Chapter 4

I jerked awake as the sounds of the village were dying down. Again, a little disorientated, I looked around momentarily, wondering where I was in the world. Then everything came rushing back as I was suddenly feeling depressed. Even all the skills I had learned watching the man hadn’t been enough. Malak’s father had been very close to killing me.

Sitting there a few more moments, I started to get out of bed, and then the room started to spin slightly. Catching the wall, I slowly sank to the ground with a groan. A moment later, Atohi’s head popped into the opening of the teepee.

“I thought it would be far longer before you would be up,” Atohi said as he came and sat beside me. “I was going to wait ‘til you were awake, feeling better. Malak’s father cut you pretty bad.”

I nodded as it appeared that Atohi was a little nervous about something. “What’s going on?” I asked him as I watched him fidget a bit.

“You didn’t hear this from me. If anyone finds out, I could get a beating from Father.” Atohi asked, still looking around to make sure no one heard him. When I nodded yes to him, he breathed a sigh of relief. “The chief and many elder warriors have banished Malak’s family from the tribe.”

I looked at Atohi in shock as I took in what he said. “When?” I asked with a look of no concern on my face.

“They were going to wait to talk to you and your grandfather. The simple fact was that not only his father but Malak himself attacked you. The Chief and the elders thought it better for them to be gone before they might attack others.”

I stood and started to head out; Atohi still wore a look of worry on his face. “I haven’t forgotten my friend,” I told him. This relieved him as I started for where I felt Pops was. (Pops? Are they going to drive them out? Much like I was?)

(No.) Pops’ reply came quickly. (This is being done for the good of the tribe. The man is quick-tempered. They are afraid he might attack other young men or even children.)

(So I am not to be consulted at all? I thought I had grown much in the last month.)

I heard Pops take a mental sigh. (You have started to grow, and it is true. You are still young, Toman. There are still things you need to learn. True, you are finally developing the skills of an adult. The thing is, you are JUST starting to.)

(So I am the one that he tries to kill. I am the one he injures. I am the one who had to fight and defeat him. You are saying I have no say in what is to be done!) I could feel the anger starting to swell inside of me. I could feel the binding Pops had put on me starting to stretch and bend, and then it felt like it was being shredded.

(TOMAN!) I heard Pops’ thoughts loudly in my head. (Calm, or they will find you! You have barely been able to maintain the different signature. You lose it now, but they could easily overcome you before you are ready!)

Shocked, I felt my anger evaporate. I could still feel the binding, though a little of my power was leaking out. Suddenly, I was standing in the bubble with Pops. “I told you to watch what you did!” Pops said as he hit me with his magic hand, but I hardly felt it! Sighing, Pops nodded, then waved a hand over me, “Sleep, Toman, sleep.”

The next thing I knew, I was waking up, and it was a day later. I could now feel the binding back in place slightly stronger. Shaking my head, I got up and headed out. I walked about the village again, trying to decide what to do until it was time for another lesson. Not really heading anywhere, I was suddenly stopped by the same warriors from the day before.

“Ah! Young Toman! So, it appears that you are up again. This is good. It also appears that you are again trying to see your bride-to-be.” The warrior said this with a sly smile. I looked around and suddenly realized I was only a few feet from Tall Bear’s teepee! Oh shit! I thought as I started to back away. The warrior’s eyes gleamed with mischief as two others pushed me forward to a small opening in the Tepee.

“You are nearly a man, young Toman; it is within your right to peek!” One of the warriors pushing me said.

“Look, as I said, I don’t want a jhatakedaar chhadee used on me,” I replied.

This time, they all looked at me strangely. “You used that name before. Still, we don’t know it,” the first warrior said.

I thought about it momentarily, then felt something shift in my head. “Ah! It’s a adatlosgá ganáhida talugisgi!”

The warrior’s eyes went wide, and they all started to smile. “As a soon-to-be husband, they wouldn’t take that much anger out on you. Especially finally taming that wild cat of a daughter of the Chief!” Pushing my face to the opening, I saw the inside of the Chief’s teepee. Then I drew in a deep breath as Naci walked into my line of vision! It had only been a few weeks, but she appeared different. By all that was holy! She was ten times lovelier! I shook my head. Lovely? Was I losing my mind?

Backing away, unable to speak, I kept backing up ‘til I hit a wall! At least, I thought it was a wall as I stumbled, falling to the ground at the feet of Tall Bear! Scuttling back from him, I quickly gained my feet. A small smile was on his lips as he stared at me, and then, with a wink, he spoke. “You know not of our customs, young Toman, but this is still forbidden.” I nodded. He was quiet for a moment, and he was in thought. “As I have been here most of the time, I do not see any harm done.”

My eyes flew wide as I suddenly realized he wouldn’t have me beaten! Okay, now I was confused. I had never had luck this good. It always ended in disaster. “So no adatlosgá ganáhida talugisgi to be used on me?” I asked, a little afraid that I might upset what little luck I had.

Tall Bear’s eyes widened momentarily, and then he just shook his head. “No, young Toman, though, if this happens again, and I am not present, then I may be unable to stop that.”

I nodded to Tall Bear as I heard a sound behind me. Turning, I was shocked to see Naci staring at me and her father. “So, Father, are you making plans behind my back?”

For the first time since Pops and I had arrived, I saw actual fear in Tall Bear’s eyes! I didn’t understand and was just about to ask when I was stopped short as Naci turned toward me, looking me dead in the eyes! “I was not making plans for you, but I was...”

“Please, Father,” Naci said, effectively quieting Tall Bear. “Toman has saved me from becoming a mahila ka upayog, bekaar I think...”

“Naci,” I said, stopping her and returning her gaze toward me. “Please say that again, I am having trouble with those terms.”

Naci nodded, then opened her mouth but stopped when I held up my hand. Concentrating, I felt something of a block in what Pops had touched me with that day. Shaking my head, I looked to Naci as I felt the block slip.

“I was saying to Father that you saved me from becoming an agehyáa gátanáhi usoná winigatsihihá IGA! He should have made more time for us to see each other. Fleeting glances at rare times won’t do.” Naci stated.

I was nodding as suddenly my eyes went wide. I held my hand to Naci again as I felt rather than heard Pops gasp. Looking at Tall Bear, I asked, “Where did you see my grandfather last? I can feel he is in trouble!” Tall Bear pointed toward the bubble area. “Please keep everyone here; I am afraid that our enemies may have found us. Plus, I am afraid it might be my fault!”

Naci stared at me worriedly as I took off as fast as possible. I didn’t see a thing ‘til I was finally inside the bubble. An older version of Atohi was leaning over Pops. Pops didn’t look that well. Then again, Atohi wasn’t in that great of shape either. I looked at Pops hard, then nodded. When I opened that ability up, it increased his offenses.

The older-looking Atohi was trying to force Pops to talk, but at the moment, Pops was holding him off, though I was afraid he wouldn’t last much longer.

“Where is that little bastard demon seed, you pathetic old fool!” The older version of Atohi was snarling at Pops. I tried so hard I tried not to lose it, but this ass was seriously pissing me off. I felt the power in me build, then double, then triple. That’s when I felt the new binding Pops put in me start to shred like paper.

Shaking with the extreme power I felt coursing through me, I shouted at the mage. “Hey, asshole! I take it you are looking for me?”

I heard the mage laugh, telling Pops he’d be right back to end his traitorous life. This, of course, made me even angrier as the last of the binding shredded to nothing! Turning, the mage cast a fireball at me, then watched horrified as it hit me, then fizzled in mere seconds.

“That’s impossible! You haven’t had enough time to teach him that much control! You are dead, old man!” The mage said as he turned to Pops. Outraged, I reached in and ripped everything of magic the mage had, smiling at the screams of pain that escaped his lips. I kept at it ‘til there was only an empty hole. The look of shock on his face was that of abject horror. “NO! What have you done?” Waving his hand, he started to scream.

I walked up to him as he was screaming, punching him in the gut. With a satisfied smile, I watched him sink to the ground. The only sound was of his labored breathing and vomiting. “I should kill you for what you have done to Pops. I think I have a much better idea, though.”