The Dawn Country

The Dawn Country Read Online Free PDF Page B

Book: The Dawn Country Read Online Free PDF
Author: W. Michael Gear
Tags: Fiction, Historical, Native American & Aboriginal
us. Is your father a warrior?”
    “He—he’s a Trader.”
    “That’s even better. He’s protected by the power of Trade.” A stab of pain splintered his thoughts. “He—He can s-safely stop at any village along the shores. A-Ask if people have seen us pass by. The important thing to remember is that he’s not going to give up, Toksus. He’ll keep looking even if he—”
    “Enough! ” Gannajero shouted, rising in the bow. She extended a skinny arm from beneath her cape, and a talonlike finger pointed. “Land there, on that sand spit.”
    A din of questions erupted as the warriors steered the canoes to shore.
    Kotin leaped into the water and dragged the bow onto the sand. The canoe rocked violently when Gannajero climbed out. Wrass struggled to keep from throwing up, the rolling of the boat adding to his dizziness. He gulped for fresh air and watched Gannajero tramp away into the forest.
    Kotin just shook his head and absently scratched his crotch. The two new girls jerked awake and sat up. Wrass glanced at the warriors behind him. They were staring hard at the old woman where she’d stopped just inside the line of trees. She seemed to be staring up at the interlaced branches overhead, as if they held the answer to some great secret.
    The older girl, who had a broad nose and long eyelashes, hissed, “We should try to run.”
    Wrass hissed, “In the name of the Ancestors, no!”
    They turned distrustful eyes on him.
    He leaned closer to them. “What are your names?”
    The older girl gave him a suspicious look, but answered, “I am Auma. This is my cousin, Conkesema. We are Otter Clan.”
    “I am Wrass of the Standing Stone People. I grew up in Yellowtail Village. Please … listen. No matter what happens, you mustn’t be any trouble for the warriors. Don’t try to run, or—”
    “Why not?” Auma replied sharply. “If I have a chance, I’m going to run as hard as I can! Are you such a coward that you won’t try?”
    Just the anger in her voice made Wrass’ head pound. He squinted against the pain. “Auma, the first day I was a slave, a girl ran. Gannajero told Kotin to shoot her. The arrow took her through the lungs—”
    “They killed her? Just like that? They didn’t even try to hunt her down and bring her back?”
    “They killed her without a second thought.” Wrass glanced at the warriors. “We need to stick together, to wait for the right moment; then we’ll all make a run for it. But we have to wait, to plan. Do you understand?”
    Auma’s expression said she wasn’t sure she believed him. She cupped a hand to her friend’s ear and whispered something. Conkesema blinked, appeared to think about it for several moments, then nodded faintly. She had waist-length black hair and a perfect oval face. A small white scar marked Conkesema’s left temple.
    Auma gave Wrass a wary, sidelong, look. “For the moment, we will do as you say, but only because we saw no Standing Stone warriors among those that attacked our village.”
    Wrass said, “None of my people attacked you. I was held captive just outside the big warriors’ camp after the battle. I spent half the night searching for any sign of Standing Stone warriors. If I’d seen one, I’d have risked trying to run to him.”
    Auma’s brown eyes glistened in the starlight. “How long have you been a slave?”
    “I think it’s been most of a moon now. I’m not sure. My m-memory is shaky.”
    Her eyes tightened. “Can you tell us what’s going to happen to us?”
    Toksus stopped whimpering to listen.
    Wrass considered, then chose the truth. “The worst you can imagine. You will obey, or be beaten with war clubs for the slightest offense. Men will come to Trade for time with you … and they’ll do things that would get them killed back home.”
    They glanced at each other with wide eyes, and Wrass knew exactly what they must be thinking, because he’d thought the same things the first night on the trail.
    Auma blurted, “What
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