exact same grin that his leader had, and Singing Cedars's heart missed a beat when he saw his eyes flash yellow.
What they were speaking of--the medicine man and that girl! Those glowing things--just like those Wolves! They did something to them--!
His tribemate lifted his knife and gave the eeriest laugh Singing Cedars had ever heard. He leapt into the air and landed just a foot or two from him; Singing Cedars yelped and scrambled backwards, slipping and sinking in the snow. His fingers went numb in the cold and he chattered, but not from the chill; those yellow eyes fixed right on his and his former comrade showed all of his teeth, which looked about ready to turn into fangs.
"FIRE!"
The other man's head popped up and he blinked, then let out a shriek; Singing Cedars ducked when a plume of flame roared over his head. He glanced up just in time to see the red-haired girl jump down beside him--he nearly jumped back from her in fright--and grab hold of his arm. He let out a yell of pain but she simply hauled him up the side of the hollow.
"Come on, stupid!" she snapped. "I tried TELLING you you'd be better off with me--!"
Singing Cedars bared his teeth and yanked his arm free with a hiss. An arrow thunked into the tree beside him, and he didn't protest again when she grabbed onto him a second time, pulling him forward.
"Are you going to come on or do you WANT to be a human porcupine?!" she yelled.
Singing Cedars glanced over his shoulder, teeth still chattering, his shoulder throbbing. All throughout the woods, he could see shadowy forms, the men of the chief trying to fight back, but mostly running for their lives--his own men hurling every weapon they had at them, and at anything else as well, cackling and grinning the entire way. His heart thudded hard in his chest.
"They..." he managed to get out.
"They're not themselves!" Charmian shouted. "DUH! What kind of spy are you? Don't you get it? This isn't some NORMAL island, you know!"
Singing Cedars pulled his arm free again, but didn't slacken his pace. As long as he was with her, at least he stood a chance of surviving, for now. "What did you do to them?" he demanded.
She glared at him over her shoulder. "I didn't do ANYTHING! It was that SPIRIT STONE that did it all! If you want to blame somebody for this--blame Chakenapok!"
His brow furrowed. "Cha--Chakena--"
"Chak--" She ducked, and he followed suit, several arrows flying overhead. She popped back up and shook her fists. "YOU GUYS ARE SO DEAD ONCE THIS IS THROUGH!!" she screamed, then continued running.
"What sort of place is this?" Singing Cedars cried, putting his good arm over his head. "Giant Wolves! People who throw fire! Glowing--stone things! This place is cursed! How anyone can live here--can even think of living here--I do NOT understand!!"
"Want to try telling THEM that?" she retorted, and nodded back at the others still running behind them. "Because maybe if they were as freaked out as you are, we wouldn't have to BE running like this!"
"Charmian!" a voice called, and their heads whirled to face the direction of the sound. A moment later Niskigwun and Moon Wolf appeared, jogging toward them; Charmian let out a whimpering noise and nearly collapsed as soon as they reached each other, and Moon Wolf grabbed hold of her arm.
"I think...my lungs...are going to implode!!" she wheezed.
"A cave," Niskigwun panted. "There is one not far from here! They will not think to find us there!"
Charmian nodded with relief. They started forward, but Singing Cedars hung back reluctantly and watched them go without him. He looked back into the woods, at the shadowy figures running about, and chewed on his lip. Part of him wanted to hide--part of him wanted to help his men, no matter what they were doing. Mostly he just wanted out of there!
One of the shadowy figures detached itself from the rest, coming toward him. He paused and squinted, then gawked and turned around to run again. His foot sank in the snow and that was as far as he got before Black Elk Horn's fist slammed into the back of his neck, toppling him instantly. He landed hard with a grimace of pain. The three ahead of him came to a staggering halt and glanced back with wide eyes. He managed to lift his head, and through blurry eyes saw the girl blink, then come running back.
He furrowed his brow. What is she doing...?
"HEY!" she yelled, and he saw the furious look on her face as she drew closer. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!"
That's right...he'd been knocked down. Singing Cedars shook the haze from his head and pushed himself up, just in time for Black Elk Horn's foot to meet the side of his head, knocking him sideways. He flinched at the bolt of pain which lanced through his head, then saw the girl launch herself at the chief--"KNOCK IT OFF!"--then Black Elk Horn bared his teeth, and swung his hand through the air, backhanding her so hard that she fell backwards into the snow with a pained noise. Singing Cedars blinked this time; the chief came running at him again, when the medicine man appeared, slamming his fist into Black Elk Horn's face. That halted him immediately, and he paused just a second before tottering and falling to the ground. Niskigwun came jogging up now, and stooped down beside Charmian, who was pushing herself up weakly and rubbing at her swollen cheek.
"Are you all right...?" he asked, and she started climbing to her feet, wincing.
"Yeah...I'm fine..." She glanced at Black Elk Horn, then at Moon Wolf, then at Singing Cedars, then back into the woods. The shadowy shapes were converging and getting closer. Singing Cedars stared at them and then gasped when he felt her pulling on his arm. She couldn't pull him up; Niskigwun made a face, and yanked on his arm so hard that he bit off a cry, staggering to his feet.
"The cave," Charmian said. "You said there was a cave--?"
Niskigwun nodded, Singing Cedars having to lean on him. "Set into a rise. Eagle Point Cave. It's shielded from the shore--they will not find us there."
Moon Wolf stepped up beside them, bent forward from Black Elk Horn's weight; the other native was slumped over his back, unconscious. "They're coming closer," he said. "We should go now."
Niskigwun nodded. "This way." He turned to the side and went that way, the others following. Singing Cedars couldn't keep himself from glancing at them as they went, the winged man scowling, the medicine man laboring under Black Elk Horn's weight, the girl rubbing at her cheek with a pained look. If he were any one of them, he probably would have killed someone by now.
They walked until they came to a tall limestone wall rising from the earth, its top encrusted with trees and snow; Niskigwun pointed, and they all looked up to see a small opening in the rock high above. "We have to climb," he said, and they commenced doing so, stumbling and clambering up the steep slope, not speaking lest they lose their concentration. Charmian tried to help Moon Wolf with Black Elk Horn, though there was little that she could do. Niskigwun and Singing Cedars reached it first, and Singing Cedars climbed inside while the Michinimakinong stayed at the edge to first help in Charmian, then Moon Wolf, grasping hold of Black Elk Horn by one arm and helping to push-pull him inside. The others huddled inside the small space, shivering with cold; Niskigwun climbed in and turned around, squatting in front of the entrance and peering out. They sat in silence for what seemed to be ages, though it couldn't have been more than ten or fifteen minutes; the faint whooping, crashing noises in the woods began to fade even more, until all that they could hear was a faint moan of wind, and the far-off cracking of the ice. Still they waited, their breath fogging the cave.
"Are they gone?" Charmian whispered after another several moments had passed by.
Niskigwun craned his neck toward the cave opening. "I do not know." His ears flared and he frowned. "They seem to have moved on, but I cannot tell for certain."
"Where would they be going to? What are they even up to?" Charmian's face twisted. "Augwak and Chepi maybe, that made sense, and Thomas too, I guess, but this is just getting STUPID! How many times can he pull out the same tired old trick...?"
Singing Cedars's own ear twitched when he heard a faint shifting noise behind him. He peered back over his shoulder while Niskigwun, Charmian, and Moon Wolf peered out of the cave. Black Elk Horn had been deposited against the back cave wall, where he lay on his side; he winced and shifted a little, letting out a pained murmur. Singing Cedars stared at him for a moment, then his eyes shifted to Black Elk Horn's waist. His knife was stuck in his belt again, its handle within easy reach should he just put out his hand and take it. His eyes darkened and he stared at it as if that alone would be enough to pull it free.
"His motives do not have to make sense," Niskigwun said. "He makes little enough sense as it is! Perhaps when the old woman killed him, it did something to his head!"
"He DOES make sense," Charmian protested. "It's just that I haven't figured out what it is yet!"
They continued whispering back and forth, argumentative and distracted; after a moment the medicine man joined right in. Singing Cedars glanced at them and then back at the unconscious chief. His fingers twitched indecisively, but when Black Elk Horn grimaced again, and moved his hand to rub at his head, he made up his mind.
The three in the cave entrance didn't even notice as the Iroquois reached out his arm and snatched the knife from Black Elk Horn's belt, grasping it tight and lifting it into the air.
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