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Back to Wesoomi's Archives The Legend of Wesoomi: Thirty-One: Chief Little Warrior: September 30, 2002: In three days time, Little Warrior and his men reached the Bandar Village. Little Warrior lost no time. He called out the old Bandar warriors. A new battle scar marked his right cheek and made him look most fierce. He spoke fiercely to them. "The old days be over," he raged. "Crazy Wolf has led us to disaster once more. When he saw defeat he fled the battle. We know not where. Many of the wild men were lost. Now these few remain. They be not Crazy Wolf'‘s warriors. They be my warriors. I now be chief of the Bandar. I be Chief Little Warrior. Will any challenge me?" Little Warrior stood, legs apart with hands on hips. Then he strode among the old men looking into their eyes as he had seen crazy Wolf do many times. It was not unnoticed by them that Little Warrior's twenty stood with spears at the ready. None of the fat old men wished to invoke those young warriors or the wild men who stood behind them. There was some shuffling of feet and none could return his fierce stare. "Who be I?" he demanded of one. The old man shuffled uncomfortably. "You be Chief Little Warrior," he whispered. "I heard you not. These brave big bellied friends of yours heard you not. What good be a man to the Bandar who cannot even speak. Speak! Who be I?" The old man grew grey of face. "You be Chief Little Warrior," he shouted. "It is good," said Little Warrior. "Let no one forget that." "What of Crazy Wolf?" asked Hawk with a grin. "Indeed, what of Crazy Wolf?" grinned Little warrior. "Should he come creeping back to this village, who shall see him shall slay him. If any have not the stomach to slay him, you shall tell me that I may slay him. He has led us to disaster and betrayed us in the battle. He has earned a mean death." "It will be done," said Hawk. "It will be done," agreed Little Warrior's twenty. "Now, said Little Warrior, "we will have some changes in our village. Hear me. No longer will the Bandar raid and steal. No longer will the Bandar slay others. Hereafter, the Bandar warrior will honor his own lodge and his own woman. The Bandar will till and hunt. the Bandar will heed the words of the Great Spirit. The Bandar will honor all of the People of the Nation. The Bandar will practice the rites given us by the Great Spirit. The Bandar will be known as givers of gifts, not fearsome warriors. The Bandar will be honored amongst all the people. Thus it shall be now and forever. I have spoken." "Chief Little Warrior has spoken. It will be done," replied Hawk. "Chief Little Warrior has spoken. It will be done," echoed his men. The old men were awed by the certainty of Little Warrior and his men. He gained respect even as he challenged them. They began to node in agreement. "I will add one thing more," he said. "When I be away, or should I be slain, you will look to Hawk for command. It is he who will lead you then. Hear me. I have Spoken." "Chief Little Warrior has spoken. It will be done," said Hawk. Little warrior's men echoed Hawk. Then Little Warrior took some of the old men and assigned them to the gardens. He assigned command tasks to his twenty. The wild men, he assigned to the hunt, lead by four of his own. Come winter, there would be stores to put by. They would be in plenty. Thus the storehouses would needs be repaired. This also he assigned to the old men and some of the youngsters. When it was done, all knew that Little Warrior was in command. No one felt need to challenge. They knew it would be good. Different than Crazy Wolf and better. All were satisfied. At first light on the day following, Little Warrior left Hawk in command and went to the secret place by the Big Water to await Wesoomi. He had not long to wait. Wesoomi enter the cove a few minutes after Little Warrior. "You have come," said Little Warrior. "As you wished, I have come." "What of the Husbandmen?" "We fared well. None were slain. Two were wounded with spears. Both will heal." "It is good." "The wild men fared the worse, I fear," said Wesoomi. "Aye. They were led into a trap of my doing. They earned it not. That is to my regret." "It is done now," said Wesoomi. "Aye. Perhaps a wiser man would have devised a less mean plan. I did what I knew to do. I could not act until I was sure of victory." "And now you be chief of the Bandar?" "Indeed, I be chief." "That be a good outcome." "I must needs hope that. There will be change. There will be no more raids or plunder of other people's stores. There will be no capture of maidens or children. We will honor our own women now." "It be a good thing," said Wesoomi. "What of your wild men." "I will honor them also. They will become Bandar. I have assigned them to the hunt. It be something they know a bit of. They will learn to use better tools. They will become more like us. Even now they learn to stand upright like a man." "You do well, Little Warrior. You will be a good chief." "I must needs hope for that and even entreat the Great Spirit." "The Great Spirit will indeed guide you on the true path. This I must tell you. It is given me to know that you are to be chief of all of the People of the Nation." Little Warrior laughed aloud. "I am sure you jest, Wesoomi. I be chief of the Bandar. That be more than enough for me. I would that I do that well." "It may be that I speak in jest sometimes, but never when I speak of the Great Spirit." Little warrior began to look a bit unsure and worried. "How know you this thing?" he demanded. "How know you that I am to be chief of all people?" "I know from the lips of my mother. The eve before the battle she came to me. She told me these two things. First she told me that the first man I slew was my own blood father. That is to my regret, but it is done. She told me that he will, in time, find his peace." "I will entreat the Great Spirit that it be so," said Little Warrior. "Then she told you that I am to be chief of all people?" "Indeed. Many things have come to pass since the Great Spirit created the earth for us. In many ways we have failed the tests of our duty. We have lost the ways of our ancestors. That is why I have been given my task. It is a time for greatness. It is a time to bring the people back to the true ways. It is given me to bring the words and the practices of the Great Spirit to the people. It is given you to lead the people into oneness. It is yours to make them one people in deed as they are now in name only. It is given you to create a great nation in the guidance of the Great Spirit." Little warrior was clearly shaken. "I fear for some error somewhere. It cannot be. I be but a warrior. I be no great chief. I be not sure I can be a good chief of just the Bandar. How can this be?" "Trust me, my friend. Your destiny is given you as my destiny is given me. I thought as you that it could not be. I was sorely troubled and humbled by it. Now I know I cannot escape it, nor can you. "You are the chosen one of the Great Spirit. You shall lead. I will aid and assist you as I can, but you shall lead. You cannot evade this thing. It be your destiny." "I am humbled. I must needs believe you, yet I cannot so easily grasp it." "Indeed. It will come to you in time. You will be guided. For now, it is enough that you know. The rest will come in time. The events will unfold. You need make nothing happen. You need only follow your heart. Your heart be good. It will guide you truly as it has in the past." "I will hope for that, Wesoomi." "And now, what of Crazy Wolf? He was not among the slain." "This be true, Wesoomi. I meant to slay him and I failed. He escaped into the marshland. I know not if he survives. I must needs believe he does. He is wise and hard." "Indeed. We must believe he lives until we know he does not." "And, so long as he lives, he will try to slay you. He is truly mad. And now he knows he was betrayed." "I must needs believe you speak true. So long as he lives, he will be a danger to both of us. We must needs keep a watch. Now, I must go. There is much to do. I will aid you as needs be." They both stood and clasped hands. Then they stood breast to breast and eye to eye. Once again, Little Warrior smiled wryly. "I must needs thank you for sparing me in the battle." "I am pleased that it came out well. We may both have need to thank the Great Spirit." "Indeed, Wesoomi. In that, we are brothers." "I believe we be true brothers now, Little Warrior." "That be good." Then both left the cove by the Big Water. Little Warrior returned to his village. He had much to do and a new revelation to ponder. Wesoomi went back to the village of the Husbandmen. It was coming time for him to begin his ministry. Back to Wesoomi's Archives
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