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Escape From Manitou Island: Part 174 |
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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.)
CHANGE OF HEART? MEGISSOGWUN LIFTED HIS uninjured arm and thrust it forward, and just like that, Makwaquae was flung head over heels through the air, her roar breaking off in a panicked squeal before she slammed into the ground. The ground actually shook from the force of the impact, and everyone gathered around the snow fort winced at the sound. Charmian's breath caught in her throat, then she felt her heart do a flip. Despite the landing, Makwaquae still managed to move, letting out a low, pained growl as she lifted her head a little. The glow around her had dimmed considerably but she somehow stayed in her bear form, the fireball flickering wildly over her head. Mishosha stood some distance away, so that the female wabano was between them, but Charmian still saw the look on his face as soon as his wife moved. He seemed as surprised as she felt, and took a step forward, only to halt and clench his fists as well as his teeth. Charmian heard nothing but she was fairly certain that he must be warning her to keep still. Makwaquae shook her head abruptly and turned to look back at Megissogwun, who still stood holding his bloody arm. The stunned look had left his face, his usual bland look having replaced it, but there was something different about his eyes. Despite their neutral look, something about it seemed forced, and a malevolent blue shimmer kept passing over them. Charmian shivered; she knew he was enraged. Makwaquae's lip curled back and her growl grew ugly. She didn't even bother insulting him as she lumbered painfully to her feet and stood again, a bit unsteadily, teeth bared. She lifted her paws and her claws glinted in the light cast by Megissogwun's glow. Mishosha took a step forward, fists still clenched, and a glow suddenly surrounded him as well. "Makwaquae, stop it!" She ignored him yet again, opening her mouth to let out a furious bellow. Megissogwun lifted his hand and before Charmian could even open her own mouth, she saw something flicker in the air between the two, and a split second later what looked to be a zap of energy or some such lanced through the bear's breast and her roar abruptly cut off. Makwaquae started glowing and shrinking, until she was left standing there in her human form, one hand clasped to the bleeding hole in her chest. She blinked before the blood drained from her face and she collapsed to her knees and then fell over. "MAKWAQUAE!!" Mishosha shrieked, and raced toward her. Charmian got to see tears flood the wabano's eyes before she felt herself being pulled backwards and stumbled with a yelp down into the fort. He's--he's crying, she thought with dim surprise, then noticed that it was Moon Wolf who had pulled her back among the others. She glanced around them and saw that everyone was there now except Manabozho, who still stood outside with Megissogwun. Charmian gasped and pulled free of Moon Wolf's grasp, scrabbling at the side of the fort to look out again. Manabozho hadn't moved from where he was standing; he glanced briefly at Mishosha and Makwaquae, then back at Megissogwun. Charmian found her attention focused on the wabanos. Mishosha dropped down beside his wife and lifted her head and upper body so gently that the gesture struck her as quite strange, coming from him, but the tears in his eyes were genuine, as far as she could tell. He bared his own teeth but the expression seemed more panicked than anything; cradling Makwaquae against him, he first put his hand to her wound, as if hoping to heal it somehow, then tilted her head upward, trying to see into her eyes. Charmian saw her blink, small gasping noises escaping her, but her eyes were wide and glassy and a line of blood was trickling from her mouth. She swallowed convulsively and her hand loosely grasped Mishosha's when he took it. "Makwaquae...?" Mishosha murmured, his voice cracking. His own fingers were bloody by now but neither of them seemed to notice it. Makwaquae blinked and took a breath, and the faint glow still surrounding her wavered a little. "Mi--Misho..." Her voice trailed off and the glow around her faded away as she let out a breath, her eyes still staring skyward. Her hand slipped loose of Mishosha's and fell to the ground with a small thud. "Makwaquae--?" Mishosha said a little louder, his fingers digging into her shoulder; then his own shoulders jerked a little, and a second later he burrowed his head against her breast, small noises escaping him. He shook as he rocked her back and forth a little. Charmian's vision blurred, but Moon Wolf again pulled her back somewhat when Megissogwun's glow lessened. "That," the manitou said, his voice grating slightly, "is what happens when you cross a true manitou." He turned his head to fix his stare on Manabozho, who flinched a little but stood his ground. "We have made our new arrangement," he said. "Find Kabeyun, accept his refusal to assist you, and then die when we meet again." A gale suddenly arose, gusting around them all, and they were forced to shield their eyes and cover their heads. Charmian peered between her arms and tried seeing Megissogwun again but the snow whipped up by the wind was such that she was blinded for a moment, and when it began to die down, the manitou was nowhere to be found. The wind faded away until nothing was left but the fat flakes of snow drifting lazily from the darkened sky, and everyone began glancing around themselves, bewildered and apprehensive. Manabozho stood still for a moment, then let out a breath and turned toward the fort. "He's gone," he said to Charmian. "I can't sense him," Charmian added, throwing out her mental net and finding nothing but several mitchi manitous wandering their way. She pushed herself up over the fort's edge. "He can just teleport himself like that--just jump around from place to place--?" "I assume he has to travel, but obviously by means we're unaware of," Moon Wolf answered, also climbing out. They went over to look at the spot Megissogwun had vacated. He'd left his massive footprints in the snow during his brief struggle with Makwaquae, and there was a small spatter of blood, but that was all. Charmian let out a breath. "At least we know he can be hurt," she said, and when Moon Wolf looked at her, she pointed at the blood. "I saw the look on his face. Didn't you? He wasn't expecting that at all. Aside from his fight with Kabeyun I don't think he's ever been hurt in his life, and that surprised him." "Well," Moon Wolf said skeptically, "it doesn't help us much as things stand. All we have is an additional reprieve--and a small one. Unless you have some sort of secret idea, I don't see how this changes things." Charmian bit her lip, wondering if she should bother telling him that she didn't really think Manabozho could defeat Megissogwun at all--but at least the attempt might buy them some time to plan a real attack. Her eyes started to shift toward Winter Born, who was herself now clambering fearlessly out of the fort to come running to look at the spot Megissogwun had just left, when Manabozho spoke up. "You don't know me then," he said, with such a fierceness that Charmian wondered if he was even faking it this time. His fists tightened and he gave Moon Wolf a dark look. "As if I'm going to let that vile thing destroy that Island again! He's crossed the wrong manitou! He'll find out when I bury him so far beneath the waters that Michinimakinak himself would never find him." Stick-In-The-Dirt pulled out his turtle-shell rattle, held it up to shake it, then seemed to think better of the gesture and just gnawed on his lip instead, looking very indecisive. Charmian turned her attention next to Niskigwun, who was still wincing and rubbing at his neck while Peepaukawiss looked him over for any serious injuries. "Niskigwun!" Charmian hissed under her breath, waving Puka away. "What the heck were you thinking saying that about Manabozho's mother--? Don't you have any idea what he thinks of her--?" Niskigwun made a face. "That's what I was counting on," he muttered, brushing a bent feather from his face. When she just blinked he added, "He requires just as much prompting as the girl does! I figured some sort of insult about his mother would be enough to make him show off." A slight grumble and another wince. "If I'd known he'd throw me that hard, though..." Charmian let out a breath. Leave it to Niskigwun to be as rational as ever, even when being tossed through the air. She looked over everyone else in the group to make sure they were all right--despite many wide-eyed looks, they seemed fine--then allowed herself to relax somewhat. "Well," she said, just now realizing how much the entire incident had drained her, "anybody still up for sleeping in...?" That resulted in nothing but incredulous stares, with a few dirty ones thrown in for good measure, and she shrugged a little. "You're the one who insisted I needed to sleep!" she said to Stick-In-The-Dirt. "I guess resting is out of the question, then," Moon Wolf said a bit wearily, rubbing at his head. "You think it best to continue in the dark like this, though...?" "It's not like we can't see," she insisted, holding up her hand and letting a fireball emerge. "Come on, you did it earlier," she said to him when he hesitated, and he lifted his own hand, flames appearing. "I'm guessing that other buffalo got through and they're going to help us out after all. Just make sure you say thanks a lot," she added, and he gave her a dark look before shaking the fire out. "I'll make do," he said curtly, and flicked his hand at Little Wind, who was still cowering in the back of the snow fort. The younger wabano blinked, then crept forward uneasily. "Seeing as you two have your own fire, that should be enough. We'll know if we step into something we shouldn't." Charmian expected Puka or Marten or someone to say something silly, yet nobody did; they all seemed strangely subdued as they began vacating the fort, still peering around themselves. "I doubt he'll be coming back," she offered. "He seemed pretty pissed off with that injury...I don't think he liked us seeing him like that." "It rather seems that angering him will only make things worse for us," Niskigwun said with a sigh, shuffling his wings. "At least, that is what it's done in the past..." "Wisakedjak should be taking care of X and Mishu," Charmian said, just to fill in the moody silence. She waved a hand. "Come on! West. Hopefully we're close enough now that we won't need any more major stops. The spirits will help us and Megissogwun just promised us the chance to make it there." "And you have just seen what he thinks of promises," Moon Wolf said, but offered nothing else despite the cringe on Charmian's face. They started tramping slowly away from the fort. She thought of telling him about what the Red Swan had said in her dream, more to fill in more of the silence than to be informative, but the words wouldn't come; her mind was still reeling from everything that had happened, and she was still tired. She rubbed her eyes instead. "What the big man kept saying about the West Wind," Winter Born spoke up, trotting alongside them. She nibbled on her lip and twisted a braid. "Do you really think that's true? That he won't help us?" "He certainly hasn't done much yet," Manabozho muttered, joining them. "Keep in mind how long ago that fight and everything was!" Charmian protested. "'Bozho, you haven't seen him in ages. You've never even seen him at all. Things could always change. Maybe we just need to piss him off enough, it seems to work fine on you." Manabozho scowled. Before he could speak another voice called out. "You're going to go try your luck with Kabeyun-Nodin after all, then--? What if I were to tell you I know the way right to him?" Everyone halted. Moon Wolf raised his hand and called up the fire again without a word, a scowl settling over his face as he and Charmian and the others turned back. She couldn't really blame him; her own fingers were itching to call up whatever she had, even though she knew it would be pointless. Mishosha still knelt on the ground holding Makwaquae, but he'd twisted his head to look back at them. His eyes were red and Charmian could see the tears still streaming down his face...but the expression there had changed. There was a steely glint in his eyes similar to the one Megissogwun had gotten, and they narrowed when he saw the others looking at him. Charmian felt Moon Wolf tense and, expecting this, called back, "We already know the way. Kabebonikka's going to show it to us. So, no thanks." Mishosha's eyes narrowed a sliver more, then he stood, taking Makwaquae with him. He turned a little and they could see that he still kept her head nestled against his shoulder, though her arm swung loose and blood was staining their clothes. She stared off into space as if she were ready to jump and turn into a bear at any moment, and Charmian shivered, taking a slight step back. "Really?" Mishosha said, in barely a question. He let out a shrill whistle and the vague shapes of several mitchi manitous trotted into view; everyone in the group tensed now, but the creatures seemed cowed, apparently having sensed or witnessed Megissogwun's attack, and they didn't come any closer. Mishosha signaled at one of them and it bent down onto its front knee. The wabano carefully placed Makwaquae upon its back so that she wouldn't fall off. He reached out to close her eyes before the manitou stood again and turned to retreat, and then he turned back to face them again. "And so that was your deal with the Wintermaker," he said, tucking his bloodied hands into his sleeves. His mouth twitched in a trace of the sneer Charmian knew so well, though the glint in his eyes didn't change. "I might ask, did he promise to show you the exact way to Kabeyun?" "I think I know his type a little better by now," Charmian returned, frowning. "He promised this exactly. So if you're looking for some kind of trick--" "He promised to show you how to reach Kabeyun," Mishosha interrupted, "but did he promise to show you how to approach him...?" Charmian blinked. "Huh--?" she blurted out, before she could think. Without considering that Mishosha was right there watching them, she whirled to look at the others. "Hey! What does that mean--? Kabebonikka promised to show us the way to Kabeyun, right--? Didn't he--?" Winter Born bobbed her head hard at Charmian's frantic tone. "He--he did! He promised! I remember you asked him all the catches and everything! Just in case!" Charmian turned to Moon Wolf next. "What would I know--?" he exclaimed. "I didn't speak with him! I assumed that when you said you covered everything, that meant you covered everything--!" Red Land One, Mani cut in, whistling to get her attention. Think he means how to speak to West Wind One, he explained when she turned to him. Ways of speaking to different spirits, different...like the strange spirits here... "How to address him--?" Charmian said, remembering everything she'd been taught about how to summon up different spirits so far. She sucked in a breath and whirled back toward Mishosha. "He's the West Wind!" she snapped, fists clenched. "A manitou. I already know how to talk to manitous! Nice try, but FAIL!" Mishosha let out a slight snort which told her he'd fully expected this reaction. "Ah, so I see...that's why you've all had such an easy time of wandering all over such strange lands just to speak to the Four Winds! When you can call the manitous so easily. I guess you could have just summoned them up from your Island if you'd wanted, you must have just wanted the exercise." Charmian felt like throwing a screaming fit, this was distressing her so much. Her mind raced over anything she might have missed, even while a niggling voice said, He's right--why couldn't we have just CALLED the Winds from the Island--? Would they have come? Why didn't Geezhigo-Quae just do that--? She called them before, why not this time--? What the hell does he mean--?! Manabozho seemed to be realizing something. He turned to Charmian and thought at her, Wait! The Sky Mother called the Winds so many ages ago--you're right that some things change--back then, they weren't as hard to find as they are now. Even though the Animiki had to search for Kabeyun, they still found him! So many moons have passed, and they've all moved along... Yeah, Charmian thought, eyes growing. Wabun made that clear! They're still manitous, but so much time has gone by--who calls for the Winds anymore--Geezhigo would've called them again if she'd known they would come when called-- "Seeing it now, little girl?" Mishosha said. "The Winds are fickle just like everyone else. Ever think that the reason Kabeyun-Nodin never comes to any of you is because none of you know how to call him?" "Like you'd know something like that!" Charmian snapped back, before thinking, Hold on, how do I know he doesn't--? "You evidently don't learn that fast," Mishosha said, and came walking toward them. Moon Wolf's fire flared brighter and he took a step forward to stand slightly ahead of Charmian, but Mishosha ignored him. "If I don't know how to call a manitou, I can easily come up with a way. Manitous are just like humans. They have their weaknesses, and they can be just as stupid. The Winds are certainly no exception. If I had any use for them, I could drag Shawondassee-Nodin or Wabun-Nodin here this moment, should I like." He waved his hand at the snowflakes still falling around them. "And Keewadin-Nodin, he's no real challenge either. You want me to try?" "No thanks," Charmian grated, fingers tightening. "I notice you didn't mention Kabeyun! So you're all talk and no action after all?" Another slight snort. "Like I said, what I don't know I can easily find out. It's as simple to command a manitou to do your bidding as it is to command one of you." He reached into one of his pouches and pulled something out, and Charmian gasped a little when she saw the familiar shape of a medicine doll in his hand. GUYS! she thought in a panic. Did he get anything of ours--?! "No, I didn't," Mishosha said, making her let out a startled yelp. "I could if I wanted, though. You don't believe me--?" He held up the doll and blew upon it; a moment later, a strange, warm breeze began blowing around them, scattering and melting the snowflakes against their clothes, and Charmian's eyes grew when she noticed that it was coming from the south. "Shawondassee's wind," she whispered. "So you see," Mishosha said, "if one has the right power, and the right instruments, calling one of the Winds is child's play." He put the doll away and shrugged. "Too bad for your Island, I suppose, that the Sky Mother didn't see fit to call me to find them for her...?" "More like too good!" Charmian jerked her hand at the group. "Come on! Nothing to see here. Thanks, but no thanks," she said to Mishosha. "You don't have anything we want." "Really--?" he said again, and a second later, Stick-In-The-Dirt let out a yelp and fell in the snow. Charmian felt the edge of the blast of wind buffet against her but the rest of them remained standing. She had enough time to turn around before a rope of flame lashed around the nanandawi's ankle and dragged him away from the group, a yell escaping him as he went. "What the--?" Charmian cried, confused; both of Moon Wolf's hands lit up now, and he glared at her over his shoulder with bared teeth as Stick-In-The-Dirt came to a halt not far from the other wabano. "He has the dolls!" It felt like Charmian's heart leapt up into her throat. Struggling just to draw a breath, she lifted her own hands and aimed at Mishosha, but he'd already snatched one of Stick-In-The-Dirt's pouches away from him and was tearing it open. The two medicine dolls, Moon Wolf's and Thomas's, fell into his hand, and he held them up immediately before Moon Wolf could throw his own fire. Moon Wolf jerked to force himself to halt his attack, and a furious growl escaped him instead. "Now," Mishosha said, still brandishing the dolls as an ugly grin began to creep up his face, "where were we...? I had nothing you want?" "Bastard!" Charmian hissed. She couldn't believe he would still pull such a stunt after what had just happened. Mishosha made a tsk-tsk noise. "It seems I have something you want, after all," he said. "But it's greater than this, isn't it? These two are just tiny players. It's Kabeyun you really want. Well..." He lowered the dolls a little, giving her a sickening smile. "...What if I give you that?" Charmian's voice fled her. She blinked at him a few times, then, when he didn't sear off the dolls' heads or anything, felt her muscles untense just a little. "What--?" she barked, before anger made her find her words again. "Like hell! Like you'd help us! You might think I'm stupid but there's no WAY in hell I'll ever believe you again! If Megissogwun hadn't broken his promise I know you would've done it first!" Mishosha pursed his lips. "And that's the point exactly." His eyes narrowed to ugly slits. "Makwa and I promised to serve him as best we could until he should achieve his goal of destroying the Turtle Island. I don't care for that piece of rock, or for any of you--not even for him--just this promise he made us. We upheld our end of the bargain. No matter what our plans for afterward might have been, we did everything in our power for his plan, and this was all we had promised him. If a manitou breaks his word..." His eyes glimmered blue, and Charmian felt herself shrink back just the tiniest bit. "The agreement is null and void now," he said, an acidy tone entering his voice. "The great Pearl Feather guaranteed that. I have no more loyalties to him, and no more reason to do his will, if this is how he treats us in return." Us--? Charmian thought, confused, before realizing who he meant. She glanced in the direction that the mitchi manitous had gone off in, and suddenly found it difficult to swallow. Makwaquae--? That's really what this is about, then? Sure he's pissed off that Megissogwun broke the promise, but...this is about her...? She stared him in the eyes, and although they glowed and glinted, he held her stare just as steadily. She thought about running at him and revealing his spirit stone, and even let this thought wander so that he might sense it, but he still didn't stand down. She knew it would be dark, but there was something else she knew...or at least, she felt it... "I think..." Her voice trailed off uncertainly, then, after a brief pause, she said, "I think he's serious." Dead silence. It drew out so long that she peered to the side, and sure enough, Moon Wolf's stare was indescribable. As soon as he noticed her looking at him he started glowing--not visibly to anyone else, but she could see his power rippling around him, and it made her want to cringe back. "What?" he hissed in the most venomous voice imaginable. She turned away from him to look at Mishosha again, then turned back to face Moon Wolf directly, choosing her words carefully. He doesn't have any reason to lie to us now. You heard what he said. This is all about him and Makwaquae--every bit of it! That's all it ever was to them! And so is this. He doesn't want to help us, but if it gets back at Megissogwun... "Ch--Charmian!" Stick-In-The-Dirt managed to scramble to his feet and came running their way, darting a nervous glance over his shoulder to make sure Mishosha wasn't about to blow his head off. He reached them, gasping for breath, and took Charmian's arm, squeezing it. "You can't possibly believe him!" he whispered urgently. "Remember everything he's done! He was going to kill you--probably all of us! You can't trust him!" "So, what then--?" Charmian retorted under her breath. "Just keep walking--and walking--and walking west? What if he's right and we can't even speak to Kabeyun--?" "What if it's as the Rabbit says and Kabeyun won't bother speaking to us anyway?" Moon Wolf shot back. "He's offering us nothing we don't already have! Use your head for once!" "Charmian," Stick-In-The-Dirt added, "I know I've told you to trust in your spirit, but--he's right. You have to use your head this time. If you listen to him--" he glanced anxiously at Mishosha, who crossed his arms and gave them a bland look "--then you'll put us ALL in danger, all over again!" "We've come this far on our own," Moon Wolf said. "You'd threaten that now, with your idea that everyone can change--?" Charmian squinched her eyes shut, wishing she could block them both out. Of course they were right--the logical part of her mind insisted it was so--but she'd just seen the look in Mishosha's eyes--both of them, the tears and then the steely glint--and what he'd said made sense, based on what she knew of him--he wasn't acting out of character at all-- "Not convinced, are we?" Mishosha's voice cut in. "Seems your teachers are holding you back now." "Shut up!" Charmian snapped. "I'm trying to think!!" "And there's NOTHING to think about!" Moon Wolf shouted. He lifted his hand and the fire appeared; he gave the other wabano a threatening look. "If he knows what's best for him--" "I thought you wanted to save that pathetic Island of yours," Mishosha chided. "I guess I was wrong--?" "SHUT UP!!" Charmian yelled, stomping her foot in the snow so that Stick-In-The-Dirt jumped a little. She glared at Mishosha. "They're RIGHT, you know! I listen to my heart far too much and even though it has its good points, I don't think this is one of them! Everything I was told about you is true. You haven't changed at all! Take a look, you're still holding those and still using them and NOTHING'S changed a bit!" Stick-In-The-Dirt let out a breath and Moon Wolf untensed a little, once they noticed that she agreed with them. Mishosha made a slight noise of disdain and held up the dolls to look at them. "Well," he said, "I suppose everything I thought about you isn't true, because apparently you're capable of learning, a little bit, after all." And he reached for something at his side with his free hand. Charmian blinked, then saw Moon Wolf's fire brighten from the corner of her eye when Mishosha pulled out a knife and swung it at the dolls. |