*
*
The canoes bearing Ayenwatha, the tribal warriors, and the seven exiles traveled smoothly, gliding along the river’s mild currents. Several hours had already passed, and the day had finally crossed the midpoint, though it would still be quite some time before the sunlight ebbed.
Muscles were drained to weakness, backs had become very sore, and an assortment of cramps and aches had to be ignored by the occupants of the canoes in their urgency to get down the river. Tribal warriors served as steersmen and navigators in the bows and sterns of the canoes, but the journey was a comprehensive effort. The exiles did their part from the beginning, putting their best efforts into repeatedly pulling their paddles through the water.
Ayenwatha called for one brief, merciful stop, at a broad stretch of embankment. During the respite, the Onan warriors passed out some cornmeal, sweetened by a little maple syrup, amongst the members of the tired party. After taking just a few moments to eat and catch their breaths, they were called to return the canoes to the water. The meager sustenance could not fully assuage Janus’ growing hunger, or replenish his sorely depleted energy, but at the time each mouthful seemed like a precious luxury.
Constructed of panels of elm or birch bark that had been stitched together around a cedar frame, generously gummed with spruce resin, the canoes held up quite well over the pressing journey. To Janus’ relief, they did not take on much water, though when landing he noticed that the warriors were cautious not to run the vessels aground, likely due to the nature of the gummed seams.
The unbroken continuum of thick forest growths hugging the edge of the embankments eventually degenerated in Janus’ eyes. They changed from visions of lush, natural beauty, to repetitive monotony, especially by the time that afternoon had begun to mature.
At least, he was not left baking in the sun. The canoes glided into segments of the river that were well-shaded and cool, before emerging into stretches of direct, unimpeded sunlight that showered down warmly upon their bodies. The robust pace of their travel also sustained a cool flow of air over the canoes’ occupants.
Janus was grateful for each and every small comfort that graced them, as his strength ebbed further with every passing hour. A little anxiety arose within him, as he began to labor with each strenuous pull of the cedar paddle. He was not so sure that he could endure for very much longer.
He felt a distinct sense of relief when Ayenwatha finally guided the canoes towards a large encampment situated near the edge of the shore. At first, Janus wondered which tribe of the Five Realms occupied the site, but as soon as he set his eyes on it, he could see at once that the encampment and its inhabitants exhibited many differences from Ayenwatha’s people and their hill-surmounting villages.
There were a fair number of canoes in evidence within the encampment, though they were of a noticeably different style than those belonging to the Onan. A few rested upon their bellies close to the water. Others were turned upside down, propped up off the ground at one end on a bracing of lashed poles.
They were fashioned of birch bark sheaths fitted over light timber frames, a few being roughly of the same size as those of the Onan, and several that were substantially larger. Rounded at each of their extremities, the more prominent vessels all had a distinctive hump in their side profiles, located at their approximate midsections.
Several conical structures were set farther back from the river’s edge. The constructs were covered in overlapping bark sheeting, laid over frames of five inward-leaning poles that had been lashed together with cording, fashioned out of strong, durable roots, towards the top. The frame formed by the lengthy poles created a broad, circular base for each of the edifices. Additional narrow wooden poles had been laid upon the outside of the structures, to help reinforce, and keep in place, the bark panels.
A flap of animal hide covered the entryways to the dwellings, which varied in size from structures that could hold just a few people, to others that could probably hold a dozen or more. There were a couple of more elongated structures, of a generally elliptical shape, that could be seen even farther back amongst the trees.
The surfacing of the bark panels on the dwellings were painted generously, with reds, yellows, blacks, and whites being among the predominant colors employed in the ornamentation. Many of the images were of natural forms, those of birds and other various animals of the forest. Janus picked out the outline of a broad-antlered moose depicted upon one of the nearer dwellings, as well as the form of a great bear on another.
Among the non-organic images that Janus identified were a considerable number of shapes that were variations based upon a common theme. These involved the use of lines that had matching, backward curving ends, which formed a kind of bracket. The brackets often served to frame other geometric designs, some being quite intricate.
The double-curving lines were oriented in a number of ways, sometimes even set back to back, with variances in the depths and angles of their curves. Whether part of a complex or simple design, the distinctive shapes appeared to be common on the surfaces of the conical structures.
A large number of people were moving among the dwellings, engaged in a wide range of activities. A few men had evidently just returned from a fishing excursion, bearing distinctive three-pronged wooden spears, fashioned with sharpened bone points. The ends of the spears had prominent, spiky extensions in the center, the latter flanked by two smaller tines, whose endpoints were angled backwards in such a way that anything skewered upon the middle prong would be gripped and held in place by the other two. The implements must have been quite effective, as two of the men in the group were struggling to carry forward what looked to be a few large salmon, which had been strung together through their gills and mouths.
Several of the inhabitants of the riverside village paused in their endeavors to watch the approach of the incoming Onan canoes. Faces both pensive and curious turned in the direction of the river, as tools and other implements were set down.
As Janus studied the village and its occupants, Ayenwatha explained to Erika, Kent, and himself that the people that they were about to meet were the “Masters of the Great Waters.” They were the people of a tribe called the Lnuk. While not part of the Five Realms, the Lnuk enjoyed very good relations with Ayenwatha’s people.
Their Great Saqmaw was an individual named Membertou, a very wise man for whom Deganawida and many Great Sachems of the Five Realms held a high degree of respect and trust. Membertou was now a very elderly man, but Ayenwatha indicated that many, both of Membertou’s and Ayenwatha’s people alike, had great confidence in his son, Tumel. Ayenwatha commented that there was little question that Tumel would be chosen to succeed Membertou by the Lnuk tribal council, after the venerable saqmaw had taken the Spirit Road of their people.
Ayenwatha then remarked to Janus and Erika that the saqmaws of the Lnuk were chosen in a manner much different than the way in which the Five Realms chose their sachems, but there was no trace of judgement in his voice. It was very evident that Ayenwatha harbored deep respect for Tumel, both as a courageous warrior, and as a future Great Saqmaw of the Lnuk tribe.
According to Ayenwatha, the tribe had once been a part of another Confederation, known as The People of the Dawn. The Lnuk had been one of the few tribes to survive a terrible period of war called the Forest Storm, which had involved the tribes of the Five Realms, and was thankfully long past.
The people of the Lnuk were divided among seven territories, each with its own saqmaw, the greatest of the territories being Membertou’s region. As such, Membertou held preeminence among the seven saqmaws, which was why he was recognized as the Great Saqmaw of the Lnuk.
After the ferocious wars had finally begun to fade into history, the Lnuk had made a truce and cultivated a friendship with the Onan. It was not much longer before that friendship had spread to the other tribes of the Five Realms. The development, in Ayenwatha’s eyes, proved yet again the ancient Wizard and Grand Council Founder Deganawida’s wisdom; that war was not the path for a flourishing people to embrace.
The Lnuk, Ayenwatha explained, traveled and fished upon the Great Waters. He attested that the Lnuk canoes were constructed very well for traveling upon Great Waters. Ayenwatha held no doubts that the canoes of the Onan, though very capable in the streams and rivers of the tribal lands, were not suitable for the Great Waters. As he listened to Ayenwatha, it became apparent to Janus that it was the matter of vessels that had brought them to the Lnuk in the desperate hour of need.
The mention of the Great Waters, and Ayenwatha’s desire to seek the help of the Lnuk to travel upon them, came as an absolute surprise to Janus. He had thought that they were simply going towards another rendezvous with a Midragardan vessel, as they had done before.
It was evident that his companions had also been caught by surprise, as different degrees of anxiety and excitement manifested in the wake of Ayenwatha’s pronouncement. Despite the unexpected circumstances, there was no time to question the Onan war sachem, as the convergence of the canoes with the shoreline was imminent.
A number of Lnuk men came down to meet Ayenwatha’s party, as the vessels drifted into the shallows. Several were armed, with long lances, bows, or spiky clubs, the latter fashioned from a spruce tree’s taproots. A few of the warriors carried long shields, largely rectangular in shape, with rounded tops. Although they carried weapons, the men showed no sign of hostility.
A few dogs, smaller of build, with elongated heads and lengthy muzzles, scampered about the Lnuk warriors, sending up a chorus of excited howls at the sight of the newcomers.
Ayenwatha exchanged lively greetings with a few of the men at the forefront of the awaiting group, each of them obviously familiar to the Onan sachem. Each saluted the other with the phrase “My Kin Friend”, words which boded well for the impending visit, in Janus’ assessment.
Ayenwatha’s words sounded noticeably halting in their delivery to Janus, and he quickly realized that the Onan war sachem was addressing the Lnuk in their native tongue.
For the most part, the Lnuk men were attired in hide leggings, with loincloths fashioned of a supple hide that was accompanied by a girdle about their waists, the softer hide looping over the girdles in front and back. Hide pouches were secured to the belt-like girdles, and many of the men wore sheathed knives at their breast, in a manner not unlike the Onan warriors. A few of the men had loose, knee-length outer robes of either fur or hide, worn like capes around their shoulders. All wore moccasins on their feet.
Their ebon hair was predominantly worn long, unbound, and loose to the shoulders. Only a few of them had a lock knotted at the top of their heads, the narrow leather strips securing the lock in place hanging down in back. More than one of the men wore adornments of small bird wings upon each side of their heads, while a few others exhibited one or more feathers.
Most noticeable about the men’s appearances was the conspicuous glisten to the surface of their skin and hair. The sheen was unmistakably from application of some sort of oil, which left a lustrous coating in its wake. Janus wondered if such oils had a pragmatic reason behind their use, or were simply cosmetic.
The Lnuk assisted the Onan warriors and the exiles as they picked the canoes up and carried them from the water to the shore. Once the vessels had been set down upon solid ground, Ayenwatha begged leave of the exiles, to go off to talk for a few moments with the Lnuk.
Janus attentively watched the Lnuk as they interacted with Ayenwatha, gauging their moods and reactions as best he could. Their faces looked grave throughout the discussion, and there were more than a few somber glances cast back in the direction of the seven exiles. There was little mistaking the serious nature of the conversation, which was not entirely reassuring to Janus.
Ayenwatha broke away from the Lnuk, and came back to let the exiles and Onan warriors know that they could find places to rest among the trees closest to the shore for the time being. He gave no indication as to the course of his dialogue with the Lnuk, other than to say that it might be a while yet before he came back again. He then returned to resume his deep conversations with the Lnuk.
The Onan warriors and exiles moved away from the shore soon after. They kept together, gathering within some unoccupied ground among the trees, located a short distance from where Ayenwatha was engaged in his discourse with the Lnuk.
Several within Janus’ party, exile and warrior alike, then saw to their physical needs in the relative privacy of the nearby woods. They stretched out tightening muscles, or took advantage of the period of respite to just sit down and relax for a little while.
Janus relieved himself first, using a large tree to shield himself from the sight of any others. He then came back to where the others were grouped, easing himself down, and bracing his back against a broad tree trunk. There was little talk among the seven, all lost in their own thoughts as they waited to learn something more about the next part of their journey.
Janus passed the time by watching the activity within the Lnuk village. He observed some village women skimming a thick substance off the top of the boiling contents within a strange kind of kettle. The kettle, as Janus came to recognize, had been fashioned of a hollowed out section of wood.
A “pot” of stitched birch bark was suspended near another open fire. Janus watched with interest, as one of the Lnuk women carefully removed a heated rock from the flames, and plopped it into the rather unusual pot.
He could see that the Lnuk utilized wicker-woven baskets made of tree shoots, as well as a distinctive style of bags fashioned from reeds, grasses, or bark. A variety of weaving patterns had been used to fabricate the various bags, which were dyed in a range of colors.
The women cast some furtive glances in the direction of the exiles and the Onan warriors. While their interest in the newcomers was apparent, they were still very careful to keep the curiosity of the encampment’s children under firm control.
Janus turned his eyes towards a few village men who were making some sort of preparations by a canoe that was set down at the water’s edge. They were placing a couple of long poles into the vessel, as well as what looked to be several unlit torches. Another canoe was being similarly equipped a few paces away. He had no idea what they were preparing for, but he wanted to satisfy his curiosity. He saw little harm in making an inquiry.
Turning to one of the nearby Onan warriors, Janus asked him, “What are they doing? The ones there with the canoes, the poles, and torches.”
“Hunting wild geese, or ducks. This is done at night by the Lnuk hunters. Those boats will come back full of birds,” the Onan warrior replied. “They will guide those canoes into the coves, where the birds gather to sleep on the water. They will rouse them with torches aflame, and then knock them out of the air as they circle about the flames in confusion. They will take up the stunned birds, finish them off, and put them in the boats, to bring them back to the village.”
Janus nodded to the Onan warrior, and looked back towards the men as they continued their preparations for the night hunt.
After a little while longer, a few women from the encampment brought Ayenwatha’s warriors and the exiles some food. Freshly cooked fish, a good portion of oysters and mussels, and some roots and berries formed the core of the meal.
Janus discovered at this time what was being skimmed off in the wooden kettles, a kind of butter, which he learned after questioning his Onan companions derived from the boiled fat and marrow of a moose. While he did not find the idea of the butter’s origins very appetizing, it was evidently a very prized source of nutrients for the Lnuk.
Janus had become ravenous by then, and consumed the food quickly, in as polite a manner as possible. The others with him also ate rapidly in silence, displaying ample evidence of the great hunger that had grown within everyone throughout the long, arduous day.
The women of the Lnuk looked upon the strangers with great curiosity as they served them the food, though they said very little. The women of the Lnuk were clad in long garments of animal skins that were comfortably wrapped around their bodies, just under their arms. There were what appeared to be thin strips of leather over their shoulders, which acted as a kind of suspender for the wrapping garments. Snug-fitting girdles further secured the attire in place.
Leggings, moccasins, and separate sleeves of hide or fur rounded out the basic garb of the village women. Their clothing was richly decorated with a variety of materials, such as animal claws, quills, and even teeth, as well as a plethora of colorful, painted designs, many of which echoed the same forms and patterns displayed upon the outside of their dwellings.
Like the men, they wore their black tresses unbound and flowing, though they exhibited more personal adornment in the forms of earrings, necklaces, and arm and leg bracelets fashioned of quill or shell. The decor extended to their girdles as well, and a few of the women exhibited what looked to be silver coins that had been adopted to aesthetic uses.
Ayenwatha finally ended his lengthy conversation with the Lnuk, and came back to summon his waiting party. While far more extensive than the last time that they had stopped for a respite, the rest felt all too short to Janus’ weary body.
There were more than a couple of protesting groans coming from among the exiles, especially from Antonio and Kent, as they labored slowly to get back up to their feet. Their momentary repose had resulted in rapidly stiffened joints, and tightly drawn muscles, causing Janus to grimace more than once as his movements mercilessly revealed each taut bodily area.
The Onan warriors displayed their usual stoic countenances, getting up much more smoothly. Janus could not fathom that the warriors would not have desired a longer rest, if the truth were to be known.
Several of the Lnuk warriors from the riverside encampment joined the Onan as they moved to requisition several new boats. A tall Lnuk warrior led Ayenwatha to where most of the Lnuk vessels were kept, singling out seven of the largest craft among those resting upon the beach. Three were sharper in profile and narrower of beam than their kin, but all were of roughly the same length.
Janus marveled at just how light the vessels were, especially in regard to their length and sturdiness, as he helped in the efforts to carry them down to the water’s edge and turn them over. The men placed the canoes down in the water and slid them out with little difficulty, quickly getting into the sizeable boats as Ayenwatha’s party moved to resume their trek down the river.
Paddles were soon dipping into the water, propelling the lengthy canoes. The party swiftly lost sight of the encampment behind them, but not before Janus witnessed a throng of Lnuk warriors hurrying to move some other canoes down to the water. The sight of their urgency, in the wake of his party’s departure, troubled him greatly as they disappeared from view at last.
The Lnuk that had joined them in the new vessels were very welcome additions to the group, as the vessels soon attained a rapid pace that worked in harmonious concert with the flow of the river.
Ayenwatha informed the occupants of his canoe that the location of the large Lnuk camp was not far from the ocean, as the semi-nomadic Lnuk spent most of their year in the coastal areas. Janus did not know whether to be relieved or not by the tidings, as he did not know how far they intended to go once they reached the ocean. He settled into a rhythm with his paddle, knowing that time would eventually give him the answer, one way or another.
Ayenwatha pointed out one special landmark as they traveled along the river. Located up the slope of a great hill, a small cave entrance overlooked the river farther below.
“A Wizard named Kluskap, who had the great power of turning things to stone, used to reside there,” Ayenwatha explained to Janus, Erika, and Kent. “That cave was the last place that he was seen in these lands, and his absence is deeply lamented by the Lnuk people… much as Wizards who were friends to our tribe are now greatly missed. I believe it is all part of the same mystery.”
Janus stared off towards the hillside cave, acutely perceiving the melancholy undertones lying just beneath Ayenwatha’s words. He did not know how to respond, though he found it intriguing that the Lnuk, like the Onan, were evidently struggling with the loss of Wizards that had once befriended and aided their tribe.
Less than an hour had passed when they reached the ‘Gateway to the Great Waters’ that Ayenwatha had spoken of. The sight opened up dramatically to the convoy, as they passed through the last few hundred feet of flanking trees. The river emerged into a wide, expansive bay, which opened into the great seas beyond.
Sandy beaches ran up to the edge of the forest ringing the broad, crescent-shaped bay. The light of the sun, though just a scant few hours from dusk, sparkled off of the surface of the glassy waters. Whitecaps crowned small waves that rolled towards the beaches, their motions harmonious with the pull of the tides.
Many seabirds glided high overhead, drifting along the mild air currents, and sending their high-pitched calls out over the bay. Others of their avian ilk walked the lengths of the beach where the waves gently caressed the shoreline. A soothing breeze flowed off of the waters, washing across the flotilla of canoes. It was at once refreshing and invigorating, bringing a salty scent that lingered in the air.
The wondrous vision spread out before them, as they paddled out from the river and into the midst of the bay, was simply rapturous to behold. Janus was momentarily spellbound by the entirety of the timeless, beautiful scene. Though his body continued to work his paddle, he stared outward in amazement.
The undulations of the low waves were smooth and rhythmic, and the Lnuk warriors with the convoy navigated the sea-capable vessels gracefully through the bay’s waters. Any tinges of fear or pent up anxieties within Janus at the prospect of heading into the ocean were quelled as the boats nimbly sliced through the rolling waters.
The broad expanse of the ocean reached forth under the clear turquoise skies to the distant horizons, beckoning to places beyond the boundaries where sky and sea flowingly intertwined. The awesome sight called powerfully to Janus, with that timeless invitation to worlds of unknown adventures and new experiences. Janus could only guess that the sensation was the deep, primal inspiration that adventurers often felt within the core of their beings, throughout all the ages of every world.
As the canoes glided across the bay, he noticed that the water itself held a different shade of color from the waters that he had seen back in his own world. Like the sky above them, the waters of the bay held a unique, greenish-blue hue. The richness of the water’s color compared favorably to the luster of a rare jewel.
The mystical allure present within the regal vision appeared to be something that strongly moved Janus’ companions, as he looked around at their faces. Widened stares of wonder and excited expressions were displayed by all of the exiles, witnessing the tremendous vista spread out before them. Even the stoicism of the Onan warriors had softened, with unmistakable reverence displayed in their miens towards the majestic display of nature. Only the Lnuk warriors, who were likely well-acclimated to such a grand sight, exhibited no exceptional reactions.
Despite all of the weighty concerns, burdens, and fears within him, Janus could not help but have his spirits lifted up, as his eyes continued to take in the elegance and splendor of the dreamy setting.
The waters became rougher towards the lip of the bay, where its calmer, more sheltered waters finally met the raw expanse of the ocean. Ayenwatha’s boat skillfully took the lead, helping to set the pace as it guided the seven Lnuk canoes onward.
Janus felt a reprieve, as his eyes scanned the horizons. Fortune appeared to be with them, if only for the moment, as the sky in all directions was completely clear, empty of any threats of storms.
He pulled again and again on his paddle, as the canoe rose and fell along the contours of the waves. Once past the mouth of the bay, the rhythm of the waves settled down once again, into a gentler, rolling pattern. It was as if the waves were in reality slow-moving, low-lying hills, watery terrain to be smoothly glided over.
The temperature out over the waters, buoyed by the soft breezes wafting through the air, was cool and comfortable. The time of day, with the sun now beginning to dip towards the far horizon, was also advantageous. With scant cloud cover to obstruct the rays from that fiery orb, it was fortuitous that they were not in the direct heat of the midday.
The small formation of vessels continued at a steady pace into the open sea. The shoreline behind them grew more distant, until it was just a solid, ambiguous line.
Though between two different horizons, the passage was anything but uninteresting. There were plenty of sights to see all around the convoy, the likes of which appeared to fascinate both the foreigners and the Onan. Even the Lnuk did not seem to be completely inured to the abundant signs of life.
More than once, the waters close to the canoes were agitated with the turbulent passages of large schools of fish. The vast numbers of fish moving beneath the surface churned up the ocean waters into a frothy tumult.
Numerous sea gulls hovered about in the air above the violent, choppy swathes of water, as they shadowed the passage of the schools of fish. With excited cries they awaited the aftermath of the obvious feeding taking place just below them, as the ranks of predators cleaved into masses of smaller prey.
The colorful backs of a larger variety of fish broke the surface of the water in many places, their scales refracting the light of the ebbing sun as they splashed back down into the depths.
It was during one of these episodes, when Janus knew well that the shore was far behind them, that he observed a number of immense dorsal fins cutting through the water, each one towering high into the air. The huge dorsal fins were on the outskirts of the latest schools of fish passing by, swiftly trailing the great multitudes of quarry beneath the surface.
Janus’ eyes widened, and his heartbeat quickened, as he beheld the fins heralding the presence of titanic newcomers. As he was in the canoe with Ayenwatha, their vessel was one of the first to draw near to the vicinity of one of the gliding leviathans.
As Ayenwatha seemed to show no outward signs of discomfort, Janus quickly questioned him about the creatures. Ayenwatha must have sensed the panic rising in Janus, as he quickly entreated him to relax, reassuring him that there was no real danger. Ayenwatha then implored one of the Lnuks, paddling just behind Janus, to tell him of the giant sea creatures.
As the Lnuk warrior informed Janus, the large dorsal fins belonged to a huge, shark-like, sea hunter known as Shrakas. The enormous predators hunted in small packs, and the Lnuks had evidently fished and navigated their boats among them for generations.
The Lnuk warrior indicated that while they were in the boats, they had little to fear. There had been very few occasions that the great predators had shown any interest in boats. As nervous as Janus felt, he did not want to ask the warrior about those rare exceptions.
Ayenwatha reassured Janus that the creatures did not attack canoes, though the Onan war sachem displayed a little anxiety as one of the creatures swam very close to their vessel. The dorsal fin soared high above them, and Janus could easily estimate that the creature was more than three times as long as the approximately twenty-five foot boat, if not four times. It was a beast of tremendous bulk, with a girth that was much wider than the beam of the large canoe. As far as Janus was concerned, the canoe did not feel all that safe, and the extremely close proximity of the Shraka was deeply unsettling.
Yet as the Lnuk warrior had said, the Shrakas paid little heed to the watercrafts. The hulking creatures were apparently content to shadow the schools of the larger type of fish, who would quickly be making one of nature’s age-old transitions from hunter to hunted.
Janus could feel the tension leaving the air as the great fins drifted away from the canoes, the triangular forms fading behind them with the churning waters from the schools of fish. Yet he barely had time to recover a normalcy of heart rate before the convoy was greeted with yet another incredible view.
About a mile beyond the sighting of the Shrakas, the occupants of the canoes all saw an immense tail fin break the surface of the water. Off to the right, a little farther off, Janus saw what looked at first to be an island. The seeming island then visibly moved, though, just as Ayenwatha enlightened them to its real nature. A moment later, Janus saw the tail fin and body of a second enormous form in the distance, the great fluke breaking above the surface as the whale plunged to feed in the lower depths.
The forms belonged to a colossal type of whale. The gigantic creatures, by Ayenwatha’s description, and Janus’ sight of them, were again substantially larger than their counterparts back in his former world. The sight was at once sobering and breathtaking, and his eyes remained riveted upon their tremendous forms until they too faded from sight.
With the exception of a small number of diminutive, flying reptilian creatures, which glided along the air currents overhead, the convoy encountered no more strange or daunting wildlife during their passage. Janus was not quite sure that his nerves would be able to handle many more surprises, especially considering the immense scale of some of Ave’s incredible denizens.
The strange, intimidating creatures were a strong reinforcement to Janus that he still knew very little about their new world. The recognition of that reality also brought with it an increased measure of gratitude towards Ayenwatha and the Onan, for their unwavering patronage of the exiles.
It was less than an hour later that their destination finally came into view, a timely development as there was not much daylight remaining. At first, their goal was just a hazy lump on the edge of Janus’ vision. Gradually, its features emerged into greater clarity, revealing a long, low island.
Ayenwatha, the warriors, and the exiles worked harder to increase their pace. The Lnuk guided the boats towards one end of the oblong island, where there was a little inlet that formed a small, natural harbor.
A small cluster of galleys was pulled up on the curving beach, their single masts lowered, and their oars resting idly on T-shaped racks rising from the decking. A broader, single-masted craft built in a similar fashion to the galleys rested just off the shore at anchor, with its square sail furled. A small rowboat containing a couple of men could be seen making its way slowly out towards the vessel.
A short distance up from the beach, there was a sprawling cluster of rectangular, timber buildings, of various lengths and construction methods. On a few of the structures, tendrils of smoke were rising lazily skyward through holes set in the middle of the roofs.
There was a flurry of activity throughout the place. The lively sounds of woodcutting, the clanging of metal, and a chorus of spirited voices carried through the air to the approaching canoes.
The ships and the people in view were just like the Midragardans that Janus had witnessed before the Darrok raids. Many wore the same, richly colored tunics, though a few had cloaks augmented with furs. Several of those attending to the beached galleys were shirtless, exhibiting the sheen of sweat elicited by heavy manual labors, even despite the cooling breezes.
In the spaces between the buildings, a cluster of Midragardan children were playing, running around in the company of a few large, wolf-like dogs. Janus could not help but chuckle at the sight of one young boy who was diligently, and futilely, chasing a sizeable, long-limbed cat with a thick coat of fur. The nimble black and white cat easily evaded the efforts of the boisterous youth, though it did not halt the spirited young fellow in his relentless pursuit.
A standard displaying a flying eagle and a running wolf was rippling high in the air over the boats at the farther edge of the village. The banner blew proudly in the steady air currents, fully revealing the dynamic images woven into it.
At the sight of the canoes, a number of excited cries rang out among the villagers. A teeming throng of men, women, and children quickly assembled along the edge of the water, as the canoes drew nearer.
A tall blonde-haired figure with a forked beard emerged from the midst of the assemblage, proceeding to stand alone, several paces in front of the others. Janus immediately recognized the strong-looking man as Eirik, the warrior who had commanded the ship that previously met Ayenwatha and the exiles.
“Eirik!” Ayenwatha hailed in a loud voice, leaping over the side of his canoe to splash down into the shallow waters.
The other Lnuk and Onan began to get out of the canoes as well, prompting Janus and his companions to do likewise.
“Ayenwatha!” Eirik called back with equal fervor. He strode out, beckoning for others to come and help with the canoes, as the other narrow-bodied vessels drifted in alongside the first.
His eyes scanned the arrivals carefully, taking a methodical, purposeful appraisal of the entire group. His face failed to mask his astonishment at once again seeing the strange visitors that he had encountered back in the tribal lands.
“This is not an expected visit! What brings you to this far outpost, with such guests?” he queried Ayenwatha, with a look of great curiosity.
“It is very unexpected for us as well, my friend,” Ayenwatha replied, his expression dampening from the initial brilliance of his greeting.
Janus strained to listen to the conversation as he helped the Lnuk, Onan, and Midragardans heave and carry the canoes up to rest on the shoreline.
“What has happened?” inquired Eirik, his voice grave, as he clearly sensed something amiss with Ayenwatha.
“I fear that the day I have long feared has finally come,” Ayenwatha stated in reply.
Janus did not like the sounds of Ayenwatha’s words, not in the least bit.
*