A storm was raging over the snowladen lands known as Forochel. Pines creaked and branches snapped in the wind, the creatures that lived here had already retreated to the safety of their holes and underwater caves. Only the unlucky or the foolish would be found outside in these circumstances. However not the community led by a man named Lauri. He was an elder that seemed to be on the end of his days, a wracking cough had plagued him for weeks now. It was curious how the spirits could suddenly decide to make you ill. Then again, he was an old man and wasn't it decreed that all men must die? These thoughts however were more those of his daughter Vaalea, the spry woman was holding her daughter's hand that came running along on her four year old feet. Her son lay resting against her breast, wrapped in soft furs and he was one of the few that did not flinch at the distant rumble of icy debris falling into the sea.
They had assembled in the largest tent of the village, isolated with layers of snow to prevent the wind from biting their heels and backs while they sat around the single fire at it's centre. "Vaalea saw her father sitting among the families that had been more loyal than the others spread around. They were murmuring to one another, complaining about having nothing to eat this evening or unfinished tasks that would be a setback in the long run if this storm was not to subside any time soon. She came to sit beside her father and chieftain. He coughed and hacked horrendously and she grinned a bit, "You will spew out a lung like that..", she handed him a waterskin. The man frowned at her jest, gently swathing the offered drink away. Vaalea's daughter leaned forward to glance at her family, her grandfather that she had met only recently stuck out his tongue at her.., which she replied to be stretching out hers back even further. Only to have her golden hair ruffled by her mother. Then they all saw when the two most handsome boys of the village were carrying a chair inside the tent, upon it sat an aged woman. She had big eyes with dark pools at their center, her skeletal arms swayed around nonchalantly, perhaps she was drunk again. It was Vanha-Juuti the shaman.
Vaalea's smile turned cold and she was disgusted by the sheer presence of the crone as she fanned herself by the time the servants placed the chair down. Above those of the others gathered. Lauri held up a hand and a drummer besides the fire began a tribal tattoo upon it. Everyone become quiet, "Welcome all! Again we shelter from the anger of the gods! Again we come together and we shall seek wisdom from the shaman! And we shall hear what fate has in store for us!"
The shaman herself beckoned with one of her claws and one of the servants gave her a refreshment that was denied to others. For the sake of not offending the spirits, as she had said.
The drummer rose up an arm, "We will now hear of the shaman's wisdom!" and with a final blows to his drum she was done. The woman couldn't help but smile with relish from all the attention she was getting, which fell quick enough as she opened her wrinkled mouth, "I shall hear what the spirits have decreed!", she shrieked while raising her hands, "Be silent all so that I may hear them!" Her lips curled from one long earlobe to the other as she saw how they all shut their mouths, .. even the children. She had always hated it when they snickered and chuckled, even when it hadn't been any of her business. Her other servant gave her a bag, it was filled with herbs and she tossed these into the fire once her chair had been carried there. Colors of all kinds flashed in the fire and a smoke of it filled the room, it made the eyesight hazy and sent a pleasant tingle in the mind. Vaalea's daughter hopped from her seat and wandered idly to have a closer look at the fire. The crone didn't pay it any heed, she slung the bag to one of her servants once again and set her hands against her skull. "HMMMMMMMM"-ing to herself till she began to shiver and shake .. or perhaps this is what happened when you spoke with the gods...
All were silent.. and then.. with a gasp like a swimmer breaking the surface of the cold lake outside she clutched at the necklace of pearls. Her eyes wide, her mouth open still a little, she lengthened the silence for a while and then her voice broke it, "The gods are angry!!!" Women clutched their children and men blinked in confusion, "And I know why! It has been told to me!" Everyone had their eyes on her still, she rose up a nonchalant finger and pointed at Vaalea. "For she has come back! And with her the curse that lay upon her, with two children, a stranger and not a father at all! Hadn't her brother met a mysterious death after her leaving?!"
Lauri would have spoken hadn't another coughing fit grabbed hold of him, Vaalea however shot up on her feet in ire, "You are no more than a snake! Your words are like a spider's weaving works!! Venomous webs to entrap others in! The gods have seen fit to keep me alive! Why had they otherwise chosen for him to die!" Her eyes filled with water, but she did not wipe them clear. The memory of her sibling was a wound that hadn't healed yet, a guilt and regret lay heavy on her heart.
The shaman however replied with a dry ruthlessness, "The gods perhaps, had not foreseen that you may have tricked him! Perhaps the curse that was given to you at birth is stronger than even they had first suspected! Perhaps though, you were just jealous. The men that killed him could have been bought off by you, because you were envious that he was born for greatness! While you, you only bring doom where you go, poor thing." Lauri reeled his daughter back in and she relented to her fathers will, "I let my daughter back in and my grandchildren, knowing well how wise a shaman we have. Surely you who communicate with the gods will find a way to lift this curse!" The shaman leaned back, "Lift the curse? .. ", she thought for a moment and her face was that of a smiling snake, even her tongue licked the stumps that were her teeth, "More sacrifices only can save the village now! After you have so willingly let ruin be invited upon us! Just listen to the wind outside, howling like great hungry beasts!" Lauri frowned, "More? What more can we give?! What will the gods receive when everyone sitting here will have starved before the winter is through?" She shrugged nonchalantly, "Then the gods will see your efforts for what they are and welcome the truehearted in their embrace!" There was a moment of silence in the room and everyone looked at eachother with rising panic, "There is another way..another offering.", Vahna-Juuti nearly chuckled as she had said it. "We give a life!" Everyone paled at the mention of it. Lauri rubbed beneath his mustache, "So we give up a goat.. how is that going to prevent us from starving?" She cocked her head to the side, "You know well enough of what I speak. The life of a tribemember."
It was silent once more, till a youth jumped up, "I will do it.", he said solemnly. "No I will.", another declared, much to the complaints and dismay from their family members. The shaman waved them away, "No no no.. it needs to be the blood of the chieftain, because his line is where the curse rests. A life to avenge the dead son of the chief and another to lift off this curse itself. However, our chieftain needs to lead his people, his daughter bears the curse. They are out of the question. Leaving only..", and with an arrogant finger she pointed at Vaalea's children. Vaalea felt a hot fury well up in herself at the very notion and the thought of her children being hurt didn't bear thinking about. "You miserable coward!!", she cried out furiously while dragging her daughter back from the flames.. Vahna-Juuti simply held up her hands in defense, "It is this or starvation of the tribe. Will two lives not be a fair trade for otherwise the many that'll die instead, among which these two likely will be?" She let the words hang, .. Vaalea could hear her heart begin to thud. A drumming, deep and as if beyond the sea's horizon pounded in her ears.. over the howling beast-storm, ..then the piercing wail of strung instruments being played .. She ignored it when the two servants stood before the shaman, hands on their knives. "I have never killed a man, but I will if you try to hurt my children!!"
Lauri would have reacted in kind himself, though it was not his illness that kept him from doing so. He was also hearing the strange, but familiar tune. It appeared like only the two of them did. Both of them froze, when suddenly there was a tall hooded figure standing behind the shaman. His beard was long and white as snow and on the brim of his hat icicles hung. Perhaps even her daughter was capable to see him lean on his staff or she was in shock, clamping unto her mother's thigh with her small hands. Vaalea held her free arm over her son, drawing her own knife as she made her conclusion for this familiar fellow to make his appearance. "I know well who needs to be sacrificed to please the gods!", she took great strides forward. The servants pale and afraid drew their weapons aswell while the shaman suddenly panicked, "Stop her!! Save me!! The gods will punish!!", she cawed while trying to climb over the chair. Her skeletal limbs dragging her sagging breasts and belly along till she fell flat on her face in her haste! Immediately as she cried out knives or other tools were pulled and aimed in all directions. Vaalea yelled fiercely, while attempting to edge around her guards, "I will send you to the afterlife, our forefathers will see to you for lying to us! For trying to turn us into the murderers of our own children!! Your claim is to speak for the gods, but you only speak to sate your own vanity! If there is one reason why I was allowed to return, than it is to see the tribe rid of our disgusting lies! We will sacrifice you and let your follower take over! He is ready for his duties as shaman!", then she spat at the old crone. A glob that hit her right in the cheek! Women in their panic pulled their offspring away! Men cursed at one another, telling them to put their weapons down first! Lauri jumped up, "Enough!! That is enough, calm down!!", incapable with his hoarse voice to cry over the uproar!
The hooded visitor was staring around the room, smiling bemused while the melting icicles dripped. Then he began to walk around, taking an interest in those present. By one's and two's observing. Vaalea was in a stalemate, being wise enough to know that she'd risk her children after all would she jump in to fight! "Pappa!", she heard her daughter cry out and she glanced from the corner of her eye. Her father was on all fours, retching out and grabbing the young girl's hand in reply to ease her. The reflection of Kalmansitoja having his hand on her father stood burned in her eyes and she rushed to him, glaring at this spirit. "Look it's the curse at work!", one of her father's rivals cried a bit too soon! "Watch it or I'll jam my fist in your eye!", came a reply from one her father's loyalists!
The tension could be cut like butter in the tent, in an instant if one man lost his temper the tribe would be cut in half, however a chill gust entered the tent when Iljas entered. He was the follower of the shamans, he came in late, "My apologies for the late arrival. The boat nearly went under, we are glad to have even made it through..", then the man realized how everyone was up in arms, "What is happening here?! Enough! Can you not see your noble chieftain is ill and the Speaker she.." The old crone garbled some incomprehensible words while her servants tried to help her up, "A drink..", she demanded while clutching at her chest."Hold her!", Iljas the shaman demanded while rushing to the bag of herbs, swiftly dropping a few pinches in a cup and holding it out to Vahna-Juuti who drank it greedily before trying to get up.
Kalmansitoja shot a glance to the shaman and pointed at her with his staff. Vaalea cooled off a bit and frowned at him. Her father gasped when the hand was lifted from his back, his breathing deepened again and sounded less ragged if still. Vahna-Juuti herself however did a strange quivering dance before falling down once more, a liquid of many colors spilling from her mouth, "The medicine isn't working!", Iljas cried out! The strung tune that hung in the air distorted and only continued to play once the spirit itself had walked up to the shaman, it looked first at Vaalea and pointed at the bag of herbs. Then to the shaman, that seemed to be able to see him now. She shrieked with horrific fear at seeing this figure, weakly trying to swat at him. All that the spirit did was tap it's hat, Vaalea knew what he was about to ask her..and her eyes fell on the bag of herbs again when it did say such words. The shaman only screamed to what seemed to the crowd at thin air, "No! No! No! NO! NO!"
Then nothing. No up no down. No north, south, east, nor west! However there was no silence, there was the sound of a crying child. Vaalea's son crying out hungrily. She rubbed her eyes with her hand and she woke up from her dream.
As she walked up to him and fed him with a distant rumble of a storm in the coming. The signal was being raised. As usual, everyone was to gather in the main tent. And seek Vahna-Juuta's council.
Vaalea rubbed her son's small head as he ate and refreshed from sleep a myriad of ideas were now flooding her mind. It wasn't the first time she had this sort of dreams she pondered.
