98. A Complicated Family (Patreon)

On the morning of the celebration, rain poured down in wavy sheets. I could barely see the neighbor’s longhouse from Bihei’s door. The path in between was a muddy mess too. No lightning or thunder though, which was a shame.

A couple of the hardier farmers went to keep an eye on the village’s fields, but everyone else stayed indoors. That included the hunters. They’d done their job the previous day and brought back something that looked like a giant shrew. Most shrews were small--tiny even--but this one was the size of a VW Beetle and had a ten foot long tail to boot.

Bihei and the kids used the time for chores. They burned red cedar to drive out the bugs, cleaned the animal pen inside the longhouse, deep scrubbed the cookpot, and mended their clothes. All the while, they kept an eye on the rain outside.

The bad weather broke around two in the afternoon, and all at once, the village moved into high gear. Families began their preparations for the feast. The communal oven must’ve been going at full blast--a thick smudge of gray smoke rose from its chimney.

Bihei instructed Aluali to kill one of the chickens and prepare it for the newly-cleaned cookpot. Billisha’s job was to go out into the muddy garden to collect the herbs and vegetables. Bihei supervised and worked with the ingredients as they came to her.

As for me, I sat on the bed and watched it all happen. All three gave me the stink eye when I tried to help. None believed that I was fit again, even though I assured them the twinges were gone. I maybe felt a little worn, but not enough to sit idle while they worked.

I wondered if the other hunters were in the same position. The feast was to celebrate their success after all.

The only reference I had was Ghitha, and he sat alone in his house with the shutters closed and no fire in the hearth. He’d been stewing all night long in a turbid, roiling mass of thoughts. There’d be no celebratory dish from him at the feast.

What was really troubling was the nature of his ideation: disrupting the feast and calling out Inleio for ruining his family, kidnapping me and forcing me to reveal the location of the Red Room, and if that last didn’t work, then going after Billisha and Aluali. They were fantasies--not yet approaching the realm of intention and planning--but Yuki and I kept close tabs. The moment he moved into planning, he was dead.

Being idle wasn’t all bad, as it also let me do important inner work. Yuki was right about my meridians not being able to handle the new state of my qi. The speed and intensity was too much for the channels, and they needed tempering.

None of the wuxia novels I’d read in my previous life provided useful insights. Nor did the Baduanjin qigong I’d learned. Fortunately, Qi Body-Sensei was available to provide a hint. The Skill reached a high enough level that my intuition about how to improve felt sharper.

Yuki took that intuition and, along with their own insights into the nature of qi, developed a plan to condition my meridians. We’d alternate between fast and slow qi cycles.

During the fast cycle, we reined in my qi only as much as was absolutely necessary to keep from permanently damaging my meridians. Once we felt they’d had enough, we forcefully applied the brakes and gave them time to heal and grow accustomed to the strain.

Honestly, the concept wasn’t groundbreaking. It could be found everywhere in nature, but it was that ubiquity that gave me comfort. Plus, it didn’t hurt the Qi Body-Sensei approved. The feeling was similar holding the spear and drawing the bow, except...preparing the ground.

Ooh, that felt right. I shared the insight with Yuki.

###

The feast began with a story. As the Hunter’s Lodge’s new Master, Mumu was supposed to be the storyteller, but she handed the honor to Inleio.

Standing with a cane, hunched over, his face a mass of wrinkles, Inleio seemed to reach deep within himself. When he spoke, he sounded almost like his old self, and he used a ritualized singing, his voice oscillating between highs and lows, to tell the tale.

A babe cried but was quickly comforted. People’s clothing rustled as they shifted positions, and the fires crackled. Otherwise, though, the villagers were silent during his recitation. They listened with rapt attention.

Inleio began with the two previous failed hunts--of the brothers and sisters of the lodge who gave their lives and those that suffered permanent injury. He wove in the deaths of Woldec and Grunthen, as well as their expedition’s aftermath.

Ghitha, as the hunt’s sponsor, was given due honor, but the man himself wasn’t in attendance. He was still at home stewing in an increasingly dangerous blend of desires and delusions.

Inleio moved on to the hunt’s preparations--the hunters from Albei, the ballistae crews, and village hunter teams who scouted the land and prepared it. He even mentioned the knowledge I shared about lightning and how useful it proved to be.

And then there was the battle itself: the terrible lightning and the sharp claws, the death of Otwei, and surprising ferocity of Borba. How the ballistae crews ran away, followed not long after by the hunters from Albei.

Finally, there was me, who lured the bear to a meadow of golden slumber. Using Bearbane--a treasure nourished by the village, given over to Ikfael Glen and returned for this purpose--I slew the bear while he slept.

When Inleio finished the story, each and every villager put their hands over their hearts and bowed toward the hunters. Some blushed and others grinned widely, but not any of the close-in fighters. They knew just how close the hunt came to failing.

The solemnity disappeared as soon as someone tapped a cask of corn liquor. The plaza in front of the pyramid came alive with people talking, singing, and dancing. The villagers circulated among the Families gathered and shared their food.

Billisha and Aluali’s eyes sparkled at all the excitement. They stuffed themselves, and for good reason: the food was delicious. Bihei’s chicken stew with herbed corn dumplings was warming, and I could practically feel the nourishment pouring into my body. The roast shrew wasn’t bad either. Mumu came over with a fatty cut of the shoulder for me.

“The best part,” she said, and then she sat with my Family to enjoy a bowl of the stew. She seemed to enjoy it as much as I did. From her expression, I could tell that she wanted seconds, but instead, she pulled me up to follow her in making the rounds.

I was no stranger to networking in my previous life, so I followed along and did my best to recollect names and relationships. We made small talk and accepted the villagers’ well wishes. They congratulated Mumu on her new position, as well as her engagement into Haol and Dena’s marriage. They also introduced me to their children my age.

“Never too early to start thinking about a good match,” one old grandmother said.

I ignored Mumu’s snickers, and politely declined the invitations to tea. All the other invitations too. I planned to head back to Ikfael Glen soon anyway. If not tomorrow, then the day after, depending on the weather.

We were just returning to my Family’s spot at the party when I pulled Mumu aside. I used more force than was necessary, and my face felt stiff. We moved away from the party to a quieter, shadowed section of the plaza.

“Eight, is something wrong?”

I responded by making the sign for listening.

Ghitha found a set of Woldec’s knives, Yuki said.

Show me, I said, merging our consciousnesses. We shifted our attention to the portion of us still inside Ghitha.

###

To be sure, to be absolutely sure, it had to be the children. Eight obviously doted on them, letting them run around as they wished. Ghitha had seen them scampering through the village like animals. Supposedly they helped that widow Bihei in the fields, but what was fieldwork if not the lowest kind of work? They may as well be animals.

Grab the children, and through them Eight. The plan was that simple.

Ghitha would use the skills he’d learned from his brother to hide inside Bihei’s longhouse. He’d use the children against Eight and question him about the location of the eilesheile. His trader contacts in Albei had let him know that a new source had been found. A plentiful source.

Acid washed through Ghitha’s stomach, and it cramped at thought of all of Woldec’s hard work stolen. Ghitha might have to cut a child to demonstrate his intention, his wrath, his bloody desire for revenge. Eight must be made to realize the seriousness of Ghitha’s purpose.

He would never be poor. Would never be powerless. Ghitha’s Family was the bedrock upon which the village was built. To be driven to such a state as he was in, it must be conspiracy! Inleio and the Hunter’s Lodge--they’d always resented his Family. Hated them. Hated Ghitha, and wanted to see him fall. Oh, how they would laugh to see him forced to do fieldwork.

Ghitha won’t let it happen. He was a stump, but he wouldn’t be responsible for his Family’s downfall. But reversing his Family’s fortunes needed money. And besides, Eight was an outsider anyway. A useful tool in the hands of Inleio and the rest. No doubt they were grooming the boy for some other scheme. Building up his story for some purpose.

The boy was clever. That was all. There was no way he could do what they said of him.

Ghitha was more clever. He’d take the children, cut one down to demonstrate his resolve, and break Eight. Break Inleio’s tool. Find the eilesheile and return his Family to glory.

Clothes--he needed dark clothes for hiding inside the longhouse. All the villagers were at the feast--he should go unnoticed--but he’d be careful anyway. It was necessary to be sure. Woldec had drilled that into him. Take all the steps. Be sure. And Ghitha was very sure.

###

We separated our consciousnesses, and I gagged, the food I’d eaten nearly coming up.

“Eight, can you tell me now?” Mumu asked, concerned.

I felt nauseous and filthy, and shuddered at the twisted nature of Ghitha’s thoughts. The man was sick. Seriously unwell.

“It’s Ghitha,” I said. “He plans to torture my wards in order to get me to reveal the location of the eilesheile.”

Mumu’s expression turned stoney. “He’d strike at your Family?”

I’d hoped that his fantasies would remain fantasies--that he’d eventually settle down and come to terms with his losses--but instead he’d gone the other direction. My shock and dismay gave way to anger. It’d been smoldering for a long while, but now it broke loose.

Yuki. The failsafes are in place?

Yes.

Okay. Then do it. Cut him down.

No.

Eh? What? Surprised, I turned my attention inward.

Yuki slowly revolved inside my heart dantian. Their energy was somber and… determined. You’re angry, and so are we. But to strike in anger is not who you are, and it is not who we aspire to be.

“But he plans to hurt Billisha and Aluali. We have to stop him.”

And we will. Yuki directed my attention to Mumu standing beside me. Mumu who was the Hunter’s Lodge Master.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. When that didn’t abate my anger, I counted my breaths until I could at least think straight.

“Mumu,” I said.

“Yes, I’m listening.”

“Ghitha is--”

He found a dark cloak of his brothers and is heading out now.

“Ghitha is on his way to Bihei’s longhouse,” I said. “He plans to hide inside and wait for my Family arrive.”

“What will you do?” Mumu asked, watching me carefully.

“I’d like to ask you that question,” I said.

Mumu closed her eyes and sighed like she’d been holding her breath. When she opened her eyes again, they were brighter. She patted me on the arm, and said, “Don’t worry. The Hunter’s Lodge takes care of its own.”

She stepped out into the light and waved over a couple of members of Borba’s former team. I couldn’t hear what she whispered to them, but she sent them off in the direction of Bihei’s longhouse.

Mumu smiled grimly on her return. “A man caught hiding in another’s longhouse is a good enough excuse for truth-telling tea. We’ll have a way now to force him to drink it.”

“You couldn’t before because he wasn’t a lodge brother?”

Mumu nodded. “That, and he still had support among some of the villagers.”

“So, we wait?”

Mumu shook her head, and her smile became more natural. “We enjoy the celebration. It’s well earned.”

I returned back to my Family’s spot, while Mumu went to tell Inleio and Kesa about what was happening. I watched as ripples moved through the crowd. Nothing big, nothing obvious, but they were there if one was looking.

Inleio’s gaze in particular--oh, how it sharpened.

###

It was summer, and there was so much work to do in the fields. Many of the Families couldn’t attend the feast for as long as they’d like. They stuffed their bellies, drank the liquor, and went home to prepare for another day.

I held my Family back until we were nearly the last in attendance. Poor Billisha and Aluali were conked out, leaning against each other. Bihei watched over them, and nervously glanced toward me. I don’t think it was lost on her that the people remaining were a handful of hunters, and none of them were singing or dancing.

Ben appeared at the edge of the fire’s light and came jogging over to where Mumu, Kesa, and Inleio still sat. I already knew what he was going to say, but I made my way over to eavesdrop anyway.

“--the fool dropped on Dabusei and Rona as soon as they entered the longhouse. He’d hidden himself up in the beams above the door and must’ve thought the children would enter first. Or Eight, and he wanted first strike. There’s no way to know now though,” Ben said, shaking his head. “Ghitha is dead. Rona stabbed him in the heart with her dagger.”

“Is she injured?” Mumu asked.

Ben frowned. “She and Dabas both. Nothing serious, but they have small cuts along the head, neck, and shoulders. Rona said that it was because Ghitha seemed to have a problem with his heart as he fell on them. It was instinct that made her give the killing blow.”

“I can help with the healing,” I said.

Ben waved me off. “Thank you, but the wounds aren’t serious. Care’s already been arranged.”

“Still, I’d like to do something,” I said. “They were injured on behalf of my Family.”

“A gift wouldn’t be out of order,” Kesa said. “Make a visit to the lodge tomorrow. Tonight, they should rest. As should your Family, Eight. Take them home and reassure them that they’re safe. The lodge will watch over them.”

“And what about you all?” I asked.

Kesa sighed. “We must report on these events to the Reeve and Village Head.”

Inleio stood with a groan. He shook his head. “What an ignoble death and waste of Talent.”

“That’s it then?” I asked. “We’re done?”

Mumu patted me on the shoulder. “We know enough about Ghitha to tell the tale. As for your friend, Yuki, we’ll keep them hidden. It’ll be truth enough to say that a hunter spotted Ghitha on their way to Bihei’s longhouse and grew suspicious of his plans.” She gave me a nod. “Now, off you go. Your Family is waiting.”

I looked over at Billisha and Aluali and them awake now. Along with Bihei, they were watching the huddle of hunters.

Before I left though, I turned to face the hunters and placed my hands over my heart to bow. “Thank you. For everything--”

Thank you.

###

I helped gather our things and carried the now-empty cookpot. The children and Bihei didn’t ask any questions, but I could tell they wanted to.

“When we get home,” I said. And I did--I told them the whole story.

Three pairs of eyes grew cloudy as they considered the evening’s events, as they thought about everything that happened around the hunt.

Bihei was the most stunned. Ghitha’s Family had a lot of influence in the village. Or they used to.

The kids were more ambivalent. I could do no wrong in their eyes, which was actually a problem. As much as I enjoyed their admiration, it wasn’t healthy for them to think I was perfect. I did my best. I tried to be wise and learn from my experiences, but I most certainly wasn’t perfect.

“What will I tell the neighbors?” Bihei asked.

“Tell them that you only know what you heard from the Hunter’s Lodge; that hunters saw Ghitha sneaking toward our longhouse and investigated. Push everyone and everything at the lodge. They promised to keep you safe.”

“And what of you, Zasha? Will the lodge keep you safe?” Aluali’s eyes were wide. I could almost see the fear of loss in them.

I smiled. “They already have, haven’t they?”

It took awhile for him to acknowledge my words. I could tell that he didn’t fully agree, but he eventually nodded.

“A lodge is like a second Family,” Billisha said. Whether it was to comfort Aluali or herself, I wasn’t sure. Probably both.

That night, the two of them glomped onto me as they slept. I pretended not to notice when Bihei joined us, as well.

###

A stabbing pain in my side woke me in the middle of the night. Ghitha’s ghost stood above the bed with a knife in his hand and madness in his eyes. His whole face was distorted in rage, his mouth yelling silent words. He stabbed at me again and again, and I felt the pinpricks.

That was when I noticed the fraying to the spirit shield provided by Tenna’s gift. Well, fraying wasn’t the right way to describe what I saw, but it did seem that there were portions of the shield that were thinner than before.

I watched Ghitha with narrowed eyes, but it wasn’t his attacks that were affecting the shield. Perhaps it was my near-death encounter? Something to think about anyway. In the meantime, there was a pest to deal with.

I gathered my will and exerted it upon Ghitha’s ghost. Oh, the surprise on his face was gratifying. He tried to resist--clutching at my arms--but he was new to being dead and was surprisingly weak-willed to begin with. Nothing could stop his streaming out of the world and into the wheel of rebirth.

“Good riddance,” I said, whispering.

That’s when I saw Bindesei at the door. The look on his face was complicated, equal parts gratified and lost. He shook his head as if to clear it and smiled at me. He bowed before fading away.

Briefly, I caught sight of something on the other side of him. I wasn’t sure what exactly; only that there was a gladness and sense of reunion.

I checked my arms, and while they tingled, I didn’t sense any injuries. A couple of the village’s ghost dogs came by to check out the excitement, but nothing else happened. My Family slept soundly. The animals at the other end of the longhouse shifted in their sleep.

I wished Bindesei well in his next life, and satisfied, turned over to go back to sleep.

###

The next morning, the village was abuzz with gossip. Poor Bihei was nearly pestered to death by the people stopping by for a friendly chat and, of course, they were naturally curious about the sensational events of the evening prior.

As for me, I skipped the fuss by merging with the land and heading straight to the Hunter’s Lodge. That was the plan anyway, except I’d forgotten that the hunters liked to gossip too.

The problem with a reputation for being clever was that people expected me to be clever, which was why the hunters pounced when I arrived at the lodge. They wanted my thoughts on Ghitha’s motivations for targeting my Family. They wondered at what he had to gain.

Well, it was no secret that Ghitha followed-up on his brother’s expedition and turned up nothing for his trouble. “That must’ve made him desperate,” I said, “and desperate people do things they might not otherwise. Maybe he was after Bindesei’s treasure, for example.”

A few of the hunters nodded at that, but most didn’t want to stop speculating on Ghitha’s reasons. I deflected as much as possible and did my best to turn their attention to Dabusei and Rona. I praised the hunters who “killed” Ghitha, and made arrangements through the lodge to gift them each quarter gold coin.

That’d just about wipe me out financially, but I expected an influx from my share of the sale of the golden slumber, as well as a steady income from trading eilesheile.

The hunters nodded in approval at my gifts. More than one said, “A good deed deserves a good reward.” And when the speculations about Ghitha’s motives resumed, I excused myself and got out of there.

Eventually the excitement would die down, but until then, I decided it would be a good idea to spend some time at Ikfael Glen.

###

I told my Family my plans that night, but it caused a fight. The kids refused to remain behind, as apparently I wasn’t sensible enough on my own. When I forbid them from coming along, the little devils threatened to follow after me.

I looked to Bihei for support, but she folded her arms across her chest and said, “I’m going with them.”

“If you won’t take us to Ikfael Glen,” Billisha said, adamant, “then we’ll hire a hunter who will.”

“Who’d dare?” I said.

The kids had riled me up good and proper by then, and I was starting to say things I didn’t mean. Still, the other hunters respected me. Surely none of them would betray me by taking my Family to a place I didn’t want them going.

Which is when Mumu showed up. From the other side of the front door she said, “I would.”

###

I grumbled as we walked to Ikfael Glen, but my bad humor  didn’t last long. Not really. Not with how excited the kids were--so happy and smug. All because a certain hunter wanted to watch another movie. I glanced over at Mumu, and her grin was as wide as the kids’.

Really, there was no reason to be in a funk. We’d reached a good compromise--the kids and Bihei would stay at the glen for one tenday out of every five. And though it wasn’t a great time for the three of them to be away from Bihei’s fields, I had enough money to pay for temporary labor.

I was also stronger now, and the more dangerous animals in the forest should be preoccupied with their turf battles. The throne for King of the Forest was empty after all. Really, as long as my Family stuck to the glen and stayed under my and Ikfael’s protection, they should be safe.

I kept telling myself that, but the worry didn’t go away. Looking at how happy the kids were, though, it’d be worth it. Probably. Hopefully.

Billisha signaled a desire to detour to the site of the lightning bear’s hunt, but that’s where I put my foot down. There was no way I was taking the kids to see that broken place. It’d give them nightmares, and they’d grab onto me and never let me go hunting again.

I ignored her disappointed pleading and thought about what to make for dinner. I owed Ikfael big for the loan of Bearbane, as well as rent for one more person.

Bihei seemed to be holding up okay. It was clear she hadn’t spent a lot of time in the forest; probably only what was required for the village militia. Still, she was a good woman. Her eyes never left the trees and bushes, and though her trail discipline wasn’t great, she did her best to add to the children’s safety

Hmm…there should be some venison backstrap left, assuming Ikfael didn’t already eat it. We might as well splurge on the good stuff tonight.

###

Ikfael rolled her eyes when she saw our troop entering the glen. Poor Mumu was confused at the sight of the otter waiting for us, and even more so when the otter started signing.

“Are you like an insect?” Ikfael asked. “Always multiplying.”

I grinned and handed her Bearbane. “Thank you. This spear saved my life. Saved the village really.”

Ikfael glare softened. She looked me up and down. “And you are uninjured?”

“A scar on my belly, but that’s all.”

“You are alive and walking. That’s more than I expected.” Ikfael’s gaze sharpened. “So why did it take you so long to come back. I mis--my spear is long overdue.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. Some things happened. Can I tell you about them as I make dinner?”

“Yes,” Ikfael said. “Dinner would be good.”

“Great, but before then, let me introduce Bihei. And Mumu over there you already know.”

“Eight,” Mumu said. “What’s going on?”

Ah, right. Ikfael always used her giant otter water form when meeting the villagers.

“This is Ikfael Glen,” I said. “My friend.”

Mumu and Bihei went to kneel, but Ikfael tsked at them and bid them to stand. “No time for that,” she said. “There’s dinner to be made.”

###

Ikfael had left the backstrap alone, so I sprinkled it with salt before grilling it. I had Mumu gather some plums for a quick savory jam to go with it, as well as a mash of broad beans and corn that we’d brought from the village.

I talked to Ikfael as I worked, and she began sketching out the story as she listened. She knew most of the players from their visit to the glen. Only Borba was an unknown.

Needless to say, Mumu and Bihei were mesmerized by Ikfael’s water play. The kids crowed at that and explained how she was the best storyteller ever.

The moment warmed my heart, and  I let go the last bit of grumpiness. I knew that coming back to the glen with the kids was the right decision. It wasn’t right to always leave them behind. Doing so wasn’t good for them or for me.

We were an irregular Family--a complicated Family when taking Yuki and Ifkael into account--and I needed to keep them close if we were to stay Family. No matter what else happened in the world, I’d always be able to return to them, but only so long as I--as we--put in the work to keep our Family whole.

It was these small decisions, I thought, that mattered most. That kept us human. The world wouldn’t be saved in some final battle between good and evil. It was done through the actions along the way. The little pluses and minuses that either took us toward the path of our best selves or led us astray.  The world was saved in the middle of the book, not at some final end.

The food was ready, the story told, and so we ate.