Oh'Dar's Quest Read online

  Oh’Dar’s Quest

  Wrak-Ayya: The Age of Shadows Book Three

  Leigh Roberts

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Please Read

  Acknowledgments

  Copyright © 2019 Leigh Roberts Author

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  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Copyright owner.

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  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, creatures, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, creatures, living or dead, organizations, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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  Editing by Joy Sephton http://www.justemagine.biz

  Cover design by Cherie Fox http://www.cheriefox.com

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  Sexual activities or events in this book are intended for adults.

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  ISBN: 978-1-951528-00-3 (ebook)

  Dedication

  For everyone who still wonders, still dreams, still asks…

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  What If?

  Chapter 1

  In the Great Chamber, Adia, Healer of the People of the High Rocks, sat across the table from Acaraho, their High Protector, enjoying a brief moment of rest. The giant hall was relatively empty. It was midday, and the unpaired bachelors who gathered for breakfast had already cleared out. Despite the warmer temperatures starting to build outside, the rock interior of Kthama was pleasantly cool.

  The Great Entrance, the Great Chamber, and many of the living quarters were situated on the first level of the underground cave system. Tunnels led to the lower levels where other dedicated living spaces and communal living areas were located. Empty rooms of various sizes were scattered throughout all the levels, used for meetings, special activities, or storage as needed. The Mother Stream that brought the lifeblood of oxygen and nutrients ran through the lowest level.

  “The offspring have finished marking off where we will plant the crops in the garden areas that the males prepared,” shared Adia.

  All the offspring were excited to help the Healer; after all, she was Second Rank. And they enjoyed being around Adia; her gentle nature and kind eyes put them at ease.

  “I watched them interacting with you for a while. The older ones seemed interested in learning about what was being planted,” replied Acaraho.

  “Yes, but the little ones always only want to play with the colored seeds,” she laughed. Then she added, more seriously, “There is still not one who stands out as a candidate.”

  Healers often found their successor in working with the offspring. Often there was one particular young female who would catch on a little quicker, make intuitive leaps in understanding, already have the answer to the next question before it had been asked. These were indicators of the higher seventh sense with which Healers were born. And though all the offspring were bright and precious, that special one had not yet surfaced. Adia preferred to have the next Healer come from within the People of the High Rocks rather than from another community.

  I am still young, but no one lives forever.

  Acaraho interrupted her thoughts. “You told me your talents became evident when you were very young, and I know you are hoping one of our own will surface. I well remember the day you came to the High Rocks; your father passed not long after.”

  “Yes,” she replied softly. “The day my father told me I was to be the Healer of the High Rocks, I thought my heart would break in two. I did not want to leave Awenasa. I knew it was an honor to be selected, but Awenasa was my home. However, the High Council had decided, and that was the end of it.”

  Had Adia been male, she would have inherited her father’s position of leadership. Instead, when her father passed, his brother took over as Leader of the People of the Deep Valley. It grieved Adia deeply that she had not been there when her father returned to the Great Spirit. She knew he would never have wanted her to feel this way, but she felt she had let him down—that perhaps she might have been able to save him.

  They fell silent for a moment, then Adia looked up to see her son, Nootau, approaching with Nadiwani, the Healer’s Helper. Nootau came up close to his mother, and she put an arm around him and hugged him. He hugged her in return.

  Though he still had filling out to do, it was apparent that he was going to have his father’s build. His father, the great Khon’Tor, Leader of the People, who had, Without Her Consent, mated with and seeded Adia.

  Since then, Adia had found a pace with Khon’Tor that worked between them. There was still tension, and Adia would never forget how he had attacked her, but out of her sense of responsibility as Healer, she had kept Khon’Tor’s horrendous secret. She believed that no one could take his place if she were to hold him to account.

  Acaraho could, in theory, have filled the position of Leader—he had everything Khon’Tor did, except the overarching drive to be in command. But the next Leader had to come from Khon’Tor’s bloodline.

  All the commotion of the earlier times had now settled down, and the last few years had been uneventful.

  Adia thought back to the conversation she’d had with Acaraho the night before.

  “The truth has a way of coming out,” she had said anxiously. “The bigger Nootau gets, the more he looks like his father. And if, as he matures, Nootau develops the same white streak on his head that Khon’Tor has, then all the effort of keeping his parentage a secret will be for nothing.”

  There was no mistaking Khon’Tor, the Leader of the People of the High Rocks, with that startling silver crest. Combined with his other attributes, it gave him a striking appearance. But for now, only she, Acaraho, and three others knew that Khon’Tor was the father of Nootau, and they would all keep their silence.

  All the males of the People were tall and well-built, but only two were as magnificent as Khon’Tor and Acaraho. Though Adia and Acaraho were not aware of the extent of the gossip, the People assumed that it was Acaraho who had seeded Nootau. The close relationship between Adia and Acaraho was no secret, though they strived not to show affection for each other in public. But, considering their strong ties, and that he had stepped up to be the male role model for her two offspring—Oh’Dar, the adopted White child, and Nootau—it was a natural jump to the wrong conclusion.

  “I am so grateful to you, Acaraho, for persuading the High Council to allow me to keep Nootau. And I believe your promise to mentor both Nootau and Oh’Dar made the final difference in the Overseer’s view.”

  Adia’s thoughts now turned to her eldest son. She had noticed Oh’Dar going through bouts of melancholy. It was not like him, and it bothered her more than she admitted.

  I must talk to Acaraho about it again later when we next have some private time together.

  While Adia and Acaraho were talking, Khon’Tor was in his living quarters pondering the matter of pairing. It had been many years since his mate, Hakani, stepped off the edge of the grassy path to fall to her death in the churning waters far below. By all means, he should have selected another mate by now. He was obligated as Leader to be paired and produce offspring.

  If Khon’Tor ever consi
dered that Nootau had a right to the leadership, he never let it bother him. He had put the boy out of his mind from the beginning. His only regret, if Khon’Tor had regrets, was that Hakani had claimed to be seeded by him at last, and took his unborn offspring with her when she had stepped off the ledge.

  The other females of the community had stepped up to fill much of Hakani’s role in his life. He did not want for meals, or housekeeping, or any of the mechanics that needed to take place around the Leader’s Quarters. And lots of females would be honored to be paired with the Leader of the largest Sasquatch community known in their region.

  There were still many years in which he could father offspring, but there was more to pairing than that.

  Hakani’s last words haunted him, taunting him with fear of exposure by his next mate—one over whom he would not have the hold he had over her.

  His next mate might not keep quiet about his taste for mating Without Her Consent, which broke the People’s First Law. Khon’Tor had taken his satisfaction with Hakani by frightening and intimidating her. The more she fought him, and the more he could dominate her, the more exquisitely pleasurable it was for him.

  Time was passing, but though Khon’Tor knew he needed to take a mate, he just did not know how to create enough leverage to force her silence about his sadistic tastes.

  In the Brothers’ village, Oh’Dar sat in front of the fire outside the dwelling of Is’Taqa, Second Chief of the Brothers. He poked at the flames with a long stick, head down, lost in thought, only occasionally looking up at the others. The crackling fire reflected in his blue eyes that were often smiling but were somber tonight. He loved to spend time with Is’Taqa, who had become like an uncle to him. Just as Acaraho was teaching Oh’Dar the People’s skills, so Is’Taqa was teaching him those of the Brothers.

  Is’Taqa and Honovi had three children of their own, two daughters close in age to Oh’Dar, but Is’Taqa’s son was still very young, and it would be years before he could learn the Brothers’ ways. Oh’Dar was a fast learner, and Is’Taqa was more than happy to have the young man’s company.

  The Second Chief had taught him how to fish as the Brothers did. And because, unlike the People, Oh’Dar had no fear or resistance to water, he had become an accomplished swimmer. He would retrieve small shells and rocks from the rivers and the pond for Honovi’s girls to add to their collection of pretty things. He was kind-hearted and took joy in seeing their delight with each new treasure he brought them. He helped sort them and pick out the best ones, and they loved having his undivided attention.

  The Brothers had taught Oh’Dar to ride, and since this was a skill of which his mother would not approve, he had just never gotten around to telling her. Adia felt that horses were skittish and unpredictable, but they seemed to take easily to Oh’Dar. He excelled at nearly everything he attempted, and he loved learning. He was almost as good as their most accomplished rider, the young brave, Pajackok.

  Is’Taqa had also taught Oh’Dar how to make bows and arrows—how to select the proper wood, how to bend it, and how to string it to the proper tension. He taught the young man which feathers worked best for the arrows. They spent countless afternoons together in target practice, and Oh’Dar had become an excellent marksman. Except, Oh’Dar was not one of the Brothers. And he was not one of the People either. And that was the problem gnawing him at his core that night.

  Oh’Dar remembered the day he had first realized he was not like the People. He was sitting next to Acaraho on the banks of one of his favorite swimming places. Their reflection in the still waters caught his eye, and for the first time, he saw the glaring differences. The realization shattered his feeling of belonging. Odd how it had not occurred to him before, because it was so obvious once he saw it.

  Why did I not notice how pale and smooth my skin is compared to the skin of all the People, which is covered with soft down? How did I not notice how skinny my arms and legs are compared to theirs? Not see that my fingernails are practically useless?

  And he could not see so well in the dark; he could not hear the forest sounds as well as they did. Neither could he identify animals by their scent at the distances the People could. In every way, his physical attributes paled against theirs, and from the time he realized his differences, he had never felt the same.

  When he was with the Brothers, he did not feel so conspicuous. The young people of his age were of similar height and build. Even his dark hair was the same. And in the summer, his skin would darken almost to match the tones of theirs. Only his piercing blue eyes gave him away. He could blend in with the Brothers.

  Is’Taqa had noticed that Oh’Dar was not himself lately. The young man had been sitting in silence for some time, chin in hand.

  Something is bothering him more than the usual ups and downs. He has always been such a happy child, so full of joy. Yet, as he gets older, he is withdrawing more often; he shuts everyone else out.

  Is’Taqa was concerned it was more than normal growing pains.

  He continued to watch Oh’Dar and decided to ask Honovi if she had tasks the young man could help her with tomorrow. Perhaps she could draw him out and discover what was troubling him so. She and Oh’Dar had a special relationship going back to the days when she had spent long stretches at a time with the People, teaching him Whitespeak.

  Is’Taqa’s eldest daughter, Acise, sat across from Oh’Dar as he looked at nothing, lost in thought. She picked up an acorn cap and tossed it in his direction. It landed just in front of his feet. He noticed, looked up, and gave her a fake angry frown, at which she laughed and threw another.

  The three of them sat around the crackling fire for quite a while longer. The murky night covered them like a blanket, concealing the usually bright stars. In the distance, owls hooted from the nearby Sycamore trees. Coyotes yipped and howled across the hills. Is’Taqa was filled with gratitude at how rich his life had become, and he counted his many blessings.

  He stirred the fire one last time. Honovi came up to join them, “Snana and Noshoba are in bed. It is time for you to come in too now, Acise. You have already stayed up longer than your privileges as the eldest allow.”

  “Mama, but this is the best part,” Acise replied.

  Spending time with the adults around the evening fire was one of Acise’s favorite things to do. She was fascinated with Oh’Dar, and she loved it when he visited. She had a special place, separate from her other treasures, where she kept the collections of shells he brought. When her parents permitted, she would follow Oh’Dar and her father around, just to be near the young man. Aside from her general fascination, she found in him the big brother she did not have.

  “Now,” was all Honovi had to say. Acise, knowing better than to argue, promptly arose, said goodnight to her father and Oh’Dar, and headed to the family shelter. Honovi was a loving and patient mother, except when it came to rebellious children. They knew better than to push her too far with their protestations.

  Soon, Acise was bedded down with the others, safe and snug as Honovi waited for her mate and Oh’Dar to join them.

  Always cold in the caves of Kthama, Oh’Dar soaked up the warmth of the fire radiating over his bare skin. In this, the slowly warming weather, Oh’Dar wore lighter cotton coverings, as did the Brothers, usually leaving most of his chest and arms bare. He was excited that Is’Taqa had promised to teach him some time before the cold weather to prepare hides and furs so he could make his own warm wrappings. The Brothers had been generous in providing coverings for Oh’Dar ever since he was tiny. But now that he was nearly grown, he had his own ideas of what he wanted to wear; he was anxious next to apply his creativity to sewing.

  The People did not need heavy wrappings. The females wore a top covering to protect their modesty, and some with lighter undercoats chose to wear lower garments as well. Others wore them just for fashion and for a change.

  The older man and the younger sat in silence a while longer. There was something sacred about sitting silently und
er the dark sky together, and Is’Taqa did not want to break the spell. Finally, the fire was reduced to burning embers. He looked over at Oh’Dar, who at last smiled at him in return. Is’Taqa smothered the last of the flames, and they retired to join the others.

  Oh’Dar woke in the middle of the night to find that Acise had moved her sleeping mat to snuggle up against him. He tucked her blankets around her and lay back down, letting her rest up against his back.

  The next morning, before Oh’Dar and the children were up, Is’Taqa spoke with Honovi about the young man’s moods. “Have you noticed that he slips into his silences more and more lately?”

  “Yes. And I am sure Adia has noticed it and is also worried,” she answered.

  “I wonder if you have some things today that he can help you with? Perhaps he will open up to you?”

  “I will be glad to try and see how it goes. I will ask Acise to watch Snana and Noshoba,” she replied. Honovi had spring planting to do and would be glad for Oh’Dar’s help and company.

  The two set out shortly thereafter. “Here, let me carry your basket of seeds and plantings,” offered Oh’Dar.

  “Thank you. It’s going to take us most of the day to finish this. I am glad we are getting an early start while it is still cool. Luckily, we have already prepared the ground. Part of it is in the sun and part in the shade, so we can plant these accordingly.”