Grey Eyes (36 page)

57
niyānanomitanaw tīpakohposāp

G
randfather Sun began to drop towards Mother Earth as evening settled and the two Grey-Eyes approached the village.

Little Grey Bear Boy entered the Bear lodge pulling Water Lily Woman by the hand behind him. Singing Doe and White Willow Woman looked up, smiling at first. Walking Moon Woman dropped a basket of freshly cooked wild rice when she turned and saw the two Grey-Eyes, hand-in-hand.

The Bear clan matriarch started. “What—”

“
Nookum
, you must listen to me. The Red-Eyes are about to attack the village. They are being helped by Red Sky Man, who I fear is one of them.”

White Willow Woman gasped. “How can this be?”

“I don't know,” answered Little Grey Bear Boy. “I came upon an encampment of the Red-Eye's warriors on my vision quest. They are only two days' journey to the southwest.”

“And two days ago, I saw Red Sky Man speaking to two men who had painted their eyelids red,” added Water Lily Woman.

Walking Moon Woman stared at the two Grey-Eyed children for a moment, trying to realize the danger her people faced. “We must act,” she said. “Willow, go and find the children. Doe, go and tell Drifting Butterfly Woman to inform the
Nehiyawak
. I will go to the Turtle lodge and speak with Green Wing Woman. Carefully, now. We do not want Red Sky Man to know we are aware of his deception. We will rally the Circle of Clan Mothers and confront him. He is only one man right now. There are still enough warriors left in the village to deal with him.”

“What should we do?” asked Little Grey Bear Boy.

“Stay here for the time being,” commanded Walking Moon Woman. “Do not let yourselves be seen.”

“
Tapwe
,
Nookum
!” said Little Grey Bear Boy obediently.

Through the door flaps, Little Grey Bear Boy and Water Lily Woman watched the three women make their way to the other lodges. They saw Red Sky Man returning to the Eagle medicine lodge with his helpers.

“He will know I escaped, then,” said Little Grey Bear Boy.

“Then he will also know we are aware of the danger,” said Water Lily Woman.

“
Tapwe.
”

“I wasn't done playing,” Yellow Hawk Girl whined as her mother dragged her into the lodge.

“You are back,” said Flying Rabbit Boy upon seeing his cousin. “Where is my bow?”

“Right here,” said Little Grey Bear Boy, handing over the bow as promised.

“I am afraid you will need it this night, Flying Rabbit Boy,” said Water Lily Woman.

“What is happening?” he asked, surprised to see her.

The two Grey-Eyes looked at each other. Little Grey Bear Boy nodded for her to tell the story, thinking it would be more believable coming from her.

Flying Rabbit Boy's face turned red as he realized what she was telling him. He touched the scars on his shoulder. “They will find I am a boy no longer…” he growled.

“My cousin,” said Little Grey Bear Boy, “this will be the night we earn our names. Together.” The two boys clasped arms and locked onto each other's eyes.

Outside, people were yelling and arguing.

“It is time!” announced Singing Doe, poking her head into the lodge.

The young people looked at each other, drawing courage from their mutual determination. Flying Rabbit Boy grasped his bow and shouldered his quiver. He went to his bed roll and drew the magic arrow from its hiding place. Little Grey Bear Boy took out his turtleshell rattle. They walked out of the Bear Lodge to find all of the remaining people of
Nisichawayasihk
gathered in the middle of the village.

“What is the meaning of this?” shouted Red Sky Man. The Eagle twins stood on either side of him.

“My sisters!” boomed Walking Moon Woman to the Eagle twins. “Our people have been deceived by Red Sky Man. He is conspiring with the Red-Eyes to attack our village and may in fact be a follower. I accuse him and demand justice!”

The
Nehiyawak
gasped and the few remaining warriors eyed Red Sky Man suspiciously.

“My sister!” countered the elder Eagle Twin. Her voice was shrill. “On what grounds do you make such an accusation?”

“Little Grey Bear Boy found their camp two days from here,” explained Walking Moon Woman confidently. “And Water Lily Woman saw Red Sky Man talking to two of the Red-Eye's warriors not far from where we stand now.”

“
Tapwe
? Is this true?” It was Drifting Butterfly Woman, matriarch of the Crane clan.

“
Tapwe
!” shouted the two Grey-Eyes confidently.

“How can you say such a thing?” shouted Red Sky Man. “I have only ever served the people of
Nisichawayasihk
! I do not deserve to be shamed in such a way by two children.”

Many of the people of
Nisichawayasihk
looked back at the Bear clan. The
Nehiyawak
would rather have believed the two young people were making mischief than to believe they were in great peril.

“My sisters,” said the elder Eagle twin. “Many of us have heard of the bad heart Little Grey Bear Boy holds towards the Eagle medicine carrier. Red Sky Man is a strict teacher, but that is no reason for a boy to make such an allegation without proof!”

An eagle in the sky above screeched suddenly. The
Nehiyawak
watched as it circled low toward them. Those with eagle bone whistles around their necks sounded them in honour of the omen.

The eagle circled lower and lower, its great wings blocking out the remaining light of the setting sun for a time. To their amazement, the eagle landed in the middle of their circle, its gold feathers glinting in the setting sun.

“Perhaps I can help,” the golden eagle said in a familiar voice. The people jumped back, some stumbling, as the eagle turned into Painted Turtle Man.

“What is this evil magic?” demanded Red Sky Man.

“Interesting question,” answered Painted Turtle Man. “Especially coming from you, Dark Cloud Man.”

The people of
Nisichawayasihk
fell silent as the pieces of truth gathered into one.

“What did you call me? Where do you—”

“I have come from
Bonibonibee
, the place where the water rises and dips. My grandson was kind enough to turn me into an eagle so I could make the long journey. That is the place where you said you came from, is it not?”

“Well, I am not…” mumbled Red Sky Man, looking around.

“I was amazed by what I saw there,” continued Painted Turtle Man. “Not just the fact that the water of the lake goes up and down throughout the day, but by the scars covering Mother Earth. I have not seen scars like that since Dark Cloud Man called down fire from the sky when he and his Red-Eye warriors attacked our village so many years ago. I was only a young boy, but every man remembers the day he earned his name.”

“You senile old fool.” Red Sky Man laughed. “How can you expect the
Nehiyawak
to believe such a story? I am half your age! You are a bigger liar than your grandson.” Red Sky Man continued to laugh, joined by some of his helpers. The rest of the
Nehiyawak
hung their heads, clearly ashamed of being fooled by the Bear clan's wild story.

“I thought the same thing.” Painted Turtle Man was laughing now too. “But then I met an old woman there. She was ‘touched by the Spirits' and was tending to her chores amongst the remains of her fallen villagers. She seemed to have been piling food next to them for years, as though she expected them to roll over and eat. I spoke with her and she told me an interesting tale. She said a medicine carrier had come to the village to teach their young Grey-Eye. His teachings were cruel but effective. After a time, the young boy's eyes changed to dark brown and soon he knew only evil in his heart. The new medicine carrier had somehow taken control of the entire village, stripping the Circle of Clan Mothers of their power. When the matriarchs finally gathered some warriors to oppose this so-called medicine carrier, he called down a rain of fire and destroyed the village.”

“This still does not explain how Red Sky Man could be Dark Cloud Man,” said Talking Stone Woman.

“
Tapwe
,” said Painted Turtle Man. “But then she told me everyone in the village had started to grow older at an unnatural pace. I had noticed that my grandson began to gain in years when he started learning from Red Sky Man. At first I thought he was just beginning his manhood growth earlier than other boys. Then I recently noticed my former helper, Soaring Spear Man, too had gained years on his face after having served Red Sky Man for a time.”

All of the people of
Nisichawayasihk
looked at the eldest helper, who did seem old beyond his years.

“It seems when Dark Cloud Man is close to someone, he draws out their life energy. I remember when we captured the Red-Eye warrior—Flying Rabbit's Boy's attacker—he had a young face with old eyes.” Painted turtle Man ran his fingers across the crow's feet at the edges of his own face.

Brown Shield Man shouted: “
Tapwe
! I took that man's life. I will remember his face until the day I die. It seemed he had the face of a boy with the eyes of an old man.”

Others nodded in agreement. Even the Eagle twins were now looking at each other's faces, realizing the years that had been added in the short time Red Sky Man had been with them. The
Nehiyawak
, including the Eagle twins, began to shuffle away from Red Sky Man.

Red Sky Man smiled and shook his head as he walked towards the middle of the village where the small centre fire was burning. “It would seem you are still just a nosey child, Brown Bear Boy!” said Red Sky Man.

“There are only a few of us left in this village who would remember Painted Turtle Man's childhood name,” shouted Walking Moon Woman.

“So you remember his name, but you forget your own cousin?” Red Sky Man shouted back. “I once loved you and you rejected me for that fool, Rising Hawk Man. Can you remember the day I killed him?” The sky grew dark suddenly as heavy clouds rolled in at an unnatural speed. Red Sky Man was laughing a low growling laugh as he walked about the centre of the village. The people were scattering away from him as he came near. The few remaining warriors, including Brown Shield Man, had brandished their weapons.

“Fools! You are too late!” His eyes glowed red. At a wave of his hand, the centre fire exploded into the sky, creating a pillar of fire. “I have returned to claim that which is rightfully mine!”

Mothers scurried off with their children, screaming. “I will have dominion over
Nisichawayasihk
and control the destinies of all who live there. I am Dark Cloud Man, of the Eagle clan, son of Soaring Star Woman. I am the leader of this village by right of birth. No one will deny me that which is rightfully mine.”

A hard rain began to fall and the sky crackled with thunder and lightning. An eerie howl of coyotes came from the southwest.

“They are coming!” shouted Little Grey Bear Boy.

Brown Shield Man took his spear and hurled it at Dark Cloud Man. With the Red-Eye magic, Dark Cloud Man had created a shield of fire around himself that deflected the spear.

“We must do something!” screamed Water Lily Woman as the people of
Nisichawayasihk
ran about, tripping over one another.

“The children—get them away,” yelled Little Grey Bear Boy. He began to run towards Dark Cloud Man, shaking his turtleshell rattle. Other warriors began shooting arrows and hurling spears and war axes, but none could penetrate the fire shield. Dark Cloud Man's laugh echoed through the darkened sky.

Little Grey Bear Boy began to speak the ancient water chant. The raindrops began to swirl around his body. As he got closer and closer to Dark Cloud Man, he raised his arms and clapped in the direction of the fire shield. A great stream of water shot at Dark Cloud Man, who gasped and tried to strengthen the Red-Eye magic. He groaned loudly as the water began to weaken it. Finally, it overtook the shield, knocking him backwards.