Chapter 7: Entoch/Shanor

I watched the shaman stab Laura in the gut; dread and horror filled my stomach as I would again be alone. "Noooooooooooooooooo!"

But Laura didn't flinch. She just held up her hand and dragged the shaman away. I saw him struggle then cry out in pain, then he ran off looking back once or twice. Then I watched as Laura went to talk to Ogna, the leader of the hunters in our village, he was the only warrior still standing, they talked for awhile before Laura called me over to her.

Ogna looked down at me and knelt. "This woman has told me some amazing things. I want you to tell me if they are true."

I nodded as he told me what Laura had told him. "Yes she is a great warrior, Ogna, and honorable too. She would not lie."

Ogna nodded and looked at Laura. "The shaman has been nothing but trouble ever since he came to our village. He would use his magic to heal but only when he had to and then he came into power by threatening to curse anyone who got in his way. Entoch's father was the village headman until the shaman arrived. Things where much better then."

I had never known my father was in charge we never discussed anything about that before, I had known he was held in high regard. Ogna went on to tell Laura that the shaman was probably looking to banish my father and me as tradition held that the Chief's role be handed down father to son.

Laura listened to everything, only saying a few things here and there, but what she did say was very important.

"I have adopted Entoch, Ogna, and I also have much healing knowledge myself. I will be glad to stay here in the village and help take on the duties of your shaman. Of course I will not lead only advise and offer help to the sick."

Ogna clasped Laura's forearm in the greeting of our village. She then looked to me and smiled. "Entoch take our things to the shaman's hut. That will be our new home. I have to stay out here and take care of the people I injured."

I had almost forgot about the men on the floor. I looked over as some had started to awaken. I nodded to Laura and dragged my pack toward the shaman's hut. It was located near the center of the Village in the most prominent area. As I was going I saw some of the village women exiting their huts to see what was going on. Some smiled brightly at me. Shanor, one of the girls my age, came running out to see me. I was surprised when she threw her arms around me crying.

"Mother said you where dead, that the shaman had seen to your death. She said we would never see you again."

I hugged her back. "Shanor, I was rescued by a great warrior. She is now our village shaman and she banished the old shaman."

Shanor looked at me blankly. "She?"

I nodded and pointed over to where Laura was checking over the men on the floor. "She is sooo big? What is she? Is she a strange one?"

I smiled at Shanor. "No she is my new mother. She is one of us now."

Shanor got a strange look in her eye. It was then that I remembered that Shanor was a bit strange herself, always playing hunter with the boys instead of learning to gather and process the kills like the rest of the girls.

Shanor grabbed my sack and helped me put it in the shaman's hut. She made me tell her the story of my rescue several times as we sat in my new home.

"You say she fought a big cat with her BARE HANDS?"

I nodded.

"AND SHE TOOK ON ALL the village hunters?"

I nodded again.

"That is so great Entoch. I knew it was crap that we girls could not hunt with you men. I am better than any of the boys my age at throwing the spear, Even you."

I laughed "I think you are tired. You can never beat me in that."

Shanor got an evil gleam in her eye before she leapt at me. She and I wrestled on the floor for some time until I was pinned beneath her.

"SAY IT ENTOCH, I AM A BETTER WARRIOR."

I struggled but she had me pinned. "Never!"

Shanor laughed. "Then I shall torture it out of you."

With that she put her face right next to mine, then kissed me on the lips, before I could react she leapt off me and ran out the door laughing the whole way.

"Wha... ?"

Shanor.

I don't know what had possessed me to kiss Entoch. He was younger than me by a few winters but still I was so happy at the news he had brought me. My whole life my mother had called me strange because I wanted to fight, I wanted to hunt, I wanted to be something that I was told I couldn't. I ran until I couldn't run anymore, just going in circles around the villages outskirts. I circled to where I saw the people gathered, where this Laura had been treating the warriors. She had several of the villagers around her, all trying to get her attention.

I hid behind some drying racks watching this wonder. She was taller than any person I had ever seen. She wore the skins of a big cat and had its teeth draped around her neck but still it was hard to believe what Entoch had said about her. That is until I saw her gently pick up one of the men from the floor who had not awoken and take him to his hut, ALL BY HER SELF.