Onio (24 page)

“It
is also said that Onio, grandson of Bouldar, was born on the same day as Blue
Sky, son of Two Horses,” Blue whispered, “and that the stars proclaimed prophecy
about us both.” He bowed to his father’s guards and clasped arms with Onio, who
grinned in triumph.

Suddenly,
a sharp whistle pierced the air. The sasquatches whirled and faced south with
pikes and spears raised in readiness. Two sasquatches were walking toward them.
The one in the lead stopped and placed his weapon on the ground at his feet.
Raising his empty hands in the air, he called out, “I am Ramsey and this is
Willow. We are scouts for the king! We would accompany you to the conclave, if
you permit!”

Mel
saw that the two scouts rivaled Two Horses in size. Their bodies rippled with
muscle and both of them showed the scars of battle, old and new. They seemed
very calm though, and courteous. Wolf and Pony were not as easily persuaded,
however. Pony snarled, “How many more of you are there?”

Ramsey
replied, “Many scouts accompany us, at least fifty. Do not be alarmed though,
guard, we are here to keep you safe, not to harm you.”

Pony
and Wolf exchanged a measured glance, and then backed away so Tanah could
approach. As was only proper, both Ramsey and Willow bowed low as the queen
walked toward them. Blue Sky and Onio stood tall in watchful silence. Although
they were smaller than the other sasquatches, they were still formidable, at
least to Mel’s eyes.

“We
have come to seek council and help from the king’s conclave,” Tanah announced.

Ramsey
replied, “We know why you have come, queen of the north. The kings are awaiting
your arrival.”

Tanah
turned around and studied Pony’s face for a moment in surprise, then shrugged
and answered, “We are ready to go with you now. Just give us a couple of
minutes to gather our things.”

Ramsey
bowed once more and said, “We will wait until you are ready.” Turning away,
Ramsey joined Willow, and they walked a few yards away and stood patiently
against the wall, while Tanah’s people gathered their belongings together. The
medics lifted the funeral blanket from its place on the now empty floor of the
cave and Blue paused one last time to say farewell. The dog whined and wagged
her tail bashfully.

A
few minutes later, Mel, Tanah and the sasquatches moved down a new tunnel
accompanied by guards of the kings’ conclave. It seemed to Mel as if every
fifty feet or so, another scout joined the group. They would appear, as if by
magic, out of thin air. It was impressive and frightening. Mel understood that
the scouts outnumbered them five to one, and if the engagement were hostile in
nature, they would all be dead by now.

She
walked with Onio and Wolf, directly behind Blue, Tanah and her guard Pony. The
only sign Onio gave of tension was the fact that he kept Mel’s hand clasped
firmly in his, as always when he was nervous. She heard Blue say, “Mother, I am
surprised that Thunder did not accompany you on this dangerous mission.”

Mel
saw Tanah’s shoulders hunch as if she just received an unanticipated blow.
Then, before she could utter a word, Pony said, “Your half-brother was a
traitor, Blue Sky, and he is dead now!”

Blue
stopped dead and his mouth hung open in shock. Mel and Onio pulled up just
short of knocking the people in front of them down on the ground. Wolf stood
close and watched Blue’s eyes carefully as he processed this new and terrible
fact. Blue looked down at Tanah and whispered, “Mother?”

All
the sasquatches stopped, including the king’s guards, and watched as tears
pooled and ran down Tanah’s cheeks. “It’s true, my son. Thunder was conspiring
with the small human soldiers. He betrayed our position to them and tried to
hurt Onio’s guest. I…I killed him myself!”

The
queen broke down completely then, hunching over in shame. It was clear to Mel
that Pony wanted to comfort Tanah, but he was afraid to touch her before Blue
Sky could respond.

For
Blue’s part, a resigned sadness filled his eyes as he gazed at the
grief-stricken woman. He gathered her in his arms and she moaned. “Our king
will be so angry with me. He will kill me, I know it!”

Blue
Sky shook his head. “No Mother, he will not. I know that my father, the king,
has long despaired over Thunder’s actions. I always knew that he hated me, but
it amazes me that he would take such drastic steps against the whole of the sasq
peoples. Come and dry your tears. We must go.”

The
sasquatches continued walking down the tunnel. They walked for another mile and
then, gradually, the tunnel filled with light. Mel looked around and saw the
tiny flames she had first noticed in Bouldar’s cave that speckled the walls,
casting everything in a golden glow. She could hear a sound too, communicated
telepathically through her friend’s ears to her own.

It
was a low roar, like the pounding surf at high tide, that seemed to shake the
very ground they walked on. Mel looked up in confusion and saw Onio and Wolf
exchange an equally bewildered glance. Then she saw an opening in the tunnel
and a wide-open space beyond that. One by one, the sasquatches walked through
the opening and then Blue and Tanah, Onio, Wolf and Mel stepped through, as
well.

Suddenly,
the muted roar grew into a full-throated scream as thousands upon thousands of sasquatches
shouted, First Son!

Blue
Sky!

First
Son!

Blue
Sky!

First
Son!

Blue
Sky!

Chapter 28

Mel
and her companions stood on a high ledge at the top of a vast underground cave.
Stalagmites and stalactites rose and fell in dazzling splendor like pillars of
heaven, and the gem-encrusted walls cast rainbows into the mist-filled and
smoky air. The cave was enormous, twice as big as a football field. Bathing
pools bubbled and hissed, and a hundred fires flickered in the ambient sunlight
that filtered down through the ventilation shafts.

There
were a thousand different smells; roast boar, venison and bear, cooking
vegetables and stews, and the unique smell of the sasquatch people…musky and
fragrant with the smell of moss, leaves, earth and the bergamot they favored.

“Come
Melody, the kings await our arrival,” Onio spoke into her thoughts. Glancing up
at him, she saw that lines of worry etched his mouth and dug furrows into his
forehead. She saw the queen look up at her son and noticed the same doubt in
their expressions. It seemed that prophecy was about to be fulfilled, whether
the two young warriors wished it so or not.

Mel
followed the sasq and their queen down a long stone path. Every few feet or so,
a warrior reached out and clasped Onio’s or Blue’s forearm and said,” First
Son, Blue Sky…a change has come!” By the time they reached the cave floor, Onio
looked as though he wanted to bolt and so did Blue. They moved toward the front
of the cave where a rock dais rose up into a sort of natural stage. Suddenly,
the crowd of sasquatches parted and Mel heard Tanah gasp. Looking up, Mel saw
that Two Horses had arrived before them. He half-sat and half reclined on a
fur-covered bench. When he saw his wife, he threw his head back and howled with
glee.

Tanah
shrieked his name and started running toward her husband, but then she stopped.
Mel understood that Tanah hesitated out of fear and shame, but the mighty
northern king shouted, “Wife! Come to me now, for I have missed your embrace!”

Tanah
ran to her husband and just as they reunited in joy, Mel heard Onio’s shocked
voice say, “Mother, is that you?”

Mel
turned to her right and saw Bouldar, Rain and Petal standing on the stage as
well. Onio let out a shout and in two strides ran up onto the stage and twirled
his mother around and around in his arms. Mel grinned and then felt a trickle
of alarm. Looking past the happy family, she saw Drak and Iron Hands as well. Drak
seemed pleased enough at Onio’s sudden resurrection, but the look in Iron Hands
eyes left no doubt that his rage was not forgotten.

As
though sensing her fear, Wolf took Mel’s arm and said, “We must watch that one,
girl. He has not forgiven or forgotten his grudge against you or First Son.”

Mel
nodded her head and then Onio was back at her side. He looked happier than she
had ever seen him. Taking her arm, he said, “Mel, come and sit with my family. The
high king will be arriving soon.”

She
followed him onto the stage and was surprised and touched when Rain and Petal
hugged her fondly and called her daughter. Wolf bowed low to his king and stood
between Bouldar and Onio, watching everything and everyone with careful eyes. Mel
sat down on a bench and watched the sasquatch people in their underground
meeting place, known as the King’s Conclave.

It
wasn’t very formal, just a lot of different family units sitting together on
the stage. It DID look as though each tribe made an effort to identify
themselves, though. There were rough flags and banners, and each king wore a
wide decorative belt. Bouldar wore a beautiful, if modest, belt festooned with
many multi-colored stones. Iron Hands’s simple leather belt was held together
with a fist etched out of iron.

Looking
out at the crowd, Mel saw a peculiar sight. Large scraped hides were being hung
and stretched across the wall adjacent to the stage. Each of the hides was
painted with strange symbols, and Mel decided to ask Onio to teach her the sasquatch
written words.

There
was a stir in the crowd and then a hush fell as an ancient sasquatch was
carried onto the stage. Mel could tell that he was once as huge and hale as the
other sasq warriors were, but time had taken its toll. Now he was hunched over
so much he was no taller than Mel. Most of his big, square teeth were missing,
and he peered about as if he was blind. He grinned, though, and the sasquatches
cheered, sending jubilant echoes through the air, and a nest of bats squeaking
and careening upwards into the airshafts.

Onio
had sat down close to her a few minutes earlier. He grabbed her hand
unconsciously and Mel basked in its warmth. “That is New Moon, Melody,” Onio
murmured. The awe in his face was plain to see. “It is said that he was an old sasquatch
when the small humans first came to this land five centuries ago.”

The
ancient king was placed gently onto a large rock that was covered with soft
furs. He was brought food and drink, which he ignored while staring out over
the assembled masses. The cries and shouts died down and silence fell as the sasq
waited for their supreme ruler to speak. Finally, New Moon said, “It has been
long, far too long, since my people gathered together like this, and my heart
rejoices!”

The
assembly burst into a spontaneous cheer at the king’s words. There was a
strange warbling shriek and Mel stared about in confusion. Leaning towards her,
Onio pointed into the crowd, and Mel saw that a number of warriors held some
sort of horn or flute to their lips. The sound she heard through Onio’s senses
was the sound of the sasq’s musical instruments.

“This
is a time of great sorrow though, for all our people,” he continued. “We have
gathered to discuss what must be done. I shall be meeting with all the kings to
assess the damage and the losses. We will try to decide the best way to deal
with the small humans and their war machines.” He paused and looked around
fitfully. “It is not time for that, however. We are not all here yet. Some of
our cousins are missing or having trouble making their way here. I only pray
that they too, have not been captured en route.”

He
stared out over the crowd and mischief twinkled in his large brown eyes again.
“For now, I would have you celebrate this rare occurrence. I would have you
lift your voices in praise and welcome. I would have you eat and drink the
sacred tea! The kings will attend me tomorrow, at first light.” With those
words, New Moon was helped to his feet. He made to leave, then he paused and
turned to face Bouldar. Murmuring to his attendants, he sat back down and
gestured to Bouldar and Iron Hands to come forward.

Bouldar
nodded and rose with calm authority. Iron Hands, however, started violently and
his face flushed. Mustering his dignity, he stood and moved to stand beside his
enemy. The old king stared up at them from where he sat. “How does it happen that
a younger brother takes the place of an older brother as king of a tribe?” His
voice was mild but chilling in its coldness.

The
kings, and their families, stopped what they were doing and sat back down.
Excited chatter paused and died as well, leaving the cavern in silence as the sasquatch
people listened intently to the high king’s words. Iron Hands glared at the
audience and blushed, but Bouldar answered promptly. “When the older brother
dies, New Moon.”

New
Moon nodded thoughtfully. “And yet I see you, Bouldar, standing here before me,
alive and well.” Turning toward Iron Hands, the king snapped, “How dare you
usurp your older brother’s authority?” Iron Hands stared at the floor beneath
his feet.

“Worse
yet, I hear you tried to put an end to our prophecy by killing Bouldar’s
grandson!”

Iron
Hands opened his mouth to protest but the old king was having none of it. “Silence!
Oh, I know why you did it, Iron Hands. For some of you, hatred and prejudice
rule and no amount of reason will turn you from that path of self-destruction. Onio,
come to me now!”