Chapter Ten

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~ Roughly Five Months Earlier ~

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Winter had finally loosened its frozen grip on the landscape. The sun's warmth melted the piles of snow, exposing tender green shoots sprouting from the soil. Velvet buds had appeared on the tips of the previously bare tree branches.

Spring had arrived.

The people of the gorge left the safety of their huts and headed outside. Surviving six months of winter had been a trial. It was essential that they hunt game and gather edible plants to replenish their dwindling food supply. Also, repairs needed to be done to their homes, and broken household items needed to be replaced. Much work was in store in the days to come.

Everyone contributed in some way for the greater good of the community. Some, however, were encouraged to perform certain specialized tasks. One man sat cross-legged on the hard ground and struck a perfect flake from a hunk of rock. Ewar was known as the best toolmaker in the village, an accomplishment of which he held very little pride. He preferred taking a stone and forming it into something beautiful, something pleasing to both the heart and eyes. But no one needed any amulets or statues at the moment. What they needed were new spear tips, flint knives, stone hammers and axes.

It would be an unfulfilling day.

Aside from his apathy toward flint knapping, he was good at his job. His mind could wander without making a single mistake. This was a valuable skill - especially when distractions got in the way. One distraction sat next to him. He did not mind. Alie often kept him company while he was working. She looked up to Ewar like a brother, so much so, it was often forgotten that they were only cousins. Their mothers had once been the closest of sisters. Ewar's mother married the village leader. And Alie's mother, Ehmay, married the village healer. Ewar was born first. Alie came along approximately five years later. More children may have come to the extended family if it had not been for the terrible tragedy which was to beset them all.

The Sickness swept through the village without warning - coincidentally, right after another tribe had visited. Many villagers became infected and suffered greatly. They were plagued with painful skin rashes and high fevers. Ewar and his parents were among the sick.

He was only six when they died.

His aunt and uncle took in the orphan and nursed him back to health. It had been a close call. For a while they feared Ewar would join his parents in death. Following the tragedy, Ehmay and Arl chose to raise him as their own. Arl taught him everything a man should know and called him "Son". Ehmay mothered him while simultaneously keeping her sister's memory alive. Some in the village whispered that they spoiled the boy with affection; that he should be grateful he even had a home. No one had the courage to say that to Ehmay's face. She loved Ewar and was fiercely protective of him.

Due to his father's passing, it was Ewar's birthright to become the next village leader. He was much too young to inherit the title at only six, however. Arl agreed to fill the role until the boy came of age. Then came the day when Ewar had been on this earth for eighteen winters. It was time for him to assume the high ranking position. It was a surprise to all when he declined. In his opinion, Arl led the community well. Why change things when there was no need? After much negotiation, it was decided he would take over only when Arl no longer wanted the responsibility.

Ewar glanced up from his work to look at Alie. She was a tiny thing. She reminded him of a songbird perched on a nearby log. But on this day she saw nothing around her. She gazed dreamily into a world only she could see.

"What's got you so happy this morning?" asked Ewar suspiciously.

A slow smile spread over her face. "Nothing much. I was only thinking of how wonderful this warm season is going to be."

He gave a nod but said no more. He had a feeling in which direction her thoughts lay. She had recently become of age. Her adult life was just beginning. She had good reason to be excited.

He wished he could muster the energy to be happy for her.

Her small gasp broke him from his depressive thoughts. A panicked moment later, she quickly smoothed down her flyaway hairs and straightened herself into picture-perfect posture.

"Ewar," she said with feigned serenity. "Look to my right and tell me what you see."

"I don't have time for these games of yours, Alie. I have work to do."

"Pleeaassee?"

He huffed a sigh before giving in to her wish. "Jas is staring at you - the same as he always does."

Her happiness returned full force, though she did attempt to conceal it. That was something she always did when Jas was looking her way.

Ewar dropped his tools to the dirt and stared tiredly at Alie. "Why don't you just go talk to him? You know you want to."

Her nose tilted up haughtily. "I'm not going to waste my time trying to talk to Jas. He thinks I'm a child and can't carry on a decent conversation. Remember?"

"He said that a long time ago - back when you were an actual child. I doubt he feels the same now. Don't you think you should forgive him and move on?"

She gave a half shrug. "I might if he apologizes first." Her confidence gradually faded to one more subdued. "Has Jas said anything to you about Binding Day?"

"Maybe. Why?"

Binding Day was the most important celebration of the year. On that special day each autumn, a woman of age was allowed to announce she was ready to find a mate. Her admirers would then line up and present a gift for her inspection. If she approved of someone among the willing participants, the pair were declared bound together. If not, she would have to hope next year's celebration would draw someone more to her liking.

Alie's voice lowered to a hesitant whisper. "I was wondering if Jas is planning on participating this coming Binding Day."

Ewar was on the fence about how to respond. Jas was his friend and had admitted in private he was interested in pursuing Alie. It wouldn't be right to break the confidence. But Alie was Ewar's sister in all but name, and Binding Day was a long ways off. Ewar didn't want her to worry needlessly for the next five months.

Ewar decided to choose his words carefully. "I think Jas will participate as long as the right woman is available that day."

Alie pondered over his statement a short while. Although he didn't outright say it, she felt she could read between the lines. She beamed back at him. "Thank you."

He only grunted in return.

Now that she knew almost for certain of Jas' intentions, she could no longer hold back her joy. She wanted nothing more than to spread the feeling to everyone she loved.

"You know what would be fun? Both of us should participate this coming Binding Day! Please, oh please, say you'll do it with me."

He froze her with a scowl. "What would be the point?"

"Maybe this time will be different. A girl from another tribe might show up and become interested in you. And as long as they don't hear about the rumors-"

Ewar held up his hand. "Stop it, Alie. I don't want to hear it."

"Why not? You deserve happiness, companionship..." Her eyes drifted to a blonde woman nearby bouncing a child on a hip. She frowned, an unusual expression for Alie. "I wish Oza had never come here."

"Don't blame her," he retorted quietly. "None of it was her fault."

The two of them thought back on how Ewar's problems originated. Those fortunate enough to survive The Sickness from years earlier were sometimes left with long term side effects. A few had scars which refused to go away. Others discovered that no matter how hard they tried, they could no longer produce children. Ewar escaped the scars, but infertility...

No one suspected he might have a problem until Oza arrived in the village. She was originally from a nomadic group, where her father was the leader. To strengthen the friendship between the two tribes, it was agreed that Oza and Ewar should be bound together in marriage. Both were quite young, and neither of them knew the other well. But options were limited. Unattached mates were hard to come by. It was hoped once they were joined, nature would take its course and the two would come to care for one another as husband and wife.

Fate was not so kind.

Their temperaments did not mesh well. He was prone to brood; she was often cold and listless. They didn't hate each other. No, it was far worse. They were indifferent. One long winter stuck together in the same living space seemed like an eternity. Neither of them were too bothered the day she left Ewar's hut to live on her own. And when she eventually found Mett to be more to her liking, Ewar held no grudge. Mett's jovial personality warmed Oza's heart, and her seriousness helped calm Mett before he could get too rowdy. They made a well balanced couple.

Oza and Mett's first son was delivered approximately nine months after their binding ceremony. A daughter followed soon afterward.

That was when the whispers began.

The villagers had thought back to when Ewar and Oza were once husband and wife. In all the time they lived as a couple, no children were produced. Somebody with a long memory recalled how Ewar had a particularly severe case of The Sickness during his youth. Oza had already proven she could bear children. Therefore, they concluded, the fault must be on Ewar's side. It was automatically assumed The Sickness had taken away his fertility.

The rumor was to have a devastating effect on his life.

During a time when the human population was staggeringly low, an accusation of this sort was taken seriously. For a tribe to grow and prosper, children needed to be born - and lots of them. Before the rumor reared its ugly head, Ewar had been considered a prime catch as a mate. Afterward, not a single woman gave him serious consideration. He tried clearing his name to no avail. Even Oza coming to his defense and speaking against the falsehood did no good. No one believed the once handsome couple rarely shared a bed together, hence the lack of children.

"I still think you shouldn't give up hope," insisted Alie. "Things will be better now. Can't you feel it?"

"No."

His gruff answer silenced her on the subject.

After a long day of work, Ewar returned to his hut and sat alone by the fire. His family rarely saw him laugh or smile anymore. The only joy he found came from the amulets and statues he made. He believed the stone itself would tell him what it wanted to become. Most stones were carved into tokens depicting animals. They worked as good luck charms, giving their owners a better chance at a successful hunt.

On this night, Ewar rifled through his rock collection. One was red and polished to a shine due to being in a stream for untold millennia. He held it up to the dim light and studied it with a practiced eye. The stone spoke its desire.

It wanted to be Damara.

Ewar exhaled in anticipation. Only the most precious of stones were made into images of the Great Spirits. It was an honor to be chosen as the sculptor.

He threw himself into the task with an obsessive amount of enthusiasm. By day he was a mere toolmaker, but his evenings and nights were devoted to shaping the stone into Damara. Taking into account her role as a fertility goddess, of course she would be with child. He carved her full hips, round belly, and breasts heavy with milk. Damara's face, however, remained a featureless space. No eyes, mouth, or nose would ever grace the amulet. It was believed the soul resided within a person's face. To depict it in any way would be the equivalent of stealing a person's spirit. Ewar would never dare do something so taboo.

He felt a sense of pride he had never before experienced when the amulet was completed. Normally he would give his creations away, but he found he could not part with this one. He began wearing it as a pendant on a necklace made from a leather cord. Whenever he was troubled, he would hold the pendant and remember that he was not alone. Damara was with him, at least in spirit. She brought him comfort during even his most darkest of days.

Then, one night, he had a dream.

He saw himself on his knees in a distant forest, worshipping Damara. A disembodied voice spoke from everywhere and nowhere all at once. It said, "Come to me."

He was up and gathering his belongings before even the birds had stirred in their nests.

There was quite a commotion in the morning when his family discovered what he was up to. Travel to Damara's forest? Stay there until she signals you can leave?

"Ewar," hissed his aunt, Ehmay. "Have you gone mad? You cannot go. I forbid it!"

"I'm an adult. You can't forbid me to do anything."

She turned in a huff to her husband. "Do something, Arl. He's going to get himself killed!"

Arl scratched his head. "Um. I..."

"See! Arl agrees with me. You're staying."

Ewar shook his head. "Sorry, but that's not happening. Arl understands that this is important. I have to go."

Arl glanced nervously between his two arguing family members. He was a peaceful man. He hated fighting in any form. "Err, I'm not sure..."

Ehmay once again interrupted her husband. "Can't you at least take someone with you, Ewar? I've heard Damara's forest is dangerous. It's filled with savage beasts. You can't fight them all off by yourself!"

"Don't worry. I'll be fine."

"What makes you believe that?"

"I had a dream. Damara commanded that I go to her. I'm sure she will protect me."

"You had a dream..." Ehmay threw up her hands. "Are you even listening to yourself?! You can't trust a dream. If Damara really wanted to talk to you, she would appear right here and now instead of showing up only when you're asleep."

Her viewpoint gave him momentary pause. However, his doubt vanished when he touched the Goddess's amulet around his neck.

"I have faith that what I saw was real," he said.

Ehmay looked to the sky in exasperation. "You're going to be the death of me, I swear. Alie, please talk some sense into him."

Alie had been noticeably quiet during the entire exchange. She studied Ewar with a somber gaze.

"Is it true?" she asked. "Did Damara command you to go there?"

"She did."

"How do you know you didn't imagine it all?"

He pursed his lips for a moment. "Remember when you said things would get better for me this season? That you had a good feeling about it?" After she nodded, he continued. "Well, I feel it now too."

Alie broke into a delighted smile. "Really?"

"Yes, I felt it as soon as I woke up from my dream. It's because of Damara, Alie. She wants me to do this for her."

"But why?!" cried Ehmay. "Why does the Goddess need you to go so far away from home? Why can't she get somebody else to do her bidding?"

Arl leaned his head meditatively to the side. "I've heard of something like this happening before... long, long ago. It's called a spiritual journey. Perhaps Damara knows of Ewar's troubles and wants to help him."

Ehmay bit her lip. If anything could change her mind, it would be this. She had spent many a night worrying over Ewar. How unfair it was that those horrible rumors kept him from taking another wife! He was the kindest, most devoted boy she had ever known. He would make an excellent husband to the right girl. So, if Damara was willing to help him, who was she to stand in the way?

Stepping forward, Ehmay kissed Ewar on the cheek. "Promise me that you will come back home as soon as you can. And please don't do anything too foolish."

He braced her shoulders and gazed deeply into her eyes. "I promise."

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Ewar set off on the journey before anyone else could question his sanity. No one of his acquaintance had ever traveled to Damara's forest. Stories passed down through the generations said Damara would sometimes visit there during the warm season. Only a celestial being such as herself was bold enough to venture within such a dark, sinister wilderness.

He arrived after two days of walking. There were thousands of spindly conifers awaiting him and very little else. The place was not welcoming in the slightest. He set up his tent in the grassland, still within view of the forest, where he felt much safer. He was lucky in that a small water hole was nearby. And after collecting a few branches, he made himself a cozy fire. It served two purposes. One, it would keep him warm throughout the night. And two, the flames would scare away most wild animals.

He rose with the sun the next day and bravely entered Damara's domain. He was unsure where the Goddess wanted him to go, so he spent most of the day learning the lay of the land. It wasn't quite as treacherous as those tall tales had led him to believe. He was more in danger of boredom than anything else. There was, however, evidence that a wolf pack roamed about. He felt confident that as long as he stayed on guard, he would be able to steer clear of them.

After a thorough search, he discovered a crystal clear spring, which was the headwaters of a small stream. An abundance of lush, green plants straddled its banks. It was the loveliest spot in the entire forest. He decided that if Damara would appear anywhere, it would be there.

And so his days passed in devotion to the Goddess. He faithfully returned to the spring each day, rain or shine. Almost everything he did was in some way connected to pleasing Damara. He brought her gifts of fruit and flowers he had found. He spoke of what was on his mind, as though she was right there listening. And he whispered his hope she would guide him towards a better, less lonesome existence.

With his free time limited, he stopped shaving. The stubble on his chin grew into a full beard. It felt strange and itchy. He had never worn facial hair before, and with good reason. During the winter, ice could form on it. And in the summer, parasites could take refuge. Arl taught him long ago that it was better to keep your face smooth than risk frostbite or lice. Although it was sound advice, Ewar couldn't find the motivation to shave it off yet. He had a much more concerning problem to deal with.

Days had become weeks, and weeks turned into months. In all that time, Ewar never heard a word from Damara. It was a crushing blow. The warm season was soon coming to an end. Leaves were turning yellow and orange. If he stayed away from home much longer, he may not survive once winter hit the region.

He bowed his head and closed his eyes. "Please, Damara. Give me a sign. Why did you want me to come here?"

He held his breath and waited. Only a songbird tweeted back a response.

His shoulders collapsed downward. Why did the Goddess refuse to answer? Had he angered her in some way? What was the point of appearing in his dream if she never planned to communicate further?

He rose from where he had been kneeling and stared in defeat at the gurgling spring. Damara had forsaken him. There was no use in staying any longer. Tomorrow he would begin his journey back to the gorge, back to his only family. He would try not to dwell on how he wasted the warm season on this foolhardy mission, though it was doubtful he would succeed in that endeavor. He had an entire winter to brood over his failure.

So lost was he in his despair, he paid no mind to the sound of running footsteps behind him.

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A/N-

Consider this Part One of Ewar's story. Part Two coming soon. (I had originally planned on doing it in one go, but the chapter would have been too long.)

People who review can brace Ewar on what's about to run into him. Gee, I wonder what it could be!

Thanks for reading. :-)