“Iondaee, give me your knife.”
“Tutayac, you can't…“
“Don't argue with me. I will avenge the death of Asitari. Give me the knife.”
Iondaee gave her his knife. Both he and Jesse looked on helplessly as she stepped over them and faced the fierce warrior, his face smirking at the sight of a woman ready to fight.
“So this is what's left of the mighty Wendat warriors? A woman?” he jeered. “I expected a little more from such a noble nation.”
“You will pay for what your people did to us,” Tutayac said, defiantly. She raised the knife, its tip waving at her attacker.
“We will see,” he said, lowering himself down to a crouch.
The warrior circled her, stopping and then slashing back and forth with his knife, forcing Tutayac to retreat. She jabbed several times at him, aiming for his midsection, but the warrior was simply too quick. He skillfully worked her back, toying with her until her feet tottered on the edge of the steep bank to the creek.
“I'm afraid this will be the end,” he growled. “You are brave, woman. I give you that. You will die with honour.”
He brought his knife up for the final stroke just as a large apparition flew past Tutayac's head. A creature slammed directly into the warrior's face, toppling him backward and onto the ground. After landing effortlessly on its four paws, the new attacker wheeled around and released the most terrifying growl Jesse had ever heard. It was a huge cougar. Far bigger than any cougar he had ever seen at the zoo, it had a beautiful golden coat with massive, silent paws. The animal released another bone-shivering growl, exposing its huge incisor teeth, perfect for ripping the flesh off the bones of its prey. The warrior, scrambling to his feet, realized that his bow had been damaged in the fall. A knife against such a beast would only anger him at best. This creature was on the hunt, and it was not to be stopped tonight. In his surprise at the sudden appearance of the cougar, the warrior had forgotten all about Tutayac.
It was almost as if she had not seen the cougar. Her thoughts were still completely focused on the shocked Iroquois warrior. She took advantage of the distraction and launched herself into a sprint. She expertly spun the knife around in her hand and struck the back of his head with the large wooden handle. His head jolted forward with the crack of the impact. Instantly, the warrior crumpled to the ground. Tutayac stood over the unconscious warrior, victorious. The cougar assessed the situation with glowing eyes, his hot breath clouding in the cool evening air, his deep purr almost hypnotizing.
“He wants dinner, Iondaee,” Jesse managed to whisper, each word bringing agony to his side. “Leave me. It's me he really wants. Take Tutayac back to the village…while you still have a chance.”
“I can't leave you,” countered Iondaee, eyeing the cougar.
“You must,” coughed Jesse. “I'm leaving now. I can feel it. Go back to your people.”
Iondaee looked down at his wounded leg. He grabbed hold of the arrow shaft, gritted his teeth and pulled. His face winced in pain, but the arrow came out cleanly. Blood began to trickle out from the wound.
“Tutayac,” he commanded. “Come to me, slowly.”
She did as she was told.
“Now give me the knife.”
She passed it to him.
“Can you stand?” asked Tutayac.
“I think so.”
With her help, he staggered to his feet. The cougar seemed to be focusing now on Jesse. Iondaee knew that Jesse was right. The cougar was defending his meal when he attacked the warrior. He wasn't interested in them if they would simply move away from his dinner. Iondaee leaned down to look into Jesse's eyes one last time.
“Thank you, my friend. I will never forget you.”
The woods were beginning to glow in an unnatural white light. Jesse could feel his body beginning to float. The pain was diminishing. He was going home.
“I will never forget you, either. Look after your people, Iondaee. Keep them safe.”
A gentle stroke on his cheek was the last thing that he remembered before he fell into an ocean of endless white.
Seven
Jesse awoke to the smell of sizzling bacon and a stream of blinding sunlight. He glanced around the lean-to, surprised to see Uncle Matthew at the campfire with both his and Jesse's knapsacks fully packed. The food smelled delicious. It felt as if he hadn't eaten in weeks.
“What time is it, Uncle Matthew?”
He glanced up at the sun. “Oh, I'd say it's around ten-thirty. You had a good sleep in. Must have been all that exercise.”
Jesse crawled out of his sleeping bag and joined his uncle at the fire. “Why are we all packed up?”
“Jason came by at dawn and said it was time to go,” he explained. “He said he had his vision last night. Kept it to himself, though, which is his right. He'll talk about it when he's ready.”
Jesse sat down next to his uncle. “Where is he now?”
“He went back to clean up his site at the mounds. He'll be back soon. The boy can't resist bacon. Eats it by the ton.”
Uncle Matthew laughed. Then he reached into his knapsack and pulled out a small wooden box. He passed it to Jesse.
“Here is something your father asked me to pass on to you after you had completed your trip with us. It's something that has been passed on through our family for generations. I hope you will cherish it as much as your father did.”
Jesse gently opened the box. Inside was a chain of interwoven gold strands. Hanging from the centre of the chain was a beautifully shaped curve of what looked like greyish white ivory.
Jesse stroked the smooth surface of the pendant.
“Amazing. Please tell me about it.”
“Well, legend has it that the pendant came from the antlers of a deer spirit. The spirit vanished after helping some of our people escape the Iroquois after the fall of Ste. Marie. But one of our great leaders, Chief Iondaee, cut off a piece of antler before the deer returned to the world of the spirits.”
Jesse was about to say something, but his uncle had this glimmer in his eye that told him that somehow he knew. Jesse touched it. He could feel Iondaee in its smooth surface.
“Thank you, Uncle Matthew. This means more to me than you know.”
His uncle simply smiled and nodded. Suddenly, Jason came stomping up to the campsite with a huge grin on his face.
“Congratulations on your vision quest, Jason,” offered Jesse.
“Yeah, thanks.” replied Jason, dropping his pack. “What's that you got?”
“Something from my father. It's a piece of deer antler.”
He showed it to him.
“That's great, Jesse. I bet it will always help you remember this trip.”
“In more ways than one,” Jesse said, smiling to himself.
After eating a wonderful breakfast and cleaning camp, they started off along the trail that would return them to the truck and the outside world. As they came to the mounds of the ancient village, Jesse stopped and looked around. He could almost hear the children playing and smell the smoke rising from the longhouse roof. Jason approached and stopped, standing beside him.