|
|||
|
Back to Wesoomi's Archives The Legend of Wesoomi: Thirty-Two: Crazy Wolf's Revenge: October 7, 2002: After the battle, Crazy Wolf found himself in the marshland east of the Husbandmen's village. He was not injured, but he was exhausted and without food or shelter. His only tool was his flint knife. His spear had been hurtled in vain at the concealed bowmen above the gardens. Crouching about him were five of the wild men, weaponless and trembling in fear. Crazy Wolf knew he would need to get out of the marsh and find food or perish. "Come," he ordered, and began walking to the north. The frightened wild men followed along. They knew little of the tongue of the People, but "come" they understood. They had little choice. They had seen their brethren slain. They had fled for their lives. Now, they were lost and alone in an alien land. Through soggy land, water, and sharp marsh grasses they went, following their leader. Crazy Wolf lead them northward, toward the land he knew, toward the forest beyond the marsh. His mind was in turmoil. He was struggling to grasp the betrayal. He knew that Little Warrior was his enemy. He knew the young warriors were his enemies. He knew he had no allies. He had only these savage wild men. As they traveled, a rage grew in his heart. It was beyond any rage he had ever known. His eyes gleamed with it. In that rage, he pondered on what had befallen him. ‘It was Wesoomi,' he thought. ‘Wesoomi has used his magic to seduce Little Warrior. He has used his magic to make warriors of these earth scratching Husbandmen. This is how he was betrayed. Little Warrior in the spell of Wesoomi had drawn him into a trap. His plans of greatness had been ruined by betrayal.' As he traveled toward the forest the rage grew and festered in his spirit. It consumed him and he drew on it for strength. In his thoughts there was a single goal. Vengeance against Wesoomi and Little Warrior. His dreams and plans were gone. He must needs live for one purpose only now. He must needs live to destroy Wesoomi and Little Warrior. He drew a new strength from that. His face hardened and his eyes grew fierce with it. It was dusk when Crazy Wolf came out of the marsh near the trail he had traveled from his village to the Husbandmen's village. This trail he approached with caution, but the way was clear. Little Warrior had passed with his band of Bandar and wild men. A plan grew quickly in Crazy Wolf's thoughts. The field of battle was full of slain wild men. It was also strewn with discarded weapons, weapons Crazy Wolf sorely needed. There would also be pouches of dried meat and bread. It would not do to go into that field yet. Wesoomi was sure to have set watchers. He must needs wait until full darkness cloaked the field. He squatted down in a copse near the eastern edge of the gardens. He gestured his men to silence and he waited and watched. It was well he did, for just as they squatted down the band of spear and bowmen Wesoomi had hidden in ambush came from the forest and went along the western edge of the gardens toward their village. They went cautiously with watchful eyes, but saw nothing save slain wild men. Crazy Wolf smoldered as he watched them. Their time too would come. Another plan was growing in his thoughts, a plan which would make him a chief again, chief of a horde of wild men. He pondered on it. He saw himself at the head of a huge band of wild men warriors wreaking death a destruction over the Nation of the people. His eyes grew crafty and wilder with the thoughts. His face was twisted with his madness. Full darkness can swiftly and the forest grew silent. Crazy Wolf put a finger to his lips and motioned his five toward the field. He turned to go, but none follow him. Their eyes were large with fear. Crazy Wolf began to anger, then quickly realized anger would only betray him. He stood, looked at them with contempt and went swiftly and quietly into the field. He returned in a moment with a spear, bow, and pouch of food. He showed these to the wild men and gestured for them to do the same. They saw and understood. Still they went very reluctantly to strip their brethren of weapons and food. Crazy Wolf went with them and collected a dozen arrows. The wild men were in terror and quickly gathered what they could find at the edges of the battle. Just as quickly they returned to their hidden copse. Crazy Wolf rested for a moment then he stood and gestured his men to follow. He crossed the trail and traveled northward near it, but not on it. He needed to go north, but he wanted to remain behind Little Warrior and his men. After traveling for a time he led his five further westward and found a depression in a stand of trees. There, he allowed them to make a small fire and rest for the night. It would do no good to set a watch. He knew these wild men had no resolve for it. Come first light, Crazy Wolf was up and traveling northward again. The five followed him. They knew naught else to do. So, in time, they came near to the Bandar Village and Crazy Wolf stopped to ponder his next action. He gazed about and as he gazed westward, a though came to him. Westward was the village of the Quiet Folk, those who had first discovered and nurtured Wesoomi. A sudden wish came into his heart to hurt these men. Crazy Wolf began to travel westward over the trail that had been traveled, so many years ago, by Wesoomi's mother, the Golden Earth Mother. He had heard the tales of the Tree of Life which through a covenant with the Golden Earth Mother protected the village of the Quiet Folk. It was in his heart to destroy that tree. It would be a first act of revenge toward Wesoomi. As he traveled with the wild men, Crazy Wolf became more like them. He no longer walked upright, but acquired a crouching gate not unlike them. Instead of teaching them, he began to learn some of the guttural words they used to signal each other. In place of the firm eyes of a leader of men he began to look warily about with mistrust of everything near him. He was becoming a completely mad wild man driven by a burning rage. His face contorted with it and his eyes glistened with the madness. He muttered and gurgled to himself and occasionally he giggled. His wild men stayed with him, but they looked warily and fearfully at him They kept a distance from him. Three days later, Crazy Wolf crouched among some brush on a rise beyond the village of the Quiet Folk. He was above the Shrine looking craftily down upon it and the tree of life. He saw the Quiet Folk coming in from their gardens. It was dusk and he resolved to wait until the day when most would again be in the gardens. The next day, when most were in the fields, Crazy Wolf and his band crept down to the village. They came from behind the shrine and crept around to the tree. Crazy Wolf gestured his men to watch and he began with his flint knife. He giggled and muttered as he worked. It took much effort and most of the morning, but Crazy Wolf managed to ring the tree. he cut out a hand wide layer of bark and under bark all around the tree. The tree, he knew, was doomed. It could no longer draw what it needed from the earth. As he finished, a old man came upon them. It was Gentlehand, Wesoomi's chosen father who was now elder of the village. "What are you doing?" he whispered in shock. Crazy Wolf did not hesitate. He stood, grasped a spear from his nearest man, and drove it into the heart of Gentlehand. "I am slaying you," he giggled. Gentlehand toppled to the earth with his eyes open wide. He was dead as he fell. "Come," hissed Crazy Wolf and he crept swiftly around the shrine and back up the slope. His little band followed in wonder and fear. As he took cover in the trees atop the rise, another plan began to come to Crazy Wolf. He knew that word would be sent to Wesoomi about his tree. Wesoomi would come. He must come. Then would come Crazy Wolf's chance. It was a chance to slay Wesoomi and be done with him. Then there would be time for little Warrior. Now, it was time to wait. It was time for evening sup when the Quiet Folk came up from the gardens and found the slain elder, Gentlehand. There was panic for a moment and then the elder, Eagle Eye took charge. "We must needs do two things," he counseled. "First, the sun must not set on our slain elder. We must needs bring the fatwood and build a bier. When that is done, we must needs send for Wesoomi." The Quiet Folk set about the tasks immediately. In a short time the fire was roaring and the spirit of Gentlehand was offered to the Great Spirit. While the Quiet Folk were about this task of reverence, Crazy Wolf was boldly in their village with his men looting. They took food, blankets, tunics, and robes. Afterward, they crept out of the village to await Wesoomi. Crazy Wolf giggled constantly as they looted the village. Then they retired to their hiding place to watch and wait. They were well supplied for the wait. When the Quiet Folk returned from their ceremony they quickly discovered the losses. Now they were sore afraid. Eagle Eye, did what he could. he set watches for the night, but none slept anyway. Come first light, he sent a runner to the village of the Husbandmen. Then there were two groups waiting for Wesoomi. Back to Wesoomi's Archives
|