told him that he was crazy for wanting to leave such a comfortable life.”
“I think he was also brave,” added an older boy.
Chocan smiled. “Yes, he was that as well. Without ever looking back, he and his wife left their village and set out across the waters in search of the Promised Land.”
“Did he ever find it?” asked a young girl.
Chocan nodded. “Yes, he did. He was, however, very old when he finally arrived. But the Creator kept his promise and made his children and their children and all of their descendants strong and prosperous. So strong were the Creator's words that his story has reached us after the passage of a thousand moons and the distance of an entire ocean. The Teachers wanted everyone here to know the story. Two hundred years ago, they travelled all of the way from Kiera's homeland to ours in order to bring this story to us.”
He turned to Kiera. “Do you know of this story?”
She nodded. “It is one of the Bible's oldest stories. In my language, the names of the travellers were Abraham and Sarah.”
“Abraham and Sarah,” Chocan repeated, slowly. “I will remember that. Now if you will excuse us, children, I must speak to Kiera outside.”
The children moaned their objections as the two stepped out of the tent. They were immediately assaulted by the crisp, blowing winter air. A fresh blanket of snow covered the clearing and mamateeks, giving the conical structures the appearance of a group of smouldering ice-capped volcanoes. With the strengthening sun, the snow had softened considerably, allowing the two to stand on its packed surface without sinking. She folded her arms against the cold and turned to him.
“You picked that story on purpose.”
He looked at her innocently. “Why do you say that?”
“You are subtly trying to tell me that I am already in the Promised Land. You told me yourself that the Teachers called this land Hyranason, ‘The New Eden’. Just like Abraham and Sarah, I have made the journey across the Great Water, and now you are saying that I should be happy to stay here.”
He shook his head. “It's true that I chose that story for a reason, but not for the reason you think.”
“All right,” she said. “Explain.”
“You are correct in saying that you have found a sanctuary. We are your friends…your family. I feel the chance of you making it back home, assuming your family is still alive and well, is very poor, if not impossible. But you, like Abraham, are listening to your heart and the message the Great Spirit has placed within it. You will follow that message of faith, even though to everyone else it seems like you are embarking on a hopeless quest.”
“Hopeless? Chocan, if this was supposed to be a encouraging speech, then you've failed miserably.”
Kiera's face dropped, she turned away from him, closing her eyes and breathing in a deep lungful of biting air. Chocan stepped up to her and lifted her chin. Her eyes rose to his.
“Stay with us.”
Her eyes filled with tears as she tapped her chest. “My heart, as you said, is telling me to go back. I'm being called back. It is something I cannot ignore. I could not live in peace here with my heart, when the Creator is calling me back to my family and people. I'm so sorry, Chocan. A part of me desperately wants to stay here with you and the rest of the band, but I simply can't.”
He nodded thoughtfully, then looked up to the brightening sky. “Then we will go. We leave tomorrow.”
Her mouth dropped. “Tomorrow?”
“If we are to arrive at your Viking village in the spring, then we must leave now.”
“Chocan, I've thought about this all winter. You can't go! These people need you. I'll get back to the village by myself. Just tell me what to do, where to go, and I'll make it on my own.”
She was interrupted as Chocan waved to Sooleawaa, who was returning from the creek with a large sack of water. She smiled as she approached, then noticed Kiera wiping away a tear.
“Kiera, what's wrong?”
“I don't know whether to be happy or angry with the two of you,” sniffed Kiera. “What are you doing, letting your brother accompany me on such a dangerous trip?”
“Dangerous trip?” she repeated, staring at her sibling.
Kiera wrapped her arms around Sooleawaa. “I am so confused. A part of me can't stand the thought of never seeing you again. But deep inside, I know I have to try and get home, back to my family.”
“So, you have decided to go back to the Viking village?”
Kiera nodded and wiped away another tear.
Sooleawaa brushed the hair from Kiera's face. “You must follow your heart, Kiera, or else you will always be left wondering about what could have been. And I do want Chocan to take you back. If anyone can return you to your village, it will be my big brother. He has travelled in the open ocean more than almost any other Beothuck. I, too, am your friend. If bringing you to your masters will make you happy, then that is what Chocan must do.”
Kiera grabbed Sooleawaa again and embraced her. “Thank you.”
Sooleawaa began to cry as well. “I will miss you.” She looked to Chocan. “When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow.”
Surprised, she nodded, then broke into a smile that beamed with sisterly love. She grabbed Kiera's hand.
“Come, let's pack.”
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