

### Maginaugh

### Book I of The Fair and Fey

### By J. Ellyne

### Smashwords 3rd Edition

License Notes

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. Thank you for your support.

### Copyright 2012

### By J. Ellyne

# Part I: Meeting the Neighbors

## Chapter 1: Confrontation

The bow of Mindoregh's small ship churned up froth as it cut swiftly through the white caps of Southern Lake. Mindoregh stood on a small wooden platform, leaning out over the bow, the wind in her hair. She was wearing a simple, low –cut, short white dress, with shoulder straps, the hem rippling in the stiff breeze. The fading orange of the sunset gleamed off her auburn hair and smooth skin.

It had taken three days to get to the southern end of the lake at a leisurely pace. It would take all night and most of the next day to make it back to Maginaugh, even at full speed. Her mind was full of questions about what she had seen.

The southerners' shelters consisted of pieces of bark, lashed with rawhide lacing to poles, sharpened at both ends, bent and stuck into the ground. They were naked. The weapons they carried were crude wooden clubs and pointed sticks. Both men and women were big, muscular, and taller than her people. All, including the children, were dirty, unkempt, and undernourished looking. Their hair was matted and tangled, not combed neatly as her people, the Magin, did.

When Mindoregh spotted the southerners earlier this morning, she realized they must have seen her ship at the same time. One of them spotted her ship and raised an alarm. She watched as they flocked to the shore, shaking their fists. Mindoregh thought it likely they had never seen anything like her ship before. She thought _, It must seem like a magical being to them with supernatural powers_. They began to jump up and down, shouting in a primitive guttural language. She saw their faces contorted in anger. Because her ship was close to shore, she could make out some of the words they shouted at her: "Ung! Nerg! Duhg Ba!"

She understood their language immediately, using an ability shared among all the Magin people. She was able to read their minds and thereby could learn their language instantly. She knew they augmented their few spoken words with gestures, facial expressions and body language. What they were actually saying was, "Look. An evil water monster comes to attack us. We should try to kill it or it might kill and eat us."

One of them was brave enough to charge out into the water. He hurled his spear at her. She dodged it and shouted to Fensenn, her helmsman, "Turn us around and get us away from here, quickly."

"Yes my queen," he replied as he spun the wheel, making the ship come about.

She didn't want to meet these people or have a confrontation with them. She wanted to hurry back to the island and tell her people they were not alone in this new world; these newly discovered neighbors seemed dangerous. She might even advocate to the Council moving their small village off Maginaugh Island, somewhere far away from these hostile southern savages. She thought, _Why did we have to explore the southern end of this lake? Now I know it was a mistake_.

For the first three days, she had enjoyed this trip. Her husband, Janno, was with her. He made beautiful love to her every night as the ship rolled through the waves. Now she wanted to get back home as soon as possible to give her urgent news to her Council.

She turned and looked back across the deck of the ship. The mainsail, larger in area than the deck, was filled with wind. At the rear of the ship, Fennsen was at the wheel. He was the most skilled sailor among the Magin. Mindoregh was glad he was her helmsman on this trip.

Mindoregh was thankful for the abilities she and her people had. She was in a hurry to get back, so she summoned the wind to blow at near gale force out of the southeast. She focused her mind on the sentient being she thought of as the Spirit of the Wind and asked it, prayed to it, to blow harder. She knew this ability to invoke the wind was not always reliable and she was relieved it was working well today.

Mindoregh's children, Sashegh and Fewallo, stood aft near Fennsen, chatting with him. She walked back to them and asked Fennsen, "How much longer until we are home?"

He looked out over the water at the fading sunset and said, "We are making good speed my queen. Thanks to your command of the wind, the trip home will be shorter. We will not make land tonight, however. Who will take the first watch?"

"I will. I am too anxious about getting home to sleep right now."

He hadn't planned on her taking a watch duty, but he knew Mindoregh's determination to do all things she asked of any of her people, so he wasn't too surprised. He tied down the wheel and furled the sail to half-mast.

"The watch duty for the night is yours to assign," he said. "I am going down below to sleep. Have the last watch wake me at first light as usual. We should be home sometime around midday tomorrow."

She watched him go below deck with her children, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Her husband came up after a while and joined her on deck. He studied the worried look on her face and said, "You seem troubled love. What's the matter? I thought you would be looking forward to getting back to our little island and our friends."

"Of course I am. What I'm worried about are those southerners we saw. I didn't like the looks of them."

"We knew there was a good possibility there might be others here," he countered. "They are just primitive native people. Certainly they cannot be any threat to us. They are too far away and have no means of traveling except on foot. How would they find us, even if they tried?"

She shook her head. "How hard would it be for them to walk north along the shore until they get to the top of the lake? When they arrive they will be able to see our island from the shore. They would see our towers on the high cliffs."

"So? What would they do? They do not appear to have boats."

"They could ride logs and paddle with their hands for the short distance across the lake from the mainland. They could walk across the lake after the water freezes into solid ice. We are not safe anymore. I sense it deep within me."

She didn't know exactly what it was she feared. She had never witnessed violent behavior. Killing was something she had never seen. Janno was quite a bit older. She remembered him telling her he had done a lot of traveling before they came to this worl and settled on the island. He had been to places where it was commonplace to see people fight, even kill each other. _Maybe it is the memory of Janno's tales of killing, that has me feeling so scared_ , she thought.

"Well, I am going to bed now," said Janno. "You can discuss this with your Council when we return. I will tell Fewallo to come up in two hours and relieve you. Then you can lay with me and I will comfort you," he said with a smile.

Returning his smile she said, "That sounds nice."

She leaned over, gave him a warm kiss and said, "Good night my love."

~~~

Sashegh woke early the next morning. It was her turn to serve the meal, so she got up out of bed and went straight to the galley. She lit a fire in the wood stove and put water on to boil for tea. Then she sliced bread and cheese onto five plates, adding dried fruit on the side. When the tea was ready, she set the table and rang a bell, announcing breakfast was served. She took breakfast and tea up to Fennsen, who was now at the helm.

She watched as Fennsen unfurled the sail and hoisted it up the mast. It was a warm morning and she admired his bare chest, watching his muscles ripple as he worked.

He saw her looking at him, not at his face but his body. He looked at her as if seeing her for the first time and thought, _I always felt her mother was the greatest beauty among all the Magin women, but Sashegh is becoming even more beautiful. I have never seen hair like hers, so radiantly golden. Her eyes are so brightly blue it's startling when she looks at me. And when did her body develop such nice curves, seemingly overnight? She has always had nice long legs but now the curve of her hips and breasts add to the total sum, taking my breath away as no woman ever has before._ He tried to push such inappropriate thoughts from his mind, realizing she was the queen's daughter and still only a girl.

He smiled and said, "Good morning Princess Sashegh. Did you sleep well last night?"

"Very well, thank you, Master Fennsen. Are we almost home?"

"The wind died down a bit overnight but was strong enough that we made fair speed. I can tell, from the position of the morning star compared to yesterday morning, we have gone slightly off course during the night."

Sashegh could see he was performing mental calculations. He swung the wheel to starboard, making a minor course correction, and then turned back to her.

"We will be home before midday, Princess. Are you anxious to get back?"

"Please just call me Sashegh, not 'Princess'. No, I'm not anxious to get home. I was enjoying the trip. I have never been on an adventure this far from Maginaugh. Do you mind if I have my breakfast up here on deck with you?"

Sashegh knew she was becoming a young woman and was practicing the art of flirting with Fennsen. She had worn the thinnest of nightgowns this morning; one she knew was translucent as she stood on Fennsen's left side with the morning sunlight coming through it. She was glad her breasts were already nicely developed and arched them proudly as she handed Fennsen his plate.

"As you please, Miss Sashegh," he replied.

"Just Sashegh," she insisted, touching his arm. "You are a very good sailor, Fennsen. Were you also the helmsman on our voyage to this world?"

"Oh, no, certainly not," replied Fennsen, turning red with embarrassment. "It was Skarbin, the Master Helmsman who brought us to the island of Maginaugh. I was born after our ship crashed. I am not capable of piloting the large ship in which our people came. It was a much different type of vessel than this small one. I learned what modest sailing skill I have from my father. He is the shipbuilder responsible for overseeing the building of these little wooden ships we have now."

"I too was born not long after our settlement was established. So you are not much older than me."

"I suppose not," Fennsen admitted. "But I am a man and you are only a girl."

Sashegh bristled at this, turning red with anger at being called a girl. "Soon I will be a mature woman. I saw how you looked at my body. I know you can see it is the body of a woman."

Fennsen was spared having to reply to this by Mindoregh's appearance on deck. Mindoregh had quickly finished her cheese and bread and told Janno she wanted to go up to watch for the first sign of Maginaugh. She waved to Fennsen and Sashegh, and then took a seat on a wooden bench fastened to the deck. She sat in silence, gazing intently to the north. Sashegh left Fennsen's side and went to sit with her.

Shortly before noon, Fennsen, who had the keenest eyes, announced, "There she is, Maginaugh Island."

In a few moments Mindoregh could see what he had seen. There on the northern horizon was a line of tiny, dark, greenish-black bumps rising from the water. She watched the bumps converge slowly into an almost solid land mass extending from the eastern shore to the western shore of Southern Lake. She saw the two places where the northern shore was broken by narrow stretches of water. Between these two narrow passages she saw the small bump that was the island of Maginaugh.

As her ship drew nearer to Maginaugh, Mindoregh could see limestone bluffs rising from the middle of the island. She called down to Janno and Fewallo. "Come up and see. We are home!"

As they got even closer, she could begin to see the twin watchtowers of their principal village structure. Mindoregh's heart soared as it always did when she saw these towers from out on the lake. Maginaugh had come to mean so much to her in the few years they had been here. She loved her island home and the structure they called Suonaugh, which meant 'gathering place' in her language. Tomorrow she would convene a meeting of her Council at Suonaugh.

~~~

After Ur finished watching Mindoregh's boat disappear over the northern horizon, he found Muh and Dook, his advisors and took them to his shelter.

"We meet now," Ur said.

Ur was one of the tallest men among his people and very muscular. He expected Muh and Dook to do whatever he asked of them because he was the village chief, a position earned through violence and intimidation. Ur felt contempt for them mixed with a need for their advice. Dook was short and a bit overweight. Ur remembered how he had bought his place as Ur's advisor by giving him a nice collection of bone knives handed down to him by his father. Muh was medium height, thin and not muscular. Ur knew Muh was the smartest person in the village, which is how he got his place as Ur's other advisor.

"We will take a war party north, hunt down the water monster, and kill it," Ur said to them.

The relationship between the three men had always been uneasy. Ur had little respect for either of them. He occasionally needed to rely on Muh's superior intelligence but disdained his physical inferiority. Muh was one of the weakest men in Ur's village. Even some of the women were stronger. He despised Dook because of his lack of intelligence. Ur thought him a witless fool. He honored the bargain he struck with Dook, for now, but his patience with Dook's stupidity often ran thin.

Dook and Muh deferred to Ur politely, nodding their heads as if they agreed with him. But Dook had the temerity to ask, "What if the water monster kills us?"

Ur did not answer right away. He glared at Dook for a long time until he saw him cower. He spat out the words, "Dook is a fat fool! Nothing can kill Ur. Do not worry. I will not take you with me. You would bring shame on us, running away like a girl."

Ur reached out as he said this and slapped Dook on the side of the head. Dook stiffened and seemed ready to strike back. Muh hastily intervened. He grabbed Dook's arm, gave him a hard look, and said, "Yes, mighty Ur will kill the water monster. We must do it now or the monster might come back tonight to kill and eat us. We will follow Ur and kill the water monster."

This statement soothed Ur and distracted Dook. The fight was avoided. Ur communicated his plan to them, using grunts and gestures along with the few words he spoke.

"Tomorrow morning I will select a party of young, strong, swift warriors and we will run north until we find the evil water monster. Then we will slay it. It went north on the water, so we will run along the shore until we see it again. Then, when it comes ashore, we will kill it."

In the first light of dawn the next morning, Ur was running north along the beach, leading a band of thirty young men of the village. He set a fast pace and continued to run silently until midday. He planned to stop two times each day to rest briefly, drink water from the lake and eat some of the dried meat they had stolen in their last raid. He ran after the water monster in the same way he and his men hunted or went to war against other villages, using speed as a weapon.

While he ran, he thought back on the years they had spent migrating north up the river to Southern Lake. They encountered many other villages on the way and had conquered them all. He never avoided a fight, because he relied on the villages he conquered for food. His people didn't know how to make good weapons and were not good hunters. He relied on superior strength and numbers to win battles with those he conquered.

He thought back on the battles, smiling at the memories. He and his warriors would come running into the others' village suddenly at night. They killed any of the men who didn't run away and took the women prisoners. Then they picked through their belongings, stealing everything of any value, most of all any food they could find. Finally, they would rape the women and take the best ones with them as slaves back to his village. The female slaves were always used hard and never survived long.

On this warm summer day Ur and his men were naked as they ran along the beach. Like many of his men, Ur wore a leather belt to carry his best bone knife and some dried meat, recently stolen from another village. Ur's people had no idea how to dry meat, but Ur perceived its value as nourishment that would not spoil quickly. He took most of it away from his men and hid it for just such an occasion as this, a long trip where there would not be much opportunity to hunt.

He also carried a wooden club fashioned from a tree root. He ordered those who carried long straight tree branches carved sharp at one end, to be used as spears, to run at the front of the group. This way, if they came upon any strangers, the spears could be thrown at them.

Ur traveled fifty miles before he stopped the first night. The next day they didn't make as much distance because at midmorning they came upon a large thicket of raspberry bushes and spent an hour picking and feasting. Ur usually made women do the berry picking but there were no women with him and the men were hungry from running.

On the third day the shoreline became rocky and Ur led the men inland a short distance until he found a deer path headed north. He took his men single file along the narrow path. Ur could tell the path was following the shoreline. He would occasionally catch a glimpse of the lake. He kept looking for the water monster.

That afternoon he saw a human footprint in the soft dirt of the path and got excited. _There will be food and maybe women tonight and probably some good new weapons_ , he thought. Ur announced the good news to his men. "A man went down this path ahead of us not too long ago, probably returning to his camp. They will not know we are here. We can follow the trail and surprise them. We will kill the men, take their food and weapons, and have a good time with their women tonight."

~~~

Nanong followed a river southwest from the temporary camp he and his companions set up on the beach, unaware of Ur and his men. He fished with a hook made of bone on a thin line made with small animal sinew. He baited the hook with worms and had very good luck. When he returned to the camp, 14 good sized trout hung from his belt.

He looked forward to the delicious feast Vavana would prepare with these fish. His mouth watered as he thought of how, with help from the other women, she would first filet the fish with a very sharp flint knife, then place the filets in a birch bark basket with some cracked seagull eggs and shake until they were well coated. She would then put them into another basket filled with corn meal and shake them some more. Next the fish would be placed on hot flat stones over the top of a wood fire and cooked to a golden brown. Hanging from a stick stuck into the ground would be another birch bark basket suspended over the fire, filled with boiling water and dried wild rice preserved in maple syrup. Nanong was thankful to have a mate who was such a wonderful cook.

It was good to be a Pewa, Nanong reflected, thinking about their village far north from this camp. He was proud of his people. They were good hunters and controlled all the hunting and fishing around Northern Lake. They didn't attack other groups; they only fought if others attacked. 'Pewas' was the word they called themselves meaning, _the_ _people_. Nanong had his mate Vavana, four other young men, and their mates with him on this adventure.

While Vavana and the other women cooked the evening meal, Nanong went to the beach to check their five birch bark canoes. He inspected the seams and saw they were dry inside, the pine pitch seals still keeping out the water. He noted the women had removed the wild rice, corn meal, and beans from the boats, no doubt putting the food in the lean-tos they had made for sleeping tonight.

Nanong was an adventurer and was enjoying himself. He liked trips of no particular purpose other than curiosity. He was glad he had managed to convince his friends to join him by making it sound exciting and fun.

It was fun too, paddling their canoes together, fishing, and exploring strange lands they had never seen before. They dined on fish and wild rice on days when the fishing was good. When there were no fish, the women made a flat corn bread and served it with beans and wild rice.

After dinner Nanong took Vavana to their lean-to and made love to her with great energy and stamina. They could hear the sounds of lovemaking coming from the other lean-tos as they coupled. After they made love Nanong said, "You are my mate forever, Vavana. I will have no other woman but you."

He was lying on top of her, still inside her, not quite soft yet. He lifted his chest off hers, looking down at her breasts. She looked up at his face and body, admiring him.

_He is beautiful_ , she thought. _His cheekbones are high. His long hair is shiny and soft as it falls on my breasts. His eyes sparkle with desire as he looks at me. His arms and chest are well muscled but slim rather than bulky._ She caressed his buttocks thinking _, These are tight and smooth. I love to feel him flexing them as he makes love to me._

"Oh Nanong, I have loved you ever since the night we met at the year-end gathering. When we made love that first night I knew I would be yours forever. My father gave me to you, and I promised I would never be with another man. I meant it. I promise it to you again now."

"Vavana, you are so beautiful. Your breasts are so full. Your legs are strong but soft as I lay here between them. To be inside you is the greatest pleasure in life. I look into your sparkling eyes and I see love shining in them."

She wrapped her legs around him as she felt him harden again. She felt him start to move inside her again and she moved with him.

~~~

Ur and his men hid in the bushes outside the Pewa camp, as Vavana put the fish on the hot stones. He motioned to his men to hide, be quiet, and wait for darkness. It drove his men crazy to smell the fish cooking but they knew they dared not disobey Ur. Ur smiled as he looked at the Pewas gathering around their cooking fire and thought, _How easy this is going to be. What fools they are, to travel away from their homeland with such a small party. There are only five men and we have 30. We will make short work of this tonight and then we will have their women._

He watched while the Pewas ate their dinner and talked for a while. They were dressed in light summer clothes. Both men and women wore similar deerskin vests and leggings.

He could tell their clothing was obviously for protection in the woods, rather than warmth. It didn't prevent him from getting a good look at the women. He saw Vavana and admired her body. Her vest tied in front but did not hide much of her breasts. Her leggings protected her thighs and calves but did not cover the dark curly hair between her legs. Ur desired her.

Finally he saw the Pewas go off in pairs to their lean-tos. There was a new quarter moon. He waited until it sank below the trees. Then he leaped out from the bushes and ran toward the camp, signaling his men to follow.

They came running, holding their spears pointed out in front of them and their clubs poised to strike. It looked to Ur as if they had not posted a guard. This encouraged him. He ran even faster. In his haste he wasn't stealthy. His right foot came down on a stick, causing it to make a small snapping sound.

~~~

Nanong was on guard duty. He was hiding in some bushes near his lean-to, but away from the campfire. He wanted to make sure anything out there would not see him first. When the moon sank below the trees, he planned to wake one of the other men to take over for him and he would go lay with Vavana in their lean-to.

He didn't expect any trouble. They hadn't seen any sign of people in this area except for the odd structure he had seen on the island a long way to the north. He thought, _The worst that might happen is if a hungry bear or wolves were to come into the camp looking for food. If they do, we will have nice furs as an outcome_.

He heard the snap of the stick and did not pause to see what it was. The hair on the back of his neck stood up and he knew there was danger. He reacted instinctively. He put his hands to his mouth and made a bird call, a convincing imitation of a seagull's screech. As he looked in the direction of the snapping sound, he could see faint light from the dying campfire flickering off the bodies of men running toward his camp. _There are so many of them,_ Nanong thought. _This is very bad._

He had a bow and a quiver full of arrows with him. Like all Pewa bows his was long, strong and had lots of spring. It was strung with the tough intestines of small wildcats. The wooden arrows used bird feathers for guidance and flint for arrowheads. Nanong kneeled in a firing position on one knee with an arrow sighted at the closest man. He shot. The arrow struck his mark in the chest. The man went down screaming.

Nanong saw their leader stop running and stare dumbly at the man on the ground. All the attackers stopped running, frozen in uncertainty. Nanong quickly took another arrow from his quiver and put it in his bow. He sighted on the man standing next to Ur and shot. The arrow pierced the man's throat, entering the front and coming out the back. Blood bubbled out of the man's mouth and he fell, first to his knees, then face down in the dirt.

Ur yelled out a fierce war cry, "Aaaaaaaaaaaaagh!" He charged again, motioning his men to follow.

Vavana was first to emerge with her bow and a quiver full of arrows. She was attuned to Nanong's voice and had instantly awakened to his call of alarm. She looked where she knew he would be, and saw him in the shadows, notching his second arrow. She heard the whistle of the feathers as the arrow flew, heard it strike its mark and heard Ur shouting his war cry. She called out to the others, "Wake up! Enemies attack us!"

Just as Ur began his second charge, the other couples were also waking and coming out with their bows and arrows. When they saw Ur's men charging with their spears and clubs, each Pewa took aim at one of the men and shot. Ten arrows flew and seven of Ur's men fell in the deadly hail of flint, wood, and feathers.

Again the attack faltered slightly. Nanong knew they were still badly outnumbered. Ur's men redirected their charge, spreading out. Groups of four or five attacked each of the pairs of archers, while two attacked Vavana.

Two other men kept coming at Nanong. The latter two had gotten very close. One had a spear and the other a club. Nanong managed to get off one more hurried shot, hitting the man with the club in the thigh. The man with the spear kept coming. He was about to run Nanong through when Nanong dodged sideways at the last second and rolled into the bushes. He dropped his bow and his quiver fell off his shoulder.

The Pewas' camp was on a small sandy beach, surrounded by young pines and thick clusters of cedar bushes. Nanong was now in the middle of one of these clusters. The branches were rough and scratched his arms as he quietly made his way through them.

The wooden spear had struck the rock where Nanong had been. The jolt of the impact stunned the man for a second. When he looked around, he could not see Nanong who was keeping low, crawling through the bushes, watching the battle, his vest and leggings protecting his skin.

Nanong watched as the man grabbed his broken spear and charged into the bushes beating at them with the stick. Nanong's hand went to his waist and he found he still had his flint knife in its deerskin sheath. The man entered a particularly dense thicket, slowing him down, the branches scratching and tearing at his skin. When he got to the middle of the thicket, Nanong sprang up from behind him and slit his throat.

The man spun around, his eyes wide in shock. He opened his mouth to say something but no sound came out except a bubbling from deep inside. His throat was slashed, a long gash ripped open in the skin, blood pouring out, running down onto his chest. He made as if to swing the remains of his spear at Nanong but before he could, he lost consciousness and fell to the ground, dead.

Nanong crawled back toward the lean-tos and peeked out of the bushes. He saw Vavana and the others were not doing well. Only two of the Pewa men had gotten off another arrow, dropping two more of Ur's men. As he watched, his friends were overrun by their attackers.

Nanong saw all four of the men and two of the women being run through with spears. Vavana and the other two remaining women were clubbed in the head and it was over too fast, before Nanong could do anything to help.

He saw all his friends and his mate lying motionless on the ground with Ur and his men standing over them. He counted the remaining enemies. He knew he couldn't fight eighteen men alone, so he crept further into the bushes and hid.

He watched as Ur surveyed the situation. Ur inspected his men lying on the ground. He noted some were not dead and grunted. He did not tend their wounds. He left them where they lay, to recover or die on their own.

He went to the Pewas, kicking each to see if any were still alive. As Nanong watched, he wondered if Ur knew he was missing. _If so, he shows no sign of it_ , Nanong thought. Ur was pleased when he discovered two of the Pewa women were still alive. He smiled when Vavana groaned after he kicked her in the ribs. Nanong could see Ur was particularly interested in her. He felt horribly helpless as he watched Ur bend down and take off Vavana's vest and leggings, stripping her naked.

He watched Ur and another man tie the hands and feet of Vavana and her friend, Hogawa. Hope was in Nanong's heart in addition to fear and a desire for revenge. Vavana was still alive. He watched as the men left the two unconscious women laying there and began to examine the Pewas' possessions.

They tasted the dried beans, wild rice and corn meal. They examined the canoes and the bows and arrows with dull curiosity but little comprehension on their faces. They argued over who would get the flint knives. They didn't seem to like the taste of the dried food but took it, probably planning on making the Pewa women prepare it for them.

Vavana and Hogawa had revived and were calling for help. Hogawa was weeping but Vavana told her to stop and not show these men her weakness. The men gathered around the women with lust-filled eyes. Nanong saw Ur point to Hogawa and say something in his crude language, spreading his hands to his men. Then he pointed at Vavana, said something fiercer about her, and pointed his finger at his own chest.

Nanong did not understand any of Ur's words but had an idea from the pointing and gestures Ur made, what was going to happen. He knew Ur was claiming Vavana as his prize of battle. He saw Ur go to Vavana and sit down next to her while the rest of the men descended on Hogawa. They untied her hands and feet and took turns with her. One would rape her while two others held her down. By the time the sixth man was taking his turn, they no longer had to hold her; she was too exhausted to fight anymore.

Ur left Vavana tied up, turned her head, and held it to make her watch the raping of Hogawa. He hoped she would understand that if she was his woman, she would not have to endure the group rape to which Hogawa was being subjected. He felt Vavana's breasts and explored between her legs while he forced her to watch and see what could happen to her if she didn't cooperate with him. Ur held Vavana the whole time Hogawa was being raped, some of the men taking second turns.

Finally all the men had enough. He called them over. He pointed to himself and then to Vavana, saying something Nanong could not understand. The men sat in a circle around Vavana and Ur. He took a knife and cut the bonds on her hands and feet.

She looked around wildly. There was no escape with the men all around them. She glanced at the bodies of the Pewas lying around the camp.

"Nanong, stay safe and alive and I will too," she called out.

Ur slapped her hard for this outburst and then placed his hand over her mouth, to let her know he wanted her to be silent. She fought back the urge to bite his hand, remembering the vow she had just made to stay alive. She nodded her head, indicating she would obey.

Nanong could see Ur had become aroused during the time Hogawah was being raped. Now Ur took Vavana's hand and placed it on his erection. She started to recoil at the touch but then acquiesced. She caressed and stroked him.

Ur lay down on his back, pointing first at her crotch, then at his and barked two words in his guttural language, causing the men around them to laugh. When she hesitated, he barked the command again, this time with impatient anger and slapped her hard across her breasts, causing her to cry out in pain. Then with a look of resignation, as if going to her death, she kneeled over his erection and impaled herself on it. Nanong could tell Ur was hurting Vavana.

Nanong watched with sickness in his heart and in his stomach. As he watched Vavana start to move up and down on top of Ur, he felt his dinner coming back up and he retched in the bushes. He thought, _Vavana is no longer being raped. She is willingly having sex with Ur. She's doing it in front of his men. I know she does not have a choice if she is to stay alive, but it hurts me to watch helplessly. It makes me feel impotent._

After Ur finished, he posted two guards and the rest lay down where they were to sleep. Ur slept with one arm around Vavana, his hand on her breast. She finally dozed off, but was awakened during the night by Ur, to be raped by him again.

Nanong was awake all night and watched. _At least it does not seem to please her, he thought. But she tolerates it and does whatever he wants_. This time Ur made her lie on her stomach and took her from the back. His hands mauled her breasts roughly as he thrust in and out of her, grunting like an animal. Vavana sobbed softly after it was over.

## Chapter 2: Captives

Ur woke up late the next morning. The sun was already well above the horizon. He shook Vavana, and then woke the men with a bellow. They gathered around him, bringing Hogawah with them. Vavana was afraid the sex was going to start up again but evidently the men had other plans this morning. Ur looked at her and pointed at his stomach. He made eating gestures, bringing his hand to his mouth several times. He pointed at the corn meal, beans, and rice they had plundered last night, then at Hogawa and Vavana and barked a few words.

"I think he wants us to cook breakfast for him and his men," Vavana said to Hogawah. I suggest we do it, or they will beat us or worse. It is better than having sex with them."

She bowed her head toward Ur, indicating she understood and consented. Hogawa just stood there staring at Vavana with no expression or emotion. Her body was covered with bruises and scratches where some of the men had gotten very rough with her, in sadistic ways, during her rapes. Vavana was frightened to see the vacant look in Hogawa's eyes.

"Come Hogawa," she said, "help me gather driftwood for the cook fire. We should avoid getting these men angry."

Hogawa gave her a blank look and mumbled, "Mm-hmm."

Vavana could not tell if Hogawa understood. She took Hogawa's hand and led her down the beach. Several of the men went along to guard them. Hogawa did not pick up any of the wood but, when Vavana placed it carefully in her hands, she at least held and carried it.

~~~

Ur was not watching the wood gathering. He was sitting on a big rock, staring out at the lake, thinking about what to do next. He wished he had not left Muh to stay in the village with Dook. _Muh is smarter than I am_ , Ur acknowledged to himself. _He would probably know what to do in this situation. I have lost almost half my men and now have two women prisoners to bring along. Should I continue to hunt the water monster_?

The strong emotion he was beginning to feel toward Vavana was not quite love; it was baser. It was obsession, not tender. His thoughts turned to her as he sat on the rock and he felt a fierce passion burning in his gut.

He thought about Ooteka, his mate back in the village. At the time he had decided to take a mate, she was the best pick of the available women, the most physically attractive. He felt no particular emotion toward her at all. He compared her in his mind to Vavana and laughed to himself, thinking how much greater was Vavana's beauty.

Ur's growing obsession with Vavana distracted him from thinking about his original objective: to hunt and kill the water monster. All he really cared about now was being able to spend time with Vavana. He continued to ponder this while Vavana prepared a quick simple breakfast of cooked wild rice for the men. When the rice was close to done, he was pulled from his thoughts by its smell and his hunger.

While they were eating Ur announced to his men, "We will return to our village with these prisoners, the new knives, and food. We will kill the water monster another time."

The men ate their rice quietly, not seeming to care much about the decision one way or the other. After breakfast they tied the women's' hands and feet to two long poles, so two strong men could carry each woman. Vavana resigned herself to the fact she would have no chance of escaping as the men ran south carrying them.

When the sun sank below the horizon, Ur ordered his men to make camp. He had Vavana and Hogawa cook for them again. The full moon appeared, rising above the trees while they ate. Ur told the men they could have their way with Hogawa again.

As they closed in on Hogawa, Ur pushed Vavana down on her back, got on top and entered her. Vavana tried not to let her inner self feel anything even as her body started to betray her. Ur's manhood was big and, as he moved in and out, touching deep places inside her, her body responded to him. She climaxed with him.

After he finished releasing inside her, he watched as two more men raped Hogawa. He became aroused watching this and wanted Vavana again. This time he made her straddle him and ride him the way she had done the first time, with all his men watching. He lasted long, until all the men had finished with Hogawa and had gathered around to watch them.

She bounced up and down, trying to get him to ejaculate. As it went on and on, Ur could feel her body responding. It caused him to increase his efforts. He held her hips firmly in his strong hands and thrust hard up into her each time she came down on him.

She bounced faster and faster on him. Finally he released inside her again. He noticed she had an orgasm with him as he shot up into her. He smiled, satisfied. She cried.

~~~

It was overcast when Ur woke up. As they began to run along the path again, it started to rain. It continued all through the day and into the night. Ur knew they wouldn't be able to sleep in the rain, so he kept them moving south through the night.

Vavana was miserable as the men carried her upside down in the rain. Her wrists and ankles were chafed and sore where the ropes cut into her flesh. She tilted her head back to look behind and could see it was even worse for Hogawa. Hogawa started bleeding after the second night of being raped and Vavana knew it was not from menstruation. She was not able to get Hogawa to speak. Hogawah looked as if her spirit had left her body. She seemed to be looking through Vavana as if she was seeing something in the spirit world.

Hogawa shuddered occasionally. When they stopped, Vavana couldn't make her eat or drink, even though she tried feeding her by hand like a baby and poured water into Hogawa's mouth from her hands.

It was bad enough before the rain started, but now it was torment. It rained very hard. As Vavana was carried facing upward toward the sky, it was impossible for her to keep the water from going into her nose and mouth. She coughed and spluttered, trying to keep the water from going into her lungs. She saw Hogawah did not seem to care and did not struggle.

The night after the rain stopped, the forced sex began again after dinner as Vavana feared it would. Ur pushed her down and entered her as another man entered Hogawa. Vavana watched a second man start to take his turn with Hogawa. Suddenly he jumped up off her shouting, "Aiee! I think she's dead."

The others all gathered around. Ur got off Vavana and went to look, dragging her with him. He put his hand on Hogawa's chest. Then he stood up and kicked her in the ribs. She didn't move. "Yes, she's dead," Ur said with indifference. The men went off to sleep, leaving Hogawa where she lay.

Not understanding the words but understanding perfectly well the meaning, Vavana couldn't control her emotions any longer. She began to weep hysterically. She wailed, "Oh, Hogawa, my poor friend. My spirit is in anguish about what happened to you. I vow, if ever I can, I will avenge this cruel death you suffered."

Vavana felt extreme grief. Hogawa had been her best friend since they were little girls. She also felt guilty. She was ashamed she had given herself willingly to Ur and was now alive because of this, while Hogawa was dead. She cried and wailed in utter despair.

Ur slapped her five times to silence her, drawing blood from her lip and bruising her left eye. She would not stop weeping, so eventually he grunted in disgust and left her to cry. This was the first time Vavana defied him and got away with it.

She saw with some satisfaction, her defiance did not go unnoticed among the men. Several of them murmured quietly to each other. Ur shouted something at them and they hushed.

The men went to sleep, leaving two guards as always. Ur dragged Vavana into the bushes and lay down with her. She was never passionate when he had sex with her but tonight she was very stiff and cold toward him. She did not allow him to have her willingly. She resisted him for the first time. He grew angry, punched her in the stomach with his fists until she could fight no more, and then raped her.

The next evening they arrived at a village. Vavana assumed it was Ur's home. From her upside down point of view, she saw the women and children running out of their tents to greet the men. The men carrying her put her down and went to their women.

Some of the women began to cry when they couldn't find their men among the war party. Curious children gathered around Vavana. They poked and prodded her as she lay naked on the ground, still tied to the pole. Ur shooed the children away and untied her.

Vavana saw a woman come running and throw her arms around Ur. She guessed the woman was his mate. She was a full head taller than Vavana. _She is attractive in a handsome way_ , Vavana thought, _with smaller breasts than mine but nice muscular legs and buttocks. Her shoulders are broad and her arms look strong. Her hair is long like mine but matted, not combed neatly. It falls wildly around her face_.

Ur pushed the woman away shouting, "No, Ooteka. I do not want you anymore."

Most of the village had gathered and a gasp went up from the crowd when they saw Ur's treatment of his mate. He raised his hands to quiet them and made an announcement. Vavana still could not understand his words but she followed his gestures. As he spoke, he pointed at Vavana and then himself. Then he made a dismissive gesture toward Ooteka, as if pushing her away.

A noisy murmur began amongst the villagers. Ur ignored them and took Vavana to his tent. As he dragged her away, she saw Ooteka glaring at her with a venomous look, filled with deep hatred.

Two nights later, five people were having five very different kinds of thoughts about Vavana's situation. Ur had taken some of the men and gone inland hunting. He was lying on a rough bed of brush and leaves thinking of Vavana. He wondered if she would ever stop hating him and return his passion with the same ardor he felt when he coupled with her.

Back in the village, Vavana lay down for the night in Ur's shelter. She was glad the hunting party had not returned. Perhaps this meant Ur would not be back tonight and she would not have to endure his ravages as she had for the past several nights. Since arriving at his village, she had given up fighting him and he took her every night. She hoped she might have a peaceful sleep at last with Ur gone. She wondered where Nanong was. Had he followed her to this village? Had he been watching and waiting for a chance to rescue her?

Ooteka was lying with Muh in his shelter. She had noticed for a long time that Muh looked at her with desire. So, when Ur rejected her, she went to Muh and offered herself to him. She found him unattractive but he would have to do for the moment. She needed a place to sleep and there were few unattached adult males in the village. She knew the younger and more handsome ones would not want Ur's rejected woman.

She was thinking about Vavana now and hatred rose up inside her. With Ur gone, it occurred to her it would be possible to kill Vavana. She thought, _I could wait until Muh is asleep, sneak out of his shelter and creep quietly into Ur's. I might slit that woman's throat with Muh's knife while she is sleeping. Then I will sneak back into Muh's shelter without waking him and without anyone seeing me._ _No one will be able to prove I killed her. All the women hate her. They resent her being the chief's mate. Any one of them might be tempted to kill her tonight._

She saw Muh lying beside her and knew he was delighted to have her as his mate. She knew he had lusted for her since they were young. Ooteka thought, _Muh must be happy Ur has Vavana. Now he has me, and life is good for him. I don't want things to be this way. I want Ur back._

Nanong had followed Ur's trail to the village, watching everything he did to Vavana. Now he was watching Ur's shelter from the bushes. He dared not sleep, lest someone discover him. When Ur didn't return at nightfall, Nanong became hopeful. He thought he might be able to rescue Vavana after the village went to sleep.

Much later, Vavana woke with a start to find Ooteka on top of her, a knife at her throat and her hand over Vavana's mouth. Ooteka straddled Vavana's body, pinning her arms to the ground with her knees. She started to struggle and squirm. Ooteka pushed down on her harder, using her superior strength to keep her down. She pressed the knife against Vavana's throat, drawing a little blood. Vavana saw Ooteka was not going to kill her immediately. She quit struggling.

When Vavana was still, Ooteka put a finger to her lips, signaling for her to be quiet. She nodded her head in assent and remained silent as Ooteka removed her hand from her mouth. Ooteka pointed at her and then at the tent entrance and made a little running gesture with her fingers. She did not understand and gave Ooteka a puzzled look. Ooteka repeated the pantomime and finally Vavana nodded her head in comprehension.

Vavana thought, _She wants me to escape. Is it a trick? I know this woman hates me. Why would she want to help me? What if she means to kill me but doesn't want it to look like murder?_

She decided to play along. Perhaps, if she could see a moment when Ooteka was not paying close enough attention, there might be an opportunity to get away. She allowed Ooteka to take her outside. It was the middle of the night and the village was silent. The two women worked their way slowly and quietly from shelter to shelter, being careful not to be seen or heard.

Hiding behind the last shelter at the edge of the village, with the guard just on the other side, Ooteka took a belt strung with dried meat off her waist and handed it to Vavana. Then she motioned for her to stay behind the shelter. She stepped out and began to slowly and carefully creep up behind the guard.

The man guarding the village had his back to Ooteka. Vavana understood Ooteka's plan now and knew it might work. _The guard is not thinking about keeping people from leaving the village,_ she thought. It was early morning. He looked sleepy. His head drooped down.

As Ooteka advanced toward the guard, she stubbed her toe. It was a fairly large rock, partially buried in the earth. It didn't move or make any noise to give Ooteka away. Vavana saw how hard Ooteka's toe had jammed into the rock and thought, _It must have hurt. But she didn't cry out._

Ooteka bent and picked up the rock, using both hands. She continued to move closer to the guard. She came close behind his back without him noticing, held the rock up as high as she could reach and brought it down hard on his head. He fell to the ground and lay motionless.

Vavana wondered if Ooteka had killed him. She wondered if Ur would think she had done it to escape. _If this is part of her plan to kill me, it is more than needed. If Ur finds out Ooteka did this, I will not feel sorry for her. I know she is not being a friend. She only wants to be rid of me so she can have Ur back again. Helping me escape probably seems less risky than killing me._

Now she saw Ooteka start back toward her. Vavana stepped quickly away at an angle such that Ooteka would not see her and went into the woods.

Without her leggings or vest, bushes and tree branches scratched and tore at her skin, but she kept quiet, enduring the cuts. Skilled like all Pewas in the ways of the woods, she walked rapidly without making a sound. After walking straight into the woods for several minutes, she turned in the direction she knew to be the lakeshore. As she turned, she heard a voice behind her whispering softly, "Vavana, it's me, Nanong."

Relief flooded through her. _It is really him. Nanong is alive and we are together again_. He rushed to her and took her in his arms, embracing her tightly. "It's good to have you safe with me again," he said.

"Yes, it's very good to be together again," she said, hugging him close.

"I watched that other woman hit the guard over the head and saw you slipping into the woods. I followed you as fast as I could without being heard. We should stop talking and move fast so we can get as far away from here as quick as possible, before they come after us. If we get away, there will be time to talk and love later. They will be on our trail as soon as it's light and they are faster than us."

~~~

About an hour later, back in Muh's shelter, Ooteka heard the guard calling out the alarm, "Help! Enemies!" She looked over at Muh who was sleeping soundly. She smiled thinking of how she had made sure he was very tired last night. She insisted on having sex with him four times, before finally letting him go to sleep.

She shook him. "Wake up, Muh! The guard is shouting an alarm."

Sleepily he stumbled out of the shelter and followed Ooteka. She saw several villagers had gotten to the guard first and were standing around him. As more villagers kept arriving they barraged him with shouted questions.

"Who was it?"

"How many were there?"

"Which way did they go?"

"What weapons did they have?"

The guard could answer none of these questions and Ooteka knew why. All he could say was, "Someone snuck up behind me and hit me over the head. When I woke up, they were gone."

Many gathered around to see what was happening. Muh raised his hands to quiet the crowd. "Do not go into the woods searching for a trail," he ordered them. "We will never find it in the dark. If you all tramp around this area, you will cover up the tracks. We will look in the morning. We will catch up with whoever it was soon enough and have our vengeance."

Ooteka smiled thinking, _Muh doesn't intimidate people the way Ur did. Several people are even now beginning to poke around in the woods looking for tracks in direct defiance of his orders. It embarrasses him but he can't stop them_.

Muh went to Dook and asked, "Do you think it's strange the guard wasn't killed?

Dook shrugged his shoulders.

Muh persisted. "The guard was watching the forest. If someone came up behind him, I think they would be coming from the direction of the village."

"I guess so," Dook finally offered.

Muh gave Dook an exasperated look. "I wonder where Ur's new woman is," he said, talking mostly to himself now.

He turned to Ooteka and said, "Come, let's go look for her."

They left the others and went to Ur's shelter, where a quick inspection revealed Vavana was gone. Ooteka attempted to plant a thought in Muh's mind. She asked, "Do you think she hit the guard over the head so she could escape?"

Muh looked at her suspiciously. She wondered if he suspected she had assisted the escape. _Is he worried Ur might take me back if his new woman is gone?_

"If it was her, I wonder why she didn't hit him again and kill him," Muh said.

Ooteka didn't say anything further and was thankful Muh didn't press the subject. She knew how clever he was. She knew Muh would not want Ur to kill her, no matter what she had done.

After a long silence, as if to support her thoughts, Muh said, "Come, let us tell the others she must have hit the guard over the head and escaped."

## Chapter 3: A Meeting

In the early morning darkness Nanong ran slowly through the woods with Vavana at his side. When they got to the beach, Nanong saw starlight reflected on the water. More sure of his footing, he picked up the pace a bit. The beach felt smooth under his feet. He felt the damp sand at the water's edge, and could tell it had been washed free of debris. He ran faster.

Nanong hoped the waves would wash away their footprints and make it harder for Ur's people to follow them. He planned to get back to their camp as fast as possible and from there take one of the canoes north, back to his village. Once he and Vavana were on the water, he knew Ur's people would not be able to catch them.

The sun came up over the lake. All the next day he and Vavana ran along the beach, stopping only once to share some of the dried meat and drink from the lake. After the sun set they stopped for about an hour and finished the rest of the small amount of meat Ooteka had given Vavana.

They sat on the sand and rested. Nanong saw Vavana start to speak but he put his finger against her lips to silence her. He wanted her to save all her energy for running. He got up, pulled her to her feet, and they started running along the beach in the starlight

~~~

Ur walked into the village at midmorning. Everyone was still sleeping. He felt pleased with himself because of the good luck he had earlier in the morning. On his way back to the village empty handed, he managed to corner a deer in a place where two high rock walls met at right angles. There was no escape for the animal. He and his men speared it to death. Ur had his men carry the carcass into camp tied to a long pole in the same manner they had carried Vavana and Hogawa.

He went to his shelter, saw Vavana was missing, and bellowed, "Where is my woman?"

Several villagers woke, including Muh and Ooteka. They came running. Muh related the events of the night, along with the theory about Vavana hitting the guard over the head with a rock. Ur was furious. His good mood evaporated and rage consumed him.

He poked Muh in the chest with his fist and said to him and all others within hearing range, "All the men will follow me now to look for her tracks. We will take everyone except for the old people and children. The men can bring their women this time. The old ones and single women will stay behind with the children. We will not stop until we find her. I want her back. If we encounter any more of her people, we will kill them all."

As they went to look for Vavana's tracks, Muh walked with Ur and reasoned with him, "You would be wise to leave the women behind. If you take them with you, it will slow you down and you might not catch her. But, if you leave them here without any young men able to fight, nearby enemies may come. They would take everything. There would be no village left to return to. You should only take six men to chase one woman. Choose your six fastest runners."

"What happens if she manages to join the rest of her people?" Ur asked.

"If you go now and run fast, you will catch her before she can do so. I will stay behind and see to moving the village. We will all follow behind you as fast as possible. If you encounter her people, fall back and pick up the rest of the men."

Reluctantly, Ur agreed Muh's plan made sense. He knew the reason Muh wanted to stay in the village was to keep Ooteka as his mate, but he didn't care. Ooteka had come to Ur before they went to look for the tracks and asked him if he would take her back. He was not interested and rejected her again. Ur could only think about getting Vavana back. He told Ooteka, "Go away and leave me alone. I don't want you anymore."

~~~

They kept running night and day, through a second day and a third night. Vavana ran with joy, happy to be reunited with Nanong. At the same time, she was afraid Ur would catch them. By the third morning, she knew she couldn't keep going much longer. She paused to rest.

"No Vavana, don't stop. Ur will catch us."

"We have to stop. I can't go any further."

Nanong was in a quandary. Should he risk being overtaken on the open beach in the daylight or head for cover in the woods? On the beach, running through wet sand near the water, they left few tracks. If they went into the woods, he knew their trail would give them away and they would be easy to find.

Nanong was cursing himself. He thought, _We should have headed inland last night when our tracks would have been hard to see. We could have found a hiding place to sleep._ Then he corrected himself, _No, he is probably stopping at night or he would have caught us by now. He continues chasing us at first light when he can see our tracks again. He knows we will get tired and he will catch us if he just keeps following our tracks. I am getting too tired to think straight. Must keep running._

He said, "You have to try. We have no other choice."

They ran a short distance more, then Vavana reached the end of her endurance. She fell face forward on the sand, without injuring herself but unable to get up again. Nanong sat beside her. He wanted to lay down with her and sleep but he knew if he did, that's how they would be found when Ur arrived. He talked to Vavana to keep her awake.

"Get back on your feet. I will help."

She managed to get to her feet with Nanong's help but her legs would not hold her. She started to fall again and Nanong caught her. With her arm around his shoulder and his around her waist, they staggered along the beach.

~~~

The morning after Vavana's escape, Ur ordered a search for her tracks. One of the men found them within minutes. Ur followed them to the place where another set of tracks joined Vavana's. _She has a companion now. It must be the one who got away when I attacked the campsite. He must have followed us south to try to rescue her_. The thought angered Ur.

Before he could begin chasing her, he needed to have a meeting with Muh and Dook. He felt bound by the old custom of his people, for the leader to meet with his advisors when making an important decision. Moving the entire village was certainly such an occasion. Ur knew this meeting was just a formality. He would force the whole village to do as he commanded. Ur made his decision immediately after he heard Muh's advice. Dook was simply being informed.

A few moments after the meeting was over, Ur gathered his six men, strung some dried meat to his belt, got his weapons, and started the chase. He went slowly at first being careful not to lose the tracks.

When he reached the beach and saw the tracks heading north, he ordered his men to run full speed. The tracks were easy to see. The waves had partially washed them away but they were still clear enough to follow.

He became more determined than ever to drive his men to the limits of their endurance, to catch these two as soon as possible. He stopped only at night to be sure he would not miss their tracks in the dark, if they left the shore.

Ur came to the spot where Vavana had fallen. Seeing the marks of the two bodies in the sand, it was obvious to Ur what had happened. He grinned an evil grin.

"The woman fell here," Ur told the men. "They ran day and night to stay ahead of us. Now they're tired and she is falling down. The tracks leading away look like he is half dragging, half carrying her. It will not be long before we catch them."

As Ur followed them from where Vavana had fallen, he came to the place where the shoreline turns rocky. At this point their tracks disappeared into the rocks and could not be followed. Now Ur had a dilemma. He and his men could walk along the edge of the forest on the rocks. They could watch for signs of their quarry leaving the rocks and going into the woods. It would be slow going, because the forest was dense and the rocky terrain was very rough along the line where rocks met trees.

_Vavana and her companion can take the easiest way across the rocks,_ he thought. _Perhaps they will even be able to make it back to their camp before I catch them. Then they will have their weapons. I do not like the thought of charging against those weapons again._

He knew an alternate plan would be to go inland to where the deer path headed north and, assuming they were walking across the rocks to their camp, get there before Vavana and her companion did. He thought, _If I am lucky, they will be on the deer path and I will catch them. But either way there is a risk of missing them._

Ur sat for a while on a rock, looking out across the lake, as he liked to do when he was trying to think through a problem. Finally an idea came to him. He decided he would split the party, sending three men to run along the deer path. The other two would come with him across the rocks.

_I will push my men hard and try to overtake Vavana and her companion. The other three men will be able to get to their camp before them_.

Mindoregh stood on the platform at the bow, watching as her ship pulled into the harbor to one of four docks. Three other docks were occupied by ships just like theirs. She admired the way Fennsen skillfully guided his ship up against the wooden pilings. She picked up a line and threw one end to waiting villagers who tied it to a mooring. Janno tossed an aft line to other villagers who secured it as well. Most of the people had come down to the harbor for this arrival.

A group of heralds blew a salute on small horns made from deer antlers. Both men and women were wearing necklaces woven with wild flowers. These were worn in celebration of the queen's homecoming. Many of the people were carrying extra flower necklaces as well. As Mindoregh stepped ashore followed by her family, the villagers placed these necklaces over her head and those of her family. Many close friends showered her and her family with hugs and kisses.

As one of her Council members, Ellerva, hugged her, Mindoregh asked, "Why all this fuss?"

"You are our queen, Mindoregh. We are happy to see you return safely. We have a party planned to celebrate your homecoming."

The celebration proceeded to move inland along a path that led uphill toward Suonaugh. Janno took her hand and they walked together, followed by their family and friends. They walked the path crisscrossing up the steep bluffs. It took about half an hour to reach their destination. When they got to the top, Mindoregh stopped and smiled as she beheld Suonaugh, the gathering place, magnificently commanding the summit.

As she approached, villagers swung the gate open to welcome her. She looked inside and saw the garden had been well cared for during her absence and the crops were doing well. Ellerva led Mindoregh and her family down a path through the garden, toward the back wall, to where the council chamber and social hall stood.

Ellerva said to Mindoregh, "We will feast now. Please come with me, my husband and other friends into the council chambers. Fewallo and Sashegh can dine with their young friends in the social hall."

As they filed into the council chamber, Mindoregh clapped her hands and laughed with joy when she saw the grand feast laid out for them. She sat down at the head of the center table with Janno to her right.

She tapped the table with her spoon to get everyone's attention and said, "Thank you my friends for this wonderful welcome. It's so good to be home."As they began to eat, Suojen, sitting on her left said, "Tell us about your trip, Mindoregh. Did my son do well as your helmsman?"

"Very well, Suojen," she replied. "He is a very capable sailor and a nice young man as well. I think Sashegh noticed this and has become infatuated with him."

"Oh, no! I hope nothing inappropriate happened?"

"No, do not worry. Your son was a perfect gentleman in every way. This sort of thing happens naturally with young girls as they approach womanhood. I do not understand where she learned to be so flirtatious though. I was eavesdropping on a conversation they were having over breakfast this morning and I could not believe she was flirting so brazenly.

"Well, it worries me," said Suojen. "I will speak to Fennsen and tell him to be careful. We will have to keep an eye on those two. Now, tell me about the kind of things you saw in the south. How big is the lake? Did you go all the way to the southern end?"

"Yes, we did. It takes two full days to get there. The shoreline looked the same for most of the way: pine trees, rocks, some sandy beaches, and no signs of other people. Then, at the bottom of the lake, we saw a very large village. What I saw there disturbed me, but I would rather not discuss it with others until I hear the Council's opinion. I will meet with them tomorrow and then I will make a public announcement, telling everyone what I saw and what I think it means. I'm sorry to be so secretive but Janno does not agree with my opinion on this matter and I don't want to unnecessarily alarm the people."

"I'll respect your wishes and restrain my curiosity," said Suojen.

~~~

As she dined with her brother and their friends in the social hall, Sashegh was not so reserved in talking about what she had seen of the southern people.

"They were naked and fierce looking," she exclaimed. "They shook their fists at us, bared their teeth and called us monsters."

Some of the other girls near her gasped when Sashegh said she saw the southerners naked. Some giggled. Sashegh knew it was because many of them had never seen a man's body without clothes. She had seen her older brother, Fewallo, naked a few times. Her friends shot many questions at her about the southerners and their village. She answered them all and enjoyed being the center of attention during the meal.

Fennsen was there too. Sashegh recounted her conversation on the ship with him to her friends. She told them Fennsen called her a little girl, and asked the boys if they agreed. There were choruses of, "No!" Fennsen blushed and the girls giggled when they saw the effect Sashegh's teasing had on him.

Sashegh knew there would be a great buzz of conversation in every family dwelling regarding what she said about the southerners. Her friends loved to gossip. _Oh well_ , she thought, _mother didn't counsel me about what to say. I know she doesn't want me to be conspiratorial or secretive._ Sashegh did not, however, offer any opinions about policy to her friends. It was not her place to say what she thought should be done. She left such matters to her mother.

After the meal there was music and dancing in the Social Hall. Sashegh asked Fennsen to dance. As he held her close, he whispered in her ear, "I am sorry I said you were a little girl. I think you are lovely."

Without answering him, she turned her face to his and kissed him. It was brief but nice she thought as he broke the kiss. She smiled at him and said, "Thank you."

When she returned to her home after the feast, Sashegh found her mother waiting for her in the front room. "Sashegh, I need to talk with you."

"Yes, mother?"

"Suojen was quite upset about you flirting with his son on our trip. Were you with him again tonight?"

"Yes we danced and he kissed me. I think he likes me. He told me I was lovely. Was it wrong to kiss him?"

"No, it is nice to see my daughter blossoming into a beautiful young woman and getting attention from a handsome young man. I just wanted you to know Suojen doesn't approve. He told me he would give his son a lecture about you tonight."

~~~

Later the same night at Fennsen's house, Suojen was very aggressive in pressing his son for details of the trip. "I heard the queen's daughter was flirting with you this morning. Is this true?"

I don't really know, Father. I guess she might have been."

"Did you touch her in any way or did she touch you?"

"Please, Father! I would never do such a thing. Sashegh is just a young girl."

"Yes, and the queen's daughter, do not forget. Not a good match for a shipbuilder's son."

"You do not have to worry. I am not interested in her in that way."

"What do you mean? Are you interested in her in some other way? It would be good for you to avoid her entirely for a while if you can. Otherwise there might be trouble. Now, tell me about the southern people. Do they seem dangerous?"

"Yes, I think they might be," Fennsen replied. "We could hear them shouting and yelling when we got close. Their talk was full of references to death and killing. They seem to be violent people."

"Is this also how Mindoregh feels? How about Janno? What is the nature of his disagreement with Mindoregh about these people?"

"I didn't discuss my feelings with them and they didn't ask my opinion on this matter. I have no experience with people other than our own, so my opinion would not count for much anyway."

Suojen kept questioning Fennsen in this manner until it was quite late. Finally he told his son it was time for bed.

~~~

The next morning, after breakfast, Sashegh learned from her friends that everyone on Maginaugh wanted to know what she had seen at the south end of Southern Lake. Sashegh's friends told her their parents questioned them for hours about what she had said at the Social Hall feast. Sashegh knew their curiosity was highly aroused because this discovery of other people was the single most significant happening in all the years since they settled on Maginaugh.

~~~

Mindoregh convened the Maginaugh Council in the chamber room. The Council consisted of six members, all female. Mindoregh was in charge of running the meeting and recognizing speakers. She brought her husband, Janno, with her as a witness. She knew his opinion about the new people was different from hers so it would provide a balance.

"Good morning, friends," Mindoregh said. "As you know, this morning's agenda is to discuss the newly discovered southern people; to determine if they are a threat to us and, if so, what to do about it. I will begin by telling you what I saw and how it made me feel. Then you should each say if you think they might try to come here and harm us. If you think they will, we should start thinking about how to defend ourselves and protect our colony.

"They are tall, strong, and primitive. They look very ferocious in their facial expressions and gestures. I think their basic nature is violent. As they shook their fists and crude wooden spears at us and called our ship a 'water monster,' one of them charged into the water and threw his spear at me."

Mindoregh could tell by the puzzled looks on the women's faces, they were having trouble understanding why she was so concerned. She knew none of them had any experience with violence. She didn't either for that matter. It was only her intuition telling her to be worried.

"I know my fears are not logical," she continued. "But I have a feeling, a premonition, of bad things to come if we stay here. I am afraid the southerners will come north and seek us out. I think these people kill others to get what they want. When they find us I am sure they will attack and the results will be remembered sorrowfully by our people for many generations to come."

Mindoregh asked for comments and questions. The first speaker recognized was Unelli, the wife of Sinuhegh, the Master Gardener. "Why would these people want to hurt us?" Unelli asked. "We have not done anything to them. I would like to hear what others feel before jumping to conclusions. Even if they want to do something to us, how would they get here? We are surrounded by water on all sides. Even if they do manage to come to the island, we can gather everyone inside Suonaugh and bar the gate."

Hannelegh, the woman who ran the Maginaugh dairy with her husband Untamo, raised her hand and Mindoregh recognized her. "As Mindoregh describes them, these people are so primitive they must have a lot of superstitions. It could be they assume anything they have not seen before or do not understand is evil and to be feared. Perhaps they believed the boat to be an evil creature of some kind and they mean to hunt it down and kill it."

Several hands went up. Mindoregh recognized Juvane who was the wife of Suojen. I think Hannelegh has got it exactly right," said Juvane. "My son, Fennsen, was the helmsman for Mindoregh's trip. Last night I listened to him answering all of Suojen's questions. Fennsen believes these people are primitive, ignorant, superstitious, and quite possibly dangerous. Although my son does not frighten easily, he was glad Mindoregh didn't decide to go ashore and try to communicate with them. I think we should have specific plans about what to do if they come here."

The next speaker Mindoregh recognized was Juttegh whose husband was Skarbin, the Master Helmsman. "My husband made many voyages to other planets before he brought us to this one. He encountered another species on one of those planets. He and his crew met with them and did some trading. He told me he was nervous about approaching them at first because they looked so different from us and they behaved strangely. But he found there was nothing to worry about; they were very nice.

"He used to talk about going back to visit them and perhaps taking me and the children along, making a vacation out of it. So it is likely, I think, if we get to know these southerners, we will find our fears unfounded. The reason they shouted at the boat and made threatening gestures, is they were probably hoping to scare away something that frightened them."

Some of the Council members nodded their heads. Pavegh, the pretty young wife of Havasojegh, the Maginaugh blacksmith, spoke next.

"We have two members so far who agree these people are a danger to us," Pavegh said. "And we have two other members who think we should not be so fearful of strangers. I don't really have anything to add to the points made, but I agree with those who feel we should not assume people are bad until they do something bad. We should not judge people based on first impressions."

The sixth Council member was Ellerva whose husband, Runrantaugh, was Maginaugh's Master Healer. Mindoregh spoke first, saying, "Before we hear from Ellerva, I would like you to hear Janno's opinion. Although he is my husband, he doesn't agree with me on this matter. He has done a lot of traveling and has seen numerous kinds of civilizations. If Ellerva agrees with Unelli, Juttegh, and Pavegh, then the Council will have decided the southerners are no threat to us and we do not need to do anything about them. Even though what Janno says will make that decision more likely, I want you to hear him first because he was there and saw them."

Janno stood to address the Council. "In my travels to other planets, I have seen other violent races. I have seen one group of people attack another with lots of bloodshed. Unelli asked us to tell her what would be the reason for these southern savages to attack us, when we have done them no harm. In the case of the violence I have seen, it was often a people who were poor and starving, attacking those who had abundance. I saw enough of the southerners that I am sure they are a poor people. I suspect they are not good at growing things or at hunting and rely on raiding neighboring villages for much of their food.

"Despite all this, I do not think they will attack us. It would take them several days traveling on foot to get from the bottom of the lake to the top. They do not know whether we have things worth stealing or not. There must be other villages closer to theirs they can raid. So why would they come here? They have no boats, so they would find it difficult to get to the island. I do not believe they would go to the trouble."

"Thank you, Janno," Mindoregh said. "You may leave now and I will let you know what we decide." As Janno was walking out of the Council chambers, Mindoregh said, "Now let us hear what our last member, Ellerva, has to say."

"You were wise to have Janno speak before me, Mindoregh," Ellerva said. "You know me well enough to know I have trouble making up my mind. I tend to see valid points on both sides of this issue. I was undecided until I heard what Janno had to say. His logic was flawless.

"Three of you feel we have nothing to fear from the southerners. Two others feel we should be afraid and take measures to protect ourselves. I am going to side with the majority on this issue and say we should not concern ourselves about the new people. No action is needed."

Mindoregh stood up and took charge of the meeting at this point. "Very well then, we have a majority opinion," she said. "It is an opinion with which I strongly disagree. If the Council can reach consensus on the majority opinion, however, I too will go along with this and will not overrule the Council's decision. I would like to hear from Hannelegh and Juvane again to find out if they will consent to go along with the majority."

Hannelegh said, "My theory of why they might attack us was just speculation. Having heard all the other arguments, I am convinced there is nothing to worry about."

Mindoregh asked Juvane, "Will you also go along with this consensus?"

"I am not sure," Juvane replied. "Last night Fennsen had me convinced there was a real threat. Now, having heard these arguments, I am undecided. I would like to hear from you again, Mindoregh. What would you have us do?"

Mindoregh paused. She looked at each of their faces. Then she continued, "I beg each of you to reconsider your opinions. I want you to think about what will happen if my fears are realized. Our life on this world has been so good. It would be a shame to lose everything through carelessness."

"What would you have us do to prepare?" Juvane asked.

"I don't advocate preparing for an invasion," Mindoregh replied. "There are at least ten times as many of them as there are of us. Even if we barricade ourselves inside Suonaugh they will eventually find a way to come over the walls or break the doors down. Then they will overrun us. We are not a fighting people and we have no weapons. Resisting the southerners would be futile. Instead, I recommend we flee Maginaugh now and go somewhere far away, where they will not be able to find us."

"How can we all flee Maginaugh?" Unelli asked. "There is not enough room in the boats for all of us at once. We could ferry people to the shore a few at a time, but if we try to run away on land, they will be able to follow and will catch us."

"It would not be easy," Mindoregh admitted. "But, if we decide to take action today, we probably have enough time to build large rafts to tow behind the boats. We should sail into either the northern or the eastern lake and find a place where we can start over again. Here our island can be seen easily. There must be others not so visible from shore. If we find one, the southerners will not be able to find us."

Mindoregh sat down, indicating she was done. Juvane said, "In this new place we might find dangers as bad as or worse than the southerners. I have made up my mind and am going to go along with the consensus. I don't think we should run from uncertain danger. If we do, it is likely we will never find a place we can stay. We will always be running away from our fears."

"The Council has decided then," declared Mindoregh. "I will not stand alone against the rest of you. I hope we have not made the mistake I fear we have. The meeting is adjourned."

Out in the garden, Mindoregh looked up at the sun. The meeting had lasted until noon. She watched as the council members left Suonaugh to have lunch with their husbands. She knew they would share the news about the decision.

She thought some of their husbands would be surprised she was so adamant in arguing there was imminent danger, when obviously there was no clear evidence. She wondered if Suojen would be surprised to hear that Fennsen's point of view, as told by Juvane, did not sway the Council toward her position.

_Should I have allowed the council to make a decision against my better judgment?_ She reminded herself she had personally hand-picked a council generally acknowledged to consist of the wisest minds on the island _. The decision was made by consensus, she told herself, which means it was the group mind. I have to hope our collective thinking is superior to my intuition._

~~~

Sashegh waited until shortly after noon for her mother to get home from the Council meeting. She then began to make lunch for Fewallo and herself. As she was slicing cheese for sandwiches, Mindoregh and Janno arrived.

"That was a long meeting mother. What happened?"

"I imagine every councilwoman's family is asking that question right now. Come, let us sit at the table and I will give you a summary."

Mindoregh recounted the meeting for Sashegh, concluding, "We are staying. I didn't overrule the Council's decision."

After lunch she returned to Suonaugh. Not wanting there to be a lot of gossip around the island, Mindoregh decided to call a village meeting to announce the decision to everyone at once. She went to a big wooden beam supporting an iron bell. She took a hammer from a wooden peg and struck the bell three times. The bell's clear loud ring could be heard all over the island. This was the signal for an impromptu meeting of everyone on Maginaugh.

Mindoregh waited for the Magin to start arriving. She knew everyone on the small island would come to hear the news. She could hear the murmur of the crowd as people entered through the gate. She paused and then rang the bell three more times. The last of the villagers filed in through the doors of Suonaugh.

Mindoregh climbed up on a small speaker's platform next to the wall of the Council chamber. She raised her hands to silence the crowd.

When they were quiet, she said, "Welcome friends. I have called you here to tell you about an important decision the Council made this morning."

Mindoregh used her very precise memory to relate every important detail of the Council meeting perfectly. She concluded, "I want you to know this was a consensus decision, not just a majority opinion. We decided these new people pose no threat to us. We do not feel it necessary to take precautions against them. Are there any questions?

As she looked out at the crowd, judging by people's faces, most seemed entirely satisfied by her report and were getting ready to go back to their daily business. Suojen raised his hand.

Mindoregh said, "Yes Suojen, what is it?"

"I know the Council has never made a wrong decision, and I am not saying this decision is wrong. But what will we do if the southerners do come here and attack us?"

"We do not consider it necessary to plan for such an event," Mindoregh replied. "The Council considers it to be not worth worrying about."

Her tone was final. She did not invite argument so Suojen didn't give her one. Neither did anyone else. She waited a minute and then dismissed them saying, "Since there are no further questions, the meeting is over."

## Chapter 4: On the Water

Arriving back at the site of the massacre of the Pewas, Ur walked into the camp from the south. The men who took the deer path had arrived earlier. He looked around and saw there was no sign of Vavana or her companion.

"Where are they?" he bellowed in frustration.

Un, one of the men waiting in the camp, answered, "We didn't see any sign of them. We thought you must have caught them on the rocks and would bring them here. We looked north of the camp too. The shore is not so rocky there and footprints would be visible, but there were none. They must still be to the south of us. We must have passed by and missed them."

Ur flew at Un in a blind rage and hit him in the face with his fist, knocking him down. Un snarled and started to get up to fight Ur. Then he seemed to think better of it and stayed down.

Ur spit on the man and walked off to sit on a rock. He thought, _There are no tracks heading north from here. It is not likely Un and the others missed footprints crossing the deer path. I was very careful to make sure no tracks left the rocks heading inland. We were behind them all the time and now they seem to have disappeared._ He was puzzled.

As he sat thinking these thoughts, the sun sank below the trees. _There would be no use heading south now to look for tracks. We might miss them again and allow the woman and her companion to slip by us and head north._

Ur studied the five canoes still lying on the beach. He could see marks in the sand where the canoes had been dragged out of the water. He thought, _These people must have come to this place floating on these things. The deer path and the rocky shoreline end at this camp. They will come past this point from the south if they are heading toward their home. We will sleep here tonight and look for their tracks in the morning._

Ur got up and called his men to gather around him. He informed them of his decision. After he finished talking, they went off and settled in to sleep for the night.

~~~

Earlier the same day, stumbling across the rocks, Nanong and Vavana had come to a big pine tree growing close to the shore. "Climb with me," Nanong said. "See the big branch growing out over the rocks?"

"Yes."

"If we jump, we can grab it and pull ourselves up. I will go first and help you up."

He stood on a rock, jumped and grabbed the branch. He hung on and walked his feet up the trunk. Throwing his leg over the branch, he rolled himself on top. He held out his arms to Vavana. She jumped, grabbed his hands and he pulled her up.

"What now?" she asked.

"We must climb higher Vavana. If we cannot see the ground, they will not be able to see us."

They climbed until finally the ground below was totally obscured by needle-laden branches. Nanong was on one branch and Vavana on another nearby.

"Press your body close against the trunk and become one with it," he whispered. "Stay very quiet. We must hope they will pass beneath without seeing us."

Soon Nanong heard them. He didn't try to look out and see the men. He looked intently into Vavana's eyes and knew she understood what he wanted her to do. They both held their breath as they heard the men pass directly below them.

Nanong could tell from the sounds of their passing, there were not many men. He was tempted to jump them because the desire for revenge burned within him. The odds had never been this good before. But he realized he and Vavana were too tired and weak. They could easily be overwhelmed by even two men like Ur. So he held his emotions in check and stayed put, until he could no longer hear them.

"I think it's safe to go down now," he whispered.

When they were on the ground he said, "We should follow them."

"No!" Vavana exclaimed. "I want to get as far away from them as possible."

"If we go any other way, we are liable to run into other search parties. If we follow them, we will know where they are. We will stay off the rocks and make our way through the woods, so we will not be seen. Maybe we can sneak by them tonight."

She shrugged, "What is the use? We are so tired they will catch us easily tomorrow. But I will not argue with you about it. I cannot think of any better idea. We will try your way."

She followed him as he led the way north through the woods. They came at last to the camp where they had been attacked by Ur and his men. Beach sand intruded into the bushes here. Thick brambles surrounded the camp on three sides, providing a natural shelter. He spotted the southerners and motioned for Vavana to hide with him. The lean-tos were at the edge of the forest. The canoes were on the northern side of the camp.

Nanong knew there would be no moon that night and he had an idea. After the sun set, he put his mouth to Vavana's ear and whispered, "Get down and crawl on your belly through the bushes. Follow me."

He said no more but began to creep through the thick bushes on his belly. He was thinking he would try to crawl around the lean-tos to the north end of the camp where the canoes were. He thought they might be able to grab one and get it into the water before Ur's men could stop them. _They won't be expecting this and they won't be able to catch us once we are in the canoe._

It was slow going because he needed to make sure they were not seen or heard. Occasionally he felt Vavana touch his leg, to let him know she was still with him. Because of the darkness, it was difficult to know if he was even crawling in the right direction. The bushes tore at his clothing so he knew, since she was totally naked, they were tearing her bare skin even worse. _It must be difficult for her to keep quiet, and yet she does_ , he thought, fiercely proud of her.

Eventually, after more than an hour of slow crawling, the bushes came to an end and there was open sand ahead. He thought, _This must be the northern side of the camp. The canoes will be nearby_. He stopped and they rested for a while, gathering strength for what must be done next. Then, with Vavana close behind him, he proceeded to crawl out onto the sand in the direction he thought the canoes must be. He hoped the boats would block the guard's view so they would not be spotted. It was so dark he could not see the guard, the lean-tos, or the canoes. He could not see much of anything. He thought, _Good. The guard will not be able to see us either_.

He was lucky, for soon he touched the side of the first canoe. He reached back and tugged Vavana's hand, bringing her up beside him so she would know they had reached their objective. Then he tapped her on the shoulder, stood up and lifted the front end of the canoe. He felt Vavana pick up the back end.

The paddles lying in the bottom shifted a bit as they lifted the canoe, making a noise. The guard must have heard it; he shouted the alarm. Nanong said, "Run!"

He and Vavana ran toward the water carrying the boat. In a few steps their feet were splashing through shallow water. He could hear Ur and his men shouting. A few more steps and the water was past his knees, slowing him. He fought his way into deeper water.

"Now! Get in!" Nanong shouted to Vavana.

He put a hand on each side of the canoe for balance, and let her get in first. Then he lifted himself in and sat down. They could hear the feet of the men splashing into the shallow water behind them. He picked up his paddle and began to move the canoe. He felt Vavana counterbalancing his strokes in the rear.

Ur had a spear with him. He could see the outline of the birch bark canoe faintly against the dark water. He took aim and threw the spear. Nanong felt the spear graze his right arm and embed itself in the bow, piercing the birch bark, fortunately well above the waterline. Nanong pulled the spear out, placed it on the floor, and kept paddling. His arm burned where the spear had struck him, but the wound was not serious. Soon they were out of range.

He paddled in front while she steered from the rear. They kept going for a while, straight out into the lake. Then he lifted his paddle and so did she. The canoe drifted to a stop. He listened. He could hear the soft slap of small waves against the side of the boat but that was all.

Satisfied they were not in immediate danger of being captured, Nanong said to Vavana, "We should keep moving. Turn us and follow the North Star homeward."

Nanong could see the bow swing as Vavana made arc-like strokes with her paddle. When he saw they were pointed directly toward the North Star, he began to paddle with her in strong straight strokes. He could feel her occasionally using a feathered stroke to compensate for his greater strength, keeping them on course.

When they had traveled like this for a while, Vavana spoke up. "We cannot keep going without rest all the way home. We are too tired. We will both collapse from exhaustion."

Nanong said, "It's not a problem. There is not much chance of them catching us tonight. I don't think these people have boats of any kind. They won't know how to use canoes. We can take turns tonight, one of us sleeping while the other paddles. You sleep first."

"No. You have not rested since we were attacked. Soon you will not be able to think well. You must sleep now while I paddle. When I can no longer stay awake, I will wake you."

Nanong had to admit to himself she was right. He had not slept more than a few minutes at a time for several days. "I agree," he said. He lay down in the bottom of the boat and was asleep almost instantly.

Vavana loved paddling a canoe. It was soothing to her and she did not find it tiring at all. She felt happy she had been able to convince Nanong to get some rest. She paddled for hour after hour, watching the stars move across the night sky from east to west. Only the North Star stayed fixed in one spot all night long. Finally, when she could see by the stars it would be light soon, she shook Nanong gently and said, "My turn to rest now."

Nanong changed places with her, moving to the back so he could steer. He started to paddle as she lay down on the floor of the canoe. At first, he was too drowsy to realize how long Vavana had let him sleep. When he was able to comprehend the relative time of night from the position of the stars, he would have scolded her for paddling so many hours, but she was no longer awake. In less than an hour he saw light in the east. The sun would be up soon.

Nanong paddled vigorously for more than three hours. Now that it was light, he could see the many cuts and scratches on her body. He wanted to tend them but did not want to wake her. _I will take care of her cuts when she wakes_ , he thought.

Suddenly he had a sense of danger. He paused, looked over his shoulder and thought he saw something far away across the water, close to the shore. He stopped paddling and turned around in the canoe. He put his hands in front of his face and peered through slits between his fingers to shield his eyes from the glare of the sun on the water. _Yes_! There were three little black dots floating on the water.

"Why did you stop paddling?" Vavana asked, rubbing her eyes as she woke.

"Look behind you, over there." He pointed. "I think Ur has found us."

"Oh no!" she exclaimed when she saw what he was pointing to. "Turn back around and start paddling. Please don't let them catch us."

Without waiting for his answer, she picked up her paddle and began digging at the water with fury. Nanong was not as panicked as she, but he spun around and started paddling vigorously, keeping pace with her strokes. Vavana kept up this pace for more than three hours. Nanong matched her stroke for stroke without breaking his focus to look back again. Their unspoken but mutually felt intent was to put enough distance between them and Ur's men, to become invisible again. Finally, Nanong could not stand the uncertainty any longer and looked back over his shoulder.

"Don't stop paddling," Vavana snapped. After he resumed paddling again she asked, "Well?"

"I could still see one of the canoes," Nanong said. "It has not gained on us but it is keeping up. I don't understand how."

"You said they would not be able to handle a canoe as well as we do. Evidently they can. What are we going to do now? We will tire before they do. Then they will catch us."

Nanong didn't answer right away. He was thinking. Then he asked, "Remember the island we saw in the narrows at the top of the lake?"

"Yes."

"Remember the big stone dwelling we saw on top of those bluffs?"

"Yes. We decided not to visit the island because it is obviously the territory of some other people. We didn't know if they would welcome us."

"Well, now I'm thinking I would just as soon take my chances with them, as to let Ur and his men catch us. We could beg them for sanctuary. Ur doesn't have very many men with him and would not dare attack the island without knowing how many people he might have to fight."

"I can't think of any better plan so I agree. The island is where we will go. It must not be much further to the top of the lake now. Coming down from there we made it to our camp site in one day."

~~~

As he saw their canoe pull away Ur thought, _If I have any hope of catching Vavana and her companion, I must get the men into these things made of bark and give chase on the water._

"Carry three of these things into the water and then get in like they did," he ordered.

As he watched, all three boats were soon capsized by their clumsy efforts. But Ur was determined.

"Pick them up, drain the water, and try again."

When he saw one of the boats ready, he got into it himself. Two other men managed to get in with him, without tipping it over. He watched impatiently while the others capsized their boats again.

"Put your weight in the middle, not on the sides, fools," he growled at them. "Again!"

_Finally_ , he thought, as he saw all the men manage to get into the boats on the third try. Ur sat in one boat with two of his men. The other two boats contained two men each.

"Reach down into the water on each side with your hands and paddle like you do when you swim," he commanded.

As they moved out slowly into the lake, Ur thought their speed was probably not as fast as Vavana's, but at least they were giving chase.

"Stay close so we don't get separated in the dark," Ur said. "Ahg?" he called out to a man in one of the other canoes.

"Here," Ahg answered.

"Dhm?" Ur called to a man in the third canoe.

"Here," Dhm answered.

_It is so dark_ , Ur thought. I have no way of knowing which way to go. Then he remembered the little fixed star always seen in the north. It was close to a grouping of stars called Agga in his language, which meant, ' _pointer to the north_.'

Paddle only with your right hands, Ur said. "Turn these things until they point toward Agga. Then paddle with both hands again. Keep heading toward Agga."

After his canoe had executed this maneuver, and they had started paddling north, he called out again, "Ahg?"

"Here."

"Dhm?"

"Here."

The next time he called to them their voices sounded distant. He stopped paddling for a while to let them catch up. He felt objects laying on the floor of the canoe pressing into his knees. He picked one of them up and ran his hands over it in the darkness trying to discern its purpose. It seemed to be a tree branch carved to a special shape. He felt a nob at one end and at the other it was wider, flat, and thin.

_Is it a weapon_? he wondered. He stood up in the canoe and swung the paddle through the air to see how it would feel to swing it in battle. The air caught the blade and knocked him off balance. As he struggled to keep his balance, he pointed the blade of the paddle down, intending to steady himself on the side of the canoe. Instead the blade went into the lake. As he jerked back on the paddle, trying to keep his footing, the blade pulled against the water and the canoe lurched forward. He fell backward into the lake, almost turning the canoe over as he went.

As he hoisted himself back in, he said, "I think this stick makes the thing we are riding in go fast."

Tentatively Ur held the paddle with his right hand just above the wide part and his left hand grabbing the nob at the other end. Then he dug down into the water with the wide end and pulled back as he would with his bare hand. He was amazed at the result. The boat shot ahead rapidly, veering slightly to the left. The man behind him grunted in shock.

"These carved sticks contain powerful magic we can use for moving faster through the water. Use yours and see."

They used the two paddles together. It amazed Ur to see how fast they moved. But soon he shouted, "Stop!"

"Ahg?" Ur called out.

From even further away, barely audible, came the faint answer, "Here."

He waited for the others to catch up. When they did, he showed them how to use the paddles. He was pleased when all three boats began to speed through the waves.

He knew they were still not moving fast enough. Their canoes veered back and forth from the desired direction, occasionally colliding with each other, none of them able to go straight.

As they constantly went right or left off course he bellowed, "Go here. Go there." He shouted and argued with them as they struggled in vain to control the canoes.

It took about an hour for him to work out a system so they would not have to keep stopping to correct course. He still couldn't figure out how to steer with the rear paddle alone. He ordered the men in the back of each boat to make steering decisions, which he decided would consist of two commands: "Stop," and "Switch."

Ur explained his system to the men, saying, "By using these two commands, the man in the rear can keep a course north without stopping. He should keep paddling while telling the man in front to either stop or switch sides to correct their course."

Ur was pleased. After they got this system down, they were able to make much better time. In the morning he saw a small dot on the water and knew it must be Vavana's canoe. He growled at a man in the nearest boat, "Give me your paddle."

~~~

Fewallo climbed the long winding staircase of the Suonaugh watchtower. He admired the wonderful view from the top, 50 feet in elevation above the highest point of the island. It was clear and he could see far down the lake.

He longed to sail one of the Magin ships, to take the helm and ride the wind over the lake, like Fennsen. One day soon, he thought, he might accomplish his dream. _After all_ , he thought, _I am not much younger than Fennsen_. He chafed remembering how, when he pestered Fennsen to give him lessons, Fennsen would always say, "Wait a few years and you will be old enough. Then I will teach you to sail."

This afternoon he was daydreaming about sailing, not feeling the least guilty about skipping a class at school. As he looked out over the lake, his imaginary boat was headed south, moving slowly because there was not much wind today. As he looked out in the direction his boat was headed, he saw something on the horizon. _It could be a small boat_ , he thought. _But all ours are in the harbor. Who can it be?_

Fewallo ran down the six flights of stairs and went to the bell near the Council chambers. He rang the bell until people started to come. His mother got to him first.

"Fewallo, you are supposed to be in school now. What mischief are you up to, ringing the meeting bell?"

"There is a strange boat out on the lake, Mother. I saw it from the top of the watch tower."

Mindoregh had a bad feeling about this. She ran to the closest tower and up the stairs. Fewallo was right, there was a single small boat headed straight for the island, close enough now to see it clearly. She felt her heart stop for a second. _My premonition has come true. It's them!_

She ran down the stairs again and shouted to the assembled crowd, "The southern savages have come! Follow me to the harbor!"

Mindoregh raced down the path, with half the village behind her. When she got to the dock she saw a man and a woman paddling as fast as they could toward the harbor. She looked behind her and saw Fennsen and two of the other helmsmen in the crowd.

"To your boats," she commanded. "Take four strong men in each."

She grabbed Fennsen and tugged him toward his boat. They leaped aboard. Three other men hopped on with them. She cast off the mooring lines and ordered Fennsen to head for the canoe, which was quite close by now. She saw two other ships starting to get underway to provide her with an escort, so she was not afraid of the single canoe's occupants.

As they drew even closer, she could tell the couple in the strange boat looked different, less ferocious, than the people they had seen in the south. She was cautious, thinking, _It would be better to intercept them on the water than to welcome them to come ashore_. As her boat drew close to the canoe, Mindoregh motioned to the helmsmen in the other boats to pull up alongside. She had Fennsen position their boat directly in front to block its path.

Nanong used the hand signals his people used when they wanted to talk without speaking, when they were on a hunt for instance, or when they needed to communicate with people who didn't speak their language. He hoped his meaning would be understood as he signed, " _We come in peace and intend no harm to you or any of your people._ "

Mindoreh understood him perfectly and waved back to him, nodding and tapping her head to show she understood. Nanong signed, " _Bad men are chasing us in other canoes. They kill the men, steal, and rape the women of other tribes_." Mindoregh knew at once who he meant. Nanong pointed south and she was horrified to see another canoe with three southern brutes in it closing fast.

She made a quick decision to trust and believe this stranger. She ordered two of the men aboard her boat to throw out lines to the canoe and motioned for the couple to come aboard. As they climbed the ropes, she could now plainly see the men pursuing them. The one who appeared to be the leader was shouting at his two men and gesticulating wildly at her ships. She could hear him going on stupidly about the "water monsters."

When Nanong and Vavana were safely aboard, Mindoregh pointed at Ur's canoe and ordered Fennsen, "Make straight for their boat. I want you to ram it at full speed."

Mindoregh could tell Fennsen had his doubts about her command but she was his queen and the current situation didn't permit time to question orders. She glared at him and he swung his helm so the bow was pointed straight at the approaching canoe.

As Mindoregh's ship bore down on the men, she saw their expressions change from anger and ferocity to uncertainty and then fear. The leader shouted at the other two men in the canoe and they began to flail at the water in confusion. They were turned sideways when the bow of her ship struck the middle of the canoe. The canoe splintered into pieces as Mindoregh's ship smashed into it. The leader was struck by the bow and disappeared under the water as it ran over him. His other two companions were pushed to the side as the ship sliced between them.

"Bring the boat around," Mindoregh ordered Fennsen.

She saw the two primitive men floundering in the water. The leader surfaced, gasping for air.

"Sail back to where they are Fennsen. I will speak with them."

When Fennsen had maneuvered the boat to within a few feet, Mindoregh stepped up to the side rail so she could get a good look at them. She could see they were each clinging to some remnant of the canoe, in order to stay afloat. Using her skill with languages, she addressed them in their own tongue.

"You men are not welcome here. You may not come ashore on our island. Swim to the mainland. Go back south where you came from and leave us alone. Go now, or I will run you over with my water monster again!"

Two of the men hastened to swim away in fear, but the leader remained for a moment, glaring at her with hatred and contempt written on his face. She could read his thoughts, _How dare a mere woman give orders to the great Ur?_

He said to her, "For now, I have no choice, but I will return with all my people. I will find you and teach you what your place is. I will capture you and let all my men use you. And finally, after we have raped you until we are bored; I will kill you slowly and painfully."

Mindoregh was about to order Fennsen to run over him again, when Ur turned and swam slowly away toward the western shore. Only then did she notice another canoe on the horizon. They were quite close now. She wondered if they would have to be rammed also. Then she saw they were not headed toward her boat but toward the three men in the water. Ur and the other two clung to the sides of the canoe, talking to the men inside, no doubt telling them what had happened. Then she saw yet another boat some distance away.

Mindoregh watched while the two canoes pulled the three men out of the water. Then, riding low in the water, the savages made for the western shore. Seeing they were not headed toward her, she ordered her fleet to furl their sails. She sat and watched until the strangers had gone to the shore. Then she ordered all ships to unfurl their sails and return to Maginaugh.

When they docked and disembarked, Mindoregh could tell Vavana and Nanong were exhausted. Instead of bombarding them with questions, she showed them to a guest bedroom in her home. Using their Pewa sign language, she said, "You are welcome to use this bed." They collapsed into it and passed immediately into a deep sleep.

## Chapter 5: Touring Maginaugh

Nanong woke in a bed more comfortable than any he had ever slept in. He lay there, watching Vavana sleep for a while. She looked so beautiful and peaceful, breathing slowly and deeply as she lay on her side facing him. From the way the sunlight streamed into the room, he could tell it was midafternoon. _We must have slept all day, an entire night, and part of today too_ , he thought.

As he lay in bed with Vavana now, watching her sleep, Nanong could not resist kissing her. He leaned over and pressed his lips to her forehead. Vavana's eyes snapped open. She went rigid, and screamed, "No!" Then she saw it was Nanong and smiled hesitantly but her body still trembled in fear.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were ...

"I know," Nanong interrupted, "you thought I was the man who held you captive and raped you."

"Yes," sobbed Vavana, turning away to avoid eye contact.

"I understand," said Nanong, "it's natural after what you have been through."

"I don't feel worthy of you anymore, Nanong. I feel dirty and used."

"No, I am the one who should be ashamed. I let you down, not helping to protect you when you needed me. I just sat in the bushes and watched while he raped you. I should have rushed him and tried to kill him."

"Then you would be dead, Nanong. You couldn't fight all those men by yourself and survive. No, I am glad you were patient and stayed alive so you could help me escape. I never would have made it without you. We're both alive and together again. That's all that matters. You did the right thing."

"Vavana, believe me, you are more than worthy of any man. What Ur did to you didn't diminish you at all in my eyes."

Nanong said these words but his thoughts were not exactly the same. A part of him felt guilty for being alive and watching while Ur took her. That same dark part of his mind also told him she was spoiled now. He didn't know if he felt the same about her as he did before. He was almost relieved to know she didn't want to make love. He wondered if he would be able to with these thoughts running through his head.

Vavana turned to Nanong and put her arms around him. They hugged each other for a long time. They were interrupted by a knock at the door.

~~~

Mindoregh called to them, "May I come in?"

"Yes certainly," answered Nanong. "This is your home after all. You have been very generous to share it with us."

As Mindoregh entered, Vavana asked, "How is it you know how to speak our language? Did you live with Pewas at some time in your life?"

Mindoregh laughed, "No. In fact I have just now learned you call yourselves Pewas. This is a little trick I and many of my people have with language. I learned your language by listening to your conversation through the wall just now. I was able to get inside your heads and read your thoughts."

Nanong and Vavana hung their heads in shame, remembering what they were saying and thinking. Mindoregh laughed again and said, "Lift your heads. You did nothing wrong. It's those evil men from the south who should be ashamed of the things they did. But they are not. Their leader, as he was leaving, promised to return and do the same things to me he did to you, Vavana."

"You should have killed him when you had the chance." Nanong said.

"We are a non-violent people. We do not kill others. I only rammed his canoe with my boat in self-defense."

Nanong and Vavana were curious about their hostess. They began to fire questions at her. Every time she answered one, they would ask three or four more.

She answered them patiently for a while and then, laughing, said, "Enough! You must come with me now to the dining room. We will have a late lunch and then I will show you around Maginaugh. What you will see may answer many questions for you. In fact, maybe we should just go ahead and start the tour. There will be things to eat along the way."

As she led them down a path away from her home, Mindoregh said, "I will show you the Suonaugh garden first. Along the way, there is food ripening, ready to eat now."

She persuaded Nanong and Vavana to try foods they had never seen before, such as apples, apricots, peaches and grapes. She knew they must be incredibly hungry. For each thing she offered them, she took the first bite so they could see there were no ill effects.

A few of the things Nanong saw growing, such as corn and beans, were familiar to him, but most were not. He was astonished by the variety and plentitude of food in Suonaugh and shocked at the strangeness of it.

He looked around at the walls of Suonaugh from the inside. He was in awe and said,. "I have never seen anything like it. It looks as big as all of the central part of our village. The walls appear to be made of cleverly placed flat slabs of limestone."

Mindoregh saw them looking up at the twin watch towers and said, "What do you think of them? They are as tall as six of our houses, one on top of the other. They each have openings at the top so you can see out over Southern Lake in all directions."

Nanong said, "They are on either side of the entry way. Is their purpose to protect the gate from enemies in battle?"

"No, Nanong," she laughed, "They were not built for defense. We have not had any battles here and have never prepared for one. We are a peaceful people. The towers were built so we could enjoy the beauty of the lake. Sometimes, on these clear days of late summer, we can see great distances from up there."

Nanong walked over close to the front wall and said, "The walls around this garden are strange to me. My village only has one kind of structure, a circular tent made of deerskin, like my vest."

He inspected the wall closely, breaking a small piece of mortar off with his fingers. "I notice the stones in the walls are set in something like ground powdered limestone. What is it?" He showed the piece to Mindoregh.

"I don't think there is a word for it in your language," she replied. "We call it " _cement_." When mixed with water, it is like mud only much stronger. We make it from a mix of ground limestone, sand, and clay."

"I am amazed you can speak our language so well after listening to us for only a few minutes," Vavana said.

"Listening to you talk puts me inside your heads. Almost immediately I am able to understand many of your thoughts and all your words."

Vavana marveled aloud, "You say this as if it was nothing, just a natural ability."

Mindoregh smiled at her. "To my people, that's exactly what it is." She pointed to the far end of the garden. "Look, there is Sinuhegh, the Master Gardener, with a crew of workers, harvesting the corn."

Vavana noticed many vegetables in the garden were ripe. She felt fall weather in the air already. She watched as the workers pulled ears of corn from the stalks and tossed them into strange carts they pulled behind.

Vavana turned to Nanong and said, "These carts, like the boats these islanders make, seem very well and cleverly built."

He replied, "Yes, see how the carts are designed for the workers to pull them? They are light because the sides are woven with slender tree branches and are not solid. This is why the men are able to pull them so easily, even filled with corn."

Vavana said, "Look at what they move upon; round things that roll under them. How are those made Mindoregh?"

"They are made in our blacksmith shop. I will show you later."

Nanong counted eighteen workers in the field this morning; four pullers and two pickers for each wagon. He saw women did the picking and men did the pulling. One of the men was overseeing the work, Sinuhegh obviously. He was smiling broadly as he observed the carts filling up fast.

It was a fine sunny morning with a touch of crisp late summer coolness in the air. Sinuhegh's infectious smile was spreading to every face. _The crew looks happy, and well they should be_ , Nanong thought, _with this weather and all the corn they have. It should be a good winter for them_.

Sinuhegh struck up a song and all the workers joined in. He chanted lines and the crew repeated them in harmony.

"What is this song?" Vavana asked Mindoregh.

"He sings of the bounty of corn and the good weather. Sinuhegh is making it up as he goes along. Now he is singing about the good teamwork of the crew and about being thankful to the Spirit of the Earth for all the blessings given to them this morning. Come; let us leave them to their work. I want to show you a place where we make other kinds of food. We call it a ' _dairy'_ ," she said, using the Magin word because she knew there was no word for it in their language.

When they entered the dairy building, Vavana saw Sashegh. She was with some of the other older children doing the milking. Vavana saw she was milking deer. Her mouth dropped open. She wondered, _why are they getting milk from deer_?

"Hello Sashegh," Mindoregh called out. "I am giving Nanong and Vavana a tour of the island. Nanong, Vavana, meet my daughter Sashegh."

"Hello," Sashegh said, smiling at the Pewas. "I would love to come along but after chores I have to go to the schoolhouse for my lessons."

An older couple came out from the adjoining room. "Welcome guests of the queen," the man said. "I am Untamo and this is my wife, Hannelegh."

Mindoregh translated this for the Pewas and helped Untamo understand their words until he could pick up their language.

"Thank you," said Nanong. "What is this place? Why is it called a ' _dairy_?'

"And why is the queen's daughter taking milk from a deer?" Vavana added before Untamo could answer.

"We milk many deer in here," said Hannelegh.

"Why?" Vavana asked.

Hannelegh smiled at Vavana's shock and replied, "We drink the milk, cook with it and make food from it."

She held out a basket filled with chunks of a creamy white substance and said, "Here try some of my cheese."

Nanong and Vavana backed away, repulsed at the thought of food made from deer milk. Mindoregh showed them it was safe to eat by sampling a piece herself as she had with the food in the garden. "It is very delicious," Mindoregh said. "It is Hannelegh's own special recipe and process. You really must try some."

Hesitantly, Vavana picked a corner off one of the chunks and nibbled it. Her eyes got wide, a smile broke out on her face, and she popped the whole chunk into her mouth. She took a piece and held it out to Nanong, who also quickly went from hesitance to enthusiasm. In a very short time the two of them finished all the cheese in the basket.

"I see you decided you like deer cheese after all," Hannelegh said. "You will be happy to know it is very good for you as well. The milk we get from the deer and the food we make from it are a very important part of everyone's diet here on Maginaugh."

Hannelegh then led them to the storage rooms where there were many rows of shelves behind a heavy door. Nanong saw large blocks of ice on the bottom shelf. On the upper shelves he saw pottery jugs filled with milk, large wheels of cheese, and other things.

Hannelegh took a ladle from a hook on the wall, dipped it into one of the jugs and took a sip from it. Then she held the ladle out to Nanong and said, "You really must try some milk too. It is also quite delicious."

The thought of drinking deer milk was repulsive to Nanong but he struggled to control his reaction, not wanting to offend his hosts. He tactfully changed the subject by asking, "How did you come by all this ice, at this time of year? It has been a long time since the lake was frozen."

Mindoregh answered, "Come, I will show you the ice house next. We cut ice from the lake, while it is frozen, and haul it to the ice house, where it is stored for use in the warm season."

Hannelegh shrugged her shoulders and finished the ladle of milk herself. The Pewas said their thanks and left the building, following Mindoregh out the back door. Outside, they found themselves surrounded by several dozen does.

Mindoregh said, "It is nearing evening milking time and Hannelegh's husband, Untamo, is herding the deer into the milking pen adjacent to the dairy."

Nanong marveled to himself, _These deer, unlike the ones we hunt in our homeland, are not afraid of humans. They have very full udders, much larger than any I have ever seen_. Before he could even think of what questions to ask, Mindoregh led them through the deer and down a path to the lake.

At the bottom of the path, in the midst of some trees near the shore he saw a wooden structure with one door and no windows. When he entered he found himself in a short featureless hallway. It was pitch black inside and he couldn't see anything. Suddenly, a small magical light appeared in Mindoregh's hand, giving off a soft, warm, yellow glow. The sudden appearance of the glowing orb shocked Nanong and Vavana and they both jumped.

Mindoregh said, "I'm sorry I scared you. It's so natural for me to make light when I need it. I didn't know it would frighten you."

She opened a second door and they were in an identical hallway with yet another door at the end. He noticed Mindoregh was careful to close each of the doors as they went through. He felt it getting colder the further they went inside the building. As they went through the third door he felt a frigid cold, as icy as a winter day.

They were in a small room about ten feet wide and four feet deep. The entire back wall of the room was full of deep empty shelves from floor to ceiling, leaving only enough room for a walkway in front of the shelves. They went through still another door into an identical room with more empty shelves. Several doors later they finally entered a room where the bottom several rows of shelves contained blocks of ice. Mindoregh opened the next door and they saw all the shelves in the next room were completely filled with ice.

"We cut these blocks from the lake while it is frozen and store them here for the warm weather," she said. "When the lake thaws we begin taking the ice from here to keep the milk, cheese and other food in our dairy chilled. Also, each household is allowed one block per day for their personal ice box. We have enough in here to last us until the lake freezes again."

She noticed Vavana was shivering. "Come let us go back outside where the afternoon sunshine will warm you again."

Mindoregh led them back up the path toward Suonaugh and the other buildings. As they neared the top, she pointed to a series of workshops on the right.

"Now I'll show you the bakery, the ironworks, our healing place, and a new ship being built. This is Suojen's workshop. He is the master shipbuilder."

"Hello Suojen. Hello Fennsen," she called out to them. "These are our guests, Nanong and Vavana."

As they entered the workshop, Nanong saw a middle-aged man working alongside a younger man with similar features who appeared to be his son. They looked up, nodded and smiled at Nanong and Vavana, but kept on working. He saw they were taking their time, slowly and carefully, taking pains to pay attention to all the small details. Nanong could see they were fine craftsmen in the same way as those among his people who made bows and arrows, flint knives, and deerskin clothing. They were using tools he did not recognize, enabling them to shape and fasten pieces of wood into a boat.

"Where do they get these tools, Mindoregh?"

"All our tools are made here on Maginaugh in Havasojegh's blacksmith shop. Come, we will go there next."

In the next building Nanong saw a man naked from the waist up working over a hot object lying across a stool made from some sort of hard substance. He had a device he pumped with his foot, blowing air onto a hot fire into which he would occasionally thrust the object using tongs. He would reheat the object until it glowed red. As he placed it back onto the stool, Nanong could see it looked like a knife tang, glowing red. The man was hitting it with a hammer, over and over, beating the blade thinner.

Mindoregh waved to him and said to the Pewas, "This is Havasojegh, our Master Blacksmith. He is making a kitchen knife of the type we use for slicing vegetables. After he has it shaped right, he will cool it and then put it on a grinding stone to sharpen it."

She picked up a finished knife and handed it to Nanong. He ran his finger over the blade and was surprised to find it sharper than his own knife. Mindoregh took another of the knives and dropped it on the limestone floor, point down. Nanong gasped, expecting it to break. It didn't. He picked it up and inspected it. The blade was not fractured. Never had he seen such a strong knife.

Mindoregh said, "Keep this knife, Nanong. Hurry on along with me now to the bakery and the Master Healer's house. It is getting late. I want to show you how we bake our bread and other delicious things. Afterwards you will see how we take care of people when they are sick or injured."

After seeing both places, Vavana said to Mindoregh, "Those breads and sweet cakes we tasted in the bakery were the best I ever had. One thing I notice your people have in common with ours is everyone seems to work very hard."

"Yes," Mindoregh said. "Everyone on the island, except for the small children, has some task understood to be their responsibility. Everyone performs their tasks voluntarily, energetically, and with enthusiasm. Most days, except when the weather is very bad, this island is a busy place, almost audibly humming with activity. I can see you are both tired now. Come let us go back to my house I don't want to wear you out your first day here."

Mindoregh found Janno in the kitchen. She knew, from the aroma in the house, he had prepared a delicious evening dinner for their family and the Pewa guests. She peeked in the oven and saw his specialty dish, a type of grilled eggplant and cheese casserole.

She led the Pewas back to the dining room and seated them at the table. Sashegh and Fewallo entered and joined them. Sashegh, called out to Janno, "Hurry up father, we are all hungry.

Sashegh was, as usual, very talkative and full of questions. "Where are you from?" she asked Vavana.

"We live on the eastern shore of the big lake north of this island."

"What were you doing in Southern Lake and why were those men chasing you?"

"We were exploring, having a fun adventure, just like Mindoregh told us you and your family were doing."

Vavana told Sashegh a shortened version of the massacre of the Pewas by Ur's men, of her days as Ur's captive and her escape with Nanong. She left out descriptions of the rapes.

"They sound like horrible people, those southerners. I suppose my mother has taught them a lesson and they will not come here again."

"Don't be so sure," said Nanong. "He seems very determined to get Vavana back. I think he feels like she is his woman now."

Vavana hung her head in shame at these words thinking about all the intimacies she had been forced to have with Ur. She felt ashamed for having complied willingly with Ur's every desire. Ur had an enormous sexual appetite and had taken her often, on some nights as many as three or four times. What shamed her most was the memory of how, on some of those nights, her body had taken control of her mind and she had experienced her own sexual release. She wondered if it did in fact make her Ur's woman. Then she pushed the thought away. _No, it cannot be. I still love Nanong with all my heart_.

"I am very sorry about the death of your friends," Sashegh said, placing her hand on Vavana's arm. At this, thinking about how her childhood friend Hogawah had died, Vavana burst into tears.

Janno said, "Let us not talk about such things. This unpleasant conversation is spoiling my eggplant dinner. How did you enjoy Mindoregh's tour today?" he asked Nanong.

This question sparked Nanong to ask all the questions in his mind about how the marvelous things they had seen were accomplished. Janno and Mindoregh answered all his questions but he felt their answers were somewhat vague rather than specific. At one point, when he pressed for more details, Janno said, "Our people learned to do these things over many thousands of years. There is no way I can thoroughly explain them to you over a dinner."

"We are called Pewas, which means 'the people'," Vavana said to Sashegh. "What are your people called?"

"We are called Magin because we come from Mag. In our language Maginaugh means new place of the Magin."

"Where is Mag?"

To answer this question, Mindoregh interrupted with a half explanation, thinking the Pewas were not ready to hear the rest. "Mag is so far away it would be impossible to explain to you where it is or how to get there from here."

"If it is so far away, how did you come to this place?" Nanong asked.

"We all came together in a very large ship capable of traveling great distances in a very short time."

Mindoregh thought, _They would not understand if I tried to explain the relativity drive. How can I explain our ship's drive system, able to take advantage of time and space being relative? We know a distant point light years away can sometimes touch the point where we stand. The relativity drive is capable of sensing this and moving across distant points in an instant. Such technology is beyond their ability to comprehend_.

Mindoregh remembered how the drive had been developed for exploring the galaxy rather than for practical travel. She knew this is why it would be difficult for Magin refugees to find each other. Those who used it were brave pioneers. They never knew if they would be able to find their way back. Many did not return.

Mindoregh remembered how her mother, then the queen of Mag, had commissioned the ships. Each ship had a female descendent of the queen in charge of the ship, an heir to the throne, a daughter, granddaughter, or niece. She told her people these women were to be the queen on the planets they settled.

"And where is this ship now?"

"It's at the bottom of the lake. A problem developed and we could not continue our journey any further, so we were forced to settle here. The ship developed leaks we could not patch and eventually sank to the bottom of the lake. It is ruined and useless now. It will never sail again."

"I am sorry to hear this," said Vavana.

"No need to feel sorry for us," said Mindoregh. "We like it here. This is our home now."

The conversation continued long after Fewallo had cleared away the dinner dishes and on late into the night. Finally, Nanong started to feel very tired as a result of the day's activities and not being fully recovered from their stressful escape. He looked at Vavana and saw she looked exhausted.

Mindoregh, noticed the look passing between the two and said, "You two should go to bed now and hold the rest of your questions until tomorrow."

## Chapter 6: Northward

Ur paddled to the western shore with his six men in the two remaining canoes. Once ashore he abandoned the canoes and led the men southward for two days. On the evening of the second day, he was able to rejoin the main body of his people at a spot where Muh made camp for the night. Ur came stumbling into the camp with his companions, exhausted and starving. Muh and Dook greeted him and tried to ask many questions about the pursuit of the Pewas, but Ur had no patience for talk and pushed them aside.

He said to Muh, "We have not had anything but water for two days. We want food, not talk."

He rummaged through the camp, taking and eating voraciously whatever food he came upon until his belly was full. He saw the other six doing the same. Then he threw himself down on the ground and went fast asleep for the night.

In the morning, Ur sought Muh and Dook for a council. Muh asked "Did you see the woman and her companion? Do you know where they went?"

"Yes. They got into things made of bark and pushed them out into the lake. We got into others and followed them. We were about to catch them when many people riding many water monsters came and pulled them out of the lake."

He felt too humiliated to tell them the part about being ordered to leave by a woman. He made it sound like he had retreated because they were vastly outnumbered. "The monsters attacked us. There were many of them and we were forced to flee. We must go to this island and attack these people. They are not mighty warriors like us. We will easily overcome them like we have all others. Then we will kill the men, steal their belongings and take their women as slaves."

Muh and Dook nodded their heads in approval. Ur gathered all his people and when he announced his plan, the men cheered him. He knew they were thinking greedily of the new women, food and other things they would get in such a raid. By mid-morning, camp had been struck and Ur began to march his people north again, toward Maginaugh.

~~~

Three days later Ur made camp on the shore facing the western side of Maginaugh. He stood with Muh and Dook, surveying the situation. The island was clearly visible from the shore. He saw the twin watch towers at the top of the highest bluff and he knew it was the place they must attack.

"So what do we do now," Dook asked, "swim to the island?"

"No, fool, then we would have no weapons with us."

"I have an idea," Muh said. "We should look for logs."

"Logs?" Dook repeated stupidly.

"Yes, enough so each man can ride one with a weapon tied to his back. We could paddle to the island using our hands."

"What about the water monsters they ride?" Ur asked. "They will ram us again."

"Yes, they might," Muh answered. "But there are many of us. Enough will make it to the island. The logs will not sink and later those in the water can rejoin us. We will conquer the islanders."

"This is a good plan," Ur said. "We will do it."

For the next week Ur had his people scavenge the coastline, gathering enough logs to float all their men to the island. They collected driftwood and fallen trees. They also downed a few living trees with crude axes. They brought hundreds of logs to the shore. When there was enough for all the men, Ur gave the order to attack.

~~~

Fewallo went to the watchtower every morning since the day he had seen the canoes. He shared his mother's concern regarding the hostile strangers from the south and was on the lookout for their return. When he saw Ur's camp on the western shore, he descended the stairs, and reported it to his mother.

"The savages have arrived and they made camp on the mainland directly west of us. I think they number over a thousand, Mother."

"I am not surprised. Their village in the south looked that big to me. This is what I was afraid would happen. I admit I am even more frightened now with them this close. I want you to watch them closely and tell me what they are doing. I will assign others to watch as well, taking turns with you, so we can observe them during all the daylight hours."

From then on, both watchtowers were continuously manned. Fewallo and the other lookouts told Mindoregh they saw Ur's people gathering logs. It was obvious to her what Ur was planning. She called another emergency council meeting.

She opened the meeting saying, "My dear Councilwomen, my worst fears have come to pass. The southerners have come in force and are going to attack us. There are ten times more of them than us. They will find ways to climb over the walls of Suonaugh. Vavana has told me what terrible things will happen to us. They will murder all our men and children and we, along with all the other women, will be raped and taken as slaves like Vavana was.

"Is there nothing we can do then?" asked Juvane. "We are smarter than these primitives. Surely we can think of some way to stop them."

"That is what we must try to do my friends," said Mindoregh. "I brought you all here today to help me think of a way to spoil their plan and survive."

Juttegh said, "We are not fighting people. We have no weapons. It's too late to run. We should try to negotiate with them. Offer them food and belongings to go away and leave us in peace."

"We can certainly try negotiation," Mindoregh replied. "But I think we will not be able to resolve this peacefully."

"You mean to fight them?" Pavegh asked. "They would certainly win. They are bigger and stronger than us, they have weapons, they outnumber us ten to one, and we have nothing to fight them with."

"No, that is not quite true," said Juvane. "We have our ships, much superior to the logs they will ride to attack us. My husband and son have just finished the fifth one. Mindoregh rammed the three canoes and easily turned them back. The logs will be even easier to hit."

Mindoregh saw hope in this idea and said so. Some were frightened by the thought of resisting a violent attack. The discussion lasted all day. When Mindoregh called for a vote, the sides split three against three between the councilwomen. She broke the tie, saying, "Enough debate! We will take Juvane's suggestion as the only hope for us. If they reach these shores, we are finished. We must stop them in the water. Tomorrow we will take the fleet out for practice."

That night at the dinner table Mindoregh told her family and her house guests of the Council's decision. Nanong said, "Good. I hope the spirit of the Great Waters will be with you and help you defeat them."

"Will you stay and fight with us, Nanong?" Mindoregh asked. "You are the only one among us who has any experience fighting and we will have to fight.

"I would like nothing more," Nanong replied. "I want to take revenge on Ur for what he did to my friends. I want to kill him slowly and painfully for what he did to Vavana. But I think you will fail to turn Ur back. No matter how many of his men you ram with your ships, he will keep coming. His insane lust for Vavana will drive him on.

"If I fought with you, we might kill a few of them but I do not see how we could stop them from reaching Maginaugh. Even if you somehow manage to turn them back now, the lake will freeze soon. You will not be able to use your boats. Ur will simply walk across the ice with his men. They will kill all your men and take the women to be their slaves.

"Vavana cannot be subjected to this again. I love her and must think of her first, putting my desire for revenge aside. We will take our canoe and go home. Starting tonight we will paddle it north from here, back to our village on the shore of Northern Lake.

"When we get to our village, we will speak to our elders, telling them of the kindness and friendship you have shown us. I will ask them to gather a war party to come back to help you. We will get revenge. If you are still here when we return we will come to your aid. If not, we will hunt Ur down and kill him and all his men, so they will not do this to anyone again. My people are good fighters. Ur will feel our wrath."

Mindoregh said, "Wait here for me, while I take Janno aside and discuss something with him. I understand your feelings and I don' t blame you for leaving. However, I may have another request for you, one that does not involve staying here to fight Ur."

Leaving Nanong and Vavana looking puzzled, she stepped out into the hallway with Janno. "Nanong is right you know dear. Ur and his men will probably kill you and all our men. They will take me and the other women as slaves, using us like they did Vavana. I don't want our children to be here when that happens. He would kill Fewallo and make Sashegh a slave. I want them to go with Nanong and Vavana and be safe."

"Oh, Mindoregh, this is a hard thing you are asking me to do, giving up our children to strangers. I too want them to be safe but how do you know they will be safe with the Pewas?

"My sense of what the Southerners are like has proven right. Trust my intuition about the Pewas now my husband. Giving up our children is hard on me, but I want them to live. Sashegh is to be queen someday. She will carry on the royal lineage after we are gone. I trust Nanong and Vavana. I know in my heart they are good."

"What will you do? Give them one of our five precious ships, making it less possible to fend off Ur's attack?"

"No, Janno, I have a better idea. Each ship except the new one has a small dinghy strapped on deck. We will give them one of the dinghies. It will be just big enough to fit the four of them with a goodly supply of food for their trip."

"Do you think perhaps some of your people may question why your children are made safe and no others?

"Yes, they probably will, but I don't care. We can't get all the children away. Even if we filled all the ships and all the dinghies with children we could not take them all. How would it be decided who goes and who stays? Tomorrow when we do our practice runs, Nanong and Vavana will make their escape in the dinghy with Sashegh and Fewallo hidden under some coverings. No one will know they have left until it's too late to do anything about it.

She could see Janno did not feel good about her decision but he went along with it, giving Mindoregh his consent. She returned with him to the dining table and told Nanong and Vavana of the plan. Nanong said, "I understand your feelings Mindoregh. Don't worry about Sashegh and Fewallo. We will take good care of them. Things may yet turn out so you will see them again. Using your little boat, we will get back to our village as fast as possible, taking turns rowing. I promise at least some of our men will return to help you fight Ur.

"Good, then it is settled, the four of you will go north tomorrow," said Mindoregh.

~~~

In the morning, Fewallo was in the watchtower. He saw men getting on logs and knew the attack had begun. He watched as they slowly began to ooze out into the lake in great confusion. He was awed by the size of Ur's army, so many men riding so many logs.

In terms of organization, it was a disaster. There was no formation, no real leadership, just chaos with men bumping into each other and falling off their logs. Fewallo flew down the six flights of stairs, barely touching each third one, and ran full speed to his house. He found Mindoregh in the main room talking to Janno about plans for the day's sailing practice.

"No time for practice Mother," he said, gasping for breath. "Ur and his men are attacking us right now! I saw them in the water from the watchtower. They will probably be here by late this afternoon at the rate they are moving."

"Fetch your sister," Mindoregh said, "and both of you pack a small bag of clothes quickly. Be ready to come with me."

"Clothes? Why, mother? Where are we going?"

"Just hurry please. No time for questions."

She turned to Janno. "Give me a kiss my husband. It might be our last."

Janno wrapped her in his arms, pulling her close to him, and kissed her long and passionately. "I love you my wife, my queen, my everything. I will die protecting you today."

"I love you too Janno. We are not going to die for certain today. Let us see what we can do together to survive. I will get Nanong, Vavana, Fewallo, and Sashegh, take them to our ship, and send them off in the small dinghy while you go house to house quickly and collect eight men. Meet me at the harbor. We will sail with just two to each boat, you and me in the fifth one. I suggest you recruit Sinuhegh, Havasojegh, Untamo, Ylermin, Arpianen, Hajanegh, Hummelin, and Fennsen."

"Yes love," Janno said. He gave her one last kiss and went to collect the men.

Mindoregh took her children and the two Pewas down to the docks. She looked around and saw there was no one else there. "Help me lower the little boat from my ship into the water, Nanong."

After they got the dingy afloat she said, "Get in quickly. You must leave before the others arrive."

Vavana and Nanong jumped in. Mindoregh held each of her children's hands and kissed them.

"You must go with Nanong and Vavana now."

"But Mother...," Fewallo began to object.

"There is no time to argue. Obey me as your mother and your queen. I don't know what's going to happen if Ur's men get to Maginaugh, but I will not risk you two being harmed. Nanong and Vavana will take good care of you and will bring help back here from their village. Hurry now! Go, before others start to arrive."

She pushed her children into the dinghy. Nanong started rowing away immediately, staying close to the shore until the island's coastline curved north. Mindoregh stayed on the dock, watching and waving until the rowboat disappeared around the western side of the island. Fewallo and Sashegh could not see the tears running down her cheeks, but Sashegh guessed it and she felt tears flow from her own eyes.

The men Janno collected began to appear, barraging Mindoregh with questions she answered as rapidly as possible. When Janno arrived with the last of the men, Mindoregh grabbed him and they went aboard their boat. "To your boats! Follow me!" she called to the others. Janno cast off the mooring lines and unfurled the mainsail. Mindoregh took the helm, heading out to open water.

She looked back and saw the men taking to the other boats two by two. They followed her west across the lake. She tacked toward the southern edge of the armada of logs. Janno came to stand with her behind the wheel, putting his arm around her waist. "What is your plan, love?" he asked.

"Actually, I have no plan except to knock as many of them off their logs as possible."

"But there are hundreds of them. We can't stop them all."

"Well, we will just have to do the best we can and see what happens. If we can't stop them in the water and they reach the island, I trust the council women will know what to do."

Soon she could see the individual log riders as her ship closed on them fast. She commanded the wind to increase and her boat cut rapidly through the choppy waves. The other four spread out behind her. She picked out one of the log riders and aimed the bow of her boat straight at him.

~~~

Nanong rowed to the North along the western coastline of Maginaugh. He looked at Vavana seated in the back, Sashegh sitting next to her, both of their mouths set grimly. He looked over his shoulder and saw Fewallo in the one-person seat at the bow. Sashegh and Fewallo were both focused on watching the coast of Maginaugh glide by, as if they were trying to memorize every detail, knowing it might be a long time before they saw their home again.

Vavana helped him navigate the unfamiliar rowboat. She said, "Pull more with the right paddle. You are going toward shore too much."

Suddenly, Nanong stopped rowing entirely. The rowboat coasted to a stop.

"Is there a problem Nanong?" Sashegh asked. "Why are we stopping?"

"Look to the southwest," Nanong said, pointing. "Mindoregh's little fleet of sailboats is attacking the log riders on their southern flank."

The other three spun around in their seats to look. Nanong spotted five Magin sails close to the western shore of the lake where he knew the log armada was. He could tell Mindoregh was tacking straight across the wind, achieving maximum speed for ramming. They all watched, fascinated as the sails cut north up the coast and then suddenly swung to the east, heading out into the lake again.

The sails turned back toward the mainland and started picking up speed. They turned to the south and sped down the coastline. Nanong was mesmerized, speechless, awed by Mindoregh's reckless bravery. He saw the looks on Sashegh and Fewallo's faces and knew her children were frightened for her.

Vavana spoke first. "It will never work. By the time she reaches the northern flank, the men she knocked in the water at the southern end will no doubt be climbing back onto their logs. She cannot sink the logs."

"She is doing what she can," said Nanong. "At the speed those sailboats are moving, if they hit any of Ur's men, they will injure them badly and they will not be able to fight again for a long while, if ever. She is improving the odds in favor of those remaining on the island. It is the strategy of a good leader who cares deeply for her people."

Vavana said, "I do not think we should watch anymore, Nanong. We cannot help and we might be spotted. Let us go north now, please, and get as far away from Ur as possible."

There was a tremulous urgency in Vavana's voice. Nanong recognized it and knew what caused it. He put the oars into the water and started rowing north again. Vavana, Sashegh, and Fewallo kept watching the sails of Mindoregh's fleet as they swept up and down the lakeshore. They watched until Nanong had taken them far up the lake and Maginaugh Island was just a line of green and white on the southern horizon. Then it disappeared and they saw the sails no more.

They sat in silence as Nanong kept rowing, each deep in their own thoughts. Sashegh was frightened, being away from her parents for the first time, not knowing what it would be like living with the Pewas. Fewallo was a little frightened too, not for himself but because of what might happen to his parents. Vavana was thinking about Ur and it was making her feel bad about herself again, remembering all the things he had done to her.

Nanong kept rowing silently through the day. The distance between the eastern and western shores kept getting narrower until he could see both shores close at hand, making out details of rocks and trees and seeing occasional animals like deer and bear. At midday Sashegh brought out the pack of food her mother had sent with them and gave everyone fresh fruit, vegetables, cheeses, and bread from the bakery.

Nanong rowed while the others ate. He planned to keep rowing through the night. He wanted to get back to his village as soon as possible and bring help back to Maginaugh before it was too late. When he had finished eating, Fewallo said to Nanong, "Please let me row while you have something to eat and rest? I have spent many hours rowing these little boats around the shores of Maginaugh and I am quite good at it."

Nanong consented to this, thinking a rest would help him be able to keep rowing all night. They changed seats and Fewallo took up the oars.

Nanong said to him, "Keep following the shoreline. The lake will fork, entering both the great eastern lake and the even greater northern lake. Take the north fork, following the eastern shore of northern lake until we come to the village of my people."

Nanong had his lunch while Fewallo rowed. He watched Fewallo at the oars, making good progress. After he finished eating, Nanong lay in the bottom of the boat to sleep. When he woke, the sun was low in the West behind them. He let Fewallo row on for another hour, then said, "Fewallo, you did very well, thank you. I am well rested now and will take over. We will be coming to the narrows between the lakes soon."

He switched seats with Fewallo and put his back into the rowing with new grim determination. He could see by the smile on her face, Vavana was starting to relax now, knowing they had gotten far away from Ur and his men. She struck up a light-hearted conversation with Fewallo and Sashegh.

"You will like our village," she said. "The Pewas are a nice friendly people and they will welcome you warmly. Our food is very different from yours but I think you will like it. You will make many new friends among our people."

Sashegh tried to fight back her tears, and then gave into them. She was thinking of her mother and father and her home, wondering if she would ever see them again. Fewallo knew why his sister was crying. He felt the same things she felt. The urge to cry was strong within him. He pushed it down, putting his arm around her shoulder and comforting her.

At sundown they came to the place where the water forked. Nanong turned the little boat and rowed north. He saw the twilight deepen and the stars begin to come out. He watched Sashegh, Fewallo, and Vavana nod off to sleep one by one. Vavana went to sleep last, after kissing him goodnight.

## Chapter 7: The Pewa Village

Far to the north, close to the shoreline among the trees, two young Pewa girls were sitting on a fallen pine trunk in the moonlight, holding hands and talking. Nammi, the younger of the two said, "No Bequa, I don't think you should kiss me, it's not right. Girls are only supposed to kiss boys, not other girls."

"But, isn't true that your mother kisses you sometimes Nammi?"

Nammi nodded. "Yes but ..."

"Well she is female like me. Do you kiss your sister sometimes?"

Again Nammi nodded,

"Well it would be just like that, soft and gentle, not rough and hard like men kiss women. There is nothing wrong with two girls kissing; it's very nice. Try it just once and see for yourself. Please?

Nammi said nothing, trying to think of what she should say to this, what she wanted to say. She had heard whispering among other girls and even some of the boys, talking about Bequa. She knew both male and female homosexual Pewas were tolerated and even accepted by all her people. Still, they were definitely considered an oddity and Bequa was rumored to be one.

Nammi thought, _I like Bequa as a friend. I have known her all my life. I admit I do feel an attraction to her. I like the way she makes me feel when she touches me, but I don't think I am like her and don't want others thinking that I am. I don't want to be whispered about by the entire village_.

While she was thinking, before she could gather her wits to answer, Bequa leaned toward her, putting her hand behind Nammi's head, her fingers entwined in Nammi's long black hair, and kissed her softly on the lips. Nammi pulled away in surprise and shock. Bequa's eyes were locked on hers as she leaned forward and kissed her again, more urgently. This time Nammi didn't pull away; she returned the kiss with growing enthusiasm.

She felt Bequa's hand slip under her deerskin shirt as they kissed, caressing the bare skin of her midriff and then moving higher and cupping her breast. Nammi sensed this was the point of no return but she was aroused now by the touch of Bequa's hand caressing her and she wanted to go further as much as Bequa did. Bequa removed her own shirt and leggings, showing Nammi her body. Nammi was unsure what to do but did not resist as Bequa removed all of her clothing and laid her down gently in a bed of pine needles.

Bequa made love to her until the early morning hours. When she was finished, she gave Nammi a final kiss and said to her, "I enjoyed you more than I ever enjoyed any of the other village girls."

Nammi drifted off to sleep in Bequa's arms. She woke later, hearing voices out on the lake and the sound of a small boat moving through the water. She got up, woke Bequa, and beckoned her to come with her. They moved closer to the water, to a spot where they could peer out from the bushes without being seen.

The waning moon was still in the sky. Nammi could make out the rowboat and count the four occupants. "What strange craft is this and who are these people?" whispered Nammi. "We should run back to the village and warn the people of these invaders."

Bequa put her hand over Nammi's mouth, her finger to her own lips and shook her head no. She pointed at her eyes and then at the rowboat. They squatted, keeping low behind the bushes, and watched quietly as the boat drew nearer. Soon Nammi could make out the occupants as two males and two females. The boat was close to her now and passed right by, continuing north.

The place where Nammi was hiding with Bequa was a few hundred yards south of their village. She watched as the rowboat went directly to the spot where the path to their village started. The four occupants got out and pulled the boat up on the sand. They took the path, disappearing into the trees. It was obvious they knew where they were going.

"They are not invaders after all, Bequa. They know how to get to the village. They are going openly down the main path from the lake. I do not know who they could be in that strange type of boat, two of them dressed in such strange clothing, but they come peacefully as friends and mean us no harm."

Bequa nodded. "Come, we will find out who they are and what they want."

As Nanong led his mate and their two companions to the edge of the village, the lookout saw them and cried the alarm. Within moments, men armed with bows and arrows emerged, rushing to surround the newcomers. Nanong recognized one of them as Ogima, the old chief of the Pewas.

Ogima said, "Put down your weapons. This is our lost brother Nanong and his woman, returned to us from the south with two young strangers. I thought them dead when the time for their return was long past. Let us welcome them back with open arms and rejoicing."

The other men shouted their greetings and welcomes to Nanong. They examined Sashegh and Fewallo with great curiosity, poking and touching their strange woven cloth clothing. Questions were fired at Nanong rapidly from all sides but Ogima held up his hands and said, "Enough! These weary travelers did not sleep tonight. They must rest now. There will be time enough for questions later."

"Ogima, I must respectfully disagree," said Nanong. "We have friends in the south who helped us. Now they are in trouble. We must go back and help them immediately. Please allow me to tell you everything, so a war party can be organized as soon as possible."

"We can talk if you want, my son. Come to my tent. Your mate and your friends should rest." Ogima turned to one of the other men and said, "Namid, find the newcomers places to sleep."

"We will make room for all of them in my tent," said Namid.

When Sashegh entered Namid's tent with Fewallo and Vavana, she saw it was made of deerskin like Nanong's shirt. The hides were stitched together with rawhide lacing and draped over poles made from young pine trees. Namid showed the three of them places to lie down on beds made from fur hides and soon they were all fast asleep.

~~~

Nanong sat cross legged on the floor with the old chief and began telling his tale from the beginning. He told of the massacre of his friends by Ur's men and of the capture and rape of Vavana and Hogawa. He told of Vavana's escape and their flight north to Maginaugh. Ogima was most interested in his description of the Magin, their buildings, food, and tools.

Nanong said, "She took us around her village. There was food growing inside a fortress made of stone. We ate foods we have never seen before. They drink deer milk and make food from it. They keep food fresh, on ice they are able to store through the summer. They showed us a place built to keep the ice frozen. We saw a man making tools made of an extremely hard substance they call iron in their language. These tools do not break like our flint ones."

Ogima looked skeptical at this, so Nanong took the iron knife Mindoregh had given him from its sheath and dashed it against a rock. Ogima gasped, but the knife didn't break. Nanong gave the knife to him and said, "Keep it."

Ogima's mate brought them food at midday. After they finished their meal, Nanong resumed the tale, pausing to answer all of Ogima's many probing questions regarding the Magin. Finally, in the late afternoon, Nanong told of Ur's attack on Maginaugh.

"Mindoregh asked me to help her children escape. I promised her I would bring help back as soon as possible."

"You should never promise what is not yours to give, Nanong. You expect me to commit warriors to a battle where we would lose many? I understand your desire for revenge and I will honor it by taking the matter to the Council of Elders for discussion and vote. They will meet again in two more quarters of the moon."

Nanong grew frustrated at this point. He felt Ogima was not really hearing him. _Ogima doesn't understand, it's not only revenge I seek, but also a desire to honor my promise to help those who helped Vavana and I_.

He didn't argue with Ogima however. Ogima was their chief and the tone he was taking told Nanong argument would be futile and possibly dangerous. He knew disobeying the chief was grounds for banishment from the tribe.

~~~

As Mindoregh bore down on their flank, many of Ur's men sat stupidly dazed on their logs allowing her boat and the others to knock them off into the water. She guessed they had never encountered anything like the boats of her people, so large and swift. _They still think of our ships as water monsters and are frightened out of their wits._

Mindoregh had no experience with battle. Now, however, based on Nanong and Vavana's stories of what Ur's men did to those they captured, she knew they were in combat for their lives and freedom. She was determined not to let Ur win without a fight.

When Mindoregh hit the first log rider, the bow of her boat smashed straight into him, lifted him off his log and knocked him unconscious. He fell face down into the water and drowned. She looked back on each side and saw the other four ships following her lead. Each targeted a man on a log. All struck a man except for Hummelin's boat, which was the leftmost of the five. Mindoregh was dismayed to see his ship plunge deep into the midst of the log riders without hitting any. _Hummelin is not the expert helmsman the others are_ , she thought _. I should have picked someone else_.

Mindoregh saw Ur's men were aghast to see their fellow warriors being thrown off their logs into the water, hurt and drowning. Her fleet was now knocking a second set of log riders into the water. She was happy to see even Hummelin had found a mark this time. He was in the midst of a great number of log riders and it was not difficult for him to hit one.

Mindoregh almost felt like laughing when she saw Ur's men paddling in all different directions, not making much speed compared to her swift sailboats, and having no clear strategy of how to combat the " _water monsters_." A few tossed spears at her boat but none found their mark.

_Evidently they are not skilled with weapons_ , she thought. _They probably rely on brute strength and superior numbers to overpower those they attack_. By the time her fleet made another pass through the log riders, Ur's warriors had suffered a dozen casualties and none of her people had been harmed.

Mindoregh turned her ship to attack again. A battle fury overcame her, adrenalin pumped through her veins. She steered a course across the front line of log riders, so her ship wouldn't get trapped. She wanted to run over more southerners with her boat, killing or injuring as many as possible.

She made sure her fleet kept the same formation as they passed through the logs again, hitting nine of Ur's men this time. When she reached the center of the front line, she saw many of Ur's men beginning to panic, throwing their weapons into the water, jumping off their logs, and swimming for shore.

Ur did not panic. He kept those within shouting distance from fleeing the battle with threats of what he would do to them if they deserted. As Mindoregh's fleet passed through his log riders the third time, Ur singled out Hummelin's boat, somehow sensing weakness. He motioned and shouted to nearby men to paddle into its path. Mindoregh noticed this happening but again kept to the outer line of log riders as she swept across the front line, hoping Hummelin would follow her lead and not allow himself to become trapped.

She watched Hummelin cut in too deep again. She saw his boat was blocked by over 20 log riders following Ur's lead. He tried to steer to the right and avoid the trap but it was too late, Ur's men were in a semi-circle of logs around the front of his boat. When he struck the first log, there were more behind. She watched in horror as Hummelin's boat slowed more and more with each collision. Soon it had slowed to a complete stop and Ur's men could climb up onto his boat with their weapons. She could not do anything but watch helplessly as Hummelin and his mate Hajanegh were both overcome and clubbed to death.

Ur was on the ship and screamed triumphantly, but his victory was short lived. His men had no control over the Magin boat and it floundered, the wind catching the sail wrong and tipping it over into the water. Meanwhile, the remaining four Magin sailboats had swung around and were making their fourth pass through the log riders.

Mindoregh shouted to the other boats, "Be careful not to get too deep into the pack and be trapped like Hummelin."

She spotted Ur getting back onto a log. He saw her as she swooped down on him. He threw his spear as her ship closed on him, narrowly missing her. Then, at the last moment, she saw him dive off his log and avoid being hit by her boat. She looked to both sides and saw three other southerners were not so fortunate. They were struck by the other three boats and injured or killed.

Seeing this, most of the other log riders abandoned their logs and swam for shore. The battle was over. Ur's men were in full retreat. Ur himself swam for the western shore with black anger and hatred for Mindoregh boiling in his heart. Mindoregh sailed over to the capsized boat and retrieved Hummelin's and Hajanegh's bodies.

Ropes were attached to the mainsail mast of Hummelin's ship. The soaking wet sail was brought in tight to the deck and the ship was pulled upright again. Fennsen towed it and Mindoregh sailed for home with the other ships following.

Back on the western shore, Ur, Muh, and Dook held council. Muh spoke first. "As we rode the logs to attack them, I noticed the water is very cold. It is late in the year now. The sun has dipped to the south and the days are getting shorter. Soon ice will begin to form on the lake as it did at home. It's not far from here to their island. I think, if we wait, we will be able to walk out to the island over the ice and their water monsters will be useless."

Ur's face lit up at this thought; he recognized the wisdom of what Muh was saying. "Good!" he said. "We will yet get revenge on this she devil. We will attack the island when the lake freezes over. I think they will have many riches we can plunder after we kill their men. The women will make good slaves."

~~~

After one night in Namid's tent, Vavana returned to her own, which she shared with Nanong. Sashegh went with her because she had started to bond with Vavana. She felt Vavana was like a substitute mother. Fewallo stayed with Namid, partly because he had an attractive daughter who looked to be Fewallo's age.

The next morning Vavana went with Sashegh to Namid's tent and found Fewallo. "Come," she said, "I will give you and Sashegh a tour of our village."

Sashegh enjoyed meeting the Pewa families and seeing the things they made from deerskin and birch bark. Several of the women showed her how Pewas prepared their food. She was horrified to learn deer were killed for food and clothing but had to admit the clothing was beautiful. She felt it. It was soft to the touch and seemed durable.

"Why is that young woman following us?" Sashegh asked Vavana. "She keeps staring at me. What does she want?"

"Oh, that is just Bequa. I think you fascinate her. You are quite pretty you know and Bequa has a preference for girls, especially pretty ones."

"Oh," said Sashegh, blushing scarlet. "I never thought about being with a girl. I have never even been with a boy although I have had thoughts about Fennsen. I wonder how he's doing now."

"I am surprised to hear you have never been with anyone, Sashegh. You appear old enough to have had your first lover. I think I was about your age when I became Nanong's mate"

Fewallo was very uncomfortable with this sort of women's talk and excused himself, saying he wanted to go see what Nanong was doing. Bequa took this opportunity to step out of the bushes and introduce herself to Sashegh.

"Hello," she said, "I am curious to know if your name might be as pretty as you are."

"Bequa, you behave yourself," said Vavana. "This is Sashegh and she is the daughter of the leader of her people. Treat her with fitting respect, please."

"Yes Vavana," replied Bequa. "I intend to treat her very well, very well indeed." She said this while smiling and winking at Sashegh. She reached out, took her hand and fell in step with her as they continued walking.

Sashegh let Bequa hold her hand a moment and then withdrew it, feeling awkward and uncomfortable. She admitted to herself she was flattered by Bequa's attention. She decided to neither rebuff nor encourage her. As she continued meeting people, Sashegh was a little embarrassed by how curious the Pewas were about her, asking many questions about her people and the island they lived on.

Bequa occasionally touched her on the arm, hand or shoulder as they talked. Sashegh was beginning to like Bequa; her chatter was open and friendly. She thought she would like to have Bequa as a friend but, only as a friend, nothing more.

~~~

Nanong rose with the sun and went to the woods. He tried to walk off his frustration with Ogima. As he entered a clearing he saw one of Ogima's elders sitting cross-legged on a rock facing the morning sun with his eyes closed, letting the sun wash over his face. He recognized the man. His name was Bugoyshi, a man rumored to have had rebellious thoughts in his youth. Nanong wondered if this formerly hot-blooded warrior would understand how he felt. He greeted him softly, to rouse him carefully from his meditation.

"Good morning Bugoyshi."

"Ah Nanong. I was just thinking about you."

"Thinking about me? Why?"

"Yes, Ogima told me about your desire to help your friends and of his feelings. I know you feel impatient with him. I don't blame you. Ogima has become too conservative in his old age. When he was a young man, he would have organized a war party after hearing your story. We should avenge the murders of our people and the rape of our women."

Nanong was delighted to hear Bugoyshi speak this way. The older man could see the delight on his face. "Do not think I will defy the chief, Nanong. I might not agree with him but I will abide by his decisions on such matters. It is the Pewa way; loyalty to the Chief."

Nanong's delight faded. "What am I to do then; nothing? Should I just wait here while my enemy slaughters more of my friends?"

"How much do you trust me, Nanong? There might be something I could suggest."

"If there is anything I can do rather than just wait here for Ogima's Council meeting, I will put all my trust in you, Bugoyshi."

Bugoyshi said, "I believe I know some young men who will understand your feelings and will want to help you. I will lend you my own war canoe. I will go to these men and tell them you will be down at the beach by my canoe tonight after dark. I will let them know I will not do anything to stop you from taking it south to try to help your friends. If they decide to go with you, I will not mention any of this to Ogima. It will appear to him as though you recruited these men to help you and you stole my canoe. When the Council meeting happens, I will plead your case and ask him to send other men in canoes to help."

"Oh, thank you Bugoyshi. Are you not afraid one of the men will go tell Ogima of this plan?"

"No, I will only talk to men I know I can trust. Some owe me favors or their fathers owe me favors. I will pick men who want to go with you to revenge the murders and rapes of our people. They will all be trustworthy."

"Good. How many are there?"

"I will pick eleven men to go with you, enough to fill my canoe. I wish it could be more but, even if we could get another war canoe, there would be too much risk of Ogima finding out and stopping you, if more men were involved."

~~~

Bequa stayed with Sashegh and Vavana all morning and afternoon. Finally Vavana excused herself and went off to look for Nanong.

When Vavana was gone, Bequa asked, "Is it true you have not had relations with anyone yet Sashegh?"

"Yes it is true," Sashegh said, blushing.

"Have you ever thought about it?"

"It seems like it is all I do think about these days. There's a young man at home on Maginaugh. His name is Fennsen. I think about him all the time."

"Have you ever kissed anyone?"

"Yes of course. I have kissed some of the boys back home. I even let some touch my breasts. I know other girls my age have done more and I think some have even started having intercourse. The boys at home are careful around me because I'm the queen's daughter. They don't press their advances on me like they do with the other girls."

"What about the girls there? Do you like any of them? Have you ever thought about kissing one?"

Sashegh looked down at her feet and said, "No."

"Look at me carefully Sashegh. Look at my face and the curve of my neck. Look at my breasts and my legs. Do you find me attractive at all?"

Sashegh nodded. "Yes Bequa. I wish my breasts were as big as yours. Mine don't seem to be developing anymore."

Bequa chuckled "You're beautiful Sashegh. Your face has such fine features. Your eyes sparkle. I love the way your nose tilts up at the end. Your hair is so long and lovely. Your body is slim and nicely curved and you have the cutest bottom."

Sashegh blushed scarlet. "Bequa stop please. You're really embarrassing me now."

Bequa pouted her lips. "Look at my lips Sashegh. Imagine them touching yours."

She stuck her tongue out. "Imagine my tongue playing with yours as we kiss."

Sashegh did think about it and she started to think it wasn't such a bad idea.

"Just one short kiss, Sashegh. I can teach you how to be the best kisser on Maginaugh."

Sashegh didn't say anything but kept staring at Bequa's lips and unconsciously licked her own. Sashegh realized too late Bequa might take this as a sign she was willing. Bequa leaned over and brushed Sashegh's lips lightly, just slipping in the tip of her tongue. Sashegh's eyes widened but she didn't pull away. It felt good!

As Bequa broke the kiss first. "Did you like that?"

Sashegh nodded, blushing again. "Yes, it was nice."

"I liked it too. Would you like more?"

Sashegh shook her head. "Thank you, but I do not think so. Please don't be upset. I like you as a friend but I don't think I would like my first experience to be with a girl. My thoughts of such things are all about Fennsen."

"I understand. But I notice you said your _first_ experience. I think you might enjoy relations with both men and women. Some girls do. My friend Nammi likes both. Have you met her? You would like her."

"No I haven't. I thought I had met everyone in the village by now but I haven't met her."

Bequa laughed heartily. "Oh, you have not even come close to meeting everyone. There are over a thousand of us here. The tents are scattered throughout the nearby forest. Come, I will take you to Nammi."

She took Sashegh's hand and led her toward Nammi's tent.

## Chapter 8: Preparing for Battle

Vavana found Nanong in their tent getting his weapons ready for the trip. She shook her finger at him. "What are you doing Nanong? You're not thinking of going back to Maginaugh are you? I thought Ogima said no men would be spared to help the Magin."

Nanong nodded. "Well, I talked to Bugoyshi this morning while you were out with Sashegh and he has a plan. I'll tell you about it but you must not speak a word of it to anyone else. Ogima must not hear of this."

After he told her Bugoyshi's plan, she said, "Nanong, please do not defy Ogima. This plan may get you and I banished from the village, or you may be killed."

Nanong crossed his arms in front of his chest defiantly. "I would rather die or live alone in exile with you, than to live in the shame I would feel if I failed to return as I promised to help Mindoregh. I would have gone alone if not for Bugoyshi's help. At least now I will have 11 good warriors with me. Bugoyshi says he will plead my case at the council meeting next moon. Perhaps we can hold out on Maginaugh until then and help will be sent."

"Then take me with you. I will die fighting Ur by your side."

Nanong shook his head. "No my love. I would be too worried about you to fight well. You must stay here and help Bugoyshi convince Ogima to send a war party. Tell him all of what happened to you and Hogawah after the massacre. Also have Fewallo and Sashegh speak to him and try to change his mind. Maybe his heart will soften."

Vavana talked to him for a long time, trying to get him to change his mind. She tried to convince him to either abandon the plan to return or to take her with him. He remained firm. As the sun neared the horizon, she finally gave up and began to pack a meal of light food for him.

She packed dried venison with corn bread, pressed flat, baked, and rolled around the meat. When it was ready she helped him finish bundling some extra clothes into a pack made of deerskin. Knowing he would not be able to say when he would return, she tried not to think about the possibility of never seeing him alive again.

She came to him suddenly, put her arms around him and held him close, whispering into his ear, "Promise me you will not get killed. Promise you will stay alive for me, for the sake of our love."

"I promise to do all I can to stay alive, Vavana. I will not take unnecessary risks. My plan is to keep everyone on the island alive, until Ogima can be convinced to send help."

He kissed her passionately and felt a stirring in his loins. He felt her respond and yet he went no further. He was not sure she was ready to make love. Finally Nanong broke away and went back to getting his weapons ready. He packed all the extra flint arrowheads he had in a deerskin wrapper and tied the bundle up with rawhide. He found 40 arrows ready for use and these he put in a separate bundle. He took his best bow and also two spares.

At last he was ready. It was dark as he emerged from his tent. Vavana helped carry his things to the beach and they found Bugoyshi's war canoe.

Nanong smiled when he saw it. It was a handsome long vessel, wider than the normal two person canoe. Two paddlers could sit side by side on each of six birch log seats. In the middle of the canoe was a platform with a lodge pole pine trunk fastened to it. Hung from this mast by two smaller cross poles was a sail, made of thin deerskins laced together with rawhide. Nanong knew this canoe would be capable of moving with great speed. _With twelve men paddling and wind on the sail, it will move even faster than the Magins' boats_ , he thought.

Nanong put his bundles in back of the rear seat, the best place from which to command the canoe. He talked with Vavana, saying his goodbyes as the other men began to arrive and silently went about putting their bundles in. All had brought extra arrowheads and bows. Some of the men's wives had come, like Vavana, to say their goodbye to their mates. When all his men were present, Nanong said to them, "Get in the canoe fellow warriors. Let us go to Maginaugh to revenge our slain brothers and sisters."

The men murmured their assent and pushed the canoe into the lake, walking along side it until they were waist high in the cold water. Then, one by one, they lifted themselves over the side and took their places, each picking a paddle up from the floor. When they were all in, and ready, they turned and faced the shore and waved to their women.

Nanong said, "Paddle!"

The men put their paddles into the water in unison and the canoe moved off rapidly. The breeze was out of the north, so Nanong had the paddlers nearest the sail hoist it up the mast and secure it. It caught the breeze and puffed out. He looked back at the shore but could not see Vavana; she had vanished into the blackness of the night.

Nanong guided the canoe with curving paddle strokes, using the North Star to navigate. He was very familiar with these waters, having been on them since he was a young boy. He knew how far to head out into the lake before turning south, in order to avoid the rocks near shore. The men paddled swiftly through the darkness, until the rotation of the big dipper told Nanong it was time to turn west and follow the northern shoreline of Southern Lake.

He called for a halt and they ate the food they brought. All dipped their hands into the lake and drank. Then Nanong had them start paddling again, this time with the sail pointed at an angle to catch some of the southerly breeze and help push them westward.

As the sun began to redden the eastern sky, Nanong saw Maginaugh. He steered a course to come up from behind the island. He wanted to be concealed from the view of those in Ur's camp.

A man in front of Nanong turned to him and asked, "Will we come ashore on the eastern beach of the island?"

"No. First we will sail to Ur's camp and see what's happening there."

Just before they came to the shore of Maginaugh, Nanong turned the canoe and maneuvered around the northern side of the island. He sailed west toward where he remembered the northern edge of Ur's camp to be. He saw the sun was now peeking up over the horizon and the sky was a deep red.

As they got closer he could see the shelters of Ur's people along the shore. He was relieved to see them, because it meant they had not yet been able to conquer Mindoregh's people. _Somehow she managed to fend them off_ , he thought.

He could tell the camp was still asleep. If there was a guard awake, they had not been spotted. All was quiet in the camp. Nanong aimed for a spot just above the northern edge of the camp. When they were within range of bow and arrow, but still out of spear range, Nanong turned them to the south and the stiffening morning breeze caught the sail straight on. The canoe made a wake behind it as it churned through the waves.

As they came upon the first shelters, Nanong shouted loudly, "Draw your bows Pewa warriors. It is time to avenge the massacre of our people. Shout the war cry and wake them to their deaths. Now!"

The twelve Pewas stopped paddling and let the wind continue to take them south. They screamed blood curdling war cries. Ur's camp began to wake. As men stumbled sleepily out of their shelters, Pewa arrows felled them. Rapidly the Pewas notched more arrows. Their aim was deadly.

As the southerners poured out of their shelters and ran about in confusion, the Pewas brought more than 20 of them down, wounding some and killing many. Ur emerged from his shelter, saw the war canoe and knew what was happening. He ran away from the shore into the trees. Nanong saw a few of Ur's men wade out into the water with their spears. He and his bowmen made short work of them. Their bodies floated in the shallows at the water's edge.

When they reached the southern end of Ur's camp, Nanong turned the canoe around and looked at the camp to see what was happening. There were still men coming out of their shelters and wandering around shouting at each other.

"Bring the sail down. In each seat, one man will paddle while the other shoots. We will go back up the coastline slowly and kill as many as we can."

He saw there were not many men left to shoot. Most had escaped to the cover of the forest. His paddlers made slow progress north against the wind, so there was more time for the archers to pick their targets, aim and shoot. He was glad to see none missed. When he reached the northern edge of the camp again, half their arrows had been expended and 30 more of Ur's men were lying wounded or dead.

As he turned the canoe south again, Nanong saw all Ur's people had retreated from the camp into the woods. He knew there was nothing to be gained from staying near the camp, so he steered a course East to Maginaugh.

Slowly Ur's people came out of the woods. Ur called to Muh and Dook. The three gathered by the shore and stared at the retreating war canoe in amazement.

"It looks like the man whose woman I took has returned to help the islanders," Ur said. "Now the battle will not be as easy."

"There were only twelve men in the big bark thing; they will not be much help," said Muh. "You will still crush them when the ice forms. The lake will start freezing soon. It has been getting very cold at night. The leaves on the trees are turning colors. It will not be long before there is ice on the shores."

~~~

Nanong was thinking the same thing. He knew the narrows between Southern and Northern lake were shallow. They would ice over soon after the first fall frosts. He knew this would begin within days and make boat travel impossible until springtime. It was one of the reasons he had been in a hurry to get back to Maginaugh. He knew he could not expect help from Ogima until next spring. As his men paddled the war canoe toward Maginaugh, he thought, _It will be a long, hard, dangerous winter_.

~~~

Mindoregh met with her Council after turning Ur's men away with her boats. She planned and held a ceremony of mourning for Hummelin and Hajanegh. There had been no deaths since their arrival on the island many years ago. Death by violence was entirely new to the Magin and her people were shocked. She called the entire village to Suonaugh for a funeral ceremony. She recognized speakers and listened, while many spoke of the good deeds in the lives of Hummelin and Hajanegh.

Their bodies were lying in wooden caskets. Mindoregh led a burial procession of twelve men. They carried the caskets to nearby caves in the limestone cliffs and placed them inside. She ordered the men to seal the burial sites with rocks and mark them with memorial stones.

Mindoregh said to the assembled mourners, "This is the start of the first graveyard on Maginaugh. May they rest in peace."

She thought to herself, _There will be more bodies here before long_.

They returned to Suonaugh where Mindoregh discussed with her Council the problem of Ur still being camped on the Western shore. "Ur is waiting for the ice to form. If he comes across the ice, we must gather all villagers inside Suonaugh and try to defend ourselves. Havasojegh's shop will be used from now on to make weapons. I will ask him to make iron knives, axes and sharp pointed pikes.

"I have seen how Ur's men use spears. I will ask Havasojegh to make iron shields to ward them off. I will have to assign extra help to the blacksmith shop from less critical areas such as the school. Children, in turns, will be excused to help. The Magin, for the first time in our recorded history, will prepare for war."

Mindoregh cried each morning when Sashegh and Fewallo didn't come to the table for breakfast. She cried again at night when she went to their bedrooms and saw their beds still empty. She wondered how they were faring with the Pewas. _At least I don't have to worry about what Ur's men might do to them, she thought_.

Mindoregh was in the watchtower early one morning, looking westward toward Ur's camp. She saw the Pewa war canoe swing out from the Northern end of Maginaugh to attack the southerners. As soon as she saw it, she knew it was a Pewa boat. Her pulse raced with new hope. She saw their sail as it swept south along the western shore. The canoe turned, the sail came down, and it went slowly north along the shoreline again. From this distance it was not possible to see exactly what was happening, but she knew there must be a battle. _It must be Nanong, come back to help us. Maybe all is not lost_.

Mindoregh ran down the stairs to the bell and rang it loud and long. As soon as people came from their houses and started to gather, she shouted to them, "Follow me down to the harbor. Nanong has returned."

She led a procession down to the harbor, arriving in time to see the war canoe approaching. Nanong stood up in the rear when he saw Mindoregh and waved to her. Mindoregh was awed by the Pewa canoe. Even without the sail up, it was moving swiftly through the water.

She thought, _It's moving, as fast as our boats_. With the sail up, it would be even faster. Although these people don't have the advanced knowledge we do, it's apparent they know some things better. As they drew closer she saw the bows and arrows the men carried and wondered if they had used these to fight Ur.

As Nanong steered close to the dock, eager hands reached down to help him and his men up out of the war canoe. Mindoregh's people tied the canoe securely. There was much clamor among the Magin, all talking at once. Nanong understood none of it.

Mindoregh held up her hands and the crowd went silent. "My people are very glad to see you, Nanong," she said, using the Pewa language so his men would understand. "Thank you for keeping your promise and coming to help us."

"We will do all we can Mindoregh, but there are many of them and few of us. Will you fight them if they attack Maginaugh when the lake freezes over? Are your people willing to fight and kill to protect themselves and their children?"

Mindoregh nodded. "Yes, I think so Nanong. They have never fought before, but all have agreed to now. We have already begun to make weapons and shields."

"What sort of weapons?"

"Axes, knives and pikes mostly."

Nanong rubbed his chin. "Hmm, well we will help you to make better weapons, like ours, as fast as possible. Do you know how long it will be before the ice freezes solid from the western shore to here?"

"It will probably happen in three moons."

"That should be enough time to make many of these," he said, holding up his bow and arrows, "perhaps enough for every man, and even some of the women if they want, to have one."

"What do they do? Did you use them to attack Ur's camp just now?

Nanong notched an arrow in his bow and said, "See the mast over there on the farthest of your boats? It is about the same size around as a man."

He pulled back the arrow and bowstring, bending the bow until the flint arrowhead came back against it. He sighted carefully on the mast and let the arrow fly. Mindoregh heard it hit the mast with a loud THWACK and saw the arrowhead buried deep in the wood. She and all the Magin around her were speechless, standing with their mouths open, staring at the arrow sticking out of the mast, still quivering.

He said, "Because of the barbed shape of the arrowhead, you will not be able to pull it from the wood. You will have to cut the shaft and leave the arrowhead there. Maybe it will bring luck. I wanted to show you the full power of the bow and arrow. Unlike your people, we eat meat. These are what we use to hunt game, even big game like deer, moose, and bear.

"It's very impressive Nanong. Your men will have to teach us how to make and shoot them. Allow enough time to train us, please."

Mindoregh escorted the Pewas up the hill to Suonaugh. She assigned each of them a Magin family to stay with. A young man named Olangin was first. She introduced him to Unelli and Sinuhegh who took him to their house. They had a daughter, Sanelmegh, a girl of about the same age as Sashegh. When Olangin saw her, he was very happy with the arrangements. She had pretty blond hair like Sashegh's and he was fascinated by her.

Sinuhegh prepared a dinner salad for the evening meal, using fresh vegetables and lettuce from his garden, with a crumbly cheese sprinkled over the top. Olangin found it strange but delicious. He wished for some fish or meat to go with it though. There was a lively dinner table conversation as his Magin hosts soon learned Pewa and spoke to him in his own language. Similar scenes unfolded in all the other households that took in the Pewas.

Mindoregh had Nanong stay with her and Janno. The next day she walked in the woods with Nanong and several of her people. He searched until he found what he wanted to show her.

He said, "See this young tree? It has tough, straight slender branches, perfect for making arrows. The trunk, from shoulder height up, is the right size to make a bow. Have your people find others like this one, cut them down, and bring them to the social hall. We will make bows and arrows there."

Over the next few days Mindoregh watched Nanong and some of his men teach Magins how to carve bows and arrows using either Pewa flint knives or the superior iron knives the Magin made. She and several others went out with him again to search for flint to make arrowheads. Later, as she watched her people making arrowheads in the social hall, she saw Havasojegh enter.

When he saw what they were doing, attaching the arrowheads to the shafts using rawhide, he intervened saying, "I could improve on this design."

Nanong raised his eyebrows in surprise. "How would you do that?"

"I could copy the pattern and make iron arrowheads in my blacksmith shop. They will be much stronger, like our knives are stronger than your flint knives. I can also make them in less time than you're making yours."

"Excellent, please do," said Mindoregh.

While Havasojegh studied the arrowheads and made a pattern, Nanong took Mindoregh aside to speak with her. "I think making bowstrings may be a problem."

"Why?"

"They will require the sinew of animals. We have been eating well since we came here, dining on the food our Magin hosts prepare from what you raise in the Suonaugh garden. But I notice you eat no meat. We have not had any meat since we came here, except for the occasional fish we catch ourselves."

Mindoregh shrugged. "We're vegetarians."

"I will ask plainly, would you let us slaughter a few of the little male deer I saw in the pen behind the dairy?"

She laughed and replied, "We have always slaughtered all the young males each year. Sometimes we keep one from the best milker to use for breeding other good milkers, but the rest we can't afford to keep. The island is too small to support unproductive deer."

"What do you do with the carcasses after you kill them?"

"We bury them. We don't eat them because we believe it's not good for the body to eat meat. You may kill those little bucks if you wish. You and your men may eat them if you wish. As for your bowstrings, you might want to compare animal sinew with the exceptionally strong twine we are able to grow here, weaving it from plant fiber."

Nanong was shocked to the point of repulsion at her answer for several reasons. "What about the hides?" he asked. "Why not at least use them to make clothing? As you see from our clothing, they make the most wonderfully soft but strong shoes, shirts, and leggings."

"I love some of your deerskin clothes Nanong," she answered. "Making clothing from an animal hide just happens to be a skill your people have but we don't. We dig holes and bury the young bucks."

This answer left Nanong speechless. He felt, according to his Pewa beliefs; it was sacrilege to kill an animal without using all parts of it. When he hunted and killed a deer, he would say a prayer to the spirit of the deer, asking its forgiveness and vowing to make very good use of it. The thought of burying good meat, sinew and hide in a hole to rot, was sickening to him. He tried to hide his disgust. He brightened, thinking, _This gives me an opportunity to teach our hosts something of lasting value, to make deerskin clothing. I hope they will live to profit from the lesson_.

For several long moments he stared at her, not speaking. Finally she asked him, "What's wrong Nanong? You asked if you could have the young bucks and I said yes. Yet you seem displeased."

Prodded by her words, he said, "It upsets me to hear what you do with them after you kill them. Such a waste goes against the teachings of our religion. Like your people, we believe it is wrong to kill animals or people unless we are compelled to by urgent circumstance. But unlike you, when we do kill, we honor the being we slay.

"If it is a man, we honor him by saying a prayer to the Spirit of the afterworld to take him to a better place. If it is a deer or some other animal, we honor it by making good use of all its parts: the hide, meat, bones, even the sinews. To do otherwise is to invite the anger of the spirit world. Would you allow me to show your people how to make better use of the deer after we slaughter them?"

Vavana nodded enthusiastically. "If by that you mean showing us how to make deerskin clothing, yes we would be delighted. As for eating deer meat, I will let each Magin decide for themselves but I won't have any."

Nanong's men slaughtered twenty-three young bucks. They feasted on the meat for a week, keeping some fresh in the iceboxes of their Magin hosts. What was left he had them dry into jerky. He and his men showed the Magin how to make bowstrings from deer sinew. He showed Mindoregh and other women how to tan the hides, then how to use them to make shirts and shoes. He also tried to show them how to make leggings, but most of the Magin didn't like them.

~~~

Mindoregh for one didn't like the Pewa deerskin leggings. They were open at the crotch, showing all the pubic area. She preferred to wear more modest clothing like pants or long skirts made from the cloth they wove. She told Nanong the Pewas were less modest about showing their bodies than her people. He laughed.

While the weeks went by and the days rapidly got colder, Mindoregh noticed her people were mingling with the Pewa men. _The two cultures are compatible_ , she thought. She was disgusted when she found out some of her people tried and liked the deer meat. A few even liked the jerky.

When Hannelegh told her most of the Pewa men tried and liked the dairy products, she smiled, remembering Nanong's reaction to deer milk when it was first offered to him. The married Pewa men told her they knew their wives would like to wear some of the woven clothing they saw the Magin women wearing. Havasojegh told her they all marveled at the iron knives he made. He gave them each one as a gift. The thing Mindoregh liked best was the Pewas were learning the Magin language and spoke it most of the time.

Mindoregh found out three of the twelve Pewa men were single. She watched as these three began to notice some of the attractive young Magin women as they went about their daily tasks. She saw some of the Magin girls flirt with the Pewa men, no doubt fascinated by their darker skin color and rugged handsome features.

It worried her to see romances blossoming. A few times she saw one of Nanong's men going off into the woods hand in hand with a pretty young Magin woman. She didn't like this.

"At least none of the married men are doing this," she told Nanong, when she confided her feelings to him.

Nanong nodded. "No and they will not. Pewa men are faithful husbands. The men who have mates back home long for them, as I do for Vavana. I wonder if I will ever see her again, or if we will all die here."

From the watchtower each day, Mindoregh could see the ice begin to form around the shores of Maginaugh. She told Nanong to encourage his men to hurry the task of making the bows and arrows. Every succeeding day she watched the ice stretching out toward them from the western shore. Some days it snowed. Over the weeks she saw the two edges of the ice slowly move closer to each other, finally meeting, covering the water with a thin white glaze. She knew it would not be long before Ur's men would try to come across the ice to attack them.

I hope some will fall through the early thin ice and freeze in the cold water. The rest will then turn back and might be afraid to try again. I know it will be a few moons before the ice will be solid enough to take a man's weight.

~~~

Ur was watching the ice grow each day. He went out onto it until he heard it crack and groan, as he had done each day for weeks. Then he went back to wait another day.

_I know the ice will not hold us yet_ , he thought. _I will not risk taking the men across until I can get to the middle without it making dangerous sounds_.

The next day, while Ur was out on the ice, Ooteka sought out Muh to talk to him, carefully waiting and making sure no one was around listening. "Muh, I know I cannot stop Ur from going to fight these people, but would you please not go? I have a bad feeling about this battle. I don't think Ur will win. I think he will get killed. I don't want to be without a man. Make up an excuse. Tell him you are sick. Stay with me."

Muh shook his head. "I don't have any choice, Ooteka. I liked having you for my woman and would like it again, but I believe Ur will defeat these people easily. They are not fighters like us and only have their boats, now useless, as weapons. The other people who joined them are well-armed and good fighters but there are only a few of them and we have a vast number of strong fighters. Ur will survive as he always does and I would not want him to catch me with you after the battle."

Ooteka said nothing, but gave him a withering look. She hoped it told him what a fool she thought he was. She turned sharply on her heel and walked off, leaving Muh wondering if he had made the right decision. He went to the beach and waited there for Ur to return from his daily test of the ice. Ur came back at a run, very excited and pleased. He ran up to Muh and said, "I got to the midway point today before the ice began to creak. To be certain, we will wait one more week and then, if this cold continues, we attack."

"We will do whatever you say Ur. The men will follow you."

Ur went around the camp and told the men to take a week getting their weapons ready and saying their goodbyes. The weather was cold and dreary with grey snow clouds always overhead. The memory of the Pewa bowmen's attack on their camp was still fresh in Ur's mind. He knew it was on the minds of his men too. Muh overheard some of them grumbling and reported this to Ur. The possibility that some of his men might have misgivings about the coming battle angered him.

He called a meeting of all the men two days before he planned to start across the ice. There were over 600 men gathered before him. He stood on a large rock so he could look out over the crowd and see who the shirkers might be.

He bellowed at them, "Are any of you cowards? Raise your hands if you are. You can stay here with the women and be one of them. You will do women's work, cooking, cleaning and taking care of the needs of real men from now on. None who are cowards will be permitted to have a woman ever again. The rest of you will follow me across the ice day after tomorrow. Anyone who doubts the wisdom of this plan and wants to challenge my leadership of our people, step forward and fight me now."

There was a long pause and, when no one moved or said anything, Ur continued, "If any of you have doubts now, and later disobey me, you will be hunted down by the rest of us and killed. The men who follow me will share in the riches the islanders have. If they can build devices to ride the water, like those we saw, think of the other riches they must have on the island. We saw one of their women and she was beautiful. Think of the beauties who will be your slaves. Now, are you all with me?"

The men all yelled out their agreement, shaking their fists in the air as they shouted, "Yes!"

"Good, then we leave before sun up the day after tomorrow. The night watch will send out the call to attack."

The next day he saw all the men were ready and waiting for the battle. He knew some were secretly afraid, but none let him see their fear or hear them speak of it.

The day passed slowly and grimly with people hardly speaking to each other. In the afternoon, snow fell, lightly at first, then heavily. It was the heaviest snowfall of the year so far, heavier than any Ur had ever seen. By the time he went to sleep, the snow was a foot deep outside his bark shelter.

Ur was awakened by the guard in early morning darkness. He had to dig his way out of the opening of his shelter through two feet of snow. When he emerged, he saw it was still snowing. He urged his reluctant men out onto the ice hoping to get across the two miles before it became impossible. They trudged and struggled through the white powder, making much slower progress than Ur had hoped. Yesterday he thought they might run the whole distance in first light and catch the islanders asleep. It was light as he came to the halfway point, but the sun never appeared.

## Chapter 9: The Attack

Mindoregh had not been idle during the time while Ur was waiting for the lake to freeze solid. She had her people work with the Pewas to make bows and arrows for many of the Magin. She had Havasojegh make iron shields, axes, pikes and knives for others. The school was closed and the older children were sent to help him. His blacksmith shop became a weapons factory.

She oversaw readying Suonaugh as a fortress, from which they might be able to withstand the attack of Ur and his men. Platforms for archers to stand on were built along the tops of the walls. She had her people harvest all the food in the gardens of Suonaugh and store it inside the walls for winter, some dried, some canned, and some in a big cellar they dug and filled with sand. She knew Ur's men might break down the front gate to get in. She had a plan. She had a crew cut down great trees with iron axes and told them to haul the trees into Suonaugh, laying them where the garden had been.

Then she thought about the dairy. She knew Ur's men would kill the deer and eat them so she had as much of the dairy operation moved inside Suonaugh as possible, including all the deer.

This morning, as usual, Mindoregh climbed the six flights of stairs to the top of one of the watchtowers to look toward Ur's camp. It was hard to see through the blowing snow. The camp wasn't visible. For a second she thought she could see a human figure, black against the white ice, out in the middle of the lake. She thought it might be Ur, testing the ice. She saw nothing but glare again for long moments. Then the snowfall suddenly stopped and she could see them, Ur's men, so close now she could make out their individual shapes.

At first she was paralyzed by fear. _There are so many of them, at least five times as many as the total number of all the Magin including small children_. They were coming slowly, struggling through the deep snow on the Lake.

She could see Ur, leading them. Remembering the things Vavana said he had done, she was galvanized into action. Descending the stairs, she ran to the bell and rang it loud and long until people started to gather, then shouted to them, "They are attacking us now! Get everyone inside the gate quickly."

The word was spread and all came inside Suonaugh: young, old, male, female, all the Magin and the 12 Pewa men. She commanded them, "Put the children into the social hall. Everyone else take up a shield and a weapon from the stockpile here. Those who have been trained by the Pewas, shoulder your bows and arrow quivers and array yourselves along the platforms at the top of the walls. Be ready to move together to the place they attack, probably the front gate. I want to kill as many of them as possible on the first assault. Be patient and stay calm. I think it will be awhile before they attack. Nanong will be in charge of the archers. Don't shoot until his command."

~~~

When Ur arrived at the harbor he had his men search the boats for anything of value. When they found nothing, they used their clubs to destroy the boats.

He led them to the structures closest to the harbor, the dwellings of the Magin and the ice house. After removing everything useful, he had them destroy the houses. Ur was delighted to find many things had been left behind. He led his men from building to building along the sides of the path up the hill to Suonaugh, smashing and looting as they went. When they could carry no more, he had them make piles of loot along the path.

He told them, "We can pick our treasure up after the easy battle ahead. The slaves we take will be made to carry it for us. I know you are eager for the battle, having made the crossing safely and seeing the riches of the Magin. Their dwellings are deserted. I think they all went up to the big building we saw at the top of the bluff. Come, follow me."

When they got where they could see Suonaugh on the path ahead of them, with its twin watchtowers and large wooden gate, Ur motioned them to stop and said, "I know this is where they must be hiding, inside these walls. We will stop here while I talk to Muh and Dook."

"We will storm this fortress now," Ur said quietly to Muh. "The walls are made of rough stone and have natural handholds and footholds. We will be able to climb over the top."

"What about the men who shoot pointed sticks?" asked Muh?

"Do not question my orders, Muh, just follow them. I want you to lead one third of the men, the ones to my far left. Dook, you lead another third on the right. I will lead the group in the middle. The two of you attack the side walls, climbing up and over. I will take my men and charge the front. We may lose some men, but they are few and we are many. Our men at the bottom of the walls can protect the men climbing by throwing spears."

They divided up the men in this way and surrounded the fort. Muh and Dook waited for Ur's command to charge. When he saw they were in place and ready, he held up a hand and then shouted out, "ATTACK!" Yelling battle cries, Ur and his men converged on Suonaugh from three sides.

Mindoregh and Nanong were up in the watchtowers. Nanong watched Ur's men run toward the walls of Suonaugh. He was waiting to see if Ur would be stupid enough to try to scale the walls. Mindoregh had agreed to let Nanong decide when to have the bowmen take their first shot. She was looking at him anxiously.

Nanong smiled, as he saw Ur's men climbing slowly up the walls, moving one hand or foot at a time from one purchase to the next. He looked at the Magin and Pewa bowmen, and a few women, arrayed along the wooden platforms at the top of the walls. They were crouched down, so Ur's men could not see them, waiting for Nanong's command. The first few southerners got halfway to the top. Many were standing at the bottom of the wall waiting their turn to climb.

Nanong shouted down the command, "ARCHERS UP!"

The bowmen rose up and looked down into the faces of Ur's men just below them. They drew their bows and sighted on their targets.

Nanong shouted, "SHOOT!!"

A thick rain of arrows flew down into the southerners. All the men climbing the walls were struck by one or more arrows and fell to the ground screaming. The bowmen ducked down below the walls and notched new arrows on their bowstrings.

When he saw they were ready, Nanong again commanded them, "ARCHERS UP."

This time Ur's men knew what to expect. Many threw spears at the bowmen and some found their marks. Several of the Magin and one Pewa archer were impaled by sharp spears. A second storm of arrows flew down at Ur's men. Many more were killed or wounded.

Ur saw his men, confronted by this unexpected opposition, were confused and afraid. He watched, as a few at a time turned and ran into the woods.

When Mindoregh saw the retreat, she shouted to the archers, "Fire at will!"

They reloaded quickly, picked targets and shot many of the southerners as they ran away in panic. The defenders shouted in triumph as their enemies retreated. Mindoregh struck the bell she had brought up into the watchtower. Everyone quieted.

She shouted down to them, "Stand fast, it is not over yet. This was only the first charge. There are still many enemies left. They outnumber us vastly. Next time they attack it will not be in this stupid way. They will work out some new plan. We must be ready for them."

She looked down into the center of Suonaugh, where the rest of the Magin were gathered. They all had weapons and shields.

She called down to them, "Move the trees to the gate. Pile them high to block it."

The Magin took the big trees and dragged them to the gate. They put the smallest ones at the foot of the gate and then began piling bigger ones on top. Mindoregh knew Ur would try to break through the gate and her plan was to have a second barrier.

~~~

Ur yelled at his men, "Stop running, cowards. They have stopped shooting at us. You men with the axes, find the biggest tree you can and chop it down."

This took a long time and night fell before the tree did. Ur was forced to wait until it was light again before he could proceed with his plan. At first light he had his men chop at the tree again. At midday it fell with a loud booming crash. Mindoregh heard it fall and knew what it meant. She told her people to brace for another attack.

Soon after the tree fell, she saw twenty of the southerners carrying it, the thick end first, up the path toward Suonaugh. There were hordes of Ur's men following it. It looks like all of them are attacking the gate this time, she thought.

As they got closer to being within range of bow and arrow, the men carrying the tree began to run with it. She saw men running on either side, holding their spears ready to throw.

She shouted down to the archers, "Cluster yourselves as tightly as you can along the front wall. Wait for Nanong's command to shoot."

Half of them were able to stand shoulder to shoulder on the front platform. When Ur's men were within range, Nanong shouted down, "Aim for the men carrying the tree and shoot now!"

The arrows flew. Half of the men carrying the tree fell. The tree was heavy and the remaining men dropped it. Others around them came and helped pick it up again. They shouldered it and kept moving forward, as the archers reloaded their bows.

Before the archers could shoot again, the men carrying the tree crashed it into the gate. The gate made a splintering sound as several of the thick beams cracked. It held.

Nanong commanded the archers, "Fire at will."

Arrows rained down on the men carrying the tree, killing all but two of them. As they reloaded, other men picked up the tree, carried it back a few paces and then charged, ramming it into the gate again. More beams cracked and splintered and the gate began to buckle.

The archers fired again and this time all twenty carrying the tree fell. Still more came, picked it up and rammed it into the gate. The beams snapped and a gap was opened. The front line of Ur's men lunged into the gap. They were confronted by the big pile of trees. Slowly they began to climb up and over. They were frustrated because they could not simply run in and start slaughtering the Magin.

Mindoregh shouted down to her people on the ground, "Light the trees!"

Two women ran out from the council chambers carrying torches and lit small twigs, pine cones, and pine needles which had been placed under the trees. The fire caught and the trees began to burn as the first of the invaders were making their way over the top. Some made it over and into the midst of the Magin. Many Magin descended on them with knives, axes, and pikes.

The first of the attackers were overwhelmed and killed. Others following behind them were roasted alive by the fire which quickly blazed up in the dry pine trees below them. While the trees burned, the rest of Ur's men milled about the gate in confusion. The archers above continued to shoot them down. Once again Ur's men turned and ran, retreating out of range.

~~~

Once they were safe, Ur took stock of their losses. He looked at the bodies lying in front of the walls. _I have lost many of my men in these charges and we only managed to kill a few of the islanders. I can't afford another charge_.

He looked for Muh and Dook but could only find Muh. "What should we do now, Muh?"

"How many more men are you willing to lose to conquer them? Half? That's how many it would cost us to keep charging them the way we have."

Ur shook his head. "Have you got any other ideas? Half is too many."

"I think they will pile up more trees after these have burned down, and they will be ready to light them on fire again. We found many containers for carrying water in their dwellings. We could have those filled and ready. Our men could carry them to the gate and put out the fire. Our enemies will not be able to light the fire again with the trees all wet. Then we can safely climb over."

"How many do you think we would lose then?"

Muh shrugged. "Many will die in any charge, perhaps as many as one out of every three now that so many of them have those new weapons. They are good weapons and the islanders have learned how to use them. This is something we did not count on. If you do not want to lose so many men, there is another way. We could starve them out. They cannot have much food inside. They might last a few moons but then they will have to come out and fight or starve."

Ur nodded. "I have decided. For now we will camp and wait. We will see what we can find to eat around this island. If any of them come out, we will kill them.

Ur found little to eat on the island. He had his men search all the dwellings, the dairy, the bakery and all the other buildings, but they found no food. They tried ice fishing, without much luck. They were not good fishermen. They scoured the entire island looking for game and found a few wild rabbits, squirrels, and raccoons. It was not enough to keep them from starving. The deer were all safe inside Suonaugh. Birds and other creatures had gone south or were hibernating for the winter.

As his men got hungrier and hungrier, Ur worried this plan of Muh's would not work. Weeks went by and the men began to look gaunt. They started to grumble and complain when they thought he couldn't hear them. He sought Muh out for advice again. Dook wasn't available. He had been killed in the last charge and they saw his body among the others.

"Muh, I am ready to try the plan of using water to put out their fires as we climb over the trees. We are not starving them out and I am not going to turn away from this battle. I want their women as slaves and I want to kill the man who stole my woman."

Muh said, "I have been thinking and have another idea. It might mean we could conquer them with fewer losses."

"Good. Tell me."

"You take more than half the men to attack the gate again. Use the water to put the fire out. Then climb over the trees and attack them. While they are concentrating on stopping your attack, I will go around to the back of their fortress with a smaller group. We will climb over the walls and come at them from behind. They will not be expecting us and we will catch them by surprise."

Ur liked this plan. They spent a few days explaining it to all the men, selecting who would go with Ur and who would go with Muh. Ur didn't suspect it, but Muh was planning treason. He had kept track of which men were grumbling about the lack of food and the continual losses they were taking in the attacks.

Muh talked to the men he selected, men he thought he could trust, "Hold back while others climb over the walls. We will run into the woods instead of attacking. Then we will go back down to the harbor and cross the lake back to our camp. Most of Ur's group will be killed in the attack. The rest will not pursue us because they will be busy. They will not even miss us at first. After the battle, they will be busy raping the women. Ooteka will rally our women to my side. She will be my woman again. We will move the camp back to the site of our village at the southern end of the lake. Things will be as they used to be. We will have all the women and we will all be alive."

This conspiracy sounded good to the men he picked. They swore secrecy and loyalty to him. They told him they were tired of following Ur in his foolish quest. Muh had recruited 150 men to his plan while they waited to see if they could starve the Magin out of Suonaugh. He planned to take about 200 to attack the rear wall of Suonaugh. He would only send a token number of men, those who were not part of the mutiny, over the wall. Ur would think the plan was being followed. The men who were loyal to him would then follow him back to the camp on the western shore.

~~~

Every day Mindoregh climbed up into the watchtower, looking out into the woods to see if she could tell what Ur was doing. Ur's men were out of sight most of the time. The weeks went by silently, as she watched and waited for the next attack. She knew it would come. Ur will not give up and _he will be desperate for food before we are_.

~~~

Ur had his men collect everything they could find on the island that could hold water. They went to the lake, filled these containers and carried them back. Ur rehearsed the attack with his men, showing them how to shield each water carrier from arrows. He told them putting the fires out was their best chance of getting through the gate with the fewest casualties.

One moon cycle had passed since the first attack. Ur felt the time was right to attack again. There was a heavy snow falling. He waited until well after midnight, waiting for the moon to set and for the sky to be totally dark. He led the men quietly up the path. Muh was beside him with his group following behind. They crept up the path this way, slowly, in twos, being careful not to make any sound.

When they were almost within range of bow and arrow, Ur told Muh, "Take your men and go now. Circle around and attack over the back wall."

As Muh and his men split off, Ur's men advanced toward the Suonaugh gate in a formation. In front were men carrying spears. Behind them, were water carriers, each preceded by two men who were to be their human shields.

Ur's men got to within a few feet of Suonaugh before they were spotted by the night guard in the watchtower. He had the meeting bell with him and rang it loudly, shouting out his alarm, "ATTACK! THEY ATTACK! EVERYONE WAKE UP!"

People were sleeping on the ground wrapped in blankets. When they heard the alarm, they jumped up and grabbed their weapons. The archers scrambled up ladders to the platform on the front wall.

When Ur heard the bell he shouted to his men, "CHARGE!"

The first 50 men began to run toward the gate, followed more slowly by the water carriers who were being careful not to spill their containers. Ur held back, knowing most of these 50 would be killed. As they neared the gate, the first of the arrows flew. This time, in the dark, it was harder for the archers to sight on their targets. They didn't have much time, and more than half the arrows hit nothing but the ground.

Ur's men started to climb over a new pile of trees the Magin had put on top of remains of the burned ones. Again Mindoregh shouted out, from the floor of Suonaugh this time, for torches to be brought from the council chambers. The trees were set on fire again. This time Ur's men knew what to expect and retreated off the trees before they were burned.

The water carriers advanced now, each shielded by two men. Again the Magin and Pewa bowmen fired arrows into their midst. None of the water carriers were hit. They advanced to the burning pile and threw their water, several at a time. The flames died down. Thick smoke rose up, blinding the archers above. More water was poured on as water carriers kept arriving. Finally the fire was out. Ur's men began to climb over, this time with no possibility of the fire being restarted in the wet trees.

Meanwhile, Muh made his way around to the back of Suonaugh with his 200 men. He ordered them to start climbing. His handpicked men held back with him as the others scaled up the wall.

At the same time, Ur's men were coming over the top of the trees at the front gate. They met armed Magin on the other side. The battle inside Suonaugh was joined. The fighting was hand-to-hand. The archer's bows were useless now. They drew their knives and leapt off the platform onto attacking southerners.

Ur's men were stronger and better fighters but they were at a disadvantage. They had to come through the gate and over the trees. As each few came over the top, they were met by hordes of Magin defenders. Although their casualties were heavy, they were also killing many Magin with their clubs and spears.

Sinuhegh, the Master Gardener, a hearty and strong man, was at the front of the fighting. He had one of the iron shields in one hand and an iron axe in the other. He warded off several clubs and spears with his shield and hacked at several of Ur's men with his axe, killing two of them and wounding three more. His wife, Unelli, was fighting right beside him. Ur was amazed to see the Magin women fighting beside their men as equals.

_What a strange people they are_ , he thought. _No matter. If the women fight, we will kill them too, until they surrender_.

He jumped down off the trees and swung his club at Sinuhegh who tried to block it with his shield. The force of Ur's blow knocked the shield out of Sinuhegh's hand and sent him sprawling onto his back.

As Ur raised his club to smash Sinuhegh's head, Unelli raised her knife to stab him in the back. But another of Ur's men, seeing this, drove a spear through her belly and she fell to the ground in pain, mortally wounded. Ur's club came down and crushed Sinuhegh's skull, killing him instantly, rendering him mercifully deaf to his wife's screams of pain.

Ur picked out another man, and killed him with a swift blow to the head. His men saw how he fought and killed the Magin. It encouraged them. They poured over the trees and surged into Suonaugh, killing and being killed, blood running thick over the ground.

~~~

Nanong was on the platform over the front wall with his bow and arrows. When the other archers jumped down to fight hand to hand, Nanong stayed on the wall. He was an expert marksman and didn't want to give up his bow. He moved off to the side along the platform, out of the smoke rising from the trees, and picked his targets carefully. He found he could hit them just as they were coming off the trees into Suonaugh.

He saw Ur coming over the trees but could not get an arrow notched before Ur was in the midst of the Magin. He had to settle for killing another man coming over behind Ur. Ur saw the man fall next to him with an arrow in his back. He looked up and saw Nanong. Their eyes met and their hatred for each other seethed out. Then Ur turned back to the battle again and Nanong resumed shooting down other men with his arrows.

From his position on the platform, he saw the men coming over the back wall. He shouted down to Mindoregh who was on the ground nearby with her own shield and knife, "They are attacking over the back wall as well!"

She gathered a group and led them to the back wall, where they met the southerners climbing over. Janno, who was still waiting for a chance to engage one of Ur's men as they continued to come over the tree pile, heard Nanong's shout and saw Mindoregh. He ran to her to fight by her side.

Muh knew the plan to attack from the rear was no good. He only wanted a diversion, allowing him to take his men and go back to the camp, leaving the battle to Ur. Now the folly of the attack from the rear was evident. It took the southerners a long time to climb over the wall. Only a few could come over at a time. It was easy for Mindoregh and her group to kill or wound them as they descended.

At the gate however, many Magin were being killed in close hand to hand battle. More of Ur's men were still entering Suonaugh over the trees. In the beginning, most of the casualties were on Ur's side because the first men over the trees were outnumbered. Their numbers inside Suonaugh now continued to swell. There was one of Ur's men inside Suonaugh to every two of the Magin.

Mindoregh's council women were among the bravest of the Magin and were in the front of the fighting. Pavegh, the youngest, was the only one who lacked courage. She was terrified and could not bring herself to fight. Instead she went to the social hall and hid there with the children for the entire battle, hoping no one would see her.

Untamo and his wife Hannelegh were surrounded by Ur's men. Although they fought bravely with their axes, inflicting some wounds, they were clubbed and jabbed with spears until they succumbed. They fell onto the ground where they were clubbed to death. Suojen, the shipbuilder, and Juvane, his wife, were likewise overcome and speared to death.

Mindoregh's group succeeded in defeating and killing all fifty men as they came over the back wall. She looked and saw the likely outcome of the battle at the front gate. Mangled bodies of the Magin were strewn over the ground and the remaining Magin defenders were now outnumbered two to one by Ur's men. She ordered her group to take refuge inside the council chamber. As her people went into the chamber, she and Janno went to join the battle at the gate.

Out of the corner of his eye, Nanong suddenly saw motion outside the walls along the path. He turned and saw a large group of Ur's men running down the path to the harbor and thought, contemptuously, Cowards. Then he turned back to the job of shooting as many of of the southerner's as he could while the battle continued. As he fought he saw his brave Pewa archers being killed one by one.

The battle had come to the point where the Magin were outnumbered badly. Ur's men began to grab the women, taking their weapons away, dragging them off to the side and tying them up. The Magin men were rapidly being slaughtered.

Nanong saw Fennsen near his side of the battle, recognized him as the man he knew Sashegh cared for, and shouted to him, "Fennsen! Come to me!"

Fennsen looked up and Nanong motioned for him to climb up onto the platform with him. Fennsen scrambled up the ladder to his side. One of Ur's men tried to follow but Nanong shot him in the face with an arrow and he fell back to the ground, dead.

"The battle is going poorly Fennsen, we must make our escape. There is no chance of winning. If we escape, we can let my people know what happened here. We can return with more men to free the female captives."

"But Mindoregh is down there in the battle. You are asking me to leave my queen in the hands of those men."

"Yes Fennsen, the only other choice is to go back down there and die for her. That would be honorable but in the end would not do her as much good as coming with me now. I am going, with or without you. Are you coming?"

Mindoregh looked up and saw Nanong and Fennsen going over the wall. She smiled, knowing they were making their escape. She knew at this point, Fennsen and her son Fewallo might be the only two Magin males to survive this day. She was glad Nanong was saving Fennsen from being killed with the other men. She began to retreat with Janno to the council chamber. When they got there, they entered and she drew the bolt on the door.

The chamber was a room with no windows, only a heavy wooden door with a bolt set in concrete. It was built to hold twenty comfortably but now had more than twice as many crammed inside. They huddled together, listening to the sounds of battle dying down as the southerners finished off the last of the Magin men outside. It was quiet for a moment. Suddenly they heard a crashing boom on the door, followed by another, and another. The door was being battered from the outside. Ur's men were ramming a tree against it, over and over.

With a horrible splintering crash the door gave way. Ur's men came through, swinging their clubs and jabbing with their spears. The Magin fought back, killing several of the attackers. Soon there were many enemies inside, outnumbering the Magin. The floor of the council chamber was flowing red with blood. Ur himself came through the door, looked around, and saw Mindoregh. He pointed at her and shouted to his men, "She is to be taken alive!"

The southerners closed in on Mindoregh, killing all those who stood in their way. The Magin tried valiantly to protect their queen, none more so than Janno. He put her into a corner and stood between her and the attackers. Warding off blows with his shield, he jabbed at the southerners with a pike to keep them at a distance. Finally Ur came at him. When Janno thrust his pike, Ur grabbed it and yanked it from his hands. As Janno stumbled forward, Ur clubbed him on the head, crushing his skull and killing him.

Mindoregh screamed, "Noooooooooo!" and lunged at Ur with her knife. But he caught her wrist and held it, twisting until she dropped the knife.

He snarled at her and grinned an evil grin. "Now you are mine and you will pay for all the trouble you have caused me."

# Part II: Living With the Pewas

## Chapter 10: Reunion

After Nanong left, Vavana begged Ogima daily to allow her to address the council of elders. She said, "It would be sensible to include me, because I am the only adult Pewa here who saw the southerners and witnessed their cruelty firsthand."

"I agree. You may speak."

When she arrived at the council meeting, she had Sashegh and Fewallo with her. Ogima raised his eyebrows and scowled at them. Vavana spoke first, telling a tale Ogima had already heard from Nanong. She saw the look of disinterest on his face and felt he was not moved by her story. Fewallo spoke next, telling the council how defenseless the Magin were.

"We have no weapons and have never fought. We do not even kill for food as you do. Our people have no hope of defending themselves against the southerners. Please help us."

When Sashegh stood up to speak, she had Ogima's full attention. Vavana saw this and thought, _He is struck by her beauty. He has never seen a blond haired woman before. Maybe he will listen to her_.

Sashegh began, "I know all of you have children. How would you feel if they were orphaned because you were killed in battle along with your mate? That is what is about to happen to me and my brother unless you help us. Our mother and father will be killed. We will be the lucky ones, however, of all the Magin children. The southerners will no doubt murder all the children. Vavana tells me they kill all but the adult females.

"Before Nanong and Vavana brought us here, my mother, the queen of our people, saved their lives. She fought for the first time in her life, driving away the southerners who chased Nanong and Vavana. She helped your people and gave them refuge. Now, I am begging you on her behalf to do the same for her. Go now, before it is too late. Rescue them from the attack we know must be happening while we are doing nothing but talking,"

The council was swayed by all the testimony and by Sashegh's most of all. Vavana could see Ogima was shamed by Sashegh's reminder of how he had not gone to help someone who had helped his people. All 12 elders appealed to Ogima to take a war party south to avenge the deaths of the Pewas and to help their new friends, the Magin. Finally Ogima gave in but made a sly compromise.

He said, "We will wait until the ice melts off the Narrows so we can attack in our war canoes and will have the element of surprise on our side."

Vavana guessed he thought and hoped the southerners would be long gone from Maginaugh by the time the war party got there in the spring. Ogima also agreed, after Vavana and Bugoyshi begged him, to pardon Nanong for disobeying his orders.

~~~

As the long winter progressed, life for most of the Pewas continued as it always had. They survived on wild rice, maple syrup, corn meal, sweet potatoes, venison and fish caught through holes in the ice of northern lake. When the snow fell it actually made things easier for them. They had snowshoes for walking on top of the snow, giving them an advantage over the animals they hunted. During these months, Vavana taught Sashegh many things, including how to make baskets from birch bark.

Sashegh watched the men make new birch bark canoes and repair damaged ones. Sometimes she saw Fewallo work with them. They taught him how to make new bows and arrows, flint arrowheads, and flint knives. _My brother is becoming a Pewa_ , she thought. She saw some of the women making new deerskin clothing and new tents from hides. She wondered what she would look like in deerskin.

The Pewas were skilled at making small fires that would burn all night and give off some warmth. Vavana made one in the middle of their tent every night. The smoke escaped through a small opening at the top of the tent. Sashegh lay close to the fire, covered in bearskins, and slept in comfort through the bitter cold nights. Often their tent door would be covered in snow in the morning and she would have to dig her way out to relieve her bladder.

During the long winter evening hours, Sashegh enjoyed participating in Pewa entertainment consisting of music, dancing, and storytelling. She loved listening to them play their flutes and drums made from wood and deerskin. Some would sing along while others played songs on their flutes. They would chant and dance to the beat of the deerskin drums. She noticed during these events that many of the Pewas her age also entertained themselves by flirting and kissing. She found herself spending a good many of her waking hours these days thinking about such things.

Sashegh knew Bequa often slept with Nammi. Bequa still lived with her parents but told Sashegh they knew of her preference for girls and didn't mind her having female guests overnight. Sashegh knew Nammi also liked men. She heard Nammi had a suitor named Neolin who courted her. On the nights Nammi was with him, Bequa would seek out Sashegh and flirt with her.

Then one day Bequa introduced Sashegh to Nammi and everything changed in Sashegh's life. When she met Nammi she felt her pulse quicken, thinking, _Nammi is beautiful. Her hair is black, soft, and shiny. Her body is curved delightfully in all the right places. Her eyes sparkle with light and laughter, reflecting an inner joy that seems to burn within her like a fire_.

When Nammi spoke to her, Sashegh felt a strong connection take place between them, as if she knew all Nammi felt and all she was thinking. She felt Nammi could see into her soul and it was almost embarrassing. Sashegh was not sure what this feeling was she was having about Nammi, but it was strong, whatever it was.

Sashegh saw how Nammi was looking at her. She looked down at her own body self-consciously, thinking, _I am glad I wore a short skirt today. I like the way she is looking at my legs. My breasts are still small and will probably always be small_. She found herself hoping Nammi liked the way she looked.

Sashegh didn't see much of Nammi after that first meeting, but she did see a lot of Bequa. They often chatted late into the night. Bequa would always flirt with her. She would touch her often, laying a hand on her arm or her thigh as she talked to her. Sashegh didn't want her first relationship to be with a woman and always pushed Bequa's hands away firmly. She thought, _I have steamy daydream fantasies a lot but it is always with a man. In my fantasies, it is always Fennsen lying naked on top of me, his legs between my thighs, entering me as Vavana told me men do when making love to a woman_.

Then one day after dreaming about him all night, waking to feel a wetness between her legs, Sashegh was amazed to see Fennsen stumble into the village with Nanong. It was obvious he had not eaten or slept in days. He looked terrible, but at least he was not injured. Sashegh was very glad to see him. Others had already gathered around and were asking Nanong all sorts of questions. She could make out they were also telling Nanong about the council meeting and Ogima's decision to help the Magin.

Fennsen spotted Sashegh smiling at him and went to her. She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly and then, without planning it, she was kissing him passionately. Fennsen was too weak to resist and she felt him respond to her.

"Fennsen, it is so good to see you again," she said, after the kiss ended.

"It is good to see you too. I notice you're definitely not a little girl anymore. You're even prettier than I remember. You're truly beautiful."

Suddenly feeling shy, Sashegh deflected the compliment by changing the subject. "You and Nanong both look exhausted."

Fennsen nodded. "Yes. We had a hard journey here from Maginaugh. We walked across the ice, chopping holes through a two-foot thick crust to get water to drink. We had no food and didn't sleep much for fear of freezing to death in the cold. We took turns sleeping for short periods, one of us staying awake, to wake the other. We had no blankets or coats with us, only the clothing on our backs and our weapons. There was snow on the ice and more snow fell during our six days of walking. I was about to give up, lie down, and freeze to death when Nanong told me he saw the shoreline near his village."

"Will you please come to my tent? Let me take care of you and help you recover. You have been through a hard time."

Fennsen smiled warmly. "A nice rest in your tent sounds very good to me right now."

Sashegh held Fennsen's hand on the way back to Vavana's tent. When she entered with him, they saw Nanong and Vavana lying under a bearskin together kissing.

"Oh, excuse us," said Sashegh, embarrassed, and turned to leave.

"No, it's no problem Sashegh. Come in please and bring Fennsen with you. We are not going to do anything right now; Nanong is too exhausted. I imagine Fennsen is too. Besides, among the Pewas, being intimate with your lover or your mate is not something we hide from each other. Many people sleep in each tent and we make love in the midst of our families. This is even truer in the winter when it's so cold outside. So please come in and be warm by the fire and don' t mind us."

Sashegh went to her bearskin on the other side of the fire, sat down and patted it. Fennsen came over and sat down with her. She saw Vavana and Nanong kissing again. She whispered to Fennsen, "Please tell me what happened to my mother and father."

She sensed his reluctance. All he said was, "There was a battle with the southerners, first around Suonaugh, and then inside after they broke through the gate. Some of the Magin were killed, but the last I saw of them, Mindoregh and Janno were still alive and fighting Ur's men."

Sashegh would not let it go with his brief answer. She asked, "Why did you and Nanong leave then, Fennsen? You are not telling me the full truth, are you?"

"The battle was over and Nanong was leaving to get help from his village. It was clear all the Magin men would be killed. They captured many of the women alive and held them captive. Nanong said our women would be used as slaves like Vavana was by Ur. The children were hiding in the social hall. I don't know what will happen to them. Nanong convinced me we could do better coming here to get help, than we could staying there to die."

Sashegh thought and then realized this meant her father was probably dead and her mother a captive of Ur. She didn't want to behave like a little girl with Fennsen. She fought back her tears and was thankful he couldn't see her eyes in the dark. She had mixed feelings about his leaving the battle, but said, "I'm glad you left Suonaugh with Nanong. I am so happy to see you still alive."

She kissed him again. Then he kissed her as he lay her down on the floor and pulled the bearskin over them. She felt his hands caressing her back as they kissed and she embraced him with increasing passion she had never felt before. For the moment she forgot her grief and lost herself in arousal. His hands began to explore her body, going under her shirt, feeling her bare breasts. She felt his aroused manhood pressing against her as he moved one leg on top of her. She knew he wanted her now and it made her feel like a real woman for the first time in her life. She wanted him too, wanted this to happen, tonight.

She let him undress her completely and kiss her body all over. Then she helped him quietly pull his pants off. Making as little noise as possible so Nanong and Vavana would not hear them, they coupled and made love. It hurt a little when he first penetrated her, but after a while it felt so good. Her body was on fire feeling him inside her.

Afterward he lay next to her. They kissed and touched each other intimately until she felt him beginning to get aroused again. This time she was the aggressor. She used her hands and mouth in ways Vavana had told her about, in order to get him good and hard again. Then she climbed on top of him and took him into her. This time it didn't hurt. She moved on him faster and more urgently. It seemed to last a long time and yet not long enough, until finally she felt her body release in orgasm at the same time as he released into her.

Vavana was not asleep. She could tell by the sounds she heard what was going on but she said nothing. She knew it would embarrass the young Magin couple to know she was listening to them and was aware of what they were doing. It was not the first time she heard others in her tent making love during the night. It reminded her of the times she had listened to her parents. She thought nothing of it, but she knew this would not be true for Sashegh.

Hearing the sounds of their lovemaking made her want Nanong. She reached for his hand and found he was not asleep. She put his hand between her legs so he could feel how wet and aroused she was. Quietly he came on top of her and entered her. It was not the first time today and would not be the last tonight.

Earlier that day, she had been so glad to see him returned safely that she pulled him down on the floor of their tent and kissed him passionately. She took off his shirt and leggings and kissed his body, working down his chest and across his stomach. She took him in her mouth and felt him grow. When he was ready, she climbed over him and sank down onto his hardness. At last, for the first time in many moon cycles, she didn't think about Ur and she knew Nanong was not thinking of him either. They were lost in passion for each other. When she climaxed, she was so relieved and happy. It felt to her like the most powerful orgasm of her life. It made her feel whole again.

~~~

Nammi was attracted to Sashegh but also had very strong feelings for Neolin. She thought of him as her mate. He was many years older than her and she knew he had been married to a woman who had died in childbirth along with his baby. Nammi loved him for his kind and gentle ways, for his love of flute music and song, and for his love of walking in the woods just for the joy of seeing natural beauty. These were things they enjoyed together.

Neolin was also the village prophet. One night after making love to her, he told Nammi, "Ogima asked me today how things would turn out if we fight the southerners."

"What did you say?"

"I told him I foresaw a hard battle. At least half our men will die. I could not see us winning in the end."

Abruptly, he changed the subject, "Will you come live with me, Nammi?"

She was shocked but happy. "You mean you want me to be your mate?

"No, I am sorry, not my mate. I had a mate once and I still love her even though she's dead. I'm not ready to commit again because her memory is still strong within me. I'm only asking you to live with me, as my partner and lover."

Nammi was disappointed to hear this, but then she reminded herself she also had her own pulls in directions other than Neolin. She felt love of a sort for Bequa. Now there was this new foreigner, Sashegh, for whom she felt such an unusually strong attraction. She asked herself, _Would it be fair to Neolin to mate with him without being able to give him all of my heart_?

Then she said, "Yes Neolin, I will live with you as your lover and partner. I will move my things here tomorrow." Then she kissed him, lay on top of him, and they made love again.

~~~

Sashegh noticed the days were growing longer. On some days when the sun was strong enough, it melted the snow just a little. She was surprised to discover the snow this far north just kept piling up during the winter months, never melting away until spring. It amazed her to see how the Pewas dug tunnels thru it to get from one tent to another and to their common gathering place in the center of the village. They kept the gathering place clear of snow, clearing it away with wooden shovels carved with their flint knives. Twice every moon cycle, once at new moon and again at full moon, they enjoyed dancing and singing in the clearing until late into the night.

Vavana told Sashegh tonight would be a full moon gathering. Having been to several of these already, she knew it would be good fun. She went to Fennsen and asked, "Will you accompany me to the gathering tonight?"

"Yes, I will be honored to be the escort for my princess."

Smiling warmly at him, she didn't object to this term as she had so many months before when they were sailing in Southern Lake. At that time she felt it put distance between them. But now, Fennsen was her lover, her very first lover, and she was truly his princess.

They arrived at the gathering place before anyone else. She was anxious to show Fennsen how much fun these events were. Logs were piled in the center for the fire, with kindling underneath. After lighting the fire with flint and stone, she sat down next to Fennsen. She passed the time waiting for others by kissing and hugging him. The full moon was just rising above the treetops and bathed them in its soft blue light as they kissed.

Soon they noticed others arriving, emerging from the tunnels into the clear spot around the fire. It was a circular clearing with twelve tunnel openings around the perimeter. The snow was high enough that the spot was well sheltered from wind. The fire was big. Even sitting a good distance from it, Sashegh could feel its warmth. People gathered in a circle around the fire talking and laughing. The mood was festive with everyone anticipating the music, singing and dancing.

The musicians came in and set up along one side of the fire between two of the tunnels. One of the drummers began a soft steady beat. A man played a song on his wooden flute in time to the beat. Another man began to chant. Finally a woman began to sing words to the melody the flute was playing. Sashegh could make out it was a love song and translated it for Fennsen because she knew her Pewa was much better than his.

I love thee, love thee

I love thee, love thee

I give thee my heart

My heart gleams brightly in thy hands

Oh my love, my love

My heart sings to thee

I desire thee, want thee

I need thee, need thee

We lay together, entwined together

In each other's arms

My love, my love

My heart sings to thee

I dream of thee, dream of thee

I want to love thee,

Love thee forever

Love thee always, forever

Love of my life, my love

My heart sings to thee

The song went on several more verses, speaking of the joy and ecstasy of true love, of the total giving of one's self to another. _Do I feel this way about Fennsen_ , Sashegh wondered? She didn't think so. She loved him in a way, but it was not the same as how the words of this song described the feelings of true love. She hoped one day to feel this way for someone.

The musicians shifted moods on the next piece to a stronger faster beat with several drummers thumping out different but complimentary rhythms. The man who chanted began to dance to the beat as he chanted. He motioned with his hands to the crowd. Others, both men and women, stood up and began to dance and chant with him. Sashegh saw Nammi sitting with Neolin. Nammi jumped up, took his hands and pulled him to his feet. Sashegh saw Bequa was sitting by herself watching them. Nammi began to dance around the fire, a sensual dance, her eyes going from Neolin to Bequa and then to Sashegh, smoldering as the embers in the fire.

Sashegh saw Neolin was not a very good dancer. He sat down without Nammi noticing that he was gone. Sashegh could tell Nammi was totally consumed by the music and the dancing. People were mostly dancing to the music on their own, rather than with partners. However, some of the couples were both good dancers and touched each other a bit while they danced. When Bequa saw Nammi was dancing alone, she stood up and joined in, moving close to Nammi and touching her frequently, brushing her arm, back or hips with her hands.

Sashegh whispered into Fennsen's ear, "Dance with me please Fennsen."

"No Sashegh, I have no idea how to dance to this music. Let me just watch for a while please. I see people are dancing by themselves. I will not mind if you leave me and join them. I would enjoy watching you."

Sashegh loved this type of dancing. She needed no further encouragement. She jumped up and leaped into the crowd of dancers, moving to the beat of the drums, thrusting and swinging her hips with the energy and total abandon young women often have. Nammi noticed her and smiled at her. Sashegh smiled back shyly and then glanced over to see if Fennsen had noticed the looks passing between them. He showed no sign he had and Sashegh was relieved. There was definitely a strong connection she felt with Nammi. The way Nammi looked at her took her breath away.

Bequa noticed and winked at Sashegh. As the dance ended, she whispered into Nammi's ear, "I want you tonight. Come to my tent please."

Nammi smiled and nodded. "I will tell Neolin I need to be with a woman tonight and he will have to understand if I am to live with him. Neolin knows I have been with you in the past and is open-minded about it. He knows I need the love of a woman sometimes."

The next dance started and it was faster than the last one. The dancers got wilder and leaped into the air whenever the drum beats were extra loud. Several of the dancers pulled Fennsen and Neolin to their feet and pushed them into the dancing throng. The dancers circled around the fire, sweeping the two reluctant men along with them. The drums beat faster, the chanting grew louder. They all moved faster and faster around the circle. Fennsen and Neolin stumbled along awkwardly beginning to enjoy being swept up in the energy of the music.

After this dance Sashegh started to go sit with Fennsen, but Bequa pulled her over to sit with her and Nammi. She said straight out to Sashegh, "Nammi and I are going to spend the night together and we would like you to join us."

Sashegh could see Nammi was embarrassed but also saw desire in her eyes. After a long pause, Sashegh finally said, "No, I am sorry Bequa. I will sleep with Fennsen tonight. He is my lover now, my very first, and I am faithful to him."

"Well that is sweet, Sashegh, but please know you are welcome in my tent and under my furs anytime. I am sure Nammi feels the same."

Nammi looked Sashegh straight in the eyes and said, "Yes, actually I do."

Then Nammi went to Neolin to let him know of her plans for the night. Sashegh went over to be with Fennsen, leaving Bequa by herself again.

"What did your friends want, Sashegh?" Fennsen asked.

"They were asking me where I would spend the night. I told them I would sleep with you. I hope you don't mind?"

Fennsen smiled broadly. "Not at all," he said.

Sashegh was grateful he didn't pursue asking why they wanted to know where she would spend the night. She kissed him passionately and put her hand on his manhood to make sure his mind would be on other things. The music was over for the night and people were leaving to go to their tents. Couples walked out together. Bequa and Nammi left with their arms around each other's waists. Nanong and Vavana smiled at Fennsen and Sashegh and then left. Sashegh stayed behind, kissing with Fennsen for a long time, hoping when they got to Vavana's tent, Vavana++

and Nanong would be asleep.

~~~

Fewallo was not unhappy living with the Pewas. He remained with Namid, his wife Eetayah, and their daughter Nadole. Smitten by Nadole's beauty, he was nevertheless too shy to make an advance. Always feeling awkward around girls, he was an innocent when it came to sex. He found Nadole attractive and desirable but had no idea what to do about it.

Hoping that Nadole would notice him, he tried to learn all the Pewa ways. Namid told him he had mastered the bow and arrow quite well. He was proud he was able to hit targets dead center from long distances. He had learned to make his own bows and arrowheads and had quite a nice collection.

Fewallo wore a deerskin shirt, leggings, and moccasins every day now like all the Pewa men did. He felt he fit in very well as a member of the village. He made friends of several young Pewa men of his age who would sometimes take him hunting. He was reluctant to kill animals for food though, not taking shots when he sometimes had the chance. He went along only for the companionship. To him the purpose of the bow and arrow was as a weapon, to be used to fight the southerners who had attacked Maginaugh, to revenge his mother and father and all the Magin who had been murdered or taken as slaves.

When he returned from the gathering that night, Nadole was alone in the tent. She smiled shyly at him, and then turned away, busying herself with a basket she was making.

Fewallo knew Nadole had been watching ever since he moved in, whenever she thought he would not notice. She was obviously intrigued by him, by his differences from the Pewa boys. _She probably thinks I'm nice, but not as handsome as a Pewa man. I wonder if she can tell I'm more interested in her as a possible lover. She seems every bit as shy as me, unable to talk about her feelings._

Whenever men or boys talked to her, she would become flustered and tongue tied, not being able to say anything to them, casting her eyes down in silence until they gave up and walked away. She noticed Fewallo looking at her. It seemed to please her; she smiled a nervous little smile. He wanted to talk to her but couldn't find his tongue.

Fewallo had almost worked up the courage to say something to her, maybe just hello, when Namid and Eetayah came in. In a way he was relieved and said, to no one in particular, "I am tired. I think I will lie down and go to sleep now."

The others murmured their agreement. Eetayah tended the fire, making it ready for the night. Fewallo took off his clothes and got between his bearskins. He saw Nadole had turned away when he undressed.

He didn't go to sleep right away. He lay facing the fire, pretending to be asleep, while he watched her undress. He had to bite his lip to fight back a moan as she took off her shirt in the firelight. She was so beautiful. She always undressed facing him. He wondered if she suspected he was watching through half-closed eyelids.

~~~

Vavana was over the problem she had due to her experiences with Ur. She was immensely relieved and overjoyed to see Nanong alive again when he returned. Her rediscovered passion for him pushed away all thoughts of Ur and the horrors of the past, all thoughts of anything but her love for Nanong. She felt they became as one person again when they made love that first night.

Vavana knew this was temporary. Nanong would be leaving her again as soon as the ice melted off the lake. She noticed the snow was starting to melt and knew it wouldn't be long before the men would sail. She would miss him but this time she didn't fear for his life quite as much as before. He would be going with a war party of all the village's men, in war canoes, armed with bows and arrows.

This time she knew, if they found Ur, he would finally get what he deserved. This thought gave her much satisfaction. She hoped his death would be as painful as Hogawah's had been.

Nanong found her one morning on the beach staring at the melting ice. She spoke to him of her thoughts about the future.

"Nanong? You must promise me that if Ur has left Maginaugh you will convince the men to follow him, hunt him down and kill him. The world is not safe for us or our children to live in while he is alive."

"Children? What children?"

She grinned. "Last night you made me pregnant, Nanong. I can feel it. I know. We will have a child in nine and a half moon cycles."

Nanong, laughed, delighted with her. "I don't know how you could possibly know this for certain. If it is true, I am proud to know I will be a father soon."

"Promise me then, for the sake of our child, that you will find Ur and kill him."

"Yes my love, I promise it." Then he took her into his arms and kissed her long and with feelings of great love. They made love there in the open on the beach. No one saw them but they would not have stopped in any case.

~~~

Fewallo met Sashegh alone one morning as their paths crossed walking through the village. They had not seen each other in two weeks. She smiled at him and said, "Hello brother, how are you?"

"I'm okay Sashegh, I have been wondering what you were up to though. I see you with Fennsen all the time now, holding hands, and sometimes kissing. Are you falling in love with him?"

Sashegh shrugged. "I don't know. I have slept with him. We are lovers now."

Fewallo's jaw dropped. "Mother and father would not approve Sashegh. You are too young to have a lover. Also, being the queen's daughter he should have asked mother's permission to court you. The way you two are behaving surprises and worries me."

Sashegh shook her head. "How would he ask mother's permission? He is here and she's not. She and father might even be dead now, judging by what Fennsen told me."

She did not mean this to sound as callous as it came out. It hit Fewallo hard, as though someone had punched him in the stomach. She saw the pain on his face and said, "Oh, I am so sorry Fewallo. I thought you knew by now from Nanong or Fennsen about those last moments of the battle on Maginaugh and how things were."

"No, I suspected but never asked, because I didn't want to know. I can't do anything about it from here and feel terribly helpless. I have tried to push it out of my mind but now I have an image in my head of the two of them being killed by those savages."

"I really am sorry Fewallo. My words were quick and thoughtless."

She threw her arms around him, hugged him tight and they both began to cry. She had pushed away her own grief in the happiness she was finding with Fennsen. However, being with her brother now was bringing it all back. She could see the thoughtless way she told Fewallo of their parents' deaths overcame his desire to be manly. He wept with her.

Finally he regained enough composure to say, "Fennsen could have asked my permission to court you. I should be taking care of you here. You're still too young to be without someone to protect you."

"I don't mind having you take care of me brother. But I am not a little girl any more in case you haven't noticed. I am a woman with a woman's desires. You will have to get used to that."

He thought, _I know when she has that tone in her voice; she is not going to listen to my opinion_.

He decided to let the subject of Fennsen drop for now and changed the subject. "Sashegh? I have heard a war party will go south when the ice melts. I can use a bow and arrow now as well as any Pewa warrior. I will go with the war party and I will look for Mother and Father to at least find out for certain what happened to them."

"I guessed as much. Fennsen said he will go too and it is very brave of both of you. I just hope you will both return safely and unharmed."

"I will worry about your safety while I'm gone. Stay with Vavana and do what she tells you to do, please?"

"Yes Fewallo, I promise."

## Chapter 11: New Love

Sashegh had a chance meeting with Nammi one day, their paths crossing in the village. This was the first time she had ever been alone with Nammi and she felt nervous but didn't understand why. Nammi was dressed in a well-fitted long deerskin shirt with just leggings underneath. It was how the men dressed too except her shirt had been well tailored to show her figure to good advantage. Nammi flashed her warm smile at Sashegh and Sashegh felt a strong tug on her heart. She smiled back as warmly as she could manage.

"Hello, Sashegh. It's nice to see you. How are you doing today?"

"I am doing fine, thank you Nammi. I'm happy to see you again too. I love how your shirt looks. It fits you so much better than mine."

"Well, you look good too Sashegh and with a little needle work I could have your shirt fitting you just as well."

"Oh would you do that for me, Nammi? That would be wonderful. I wish I could look half as attractive as you do. You're so pretty."

"Nonsense, Sashegh, you are beautiful with your fine long blond hair, your long legs, and your lips made for kissing."

Sashegh felt at a loss as to how to handle a compliment like this from another girl. She looked down at her feet and blushed. Nammi approached her and came close, standing so their bodies were just barely touching. She cupped Sashegh's face in her hands and tilted it up to look in her eyes. Sashegh met Nammi's penetrating gaze and felt her heart beating rapidly.

Nammi brushed back Sashegh's hair; her eyes locked on Sashegh's, and she leaned forward until their lips brushed. Sashegh closed her eyes as Nammi began to kiss her. Sashegh felt like she would faint with the strong feelings coursing through her and she returned the kiss with equal fervor as she felt Nammi's tongue enter her mouth and play with hers.

They broke from the kiss breathless and Nammi said, "I want to be alone with you now but we can't go to my tent because Neolin will be there and we can't go to yours because Fennsen will be there. I don't know what to do."

"I've never done this before Nammi but yes, I want you too. I'm aroused by you."

Nammi said, "If it was not so cold outside right now we could go into the woods."

"I have an idea Nammi. My brother lives with Namid and his family. I will go to Fewallo and ask him to switch beds with me tonight, sleeping in Nanong's tent while I sleep in Namid's. I will tell Namid honestly I am doing this because I am expecting a visitor who is not Fennsen, leaving out the part about my visitor being a girl."

They giggled together and then kissed again. After the long kiss ended Sashegh said, "Wait until it's very late. Namid and his wife and daughter will all be asleep. Then slip in and you will find me waiting for you naked under the bearskins nearest to the door."

"Oh yes, that's a good plan," Nammi said, beaming at Sashegh. "I will be there."

~~~

Sashegh left feeling very excited. She could hardly wait for the time to pass and at the same time felt nervous and scared about what would happen with Nammi. She went to Namid's tent and found him there alone. She looked at him, wondering how he would react to her request. He was a stout good natured man, heavy but not fat. Sashegh thought, _His weight is due to the fact that his wife, Eetayah, is known to be the best cook in the village. I like him. He has a good heart_.

Namid said, "Greetings, Sashegh. What brings you to my tent today?"

"I wanted to ask my brother if he would switch beds with me tonight, so I could sleep here with your permission."

"Ha ha ha! Yes of course. One Magin is as good as another to me. But why do you want to do this? Don't tell me it is just to sample my wife's cooking, good as it may be, because you are welcome to eat dinner with us any time you want."

Sashegh was embarrassed now about what she had planned but she knew Namid was an open-minded man who would not think badly of her having a night visitor. He need not know it was a woman. Sashegh didn't want her brother hearing gossip about her. Also, she suspected Fennsen wouldn't understand or accept her wanting to be with a girl.

"I don't want Fennsen to know this, Namid, but I'm sleeping with someone else tonight. Is that acceptable to you?"

Namid raised his eyebrows. "Oh? I admit I am surprised, Sashegh. If it's not Fennsen, then it must be a Pewa man?"

"It's a Pewa, yes," she said, not actually lying, but not ready to tell the whole truth.

"I am curious to know who, but it is none of my business and I won't ask. You are welcome to have a guest tonight. Will he be having dinner with us?"

Sashegh allowed Namid to keep assuming her visitor would be male and shook her head. "I would prefer keeping this person's identity a secret if you don't mind, Namid. They will come into the tent very late when you and your family are asleep and slip quietly into my bed."

Namid grinned. "This is very intriguing but I will respect your privacy. My family will too, without my having to tell them. It's the Pewa way for young adult unmarried people in this village to share a bed in their lover's family's tent and have the family pretend not to notice."

"I am happy to hear you say I am an adult, Namid."

"Yes, even this old man's eyes are still sharp enough to see you are quite adult. You are beautiful and I think you will have many suitors before you choose one to marry."

Fewallo entered the tent, back from an unsuccessful hunt. He arrived just in time to hear the last part, his ears perking up. Teasing her, he said, "What is this I hear? My little baby sister is an adult? Nonsense!"

She stuck her tongue out at him. Namid left them. He knew she would have to tell her brother everything he had just heard.

When Sashegh told him what she was planning, Fewallo was a bit shocked. "You want to switch beds with me so you can sleep with someone other than Fennsen? A Pewa? Why?"

"Don't act so shocked Fewallo. You know some of them are very attractive. I see the way you look at Nadole. I know you want to have her under your bear skins."

"That's different," he said, blushing.

"Oh? How is it so different?"

"For many reasons. I am a man, older than you. I am your brother and have to protect you, even from yourself. You are the queen's daughter and will be queen yourself one day. It's your duty to marry a Magin. I am concerned about you having an affair with a Pewa, Sashegh. I have to look out for you now that Father is gone."

Sashegh shook her head. "Don't say he's gone, Fewallo, we don't know for certain. Also, I don't need you to always feel you have to take care of me. I can take care of myself. Namid notices I'm an adult now. You heard him say so."

Fewallo could see it was no good arguing with her. He thought, _She is stubborn and determined_ , w _hen she wants her way. All her life, she has gotten whatever she wanted_. _Mother and father spoiled her too much._

"If I refuse to change beds, you will find some other way to be with your Pewa lover, true?"

Sashegh nodded. "Yes, I will, and it will be a lot less convenient. This is something I am determined to do. It means a lot to me. I can't say more now but someday I will make you understand. Thank you Fewallo."

"Very well little sister. I will change beds with you. But I hope you know what you are doing and won't get yourself into any trouble."

She smiled at him, kissed him on the cheek, and said, "Thank you Fewallo. You are a good big brother."

Eetayah made a venison stew for the night's meal, cooking a roast of deer meat in a carved wooden vessel hanging over a low flame for a long time. As the meat got close to being done, she added sweet potatoes, wild carrots, and wild onions. Sashegh thought, _It smells better than anything I ever smelled cooking_.

She decided to try meat tonight for the first time and she was nervous. She worried she might not like it and would offend her hosts. She thought, _If I'm going to sleep with a Pewa I might as well eat like one_. She hoped the stew would be delicious because Eetayah was said to be the best cook in the village. It was difficult for her living with the Pewas all this time without eating meat, because it was such a big part of their diet.

The venison stew was delicious, served with wild rice in a cup of maple syrup on the side. Sashegh had seconds. Fewallo stayed for the dinner and asked for a second helping as well.

~~~

After dinner, Fewallo went to Nanong's tent. He found Fennsen there alone and broke the news to him.

"Sashegh will not be sharing her bed with you tonight. She will sleep in Namid's tent in my place and I will sleep here. I am afraid you are on your own, unless there are some extra bearskins laying around for you to use."

Fennsen's brow became deeply furrowed. "Why is she doing this Fewallo? Did she say?"

"Yes she did. She is going to sleep with one of the Pewas tonight, I don't know who."

"Aah, no, I'm devastated by this news. Over these few weeks I have fallen deeply in love with Sashegh. I can't stand thinking of her with another man."

Fewallo could see the hurt on his face and said, "I am sorry I blurted it out without thinking about your feelings Fennsen. Forgive me please. Forgive my sister too. She should have talked to you before doing this."

Fennsen shook his head. "Don't worry about me Fewallo. It's not your fault. I'm jealous I admit. I'm afraid I have fallen too deeply in love with your sister to be able to stand thinking of her sleeping with another man."

Fewallo shrugged. "I hope it's a man," said Fewallo. "I keep seeing that woman Bequa with her and I know Bequa sleeps with women."

"How can you say such a thing about your own sister? I am sure Sashegh would never do anything like that. She likes men. I can vouch for that. Why didn't you try to stop her from doing this promiscuous thing?"

"She informed me she is an adult now and does not need her big brother looking after her anymore. I cannot control her, but I do worry about her; it is a habit of mine."

~~~

Nammi went to Bequa's tent and had her dinner there, with Bequa's family. After dinner she said, "I need to be with Neolin for the night, I hope you do not mind."

"No, that's fine Nammi. I understand."

Nammi wondered if Bequa could tell how excited she was. She tried to control her emotions but had little success. After having dinner with her and giving her a short goodnight kiss, Nammi went to Neolin's tent. Bequa followed her at a distance, keeping out of site. When she saw Nammi enter Neolin's tent she was satisfied Nammi was telling the truth, so she went back to her own tent. She was lonely though. She thought about Sashegh and wondered if she was with Fennsen tonight. She went out again and walked over to Nanong's tent and poked her head through the flap. She was startled to see Fewallo there instead of Sashegh.

Fewallo was relieved to see her, thinking at least this meant his sister was not beginning to sleep with women. "Hello, Bequa. What brings you here?" he asked.

"Oh! Fewallo, what are you doing here? I was looking for Sashegh. I know she always sleeps here with Fensenn and I thought you always slept in Namid's tent. What's going on?"

"Sashegh and I are trading places for the night. She will sleep in my place in Namid's tent."

"Why on earth would she do that and leave Fennsen here?" Bequa asked.

"I would like to know the answer to that myself," Fennsen chimed in.

Fewallo shrugged. "All she told me was there was someone else she wanted to sleep with tonight. I don't know who it is. I think we should leave her to make her own decisions about where she sleeps and who she sleeps with."

"Fine. Well I guess that means Fennsen and I sleep alone tonight. I am going back to my tent now. Good night."

Bequa went back and sat at her fire, thinking. _Who is Sashegh sleeping with tonight_? Then suddenly she remembered the look that passed between Sashegh and Nammi at the last gathering. If she didn't know Nammi was sleeping with Neolin tonight, she would wonder. In fact she still wondered. In all the time she spent following Sashegh around, she could not remember ever seeing Sashegh flirting or even looking with desire at any of the Pewa men. She decided she would pay Neolin and Nammi a visit later that night, to make sure.

Fennsen got up after Bequa left and went to Namid's tent. Instead of entering, he waited outside, hiding in nearby bushes. He wanted to see who Sashegh's new lover was and confront him. Jealousy was consuming him, thinking of her with another man.

He saw the tent flap open and Namid come out. It startled him and he stumbled backward, stepping on some branches. Namid heard him and said, "Who's there hiding in the bushes? Come out."

Fennsen came out sheepishly and said, "Fewallo told me Sashegh would be sleeping with another man tonight. I have to find out who it is."

Namid shook his finger at Fennsn. "No you don't. It's her business. She's an adult and not your wife. She tells me you have only slept with her twice. She has a right to be with others until such time as she becomes your mate, if and when that happens. Go now and leave her in peace tonight."

Ignoring this, Fennsen called out to her, "Sashegh! It's me Fennsen. Come out please. I need to talk to you."

The tent flap opened again and Sashegh emerged. Fennsen could see she was angry. She came to him. Namid stayed with them.

"What do you want Fennsen?"

"I want to know who you're sleeping with and why. You should have talked to me first if you wanted to be with someone else. I think you owe me that much."

"I didn't mean to hurt you. I am sorry Fewallo told you. I hope you will understand. I have to find out what my true feelings are. If you care for me, you need to go now and let me discover them. Tomorrow we will talk."

"I am not leaving until you tell me who it is."

"Fennsen! If you don't go right now, I will never speak to you again. We will be finished forever. Leave me alone for tonight or leave me for good."

Namid broke in, "Take an older man's advice son. Do as she says or you will lose her."

Fennsen stood there for a moment, his fists clenched, jaw set tight. He was shaking he was so mad. He turned and walked away without saying another word.

~~~

Weeks later, Vavana was down by the lakeshore sitting on a driftwood log, looking out over the water. The sun was bright and warm and there were very few signs of ice. Waves were breaking on the beach and sea birds were skimming the shallow water looking for minnows. She knew it would be any day now, the war party would be formed. Nanong would sail south to help Mindoregh, or at least to find and kill Ur. She put her hand on her tummy, to see if she could feel the new life growing inside her, Nanong's child. She had been right. He had indeed gotten her pregnant that night a few weeks ago. It was a certain thing. She also sensed the child was a boy.

Neolin happened along and saw her. He came and sat down next to her. "Hello Vavana. You are looking beautiful today."

"Thank you Neolin. If that's true it is only because I am carrying Nanong's child now and it gives me a glow, I think."

"You always glow Vavana. Nanong is a lucky man. But don't worry, I'm not flirting with you. I love my Nammi and am happy with her."

"Nammi is a lovely girl Neolin and you are a good man. I am glad you two are happy together."

She looked at him for a while, and then said, "Neolin, everyone knows you are a great prophet, able to see the future clearly. Would you please tell me about my future with Nanong?"

Neolin nodded. "Give me your hands and I will try. Keep in mind what appears to be a certain future can always be changed by the things we do today. We each make our own future. Only if it is what you truly want and you strive for it will you have the future I foresee for you."

Neolin held Vavana's hands tightly and closed his eyes. He began to chant an incantation his father, also a prophet, had taught him. As he continued the chanting, he began to see with an eye inside his mind, mists of various colors. The mists began to part, to reveal the figures of people doing things. He could also hear some of what they said to each other.

Neolin sat holding her hands in his, chanting and visualizing for a long time. If anyone had seen them, they would have appeared to be lovers. Vavana was patient, not saying anything to interrupt Neolin's trance, wanting him to see all he could. Finally, the vision ran its course. The colored mists disappeared. His eyes opened.

"It was a good vision, Vavana. You and Nanong will grow old, happily, together. You will have four children by him, two boys and two girls. They in turn will all have several children of their own, giving you many grandchildren. Nanong will distinguish himself in an upcoming battle with the southerners. He will become the new leader of our village, taking Ogima's place. One of your sons will marry a daughter of that young Magin man that has been staying with Namid. They will have a male child who will become a Pewa chief one day. The boy will be part Magin and part Pewa. Our race will intermix with theirs.

"In his battles with our enemies, Nanong will be away from home a long while and you will assume a position of leadership of our people, acting in his place when he is not here. You will be the first and possibly the only woman to ever be recognized by the Pewas as a leader. The people will have great respect for you, admire your wisdom, your bravery, and be willing to follow you."

"What about Ur, the leader of the southerners?" Vavana asked. "In your vision, did you see Nanong killing him?"

"I saw them fight hand to hand and I saw Ur start to prevail with his greater strength. Then, in the vision, mists closed and veiled everything around them and I don't know how the fight ended. You can be assured Ur will not kill Nanong in that fight. I also saw the two of you many years from now, growing old together."

"Oh, thank you Neolin for this wonderful prophecy," she said, throwing her arms around him and hugging him.

"Do not thank me for your future, Vavana. Remember, I only see these things. I do not make them happen. All foreseen prophecies are changeable. It is you and Nanong that will make this vision come true."

Vavana returned to her tent and found Nanong waiting for her. She told him of Neolin's prophecy. Nanong said he realized he was already beginning to assert leadership over the Pewas. He too had seen the ice had melted to the point where it was now possible to sail south.

He said, "I am not as angry with Ogima as I was. I realize now it would have made little difference if we had gone back to fight the southerners immediately after my return. I think Ur's men probably killed all they were going to kill during the final hour of battle, as Fennsen and I were escaping. The rest are probably being kept as slaves and might still be rescued. I don't think their lives are in immediate danger and I know I can't lead a war party without Ogima's consent.

"However, now the time has come when the lakes can be navigated safely again, and Ogima is still doing nothing. Some of the younger men come to me and complain of Ogima's cowardice. I have decided I will form a war party, without waiting for Ogima's orders. If he says anything about it, I will simply tell him the time has come."

He went from tent to tent, dozens each day, telling the men to make ready to go south to fight. He named a leader for each canoe and assigned eleven men to go with each one. He discussed these plans with Vavana.

"Good," she said. "I will help you by keeping track of your assignments of the men. I will use birch bark baskets and pebbles. There are 47 war canoes. I will borrow 47 baskets from the other women. I will collect pebbles from the lake shore: 47 good-sized stones and a large pile of little pebbles. I will make sure each of the larger stones is very unusual and distinctive, unique from the others in either shape or coloring.

"When you tell me the name of one of the leaders, I will name a stone after him and drop him into his own basket, representing his canoe. The little pebbles will follow as assignments of other men are made to the canoes. Do not try to remember all the details of who has been assigned to each. Rely on the leaders to keep track of their assigned men."

"I like this plan. Thank you Vavana." He embraced her and whispered in her ear, "I love you."

~~~

There was no attempt made to keep these plans secret from Ogima and he quickly became aware of them. He was relieved in a way to see the burden of leadership shifting from his shoulders to Nanong's. He knew Nanong was a good man and respected by the village for the brave and wise things he had done in battles with the southerners in the past. Ogima judged Nanong to be a leader who took few unnecessary risks and yet fought bravely when the time came to fight.

Ogima himself felt too old and tired to fight anymore. He had seen too much bloodshed in battles with neighboring people over hunting territories. He had no heart for this current battle because it was not over something even as meaningful to him as hunting rights. Only honor was at stake. In this stage of his life, Ogima valued the lives of his people above their honor. He had no taste for the upcoming fight in which he knew many of his people would be killed. He also knew, however, most of the younger Pewas valued honor above life. He knew he could not stop them from going to fight the southerners without loss of all respect for his leadership.

Ogima knew he didn't have many more years to live. He wanted to die with dignity, to be well remembered by his people. He went to Nanong and spoke to him of his feelings.

He said, "I would like to be in charge of the lead canoe and lead our people into battle one last time."

Nanong was happy to hear this and said, "Certainly my chief. It is your right."

In a private council meeting held the next day, Ogima said, "I support the battle Nanong has been preparing for with the southerners. I told him I will lead the fleet of war canoes personally. It is my wish that, if I am killed in the battle, Nanong is to be the new chief."

~~~

The day finally came when Nanong saw each of Vavana's 47 baskets contained 12 pebbles. She could tell him the names of each of the big pebbles representing the leaders. Nanong gave these names to Ogima, who then gave the order to each of the leaders to tell their men to prepare for battle. Two days later, each leader took his men to their canoe and pushed it out into the cold water of Northern Lake.

Ogima was the first to get his canoe into the water and was followed closely by Nanong. Fewallo was the leader of a nearby canoe. Fennsen rode with him. Nanong had been watching Fewallo develop his skills and felt him to be potentially one of the best warriors in the village now.

The previous night in Vavana's tent Nanong had promised Sashegh he would look out for Fewallo and Fennsen. The men all said goodbye to their wives and children, now gathered on the beach to see them off. There was much weeping and crying among the women and children as the canoes began to push off one by one. They knew from tales what the southerners were like and remembered how the last time a Pewa war canoe sailed south, eleven of the twelve occupants never returned.

Nammi stood next to Bequa, holding her hand tightly as she waved goodbye to Neolin. Nammi was confused. She had come to truly love Neolin. Even though they had not had a formal ceremony, she thought of herself as his mate now. She would miss him terribly while he was gone with the war party. She could not bear the thought of something happening to him during a fight with the southerners.

She felt a love toward Bequa too. When they slept together it was very good, and they both said, "I love you," to each other in the midst of passion. As if this was not enough confusion for Nammi, there was Sashegh to consider now too. The first time she made love with Sashegh in Namid's tent, she felt emotions she had never felt with anyone before. She had in one instant that night given her heart more completely to Sashegh than she had ever given it to anyone before. She said, "I love you, Sashegh," loud enough and with such intensity it woke Namid, his wife and daughter. Now they knew it was not a man Sashegh was sleeping with. In the customary manner of Pewas, they didn't pass judgment on the coupling of the two girls.

Today Sashegh was standing close to Nammi and Bequa on the beach, but not holding hands with either of them. She had slept with Nammi several times in Namid's tent, and she was deeply in love with her now, but she never displayed affection toward Nammi in front of others. She had begged Namid and his family to keep her secret. She did not think either her brother or Fennsen would understand or accept what she was doing. Sashegh did not think she would have ever been with a woman, if not for the immediate strong feelings she felt when she first met Nammi.

When Nammi told her she loved her that first night in Namid's tent, Sashegh felt helpless to resist. She knew immediately this love was real. She whispered in Nammi's ear, "I love you too."

Now, standing near her on the beach, Sashegh was even more tormented. As she waved goodbye to Fennsen, crying, she could not help thinking in the back of her mind how this might mean she would get to spend more time with Nammi. She had a love for Fennsen also. He gave her something she needed, something she could not get from Nammi or any woman. The feeling it gave her when they were making love and he was inside her was not something she would ever want to be without. When she made love with Nammi, however, the mental connection they shared and the strength of the love they felt toward each other, brought them to higher peaks of passion than either of them had experienced with others.

Sashegh glanced sideways now at Nammi and Bequa holding hands and had to admit to herself it made her feel jealous. She liked Bequa and liked that she made Nammi happy, but right now she wanted to be the one holding Nammi's hand. She wanted to have Nammi put her arms around her and hold her tight.

She watched the men in the center of each canoe raise the deerskin sails. They caught a stiff easterly wind, pushing them rapidly out into the lake. When they were a good ways out from the beach they began to tack south. Soon they became tiny specks in the distance. Slowly, a few at a time, the women and children around her left the beach and went back to their daily tasks.

As Nammi and Bequa started to leave, Nammi turned and said to Sashegh, "Once before, at one of the dances, Bequa invited you to sleep with us and you refused. Would you join us this time if I invited you?"

"You mean for the three of us to share a bed?" Sashegh asked.

"Yes that is exactly what she means, Sashegh," said Bequa. "Please do join us, it would be fun."

"I am not sure. It sounds complicated. I think you would be jealous watching me with Nammi."

"I don't think so," Bequa said, "as long as you can accept seeing me with Nammi."

"I will think about it. That's the best I can say for now. If I decide to accept the invitation, I will come to Nammi's tent tonight for dinner and bring along some food of my own making, to share for our evening meal together."

Sashegh felt frightened to think of being with both of them at the same time, but was tempted because she wanted to be with Nammi. Even though she had not consciously made a decision, in the back of her mind she knew she would join them tonight. She wondered how it would make Bequa feel if she heard Nammi and her saying, "I love you," to each other. The thought frightened her.

~~~

Vavana took charge of organizing hunting parties. She knew the women had to do the hunting themselves now. She felt she was as good as any man with bow and arrow. Her groups of women didn't always bring back as much food as the men, she realized, but it was enough. _We will be able to make it on our own_ , she thought.

Vavana made sure they kept having the gathering dances, women doing all the drumming and chanting and playing of flutes. Vavana, Sashegh, Nammi, and Bequa loved these dances. They always went and danced energetically long into the night, as long as anyone would keep the music going. Sashegh was fascinated by the flute music and learned to play the little wooden instrument herself, rapidly becoming quite good at it. She discovered a hidden talent for music she didn't know she had.

Some times while another woman would play the flute, Sashegh would sing along with the melodies, making up lyrics with Pewa words while she sang. She sang of love and also of the beauties of the world around them. She made up happy songs. Nammi would always sit and look at Sashegh in a daze, with love, while she listened to her sing. _You sing beautifully_ , she thought. Her heart felt as if it would burst with love for Sashegh.

Nammi and Sashegh were often alone together in Vavana's tent on nights when Bequa was busy with other girls. Those nights were the best for Sashegh and she could tell they were very good for Nammi too. Her love for Nammi deepened every day. They started being together openly. They did their chores together, laughing, taking their meals together, and talking about all kinds of things, such as cooking or their men and how much they missed them.

It finally happened that Nammi told Sashegh she loved her one night in front of Bequa while the three were making love. Sashegh could not help saying it back by reflex, even though she cringed when she saw Bequa stiffen a bit, hearing the words. She had a bad feeling about it afterwards and shared her feelings with Nammi the next time they were alone. Nammi told her not to worry about it, but she did.

Things changed subtly after that night. Sashegh could tell Bequa's feelings toward her had changed from attraction to jealousy. One night as the three of them were making love in Vavana's tent, Nammi was with Bequa first, then went to Sashegh and started to make love to her. Soon they were exchanging words of love for each other. Suddenly, in a cold, bitter-sounding voice, Bequa said, "I'm bored."

This shocked Sashegh and she asked Bequa, "You're joking, right?"

"No, Sashegh, I'm truly bored. I think I will go back to my tent now."

Sashegh was a sensitive person. She knew, she felt, Bequa did not really mean _bored_ ; she meant _jealous_.

She felt at fault for coming between Nammi and Bequa and spoiling things for them. She got up and ran from the tent into the woods. She ran and ran for hours, until she was far from the village and could run no more. Then she collapsed on the ground and wept. She wept until she had no more tears to cry. She got up, walked back to the village, and went to Namid's tent. She entered just as the sun was coming up. Eetayah and Nadole were still sleeping. She lay down under a bearskin and pretended to sleep, laying there thinking sad thoughts about what had happened. She lay still with her eyes closed as Eetayah and Nadole woke, got up, ate breakfast and left the tent to do their morning chores.

When she finally got up out of bed, she was ashamed of herself for getting so upset and running away. She thought it might be best if she stayed away from Nammi and Bequa for a while, since she could not seem to control her feelings. She saw Nammi that afternoon and told her of her feelings.

"I don't want to come between you and Bequa. I don't want to be the cause of you losing her."

Nammi had other ideas. She shook her head. "Nonsense. Bequa behaved strangely but that's how she is. Let me take care of it, don't worry. Just please don't leave me. I need you in my life. I went to Bequa's tent last night to talk to her. I told her I love you both."

As Nammi took Sashegh in her arms and kissed her, Sashegh realized she was powerless to deny Nammi anything and returned the kiss passionately. She said, "Whatever you say, Nammi. I can't leave you. I love you too much."

~~~

After Nammi left her tent the night before, Bequa had packed a deerskin bag with some food and set out into the forest on her own. She was unhappy but had a plan to make Nammi miss her. She planned to stay away for three weeks. She wandered alone through the forest, gathering wild rice and berries when she could. She slept under piles of leaves and pine needles for warmth. When she came back she knew she would get Nammi's full attention.

~~~

During Bequa's absence, Sashegh was quite happy to be left alone with Nammi. They slept together every night in Nammi's tent. For her it was a wonderful three weeks, marred only by those occasions when Nammi would say she wondered what had happened to Bequa. Then one evening while they were making love, Bequa came in without warning. She had washed and put on clean clothes to look good. She asked if she could join. Although her heart told her it was a mistake, Sashegh said yes because she could tell it was what Nammi wanted.

Bequa just watched at first, but then went to Nammi for her turn. Nammi was so relieved Bequa was okay and had come back, she forgot all about Sashegh. She and Bequa made love, taking no notice of Sashegh sitting quietly off to the side looking on sadly. She didn't run away this time. She stayed until they were finished and lying together exhausted.

Sashegh spoke to Nammi saying, "I am tired and want to sleep in my own tent tonight. I hope you don't mind."

"I understand Sashegh. Goodnight."

The next day, Bequa found Sashegh by the lakeshore tossing stones into the water. She came and stood next to her and said, "Nammi told me last night, when Neolin returns she wants to have his baby, be his mate exclusively and not make love to us anymore. She said it's been fun, but she wants to be a good mate to him. She told me to tell you that for now she thinks it best if she doesn't make love to you anymore. She thinks you are getting too attached to her."

Sashegh shook her head vehemently. "I don't believe you Bequa. I know Nammi loves me and would never say these things."

Bequa nodded and smiled. "She thought you might not believe me, so she wrote you a note on birch bark. Here see for yourself."

Sashegh frowned as she studied the painting. "I don't read Pewa, I only speak it, but these don't look like words, only paintings of a sort, showing a man and two women.

"We don't write our words down as I have seen you and Fewallo do. These drawings are how we record things. Look, here, this figure is Nammi and the woman she is pushing away is you. See the blond hair? Also, look here. You can see her going to a man and embracing him. That is Neolin. If you compare this with other drawings she has done, you will see it is her work."

A tear trickled down Sashegh's cheek as she began to believe what Bequa was telling her. "Why does she not come tell me herself?"

"She feels bad about having hurt you, Sashegh. She knows you are in love with her, but she was just having fun with you. She sent me with this note because she's not able to face you and tell you this herself. I'm sorry."

Bequa moved to put her arm around Sashegh to comfort her. Sashegh pulled away and ran off to Vavana's tent. She lay down on the floor and cried. She believed Bequa because of what had happened the night before. It was obvious to her Nammi never cared for her the way she said she did. She decided not to see Nammi anymore and to do her best to forget about her. She didn't want to see Bequa anymore either. When she saw her next, Nammi was walking with Bequa and they were holding hands. Nammi smiled at her, but Sashegh turned and walked away without a word.

## Chapter 12: Southward

The fleet of Pewa war canoes sailed into Maginaugh harbor. There was no sign of life. The men got out and pulled the canoes up out of the water. Nanong noticed an eerie quiet on the island. He led the Pewas up the path toward Suonaugh with their bows ready. They came to Suonaugh and still there was nothing moving. Outside the walls he saw the skeletal remains of Ur's men who had been shot by archers. Now that spring had come there was not much left on the bones except some hair, teeth, and a few shreds remaining of the hides they had worn as clothing.

He led the men in through the opening where the gate used to be and saw the evidence of the tragedy that had happened inside the walls. Bodies were everywhere: southerners, Magin, and a few Pewas could be identified by the differences in clothing. Even though there was no more flesh on the bones, the smell of blood and rotting flesh was still abundant, having soaked into the ground and the limestone walls. There was no sign of life anywhere on the island. Even the deer had been killed and butchered for their meat by the southerners. Nanong saw their bones lying among the human ones.

Nanong had seen battle before. He had seen the gore left after the battle. This was worse. What made it worse for him was the thought of how wonderful Maginaugh had been and knowing what the world had lost because of Ur. Tears welled in his eyes. He looked around and saw Fewallo on his knees among some of the smaller skeletons that were obviously Magin.

Fewallo had never seen such devastation and horror before. It made him violently sick and he vomited. He felt total despair. His mind tried to reject what his eyes saw. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists thinking, _Mother and father are dead. All my friends are murdered. Maginaugh is destroyed. My life as a Magin is over, there is nothing left to live for_.

He forced himself to recover and began to look through the bones to see if he could identify any of the fallen Magin. He wanted to know, to be sure, if his mother and father were dead, or if there was any chance they escaped like Nanong and Fennsen did.

Nanong and the other Pewas were counting bodies; looking for those of the eleven Pewas Nanong had brought to this place. He saw some of the bodies were very small. He said, "It looks, like Ur even murdered all the children, killing anyone who was not an adult female. How could he do these things? He and his people are animals, not human beings."

He went into a fit of rage, kicking the skeletons of Ur's men, screaming at their bones as he broke them, "Curses be on all your spirits. I hope your afterlife is filled with pain and misery."

Fewallo discovered some necklaces, bracelets and rings could still be found on some of the Magin skeletons. He guessed Ur's people put no value on jewelry. He was looking for skeletons which might still be wearing the unique and beautiful rings he knew his mother and father had given each other. He remembered his mother telling him these rings had been made a long time ago on Mag, of a metal found there, using a craft not known here. He knew he would spot the blue gemstones they held, both so brilliant they sparkled in total darkness.

He searched through the bodies, trying not to look at the skeleton faces with empty eye sockets and hideous grins. When he found one woman whose skull was crushed, he saw the skeleton of a baby inside hers. He didn't think he had anything left to vomit but he did again nonetheless, dry heaving, bitter spittle dropping from his mouth on the ground as he retched. He knew he would never forget the horror of what he was seeing this day.

In what used to be the Suonaugh garden, he came across clothing that he recognized as his mother's dress, torn to shreds. He held the pieces of her dress in his hands and wept. He looked around but didn't see her ring. Then he summoned his strength again and continued searching until he reached the back wall. Still he didn't see either ring. At the back wall he saw the door to the council chamber had been broken down and he went in. More bodies were strewn about inside. The wooden floor was stained with dried blood.

In the corner he saw shreds of his father's clothing on one of the skeletons. He moved another body from on top of a pair of hands and there was his father's ring. He threw his own body down next to his father's skeleton and wept again, now louder and more bitterly. The Pewas around him said nothing. They stepped away and allowed him his time alone with the bones of his dead father.

Fennsen came into the council chamber and, seeing Fewallo weeping, went to him. He said, "At least you know where and how your father met his end and thus are able to grieve for him. I haven't been able to find the bodies of my mother or father and may never be certain what happened to them."

Fewallo looked up at Fennsen and his eyes were so filled with hatred that Fennsen jumped back. "Ur has killed all our people Fennsen. If he took any as slaves, they are as good as dead by now. You and I and my sister are the last of the Magin."

Fennsen shook his head. "No. Do not despair like this Fewallo. It may be that at least my mother and yours are still alive as his captives and we might yet be able to save them."

Nanong came into the council chambers and found the two young men. He said to them, "The bodies are mostly your people. I assume you honor your dead like we do, particularly those fallen in battle. Do you have anything special you would like to have done with these bodies?"

"We had two burials here before the big battle," Fennsen said. "Ur and his men boarded Hummelin's boat and killed him and Hajanegh. We took their bodies to the limestone caves nearby and buried them. There are hundreds of small caves near that one, enough for all those who fell here."

"But not Ur's men," Fewallo said. "They must not be buried with honor like the Magin and Pewa. We can tell their bodies from those of our kinsmen because they are bigger. I don't want their bodies left anywhere on Maginaugh. We should take them down to the lake and throw them in."

"As the queen's son, your wishes on this matter will be respected," said Nanong.

Nanong organized the men into burial parties and the remains of the Magin and Pewas were carried to the caves. Fewallo and Fennsen could not identify many of the bodies so their graves were marked but not named. Fewallo scratched the name of his father on a big stone marking the cave where he was buried. Then Nanong had some of his men carry the bodies of the southerners down to the lake and throw them in. Fewallo watched as their skeletons sank to the bottom.

As the last of the bodies were being thrown in, Nanong said to Fewallo, "Now let us go and look for Ur. If we can find him, we may find some of the captive Magin women with him. Your mother may still be alive."

~~~

While most of the Pewas were working to dispose of all the bodies, Ogima went off on his own to explore the island. After looking through the ruined buildings, he climbed the cliffs to where the caves were. He saw where Hummelin and Hajanegh had been buried. He felt shame, because he could see from how the Magin honored their dead as the Pewas did, they were a good people. He was ashamed he had not come to their aid sooner, perhaps preventing the tragic battle of Suonaugh that had wiped out the entire Magin race.

He went to the north shore of Maginaugh, away from the caves and all the buildings. He sat on the shore and meditated and chanted for hours to center his mind. He waited for an answer to come to him regarding what he should do to make things right. When he came out of his trance, he knew what he must do. He got up and walked back to the path leading down to the harbor from Suonaugh. There he saw Nanong and the others tossing the last of the bodies of Ur's men into the water. He went to Nanong and spoke to him.

"We must leave this place of death now, Nanong. I was foolish to wait so long. Now we are too late. If I had listened to you, all the good people that lived here would still be alive. The most we can do now is to avenge their deaths and those of our brave brothers who died with them."

"Yes, Ogima, and perhaps we can yet save the lives of some of the women they took captive. The longer we linger here, the more suffering they will endure."

"Then let us go, right now, this moment."

~~~

Ur didn't stay long on Maginaugh after the battle was over. He looked through the bodies and discovered two things that bothered him greatly. He thought, _Muh's body is not among the dead. There are too few of our people dead here. He must have deserted the battle and taken a large number of men with him. Also, I don't see the body of Vavana or her companion. They have escaped me again!_ He gnashed his teeth and screamed in rage.

He took Mindoregh and many of the other Magin women captive. After the battle, he ordered a small space to be cleared in the middle of Suonaugh, where the gardens used to be. There he had Mindoregh tied naked to four stakes driven into the ground, her arms and legs spread wide apart.

He announced to all his men, "This is their leader. Any man who wants her can have her now. I will go first."

Ur saw her gemstone ring and pulled it from her finger. He hung it from a rawhide strap and put it on over his head, wearing it like a necklace as a souvenir of his victory over her. Then he took her savagely. When he was done he got off her and told the men around him, "Use her."

She was used cruelly by many of his men. Mindoregh was a strong woman, stronger than Hogawa had been, and she endured it, not letting them conquer her spirit. Her main thought while she was being raped was how wise she had been to send Sashegh and Fewallo away with Nanong and Vavana. She wondered if she would ever see her children again. She vowed to herself to stay alive if she could, for their sake.

Ur planned to kill her when he took her captive, but now he was finding it was better to let the men enjoy her for a while. _She is very beautiful, just like Vavana only fair skinned, he thought. I see many of the men are having her over and over. They seem to prefer her to the other captives. Maybe because she was the leader of the people we conquered, it pleases them to shame her in this way_.

After a while Ur became impatient. He wanted to go and find Muh and settle things with him. Then he would have the rest of his men back. _I will take all the men to search for Vavana_.

He gave the order to cut Mindoregh loose and make ready to go across the ice again to their camp on the western shore. Reluctantly the men who were around her, waiting for another turn, cut her loose. They bound her hands behind her back and pulled her up to her feet by her hair. Ur covered her with a bearskin to keep her from freezing.

He told the men to gather all their piles of treasure taken from the Magin. Many hours were spent discussing, arguing, and even fighting over who would get what treasures. Without Muh and Dook to advise him, Ur had trouble handling difficulties like this. Finally he got impatient and gathered his men to speak to them.

He said, "We go now. We will make camp on the western shore. There we will make a pile of all the treasures taken from the island and we will gather the slaves together. I will decide who gets what treasures and who gets which of the slaves. For now, nobody owns any of these things or any of the slaves. The slaves will carry most of the treasure. Some of you men help with the heavy weapons and shields. I don't want anyone to worry about who is going to get what until we get to the camp."

The men grumbled but did as he said and soon the southerners and their female slaves began the two mile walk back over the ice to the western shore, laden with treasures taken from Maginaugh. When they reached the campsite, there was no sign of Muh or the men he had taken with him. The women and children Ur had left behind when he attacked Maginaugh were also gone. The camp had been stripped; Muh took everything. It was not long before Ur discovered the signs showing Muh had gone back south. _It's not possible to move such a large camp with much stealth_ , he thought. _It will be easy to follow their trail_.

Ur kept his word, gathering all the treasures and slaves together and personally distributing them as he saw fit. He gave the best of both to the men who he knew had been the bravest fighters in the battle. By the time he was finished the sun had set and it was getting dark. He knew the men would have to rest for the night, so he let them lay down wherever they could find shelter from the cold. They took warm clothing and bedding that had once belonged to the Magin and wrapped up. Those who had female slaves lay with them to keep warm. Others slept in groups of men huddled together for warmth.

Ur lay with Mindoregh, forcing himself on her again. He did it to keep warm, but also because he was smitten with her beauty. She allowed him to do what he wanted to her and complied with all his demands without resistance. Unlike Vavana however, her body never betrayed her. She felt no pleasure from his animal thrusts. She felt only disgust and loathing toward this craven savage. She only let him have his way with her to stay alive, an hour at a time, hoping one day she would have the opportunity to see him killed. She still hoped Nanong might return to save her and the other women.

Ur didn't linger in the morning. He got the men going at dawn. As they marched south, he could see the men felt very good after a night's sleep, the first rest they had since the battle. The trail was easy to follow. Ur knew, although Muh was a day ahead of him, the women, children, and elderly would slow Muh down and he would catch him soon, even with the Magin women along. He knew his men were very eager to follow him in this pursuit because Muh had taken all of their mates and children with him. _I did what I promised them. We defeated the Magin and took excellent tools, weapons, food, and female slaves. The men are pleased_.

~~~

Muh was moving his group of men, women and children south along the shoreline as fast as he could. He now regretted bitterly his decision to do what Ooteka had asked him to do: desert Ur on Maginaugh. There were three times as many women and children as there were men and it was difficult for him to keep them all moving fast. Muh knew his desire for Ooteka had made him stupid; he saw that now. He thought it was certain Ur would prevail over the Magin. He also thought Ur would have enough men left after the battle to outnumber his group. Also, he knew his men were obviously not the bravest fighters; they were the deserters.

Muh didn't think his prospects looked very good. He deployed his men amongst the women and children and put many men at the rear of the group to prod them southward at a cruelly fast pace. He said to these men, "Tell them they have to run for their lives. Things will go badly for them if Ur catches us."

Ooteka also felt she had made a mistake. She thought, _I should never have picked Muh over Ur_. She had done so out of anger because Ur had been so intent on his quest to get Vavana back, despite the cost in lives of their people. But now she realized things might be much worse because of the conspiracy to desert Ur. More lives would be lost. Ur was sure to catch up with them soon. When he did, she knew Muh would be killed. Possibly all the other men with him would be killed as well.

She hoped Ur would not discover her part in the conspiracy. The men with Muh did not know she was behind it yet because she and Muh had not had a chance to be together since his return. They ran south night and day. Those who dropped from exhaustion were abandoned on Muh's orders and soon froze to death in the snow.

Ooteka devised a plan to get herself back in Ur's good graces. During the second night, she managed to escape in the darkness, avoiding Muh's men and turning back north. She had spoken to some of the other women and knew they thought of doing the same thing, but were too frightened. They told her Muh's men had threatened their lives if they were caught trying to run away. Ooteka felt she had no choice. She knew if Ur caught her with Muh, he would probably kill her. She feared Ur more than Muh and knew he would catch up with them soon.

She followed the trail they had left, knowing Ur would be following it south. She planned to meet him. She ran north at a fast pace, wanting to find Ur before too much time passed. She ran through the night while Ur and his men were sleeping. She ran through the morning. The distance closed between them fast. Ur was moving his men and the Magin slaves with great speed along the trail Muh had left. By late morning as she rounded an outcropping of rock on the shore, she saw Ur leading his group. He was running along the shore toward her at a place where there was a sandy beach without too many rocks. She smiled at him and ran toward him.

When they met on the beach, Ooteka threw her arms around Ur and tried to kiss him. He pushed her away and she fell on the sand. "I think you have been with Muh again. You are now spoiled by that traitor. You will never be my woman again."

"No Ur, I swear, I have not been with him. He took all the women as his captives and has been very cruel to us. I am the only one who dared to escape him. He threatened to kill any who were caught trying to leave his group. I risked it because of my love for you."

"I think you are lying, Ooteka. Why should I trust what you say?"

"I am here now with you and not with him. I took the risk of being caught by him and killed, to tell you about his plans."

He slapped her. "Be quiet woman. We will catch him as soon as possible. That is the first part of my plan. The rest you do not need to know. Go be with the slave women and I will decide what to do with you later."

This humiliated Ooteka. She silently raged at Ur within herself but she obeyed and went to where the slave women were, thankful at least he did not kill her. Ur commanded all to resume the chase and they began to run southward again, following the tracks of Muh's group down the beach. They began to find children, elderly, and weaker women fallen by the wayside, not able to keep up with the pace. Ur passed the fallen ones, not heeding their cries for help. He kept driving his men on to catch Muh.

Shortly before nightfall they could see by signs on the trail indicating Muh was very close. Ur was in doubt about what to do. It might be risky coming upon Muh's group in the dark. Perhaps he should slow the pace for the night and wait to catch him in the daylight. On the other hand, that might mean Muh would be able to stay ahead of him indefinitely. He thought, _Maybe Muh's plan is to keep running as fast as he can until I tire of the chase._

Ur was frustrated. He wanted to be able to execute his plan to kill Muh and take all the men north again to fight the Pewas. He wanted to get Vavana back as soon as possible. He didn't want to lose his advantage by being ambushed at night however, so he slowed the pace as the twilight grew into darkness. His scouts were able to follow the trail Muh left, even in darkness, by various signs such as freshly broken branches on bushes and wide paths made by many men pushing through deep snow drifts.

~~~

Muh soon noticed Ooteka had left. He knew she would tell Ur how far ahead he was and what direction he was going. He pressed his group on through the night. He saw the women and children were slowing them down too much. At daybreak, Muh called a halt and spoke to the men. He knew he was not an imposing man like Ur and did not have the voice of command Ur had. He knew the men only listened to him because they had no better leader.

"If Ur catches us, we will all die," Muh said. "He has more men than we do and, after defeating the islanders, he will have some good new weapons. Our best hope is to keep running as fast as we can until he gives up and quits chasing us. We must stay together because, if we separate, he will hunt us each down separately and we will be easy to kill. If we stay together he will have to be more cautious. Last night he probably slowed down, worried we might ambush him in the dark."

Some of the men raised their hands and asked questions. "How do we even know he is chasing us? How will we know if he has quit chasing us? Why don't we ambush him tonight?"

"What would you do, fools? Would you like to wait here and see if he is coming? I think it most likely he won the battle on the island. He probably still has twice as many men as we do. It is certain he is after us. The longer we stand here arguing, the closer he gets. We must pick up the pace now and let the women and children fall by the way if they do not keep up.

"Ur probably has women with him too, taken as slaves after the battle. They will slow him down. He may not be able to catch us. He will be sending scouts running ahead of his main group to find our trail. I will pick several of you to go back north, slowly and carefully, staying out of sight. When you see Ur's scouts, run back south and tell us. Then we will know for sure we are being pursued and how far behind us they are."

Muh saw from their expressions they were willing to listen to him and do as he said. He picked six to be scouts and they set off north, walking rather than running. The rest Muh commanded to set off south again at as fast a pace as most of the women and children could manage. By midafternoon the scouts were back and reported they had seen Ur's scouts only a few hours to the north.

The thought of Ur closing the distance between them during the daylight galvanized the men into action. They began to race southward. Muh spread the word not to let the women and children slow them anymore, to run as fast as the men could run, not worrying about what happens to the rest. He knew, although many of the men had real feelings for their women and children, fear had taken hold of them and panic set in. They stayed together, but only out of fear. They ran for their lives in full panic.

Muh saw the women holding back. He saw them gathering the children to them as he and the men fled south down the beach. He thought, _They believe Ur will not blame them for what happened and will not kill them. Many of them have men who are with Ur and want to be with them again. Let them go then; they only slow us down_.

By late afternoon, Ur's scouts saw the women and children walking up the beach toward them and ran back to tell Ur. They said Muh would be moving faster now. One scout told Ur, "You won't be able to catch Muh if the women and children joined our group, slowing us down.

Ooteka was nearby and overheard what the scouts said to Ur. She saw the puzzled look of doubt on his face. She approached him and said, "I know what is troubling you and I can help. You don't have your council anymore and need someone like me to advise you as Muh used to do. I know you want to catch him and I know it will be difficult now. If you let me, I will tell you how it can be done."

"Women do not advise men," Ur growled at her.

"I'm sorry Ur. I did not mean to say I would tell you what to do. You are a great leader and always know what is best for your people. I just want to share a thought with you. Why not hear it? If you find it to be not worth anything, I will go back and be one of the slaves willingly and not bother you anymore."

"Very well then, I will listen to what you have to say. But if this is a waste of my time, I will give you as a slave to the ugliest and cruelest of the men."

Ooteka said, "What if, when we come upon the women and children, you halt the chase and allow the men to become reacquainted with their families? Announce to them now that you will do this. It will make you a great leader in their eyes. Tell them it doesnot mean giving up the chase; it only means being more patient.

"You could have your scouts keep running ahead, looking for Muh's trail. The day must come when Muh will have to stop running. His group will need to pause to find food for one thing. Muh will have his own scouts coming north toward us. He will have to do this to be certain that we are still chasing him. If they spot us, they will report to Muh you have dropped far back. He is intelligent and will know this is because you have women and children with you and he does not.

"Let Muh's scouts spot yours. Let him grow confident. Our scouts will know from the trail markings how far ahead he is. We will keep pressing on, following his trail. The day will come when he will stay in one spot for too long. You could lay a trap for his scouts with an advance group of your men and kill them so they could not report back. Then you can take all your men and run him down by surprise.

"I know what you want. In addition to getting your revenge on Muh, you want to get that woman Vavana; the one who was your slave but escaped. You want to take all the men north again to fight her people and take her back. You also want to find her companion and kill him. I will help you do all this.

"I know how she pleased you. I heard the sounds coming from your tent at night and I know you were pleasing her too. I felt terrible jealousy, but now I realize there is nothing I can do about it. You are our leader and you must have what you want.

"Meanwhile, until you get Vavana back, you have your new slave, the leader of those islanders. She is quite beautiful. If you want me, you can have me also and take two women to your bed. I will be willing to share you with her and watch while you rape her. You can tie her up and make her watch while you make love to me first. I will show her how to please you and then I will make you ready to take her."

~~~

Ooteka was still the most beautiful of all the women in his group, except for Mindoregh. The thought of having both these women every night and having them watch each other with him, was very appealing. He decided to try Ooteka's plan. He would not admit it to her but he was relieved to have a smart counselor who could help him work through difficult problems, like the one he was facing now.

"I will try your way, Ooteka," he said to her.

Ur admitted to himself, just as Ooteka had predicted, the men were overjoyed to see their wives and families again. The women were happy too, having escaped death by exhaustion and freezing. There was joy in his camp that night for the first time in a long while. He and his men made a real camp with lean-to shelters to sleep in and campfires to keep warm.

He knew some of the men, like him, had two women now, a mate and a Magin slave. He had Mindoregh tell the Magin slave women they had two choices. They could either sleep with their owner willingly, or a couple of the other men would help restrain her while her owner took her. If she fought, she would be shared with those who helped restrain her.

He was not surprised to see that most of the Magin women fought his men that night and didn't willingly do what was expected of them. He knew this was fine with his men because it meant many of them had a turn with one of the slaves as well as with their own mate.

Ellerva felt lucky not be one of those killed on Maginaugh. She had seen her husband Runrantaugh, the Magin Master Healer, clubbed to death in Suonaugh. She had been given by Ur to Gg, one of the biggest of Ur's men, as big as Ur himself.

She remembered Ur saying to him, "Because you are one of my best warriors and fought bravely. I give you this pretty young full breasted woman, slim with long red hair and freckles, to be your slave."

Ellerva looked at her owner. He was young and unmarried. He was broad shouldered, muscular, and ruggedly handsome. She thought, _If I have to be someone's slave, I am glad it is him._

That night she watched as other Magin women resisted the men to whom they had been given. She saw the men calling other men over to hold the women down while they raped them, taking turns. She saw that pretty, young Pavegh had been given to Ahg, another of Ur's favorites. She could tell Pavegh was afraid of Ahg and repulsed by him because he was scarred and ugly. She refused his advances and was taken by force in turns by Ahg and three of his friends.

Ellerva decided not let that happen to her. She had loved her husband but he had been much older than her and she felt he was never a very good lover. She mourned his death. She felt guilty at the thought of giving herself to her captor willingly but she was frightened at the thought of being raped by multiple men.

She went to Gg's lean-to and made a big campfire. When he came to her, she took off her clothes while he watched. When she was naked, she smiled at him, went under the cover of the lean-to, and lay down on the bed of pine needles she had made using a Magin blanket to cover the needles. Gg took off the bear hide he was wearing and she saw his naked body. She saw he was already aroused. Her smile broadened more. His staff was magnificent.

She knew Gg was a savage like all of Ur's men and didn't expect him to be gentle. She didn't fight him as he took her roughly. She enjoyed his roughness. He was a better lover than Runrantaugh. Gg was taking his time with her, making it last until she started to respond to him with increasing passion. It was no longer a case of merely making things easier. She was truly enjoying being taken by him.

She made love with him three times that night and the second two times she was the aggressor, showing Gg new positions and foreplay. The third time lasted over an hour and despite his great strength and stamina, she wore him out and he fell asleep in her arms.

Ooteka built Ur's lean-to and campfire and then told Mindoregh, "Be ready to share Ur with me."

Remembering the horror of being raped by Ur and many of his men on Maginaugh Mindoregh thought, _Putting up with only Ur seems more tolerable_. She told Ooteka, "I will do what you say."

"I will still tie you up," Ooteka said. "It is Ur's orders. He wants you to be tied up and made to watch while I make love to him. Then he will come to you and he will take you while I watch. This is for his pleasure. I intend to make it be very good for him."

"Tie me up then, I won't fight you," Mindoregh said. "After you are done with him, I will let him have me if he wants."

"You will not have any choice. You will still be tied up and Ur will do anything he wants to you. He will be cruel. I will help him think of all sorts of cruel things to do to you. It will excite him and then he will want to make love to me again."

"What if I resist you now?"

"Then I will call some of the men to help me and I will let them rape you as their payment. Later, when Ur comes, things will still go the same for you."

Mindoregh said nothing in response to this. She watched Ooteka drive four stakes into the ground. She did not resist as Ooteka took her clothes off and tied her hands and feet to the stakes tightly. When Ur came, he saw Mindoregh laying there naked, tied with her arms and legs spread apart. Ooteka was also naked. She came to him and took off his clothing. He lay down next to Mindoregh and Ooteka mounted him.

Mindoregh looked away but Ooteka saw this and said, "No do not look away. Watch us or we will hurt you now."

When they were done, just as Ooteka had promised, she suggested things Ur could do to Mindoregh while she was tied like this.

He relished this chance for revenge and did all the cruel things Ooteka suggested. He pinched and twisted her nipples. He bit them. He slapped her face and then her breasts and Ooteka urged him to do it harder. He slapped her between her thighs, spanking her crotch with his fingers. The more Mindoregh screamed the more he enjoyed it. It aroused him and soon he was ready, wanting to satisfy his needs again. He climbed on top of her and took her while Ooteka watched.

Ur enjoyed the night with Ooteka and Mindoregh. He knew his men were happy too, having been reunited with their women and having all the treasures they had taken from Maginaugh. He knew none of them were in any hurry to catch up with Muh and his men. It would only mean more fighting with no treasure or women to gain. He didn't hurry them but he ordered them to break camp and resume following Muh's trail. The trail was a bit colder now. Muh had increased his lead, but it was still easy to follow.

Ur still had in the back of his mind to reunite all his men. He knew he would need as many as possible to do what he wanted. He still remembered Vavana's beauty and how she had responded to him as they made love. He could not give up his dream of getting her back. _When I have all the men back together, I will convince them to attack the northern people the same way I convinced them to attack the islanders, with promises of more treasure and slaves_.

## Chapter 13: An Equal Battle

Nanong commanded the canoe in back and to the right of Ogima. He looked over his shoulder at the armada. Fewallo, who had mastered the art of paddling, commanded a boat on his left with Fennsen as one of his paddlers. The other 44 canoes were arrayed out behind him in a V formation that looked like a giant arrowhead moving over the water. He looked up and saw his deerskin sail billow in the wind, blowing stiffly from the north, raising small choppy whitecaps.

He was trying to clear his mind of the images that came back to him at the camp site last night. He had taken Ogima and the war party to the site where he and his friends had been ambushed by Ur, the place where Vavana was taken and raped. He felt it was necessary to go there to bury their dead. The skeletons still lay on the beach where they fell. Burying his dead friends made him feel terrible, guilty to be alive.

Fewallo had seen Nanong's grief-stricken expression. He went to him. "What is the matter Nanong?"

"These bones are those of close friends. I remember seeing them being clubbed and speared to death by Ur's men. It brings back memories and visions of the awful experience of watching while Ur's men raped Hogawah repeatedly and then watching him rape Vavana."

"I know how you feel. Something like I felt when I found the skeleton of my father in the Council Chamber."

Nanong wept as he buried the bodies. _So much death we have seen today_ , he thought. _So many brave men and women killed by Ur and his men. The men feel this too. None wanted to stay on Maginaugh after the horror we saw there. We had to go to the western shore and sleep in Ur's deserted camp. There was no place on the island to get away from the stench of death._

He couldn't sleep that night as his mind kept replaying the nightmare scenes of massacre and rape. In the morning he thought about what he saw around the campsite. The tracks he had seen here and back at the southerners' camp across from Maginaugh, told him one large group was following tracks made by another group.

He shared his thoughts with Ogima. He told him, "I saw a large group of men deserting Ur during the battle. I think he is hunting the deserters now. A battle between the two groups of our enemies will make things easier for us."

Now, sailing away from the site of the massacre, Nanong was glad they had the war canoes. At least for these first few days, it meant they were closing on Ur rapidly. He led the men ashore frequently to make sure the southerners were still headed south.

"The tracks are very old now, but it's still possible to follow them because there are so many," he said to Ogima. "Moving hundreds of people leaves a long-lasting trail. By tonight we will be at the southern end of the lake."

He shouted over to Fennsen, "Do you think you can find the spot where you originally saw Ur's village in the south?"

Fennsen nodded. "Yes, Nanong. I am the queen's helmsman. I never forget how to find a location I have sailed to in the past."

"Then show us where it is and we will camp there tonight."

Ogima commanded his crew to stop paddling. As Fewallo pulled up next to him Ogima said, "You take the lead for now Fewallo. Fennsen, you tell Fewallo the direction to the site of their village and we will all follow."

"Yes my chief," Fewallo said as he pulled out into the lead.

He steered the canoe as Fennsen directed him. By late afternoon Fewallo recognized the place where he had first seen Ur's people in their village by the southern shore. There was no sign of life here now. Ogima ordered the men to put the canoes ashore on the beach.

Nanong said, "There are many tracks here Ogima. I can see signs where there used to be shelters. It will not be possible to tell if the tracks are from last summer or more recently. I will look on the north side of the village. We should see lots of tracks headed north from when Ur moved the whole village to the western shore across from Maginaugh. If he has come back through here since then, we will also see a large number of tracks coming from the north.

As Nanong expected, he saw tracks showing that hundreds of men, women and children had come back to the village from the North. He led the trackers carefully around the perimeter of the village. He reasoned that, if Ur's people had returned to the village and then left, he should be able to find signs showing which way they had gone.

As he worked his way around to the western perimeter of the village, Nanong and his trackers came to a big river, fed by the lake, flowing to the southwest. Here he found the tracks of Ur's people leaving the village, following the river.

Nanong smiled and said to Ogima, "This means we will not have to abandon the canoes. The river is deep enough; the war canoes can navigate it easily."

He wanted to start out immediately but realized it was too late in the day, almost sunset.

"It makes sense to camp where we are. This is a nice site here on the beach. Tomorrow we will paddle the war canoes up the river, stopping sometimes to make sure the tracks of Ur's people are still visible."

~~~

Muh spent only one night at the old village site, sending scouts back north to see if Ur was still following him. The scouts did not return by midafternoon of the next day. Muh took this as a bad sign; he thought it meant the scouts had been captured or killed.

~~~

Actually, When Ur saw the scouts, they gave themselves up and Ur took them back into his group. He didn't give them any of the spoils from the battle with the Magin, but he didn't punish them for deserting either.

He told them "Your time will come to prove you deserve to live by showing your bravery in a future battle I'm planning."

~~~

Muh and his men started following the river southwest. He knew this river because he remembered walking along its banks heading northeast with his people when he was just a boy, coming eventually to southern lake to settle for a while. He noticed his men were growing more restless and uncomfortable about their future every day. After four days of fast march along the river, three of them deserted.

A week later, Muh found the place where the river he was following joined a much bigger river. He told the men they could camp here for the night, fish, and possibly even hunt in the morning. He counted the men and discovered more than half had deserted.

He thought, _It is over now. Ur is still following us and we are hopelessly outnumbered. No surprise ambush will work. I will leave the rest of the men here and go further south by myself_.

He looked at the big river flowed southward. It was too big and the current too swift to freeze. That night after the rest of the men had gone to sleep, Muh took some rawhide strips and went looking for logs he could lift by himself. He moved several down to the riverbank and lashed them together, wetting the rawhide thoroughly before tying it onto the logs.

He chose a place to do this where the bank sloped steeply down to the water. When his raft was finished, he pushed it down the bank and hopped on. Soon the current carried him swiftly southward. He knew the men would find signs of the logs being dragged and they would know what he had done. It didn't matter. _Neither they nor Ur will be able to track me now that I am on the water,_ he thought. _They will not know where I get off the raft or even on which side of the river_.

He saw the big river was not crossable except by raft, so he got off on the opposite side. He broke the raft up so no one would find it, sending the logs down river by themselves. _It will be very hard for Ur to find me. I don't think he will bother. My only problem is, I don't know if I can survive alone. The future is grim, bleak and lonely for me. I wish I had never listened to that she-devil Ooteka_.

~~~

Ur was moving south slowly now. Some days he didn't travel at all, allowing his men to rest and enjoy their women. He loved these days and nights with his two women. He knew Ooteka would do anything to please him and Mindoregh did everything she was ordered to do, like a good slave.

It took Ur two weeks more, after Muh had left on his own, to follow the tracks down the river to the place where the two rivers met. When he arrived, he found all the rest of the deserters still camped there. When they saw him and his company of men, women, and children coming into their camp, they threw down all their weapons and kneeled on the ground, begging for their lives.

~~~

Fewallo put his canoe ashore on the riverbank late in the afternoon, as he had done several times before on this journey. The twelve men all jumped out and looked for the tracks left by Ur's people. They found them again, as they had been finding them all day long, but this time Fewallo saw there was a difference. There were lots of tracks headed back the other way also. Ur was moving his people back north again. These tracks were very fresh. It looked to him like they had just been made today. Fewallo thought, _It is quiet here. There are no birds singing as they should be here in the late afternoon cool of springtime by the river. It's too quiet. The silence feels ominous_.

He looked back and saw the rest of the Pewas had turned their canoes around and they were paddling upstream to stay in place while he and his men scouted the shore. He used the Pewa sign language he had learned to silently tell Ogima and Nanong that Ur was close by and headed north. Nanong signaled Fewallo to return to his boat and join them.

Nanong's plan was to go back upstream, using the sails to help fight the current. Since they had not seen Ur, he reasoned chances were good Ur had not seen them. He would take the men back north until it was certain they were ahead of Ur. Then he would go ashore and wait in hiding to ambush Ur and his people. In this way he would lose few Pewa lives. He never had a chance to execute this plan.

As Fewallo and his men were making their way back to their boat, Nanong saw several southerners spring out of the bushes and attack them. Many others surged out of the nearby woods to join the fight. Fewallo and his men had time to draw their bows and get off one volley, downing several of the attackers.

Nanong shouted to his men, "Bring your canoes ashore and go to Fewallo's aid. The battle has begun. Move the canoes inland as you go ashore so more can land."

He saw some of the men in boats on the river were able to get off shots at the savages, but most had to paddle to keep from being swept downstream in the current. He watched the outnumbered Pewas onshore take heavy casualties.

Fewallo was fighting back to back with Fennsen, armed only with his flint knife now, his bow useless in close combat. He was very nimble though. He dodged as spears were thrown at him and ducked when clubs were swung at his head. He drove his flint knife into the flesh of many attacking southerners. His days of pacifism were forgotten now. He was a Pewa warrior, fighting his enemies.

He noticed most of the other men they had come ashore with had been killed or badly wounded. It seemed to him he and Fennsen would soon be killed. Then he saw Pewas fighting their way to his aid. Eventually, suffering many losses, the Pewas got all their canoes ashore and joined the battle. The southerners were badly outnumbered now and the battle began to go the other way. The savages suddenly broke and began to run back into the woods, retreating.

A cheer went up from the Pewas as their enemies ran away. They gave chase. Ur's people were strong runners, so it was not possible to catch them but the Pewas kept after them, thrilling to the joy of victory.

As he ran in pursuit, something bothered Fewallo. For one thing he had become separated from Fennsen. He wanted to protect Fennsen for Sashegh's sake. Another thing bothering him was he had not seen Ur yet. He expected Ur to be leading the attack. He also wondered why none of the southerners he had seen were carrying weapons taken from Maginaugh.

He saw the retreating southerners run west, away from the river, toward a narrow gap between two steep hills. They ran through the gap. The Pewas ran in after them. A shout went up from the southerners and was echoed from both sides. Hundreds more of the savages surged over the top of the hills on both sides of the Pewas.

Fewallo saw Ur leading the charge on the north side with half the men and another large southerner leading the other half from the south. They were holding iron shields in front of them and swinging iron axes, both taken from Maginaugh. The entire front line of both groups of southerners had iron Magin shields.

The Pewas stopped giving chase and turned to face the charging hordes. They drew their bows and shot at the men running toward them from both sides. Many of their arrows broke uselessly when they hit the shields. Then the savages were upon them, wielding iron Magin knives and axes. Ur's men were bigger and stronger than the Pewas. The Pewas outnumbered the southerners by about 100 men. The battle was even: strength and better weapons against a larger number of men.

The woods filled with the screams of wounded and dying men. Ogima was in the front of the fight on Ur's side and Ur spotted him. _He is their leader_ , thought Ur. _I will kill him first_. Ur charged Ogima and swung his axe at the old chief's head. Ogima caught the axe handle in his hand and tried to stab Ur with his knife but the force of Ur's swing and the momentum of the axe, knocked Ogima off his feet, onto his back. Ur swung again at the fallen chief and the sharp Magin axe severed Ogima's neck. Blood spurted from the wound in bright red jets. Ogima's eyes rolled up in his head as he gasped for breath but got none. Air wheezed out through the gash where the axe had sliced his neck open. His body shook and then he was still.

Ur shouted to his men, "Their leader is dead. Kill them all now."

He spotted Fennsen near him. He remembered his face from the fight at Suonaugh. Fennsen was struggling with Ahg, one of Ur's best warriors. Ur saw that Ahg had an iron knife but so did Fennsen. Ahg was stronger but Fennsen was more nimble. Ur watched as Ahg lunged at Fennsen and Fennsen side stepped, grabbing Ahg's knife hand by the wrist. As he pulled Ahg past him, Fennsen thrust his knife deep into the man's side, between his ribs. Ahg fell to his knees screaming.

This enraged Ur. He charged and swung his axe at Fennsen's leg. The blade hit Fennsen in the back of his knee, cutting the tendons. Fennsen fell screaming. Ur was pleased. He had intended to stop his dodging and then kill him. He swung his axe hard at Fennsen's other leg and chopped deep into it above the knee. Ur was standing above him, his axe raised again ready to strike down at his neck, when he felt a knife stab into his back below his right shoulder blade.

Fewallo had seen the fight between Ur and his friend and fought his way to Fennsen's side. He got to them just as Ur was about to strike the lethal blow. He drove his iron Magin knife into Ur's back. Although the wound was painful to Ur, it was not fatal. Ur faltered for a moment, not able to strike the fatal blow at Fennsen. He spun around to face his new attacker. Fewallo lost his grip on the knife and was defenseless. He saw Ur grin evilly at him.

Ur swung his axe and Fewallo ducked. He heard the axe swish thru the air above him. Ur came at him again and swung the axe sideways. Fewallo jumped high into the air and the axe passed under his feet. Then he jumped on Ur before Ur could swing the axe again and they wrestled.

Ur pushed Fewallo onto his back and pinned him to the ground, kneeling on top of him. He took Fewallo's head in his hands and banged it against the ground again and again. Fewallo brought his knee up into Ur's crotch as hard as he could. Ur bellowed in pain. Fewallo tried to throw him off but could not get free. He felt Ur's hands go to his throat and begin to choke him.

He could not breathe. Ur's hands were closing his windpipe. He began to lose consciousness. Just as he thought he was about to die, he felt Ur's hands suddenly leave his throat. His vision cleared in a moment. When he looked up he saw Nanong smiling down at him. There was no sign of Ur. He looked around and saw that Pewas surrounded him now. They were holding their own in the hand-to-hand battle with Ur's men, due to their greater numbers.

Nanong said, "We are taking great losses, worse than I expected. Whenever it is just one Pewa against one southerner, the southerner wins most of the time. But often while the two struggle, another Pewa will come up behind the southerner and drive a knife into his back or slit his throat."

Fewallo looked around and saw the ground around him was littered with bodies from both sides. "Thank you Nanong. You saved my life. Where did Ur go?"

"He saw me coming to your aid with a group of men and he ran off into the woods. I would chase him but the battle is still too close to know the outcome. I must stay and help my brothers fight the southerners."

"Help me up and I will fight them with you again," said Fewallo.

As Nanong took his hand and pulled him to his feet, Fewallo could see the crowd of fighting men around him was smaller. He thought he might get some clean shots with bow and arrow. When he drew an arrow from his quiver, Nanong smiled and drew one from his also.

Nanong thought of Vavana, waiting for him at home, carrying their unborn son in her womb. New energy flowed into him. He was determined to win this battle. He and Fewallo picked their targets carefully, sighting on southerners who were not close to Pewas. They dropped both men and notched new arrows.

Other Pewas came to their side. Soon there was a small band of archers, protected by the larger mass of Pewa warriors fighting hand to hand. The archers were killing Ur's men rapidly, making the odds better. Neolin and Begoyshi were among the archers. Nanong was happy to see they were still alive.

~~~

Ur ran through the woods, back to the camp where he had left the women and children. He had a knife wound in his back where Fewallo had stabbed him, but he didn't think it was serious. He found Ooteka guarding Mindoregh in a shelter they had built of branches during the night. He grabbed them both by the hand, pulling them to their feet and said, "We must run now. I think the men might lose the battle to the northerners."

Ooteka rapidly digested this news and thought about her options. If she refused to go with Ur now, she knew he would kill her. On the other hand, going with him meant exile. If the Pewas were winning it meant most or all of her people would be killed. For the moment, she decided to go with Ur rather than anger him. For her part, Mindoregh knew Nanong had come to free her and the other Magin slaves. She knew she had no other choice but to go along with Ur and Ooteka for now.

Ur ran west, away from the river. He prodded the women along in front of him, watching them closely so they would not escape. He went far enough West from the river until he knew men in canoes would not find his tracks.

He came to the banks of the larger river and realized he could go no further. The rivers were on either side, coming together and becoming one as they flowed south, and Nanong was north of him with his men. He turned back south. He was glad he still had his Magin knife and axe with him, tied to a rawhide belt around his waist.

Ooteka thought back on how, before the battle, Ur had managed to reunite all his people. He camped for two months at the place where the two rivers met. He waited patiently for the first time in his life. Without letting any of his men know, he was now using Ooteka as his main counselor. She had told him she found out, from talking to Mindoregh, the name of Vavana's husband was Nanong. Mindoregh had revealed to her, Nanong was a good and loyal friend.

She told Ur, "When I talked to her, Mindoregh said she was sure Nanong would bring help to rescue her and to get revenge for what you did to Vavana. I laughed at her, saying, 'You mean for what he did _with_ Vavana?' I told Mindoregh I heard Vavana moaning at night and knew she was not unwilling. She was enthusiastic.

"Mindoregh told me she knew it must have made me jealous. She asked me why I was willing to share you with her, if I hated sharing you with Vavana."

Ur grinned. "What did you say?"

"I told her you rejected me for Vavana and I had to go live with Muh, a skinny coward who ran away from the battle. I told Mindoregh I knew the only way I could be with you again was to share you with her.

"Nanong will be coming south to hunt you, following the trail left by the migration of our people. We should camp here by the fork of the two rivers. It will allow time for the men to rest and become one group again. Then they will be ready to fight the northerners. We will have the advantage of picking the place to surprise them, rather than attacking their village."

"Yes, Ooteka, I like this plan."

"Good. One more thing. In a few days, send a scouting party north and find an ambush place. It should be a short run from the river. A narrow valley would be good. We can send a few of the deserters who followed Muh to attack first. After a short fight, they will run away, luring the northerners into an ambush."

"MMMM good."

That was their discussion before the battle. Now, after the battle, Ur thought, _It would have worked if we had not been outnumbered. I never had to do battle with such a large group before. None of us knew there would be so many of them. When my scouts first saw them coming down the river, they should have stayed and counted them. Instead, they ran back to camp, running through the night while the northerners slept._

_When I came over the hill to ambush them, I was shocked to see their numbers. I knew I could not retreat. They would chase me until they caught me. As it was, the battle was close. We killed most of their men and all but a few of ours are dead. Maybe some, like me, escaped into the woods_.

~~~

The Pewas hunted the escaped southerners for a while but Nanong called a halt to this. He led his men back to the place where Ur's men had ambushed them. From there he followed the trail to where the southern women were guarding the Magin slaves.

As he walked into their camp, most of the southern women began to wail. He thought, _They know it means their men are dead. At least they are not offering any resistance._

He commanded his men, "Go through the camp, find the Magin women. Bring them to me. I know how to speak their language."

He wondered how Fewallo was doing. He had left him behind to tend to Fennsen. When Nanong last saw them, Fewallo was binding Fennsen's legs tightly with rawhide to stop the bleeding. It was obvious Fennsen's legs would have to be cut off and he would never walk again. Before he left, he told some of the other men to help Fewallo tend the wounded. There were many.

When they were all gathered before him, Nanong looked at the thirty-four Magin women, disappointed to see that Mindoregh was not among them. He wondered if Ur had tortured and killed her. He could see the women were afraid but, when they saw him, some recognized him from his visits to Maginaugh. These women cheered him and thanked him for freeing them. Then the rest of the women cheered too. All cheered except for Ellerva. Nanong noticed the other women kept their distance from her. He thought, _I will have to speak to her privately later_.

He said, "You will all be taken north to the Pewa village, where you will be accepted as equal members of the Pewa nation, if that is what you want. Ogima, our chief, died in the battle. I am the chief now. I guarantee your safety and freedom."

As Nanong spoke to the Magin women in their tongue, he saw the southern women gathering around trying to make out what he was saying. It suddenly occurred to him, he didn't have any idea what he was going to do with all those primitive women.

_Most of them are widows now, hundreds of them. There are hundreds of children too. I cannot take them back to our village. There will not be room in the canoes. These savages would never fit in with our people_.

Nanong decided to think on this overnight. It was time now to rest. He called a meeting of those few canoe leaders who were still alive.

He said, "Make assignments of guards to keep watch while the rest of the men sleep. The job of the guard is to keep the southern women from harming any of the Pewa men or the Magin women. Let us rest for a while now."

As soon as he lay down, he was asleep, exhausted.

~~~

Sashegh was standing on the beach with Nammi and all the other Pewa women, watching the war canoes returning from the south. She tried to stay away from Nammi, after getting the hurtful message, but she couldn't stand being separated from her. Today she sought out Nammi. She stood holding hands with her on the lakeshore, looking out over the water.

Nammi said, "I never made those messages Bequa showed you."

"I believe you. My heart tells me I must. I think I know what happened. I think somehow Bequa made forgeries that looked like your hand. She knows you well enough."

"It is hard for me to believe she would do such a thing. I will ask her. All I know is it was not me. I love you and want you in my life."

"I love you too, Nammi."

They kissed there on the beach.

It was a beautiful, sunny, warm spring day. Sashegh thought the fleet looked magnificent with sails billowing in the breeze. She could see there was the same number of boats returning as the number that left but knew this did not mean all the men were returning.

She and Nammi both waved when they saw Nanong. Vavana saw him too and couldn't wait for him to come ashore. She was so relieved seeing him still alive. She stripped off her shirt and leggings and jumped naked into the cold water, swimming out to meet him. He laughed seeing this, his heart bursting with love for her. When she reached his canoe he helped her in and they kissed. She sat on his lap with her arms around him, kissing him passionately. The men in the other boats cheered and laughed.

Nanong smiled at the men and said to Vavana, "They are all happy to be home again, knowing they too will soon be with their wives."

As the fleet drew near, Sashegh could tell the boats were much emptier than when they left. See saw the other women were very anxious, knowing, like she did, there was a good chance their mate was dead. She squeezed Nammi's hand tightly. Nammi was crazy with worry about Neolin. Sashegh feared Fennsen and Fewallo might both be dead. Then Nammi saw Neolin waving to her and she began jumping up and down, waving back and shouting out to him.

Sashegh saw Fewallo about the same time, but Fennsen was not in his canoe, as he had been when they left. She was certain this meant Fennsen was dead and she began to weep. She was glad to see Fewallo still alive and waved to him, tears streaming down her cheeks. Nammi felt Sashegh's pain and put her arms around her, hugging her tightly.

Then, as the boats came to shore, Sashegh saw Fennsen lying in the bottom of Fewallo's canoe. He was injured. She could see his legs were both missing and the stumps were heavily bandaged. She felt a strong mix of relief and grief. _At least he is alive_.

Sashegh saw the freed Magin women riding in some of the canoes. She noticed the Pewa women staring at them in amazement. When the men came ashore, some of the women rejoiced happily, rushing to their men and embracing them. Most of the Pewa women began to wail and cry, when they discovered their men had not returned.

Sashegh went to Fennsen and kissed him as he lay in the boat, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I am sorry all of me did not make it back, Sashegh. I was in a fight with Ur. He cut my legs with his axe and was about to kill me when your brother saved my life."

"Oh Fennsen, I am so glad you are both still alive. It must have been a terrible battle, with so few of the men coming back. It is horrible what Ur did to you but at least you are still among the living. We can be together again now."

Fennsen nodded but he didn't look happy. "Yes Sashegh, I am still alive, but not much good to you without my legs. What good will a cripple be to you? I was not enough of a man for you before I left. You needed to be with someone else, remember? Now I am only half a man. Why would you want to be with me?"

"Do not talk like that Fennsen. Did we not just kiss? Your lips are still good. Your arms look good too. Will you hold me in them now?"

Fennsen sat up from the stretcher he was laying on and put his arms around her, hugging her. Fewallo said, "Help me carry him to Vavana's tent."

They picked up the stretcher, carried Fennsen to the tent and laid him down. Sashegh inspected his wounds.

Fewallo said, "He was tended to by Ellerva. She has some of her husband's skills in healing but she was not able to save his legs. They had to be cut off. She did manage to stop the bleeding and kept his wounds from getting infected. She told me he was in no danger of dying from his injuries. I will leave you two alone now. I am going to find Nadole."

Sashegh felt sadness and pity as she looked at the stumps where his legs used to be. He became angry. "Do not look at me like that. I do not want your pity. I should have been left to die after the battle. I cannot take care of myself now, much less be any good for a woman. My life is over."

Sashegh wept bitterly hearing him talk like this. She ran from the tent leaving Fennsen alone. She went to Nammi's tent but found her making love with Neolin. She looked around the village for Vavana and saw her in the woods making love to Nanong. Then she went to Namid's tent. Namid had been killed in the battle with Ur's men and Eetayah was still down at the lakeshore weeping. As Sashegh opened the tent flap she saw Fewallo lying with Nadole on a bearskin. They were making love. Sashegh was glad to see her brother had found someone to love. He was becoming a man in all ways now.

As she left the tent she felt sadness overcome her. There was no one to talk to about Fennsen. She went away from the village and walked through the woods.

Fewallo heard Sashegh and saw her peeking in. As soon as he and Nadole had finished he told her, I need to go find Sashegh. She looked in and I could see she needed me."

He excused himself and went looking for his sister. He knew her ways and was able to find her in a clearing in the woods, sitting on a tree stump, crying. He came to her and put his arm around her.

She threw her arms around her brother. "Oh Fewallo, I'm so glad to see you again, especially at this moment. Fennsen is in a bad way in his mind, depressed over the loss of his legs."

Fewallo nodded. "You should be with him now and comfort him."

Sashegh hung her head. "I love him and I am glad he has come back alive but he said he does not want me around him and I cannot stand being with him when he's like this."

Fewallo didn't reply. After a long pause she said, "I'm- glad you made it back alive and unharmed. I heard Ur almost killed you. What did you find out about mother and father?"

"I found father's bones at Suonaugh, identifying his skeleton by the ring mother gave him, still on his finger. I buried him in one of the caves near Hummelin and Hajanegh. I marked his grave so we will be able to go there and mourn him. I learned from Pavegh, who is still alive, Mother was not killed and is Ur's personal slave now. Pavegh saw Ur taking her and his mate away from the camp just before we arrived to free the Magin women. Ur escaped us. We searched for their tracks for days but could not find them."

Sashegh felt this news was too much to bear. In one day she had learned, she had lost her father, only half of her lover had returned, and her mother was alive but the captive of their evil enemy. Her whole body shook, wracked with grief, and she cried out, "Why is life so cruel, Fewallo?"

Fewallo tried to comfort her but she pulled away, anger flashing in her eyes, and said, "I wish you and Nanong had hunted Ur down, killed him, and saved mother"

Fewallo shook his head. "I told you we tried, Sashegh. We did everything we could but we were not able to find their trail. There were so many tracks of all kinds leading away from Ur's camp, it was impossible to tell which were theirs. Several of Ur's men escaped and ran off in all directions. We don't even know which way Ur went."

~~~

Ellerva went to the place the battle had been fought to look for Gg's body. She had to know what happened to him. Instead of finding Gg's body, she found him. From his hiding place in the woods he saw her looking through the bodies and came to her. She ran to him, threw her arms around him and kissed him.

"They are hunting you, Gg. Keep hiding for a few more days. I will look for you when it's safe."

"I understand. Every day I will come here."

"The northerners are preparing to go back to their village. I told their leader I didn't wish to live with his people and would stay behind with Ur's women."

As soon as the Pewas left with the rest of the Magin women, Ellerva went to Gg. They walked back to Ur's camp where the rivers met. She saw Nanong had left all the southern women and children behind when he went north. She stayed there with Gg. They were able to survive because it was springtime and they gathered wild foods. Every day Gg would leave to go hunting. She was glad she had him as her mate. He was able to kill some small game for them to eat.

One night as he lay on top of her he told her, "It's dangerous for us here. We must leave. I'm the only adult male in the camp. Soon other nearby people will discover us and will want the women."

"What should we do? Where can we go?"

"I don't know."

~~~

The next day Ur walked into the camp with Ooteka. Gg asked him what happened to Mindoregh and Ur growled, "She escaped and I was not able to find her trail."

After spending one night in the camp, Ur said to Gg, "I won't stay here waiting to be killed. I'm going to walk north with Ooteka and see if I can find where Mindoregh has gone. Will you come with me? We would be more successful hunting together."

"Yes. I have been thinking of leaving the camp. I will bring Ellerva with me. She is my mate now."

Ooteka was happy to go along. She hoped Ur didn't know she had helped Mindoregh escape, just as she had helped Vavana for the same reason. Ellerva was also happy to go along because she had fallen in love with Gg and would go anywhere he wanted. Ur set out with them in the morning, walking northeast along the riverbank toward his old village site.

Mindoregh was finding her way back north along the same river, further upstream. She stayed in the shallow water along the riverbank so Ur would not find her tracks. She found wild rice growing along the river to nourish her and sometimes found wild asparagus growing in grassy spots along the banks. When she needed to sleep she found a tree and climbed it, trying not to leave any tracks. She wedged herself between tree branches and slept.

When she came to Ur's camp by the shore of Southern Lake, she continued north along the lakeshore, again staying in the shallow water until she could find rocks to walk on so she would not leave a trail. Finally, after many days of walking, she came to the spot where Ur had camped across from Maginaugh. She sat there on a rock looking out over the water at her former home. She could see the twin watchtowers still standing above Suonaugh on the hill. She felt bitter pain and anger. She set her face hard and didn't weep. Her desire to be with her children again kept her going.

It was late spring and she didn't think the water was too frigid for her to swim. She took off what little torn clothing she was still wearing and waded in. The cold water made it hard for her to breath but she knew she was a strong enough swimmer to make it. She swam the two miles to Maginaugh and arrived just as the sun was setting. She climbed up a ladder onto the dock and walked to her house, shivering. In one of the guest rooms she found a bed still in good enough shape to sleep on. She lay down and slept better than she had in months.

She woke at midmorning with a terrible hunger. She knew Ur had taken all the food he could find on the island but she wondered if he had found the secret room in her house. She remembered, _I built that room so I would have a place to hide when I needed to be alone. I always stocked it with food and water so I could stay there for days if I wanted to_.

Mindoregh went into the remains of her dining room and pressed on a wall panel. The panel rotated revealing the hidden entry. She went in and found all as she remembered it; shelves stocked with preserves and dried food. She had a feast and her spirits began to rise. _Janno is dead but I am alive and there is a good chance my children are still alive too_. _Nanong and his men killed most of the southerners and I am free from Ur. I will never forget however how Janno and most of the other Magin met their deaths in Suonaugh. The weight of this loss is heavy on my heart but perhaps in time life can be good again_.

She spent two days exploring Maginaugh looking for anything of value Ur's men might have overlooked. She found some clothing and put it on. It made her feel better not to be naked. She also found, although Ur had destroyed all her ships, one of the dinghies was still in good shape. She thought, _I will use this boat to travel north to Nanong's camp. That is where Sashegh and Fewallo will be_.

She got the dinghy into the water, put some food from her secret room into it, and started rowing north as she had seen Nanong do so many months before.

The first part of her trip was easy. She had sailed before to the place where the three lakes met. She easily found the narrow passage from Southern Lake into Northern Lake by nightfall. She camped on the point of the peninsula for the night. In the morning she rowed north through the narrows into Northern Lake. As the lake opened out she had to decide whether to follow the southern or the eastern shore line. She remembered Nanong had said his village was far to the North. She followed the Eastern shoreline due north.

Eventually two Pewas fishing the lake from a canoe saw her dinghy and paddled over to her. She spoke to them in their language and asked them to take her to the Pewa village. There she was reunited at last with Fewallo and Sashegh. Her children were overjoyed to see her again. Nanong and Vavana were relieved to see her alive and free.

Nanong said to Mindoregh, "I have been feeling so guilty for not rescuing you from Ur as I promised. I also promised Vavana I would find Ur and kill him. I did not keep any of my promises. All I succeeded in doing was getting most of our men killed."

"No Nanong, what you did was very brave and good. You destroyed an evil people and now they will never terrorize their neighbors again. By killing almost all of their men you made it easy for me to escape Ur. So, in a way, you did keep your promise to me. You also freed all the rest of the Magin women, including many of my friends. Ur is alone now, with only Ooteka as his companion. They are no threat to us anymore."

Vavana said, "Yes, I agree. Nanong fought bravely. Ogima, our chief died in the battle. He told the council Nanong was to be the new chief if he died. When Nanong returned, the council met with him and held a ceremony, passing the ceremonial spear to him. He is our chief now.

"I am glad you escaped, Mindoregh. However, I will never sleep well while Ur is alive. I still have nightmares of what he did to me. How did he treat you?"

"I know how you feel Vavana. He did the same and worse things to me. Ooteka shared him with me. Every night she would tie me up and think of cruel ways for Ur to torture me before raping me. They both enjoyed my torment and humiliation. She is just as evil as he is."

"I wish he had not escaped," said Vavana. "I fear we have not seen the last of him."

## Chapter 14: Two Races Try to Live as One

Mindoregh stayed in Namid's tent during her time with the Pewas. Namid was one of the men who didn't return from the South, so his wife Eetayah and Mindoregh grieved together. Mindoregh was not able to fit into the Pewa village as easily as her children did. She was not able to bring herself to eat meat with the Pewas, so her diet was difficult. This had also been one of the many hard parts of living with the southerners. She had lost a lot of weight during her captivity.

She was also uncomfortable with the way Pewas made love in front of each other in their tents, families sleeping in one place together. It bothered her to listen to Fewallo and Nadole making love so close to her every night.

She became determined to go back to Maginaugh and try to rebuild the Magin civilization. She knew there were only two Magin men left: Fewallo and Fennsen. She would have to take them with her. Fennsen was a cripple but perhaps he would still be able to procreate. She was pleased to find out he and Sashegh were lovers. If Sashegh were to become pregnant and have a baby girl, she would continue the royal line. Although Fewallo was sleeping with a Pewa girl, Mindoregh didn't think he was in love. She planned to talk to him about his duty to find a Magin woman and make Magin babies.

What bothered her most was seeing the Magin women take Pewa lovers. She could foresee the day when there would be no more Magin race if this continued. Love would accomplish what Ur did not; their race would be eliminated from this planet.

She noticed Sashegh spent a lot of time with Nammi these days. She never saw them doing anything but laughing, talking, and holding hands but, the looks that passed between them made her wonder if they were more than friends.

Sashegh was careful to be discreet. She and Nammi stopped spending so much time together. They were with their men most of the time. Still, in her heart, she knew Nammi was the one true love of her life. _If only things were not so complicated_.

Nammi confronted Bequa about the forged letter to Sashegh. Bequa admitted nothing and was plainly annoyed by Nammi's questions. They fought and Bequa left the village. She told Nammi she would go to a neighboring Pewa village further north.

She said, "I will start my life over, making new friends and taking new lovers. I will never forget you, Nammi. It hurts me deeply to know I have lost you to Sashegh."

~~~

Mindoregh tried to make the best of life with the Pewas as spring passed into summer. She saw all of her women got along well with the remainder of the Pewa people. She thought, _The biggest problem is, there are not enough men for all the women._ She went to Nanong and voiced her concerns about this.

He said, "Our people have this problem from time to time. We solve it at the end of summer gatherings. All the villages will come together for a harvest celebration. Men who cannot find a woman in their own village will have plenty to choose from in ours. Also, I do not know if you have noticed, but it is becoming more common and more accepted for the women to take other women as lovers, even among your people."

"Yes, and I don't like it. I wish there was a way to have things back the way they used to be."

Mindoregh worried about her children too. Vavana told her about Neolin's predictions. When Mindoregh expressed her concern about this to Fewallo he said, "It is too late to worry about that mother, Nadole is already carrying my child, just as he predicted."

"Do you love her?"

"I care for her, but no, I don't love her."

"What about Nadole? How does she feel?"

"She tells me she loves me and is happy to bear my daughter. Neolin said it would be a girl."

Mindoregh went to Sashegh next to question her about her love life. She asked, "Do you love Fennsen?"

"I'm not sure mother. I think so. At least my feelings are strong enough to make me want to stay with him and care for him. He needs me."

"Make the best you can of the situation Sashegh. I would love for you to give me a grandchild by him."

"I try to make love to Fennsen but he is not able to respond to my caresses. I can't get him aroused. The loss of his legs seems to make him feel like half a man. He's bitter and told me he is not aroused by me anymore. It hurt me when he said that."

"Keep trying. He is the only Magin man left except for your brother."

Summer passed pleasantly for Sashegh, despite her troubles with Fennsen. She loved the long days this far north and the nights were beautiful, filled with more stars than she had ever seen before and sometimes with the multi-colored northern lights that flashed across the sky. On one such night she and Nammi were laying together on the beach, looking up at the stars, when the flashing lights started. Waves of green bars rolled from east to west and then back again. A wave of red bars followed right behind. It was a silent display. Suddenly a silent, bright white and yellow explosion of light burst above them, colored beams arcing out from the center in all directions, bending and twisting as they extended outward, filling the sky.

"It's so beautiful," said Sashegh.

"Yes, like you," answered Nammi, and they kissed.

"Is it good having Neolin back?" Sashegh asked.

"Yes, we have been so happy together, making love frequently. He is very good to me and I love him. I love you both."

"That's so good to hear. I love you too. I know you need Neolin's love as well as mine. I am not jealous of him. I have my man and love him. I wish he would make love to me. He hasn't been the same person since he lost his legs fighting Ur."

"Could I give you some advice, Sashegh?"

"Yes, please Nammi."

"Patience and understanding are the way to get him back. He was brave to fight Ur the way he did. Tell him that. Tell him he is your hero. When he gets short tempered, remember it's not you he's angry with; it's the loss of his legs. Be patient and kind to him until his dark mood passes. Don't give up trying to make love to him. Show him your body sometimes. Kiss him with passion like you just kissed me. Touch him between his legs, caressing him lovingly there."

"Thank you Nammi. You are a good friend as well as my love. I will try it with him soon and let you know what happens. But right now, I want to make love with you."

They both stripped off their clothes. She moved on top of Nammi and they made sweet love on the sand under the flashing northern lights. She felt them become one, floating together, riding on air through the summer night, higher and higher. Later as she started to drift off to sleep, Nammi whispered to her, "I love Neolin, but I have never loved anyone like I love you, Sashegh."

~~~

The next day, Nanong announced it was time for the yearly gathering of all the Pewa villages. This year it would be held at a village north from theirs, also on the eastern shore of Northern Lake. This was Sashegh's first gathering of this kind and she was very excited about it. With Fewallo's help she carried Fennsen as she, along with the rest of the village, followed Nanong on a path north through the woods. She took food with them and deer hides to lie on at night. The journey took two days.

Nanong called a halt near the northern village in a large meadow. "This is the gathering place," he said. "Do not camp in the middle of the meadow, but anywhere around it will be fine."

Sashegh saw thousands of late summer wildflowers blooming in the tall grass. _A beautiful place_ , she thought. She found a site for her and Fennsen to camp. During this day and the next she watched as thousands of Pewas from all eight villages came together around the edges of the meadow.

By the second day Sashegh observed there were many small circles of musicians and dancers at all times, night and day. At night she would dance and sing with Nammi around the big bonfire the Pewas made in the middle of the meadow. She slept little for days on end; the music and dancing were constant, at all hours. When people got tired, she noticed they went away from the music to sleep for a few hours before joining in the dancing again. She was young and didn't feel a need for much sleep. She didn't want to miss a minute of this, her first gathering of tribes.

At the beginning of the gathering she noticed most of the Pewas danced in circles with friends from their own village. After two days she saw some would go to different circles and dance with Pewas from other villages while strangers would come and dance in their circle.

She smiled when she saw relationships form, and couples wander off into the woods together. She hoped they were finding the kind of love she had found with Nammi.

Nammi saw her smiling at a couple going off together and said, "Perhaps they will find love as good as ours." Sashegh felt it was as if Nammi had read her thoughts.

Nammi continued, saying, "The last day of the gathering, the fathers of girls who give themselves to men they meet, will announce to elders of both villages, that the two are mates for life now."

Mindoregh came to the gathering. She watched Nammi and Sashegh dance together. She could tell, by the looks that passed between them and the way they touched each other, they were more than just friends. One night she stayed out of their sight and watched. She saw them kiss and then go off into the woods together, with their arms around each other's waists.

This relationship between her daughter and the Pewa girl bothered her more than anything else about living with the Pewas. She decided, right after the gathering, she would take all her people back to Maginaugh. She thought, _The sooner I separate Sashegh from Nammi, the better_.

Bequah was at the gathering too, watching Nammi, and waiting for her opportunity. Finally she saw Nammi sitting by herself listening to music and watching others dance. Neolin had gone off with some other men to talk. She had seen Sashegh lay down to sleep with Fennsen. Bequa came to Nammi and sat down next to her.

With a stern look, Nammi said, "Oh it's you. What do you want?"

"I just want to tell you how sorry I am for causing problems between you and Sashegh. I know you really love her and I want you to be happy. I promise I won't ever come between you two again. Can we be friends?"

Nammi thought, Bequa knows my biggest weakness. To me, having friends and believing they are true friends is more important than anything else. She knows, even though I am wary, her offer of friendship is too hard for me to refuse.

"Very well Bequa, we can try. But I want you to tell Sashegh you're sorry and see if she will forgive you. What you did hurt her very much."

Bequa agreed and the two talked more. Nammi still had feelings for Bequa, so talking led to touching. Touching led to kissing. Kissing led to making love and it was good, just like Nammi remembered it. Afterward though, Nammi felt guilty and told Bequa, what they did was wrong.

"I have promised Sashegh I will only be with her and Neolin." Nammi said. "Now I have broken my vow to her and feel very guilty about it."

"Please, don't tell her and I won't either. Then this will not hurt her. We can pretend it never happened if you like."

Sashegh had unusual mental powers, somewhat like Neolin. This was exactly the type of person Nammi was most attracted to, someone with magical powers. She felt the power within Sashegh and it made her love her all the more. She knew Sashegh could not tell the future like Neolin, but she had a way of knowing what was happening to those she cared about. Sashegh told her she knew the instant her father had died. She said she felt all of her mother's torment at the hands of Ur. She felt the pain in her own legs when Ur was crippling Fennsen with his axe. Nammi knew she would know what was happening as she and Bequa made love.

Sashegh did feel it and she knew. This time however she controlled her jealousy. She was determined she would not be upset with Nammi about it, knowing it would do no good. She thought, _Nammi had to do what she did to know what her true feelings for Bequa are. I understand. I trust Nammi's love for me now. I will tell her I know what she did and feel no jealousy toward Bequa anymore_.

Bequa sought out Sashegh and apologized to her as she had promised. Sashegh was polite and accepted her apology. Soon after, Sashegh had an opportunity to talk with Nammi and Bequa together.

Nammi said, "I am afraid things will go badly again, the way they did the last time we three were together."

"I am no longer jealous of Bequa. I will not even mind if you make love with her."

Nammi eyes made tears. She said, "I'm amazed, but relieved and happy to hear this."

After the gathering was over Nanong led his people back. He was pleased to see some new men had joined with women of his village.

When they got back to the Pewa village, Mindoregh called a meeting of all the Magin. "I want to return to Maginaugh and rebuild," she said. "How many will go with me?"

She saw most raised their hands but a few did not. When Mindoregh asked why, one said, "Most of the Magin men are dead now. Some of us have found new lovers among the Pewa men and we want to stay with them."

"Your Pewa lovers will be welcome to come along if they wish."

"We anticipated this and asked them. They told us no, they will not leave their home," the woman said.

Mindoregh noticed neither Sashegh nor Fewallo raised their hands and this dismayed her. "My own children will not return with me to rebuild our island home?"

Sashegh was relieved when Fewallo spoke up first. "We have adopted the Pewa culture in all ways mother and we like it. We eat what they eat and we like it. I hunt with them and go to war with them, fighting like they fight. We go to their dances and we like their music. We even make love with them."

"I know about your Pewa lover Fewallo, but I didn't know Sashegh had one," Mindoregh said, not letting on she had seen her with Nammi. "Is this true, Sashegh?"

Sashegh was very embarrassed to have her mother find out in this way. She looked down at her feet and said, "Yes mother."

"Is it someone I know?"

"No mother."

"Sashegh, you are the future queen of the Magin. It is important you marry a Magin man and have his babies, so you can have a daughter who will be queen one day."

"There are only two Magin men left mother: Fewallo and Fennsen. I love Fennsen and have made love with him. But since he has lost his legs he cannot seem to make love to me anymore. I don't think I will ever have babies by him."

"It is your duty to try. I want you to break things off with your Pewa lover. We will return to Maginaugh now and you and Fennsen will be married. Will you obey me as your queen and your mother?"

Her heart broke and tears rolled down her cheeks as she said, "Yes mother, I will do as you say." She felt miserable and trapped. She knew her duty but her heart pulled her toward Nammi.

# Part III: New Beginnings

## Chapter 15: Starting Over

The night before the Magin left the Pewa village, Sashegh was with Nammi in the woods. Nammi took her to their secret spot no one else knew. They made love and Sashegh thought it was as good as ever, but sad. Nammi said, "I know you have to go, to do your duty to your mother and your people. But my heart is breaking at the thought of losing you."

"Mine too. I don't know if I can stand it," Sashegh said as she wiped tears from her eyes.

"Goodbye Sashegh. Thank you for the time you spent with me. It was the best time of my life. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone. It hurts so much to think this is the last time I will ever see you."

"No Nammi. This is not goodbye forever. I will find a way to come back to you, I promise. I have to obey my mother for now but I know I will have to find a way to get back to you."

At sunrise the next morning Nammi stood on the shore with Neolin by her side. He held her hand. She wept and waved goodbye to Sashegh as the war canoes left for Maginaugh.

Fennsen was not facing the shore. He was watching Sashegh and saw the tears running down her cheeks. He knew she had a lover among the Pewas but still did not know it was Nammi. He felt very jealous, more since he had not been able to make love to Sashegh. Before the loss of his legs, he was at least a whole man who could compete fairly with her Pewa lover. He didn't look back but kept his gaze fixed on the southern horizon. He hoped things would be better when they got back to Maginaugh.

Nanong was in the lead canoe of twelve carrying the Magins back home. He wanted to personally make sure the remaining Magin got back safely. He arranged the boats so each contained eight Pewa men paddling and working the sail. Eight of the twelve boats carried four Magin. Four more carried food, as he knew there would not be much to eat on Maginaugh. He thought, _There will not be a garden in Suonaugh again until next spring and it will be even longer before deer can be captured and tamed for the dairy. It will be a long hard winter for Mindoregh and her people_.

He was relieved because this time the trip south was uneventful and fast. The breeze was favorable from the north and the sail carried him rapidly across the choppy white-capped waves. He arrived at the harbor by evening, directed the men to unload, pull the canoes up out of the water, and carry the food supplies up the hill to Suonaugh. He spent one full moon cycle getting the Magin settled in. He had his men help to repair some of the houses and prepare the Magin as best they could for the winter ahead.

Following her mother's orders, Sashegh reluctantly agreed to marry Fennsen. Her mother performed the ceremony. Sashegh saw all the Magin had come to the wedding. During the celebration after the wedding, all the women urged her to try as hard as she could to get pregnant. After the party, Sashegh asked Fewallo to help her get Fennsen to the house her mother had given them.

Sashegh wanted to fulfill her duty as the heir apparent, queen to be. She remembered what Nammi told her about being patient and understanding with Fennsen. She made herself stop reacting to Fennsen's foul moods with anger, and instead responded with love. It worked. She was able to get Fennsen aroused and they were making love again.

Fennsen was very happy about the improvement in his life since coming back to Maginaugh. He realized, although he could not do much without his legs, he had one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen as his wife and was going to be the queen's husband when she inherited the throne. _Still_ , he thought, _I am not the same person I was before losing my legs. When I am feeling depressed, which is often, I get morose and lash out with angry words at Sashegh_.

Sashegh knew being Fennsen's wife and future queen of the Magin was not what she really wanted from life. After being with Nammi she knew she needed the love of a woman to be complete. She needed Nammi, loved her, and missed her terribly. She knew she would have to tell Fennsen this and thought, _If he wants to keep me, he will have to understand._

As the day approached for the Pewas to leave Maginaugh and return to their village, Sashegh approached her brother to talk to him about her feelings. She needed to talk to someone and she thought he might understand because of his feelings for Nadole. _He might miss the Pewa village as much as I do_ , she thought.

She said, "Fewallo, I want to go back north with Nanong to the Pewa village."

"You can't, Sashegh. Mother won't allow it. Your duty is here now. Why do you want to do this?"

"I am in love and my love is back north in the Pewa village."

"You are married now Sashegh, you will have to give up your Pewa lover. Send a message to him with Nanong and tell him it's over now because you are married to Fennsen."

"I will be honest with you, my Pewa lover is not a man."

Fewallow's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really? I'm shocked. Who is she?"

"I'm in love with Nammi."

"When I saw you two together, I wondered what was going on. Are you sure it's really love and not just a phase you are going through? I understand how some people want to have lovers of the same gender but do you want both men and women?"

"While I was living with the Pewas, I discovered I have a need to be with a woman, but not just any woman. I need Nammi in my life. I enjoy making love with Fennsen, and I do care for him, but she makes me feel complete. I think I will always want a man in my life, but Nammi is my true soul mate. My love for her is much deeper than my feelings for Fennsen. I thought I could let her go for the sake of my duty as future queen, but my heart will not allow it. Mother and Fennsen will have to come to know and accept this."

"Do you want to leave here forever and live with Nammi in the Pewa village?"

"I don't really know. For now, all I want is a short visit back north to be with Nammi again. Then I will return here and do my duty. Maybe Nammi will come back with me. I hope you can accept the way I am. I hope you might want to come with me to see Nadole. I know you liked her a lot. You could visit with her for a while and then borrow a Pewa canoe to help me return here. Maybe she would come back with you. I know you miss the life we had there."

"Yes, I do a little, but actually, I am very happy to be back on Maginaugh. Being the only whole Magin man left, I have lots of women after me. I am currently sleeping with seven of them, a different one for each night of the week."

This time Sashegh's eyebrows shot up. "Now I am the one who is shocked. A short while ago you were so shy, Nadole practically had to club you over the head to get you in her bed. Now you're sleeping with seven women? Mother approves of this?"

Fewallo laughed, "Everyone approves. It is necessary in order to repopulate Maginaugh. As for me approving of you sleeping with Nammi, that's different and it is a lot for me to accept. I did suspect things, but Fennsen assured me how much you liked making love with a man and there were no rumors among the Pewas about you and Nammi. You must have been very careful."

"Yes, we were extremely cautious in public. I was so afraid of the reaction you, mother and Fennsen might have, if any of you found out. I'm still afraid of what Fennsen and mother will think when I tell them. Will you help me to see Nammi again? If not I will try it on my own."

"I love you Sashegh and want you to be happy. I will help, but only on condition you talk to mother first. Tell her about Nammi. Ask her permission to go for a visit. Promise you will return. If she agrees, I will tell her I will go along and make sure you come back."

Meanwhile Nanong was talking with Mindoregh. He said, "I have to leave now to go back to my people. I am their chief. I hate to leave you here with such a small group, mostly women. I know it will be hard for you to make it through the winter. I wish you would reconsider and come back with us."

"I admit I am afraid, Nanong. I wish you could stay the winter and help us survive. I'm determined to restore Maginaugh to what it once was. It's our home."

"You have great courage and powers of the mind. You're a great leader. It's possible you will be able to achieve your dream. I hope you will. However, if things get too bad for you here this winter, walk north across the ice to our village. You will always be welcome there."

Mindoregh took his hand in hers and said, "Thank you Nanong. You are a wonderful friend. Thank you for taking such good care of my children this year. I hope, in years to come, we will rebuild Maginaugh to its former glory. Our two peoples are closer now. Of the women who decided to come here instead of staying in your village, a few of them are pregnant by Pewa lovers. The blood of your people will be mixed with ours from now on."

"Yes, and I think it's a good thing. They will be beautiful children with our strength and your intelligence. I wish I did not have to leave you, but I must get back to Vavana; she is expecting our first child in a few moons."

Mindoregh smiled. "I noticed she was starting to show when we left. Congratulations, Nanong. I understand why you want to get back. Go now and be happy. We will see each other again, I'm sure."

~~~

Vavana was lonely. It seemed to her, in her marriage to Nanong, he was away from her most of the time. She didn't mind the separation as much this time, because she felt a debt of gratitude to Mindoregh for all she had done for them. Now she felt even closer to her since Mindoregh had suffered the same things from Ur she had and worse. She felt the baby kick in her womb just then and she put her hands on her belly over him, smiling. _You will father the leader of our village someday_ , she thought. _You will be a good man like Nanong_.

Her thoughts went to the current state of her village. _Many of the men stayed in the village when Nanong took the Magin back to their home. It's fall now and everyone is getting ready for another long winter. There were a few new young men in the village since the gathering, but there are still lots of unattached women who lost their husbands in the battle with Ur's people. These women tend to live together now for companionship. They share in taking care of the children. New family groups often consist of two or three women with several children, living together in one tent. I will ask at council for the unoccupied tents to be taken down so we can use the deerskins for other purposes, such as clothing_.

Vavana had been going to council meetings in Nanong's place. She was glad to when the council listened to her opinions, even took direction from her as they would from Nanong. Vavana was a strong woman with strong opinions. She tended to run the council meetings. The Pewas began to look to her as the leader of the village, in Nanong's absence, just as Neolin had foreseen.

~~~

When Ur came to the campsite across from Maginaugh, he kept walking. He knew there would be no one there. He and his three companions walked east, along the peninsula at the top of Southern lake, to the place where the three lakes met. One day, looking out over the water, he saw the canoes with the Magin survivors, headed back south to Maginaugh.

"Everyone get down and hide," he whispered.

He peeked out from some bushes and watched as the boats passed by close to them. He recognized Nanong and Mindoregh in one of the canoes. He knew this meant Nanong had left Vavana alone.

After they passed by, he told Gg, "They came from the north along the eastern shore of northern lake. We will swim the short distance across the narrows here and walk north. I want to find their village."

Ur walked for three days, finally coming to the outskirts of the Pewa village at nightfall. He found a butchered deer carcass hanging from a tree. With Gg's help he stole it, hauling it off into the woods. He knew they didn't dare make a fire to cook it, so he simply carved off pieces of raw meat and feasted. The others joined in, even Ellerva.

When the deer was discovered missing, it was reported to Vavana immediately. She went to the spot where the deer had been hanging and saw the tracks left there by Ur and his companions. She thought one of the footprints looked familiar and it made her nervous. _It couldn't be him, could it?_ She organized a party of warriors and sent them to follow the tracks.

Ooteka knew this would happen and advised Ur to run east, away from the lake into the woods. Ur was satisfied he had at least found the village where he was sure Vavana lived. Someday he would find a way to come back and capture her again. Now, to get away, he and Gg carried Ellerva tied to a pole as they had done with Vavana when they captured her. This way he knew they would be able to outrun their pursuers.

After two days of running, the Pewas could tell they were not catching up with the thieves and returned to report to Vavana. When she heard the thieves escaped, she knew it must be southerners. Who else would be able to outrun her people?

She called an emergency meeting of the Pewa council. She told them, "We must take measures to guard against whoever is stealing food from us. I will develop a plan to move people from the outskirts of the village to tents nearer to the center. I will make assignments for perimeter guards during the night. I have a feeling I know who these people are. They are southerners who escaped Nanong. I am determined not to let them do any evil here."

She organized a smaller party, just herself, Neolin and Begoyshi to follow the tracks, determined to find out what Ur was up to now.

Ur wandered southeast through the woods with his party, until they came to the northern shore of Eastern Lake. There he found a well-traveled path going east along the shoreline. He had no particular purpose now except to explore and hope to find food. He was talking with Ooteka, trying to decide what to do next, when several men ran out of the woods and surrounded them. He saw the men were holding bows with arrows nocked and pointed at him and his companions. He could see these were not Pewas. They looked similar and had the same type of weapons but they wore no clothing. They outnumbered his party. He didn't want a confrontation with them.

The strangers spoke in a foreign tongue he could not understand. Ellerva picked it up quickly though. Ur thought, _She learns new languages fast, just like Mindoregh_. He heard her speak a few words back to them, he picked out "Ellerva," "Ur," "Ooteka," and "Gg," telling them her name and those of her companions. One of the men stepped forward and spoke to her.

She translated, "He says, 'I am Kanesat, and you are our prisoners. You will come with us to our village now and answer our questions.'"

Ur grumbled, "No one tells mighty Ur what to do. There are too many of them, or I would fight." Then to Ellerva, with his jaw clenched tight, he said, "Tell Kanesat we will come peacefully."

## Chapter 16: A Visit

Nammi had a habit of going to the beach each day and sitting on a driftwood log, looking out southward over the lake. She hoped one day she would see Sashegh returning to her. She found at these times, if she focused her mind on Sashegh, she could sense her and read her thoughts. It felt to her as if they were physically together at these times. Today as she sat on the log, she sensed Sashegh coming to her and knew she would see her soon. When she saw the sails, she stood up and began to jump up and down, waving.

She saw Nanong was in command of the lead canoe. Behind him to his right was Fewallo's boat. Sashegh was sitting on a seat near Fewallo, shielding her eyes from the sun, trying to see who was on the beach.

Sashegh had done as she had promised Fewallo. She talked to her mother and was brave enough to tell her of her feelings for Nammi. She remembered every word of their painful conversation.

The next day she went to Fewallo and said, "Mother was very angry with me but I stayed calm and reasoned with her. I told her if she would allow me a brief visit, I promised to return to my duties as Fennsen's wife and future queen of the Magin. I also threatened, if the visit were not allowed, I would run away.

"I know she could tell I was serious. She said she could see it in my eyes and read it in my thoughts. She said she knew she had no choice but to let me go and hoped I would keep my word and return.

"Mother told me my relationship with Nammi was against her wishes and she hoped it was only an experimental phase I am going through. I didn't argue with her; at least she agreed to allow the visit."

Fewallo said, "I know. You kept your part of the bargain and I kept mine. I spoke to her about going back with Nanong and returning with more food. I offered to take you and make sure you come back."

"Oh, Fewallo thank you. I'm so happy and excited to know I will be with Nammi again soon."

Now Sashegh could see Nammi jumping up and down on the beach waving to her. She stood up in the canoe, almost capsizing it as she waved back. "Sit down before you drown us all," Fewallo said.

When they got to shallow water, Sashegh jumped out and Nammi waded in. The two embraced and kissed as they stood there in the water, while the men beached the canoes. They kissed long and passionately, not caring if others were watching them. As Fewallo watched, he could see this was real love. He regretted the person Sashegh had chosen was a woman, but he saw she had found happiness in her love of Nammi. He was glad he had agreed to bring Sashegh. He left them and went to find Nadole.

Nadole smiled when she saw Fewallo approaching. They embraced and kissed. "Fewallo, I'm so glad you came back. I have missed you. I need you."

"I have missed you too Nadole, but I'm afraid I cannot stay long. I must get back to Maginaugh before the narrows freeze."

"No! Please stay here and live with me and your daughter?"

"My daughter? What do you mean? I don't have a daughter."

"I'm pregnant and am going to have your baby."

"I can't live here; my duty is on Maginaugh now. I am one of only two Magin men left after the battle with the southerners."

Nadole began to cry as she heard this. "But I love you, Fewallo. Do you not care for me at all? Do you not want our baby to have a father?"

"I do care for you, Nadole, but not in the way that a husband should love a wife. I'm sorry I got you pregnant. I don't want you and the baby to be on your own. Come back to Maginaugh with me and I will do my best to take care of you there. I warn you, it's going to be a hard winter for the Magin there. I can't promise you things will be as good for you as they would be here."

"I'm a Pewa, Fewallo, not a Magin. I can't leave my people. I thought you had become a Pewa too this summer. Stay here with us, please."

"No Nadole. I played at being a Pewa, but I'm a Magin and can't leave my people any more than you can. So be it. We cannot be together."

"Then go away from me now. I don't want you to make me love you more than I already do, if you are just going to leave me again."

Fewallo turned and walked away. His heart was heavy with guilt for having hurt Nadole, but his mind was made up. He had to do his duty as the queen's son. He went to find Nanong to discuss when to make the return trip. He found Nanong sitting alone in his tent.

"Where is Vavana?" Fewallo asked.

"She is gone I guess," Nanong answered. "She left me a picture note showing her with Neolin and Begoyshi, following tracks left by others. Three of the others are big as shown in the pictures. I talked to some of the men and they said Vavana believes Ur paid a visit here while we were on Maginaugh. He stole a deer. They think the picture means she is following his trail now. I will follow her to make sure she is safe. Will you help me?"

"I will help for a time, yes. But I need to return to Maginaugh before the ice closes the Narrows again."

"Fair enough. Let us go right now. They are only a few days ahead of us. If you will help me now, I will give you one of our war canoes loaded with food to take back with you."

~~~

That night Sashegh slept with Nammi alone in Nanong's tent. The time they had been apart made her need for Nammi much stronger. They made love through the entire night, not sleeping until sunrise.

The next day Nammi told Sashegh that Neolin had left with Vavana and she and Sashegh could live together while he was gone. Sashegh was happy to be alone with Nammi, sharing a tent with her for the first time. It was a wonderful time for her, spending her nights and days with Nammi, doing chores, preparing meals together, making love every night and often during the days as well. It seemed to her the more they made love, the more she wanted Nammi. It was almost an addiction.

Sashegh was dreading the day when Fewallo would return to the village with Nanong and tell her it was time to go back to Maginaugh. She asked Nammi, "Do you think Neolin would be willing to live on Maginaugh so we could be together sometimes?"

"Honestly, no, I know he would not agree to that."

"Then it seems hopeless for us. I promised my mother and brother I would return. I won't ask you to leave Neolin for me. I know you love him too. I will come back here for visits as often as I can."

Nammi nodded. "Love hurts sometimes, Sashegh."

Sashegh wondered if everyone in the Pewa village could plainly see how deeply in love she and Nammi were. She supposed it was the kind of love that makes others feel good just to see it. Some of the happiness she felt infected anyone who came near her. She thought, _Even Bequa understands what I have with Nammi is special and unique, far more than she could ever hope to have with Nammi. She leaves us in peace now, not being unfriendly, but not coming between us either_.

To Sashegh, these weeks alone with Nammi seemed like heaven. The Magin word for what she felt, the word that was in her mind now, was _fealytin_ , the time when two become one. Sashegh wondered if it would be possible for Nammi and her to be life partners. She told Nammi of this desire and Nammi told her she wanted the same thing. They both realized it would be very difficult or impossible because of their situations with the men in their lives. But in Sashegh's heart, they were one. The love she felt for Nammi was stronger than any she had ever known.

During their second week alone, Nammi asked Sashegh, "Will you come with me to one of my favorite places? It's called Kitchitikipi. It's a magic place, you will see."

"That means big spring, does it not? It sounds nice. When do we go?"

"Now my love, if you are ready."

They took one of the small canoes and paddled over to the peninsula. From there they walked down a path through the forest, holding hands and stopping often to kiss. It took them about two hours to reach Kitchitikipi. At the end of the path Sashegh saw a small body of water that looked like a tiny lake but had no inlet, only a small stream that flowed away from it. The water was an emerald color and crystal clear.

A small raft was lying on the bank and Nammi had Sashegh help her get it into the water. They used their hands to paddle the raft out to the middle of the spring. Sashegh noticed the water was not cold like the big lakes; it was quite warm. When they reached the center, Nammi asked Sashegh to look down into the water. The spring was about 70 feet deep and the water was amazingly clear. They could see all the way to the bottom. The surface was still and calm with no waves or ripples. There were fantastic looking moss covered stones and trees and giant fish swimming about deep below them. It was an underwater fairyland and all the most beautiful emerald green.

Nammi said, "I want to go for a swim."

Sashegh smiled at her and took off the Pewa deerskin shirt and leggings she was wearing. Nammi eagerly watched her undress. This made Sashegh feel a bit shy and embarrassed but it was nice to be so desired. Then Nammi took off her leggings and shirt and it was Sashegh's turn to watch. When Nammi was naked, she jumped into the water and called for Sashegh to join her. She dove in with a splash. They swam about for a while, playing in the water, diving down to look at the fantastic rocks and logs; staring back at the fish swimming around them.

They met underwater, kissed and hugged each other close as they came up to the surface near the raft. Sashegh climbed back onto it and lay down. Nammi came up and lay on top of her. They kissed, their tongues dancing and bodies rubbing together. She felt Nammi grinding on her, both of them so moist. It didn't take long before she had a shattering orgasm. She rolled Nammi over on her back and did the same to her until she climaxed, screaming Sashegh's name. Sashegh couldn't get enough of her. She turned around and pleasured Nammi with her tongue, tasting her juices as Nammi entered her with her tongue. They climaxed again this way, drinking each other's nectar.

Afterward, they held each other close, speaking words of love. Sashegh looked into Nammi's eyes and the feeling of passion came over her again as they kissed.

Nammi said, Make love to me again please."

Afterward, as they lay together exhausted and happy, Sashegh said, "This day with you at Kitchitikipi has been the best day of my life. I will love you forever.

Nammi nodded. "We should come here again soon."

"Yes. I want to come here tomorrow and the day after, and the day after that. We should make this time be truly like fealytin. I am happier than I have ever been in my life."

"I feel the same Sashegh. I hope our love will never end."

## Chapter 17: Encountering the Easterners

Nanong, accompanied by Fewallo, followed the tracks of Vavana, Neolin, and Begoyshi. He saw the tracks of Ur and his companions. He and Fewallo followed them for two weeks, hunting small game like rabbits and squirrels with their bows. He noticed animals of all kinds became scarcer the farther east they went.

One morning as Nanong followed the tracks into a thicket of low growing cedars, he and Fewallo found Vavana and her party hiding. He could tell she was startled to see them, but she didn't cry out. She put a finger to her mouth to signal them to keep quiet.

She led Nanong and Fewallo away from the easterner's camp, out of hearing range. She whispered to them, "We have watched this village for several days. It's very large, many thousands of tents. The tents are all fashioned of bark laced to poles with rawhide."

"I think that's the same way Ur's people made their shelters." Fewallo said.

"Yes, the materials are similar, but these tents are much better made. Also, they have weapons like ours: bows and arrows, flint knives, and spears."

"What brought you to this place?" Nanong asked.

"We followed Ur's tracks. It looks like he and three companions were taken prisoner by these easterners. Then as we watched the comings and goings in their village, we Saw Ur and his companions were walking freely among them. He has another man and two women with him. One of the women is Ooteka, his mate. The other I recognize as the widow of Runrantaugh, the Magin master healer. She seems to have mated with Ur's male companion, a man called Gg."

Fewallo was dismayed. "Ellerva is sleeping with our enemy? This is sad news. I never would have thought she could be a traitor."

"Do not be too harsh in judging her, Fewallo. You are not a woman and cannot have any understanding of what she went thru in the hands of Ur's people. It both scares and angers me to see him so close. Come let us go back to where the others are and keep watch on the easterners a while longer."

While two more days passed, watching and learning about the easterner's ways, Fewallo used his Magin abilities to understand strange languages. He was able to pick up some of the gossip being talked about in the village.

He told his companions, "Evidently the easterners are planning a move. I heard people talking about how Ur told the village leaders, using Ellerva as a translator, of rich hunting grounds to the west and a village with many women and few men."

Vavana said, "He means our village. He is trying to get them to attack us."

Fewallo responded, "Yes I think so and I think he will succeed. Yesterday I heard Ellerva talking with a man named Kanesat, their chief. He told her he was interested in Ur's story because hunting is very poor here and to the east where they came from. You notice not much grows in this desolate rocky place, only scrub cedars. Kanesat told Ellerva, starvation was a way of life for his people. He said every few years they move their village, trying to find better hunting. He told her they came from far to the east originally and migrated slowly to this place over the years."

Nanong asked, "If they starve, why is their village so large?"

Fewallo answered, "Ellerva asked him that same question. He told her his people were good fighters. As they migrated west, they encountered other villages and conquered them. Unlike Ur's people, Kanesat's warriors do not kill the men they conquer. They assimilate them into their group. In this way, his group keeps growing with each new conquest."

Neolin said, "Look! The easterners are taking their tents down. They must be getting ready to move."

Vavana said, "We must go back to our village quickly and prepare. If this great multitude of warlike people attacks our village, we will be defeated. We must warn the people and come up with a plan."

They followed her lead and moved away from the village, running back the way they had come. She ran fast because she knew if their footprints were seen they would be followed.

~~~

The next day Allagon, one of Kanesat's men, found their footprints and thought they looked suspicious. He followed the tracks westward for a distance and could see they had come from the west, spied on his village, and then went back in the direction from which they came.

When he reported this, Kanesat said, "Good, their tracks will lead us to their village. Bring Ur to me. I want to hear what he thinks."

When Ur saw the tracks, his face lit up and he said, "One of these is made by a woman. I think I know her. She is the mate of their leader. Possibly he is with her. I have a score I need to settle with these people. With your permission, I would like to take Gg and run after them. We are faster runners than they are and can catch them before they get back to their village."

"You are a fool, Ur," answered Kanesat. "There are five of them. Even though one of them is a woman, you would be outnumbered more than two to one. I need you alive to show me where their village is. You may not go."

Ur went to Gg and Ooteka, telling them what he saw and what Kanesat said. Ooteka started to think fast. She foresaw Kanesat and his men would defeat the Pewas and then Ur would perhaps get Vavana back. Ooteka didn't want that to happen. She knew now she should have killed Vavana when she had the chance.

She said, "We should sneak out of the village tonight, the three of us, and run them down. Three against five is not such bad odds. We are bigger and stronger. Even though I am a woman, I am stronger than any Pewa man. We will attack at night when they are sleeping. They won't have a chance to use their weapons."

She thought to herself, _If I get the chance, I will kill her this time_.

Ur agreed to this plan. Gg wanted to take Ellerva along but Ur said, "No, she will not be able to keep up with us. You must leave her here for now."

To make sure she would not try to follow or cry out when they left, Ur tied her up and gagged her, leaving her for the villagers to find. When darkness fell, he snuck out of the easterners' camp with Gg and Ooteka. Kanesat went to Ur's tent in the morning to ask him more questions about the Pewas. When he saw Ur and Ooteka were gone he went to Gg's tent and found Ellerva there bound and gagged. He removed the gag and untied her.

"Who did this to you?" he demanded.

She sobbed, "Ur. He has taken Gg and Ooteka to pursue the Pewas."

"They are fools. They will no doubt be killed."

Ellerva started to cry. He slapped her and said, "Stop that. I have no time for your tears now. I have to move fast before our plans are spoiled by Ur's foolishness."

Kanesat uttered a curse and rushed off to call his elders together. He told them, "My command is for all men of fighting age to follow me now to attack the Pewas. We will follow Ur's tracks and take him and the Pewas he is chasing alive if possible. I will force them to show me the way to the Pewa village, with torture if necessary. The women, children, and elderly of our village can come behind us following our trail."

~~~

Ur, Gg, and Ooteka were able to overtake the Pewas before they got back to their camp. They could tell from inspecting the freshness made in the forest leaves by the Pewas' feet, they were close now. Ooteka's plan of attack was to go for Vavana first and kill her. She had enough of Ur's foolishness over the Pewa woman and wanted to put an end to it forever. She was blinded by her jealousy and could not see how foolish it was to attack with the odds against them.

Vavana knew they would be followed. She said, "We must take turns standing guard at night."

Nanong was on guard when Ur and his companions approached. He heard them and made the call of a sea gull. His companions woke up and came to him. They were ready with bows and arrows as Ur, Gg, and Ooteka rushed them.

It was dark but Nanong aimed at the noise made by the attackers. As he released his arrow, he heard the other four bowstrings twang.

Ur was hit. He felt the arrow plunge into his thigh. It hurt more than anything had ever hurt before. He heard the sound of arrows hitting Gg on his left and Ooteka on his right. He fell. Nanong drew his knife and rushed Ur. He was joined by Fewallo and Neolin. It was a brief struggle. He held his knife to Ur's throat and Ur quit struggling.

Vavana knew her arrow had found a mark. She found Ooteka lying on the ground with two arrows in her chest. She called out to Nanong, "This one is Ooteka. She is badly wounded and will not give us any more trouble."

Begoyshi found Gg and said, "Same for this one."

Nanong shouted to the others, "Don't kill them. We can question them later about the plans of the easterners. Fewallo, Neolin, help me tie Ur's hands behind his back."

That night, Gg and Ooteka died of their wounds. When she woke, Vavana saw Ur was still tied with his hands behind his back and his ankles bound together with rawhide. She saw the arrow in his leg. Nanong felt her stirring next to him and woke.

He said, "Do you feel safe now that he is helpless?"

"I feel anger. I want to leave the arrow in him. I want to see him tied naked to a pole like he did to me. We can carry him back to our village like kill from a hunt."

Nanong obliged her need for this revenge. He felt it would be just for Ur to have a taste of what he had done to others. He and Fewallo carried the pole with Ur hanging from it face up. As if to help with Vavana's revenge, the skies opened up that day in a great rain storm. Ur was miserable, unable to keep the pouring rain out of his eyes, nose, and mouth. The arrow in his thigh caused him great agony.

When they stopped to rest, Nanong took out his knife and did things to Ur to make him talk. It didn't take much; Ur was a cruel man but not brave. He soon told everything about the plans of the easterners to attack the Pewas and claim their hunting grounds.

~~~

Nanong called an emergency council meeting when they returned to the village. Vavana was invited to participate. Nanong told the council about what they had seen and heard when they spied on the easterners. He could see by the looks on their faces, all were dismayed by his estimate of their numbers. None of the men on the council offered any idea of what to do about the impending attack. A silence descended on the meeting.

Vavana spoke up saying, "We must bring all the villages together like we do at the harvest gathering. If we defend ourselves against the easterners as one people, rather than as separate villages, we will not be conquered."

The men all nodded in agreement. "We must pack up the village tomorrow and go north to join with nearby Pewa villages," she continued. "If all Pewas band together, we might have enough warriors to resist the easterners' attack when it comes."

Nanong went to Fewallo after the meeting and said to him, "You should go back to Maginaugh now and take your sister with you. I will give you one of the war canoes and you can load it with food."

"I am torn Nanong," Said Fewallo. "You have been so good to us. Your village is in danger and I want to help. However, my people need me too."

Nanong shook his head. "Your place is with the Magin, Fewallo. You are the only whole man they have left. They will need your skills as a hunter and warrior. They will need you to father children. To us you would be just one more warrior. To the Magin you are their hope for the future."

Fewallo went to Sashegh and told her they must start the trip back in the morning. She was grief stricken to hear they would have to return to Maginaugh and the Pewa village was in imminent danger of being attacked. She would miss Nammi terribly and would worry about her safety. She went immediately to the tent Nammi shared with Neolin. She found them making love.

Nammi was overjoyed to see Neolin back safe again and had taken him straight to bed. When Sashegh peeked in at them, Nammi was in the throes of passion. Sashegh turned to leave, but Nammi called out to her.

"Don't leave Sashegh. Stay with us please."

Shyly, Sashegh entered the tent and lay down with Nammi and Neolin. Nammi said, "Share him with me Sashegh, please."

Sashegh shook her head. "I can't Nammi. He's your man."

"Yes you can, I insist."

"Do you want me Neolin? Sashegh asked.

Neolin smiled. "Yes Sashegh, please join us."

He kissed her. She made love with him, hoping he would not be jealous when she made love with Nammi. After he climaxed inside her, Nammi came to her and they made love. She could tell Neolin enjoyed watching them because she saw him become aroused again.

It was a good night for Sashegh, the best in her life so far. There were no jealousies. Sashegh felt she gave Nammi what she wanted and needed: the love of a man and a woman at the same time. Sashegh realized this is what she wanted too.

The morning came too soon. Sashegh told Nammi what Fewallo had told her. They both cried, realizing this separation could be for a long time. Neolin got up and went outside, leaving them to say their goodbyes. He could tell how much they loved each other and was understanding.

"Last night was very good, our best ever," said Nammi. "It's cruel we have to part now, just when things are perfect for us."

"I still have problems Nammi," replied Sashegh. "I promised Mother I would return and continue trying to have Fennsen's baby. She counts on me to become the queen one day and to have a daughter of my own. I love you with all my heart. I believe we will be together again one day. I believe we have a destiny to be together always, but for now I must keep my promise to return to Maginaugh."

The next morning they said tearful farewells. Finally Fewallo took Sashegh's hand and pulled her away from Nammi saying, "We must go now if we are to make it to Maginaugh by nightfall."

Sashegh saw the war canoe loaded with dried food: deer meat, fruit, corn meal and wild rice. She got in but could not help to paddle the canoe, knowing they were paddling away from her love. She just sat, tears streaming down her cheeks, looking back at Nammi as Fewallo paddled them south, away from the Pewa village.

Once again Nammi found herself sitting on a log watching as Sashegh sailed away from her. She kept smiling at Sashegh. She knew her own tears would come later.

~~~

Months later, Sashegh looked down at her swollen belly and thought of Nammi, wondering how she was doing. She knew from the timing, this was not Fennsen's baby she was carrying; it was Neolin's. It made her feel even closer to Nammi, carrying the child of the man Nammi loved. She knew her mother and her brother assumed the baby was Fennsen's. So did Fennsen. He seemed proud and happy to be a father.

Many of the women told her how happy they were to know the queen's daughter was pregnant. It seemed to Sashegh, she was surrounded by pregnant women. She knew several of the Magin women were carrying babies fathered by her brother. Others were pregnant by the men they had slept with while they were living in the Pewa village.

It was a hard winter. Food was very scarce. She was happy the dried food she and Fewallo brought back was helping get them through the winter months. Her mother had mandated strict rationing. It looked to Sashegh like they would make it until late spring, when they would be able to start eating the crops they would plant. She thought, _Mother seems very happy to see her dream coming true_.

Shashegh knew Nammi had not forgotten her. She got a letter, one of Nammi's pictograms on birch bark, brought to her by a Pewa man in a canoe. She wrote she had bribed the man to take it by making him a deerskin shirt. He agreed to paddle his canoe down Northern Lake, through the narrows, to deliver her letter.

Sashegh was shocked but delighted to receive the letter. It brought back in a rush the strong feeling of love she had for Nammi. The letter was discreet. It contained no talk of love or passion, but it was wonderful to Sashegh just the same. She read about how Nanong's people went north to try joining forces with another village to defend themselves from the easterners. Nammi said Vavana had been unsuccessful in uniting the Pewa villages. When the easterners came, Nanong's people and the people in the nearest Pewa village were driven from their homes _._ Now they were living in a third village and still trying to unite other villages to fight the easterners. She said Ur had been left tied up at the site of their original village and Neolin thought he had probably been taken back in by the easterners. Nammi and Neolin both prayed she was doing well and hoped they might see her again one day.

Sashegh begged the letter carrier to stay for one day while she wrote a reply to Nammi. She wrote to Nammi on real paper with a real pen, in the Magin language. She hoped Nammi would remember the lessons in Magin she had given her. If not, perhaps one of the Magin women who had stayed with the Pewas could translate it for her. Sashegh gave the Pewa man an iron Magin knife to take her letter back to Nammi. In her letter, she told Nammi of the pregnancy and that she was sure the child was Neolin's. Sashegh said she was happy this had happened and hoped they would be able to see the child one day. She wrote explicitly of her feelings for Nammi, in terms of love and desire.

Sashegh made friends with Pavegh. She saw her often at her mother's house. Pavegh was the youngest person on the Magin council, only a little older than her. She found Pavegh attractive but wanted only friendship from her. She asked her mother if the two of them could be assigned to help rebuild the dairy. The next morning as they walked down to the new dairy, Sashegh said to her, "You will like working in the dairy, Pavegh. The deer are so nice."

"What deer? There are none anymore. The southerners killed and ate them all."

"I know. That was terrible. But we will capture more and tame them after we have finished rebuilding the dairy."

Unexpectedly, Pavegh blurted out, "I wish your brother would take an interest in me. It seems he sleeps with everyone else on the island except me."

Sashegh laughed, and said, "I didn't know you were interested. Maybe I can help. I will just tell him you think he is handsome and want him."

"Sashegh! No! Please! I would never be able to face him again."

Sashegh laughed until tears streamed down her cheeks. "Don't worry. I was only teasing you. But, if you want him, I will find a way to get him interested in you without being too obvious. You are very pretty. It shouldn't be difficult."

~~~

Over the next few weeks, Sashegh became closer to Pavegh. She gained her trust by putting ideas in her brother's head. She asked him, "Do you think Pavegh is beautiful?"

"What? Are you after her now too?"

"No silly, she's not interested in women. I think you would like to sleep with her."

"I suppose I will soon enough. I haven't tried yet because I thought her experiences in the hands of Ur's men may have soured her on all men."

Sashegh shook her head. "No, I don't think so. She and I are becoming close friends and we talk about men sometimes. I think she is lonely and would like to have a man in her life."

A few days later, when she saw Pavegh and Fewallo together, holding hands and kissing, she smiled, thinking how little it took to get a man interested in a woman. When Pavegh was with her again, she said, "Thank you Sashegh. Whatever it was you said to Fewallo, it worked. He came to call on me at my house the other night and flirted with me for a while. I kissed him. That night we went to bed together and he has been in my bed every night since. I think I'm falling in love with him."

"I like you a lot Pavegh. I would love to have you be my sister. I hope everything works out happily for you and Fewallo."

"Thank you. How are things with you and Fennsen?"

Sashegh shrugged. "Okay I guess."

"I'm your friend Sashegh. You can tell me if you're having a problem. Maybe I can help you like you helped me."

After a long pause, Sashegh decided to test Pavegh. She looked earnestly into her eyes and asked her, "What would you say if I told you I am attracted to women?"

"You mean physically?"

"Yes."

Pavegh laughed. "I would tell you I am not that kind of girl."

"No silly, I don't mean you specifically, although I do think you are pretty. I just want to know if you would have a lower opinion of me if you knew I had slept with a woman."

Pavegh grinned. "No, I wouldn't think less of you. I would want to know all the details. Who? What was it like? Do you want to do it again?"

"I didn't say I had been with a woman. I only asked you what if I had. I guess you wouldn't think it was bad then?"

"I might be worried, only because as a friend I am afraid you would get hurt if Fensenn or your mother found out. This is not just hypothetical is it? Who is she? Please don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"I'm sorry Pavegh. I do trust you, but I'm not ready to say more right now. Perhaps we can talk more about this another time."

"Fine, but I will pester you to death until you tell me."

Sashegh was happy. Her test worked. Three days passed and it was obvious Pavegh had said nothing to her mother or to Fennsen. _If Pavegh talked to mother or Fennsen about it, I would know_ , she thought. _They would confront me about it_.

She decided to tell Pavegh everything.

She went over to her house. Pavegh greeted her, "Hello Sashegh, good to see you. Have you decided to share your secret with me?"

"Yes, I will tell you who she is. I need someone I can confide in, someone I can trust."

"You can trust me. I will not tell anyone."

"I'm in love with a Pewa girl. Her name is Nammi."

Pavegh laughed, "I guessed something like that. I remember seeing you two together all the time in the Pewa village."

"We're writing letters to each other now, delivered by a Pewa man in exchange for presents we give him. May I have Nammi send her letters to me through you, so Fennsen won't discover them?"

"Yes if you want. But why not just leave him and go to Nammi if you love her?"

"I have a kind of love for Fennsen too. I am so confused and torn. I want both in my life and don't want to hurt either of them. He needs my help now after losing his legs."

"Hmm, well I will keep your secret, but sooner or later I think you will have to decide. Fennsen doesn't seem the type who would like to share you with anyone, much less a woman."

"I suppose you are right, but thank you for being so understanding and giving me time to sort this all out. You are a dear friend."

The next time she wrote Nammi, she told her to have the letter delivered to Pavegh's house. Over the next few moon cycles, many letters went back and forth between them. Nammi still wrote hers on birch bark but she used the Magin language and wrote words of love. They both gave a gift to the letter carrier each time. He always smiled and thanked them.

He told Sashegh, "Word got around in the Pewa village about me carrying letters between you and Nammi. Now I carry letters for several others too. It's becoming a regular service between my village and yours. Everyone gives me gifts to deliver their letters. I am becoming a wealthy man."

"The lake is about to freeze over again. What will you do then? Will you still deliver the letters?"

"Yes, you can count on me. I will make the trip through the snow on foot and walk here across the ice."

"Thank you. You are a good man. These letters are very important to me."

Sashegh wrote to Nammi about her life and about how Maginaugh was being rebuilt. She got letters from Nammi about her life with Neolin and about how they had to keep fleeing the easterners. Sashegh wrote of how much she loved and missed her and read the same sentiments in Nammi's letters. She was surprised and pleased to see Nammi was now writing her letters in Magin. The picture writing of the Pewas was not expressive enough to convey the deep feelings of love and desire they expressed in their letters.

Nammi's letters were passionate, describing the things she would like to do with Sashegh when they made love. Sashegh wrote similar explicit descriptions of lovemaking back to her. Because of the magical mental connection they had with each other, it seemed to Sashegh as if they were really together and really making love. Despite the sadness she felt because of being separated, she was happy to have such a wonderful love, empowered by magic, keeping them always together no matter where they were.

The more time they spent apart, the deeper her love grew for Nammi, in spite of the distance between them. She felt like they were always together. Nammi said in her letters, she would go and sit on a log by the lake shore every morning, rain or shine. She would sense Sashegh there with her and they would communicate, using their connection, about the future and how they might be together again someday.

Sashegh saved all Nammi's letters, keeping them safe in Pavegh's house. Nammi wrote she had saved all of Sashegh's letters as well. She said she did not want Sashegh's letters discovered by Neolin either and kept them a secret. Although Neolin was open-minded about her sexuality, she did not think he would be so accepting if he knew how deep the love was between her and Sashegh. She said she had asked Vavana to keep them for her and asked Sashegh to send her letters through Vavana. She said the obsessive need she felt for Sashegh worried Vavana, but she had agreed to keep her secret.

Sashegh knew the time was near when the baby would be born. She worried about who the baby would look like. Both she and Fennsen had blond hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. _What will people say if the baby is born with shiny black hair and dark skin, looking like a Pewa_? She also worried about the pain in childbirth she had heard of from other women. They told her it was the worst pain imaginable.

Despite these worries, she was happy. She had the love of Nammi. She was happy to be carrying this half Pewa child, a child fathered by a man she had shared with Nammi. Neolin was a good man and she knew Nammi loved him. She went to Pavegh's house, got out her box of letters and read through them all again as she had done so many times before. It made her feel closer to Nammi. She sat down and wrote, pouring out her feelings. When the letter carrier returned she had another letter ready to send back.

~~~

Vavana was disappointed. Her idea of uniting all the Pewa villages to fight the easterners was a good one, but it didn't work. She and Nanong led their people north to the next Pewa village. She spoke to the council members there, telling them about the easterners and what she feared would happen. She laid out her plan to unite all the Pewa villages to resist the easterners. Nanong supported her.

Many of the village council said they saw the wisdom of this plan but quarreled with her about many of the specifics of how such unification would work. They had many questions about who would be the leader and how they would determine the strategy for battle. She tried to tell them they needed to go to the next village and bring them into the alliance as well, not worrying about such questions until all the villages had been united. She could tell they were not really listening to her. _They are more worried about how leadership will be determined than in saving our Pewa culture_ , she thought.

She and Nanong were not able to come to terms about leadership with the elders of this village, before the Easterners were upon them. As Kanesat and his men charged into the village, Nanong led her, Neolin, Nammi and others away from their village, knowing it would be a one sided battle. The easterners didn't pursue them.

For the next few weeks, Kanesat and his people enjoyed the food left behind. His women and children caught up with him. The men were reunited with their families. He could see his people were joyous to have possession of this new fertile land and good hunting grounds. He found Ur tied up and released him.

After thinking, Kanesat determined the Pewas must be trying to unite with other villages. He said to his council, "We must pursue the ones who escaped and catch them before this unification takes place or we may not be able to hold on to what we have taken. We need more territory than this to support all our people. We can't afford to be complacent if we want to stay in this good place."

He organized a war party. He moved them along the shore of Northern Lake in the same manner they had moved from the east over the years. When he came upon Pewa villages, he would conquer them. Their numbers swelled even more as they assimilated the Pewas.

He and his men killed many of the Pewa men in battles. As they conquered other Pewa villages, Ur told him a leader of the Pewas, whose name was Nanong, always escaped, taking many of his people with him. Kanesat saw the magnificent war canoes the Pewas made. He suspected Nanong was using them to escape. He tried them himself, but was not able to sail them very well.

~~~

It was mid-winter. Vavana had given birth to her baby in the fourth village. She named him Nolin, carrying him with her everywhere and nursing him tenderly. She could tell Nanong was proud of his son and of her. Vavana remembered this was the child Neolin prophesied would father a leader of their people. She was happy despite their circumstances.

This was the fifth village she and Nanong had come to. The number of Pewas who followed her and Nanong were not much larger than they had been in the first village. Each time the easterners caught up with them, many Pewas were killed and many others taken captive. The battles were always very one sided because of the great number of eastern warriors. Because she and Nanong knew what to expect, they never bothered to try fighting back. They would run at the first sign of the easterners.

Vavana spoke to Nanong saying, "My plan is not working. All the Pewa villages are being wiped out. Soon the Pewas will not exist anymore as an independent people. Why do they not see this and band together for survival? Are they so stupid?"

Nanong shook his head and held her hands in his. "It's not a matter of intelligence, Vavana. For longer than anyone can remember, the Pewa way has been to live in small decentralized groups, only getting together once a year for celebrations. It is a way of life for us and hard to change. The leaders in these villages can't give up leadership or share it with outsiders. Without unified leadership, no decisions or plans can be made."

Vavana nodded. "Yes I see that. In each village we come to, there are the same stupid arguments about who is going to be in charge. Even though we have told the council here what has happened in the other four villages, they are unwilling to share leadership. The same is true of the leaders that came with us. They continue to squabble while the easterners prepare to attack us again. It's so frustrating."

"I agree. We must do something different now. By winter's end the easterners will have conquered all the Pewas around northern lake. I don't want to stay here and become one of them. I want to leave northern lake. Spring is coming. The ice will clear from the lake soon. When it does, let us take whoever will come with us in war canoes and sail down to southern lake. We will let the easterners have all this territory. Maybe they will be satisfied with what they have here and not follow us. Then we can rebuild our Pewa culture in the south. I wonder how the Magin fared on Maginaugh during the winter."

"You must not tell anyone else this, Nanong, but I happen to know they are doing well. Nammi has been getting many letters from Sashegh. She tells me the Magin had a hard winter and had to ration their food severely, but they are still all alive. I like your idea Nanong. We should sail for Maginaugh. I would like to see the island and our friends again."

When Nanong announced his plan to the council of the village they were staying in, he was surprised by the lack of enthusiasm among the council members. He and Vavana were not prohibited from going; they were even allowed to take war canoes, but many of the Pewas didn't want to leave their homes. As Vavana and Nanong went through the village talking to people, most said they would prefer to stay where they were and take their chances rather than going to live in a strange place.

Many of the people from Nanong's original village agreed to go with him and a few from the other villages as well. They had been moved several times by now and Nanong was their chief. Nammi in particular was very happy to hear the news, knowing it meant she and Sashegh would be together again. Neolin was glad too. He was anxious to see his child, the baby he knew Sashegh was carrying.

Nanong filled thirteen war canoes with people who wanted to sail for Maginaugh. The rest remained to meet their fate at the hands of the Easterners. The boats were made ready, packed with food and clothing. On a beautiful spring day, they set sail for Southern Lake. Nammi sat in the front of her boat, looking southward with a smile on her face. Neolin sat next to her and they paddled together.

## Chapter 18: Reunited Again

The blacksmith shop on Maginaugh was repaired and working again, run by two women. Fennsen asked them to make him a chair on wheels, so he could get around on his own. They used two iron wheels that formerly belonged to one of the Suonaugh garden carts. Turning the wheels with his hands, he was able to wheel himself almost anywhere he wanted to go on Maginaugh except for up and down the steep hill leading from the harbor to Suonaugh.

One day when he was out on his own looking around, he saw the Pewa man who carried Nammi's letters walking toward the village from the harbor. He followed him to Pavegh's house and saw her take a letter from him.

Fennsen became very curious. He wondered who would be sending letters to Pavegh. He watched her all day and the next, trying not to be obvious about it. Finally, toward the end of the next day, he saw Sashegh come to Pavegh's house and knock on the door. She did not see him because he stayed hidden around the corner of an adjacent house. Pavegh came to the door and handed Sashegh a letter. She read it immediately and then passed it back to Pavegh who went into the house and came out an hour later, not carrying anything. He thought, _Now I know Pavegh is keeping letters hidden for Sashegh_.

After Sashegh left, Fennsen went to Pavegh's door and knocked. When she answered, he demanded to see the letter. "I saw the letter you showed Sashegh and I think you are keeping letters sent to her. I know the letter was hers and she wants to keep it a secret from me. I want to see it. Give it to me now or I will expose you to Mindoregh as a traitor."

Pavegh went to get the letter, knowing there was no choice. She was sorry for Sashegh and wanted to do what she could to protect her. She told Fennsen to wait in the main room while she got it out of a place where Nammi's letters were kept until the letter carrier could pick them up. Taking it and carefully tearing off the part where Nammi had signed, "Your loving soul mate forever, Nammi," she brought the rest and gave it to Fennsen.

He read it immediately. He could tell it was a love letter written to Sashegh from a Pewa woman. It contained specific details of what the writer wanted to do with Sashegh physically. Fennsen was enraged and humiliated. He asked Pavegh, "Are there more letters like this one?"

"No this is the only one," Pavegh lied. There were others but Sashegh had me destroy them."

Fennsen did not want to discuss the infidelity of his wife with Pavegh anymore, so he left, taking the letter with him. When he confronted Sashegh with it that night, he had many angry questions.

"Who is this from?"

"I'm sorry Fennsen but I won't tell you her name."

"How long have you two been writing each other?"

"Five moon cycles."

"Did you ever sleep with her?"

"Yes, I spent several nights with her in the Pewa village."

"Are you in love with her?"

"No. I was just experimenting with my sexual preferences. It was nothing serious. Please forgive me. It won't happen again."

What upset him most was to know Sashegh had been unfaithful with a woman. He thought, _Another man would be hard enough for me to compete with in the shape I am in. If she likes women more than men, there is no way I can compete_.

He argued and fought with her for days. He threatened to leave her. She told him she loved him, but needed a woman in her life.

"I love you too Sashegh. We can try to work things out but you have hurt me with your unfaithfulness. I don't know if I can forgive you."

He never stopped wanting to know who her Pewa girlfriend was. He asked her to tell him every day.

~~~

Sashegh had to control her emotions the day she saw the Pewa fleet sailing into Maginaugh's harbor. Fewallo spotted them first. He still had the habit of going to the Suonaugh watchtower each morning to look out over the lake. He went down immediately to tell Sashegh and his mother. When Sashegh got to the harbor she saw Nammi and Neolin in their canoe. She fought her desire to shout out or swim to them.

She could tell she was not fooling her mother. She thought, _Mother saw the look of joy and excitement on my face. Now she knows it's Nammi I'm in love with. I know Fennsen told her about my love letter from Nammi. She has been lecturing me nightly about my duty as the Magin heir to the throne and the importance of being faithful to my husband. They were not harsh lectures. They were delivered with love. They had the intended effect however, of making me feel very guilty_.

Mindoregh tried to make Sashegh feel ashamed of her feelings toward Nammi and the things they had done together. Sashegh felt guilty for neglecting her duty to her mother and to Fennsen, as his wife and future queen. She tried several times to pull back and make herself stop loving Nammi so much. She tried to stop writing love letters to her but her heart would not let her mind be in control. She needed Nammi and simply could not let her go. She admitted to herself, _The love I have with Nammi is more important to me than being queen of the Magin_.

Fewallo spotted Nadole carrying her baby, a girl about the same age as Vavana's baby son, Nolin. He went to her and she handed him the infant, saying, "Here hold her. Her name is Temega."

Fewallo's heart melted as Temega reached out with her tiny hand and grasped his finger, looking at him and smiling. She had black hair like Nadole's but her skin was lighter than most Pewa's, closer to Fewallo's. "She looks like you, Nadole," he said.

"She has your features too, Fewallo. See the pointed ears and the upturned nose?"

"Has it been difficult for you to care for the baby by yourself?"

"Not too bad. My mother helps me with her. How have things been for you here? Nanong said he thought you would have a hard time getting through the first winter."

"It wasn't bad really. The food Sashegh and I brought back from your village helped a lot."

Nammi returned Sashegh's look as she came up the path from the harbor. She remembered Sashegh's letters warned her not to say anything. She noticed Sashegh was very large in the belly with the child she was carrying. She and Neolin both smiled when they saw it. Sashegh tried to avoid eye contact with her, aware her mother was watching.

After Mindoregh greeted the Pewas, she led them up the path to Suonaugh. Mindoregh gave a speech, welcoming the Pewas to Maginaugh. She said, "There are plenty of houses to choose from. All you need do is help rebuild them. You are welcome to stay as long as you want."

Nanong asked, "May I say some words to your people?"

"Yes, certainly you may."

He said, "We Pewas will help with whatever work there is to do here to repay your hospitality. I don't have any plans for how long we will stay. A new people have come from the East to our homelands in great numbers. They have been conquering all our villages. The surviving Pewas either run away or are assimilated into the easterners' group. At this point, the Pewas you see here in Suonaugh are the few independent Pewas left.

"We came here because you are our friends and we feel safe here. I have never seen the easterners using canoes. They will probably never come to this island. If things go well, we will share the island with you in peace and friendship if you will allow it. We know it's your home. We will live as we have always lived, in our deerskin tents in a separate place. But we would be happy to help with any work there is. Mindoregh? Please let me know what we can do."

Mindoregh readily agreed to this. She knew there would be mixed couples now since her people were so short of men and the Pewa men found the Magin women very attractive. She thought about this. _Many half Magin and half Pewa babies will be born. The problem is, our women will outlive their Pewa husbands by a lifespan several times as long. Nanong does not know this about us. It is time to tell him and Vavana everything about us and hope they will understand_.

After Nanong finished his speech, she said to him, "Come to my house for dinner tonight. We need to have a long talk."

The evening reminded Vavana of the last dinner they had enjoyed together when she first met them. It seemed so long ago now. This time she had her infant son with her and breast fed him before laying him down to sleep. She sat at the dinner table between Nanong and Fewallo.

"Where is Sashegh?" Vavana asked.

"She's dining at home with Fennsen tonight," Mindoregh answered.

Nanong said, "Dinner smells good."

"I have prepared a traditional vegetarian Magin meal. The Suonaugh garden and the bakery are in full production again. The dairy has not been restarted yet, so I have to apologize, there is no milk or cheese."

When they finished eating, Mindoregh said, "I need to tell you more about who we Magin are and where we came from. It is important for you to know, now that we may be living together as one people. You need to understand how different we are from you."

Vavana said, "We can see the differences easily. You are fair skinned with light colored hair and eyes. We are dark skinned with dark hair and eyes. These things make no difference to us. I think our peoples have proven to be very compatible."

Mindoregh replied, "Yes they are, and that is exactly what worries me. In the near future there may be marriages between your people and mine. I want to make sure they know what they have in store for them in their future. It will not be all good. You should know we live several times as long as your people on average. When you are both old, like Ogima was, Fewallo here will still be a young man, not appearing to be much older than he is now."

"How can that be possible?" asked Vavana.

"When I tell you my whole story, you will understand. The difference in the rate our races age is only one of many differences between us. When you have heard them all, you will understand my concern about Pewa men marrying Magin women. The Magin woman will be left without her husband for the majority of her lifetime. She will stay young while she watches him grow old and die."

She could see she had their full attention now and began her tale, "We come from a different world, a world that is in the heavens near one of the stars, our sun. We saw it had begun to burn out. We knew it would collapse into itself and our world would be destroyed in the resulting explosion.

Vavana started to ask a question, but Mindoregh held up her hand and said, "Let me finish my tale first and then you can ask me all the questions you want."

"Many years ago, before you were born, some of us set out on a long voyage in a great ship that flew through the sky. The ship we were in was very fast, able to go from one star to another in the blink of an eye. The journey was long. We searched for many years to find a world we might be able to live on comfortably. Other Magin left in other ships as well, but there was no organization to the hasty exodus from Mag. We lost contact with all the other ships.

"Finally we came to this world, the place where you live. We circled around it for several moon cycles looking for signs of life, searching for a suitable place to land. We did not spot any civilizations. Life on this world has not yet progressed to the point of having cities with tall buildings and roads, as we had on Mag.

"We saw your planet has two continents on this side of the world, both lying between two great oceans. In the northern hemisphere we flew over this region of great lakes. As we were flying low over Southern Lake, Skarbin the helmsman suddenly announced the power keeping our ship aloft had failed.

"We glided on a northern path, losing altitude. Skarbin looked frantically for a place to land. Both shores were solid forest. He knew if he landed in the trees everyone on board would be killed. Then he saw the little island in the lake ahead of us. He could tell it was uninhabited, exactly the kind of place we were looking for. He decided to land the ship in the water near the island.

"The ship sprang a leak as it hit the water. A seam gave up and a long tear opened in the hull. Water began rushing in. We had to abandon the ship and go ashore before it sank to the bottom. It sank slowly. We were able to retrieve a few valuable things, using items from the wreckage that would float to carry them ashore. It was late spring when this happened and not too cold or we would have frozen in the icy water. After we swam safely to the island, I organized scouting parties and we found the caves. We lived in those caves for our first two years on Maginaugh.

"We built a new kind of civilization, not as advanced as what we had on Mag, but far more advanced than any on this planet. We made tools out of stone and wood at first, then later from iron after we discovered ore on the island and built the kiln to make forgeable iron.

"One of the things saved from the ship was a chest full of seed packets. Our ship was one of the larger types meant to carry hundreds of people on long excursions. We took soil and seeds with us, so we could have fresh fruit and vegetables on our trip. We knew it would be a long one. Thus even the first summer we were able to have a garden on top of the hill where Suonaugh now stands. By the second year we finished building Suonaugh. We made a covering of cloth to stretch over the top. We used it to protect the garden from late spring and early fall frosts, to make our growing season longer.

"In some ways the Magin are as different from Pewas as Pewas are from Ur and his people. Remember the special abilities we have, such as being able to understand other languages quickly and control the wind? Now you know we also have the ability to build and sail ships that fly through the sky. I have to tell you bluntly, I am not happy about the prospect of the two cultures intermixing."

Vavana interrupted her at this point and said, "None of what you have told us is bad. Yes, you are very different from us, but in good ways. The Pewa men will not be discouraged from courting Magin women by these differences. If the Magin women reject them, that is another thing, but I don't think they will. The attraction seems to go both ways. As for the problem of aging, I think most men would be delighted if their wife stayed young forever, and the Magin women can remarry after their Pewa husbands die. Will you forbid your women to marry our men?"

"No, I will not, but I will discourage it. I will do what I can, with persuasion but not coercion, to keep the mixed marriages from happening. Enough may be persuaded not to marry Pewa men, knowing it would displease me. I hope there will remain a pure Magin race."

Mindoregh saw Nanong scowl as she said this and said to him, "You must understand Nanong. I like the Pewa people. You are all wonderful and I will enjoy having you as neighbors but I miss our old home on Mag and all we had there. My dream is to rebuild it here on your world. It will take pure Magin to do this. If the Magin who are left begin to intermarry with the Pewas, the resulting children will be part Pewa to some extent, and the grandchildren even more so. There are so many more of you than Magin here, we would be completely absorbed into your culture and ours would vanish."

Vavana and Nanong didn't agree with Mindoregh on this, but they did understand her viewpoint and respected it. Nanong said, "If it makes you more comfortable, I will order my men to leave your women alone."

Vavana laughed hearing this and said, "Don't be silly Nanong. All that would result in is a lot of Pewa men disobeying your orders. We should explain Mindoregh's wishes to our people and hope not too many will disrespect them. It should be up to the individuals to decide what's right for them."

"You are very wise, Vavana," said Mindoregh. "That's what I am going to do with my people too, except for my son and daughter. They have both taken Pewa lovers and I intend to interfere in their affairs. They are my children. This is my right as their mother and queen. Their duty is to have Magin children who will carry on the royal line."

Fewallo spoke up. "Mother, I am afraid it's a bit too late for you to be interfering. I made one of the Pewa girls pregnant when I was living in her village. She gave birth to a little girl, my daughter Temega. As for Sashegh, I know she is deeply in love with Nammi. I don't think anyone could separate them permanently."

Although she already knew all this, Mindoregh was nevertheless distressed to hear it from her son. She became quiet, withdrawing into her thoughts for the rest of the evening. Nanong and Vavana tried to make light conversation but got little response from her. Finally they gave up and said they were tired and would like to go to bed. Mindoregh politely insisted they sleep in her guest room as they had done the last time they were on Maginaugh.

As she showed them to their room she said, "I promise I won't listen through the wall this time."

~~~

Sashegh longed to be with Nammi again. She thought, _Fennsen will not allow this. Mother will also be against it. They cannot really stop me but it would make a lot of trouble if they knew_. She restrained herself from going to the tent Nammi and Neolin were living in.

After they had been on the island a few days, Sashegh had an idea. _Pavegh has finished repairing her house. It has a small second bedroom_.

Sashegh went to Pavegh and asked her, "Would you be willing to invite Nammi to your house so I can be with her?"

Pavegh looked worried. "I have to say I do not think that is a good idea. But yes, you two can share my guest bedroom if you insist on being with her. I will invite her to come over tonight. Come separately, so Fennsen will not suspect anything."

"Thank you Pavegh, you are a dear friend."

Nammi was delighted and excited when Pavegh told her of this plan. She told Neolin, "I am going to be with Sashegh tonight. I hope you don't mind."

"No, Nammi, I understand your needs."

After dinner Sashegh told Fennsen, "I am going over to Pavegh's house for a visit. I will return around midnight."

He gave her a puzzled look but said nothing.

She thought, _I can tell Fennsen is not happy about this but at least he is not going to try to stop me_.

Fennsen could tell from Sashegh's excitement level and the way she fussed over combing her hair, there was probably something more to it than a visit to a friend. He suspected she was sneaking off to see Nammi, but did not want to confront her with it. He thought, _When we try to discuss it, we fight and yell at each other for hours. Better to let her leave without questioning her about what she is really going to do_.

When Sashegh arrived at Pavegh's house, Nammi was not there yet. She sat with Pavegh and they talked. "Are you sure you're doing the right thing, Sashegh?" Pavegh asked her.

"You mean tonight?"

Pavegh shook her head. "No, I mean more than just tonight. I mean with your life. You're the queen's daughter and will be queen yourself one day. If your baby is a female, she will be queen after you."

Sashegh paused, wondering whether or not to tell Pavegh, and then said, "No, she will never be queen. My baby is a girl but she is half Pewa. She cannot be queen of the Magin."

This obviously shocked Pavegh. She drew back. "How did this happen? I thought your only Pewa lover was Nammi. Everyone assumes the baby is Fennsen's."

"I was with Nammi and her husband both one night. That's when it happened. I am sure by the timing."

"Oh Sashegh, you're putting everything at risk. You're supposed to be the future queen. You will not be accepted as our leader if you have a woman as your lover and a child who is half Pewa. My advice is to break things off with Nammi and when the baby is born, give it to her and Neolin. Then maybe someday Fennsen and your mother will forgive you."

Sashegh shook her head vehemently. "It wouldn't mean anything to me to be queen without Nammi in my life, Pavegh. I love her and need her."

"As your friend, I'm glad you found happiness. But as a Magin, I regret you won't be our queen. You would be a good leader, like your mother."

"Perhaps, but it's not the main thing I want from life. I want to love and be loved. In Nammi I have found my true love."

Hugging her friend, Pavegh said, "Oh Sashegh, I do understand why you wouldn't want to give her up. Do you want to live with Nammi?"

"Yes, but I don't know if it will happen. She loves Neolin too and I won't ask her to leave him for me. If they both wanted me, I would leave Fennsen and move in with them to live as a threesome. Neolin is a good man and I loved being with him the night he made me pregnant."

"You don't think there would be problems arising from jealousy in such a love triangle?"

Sashegh paused to think about this difficult question. Before she could answer, there was a knock. Pavegh went to the door and let Nammi in. The lovers embraced and kissed. Pavegh could tell they wanted to be alone, so she excused herself. Nammi and Sashegh hardly noticed her leaving the room.

Nammi put her hand on Sashegh's belly and said, "Oh love, I can feel her inside you, moving. She will come into the world soon now."

"Yes Nammi, soon."

They talked for hours. They didn't make love in their usual passionate ways because of Sashegh's pregnancy, but satisfied each other with kisses and licks, touching and caressing gently. They talked about their love and about their future. The way they felt about each other, it was like making love just talking. Nammi said it would be nice to share Neolin sometimes as they had the night Sashegh got pregnant. But she didn't see the three of them living together as a threesome. Nammi was afraid of the jealousies which might arise between them.

"Sashegh, although I love you deeply, I don't want to lose Neolin. I hope you understand and don't ask me to choose. Could we just see each other like this for a while and see what happens? Perhaps I will tell Neolin of my love for you someday and ask him if you could live with us, but I can't promise."

"Yes Nammi, I understand. I am happy just to have you in my life and be with you like this sometimes. I am always with you in my thoughts. We are connected forever now."

Sashegh returned to Fennsen late that night. She met Nammi like this two or three times a week at Pavegh's house, but never in public. Unless she could live with Nammi, Sashegh didn't want to leave Fennsen. She loved him in a way too. She dreaded what he would say when the baby was born with dark skin and hair, not fair like her and Fennsen.

Pavegh kept her secret and Sashegh was careful not to be seen with Nammi in public. She thought Mindoregh, Fewallo and Fennsen all assumed she had decided to give up Nammi and would only be with her husband since now she was close to becoming a mother. She sensed Fennsen's suspicions went away over time. She made love to him the way a wife should love her husband, in ways that would not endanger the baby in her final weeks of pregnancy. She did care for him and wanted him to be happy. What she felt for Nammi was a stronger love, but being with Fennsen was good.

She worried more and more about what would happen when the baby was born. Finally she went to Vavana who was nursing her own baby, little Nolin. "Vavana, the baby I am going to give birth to soon is half Pewa," she said.

Vavana smiled. "Yes Sashegh, I have known ever since one moon cycle after the night you got pregnant. I am good at counting."

"I worry the baby will not look like a Magin and Fennsen will be angry and throw me out when he sees her."

"Oh, you know it is a girl then?"

"Yes I can sense her. I have a name for her already: Pieska."

Vavana's smile grew bigger. "That's an ancient Pewa name Sashegh."

"I know. It's also the name of Nammi's grandmother whom she dearly loved."

"So why are you telling me these things?"

"I was hoping I could come to your tent when it is time for me to give birth and you could help me with the delivery. I don't want to face Fennsen's anger or mother's while I am going through childbirth."

Vavana nodded. "Yes Sashegh, I will do this for you. In some ways I feel almost like a mother to you myself, or at least like an older sister. I'm happy you are having a baby that is half Pewa and I sense you are too."

"Indeed I am. The baby was made on a night of love with Nammi and Neolin. In a way it binds me closer to her. I love her deeply."

"Neolin is a good man, Sashegh. He is one of my best friends. I will be available every day and night in my tent from now on. When you feel the pains, come and I will help you deliver the child. When you feel up to it, you can present the baby to your family."

~~~

It seemed to Sashegh as if the child would never be born, but finally her time arrived. As she lay down to sleep one night, she felt a sharp pain located in the lower regions of her torso. Two hours later a second, even sharper pain, woke her. She thought, _It might be just some gas from eating a heavy dinner._ She was very hungry these days, eating for two.

She tossed and turned for a while trying to get comfortable. Just as she was starting to drift back to sleep, the third pain came, lasting longer this time. Maybe these are labor pains, she thought.

She lay awake and waited, while Fennsen slept next to her. Another pain came, a bit longer and sharper than the last one. The contraction put pressure on her bladder and she needed to relieve herself. She got up out of bed.

She stepped out the door and squatted in some bushes near the house. As she got up and started back to the house, she suddenly felt her water break, running down her thighs and making a puddle at her feet. _Oh gods, this is it_ , she thought.

She walked to Vavana's tent in the early morning darkness. She saw Vavana sleeping next to Nanong. Sashegh whispered to her, "It's time, please help me."

In her tent, sleeping next to Neolin, Nammi woke suddenly. She felt an awareness of Sashegh through the connection they had. She thought, _Sashegh is in pain_.

She woke Neolin and told him, "I must go and be with Sashegh now. I think she is about to have your baby."

Neolin mumbled, half asleep, "Nice," and then drifted off again.

Nammi remembered Sashegh telling her about Vavana's offer to help, so she went to Vavana's tent. Sashegh was happy to see her. They held hands as the pains worsened. Sashegh began to scream. It was worse than she had imagined it would be. Nammi squeezed her hand tightly. It helped Sashegh, knowing the one she loved most was there with her.

Magin babies are usually born with little or no hair. When Sashegh's baby came, all three women could see a full head of long shiny black hair, unmistakably Pewa. Nammi smiled when she saw this. She leaned over and kissed Sashegh.

Vavana took the baby, cutting the umbilical cord with her knife. She tied it in a knot, cleaned her off and gave her to Sashegh saying, "Her hair may be dark but her skin is fair like yours. Her eyes and nose look just like yours too."

"Thank you both for being here with me during this time," said Sashegh. "It means a lot to me."

Sashegh was happy her baby had been born without any problems. However she was worried Fennsen might wonder whether or not the baby was his. She admitted to herself her little girl didn't look Magin.

Nammi returned to Neolin at dawn. Sashegh rested with her baby in Vavana's tent. Vavana left her and went to tell Mindoregh and Fennsen of the birth. They followed her back to her tent and went in to see the baby.

Vavana woke Sashegh, saying, "Your mother and husband have come."

Sashegh could see how pleased her mother was to have a granddaughter. She gave her the infant to hold. Fennsen kissed her and said, "I am glad you and the baby are doing well."

She was relieved. _If either of them notice how little the baby looks like Fennsen, they are pretending they do not_.

The news of Sashegh's baby spread rapidly. Many of the Magin women came to her house to see the child. When Pavegh came to visit she said to Sashegh, "There is much gossip about how the baby looks. Some of the women are trying to guess who the real father is."

"I expected that," Sashegh said. "What amazes me is how mother and Fennsen pretend there is nothing unusual about the baby. I suppose it will not be long before they become aware of the gossip."

Mindoregh knew immediately when she saw the baby, it was not Fennsen's. As soon as she left Vavana's tent she said to herself, _The women will be gossiping about Pieska. I better take action to quiet them_.

She summoned all the Magin to a meeting in Suonaugh. When all were gathered, she made a speech, a proclamation of congratulations to Fennsen for fathering a future queen. She told them, "There will be a celebration in honor of the birth."

~~~

To Sashegh's surprise, when she took her baby daughter home, Fennsen seemed very happy. He said nothing about Pieska's black hair. Her mother did, privately.

Mindoregh said, "Pieska's hair is black. What man did you sleep with besides Fennsen?"

Sashegh felt bad doing it but she lied saying, "No other man mother, only Fennsen."

Her mother gave her a withering look but all she said was, "Hmmm."

Sashegh settled into a nice routine after Pieska was born. She continued to go to Pavegh's house to see Nammi. She brought Pieska with her so Nammi could spend time with the baby.

One night she told Sashegh, "I am so happy you made this baby with Neolin. I have been making love with him for almost a year now and can't get pregnant. I would give anything to have a daughter like Pieska. Thank you for naming her after my grandmother. It makes me feel like her aunt."

"In our hearts we are married to each other, Nammi. You can be Pieska's mother along with me."

This made Nammi smile. They kissed, lay down in the guest bed together and made good love.

Sashegh continued to use Pavegh's guest bedroom to be with her lover. She spent many wonderful and passionate evenings there with Nammi. They called it their love room. It seemed to her, when she was there with Nammi, the rest of the world dropped away and she was totally happy. Often Fewallo was in the house also, to be with Pavegh. He had come to accept Sashegh's relationship with Nammi.

Sashegh went to Nadole's tent sometimes to see Nadole's baby girl, Temega. The child was a few months older than Pieska but when Sashegh saw them together, she noticed how much they looked alike. Both had the black hair of the Pewas but also had the facial characteristics she shared with her brother: a small upturned nose, bright sparkling blue eyes, ears slightly pointed on top.

She asked Nadole, "Have you noticed how much your daughter looks like mine?"

"Yes. It doesn't surprise me. It is a look that runs strong in your family. Temega looks like Fewallo, and he looks like you."

"Does Fewallo spend much time here with her?"

"Yes, he spends about half his nights here with us and the other half with your friend, Pavegh."

"Are you jealous of her?"

"I was at first, but I have learned jealousy will only drive Fewallo away. I don't want that. I want Temega to grow up with her father in her life. I told Fewallo I am willing to share him with Pavegh."

"I am glad you feel that way. I know he has feelings for both of you. He told me so. Pavegh is deeply in love with him. She is carrying his child now. The baby will be all Magin. Mother will be very happy."

~~~

Nanong's men helped capture some deer on the mainland and brought them back to start up a new dairy. Mindoregh told Nanong she was very thankful. She got a crew of men and women to rebuild the ice house, so ice could be cut once again during the winter months.

_Everything is almost back to the way it used to be before Ur came_ , she thought. _It's a pity I haven't been successful in keeping my women from having relationships with the Pewas. Vavana was right; although our women warn their lovers, the Pewa men don't mind the idea of having a wife who will stay young all through their marriage._

_Many of the women want husbands. Our women seek out Pewa men because there are not enough Magin men to choose from. It disturbs me to see how many children of mixed parentage are being conceived each moon cycle. I can see in the future this will produce a race neither Magin nor Pewa. It will be a combination of both. I wonder what the life span of these children will be_.

Mindoregh was not complacent. It bothered her to see the Magin race being diluted by the Pewas. There were ten Magin women who were pregnant by Fewallo however, so she felt there was still a chance. She sought out Fennsen and talked with him about her feelings.

"I think the day may come when we will want to leave this island," she said. "Your marriage would be better if Sashegh were not around these Pewas. In fact our whole race would be better off. I am also worried about the easterners Nanong told us about. What will happen if they come here to Maginaugh?"

"I agree with you on the first point at least, Mindoregh. But why do you bring this to me? What can I do about it?"

"You could build ships, as you and your father once did. It would not take long to have enough ships to take all of us away from here."

"Where would we go?"

Mindoregh shrugged. "It doesn't matter, any place far away from here, somewhere where there are no other people, where we can have a place of our own."

"Your wish is always my command my queen. I will start on a new ship today."

## Chapter 19: Attacked Again

Kanesat was paddling at the back of a Pewa war canoe filled with his men. Behind him was an armada of 26 other war canoes filled with his warriors. Each canoe had its sail unfurled catching a southerly wind. They had just passed through the Narrows and were moving rapidly South across the lake toward Maginaugh.

He was pleased he had conquered all the Pewa tribes around Northern Lake. This made him content for many moon cycles. He and his people stayed in the north, not bothering Southern Lake. There was good hunting and fishing. The Pewas were easily assimilated into his culture. He knew his people had also changed for the better, learning things from the Pewas. He saw his women learn to grow and harvest foods. His men learned how to make and navigate the large war canoes. His people inter-married with the Pewas.

He remembered the day he had arrived at the Pewa's deserted village. He found Ur tied up and almost dead from his wounds. He had Ellerva untie and revive him. Ellerva was now Kanesat's woman. He already had a mate, so Ellerva was his mistress. As was her way, she didn't resist when he made it clear he wanted her. They found Gg's body on their way to the first Pewa village, so she knew he was dead. She knew she would have a good life with these people as the chief's mistress.

Kanesat saved Ur's life so he could learn more of what to expect from the Pewas. When he heard of the plan to unite all the Pewa tribes, he immediately set out in pursuit of Nanong. The Pewas never had a chance to talk long enough about uniting, before Kanesat attacked. He rapidly conquered one village after another.

He left some of his men and their women in each village and quickly moved on to the next. He threatened the leaders with total extermination of their village if they didn't obey the men he left behind. Soon he had all Pewa villages under his control.

_The Pewas don't resist me anymore_ , he thought. _I respect them after I conquer them. They are good people. I don't want to take their possessions or their women by force. All I want is control of the hunting grounds. They are smart enough to know nothing would be gained by fighting a losing battle_.

Kanesat didn't want to venture into Southern Lake. The territory surrounding Northern Lake was vast. He already had trouble maintaining control. He was glad to find the hunting and gathering of food around Northern Lake was very good. He had no urge to force his people to keep moving on, as they had in the past. He thought, _I probably would have left Southern Lake to the remaining Pewas and Magin, if it were not for Ur_.

Ur had not yet given up the idea he might get Vavana back. He was in one of the canoes, having been taught by Kanesat's new Pewa followers how to paddle and shoot a bow and arrow. He had been telling Kanesat stories about the riches of Maginaugh. He worked hard to get all the easterners excited about the Magin's ability to make iron weapons.

Finally he prevailed on Kanesat's curiosity, getting him to agree to put together this war party. Now Ur was smiling as he paddled. He looked forward to the coming battle with the enemy who had defeated him in the south.

Kanesat would have brought more men to the battle but he knew he needed most of them to stay in the northern villages to maintain control over the Pewas. Having chased Nanong for months now, he knew the 300 men he was leading today were more than twice the number in the small band Nanong was leading, so he wasn't worried. Ur told him to expect the Pewas would be united with the Magin, but only Magin women were left, since he killed all the men himself. Kanesat sailed around the island from the North and was not spotted until he was well down the western side.

Mindoregh always kept a guard in the Suonaugh tower these days. When the guard spotted the canoes, she ran down the steps and rang the bell. Mindoregh heard it and hurried to get her report.

"A large group of armed men in war canoes is approaching the harbor, my queen. They come from the North."

"Go tell Fewallo. Tell him to meet me on the path to the harbor with all the adult Magin, armed with bows and arrows. I will bring Nanong and his men."

The Magin, with help from the Pewas, had erected two new stone structures near the harbor, in the years since their return. It was Mindoregh's idea. Her purpose for the buildings was to aid in the defense of Maginaugh. She had them constructed with no windows, only slits for archers to fire from.

She met Nanong on the path on their way down to the harbor. "Get your archers into that building and I will take mine into this one," she said.

Once inside, she ordered her archers to take positions at the slits in the buildings. Then she went to Nanong's building. "Come with me to the harbor. Let's see if we can negotiate with them."

As the war canoes got closer, she could see Ur in the lead canoe. She could tell by his actions, shouting to the men around him and pointing at her, that he recognized her also. The easterners paddled faster now.

"Come Nanong, back to the defenses. There's no use trying to negotiate with Ur."

"I agree. Also every time the Easterners attacked a Pewa village, there was no chance to negotiate with them. They came in shooting. I never stayed to see how it ended, but I think they just keep on killing until all the warriors lay down their weapons and surrender."

They ran back toward the buildings. When they got close, Nanong shouted to the archers inside, "Fire at the easterners as they climb up onto the dock."

Nanong ran into one of the buildings and Mindoregh into the other. Kanesat led his fleet into Maginaugh harbor. As his men were getting out of their canoes, a hail of arrows came from the nearby buildings. The easterners were out in the open, trying to get onto the shore and tie up their canoes. They were easy targets. Many of them were shot down before they could get organized to strike back.

When she saw they finally had enough men ashore and were attacking her position, Mindoregh commanded her archers, "Retreat out the back doors and go back up the path to Suonaugh. Fewallo will have the defenses organized there."

Nanong gave the same command to the archers in his building. They ran up the hill with Kanesat and his men pursuing them. When they reached Suonaugh, those inside opened the gates for them. He and Mindoregh and their archers ran inside and the gates swung shut. As the easterners approached the gate, arrows flew at them from three sides.

Ur saw the Magin and Pewas had extended Suonaugh, so there were two protruding stone arms on each side of the big gate. These arms were rooms with small slits facing the center. Archers were inside shooting through the slits. There were also archers on the front wall of Suonaugh, shooting down at the attackers. Ur saw they were caught in crossfire from three sides.

"The islanders have changed everything," he said to Kanesat. "They shoot at your men from three sides now."

"Yes, this attack is hopeless. We are losing too many men."

He shouted to his men, "Retreat out of range."

~~~

That night Mindoregh and her family were eating their dinner with Nanong and Vavana, discussing what they should do. "The easterners are camped in front of Suonaugh, out of range," Nanong said. "We are safe for now, but it seems like a replay of Ur's attack when he and his men wiped out almost all Magin. We are badly outnumbered and will not be able to win a battle with the easterners."

"This time it will be different," Mindoregh said. "When they attack the front gate they will be surrounded on three sides by archers. They will never be able to bring a battering ram to the gate. We are a small group and the garden is doing well. We could stay inside these walls forever. We have a spring fed well dug inside so we will not lack for water. The deer are inside with us now, so we will have dairy products. The easterners will have to live off fish and not much else as long as they stay on the island."

"Yes Mindoregh, your plan was good," said Nanong. "They will not defeat us the way Ur did."

"I hope not," said Vavana. "Ur survived and has come with them. I am frightened."

Mindoregh nodded "You were right, Vavana. We're not finished with him yet."

Sashegh and Fennsen were quiet during the meal. They were not getting along very well these days. Fennsen knew she had someone else in her life. He avoided confronting her about it. When he was not being overly emotional, he knew he needed her to help him through life. He could not afford to leave her as long as she was willing to take care of him. He continued on this way, their marriage becoming worse each day.

Pieska was also there, sitting on her uncle Fewallo's lap. She adored him and he doted on her. Sashegh said, "Pass her to me. I think she needs feeding."

Suddenly the dinner conversation was interrupted by a loud clamor. Mindoregh ran out into the garden to see what it was. Pavegh saw her and went to her.

"What is happening, Pavegh?"

"Look up," Pavegh said.

It was dark. Mindoregh looked up into the night sky and saw tracers of flame arcing over the back wall of Suonaugh. Nanong came to her side.

"Those are flaming arrows," he said.

As Mindoregh watched, the fiery arrows rained down onto the wooden roofs of the social hall and council chamber. They caught fire and soon both buildings were in flames. People started to run for water but Mindoregh shouted to them, "No, let the fires burn. We need the water for drinking."

The easterners were attacking the back wall where there would be no archers shooting at them from three sides. They had rawhide ropes with bundles of sticks tied to them. The ropes were tossed over the back wall and the sticks hooked on the top of the wall. The easterners started to ascend the ropes. Fewallo, with his sharp eyes, spotted the stick bundles hooked over the wall and knew what was happening.

He told Nanong, "They are coming at us from the rear. Get the archers and bring them here."

As the easterners started to come over the wall, they were illuminated by the firelight from the two burning roofs. The Pewa archers picked them off easily. More came over and a few dropped down into Suonaugh, only to be shot down. After a short one-sided battle, the easterners gave up this attack and retreated again.

"As you can see Mindoregh," said Nanong, "there is no way they will win."

"We cannot win either, Nanong," she replied. "We are trapped inside Suonaugh and cannot leave as long as they surround us."

"Don't worry, they will go away eventually. They will run out of food before we do."

The flames finished burning the roofs off the council chamber and social hall. Everything got quiet again. Eventually the people inside Suonaugh went to sleep, leaving guards posted on rotating shifts through the night. In the morning when Mindoregh looked out from the top of one of the watchtowers, there was no sign of the easterners.

~~~

Kanesat took his men deep into the woods where they could not be seen. They made their camp on either side of the path down to the harbor and dug in for a long siege. A week after the attack on the back wall, Kanesat met with his six man council. They discussed the situation. Two of them wanted to abandon the battle and go back north. The other four wanted to know how Kanesat proposed to get inside Suonaugh.

Kanesat shook his head. "I don't plan on getting inside. We will wait here and they will eventually come out to us and surrender."

"They evidently have sources of renewable food and water inside," said one of his counselors. They aren't worried about running out. We on the other hand have only the little food we brought with us. I haven't seen any game since we came to this wretched island."

"You're right," said Kanesat. "Therefore, I want a small hunting party to take two canoes to the mainland and bring us back some meat."

He selected a hunting party of eight men and ordered them to go at once.

From his post in the watchtower, Fewallo saw their canoes sailing for the western shore. He ran down the stairs and reported this to his mother. "They won't go hungry, mother. They are going to bring back food from the mainland."

She sighed and said, "Then it will be a very long siege indeed."

Mindoregh didn't totally relax when Kanesat didn't attack Suonaugh again. She knew he and his men were camped near the path leading to the main gate of Suonaugh. Week after week they sat outside the walls in the forest. She knew her people and the Pewas were tired of the confinement and wanted to be free to venture out.

Weeks passed and the guards in the watchtowers reported to her they had not seen the easterners. Mindoregh was not sure they were still there, so she sent out a scouting party of three single Magin women. They never returned.

Mindoregh decided not to send out scouting parties again. She knew the Easterners would wait outside the gate for years if necessary, until the Magin and Pewas tired of being prisoners in their own fortress. She called a meeting of her new council.

She looked at them gathered before her. Of the original six councilwomen, only Pavegh and Juttegh were left. Mindoregh knew they had both been slaves to Ur's men and like her, they were raped several times while captives. Hannelegh, Juvane, and Unelli had all died fighting alongside their husbands in the first battle with the southerners. She knew Ellerva had joined with the southerners. Four of her current councilwomen were newly appointed members: Sashegh, Laina, Noora, and Mirja. Mindoregh put Sashegh on the council to teach her how decisions were made by the Magin council, to prepare her for the day when she would be queen.

"The Easterners will never leave," Mindoregh said at the beginning of the meeting. "We are their prisoners already. They keep us from coming and going. The Pewas crave fish to eat and have not had any for many moon cycles. Several of our women are pregnant. If we want our population to grow, and I do, we will soon be too many to live inside Suonaugh. This is no life for a free people."

"I agree," said Sashegh. "I can't stand this life anymore."

She had not been able to be with Nammi since they started living inside Suonaugh. Sashegh was thinking, _Whenever I talk to Nammi, mother scowls at me. I haven't made love with Nammi in many weeks_.

Pavegh spoke next, asking Mindoregh, "I don't like being a prisoner either but what are our choices? Do you think we should surrender to the Easterners?"

"I think we should find out what they want from us," said Mindoregh. I propose to send out one more volunteer, this time openly. When she is captured, she will learn the easterners' language and ask them what they want as terms of surrender. Then she will ask to be allowed to return to us, to let us know our fate."

"I will go mother," Sashegh said.

This caught Mindoregh by surprise and she didn't respond immediately. She thought, _Although I hate to send my only daughter on such a dangerous mission, I am pleased to find she has such unexpected courage. It might be good to let our people see her do this brave thing, if she is to lead them one day_.

"Why do you want to do this Sashegh? It is dangerous. You might be kept by them as a slave like I was."

"I'm tired of being a prisoner inside these walls and not being able to do anything about it. I will tell the leader of the easterners, I am the queen's daughter and a member of the council. I will tell him, if he can negotiate the terms of our surrender with me, I can assure him you and the council will accept his terms."

Pavegh asked, "What if the terms are unacceptable?"

"I will say I agree to them no matter what they are. My main objective is to find out what they want and come back to tell you. I will lie to him if necessary."

"Very well then," said Mindoregh. "If this is what you want, you may go tomorrow morning."

Pavegh took both Sashegh's hands in hers and said, "You are a dear friend. I wish you were not going. I will pray for your safe return to us. Do you want me to take care of Pieska tomorrow?"

"No she has her father and uncle to watch over her. She will be fine."

~~~

In the morning, one of Kanesat's guards saw the gate of Suonaugh swing open. A beautiful young fair haired woman walked out unescorted and unarmed. He ran back to the camp and reported this. Ur was sitting with Kanesat and said, "She must be one of the islanders. Some of them have very light hair."

"Perhaps she comes to see if she can negotiate with me," Kanesat said. "Bring her here."

Sashegh was walking slowly down the path through the woods toward the harbor. She was more frightened than she had ever been in her life. She volunteered to do this, thinking if the siege could be ended, she might have a chance to be with Nammi again. Now she regretted her decision.

She was thinking, _I am all alone with enemies all around me. No one can protect me here. I am at their mercy and have no reason to believe they will be merciful_.

Her worry came to life as three of Kanesat's men jumped out of the woods and grabbed her. She could tell from the few words they spoke to each other, their language was similar to the Pewas, so she spoke to them in Pewa.

"I am the daughter of the leader of our people and have come to negotiate with your leader," she said.

They didn't bother answering her. Instead they bound her hands behind her with rawhide and put a noose around her neck. The noose was attached to a leash. They used this to lead her to Kanesat. He was seated on a rock. The men who had captured her pushed her down onto her knees at his feet.

One of them said, "She speaks our language and says she wants to negotiate with you."

He looked at her and asked. "Among your people do women typically negotiate with men?"

"Among our people, women are the leaders, so, yes women must always be involved whenever there are negotiations."

"Am I supposed to believe you are a leader of your people? It is ridiculous. You are too young."

"I may be young but I am the daughter of the queen of our people and I am on her council. Any peace I negotiate with you will be honored."

Kanesat spat on the ground between his feet and Sashegh's knees. "I don't have to negotiate. You have no choice but to surrender under whatever terms I give you."

"I know. If we didn't realize that, I would not have been sent. The question is, are your terms decent? If they are, we will surrender to you now. If they are not, we will wait you out until you are willing to give us better terms."

Kanesat was not cruel like Ur, but he did not like the way Sashegh spoke to him. It angered him. He got up and struck her in the mouth with his fist, drawing blood and knocking her to the ground.

"Do not dare to speak to me as if you were an equal. You are only a young foolish girl. Do not think you can tell me what you will or will not do. You will do whatever I tell you, understand?"

"Yes, I understand," she said as she wiped the blood from her lip.

"Get on your knees before me again."

Without waiting for her to comply, he grabbed a fistful of her blonde hair and pulled her up onto her knees. Tears welled in her eyes but she didn't cry.

"Now listen and remember. Then go back and tell your people what Kanesat demands of them. Every person on this island must pledge their loyalty to me. What do you call this place?"

"It is Maginaugh, home of the Magin."

"Maginaugh now belongs to me and my people. It's part of our territory. Your leaders will be subordinate to me and follow my orders. We will keep an armed group of my people here to assure your continued loyalty. At any time, if needed, I may command you to send food, tools, women, or warriors to one of my other villages. Any of your people who fail to comply with these demands will be killed."

He pulled on her hair again making her look up into his eyes. "Repeat what I said."

She repeated it word for word to him.

"Good. Tell your people what I have told you. Tell them we will be here when they are ready to surrender on my terms. There will be no further talks."

He pulled her up to her feet. He left her hands bound behind her and the noose around her neck. Turning her around, he pushed her forward and said, "Go now."

Ur was hiding behind a big rock, watching and listening to everything they said. Sashegh was the first woman he had seen who was more beautiful than Vavana. Her golden hair fascinated and aroused him. _I must have her_ , he thought.

He followed her up the path toward Suonaugh. He took care to avoid being spotted by Kanesat's guards and was satisfied no one had seen him following the girl. _Kanesat did me a favor tying her wrists behind her back. This is going to be very easy. It has been many moon cycles since I was last with a woman. I deserve this. After I have my fun with her I will send her back to her people as Kanesat wanted. He won't know of the delay_.

When he was out of earshot from Kanesat's camp, Ur came up and grabbed Sashegh from behind. His hands were on her breasts. She screamed and tried to get loose but he was too strong for her. He squeezed her breasts harder, causing her pain. She knew the more she struggled the worse he would hurt her.

She was dressed like a Pewa as usual, in deerskin shirt and leggings and nothing else. His hands went to the neckline of her shirt and he tore it down the middle, exposing her breasts. As he mauled them, he pressed his body against her buttocks. He was naked and she felt his erection grow against her backside.

She screamed again in Magin, "Help me Fewallo. Please help me."

Ur had carefully chosen this spot. He knew it was too far from the easterner's camp or the islander's fortress for either side to hear her screams. He took hold of the leash and pulled on it, tightening the noose around her neck. He tugged downward on it forcing her onto her knees. With his other hand he pulled her thigh out to one side, making her open and vulnerable for the assault he planned. He saw the hair between her legs was golden blond just like the hair on her head. This aroused him even more.

He went down on one knee behind her and took his hard shaft in one hand, keeping hold of the noose around her neck so she couldn't escape. He put his manhood between her legs and rubbed it against the soft lips of her vagina. He pushed into her. Just as he felt himself enter her folds, he heard a woman behind him scream, "Nooooooo!"

Both his hands were busy with Sashegh and he was in too awkward of a position to be able to defend himself. He never had a chance to see his attacker before he felt cold sharp iron slicing through the skin at his throat, cutting into his jugular vein. He could feel death overtaking him. His sight grew dim and he fell to the ground, blood spurting out from the open vein through the gap the knife made in his throat.

Sashegh felt the noose around her neck go slack. She crawled on hands and knees away from Ur. She looked back and saw Nammi smiling at her. "Oh Nammi, thank you," she sobbed.

Nammi came to her and untied her hands. They hugged, both crying. "I never killed anyone before, but I couldn't let him do that to you. When I saw you going out the gate by yourself, I worried what might happen to you. I went over the wall when no one was looking and have been watching you ever since. I saw this man following you, but he never saw me."

"You saved me. He was raping me. He had already started to enter me, hurting me because I was dry and he's so big. Look what he did to the beautiful shirt you made me."

"Shhh, do not cry, It is over now. You're safe and that's what matters most to me. I will make you another shirt. Put your arm around my shoulder. I will help you back to Suonaugh."

"Wait Nammi. What is that he is wearing around his neck?"

"It looks like a ring, a woman's ring judging by the size, set with the most beautiful gemstones I have ever seen."

"That's my mother's ring! This must be Ur. Mother said he took it from her after he raped her and wore it as a symbol of her defeat."

Nammi cut the rawhide thong with her knife and handed the ring to Sashegh. "Now you can give it back to her and let her know her the monster who raped her and tried to rape you is dead."

From the archer's ledge on the front wall of Suonaugh, Mindoregh saw her daughter staggering back toward the gate, Nammi holding her up. She had not seen Nammi leave and was surprised to see the two of them returning together. When they got closer, Mindoregh saw Sashegh's torn shirt and bloody lip. She climbed down and ran out of the gate to Sashegh.

"What happened to you? Are you alright? Did the easterners hurt you?"

"Their leader hit me, but that was not the worst part. On the way back, I was attacked by a big naked savage. He tried to rape me and almost did. Nammi came behind him as he was pushing into me and slit his throat."

Mindoregh had a feeling she knew who the man was. "What did he look like? Was he bigger than any of the easterners?"

Nammi said, "Yes. He was much bigger and more muscular than any man I have ever seen before. His face was hard and cruel looking."

"I think it was Ur."

Sashegh said, "Yes mother, it was him. Look." She opened her hand to show Mindoregh her long lost gemstone ring.

Mindoregh burst into tears. She reached out, took the ring, and put it on her finger. Looking at it, she could hardly believe her eyes. "Oh the memories this brings back, from the day when Janno and I exchanged these rings at our marriage ceremony, to the nights when I had to look at Ur wearing it as he lay on top of me, raping me.

She turned to Nammi and took her hand. "Sashegh was lucky you were there. If he knew she was my daughter, he would have made sure to hurt her badly just to punish me. Thank you for rescuing her, Nammi. How did you happen to be nearby?"

"I followed her when she left Suonaugh. I was worried. I know you don't approve of our relationship, but I love and care for her. It would kill me if anything happened to her."

"It touches my heart to hear this Nammi. I would not disapprove of the love you two have for each other if she was not married to Fensenn and heir to my crown. She has responsibilities to her people. But let us not argue about such things now. I am grateful to you for saving her from Ur. When you left him was he still alive?"

"No. His heart had stopped beating. Ur is dead. He will not hurt Sashegh or you or anyone else ever again."

Mindoregh smiled, showing her satisfaction and gratitude. She gave Nammi a huge hug and said, "I understand why Sashegh loves you. You have rid the world of a great evil."

## Chapter 20: Planning an Escape

Mindoregh made up her mind to leave Maginaugh. What had happened to Sashegh, the way Kanesat treated her, prompted her to make her decision. This time she knew it would be forever. She felt there would never be any hope of peace for her people in this part of the world. For the first time ever, she decided not to discuss her plans at a formal council meeting.

She thought, I think _Fennsen has completed one boat. The sleeping compartments will accommodate ten adults plus infants if they have any. Sashegh, Fennsen and their daughter Pieska could be in one compartment. I know Fewallo is sleeping with Pavegh, and Pavegh is pregnant. They could have a cabin. I will pick a Magin woman who is pregnant to share my compartment. That leaves two more compartments. Perhaps I will take the other four council women: Juttegh, Laina, Noora, and Mirja. These are the people I feel closest to after Nanong, Vavana, and my children. The first person I will tell of my decision is Fennsen_.

She went to Fennsen and asked, "Did you finish the ship you started working on before we were attacked?"

"Yes. I have it anchored in a cove on the northeast side of the island as you suggested. I stocked it with dried food and warm clothing."

"How did you manage to get it there?"

"I built it there with help from Mirja and Laina. It was finished before the easterners came. When it was done, Mirja and Laina rolled it into the water on some logs. We had help from some of the Pewa men. I thought it might be a good idea to have a ship anchored in a place far away from the harbor, in case we were attacked again. I didn't want to see you captured again my queen. It was difficult but it's done now."

"Good. Tell Sashegh I have decided who will go on the boat. I will tell the others. We will all meet tonight."

"I will tell Sashegh but would like to give you some advice if you don't mind."

"No go ahead, Fennsen, speak your mind."

"I know your intent is to rebuild the Magin culture somewhere else on this planet. It will be hard to do with only ten of us onboard. If Fewallo fathers all the next generation, the children of the following generations will be inbred."

"You should father some of them. I don't know why I didn't think of it before now. I guess I was too preoccupied with my desire for Sashegh to have your baby, to worry about the other Magin women. I will make her understand it's in the best interests of the future of our people for you to sleep with other Magin women."

"Mindoregh, we both know Pieska is not my child. Pieska proves Sashegh is capable of having children but I'm not. You need to take some other men with you. I will not do you any good."

"Then what should I do? There are no other Magin men, only you and Fewallo. I don't know for certain Pieska isn't yours. Sashegh told me she never slept with any other man, only you."

"Look at the child's thick, shiny, black hair Mindoregh. Has there ever been a Magin baby born with such hair? I am certain Sashegh's baby is part Pewa. If you take Sashegh, Pieska, and me, you will have at least one person along who is not pure Magin. Also, you have another granddaughter who is part Pewa: Nadole's daughter Temega. Do you not want her to come with us?

"I am not going to take a Pewa woman along with us and I will not separate the child from her mother. Are you suggesting I take a Pewa man along to prevent inbreeding among our group?"

"Something like that, yes, but not necessarily. You could take Magin women who are pregnant by Pewa men. You could take Nanong, Vavana, and their infant son. There will be no place for them here among the easterners and they have been good friends to us."

"You give me a lot to think about Fennsen and I thank you. I don't understand why you feel this way. I would think you would hate all Pewas, knowing your wife slept with one."

"She slept with more than one. She has a female lover who I know she still cares for and she has a baby from sleeping with a Pewa man. I don't blame all the Pewas for her misdeeds. I blame her. Sashegh never really loved me the way she loves Nammi. We don't have a good marriage. She only married me because it's what you asked of her. This doesn't make the Pewas bad people.

"I lived with them and fought with them for several moon cycles. I know we can learn much from them. A culture based on the best things about ours and the best of theirs would be very strong. I would like to see our new culture survive into the future and I know you would too. My hope is, if Sashegh's lovers don't come along, I will finally have all of her. I will have my chance to make her love me."

"Bring Sashegh with you to dinner tonight in the new social hall. I want to discuss this with my family."

After he left her, she sought out Nanong. She found him up on the platform by the front gate, watching the path. She climbed up the ladder and stood next to him.

"You know we cannot win this battle," she said.

"I know. There are too many of them. If we leave Suonaugh, they will overcome us."

"Have you heard Kanesat's terms of surrender?"

"Yes. Sashegh told Nammi, Nammi told Vavana, and Vavana told me. It will not be too hard for most of my people. At least he will not kill our men like Ur killed yours and our women will be free, not slaves.

"What about you and Vavana? You were both great leaders of your people. Will you be satisfied being subservient to Kanesat?"

"No, I will never accept him as my leader. Vavana and I have been talking of going over the wall at night and running away together if you decide to surrender."

"Only the two of you, alone? You would not have much of a life."

"Being free with Vavana and our son is all the life I will ever need."

"I will not surrender either, Nanong, for much the same reasons. I will not be subject to Kanesat's orders."

"Don't tell me you are going over the wall too," he laughed. "I don't think you will get very far on your own."

"I will not be going alone. I am having a dinner gathering in the social hall tonight to discuss my plans. Will you and Vavana please join us?"

"Yes but first tell me more. You and I need to discuss whatever you have in mind without others around."

"I'm not sure what I have in mind yet, Nanong. I only started thinking about this today. I can tell you I have a new boat completed and hidden away in a cove on the northeast shore of the island. I have decided to sail it far away from here, to the other side of Eastern Lake and beyond. I want to find a more private place where there will not be so many people around us, warring with each other and getting us involved in their wars."

"Yes, I know, it is my fault for coming to Maginaugh with Vavana when we escaped the southerners. I brought death and destruction down on your people in the form of Ur."

She shook her head, took his hand, smiled at him, and said, "I think Ur would have come to Maginaugh anyway, to find the 'water monster.' You needed my help and I was happy to give it. You have been a good friend ever since, the best I have ever had. You saved me from Ur. It's horrible what happened to my people but I blame him for that, not you."

He reached out and took her other hand, holding them both tight in his own. She looked into his eyes and thought to herself, _If he was not married to Vavana I would want to be more than his friend. The feelings I have for him are deeper than ordinary friendship. I understand Sashegh's feelings better now and can't blame her. It's possible to love someone, to desire them, even when you know it's wrong. The mind cannot tell the heart who to love_.

Nanong felt the emotion pass between them. Her hands made his tingle. She saw a hungry look in his eyes and thought, " _If he tries to kiss me I will let him_."

He pulled away and said, "Who would you take with you? Not many could fit in one boat."

"Yes, that's the problem I want to discuss tonight over dinner. At first I thought I would take my children, Sashegh's husband, and my council women. Now I'm not so sure. Would you and Vavana like to come with us?"

Nanong was taken aback by this sudden, unexpected offer. "I thought you desired a pure Magin culture."

"I thought I did too, but I have come to realize that's not possible anymore and probably not even desirable. Perhaps the best we can do is to build a new kind of culture, one that is the best parts of yours and mine."

"Other Pewas will go too?"

"Sashegh's baby is half Pewa. I would be willing to take another Pewa man or couple if you know any you would like to accompany us."

"No I don't. I think most of our people have a deep love for their home country north of here and would like to return there. Perhaps they will after we surrender, if Kanesat will allow it."

"Think more on this Nanong. Bring Vavana to dinner tonight and we will all discuss it."

~~~

Mindoregh invited Fewallo, Pavegh, Sashegh, Fennsen, Nanong, and Vavana to a private dinner in the remains of the social hall that night. She served a simple meal of bread, cheese, and fruit. After they all finished eating, she tapped her cup to get everyone's attention.

"I have something serious I want to discuss with all of you," she began. "As you all know, Fennsen has completed building a boat just like the ones we used to have before Ur destroyed them. I intend to go over the wall one dark night, taking all of you and a few others with me. We will go to where the boat is hidden and sail away from here, never to return. Do you all agree to come with me?"

Sashegh asked, "When will we go and who else would come?"

"One of the things I want to discuss is who else we should take. We will go as soon as that is decided. There are seven of us here. The boat has room for only three more adults. Your babies will come along of course, two adults and one infant to a cabin. Another woman can share my cabin and that leaves one cabin left for two women or a couple."

Vavana spoke up. "Nanong told me of your offer to take us along. We accept. All of you in this room have been such good friends to us. However, I want to ask you one thing that bothers me. How do you feel about the Magin women you will be leaving behind? What if some of them would like to go with you? Nanong and I will feel badly taking the place of two of them."

"I will feel terrible about leaving behind any Magin women that want to come with us, but it can't be helped. Even if you and Nanong didn't come, there still would not be room for all 27 of them. We also have to consider the future, wherever we go."

She turned to Fennsen and said, "Pardon me for saying this publically but, if Nanong doesn't come, Fewallo will be the only male onboard capable of fathering children. I am even considering bringing another Pewa male along, perhaps one that has a Magin woman as his mate. We don't want future generations of the culture we are going to build to be inbred."

Fewallo said, "You can count me and Pavegh in mother. What about Nadole and her daughter, your grandchild. Do you not want them along?"

"Temega is your daughter Fewallo. That would not help with the inbreeding problem. With only three berths left, we need to focus on getting others on board who will give us babies who will not be related to you."

Nanong broke in, "I still say you will have trouble finding any Pewa men, other than me, who will want to go with you. I know you are planning to sail far away from all the big lakes, taking us far to the East. I don't think any of my people would accept this. They are deeply attached to their homeland. It will also be hard on Vavana and me. We only want to go because we could not stay as subjects of Kanesat. We will not be anyone's subjects, not even yours."

"I understand and respect that Nanong. At least Vavana's son will give us babies in the future. Perhaps she will have more sons. If I cannot find any Magin women who have a Pewa mate they want to bring along, I will look for ones who are pregnant and carrying a half Pewa baby.

"Now, how about you Sashegh? How do you feel about all this? Everyone here knows you have a Pewa lover. Fennsen wants to come and I command you to come. It is your duty as heir to the crown. Will you be able to leave your lover and obey my command?"

Sashegh was taken aback by her mother's directness. "I don't know what to say mother. Will you give me some time to think about this, while you determine who else will be coming with us?"

"I take this as your refusal Sashegh, and am very disappointed in you. No one has ever defied one of my commands since the time I was crowned."

"No mother, it is not a refusal or disobedience. I need time to think before I answer your question."

"We are in desperate times now, daughter. There is no time for pretense or false politeness, for the sake of getting along. I have to know who shares my vision and will help to make it real. I need to know who will obey me without question."

Nanong broke in again. "As I told you, Vavana and I will not be subject to anyone, not even you. We appreciate the offer to go. It's your boat and while we are onboard we will do whatever you ask of us. After we are settled in some new place, will we be free to do what we want, even if it goes against your wishes?

"Not that we plan to do anything against your wishes. You and I are very close Mindoregh and we see things the same way. I doubt you will ever have trouble convincing me to go along with any plan of yours. But I will maintain my independence and that of my mate and any other Pewa who comes along and will follow me. I am the last remaining independent Pewa chief and intend to remain that way."

Mindoregh laughed a happy good-natured laugh, surprising everyone and breaking the tension in the room. "Well, I guess I better get used to having my commands ignored then, between you and my daughter. Very well, I still want you both to come with me. I have Nanong's answer. Will I have yours by tomorrow Sashegh?"

Sashegh nodded but didn't smile. "Yes mother."

~~~

Mindoregh went to every Magin woman who she knew had a Pewa lover. She told them of her plan and how she wanted to take one more Pewa man along. She asked them to let her know if their men were interested in coming. There were twice the number of women on the island as men, so she was not surprised to find only six of the women had permanent Pewa lovers. Of these six women, three of them were the young women she had recently appointed to her council: Laina, Noora and Mirja. In talking to them she discovered all three were recently pregnant.

All six women returned to her and said their lovers would not leave their homeland. They would rather stay and be subjects of Kanesat. They had all been with Nanong from the beginning and now they were tired of running. The women told Mindoregh their men had asked them to stay.

Mindoregh knew what she wanted when she heard this. _I will bring along three pregnant Magin women carrying Pewa babies. It seems clear to me, choosing the three council women is the right thing to do. I appointed them because of their wisdom and good judgment. I think these women and their half breed children would make an excellent foundation for the new culture._

I will not make it their choice, I will command them to come. It will be hard on them to leave their husbands, but it is their duty. None of the other Magin women are pregnant now, so it has to be them.

She went to Mirja first, the youngest of the three, and said, "None of the Pewa men want to come with us. You must come without your husband. It is my command as your queen. I am sorry if it's hard on you. Will you do it for the sake of our people? If we all stay here, the Magin culture will disappear entirely, as we intermarry more and more with the easterners in future generations."

"Why did you choose me?"

"I have space for three more. There are only three Magin women who are pregnant. You are one of them. Having three more babies will give us a head start on rebuilding our civilization somewhere else."

"Will I have no man then? That would be hard."

"I cannot say for sure but I think the men will have to be shared as there will only be three and they all have wives. It is in everyone's best interests to share and for the wives not to be jealous. I will try to convince everyone of this."

"If I could be with Fewallo sometimes it might not be so bad. I heard some of the women say he's very good. I am not really deeply in love with my Pewa lover. I just needed a man and he wanted me. I don't want to be a Pewa, I prefer the Magin ways. I will come with you."

Laina also agreed to go because Mirja was her best friend. She told Mindoregh she felt the same about not wanting to become a Pewa. Noora was more reluctant. She said she had a deep love for her Pewa mate and would be heartbroken if she left him.

She said to Mindoregh, "It's not fair. He will never see his child."

"He is welcome to come with us if he wants to. I would gladly take him instead of one of the other women. You two could share a compartment."

"He will not come. He is adamant. I want to stay here with him. Do you command me to come with you?"

"Yes, Noora, I'm sorry but I must have you with me. We need your Pewa baby to help us start over in a new land."

"I will obey you my queen, although it breaks my heart to leave my man."

Sashegh went to Nammi openly, not caring now whether she was seen by her mother or Fennsen. She said, "Mother is commanding me to sail away with her, Nammi. I told her I needed time to think, before giving her my answer. Now it is time to ask you what our future will be, if I stay here with you, defying my mother. Could I live with you and Neolin and share his bed with you?"

Nammi's eyes were downcast. "No Sashegh, I'm sorry but that will never happen. Neolin is open-minded and does not mind me having you as a lover, but he doesn't know of my deep love for you. If you lived with us, he would see how it is between us and he wouldn't like it. He would be jealous. I am afraid he would leave me. I love him Sashegh. I need him. I won't risk losing him, even for you. I'm so sorry."

Nammi began to weep. Sashegh hugged her and started crying too.

Nammi pleaded, "Please stay here anyway? You could live with Pieska by yourself and I would come and be with you often. Sometimes you could be with me and Neolin, if you would be careful not to say you love me."

"You have to understand, Nammi. If I stay here, I will never see my mother and brother again. I will be defying the queen of my people, not just my mother. Magins never do that. You are asking much of me and giving little. What you describe doesn't sound like much of a life for me. If I was living here by myself, one of Kanesat's men might want me for his wife. I wouldn't like that."

"Then I guess you are telling me this is goodbye now, Sashegh. Thank you for all the wonderful times we had together. I will always love you."

"I don't know if I can stand to say goodbye, Nammi. May I speak to Neolin before I leave? I promise to be careful and not tell him I love you."

Wiping away her tears Nammi said, "Yes, come, let us talk with him now."

"Let me get Pieska first. I want him to see her one more time."

Sashegh went to Fennsen and took Pieska from him. She said, "I am going to take her to see her father one last time.

She turned on her heel and walked away without giving him a chance to object or question her. She went to Nammi and Neolin's tent and found them sitting together. Neolin smiled at her and said, "Nammi told me about her conversation with you. I am happy you brought Pieska. Come sit with us and let me hold her."

Sashegh sat next to Neolin. Nammi was on his other side. She passed Pieska to him and watched as he and Nammi laughed and played with the infant. She could see how much Neolin loved the child.

As if reading her mind, Nammi said to her, "Would you consider leaving Pieska with us when you go? I know how hard it would be for you but she is Neolin's child as much as yours and I would be a good mother to her. It would mean a lot to me. It would be like I still had a part of you to love."

Sashegh was shocked, for more than one reason. She said, "You made me promise not to speak of our love in front of Neolin. Now you ask me to give up my only child for the sake of that love?"

"I am sorry Sashegh. I spoke without thinking. My feelings came rushing out but I know it was wrong. Forgive me. You are leaving and Neolin need not be jealous of you. He will have all of me now. As for Pieska, I'm sorry I asked for her. It was wrong of me. Forget I did, please."

Neolin said, "I have known you two love each other for a long time now. I don't mind. I have all I need from Nammi and don't mind sharing her love with you Sashegh. I do wish you would think seriously about leaving Pieska with us. She is my daughter too and I love her. It would break my heart to never see her again. I have no other children. My first wife died in childbirth and it looks like Nammi is barren. Pieska is the only child I am likely to have. We would take very good care of her."

"I do not know Neolin. It is a hard thing to ask of me. I do love Nammi deeply. If it's what she wants, it is hard for me to deny her. Let me think on it."

She turned to Nammi. "Neolin says he does not mind that we love each other. I ask again, may I please live with you two? If you say yes, I will not go on the ship."

Nammi cried hard hearing this. "Oh Sashegh, I'm so sorry. It would be too complicated for me. It was my feeling all along that I could not accept sharing Neolin with you, living as a threesome in the same tent. I do love you but I cannot share his love with you. I'm being honest. I want you to stay, but not to live with us. I hope you understand."

Sashegh didn't understand. She was heartbroken. She wept silently for a while and then took Pieska back from Neolin and left.

She went back to her mother and told her she had made up her mind. "I will do as you ask mother. I will come with you."

"Good. The others have all agreed to come as well, so our company is complete. We will go soon. Say your goodbyes tomorrow."

Sashegh thought of telling her mother she had decided to leave Pieska with Nammi. She thought she would do it for Neolin's sake as well as Nammi's. _This way_ , she thought, _Pieska will have both a mother and her real father. A girl needs her father. I miss mine so much_. She could not bring herself to tell her mother, knowing the reaction it would bring. _I will have to find a way to make her think I am bringing Pieska onboard. I will let her believe this until it is too late to go back_.

~~~

Kanesat had not been idle. He had all his men hunt flint and make thousands of new arrows. They worked for weeks until he had an enormous stockpile. One night as they lay together, Ellerva asked him, "Why are the men making so many arrows?"

"We have enough now. Come with me tomorrow and you will see."

When they woke the next morning, Ellerva made him a breakfast of whitefish cooked in seagull egg batter on a hot stone. When he finished eating he called his leaders together.

"We will surround the fortress on all sides except the front. On the other three sides we can get close enough to shoot arrows up over the walls. Have your men fire, reload and fire again as rapidly as possible, letting their arrows arc down inside the fortress. We will rain arrows down upon them. When they climb up onto the walls, retreat back into the forest. Then we will wait until nightfall and do it again when they cannot see us approaching the walls. We will repeat this every night. Some of our arrows will find some of them and they will not want to continue this siege."

He sent a third of the men to the left wall and a third to the right. The rest he took to the back wall. They stayed in the forest, keeping out of sight. When he was in position, he made a song bird call. The men knew this as his signal. They ran out of the woods, up to the wall, and began to shoot arrows over it.

There were no buildings with roofs remaining on them inside Suonaugh anymore. The roofs had been burned away with flaming arrows. Now there was no place for anyone to hide when Kanesat's men fired their arrows. The hail of arrows was thick. The enemy had surrounded Suonaugh with hundreds of archers on three sides. It was random chance who was struck and who survived.

Fewallo was in the watchtower and saw them running out of the woods. He rang the meeting bell and archers, both men and women, went to their positions, some on the walls and others in the buildings surrounding the gate. Fewallo saw, by the time the archers were in position to fire, the easterners had fired several volleys into Suonaugh and several inside were hit. They lay on the ground, wounded or dead. As soon as the archers on the walls started to fire, Fewallo saw the easterners retreating back into the woods. Only a few were hit. _This better not happen too many times_ , he thought.

Mindoregh found Nanong and said, "We must keep the archers up on the wall at all times now. If they come down, Kanesat will bring his men out of the woods and shoot at us again. If he keeps this up, we will all be killed eventually."

"Yes, but we cannot keep the archers up there forever. They will have to sleep. I think Kanesat knows this and will attack again when it's dark, hoping our lookouts will not spot his men before they can shoot their arrows."

"We will keep torches on the walls and have half the archers sleep while the others keep standing at their places on the platforms. When they attack and the arrows start flying, we will ring the meeting bell, wake our sleeping archers, and throw torches down on the attackers to light our targets. In the meantime, we should get ready to go to the ship now."

"It will be difficult with Kanesat's men surrounding the walls."

"They are not at the front gate. We will go through the gate at night and sneak around them to the east."

"If we are going, we should go tonight, Mindoregh. The sooner we go, the sooner our people can surrender and the fewer will lose their lives."

"I agree. Who shall we put in charge to surrender to Kanesat?"

"I will put Neolin in charge of the Pewas. He already knows of our plans. Sashegh talked to Nammi and him yesterday. He came straight to me asking if it was true I was leaving and what our people should do after I am gone. I told him my council agreed he is to be chief after I leave.

"You are not taking all your council women with us. One is left. I know her. Her name is Juttegh. She is one of your oldest and most trusted council members. Leave her in charge of the Magin. She can surrender your people to Kanesat."

"No Nanong that won't work. First of all, it is clear from Sashegh's meeting with Kanesat, he does not respect women the way you do. He does not find them credible as leaders. Also, the Magin have always been ruled as a monarchy and Juttegh is not of royal lineage. She cannot be a Magin leader. I think we should call a meeting of all our people this afternoon and tell them our plans. I will tell the Magin women they must obey Neolin's orders now."

"I suppose you are right about all of this, Mindoregh. It's sad things have come to this."

"Yes it is. Give me a hug now please, so I will have strength to do what must be done."

He held her long in his arms, feeling her warmth, her breasts pressed against his chest. He felt a stirring of his manhood and was sure she could feel it pressed against her, as he held her close. He wanted to kiss her, but didn't. He kept his love of Vavana firm in his mind. He held her until she finally pulled away and said, "Thank you Nanong. You are very dear to me."

Nanong went around Suonaugh, telling all the people, including the archers on the walls, there would be a short meeting midafternoon at the back wall. Then he went to be with his own family, getting them ready for the escape that night. Mindoregh told Mirja, Noora, and Laina to be ready to go by nightfall. Lastly, she told Sashegh and Fewallo to be ready to go soon.

Sashegh felt panicked now. The time was so short. Soon they would be on the boat and she would never see Nammi again. She had to talk to her one last time.

On the way to Nammi, Sashegh had second thoughts. _The last time I talked to her, she told me she didn't want me to live with them. Neolin made it clear it's not because he would mind. He knows Nammi and I are in love and it doesn't bother him. It's Nammi who doesn't want to share him with me as a life partner. She only wants me as a lover sometimes, not as one of a threesome of life mates. If I go to her now, I will only be hurt more_.

She went back to Fennsen and Pieska and began packing one small bag of clothes for the trip. She was still thinking about leaving Pieska with Neolin, but was undecided. She had lunch with Fennsen and fed Pieska.

Fewallo came to them and said, "Mother is gathering the people now."

Fennsen said, "Come Sashegh, let us go hear Mindoregh's speech,"

She put Pieska in his lap and wheeled his chair to the place at the back of Suonaugh where people were gathering around Mindoregh. A few of the archers stayed on their platforms, in case of attack, but Sashegh could tell they were listening as Mindoregh began her talk.

"My people and my Pewa friends, hear me well. This may be the last time I will speak to some of you. The time has come for us to surrender to Kanesat. We cannot win this battle. He will kill us a few at a time. In a few hours it will be dark. Nanong and I believe they plan to shoot arrows into Suonaugh as we sleep tonight. We will surprise them and buy some time. But tomorrow, I think we should surrender to them.

"It will not be horrible like it was when Ur took us captive. Ur is dead now, killed by Nammi. All his men are dead too. The easterners are not as cruel as Ur and his men were. They will not kill those who surrender. They will not rape the women. They will not make you their slaves. All Kanesat wants is the territory, for hunting. He will allow you to have your own leader as long as your leader obeys his commands. Life here after you surrender will be much the same as it is now.

"If I were to stay here, I would surrender to Kanesat personally. I am leaving. I wish I could take all the Magin with me but I have only one boat. It is not fear that causes me to leave. All of you have seen me fight our enemies. I would continue to fight if there was any hope, or if surrendering meant death or slavery for any of you.

"I am taking what is left of my family, and as many of my council women as possible. We will try to find a place where we can start a new Magin civilization. We will sail east, looking for a place where there are no other people, where we can live in peace. We are leaving behind two dozen Magin women. Most of you have no husbands because men are scarce here on Maginaugh. You know the Pewas are good people. The easterners are much like them. They have many men. I hope you will find husbands among them and have happy lives.

"Since I am taking Sashegh with me, you will have no one of royal lineage here. Therefore, I ask you to give your loyalty to the Pewas. Their chief will obey Kanesat, and you should obey him too. I will leave tonight, when the attack starts. At nightfall, stay close to the east, west, and north walls, if you are not an archer. Light torches. When the arrows begin to fly, throw the torches down on them. Our archers will be able to see them and shoot them.

"I ask you to do this because, while this is happening, I will go out the front gate with my party. We will go to our boat. After we leave, you should surrender."

Mindoregh suddenly felt too sad to continue. Tears welled in her eyes. She thought, _I have said all that needs to be said and my voice will falter if I try to say more_. She walked away from the crowd. Fewallo and Sashegh walked with her, telling those who tried to ask questions to let her be.

## Chapter 21: Attempting to Leave

Sashegh was wandering around Suonaugh in the late afternoon. It rained but that didn't stop her. She said goodbye to many of the people, all except Nammi and Neolin. She still didn't know what to say to them and was afraid of being hurt by what Nammi might say. Her heart was breaking.

A voice behind her whispered, "Sashegh." Turning, she saw it was Nadole, holding her baby girl, Temega.

"Hello, Nadole. I am saying my goodbyes to everyone. I will miss you. I know Fewallo will too."

"What if I come along?"

"I'm very sorry. You can't. There's no room."

Well, I have been thinking. Isn't there a small rowboat on the ship?"

"Yes."

"Is there a cover over it to keep out rain?"

"Yes."

"I could go early, before you leave, and hide in it with my baby."

Sashegh smiled broadly. "I never thought of that, but yes you could. Once we are underway, mother would have to let you come along. We would have to ration food a bit more but it shouldn't be a problem. Where would you sleep?"

"I would sleep in the rowboat if I have to or Pavegh and I could take turns sleeping with Fewallo. When it's not my turn, I would sleep in the rowboat. I don't know if she would be willing to do this. You are her close friend. Will you ask her for me?"

"Yes. I will do this for you as a friend and for my brother. I know he has been sad at the thought of leaving you and Temega behind. I will talk to them both. I better hurry now; there is not much time left."

She found Fewallo and Pavegh together, packing a few things for the journey. "I have something to ask you both about this trip," she said to them.

Pavegh replied, "Oh? What is it?"

"Nadole wants to come with us tonight. She knows there is no room and knows mother won't allow it. Therefore she plans to stow away in the dinghy. She will go to the boat before we do and hide under the cover with her child."

Fewallo smiled and said, "I am happy to hear that, Sashegh."

Sashegh nodded. "I told her I thought you would be."

Pavegh asked, "What was it you wanted to ask us, Sashegh?"

Sashegh cleared her throat. "This is a little awkward, but there is no help for it, I have to ask. Nadole will stay in the dinghy until we are well away. It will be too late to turn back. But she can't stay there the whole voyage. She needs a cabin to sleep in. Would you be willing to share Fewallo's bed with her?"

"You mean for the three of us sleep in the same bed?"

Fewallo smiled even bigger at this and said, "Please, Pavegh? I love you, but I care for Nadole too and Temega is my daughter. If she stows away, she will need somewhere to sleep. Why could she not sleep with us in our bed?"

"Would you make love to her with me in the room or to me with her in the room?"

"We would not have to do that. We could do our lovemaking while she is on deck. We could use a red cloth, as a signal we don't want to be disturbed. It could all work out much as it has so far, living here."

"Is it my choice, Fewallo? If I say no, will she not be allowed to sleep with us?"

"You would be forcing me to choose between the two of you. I wouldn't like you for pushing me. You have not forced this choice so far; please don't do so now."

"All right, fine. You can tell her she may sleep with us, Sashegh," said Pavegh, pouting.

Sashegh said, "I know it is hard for you to accept. I hope you don't blame me for this?"

"No Sashegh. I know you are only carrying the message and you are doing it for your brother. I understand and we are still friends."

Sashegh did something then she had never done before. She leaned toward Pavegh, put her arms around her, and kissed her full on the lips. Pavegh started to pull away, then relaxed and kissed her back. The kiss lingered until Fewallo broke the spell.

"That's enough Sashegh. Pavegh is mine."

"Don't be silly. I kissed her as girls kiss when they are close friends, not as lovers kiss. But it was nice, Pavegh."

Smiling shyly, Pavegh said, "Yes it was."

Then Sashegh was off to tell the good news to Nadole. She was happy about how this had turned out. It gave her an idea. I know now what to tell Nammi and Neolin. I will go to them one last time.

"Pavegh has agreed to share a bed with you and Fewallo," she said to Nadole. "You will not have to ever sleep in the rowboat."

"Oh! How in the world did you talk her into that, Sashegh? It would be hard for me to see him in bed with her and I imagine she would feel the same about me."

"Yes she does. I did not talk her into it. Fewallo did."

"Thank you Sashegh. Thank you so much. I don't know how to thank you enough."

"I do have a way you can thank me, Nadole. I am going to talk to Nammi and Neolin now. I don't think you know this but Pieska is Neolin's baby. I slept with him and Nammi both one time and Neolin made me pregnant. They have asked me to leave her with them. I have thought hard about it and will agree. It's hard on me but Neolin also has a claim to her as the child of his seed and Nammi wants to have my daughter as her own."

Why does Nammi want your baby?"

"She loves me and Neolin both. She can't have children of her own."

"Do you love her? If so, why are you leaving her?"

"I would stay with her and Neolin if she asked me, but she doesn't want that. I guess she thinks it would be too complicated. This is all happening so suddenly we have not had much chance to talk about it. But I did ask and she said no."

"I'm sorry to hear that Sashegh, but maybe it's for the best. I know you love Fennsen too."

"Yes, and there is my mother, brother, and my best friend Pavegh to think of as well."

"So what do you want me to do to help?"

"I want you to give me Temega this evening, just before you go to the boat. I will go to Neolin and Nammi and give Pieska to them. Bring Temega with you and meet me at sunset. We will make the switch then and I will take Temega with me. Everyone will think she is Pieska. They are both half Magin and half Pewa. They both have the same nose and ears as me and Fewallo and the black hair of a Pewa. In the dark, with everything happening tonight, no one will notice the switch."

"This is really another favor you are doing for me. It means Temega will not have to be in the dinghy. You will take care of her and feed her well?"

"Yes I will and I will give her back to you as soon as we are well underway. I am glad you agree to this. I will go tell Nammi now."

"I am sorry you will be leaving your baby behind. I couldn't do that."

Sashegh left with tears in her eyes, the pain of a soon to be lost love and a lost daughter breaking her heart.

~~~

Mindoregh was at the front wall with Vavana at her side as darkness fell. It was a rainy moonless night. The darkness came on suddenly after the sun set. The rest of the company was near her. They waited for the attack.

Sashegh was standing next to her on the other side and said, "Mother, I have to say a final farewell to Nammi. I will be right back."

"We will have to go as soon as the arrows start to fly and that will be any moment now."

"I know. I will not be long, I promise."

"Very well, go to her if you must, but hurry."

Late that afternoon, after speaking with Nadole, she had gone to Nammi and Neolin and told them of the plan to switch the babies. She and Nammi agreed to meet after sunset at the back wall near the social hall, well away from where Mindoregh and her group would be. Neither of them talked of Sashegh staying on Maginaugh.

On her way back to Fennsen, she went to Nadole and told her, "We will meet near the social hall just after it gets dark tonight."

Now she went fast, carrying Pieska with her, to where she knew Nammi and Nadole would be waiting for her. Nadole held Temega in her arms. Sashegh was out of breath when she got there but managed to get out, "We must hurry. Mother wants to go as soon as the arrows start to fly."

She handed Pieska to Nammi and then took Temega from Nadole. Nadole said, "Switch their blankets. I will help."

Nadole took both the blankets off the babies. Then she helped Nammi and Sashegh wrap them each in the other's blanket. When she was done, she said, "Please take good care of her. She is everything important to me."

"I will guard her with my life Nadole, believe me. I will care for her as if she was my own Pieska."

"Thank you. I am going now. I will see you on the boat, Sashegh."

With that Nadole was gone, walking off toward the front wall. She went to one of the corners, furthest away from Mindoregh and her party. She thought, _Kanesat will be concentrating on preparing his attack on the other three walls. One person going over the front wall now will not be noticed by either side_.

She climbed one of the ladders to the platform on the front wall quietly and lifted herself over. She held on until she found footholds in the limestone, then climbed down slowly. Once on the ground, she slipped into the woods without being seen and made her way carefully around the eastern side of Kanesat's men.

~~~

Mindoregh was getting impatient waiting for Sashegh to return. She paced up and down along the front wall. The rain was relentless and dampened her spirits. She was thinking, _I know Sashegh will spoil our chances by being late, saying her goodbyes to Nammi. I cannot let that happen. If she doesn't return by the time the arrows start to fly, I will have to leave without her_.

No sooner had this thought crossed her mind than she heard the sound of many arrows whizzing through the air and then striking the ground inside Suonaugh. The first volley hit no one because all were huddled close to the walls except for the archers on the platforms of the back and side walls. She saw torches being lit and thought, _Good, they are following my plan_.

She turned to Nanong and said, "We must go now."

"Without Sashegh?"

"Yes. We cannot let her foolishness ruin our chances. Will you and Fewallo carry Fennsen? I will carry his chair."

"It would be better if two of the women carry him. Fewallo and I should be ready to use our bows if we are spotted by Kanesat's men. We are going out through the main gate?"

"Yes." She turned to Mirja. "You and Noora carry Fennsen."

"Yes Mindoregh."

The two women picked him up out of his chair and put him on a stretcher Fewallo had made to carry him. Mindoregh picked up his chair. Fewallo and Nanong opened the front gate as quietly as they could.

~~~

When Sashegh heard the arrows flying around her, she knew she must go. But she and Nammi stood looking at each other. Nammi held Pieska as Sashegh cradled Temega in her arms. Nammi was speechless and looked heartbroken, tears streaming down her cheeks. Sashegh felt frustrated and hurt by Nammi's silence. The mental connection they used to have did not seem to be working anymore. She had no idea what Nammi was thinking.

Finally, Sashegh could stand it no longer. She broke the silence, asking, "Do you know how hard this is for me, Nammi? It tears my heart out. I am losing my baby daughter and the love of my life at the same time."

"Do not leave then love. Or take Pieska with you if you want. It is not too late to change your mind about either. I want you to stay. I want things to continue between us as they have been. But, if you have to go and if giving me Pieska hurts too much, take her. I don't want to hurt you and I know how much I already have. I'm so sorry."

"It's not so much you I am giving her to. Neolin is her father and I am giving her into his care. I don't have a father and don't want her to grow up without one. I don't think I will stay married to Fennsen. Our marriage isn't good. I don't know where we will go or how things will be in the place where we settle, but I have learned from being with you, I need the love of a woman as well as the love of a man. Fennsen will never be able to accept that about me."

"Why go at all then? We love each other. My love for you will never die, Sashegh."

"I go because it is my duty and because you will not allow me to live with you and Neolin. I don't want to be only your casual lover the rest of my life. I want to be truly your life partner, along with Neolin. The only way I will feel this is real is if I live with you both in the same tent, as your wife and Neolin's second lover. If that cannot happen, there is no life for me here."

Nammi cried. "I wish I had more time to talk to you about this love."

"There is no more time. I am late getting back already. Please love my daughter, more than you have loved me."

"I will love her with all my heart Sashegh, just as I love you."

"Please tell her when she is old enough to understand, I did this so she would have two loving parents, for her sake. Tell her I love her deeply and it broke my heart having to leave her. Explain to her if you can, why I felt I had to go. And above all, please, don't let any harm come to her."

"Yes Sashegh. I promise. I am sorry I have hurt you. I love you deeply and truly."

"Goodbye Nammi. I love you too."

~~~

As Mindoregh's group started to leave Suonaugh, Pavegh took one final look, trying to see through the darkness and rain, hoping to spot Sashegh. She saw a figure running toward them, through the middle of Suonaugh, heedless of the arrows raining down. She tugged on Mindoregh's shirt, stopping her.

"I think I see her."

Mindoregh put Fennsen's chair down and turned to look where Pavegh was pointing. It was Sashegh, holding the baby close, running bent over to protect the child from the arrows.

When she reached them, Mindoregh scolded her saying, "You are so foolish. You could have been killed. You almost spoiled all our chances of escape because of your foolishness. Let us go quickly now while we still can."

"Yes mother, sorry," she panted.

Nanong led the party into the woods. He made a wide circle around the easterners who were attacking the east wall. Looking through the trees, he could faintly see the torches dropping on the enemies. He heard screams as some were hit by archers. He knew Kanesat's men would fall back into the woods soon.

"We must go further east, away from the wall," he said.

He turned right and led the party far into the woods until they could not see or hear anything of the battle. When he was satisfied he had put enough distance between them and Kanesat's men, he turned north again, in the direction of the cove where the boat was anchored.

He thought, _The cove is a long way from Suonaugh. In the daylight on a good path it would be a three hour walk. In the rain on a dark night with no path, it will take us all night. I hope we are not spotted or heard by the enemy_.

He turned and whispered, "Fennsen, do you think we can find the boat in the dark?"

"Yes," Fennsen replied, "we will go straight north from here. Soon the coastline will start to curve to the West a bit. When we come to the shore, all we have to do is follow it to the cove."

"I hope it is as easy as you make it sound," said Fewallo.

Mirja was having difficulty carrying her end of Fennsen's stretcher through the woods. She was young and not experienced in the forest. She was wearing a long woven dress while the rest of the women wore pants, except for Sashegh and Vavana who wore their Pewa deerskin shirts and leggings.

Mirja could not keep her dress from catching in the undergrowth while carrying Fennsen. She felt it snag on a bush. She kept walking, feeling the dress stretch as the branch held it. Then she felt her dress tear loose.

Noora was also having trouble. She was not as strong as Mirja and it was hard carrying a man on a stretcher through the woods. She was tired but didn't complain. She felt her legs growing weaker as she tripped over unseen rocks and logs. She was thinking, _I don't know if I will make it to the boat._

Suddenly her foot caught under a log. She stumbled and fell on one knee, almost dropping the stretcher. Her knee struck a branch and it snapped with a loud crack. Nanong winced, hoping they were too far away for the easterners to hear.

He said, "Sashegh, you take Noora's place. You are stronger. Laina, you take Mirja's place. You are dressed better for the job."

Impatiently, he tore the rest of Mirja's dress off from the waist down. "There, now you will be able to walk through the woods easier."

Sashegh handed Temega to Pavegh. "Carry her for me please."

She took Noora's end of the stretcher while Laina picked up Mirja's end and they started off again, making their way through the dense woods. The ground was muddy and slippery. The rain continued to make it worse. Their progress was slow.

~~~

Kanesat shouted a command to retreat when he saw, by the light of the torches, his men being killed by archers. He was commanding a group by the back wall and his orders were passed to his leaders on the east and west sides.

As he retreated back into the forest, Allagon, his leader on the east side, came to him. He handed Kanesat a scrap of cloth, and said, "We found this in the underbrush in the woods to the east as we retreated. There are fresh footprints in the mud there. It looks as if a small party has escaped and is headed north. Should we chase them?"

"Yes, we have no idea what plan they may have. Take twenty men and run them down. They must not get off the island."

"Yes, Kanesat."

Allagon turned and ran off through the woods to the East. He chose twenty men and led them to the place where the remnant from Mirja's dress had been discovered. He felt the tracks with his fingers in the dark.

He turned and said to his men, "They are heading north and are not far ahead. The tracks made by two of them are much deeper than the others. They must be carrying something heavy. It will slow them down.

"Spread out in a line. We will follow them north. Starting at the eastern end of the line, I want each man to take a turn feeling for their tracks. The man who finds prints, shout out to the rest of us. This way they will not escape if they change direction."

They followed the tracks through the forest, at a pace slightly faster than Mindoregh's group was able to make carrying Fennsen. It was always the man in the middle of the line, either Allagon or the man next to him, who found the tracks and shouted out, "Here they are." Allagon knew this meant they were continuing to go straight north.

The man to his left, on his tenth turn, said, "One of them carrying something heavy stumbled here. "A branch was broken by their fall."

Allagon felt the foot prints. "These tracks are fresher than the last ones I felt. We are gaining on them."

The chase continued like this through the dark rainy night. Allagon was patient and persistent, knowing Kanesat had spoken the truth. _There is no way for the islanders to escape. I will catch them before morning_.

When he came to the shore, he found himself on a sandy rock strewn beach. The prints followed the coastline here as it curved gently to the northwest. He knew with the rain these prints would have been washed away if they had been made more than a few moments ago.

He looked to the East across the water and saw a faint light in the sky. They had been tracking the escapees all night. Soon it would be dawn.

Allagon said, "They must be just up ahead on the beach. There is enough light to see our footing. We will run now. Have your bows ready."

~~~

Mindoregh's spirits lifted when they reached the beach. The sky was starting to get light in the East and it was much easier walking now.

She turned to Fennsen. "How much further to the boat?"

"We should reach it by the time the sun peeks over the horizon."

"That's still a long while from now," said Nanong. "If they are following us, they may be able to catch us before we can cast off. I think Fewallo, Vavana, and I should stay back while the rest of you go ahead. This way, if they come, we can hold them off while the rest of you get on board."

Mindoregh shook her head. "Don't be silly Nanong, we all go together. I want to make sure you get aboard too."

As Nanong hesitated, pondering what to say to her, CLACK! An arrow flew between them and struck a nearby rock.

"Run! He shouted. Vavana! Fewallo! Stay with me."

Vavana took Nolin off her back and handed him to Mirja. "Take him for me please. Get him to the boat and guard him with your life!"

"I will Vavana, I promise."

Mindoregh knew there was no other choice. Two more arrows struck the sand near her feet. "Run for the boat now!" she shouted.

The company, all but Nanong, Vavana, and Fewallo, broke into a run up the beach. Sashegh held the front of the stretcher bearing Fennsen. She was strong and able to run carrying her end but she felt she was almost pulling Laina behind her. She slowed a bit so as not to cause Laina to fall and saw her mother and the others pulling away from them.

Mindoregh didn't look back. She knew the only chance of any of them getting away now was to get to the boat as fast as possible. She thought, _I don't know how many are chasing us but certainly too many for us to fight and win_.

The beach was full of rocks. Some were large boulders. Nanong, Vavana, and Fewallo each found one to hide behind. Soon they saw the party of easterners charging. Arrows began to rain down around them.

Nanong said to the other two, "Shoot two quick volleys. Aim carefully for the front men. Then you two retreat while I fire two more. Find a good place with more rocks to hide behind and I will come after I fire my arrows."

Nanong could see they were greatly outnumbered. He thought, _There is still hope. I am here with the two best archers I have ever known: my mate and my friend Fewallo._ _Perhaps we can fight and hold our enemies off while making a slow retreat to the boat_.

He nocked an arrow and sighted on the lead runner. He let it fly and saw it strike the man down. He heard Vavana's and Fewallo's arrows fly as well and saw two more men fall. Quickly he notched another arrow and took aim again. Three more arrows flew in unison and three more of the enemy fell. Their numbers suddenly reduced, the enemies broke and ran for cover.

Fewallo and Vavana got up and ran north. Nanong took two more shots, aiming near rocks he had seen easterners duck behind. Arrows were not falling around him anymore. He listened and heard nothing. _Vavana and Fewallo must have reached their next hiding place_.

He got up and ran north. As he passed a group of big rocks he heard Vavana. "Pssssst. Here."

He ducked behind a rock just as several arrows struck around them. _The easterners must have seen me get up and are giving chase again._

He peeked out from behind his rock and saw they were not charging boldly up the beach as before. Now they were advancing one rock at a time. One or two would pop up and run to the next rock, then another, and so on.

"Again two shots and then run," Nanong said. "This time Vavana, take your shots first, then Fewallo."

Fewallo said, "No, you shoot and run first this time Nanong. I will take a turn staying behind until you get behind cover."

"Very well but don't stay here long. We need you with us."

"Don't worry. I won't be far behind you."

~~~

Mindoregh rounded a point and saw the ship. It was moored against a large flat rock outcropping that jutted a long way into the water. She could see the rock served as a natural breakwater, protecting the boat from high winds. It made a perfect natural harbor. The boat was anchored and tied to the rock with hemp ropes. Quilting wrapped in deerskin was protecting the sides of the boat from the rock.

The rain had finally stopped and the skies were clearing. In the east she saw the faintest sliver of a red sun starting to rise above the surface of the water. She looked back and saw Pavegh and Mirja just now catching up with her. Pavegh was carrying Sashegh's baby and Mirja was carrying Vavana's. There was no sign of Noora yet. Mindoregh knew it would be a while before Sashegh and Laina would arrive carrying the stretcher.

She thought _, I hope Nanong is able to hold the easterners off until I can get everyone aboard. I hope Fewallo is safe with him and the three of them will be able to get aboard unharmed. I know their chances are slim. I feel terrible leaving them and letting Sashegh fall so far behind. But it can't be helped. These women need a leader_.

When Pavegh and Mirja were near, she said, "Go onto the boat. Take the babies below deck. Pavegh, you watch them while Mirja raises the anchor and makes the ship ready to cast off. I will wait here for the others."

She watched as the two women made their way out onto the rock and boarded the ship. She saw Pavegh take Vavana's baby from Mirja and go below deck. Mirja busied herself removing the protective quilting and untying all lines but the aft one. Mindoregh turned south and saw Noora struggling along, exhausted.

"I am glad you made it Noora. Get on the boat as soon as possible please. Go below deck with Pavegh."

"Yes Mindoregh," Noora gasped.

Mindoregh was still carrying Fennsen's wheelchair. She went to the ship herself at this point and put it onboard. She told Mirja, "Secure his chair to the rail by the wheel please. I'm going to check on the others. I'll be back as soon as I can."

She ran now, back south in the direction they had come from. It wasn't long before she came to Sashegh and Laina carrying Fennsen. She stopped to talk to them.

"The boat is just ahead. Get Fennsen onboard and wait there. I am going back to see if I can help Fewallo, Nanong, and Vavana."

Sashegh asked, "Mother, how will you help? The easterners are shooting arrows and you don't know how to use a bow."

"I can't just wait at the ship and do nothing. At least I can tell Nanong you are all safely aboard the ship. Then we can make a run for it."

Without waiting for Sashegh's answer, she began to run back down the beach. She ran for several minutes before she saw Nanong and Vavana. The sun was half way above the horizon now and she could see them plainly in the distance, hiding behind two rocks. She kept running until she was within shouting distance.

She called out to them, in Magin, "Come. Follow me. The others are on board now."

Nanong had learned Magin well in the time the two peoples had lived together. He answered in her language, "Go back, we will follow when Fewallo comes. We will not be far behind. Don't worry, all is well."

She smiled but didn't start back. She wanted to see Fewallo, to make sure he was alright. Soon she saw him running toward the position where Nanong and Vavana were hiding. When he got there, she saw him exchange a few quick words with them. Then all three started to run toward her. Behind them she saw several easterners charging. One of them stopped and took a shot. They were not within range and the arrow fell short.

When Nanong, Vavana and Fewallo were close, Mindoregh turned and ran back toward the boat. She was not used to long distance running and began to tire halfway back. Nanong caught up with her first.

While running alongside her, he said, "Don't slow down, they are right behind us."

Fewallo and Vavana caught up with her too. The four of them ran side by side up the beach. She knew they were pushing her to run as fast as she could. An arrow passed between her and Nanong, narrowly missing her. She made herself run a bit faster than she thought she could.

Allagon had been killed by Nanong's first shot. Now leaderless and reduced from 20 men down to 14, the easterners were cautious and unsure what to do. They still gave chase but stayed back, almost out of range, ready to duck behind rocks should they see any of the four turning to shoot.

Nanong saw the boat ahead, tied by only the one rope now, the bow floating free in the cove. He was never happier to see anything before. He asked Mindoregh, "Is my son safely aboard?"

"Yes. Pavegh took him and Pieska below deck."

Nanong smiled and ran ahead now. Vavana was close behind him. Fewallo kept pace with his mother, ready to turn and fight if the easterners should catch them before they reached the boat. Nanong got to the boat first and pulled on the rope, bringing the boat back against the rock. He leaped aboard, joined soon after by Vavana.

Sashegh, Laina, and Fennsen were on deck. Fennsen was at the wheel, seated in his chair. Sashegh and Laina had bows and quivers full of arrows. Nanong smiled at Laina, "I am glad you learned archery from my people. The easterners are right behind Mindoregh and Fewallo. When you can get a clear shot, take it."

Sashegh said, "Yes Nanong, we are ready. "I hope mother and Fewallo will be safe."

She saw her mother and Fewallo running side by side. The easterners were chasing them. When they were close, Sashegh nocked an arrow and sighted on the nearest easterner. She saw the others on deck also nock their arrows. Fewallo turned and drew his bow. Mindoregh leaped aboard the ship.

When they saw the arrows aimed at them, half the easterners ducked behind rocks. The other half stood their ground and drew their bows. Sashegh fired. She saw Fewallo release his arrow. She sensed Nanong, Vavana, and Laina firing as well. The man she had aimed at fell. Three others fell with him.

The easterners who stood their ground fired at the same time. Several arrows hit the deck around Sashegh but no one aboard was wounded. She was horrified to see Fewallo was hit. Two of the enemies had shot at him and one of their arrows struck him in the shoulder.

Fewallo screamed in pain, feeling the arrowhead lodged deeply in his shoulder muscle. He knew it was not fatal but also knew it would be difficult to remove the barbed flint arrowhead. He could no longer shoot his bow so he turned and leaped onto the boat before the easterners could reload.

Mindoregh cast off the aft line as soon as Fewallo was on board. "Everyone down on the deck," she said. "Fennsen, get us out of here."

"She is your ship to command, my queen."

Mindoregh went to the mast and raised the mainsail. She asked the Spirit of the Wind to blow hard from the south to carry them out of the cove. She smiled as she felt the wind come up strong out of the south, catching the sail and causing it to billow out.

She saw the easterners who had hidden behind the rocks getting up and turning back. She thought, _Evidently they have had enough, now that their numbers are reduced to ten. They don't outnumber us anymore_.

The four remaining easterners did not turn back. They kept firing at the boat. One of their arrows struck the mast next to Mindoregh. The arrowhead stuck in the wood and the shaft quivered. Another arrow struck the back of Fennsen's chair, jolting but not harming him. Mindoregh got down, lying behind the side rail of the boat so the archers could not see her.

The wind blew hard at Mindoregh's command. Fennsen tacked with it at right angles and the ship moved with great speed out into the lake, out of range of the enemy bowmen.

He looked back over his shoulder and said, "You can all get up now. We're safely away."

They rose together. Vavana hugged Nanong. Mindoregh hugged her children. As she put her arms around Fewallo, she was careful not to touch the arrow still lodged in his shoulder. She could see from his face he was in great pain.

"Come to my cabin Fewallo," she said. "I will have to cut the arrow out of your shoulder."

"I will assist you, Mindoregh." Vavana said. "I have done this before."

All of them started to go below deck, except Sashegh. "It looks like you have enough help mother," she said as they left. "Be well, Fewallo. I will stay up here to have one last look at Maginaugh in the sunrise as we leave forever. I hope you understand."

Mindoregh said, "Fine, I understand dear, but come down soon. You need to take care of Pieska."

"Yes mother. I will be down soon."

Sashegh went aft, to stand behind the back of Fennsen's chair. He was at the wheel. As she passed by the dinghy, she stopped and put her hand under the cover behind her back so he could not see. She felt Nadole take her hand and squeeze it. She took her hand out and continued along the deck to the rear.

She stood there, behind Fennsen, watching Maginaugh recede as they pulled out into the lake. The easterners had all given up now. She could see them walking back south. She imagined Kanesat would not be happy with them. _He has nothing to fear from us,_ she thought. _He will be happy after our people surrender and Maginaugh is his. He won't worry about a few of us getting away_.

Suddenly it hit her hard, seeing Maginaugh grow more distant. _I am leaving my daughter and my true love forever. I will never see them again. I will never be happy without them. I don't know if I can do this. Is this truly what I must do_?

She looked out over the water. The shoreline of Maginaugh was receding fast in the distance. Soon it will be too far to swim, she thought. She stood close to the edge of the deck, tempted to jump, knowing it was now or never. She closed her eyes, trying to feel the connection with Nammi she had always felt. Nothing came to her at first. She bent all her concentration to Nammi's mind.

There. I feel her now, one with me. Oh Nammi, I love you. What should I do?

## Epilogue: The Future

As close as can be determined, the events in this book took place about 9,000 years ago in the region known today as the Great Lakes of North America. The name of the island referred to in this book as Maginaugh must have gone through various language transformations to eventually become known as Mackinaw Island. Southern Lake is of course Lake Michigan, Northern Lake is Lake Superior and Eastern Lake is Lake Huron. Archeological results have verified, as a matter of fact, there are limestone caves on Mackinaw Island in which skeletal remains were found. The bones have been carbon dated to be about 9,000 years old.

No sign of the Magin's limestone buildings or of the Suonaugh garden fortress were ever found by modern archeologists. However, the site was a natural location for a fort looking out across the narrows over the three Great Lakes surrounding the island. Fort Mackinac was built in the early 1800s on the same site where Suonaugh once stood, high on the hill in the middle of the island. It was occupied by the French, British, and Americans at different times during the war of 1812. It was prized for its strategic location. Anyone controlling the fort controlled ship traffic between the Great Lakes. Kitchitikipi also exists today, in the form of a Michigan State Park by that name and there are fascinating and romantic Chippewa legends about the Big Spring.

The Magin, as Mindoregh explained to Nanong and Vavana, were extraterrestrials. They were refugees from a distant dying planet they called Mag. Others of their race sailed in other directions, perhaps finding and settling on other planets. The galaxy is a vast place and none of the other Magin ever made contact with the ones who came to our planet. Mindoregh had resigned herself to this probability a few years after they settled on the island. She and her fellow Magin liked the new planet. It was similar to Mag in many ways. It became home to them rather than a place of exile.

Sashegh's experiences in our world began when her mother's Magin space ship crashed into what the Magins named Southern Lake. This apparently happened thousands of years ago. Survivors swam to an island they named Maginaugh, their first home on a new planet. When her first journal begins, Sashegh was a young woman, barely finished with childhood. During the course of events related in the journal, she became a woman, fell deeply in love with a woman of the native Pewa people, had a child herself, and started keeping a journal, recording her adventures, hoping someday her daughter and any grandchildren she might have would be able to read it. In the process of converting her journal to a novel, the parts where she was not present have been filled in with what might have happened or, in other cases, with Sashegh's retelling of what she was told happened.

This novel is based on the first of three journals kept by Sashegh. Her journals were found by your author, lying neglected amongst an unsorted stack of old books in the back of an antique shop in Helsinki. The writing was in the ancient language of High Elven so it was surprising to find these books in such a place or indeed to find them at all. The shop owner had no memory of who sold her the journals or where they came from. She didn't even remember having them. She obviously didn't know the value of what she had as she parted with them for far too little money.

As far as can be ascertained there are only a handful of such works, written in Elven, available in the entire world. Fortunately, your author has spent some time studying Elven and was able to translate the journals into English. In the translation, the wording has been changed from the first person point of view of Sashegh to a tale written as a novel, in third person.

This novel is the first of four based closely on Sashegh's journals. Her second journal is the basis for Book Two of the five part series, "The Fair and Fey". The second book, also available now from all your favorite Ebook retailers, is titled "Maahilund." In it Sashegh writes of how Mindoregh and her small group of refugees sailed through Lake Huron but didn't find any suitable uninhabited islands there. Their exploration continued through the rest of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River, bringing them to the Atlantic Ocean.

Sashegh's first journal mysteriously ends at the point where we left her on the ship, sailing away from Maginaugh. The final page of her first journal says" My mother planned to cross the great ocean to look for a new home for the Magin on the other side of the world.

What happens next is the subject of Book Two of "The Fair and the Fey". In it we learn how some aspects of the Magin/Pewa culture were passed down over the eons to northern European cultures. Some of the magical aspects of the Magin people are the basis for legends of faeries in northern Europe. Indeed Book Two will find the Magin and Pewa refugees and their offspring living near an underground city inhabited by Elves. Mindoregh found an island very similar to Maginaugh and it seemed the region was totally uninhabited. Of course, that is what she thought about Maginaugh at first too.

In North America, we can guess that the Pewas and the eastern tribes mingled to the point where they became one people, known to us today as the Chippewas. The two tribes were close racially and over the millennia between the time of this story and now, all cultural distinctions were lost. The resulting united villages became known as Chippewas or Ojibwe Indians by the time European settlers came to America.

The Magin women Mindoregh left behind must have intermarried with these natives. Over many centuries, the Magin culture in the Great Lakes region has obviously disappeared, just as Mindoregh feared it would, weakened to the point of extinction by eons of intermarriage with a much larger population of natives. Few traces of it existed when the French first explored the area in the late 1600s. This is probably because the Chippewas were satisfied with the bounty of nature around them. They had no real use for the advanced technology the Magin brought with them.

The easterners who attacked Maginaugh probably stayed there after winning the second battle for the doomed fortress of Suonaugh. Some may have sent for their women. Others no doubt married Magin women. We know they didn't maintain dairies or ice houses, nor did they learn to weave cloth.

The Pewas enjoyed using the Magin iron tools and weapons, and the Easterners must have too, so they may have kept the blacksmith shop open for a while, as long as they had Magin women to run the shop. Evidently none of the Chippewas ever learned the skill of forging iron, and it died with the eventual death of the pure Magin women. Their mixed race Chippewa/Magin children would have grown up learning the Chippewa ways.

A further mystery is the extended life span of the Magin, ten times that of humans. Why are there no people with such long lives these days? Perhaps each succeeding generation, their parents having continued to intermarry with natives, had progressively shorter lives. If this is what happened, after 9000 years there would be no detectable difference between the life spans of the descendants of the Magin and the Chippewas.

Sadly there is no sign that the Pewa and Magin skills of writing were preserved in North America. With no written Chippewa history, even the memories of the events recounted in this book were lost or changed into legends of the Chippewas passed down by word of mouth from generation to generation. When white explorers heard these stories eons later, they contained so many fantastic and unrealistic elements, the white men dismissed them as superstitious myths of savages.

Speaking of savages, what about Ur and his people? They were apparently an evolutionary experiment that took a temporary detour from the main path. Most prehistoric men were smaller than the Chippewas. Evolution has produced steadily taller men over the eons. Ur's people were bigger than either the Magin or the Pewas but clearly didn't belong in the same era with them. They were genetic misfits, evolution's last failed experiment with brawn over brains.

We don't know what happened to the women and children of Ur's tribe, the ones Nanong left in the south. They were probably captured by more civilized neighboring tribes and assimilated into those cultures. As for the men, many of their bones are at the bottom of Lake Michigan and the rest are buried under eons of silt from the Illinois River. This accounts for all but Ur, Gg, Ooteka and Muh. We don't know anything about the fate of Muh but we saw what happened to the other three. Gg and Ooteka died in a fight. Ur died in a manner befitting the bully and coward he was, his throat slit by the lover of a girl he intended to rape, while he was in the act.

The reader would probably like to know what happened to the Pewa and Magin characters in this book. Will Mindoregh find happiness in the new land? What will happen to Sashegh? Why does her first journal end here? Was she really able to leave her baby and the love of her life behind? We know these are the questions about the future Sashegh was asking herself as she stood on the deck, watching Maginaugh recede in the distance, poised to jump.

As for what happens next, it remains unknown for now. It depends on what Sashegh, and the people she wrote of in her first journal, decide to do next. More is revealed in Sashegh's second journal, which is now very close to being translated into English and turned into a novel for your continued reading pleasure. Their future is in their own hands. This story, like all true stories, never really ends.
