Chapter 2 *Unexpected Visitors*

Chapter 2 *Unexpected Visitors*

 

“Who are you?” Aria barely spoke, still looking into his eyes.

“Move Javen, let her breath,” a deep voice from behind him spoke. He moved back away from her. “Javen, returned to the boats, and wait with the rest of them.” The deep voice ordered.

Aria still couldn’t see who the deep voice belong too, until Javen stood up and walked away  but not before looking back at her with his almond shape golden brown eyes for a moment longer. An older man stood only a few feet away from her. He and Javen resembled one another, both stood huge like tall oak trees towering over her. Shoulder length dark hair, muscled chested and arms.  His almond shape golden brown eyes peered down at her, as he walked over to her. She took a closer look at him, the only difference between the two was the man in front of him looked a little aged and his golden brown eyes weren’t so bright, but still quite handsome. He finally kneed down beside her “Are you alright?”

She nodded her head. “I’m fine. Who are you?” she stood up and took a step back looked around. Searching where she was in the woods.

“My name is Oran, and we have traveled from the high mountains and beyond to speak with White Feather. She is the seer of the Night owl tribe. A few of my tribe’s men have made the journey here also. What is your name young one?”

                “My name is Aria, of the Night owl tribe.” She paused “Why do you seek White Feather?” Aria pushed out. The bright sun shined into her hurt eyes, she quickly closed them as she did she had a quick vision of a young version of White feather and Oran together fishing. She quickly opened them looking at Oran .

“White Feather is my sister. We need her help” Oran looked sadly at her. “It’s been years since I last seen her.” The wind picked up and his dark hair flew up around his face. “I must speak with her, Can you take me to her?”

“I can take you to her, but only you!” she looked around her again feeling eyes on her. “Tell your men to NOT to follow, our tribe will attack anyone who they don’t know.”

Oran looked suspiciously at Aria before putting his hand up, and shouted “DON’T NOT FOLLOW!!” he turned around in a circled, before looking back at her. “Can we go now?”

“Yes” Aria replied amused at herself. Aria doesn’t usually take kindly to  stranger, or escorting them to her tribe. “What tribe are you from?” she eyed him closely looking at his necklace that had medium claws dangle from it.

                He smiled at her “The Mountain lion tribe” walking next beside her. “I’m one of the council’s elders of my tribe.” Keeping the pace with her.

Aria shook her head, “No my Father and Uncle told me that the Mountain Lion tribe is no more. That they were wiped out by the dangerous mountain lions that rumor those mountains.” She stated.

He laughed a big and loud laugh that is echo between the trees “No, our numbers to our tribe went low after several attacks by mountain lions. We finally tamed those beasts, White feather left before we tamed them. Our mother thought it would be best to leave; she and several women took the young children and came down the mountain. Our mother returned my sister did not at that time.” He sighed. “How much further?” he did a sideward glance at her.      

Aria finally noticed that she has walked a little ways out of village before she fainted out, “Uhm” she looked up at the trees trying to get her bearings. “A little further. We should pick up the pace; my uncle would get worried if I’m not back soon.” It took another minute for her to realize that no one in the village knew where she was or which way she stormed off.

As they neared the village, Pokka screamed a war cry. Aria stop, Pokka was letting Aria know he was watching her. “Pokka, come out here. This Oran, he is from the high mountains” Aria called out. “Stop Oran!” Oran stopped and glanced up into the trees searching for this Pokka.

A rope drop several feet from the trees and Pokka came sliding down it, “What are you doing ARIAN!?” he raised his short blade at Oran eyeing him suspiciously. “Neva said that you stormed off a while ago. Your father and mother have returned asking to see you. Now you come back with an OUTSIDER” he pointed his blade at Oran. “Your father would like to see you as once!”

“Alright, let me explain.” She held her hand up “This is Oran, White Feather’s brother. He’s come to seek her help from the high mountain.”

“I mean no harm to the Night owl tribe. I did not come armed” Oran turned in a circled showing no hidden weapons.

“I need you to go to your father. I need to take Oran to the council of Elders.” He barked at her.

                “Pokka, why are you being so boss to me?” Aria snapped at him.

                “While you were off in the woods, your father reported back that another tribe was attacked.  The council of Elders suggested that we be alert and ready.” Pokka yelled slightly at her. “Sorry but you must go to your father’s tent.”

                “It’s too late they have come down this far.  I need to speak with White Feather now!” Oran pushed passed Pokka and Aria. “I don’t have time to waste with your council of elders; White Feather is the only one I need to speak with now.” Oran hustled straight to the village.

                Pokka follow behind him closing in on Oran. Oran was in the center of the village, as all the men aimed there weapons on him, “White Feather, White Feather!” he called out ignoring the men shouting at him.

                Aria came in to the center but the men pulled her back for her safety, as they didn’t know that she was the one that bring him here. “Stop he means no harm. He is unharmed!” she screamed. She knew any moment there would attack Oran, he was an outsider and didn’t belong.

Pokka came bursting thru the men and  charging at Oran with is short blade above his head ready to strike. White Feather appeared in front of Pokka, stopping him from attacking. All the men scream at her for her interfering.

                “Oran” she called him from behind. Oran turned and looked at his sister. “No please tell me no..” she broke into a small sob falling to her knees. Oran ran to her and gently put his arms around her.

                “I hope that you didn’t see what has happen. I wanted to be here to tell you. Don’t worry I will get him back” Oran held his sister in his arms.

                Everyone stood back unsure what has happen. They crowd around White Feather and the stranger. Aria pushed her way towards them. “Move, Move” she slide passed the men. Now in front of White Feather and Oran, she still didn’t get why White Feather fell to her knees.

                “What is the meaning of this stranger in our village?” Her uncle commanded.  Everyone parted ways to let her Uncle, Father  and the council of elders to White feather and her brother. Her uncle took one look at Oran and knew who he was. “What are you doing here?” Only a few of the Elders knew that White Feather was from the tribe Mountain lion, and married into the Night owl tribe. But her uncle knew that Oran was her older brother.

                “I came here to tell my sister of bad news in the high mountain. But I fear she’s already seen it thru her own eyes.” He gathered his sister up and helping her stand. “Her own son has been captured. He was taken while he was hunting, His capturer headed down the mountain , we followed. But these are not ordinary attacks, they have attack other tribes. They are looking for certain people in the tribe.” Oran took a step back from his sister. “Where is Baleen? Your husband?” Oran looked thru the crowd searching for him.

                “Oran he died last winter. No herbs here could save him. He was very sick.” White feather wiped her tears away and squared her shoulder and looked back at the elders and Aria Uncle and Father. “There are looking for future seers, I can see that.  Because of Neche being born from me, they assume that he will be gifted in sight.”

                “Don’t worry we will get him back, Javen has been tracking them since they took him. He’s the best of our tribe.” Oran comforted her. “Osyka, I know we’re had our difference in the past, but my sister’s son has been taken, all with lot other. I have men on the far river bank just west of here. I have gathered other men from different tribes to hunt these fiends down. They have agreed to send ten of their best warriors to track and kill them.” Oran spoke at Aria’s uncle Osyka and her father Kasa.

                Osyka and Kasa looked at the elders and they all nodded in agreement. “ Oran get the men that you have gather so far and return here, for food and shelter” Osyka nodded.  Kasa’s Aria father spotted Aria in the crowd giving her a stern look motioning her to follow him back to his long tent. The crowd went their separate way looking alarm and scare. Aria passed Neva while following her father, she gave her  -I’m in trouble look.

                Arian followed her father as she entered her parent’s long tent, where her mother was sitting in a chair working on a new  bear fur blanket that she not no doubt got from her travels with her father, she was kneading it, “Who have you been? We get back and you are nowhere to be found. Don’t you know what’s going with the other tribes?” she rushed over and hugged Aria. Aria and her parents stay in there long tent for a long time, before Aria rushed out angry and hurt at them.

 

             

 

                Neva and a few others from the village went along with Oran to bring back the men that he has gathered for this mission. Neva couldn’t keep her eyes off of Oran, everyone was dying to know why they didn’t know that White Feather had a son, and no doubt it was before she married Baleen of the Night owl tribe. “Oran” she called out and hurried to walk alongside him. He nodded at her for her to continue.

                “White feather, never mention she had a son. It’s not Baleen’s son is it?” she asked in a low voice.  Making sure no one else heard her from the group.

                “No Baleen was White Feather second husband, her first husband was killed. We are almost to the river bank just up over this hill.” Oran heard something just over the hill. “Everyone hurry!” Oran went full sprint over the hill, just in time to see his nephew and his men being attacked by masked painted men.

                Javen dark hair flowed in the hair as he jump off his long boat onto one of this masked beast attacking his fellow tribe’s men, his short sword connected with the men collar bone, dropping the attacker to his knees. “Uncle, watch your right!” he screamed.

                Oran pushed Neva and the rest of the group back, “Get back!” he threw his hands up at the masked attackers, “Come on!” Oran kicked back one attack then punched one on the side of the face. Some of the masked attackers came up from behind the group trying to snatch up the Neva and the rest of the group. Neva took off running toward the river bank. “Javen!”

                Javen saw the one masked painted man chasing after a young girl further down the river bank, he sprinted after them. Neva ran as hard as she could climbing over fallen logs, she clear the fallen logs, she made it around the bush, she legs were hit with bolas entangling them in the rope and the weight of the balls made her hit the ground. She turned over and tried to get herself untangled, then the dark figure stood in front of her looking down with his black abyss eyes. Then he fell next to her, with a tomahawk in his back. Javen ran over to her and pulled a small hunting knife from his bootleg, cutting the bolas around her legs. “ Are you alright?” his almond shape golden brown eyes melted her heart.

                “I am now.” She was completely mesmerized by his eyes, is voice and body. She walked back to the long boats with him in silence, she didn’t know what to say to him.  I must have him, I think I’m in love, I must tell Aria about this young man that saved my life. She smiled at him when he walked over to Oran. “I shall be his wife” she whispered softly.

Author's Note

Excuse all the errors in this chapter. Enjoy!