Stolen Away (6 page)

As she closed her eyes, she rubbed her cross between her thumb and finger. Home was now further away than ever.

T
he village had been completely disassembled by midday. Kiera watched in fascination as the large, shell-shaped huts called mamateeks simply fell gently to the ground with the removal of several key support poles. Other band members stored the canoes under low-lying lean-tos for winter. Most of the belongings had been previously packed in leather wrapping, and were now strapped to the top of an A-frame of long poles.

“Ready?” asked Chocan, concern in his voice.

Kiera nodded. “Ready as I'll ever be.”

Kiera grimaced, anticipating the sharp pain that would come when Chocan pulled the ingenious seat. The contraption in which she sat was itself a wooden A-frame made of stripped branches and secured with leather sinew. Chocan pulled from inside the frame itself. He leaned into the leather harness that strained around his shoulders and waist. The sinews in his arms flexed as he brought the simple sled up to speed. Kiera, herself, sat backwards in a sling designed of soft seal skin that was securely attached to the inner frame. Both her legs were elevated and comfortable as they rested on a wide leather strap. Beyond her feet was one of the support branches that connected the two arms of the frame. She felt guilty being so comfortable as Chocan guided the contraption from the fire pit to the edge of the glistening river. They joined the other band members who had already gathered by the water.

Satisfied that everyone was now present, Nadie stepped carefully onto an elevated stump so all could see her. She raised her hands.

“This has been a good summer. The river once again supplied us with an abundance of fish. Our brave hunters have provided our band with leather, fur and meat for the winter months. We have also been joined by a descendant of the Teachers. We have much for which to be thankful! Praise the Great Spirit!”

“Praise the Great Spirit!” roared the band.

“I ask Chocan now to step forward and bless the ochre.”

Chocan carefully lowered Kiera to the ground and stepped up to the stump, exchanging places with Nadie. He took a large sack from an elder and held it up for all to see. He closed his eyes.

“Great Spirit, we are thankful for your blessings. Your land feeds our children. Your sky gives us rain to drink. Your forests provide us with shelter. Now we ask that you bless this ochre and make it holy. Bless this, the blood of Mother Earth, so that your people may be safely led to the Meeting Place, and to our people!”

The crowd exploded. “Bless the blood!”

The crowd suddenly fell silent. All heads were bowed in prayer. Kiera scanned the gathering. A memory began to nag at her. This all seemed so familiar. Yes, the Church! It was a ceremony from long ago in her memory. The image of the communions she had witnessed as a child. That was it! Chocan was using ochre instead of wine for the blessing. It was certainly similar, but also very different from what she could remember of the event.

Starting with the oldest, the blessed ochre mix was applied to the forehead of each band member in the sign of the cross. When it was Kiera's turn, Sooleawaa dragged her up to the front, and Chocan applied it to her forehead as well.

As Kiera was pulled away, she turned to her friend. “Sooleawaa, Chocan mentioned the Meeting Place. Where is it?”

Sooleawaa smiled. “You will meet the rest of our family. Wait, you will see. We must travel far inland. The Meeting Place is to the east, beyond those distant hills.”

Kiera felt her heart sink. They would be leaving the coast and taking her further away from the sea. She sighed. There was nothing she could do. Her leg must heal first before she could hope to go anywhere.

As the gathering left the summer site in an orderly convoy, she wondered how her new friends would react when she informed them that she intended to return to the Viking settlement. Would they be angry? Would they even help her find her way back home? If they refused to let her go, then she would somehow have to make it back to the Viking village on her own.

The band followed the river away from the western shores of the great sea. Travelling backwards, Kiera could see the faint band of blue water kissing the distant horizon as they climbed higher into the hills. With each rise, the band seemed to thin until, on the third day, the ocean disappeared completely.

Kiera's heart plummeted. Her mind swirled with thoughts of her Viking village. She knew that with their failed mission to find new land, the village leaders would have no choice but to abandon Vinland and settle once again in either Greenland or Iceland. Returning east with the Vikings would mean that she would be moving closer to home. It would be one step closer to Ireland. She needed to get back to the village before they left Vinland. But how?

Sooleawaa and Chocan sensed Kiera's sombre mood, but they were too busy with their own responsibilities to talk. Chocan, of course, was busy hauling Kiera and his supplies along the increasingly rocky trail. Sooleawaa was directly in front of her, following the crowd. Her job was to herd the young children along at a pace that kept up with the adults ahead. She was one of a ring of young women who encircled and encouraged along almost every child of the band capable of walking.

Kiera would have found the sight of so many excited, swarming children amusing if she had been in a more familiar world. The guilt of not being able to help her adopted family with the journey only added to her inner anguish. Her dull eyes stared aimlessly at the young crowd until it fell on a face that seemed to mirror her own misery. It was the little girl whom Sooleawaa had introduced as Shawnadit.

The young child dragged her body along at the back of the young herd. Her eyes were fixed on the ground, just ahead of her feet, and her face held none of the excitement radiating from the rest of the children. It wasn't right for someone so young to be so sad. Kiera's heart went out to her.

The path took a downward turn as the band followed the trail into a valley. Kiera felt Chocan pick up speed as gravity assisted his descent. She turned in her chair. “Chocan, could I ask a favour?”

Chocan stopped. He turned, his face strained with effort and shiny with perspiration. He took a couple of breaths before answering. “Yes?”

She nodded towards the children. “It's Shawnadit.”

He looked at the little girl. “She's not happy. We are not far from where her mother died.”

“If it is not asking too much, do you think she could ride with me while we go down the hill?”

Chocan looked at the load on his frame, then to the path running downhill, and finally to Shawnadit who, along with the other children, was now passing them on the path. He sighed but nodded.

He placed Kiera gently on the ground, walked through the group of children, weaving in and out of the little bodies, until he caught up to Shawnadit. With a nod to Sooleawaa, he picked the young girl up in his arms and carried her over to Kiera.

“I have a very important job for you, little sparrow. Do you know our guest, Kiera?”

For the first time, Shawnadit's big, dark eyes glanced directly at Kiera. Her eyes widened in fear, then she quickly curled into Chocan and looked at the ground.

“You see, little sparrow, she is lonely. You know it is Beothuck custom to ensure that all guests are welcome in our band. That is why I'm putting you in charge of looking after our guest. You are in charge of cheering Kiera up. Can you do that for me?”

Shawnadit didn't answer. She just buried her head even further into Chocan's shoulder. Kiera reached up and took the girl from Chocan. Shawnadit didn't fight the exchange, but curled up quietly in Kiera's lap, her eyes shut tight.

Kiera tilted her head. “Hello, Shawnadit. Thank you for being with me.”

Kiera and Shawnadit were lifted upwards as Chocan took his position within the frame. “Hold tight. We don't want to fall too far behind the others.”

And with a lurch, they were off.

N
ear sunset on their fifth day of travel, the weary band of travellers relaxed at a campsite located in a notch between what looked like the humps of two enormous stone whales. Upon arriving, Shawnadit had jumped from Kiera's lap to run and join in with the other children. She had not said a word during the entire afternoon, but Kiera did get her giggling with some of her attempted Beothuck banter. Shaking his head, Chocan would translate Kiera's remarks back into Celtic, such as “I like Chocan's hair. It looks like a nesting fish in the snow.” Kiera would join Shawnadit in the laughter. It was a good distraction for all of them.

Chocan rotated Kiera's sling so that she could see what lay ahead. Kiera took in the change in scenery. The land was considerably scrubbier than that of the mighty forests along the coast. Below, she could see a wide, rocky valley. A river slithered its way through the distant rocky hills. On the far bank of the river, an enormous barrier of felled trees extended in both directions as far as the eye could see.

On the near side of the river, Kiera could see trails of smoke, dozens of small huts and canoes lining the river's edge. Many people streamed between the structures, busy in their various tasks. She guessed that there must be over a thousand people awaiting them in the valley below!

Sooleawaa brought her a piece of salted fish and berries for lunch. Chocan, exhausted, lay down and relaxed in the highland grass with his hands behind his head. Kiera nodded towards the large village.

“Is that the Meeting Place?”

Chocan opened his eyes momentarily. “Yes, we will be there tonight.”

Kiera decided to let the weary man rest. She turned to Sooleawaa. “Is that a wall of trees on the other side of the river?”

Sooleawaa straightened with pride. “It was created by my ancestors long ago. We use it to bring the Great Herd to us. It stretches for over a ten-day walk in both directions.”

Kiera shook her head in disbelief. “A ten-day walk? That's incredible! How could you make something so big?”

“We use trees that were knocked down by great storms. Sometimes, we can push them down, like this.” She put one hand on top of the other.

Kiera was in awe. “Tell me, what did you mean by the Great Herd?”

“Caribou,” answered Sooleawaa.

“Caribou?” asked Kiera, shrugging. She had never heard the word before.

“It is easier for me to draw one for you.”

Sooleawaa took a stick and drew a magnificent animal in the dirt between them, long-legged with strong shoulders and neck. From its thick, deerlike head stretched an impressive set of antlers, and she finished off the picture by drawing a person next to the caribou. Kiera was impressed with Sooleawaa's artwork but was shocked to see that a person's head only came up to the animal's shoulder. The beast must be huge!

“Caribou,” repeated Kiera. “It looks something like the deer we had in my homeland, but this animal looks much larger and stronger. The biggest animal I have ever touched is a cow.”

“Cow?” questioned Sooleawaa.

Chocan's voice interrupted the conversation. His face bore a smile, but his eyes remained closed.

“Ah, Kiera, surely a caribou is greater than that fierce animal that you call a cow. You have never seen a caribou? You will see caribou…many, many caribou…very soon.”

It was just after midday when they entered the largest mass of humanity Kiera had ever seen. Her farming community in Ireland had numbered, at most, a hundred people. The Icelandic town in which she had briefly stayed before being auctioned off as a slave was large, but never had she seen so many faces all at once. Everyone was coated in the same red ochre, giving Kiera the feeling that she had entered a colony of red ants. It was then that she remembered she was now just as red as they were.

As the band entered, the entire village stopped its milling about and stared at the newcomers in stony silence. The sudden stillness was eerie and unnatural. The only sound Kiera could hear was the rumbling of the river and the footsteps of her band as they made their way toward the heart of the encampment. Then she noticed that the eyes of the crowd were focused on her.

“Why is everyone staring at me?” she asked Chocan as casually as she could.

Chocan didn't answer but continued to drag her further into the mass of icy stares. Kiera could feel the fingers of panic begin to tighten around her stomach. She wished she had Shawnadit on her lap for support, but the little girl was nowhere in sight.

From her backwards vantage point, Kiera stared in horror as the mass of red bodies closed in behind them, cutting off any chance of escape. Escape? She couldn't even walk. She was completely at their mercy. She closed her eyes and prayed for deliverance from the encroaching nightmare.

With a jerk, her sling came to a stop. Chocan moved in front of her and took her hands. “Stand,” he said kindly.

“Are…are you sure?” Kiera felt further panic.

He nodded. Gently, he helped her to her feet. Her legs shook with the effort. She smiled as her leg took the weight without pain. He shuffled her around so that she faced the same direction as the other members of the band. In front of her was a massive, billowing column of smoke, rising heavenward into the crystal blue sky. Between the band and the bonfire stood a man who appeared to be even older than Nadie. His long, leather garment and belt were beautifully decorated with beads and carefully-drawn charcoal pictures of forest animals. His leggings were emblazoned with sharp-edged, geometric symbols.

He hobbled slowly towards the band. He stopped at Nadie, sharing an embrace and a few words. Nadie turned to face Kiera, and both pairs of elderly eyes gazed on her. The old man worked his way through the band until his face was only a hand's width away from hers. His dark eyes stared deeply into Kiera's frightened face.

“Is she the one?” the old man asked.

“Yes, my elder,” answered Chocan. “She has come from the east. She speaks the language of the Teachers.”

The old man nodded slowly. Then, to Kiera's surprise, he began to talk in Celtic. “Green eyes of the Teachers. So it is true…Do you understand my words? I know some of the language of the Teachers.”

“Yes,” answered Kiera, her voice shaking.

“Are you frightened of us?” he asked, kindly.

“A little,” she whispered. “I have never seen so many people at one time. I come from a small village.”

“Ah…a small village to the east.”

“Yes.”

“But you did not come to our land by your own free will. You were a captive of those who brought you here.”

Kiera was surprised. How did he know? “Yes.”

“What is your name?”

“Kiera.”

“Ah, Kiera. I am Atchak, Grand Chief of the Beothuck people.”

Kiera looked down respectfully. “Thank you for allowing me to join you at the Meeting Place.”

“You will always be welcome here.”

He put his hand under her chin, gently lifted up her face and studied her. He stared again into Kiera's green eyes and touched her strange, wavy hair.

“Yes, you are very much like the Teachers. Legend tells of how they came to escape capture as well. They came to us with knowledge of the Creator, the Great Spirit, and offered to help us build a new world of love and respect for the Great Spirit and Mother Earth. Although the original Teachers have long since passed on to the world above, their descendants, like Chocan, continue to spread their teachings to the people.”

Kiera turned to Chocan. It was becoming clear that Chocan was also of Irish descent. He didn't seem to notice her incredulous stare and continued to focus upon Atchak. The chief cleared his throat. Embarrassed, Kiera turned back to the Grand Chief.

“Tell me about your captors, Kiera.”

“The Vikings?” she asked, surprised by the question.

“Yes. We have only heard rumours of them. Over the past few years, we have seen their strange vessels sailing our waters. We also know they live on our land to the north. What are they like?”

Kiera took a deep breath, her courage returning. The Grand Chief of the Beothuck needed her help. She finally felt useful.

“The Vikings are a people who live by conquest. My homeland of Ireland, the home of the Teachers, was invaded by the Vikings many years ago. They took what they wanted and burned to the ground any villages that chose to resist their invasion. They are strong and fearless warriors. They also take captives, such as myself. I was removed from by home and forced to become a slave.”

“Slave?” asked the chief. “I do not understand. What is this word?”

“Slaves are people who have to do what their master, their owner, tells them to do. They are like a captured animal, to be used and to be put to work without reward.”

“Your family, are they too slaves?

Kiera felt the stab of sadness. “No. At least I don't think so.”

“Then they are back in the Land of the Teachers?”

Kiera nodded, trying to check her emotions. “Yes. They are in Ireland.”

Atchak paused, then changed the topic. “The Vikings on our lands, are they warriors?”

She shook her head. “Some were, at one time, but no longer. They are settlers. They came to your land to start a new life. But they will fight if they have to. An earlier Viking explorer killed a skraeling chief to the north and since then, the northern skraelings have been attacking them. We have had to fight to protect our village.”

Atchak looked to Chocan. “Skraelings?”

“I asked Kiera about them. She is talking about the Thule people.”

Atchak turned back to Kiera, nodding slowly. “Ah, yes, we know the Thule well. We have also fought them for many years. They have come from the north seeking more land. We will not give up our home easily. We will fight any invader, be it Thule or Viking.”

Chocan looked at Kiera. “But you said that the Vikings to the north are only settlers, that they only defend themselves when attacked.”

Kiera frowned. “Yes. That is true. But if they are allowed to stay and flourish, more Viking settlers will follow. The Viking warriors will come as well, seeking fame and fortune. If given the chance, they will take your beautiful land by force. I have no doubt about that. The Vikings would love to have your forests and fish for themselves.”

The Grand Chief frowned. Chocan walked to a natural platform of raised granite, stepped up and repeated everything Kiera had told them to the large assembly in their native tongue. A worried mumbling rippled through the crowd. She could sense fear among the people. She hated to be the deliverer of upsetting news, but the sooner the Beothuck knew of the Viking danger, the better they could prepare themselves for future encounters. She liked these people and also owed them her life. Perhaps this was one way she could repay their kindness to her. Chocan stepped down, and Atchak now stepped forward to the granite podium. Several men helped the frail man onto the platform. He held up his arms.

“Enough!” shouted Atchak. “What Kiera has said will be discussed in detail by the council of chiefs. Let us not forget why we are here. We are here to celebrate our nation. We are here to rejoice in the return of the Great Herd. We must not let this disturbing news take away from the joy of celebrating these wonderful gifts from the Great Spirit.

“Now, Kiera, you have been welcomed into your band through our traditional passage of womanhood. Now allow me to welcome you into our great nation. Walk to me.”

Kiera shook her head. “I…I can't.”

“Walk.” He repeated. Atchak held out his hand.

Kiera turned to Chocan, frightened. He nodded and smiled. Taking a deep breath, she took her first step on the injured leg. Again, there was no pain. She took a second, then a third. She carefully, slowly limped her way to the rock, where she was helped up to its flat surface. Standing beside Atchak, she watched as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pouch. He held it over her head.

“Cinders from the Great Fire! Life consumed and reduced to ash! But ash is only part of the Great Circle! From cinders come life. A new forest. A new beginning. From life comes love, family and birth.” He sprinkled the ash onto her ochre-stained hair. “Great Spirit, we welcome Kiera as one of our own. May she live wisely in the Great Circle!”

A whoop of rejoicing burst forth from the crowd. Rhythmic singing and stomping reverberated throughout the crowd as it began to spin around the granite stone like a slow-moving crimson whirlpool. Kiera was overwhelmed by the sight of so many humans dancing for her. Atchak placed a tender, bony hand on her shoulder.

“Welcome, Kiera. You are not only a member of Nadie's band, but you are now part of the entire Beothuck nation.”