Onio (9 page)

Onio
stared at his grandfather’s guard and shook his head. Wolf grinned.

“Yes
Onio, Wolf is royalty in his own right. There has been much talk lately in the
conclave of a war between the small human’s military and the sasquatch nation. New
Moon, the king, is very interested in you, Onio.” He glanced at Mel. “You and
the girl both. He requests an audience with you.”

Chapter 10

Things
moved very quickly then. The sasquatches had not lost sight of the fact that
they stood in hostile territory. Wolf took off running, coming back a few
minutes later with a hide sack filled with jerked meat. Hunter produced a bag
of dried fruits and vegetables. Then the three males huddled around the cold
fire and began to speak amongst themselves.

Mel
felt a chill. Were they going to leave her now? Had they changed their minds
about taking her along? The silence was deafening, and she was thrust back into
the cold reality of her life without the soul song. Once or twice Onio glanced
in her direction. There was apology in his eyes, as though he understood that
being left out of the conversation was almost physically painful for her.

They
could leave me now if they think I am a liability to the tribe. They could
leave me outside of some town
, she supposed. The problems for her
would be huge, though. She couldn’t hear…she could barely speak. She had no
money, or purse…no passport. Suddenly, her future loomed ahead of her like a
frightful beast; one she had no idea how to conquer. Sorrow filled her heart at
the prospect.

Then
the sasquatches rose as one, walked over to where Mel huddled on the furs, and
went to their knees in front of her. Hunter said, “Girl, do you understand my
words?”

She
nodded and used soul song to answer. “Yes sir, I can hear you.”

Onio’s
father replied, “What is your name child? My son says he doesn’t remember.”
Onio cast his eyes down in embarrassment.

“My
name is Melody Carver,” she answered. “It’s not really Onio’s fault that he
didn’t catch my name. Things have been kind of hectic.”

Hunter
smiled. “We have made plans for you, without asking for your permission or
approval. Onio seems to think that you don’t mind going to the High Peaks with
him and Wolf. I wonder though, what do you think about it? If you would rather
go home to your people, I will take you to the nearest town, where you can seek
others of your kind. The only thing that we would require of you is that you do
not share information about us. Do you understand that?”

Mel
looked down, thinking hard. The sasquatches were, to her, a beautiful, mystical
wonder. She thought that young Onio was handsome and sweet, and many others
were mysterious…wise like Rain and Petal. Nevertheless, she also knew that, to
many, she was a terrible threat, and any one of these creatures could crush her
like a bug if they wanted to. Another thing that caused alarm was the fact that
Onio’s people and hers were apparently gearing up for some sort of war. Would
she be used as a pawn…held hostage…or killed outright in some sort of terror
campaign?

Then
she thought of the gift she had been given. Would that gift fade with time or
even work in the world of the small humans? The thought of losing the soul song
was enough to break her heart. She wanted to hold on to her newfound abilities,
despite the risks.

Looking
up at Hunter she said, “I would like to go with Onio and Wolf. I have no people
to go home to, sir. I think that maybe I can help with the problems your people
are having with mine. If nothing else, I know how my people think. Maybe I can
help Onio and Wolf to understand the smalls better.”

Hunter
watched Mel’s face very closely as she spoke. Mel realized that not only was he
listening to her words, but hearing the intention behind her words and the
logic behind the intent. She understood that the soul song was truth incarnate.
She also knew that if the small humans possessed this ability, there would be a
lot less lying in the world. It was simply impossible to prevaricate with soul
song.

Satisfied,
Hunter stood and said, “I agree with you, my son. The small one wants to go
with you.” Onio grinned but the big guard stared at her.

“Can
you travel, girl?” he asked. “Onio told us you were ill.”

Mel
gazed at the huge sasquatch with her mouth open in dismay. It was true that
although she knew she was on the mend physically, she was nowhere near a
hundred percent. Just flying to Onio’s side when she thought they were under
attack was enough to send her head spinning in dizzy circles. What if they
refused to let her go because she was too weak to travel on her own? Tears
filled her eyes, but she dashed them away in angry frustration.

Wolf
watched the girl’s face, understanding that somehow, out of the many millions
of small humans Onio could have stumbled across, he had found one who truly
wanted to be a part of their tribe. He was many, many seasons older than Hunter
and Onio. He had been a guard to Bouldar when Bouldar was younger than Onio,
and had seen the kindness of some smalls as well as witnessing their cruelty.
His strong, cynical heart melted at the girl’s tears of fear.

“Be
easy girl,” he mumbled. “I only ask so we know how to pack for the journey.”
With those words, he turned around and walked away.

Hunter
looked at her and said, “If you need to take care of private business please be
brief. Onio and Wolf will be leaving shortly.” He paused and added, “It is good
to meet you, Melody Carver. I wish you well.”

Hunter
and Onio walked away, while Mel scrambled to her feet and stepped behind a
large rock close to the water’s edge to relieve her bladder. Not knowing what
else to do, she used water to wash herself and stood up with a shiver. She felt
invigorated, thrilled, scared and gloriously happy. She stood back as Onio and
Hunter embraced one last time. Then, without further ado, Hunter walked away,
disappearing into the sheltering trees.

“Are
you ready, Melody?” Onio asked. He had rolled the furs into a bundle and
carried it and the sack of vegetables over one shoulder in a sling. Wolf stood
some distance away. His eyes scanned the forest around them with unerring
accuracy. The seriousness in his face made Mel’s skin crawl.

“I’m
ready, but Onio…call me Mel, all right? Everyone does,” she replied. The dog
went from one sasquatch to the other in a frenzy of excitement.

“Come
then. Climb onto my back.” Onio said.

Mel
shook her head. “No, I can walk.” She blushed at the thought of actually being
a physical burden…again.

Wolf
glared. “Do as Onio asks, girl…we don’t walk at this time. We run. You could
not keep up with us, even if you were healthy. And in future do not argue with
us. Our lives depend on quick thinking and even quicker action!”

Mel
shook with shame. “I’m sorry, Wolf. I won’t argue again, I promise,” she
stammered and walked over to where Onio knelt on the ground. She prepared to
jump up on his back but the sasquatch simply grabbed her up by her ankles.
Somehow, she found herself lifted high into the air as if she weighed no more
than a gnat. Then they were running.

The
sasquatches flew over the wooded terrain as if it was a highway. For all Mel
knew maybe it was. She held her breath as, on more than one occasion, Onio
literally ran up the trunk of a tree to avoid an obstacle. Once, she almost
screamed when Wolf and Onio took a mighty leap and flew across a river that was
at least twenty feet across. They cleared the water by five feet.

Mel
had no way of knowing how far they had run but she thought it was at least
fifty miles when Wolf came to a stop under a small copse of birch trees. The
trees branches were bare and rattled their limbs together like bony fingers.
Onio set her down near a boulder and she groaned at the stiffness in her
thighs.

Onio
hardly seemed winded but he shook his arms as though his hands were cramping.
Mel realized that he had held her tightly the whole way to keep her from
falling off. She got to her feet and walked to where he stood. Taking his giant
hands in hers, she began to massage his fingers and palms. She pulled his
fingers out to relax the muscles and tendons. She dug her fingers deeply into
the fleshy part of his thumbs and Onio sighed with pleasure, smiling down at
her with gratitude.

Toward
the last part of the overland journey, Wolf had reached down and scooped the
dog up in his arms. Smiles’s tongue hung out of her mouth at first and Mel
wondered if the poor thing was going to have a heart attack. Finally, she had
wriggled around a bit in the sasquatch’s arms so she could face forward. Her
ears flew back in the breeze and she grinned at the passing scenery while being
carried along. Now that the dog was on her own feet again, she waded deeply
into the stream and shook her body furiously.

Wolf
sat down on the ground and lifted his face to the falling sun, sighing with
fatigue and closing his eyes. Within seconds, he fell asleep. Looking at the
king’s guard, Mel realized that Wolf was very old. A million wrinkles creased
his cheeks and the silver fur was obviously a sign of old age.

Mel
marveled at his strength. Looking at Onio, Mel whispered, “Will he be all
right?”

Onio
looked surprised. “Yes, that is Wolf’s way…to sleep while he can. We might try
to do the same. Wolf’s actions tell me we might be running through the night.”

Mel
made a nest in the fallen leaves on the ground. She was exhausted, although she
had done nothing but ride all this way on the sasquatch’s back. Her eyes felt
gritty, and her thighs stung. She felt Onio place a fur over her and then she
slept.

Minutes
later a large hand shook her shoulder. The moon was high in the sky and the
stars glittered like jewels on black velvet. Onio leaned over her and said, “Climb
on my back again, Mel. We need to leave…now!”

There
was such urgency in his voice her heart quivered with fear. She rose, stifling
a gasp of pain and scrambled onto Onio’s back. They were off and running before
she even had a chance to wipe the sleep from her eyes.

Their
flight was slower this time, more cautious than before. Often Wolf paused,
lifting his wide nostrils into the air, eyes scanning the forest before moving
off in a different direction. Mel thought at one point that they moved in a
circular motion, crossing twice over the same creek bed. They were being
followed!

Mel’s
heart slammed in her chest as they reached an open plateau. There was nowhere
to hide. Wolf and Onio sprang into an all-out sprint. The two big males raced
across the frozen ground at astonishing speed. Mel’s eyes watered and her lips
peeled back with the force of their movement. She had no way of knowing how
fast they were actually going but she guessed it was close to fifty miles an
hour. It was uncanny—supernatural. If she weren’t so frightened, she would have
howled with glee.

Then,
just like that, it was all over. Mel saw at least a hundred huge figures stand
up from where they crouched in the weeds, the moon’s glow illuminating the
clubs, staffs and enormous, lethal looking spears in their hands. Wolf and Onio
came to a halt, heaving and shuddering with fear. Rage made them draw back,
snarling, and Onio put Mel on the ground, standing over her protectively as the
enemy sasq circled them in silence.

Mel
saw Onio turn to the left. She could see by the look on his face that something
new and even more horrible was approaching. She looked past his legs and saw
something she knew she would never forget for as long as she lived; which, she
acknowledged fearfully, might not be very long.

A
gigantic male sasquatch walked into their midst. He was so big Mel gasped with
wonder. Nine feet tall at least, he towered over every sasquatch there. Even
the mighty guard named Wolf looked puny compared to him. He wore the hide of a
polar bear, head, teeth and all, like a cape over one shoulder, and carried a
staff that was almost as tall as a telephone pole.

One
side of his face was scored with claw shaped scars, and the eye socket sported
some kind of huge glittering gem instead of an eyeball. He wore a crown on his
head that gleamed with metallic splendor, and a smile on his face that made Mel
want to shriek in terror.

Chapter 11

“Wolf,”
the fierce king of the northern territories said. “I would talk with you.”

From
where Mel lay on the ground, she could see Wolf’s shoulders stiffen. He drew
back in consternation, his heavy brow lowered into a scowl, and he glared.

“What
does Two Horses have to say to the likes of me?” he growled.

The
giant sasquatch smiled, gazing back and forth from Onio to Mel. The jewel that
took the place of his lost eyeball glittered red and gold. “Is this First Son—the
mixed breed?” he asked.

“What
is it to you who this insignificant boy is? I would have safe passage from you
and your warriors. Truce has been called for many seasons now. There is no
reason for you to detain us!” Wolf was screaming now, almost incoherent in his
rage. He lifted his enormous war club and brandished it in threat.

Two
Horses’s guards raised their weapons as well. For a moment, Mel thought that
the soldiers would attack. She put her head between her knees and prayed for a
swift end. Two Horses lifted his hand though, and his sasq guards stepped back.