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Escape From Manitou Island: Part 143 |
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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.)
SCHISMS "I DON'T SEE them!" Marten, hovering over the icy lake, exclaimed. "I see--" His words were drowned out then, as the ice shattered and water came surging up into the air in a seeming geyser, everyone on shore having to cover their heads to avoid the fallout. An immense shape was slowly revealed as the mist cleared, and at first Stick-In-The-Dirt and a few of the others quailed, before realizing that it was only Mishupishu. He stared at them with wide eyes for a moment before lowering his head so that his neck stretched out over the ice, resting his chin on the shore and opening his mouth. Singing Cedars and Moon Wolf were closest, and so peered inside, taking in a breath at what they saw. They moved aside when Manabozho and Francois both nudged their way forward, then Francois let out his own breath and reached into the Lynx's mouth. Remy was resting upon Mishupishu's tongue, sopping wet and unconscious but still breathing. Mishupishu carefully eased his tongue out so Francois could pick the boy up, clasping him close and squeezing some of the water from his clothes. After a moment Remy coughed up a mouthful of water and started shivering. "Where's my wolf--?" Manabozho exclaimed, giving Mishupishu an aggrieved look. The Lynx's spines lowered. "I tried to get to him, but he was attached to that manitou, and they were sinking so fast! I got the boy first, and by the time I turned back around they were gone." He gasped a little, then raised his head. "I can go look down there again now that my mouth is empty!" He turned and splashed back into the water, leaving nothing but ripples and bobbing chunks of ice behind him. "We need to rebuild that fire," Francois said, turning and starting to tramp back toward the wigwam, which had been somewhat battered by the windstorm. Manabozho stood staring at the water, so they had to leave him behind, several of them casting him sympathetic looks as they went. Mishupishu still hadn't surfaced by the time they were back at the lodge rekindling the fire. "Those other manitous must have run off," Niskigwun, keeping guard at the door with Mani, said. "I just hope they didn't go looking for Charmian!" "They seemed to be scared off when Mishupishu came back out," Thomas said, rubbing at his head as Moon Wolf and Little Wind worked on the fire. "Though who knows for how long. Does anyone know what all that junk was Mishosha was going on about?" "Maybe it was only a bluff," Singing Cedars suggested. "We did say that we haven't given away any part of ourselves, didn't we?" "From what little I've seen of him so far I doubt he would pull such a stunt," Moon Wolf said. "The more a wabano bluffs, the less that people will believe his threats and the less hold he has over anyone. He must have acquired something from one of us, but whatever it is, he doesn't seem to be using it just yet." "Well, that's hardly much comfort," Thomas said, getting up and moving away from the fire a little to sit by the entryway. "I can't stand the thought that those manitous could be going after Charmian right now," he added, his look growing troubled. "He seemed to be taunting us into trying to go and find her," Francois said, wrapping Remy in a blanket and putting his clothes by the fire to dry. "That seems to say something." "What, you think it's some sort of trap...?" Thomas asked with a frown. "But he just ran off looking for Winter Born. Which one is it that he's really looking for?" "Perhaps it's not a matter of him catching us when we reach her," Moon Wolf said, looking perplexed. "I almost get the feeling he wants us to find her for some other reason." "Wants us to find her?" Peepaukawiss scratched his head. "But I thought he didn't want us to find her...ooohh, my head aches!" "Perhaps that's the plan," Moon Wolf said, and they looked at him. He stared at the fire. "He plans something for when we meet again." He turned abruptly to glare at Little Wind, who gasped and jumped a little. "You know him better than any of us. He must have been sharing his plans with you all along. If you know something about this, then tell it." Little Wind shrank in on himself when the rest of them looked at him. "He--he never shared all of his plans with me!" he protested. "I just thought he meant to when I was older--and more skilled. I don't know what he could be talking about." "I find it difficult to believe that he would be using some bad medicine and you have absolutely no clue," Moon Wolf said, eyes narrowing. "He just said he doesn't know," Thomas said, earning a look from Moon Wolf himself. "Lighten up on the poor guy! Isn't it obvious he's been fooled into all of this, too--?" "I think it's in our best interests not to all go after Charmian," Francois said, and now they all looked at him again, eyes going wide in disbelief. He ignored their looks and continued rubbing Remy's hands and feet. "We all agree he's setting us up for something," the voyageur said quietly. "Even if we don't know what. The manitou is fine so far--Charmian's not hurt." "That could change at any time," Thomas insisted. "And when it does, we'll know." Francois looked at him. "I'm not saying none of us should look for her. Just that all of us shouldn't. We have to split up. As long as some of us make it west, the Island is safe. The fewer of us who go looking for her, the better." "I will go," Niskigwun said, stepping in the entryway and making sure to meet everyone's eyes. "I can fly and seek her," he said, "more ably and more quietly than the rest of us," he added when Marten and Kenu both opened their mouths. "I can make it through this storm. And I can cover ground more easily." "I can look for her just as well," Singing Cedars protested, also getting up. "My okis can see through the woods, which I doubt you can do from so high up!" "Both of you can go," Francois said. "And the rest of us stay here for now." "The rest of us--?" Thomas exclaimed, Niskigwun and Singing Cedars both departing before they could face any further argument. He clenched his fists. "How come only them? This is Charmian we're talking about. Our leader! What do you have against helping her?" "I have nothing against this," Francois said, not bothering to look at him. Thomas rose and took a step toward him, Little Wind and Moon Wolf raising their heads from the fire. "You certainly do! You were the exact same way back east on the river. She may be tough but she's not invincible. Sending out only two to look for her in the middle of a storm is ridiculous!" "It's four," Francois corrected him; when Thomas looked confused he said, "The Michinimakinong, the Iroquois, and two okis. They stand the best chance of locating her right now. If they fail, then more of us go." He finally looked up. "Remember what her goal is. As of right now, I strongly feel she doesn't even want us to find her." "The argument is settled," Moon Wolf cut in before Thomas could speak again. "At least one of us should go out to look for Winter Born as well. In case her father can't find her." "I'll look for her," X'aaru offered. "Maybe--maybe if I run into Father, I can convince him not to do anything to the red man." "I can go too!" Marten exclaimed. "I'll run along the ground and look!" Moon Wolf nodded once, and they too left the lodge. Thomas watched them go, turned to glare at both Francois and Moon Wolf in turn, then resumed his seat near the entryway, arms crossed and a scowl on his face. Moon Wolf, Francois said, and Moon Wolf lifted his head a little to frown at him. Judging by their lack of reaction, no one else had heard the thought, and he found it kind of strange that the voyageur would speak to him alone. Francois surreptitiously met his eyes across the fire. Keep your eye on him, he thought, simply. Something doesn't feel right. Moon Wolf's frown grew, but he said nothing. He'd felt a prickle of unease himself, though he had no explanation for it. He pretended that they hadn't communicated at all, and turned his attention back to keeping the fire going. The wind abruptly died down, and with it Winter Born let out a little puff of a breath and fell to her hands and knees in a drift. "That...that must've been the biggest wind I've ever seen!" she panted, and wiped some wet hair from her eyes. "Not that I saw it...but..." She lifted her head and blinked a few times, then frowned. "Huh? Where's the camp...?" It seemed like only a few moments ago, she'd been not that far away from the lake and the wigwam on its shore, when the windstorm had come upon them and they'd all started hurrying inside. She'd turned and headed toward what she assumed must be the entryway...only there hadn't been an entryway there...and pretty quickly, all of the voices around her had been drowned out, and all that she could think of to do was just keep running toward the entry. She'd had a dream once that she'd been playing outside late at night, and her father and mother had called her in, and she'd gone running for the wigwam...only it seemed like she could never get any closer. Right now, it seemed like that dream had just come true. She shivered as she got to her feet, brow furrowing. "Wh...where am I...?" she asked, but the only answer was the slight whistle of wind which still blew behind her. Just realizing this, she turned around to see that a small stand of pine trees stood behind her, and there were more scattered groups of them in the landscape surrounding. Anxiety seeped up into her throat as she surveyed the place she was now in. It was covered with slight rolling hills, which were themselves now covered in a thick layer of snow, and...there was no lake or river or wigwam in sight. Winter Born's hand crept up to her mouth and she began nibbling on her fingernails. "Where am I?" she asked again, almost pleading. She started walking south, then halted--what if she'd already been heading south?--the camp would be back to the north--then she started heading north, then halted and wondered if she should head east, or keep going west. Then she let out a whimper and began chewing on the fingernails of both hands, shifting from foot to foot. "Charmian...?" she murmured, then, "Charmian--?" and finally she cupped her hands to her mouth, squeezing her eyes shut. "CHARMIAN!!" The name bounced off the trees and she gasped and jumped, for it sounded almost like someone else was calling out too. She strained her ears for a moment before realizing that it was merely her echo, and she let out a small sound and sank to sit in the snow, huddling in on herself. "How am I supposed to find them again...?" she said in a small voice, her eyes welling up. "I've never been lost before...not on my own...the Island's so small I could never get lost for long...how do I get found again...?" The tears spilled out of her eyes and she lifted a hand to rub at them, starting to sniffle, when a fresh gust of wind seemed to slap her across the face and she gasped and fell over in the snow. She blinked a few times, then jumped to her feet and whirled in a circle, looking around. "WHO DID THAT?" she yelled, then turned north and shouted as loudly as she could. "I KNOW THAT WAS YOU! YOU'RE MEAN! WHY DID YOU HIT ME?!" Nobody answered, though the wind did pick up a bit and make the tops of the nearby trees sway back and forth, and it sounded like they were laughing at her. Winter Born felt her ears grow hot, then she clenched her fists. Her eyes welled up again but she refused to let the tears fall this time. "I'll show you!" she shouted. "You're just a big blustery Wind! I might be lost now but Charmian said we're going to MAKE it west and we WILL! All of us!" She turned west and started walking. "I'll make it there first on my OWN if I have to!" The wind in the trees seemed to laugh again, but after she'd tromped several steps, it died down again, and the silence resumed. Winter Born slowed her step, peering northward uncertainly. "Hello...?" she asked, but there was no answer, even though she had the distinct feeling she was still being watched. She bit her lip, but turned and continued heading west. "Big plains," she said to herself, resuming nibbling on her fingernail. "That's where Charmian said we have to go. What if she's looking for me right now? I'd hate leaving her further behind..." She sighed. "Just remember what we did when she was lost," she told herself. "Monsieur Francois said we stick to the plan. And what happened? We ran right into her again! So if I stick to the plan and keep going west...at least I'll make it..." She rubbed at her arms, at last feeling the cold. I didn't want to do it ALONE though... "Wait a minute. I'm not alone," Winter Born said suddenly, halting. Her face lit up, then she shut her eyes and concentrated. "Hello...? Are you still there anywhere...?" she asked aloud, biting her lip and hoping against hope that the voice would come again. She had to wait a while, and began to fear that she wouldn't hear it again after all...when it came at last in the very back of her head, seeming smaller and further away than it had been before. I'm still here, little winter girl... Winter Born's eyes popped open and she gasped, then clapped her hands and hopped up and down. "Hooray! I thought maybe you were gone!" She stopped jumping and clasped her hands together. "Red Bird Lady! I'm so glad you're still there! I haven't heard you in so long, I thought maybe you'd left." I've never gone, the Red Swan answered, except for when that Flint forced me away. Winter Born's brow furrowed. "Huh...? What do you mean?" The one you know as Chakenapok. He forced me away, so I could no longer talk with you or Charmian. It's only because I broke my way free that I can speak with you now. Winter Born felt her enthusiasm begin to die a little. "He...he did that? Are you sure...?" You doubt me just like SHE does--? The voice came out sharp this time and Winter Born gasped and jumped a little. "Um--no! Not really," she hastened to say. "It's just...I thought he was a good person, now...why would he make you go away?" Because he is afraid that I will keep him from Charmian, and protect both of you from him, the Red Swan replied. You should not trust him. If he tries to speak to you, don't listen to him. Charmian as well, I believe he has some sort of hold over her. You should listen only to me. Could you do this...? Winter Born rubbed at her head, feeling very uneasy now. "I...I don't know," she said truthfully. "Charmian's my friend...I always listen to her. She's supposed to teach me things..." Yet has she? Every chance she gets to teach you, she brushes it off as you're nothing to her but a little girl. You really believe she'll teach you much? Listen to me for a moment. Winter Born waited, then began to frown. Try speaking to those trees, the Red Swan said. Address them, and then see what happens. "But I can't understand trees," Winter Born said, but sighed and turned to them anyway. "Okay...trees? Hello?" She waved at the pines. "Um...hello?" Ask them which way you came from, the Red Swan said. Winter Born suppressed a sigh. "Trees...? Could...could you tell me where I came from?" she called out. At first, nothing happened. Winter Born began shifting from foot to foot, feeling rather foolish, when she saw little blue dots begin to appear in the darkness of the woods. A whistling noise came, and she let out a gasp when she realized that it made sense. Came from southeast, the whistling voice said. Out of the snow. Winter Born's mouth fell open. "M...megwetch!" she cried in surprise, then turned and immediately began heading southeast as quickly as she could without falling. Her heart beat hard in her chest, her excitement renewed. "I could understand it!" she exclaimed. "The pine manitou! I could understand what it said!" You see? the Red Swan replied. As long as I am with you, you can understand what the manitous say when they speak to you. Isn't this as it should be? We should stay together. I could teach you so many things, and I won't be afraid to teach you, like Charmian is. That is the reason why she won't teach you, you realize? Winter Born halted, a puff of snow rising around her feet. She is afraid that you will become more powerful than she is, and endanger the Island. "Huh...?" Winter Born asked, her confusion returning. She felt a slight chill as she vaguely recalled Kabebonikka's earlier, similar words. She looked skyward as if the Red Swan rested there. "What...what do you mean? Why...why would she be afraid of me? I only ever wanted to HELP the Island...!" I know that, and I believe you, the Red Swan replied. But Chakenapok has influenced Charmian, and I don't think that she believes as much as she should. Remember how he tried to destroy the Island before? He did it through Charmian. He tried to blacken her spirit. She even feared that she might become like the demoness herself. Why else would she listen to him now, if he hasn't influenced her? Even she recognizes your power, little winter girl, just as everyone should. This is why she is afraid. The Flint makes her afraid, and she's also afraid that you will take her place. Just as the Sky Mother told you to. Winter Born blinked. "Geezhigo...Geezhigo-Quae said that...?" she whispered. She felt a mental nod. The Sky Mother recognizes your power, and how it is best used. Think of it. If you protect the Island, what will Charmian do? She'll have to return to her home. The Island will no longer need her. "But--I don't want Charmian to leave!" Winter Born cried. "Isn't this more reason for me to NOT use my power? My power just killed a manitou! I don't want to scare people like that!" That manitou was evil, the Red Swan explained. What you did with him was commendable. Don't fight your power! Embrace it! Humans like Charmian can only dream of having such potential. Perhaps if you show her just what you can do, she'll allow you your full powers. If you show everyone--your mother, your father, the entire Island. All they do now is keep you down. You'll never realize your full potential unless you seize it, as the Sky Mother said. Winter Born began gnawing on her fingernails anew. "But...Charmian's my friend..." she murmured weakly, not sure of what to think anymore. I know this, the Red Swan replied, and I know it hurts. But there's no other way you can discover who you truly are... She felt her gaze being steered a little more to the south. This is the direction you came from. As for Charmian...she is not looking for you right now. Winter Born felt the Red Swan's presence fade away. "Hello...?" she called, receiving no answer; her throat hurt a little and she shuffled her feet, before starting to walk in the direction pointed out. She stared at the snow drifts as she went. She doesn't want me to trust Charmian anymore...? But--how can I not trust Charmian? All she's ever done is help the Island... But she did say I have a lot of power...and I killed that manitou...is she really not teaching me because she's afraid of me...? Are they all afraid of me...? Her heart hurt now, and she put a hand over it. She'd never had any reason to doubt Charmian before. Everything her mother and Stick-In-The-Dirt and Francois had told her about the mainlander was good. But if she really believed that she had such power...then why wasn't she helping to teach her...? She let out a small sigh and rubbed her arms, wishing that she were back home. This had started out fun enough, but now it was just getting scary and she missed the Island. The Island, where she knew the place of everything and knew exactly who she could and shouldn't trust. When had the world become so complicated? She lifted her head to make sure she was still heading the right way and spotted something far off in the snow. She blinked a few times, then saw the color bright red, and took in a breath, starting to jog toward it. That looks familiar...! "Hello? Hello?" she called out at first, then winced and checked herself, slowing her pace. By now, though, she could tell what it was, and she began jogging again until she'd reached it. She'd never seen the exact same color of red as Lieutenant Barrington's coat anywhere else, not even in town on the Island, and she wondered why his people made themselves such obvious targets. He was lying facedown in the snow, and she hurriedly dropped beside him and tried to roll him over. This was easier said than done as he seemed to be unconscious, and she was less than half his size. "Unnngghh!" Winter Born exclaimed, first pushing, then tugging on his arm. "Come on, roll over! You won't be able to breathe like this!" She hopped behind him and began tugging on his coat, when his head abruptly popped up out of the snow with a sputter. He paused just long enough for her to say, "Are you okay--?" before swinging at her and knocking her backwards. She landed hard, yelling, "Ow!" and rubbing at her behind. "Where--?" Barrington gasped, then started looking around himself, still spitting out snow. He brushed it from his hat and at last turned and saw her sitting in the drift and wincing. He blinked a few times, brow furrowing, then pushed himself up to his knees. "Where...how in the hell did I end up here?" he exclaimed, and got to his feet to turn in circles. "Where in the bloody hell is that lake--?!" "I thought maybe you would know!" Winter Born cried. "Me?" He looked at her again, as if just noticing her, and his face started twisting into a scowl. "How the hell is it that you're here and no one ELSE is? I was just ten paces from that bloody lodge! Where did it go?" "I don't know!" Winter Born exclaimed, her lip starting to stick out. "Are you always so rude to everybody?" She began pushing herself up. He ignored her now, looking around himself. "West...must be that way," he said hesitantly after a moment, glancing roughly westward. He made a face. "God help me for going along with this stupid plan!" He started tramping through the snow. "But that blasted ISLAND is looking far more comfortable than THIS place! I wish I'd never set foot in that atrocious Tree..." "Wait, hold up!" Winter Born cried, wallowing after him. He ignored her again and she scowled, nearly tripping. "I said hold up!" she yelled, and he whirled around so fast that she gasped and jumped. "What makes you think I have either the time or inclination to slow myself down for you?" Barrington snapped. "Go whichever way you want to go! I'm hardly your nanny! The way I see it, the further away we are from each other, the better!" He turned and resumed his walking. "I'm starting to think even that ghastly redhead would be better company...!" Winter Born's eyes grew wet, but she stubbornly rubbed them dry and took a deep breath. A moment later she was tramping along practically at his side, taking the longest steps she could, even though it quickly tired her and made her legs ache. She bit down the pain and kept walking this way even as Barrington frowned down at her. "You have a serious problem, you know that?" he said. "At least I don't go leaving people behind!" Winter Born retorted. "I was ready to help you and everything!" He let out a sharp bark of a laugh. "YOU? Help me?" "Uh-huh!" She wiped her eyes again. "But since you don't need it, I'll just walk on my own!" And she picked up her pace even more, so she was nearly running, until her foot went out from under her and she let out a cry and went falling facefirst into the snow. She heard Barrington gasp and then the crunch of his footsteps coming up quickly behind her. "Hey! Are you all right--?" he called out; she lifted her head and spat out a mouthful of snow. The tears ran hot from her eyes and she hated that she'd started crying after all, especially in front of him. She peered up at him to see him kneeling and looking down at her, brow furrowed; she was surprised to see that he actually seemed concerned. Hadn't he wanted to leave her behind just a moment ago...? She blinked when she realized that he was above her, looking down...further down than he should have been, if she'd merely fallen in the snow. Winter Born lifted her head further and noticed that her view of the hills and pines was obstructed. She dug her fingers into the snow beneath her and realized that landing in it had actually hurt, because it was packed harder than the loose snow around it. Furrowing her own brow in confusion, she pushed herself up onto her knees, glancing around herself. "Grab my hand," Barrington said, then he grasped her arm and pulled her up and out before she could speak. She rubbed the snow from her arms and they both stood and silently looked down at what she'd landed in. There, in the snow, was the indentation of an impossibly massive footprint. |