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Back to Wesoomi's Archives The Legend of Wesoomi: Nineteen: Little Warrior's Warriors: July 8, 2002: In the morning, after Spirit Guide's departure, Crazy Wolf spoke to Little Warrior. "You gave much time to our guest in your lodge." "Indeed Chief. We spoke long into the night. Spirit Guide spoke freely of himself and his purpose." Little Warrior chose not to speak of their time in the hidden cove. "And what be his purpose, Little Warrior?" "It is as he said, Chief. His wish is to serve the Great Spirit." "And you so believe?" Indeed, Chief. I believe he speaks true." "Do you not fear his powers?" "I see nothing to fear in him. If he has powers, he seems in no haste to use them. He seems but a cub to me." "A cub who speaks like a warrior." "In truth, He does speak with a wisdom beyond his time. Perhaps that is a power." "And perhaps he is not as he appears." "What else would he be, Chief?" "I know not. I only know of the songs and tales." "We have always had tale tellers coming our way. Ere now, we only knew them as tale tellers. Are we now to believe them seers?" "In past times, they had many tales for cubs and women. Now they have but one tale. It is a tale of a man of power." "Even so, you be a man of power. What have you to fear of a cub?" "Do you believe I be blind, Little Warrior?" snapped Crazy Wolf angrily. "My power slips away with the will of my warriors. They have become fat and slow." "Indeed, Chief. I see a fondness in some warriors for excess in food and drink. It troubles me as it does you." "But we do nothing?" "I do what I can. I try to keep the young warriors hard and swift. Even today, we go to the hunt." "And what of the others?" "I can do nothing with them, Chief. They look to no one for leave, sometimes not even you." Crazy Wolf's face darkened. For a moment, Little Warrior thought he had gone too far. "I beg your leave, Chief. I speak without thought." "Yet, you speak true," said Crazy Wolf with a sigh. "Indeed, Chief. Many have lost the will of the warrior. In this, I think we have nearer things to fear than Spirit Guide. The Bandar have no friends and many enemies. If they could know our decline, we might face danger." "Perhaps it be time to put a few warriors to test," mussed Crazy Wolf. "What test, Chief?" "I will ponder on that Little Warrior." "Whatever it be, I stand with you, Chief, as always." "That be good, Little Warrior." "Good indeed, Chief. Now I go to the hunt. The village has need of fresh meat." "Go, Little Warrior." So Little Warrior went to the longhouse and summoned his group of young warriors. These were but twelve in number, but they were hard and swift. They were the chosen elite of Little Warrior. They were his own warriors, answering only to him. This group had been long in building. Little warrior had been careful and merciless in its building. Some had been slain along the way. It began with just Little Warrior and one other named Hawk. When they were alone one day on a hunt, Little Warrior spoke carefully to Hawk. He was prepared to slay him if needs be, but he had need of an ally. As Little Warrior had guessed, Hawk was ready. He too had been victimized when Crazy Wolf slew his father to take his mother for his own. After the hunt, Little Warrior and Hawk were two and they began to build their group. Hawk was aid and second to Little Warrior. They slowly built the group to fifteen including Little Warrior. Along the way, two became threats and were slain on the hunt. The hunt became the way to have his group meet without suspicion. But for he and his warriors, the village would have no fresh meat. That gave them much freedom to act on their own. But for the meat no others gave thought to what they did. Little Warrior was in no hurry. Time was his aid. His plan was simple. One day he would slay Crazy Wolf and take the village from him. About the chief's warriors, he cared little. Until he had sufficient strength, they were but a hindrance to his goals. Though slow of foot and wit, they were too many for Little Warrior's twelve. In the interim, Crazy Wolf himself grew older and slower. Still, Little Warrior knew that discovery and disaster could foul his plan. One day, that disaster came too near. It happened in the longhouse at evening meal. Crazy Wolf was in an angry temper. His dark moods came often of late as he watched his warriors and his power decline. He spoke to Little Warrior. "What think you of these large bellied fools we call warriors?" Little Warrior smiled. "Some are flat of belly and strong of arm," he argued. Ha!" sneered the chief. "I see none. Show me." He assailed the warriors. "These are not the brave warriors who brought power and respect to the Bandar. You have grown soft and slow. You have bellies like a woman ready to drop a cub. If your arms did not fill your mouths with food, they would have no work at all. I am repelled by you. Cubs and women would be better warriors. Show me one good warrior, save for Little Warrior." One of the younger warriors took exception to Crazy Wolf's words. He stood angrily and faced Crazy Wolf with spear in hand. It was one of Little Warrior's twelve named Swift Hare. Little Warrior stood carefully and lifted his own spear. Swift Hare spoke angrily. "You say, show me one good warrior. Soft you call me and cub you call me, but I be match for you, Crazy Wolf. I be one good warrior." Crazy Wolf knew he could not ignore this challenge and remain chief. "Be you?" he hissed standing. "Show me." "You will see," grinned Swift Hare evilly. He looked knowingly at Little Warrior. "You will see that you have enemies even here." Then, many of the other warriors began to reach for weapons. Hands held spears and knives. Little Warrior saw disaster looming as Swift Hare raised his spear. Little Warrior stepped between Crazy Wolf and Swift Hare. "You fool!" he snapped. "Dare you challenge our great chief?" With that he drove his spear into the heart of Swift Hare. Every warrior in the longhouse stopped in motion. All stood frozen in place for a moment. In that moment Little Warrior turned to Crazy Wolf. "He was a fool," he said. "He thought because I speak my mind that I be against you. He was in error. For that error, he yielded his life." He looked about the longhouse. "I stand with Chief Crazy Wolf," he announced. "When you challenge the Chief, you challenge me." Others in the longhouse began to move. Weapons were put aside. There was muttering among the warriors. Then Crazy Wolf stepped forward. "It is done," he said. "It is good. I could have slain this fool, but Little Warrior has acted. Let it be. Now let us finish our meal. Then we will have a burning bier. The sun must no set on a slain Bandar." Crazy Wolf assigned two warriors to carry the slain Swift Hare out and the meal continued. All ate quietly and thoughtfully. On the morn following, Little Warrior summoned his warriors for a hunt. The remaining eleven came, but some looked on him with doubtful eyes. Some looked with fear. At a good distance from the village, Little Warrior stopped his group on top of a knoll. He looked about to be sure there was no pursuit. Then he turned to his warriors. "Some of you may feel I have betrayed Swift Hare. Some may think I now be with Crazy Wolf. These be false thoughts. I be never with Crazy Wolf. He slew my father. Now, it is I who slew Swift Hare. Know this. I did not slay him because he challenged Crazy Wolf. I slew him because he betrayed our cause. We are not ready yet. He was not a clever warrior. We are few. The warriors of Crazy Wolf are slow and thick of limb, but they are many. Never forget that. You must be with me or no. If you be with me, you must not act without me. What say you? Be you with me?" He looked about at his warriors finding each one's eyes with his own. He knew it was a moment of decision. If he failed to hold these men, he was finished with the Bandar. He would needs flee for his life. He eyes came finally to the eyes of Hawk. Hawk lifted his chin and stepped to Little Warrior's side. "I be with Little Warrior," he announced to the group. Then two others stepped forward and pledged themselves. Then the others came forward. The bond of comradeship was fixed again. "Very well," said Little Warrior. "Now we must remain strong as we watch Crazy Wolf grow weak. Give me time to play with Crazy Wolf. He will trust me. Soon, I will find a way to cause him to find disaster. You will see." All, agreed to trust the leadership to Little Warrior. Then the group went on with the hunt. They returned as always with meat for the village and were welcomed. Back to Wesoomi's Archives
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