NINE
Near sunset on their fifth day of travel, the weary band of travellers relaxed at a campsite located in a notch between what looked like the humps of two enormous stone whales. Upon arriving, Shawnadit had jumped from Kiera's lap to run and join in with the other children. She had not said a word during the entire afternoon, but Kiera did get her giggling with some of her attempted Beothuck banter. Shaking his head, Chocan would translate Kiera's remarks back into Celtic, such as “I like Chocan's hair. It looks like a nesting fish in the snow.” Kiera would join Shawnadit in the laughter. It was a good distraction for all of them.
Chocan rotated Kiera's sling so that she could see what lay ahead. Kiera took in the change in scenery. The land was considerably scrubbier than that of the mighty forests along the coast. Below, she could see a wide, rocky valley. A river slithered its way through the distant rocky hills. On the far bank of the river, an enormous barrier of felled trees extended in both directions as far as the eye could see.
On the near side of the river, Kiera could see trails of smoke, dozens of small huts and canoes lining the river's edge. Many people streamed between the structures, busy in their various tasks. She guessed that there must be over a thousand people awaiting them in the valley below!
Sooleawaa brought her a piece of salted fish and berries for lunch. Chocan, exhausted, lay down and relaxed in the highland grass with his hands behind his head. Kiera nodded towards the large village.
“Is that the Meeting Place?”
Chocan opened his eyes momentarily. “Yes, we will be there tonight.”
Kiera decided to let the weary man rest. She turned to Sooleawaa. “Is that a wall of trees on the other side of the river?”
Sooleawaa straightened with pride. “It was created by my ancestors long ago. We use it to bring the Great Herd to us. It stretches for over a ten-day walk in both directions.”
Kiera shook her head in disbelief. “A ten-day walk? That's incredible! How could you make something so big?”
“We use trees that were knocked down by great storms. Sometimes, we can push them down, like this.” She put one hand on top of the other.
Kiera was in awe. “Tell me, what did you mean by the Great Herd?”
“Caribou,” answered Sooleawaa.
“Caribou?” asked Kiera, shrugging. She had never heard the word before.
“It is easier for me to draw one for you.”
Sooleawaa took a stick and drew a magnificent animal in the dirt between them, long-legged with strong shoulders and neck. From its thick, deerlike head stretched an impressive set of antlers, and she finished off the picture by drawing a person next to the caribou. Kiera was impressed with Sooleawaa's artwork but was shocked to see that a person's head only came up to the animal's shoulder. The beast must be huge!
“Caribou,” repeated Kiera. “It looks something like the deer we had in my homeland, but this animal looks much larger and stronger. The biggest animal I have ever touched is a cow.”
“Cow?” questioned Sooleawaa.
Chocan's voice interrupted the conversation. His face bore a smile, but his eyes remained closed.
“Ah, Kiera, surely a caribou is greater than that fierce animal that you call a cow. You have never seen a caribou? You will see caribou…many, many caribou…very soon.”
It was just after midday when they entered the largest mass of humanity Kiera had ever seen. Her farming community in Ireland had numbered, at most, a hundred people. The Icelandic town in which she had briefly stayed before being auctioned off as a slave was large, but never had she seen so many faces all at once. Everyone was coated in the same red ochre, giving Kiera the feeling that she had entered a colony of red ants. It was then that she remembered she was now just as red as they were.
As the band entered, the entire village stopped its milling about and stared at the newcomers in stony silence. The sudden stillness was eerie and unnatural. The only sound Kiera could hear was the rumbling of the river and the footsteps of her band as they made their way toward the heart of the encampment. Then she noticed that the eyes of the crowd were focused on her.
“Why is everyone staring at me?” she asked Chocan as casually as she could.
Chocan didn't answer but continued to drag her further into the mass of icy stares. Kiera could feel the fingers of panic begin to tighten around her stomach. She wished she had Shawnadit on her lap for support, but the little girl was nowhere in sight.
From her backwards vantage point, Kiera stared in horror as the mass of red bodies closed in behind them, cutting off any chance of escape. Escape? She couldn't even walk. She was completely at their mercy. She closed her eyes and prayed for deliverance from the encroaching nightmare.
With a jerk, her sling came to a stop. Chocan moved in front of her and took her hands. “Stand,” he said kindly.
“Are…are you sure?” Kiera felt further panic.
He nodded. Gently, he helped her to her feet. Her legs shook with the effort. She smiled as her leg took the weight without pain. He shuffled her around so that she faced the same direction as the other members of the band. In front of her was a massive, billowing column of smoke, rising heavenward into the crystal blue sky. Between the band and the bonfire stood a man who appeared to be even older than Nadie. His long, leather garment and belt were beautifully decorated with beads and carefully-drawn charcoal pictures of forest animals. His leggings were emblazoned with sharp-edged, geometric symbols.
He hobbled slowly towards the band. He stopped at Nadie, sharing an embrace and a few words. Nadie turned to face Kiera, and both pairs of elderly eyes gazed on her. The old man worked his way through the band until his face was only a hand's width away from hers. His dark eyes stared deeply into Kiera's frightened face.
“Is she the one?” the old man asked.
“Yes, my elder,” answered Chocan. “She has come from the east. She speaks the language of the Teachers.”
The old man nodded slowly. Then, to Kiera's surprise, he began to talk in Celtic. “Green eyes of the Teachers. So it is true…Do you understand my words? I know some of the language of the Teachers.”
“Yes,” answered Kiera, her voice shaking.
“Are you frightened of us?” he asked, kindly.
“A little,” she whispered. “I have never seen so many people at one time. I come from a small village.”
“Ah…a small village to the east.”
“Yes.”
“But you did not come to our land by your own free will. You were a captive of those who brought you here.”
Kiera was surprised. How did he know? “Yes.”
“What is your name?”
“Kiera.”
“Ah,
