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Escape From Manitou Island: Part 139 |
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(DISCLAIMER: This part, and all parts hereafter, are works in progress (WIPs) and have not been proofread or checked for plot inconsistencies. I've decided to present them "as is" for now, as there is a significant amount of unfinished material; yet this story has been on hiatus for a long while, I've forgotten certain details, and I have no plans to resume work on it any time soon. Please keep in mind while reading that details may change in the future. Should you spot an inconsistency, however, please feel free to point it out to me for possible correction.)
COMPULSION CHARMIAN WALKED ALONG practically without even seeing by now, and thought, This is getting ridiculous. "I knew Kabebonikka wouldn't make it easy," she nearly had to yell, "but isn't this kind of overdoing it?" "I think you misunderstand the nature of manitous," Stick-In-The-Dirt shouted in response. "For some there is no such thing as overdoing it!" "Maybe his mother didn't spank him enough as a kid," Charmian muttered under her breath, not caring that no one could hear. The wind seemed to howl at them from whatever direction they decided to walk in, even though it was supposed to be the North Wind. Which meant that no matter which way they turned, they were walking against it, and being blinded by snow. They had to stop numerous times just so she could do a headcount and make sure that nobody had gotten lost along the way, and that alone was consuming a lot of their time. She ground her teeth in frustration. Mishosha and Makwaquae had surely reached the southwest lake by now, and with it, Mishupishu, X'aaru, and Marten. "We should've gone along with them," she exclaimed, swiping snow from her shoulders. Thomas gave her a squinty look. "Are you serious--?" She said nothing and he furrowed his brow. "Charmian! They went underwater. We couldn't have gone with them even if we'd wanted to. We did the best we could. They're probably safer than we are!" "But Marten didn't go underwater!" Charmian protested. "And I hate to say it--okay, I don't hate to say it--he's not the brightest bulb in the chandelier, if you know what I mean!" "I'm afraid I don't," Thomas replied. "But I can guess. Don't worry about him. When something important's on the line, he's always come through." Charmian remembered how Marten had helped her when Moon Wolf and Manabozho's brothers had all been knocked out during her last battle with Chakenapok, and sighed; it was true, the Mikumwesu did have his uses. "I can't stop worrying," she admitted, and began glancing around. "Kwemoo! Maang! Where the heck are you? Make yourselves useful for a change!" Two dark shapes came flapping down and crash-landed in the drifts of snow, letting out startled o-ho's. Charmian scowled impatiently as they got to their feet, shaking off their wings. "One of you fly back the way we left Mishosha and one of you fly on ahead to this lake!" she instructed. "Whenever you see something, come back and tell us, or if you reach those places first, whichever. Get going." "O-ho!" the two loons exclaimed, and ran in circles before taking off awkwardly. They almost crashed into each other as they parted ways. Charmian tried to watch them go before giving up and turning in a circle herself. "FRANCOIS! Where are you--?" "Over here, ma chère," she heard his voice call out, and another vague shape came tramping toward her. He was shielding his eyes. "You needed something?" "I think I'm going to get us lost," Charmian said with a cringe. "Maybe it'd be best if you led!" "Whichever you think is best," Francois replied, and started walking in the direction that she'd been going in. She decided not to ask how he knew that was the right way. Instead she stood and watched everyone else gathering themselves together before following. She felt a bit guilty seeing the miserable looks on their faces, then felt a bit guiltier when, whenever one of them noticed her, they quickly tried to look not so miserable. Thomas fell into step beside her, Winter Born on her other side, when she began walking again. "Am I really that much of a taskmaster...?" she murmured, brushing her hair from her eyes. "I don't see it that way," Thomas said. "I think they respect your opinion, so they don't want to seem so down about it. You have to admit, this weather is something atrocious." He made an odd face. "Not that I'm noticing it terribly much." Charmian glanced at Winter Born, who hadn't spoken in quite a while. The girl stared at the ground as she walked; Charmian couldn't remember ever having seen her so downhearted before. Even her braids seemed dispirited. "Winter Born...?" she said; when Winter Born didn't even look up her brow furrowed. "Hey. You know, you did help us out back there. That manitou was coming right at me. I know I couldn't have stopped him." "But I didn't want to kill him," Winter Born murmured. She lifted a hand to rub her eyes and sniffled. "A good medicine woman doesn't go killing manitous. She's supposed to talk to them, and listen to them, and learn from them...not hurt them or anything...not even mitchi manitous." She looked up at Charmian, eyes brimming. "How can I be a good medicine woman if I do things like that? I don't even remember doing it! Good medicine people are supposed to know what they're doing. I study all the time, and listen to things, and try to learn...how come I don't know what I'm doing...?" From the corner of her eye Charmian noticed Thomas raise an eyebrow and she began gnawing on her lip. "Um...I really don't know," she admitted at last. "I never wanted to be a medicine woman, myself! The way I see it you're way ahead of me!" Winter Born lowered her head again. "Not if I'm killing and scaring all the manitous..." Charmian grimaced and rubbed at her neck. "My pep talks only seem to work on adults," she whispered to Thomas, who could only give a sympathetic shrug. "Geezhigo-Quae said I was supposed to start teaching you," she said then, and Winter Born's head popped back up immediately, her eyes wide. "So...even though I have absolutely no idea what to teach you that you don't already know, I guess I could try to show you a few things...things that Moon Wolf and Manabozho showed me, at least..." "She really said that...?" Winter Born asked in surprise. She started walking sideways. "What could you teach me? I really want to learn! So I don't mess up again!" Charmian again furrowed her brow. She considers THAT "messing up"...? she thought, then bit her lip. "Well...talking to manitous, for one thing," she said. "That's the most important thing I ever learned, and one of the first things. Geezhigo said you've been listening to manitous for years, you're just a little rusty on it all." Winter Born nodded vigorously. "Sometimes I kind of get what they're saying...but only after working my way through it...I'd love being able to talk to them like you do! You make it look so easy!" "Try telling the manitous in Shawondassee's land that," Charmian whispered to Thomas, and his mouth twitched. "Well...you already know they whistle...and you can already sense some of them, sometimes. You did that before those mitchis first attached us. Try doing that right now, can you feel any manitous nearby?" Winter Born shut her eyes and walked that way for a few moments. Charmian noticed that nobody was chattering, and blushed a little, feeling self-conscious; after a short while Winter Born opened her eyes and tilted her head a little. She pointed in the direction they were heading in. "I think I feel one that way. But I'm not too sure." Charmian frowned. "Really...?" She cast out her net, mentally signaling for Mani to do likewise. For a brief moment she thought she sensed something, but then it was gone; Mani gave her a perplexed look that told her he'd felt the same thing. "What the heck was that?" she asked, and looked to Little Wind. "Did you feel that?" He bit his own lip and looked reluctant to reply. "If it's Mishosha then we're going to kick his ass," she warned, and that earned her a stubborn look in return. "It isn't Grandfather Mishosha!" he retorted. "He would hardly feel the need to hide from us!" "Guess he has a short memory," Thomas whispered. "If there's some weird manitou ahead of us trying to hide itself, then that worries me," Charmian said. "I think we need to be on our guard. We don't know what this thing even is or what it wants." "Maybe it's that Whiskey-fellow again," Manabozho suggested. "Mishosha said he took care of him," Charmian said. "I don't think he'd be way over here!" Have a bad feeling, Mani whistled, getting her attention. His ear flicked. Didn't feel like other manitous. Felt...strange...somehow. "Strange...?" She didn't like the sound of that. She looked ahead, trying to spot it now, though there was nothing visible but snow and more snow. "Can anybody see anything, then--? It can't be too far away if Winter Born sensed it..." "It feels familiar," Little Wind said, and that really made her feel uneasy. She glared at him as if to demand more information, but he didn't offer any. She focused on the snow ahead of them again, and kept seeing moving images, but they kept evaporating and she knew it was just her eyes playing tricks on her; still, in a place like this, it was hard to tell tricks from the real thing. She noticed Francois, standing somewhat in front of her, tense, then his hand reached for his gun and pulled it off his shoulder. She silently watched him load it and then aim it vaguely ahead of them. Thomas, Winter Born, and Stick-In-The-Dirt all furrowed their brows and looked at her as if she knew what he was doing; she inched closer to him and peered into the snow, still seeing nothing definite. "Francois...?" she murmured. "What is it?" "Use your nose," he replied. "Do you smell anything?" She frowned but sniffed, hearing Winter Born and several of the others follow suit. Her frown grew when she couldn't detect anything, but Winter Born let out a little gasp and stood straight. "Bear smell!" she exclaimed in a whisper. "Bears?" Charmian grimaced and threw her hands out in front of her, fire lighting them up. "How did they get AHEAD of us--?" "But--that's not Grandfather Mishosha or Grandmother Makwaquae!" Little Wind protested. "I know what they feel like..." "You just SAID it felt FAMILIAR!" Charmian snapped. "Familiar, but don't you think I'd know my own grandfather if I sensed him--?" "It's not a wabano," Francois murmured, still staring into the blizzard like a hawk. Charmian saw his eyes moving slowly from side to side. "But something else about it isn't right. If it was just a bear, no one would have sensed a manitou." "Mishosha said he was trying to become a manitou," Charmian said, "and he looked like he was getting pretty close--" "Shh!" Francois hissed, and she blinked, suddenly feeling hurt. He put the butt of the gun to his shoulder and aimed into the snowstorm. Soft noises came from behind her and Charmian looked to see Baptiste, Lieutenant Barrington, and Black Elk Horn following suit, though each looked just as confused as she felt, and she could tell that they didn't sense whatever was coming. What bothered her even more was that she couldn't sense it, either. Charmian, a soft voice said in her head, and her eyes grew. You're trying too hard. Use another sense. I can feel it too. Here. And Chakenapok fell silent, but she was suddenly flooded with a strange feeling which made the hair on her neck prickle and her teeth chatter. Her hand snaked down to grasp Winter Born's wrist hard enough to make the girl wince, and she took a step back. "What is it?" Thomas whispered. She shook her head. "I don't know...but...it's coming right toward us...!" Now everyone was dead silent, staring at the blowing white. Francois kept the gun still and aimed at nothing, and it was a very long time before very faint noises made it through the howl of the wind. They were faint creaking noises, as of someone walking in the snow; then a low snuffling noise came along with them. Charmian started shaking--even though she could tolerate them now, she'd long disliked bears, and the arrival of one, unannounced, filled her with dread--and had to bite her lip to avoid biting her tongue instead. A vague shape began to form behind the falling plumes of snow, and her eyes grew, her heart starting to thud so hard that it felt like it would tear out of her chest. Thomas's and Winter Born's and the others' eyes grew as well. Francois's own eyes grew wider, then Charmian saw something that frightened her even more than what she saw appearing from the snow. The tip of his gun began to shake. The snuffling bear noises grew louder, and a large mass came shuffling slowly into view. There was a collective intake of breath as the bear appeared. It was a strange grayish-white, with deep hollow black eyes...but what really captured their attention was the fact that it was almost as big as Kenu--who had recently rejoined them--in his Thunderbird form. Although it merely walked, the ground vibrated slightly with each footfall, and its snuffling breath was such that frost misted over them every time it breathed, despite it being still a good distance away. And Charmian could tell that its size wasn't merely a matter of skewed perspective. It wasn't within striking distance, but it looked fairly capable of taking out an elephant, and she almost felt her hair go white. Winter Born slowly edged back behind her and Thomas only goggled in disbelief. Charmian could have tolerated that, but Francois's shaking gun was what really made her nervous, and her teeth started chattering and she let out a little whimper. "Wh...what...kind of bear...is that...?" Winter Born asked in a tiny voice. Manabozho took a step forward to look at the immense creature, brow furrowing. "It can't be," he whispered. Charmian slowly turned her head to look at him, her mouth sounding like she'd just eaten a breakfast of castanets. "Wh...what do you m-mean by th-that...?" she chattered. Manabozho stared at the bear for a moment, then turned to give her a confused look. "Mishimakwa," he said. "The Great Bear, a manitou which watches over all bears of this region. But..." A loud snorting noise came, and Francois flinched. The bear apparently noticed them at last, its giant nostrils flaring, and plumes of steam rose around its muzzle. Its eyes flashed blue, and before they knew it it was rearing up onto its hind legs and taking in a breath that made its chest swell. A second later, almost everyone cringed and clamped their hands to their ears when the loudest bellow imaginable filled the air, making their hair fly back and the snow gust around them as if it were challenging Kabebonikka himself. Charmian and Winter Born yelled in pain as their eardrums throbbed but their cries were completely drowned out. Another noise came which managed to cut slightly into the bear's roaring, and Charmian flinched when she recognized the blast of Francois's gun--she lifted her head, not even aware until now that she'd dropped to the ground along with Winter Born, to see the barrel smoking, but Francois was still staring at the bear with his eyes wide and his mouth open, and the bear was still rearing on its hind legs, teeth bared and massive paws raised in the air. Charmian looked all over but couldn't see a wound anywhere. "What is it?" she yelled again, her voice cracking in panic. "I told you! Mishimakwa!" Manabozho yelled in response; he too was ducking nearby, covering his head. "But for years he's been DEAD!" A ghost manitou--? Charmian had time to think, and suddenly Chakenapok's assistance made more sense. Of course she would have more difficulty sensing a manitou that was dead. "How do you fight a GHOST manitou?!" she wailed, when the bear came charging at them, immense jaws gaping and spittle flying back from his mouth. Almost everyone yelled and scattered, running off in different directions; even Black Elk Horn hastened forward to grab Winter Born and haul her along with him. Charmian started moving only when Thomas grabbed one of her wrists, Stick-In-The-Dirt the other, and Singing Cedars gave her a hard shove for good measure. Francois held his place, hastily trying to reload his gun, but spilling more of the powder than he put into it. Charmian glanced over her shoulder to see him aim between the bear's eyes, and the gun went off again just as his massive paw swung at him to sweep him from the ground. She stumbled and twisted around. "FRANCOIS!!" A cloud of smoke had seemingly exploded from the gun, and that plus the blizzard made it impossible for her to see for a moment. Then it cleared a little, and she saw Francois still standing, but now he was gripping the barrel of the gun as if to use it as a cudgel, his other arm over his head and a grimace on his face. Winter Born dug her feet into the snow to halt as well and blinked. "Where's the bear--?" she asked, the question that everyone else was thinking. There was a brief silence. Then Francois lowered his arm and blinked himself, glancing left and right, and even up and down. He started turning in confused circles while everyone else drifted back into one group, huddling together and peering nervously about in case the giant creature had somehow concealed himself or gone invisible. Charmian tried casting her net like crazy but picked up nothing. Whatever it was, it's gone now, Chakenapok said. She let out a breath and untensed a little. "Chakenapok says it's gone," she said, and Francois looked at her, then at the empty space before him, before lowering the gun. He rubbed at his head as if confounded, and she couldn't blame him. "Wow," Winter Born said, carefully pulling free of her father's grasp. "That bear was HUGE!" "Mind filling us in just a teeny bit on what that was all about--?" Charmian said, turning to Manabozho with a peeved look. He rolled his eyes and let out a gusty sigh. "I thought you learned all about us before coming here! Fine," he gave in when she raised her hand as if to hit him. "I don't even know much of it myself. But every sort of animal has a guardian manitou. When one goes to hunt a deer, for instance, he prays to this guardian so the Great Deer will allow him to shoot them. Well, Mishimakwa is the guardian of the bears. The only thing is, Mishimakwa's been dead for ages. I know because I went out once to slay him, only to find that somebody had beaten me to it." He sniffed. "More like, you were relieved to find somebody else beat you to it," Charmian muttered. She stared into the snow for a moment. "So...why would a ghost manitou start bothering us now? I assume he guards bears? Why would he be attacking us?" Manabozho shrugged. "Do I look like I know everything?" "Well...Little Brother..." Peepaukawiss said hesitantly, "...you do always say that--" Manabozho promptly hit him on top of the head and he collapsed into the snow. Charmian edged toward Francois, who was now replacing his gun, but still cautiously looking around himself. "Can you smell any real bears around...?" she asked, not sure if she wanted to know. He shook his head a little and ran a hand across his brow. "I don't think so...though after seeing that thing, my senses might be a little off!" "Maybe...maybe something is out of order...?" Stick-In-The-Dirt ventured, and everyone turned to look at him. He blushed a little and fiddled his fingers. Charmian frowned. "If something's out of order...I'm willing to bet it's because of Mishosha! Let's try to think in more general terms. Why would a manitou bear attack anyone?" "If we were wandering too near its territory, or seeking to kill one it's chosen to protect," Moon Wolf said. "These are valid reasons for an animal guardian to attack." "So that bear's keeping us away from something." She bit her lip. "Does that mean we're on the right track, or the wrong one...?" "Well, whatever it is, it's gone now," Manabozho said, "so we needn't worry overmuch!" He began walking, brushing his way past Francois and quite obviously nudging the voyageur aside as he did so. "I'll lead the way if anyone else is too reluctant to..." Charmian glared at him while Francois merely shrugged. Think I smell water ahead anyway, Mani said with a shrug of his own. May as well give it a try. "I guess," Charmian sighed, adjusting her pack. "Maybe it's for the best anyway, since if we run into Mishimakwa again, Manabozho will be the one to fight him this time!" Scuttling noises came from ahead, and Manabozho promptly dashed to the back of the group. "I just remembered!" he exclaimed. "The rear is absolutely DEFENSELESS without someone such as myself to keep watch of it! Mishimakwa's already dead, so he's no worry. The rear, on the other hand..." "I have something to say about a rear," Charmian muttered, but Thomas nudged her arm and waved. "Come along now, isn't that where he best belongs after all? I bet that lake isn't far off. Then we can all meet up and keep heading west." He put his hands in his pockets and his smile faded. "I have to admit, even I'm getting rather homesick, by now..." "At least it's nice and cold here," Augwak grumbled, "though I could really use some nice FOOD!" "Hard to believe Augwak's the one in the best mood for once," Charmian said, and picked up her pace, hoping that the lake wasn't too far away, and that Mishosha wasn't moving too quickly right now. The fire lodge burned in the middle of the snow, the group of mitchi manitous standing around outside it now, heads lowered miserably. Mishosha and Makwaquae sat within but the looks on their faces weren't much more pleasant. Makwaquae huddled at one side, rubbing her running nose, while Mishosha sat at the other, arms crossed and a scowl darkening his face; his fingers played constantly over a little carved fetish attached to one of his necklaces, shaped like a bear, and his unpleasant expression grew even more so by the minute. It was only when faint tramping noises came from the snow outside, the manitous whistling and backing away, that he got to his feet, waving at Makwaquae to do the same, and waved so that an opening appeared in the fire lodge and it grew bigger to accommodate their new guest. The giant gray-white bear lumbered halfway into the lodge, as that was all of him that would fit. He halted before them with his head low and his eyes glowing blue. They fixed on Mishosha's and the look there wasn't friendly. They are to the west of here, making their way toward the lake, the bear manitou said, his voice a low deep rumble, like the sound of the earth. They expect you to be following. "And did they sense my manitous?" Mishosha asked. No, the bear manitou replied. My own presence masked them, so they could make their way about unnoticed. For the moment, at least, they are distracted, and worried that I will return to harass them. They are not thinking clearly just yet. But this will soon change. "No matter," Mishosha said. "By then it won't be a concern of mine. Very good work, Mishimakwa." He bowed to the bear. The manitou's eyes flared. Do not lower your head before me. You know very well I do this only out of compulsion, and that you are the one holding my will in the palm of your hand. I assist you only because I have no choice. And now that I have done my part, you will uphold your end of the bargain and let me go. Mishosha's mouth twitched as he stood up straight again. "Do I sense some resentment...? I merely let you use your bountiful powers as you see fit, great manitou. I thought you liked scaring off pathetic humans who trespass in your domain." Only when I am the one doing the scaring, Mishimakwa replied. I do not like being compelled, and I do not like mere humans who pretend to be manitous. One of these days, your actions will come back at you, and you will regret ever forcing the spirits to do your bidding. Makwaquae glanced at her husband to see his eyes narrow. "And now you're overstaying your welcome," the wabano said, his voice grating slightly. He pulled off the bear fetish and held it out, dangling, in front of him. "You wish to be freed? Very well; all manitous keep their word, after all." He ignored the way that the manitou's eyes glittered as he cut the cord binding the fetish and it fell into the snow; he tossed the cord down as well. The bear manitou relaxed somewhat as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and slowly backed out of the lodge. "Remember though," Mishosha said as he went, "you promised also not to warn them of our intent, and as a fellow manitou, you too must honor your word." The bear manitou turned his head to glare at them. I know what I promised. I always keep my word. He turned away and began lumbering off through the snow. But I doubt that you do... "Ingrate!" Makwaquae growled, clenching her fists. "No matter," Mishosha said, stooping forward to pick up the fetish. "That work is done. I'm willing to bet that when they meet their friends again at that lake, they'll make camp, and rest as they plan their next move. This is good for us. I can finally get to try out my little trick on somebody besides a wabano or a manitou." He held up the little spear that he'd retrieved from the Pukwudjininee and smiled. "And what of that?" Makwaquae asked, nodding at the fetish and cord as he tucked them away in a pouch. "I thought we promised to free him?" "Tsk-tsk, Makwa-dear," Mishosha chided. "I said manitous always keep their word. We're not manitous...yet." She blinked, then laughed. "And to think that bear said we would regret this," she exclaimed as they resumed walking. "I rather think he has it the wrong way around!" "You're finally learning," Mishosha said, and she gave him a mock glare before he smiled again. "But these will all be tiny matters not even worth considering, as soon as Megissogwun upholds his promise--and we then become the most powerful manitous to have ever lived!" "But what about the Pearl Feather--?" Makwaquae asked, suddenly serious. Mishosha fell silent, then turned his head to look right at her. Don't worry, he thought, rather than said. More powerful even than he! This is what the spirits owe us and what we will attain--both of us! Makwaquae's eyes grew. Then, she slowly smiled back. |