Soulmates

Chapter 5: Winona the Warrior

The camp was bustling.  Warriors were suiting up and packing deer skin bags, as their wives, children, and mothers took turns hugging him and sharing words of wisdom and support.  Hakan had the most attention.  Many of the boys too young to fight and his swooners surrounded him.  Many of them exclaimed how much they cared for him and how they believed he would fight the bravest of all.  These words said to him made my insides feel as if they were turning inside out!  There wasn't even a guarantee that there would even be any fighting at all.  Despite these seemingly bad times I was not taking them for granted.  I was even grateful that I had an excuse to stall the wedding ceremony.  

Despite my gratefulness I did worry for my father and my friends that were leaving.  Most of all however, I wanted to go with them.  I had hardly ever strayed far from the camp my whole life, as I would have been in hot water for doing so.  It just seemed so unfair that the warriors always got to leave camp and see new things, and then they now they got to travel to different lands.  Warriors get everything.  Men have all the luck.  It's just not fair!  

I felt my mother, Kasa's presents behind me.  She rested her hands on my shoulders reassuringly.  "Your father will be fine Winona.  He always comes back to us." I nodded.   A wave of guilt rushed over me.  I felt my face begin to flush.   Little did Kasa know that's not what I was really worried about. "Excuse me a moment mother."

I approached my father with an usual boldness as I made my way through the crowd of warriors surrounding him.  "I have a question."  He didn't hear me over all the men shouting and asking over-volumized questions.  I rose my voice, "Chief, I have a question!" 

The crowd grew silent.  My father turned to me.  His eyes shone with a devotion I had not seen in a long time.  "Well Winona you silenced the men asking of their fate, go on and ask your question."  I hadn't realized I had just been staring blankly at him for a second, taking up his time.  "Can I ask you in private?" I asked nervously.  "No Winona, I am very busy, ask me now."  He demanded.

I took a deep breath.  What would  everyone think of me for this question?  At this point I had to ask, there was no turning back.  "Can I come?"

Laughter arose from the warriors.  My father was angry now, "Winona, don't joke with me now, can't you see I have serious matters to deal with!"  My frustration was growing.  "It is a serious question. I wanted to come!"  I said a bit louder this time, my confidence growing.  

The laughter fell as the warriors realized I was serious.  My father's face grew tighter.  "Get back to where you were Winona", ordered my father, "I don't have time for this childishness."  I snapped around and headed for the outskirts of the camp.  How dare he embarrass me like that?

As I made my way past the tribespeople and into the forest, I became aware of a presents behind  me.  I ignored it, I didn't feel like discussing what had just happened.  "Winona wait!"  The voice behind me exclaimed.  I responded quickly, "I don't want to talk about what just happened Hakan! Just forget about it, it was stupid."  

Hakan caught up to me.  "Why? What just happened?" I realized he had been too busy paying attention to his fans to notice the commotion I had stirred up.  He continued.  "I wanted to talk about us, before I left you know?"  He sounded different this time.  He almost sounded sincere.  "What is there to talk about?  You'll leave, become a big hero, then come back and marry me.  That's the end of it."  Hakan paused, his thoughts churning.  "I suppose, but I've decided that if I don't come back, then I want you to know that I love you."  I had to physically hold back the laugh that rose in my throat.  How cliche! As if I am to believe you fell in love with me in one afternoon and at such a perfect time.  Someones trying to make himself feel good.  "Anyway Winona, I need to leave now.  Hopefully I'll be back soon."  

"Bye Hakan."

"Bye Winona."

I don't know how long I had been standing in that spot hidden in the forest.  I was thoughtless, feelingless. My mind had gone numb.  I was there to do nothing more than hide.  Hide from my father.  Hide from Hakan if he came back.  Hide from the dark mood that had been growing inside of me these past few days.  I became aware of nothing more than the occasional call of the eagle as he returned to his children from a day of hunting; the whistle in the trees; the mysterious rustlings in the underbrush and the leaves on the ground; the smell of the wet tree bark from last night's rain.  I suppose it was because of this, I never realized the figure approaching from behind.  I felt a hand gently grab my arm for attention.  Surprised, I jerked around to come face to face with Chetan.  

"You!"  I yelped attempting to get over the shock.  "You are surprised to see me?" "I am, possibly due to the fact you snuck up on me."  Chetan was taken aback, "I've been doing that a lot lately to you I suppose."

"What have you come to me for?  Shouldn't you have left by now?"  Chetan nonchalantly walked over to a tree and snapped a small branch off with his fingers.  "No no one has left yet.  I was just enjoying the view."  Not sure of what he meant by view, "what view?" "Oh you know, view of the forest, I quite enjoy different scenery.  I relaxed a bit.  There was a silence for several seconds.  He seemed as if he had something to say.  His fingers grazed his scruffy chin, seeming to try to word a question.  "I overheard what you asked your father."

I stiffened back up. I knew someone would bring it up.  "Listen I don't disagree-" I interrupted him, "What ever you have to say Chetan I don't need to hear it!"  He looked slightly confused before continuing against my will, "I don't disagree with what you were asking.  I actually find it noble a young lady wants to join the warriors in battle." 

"But?" I asked highly supposing there was one.  "But? But nothing.  I just had a proposition for you."  I drew my face away from the ground, from where I had been concentrating on a leaf attempting to end the conversation due to embarrassment.  The leaf had tiny little holes in it, probably from wear on the forest floor.  Though it was a fallen leaf, it had enough pigment remaining for it's red speckles to be visible.  I met eyes with Chetan.  Chetan's eyes were full of something I'd never seen before in him.  When I had met him before, no matter who he was talking to, or what he was talking about they were always solid, never revealing much emotion, but this time there was something in them.  I couldn't tell exactly what though. Hope?  Despite my confusion, in the back of my mind I picked up there was an odd exchange between us.  It was for a short moment, but for just that, I could sense a knowing of each other.  I blinked.  It was gone.

Not loosing eye contact he continued, "Heres the thing, we need one more person in the group.  There are not enough men.  I'm not asking you to do something you're not supposed to do, but if a small man, a long lost friend possibly happened to show up along the way back to my camp. . .I might just be welcoming."  I stood there in amazement.  "Well that's all the business I have with you for now.  Do with my words what you will."  He swiftly made his way past me and back to camp.  He left no trace behind.  It was as if no one was ever there.  Perhaps it would have been better if he never was.  Then again. . .