The other immediate effect was I no longer understood their words. Yet I was not as ignorant as I had been prior to the meeting for I understood enough of their hand motions to communicate relatively clearly.
Running Bear, ever-present smile on his face, came to greet me. Presently I understood he wanted me to go on a hunt with him. I tried to explain I had no weapons worthy of bringing down game. Without hesitation he appropriated a bow and quiver from a nearby longhouse.
The quiver was a beautiful piece of artwork. Various colored quills had been woven in intricate geometric patterns. I was stunned by their beauty. The bow was a sturdy piece of craftsmanship as well. There was one small problem, however. As a gentleman, I had never used a bow. Men resolved our quarrels as gentlemen should, with sword in hand for man to man combat. It was only the lowly peasants who stooped to striking men down with bow and arrow without fear of reprisal.
After several moments he understood I did not know how to use a bow. This caused him a certain amount of consternation and a great deal of amusement. He clearly had never met anyone my age who was not intimately familiar with the use of the bow. This was brought home to me even more surely as I watched a young boy perhaps 4 years of age shooting a bow at some targets outside of camp. To my amazement the little tyke struck his target with every arrow he shot.
Running Bear elected to show me how to shoot instead of going on the hunt. His good natured instruction soon had me holding the bow correctly. I drew it back for my first shot just as the pretty young lady I had been watching earlier came into view. Running Bear made some comment that I did not catch all of. I did, however, hear the name they had given me, Man Full of Anger, and knew he was talking about me.
Suddenly I was embarrassed. Here I was, a grown man, being instructed in something that even their youngest children knew how to do, and that in front of a woman. In all my years in Lahana I had never been this humiliated. Throwing the bow down I stalked back to the longhouse where I had been resting and returned to my bed. There I stayed, sulking, until the next morning.
I do not know how late it was before the people themselves returned to their bed. I heard many murmurings outside for many hours. I wished to join them for I sensed a camaraderie among them such as I had never experienced. I wanted to experience it, however. It had an appeal to me that our solitary ways could never achieve. Yet pride held me back. Again and again today I had been embarrassed and humiliated among these people. I would not again show weakness to them. Resolved to never show such weakness again I finally drifted off to sleep.
Dawn found me awake, yet I was not the first to stir. I noted several women with fires going by the time I rose. As I exited the longhouse I was offered a bite to eat which I gratefully accepted. Once I emerged I realized I had nowhere to go. I was completely lost. For the first time in my life I had no responsibilities to attend to. Oh, to be sure, I needed to figure out where I was and how to continue my journey, but at this moment, until I could figure out how to speak fluently with these people, that concern was secondary.
I saw Wise Owl approaching. He nodded pleasantly to me. "Good morning, Man Full of Anger. I trust you slept well?"
"I did, Wise Owl. I thank you for your hospitality."
He nodded acceptance. "It is our way. The traveler is always welcome, the homeless sheltered, and the hungry fed."
"I have no way to pay you."
A nonchalant shrug was the reply. "There is no thought of debt or payment. When we see a need we fill it. Thus the people are happy. There is no jealousy. There is no resentment. We have peace and contentment." A shadow crossed his face. "I fear that you will destroy that."
My eyebrows arched in surprise. "Me? How can I destroy it?"
"Your ways are not ours. You fight against them. I fear that our young men will follow your ways instead of our own. Things that are new are exciting. They are still talking of your fight with Running Bear."
"A fight I lost," I pointed out, still humiliated by my defeat.
He shrugged. "Perhaps. Perhaps you simply did not know the rules. Be that as it may, you stood longer against Running Bear than has any other warrior since he came of age."
"He has been fighting long?"
Wise Owl nodded. "He has perhaps 22 summers now. Before the sun came 12 times Running Bear had counted coup. For over 10 summers he has grown as a warrior. Yet you are a battle he cannot win."
"How can he not win when he has already defeated me?"
Wise Owl smiled indulgently. "Ah, the impatience of youth. You refer to the physical confrontation. I refer to the battle for his heart. He admires so much about you. You carry a weapon such as he has never seen. The eagle has allowed you himself as your totem. Already Running Bear speaks highly of you to his sister, Spring Salmon."
"Spring Salmon?"
"Her life appears to be interwoven with hers. Already you have fought for her. She has accepted your claim."
I shook my head in confusion. "I have fought for no one. I have made no claim."
Wise Owl pointed towards the river and I understood he meant my brief encounter with Running Bear. "You defended her honor."
"I am not familiar with your ways, Wise Owl. I have not defended her honor. I defended my own."
"Perhaps, were you home, that would be so. But here your actions bespoke interest in her. For you to fail to speak with her parents about the prospect of marriage would be a grave affront to them."
"But you know nothing about me!" I protested.
"That is true. It is even possible they will refuse your offer. I suspect you will find yourself unable to provide for her. Yet you must make the attempt."
"I do not know how, Wise Owl. Nor to whom I would speak. Can you clear up this misunderstanding?"
"I cannot and would not even if I could. For me to interfere in such a way might anger the land. Whether you intended to or not you proposed marriage when you fought Running Bear. Now the next step is yours."
"But I do not speak your language or know your customs!" I was rapidly running out of objections.
"You seem to be doing all right with me," he replied. "I think you will find the words present themselves when the opportunity arrives." He paused for a moment. "I think you will find that your ways will hold you back. Learn to relax, Man Full of Anger. Time moves slowly here. Take some time to learn our ways. You might find that you like them. And now I must bathe."
I looked up in shock. We had come upon a limpid pool while we were talking. How far we had walked I did not know for I had not paid attention. Yet I sensed the only appropriate thing to do was leave Wise Owl in peace and find my own way back to the village.
I saw Wise Owl approaching. He nodded pleasantly to me. "Good morning, Man Full of Anger. I trust you slept well?"
"I did, Wise Owl. I thank you for your hospitality."
He nodded acceptance. "It is our way. The traveler is always welcome, the homeless sheltered, and the hungry fed."
"I have no way to pay you."
A nonchalant shrug was the reply. "There is no thought of debt or payment. When we see a need we fill it. Thus the people are happy. There is no jealousy. There is no resentment. We have peace and contentment." A shadow crossed his face. "I fear that you will destroy that."
My eyebrows arched in surprise. "Me? How can I destroy it?"
"Your ways are not ours. You fight against them. I fear that our young men will follow your ways instead of our own. Things that are new are exciting. They are still talking of your fight with Running Bear."
"A fight I lost," I pointed out, still humiliated by my defeat.
He shrugged. "Perhaps. Perhaps you simply did not know the rules. Be that as it may, you stood longer against Running Bear than has any other warrior since he came of age."
"He has been fighting long?"
Wise Owl nodded. "He has perhaps 22 summers now. Before the sun came 12 times Running Bear had counted coup. For over 10 summers he has grown as a warrior. Yet you are a battle he cannot win."
"How can he not win when he has already defeated me?"
Wise Owl smiled indulgently. "Ah, the impatience of youth. You refer to the physical confrontation. I refer to the battle for his heart. He admires so much about you. You carry a weapon such as he has never seen. The eagle has allowed you himself as your totem. Already Running Bear speaks highly of you to his sister, Spring Salmon."
"Spring Salmon?"
"Her life appears to be interwoven with hers. Already you have fought for her. She has accepted your claim."
I shook my head in confusion. "I have fought for no one. I have made no claim."
Wise Owl pointed towards the river and I understood he meant my brief encounter with Running Bear. "You defended her honor."
"I am not familiar with your ways, Wise Owl. I have not defended her honor. I defended my own."
"Perhaps, were you home, that would be so. But here your actions bespoke interest in her. For you to fail to speak with her parents about the prospect of marriage would be a grave affront to them."
"But you know nothing about me!" I protested.
"That is true. It is even possible they will refuse your offer. I suspect you will find yourself unable to provide for her. Yet you must make the attempt."
"I do not know how, Wise Owl. Nor to whom I would speak. Can you clear up this misunderstanding?"
"I cannot and would not even if I could. For me to interfere in such a way might anger the land. Whether you intended to or not you proposed marriage when you fought Running Bear. Now the next step is yours."
"But I do not speak your language or know your customs!" I was rapidly running out of objections.
"You seem to be doing all right with me," he replied. "I think you will find the words present themselves when the opportunity arrives." He paused for a moment. "I think you will find that your ways will hold you back. Learn to relax, Man Full of Anger. Time moves slowly here. Take some time to learn our ways. You might find that you like them. And now I must bathe."
I looked up in shock. We had come upon a limpid pool while we were talking. How far we had walked I did not know for I had not paid attention. Yet I sensed the only appropriate thing to do was leave Wise Owl in peace and find my own way back to the village.
As I turned to go it occurred to me I had not even mentioned a further issue. I had a betrothed at home.
1 comment:
Who the hell is she? ;)
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