Jesse noticed that he had been climbing uphill for quite a while. A gentle mountain had lifted the travellers above the surrounding forest canopy, and for the first time in days, Jesse saw huge expanses of grey-covered sky. To his left was an ever-steepening cliff that looked back in the direction from which they came. Below them, a quilt of endless green stretched out to the blue horizon of a large, distant lake. The view from the cliff of the unspoiled forest was breathtaking.
A distant explosion echoed from the valley. Jesse stopped and stared, searching out the cause of the unnatural noise. His eyes soon found what he was hoping he would never see. A tiny pillar of smoke rose from the forest. Focusing on the smoke, he could make out the distant rectangular fortress walls of Ste. Marie near the shore of the great lake. One of the longhouses suddenly burst into orange flame. The fire quickly spread to other buildings. The column of smoke grew darker and thicker until the entire settlement disappeared behind the black veil of destruction. The message was clear. Taenhatenaron had fallen to the Iroquois, and the Jesuits were abandoning Ste. Marie. Jesse now knew that history was destined to repeat itself.
He didn't even notice Iondaee step next to him. A hand came to rest on his back. It was the first time Iondaee had touched him. He joined Jesse's gaze at the unspeakable sight. Jesse knew that with the smoke went the dreams, hopes and lives of Iondaee's people. The rest of the village soon gathered round in silence. Even the babies sensed the sadness and stopped crying. Tears fell. A light drizzle began to trickle down from the clouds above.
Finally, Iondaee turned to his people. “There is nothing left for us here. What has been our home for generations is no longer. The future of our village, our people, now rests with us.” He turned to Jesse. “Thank you, Spirit, for not allowing our entire nation to be destroyed or consumed by the Iroquois. We will do our best to carry on the memories and dreams of our brothers and sisters. My people, it is time to move on.”
Iondaee left Jesse's side and took the lead. Reluctantly, the villagers followed. Staying in Iroquois-controlled territory meant certain capture or death. Leaving the land they so loved was now the only way for them to survive as a nation.
Gratefully, they reached the top of the mountain and began the long descent into the next valley. Jesse trotted to catch up to Iondaee, then looked up at the grey sky. He hoped the light rain would end.
“It's getting dark,” commented Jesse.
“I know this area,” answered Iondaee, with quiet reserve. “We will make camp in the valley below. There is a good stream with plenty of fish. We will have to eat it raw, however. Smoke or light from a fire will bring trouble.”
Jesse was amazed by the outward calmness of his friend. Iondaee was now the chief out of circumstance. The future of his people now rested upon his shoulders. He could sense, however, that deep within, there was turmoil. Although inwardly grieving, Jesse knew that Iondaee would become the leader they so desperately needed.
The village people gratefully collapsed along the banks of the stream. Some washed themselves in the cool, clean water while others began to gather the berries and vegetables that would help feed the group of almost 150 people. Iondaee went to each and every person of the village, comforting them and praying with them for lost loved ones. He spent extra time with Asitari's wife, sharing with her stories of her husband and memories of their mutual childhood.
As the final light was leaving the forest, Jesse curled up to rest at the edge of the human herd. The young girl who had taken a shine to him sat silently at his side, occasionally patting his neck or offering him some grass, which he gently refused. His mind was drifting off to sleep, exhausted with the effort of the day.
Suddenly, his ears perked up. There was that sound again. The faintest of snaps. But the second was closer than the first. Another snap, this time coming from a different location. Something was not right.
“Iondaee!” Jesse called out, thankful that only he could hear his voice. “Come here, but quietly!”
Iondaee casually left the young mother and baby. He talked to people briefly as he gradually moved towards Jesse, acting almost as if Jesse had not said a word. At first, Jesse was annoyed that Iondaee did not run to his side. Then he realized what Iondaee was doing. He did not want whoever was in the woods to know that he was alerted to their presence. Jesse was impressed as Iondaee almost unnoticeably picked up his bow and quiver of arrows and hid them against his chest. He finally knelt down as closely as he could to Jesse while looking like he was conversing with the young girl, now fast asleep on the ground beside him.
“What do you see?” he asked.
“I don't see anything, it's getting too dark. But I think I hear something,” explained Jesse. “There is something approaching us from two different directions. One is along the path we took to get here. The other is upstream of the creek. What should we do?”
Iondaee thought for a moment. He then stroked the girl's hair as he told Jesse his plan.
Jesse waited for Iondaee to move back casually into the crowd of people. Once clear, Jesse carefully stood up, not wanting to wake the sleeping girl. He then trotted over to the creek and gracefully jumped it in a single bound. With quiet speed, Jesse circled around and behind where he thought the noise from the creek originated. He slowed his pace as he approached the brook, carefully pacing his steps away from twigs and branches, moving as silently as possible. Now only a few steps from the water, he froze. His brown fur was the perfect camouflage for the woody background. He was now invisible to all but the most observant eye. He had to wait only a minute until a slight movement caught his eye. In the shadow of a maple, a figure eased forward with ghostly silence. The shadow then drifted from one tree to the next, easing his way toward the unsuspecting villagers. There was no doubt of his intention. Even from this distance, he could see the bow drawn, the quiver on his back full of deadly ammunition. Iroquois.
Jesse stepped forward. On the bank of the creek was an egg-shaped boulder. He raised his hoof and brought it down hard on the rock. Clop! The warrior spun around. Jesse leaped away from the water and dashed into the woods. He waited for the searing pain of an arrow ripping into his chest, but it never came. Even though he was sure that the Iroquois warrior had an easy shot at him, he did not release the arrow. Iondaee was right. A warrior would not be distracted, even by easy prey. A warrior in battle wanted only one thing, victory.
Jesse bounded ahead for another minute and circled the village. He never once believed he was brave, and now here he was preparing for battle against the Iroquois. Iondaee told him that if it were only a scouting party, there should be no more than four warriors. With luck, they might be able to handle the situation. If it was a war party, then there could be possibly hundreds of warriors closing in around them. If that were the case, then the villagers would not stand a chance against such a huge force. Their lives depended on what Jesse saw next.
It seemed to take an eternity for Jesse to weave through the forest to the trail the villagers had followed. Knowing he was now behind the intruders, Jesse eased his way forward, stepping only on mud or grass to help hide his approach. His ears could pick up the chattering of Iondaee's people. He moved behind the trunk of a massive oak tree and surveyed the area. On first glance, it appeared he was alone, but a gnawing tingle in his stomach told him there was danger somewhere nearby.
There! Two shapes suddenly appeared and vanished along a line of tree trunks. They were invisible in the shadows of the leafy bushes that bordered the trail. Jesse couldn't even pick up their movements with his sensitive ears. He waited another minute. The two warriors separated and moved behind a clump of bushes. Jesse continued to look in all directions but he could detect no one else. Iondaee would have to somehow defeat three well-hidden and armed Iroquois. Jesse shouted as loudly as he could.
“There are three in total. One coming towards you by the creek and two others along the edges of the