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Back to Wesoomi's Archives The Legend of Wesoomi: Twenty Seven: The Hidden Place: September 2, 2002: After releasing the Bandar warriors he had held frozen, Wesoomi returned quickly to the village of the Husbandmen. His arm was deeply cut and he needed help. He went to his brother Soft Hand who applied a poultice to the wound and bound it. He also gave Wesoomi a strengthening herbal elixir to drink. "Now you must rest, My friend," counseled Soft Hand. "Would that I could, Soft Hand," answered Wesoomi, "but there be no time. I must needs meet Little Warrior in three days." "Be it wise to trust him, Wesoomi. Little Warrior be of the Bandar." "I too be of the Bandar," laughed Wesoomi. "Be it wise to trust me?" "That be not the same," argued Soft hand. "Indeed. Yet I must needs trust Little Warrior. But for his succor, I would have perished." "You so told me," agreed Soft Hand. "But give me leave to travel with you, my friend. You be weakened by your wound." "Nay, my brother. There be many here who need your succor. The Bandar brought us great pain and suffering. Care for them as you must. Just tell them I will return six days hence." "As you say, so it will be, Wesoomi." Soft Hand prepared food and herbs of strength for Wesoomi. Then he saw him to the edge of the village before returning to his work of healing. Wesoomi turned his face north and east, following the trail of discarded plunder and bodies of slain and fallen people. Some were Husbandmen and some were Bandar. Wesoomi had little time to spend with those who had perished. Over each one, Husbandmen and Bandar alike, he whispered a few verses and consigned them into the keep of the Great Spirit. He also found groups of confused and frighten Husbandmen, young men and maidens. These he succored as best he could, then he directed them onto the path homeward. He offered a plea of protection to the Great Spirit for each of them. Near the Bandar village, Wesoomi turned toward the Big Water. He traveled over the low rise and down to the shore. Then he went into the water and around the stone face to the hidden place. There he found Little Warrior. He stood as Wesoomi entered the cove. "The girl brought you my message," said Little Warrior. "Aye." "I had hoped she would survive." "She did, Little Warrior. She was under the protection of the Great spirit." "That be good. Now let us sit. There be much to say and I have little time." They sat on the stones at the back of the cove. "And what of you?" asked Little Warrior. "Your arm is bound. Were you wounded?" "Aye. I pursued the Bandar to save what I could. I found one group and freed the young people from them. One of the Bandar wounded me, then I slew him." "You slew a Bandar warrior?" "Aye. Anger overtook me and I slew him. It was a wrong thing." "A wrong thing, yet it bodes well for what you must needs do, Wesoomi. Let us speak of that." "What be there to speak of, Little Warrior? My village has been plundered by the Bandar." "Indeed, yet that was not the aim of the raid Wesoomi." "It seemed so to me. Of what other aim do you speak?" "The aim was to slay you, my friend." "To slay me? To what end, little Warrior?" "I have told you this before. Crazy Wolf fears your power. He believes you seek to rule the Nation of People. Before he knew of you, he was content to be chief of the Bandar. Now, it is his aim to slay you and seize your power. He would be chief of the Nation of People." "That be mad!" "Aye, Wesoomi, mad indeed, yet that be his aim. I sent a man, Cat Foot, to warn you when we knew of the raid, but you were not in the village." "I know not of that. I was in the forest, seeking the counsel of the Great Spirit." "It is well. Had Crazy Wolf found you, he would have tried to slay you." "Be I worthy, the Great Spirit will protect me. I would that you had warned the Husbandmen." "A simple thing, yet it escaped my thought, Wesoomi. I regret that." "It is done now," lamented Wesoomi. "He will try again." "Truly, that be mad. The Bandar raid brought pain and suffering to the Husbandmen, but it brought no success to the Bandar. I followed the trail of men slain and perished. I saw the squandered plunder. There be no victory in that." "Indeed, no victory, yet he will try again. Evil spirits live in his heart, my friend." "Why do you tell me this?" "I tell you that you may prepare. There will be another raid. It will be against the Husbandmen, but it's aim will be to slay you. You must be prepared. You must prepare the Husbandmen." "I be no warrior, Little Warrior. The Husbandmen be no warriors." "Yet, you slew one man. This I know, Wesoomi. You will be a warrior, else many Husbandmen will perish. the Great spirit will protect you. This I now understand, but who will protect the Husbandmen? Who will stop Crazy Wolf? He means to have your power. He means to rule. Even now, he plans to go to the wild country north of here. There he will lure Wild Men to become Bandar warriors." "How do you know this, Little Warrior?" "He so told me. He believes I be with him. He knows not my real aim." "What be your real aim, Little Warrior? I must now know." "Aye. I must needs believe you know already. My aim be to slay Crazy Wolf and seize his power. My aim be to discharge an old debt." "Why have you not done this thing ere now?" "His power with the Bandar still be great. They still fear him. He be no fool. I must needs move with care." "While you move with care, Crazy Wolf brings death and ruin to his neighbors." "That I regret. Yet, I do what I must. I must stay with him to know his aim. I must feign loyalty, but I need not aid him fully." "It is a deadly game you play, Little Warrior." "Indeed, I may perish in that game, but better perish than forget what he did and let him continue." "What be your plan, Little Warrior?" "My plan be to stay with Crazy Wolf. I know he will succeed in finding Wild Men to be his warriors. I will know his plan. Crazy Wolf will not tarry. I must needs believe he will bring the raid at first budding when the snow is gone. When the raid is ready, I will send Cat Foot or another to warn you. Heed his warning. I will not send you astray." I must needs believe you, Little Warrior. There was a time you could have slain me and you succored me. I must needs trust you now." "It is good. Now you must return to the Husbandmen. As Crazy Wolf prepares, so you must prepare the Husbandmen. When the Bandar come, I would that you would destroy them." "I know not how. I will seek the counsel of my mother, the Golden Earth Mother. I will do as she bids me." "I will trust in that, Wesoomi. I must go now." They stood and once again clasped hands and arms close to the chest. Thus they stood eye to eye for a moment. "Little Warrior smiled and said, "One thing more, Wesoomi." "What?" "When the Bandar come, I will be among them. It cannot be helped. I hope you will not slay me," he smiled. Wesoomi shook his head. "It is indeed a deadly game you play, my friend. I will entreat the Great Spirit on your behalf." "I will trust in that. Travel in peace, my friend." Little Warrior turned and walked into the water. Wesoomi sat for a time and sent his entreat for the safe keep of Little Warrior. Then he too left the cove and traveled toward the village of the Husbandmen. As he returned home he noticed that the creatures of the forest were doing their work on the fallen men. Even the discarded grain would soon rot into the forest floor and replenish it. In a few days, there would be nothing remaining. That is the way of the Great Spirit. Even in the folly of man, nothing is lost. Back to Wesoomi's Archives
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