Star of Daylight (Book Two of the Viking Series)

CHAPTER ONE - Star of Daylight

 WARNING: This story is dark.  Just remember "the darkness before the dawn".

A/N: THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF THE VIKING SQUAW, AND TAKES PLACE THREE YEARS AFTER SHE BECOMES A SHAMAN IN TRAINING. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER, WHICH IS DEDICATED TO eitakk FOR SPARKING MY INTEREST IN KATA'S UNRESOLVED ISSUES WITH VANDER.

Three years had come and gone since I joined the tribe and became wife to Running Deer, and I had spent the time learning to be a shaman of The People. I was carrying my newest little miracle, being only five moons along, and eagerly anticipating his or her arrival. We had seen no more of my former people in all that time, and truthfully, I only felt relief. I did not wish to be put in the position of choosing between their lives or the lives of The People, whom I had come to love.

I was sitting in our wigwam after a long day treating tribe members when a feeling came over me, and Vander entered my mind. There were times that I had thought of him over the years, but for some reason this was different. It was almost as if I could feel his presence beside me, and cold chills ran up my spine. I think he was the only truly evil person I had known in my life.

Uncle Tiny Wolf had not been essentially evil, but his spirits had flown before the end of his life. I could not be certain that he realized it, but nonetheless it cost him dearly. He had taken his future, or lack thereof, when he had thrown himself off that cliff. It had taken me a long time to go back there again, but Liberty had ensured that his death did not spoil the place for me forever. It was fortunate that we had moved camp shortly after those events, and gone deeper into the mountains for the winter.

As a shaman-in-training and wife of the next chief, we had been lucky enough to merit a cave for that first winter. The wind had howled and the snow had been deep. We melted water and scavenged for wood to keep our fires burning that year. I lost a child that winter, but gave birth to healthy twin boys the next year.

Roaring Lion and Black Bear were the light of my life and gurgled happily in their sleeping hollow, but my mind was miles away, in Iceland. I could see Vander’s large frame, his cruel orbs seemed to be looking straight into me. “I will find you, Kata,” his voice said to me. “You cannot hide.” I could feel the promise, and found myself trembling.

Running Deer entered with Raging Bear and Night Moon, and the latter settled comfortably beside me, her baby, He Who Cries, in her arms.  He was quiet then, but the first few moons of his life, he did nothing but cry tears of frustration. It seemed that nothing Night Moon or anyone else did, he could not be consoled. I happened on a solution quite by accident, and he had become a happy baby. I put a frozen doeskin in his mouth, and it seemed to soothe him. The rest of the winter, Night Moon kept that small piece of hide close by. Eventually, He Who Cries had gotten used to chewing on the hide without freezing it, and as I looked over at him, I could see it in his little fist.

“Hello, Sister. He has a new tooth coming in. I cannot believe it is happening so early. Mother says it is unusual.” Night Moon smiled at me, and I noticed that she did not look as tired as she had been just weeks before. I was glad to help her.

“Greetings, Sister, may I see?” She took a finger and pressed down on his chin, careful not to wake him. Sure enough, there was just a sliver of white protruding from his gums on the bottom. I reached over and traced my fingertip along its hard length, and he closed his mouth around it, sucking in his sleep. I had to extricate it gently, and giggled when he frowned.

I brought my hand to my own stomach, and found myself praying for a girl. Though I was shaman, I still held onto the beliefs I grew up with. My fa’s teachings, and that of the priest on the island, had been ingrained in me since I was aware of things around me, and it felt like a betrayal to turn from it. A daughter would be able to help in the wigwam and could be trained in womanhood by my mother, Summer Rain, or even by Night Moon or my sister, Berry Blossom.