Читать книгу Christopher Dinsdale's Historical Adventures 4-Book Bundle - Christopher Dinsdale - Страница 11

Jesse suppressed his human thoughts and allowed his deer instincts to take control of his mind. His ears flickered, seeking out the smallest noises in the forest. He had read that the Iroquois were exceptionally skilled warriors who could move through the forests like ghosts. He wondered whether even he could hear an approaching enemy warrior before it was too late. But he had to try. The thought of his Wendat friends falling into the hands of the enemy was simply too frightening to contemplate.

Several times he heard the faint snap of a twig or the gentle rustle of leaves, noises that his instincts told him were possible sounds of danger. Each time he investigated, he discovered the sounds were the result of a fellow forest creature. Once it had been a distant female deer tearing green leaves from a bush with her teeth. Another time, it had been a chipmunk burying several nuts in the rocky soil for the upcoming winter. Jesse was exhausted. His run to Taenhatenaron had drained him physically. Now, his need to be on the highest alert for danger was wearing him down mentally. Several times he caught himself daydreaming about Taenhatenaron and Ste. Marie. Could a warning possibly help save the village and colony? Was Asitari going to stay at Taenhatenaron and help fight to the death against the Iroquois? Or could Asitari stay alive and somehow return to his wandering village? Jesse tried his best to fight off such thoughts, instead refocusing his mind on listening for danger.

Jesse noticed that he had been climbing uphill for quite a while. A gentle mountain had lifted the travellers above the surrounding forest canopy, and for the first time in days, Jesse saw huge expanses of grey-covered sky. To his left was an ever-steepening cliff that looked back in the direction from which they came. Below them, a quilt of endless green stretched out to the blue horizon of a large, distant lake. The view from the cliff of the unspoiled forest was breathtaking.

A distant explosion echoed from the valley. Jesse stopped and stared, searching out the cause of the unnatural noise. His eyes soon found what he was hoping he would never see. A tiny pillar of smoke rose from the forest. Focusing on the smoke, he could make out the distant rectangular fortress walls of Ste. Marie near the shore of the great lake. One of the longhouses suddenly burst into orange flame. The fire quickly spread to other buildings. The column of smoke grew darker and thicker until the entire settlement disappeared behind the black veil of destruction. The message was clear. Taenhatenaron had fallen to the Iroquois, and the Jesuits were abandoning Ste. Marie. Jesse now knew that history was destined to repeat itself.

He didn't even notice Iondaee step next to him. A hand came to rest on his back. It was the first time Iondaee had touched him. He joined Jesse's gaze at the unspeakable sight. Jesse knew that with the smoke went the dreams, hopes and lives of Iondaee's people. The rest of the village soon gathered round in silence. Even the babies sensed the sadness and stopped crying. Tears fell. A light drizzle began to trickle down from the clouds above.

Finally, Iondaee turned to his people. “There is nothing left for us here. What has been our home for generations is no longer. The future of our village, our people, now rests with us.” He turned to Jesse. “Thank you, Spirit, for not allowing our entire nation to be destroyed or consumed by the Iroquois. We will do our best to carry on the memories and dreams of our brothers and sisters. My people, it is time to move on.”

Iondaee left Jesse's side and took the lead. Reluctantly, the villagers followed. Staying in Iroquois-controlled territory meant certain capture or death. Leaving the land they so loved was now the only way for them to survive as a nation.

Gratefully, they reached the top of the mountain and began the long descent into the next valley. Jesse trotted to catch up to Iondaee, then looked up at the grey sky. He hoped the light rain would end.

“It's getting dark,” commented Jesse.

“I know this area,” answered Iondaee, with quiet reserve. “We will make camp in the valley below. There is a good stream with plenty of fish. We will have to eat it raw, however. Smoke or light from a fire will bring trouble.”

Jesse was amazed by the outward calmness of his friend. Iondaee was now the chief out of circumstance. The future of his people now rested upon his shoulders. He could sense, however, that deep within, there was turmoil. Although inwardly grieving, Jesse knew that Iondaee would become the leader they so desperately needed.

The village people gratefully collapsed along the banks of the stream. Some washed themselves in the cool, clean water while others began to gather the berries and vegetables that would help feed the group of almost 150 people. Iondaee went to each and every person of the village, comforting them and praying with them for lost loved ones. He spent extra time with Asitari's wife, sharing with her stories of her husband and memories of their mutual childhood.

As the final light was leaving the forest, Jesse curled up to rest at the edge of the human herd. The young girl who had taken a shine to him sat silently at his side, occasionally patting his neck or offering him some grass, which he gently refused. His mind was drifting off to sleep, exhausted with the effort of the day.

Suddenly, his ears perked up. There was that sound again. The faintest of snaps. But the second was closer than the first. Another snap, this time coming from a different location. Something was not right.

“Iondaee!” Jesse called out, thankful that only he could hear his voice. “Come here, but quietly!”

Iondaee casually left the young mother and baby. He talked to people briefly as he gradually moved towards Jesse, acting almost as if Jesse had not said a word. At first, Jesse was annoyed that Iondaee did not run to his side. Then he realized what Iondaee was doing. He did not want whoever was in the woods to know that he was alerted to their presence. Jesse was impressed as Iondaee almost unnoticeably picked up his bow and quiver of arrows and hid them against his chest. He finally knelt down as closely as he could to Jesse while looking like he was conversing with the young girl, now fast asleep on the ground beside him.

“What do you see?” he asked.

“I don't see anything, it's getting too dark. But I think I hear something,” explained Jesse. “There is something approaching us from two different directions. One is along the path we took to get here. The other is upstream of the creek. What should we do?”

Iondaee thought for a moment. He then stroked the girl's hair as he told Jesse his plan.

Jesse waited for Iondaee to move back casually into the crowd of people. Once clear, Jesse carefully stood up, not wanting to wake the sleeping girl. He then trotted over to the creek and gracefully jumped it in a single bound. With quiet speed, Jesse circled around and behind where he thought the noise from the creek originated. He slowed his pace as he approached the brook, carefully pacing his steps away from twigs and branches, moving as silently as possible. Now only a few steps from the water, he froze. His brown fur was the perfect camouflage for the woody background. He was now invisible to all but the most observant eye. He had to wait only a minute until a slight movement caught his eye. In the shadow of a maple, a figure eased forward with ghostly silence. The shadow then drifted from one tree to the next, easing his way toward the unsuspecting villagers. There was no doubt of his intention. Even from this distance, he could see the bow drawn, the quiver on his back full of deadly ammunition. Iroquois.

Jesse stepped forward. On the bank of the creek was an egg-shaped boulder. He raised his hoof and brought it down hard on the rock. Clop! The warrior spun around. Jesse leaped away from the water and dashed into the woods. He waited for the searing pain of an arrow ripping into his chest, but it never came. Even though he was sure that the Iroquois warrior had an easy shot at him, he did not release the arrow. Iondaee was right. A warrior would not be distracted, even by easy prey. A warrior in battle wanted only one thing, victory.

Jesse bounded ahead for another minute and circled the village. He never once believed he was brave, and now here he was preparing for battle against the Iroquois. Iondaee told him that if it were only a scouting party, there should be no more than four warriors. With luck, they might be able to handle the situation. If it was a war party, then there could be possibly hundreds of warriors closing in around them. If that were the case, then the villagers would not stand a chance against such a huge force. Their lives depended on what Jesse saw next.

It seemed to take an eternity for Jesse to weave through the forest to the trail the villagers had followed. Knowing he was now behind the intruders, Jesse eased his way forward, stepping only on mud or grass to help hide his approach. His ears could pick up the chattering of Iondaee's people. He moved behind the trunk of a massive oak tree and surveyed the area. On first glance, it appeared he was alone, but a gnawing tingle in his stomach told him there was danger somewhere nearby.

There! Two shapes suddenly appeared and vanished along a line of tree trunks. They were invisible in the shadows of the leafy bushes that bordered the trail. Jesse couldn't even pick up their movements with his sensitive ears. He waited another minute. The two warriors separated and moved behind a clump of bushes. Jesse continued to look in all directions but he could detect no one else. Iondaee would have to somehow defeat three well-hidden and armed Iroquois. Jesse shouted as loudly as he could.

“There are three in total. One coming towards you by the creek and two others along the edges of the path.”

A burst of deep laughter from the camp was his signal. Iondaee had heard him. He was to follow the two on the path until Iondaee made his first move. Jesse was surprised to see fires suddenly light up within the camp-site. People muttered relief at the source of heat, having become damp from the earlier rain. Women and children gathered around the fires, the warmth lightening their spirits. The fires also helped Jesse focus upon the silhouettes of the two warriors ahead of him. They were scanning the group, quietly discussing the situation. Jesse could pick up faint bits and pieces of conversation. They were trying to decide if the group of Wendat women and children were completely defenceless. It seemed that they had not spotted Iondaee before coming upon the villagers.

Finally, it was decided that one would approach the people while the other remained hidden in the bushes. If they were truly defenceless, they would not put up a fight. The villagers would then be taken back to the Iroquois villages in the south. Jesse tensed at the thought of his friends being taken by force. He could not let it happen. Where was Iondaee?

The lead Iroquois warrior pulled out his large hunting knife and walked into the light. The other, still hiding behind a bush, aimed his bow, ready to shoot at the slightest sign of danger. The sight of the stranger brought screams of terror from the women and cries from the children.

“Who is your leader?” the warrior demanded, striding up to the frightened people.

There was a murmur from the crowd. Finally, an old woman, shawled and bent over, approached the warrior. Her legs trembled with each step.

“I am the elder of the village,” she offered. “What do you want with us? We mean you no harm.”

“I am Mindan, from the Iroquois nation. You and your people now belong to us. You will return with us to our village.”

Shrieks and wailing echoed throughout the crowd. The old lady stepped forward and shook her head. “We are not your property. We are Wendat. You have no say in our matters, and we do not wish to go with you to your village.”

The crowd hushed. The warrior's face reddened in anger. He could not believe the old woman had dared to challenge him. He roughly spun her around, grabbed her across the chest and placed his knife to her throat.

“This is what happens to anyone who dares to challenge my commands!” he shouted to the frightened crowd. “Shall I make an example of your foolish elder who…“

Before the warrior could finish his sentence, the air was knocked out of his lungs by a powerful elbow from the old woman. The woman's other hand lashed up over her shoulder and caught the warrior square on the forehead, causing him to stagger backwards. The shawl fell off her head. It was not an old woman, but Iondaee in disguise. He grabbed the stunned warrior, punched him in the lower back and sent him sprawling. A woman stepped forward, waiting for the warrior as he staggered towards her. From behind her back, she lifted a branch and crashed it down on top of his head, knocking him out cold. “That's for my husband.”

Jesse recognized her as Asitari's wife, Tutayac. But his attention quickly returned to the second warrior. Momentarily stunned by what he had just witnessed, the warrior regained his composure and rose to his feet. His bow took dead aim at Iondaee. Jesse leaped ahead. He could see the fingers about to release the bow string. He could only hope he would be in time. Jesse rammed the warrior like a freight train hitting a stubborn moose. The arrow, jarred off course by the impact, slammed into the trunk of a nearby tree. The warrior collapsed into a groaning heap.

Jesse tried to shake the stars from his own head. As his mind cleared, he quickly scanned the forest for other signs of movement, and then back to Iondaee. He was safe! Iondaee, now in a low, warrior stance with bow in hand, explored the perimeter of the camp, moving wolf-like through the bushes, checking for intruders. Jesse joined in the search. The two finally met near the bush that grew beside the moaning Iroquois warrior. Iondaee grinned in the flickering light.

“I think we did it.”

Jesse looked at him nervously, “What about the other Iroquois by the creek? He's still out there!”

“I used your tapping rock signal as a diversion. While he was looking at you, I was able to take him by surprise.” He nodded at Jesse's fallen warrior. “Let's take this one to the women, and then we can go fetch the third.”

Iondaee dragged the unconscious warrior back to the camp. It had been a long and draining day for everyone. The women were more determined than joyful at the knowledge that they had won the battle. Their temporary freedom was horribly tainted by their tremendous loss.

Strips of leather were found and the women went to work at tying up their captives. Iondaee approached his wife and Tutayac, who were binding up the first warrior's feet.

“Shecu, I need you to stay with our people and make sure that everyone remains calm. Tutayac, I need you to follow me and help me carry our third warrior back to camp.”

Shecu nodded as Tutayac straightened herself and left camp with Iondaee and the deer. Tutayac strode beside Iondaee with determination. Jesse could sense that her deep grief was now being transformed into anger. She seemed determined to make sure that her husband's death would not be in vain. Iondaee seemed to sense it too. He had chosen her to help him in order to strengthen her for the leadership role he knew she would now have to fulfill. Iondaee would have no choice but to allow women to become hunters and warriors. It would be at least five years before the oldest of the boys would be prepared for such duties. Survival by any means was now the key to their existence.

Jesse looked at Iondaee with admiration as they were enveloped by darkness. “Were you scared when you had a knife to your throat?”

“Scared?” echoed Iondaee. “No. I knew he would not kill me. There is no honour in the murder of a defenceless old woman. He was only doing what was necessary for him to gain control of my village. He would have let an old woman go, eventually.”

Jesse smiled. “Still, that was one of the bravest things I've ever seen. So what are you going to do with them now?”

“They will come with us until we reach the land of our brothers, the Algonkian. Then they can choose to either remain with us or return to their village.”

Jesse stopped, stunned. “Stay with you and your people? After they just tried to capture you?”

Iondaee smiled. “It is not as unlikely a choice as you may think. The Algonkian will certainly spread the story of how a band of women and children managed to capture three Iroquois warriors. The tale will spread quickly throughout all of the nations. The warriors will likely be too ashamed to return to their people. Also, remember that there are dozens of women in my village in need of husbands. And once we settle, we will require male elders. As a chief, I will guarantee our captives will be honoured and well-treated by my people if they choose to stay and live in our band.”

“Others may take one of these…men as a husband,” spat Tutayac, listening to the one-sided conversation, “but I'll never marry an Iroquois!”

“That is your decision to make,” answered Iondaee, his voice deepening with a chieftain's authority. “But I also expect you to welcome them and honour them if they do decide to join us.”

The three were well beyond camp when they came to the body of the unconscious warrior. He lay slumped over, leaning against a moss-covered boulder. Iondaee explained how he had surprised him by leaping on him from the top of the boulder as he passed by. Iondaee bent down and grabbed one arm. Tutayac moved to the other side of the body. Just as they were heaving the warrior off the ground, Jesse straightened.

“Iondaee!”

It was too late. The whistling sound was there for only a moment. Iondaee cried out in pain as he clutched his leg. An arrow was embedded in his flesh just above his knee. Iondaee dropped the body, sending Tutayac tumbling on top of the unconscious warrior. Jesse flung himself to the left, glancing at the nearby shadowy figure, now aiming his reloaded bow. Jesse knew that this time the warrior would not aim for Iondaee's legs. The bow twanged. The finger of death was on its way.

“No!”

Jesse leapt in front of Iondaee and felt a searing pain in his chest as the arrow went deep within him. His breath vanished, as did his legs. Jesse collapsed on the ground next to Iondaee. The Iroquois warrior, sensing victory, secured his bow and approached, removing his hunting knife from its sheath. Jesse and Iondaee, both stunned at the turn of events, stared at each other, now resigned to their fate. Tutayac, however, was not yet willing to give up. Her blood boiled with rage. She reached to Iondaee.

“Iondaee, give me your knife.”

“Tutayac, you can't…“

“Don't argue with me. I will avenge the death of Asitari. Give me the knife.”

Iondaee gave her his knife. Both he and Jesse looked on helplessly as she stepped over them and faced the fierce warrior, his face smirking at the sight of a woman ready to fight.

“So this is what's left of the mighty Wendat warriors? A woman?” he jeered. “I expected a little more from such a noble nation.”

“You will pay for what your people did to us,” Tutayac said, defiantly. She raised the knife, its tip waving at her attacker.

“We will see,” he said, lowering himself down to a crouch.

The warrior circled her, stopping and then slashing back and forth with his knife, forcing Tutayac to retreat. She jabbed several times at him, aiming for his midsection, but the warrior was simply too quick. He skillfully worked her back, toying with her until her feet tottered on the edge of the steep bank to the creek.

“I'm afraid this will be the end,” he growled. “You are brave, woman. I give you that. You will die with honour.”

He brought his knife up for the final stroke just as a large apparition flew past Tutayac's head. A creature slammed directly into the warrior's face, toppling him backward and onto the ground. After landing effortlessly on its four paws, the new attacker wheeled around and released the most terrifying growl Jesse had ever heard. It was a huge cougar. Far bigger than any cougar he had ever seen at the zoo, it had a beautiful golden coat with massive, silent paws. The animal released another bone-shivering growl, exposing its huge incisor teeth, perfect for ripping the flesh off the bones of its prey. The warrior, scrambling to his feet, realized that his bow had been damaged in the fall. A knife against such a beast would only anger him at best. This creature was on the hunt, and it was not to be stopped tonight. In his surprise at the sudden appearance of the cougar, the warrior had forgotten all about Tutayac.

It was almost as if she had not seen the cougar. Her thoughts were still completely focused on the shocked Iroquois warrior. She took advantage of the distraction and launched herself into a sprint. She expertly spun the knife around in her hand and struck the back of his head with the large wooden handle. His head jolted forward with the crack of the impact. Instantly, the warrior crumpled to the ground. Tutayac stood over the unconscious warrior, victorious. The cougar assessed the situation with glowing eyes, his hot breath clouding in the cool evening air, his deep purr almost hypnotizing.

“He wants dinner, Iondaee,” Jesse managed to whisper, each word bringing agony to his side. “Leave me. It's me he really wants. Take Tutayac back to the village…while you still have a chance.”

“I can't leave you,” countered Iondaee, eyeing the cougar.

“You must,” coughed Jesse. “I'm leaving now. I can feel it. Go back to your people.”

Iondaee looked down at his wounded leg. He grabbed hold of the arrow shaft, gritted his teeth and pulled. His face winced in pain, but the arrow came out cleanly. Blood began to trickle out from the wound.

“Tutayac,” he commanded. “Come to me, slowly.”

She did as she was told.

“Now give me the knife.”

She passed it to him.

“Can you stand?” asked Tutayac.

“I think so.”

With her help, he staggered to his feet. The cougar seemed to be focusing now on Jesse. Iondaee knew that Jesse was right. The cougar was defending his meal when he attacked the warrior. He wasn't interested in them if they would simply move away from his dinner. Iondaee leaned down to look into Jesse's eyes one last time.

“Thank you, my friend. I will never forget you.”

The woods were beginning to glow in an unnatural white light. Jesse could feel his body beginning to float. The pain was diminishing. He was going home.

“I will never forget you, either. Look after your people, Iondaee. Keep them safe.”

A gentle stroke on his cheek was the last thing that he remembered before he fell into an ocean of endless white.