The celebration continued well into the morning hours. The dancing eventually transformed itself into a salmon feast. Sitting near the band elders, a place of honour she was told, Kiera ate with her new family members. Sooleawaa and Chocan sat on either side, translating the conversations that to Kiera seemed to be taking place at a blistering speed. The elders were impressed with Kiera's growing knowledge of their language, and every member made the effort to welcome her into the family.
The last person to welcome her, a little girl no more than seven years old, was different from the rest. She barely made eye contact, mumbling her welcome, then rushed back to her place at the far end of the gathering. Kiera turned to Sooleawaa.
“Who is she?”
Sooleawaa swallowed the rest of her salmon and looked towards the distant girl.
“Her name is Shawnadit. The spirits have not been kind to our little sparrow. Her father died in a battle with the Thule several years ago. Her mother was killed when she slipped over the edge of a cliff last winter. She has no brothers or sisters. We, the tribe, are now her family. Just as we would raise any child, she is looked after by the women of the band. Her mother's death, however, has greatly affected her. She and her mother were very close.”
Kiera sighed, thinking of the young girl's heartache. “At least she is not alone,” she whispered to herself.
As dawn approached, the revellers eventually gave in to their urge for sleep. Kiera reached forward and touched Sooleawaa's back. Sooleawaa was already slumbering beside the roaring campfire in front of her. She let her darkening thoughts drift upwards into the brightening sky. She thought again of that little girl, Shawnadit, who had suffered terrible losses, but still had an extended family to look after her. From Ireland, to Vinland and finally to the land of the Beothuck, Kiera was being pulled ever further away from her home and family. Although happy to have her life after almost losing it, she couldn't stop a growing sense of emptiness from weighing down upon her heart.
As she closed her eyes, she rubbed her cross between her thumb and finger. Home was now further away than ever.
EIGHT
The village had been completely disassembled by midday. Kiera watched in fascination as the large, shell-shaped huts called mamateeks simply fell gently to the ground with the removal of several key support poles. Other band members stored the canoes under low-lying lean-tos for winter. Most of the belongings had been previously packed in leather wrapping, and were now strapped to the top of an A-frame of long poles.
“Ready?” asked Chocan, concern in his voice.
Kiera nodded. “Ready as I'll ever be.”
Kiera grimaced, anticipating the sharp pain that would come when Chocan pulled the ingenious seat. The contraption in which she sat was itself a wooden A-frame made of stripped branches and secured with leather sinew. Chocan pulled from inside the frame itself. He leaned into the leather harness that strained around his shoulders and waist. The sinews in his arms flexed as he brought the simple sled up to speed. Kiera, herself, sat backwards in a sling designed of soft seal skin that was securely attached to the inner frame. Both her legs were elevated and comfortable as they rested on a wide leather strap. Beyond her feet was one of the support branches that connected the two arms of the frame. She felt guilty being so comfortable as Chocan guided the contraption from the fire pit to the edge of the glistening river. They joined the other band members who had already gathered by the water.
Satisfied that everyone was now present, Nadie stepped carefully onto an elevated stump so all could see her. She raised her hands.
“This has been a good summer. The river once again supplied us with an abundance of fish. Our brave hunters have provided our band with leather, fur and meat for the winter months. We have also been joined by a descendant of the Teachers. We have much for which to be thankful! Praise the Great Spirit!”
“Praise the Great Spirit!” roared the band.
“I ask Chocan now to step forward and bless the ochre.”
Chocan carefully lowered Kiera to the ground and stepped up to the stump, exchanging places with Nadie. He took a large sack from an elder and held it up for all to see. He closed his eyes.
“Great Spirit, we are thankful for your blessings. Your land feeds our children. Your sky gives us rain to drink. Your forests provide us with shelter. Now we ask that you bless this ochre and make it holy. Bless this, the blood of Mother Earth, so that your people may be safely led to the Meeting Place, and to our people!”
The crowd exploded. “Bless the blood!”
The crowd suddenly fell silent. All heads were bowed in prayer. Kiera scanned the gathering. A memory began to nag at her. This all seemed so familiar. Yes, the Church! It was a ceremony from long ago in her memory. The image of the communions she had witnessed as a child. That was it! Chocan was using ochre instead of wine for the blessing. It was certainly similar, but also very different from what she could remember of the event.
Starting with the oldest, the blessed ochre mix was applied to the forehead of each band member in the sign of the cross. When it was Kiera's turn, Sooleawaa dragged her up to the front, and Chocan applied it to her forehead as well.
As Kiera was pulled away, she turned to her friend. “Sooleawaa, Chocan mentioned the Meeting Place. Where is it?”
Sooleawaa smiled. “You will meet the rest of our family. Wait, you will see. We must travel far inland. The Meeting Place is to the east, beyond those distant hills.”
Kiera felt her heart sink. They would be leaving the coast and taking her further away from the sea. She sighed. There was nothing she could do. Her leg must heal first before she could hope to go anywhere.
As the gathering left the summer site in an orderly convoy, she wondered how her new friends would react when she informed them that she intended to return to the Viking settlement. Would they be angry? Would they even help her find her way back home? If they refused to let her go, then she would somehow have to make it back to the Viking village on her own.
The band followed the river away from the western shores of the great sea. Travelling backwards, Kiera could see the faint band of blue water kissing the distant horizon as they climbed higher into the hills. With each rise, the band seemed to thin until, on the third day, the ocean disappeared completely.
Kiera's heart plummeted. Her mind swirled with thoughts of her Viking village. She knew that with their failed mission to find new land, the village leaders would have no choice but to abandon Vinland and settle once again in either Greenland or Iceland. Returning east with the Vikings would mean that she would be moving closer to home. It would be one step closer to Ireland. She needed to get back to the village before they left Vinland. But how?
Sooleawaa and Chocan sensed Kiera's sombre mood, but they were too busy with their own responsibilities to talk. Chocan, of course, was busy hauling Kiera and his supplies along the increasingly rocky trail. Sooleawaa was directly in front of her, following the crowd. Her job was to herd the young children along at a pace that kept up with the adults ahead. She was one of a ring of young women who encircled and encouraged along almost every child of the band capable of walking.
Kiera would have found the sight of so many excited, swarming children amusing if