Chapter VIII
The Mustering of the Longfoot
Gabriel was the first to wake in the murky lodge. The fire at its centre was still smouldering, and burning embers wavered and crackled to a golden pulse. He gingerly sat up and took in his surroundings as his eyes quickly adjusted to the shimmering fiery light. Michael woke next, he immediately got to his feet to see whether Humming Bird had also returned; kneeling by her side, he gently took hold of her hand. Her eyes flickered and opened at his touch. Anaki soon followed, becoming instantly alert. He was once more in the form of the Charok; he looked around with quiet satisfaction. They had all made it safely back.
“Is everyone okay?” asked Michael, pulling Humming Bird to her feet. They all appeared none the worse for the ordeal the Vision Quest had presented.
“If Lothos gets to the Ute…” began Gabriel jumping to his feet.
“I know,” said Michael urgently, “they must have in their keep a Codex that we dare not let fall into the hands of our enemies.”
Anaki rose and drew a circle in the earth with his staff.
“Everyone,” said Anaki with unwavering surety, “gather round and hold your hands within the circle. I can take you to the borders of my realm though I cannot go any further.”
They did as Anaki asked and with a wave of his staff over their heads the ground beneath them shimmered and faded; suddenly they found themselves falling through the earth as though they were propelled down a chute. In the next instant they were standing with Anaki, and opposite them was the Totem they had seen when they had first ventured into the ravine.
“I’m afraid,” said Anaki, “in this physical world my boundaries are set. I cannot go beyond this point but I know of spirit guides in the world outside; I will tell them to help you in your war with the Wendigo.”
“Anaki,” said Michael shaking his hand, “the Sky People thank you.”
Anaki waved his staff and disappeared before them in a swirling cloud.
The three swiftly turned and ran up the side of the ravine. As they went Humming Bird, being lightest of foot, began to race away. It was all Michael and Gabriel could do to keep up with her. Barely did the three of them break stride, so intent were they to get back; when they were confronted by any obstacles, they hurdled them, leapt across them, or ran swiftly passed them. Soon they reached the summit, and clambered up the incline to find Uziel remonstrating with Chey’ Tanka of the Longfoot. Grey Wolf was standing by Uziel’s side shaking his head in disbelief at the stance taken by Chey. There was a dispute raging about the Wendigo. Uziel was rather animated - his sweeping arm movements suggested that he felt they would soon be surrounded by their foe.
“You need to act,” said Uziel, “and act now. Gabriel, Michael you’ve arrived at last - will you tell Chey of the threat posed by the Wold.”
“Wendigo,” corrected Chey.
“Wold, Wendigo,” replied Uziel in an exasperated tone, “he’s quibbling about the name.”
“There’s a lot in a name,” said Chey gruffly. “We do not fear the Wendigo.”
“Well,” said Uziel with a softer sadder voice, “you should. You really should.”
“You should not underestimate the Wendigo; their malice has no equal.” continued Michael, “Their leader is called Uther Haldrago which means Dragon’s Fang. He is the key to holding the Wendigo together, and believe me when I say they are fanatical in their support of the Dragon; and if they are here on your world at this time then you need to prepare yourselves.”
“We creatures of the forest are in number like the trees,” growled Chey, “The Longfoot, the bear, the wolf have fought them before and we will fight them again. We do not run from the Wold.”
“Wendigo,” replied Uziel a little dryly.
Michael and Gabriel looked at each other, astonished that Chey could not understand the magnitude of the threat posed against his clansmen.
“You must understand that the Wendigo are coming and they are no child’s tale,” said a puzzled Michael.
Chey fell silent a moment, he looked up as if sniffing the air. “There is a fire in the Green wood.” The sound of his voice was unsettling and ominous. “And,” he continued, “I can hear, distant though it is, a great clamour but not fighting, more like the sound you get from a large gathering.”
“You need to muster the full strength of the Longfoot.” said Michael, “Once the Wendigo gather it will not take them long to build themselves up into a frenzy and then Haldrago will unleash them upon you. You may have four or five days, a week at most if you’re lucky.”
“There is a place,” said Chey his eyes glistening in the light, “in the heart of the Green Wood. It is where in times of hardship we would meet. It is part of the Old Forest.”
Chey gave out a hoot and suddenly other Longfoot appeared, as if they had never been too far away. They stood a moment together, receiving instructions from Chey. Then the three that had appeared turned and disappeared back into the Wood. There would be a mustering of the Clans the like of which had never been seen before.
“Michael, what of the Ute?” said Gabriel.
“We cannot leave the Longfoot to their fate,” replied Michael thoughtfully rubbing his face.
“That means that Malachi will have a head start on us as was his want. And we still have yet to warn the Dakota,” responded Gabriel, frustration etched in his voice.
“Not necessarily,” replied Michael. “We will send Grey Wolf ahead with Humming Bird to warn the Dakota of what is happening. With the help of one of Chey’s people they should be able to sneak past the Wold.” Michael turned to Humming Bird and Grey Wolf, “Once you reach the Dakota you are to convince them to make for the Ute village in the Great Basin and we will meet up with you there.”
Both were about to remonstrate but were cut short by Michael.
“We,” continued Michael, “cannot argue this point; all depends on you getting to the Dakota and Hopi to alert them of their impending doom otherwise Leif Erikson guided by Lothos will have free range to do as he will on his passage through these lands, and most likely he will subjugate or destroy any nation he comes across.”
Grey Wolf and Humming Bird were still unwilling to leave their friends to the harshness that lay ahead of them, so Michael once more explained that their journey to the Dakota would be a perilous one and that they were being given a necessary task to accomplish. It took many protestations before Grey Wolf calmed and accepted that the message he and Humming Bird were to deliver was vitally important; with their remonstrations at an end they grudgingly readied themselves for the journey ahead. They quickly ate what food there was; Grey Wolf shouldered his bow and mounted his horse while Humming Bird tucked her dagger firmly in her belt and made sure her belongings were secure on her horse as it fidgeted, stamping its feet on the ground and breathing out large plumes of bushy air. Chey gave out another loud hoot, the type an owl might make and from the cover of the trees came another Longfoot.
Chey told the Angelos that his Clansman would be their guide to the edge of the forest and all being well from there he would then take them through secret ways to the lands of the Dakota. He believed that with the Wendigo on the war path the journey they were to undertake would be a treacherous one, but being a small party they should make it past whatever danger awaited them. The Angelos in turn explained what was said to Grey Wolf and Humming Bird: they went on to repeat what was required of them. The three turned and departed, there were no cheap farewells, just a sombre silence; an acceptance that they may never meet again.
As they disappeared from view, Gabriel mounted his horse; Michael was already seated and ready to depart, while Uziel was busy tucking his sword within its sheath to fix it properly to his saddle. He then secured his stirrups before he too mounted his horse.
“There's something we need you to do,” whispered Michael, he leant forward to catch Uziel’s ear, and when he had finished Uziel hauled on his reins and disappeared into the forest.
/> Chey gave out a rugged growl and gestured for them to follow him as he took a long stride forward; and soon those strides turned to a run. They were being led deeper into the heart of the Forest. They were many leagues from where the Wendigo had supposedly gathered when Chey came to an abrupt stop. He looked around him, picked up a long grass and ran it over his tongue, it had a strange scent to it. He then sniffed the air before picking up a fungus that grew at the base of one of the trees to eat. Michael watched as this was going on and gave Gabriel a quizzical look - time after all was of the essence. Their horses began to pull at some leaves that were close by. It appeared they were also taking the opportunity to eat and be refreshed. Chey once more smelt the air and being alerted to something he stood upright. Gabriel was about to ask him if everything was okay when out stepped two more Longfoot. They were both as tall and broad as Chey but their fur was slightly different: one was coarser and thicker, and he had a scar recently cut into the side of his face which had just began to heal, while the other was softer and darker. Chey greeted them both in the customary manner of his clan by touching their shoulders. Gabriel and Michael were anxious to be on their way but they could see that something disturbing had occurred. The other Longfoot had an uneasy manner about them: their eyes darted from side to side and their voices were more shrill than normal, and they became startled by any small forest creature that came by. After receiving instruction from Chey they disappeared back into the forest. Chey watched them leave and turned his attention back to Michael and Gabriel.
“The reed clan at the edge of the forest are no more,” said Chey mournfully. “The Wendigo came upon them last night and destroyed that place. What I heard earlier were the revels for the bloodletting of that clan. This is a terrible deed, there is much to avenge, much hardship, but there is no time to concern ourselves with the dead - we must tend to the living.”
Chey led them on their way, his long gait moving fast between the trees; the rest of the day he strode in a brooding silence. Gabriel and Michael let him be, only talking among themselves, the matter of their conversation how best to oppose the Wendigo. Tall trees came and went as they moved closer toward the heart of the Forest. As dusk approached they were covered by a gloom that soon turned to night, still Chey kept them moving, still he was silent. They sensed they were being followed. The Longfoot had sought out allies from other forest creatures to help with their fight against the Wendigo. All were making their way to the Old Forest. Chey began to race faster as though the urgency required for the survival of the clans had increased. The trees surrounding them began to thin out and as they got taller their trunks became thicker, their imposing stature deeper.
“I wonder,” said Gabriel his eyes straining to pierce the dark, “how long before we reach the heart of the Forest.”
“However long it is,” replied Michael urgently, “it’s too long. By the time we’re there the Wold might already be waiting to strike.”
“You know,” replied Gabriel, “if the Wold get a foothold on Terra Azure then the Dragon won’t need to worry about Sacred Seals or his search for Codexes. He would have won this battle by other means.”
“You’re right,” responded Michael, “But I do not believe the Wold are here in sufficient numbers to achieve such a success - if they were it would have breached the Equilibrium and even they don’t have the power for that. The Wold are clearly a diversion to prevent us from our main task, which is to reach the Ute before the Dragon’s acolytes do. Nevertheless our duty is to protect the innocent so before we head in that direction we must take care of matters here.”
As they kept going they ate on the journey and did not realise that night was slowly turning to day. Nor did they see the numerous silhouetted shapes that ran either side of them. In the half-light the tall trees looked ancient and their thick trunks stood proud in their dignity; the smell that caressed the early morning air was filled with vitality. Dew made the ground glisten as small fire flies buzzed all around. Streaks of soft light penetrated through long intertwined branches giving strange shadowy form to the small brush of the forest floor. In the distance could be heard a murmur that grew louder as they approached it. Chey softened the pace and began to walk, his long strides forcing the horses to a slow gallop. The noise ahead was the sound of many clamouring voices all wishing to be heard. Through the trees Michael could see the multitude; it was impressive, he thought, how quickly they had rallied to the cause. Eagles and crows flew overhead an indication of how the message had been carried throughout the Forest. As Chey led them out into an open dale light streamed down on them. They were at the very heart of the Forest which opened up into a valley; it was a wide clearing of short grasses that greeted the new arrivals. All around atop the surrounding undulating land were a thick line of trees: tall leviathans standing guard over such a sacred place. Chey was approached by his Clansman who greeted him and took him to one side, he gestured toward Gabriel and Michael. Chey explained that these were the Old ones that the forest had had rumour of. No one had seen such ancient spirits in many an age and had only heard of them in legend. His Clansman became agitated as he was told the harrowing tale of what had happened to the Reed Clan. Chey then listened patiently to what was being said and after he had finished he waved Gabriel and Michael forward to join him.
“This is Chiya,” said Chey, “He says the Wendigo have massed at what was the Reed Clan place. We had spies watch them, the crows in the sky have told us that they have increased their number. One of them is a powerful Shaman, no doubt it is the one you call Haldrago. I believe he has the power to turn Longfoot and many other creatures too into Wendigo. It is the reason why they are in such numbers. We know this because a beaver saw it happen. He has also turned many of the First People to Wendigo. If we are to win then we must stop him now before their numbers increase.”
“You,” replied Michael, “will have to leave Haldrago to us. In the mean time you should draw this sign on your bodies.” Michael knelt on the floor, picked up a stick close by and drew something in the ground. “This is a powerful sign - it will protect you during the battle to come, should he try to turn you and your Clansman and other woodland creatures to Wendigo.”
“When dusk is upon us, you, as an Old One will be asked to speak to the gathering,” said Chey.
Michael nodded, he looked all around. There was a large set of rocks at the far end of the glade which he could use as a platform. For the rest of the day, Longfoot came to the valley, some accompanied by great elk, boar, woodland cat and wolf, were all gathered together. Some had been sent by Anaki; they were powerful spirit guides. Every type of woodland creature that could fight had been called to defend the Forest against the encroachment of the Wendigo. Michael looked on impressed by such a gathering and by the desire they had to defend their world against such a menace. They brought with them stories of many of their kin being skinned alive, of boars being slashed and having their blood slowly sucked out of them until they were dead, of fires being set to drive out wolf and elk of others being turned to the hideous form of the Wold. Gabriel and Michael both knew that these stories of woven malice meant the Wendigo had begun their War.
“Soon,” said Gabriel, “there might be no Forest left. We should act while we still can.”
“The Wold,” replied Michael, “are at least two days away if not more; it takes time to cause so much mayhem and destruction. And when we take the fight to them we must make sure we are prepared. At the moment the purpose of all the chaos is to force the battle to come to them on their terms and we certainly don’t want that.”
As more Clansmen appeared the distant smell of burning filled the air. More tales arrived of slaughter and lands fought over and battles lost. Another Clan, the Longheads, had been driven from their ancestral home, they came with tales that the Wendigo had spies of their own and were now on the march to seek out the Longfoot at the heart of the Forest. Also their number was double that which it was originally thought to have been. As dusk
approached Michael made his way to the small rocky outcrop. He climbed atop it and waited, Gabriel stood, arms folded by his side with a look of determination on his face. Chey let out a loud hooting sound that echoed around the valley. The noisy clamouring of Forest creatures fell silent, as they turned to face Michael. The last rays of the sun lit the scene in a reddish hue. Long shadows gave meaning to stoic figures.
“Know me and hear me; today you have shown unity,” shouted Michael, “Today we have come together, for one purpose and one purpose alone - to rid ourselves of the greatest threat the Forest has ever known. As long as we stand together we cannot be defeated. You have all heard tales of what the Wendigo have done. But in years to come they will hear tales of us and tremble. Our adversary will know us by the things that make us strong, and we shall know them by the things that make them weak. The first people have a saying - today is a good day to die. What they mean is that today is a good day to be with our ancestors, those brothers lost. But when I look around I see brothers that are living so when the fight comes, fight well. Do not have fear in your hearts for you are with your kinsmen and your kinsmen shall make you strong. The Wendigo do not see each other as kin, nor do they know friendship. They are a relentless tide of malice, and it is their hate which will be their undoing. Though they know destruction they do not know creation. They know war but not peace. They know anger but not joy. They know hate but not love. This is why we will win. Because we fight for things that matter, we fight for the brother at our side, for our ancestral lands and for our freedoms.”
There was a loud clamouring and roar of approval and agreement for what was being said. Michael raised his hand to quieten the multitude and continued.
“You have heard a rumour that there is a great Shaman among the enemy with the power to turn Longfoot and others into Wendigo. This is true.” A tense murmur grew up; Michael could feel their unease. “Do not be afraid - we have this sign which will protect you from the Magic of the Shaman. With the stones I give you draw it on yourselves.” With that Michael pulled a piece of ochre from his medicine bundle and drew the sign on the rock for all to see. Gabriel took the pouch, placed it on the ground and raised his hands over it as if in prayer, then taking Thor’s Blade touched it reverently, energy burst forth breathing life into the pouch. He then took from it many similar stones of ochre that had been born out of energy; there was more than enough for the multitude and quickly he handed them out.
That night, as stars like fine crystals shone down, all preparations were made; they knew that they did not have to seek out the Wendigo for the Wendigo would come to them. Michael, Gabriel and Chey were discussing the battle to come. As Chey looked on Michael had picked up a loose stick and was drawing a plan in the dry earth at his feet.
“We know,” said Michael, “according to the eyes of the eagle who have spied the movement of the enemy that the Wendigo will be upon us in two days. We will give them the ground to do with as they wish and while they tarry it will afford us time to make ready. Chey, I need the Longfoot to gather some weapons. Without anything to make spears with you’ll have to make do with using branches of trees as heavy clubs. Of course most creatures like the brown bears and the wolves, have teeth like daggers, and the boar and elk have tusks and antlers like the Grey Beard's weapons. But I fear for the Longfoot, for it is you the Wendigo are out to destroy. So it is you and your Clansmen that will endure the burden of their malice most; you must be ready for this. When the time comes you are to give out a loud call - this will be the sign for the Longfoot to position themselves to the front of the rocky outcrop. All Forest dwellers should follow suit. I need you to send word that the elk and boar are to line up by the trees to the far side of the rocky outcrop; the Longfoot will then be at the centre while the wolves and other Forest dwellers should move to the edge of the clearing. We must be organised - do you understand?”
Chey stood stoically listening, lost in thought. Gabriel, slightly perplexed by his sudden silence, was about to ask him whether he was okay and if he fully understood the struggle to come when he gave out a soft hooting sound which was answered from another part of the Valley. Chiya quickly appeared at his side. They were murmuring softly to one another. Chiya on learning of what had been said between the Old Ones and Chey hurried off to spur the Longfoot into action.
“We will listen to the Old Ones;” said Chey, “I have sent out Longfoot to do as you bid. We shall be, as you say armed and ready to take up the places you want us to. When the Wendigo come we will be ready for them.”
Gabriel and Michael satisfied that they were as prepared as they could be withdrew to another part of the Dale.
They found a place away from the main throng, situated by a small running stream, a slight tributary to the river that ran down one side of the valley. They found a dry grassy knoll to eat and rest on; Michael discovered a comfortable seat and began to sharpen his sword, to make sure he had a fine edge to the blade. Gabriel was busy making sure his arrows would fly well. Michael took out Thor’s blade; if Haldrago brought his power to bear then it would prove invaluable.
“The Wold,” said a sour Gabriel, “we’ve lost three maybe four days and already another two by the time they get here.”
“It cannot be helped,” replied Michael studying the weapon more closely. “Besides the Wold are just as big a threat as the Dragon to primitive societies as the ones we have here. Tomorrow will be an important day preparing. We should get some sleep.”
“What do you intend for Thor’s Blade,” said Gabriel.
“We shall use it with care.”
“You realise Lothos will certainly know by now that the Angelos are here just not in what form. From the Vision Quest Malachi may have realised we are here as Spirit People and if that is the case he would have informed Haldrago and many others to prepare for that, which also makes it doubly treacherous for all those they encounter who are not part of their Shadow People nation.”
The two put their weapons aside and lay back. It was a clear night overhead. The moon had finally made an appearance with its soft emanating light. As the night grew longer they both began to drift off. They had fought so many battles together and chased the Dragon for so long that they had a strange sort of acceptance of their situation.
They woke to tumult snarling and bellowing all around. Michael and Gabriel were immediately alert and raced to the rocky promontory they had used the previous day. The Wendigo had arrived. They had not bothered to sack anymore Longfoot settlements and had marched through the night. Haldrago at their head was attempting to cast some dark glamour over his enemy; he was trying to turn as many of the foe he faced into Wendigo, before the fighting commenced for real. Gabriel told Chey to get everyone into their set places. Chey gave out a loud booming call and the Longfoot with the other Forest dwellers retreated to the back of the Valley where they took up the positions they had been shown the day before; The Wold set themselves in long columns, baying and roaring, ready to beat down their foe, teeth were savagely bared in anticipation, merciless weapons were shaken and held threateningly high. Both those that had arrived from a distant world; and those that had been turned moved as if with one malevolent intent. Haldrago, realising that something was amiss, and that his power had no effect to alter his enemy and turn them into Wold, signalled for the Wendigo to strike.