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    wahmbulance Chapter 7 wahmbulance


    There was a charming man who had very dark brown hair, with a matching red head tie and scarf standing before Naia. Yet his main focus was on the mage. “Care to explain?” He obviously had power to order answers out of a healer like Snaketooth.
    Yet the mage didn’t seem intimated at all. He curtly bowed his head before meeting the other man’s gaze. “My apologies for not informing my leader. But this ‘spy’, Hawkeye speaks off, was carrying one of Kokiri Tribe’s apprentices back to camp.”
    “Did something terrible happen to him?”
    “Crowprint and Bearprint were attacked by a Nightstalker. Our…guest managed to scare it off. Crowprint merely had a few scratches yet Bearprint…”
    The leader followed the mage’s gaze towards the apprentice sleeping soundly on the bear hide bed. In the fading light of sunset, the bandages mirrored a dull orange. “The black band over his eye…he lost it too the Nightstalker…hasn’t he?”
    “I’m afraid so.”
    No one spoke for a while and from what Naia could see, the tribe leader was obviously grieving. It was Hawkeye who said, “He was an excellent apprentice and would’ve been a great fighter but, I doubt he would be any use to his tribe as one now. Still we should be glad he isn’t dead. Snaketooth, can you take Bearprint on as a mage apprentice along with Rainprint?”
    “Hold on! How can you just stand there and say Bearprint can’t be a fighter?” This was an outrage. Naia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She might not have known the boy for as long as all the adults in the chamber put together but, she’d known him long enough to know that he was no different than he was before. “So what if he loses an eye? Big deal, he’s still the same has before. No sense making him something he doesn’t want to be.”
    “This has nothing do to with you, outsider!” Hawkeye growled. “I’m warning you to stay out of it!”
    Naia noticed Hawkeye’s hand moving towards his dagger but she wasn’t afraid. She had a blade of her own in her pants pocket. She hopped off the bed to confront the a**, while without realizing her feather charm fell out off her pocket.
    It was then did the leader snap out of his trance in sight of the metal charm reflexing the moonlight. He gripped his deputy’s shoulder to stop him from any further dispute, and patiently said. “You dropped something stranger.”
    Naia quickly picked up her charm and as she lifted it up, the first glow of moonlight touched the charm, the feather burst in out vivid colors and hummed it’s weird song. From Naia’s palm to the medicine chamber’s walls. Making the room glow from yellow, blue, and orange, then to green, purple, and brown.
    Naia’s eyes was filled with as much wonder as a young girl. “Whoa…this kind of reminds me of the fireworks back home.”
    Snaketooth and the leader shared a surprised gaze and each other. Not in a homosexual way but more like they were communicating through a type of code only they could understand.
    Only Hawkeye found this distressing, frantically staring from wall to wall at the changing colors. “W-what the hell is this?! Some kind of witchcraft?” He then whirled sudden at Naia. “Make this end, NOW!”
    “I don’t know how to make it stop!” The charm abruptly stop glowing and humming altogether.
    The tribe leader walked over to Naia until he towered over her. “I don’t believe we’ve ever met, but I have a theory where you’ve come from. My name is Warriormoon, and I am the chieftain of Kokiri Tribe. I have a few questions I wanted to ask you.”

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    Snaketooth took the three into his bedroom chambers to discuss further matters. The bedroom looked pretty ordinary to Naia except for the large caldron on one side, two beds (probably where the mage’s apprentice sleeps). And shelves stacked with unusual trinkets, talismans, and amulets that sent Naia’s mind in an exciting frenzy wondering what purpose these items might be used for.
    The mage dropped down to the floor and the others followed. Once seated, Naia explained to the tribesmen how only yesterday she and her friend Mitsuki, was escaping the wrath of the night watchmen from her town with the assists of a mysterious gray-white bird, who ended up being leading them to Underwood Tree. After being showered with its airy feathers, a weird glowing charm appeared in both her and her friend’s hands. And as quickly as the charms appear did the bird attacked Naia, sending her backing beyond the tree until she realized she was no longer in the tall grass. Instead, she stood before five giant trees. The tribesmen listened in silence at Naia’s tale and it was Warriormoon who spoke after she finished.
    “As I suspected, you are not from this land. You have come from another far beyond the Great Oak.” Warriormoon eyes went up at the sky light; Naia followed his gaze towards the breathtaking array of bunched up stars spread across the now violet sky.
    “Our ancestors who have long passed and walks among the stars, told stories about the Great Oak that stands tall amongst the other giant trees the tribes know as Five Trees. They tell tales of long ago, when the forest was rid of its demons by the gods. The people free from the demons fury wandered the land. They were drawn by the rich soil, loud thrashings of large creatures, shadows under the water, soft rustlings of small animals, and the sudden commotion of birds' wings in the tree tops.”
    “This indeed was also a lawless time, and much injustice and blood were displayed.” Snaketooth interrupted. “It was said that a massive battle toke place at Five Trees and the spirits of the slain kin shone pale stars on themselves, and standing on the branches of the Great Oak. They commanded the fighting to stop or the people of the land will face their wrath. The spirits chose 5 people to seek out others who shared their similar strengths and abilities.
    “If the people agreed to this, the spirit-kin would promise the tribes great things.” The Mage stopped to catch his breath before he continued. “It either might have been the after effects of magic from the spirits clustering together on the Great Oak at that time, or a blessing from the gods from another; moreover the Great Oak was witnessed to carry people to and from distant lands. Does this answer your question, Miss Naia?”
    “Well…half of it.” The next words that escaped Naia’s lips filled her with dread and uncertainty, for she half-braced herself for the news. “Is there any way for me to get home?”
    “Perhaps….but the Great Oak is far from a….regular cycle.”
    “What do you mean?”
    This time it was Warriormoon who replied. “He means, on occasions when the Great Oak is active enough to fully transport people, the sequence is consequently by chance….it is impossible to record when the Great Oak will be active again. All we know is that the Great Oak won’t function on nights of the full moon, when all five tribes come together in a night of truce. Until then, it might by days…maybe moons...or even full seasons before the Great Oak may be active.”
    “What!?” Though she wasn’t entirely sure what the chieftain meant when he said ‘moons’ and ‘full seasons’, Naia can only assume that it meant ‘months’ and could also possibly be ‘years’. “I can’t wait that long! Where am I supposes to go…!”
    If Warriormoon was right about tribes meeting at Five Trees every full moon, then that would mean Naia would have to find somewhere else to stay for a while until the meeting was over. But it might also mean trespassing on another tribe’s territory. Naia glanced at Hawkeye, who was being unusually silent. And if there are tribespeople as aggressive as Hawkeye, I’ll be in serious trouble.
    “Yes…this does present a problem for you.” Hawkeye spoke. “But unfortunately, it’s none of Kokiri Tribe’s concerns.”
    “Just a moment there Hawkeye, let’s not be too rash about things.” Snaketooth eyed the deputy with his amber gaze, that would’ve hypnotized Naia if she stared into them for too long. “She might cause an unnecessary commotion with the other tribes. And besides, she could prove herself quite useful. The tribe is already stretched thin from its lack of fighters lately. Why not make her repay her stay here with services? What does my leader think about this?”
    “Kokiri Tribe is not helpless for it to begging for help from outsiders!” Hawkeye growled. “Warriormoon you’re not seriously considering letting this outsider into our camp, are you?!” Naia tensed. Is he really going to throw me out?
    “Judging by your age, I’d say you’re about…16 seasons?”
    “Mmmm…close. I’m…ah…15 seasons sir.” Naia didn’t want to sound too out of place even though she already was to begin with.
    “That’s a decent age for an apprentice. Very well then, I’ll judge you on how you perform some basic apprentice tasks. I’ll give it some thought and give my decision by sunhigh (I think he means noon).” Warriormoon concluded. “In the meantime, it’s late. Hawkeye, would you care to take our guest to rest in the apprentices’ hut. Today’s actions must have worn her out.”
    Naia didn’t want to admit it. But she was exhausted…and confused. I went from being an average high scholar to an unwanted outsider in a foreign land far from home. If I can ever get home. I really don’t have anywhere else to go. I might as well stay here… She thought as Hawkeye led her out the mage’s sleeping chambers.
    After the two left Snaketooth rose from his spot and started fumbling around in his one of his medicine shelves. The dim room was filled the sounds of bottles clinking against another. “Snaketooth…that girl…you knew didn’t you?”
    “…About miss Naia having something to do with the prophecy? I had my doubts…but now I’m positive. Are you planning on allowing Naia to stay with Kokiri Tribe.”
    “That seems to be the wisest chose. Though she’s lacks the needed knowledge of her new world and her combat skills will require much work, but with a good mentor I believe she’ll make an excellent addition to the tribe. But the decision is up to the girl herself.”
    “Do not worry too much my leader.” At the same time as he spoke, Snaketooth pulled out a small wooden chest. Inside held the mysterious bird’s gleaming feather charm from the nights before. As the mage slowly opened the chest, a glorious array of light flooded the chamber. Blinding the chieftain. “Whether miss Naia knows it or not, she is destined for great things. And as far as I know, one can never truly escape from one’s fate.”