nodded. “Ready as I'll ever be.”
Kiera grimaced, anticipating the sharp pain that would come when Chocan pulled the ingenious seat. The contraption in which she sat was itself a wooden A-frame made of stripped branches and secured with leather sinew. Chocan pulled from inside the frame itself. He leaned into the leather harness that strained around his shoulders and waist. The sinews in his arms flexed as he brought the simple sled up to speed. Kiera, herself, sat backwards in a sling designed of soft seal skin that was securely attached to the inner frame. Both her legs were elevated and comfortable as they rested on a wide leather strap. Beyond her feet was one of the support branches that connected the two arms of the frame. She felt guilty being so comfortable as Chocan guided the contraption from the fire pit to the edge of the glistening river. They joined the other band members who had already gathered by the water.
Satisfied that everyone was now present, Nadie stepped carefully onto an elevated stump so all could see her. She raised her hands.
“This has been a good summer. The river once again supplied us with an abundance of fish. Our brave hunters have provided our band with leather, fur and meat for the winter months. We have also been joined by a descendant of the Teachers. We have much for which to be thankful! Praise the Great Spirit!”
“Praise the Great Spirit!” roared the band.
“I ask Chocan now to step forward and bless the ochre.”
Chocan carefully lowered Kiera to the ground and stepped up to the stump, exchanging places with Nadie. He took a large sack from an elder and held it up for all to see. He closed his eyes.
“Great Spirit, we are thankful for your blessings. Your land feeds our children. Your sky gives us rain to drink. Your forests provide us with shelter. Now we ask that you bless this ochre and make it holy. Bless this, the blood of Mother Earth, so that your people may be safely led to the Meeting Place, and to our people!”
The crowd exploded. “Bless the blood!”
The crowd suddenly fell silent. All heads were bowed in prayer. Kiera scanned the gathering. A memory began to nag at her. This all seemed so familiar. Yes, the Church! It was a ceremony from long ago in her memory. The image of the communions she had witnessed as a child. That was it! Chocan was using ochre instead of wine for the blessing. It was certainly similar, but also very different from what she could remember of the event.
Starting with the oldest, the blessed ochre mix was applied to the forehead of each band member in the sign of the cross. When it was Kiera's turn, Sooleawaa dragged her up to the front, and Chocan applied it to her forehead as well.
As Kiera was pulled away, she turned to her friend. “Sooleawaa, Chocan mentioned the Meeting Place. Where is it?”
Sooleawaa smiled. “You will meet the rest of our family. Wait, you will see. We must travel far inland. The Meeting Place is to the east, beyond those distant hills.”
Kiera felt her heart sink. They would be leaving the coast and taking her further away from the sea. She sighed. There was nothing she could do. Her leg must heal first before she could hope to go anywhere.
As the gathering left the summer site in an orderly convoy, she wondered how her new friends would react when she informed them that she intended to return to the Viking settlement. Would they be angry? Would they even help her find her way back home? If they refused to let her go, then she would somehow have to make it back to the Viking village on her own.
The band followed the river away from the western shores of the great sea. Travelling backwards, Kiera could see the faint band of blue water kissing the distant horizon as they climbed higher into the hills. With each rise, the band seemed to thin until, on the third day, the ocean disappeared completely.
Kiera's heart plummeted. Her mind swirled with thoughts of her Viking village. She knew that with their failed mission to find new land, the village leaders would have no choice but to abandon Vinland and settle once again in either Greenland or Iceland. Returning east with the Vikings would mean that she would be moving closer to home. It would be one step closer to Ireland. She needed to get back to the village before they left Vinland. But how?
Sooleawaa and Chocan sensed Kiera's sombre mood, but they were too busy with their own responsibilities to talk. Chocan, of course, was busy hauling Kiera and his supplies along the increasingly rocky trail. Sooleawaa was directly in front of her, following the crowd. Her job was to herd the young children along at a pace that kept up with the adults ahead. She was one of a ring of young women who encircled and encouraged along almost every child of the band capable of walking.
Kiera would have found the sight of so many excited, swarming children amusing if she had been in a more familiar world. The guilt of not being able to help her adopted family with the journey only added to her inner anguish. Her dull eyes stared aimlessly at the young crowd until it fell on a face that seemed to mirror her own misery. It was the little girl whom Sooleawaa had introduced as Shawnadit.
The young child dragged her body along at the back of the young herd. Her eyes were fixed on the ground, just ahead of her feet, and her face held none of the excitement radiating from the rest of the children. It wasn't right for someone so young to be so sad. Kiera's heart went out to her.
The path took a downward turn as the band followed the trail into a valley. Kiera felt Chocan pick up speed as gravity assisted his descent. She turned in her chair. “Chocan, could I ask a favour?”
Chocan stopped. He turned, his face strained with effort and shiny with perspiration. He took a couple of breaths before answering. “Yes?”
She nodded towards the children. “It's Shawnadit.”
He looked at the little girl. “She's not happy. We are not far from where her mother died.”
“If it is not asking too much, do you think she could ride with me while we go down the hill?”
Chocan looked at the load on his frame, then to the path running downhill, and finally to Shawnadit who, along with the other children, was now passing them on the path. He sighed but nodded.
He placed Kiera gently on the ground, walked through the group of children, weaving in and out of the little bodies, until he caught up to Shawnadit. With a nod to Sooleawaa, he picked the young girl up in his arms and carried her over to Kiera.
“I have a very important job for you, little sparrow. Do you know our guest, Kiera?”
For the first time, Shawnadit's big, dark eyes glanced directly at Kiera. Her eyes widened in fear, then she quickly curled into Chocan and looked at the ground.
“You see, little sparrow, she is lonely. You know it is Beothuck custom to ensure that all guests are welcome in our band. That is why I'm putting you in charge of looking after our guest. You are in charge of cheering Kiera up. Can you do that for me?”
Shawnadit didn't answer. She just buried her head even further into Chocan's shoulder. Kiera reached up and took the girl from Chocan. Shawnadit didn't fight the exchange, but curled up quietly in Kiera's lap, her eyes shut tight.
Kiera tilted her head. “Hello, Shawnadit. Thank you for being with me.”
Kiera and Shawnadit were lifted upwards as Chocan took his position within the frame. “Hold tight. We don't want to fall too far behind the
