Page 2, January 2nd

Slowly consciousness returned. I was sore in every muscle of my body. Nothing I had ever experienced had prepared me for the power of the sea or the punishment it would inflict upon me.

I opened my eyes slowly, unsure of what I might see. I must have made a sound for when my eyes flicked open there were several children around me. One was more forward than the rest. Stepping boldly closer to me she pointed at my face and said something, then pointed to her own ears. I noticed hers were far more delicate than my own and were pointed, a curiosity I noted was repeated on the other children.

I shook my head to indicate I did not comprehend what she was asking. With a shrug, she led the children on a merry chase throughout the building. I shook my head in wonder at their wildness. Lahanish children would never be allowed such behavior. They learned early to stand quietly behind their parents while we conducted the business of Lahanah. The idea that one might approach an adult and have the temerity to inquire something without being bidden to do so was anathema to me.

Nor did we have any such dwellings as the one that now confronted me. Unlike the towering stone castles of my home, this was a long, wide building with a low ceiling made of planks. There were many small fire pits scattered throughout and in the center was one large fire pit that looked like it was large enough to warm the entire building. Over the center fire pit was a large rack on which several hunks of meat from some animal I could not identify were hung. Blankets divided the building into various rooms, though what purpose they had was unclear to me.

I stretched luxuriously and when I did so I knocked loose several poultices they had applied to me while I slept. I picked one up and looked at it curiously. It smelled of herbs, though not of any with which I was familiar. I dropped it back on the floor and made my way through the dwelling to the outside. As I did so, several women engaged in various tasks looked briefly at me before returning to their tasks.

Upon exiting the dwelling I noted it was right upon the banks of a river the likes of which I had never seen. It was far wider than any I had seen in all my travels. Set back from the river were trees of a height and girth I was completely unprepared for. It was truly an impressive sight I would carry with me for the rest of my life.

The river descended into the nearby ocean which the building was quite close to. Looking back, I saw perhaps a dozen similar buildings nestled against the banks of the river. Children were freely coming and going from the various long houses with no pattern that I could distinguish. Each building had its entrance decorated with some fearsome figure painted about the mouth of the dwelling. I started to examine the one surrounding the door of the house I had emerged from when movement in the nearby forest caught my eye.

Turning I saw a lithe young man come running out of the forest from upriver. One of the children noticed and set forth a ululating cry that was immediately taken up by dozens of others.

Immediately womenfolk appeared from the various houses and from various other tasks they had been at. By the time the young man arrived there was a frenzy of activity around several small boats which I later learned were called canoes that were beached upon the riverbank.

I stepped aside as the women rushed forth from the longhouse I had been in and I curiously followed them to see what was going on. The women from each dwelling seemed to assemble at specific boats and the reason was soon apparent.

The men of the village came rushing towards the canoes from a variety of directions. They were uniformly jubilant. They used a great many gestures as they spoke and soon the women were joining them in the canoes. They gestured to me to join them and, with nothing better to do, I elected to do so. Entering the canoe was far less awkward than I had imagined it would be and I quickly found a seat. Unlike my manner aboard my own ship, here I simply tried to get out of the way.

It was not until I was seated in the canoe that it occurred to me they might be heading out to the ocean. My good sense over rode that notion, however. The man who started this journey had come downriver, so whatever the cause was must have to do with something he had seen. 

The trip upriver did not take long but I learned much of this people I found myself amongst. They spoke with their hands and bodies almost as much as their words. It was not difficult to tell that some great event was occurring by the joyful expressions on the faces of the women as the men described to them whatever it was we were going to see.

Soon the canoes pulled in to the river bank and I was able to see what had caused the excitement. It turned out to be fish...more fish than I had ever seen. They were trapped in a little side pool. A cursory examination of the river showed my hosts had built some sort of device across the stream which forced all fish of a certain size out of the river into these catches to the side while still allowing other fish to slip through and continue their journey upstream. I had never seen a fish that swam upstream before and this thought diverted my attention for a few moments. However, I was never one to consider things out of the ordinary. I simply accepted whatever came and went about my business.

As we disembarked from the canoes a silence fell upon the group. An old man, the last to clamber up on the banks, approached the trap and carefully selected from it one of the largest, most beautiful of the fish found within. Later I would learn they were called salmon but at the time I had never seen such a fish before.

Reverently he raised the fish towards the north and recited some words that struck me with their power. Even though I could not understand them I felt something within me respond to them. He repeated the ritual to the south, then towards the west, then the east. once he had completed his ritual towards each of the cardinal directions he suddenly produced a knife and in a few brisk movements gutted the fish. He then laid it upon a cairn that had obviously been used for this many times.

I noted someone had built a fire and in no time at all the luscious smell of fresh cooked fish was wafting through the air. The old man began cutting off small bits and presenting them to various village members. Each person took the fish and replicated his ceremony of presenting their bit of fish to the four cardinal directions and then consumed their portion. He gestured to me to take a piece. Unsure of the meaning I repeated their little ceremony. 

As I completed the ceremony and took my bite of salmon a feeling of peace coursed through me. Though I did not understand the words nor the meaning of the ceremony yet I felt calm, fulfilled, and a strange sense of accomplishment as if some great ask had been completed...almost as if I had expressed gratitude to the fish and it had accepted my gratitude. 

Certainly the flavor was far superior to that of any fish I had ever consumed. I nodded in appreciation. If no other good thing came from this trip the discovery of this tasty morsel would make it all worthwhile.

Suddenly these wild, disorganized people began moving with a precision that even the best noble regiments would have envied. The men moved to the fish traps and began sorting the fish, throwing some back into the river upstream from the traps and others up on the bank. Once they were on the bank the women took knives and filleted them with a skill that astonished me. In less time than it takes to tell about it they would make an incision along the spine of the fish and with one quick motion gut it. They then spread the fish out on racks that were set at intervals upon the banks close to the racks.

Up and down the river from where we were I saw other groups doing the same thing. It was clear to me this was not an unusual activity for them. The racks and traps led me to believe this was a frequent occurrence. I later learned they did indeed do this each year. When the first runs went through it was the busiest time of the year and should they not do well then the entire village suffered hardship and privations, but if they did well then their winter would be pleasant indeed.

I watched for a time thinking that perhaps I could be of help to these people who had taken me in but it was obvious I would just be in their way. For a short time I watched them with great interest. I noticed one young lady being instructed in how to clean the fish by an older woman. Her rapid, deft movements captivated me with their grace. I suppose I watched her too intently for suddenly I became aware of several men talking, gesturing towards me and laughing.

I flushed, first in embarrassment, then in anger. Did they not know who I was? Who were these peasants to laugh at me? I was Lahanish nobility! I was larger than any of them so I picked the largest one and stalked towards him. There could be no mistaking the stormy look on my face, rigid back, and purposeful walk. They knew I was angry long before I reached their group.

To my amazement, this enhanced rather than diminished their amusement. There are many things I had experienced in life but being openly mocked was not one of them. The wrath of a Lahanish noble often leads to disaster for his victim. Losing your land and money is the least of your worries. Even death itself is no fear...it is the tortures he can have visited upon his enemies that make him feared. I had never had anyone killed but I had never shown mercy, either.

To be sure, there was a great deal of mocking in our politics but it was much more subtle. A comment here, an aside there, a verbal barb to a confidant deliberately made where it could be overheard....these were the tools of ridicule. The people I now found myself amongst however were open and up front about it.

In my anger I forgot they did not speak my language nor I theirs. I began to harangue him for his effrontery in laughing at my discomfiture.

The entire mood had changed from one of jubilation and happiness to one of tension and sadness. Something I did pushed him to react and finally he pressed both hands in my chest and pushed me backwards.

I had never been touched by a commoner before. It simply wasn't done. Nothing in my life had prepared me for that and I reacted as would any other nobleman. I drew my rapier, fully intending to run him through for the insult.

This brought a reaction from the entire tribe as instantly the men surrounded me, grabbing my arm to keep me from wielding my weapon. Had I been thinking more rationally I would have recognized their anger at my violation of their mores. I was no longer in my realm and my actions were suited for a different place.

They quickly formed a circle and pulled my rapier from my hand. My victim, far from looking fearful looked excited. He pulled a dagger that looked as if it were made of stone and tossed it to the ground off to the side. Numerous other watchers engaged in what I instantly recognized was betting. I had no way of knowing who they favored but whoever it was, no one went wanting for someone to take them up on their wager. I rapidly deduced I was going to get my satisfaction, but it would be in hand to hand combat rather than the civilized fencing of my home. This held no terrors for me, however. I had engaged often in wrestling activities in competition with other noblemen and more than held my own.

I elected to follow his lead by divesting myself of my own dagger. The eyes of everyone were drawn to it. Unlike their own weapons of hewn stone, mine was made of the finest steel available. It was well cared for and the razor edge was certainly capable of feats their weapons could not match. 

I placed it in a pile with my shirt. Having only one garment with me, I did not want it ruined should the combat be prolonged. He gestured at his knife, then at mine. Thinking he wished to turn this into a knife-fight I shook my head. 

He then pointed to my shirt and his blanket which he had removed. I then understood he wished to wager as well on the outcome of the combat. I looked at my shirt, worn and torn from the ship wreck and then at his blanket, well woven, colorful, and certainly warmer than my shirt would be. I nodded and tossed my shirt over towards him.

Almost before the shirt hit the ground he was on me with the speed of a panther. I barely was able to face him before his blow struck me on the side of the head. I was astonished at the power behind it. I staggered back but he left me no time to recover. His hands were everywhere, reaching, grasping, clutching and it was everything I could do to fend him off. 

Here I was, perhaps the finest swordsman and hand to hand fighter in all of Lahanah and I was being pummeled by one of the youngest members of this small fishing village. I got in a few blows and once thought I would have him thrown to the ground but like the fish flopping about in the trap behind him he slipped from my grasp, and got behind me. I considered my options and decided the best course was to fall to my knees and pull him over my head but he saw my ploy and threw me to the ground. I scrambled to my feet before he could get on my back but to my surprise everyone was exchanging money. I instantly realized it was over and he had been judged the winner.

To my surprise he was grinning widely and gesturing towards me as if we were friends. My glare quickly disabused him of that notion but did not take the smile from his eyes. With a shrug he collected his winnings and he and the others returned to their work. 

Embarrassed by my actions and even more by my easy defeat, I wandered off the other way into the forest. I had much to think about.