BEYOND THE PALE: ( The Outlander ) (2 page)

The two young men had
been running with the ease and grace of those at home in their own skin and at
the peak of their physical fitness. Staying close to the rock wall they moved
with agility over and around the boulders and loose rock strewn liberally in
their path. Their motion and step was synchronised and almost silent; their pace
even and steady. The red rocks of this Ridge were on the outskirts of their
territory and were once venerated by their people.

Notwithstanding a
certain degree of difference to their respective physical statures, an
undeniable resemblance was evident to their facial features attesting to the
fact that they brothers. If this was not to be seen in the proud set of the
eyes and brow, an echo of this kinship could be further glimpsed in the strong
profile they shared.

They had been
journeying several days since setting off from their settlement to “Run the
Bounds”. It was once considered to be a sacred duty and therefore bestowed as
an honour to those who performed it each year. For the last six years, River;
now in his twenty third year, had been the recipient of this proud honour, and
had been accompanied for the last four, by his brother Isa; two years his
junior.  It was always performed in the month of May when the Pleiades; known
to the Hopi as Chuhukon, rose in the east with the Sun. The Hopi blood ran in
their veins and as such they knew themselves to be the descendants of the Star
People of the Seven Sisters.

Running the Bounds was
an endurance feat which could involve up to two weeks of constant running and
jogging. The activity was guided by the sacred spirit of the Antelope; whose
nature, starting out in trembling and fear from unspecified attackers, in time
comes to appreciate its own agility and speed. As it glides over obstacles with
hide glistening and muscles rippling in its flanks, the fear it started out
with abates and falls away. The animal now free, runs instead with a joyful
exuberance and an understanding of life and power over nature. It was this
continual striving over one’s lower nature; to hold in check one’s fears and
conquer desires that marked the true nature and spirit of the culture they
shared.

As well as being a
ritual that honoured this spirit, ‘Running the Bounds’ also served to maintain
a close knowledge of all movement in the outlying borders of their settlement.
The concept of land ownership was alien to their culture and River and Isa grew
up in the knowledge that every part of the soil is sacred. Protecting and
monitoring the land was a means of honouring the mother whose nature was to
carry everyone and all they might need.

Foregoing their breech
cloths; which were worn for daily duties, the brothers ran in loose skirted
garments of soft suede cut from antelope hide. Spanning waist to knee, the
hides were cut with deep vents at the sides to allow for a free range of
movements. A broad leather band belted at the waist, secured carrying pouches
and also anchored shoulder straps that were reinforced with thick leather
protection to the shoulders and forearms. Leather chaps protected the shins and
these were bound to the soft leather skin of their deerskin moccasins. 

Following a route some
feet from the base of the Ridge where the going was good, River thought of his
father and fleetingly wondered what he might be doing at this precise moment.
His idle reflections were unexpectedly disturbed by a swiftly passing shadow
cast from above. Isa had also registered it and was already gazing up at the
summit to see the dark silhouette of a man making a series of daring leaps
across wide gaps in the ridge. Instinctively, Isa made a move to conceal
himself in the shadow of the rock. Reluctant to surrender his own vantage
point, River gazed up with obvious admiration. The powerful leaps he was
witnessing seemed to be launched from ledges scarcely wider than a man’s foot.
He was heading in the direction of the rock face carvings.

“If we move fast, we
might get a better view of him when he reaches the end of this ridge” said Isa
hoping to rouse his brother who seemed rooted to the spot. Already moving in
that direction, which was about 150 metres ahead, Isa motioned for his brother
to follow. Picking up the pace they headed to the wide breach in the rock
between this ridge and the next smaller one. Two steep cliffs now faced each
other either side of a chasm. Judging the distance to be around 40 feet; the
stranger above, River reflected, would be stopped in his tracks once he came to
it.

“Where is he?” said
Isa, as he shielded his eyes from the sun to scan the crest of the ridge. “Do
you see him?”

As soon as the words
had left his lips, the figure of the man had come suddenly into view about 30
feet or so down from the summit. Far from being stationary, he was already moving,
and to their surprise and astonishment, he launched himself across the divide
towards the facing ridge. River’s eyes darted across to locate the target
landing; a slope, set at an incline of around 45 degrees. Taking in the narrow
ledge lower down, he intuitively grasped the intended strategy. It was a bold
and courageous move. He would have to work hard to stay on his feet at such an
angle. Watching in eager anticipation, excitement rippled through his veins.

It was clear from the
moment of contact that something had gone wrong. He was moving down the incline
in a rolling, lurching motion that was becoming more and more erratic. In
stunned silence, the brothers watched in horror as the man tumbled hopelessly
out of control. The outcome, though inevitable, was no less shocking when it
came. Sliding down the gradient on his back with nothing to break his fall, he
glided effortlessly over the edge.

The trajectory of his
fall was such that only the first few feet of the descent was visible to them
from where they stood. Exchanging glances that betrayed their mutual
foreboding, they raced to the foot of the next ridge where they expected to
find his lifeless body.

He was lying on his
front, head to one side, his arm twisted at an awkward angle. Taking in the dark
skin and the large inert frame, River leant in close to listen for the breath.
Placing two fingers on the hollow above his collarbone, he felt a faint pulse. “He’s
alive!” River announced breathlessly “He’s still alive!”

Isa felt conflicted as
he took in this information. He had been impressed by the skill of this
mountain runner and felt that his courageous spirit was deserving of their
help. But what was to be done? What if he hadn’t been alone on the ridge? There
might be other city dwellers that may already be looking for him. He cast his
eyes around uneasily at the thought.

“We can’t leave him!”
said River with conviction, as though anticipating Isa’s objections.

“Then what is to be
done brother? At any moment others may come looking for him. We can’t risk
being seen and you know as well as I do, we can’t take him back to Avana.  Our
first duty is to our own people.”

“I don’t think there
are others. He was alone up there Isa, and needs our help.”

River could see that Isa
was not convinced, and in an effort to reassure him and enlist his support, he
pressed his point further.

“He will need water and
protection from the sun and predators. If we move him to the caves located at
the start of these ridges, he will have those things. If there are others out
there looking for him, then we will see them before they see us. He may not
make it I know, but there is little blood shed, and he still breathes! I can
tend to his injuries and fix his bones. All will be well brother, trust me on
this,”

Isa remained silent.
The still and battered frame of the Major’s twisted body lay between them like
a question mark. There was nothing that Isa would not do for River, but the
same fierce loyalty that shaped his character, blazed like a sun when it came
to the safety of the community they shared. Taking in the powerful military
bearing of the man, Isa’s deep misgivings were difficult to shake off. In all
probability he was a Ranger employed by the citadel. Strict rules; issued by
the Elders, were observed by their tribe in all matters of community security.
As one of the most loved and respected amongst them, Geren their uncle, would
be the first to insist upon caution and forethought.

“Well Brother, what do
you say?”

“That it is a good thing
it is me standing here before you and not our Uncle, for he would not be so
easily persuaded!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The
brothers instinctively sought out one particular secluded cave with a narrow
and concealed entrance in one the larger rock ridges. They knew it quite well
and had spent time there before. They carried the Major there on a makeshift
stretcher, forged from the branches of the Aspen tree and Mountain Pine. This
was the Isa’s handiwork and once the Major had been carried through a narrow
entrance into a cool, dark chamber, he set about the tasks of finding fire wood
and water. He soon built a small fire which illuminated the deeper parts of the
cave beyond the reach of the sun's pale illumination. The cave was narrow and
long with a high elevated ceiling. Although it was natural, it did resemble a
constructed chamber which also had unique acoustic properties. Any loud sound
would reverberate several times around its walls. There were a couple of pools
of water that were fed by water dripping down from cracks in the ceiling. The
sound of the water dripping into the pools resonated and reverberated creating
a pleasant ambient ringing sound. There were certain indications, that the cave
was used sporadically by perhaps mountain lions. However the cave was presently
vacant and the fires would discourage any unwelcome visitors.

To further supplement
the light, Isa fabricated torches fuelled by the sap of the Aspen tree, and set
them into crevasses in the rock where River was to work. Then together they
converted the stretcher into a raised platform that allowed access on all
sides, and got to work with the business of removing the Major’s clothing.

 Due to the nature of
the injuries, and to minimise further trauma, the intention had been to cut the
fabric of the extraordinary tunic he wore. Proving to be resistant to the
blades of their hunting knifes however, they were left with no choice but to
divest him of his clothing in a wrestling action that was performed with
difficulty and much physical effort. The whole operation took several minutes
and would, River reflected, have been excruciating for his patient had he been
conscious to endure it.

River surveyed the
Major to assess the scope of his injuries. The right shoulder was obviously
dislocated and the left leg was broken. The same leg was also dislocated at the
knee joint with bone ripping through the flesh. Both the lower limbs were man
made however, from the knee down to the foot. The colour and texture of the
skin was remarkably similar to the rest of his body.

His first task was to
correct the dislocation to the shoulder. He moved the arm into a neutral
position close to the body. Flexing and supporting it at the elbow, he
externally rotated the humerus until he felt resistance. Slowly and gently, he
moved the upper arm anteriorly, listening for the click. With the final
manoeuvre he rotated the arm back into the body.

Next he turned his
attention to the dislocation at the knee and reset it into its artificial
socket. Before he could stitch the wound, he needed to reset the fracture to
the femur, and for this he enlisted the help of Isa, as the leg was insulated
under heavy muscle tissue, and realigning it required a degree of force. Isa
had also constructed a splint from cedar wood, which they padded with leaves
and bound to the leg with soft pliable birch branches. Finally River cleaned
the wound at the knee and stitched it with a curved needle, using thread made
from basswood fibres. Over the wound and to the various cuts and grazes, he
applied raw honey soaked in tree bark to hasten healing.

“You have worked well
brother. We can leave him now with a good heart.”

“And you have worked
hard to support me,” said River. “We will wait a while longer with him until he
wakes. He will be weak and may still need us yet.”

“We must leave now,
before he comes around. Our rules apply here concerning contact with strangers.
We cannot talk to him and he should not see us. If we do, we risk our own
security and that of Avana.”

River fell silent for a
while. He felt tired after the efforts of the day and didn’t relish the thought
of moving on. Isa’s words were true enough except River had a strong gut
feeling to stay. He was also concerned for this stranger and did not want him
awakening alone in a dark cave. He could not bring himself to leave his patient
to whom he now felt responsible.

“You should continue on
alone.”

“I cannot run the
bounds alone. You should know that”
“Then you should return to Avana alone”... said River decisively, “…with word
to the Elders of what has happened here. I will follow in a day or so. I cannot
leave until I see that he is safe.”

“A day or so?”

“Three at the most.”

“And who will have your
back if I am to leave?”

River smiled warmly at
his younger brother and pulled him into an embrace. “Three days,” he repeated
softly, with love, radiating from his heart.