Christopher Dinsdale's Historical Adventures 4-Book Bundle. Christopher Dinsdale
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the mamateek stayed relatively pleasant. Kiera admired the efficient design of the structures. Fourteen people lived within her mamateek, sharing both the heat of the central fire and the resulting smoky air. Above their heads, worn but colourfully decorated caribou skins lined the walls. The painted images of forest animals on the skins danced in the light of the crackling fire.
To pass the time away during the dark evenings, most of the adults and children enjoyed playing a game called Chance. It involved throwing a handful of beautifully decorated two-sided bones onto the dirt floor. The pattern was different on each side of the bone. The goal was to predict which sides would land facing up, and points were given depending on how the pieces fell.
Kiera also enjoyed playing the game, but she preferred to spend most of her spare time in a different way. She sat quietly in her back corner with Shawnadit, teaching her how to work the needle in and out of the small, discarded scraps of leather she had scrounged from the remains of the great hunt. Together, they sized and cut, sewed and hemmed, embroidered and dyed the small, leather pieces. Kiera was impressed with how quickly Shawnadit was able to learn the skill of sewing.
Occasionally, the other clan members would crawl over to stare in awe at their evolving creation. They were fascinated with Kiera's artistry and quietly watched her expert hands work the leather. Although everyone in the mamateek chattered in excitement as the garment neared completion, Kiera had made everyone swear to keep her project a secret once they stepped through the covered door of the mamateek and joined the outside world.
Shawnadit was seemingly attached to Kiera's hip. She mimicked Kiera with every movement and every gesture, right down to her harsh, choppy way of speaking the Beothuck tongue. Although Kiera occasionally tired of her shadow, she never openly demonstrated frustration towards her adopted little sister. When Kiera needed a break, she would don a pair of snowshoes and trudge out into the serene forest for an invigorating walk. In the stillness of the woods, she could close her eyes and let the icy fingers of the winter wind carry her home.
When tired of sewing, Kiera enjoyed spinning fantastic tales of her faraway homeland for the enthralled band members. She would also add a Bible story or two as she remembered them from her talks with the friendly priest in her village. The band members, however, were more interested in the mythical creatures and gods of the Viking sagas. They would beg to hear of the mighty battles of Odin and Thor against the various evil serpents and leviathans that lurked deep within the waters of the ocean. The Beothuk were as connected to the sea as the Vikings. Kiera's new friends also depended upon the salmon run and the plentiful birds' eggs found on the nearby coastal islands. The prosperity of both cultures rose and fell on the whims of the mighty water that connected their two lands.
After listening rapturously to the Viking tales, the elders would then in turn share their stories and beliefs of the Beothuck world. Kiera marvelled at the rich, detailed tales of life, death, war and the activities of the spirit world. Chocan would also spin his stories of the Great Creator. Sometimes they were as new to her as they were to the youngest of the band members, but occasionally, Kiera would recognize the story from her childhood memories. Kiera was amazed at some of the similarities, especially considering the fact that the original Teachers had first shared them with Chocan's ancestors over two hundred years before.
It was during a howling late winter snowstorm that Chocan sat cross-legged in front of the fire, his eyes aglow in the crackling flames, words fluttering from his lips like a distant dream.
“A man named A'kmaran lived in a village in a faraway land. He was comfortable there, with a large family and plenty of good hunting. But his family and the other villagers believed in many different spirits and feared many superstitions. One night, the Great Creator came to A'kmaran in a dream.
“He said, “A'kmaran, I am Gitche Manitou, the Great Spirit, the Creator of all things and the Giver of Life. There is no other but Me. Do not believe the tales of these people. You and your wife must leave your home and journey a great distance by canoe to a place of fresh water and good hunting. You will call this place the Promised Land. Once there, you will settle with your wife and worship only me. Your descendants will become powerful, and they will spread my word throughout the world.”
Chocan paused, then looked around at the children. “Do you think A'kmaran wanted to leave his family and friends?”
“No,” said the children in unison.
“Do you think he might have been scared to begin a long voyage to a place that he had never seen except in his dreams?”
“Yes,” they answered.
“I think he was scared, too. But do you know what allowed him to begin the journey? He had faith. He had faith that the Great Creator would be with him, even though his friends and family told him that he was crazy for wanting to leave such a comfortable life.”
“I think he was also brave,” added an older boy.
Chocan smiled. “Yes, he was that as well. Without ever looking back, he and his wife left their village and set out across the waters in search of the Promised Land.”
“Did he ever find it?” asked a young girl.
Chocan nodded. “Yes, he did. He was, however, very old when he finally arrived. But the Creator kept his promise and made his children and their children and all of their descendants strong and prosperous. So strong were the Creator's words that his story has reached us after the passage of a thousand moons and the distance of an entire ocean. The Teachers wanted everyone here to know the story. Two hundred years ago, they travelled all of the way from Kiera's homeland to ours in order to bring this story to us.”
He turned to Kiera. “Do you know of this story?”
She nodded. “It is one of the Bible's oldest stories. In my language, the names of the travellers were Abraham and Sarah.”
“Abraham and Sarah,” Chocan repeated, slowly. “I will remember that. Now if you will excuse us, children, I must speak to Kiera outside.”
The children moaned their objections as the two stepped out of the tent. They were immediately assaulted by the crisp, blowing winter air. A fresh blanket of snow covered the clearing and mamateeks, giving the conical structures the appearance of a group of smouldering ice-capped volcanoes. With the strengthening sun, the snow had softened considerably, allowing the two to stand on its packed surface without sinking. She folded her arms against the cold and turned to him.
“You picked that story on purpose.”
He looked at her innocently. “Why do you say that?”
“You are subtly trying to tell me that I am already in the Promised Land. You told me yourself that the Teachers called this land Hyranason, ‘The New Eden’. Just like Abraham and Sarah, I have made the journey across the Great Water, and now you are saying that I should be happy to stay here.”
He shook his head. “It's true that I chose that story for a reason, but not for the reason you think.”
“All right,” she said. “Explain.”
“You are correct in saying that you have found a sanctuary. We are your friends…your family. I feel the chance of you making it back home, assuming your family is still alive and well, is very poor, if not impossible. But you, like Abraham, are listening to your heart and the message the Great Spirit has placed within it. You will follow that message of faith, even though to everyone else it seems like you are embarking on a hopeless quest.”
“Hopeless? Chocan, if this was supposed to be a encouraging speech, then you've failed miserably.”
Kiera's face dropped, she turned away from him, closing her eyes and breathing in a deep lungful of biting air. Chocan stepped up to her and lifted her chin. Her eyes rose to his.
“Stay with us.”
Her eyes filled with tears as she tapped her chest. “My heart, as you said, is telling me to go back. I'm being called back. It is something I cannot ignore. I could not live in peace here with my heart, when the Creator is calling me back to my family and people. I'm