Chapter 7: Questions……

Maheegun woke up. His nose stung and his mouth tasted of blood. He didn't know where he was and felt scared. He tried lifting his arms but failed, as they were tied behind his back and to a post. His belongings were taken from him, his jerkin, knife, medicine pouch, pack, water, food. But he still wore the fire shard on a lace around his neck. He tried to sit up and look around but couldn't, the pain in his ribs were excruciating, and he yelped.

' You should be still…..', a voice said. Maheegun refused and turned his head towards the voice. It was a girl his age. ' What are you doing here?', she asked.

'Passing through.', Maheegun groaned. 'What are you doing?'

'What does it look like I'm doing, eh?', she kept on cleaning his cuts and wounds, and stared at the fire shard hanging around his neck. ' What is that anyway?', she nodded towards the shard.

' A stone.' He didn't want anyone to know about the Brethren. She reached for the shard, 'Careful!', Maheegun warned her.

'Ouch!', she recoiled. The shard had burned her, as it does to whoever touches it , except, the members of the Brethren. ' Who are you?', she really wanted to know.

' I'll tell you my name if you tell me yours first.', Maheegun stated. The girl was amazed at the strength he had to keep up.

' Oh yeah…tricked by a little boy', she said sarcastically.

' Hey I'm no little boy! I'm nearly seventeen summers old, I'm guessing the same age as you!!', he exclaimed, he was offended.

A voice was calling from the other side of the camp. 'Rika! Come! I'll take care of the outsider.

' Looks like I've gotten information on you..', she said smiling and walking away.

' Same here!', Maheegun croaked. ' Rika!', she turned around looking at him, '…see you round, eh?'. Rika turned back around and ran towards the festivities. His eyes followed her path. When she was gone, he turned back around and smiled. 'Rika', he said.

' I think she like you, you know.', said a voice. Maheegun turned back around and saw the salmon lady from his shelter. ' Do you like her?'

'She is a bit…well..', he paused and tried to find the right word. '…yeah.', he admitted.

' Let's get you dressed up, then.', she helped him get his jerkin on, while singing:

'When the breeze from the mountains,

blows in the valleys,

come the elk and the moose at the waters edge.'

'My mother used to sing me that song when I was younger', Maheegun said

'Really?', she was amazed, she thought only her family knew that song. 'What did she sing after that?'

'Um.. I can't sing, but she said:

Come the elk and the moose,

and the auroch.

Come the hunters in the night.

Come the grouse and the deer that feed us,

and to the owls at night take flight.

Wolf child, be kind, be warm and strong and but fierce.

Become our hero, and our chief,

a gift from the spirits you were.

Be a great hunter, tracker, archer,

be a great hero, our young chief.', Maheegun tried his best to sing, but failed and ended up just repeating the words.

' Who was your mother?', the woman asked. She was listening intently.

'I don't remember. She left when I was very young.', Maheegun was bringing back old memories. '…and then my father died……..'. The woman cut in.

'He did?? I mean…carry on!', she was hiding something. Maheegun looked at her, examining every detail of her face.

'…..and he said she was lynx clan. But I think she could be anywhere. I don't know if she is still alive.', he continued.

'My mother used to sing me that song too. Except without the third bit……', she sighed, ' ….I am sure your mother did what she did to protect you.'. She finished helping him and her mood suddenly changed. ' There. Do you feel any better? Come join the festivities. I am sure if Rika is there, she will save you a dance!', she then laughed at Maheegun.

' Oh no! Please! No!', she grabbed him by the arm and pulled, he yelped. He was in pain, and could barely move a muscle, how was he going to dance!