Tales of the Wolf: Book 01 - The Coming of the Wolf (23 page)

Looking deep into his eyes, Red Crow shook his head. “I see that Anasazi hasn’t told you.”

“What hasn’t he told me?” Hawkeye demanded.

The scrape of a boot on a rock came from behind them. Whirling around, Hawkeye dropped his hands to his weapons only to find the old shaman standing there.

“What is it that you haven’t told me?”

Ignoring the question, Anasazi walked up to his old friend. They grasped forearms in the traditional greeting of warriors. Red Crow looked at his old friend and said, “I’m sorry. I thought you had told him.”

“I had planned to but there never seemed to be the right time.”

“Well, now is as good as time as any.”

Anasazi nodded.

Red Crow turned back to Hawkeye. “If you still decide to pursue your current action, come to the Great Council tonight and I will back your bid. Forgive your uncle, he only did what he thought was best for you and your family.” 

Puzzled by his words, Hawkeye remained silent. Red Crow walked to the cliff face and stepped off. Hawkeye moved to the edge just in time to witness his transformation into a beautiful black raven.

Turning back to his uncle Hawkeye asked, “What was he talking about? And what’s this about my father leading the Black Wolves into battle?”

Sitting down on a large rock, Anasazi studied his nephew. He was so much like his father, his looks with his dark hair and eyes, his stance and his style of fighting. Even his attitude was a lot like his father’s also, his thinking, his curiosity and that damnable stubbornness. Finally Anasazi asked, “What do you remember about your parents?”

This question caught Hawkeye off guard for a moment. Shrugging his shoulders, “Nothing much, only stories. I know that my mother disappeared shortly after I was born and my father died in combat with the cyclops before I was born.”

Anasazi nodded at this. “Red Crow is right. It is time you know the whole truth.”

“What truth? What do my parents have to do with anything?”

“Everything. What you know about your parents is true, for the most part and it does have an impact on the future. There is a saying; ‘The past is the doorway to the future’ and if that is true, then your past will directly affect your future.” 

Hawkeye sat down in front of his uncle and waited for him to continue. Anasazi lit his pipe with a magical word and took a deep draw on it before passing it to his nephew, who accepted with a silent nod.

“Long before I became a shaman, I was a wanderer. One day I came upon this land and fell in love with your people. I was adopted by the Chieftain of the Black Wolf and became blood brothers with your father. We were the best of friends, nearly inseparable. At that time, we were the largest and most powerful pack in the whole wolf tribe. Our pack alone was larger than the other five wolf packs combined. Your father was a great warrior, yet one day he disappeared while hunting. He was gone for ten days and nights, leaving no tracks or signs that anyone could discover. On the eleventh day, he came stumbling back into camp and told us a story of being seduced by the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She had taken him into her bed for nine straight nights. He was never the same after that. He was still the fearless warrior of his youth but his heart was no longer with us, it was with that mysterious woman. Slowly he returned to his normal self until nine months later on the night of the spring equinox, your mother returned.”

Pausing to take another drag on the pipe, Anasazi’s eyes were full of tears and his voice broke slightly with the flood of emotions he was feeling. “You are so much like your father. You have his looks, his walk, his mannerisms, and so…” Pausing, Anasazi swallowed loudly. “So does your brother.”  

Hawkeye’s jaw dropped as the world spun. “I have a brother?”

“Yes you do.” Anasazi told him quietly.

Hawkeye jumped up. “This is great! Where is he? Why haven’t I met him before?”

“You have met him. He has tried to kill you before.”

A puzzled look crossed Hawkeye’s face. “You don’t mean….”

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Anasazi spoke the words that Hawkeye didn’t want to hear. “Blackfang. Your brother is Blackfang.”

A wave of anger swept over Hawkeye and he jabbed his right index finger into Anasazi’s chest.  “You mean to tell me, that the monster that killed my wife and kids, that left me to die and raped the woman I love is my brother! And you couldn’t have told me this before now!”

“I know this is a great shock to you but let me finish my story.”

Although Hawkeye was extremely angry, he forced himself to sit down and listen to the old man. Anasazi watched and waited as his nephew regained control of his emotions.

“Your mother was indeed beautiful. She had long black hair and pale white skin. I remember her wearing a white silk gown and carrying the eagle-headed staff. She didn’t speak a single word. She just walked right through the gathering, carrying the two of you. The warriors in our pack parted for her. She walked right up to your father, placed both of you in your father’s arms. Flashing him a brilliant smile, turned and walked out into the night.” 

Anasazi looked to the heavens as if he was reliving those days. “Your father held the both of you for several minutes. I remember him kissing you on the forehead before he handed the two of you to me. Turning, he raced off into the darkness after your mother and never returned. We found his body several days later among the corpses of seventeen goblins and two jotens. Your mother was never seen or heard from again, the only evidence she had ever existed were the two of you and her eagle-headed staff which we found stuck in the ground next to your father’s corpse.”

Turning back to look at his nephew, his eyes were full of tears. “It was then that I decided to leave the ways of war behind me and become a shaman. I took you both with me to raise as my own. When you were two, the Great Council forced me to relinquish my parental rights to the both of you. According to tribal customs, a shaman is not allowed to have a family. So, I put the both of you up for adoption. Your brother was adopted by an old friend who was the warlord of the Black Wolves while you were adopted by the chieftain of the White Wolves.”

Hawkeye could see the pain this confession was causing his uncle and slowly his anger began to melt and fade away.

Anasazi continued. “I had planned to tell you both of your true heritage on your day of manhood but the Great Council forbade me to do so. They were concerned that the two of you would go off in search of your mother. They didn’t want to lose two valuable warriors. Then, Blackfang and the Black Wolves fell prey to the darkness that is slowly engulfing our land and the rest you know. After what Blackfang did to your family, I couldn’t bring myself to tell you the whole truth. Red Crow supported your claim for vengeance only if the Great Council allowed me to tell you the truth. They agreed but made me promise not to tell you for at least a year but you have been traveling the whole of the Highlands for the last three years, so I haven’t had the chance to tell you until now.” 

Anasazi lowered his head in shame. “Now you know the whole truth.”

Standing slowly, Hawkeye walked over to the edge of the cliff. Several hundred feet directly below him lay Itasca. It looked so small from this height, yet it was now his home. After the death of his family, he had been on the hunt constantly but this one place had always remained constant. He had always had a place to come back to. His thoughts drifted back to the monster that was responsible for so many deaths of his loved ones and friends. Did it really matter that he was his brother? 

Hawkeye shook his head. “No! A man is defined by his actions not his blood!”  Forcing a weak smile, he turned back to his uncle. “I’m not angry at you anymore. You did what you thought was right. It doesn’t matter to me that Blackfang is my brother; his actions have made him a monster. He has chosen his path and I have chosen mine and it seems that our paths are destined to cross. Given the chance I will stop his reign of terror. We have met twice; he won our first encounter while the second was a draw. The third will be our last; only one of us will walk away from our next meeting.”

Anasazi stood slowly and embraced his nephew. “I know that must be a hard decision but I believe it is the right one. I told the Council you were more than you appeared to be.”

Hawkeye’s face grew solemn and his voice grew cold. “The Great Council is another matter. We are about to lock horns. It might not be wise to side with me on this. I’m sure to make many enemies tonight.”

“Do not fear for my safety. I’ll be okay. I am behind you in any decision you make.”  Slapping him on the shoulder, “Besides, if I’m not around, who is going to take care of your bride and your son?”

Hawkeye raised an eyebrow in an inquisitive look. “Bride? Do you know something I don’t?”

Anasazi shook his head. “No, but you can’t blame an old man for hoping.” 

Heading back down the mountain path together, they laughed and smiled the whole way. By the time they reached the village, Hawkeye was in a good mood. They parted company at the gate, Anasazi went to the medicine lodge to get ready for the meeting of the Great Council and Hawkeye went in search of Tatianna and found her in the Cave of Luna. Hawkeye stopped when he saw her floating in mid air about four feet above the altar with her legs crossed and eyes closed. Her lips moved slowly as if she was chanting or singing to herself. Her arms were lying on her knees while her sword was floating about a foot away unsheathed with the hilt toward her and the point toward the heavens.

Gently clearing his throat, Hawkeye waited and watched. A crooked smile came across her as she slowly floated down to rest on the altar. Turning to look at him, the cave suddenly echoed with her musical laughter as Tatianna got a good look at his face. “What? Don’t tell me that my brave wolfman is scared of a little levitation?”

“No, not really. It’s just a little unnerving. How? Never mind, why do you do that?”

“It’s just a way of meditating. I feel closer to Aurora that way.”  She pointed at the surrounding cave. “This place is a natural crossroads of the Weave. I can access it easily from here. Watch!” 

Wiggling her fingers, like she was knitting thread or weaving rope there was a slight popping noise. A split second later a beautiful white rose appeared in her hand.  Walking over to Hawkeye, she tucked it into his headpiece. Suddenly reaching up, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down and kissed him.

Slightly shocked, Hawkeye felt the softness and warmth of her lips as they pressed against his. Responding immediately, he gently wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. He let his love and passion for her overwhelm him as he returned the kiss. After several minutes, Tatianna gently broke the kiss.

Reluctantly Hawkeye released her and asked, “Not that I’m complaining but why did you do that?” 

Tatianna again flashed him that crooked smile he loved so much and said, “Because I wanted too; and so did you but you are bound by certain customs that prevent you from doing something so bold.”

Hawkeye reached out and gently caressed her cheek. “Tatianna, I love you.”

“I know. I heard you say that on the day you spirit-walked to find me. I love you, too.”  She smacked him playfully on the chest. “How could I not love a fool like you? Every time I get into a little trouble, you run off and risk your life for me, someone you hardly know.”

He grabbed her suddenly and lifted her high into the air. Spinning around quickly, their laughter filled the cave. Dropping her back into his arms, he kissed her again with a gentle passion she had never known before. She felt light-headed and dizzy. Was it the kiss or the spinning?

Finally, Hawkeye broke the kiss. “You are right. I am bound by traditions. One of those traditions states that I must court you for a lunar month before asking for your hand in marriage. Well, that month starts tonight. Why not?  I’m going to make some waves tonight, why not add to it?”

Tatianna lifted her left eyebrow slightly in a look of puzzlement. “I don’t follow you.”

Letting go of her, Hawkeye moved over to the altar. “Don’t let it worry you. I’m planning on a little showdown with the Great Council tonight.” Hawkeye pointed at the sword and asked, “Why is this thing floating?”

She slapped him lightly on the shoulder. “Don’t change the subject! Why are you planning a showdown with the Great Council tonight?”

Waving his hand in a dismissal motion he said, “It’s nothing. I’m just planning on telling them that I intend to assume command of all of the warriors, prepare the village for the coming attack, plan a counter attack, form an alliance with the dwarves,” turning toward her, he sat down on the altar. “And marry a troublesome elf.”

A look of innocence crossing her face, she placed her left hand over her heart. “What do you mean by a troublesome elf?”

With a straight face and arms crossed. “Well, we never had any of these troubles until the elves stirred up trouble in the black fortress. I’m sure Blackfang knows of the coming of the Chosen One and our location. He will attack as soon as he can get his army this far north and that will be the first thaw of spring. So, logically he wouldn’t attack here if it weren’t for you.”

Placing both hands on her well-defined hips, she skewed Hawkeye with a look that could kill. “That wasn’t very nice. As a matter of fact, that was downright mean.” 

Trying to keep a straight face, he placed both hands over his heart. “You wound me. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings; I was just informing you of my plans.”  His grin betrayed his true intentions.

Tatianna pointed one finger at him and growled. “Why you low down, dirty, scruffy looking, scoundrel.” She flung herself into his arms. “I love you.” 

“And I love you.” 

Their lips met again and for a few brief moments, they forgot all about their problems, traditions, customs, Blackfang, the coming war, everything, except their love for each other.  

*   *   *   *   *

By high-sun, the weather had gotten worse. The snow was already several feet deep with snowdrifts getting as tall as a man. It was still two months before Yuletide, yet the snow had fallen almost daily since their arrival in Itasca making travel and hunting dangerous. The few travelers that had come in over the last month told stories of the bad weather all across the Highlands and yet the snow still fell.