The sky was filled with dark clouds, blocking out the sun completely. There was a cold chill in the air, and combined with fear and gloom, it hung heavily echoing the whole village’s emotions. D-day was here and nature itself knew it.
The warriors gathered outside the village. It was time to leave. They all marched towards their fates, the unknown, death or a second chance in life. For Ashat he was marching towards Rosa, or death.
Ashat’s married brothers had an emotional goodbye with their families, and then they said their goodbyes to their parents. Tepeu tried her best not to cry, but in the end, the floodgates opened. It could be the last time she ever saw all her sons again, and it pained her. Kiyo too, surprisingly was emotional. He hugged all of them and told his sons how proud he was and that they were to make sure they all came back alive. Kiyo held Tepeu in his arms, supporting her and comforting her as their sons walked away.
Ashat couldn’t bring himself to say goodbye to Rosa. The danger and loss had become too real for him. He didn’t want tears, fear and worry to be their last moment together. He replayed the last night they hadbeen together over and over in his head.
“I can’t ask you not to go, but I’ll ask you to come back to me. Whether or not you prove yourself to the spirits doesn’t matter to me. If we have to, we’ll run away together, just make sure you come back to me, please!” She begged.
“We will do no such thing! I will do what the spirits expect of me, and I will come back to you and you won’t be able to get rid of me, ever.”
Ashat and Rosa spent the night in each other’s arms, not caring about anyone or anything else. It may have been the last time they would be together and they wanted to maximize on it. When dawn came, Ashat carried her back to her family teepee. Her mother was waiting for them. She didn’t say a word, tears danced in her eyes as she watched him lay Rosa on her straw bed. As Ashat turned to leave, Saura grabbed his arm and stopped him and uttered words that tightened his chest.
“Be safe, if you die, she will die with you. She is all I have; so make sure you come back alive and victorious. You must!” They were choked words but still urgent.
They both turned when Rosa made a distressed sound tossing her head, as tears streamed out her closed eyes and already stained cheeks. Saura ran to her daughter’s side and gathered her into her arms. She sang to Rosa as she rocked her. Ashat couldn’t watch them in anguish anymore; he ran out into the streams of sunlight.
The whole village was out now, they watched as the warriors walked towards death. Ashat turned to take a last look of his home. His breath caught when he saw her.
Rosa stood at the forefront, with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Her mother moved to her and wrapped her arms around her and held her tight, that made Rosa burst into tears. She struggled to get loose, moving an inch forward with each effort, but her mother wasn’t letting go.
Ashat was tempted to run to her, but that would only make things worse, he turned and kept walking forward.
All these emotions began to stir inside Ashat—longing, hope, despair, anxiety, fear, courage—he could feel his skin crawl and his insides turn, he felt claustrophobic in his own skin, he felt like he was going to blow.
Ashat’s brothers moved back and walked with him. He walked between his elder brothers, the rest walked behind him. If he didn’t have them, he would be a heap of mess on the ground by now.
****
The warriors were divided into four groups, all positioned in different corners of the field. The group armed with arrows took the top of the hill, another group was hidden in the trees, the other two were on the ground, North and South, and they hoped their strategy would give them an advantage.
Cano had his younger brothers’ fight from a safe distance. Akin, who was still healing was up on the hill, and Aru, the second to last born, was up in the trees. Nalu, Cano and Ashat were on the ground and Zoha led the reserve group. They would be the first to make contact. Theywere armed with spears, knives and machetes.
Baku was on the ground too. He had been glaring at Ashat ever since he saw Rosa’s reaction when they left the village. Buthe knew this wasn’t the time for their rivalry, they had to work together, watch each other’s backs, for the sake of their people. They would pick up where they left off when this was over, if they both survive.
A loud cry came from the hill, the Mohawk were coming and they were coming straight for them.
“This is it, may the spirits be with you, and may they have mercy on you, because they won’t.” The head warrior said right before he gave the cry to attack.
The second the Mohawk were in the field, arrows flew with direction and purpose, some with precision taking out as many of them as possible. Once they were done, those on the ground move in, attacking those left standing. The Lakota fought with everything they had, stabbing and decapitating as they moved forward. Cano and Nalu were in their element their eyes wide with a certain spark in them, tag teaming on some, watching each other’s backs as they moved. Sometimes Ashat thought they relished fighting.
Once the formation was broken Ashat and his brothers moved in a triangle, their backs to each other. Theywere pulled from it a couple of times, but they made sure they had one another in their eye view. It was helpful having their younger brothers watching over them from higher ground and the trees. The fight was bloody, hard and strenuous but they kept going.
Ashat was getting the hang of it, he understood his elder brothers and the elation they had, it wasn’t the relish of a fight, it was the adrenaline that ran through the body that they relished.
Hours had passed and it seemed they were winning, as the Mohawk were now withdrawing, they were outnumbered and couldn’t take any more beating. As they were finishing off the remaining persistent ones, the groups from the trees and the hill came down to join those on the ground. Ashat was glad his younger brothers did not actively participate.
Ashat looked around the field. The ground was full of blood and the bodies of many courageous men. He was glad to see not many were of their people.
Akin and Aru were with Zoha, Nalu and Cano, admiring their wounds, sulking that they didn’t get a piece of the action. Zoha was most annoyed he came into the action late. Relief and joy flowed through Ashat as he watched his brothers. He was glad they had all survived it. Their mother would be ecstatic seeing them all, she might even pass out.
Aru suddenly looked pale. He was staring at Ashat, more like through him. Ashat couldn’t understand it; the battle was over, so why did he look so mortified? He crushed through his brothers and began running towards Ashat.
Ashat stopped and looked at him confused. “Ashat look out!” Aru yelled running even faster. Then his other brothers came running behind him. “Turn around!” It was Akin this time.
Then it hit Ashat. He didn’t have time to think, he turned around to face what was coming. It was Baku; he was running towards him with a spear in his hand, ready to launch it.
Everything seemed to be in slow motion, Ashat waited for him to throw it before he could move to dodge it. Baku finally released it, and it went flying at Ashat, fast.
Ashat flipped, and move to his left to avert it.
Aru was now next to Ashat and standing in the spears path. There was no time to push him out of the way; it was coming too fast.
Ashat pushed himself, jumped in front of Aru and pushed him back a few feet. He didn’t want to chance Aru getting stabbed. Aru landed on the ground with a thud, in his brothers’ way. They stopped and stared at Ashat, with horror on their faces.
Ashat hadn’t felt the pain at first, but he felt it go through him. The spearhead went in his back, under his right shoulder and out under his left rib cage. Ashat watched as the blood trickled down his abdomen.
Ashat raised his hand and held the part of the six-inch spear that was sticking out of his torso. He sunk to his knees, in shock as the pain hit him like a ton of bricks. He could taste the blood in his mouth. He raised his hand and wiped it from his lips.
Ashat looked up at Aru. He was still on the ground, pale and in shock. Everything was swimming around Ashat, his vision became blurred. This was it; he was dying.
Ashat fell forward to the ground on his hands, struggling to breathe. All he could hear was Nalu’s angry voice. Through half closed eyes, he watched as Nalu rained hellish fists on Baku. In such a short time, Baku was red and bleeding all over. Zoha pulled Ashat up and held him upright while Cano cut the spear, shortening both ends.
Ashat was fading away fast, he tried to stay awake but he couldn’t. He was feeling cold, very cold. Ashat closed his eyes and all he saw was Rosa, her face, her smile, her beautiful eyes, her hair and body wet after a swim, her asleep in his arms.
The yelling, shouts around Ashat started to sound more like whispers, a buzz in his ears. Rosa’s last words replayed in his head over and over again…
Just make sure you come back to me, please!
Please make sure you come back to me!
You have to come back to me!
This was the first promise Ashat would break. He couldn’t do anything about it. Death had come calling, and he couldn’t resist no matter how hard he tried. Ashat could see his mother crying, cursing Baku’s very existence. Rosa would be broken, inconsolable, angry, hating Ashat for not keeping his promise.
Ashat was crying, not because he was afraid of dying, but because he was going to miss a life with Rosa.
Their children, their life, their love.
The thought hurt him more than the spear stub inside him.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” It came out as a whisper. Ashat fell on his side and waited, waited for the inevitable.
Akin pulled Nalu off Baku and spoke to him harsh and fast. They then ran towards Ashat. He could feel himself get lifted up high.
“Hold on brother, you’ll be fine, just holdon!” Those were the last words Ashat heard before he passed out.