Part 97: Close Quarters

Main story folder & table of contents: "Escape From Manitou Island" 
Previous chapter: "Part 96: Breaking Camp" 

PART NINETY-SEVEN:
Close Quarters

RUSTLING NOISES CAUGHT everyone's attention, and Charmian saw Francois and Baptiste both go for their guns. Winter Born's mouth fell open, and Charmian whirled back around to see something emerging from the stand of sickly trees on the other side of the hill. It took her a moment to recognize Black Elk Horn's glittering dark eyes--but that was mostly because of the long dark barrel of the gun aimed right at them.

Her own eyes goggled and her mouth fell open in disbelief. "B...Black Elk Horn...?" she managed to get out, beyond confused.

Lieutenant Barrington, still standing beside the tree where the hatchet had struck, went as white as a sheet, his eyes going even wider than Charmian's. Winter Born crept back behind Charmian and everyone else just stared.

Black Elk Horn stepped into the little flowery clearing and started heading straight toward the soldier. He gripped the gun's barrel and its stock in his hands, his fingers digging into it, and halted perhaps a foot or two away from Barrington, the gun pointed right between his eyes. Charmian glanced at his face and saw the deadly look there, and could tell that he wasn't joking. Not that he'd ever been the joking type.

Barrington blinked a few times, then the fear started fading a bit from his features, though his hands shook. He let out a weak snort. "As if you even know how to use that thing," he muttered.

The smirk that had just started to creep up his face vanished when Black Elk Horn put his finger on the trigger. "I learn quickly," the ogimah replied, his voice pure ice.

Charmian took a step forward, holding up her hands. "Black Elk Horn--?" she called out; he didn't even look at her. She glanced between the two of them. "How did you even get here--?"

"Is this going to end badly--?" Peepaukawiss whimpered, shifting from foot to foot.

"Need you even ask?" Augwak hissed under his breath.

Charmian took another step forward, Winter Born clinging to her vest. "Look--this whole thing can hold off till later, okay? It's really important that we get going--"

She let out a gasp and a little jump when the gun whirled to point straight at her. "I DO NOT need you butting your nose in again!" Black Elk Horn snapped venomously. "Every time you show up, THINGS GO BAD! You think no one notices--? First the demon! Then those intruders! Now THIS!" His finger tightened on the trigger and he bared his teeth. "You THINK that I will keep allowing this--?"

Charmian tried to swallow but suddenly felt like a boulder had been placed in her throat. Then--she couldn't see Black Elk Horn anymore. She blinked before realizing what had happened, and had to crane her neck to see. Stick-In-The-Dirt stood in front of her now, his arms spread out at his sides. He was quaking like a leaf, but he gave Black Elk Horn what was quite possibly the most challenging look she had ever seen him give.

Black Elk Horn blinked, then scowled and turned the gun away from him. "I'm hardly interested in wasting any of it on her anyway!" He turned it back toward Barrington. "I have only ONE target in mind today!"

He aimed the long barrel between Barrington's eyes. A split second later, Francois's gun was aimed at Black Elk Horn, and Baptiste's as well, and everybody looked as if their eyes were going to fall out. Puka started hopping from foot to foot and squealing, his fists jammed against his mouth.

All of the blood drained from Charmian's face. "Guys," she whispered.

"Don't do it, mon ami," Francois said in an oddly neutral voice.

Baptiste's eyes shifted from left to right. "Have I missed something...?!" he hissed under his breath.

Barrington looked like he wanted to meld into the tree he was pressed against, staring almost crosseyed at the barrel. "Guys...this is really important," Charmian ventured again, creeping out from behind Stick-In-The-Dirt; she saw Moon Wolf raise his hand, and Niskigwun raise his spear, and Singing Cedars and Thomas both take a step forward, and tried to take a little strength from that as she came out. "I know you two want to blow each other's head off but couldn't it wait just a tiny bit...?"

"You do not speak for the Island," Black Elk Horn grated, not looking at her. "Nothing you say makes any difference! I don't care WHAT you've done in the past or what you MIGHT do! The one thing to be said of you is--" and his grip on the trigger tightened again "--YOU didn't kill White Coyote!"

Winter Born popped out from behind Charmian. "Father!"

Black Elk Horn's head shot up and whirled around almost comically; as soon as he saw Winter Born, his eyes grew as round as moons. "Winter Born--?" he barked.

Charmian opened her mouth. Barrington grabbed onto the tree and kicked the gun out of Black Elk Horn's hands, sending it flying and then landing with a thud. He pulled up his own gun and aimed it at Black Elk Horn--then a bolt of blue fire knocked it from his hands, leaving him with a stunned look. He and Black Elk Horn gawked at each other for a split second, before the ogimah launched himself at him, letting out a furious yell and drawing his knife. Barrington grasped the hatchet handle and yanked it from the tree, holding it up to block the first blow, then the two of them swung at each other.

Singing Cedars shot Charmian a foul look. "Does he EVER learn?!" he yelled at her.

Charmian ground her teeth and flung up her hands. She thought of knocking the knife from Black Elk Horn's hands first, but knowing Barrington, he wouldn't hesitate to use the hatchet; then she thought of knocking the hatchet from his hands, but knowing Black Elk Horn... She let out a frustrated sound and shifted from foot to foot as Puka had done. "I can't decide!!"

"Why not just let them KILL each other?!" Augwak shouted, waving his arms. "I'll eat up the stray pieces!!"

Kill each other--! Charmian took in a breath, then held up her hand and tried to focus. She watched the two of them swing at each other, and waited until their blows were just about evenly matched--when the hatchet and the knife met, she sent out a bolt of fire like Moon Wolf's, rather than a fireball, and prayed that it would hit its mark. It struck the two weapons where they met, and then everybody yelped and dodged every which way when they flew into the air. The hatchet clunked down against a rock and the knife jammed itself in the shaft of Niskigwun's spear; the Michinimakinong's face turned the color of ashes.

Black Elk Horn let out an inarticulate sound and clenched his fists. "WHY DO YOU KEEP INTERFERING--?!"

Winter Born popped up again, waving frantically. "Father--!!"

Barrington landed a blow to Black Elk Horn's neck and knocked him over. He wasn't down long, however, shooting back up and picking up the hatchet. He hurled it at Barrington's head--it went sailing off into the woods. Barrington managed to reach one of the fallen guns and grabbed it up, aiming it at him--but by then Black Elk Horn was aiming the second gun at him, and Francois was aiming at Barrington, and Baptiste was aiming at Black Elk Horn, and Moon Wolf and Niskigwun were aiming at the voyageurs, and Charmian wanted to start tearing her own hair out.

Baptiste's gun shook like an earthquake was striking. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" he screamed in an oddly girly French accent.

"GUYS!!" Charmian yelled, her own voice going high pitched. "We can't DO this right--"

A loud whistle cut her off, and she lowered her hands, confused. Black Elk Horn and Barrington seemed equally perplexed; everybody peered at each other, then Charmian peered at Mani, but he looked just as confused as she felt. Then the hair on the back of her neck prickled, and she remembered to start panicking.

More rustling noises came and another shape appeared among the sickly trees. She nearly swallowed her own tongue when she saw the mitchi manitou in the woods, and he sneered at her before charging.

Charmian let out a shriek which would have embarrassed her at any other time, and started waving frantically at the tunnel. "IN! IN!!" she yelled, and those who weren't busy aiming at anybody started jumping in the hole and vanishing from sight. Charmian heard Manabozho, already waiting within, let out a startled yelp, but didn't pay attention to it. Moon Wolf, Niskigwun, and the two voyageurs, apparently wising up, stood down and made a run for the tunnel; Barrington looked as if he wanted to, yet Black Elk Horn didn't lower his own gun. Instead he just stood and watched stupidly as the manitou entered the clearing, coming to a halt and snorting so hard that his breath blasted the little white flowers in front of him, making their petals wither and fall off. His eyes focused on Charmian's and glinted.

Interesting how we keep running into each other! Isn't it? he jeered.

Charmian's lip quivered. Mani leapt in front of her and tossed his antlers, whistling; the mitchi manitou seemed to hesitate, then whirled to the side. He made a run for the tunnel and Mani followed him; then he dodged aside and came charging right back. Charmian started to dart to the side only to see that his attack wasn't focused on her--Winter Born still stood behind her--and she grabbed the girl's arm and hauled her along. Winter Born let out a little cry as they started racing around the clearing, Mani trying to block the mitchi manitou as he tried to follow them.

That, at last, managed to distract Black Elk Horn, and he whirled away from Barrington, who bolted for the tunnel. Charmian opened her mouth yet again, only to shut it with a grimace when a horrific BANG made her ears throb and her skin ache. The mitchi manitou stumbled and tripped over his front legs, landing on his knees and shaking his head dizzily--but she could tell that he hadn't been hit, only grazed. Black Elk Horn noticed this as well and started to grab at one of his pouches--Charmian assumed it must contain ammunition for the gun--then he changed his mind, grabbing the gun by the barrel and swinging it through the air. The stock connected with the manitou's head, knocking him over with a thunderous crack. Charmian almost cheered. It looked like he'd finally killed the creature.

The mitchi manitou lay still for a split second, then his eyes blinked and he let out a remarkably pained and peeved sound; Of course not, Charmian thought wearily, and started pulling Winter Born toward the tunnel. By now, only they, Moon Wolf, the voyageurs, and Black Elk Horn remained standing outside; she could see the others vanishing down the hole, and gave Winter Born a shove so that she let out a tiny yelp but also disappeared from sight. "Come on!!" she yelled, and jumped into the tunnel herself. Baptiste followed, worming his way past her; she ground her teeth to see that, of course, Black Elk Horn wasn't listening. He was holding the gun again, shifting from side to side like a boxer as the manitou shook his head and grumblingly got to his feet. Charmian clawed at her own face. "GUYS!! GIVE ME A HAND ALREADY!!"

Moon Wolf and Francois both glanced at her, then back at the other two. Moon Wolf started running for the tunnel, but not before hurling a fireball at the manitou's neck; it smacked right into him and made him skid to the side with a grimace. Francois aimed his gun at his head.

"I highly doubt this will do any good, ma chère!" he yelled.

"Moon Wolf!" Charmian shouted. "Can you get--?"

She didn't get to finish the question. Moon Wolf veered toward Black Elk Horn and smacked him on the shoulder. Black Elk Horn bared his teeth and looked ready to bash his head in--only to blink, and then fall right over as if he'd been turned into wood. Charmian also blinked. Moon Wolf merely stooped to grab onto his arm and started dragging him toward the tunnel, waving at Charmian to get out of the way. They somehow managed to get him into the hole, and then crawled back further as the others moved ahead, peering out but seeing nothing but gray sky overhead. Charmian's teeth chattered and she glanced at Moon Wolf.

"What--?"

He looked at Black Elk Horn, who was sitting wedged beside them and giving him the most evil look imaginable. "Wabano medicine," Moon Wolf said, and made a face of his own. "Just a weak form of it...I hate having to use it, especially on him!" He started pulling them back into the tunnel. "It should wear off in a minute or so."

"Wow," Charmian said, furrowing her brow. "Glad I never got on your bad side!"

They jumped--Charmian hitting her head again--when a thunderous blast came from outside, then Francois leapt into the tunnel and they crowded back even further. "I think I only stunned him," he said, gesturing at them to keep moving. "I suggest we find the end of this thing!"

The word was passed and they started moving along, splashing through the muddy patch and onto drier ground. It wasn't long before furious snorting and bellowing noises came from above; Charmian glanced back toward the entrance, which was nothing but a shaft of light glinting downward by now, and gasped when she saw hunks of dirt and rocks flying into it. The ground shook and Winter Born and Kenu squealed and hugged each other; they all crowded into the widest part of the tunnel and sat waiting in dreadful silence, listening to the mitchi manitou as he tore at the hole with his antlers. This kept up for a good long while; partway through it, Marten appeared, waving at them, and they continued on after him. The digging and bellowing noises began to fade as they wandered further under the ground, though Charmian couldn't help but glance back every so often. She decided to wait a bit before using her webs, just in case the manitou found a way to follow.

"C'mon!" Marten whispered. "Big rock's this way!"

They crawled along until they reached another wide section which had been dug before a large boulder impeded the tunnel's progress, and everyone sat down, letting out their breath. Charmian managed to avoid sitting down on Mani--who flowed into the room as a trickle of water--and wiped a hand across her brow. "Is everybody okay--?"

"Of course," Manabozho groused. He sat nearest the rock, scowling. "NOW that stupid creature knows where we are! What do you want to bet that he'll be following us?" He put his hand to the rock and it split in two, opening up a passageway in the middle; Marten hopped through and began digging again, bits of earth flying out behind him as he vanished.

"It's not like we could've done anything else!" Charmian protested. "Though maybe if some people would stop FIGHTING all the time--!"

As if on cue, Black Elk Horn, seated staring off to the other side of the tunnel, blinked and then let out a wheezing breath. Charmian caught the glint that passed through his eyes and readied herself to see Barrington die--but Black Elk Horn lunged across the open space and punched Moon Wolf instead, making his head snap to the side. Everyone grimaced; Moon Wolf slumped against the wall, wincing and rubbing at his cheek.

Black Elk Horn clenched his fists. "I owed you that!" he hissed between equally clenched teeth. He grabbed at the gun then, but Francois had already reloaded his, and it was aimed right at him. There was barely any space for the two giant weapons, and Black Elk Horn seemed to realize how stupid it would be to try firing one underground. He turned and gave Charmian a fuming glare instead.

Charmian sank down into her vest. "Is it just me or am I getting serious déjà vu...?" she whimpered.

"Maybe this is because you don't know how to leave well enough alone--?" Black Elk Horn said, in the same hiss that made it seem like he didn't like being overheard, despite the tunnel being crammed full of the others. His fingers dug into his palm. "How is it that EVERY SINGLE TIME you show up something goes INCREDIBLY wrong! It was right before YOU showed up that that GeeBee got all knocked around, and it was right AFTER you showed up that that RED MAN appeared!"

Charmian clenched her own fists. "Haven't you ever heard of BAD TIMING?! So damn SORRY I can only show up on my SUMMER BREAK!"

Black Elk Horn's feathers looked ready to catch on fire. "IF IT'S BROKEN THEN WHY NOT STAY HOME AND FIX IT?!"

Charmian wanted to both scream and start laughing; she chose to scream instead, knowing that laughter wouldn't go over terribly well. "IT'S NOT BROKEN, ASS! BUT THE ISLAND SURE AS HELL WILL BE IF I GO BACK HOME NOW!" She forced herself to lower her voice and went on before he could retort. "This manitou showed up BEFORE I did! You just said it yourself! Sure it seems tolerable because he only beat up Augwak!"

"I HEARD THAT!" a voice yelled from further back in the tunnel.

"But do you really think it'll be so tolerable as soon as he starts flooding the Island again?" Charmian finished.

Black Elk Horn blinked. "Again? The Island has never FLOODED!"

"Wrong, moron!" Charmian snapped. "Your Island was DESTROYED once before and it's going to be DESTROYED again if we don't do something about it--and if you keep holding us back!" She pointed into the tunnel. "If you want to shoot the Redcoat then fine and go ahead! But at least wait until we're finished!"

Barrington's voice came this time. "Are you a BLOODY IDIOT?!"

Charmian clenched her fists and yelled back. "YOU'RE THE ONE WITH THE ITCHY TRIGGER FINGER!!" She took a breath when Moon Wolf squeezed her wrist rather hard, still rubbing his cheek. "I barely knew White Coyote," she said. "But he was nice to me before we left! What happened was just a remarkably stupid accident!"

Black Elk Horn bared his teeth again. "I don't care WHAT you decide to call it! What you don't seem to understand is that it ISN'T your Island and YOUR stupid rules don't apply! No matter HOW many times you visit, that's all you ever will be--a visitor! Someone who never belongs! Why you think we can't take care of our own Island escapes me. We cared for it perfectly fine--until all of YOU began arriving!"

"Then go back and try to fight this manitou yourself!" Charmian retorted. "I'd like to see you do it! I'd like to see you take on the guy who ruined the FIRST Island so easily, so that even the FOUR WINDS could barely defeat him!"

He leaned forward on one hand--Francois's gun followed his motions, but the voyageur kept his finger off of the trigger. Black Elk Horn didn't pay him any attention. "Why not head back home and find out?" he shot back. "Leave us on our own for once! We've done fine for hundreds of moons without your help and we'll STILL do fine without you! Why don't you just go on back to your own land and see?"

Charmian scowled, eyes stinging. "You're lucky I don't listen to what you say!!"

Black Elk Horn opened his mouth, then shut it. His eyes slowly grew wide--and then he began shrinking back toward the tunnel wall, almost as if he intended to vanish right through it. Charmian's brow furrowed in confusion--she saw the perplexed look on the others' faces as well, even Moon Wolf's, which told her that he had nothing to do with the odd reaction. Black Elk Horn put a hand to his head, and she nearly started when she saw that it was shaking. He curled in on himself, staring at her as if she'd just turned into a bear, and she peered toward Moon Wolf, then toward Francois, timid and uneasy.

What'd I do...? she asked Moon Wolf.

He shook his head slightly. I don't know. But be grateful for it! Maybe we can get moving now!

Charmian let out her breath and got onto all fours, beginning to crawl toward the cracked boulder. Francois slipped through before her; she paused at it, Winter Born squeezing forward and peering out of the crack at her father. She met Charmian's eyes, her own anxious.

"What's wrong with him...?"

Charmian shook her head. "I don't know...I think he's just confused." She nudged the girl's shoulder and started into the opening, Moon Wolf behind her.

"We can't leave him behind!" Winter Born protested, at first refusing to budge.

Moon Wolf nudged discreetly on Charmian's leg. "He'll come when he's ready," he said. "Get going. And start leaving those webs. We can hardly head back now."

Charmian nodded, reaching into her pocket and starting to press bits of Weavers' web into the earthen walls. Ahead came the scrabbling and shuffling noises of Marten digging and the others following; Moon Wolf lifted his hand to light up the back of the tunnel, the webs giving off a dim illumination of their own, and everyone crawled in silence. Every so often Winter Born would glance back at Charmian, and she would glance back at Moon Wolf; for a while all that he did was shake his head, though eventually he peered over his shoulder, and offered a slight nod. Charmian sighed and nodded at Winter Born, who, somewhat placated, continued crawling, not looking back anymore.

The already damp air began to grow chillier the longer they crawled, until Charmian could feel goosebumps on her skin, and she shivered. "Is it just me or is it getting colder--?" she asked, right before bumping into Winter Born, who had halted, and hearing the others bumping into each other ahead. She blinked and started squeezing her way past them, only to spot Marten scuttling back her way. He halted and lifted one dirty hand, pointing ahead with a much perplexed look.

"The ground's all hard, Charmian! I keep digging and digging but nothing changes! It's like digging through rock!" He held up both hands now and frowned at his fingers as they wiggled; Charmian bit her lip on seeing a bit of blood lining his fingernails. "My fingers aren't sharp enough!"

Charmian's own frown grew. She wriggled her way to the front of the line and pressed her hand against the soil, shivering again at how cold it was. "Permafrost...?" she murmured, confused.

Manabozho frowned at her. "Purma-what?" he said, then shook his head when she started to explain. "Never mind! I'll get us the rest of the way through." He turned and punched the dead end with his fist; it promptly caved in, and he began digging, although she did see him make a slight face and shake his hand as he went. She glanced back at the others and shrugged.

"I guess we keep going, then," she said, and they kept going.

"I think you're right," Winter Born ventured after a little bit. "It does feel kind of colder now."

"What it feels is nice," Augwak sighed from elsewhere in the tunnel. "Nice for a change! Would that there was some nice food down here, too...somebody willing to roll over and give up their spleen, or their intestines..."

"Ow!" Manabozho halted now and shook his hand again. He looked at it, then scowled at the ground.

Thomas glanced at Charmian, then sighed a little and started nudging his way forward. "Excuse me," he said; Manabozho fumed at him, but gave up his place. Thomas placed his hand against the earth and was silent for a moment; then it began to loosen and crumble. Charmian furrowed her brow and crept toward him.

"I thought you could only freeze stuff," she said.

"Well..." Thomas shrugged a little. "I can do things to ice that's already there...but that's about it." He glanced at the loose soil. "If this is what it's like underground...I'm seriously starting to wonder what it's like outside!"

"We'll find out soon enough! Looks like I can dig again!" Marten exclaimed, plowing through the soil and disappearing. "C'mon! I can practically smell Cabbage-Bonnet from here!"

They crawled along silently as the Mikumwesu dug out the end of the tunnel, turning slightly upward and drilling through hardening soil; apparently his rest must have helped him a bit, for he finally broke through with a small cheer, and popped outside. Then popped promptly back inside, clasping his arms in his hands. "YIKES!!"

"What is it--?" Charmian asked, concerned.

In response Marten chattered. "It's FREEZING out there!!"

"Freezing--? We must be close!" Charmian's spirits lifted and she scrambled toward the hole. "I bet we're right near the mountain!"

Marten held up a hand. "Well, actually..."

Charmian clambered out and got to her feet, dusting herself off a little before noticing the sharp bite in the air and shivering. She decided to ignore it--there would be plenty of time to deal with that in a minute. Instead, she glanced at Winter Born and the others crawling out of the tunnel to join her, then looked northward, her eyes alight.

She blinked. Then her smile quickly faded away.

There was no mountain in sight before them. Instead, there was a seemingly endless expanse of frigid, rippling water.

Continue:

Part 98: The Little Ice Age  (13+) This strange place doesn't look like Kabebonikka's mountain... #1713359 by Tehuti, Lord Of The Eight

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