Nuttah walked up to the Queen. “Mother,” she addressed her softly.

The Queen turned from gazing at the trees lost in memory to look at her daughter. Everyone knew that her time is close, that she is dying. She would take long walks alone in the forest, sometimes not coming back for days. And when she did come back, they could see that she has been crying. Some claim that they heard her whisper a name, Ezhno.

“Nuttah,” she said with a soft smile, “I have been meaning to talk with you. Please, do come closer. I will give you some advice as to how to rule the Qaletaqa. It may not be much, for your rule will present its own joys and hardships, but it is a start.”

“Wait mother, I have something to say,” Nuttah said firmly. She was not going to back down.

“What is on your mind?” the Queen asked.

“I won’t be the next queen. I refuse to be. Mother, I have chosen a different life,” Nuttah said, holding her ground as she looked at the Queen directly in the eye.

“What? But we have planed this for years! What possibly could have changed your mind?” the Queen asked sternly.

“I am going to marry Pilan. He is of the Kwahu, and I know he will take good care of me,” Nuttah said steadily, ignoring her mother’s harshness.

“But you have wanted this for so long! Why are you giving it up now?” the Queen yelled.

“I love him mother! Have you never felt this way? I’d give up everything I have to be with him!” Nuttah screamed, losing her calmness.

The Queen’s eyes flashed, and just as she was going to forbid the marriage, she saw it. The black spot on her daughter’s left hand. The Queen’s mind flashed back, deep into memory, remembering another who once had that mark, or should have had that mark.

“Ezhno, she is just like you. She has your fighting spirit,” she whispered so softly no one else could hear. She then looked into her daughters eyes, and for a moment she saw his eyes staring back at her.

She then looked at her daughter with her own blue eyes, brushing Nuttah’s hair out of her face. “It would be hypocritical not to give you my blessing,” the Queen said as she smiled down upon her daughter. “There is always your brother Ezhnou. He would make a good king, do you think not?”

“Thank you mother,” Nuttah said joyfully, “I’ll tell him now.”

The Queen smiled as she watched her daughter walk away until the trees hid her from sight.

“I wish you could have met her Ezhno. You would have been proud of your daughter,” the Queen said out loud to the emptiness.

My father, Nodin. There he stands, ears forward, completely still as he watched the shadows. Both of us had stayed in wolf form out of fear of leading these strangers to our family as we returned home, but there was a strange feeling in the air. Silence. Complete silence as if the smallest movement, the slightest sound, would destroy the world as we know it.

Reading the expression from his eyes, I grew fearful and restless. There was something in there that we cannot see, but as we smelled the air we knew for sure what it is. The strangers. My legs tensed; though I am still uncertain whether we are going to fight or flight. But nothing happened. Have they seen us?

Hearing a cry of my mother, my father took off running with me close behind. We found the strangers standing over her, now heavy with a child that now has died before it could even see the light of day.

Fear quickly turned into hate, and I blindly attacked the closest stranger. This creature let out a cry as I bit him, and tossed me off. Then all was black.

When I regained consciousness, all I could feel is pain. I found my father lying on the ground beside my dead mother, who at her death has changed back to her original form, her black hair and clothing stained with blood. Seeing that my father was still breathing, I rushed over to his side, hoping that there is something, anything that I could do to save at least save him. But there isn’t. He is gone before I even got there.

Ezhno woke up, the last images swirling around his head as they had for the past years. The death of his family still haunts him to this day.

He gently ran his fingers over his left eye, tracing the scar that runs from the corner of his left eyebrow, across his eyelids, and over his nose to end at his right cheekbone. That was the horrible gift the strangers have given him that day, as if the memory of the events is not enough. Now every time he sees his own reflection, he sees his own hate for what had happened. Refusing to let this injustice go on without a fight, Ezhno had joined the rebels, in hopes of gaining justice over what had happened to his family and wanting to prevent it from happening to anyone else.

Ezhno then sat up, gloving his left hand to hide the crude scar over the area where his mark used to be, hiding the mark of the rebels from any loyalist eyes. He did this every morning, since he had made a promise to Matchitehew that he will not come back to him without Sahkonteic’s daughter and stuck to the search though everyone else gave up long ago. He didn’t mind continuing the search alone, for he felt most at peace in the forest and had gotten used to standing alone when his family died.

Ezhno watched the vapor of his breath as he looked up at the dark clouds that covered the sky, hiding the sun from the world. Snow swirled lightly around him, landing softer than the steps of a deer. Leaning his head back, Ezhno looked up and as the snow was falling around him, he felt like he was rising above; as if he is flying. He took in a deep slow breath and closed his eyes, wondering why he is alive while his family is dead. With everything precious to him gone, why is he still here? What is the point?

Ezhno sighed and picked up his cloak that he was sleeping on, shook the snow off and swung it around over his shoulders and clasped it. He then slid his sword into his deerskin belt, its deer antler handle cradled just above the top of his belt. He then placed three knives into their places, right under the deerskin strap that ran from his left shoulder to his right hip. He put on his rabbit fur boots with deer skin soles, slipping yet another blade into his left boot. He was dressed as a Nashoba warrior, the way he had dressed since he had become a man. That was his mark on his left hand before he had slashed at it and allow it to scar; a black spot.

Suddenly Ezhno stopped what he was doing, and gradually stood up straight, feeling like he was being watched. He turned slowly, his green eyes scanning through the snow. There, standing in the snow was a wolf with snow white fur; and her outline blurred into the surrounding whiteness of the snow. Something easily overlooked, if not for its eyes; a liquid blue with a yellow fire in the center that stood out against the snow. It wasn’t a gaze from a natural born wolf, for there was more intelligence and sadness behind its eyes.

“Ezhno!” a female voice called from behind him. Ezhno looked over his shoulder to see Nahimana walking toward him; but when he looked back where the white wolf was, it was gone.

“Ezhno! You lost in your own world again? You don’t answer me,” Nahimana said lightheartedly.

“Your father wouldn’t be happy to know that our future queen is running off, out of his sight and protection,” Ezhno said as he again glanced at the spot the white wolf was.

“Let me worry about my father, I can handle him. I just wanted to see how your search is going,” Nahimana said as she looked up at Ezhno with her soft green eyes.

Ezhno shook his head, not willing to tell her that he got a glimpse of a white wolf. He wasn’t sure if it had any relevance, but he knew none of the Nashoba can change form into a wolf with such white fur. All of the Nashoba have thick black hair, so they shift into black wolves. This one was something different.

“I haven’t had much luck,” Ezhno said vaguely.

“That’s too bad,” Nahimana said playfully, “My father will greatly reward the one that brings Onida back alive; he wants to kill her himself.”

“I know,” Ezhno said, again looking in the direction where the wolf was.

“A find like that could make you king,” Nahimana said as she ran her hand down Ezhno’s chest.

“I do not look to put airs upon myself. I just want justice for what had happened to my family,” he explained flatly.

“And you will. When you are king you will be in the position to put that justice into place,” she said as she got close to him and ran her fingers through his thick black hair.

“You should go back to your father. The last time you left, he lost his temper and killed Magena for not being able to keep an eye on you,” Ezhno said coldly after a short pause.

“Why do you keep pushing me away?” Nahimana asked now frustrated.

Ezhno didn’t answer, for he himself wasn’t sure why he was doing so. She was a beautiful woman, and one with high standing. But there was something about her that he couldn’t stand, and he couldn’t put his finger on exactly what it was.

After staring at him for a while, Nahimana sighed. “Fine. I’ll go on my way, but I will be back within a few days. You can’t just shut yourself off from the world.” At that, she turned and left.

Ezhno’s eyes followed her until she disappeared from sight. It is hard to picture what kind of Queen she will make; she only looks out for herself expecting everything else to fall into place.

Thinking this, Ezhno shook his head deciding that’s what is stopping him in regards to her. He can’t stand it when people put themselves before others.

Shaking these thoughts from him, Ezhno knelt beside the spot where the wolf was. There he found its footprints. He gently touched one and looked up into the direction it went. There was the wolf again, walking towards him slowly head down and ears forward as if it was ready to take off running at any second. But its eyes have changed; they were a fiery golden yellow. The blue was gone.

Ezhno stood slowly, trying not to scare it away. He watched as the wolf changed into the form of a woman, her white hair blowing in the wind, snow clinging to her eyelashes and her pale skin all seemed to fade away into the snow; all except her eyes. They stood out; hypnotizing.

“Are you alone?” she asked, hesitating.

“Who are you?” Ezhno asked, ignoring her question, unsure if she is even real.

“I am not going to answer your question unless you answer mine,” she said steadily.

“Yes. I am alone now. Who are you?” Ezhno repeated his question.

She took a few steps closer, allowing him to see her better. She wore no cloak, and her sleeves dropped down to her elbows. The dress was made like that to allow her mark to be seen by all; the mark of the Qaletaqa.

“Onida Nata,” Ezhno said softly immediately recognizing her to be a Qaletaqa.

“Who are you?” she asked him tentatively, her yellow eyes flashing. It was obvious that she does not trust him.

“Ezhno Cheveyo,” Ezhno said, still not believing that she is here.

She tilted her head and her eyes seemed to question him, “Your name means ‘solitary spirit warrior.’ Are you a loyalist?” she asked as her eyes fell to his left hand, which was hidden by a black glove.

“That question I won’t answer,” he said as he uneasily moved his gloved hand back. “If I tell you that I am a loyalist and a rebel finds out, that would be putting both of our lives at risk. If I tell you that I am a rebel, a loyalist will be in search for my life,” Ezhno said, trying to get away with not answering her question. “Why are you here now? You have been the phantom of the forest ever since the bloodbath at Mapiya.”

She was quiet for a while, watching his eyes; trying to figure out whether or not she trusts him enough to tell him. Subconsciously she touched her necklace; a delicate silver chain with the figure of a white eagle with one yellow eye and one blue eye. Its wings were spread, but not as an eagle in flight, but rather as an eagle hovering over something. Beautiful as the pendant was, it seemed incomplete.
“My father had a plan, a plan that avoided war with the strangers. I am here to put that plan into action,” she answered vaguely, deciding not to trust him. Not yet.
“What does this have to do with me?” Ezhno asked, now getting impatient.
“I have been watching you. You spend most of your time wandering the forest alone, no one to accompany you. Either you are a loyalist in hiding,” she let her last word linger a bit as she searched his eyes before continuing, “or a rebel. Either way I could use your help.”
“Why would I want to help the people that because of their poor judgment I’ve had to watch my family die knowing that the Qaletaqa would not authorize a war against them? There would have been no justice for their deaths if the Qaletaqa had stayed in rule,” Ezhno said as his green eyes looked challengingly down upon her.
This statement caught her off guard, and her eyes slowly turned into an indigo blue as she looked down to the snow.
“I am sorry for what happened to your family. I know what it is like to lose everyone you love,” she said slowly before she looked back up at him, “But has it never crossed your mind that I could never get justice, no one’s blood to pay for my loss? No. I cannot even ask for it since that would be destroying my own people. If we cannot remain united as people of the Qaletaqa, then we might as well be scattered amongst the invaders, each one fighting for itself and itself only. What would unite us then? You want the war out of revenge for the deaths of those you love. But have you not thought about how many more loved ones will die in battle? This would be a war that we cannot win for they outnumber us by far.”
“We should at least die trying!” Ezhno yelled.
“If everyone dies, what would our family’s death amount to?! Nothing! No one to remember them and no one to fight for the morals that they had once stood by! Is that the price you rebels are willing to pay?!” she yelled as her eyes quickly turned yellow again.
“I never said that I was a rebel,” Ezhno said as he scowled at her.
“You never said that you weren’t either,” Onida retaliated.
They both silenced. What could he say after that? He didn’t want her to know the answer for certain. He watched her for a while. He watched the way the snow fell lightly around her, the occasional snowflake sticking to her long wavy white hair and her eyelashes. As she stood there, she gradually let her guard down, and her eyes slowly changed to the liquid blue with the yellow fire in the center that he had seen before when she was in the form of a wolf.
Onida sighed.
“I know I can’t do this on my own. I am giving you a chance to help both those of the Nashoba and the Kwahu. A chance to prevent what happened to your family from happening to anyone else. That could happen without war; it would spare many lives of our people. Just say no and I will be on my way,” Onida explained softly.
“What do you need me for?” Ezhno asked again.
“I cannot go straight to Mapiya on my own, but rather I must find an indirect route. I have tasks to do before we get there. I will need your help with that, for I am assuming that Matchitehew is expecting me to come alone. There should be many travelers, for he is calling both the Nashoba and the Kwahu together to introduce his daughter as queen soon, is he not?” Onida questioned.
“Yes,” Ezhno answered, relieved that she wanted to go to the same place that he was going to take her anyways. All he has to do now is hand her over to Matchitehew once they get there and his task would be complete.
“So will you go with me? Can I trust you?” Onida pressed on.
“Yes I will go with you. As for your second question, that is for you to decide. If I answer yes, and you don’t trust me enough in the first place you wouldn’t believe me. It is up to you whether or not you can trust me,” Ezhno said, trying to avoid answering her second question.
“Fine. I can deal with that. When do we leave?” she asked him.
“We can leave now,” Ezhno said as he spun on his heels, leading the way.

I shouldn’t trust him. That much is obvious as the cold snow beneath our feet. But it has been years since I had went back to Mapiya, and I can’t return home on my own. I barely know where I am now, more or less which direction is the right way. I need a guide, and he seems to know the way. I shouldn’t trust him, but I have to. My father’s plan…now my plan…depends on it.
I watched him, staying right behind him in every step he takes. His cloak hovered behind him, and its fur collar swayed in the wind though stiffened with ice and snow. Then I let my eyes fall to his gloved hand, and I looked away trying to shove aside my doubts.
“Were you,” I started but stopped short when he turned around. “Were you a part of the group that took over Mapiya?”
“No. I was a loyalist until shortly after my family died which wasn’t until after the massacre.”
I stood there, watching his eyes for any sign that told that he was lying. But finding none, I started walking again, this time passing Ezhno.
“You don’t trust me at all, do you?” Ezhno said stating the obvious.
“What makes you think that?” I asked rather coldly.
“Your eyes, they change color,” he stated, prompting me to explain.
Avoiding his question, I decided to go off about my eyes.
“My father once said it was my best quality, for he thought it meant that I couldn’t lie. That is only partially true. I can’t lie about how I feel, my eyes only give that much away. They turn yellow when I am suspicious, fearful, or angry. They turn blue if I am pained or saddened. But they remain their natural color; blue with a yellow fire in the center when I am calm or joyful. But don’t think you can easily read me just because you know how I feel; I am very good at keeping secrets. Those can’t be told by my eyes,” I said as I watched his green eyes looking straight ahead of him, for he was now walking beside me.
“You seem to think highly of your father. Too bad he is the one that put others through so much pain,” Ezhno said, still going off on his grudge.
“I do think highly of him. He was a good king,” I retaliated, defending my father.
“A good king? Would a good king come up with a secret way to save his people, leaving them with so little to hope for?” Though he said these words softly, they came out harsh.
Again I stopped, watching as he continued walking a few paces before he noticed that I wasn’t beside him.
“I never said that everything he did was right. I am just saying that he did what he thought to be right at the time. The plan was kept secret for a reason. He was afraid of Matchitehew getting word of it and destroying it; my father never trusted him. I don’t either. Matchitehew wants power, that’s the only reason that he was so willing to start the rebellion!” I said softly, standing my ground.
“Matchitehew is the leader that your father couldn’t be!” Ezhno yelled.
“Oh, so your close friends to him?” I questioned, raising my voice also.
“I never said that! It’s just that your father was wrong to just sit back and watch these invaders kill our kind. It is not just the lives that were lost; it is the hope that died with them. Can you bring that back? Can any one person do so? At least Matchitehew is doing something about what had happened!” Ezhno retaliated.
I stood there, remembering my father. How he went to great lengths to create this plan; how he went to great lengths to protect it.
“My father went to great lengths to try to do something for his people; to try to save them from destruction,” I said coldly, still lost in thought.
“Really? What could he possibly have to prove it?” Ezhno yelled, refusing to back down.
I stood there, shaking. I couldn’t tell him; can’t because I don’t trust him. He has given me no reason to. And he has no right to hate something when he doesn’t understand it.
I turned around, and took off flying as soon as I had shifted into an eagle. I have had enough of this.

She took flight, and went over me, staying just out of his reach, hidden by the snow. When she touched the ground she instantly changed form from a white eagle to a wolf, standing before him; ears back, head lowered fiery yellow eyes glaring up at him as she stood ready in an attack position.
Seeing her change, Ezhno too quickly changed so as not to have the disadvantage. After his years of searching for Sahkonteic’s daughter, he wasn’t going to lose her now that she is within reach. Wasn’t going to lose his chance of justice for what had happened to his family.
Ezhno stood there, his black coat making him easily seen against the white snow; something that cannot be easily hidden. He waited for her to step up or back down, but she did neither; just stood there with her eyes challenging him. Nothing more. Nothing less.
He took a step forward, but she didn’t back away. Besides her quick breathing, she wasn’t moving at all. This time with more confidence, Ezhno moved to take another step, but stopped when he saw her eyes flash. He expected her to attack, expected her to lash out; but he didn’t expect this. Silence.
“How dare you say such things about a man you never knew!” these words he heard clearly within his mind.
Surprised, Ezhno took a step back. It is unheard of to be able to communicate clearly when they are in any animal form. But as he looked at her, he saw that there was no surprise within her eyes. It was her secret ability, one that no one understood how it came about. A true gift.
“I may not have known the man personally, but I do know his actions by how it had affected us,” Ezhno thought, watching her eyes to see if she heard him too.
She stood there for a few moments before she slowly raised her head. Her eyes changed back to a light blue, its yellow fire receding until it hugged its pupil. She breathed more steadily, her anger was gone.
“And you do not know how his actions have affected me, putting the weight of both the Nashoba and the Kwahu upon my shoulders. You do not know the whole story, perhaps you never will, but please, please respect him. There are many sides to a man, and many stories that are kept secret within the heart. We don’t have the right to judge any other, for we never could know the whole story, for the story keeps on changing until death comes upon us. Please, just respect my father. I am not asking you to be loyal to him, or to go against what he believed in. Just understand that the side of him that you perceive is not the whole picture.” Her words echoed in his mind, softly soothing his distrust and hate. But they didn’t even come close to eliminating it; even so, he sensed the wisdom within them.
She looked down at her paws, trying to ignore the emptiness of the silence that took over after her thoughts. There was sadness within her eyes, a sadness that Ezhno has felt deep inside of him.
“Why, she is vulnerable like a child!” Ezhno thought to himself as he looked away, not wanting her to hear his thoughts. There was a certain humility that she had, a humility that Nahimana lacked. Onida didn’t seem to see the world revolving around her; rather she seemed to see herself revolving around the world. She didn’t want to hurt others, but she won’t stand seeing others putting down the ones she loves, even if it is against general opinion. Ezhno admired her for that.
Ezhno glanced back at her questioningly. Has he misjudged her?
Feeling that she was being watched, Onida looked up slowly at him.
“I think we should stay in these forms, we would cover more land and be able to go more quickly unseen,” she offered, not wanting to stay here.
Ezhno bowed his head and turned, intending one of them to take the lead. But instead she walked steadily beside him. Though she herself isn’t very large, she easily matched his stride. She was determined not to get left behind.
She kept on glancing up at him, and Ezhno felt her eyes run up and down his scar.
“The day the invaders killed my family…my father, they left me with this scar. It is always there to remind me of my new purpose in life. Just as is the scar on my hand,” he thought as he looked back at her, holding her eyes within his gaze. But she didn’t seem to hold any contempt or repulsion for it, rather they just seemed questioning.
“Do you see it as something that is to be worn with honor, or as something that if you could, you would take away from yourself?” Her question seeped deep into him, rather than maliciously cutting into him to find the answer.
He was quiet for a while, staring straight ahead, watching how the snow blurred their surroundings.
“Neither. It is something that I must accept, for it is apart of me. I cannot change it, even if I wanted to I know I couldn’t,” Ezhno thought slowly, picking his words carefully to say how he really felt about it.
She nodded and he looked away before she looked back at him.
“I understand,” he felt her think these words, but he doubted that she could. But as he looked into her eyes, his doubts weakened.
Besides the sharp sound of snow crunching beneath their feet, silence returned; but this time it wasn’t an enemy, rather it was a friend, allowing each to settle in their own thoughts.
“Your father, he was Nodin Cheveyo, wasn’t he?” she asked after the silence.
Ezhno just nodded his head in response, not bothering to answer.
“You look like him. He was one of my father’s most trusted friends…my father gave him a gift shortly before the massacre.” Her words came in short fragments, as if the subject were delicate, about to break. As if it pained her to speak of such things.
“I know. He gave my father his scepter, the one that only the kings of the Qaletaqa owned. It seemed like an odd gift to me at the time, but I think he knew that his time to rule had ended, that it is time for both the Nashoba and the Kwahu to govern themselves.” Ezhno reasoned.
Onida shook her head.
“You see, you only see the actions and because you do not know the reason behind them, you find one that you think fits. King Sahkonteic did not give your father his scepter as a sign that the Qaletaqa rule has ended. He wanted to preserve all of us, people of the Qaletaqa from destruction from the invaders. He did not want it to fall into the wrong hands, for it is the key to his plan…” she stopped short looking away quickly, not wanting to give away any more information. She still didn’t trust him, but as she looked back up at him she realized that she was slowly learning to.
“Do you believe in your father’s plan?” Ezhno asked her.
“I have to. Without it, what hope is there for us? What hope would there be for me? I shouldn’t even be alive according to Matchitehew. He has his own plan, as I have mine. When my father died, the plan was passed down to me. It’s success or failure depends on me,” she answered.
Before he could answer, Ezhno stopped short, lifting his head and smelling the air. Recognizing the scent, a deep growl escaped from his throat.
Onida too smelled the air, catching the same scent that Ezhno had, and she looked around nervously.
Ezhno snorted and took off running in the direction of the source of the scent. His hate for the invaders magnified and exploded in an instant since he saw this as his given opportunity to take revenge in his own hands.
Sensing that he is close to his prey, Ezhno slowed down, minding each step that he took so as not to startle it. He saw the figure walking clumsily through the snow, creating an unmistakable trail of torn apart snow behind it.
Ezhno tensed, lowering his body close to the snow, ready to attack. His eyes focused on the invader until all its surroundings blurred.
“Don’t,” the word came urgently into his head. Ezhno lost focus of the target and turned around to find Onida standing behind him.
“Stay out of this; it has nothing to do with you!” Ezhno snarled as he again turned his head trying to again focus on the invader.
“Wait. Look closer,” Onida urged as she looked away from him and looked at the invader herself.
It walked clumsily, laden in the pelts from other animal’s hides in an effort to shield the cold out from its delicate body. As the figure got closer, Ezhno could see that it was a woman, carrying a small child in her arms. She paused, and looked around herself fearfully, uncertain as to what the forest hid within its branches. She took each step cautiously, trying not to wake the child within her arms.
The wind changed direction, and they could smell the smoke from the invader’s village. The woman and child were not far from home.
The child began to wail and the woman quickly bounced it, trying to soothe it out of fear of what kind of attention the sound would bring.
“You see, they are ignorant and afraid. Would you be any different if you had killed those two in place of your family?” her thoughts gently reasoned with him, and Ezhno relaxed his muscles and stood up to where he was standing beside her, both of them watching the invaders until they disappeared from sight.
Dusk was soon upon them as they cautiously left that area.

The sky radiated its many colors as the sun took its leave from the sky, casting its colors about on the snow and through the trees. Everything was less of a painful beauty, less of the blinding brightness of the morning light reflecting from the snow. At sunset, the beauty seemed to be softened, more delicate and gentle to the eyes.
Ezhno continued to walk beside me in silence, as he had been ever since we had left the invaders.
“Please stop, lets rest here,” I thought when we reached the peak of the hill, trying to get some kind of response from him. But Ezhno just nodded as he changed from his wolf form.
I too changed, and watched as he sat down in the snow, now gazing at the disappearing sun.
“Your father knew didn’t he?” Ezhno asked, though it sounded more like a statement.
“Yes,” I replied.
“He knew of their ignorance, and yet he still didn’t want to fight them?” Ezhno asked softly, still hanging on to how he felt before.
“Yes. But there is more than one reason for that,” I answered as I sat down beside him. “One of which is that the invaders greatly outnumber us. The second…” I trailed off as I turned to look at him, to see if he was listening. The second reason was a long kept secret of the Qaletaqa, a secret that if it had been known years ago, maybe the people of the Qaletaqa would not be in this situation.
Only a few that were outside of the Qaletaqa knew of this secret, one of which was his father. Sighing, I decided to tell him, trusting him with this bit of information. The only difficult part was figuring out how to start.
“You see, they are not the invaders. We are…” I paused for a moment before continuing. “Seven thousand years ago, our people, the Qaletaqa, didn’t even exist on this planet. We lived out there,” I said, directing my right hand to the now starry sky. “Our planet, Mapiya, is very similar to this one. There were changers of all kinds of animals, not just of wolves and eagles. And then, you could choose one from another kind to be your mate. The rules were different, so I have been told. The leaders were the Qaletaqa, and one reprehensive from each of the many tribes. Then the plague came, wiping our kind out by the millions. Fear and panic spread throughout the planet, and the unity of the Qaletaqa crumbled, each tribe fending for itself. Civil wars broke out, causing the numbers of the dead to rise even faster. The Qaletaqa arranged for our people to leave, to escape to a sister planet, until the plague had passed. But it was too late, too many have been lost,” I paused here, glancing at Ezhno to reassure myself that he was still listening. “Other than the Qaletaqa themselves, two tribes remained. One was the Kwahu, the other the Nashoba. For some reason, those who can turn into anything other than a wolf or an eagle died off, they were more susceptible to the disease. Such a small group from what used to be a mighty nation. Haunted by what used to be, and by the memory of dead loved ones, the Qaletaqa of that time decided to follow through in the moving to the sister planet. It became an escape, a new hope to be able to start over new. But, in case things go wrong on this new planet, they left a way to return, a way that would not be able to be put into action for at least seven thousand years, for every ten years here; it is one year there, on our home planet. There time travels more slowly.”
Ezhno was quiet for a while, taking everything in. I watched as he looked up at the stars, this time in a different way, as if somewhere up there was home.
“You said the rules changed since then, why?” Ezhno asked after a while.
“The previous Qaletaqa were afraid of civil wars breaking out again, so they set up rules so that the Kwahu would only be skilled in one type of warfare while the Nashoba would be skilled in another type. That way they would always need each other in order to engage in battle. They then forbade the intermarrying between the two tribes to eliminate conflict whether the mixed warrior would take up archery or fencing, or even trying to place itself with the nobility. They did not want there to be a new tribe of half breeds that could be completely independent, again out of fear of another civil war,” I explained.
“Do you think just giving up and leaving is the right thing to do?” Ezhno pressed on.
“Do you think declaring war on the invaders is a better idea?” I retaliated.
Ezhno sighed, and again looked at the stars.
“I honestly don’t know,” he said softly to the sky.
I leaned back into the snow, ignoring its biting coldness, and watched the stars too as I often had as a child, wondering what was held within their space, wondering about how something so far away can yet be seen my me.
“One of the things that I admit my father should have done while he was alive was telling the truth as to where we came from. I understand it not being known during most of the seven thousand years since knowing the truth then would have been useless since you could not have done anything about it. But for everyone to know the truth by now, that would have been of some use. Then there may not have been a rebellion. Then he might have been able to live…” my words got choked up as tears streamed down my face as I remembered my father.
As I opened my eyes, I found that Ezhno was lying beside me.
“You talk so much about your father, yet I haven’t heard a word of your mother,” Ezhno noted out loud.
I was quiet for a moment, watching my breath fade into the blackness of the night.
“I never knew her. She died in childbirth,” I answered flatly.
“Oh,” Ezhno answered as he looked away.
“What about your mother?” I asked, trying to draw his attention away from me.
“She died the same day my father did,” Ezhno said simply.
Again, silence returned. But I enjoyed it, taking in how the whiteness of the snow contrasts with the starry sky. Even the snow itself did not hold a complete whiteness; rather it shaded into blues and grays, depending on how the light of the rising moon hit it.
The moon -my favorite part of the sky- was rising above the distant mountains radiantly in a deep golden color.
The last thing that I remember before falling asleep was Ezhno putting his cloak over me and the nearby howl of a wolf.

Ezhno stayed beside Onida to be sure that she is asleep. Against his dark cloak, she looks even paler than usual, seemingly blending in with the snow, just as he hoped she would.
Again Nahimana howled, trying to locate Ezhno for he had left his usual rounds of the forest. She wanted to see him, to check up on him as she did every night. Not wanting her to find Onida, Ezhno decided to go in search for her. It was either her finding him, or him finding her; and he did not want to put Onida into danger. Though he still was determined to turn her in himself, \ that determination was fading.
Ezhno shifted to the form of a wolf, and threw back his head and howled, now that he felt that he was far enough from Onida not to wake her.
Nahimana laughed, as she appeared from the shadows.
Upon seeing her, Ezhno changed form back from a wolf and stood in front of her.
Again, Nahimana laughed lightheartedly.
“Well, this is a first, a few of them in fact. You change your route on the spur of a moment, and you coming to search for me rather than me finding you off in your own little world,” Nahimana noted as she took a step closer to Ezhno. “Something has changed since I had left you this morning?”
“I just wanted a change of scenery; a man can go crazy traveling the same route over and over again for months. I kept on feeling like I was going nowhere with the path I was taking,” Ezhno lied, for he did not trust her enough to tell her the truth.
“Have you given any thought to my offer this morning?” She asked slowly with a smile as she looked Ezhno up and down. “That would be a completely different path than what you’ve been taking,” she continued while she slowly walked closer to him.
“I am still not looking to put any airs upon myself,” Ezhno said flatly.
Nahimana laughed, “Really? I don’t believe you, for then why would you be here now?”
“I don’t know,” Ezhno said, after which he wished he could take it back. Now she won’t let go easily because of his vagueness.
In the silence that followed, Nahimana got the same frustrated look in her eyes that inhabited them this morning. Immediately Ezhno tried to come up with an excuse for his strange behavior.
“I wanted to make my own way to Mapiya, since I wanted to be there for when your father proclaims you as our Queen,” Ezhno said, looking into her eyes, hoping to find that she believes him.
In reality, he could care less of seeing her declared Queen. If it was going to happen, let it happen, but now he wasn’t sure if it was the right thing. He wasn’t even sure if her becoming Queen was the right thing even before he had found Onida, and now with the information she gave that their kind didn’t belong here, the idea of fighting the invaders over land seemed fruitless. But still he yearned for some kind of revenge for what happened to his family.
The frustration left Nahimana’s eyes, and she again smiled.
“Maybe, there will be one declared King too on that day…” Nahimana mused as she got closer, running her hands down his chest and holding Ezhno close to her.
Ezhno closed his eyes, wondering what would happen to Onida if it was too late, and Nahimana was declared Queen, and the people of the Qaletaqa accepted her as such. Would they let her live her own life? Would they hunt her down and kill her? Would they ever learn the truth of where they came from without her?
Nahimana smiled up at Ezhno.
“My father… he probably still searching for me. Pretty soon, he will realize that he has no control over me, that I will do as I please. I won’t let him find me until you reach Mapiya; I will have him wait for you. I will have him wait for us,” she said softly.
“I prefer traveling alone,” Ezhno insisted, thinking of what would happen if Nahimana found Onida. He had no desire for Matchitehew knowing that he had found her, not yet. Not until he had decided what he is going to do.
“Fine. But I will meet with you every night; I will find you. I am never far off,” Nahimana said as she smiled, starting to walk away.
“Maybe, I will be the one to find you,” Ezhno said, again worrying about her finding Onida.
Laughing, she shifted into a dark grey eagle, and took flight, blinding in with the shadows of the night.
Ezhno watched her disappear, wondering what kind of trouble he was getting himself into because of her; wondering how many suffered due to her absence from her father.
He knew he never could be her King; he loves his freedom to much to become just a mouthpiece of Matchitehew.
Thinking this, Ezhno shifted into his wolf form and left the area feeling sick of what is happening. Matchitehew would no be happy if he cannot control his daughter, especially after she becomes Queen. That is, if she becomes Queen.
Ezhno returned back to Onida, stepping in his own tracks in hopes of Nahimana not following him there.
He sniffed the air, smelling that Onida was still there, she hasn’t left. Instead, she had shifted into her wolf form, and curled up under his cloak, her tail over her nose to fight out the cold.
Seeing that she was still asleep, Ezhno dug into the snow beside her to make his own bed, and he too fell asleep, still not knowing what he was going to do.

White. Everything white with snow. Empty, no one there. Silence, even after I call out. Nothing. Nothing to do but wait. Wait a bit longer, patience. Conquer your own loneliness with the love you have for your people.
I shiver, looking around at the emptiness, my prison. Every time I try to go to the left, a wall of trees grow, its branches tangling within one another, allowing no passage. Fearful, I took a step back, but another tree wall grew behind me. Quickly going to my right, I run trying to escape before this new wall finishes growing, but I just end up running into it, its branches hanging on to me. I break free, of its hold only to find my self surrounded by the trunks of trees.
Frantically looking up at my last hope of escape, I watch as my way of escaping through the roof closed up, shutting out all light, shutting out all hope.
Falling down to my knees, I let my tears fall as I heard the cries of pain just outside my prison, my cage. Their cries of war just outside my reach, outside my helping hand; its sound surrounding me, suffocating me.
My cage shook, and its walls came crumbling down. Looking around me, expecting the worst, expecting to see the sights of war first hand, but all I saw was nothing; nothing but a black wolf. Ezhno.
His scar shone against the brightness of the light, and I heard his words seep into my mind, soothing me.
“Come, don’t be afraid. You can trust me; I will save you from your life of solitude. I will give you the strength to rise, rather than fall,” at that he leaned his head back and howled.
At his command, the sky opened up, and I rose into it, going to be amongst the stars that I have always admired. Going home.
I opened my eyes and shivered, finding myself still under Ezhno’s cloak. I sat up and stretched. Then, peering out from beneath Ezhno’s cloak, I saw that Ezhno was already up, watching the sun rise.
I changed from my wolf form and stood up, and shaking the snow from his cloak first, I walked up to him and placed it upon his shoulders. Besides a quick glance back at me, he didn’t respond so I sat down next to him to watch the last few minutes of the sunrise.
I glanced back at him, realizing how alone I had felt before I had found him. This was the first time since the massacre at Mapiya that I had someone to wake up to; someone to share the morning with as well as the night.
“We’d better get going,” Ezhno said, though he still was facing the sunrise.
I nodded and stood, letting him take the lead this time as we both shifted into the forms of wolves.
We hadn’t gone two steps before he abruptly stopped.
“What is it?” I questioned his actions as I tilted my head.
Ezhno looked back at me, his green eyes contrasting with his black fur.
“I want you to follow my tracks closely, not to break any new snow. In case we are being followed, I want her to assume that I am traveling alone,” Ezhno’s warning hammered into my head urgently.
“Her?” I questioned, catching his bad choice of words.
Ezhno sighed, “Just trust me on this. If we are being followed, I would rather leave the assumption that I am traveling alone. It is a clear day, so there will be no snow to cover our tracks as there was yesterday. It’d be safer for you…for both of us if you just listen to me on this.” His words came worriedly, and that caught me off guard so I decided to listen to him.
I nodded as I adjusted my footing and stride so as to follow his direction.
“Would you need me to slow down?” Ezhno asked before he started walking again.
“If you slow down at all, you will find me walking on your heels. Trust me, I can easily keep up,” I retaliated, not wanting to be brushed aside as weak.
Immediately catching on to my stubbornness, Ezhno shook his head and took off with me following him close behind.
“I trust you,” I thought as I looked at him. I am not sure if he felt my words though, he just kept on walking and I went back to watching where I place each step. It wasn’t difficult though, his paws are so much bigger than mine.
If I wasn’t concentrating so much on where I place each paw, I may have been able to have heard the distant rumble of thunder.

Out of nowhere the storm came, hitting us hard. The snow came down so hard that with each step they took, the track they left was quickly covered.
Ezhno stopped worrying about Nahimana following them, for Onida has done well in leaving no tracks. And it would be difficult for her to continually follow them in this blizzard. Knowing her, she would wait it out somewhere warm and safe and continue following him the next chance the weather allows her to. She doesn’t give up easily.
Onida walked behind Ezhno with her head close to the ground, letting him take the worst of the storm, staying behind him just as he had asked her to.
“Ezhno, we can’t keep going like this though this storm,” Onida’s thoughts seeped into him, and Ezhno looked up, surprised to find her beside him. Not that where she walked mattered anymore, he didn’t have to worry about her tracks.
Ezhno closed his eyes as the wind changed direction, shoving the snow into his face; its coldness biting into him. He wanted to press on and to put some distance between him and Nahimana in order to protect Onida.
She tilted her head up and sniffed the wind.
“You smell that?” She asked as she looked at him.
Ezhno too smelled the air too, “Buffalo?”
Onida nodded, and started walking in that direction. Buffalo are the beast of burden of the Kwahu, since they can only shift into an eagle, which is useless during a storm. The people of the Kwahu travel in large groups, for they tend to be closer knit then the Nashoba. Onida was following that sent in hopes of finding the Kwahu village.
“Wait,” Ezhno’s call stopped her. He didn’t want to be surrounded by loyalists when he himself was a rebel.
Onida looked back, sensing his discomfort, her eyes understanding him.
“I need you to trust me on this one. We cannot stay out in this weather, and if you are worried about us being followed, we would be more difficult to track if we are traveling in a large group,” she urged him.
But still, he hesitated.

“I…I can’t. They won’t accept me, not for what I am,” Ezhno said.
Sensing that they aren’t far off, Onida shifted from her wolf form. Her long white hair flying in all directions as she stood there, tall, strong, the storm seemed to slow down for a moment as if taking her presence in.
Ezhno too changed and stood before her, the biting cold taking his breath away as it attacked his bare skin.
Onida held out her hand, her eyes beckoning him.
“Come. We have both lived in solitude for far too long,” she called to him over the wind.
Again, Ezhno hesitated. Uncertain as what to say, he just stood there, his cloak flapping wildly behind him, weighing the risks.
“I am sure they will welcome you, for the Kwahu tribe is known for their generosity and hospitality,” she again urged, not taking her hand away.
Ezhno then took her hand, and together they walked in the direction the wind had come from when they smelled the buffalo. Together, they took on the storm.
He trusts her; Ezhno realized this with great surprise. He hasn’t trusted anyone except himself since he had lost his family, lost everything. What’s more, she is a Qaletaqa, the same kind of people that he had blamed the death of his family on for so long. But with his trust came cautiousness and uncertainty.
He looked sidelong at her, watching as she pushed on against the blizzard. She has a lot of fight in her, he noted, an unmistakable determination. But she also has a certain amount of self sufficient pride, for though she is noticeably shivering, she refused to let it show; refused to complain about the situation that she is in.
Ezhno let his gloved hand slip from her grasp as he slipped his cloak from his shoulders. He swung it from behind him and wrapped it around her.
Surprised, she looked up at him questioningly, but he ignored this and looked ahead of them and she put the hood over her head.
“We should be close now,” he stated, his eyes searching through the snow for any sign of the Kwahu.
Then, he saw it; the glow of a fire behind a sheet of ice. They had made it.
They approached the large ice structure in awe at what the Kwahu have built. They always worked together in building the structure in which to live in, so their temporary home of snow bricks are quickly built large and sturdy so as to withstand whatever the weather throws at it.
Onida looked upon the structure with a sort of pride for her Kwahu people, how efficient and productive they were. Ezhno, on the other hand, looked at it with contempt. He preferred solitude or small groups of people, so he tended to shy away from large groups.
As they approached, the buffalo snorted and shifted in place as far as the lead rope that connected to their harnesses would allow, made uneasy by the new arrivals.
While they came close to the door, Onida held back a moment uncertainly.
Ezhno looked at her, realizing that she too was scared, her uneasiness due to the years she spent alone in the forest.
A shadow approached the door, stopping as it noticed them.
“Who’s there?” it called out loudly.
“Please, the storm came upon us suddenly as we were traveling. We just need some shelter until it passes then we will be on our way,” Onida called back, ignoring the shadow’s question.
Shoving the block of ice that served as the door aside, the shadow called out, “Come in quickly, you’re letting the heat out.”

I stood by the door a while, letting my eyes adjust to the warm glow from the fire in the center of the home. A sticky warm smell of stew hung in the air, and as I look around I saw that there were many other Kwahu around me, at least twenty of them but I didn’t really care enough to count.
Looking beside me, I saw that Ezhno too hung back, feeling out of place. And I couldn’t blame him, but I know we couldn’t stay out in the storm for much longer.
“Who are you?” said a young Kwahu who couldn’t be any younger than Ezhno, but he had a sort of youthfulness about him in the lighthearted shouting way he spoke. It wasn’t just his voice that made him seem younger; it was the welcoming broad smile that he carried with it. A smile that he carried even during these tough times.
Ezhno’s, silence let me know that I was the one who is going to do the talking.
I started to speak, tentatively at first as I felt their stares burn holes all over me. Being in the forest so long, I wasn’t used to all of the attention.
“Thank you for letting us in, this is Ezhno Cheveyo, the son of a trusted friend of my father,” my voice trailed off as I noticed his necklace. It had been delicately carved in the shape of a wolf leaning its head back to howl. The stone it was carved out of was clear, except for wolf’s eyes; one was green, the other red.
Immediately I recognized our ancestor’s work, for it was made out of a stone that can only be found on our original planet, Mapiya; it is very precious and very rare. It was a piece necessary to get my people back home to where we belonged, as is the eagle I am wearing.
Without thinking, I held his pendant in my hands, running my fingers upon its smooth surface.
“Where did you get this?” I questioned suspiciously.
“Who are you?” he answered seriously, his golden eyes searching for a clue.
Letting go of the necklace, I threw the hood back, allowing Ezhno’s cloak slip from my shoulders, holding it in my arms.
Hushed gasps and soft mummers came about as they noticed my white hair and the marks on me just below my shoulders; the mark of the Qaletaqa.
I stared into his eyes challengingly, watching as he looked at me stunned, as if I were a ghost brought back to life.
“Matchitehew said she was dead. That was why we were making this journey,” I overheard a woman murmur behind me.
Ignoring her comment, I stuck to my questions.
“Who are you? Where did you get that?” I again asked.
“My name is Angeni Apenimon,” he started, but stooped short when he looked between both Ezhno and I, glancing at his gloved left hand.
“You can trust him,” I ventured, sensing that the black glove made him uneasy. “Many of the Nashoba have had to cover their identity for their own protection.”
Angeni nodded, and I noticed how his silver hair contrasted with his tan skin and warm golden eyes.
“Understandable. Come,” he directed as he led us over to a corner of the structure, returning to his lighthearted shout and the smile on his face.
There sat a woman, and not unusual for the people of the Qaletaqa, she showed no signs of age except for the knowing look that she carried in her eyes. Yes, she was very old, as was shown as soon as I heard her voice.
“Una,” Angeni softly addressed the woman respectfully as he kneeled down beside her. “This is Onida, Sahkonteic’s daughter…” he then gently took off the necklace and placed it in her hands, “She has some questions for you.”
I too knelt beside her, and Ezhno soon followed though he sat a little further away than Angeni and I.
I took off my eagle necklace, and looked down upon it before I spoke.
“My father, this was the last thing he gave me before the Massacre of Mapiya, and I know he hadn’t finished telling me everything about it. I know there was a story behind it, but I didn’t know that there was a second one, a wolf. All I know about the two pieces is that the ancestors sent them back as keys to return to Mapiya, the original Mapiya, our true home,” I rambled, trying to tell her the limits of my knowledge on the pieces.
“There is knowledge,” she spoke slowly, letting each word settle upon our ears. “…that because of how we have lived, how we have been raised, would be difficult for us to even perceive. But still, I will try to explain it to you.” She paused there, as she looked at each of us closely before continuing.
“On Mapiya, there were representatives for each tribe; each chosen by its own kind. They wore these necklaces as well as others, depending on the kind of changer the representative was responsible for. Only three exist now; the wolf- representing the Nashoba tribe, the eagle-representing the Kwahu, and the scepter- representing the Qaletaqa and their right to rule. All are made out of the same kind of material for a reason…” she stopped talking and held out her hand, and, after a moment of hesitation, I handed her the necklace that my father gave me.
She held the wolf in one hand, and the eagle with the other, and slowly brought the two together. As she held them closer together; sending bright colors all around the room, colors that I have only seen in northern lights. Mystified, I reached my hand out, watching the colors run all across my white skin.
“It…it’s beautiful,” I mused softly as I held out my hands, watching how the colors danced across my skin, swirling around in the room. I watched as Ezhno’s eyes softened in wonder as the colors outshined the fire in the center of the room.
The colors, they swirled around each of us, dazzling us with their beauty, with their power. Their movement started off slow; but the closer Una brought the two stones, the more urgent these colors seemed to be; spinning faster around us until everything passed them seemed to be but a blur.
Suddenly all was black, as Una quickly removed the stones from each other. I heard her soft words as my eyes again adjusted to the light.
“When they are together, they create a reaction like none other. When brought together with the scepter, they release an energy that surrounds those of the kind that each stone represents. This energy radiates allowing the instant teleportation, the moving an object from one place to another; of our kind to Mapiya, our original home.”
My eyes finally adjusted to the glow of the fire, and as I looked around I saw that everyone was listening; awed by what had just happened. Though her words were spoken softly, they held everyone’s attention, including mine.
“Onida,” Una addressed me softly, “it is up to you to get us home; to get us out of this mess. The scepter only responds to one kind, the Qaletaqa. So you are our last hope. Without you we would be stuck in this world forever, and we will never find lasting peace in a place each of us deep down knows that we don’t belong. We would fight the invaders, fight amongst ourselves; and if and when we win, what would be left of us? What would be left of the Qaletaqa? We would be just a small handful of lives, so easily blown out of existence. We are all counting on you, whether we know it or not,” she said as she placed the stones in my hands, the eagle in my left, the wolf in my right.
My heart became heavy as I looked at them, taking in this great responsibility. When I escaped Mapiya during the massacre, I had known that I held a heavy responsibility on my shoulders. I just didn’t know the extent to it as I do now.
I looked up at Ezhno who was looking at his hands, deep in thought.
“Years ago, king Sahkonteic gave my father, Nodin, his scepter shortly before he died. At the time, I couldn’t understand his reason why, and I doubt that my father did either. To me, a gift like that seemed to be a sign that the Qaletaqa had fallen, that it was now up to the people to govern themselves. I was wrong,” Ezhno said softly as he looked up. “I don’t know what to think anymore.”
As I watched him, I saw that the walls that he had built around himself; distancing himself from others were beginning to fall. He was scared, and so was I.
“This is such a great weight to carry,” I said, not knowing that anyone was listening.
“You are our Queen, there will be much greater responsibilities for you in the future,” Una replied, sensing the uncertainty in my voice.
I tightened my fists around the two stones until my hands shook and my knuckles were protruding from beneath my skin. Success and failure depended on me. I cannot afford to falter.
I sighed as I loosened my grip on the stones, and stared down at them, at their beauty.
“This is a responsibility and honor that I cannot take, not alone,” I started still looking at the stones. “As you have said, these stones were once worn by representatives of each tribe. Since the tribes are not united enough to choose one from their own, I would like to chose these representatives myself, from among those that I trust,” I said as I looked up at Una, waiting for any sign of opposition but found none.
“Ezhno,” I addressed softly, searching his green eyes in a final attempt to find a reason not to trust him, but I continued when I found none. “Honestly, I didn’t trust you at all at first. I couldn’t find a reason to, for I didn’t know you. But over the past few days, you have stood by me, trying to protect me from the rebels. I asked for your help, and though you didn’t know me or the reason I needed your help, you were right there. I want to thank you for that. I can now say that I trust you, for you have silently convinced me to.
I know that we have different opinions on things, and that we see things in different ways. I respect our differences, and I know that your viewpoints will be valuable in helping us to solve future problems between the Nashoba and the Kwahu. You see the situation through their eyes, and try as I might, I may not be able to see things as clearly as you. I will need your help to heal Nashoba’s wound, to mend its broken pieces. I cannot do that alone, that is why I need you.”
“I don’t look to put airs upon myself, so don’t try to honor me with this privilege,” Ezhno said as his eyes darkened for a moment.
His answer surprised me, but at the same time I was impressed by his humility. With his being a rebel, I had assumed that he was searching for personal gain; but I now saw that he was only a rebel in a search to find justice for what had happened to him.
“That is why I need you. It is your humility that will make you an excellent leader, for because of it I trust that you wont abuse the power and authority that is given you,” I softly pleaded with him as I let the wolf necklace slip from my hand into his. “It would be my honor to have you with me, to help me make the right decisions in regards to the people,” I said as I wrapped his fingers around the stone, holding my hand over his. “As my father had trusted your father, I know that I can trust you.”
I searched his eyes for a response, for some clue as to what his answer to my proposal will be. I meant every word that I had said, and I know I can’t do this alone.
He looked at me, this time his eyes searching me for an answer to a question that I do not know. I held his gaze, watching as he seemed to have found the answer to his question for he nodded and slipped the necklace over his head, the pendant resting in the center of his bare chest.
I then turned to Angeni, running my left thumb over the smooth wings of the eagle, trying to memorize its shape before I give it away.
“Angeni, you took us in from the storm, though you did not know who we were or what we came for. And if it weren’t for you, I would not have been able to learn the whole truth about what I am to do in order to follow my fathers plan. Before it was just an idea, something vague that didn’t seem real because I didn’t understand what was expected of me. Thank you. The Kwahu people would need a leader like you, peaceable and kind…” I paused as I held out my hand to give him the necklace. “This was my father’s last gift to me. Take care of it along with the responsibility that comes with it,” I let the necklace slip from my hand into his, and watched as he put it on, and put a smile upon my face though it was hard to let go of what seems to be my last connection with my father. Letting go of it almost felt like I was accepting his death all over again, reminding that he is never coming back.

The rain started to gently fall from the sky. The Queen stopped a moment, thinking of the first time she saw rain, felt its wetness on her skin.
After they left Earth and returned to Mapiya everyone had hope well up in their hearts, that is, everyone except the Queen.
The death of her first husband, Ezhno, cut her deep. She couldn’t outwardly mourn him, for she had to be the strength of her people. She was their hope, their leader, and she did not have the luxury of being able to show her weakness. Angeni always stood beside her, covering for her when she had days where she couldn’t see anyone out of fear that they would see her weakness; that because of her weakness and hopelessness that they themselves would lose hope. She didn’t want to take it away from them when they had only recently regained it.
When she found out that she was having Ezhno’s child, it felt like the wound of his death, which had only started to become less painful, had been cut open again knowing that he would not be there to raise the child with her. She did not want to put her unborn child through growing up without a father as she had grown without a mother, and she again blamed herself for the death of Ezhno.
Dark thoughts took over her mind, seeping into her dreams until the Queen walked from the castle with a knife in hand and every intention of killing herself. The sky darkened for the first time since she has been on Mapiya, and she assumed snow would soon fall; which she saw to be fitting since it reminded her of the endless winter that was on Earth when she was with Ezhno.
As soon as she felt that she was far enough into the forest, she knelt down to the ground, pointing the knife to her heart as she closed her eyes. Just then the child moved inside of her, and as she sat there shaking. Her intention had faded with that tiny movement, and she never felt so guilty and selfish in her life. She knew that she couldn’t take her own life, not while another was attached to it. Realizing this, she dropped the knife, and fell to the ground sobbing, her long white hair covering her, hiding the ugliness of what she was about to do from the world.
“Is there ever going to be an end to this pain!” she cried out, wishing that somehow it would fall down upon her and take her life when she knew she couldn’t.
She didn’t notice the first drop of rain, for she thought it was but her own tear that had fallen to the ground. But when others soon followed, the Queen looked up from the dirt beneath her to the sky. To her, it felt like all of the tears that she shed in behalf of Ezhno were being returned to her, to help heal her; to help her move on.
She went back, and had Ezhno’s child, naming his daughter Nuttah, meaning “my heart” since her father, Ezhno, still had the Queen’s heart though he is dead. Not wanting her daughter to grow up without a father, she married Angeni and bore him a son which she named Ezhnou.
Though Angeni got the title of King after he married the Queen, it was her who ran the country. She later became known as the fair, compassionate, and loving Queen. Yes, when all was said and done she did live a good life, impacting and inspiring many for the better.
But love was her greatest strength as well as her greatest weakness. Her love for Ezhno, that at one time kept her strong, tore her apart when he was gone. Her love for him never did go away, but the pain did lessen after time. Never had anyone else have such a profound effect on her, nor will anyone ever again.
“Mother,” the Queen’s son Ezhnou called as he gently brought her out from her thoughts. “I have heard that you wanted me to be king. Is it true?”
The Queen looked back at her son, marveling how much he looks like his father. He has his golden eyes and his tan skin along with the mark of the farmers on his shoulder. The only differences in appearance are his white hair and the mark of the Qaletaqa that he carries on his uppermost arms.
“Yes, it is true Ezhnou,” the Queen answered as she smiled at her son.
But, still confused as to why, Ezhnou continued to question her.
“Why this change of heart?” Ezhno asked curiously. “You have always planned for Nuttah to become queen.”
The Queen sighed and smiled up at her son.
“Sometimes plans change. Nuttah fell in love with Pilan, a man who cannot take the title of king because he does not want it. So it was Nuttah who changed her plans to go with her new dream. If I force her to become queen, she would never forgive me as well as never forgive herself…” her voice trailed off as she remembered Ezhno.
Her son curiously gave her a moment to herself before he asked his next question.
“Can you tell me about the one whom you named me after?”
The Queen paused, the very question catching her off guard. Images of him swirled through her head along with mixed feelings of joy and pain.
Trying to hide her emotions that come with the name, the Queen again smiled at her son.
“So, you want to hear about Ezhno,” she said his name tenderly and affectionately, as if the name would shatter if it were spoken in a harsh way.

Ezhno sat by the fire, watching its flames leap and jump as he listened to the moaning of the storm just outside the ice walls. He was drawn by its warmth and light, how it contrasts with the rest of the world.
He couldn’t understand Onida. And as to the reason why she would trust and honor him, he couldn’t figure it out. If he were her, he would not trust himself. But maybe she sees something in him that he can’t see in himself.
Angeni silently sat down beside Ezhno and he too stared at the fire.
Even though the two of them were about the same height, Ezhno seems to be larger due to the way he carries himself. The two of them contrasted in appearance. Angeni’s warm golden eyes, seemingly always laughing with a joke seemed so different to Ezhno’s cold green eyes; which, though they too held some warmth within them, they seemed to be hiding deep sadness. Not only that, but the clothes they wore contrasted with each other; Ezhno’s clothing of the Nashoba was heavier, and had more fur than the lightweight clothing of the Kwahu that Angeni wore.
“Are you one of the rebels?” Angeni asked as looked away from the fire, glancing at Ezhno.
“I once was certain that I am. But now…I don’t know anymore,” Ezhno said as he looked over his shoulder, watching Onida as she slept peacefully on his cloak. She seemed so content, so oblivious to the danger that is so close at hand.
“You’re soft towards her,” Angeni noted as he noticed the look in Ezhno’s eyes.
“She is of a different kind than I am; chasing her would be fruitless for she is meant for a different life,” Ezhno said as he again stared into the fire.
“And what kind of life are you meant for? The life of a rebel or the life of a loyalist?” Angeni asked, trying to find where Ezhno’s true loyalties are.
Ezhno didn’t answer, for he himself wasn’t sure.
“Maybe you are both,” Angeni mused after a few moments of silence. “Either way, she trusts you enough to give you that,” Angeni said as he gestured to the wolf necklace that hung around Ezhno’s neck.
Again, Ezhno remained silent as the weight of the stone made his heart heavy with guilt. He now knew that he could never willingly betray her, not after this. But he has a task to fulfill, and he has to fulfill it soon or Matchitehew would put a price over his head if word got around that she is alive. And what of his meetings with Nahimana, the secret that he has been keeping from Onida? Nahimana thinks that she will someday make him her king because of him visiting her. But he was only there to keep a bigger secret; the secret that the last Qaletaqa lives.
“I just hope that she knows you better than she knows me,” Angeni said as he got up, “because if she misplaces her trust, it could be an end to her, an end to us as the people of the Qaletaqa.”
“You don’t trust me at all, do you?” Ezhno said suspiciously as he looked up at Angeni.
“Nashoba rebels have been herding our kind back to Mapiya as if we are some large herd of animals. They want us to see and approve of the Queen that they have chosen,” Angeni started. “Our kind may be peaceable, but we won’t take being treated that way. If we have to, we will defend ourselves.”
Ezhno looked up at Angeni worriedly.
“When was the last time they checked up on your progress?” Ezhno asked, afraid of the rebels finding out about Onida.
“A few weeks ago,” Angeni answered, catching on to Ezhno’s concern. “But they won’t travel through the storm, they wouldn’t be that crazy. You two should be safe for a few days.”
Ezhno thought for a moment. It never came to his mind the risks these Kwahu were taking just by sheltering the two of them through the storm.
“Then we will leave as soon as the storm is over,” said a female voice behind them. Neither of them noticed that Onida had woken up and was listening in to their conversation.
“Then I better get my things ready,” Angeni said, as he started to walk away.
“No,” Ezhno said urgently, “They will notice your absence and become suspicious. You will be better off here.”
“What else am I to do if I am to be of any service to the Queen?” Angeni asked.
“Stay here. We will come back for provisions after the rebels leave. That way you can keep an eye on things and find out how much Matchitehew knows,” Onida said as she backed Ezhno up.
There was a pounding on the ice block that served as a door. Onida’s eyes quickly turned into a fiery yellow as she recognized the shouting from behind the door to be Nashoban.
“Kwahus, open up!” a gruff voice yelled from the outside.
People stirred in their sleep, uncertain and afraid as to what is going on.
Ezhno quickly turned to Angeni, “Is that the only way out?”
Angeni nodded, and Onida quickly put Ezhno’s cloak over her; completely wrapping herself in it.
“What do you want us to do?” Angeni asked Onida as the pounding continued.
“Are not the people of the Kwahu known for their hospitality? Invite them in, and shelter them from the cold as you have generously sheltered us. We will find a way out, but if we leave too soon, we would only arouse their suspicions,” Onida answered as she returned to the place where she was earlier sleeping. Soon, all that could be seen was that someone was sleeping in Ezhno’s cloak, and from unknowing eyes, they would assume it is a Kwahu woman.
Ezhno nodded at Angeni, and he opened the door for the strangers.
Two rebels stood at the door, one of which was carrying Nahimana in his arms.
“Bring her by the fire,” one of them yelled, but Ezhno didn’t pay any attention as to which one, for he was just shocked to see her, the one that he has been running from.
Her eyes were closed and she was tightly wrapped in her hoodless fur rimmed cloak with only her fur boots sticking out. She was still, something out of the ordinary for her since she is always moving. She was quite beautiful, but a different kind of beauty than Onida. Onida looked delicate, but the years of fending for herself had toughened her, where as Nahimana looked seems.
After she was placed by the fire, they pulled off their hoods and they, just taking a look around themselves, immediately recognized Ezhno.
“Ezhno, imagine finding you here, surrounded by these Kwahu loyalists,” one of them sneered, his brown eyes seemingly mocking his situation.
“I am here for the same reason as you, to get out of the weather. Unless all of you had just now turned loyalists too, Igasho,” Ezhno answered him calmly.
Igasho noticed Ezhno’s cloak behind him.
“Looks like someone had stolen your cloak,” he said as he started walking towards it, leaving his brother, Ahiga, to tend to Nahimana.
“Nothing has been stolen. I thought it was only fair to loan them something while they loan me their roof,” Ezhno said flatly as he stood in Igasho’s path.
“Figures,” Igasho snorted as he tossed his matted black hair out of his face.
“Igasho, leave Ezhno alone and come help me over here!” Ahiga scolded Igasho.
“Help you with what? Our Queen to be looks fine to me; she just fell asleep in the snow. Matchitehew would be glad to know that we have found her after her being gone for so long,” Igasho countered as he walked around the room haughtily, oblivious to the fear within the Kwahu around him.
“Matchitehew needs to be more careful when it comes to his daughter. This girl is going to do what she wants regardless to what he says. He can’t continue to kill people for not being able to keep an eye on her if he himself cannot do that,” Ahiga said quietly as he looked over Nahimana, trying to reverse her symptoms of hypothermia.
“Who is she?” Angeni asked as he looked down upon her.
“Nahimana, the daughter of Matchitehew, your future queen, that’s who,” Ahiga replied, answering Angeni’s question.
Angeni laughed at his answer, much to his visitors’ surprise.
“So, you intend to drag all of our kind to Mapiya to see her? I think, now that she is here now, we can make our own decision and be on our way,” Angeni said challengingly to Igasho and Ahiga.
It was now Ahiga and Igasho’s turn to laugh.
“You Kwahu and your endless hope! When will it seep into your thick skulls that the one you call Queen is dead? And if she isn’t it is Ezhno’s job to find her and bring her back to Matchitehew, and then your precious Queen will die!” Igasho yelled at Angeni, mocking his opinion.
“We have a right to choose!” Angeni yelled back.
“You’re right, you do have a right to choose: choose between accepting Nahimana as your Queen now or later! For if you don’t, Matchitehew doesn’t have room in his mercy for rebels once her kingdom is established,” Ahiga warned Angeni.
“Then we will make our own room,” Angeni challenged. “We may be peaceable, but that doesn’t mean we have a limitless temper. If you continue to treat us poorly, we will fight for our freedom. We do not deserve this; we have the right to choose. Now it is up to you rebels to choose for yourselves if you rebels want to start a war with us, for we have chosen.”
“Quite outspoken to be one of the Kwahu,” Ahiga said as he looked over Angeni. “Who are you?”
“Angeni Apenimon,” he answered flatly.
“Well, Angeni Apenimon, I hope not to see you on the battlefield, for your sake. There is no way for the Kwahu to win this battle, especially since half of your kind has given up their childish hope of the return of the last Qaletaqa,” Igasho said arrogantly.
Angeni laughed loudly.
“You should be the one worried about finding me on the battlefield. Hope, even when it is lost is not too difficult to regain. You will see,” Angeni retaliated, not to be outdone with words.
Igasho turned to Ezhno.
“Ezhno, my friend, you have been quiet. Have you turned loyalist too?” He mocked him.
“I am too busy fighting my own battles to join yours, Igasho,” Ezhno replied, remaining vague as ever.
“Ezhno, Ezhno, where do your loyalties lie?” Igasho pressed on, trying to back Ezhno into a corner that he can’t get out of.
Ezhno glanced at Nahimana and looked back up to Igasho
“My loyalties reside with the Queen that is within this room,” Ezhno said, “Now if you don’t mind, I have to go. I can’t lose my pace.”
“It is dangerous to travel in such a storm. My sister, Tuari, will show you to a buffalo that we can spare,” Angeni offered, gesturing to Onida.
“Onida, please get up! We don’t have much time,” Ezhno thought as he looked at Onida, hoping that she can still hear his thoughts.
Onida stirred and got up, careful to keep the hood over her face, hiding her white hair and skin.
“Brother, I heard my name being spoken. Is there something that you would like me to do?” Onida asked Angeni in an innocent voice.
“Tuari, go outside with Ezhno and find him a buffalo, the one at the far left. It is our gift to him for he is one of the few rebels who is both crazy enough to go out in a storm such as this and a rebel who doesn’t look down at his brother nation, the Kwahu,” Angeni said respectfully as he walked to the ice door and heaved it out of its place, allowing the wind from outside to rush in.
“Yes brother,” Onida said meekly.
“And don’t forget to give him back his cloak,” Angeni warned, pretending to be a mindful brother.
“Don’t bother. It is my gift to her,” Ezhno said as he let Onida lead him outside. “See you both around.”

Once outside, I walked quickly to the left, passing many of the huge creatures with Ezhno beside me, keeping my stride.
My breath caught in my lungs when I saw the creature that was the “farthest to the left”.
“A white buffalo,” I whispered but the storm made my words unheard.
It stood there; its grand size itself was commendable. But its fur is what drew me in the most, white as the snow, like me.
Ezhno helped me up onto its back, and I quickly burrowed my hands into its thick white fur so as to protect them from the cold. Ezhno then grabbed the reigns and lifted himself onto the buffalo’s back too.
I leaned back into Ezhno’s arms, feeling calm and save even though danger lurks so closely.
“Istas,” I thought as I looked up at Ezhno.
“What?” Ezhno’s question seeped into my mind.
“That is what I’m naming the buffalo, Istas. It means snow,” I answered his question as I leaned my head against his chest, adjusting myself so that his necklace wouldn’t prod my back.
“Ezhno,” I thought as I looked up at him, sticking to communicating without words since words would only be hushed by the storm. “We need to find the scepter. Would you know where it is?”
Ezhno nodded as he looked off into the distance in search for any kind of danger.
“Could we go there?” I asked.
Again Ezhno nodded and he looked down upon me.
“It is not too far,” his words gently came into my mind, comforting me.
At this I nodded as I fell asleep in his arms.
Bright. Colors everywhere; colors of the northern lights. Peace. Home. The world among the stars was beautiful, but when I looked around me I found Ezhno to be gone.
I searched the heavens until I found him there, still on the ground, watching me as I went on high.
I called out to him, offering him my hand so that he could join me, so that he can be with me; but shaking his head as he remained just out of my reach.
I reached further, this time more desperately, but the closer my outstretched hand got to him, the farther away he seemed.
“Ezhno!” I cried as I continued to hold out my hand, “Do you not want to be with me? You have helped me to get to this place, please, let me share it with you.”
Ezhno just shook his head and took a step back.
“Though you can trust me, you don’t know me. Even if you were to know me, you would see that we are of a different kind. You are meant for the life up there, I for the life down here. I have done my task; I have helped you do what you were purposed to do,” his words again seeped into her.
“But I want you here with me!” I called out as he disappeared from sight.
Looking around me, the colors of the heavens weren’t so bright, weren’t so joyful without him. I had no longing to be here anymore, but I couldn’t go back for the same reason that he couldn’t come here.
The sky around me darkened as I sat there, patiently with my hand outstretched; never to give up hope.
Years seemed to pass, as I waited in the sky keeping my hand out so that it can be there if ever he would need it.
Then, I saw him again. This time he was closer. All that he needs to do is reach out his own hand, and he can be with me. But, he just stood there, uncertainly.
All he needs to do is reach out his own hand.
Never give up hope.

The storm had eased its force down to a soft breeze and a light snow that fell as softly and gently as feathers. But it was still cold; each breath felt like it was frozen even before one releases it from its lungs.
Ezhno slipped from the buffalo’s back as he found a good place to camp for the night; a place hidden from sight for it was densely forested though it allowed just enough room for the buffalo to wander between the trees freely if it were set loose.
Ezhno then tied the buffalo’s reins to a low hanging branch, and gently patted its huge head. In contrast to its white fur, its eyes were a deep black along with the tip of its muzzle. He then looked at Onida, who was still sleeping upon its back. Ezhno gently ran his hands through her long white hair, stopping when she stirred in her sleep. He slid her from Istas’ back, and carefully laid her in the snow, being sure that his cloak was still wrapped tightly around her.
He watched her a moment, watching how the sky dusted her with snow and wondered what it was like for her to be forced to live on her own, to be the last of her kind.
Ezhno lay down close to her, for there was going to be no fire tonight since the smoke and the ashes are too easy to track down.
He watched the snow fall from the sky as he lay on his back, again feeling the illusion of rising into the sky; of flying. After the death of his family, that is all he felt like he was doing-following an illusion of going somewhere while he stayed in one place. That’s all his craving for revenge took him, nowhere.
And now, there beside him was a woman of a kind that he has hated for years, the last Qaletaqa that for so long he has blamed the death of his family on. But he couldn’t hate her, not anymore now that he knows her. He couldn’t, for though she has every right to hate him, for he was a rebel that originally was going to betray her, apart of a group that killed not only her family but everyone she knew. Yes, she has more right to hate him than has to hate her.
But she didn’t, and he doubted that she hates anyone.
He turned his head away from the sky and looked at her, studied how his frozen breath temporarily blurred her from his view. Watching her, he knew that he now was going somewhere, though he wasn’t sure whether that was good or bad. Either way, it had to be better than the illusion of going somewhere, when he was going nowhere in reality.
Onida took in a sharp breath as she woke up shivering.
“Sorry if I woke you,” Ezhno said softly as he looked away.
“No, it wasn’t you. Just been having the strangest dreams,” Onida said sleepily as she burrowed deeper into the cloak. “Don’t you ever sleep?”
“I don’t sleep much,” Ezhno said flatly.
“Why?” she pressed on, now curious.
Ezhno paused, trying to decide whether to give her the logical excuse that he was keeping watch or to tell her the truth.
“When I do fall asleep, I keep on having the same nightmare over and over again of the invaders. Of my family…” he started but he let his voice trail off.
Onida nodded and looked up at the sky too, sensing that he didn’t want to give any more details.
Though she was wrapped in a cloak, Onida shivered.
“Aren’t you cold?” she asked as she looked at Ezhno.
Ezhno shook his head as he attempted to hide his shivering, but failed for Onida noticed him.
She unwrapped the cloak from around her and laid it on top of the two of them after shaking the snow from it. Onida then shifted to a wolf and curled up, placing her tail over her nose.
Seeing her change, Ezhno too shifted into the form of a wolf and placed his head on her neck as he lay down next to her, his black fur contrasting with her white.
“Ezhno, please don’t leave me, not ever,” Onida’s thoughts entered his mind as she again recalled the dream she had earlier. She looked up at him, tenderly, fearfully. She had no clue what his response will be.
“I won’t if you don’t want me to,” Ezhno replied, not sure what else to say.
“I don’t want you to stay because I asked you. I want you to stay because you want to,” Onida thought as she drifted off to sleep.
Ezhno felt her close to him, felt her breathing slow down as she was sleeping, heard her heart rate drop.
“I promise you,” Ezhno started, his thoughts creeping into sleeping Onida’s mind, “I will never leave you. As long as there is still breath within my lungs I will be there for you, protecting you. But that is not because it is what you asked of me, but because I want to. You can trust me.”
Ezhno nuzzled Onida before he too fell asleep.

I opened my eyes to darkness. The snow had piled upon the cloak making it heavy upon us.
Surprised that I was the first one up, I nosed my way to the surface of the snow. Bright. The sun reflected on the snow covered ground as well as the snow and ice in the trees. Everything was blindingly beautiful; seemingly untouched for the new snow held no tracks, no disturbance has touched it.
I yawned and stretched, surprised that I have overslept for so long, the sun was already up and I had missed the sunrise.
Looking back to the spot where Ezhno slept, I decided to let him sleep a while longer since he has been getting so little of it. But as I looked around me, I didn’t want to wander off, for it felt like a crime to ruin such untouched snow.
I jumped into the air and shifted to the form of an eagle and took flight, wanting to reach the top of a nearby tree. The branch swayed beneath my feet so I kept my wings spread out so as to keep my balance. The air was colder up here, and the wind was stronger; even so, I wanted to stay. I needed to see to understand.
There, below me, were old villages of the Nashoba. Some burned to ash, others completely abandoned. The invaders who have come to these parts have left, going on a seemingly pointless journey west. It is as if they wanted to keep moving around until the land gave way beneath their feet; always they were traveling, always these ignorant kind were destroying everything in their path. They had no idea how it affected the lives of my people, especially the Nashoba.
I closed my eyes trying to feel what they feel, trying to understand the pain of watching everything precious to you taken away so easily by these naive creatures. But it wasn’t that hard to feel their pain, for my own was still fresh within my memory. I had lost everything precious to me; my home, my friends, my family- everything crushed and destroyed by the rebels. Their cries of pain still haunt me.
Father, he was always trying to protect me saying that I was the last hope, yet he didn’t know how much of a last hope I will become. When he heard of Matchitehew and his rebel followers, he became fearful that Matchitehew would somehow destroy the plan that the Qaletaqa have held close to heart for seven thousand years; and they were too close to let it crumble before their eyes. My father sent the scepter and the wolf necklace away, leaving the eagle one with me in hopes of hiding me away too. He was almost too late.
The rebels came, the night that I was to be sent off. Many of them died sooner than they would have otherwise had to trying to make sure that I escaped safely. No one at Mapiya predicted such a bloodbath. No one could predict the hate that grew out of ignorance.
“Oh father, if you only had told them,” I thought as I let my eyes wander to each empty home. “It may not have prevented their deaths by the strangers, but it may have preserved your own life and, most importantly, it may have preserved hope in our people. My people…”
I looked away, back to where Ezhno was sleeping trying to hide from the sight. I did not want to look upon it anymore; I needed an escape from a pain or at least some kind of comfort.
Ezhno. I looked down upon him, watched as he himself got up from beneath the cloak; watched how he, though still half asleep, stretched and yawned. Watched how he looked around, following my tracks to the place where they stopped and he stood there sniffing the air and searching the sky.
I could see him, but I know he couldn’t see me.
He started looking around, frantically now, breaking the new snow and scattering it every which way. He shifted back from a wolf, continuing his search.
I swooped down from my limb, softly landing behind Ezhno in my human form.
“Have you lost something?” I asked the back of his head when he continued to move away from me.
Ezhno swung around, and just stood there watching me. When I looked into his worried eyes I immediately felt his pain and fear.
“Did you think I would leave you?” I asked, trying to read the reason of his fear.
Ezhno shook his head and stepped forward, wrapping me in his arms and pulling me close to him.
“I was afraid that I had lost you…if something were to happen to you…I don’t know what I would do, I can’t go through that again,” Ezhno whispered as he ran his hand down my hair.
I wrapped my arms around him too, feeling his chest expand with every shaky breath. I didn’t say anything, for what could I say? That I am fine? He could already see that.
I leaned back and looked into Ezhno’s eyes, the worry still prominent within them. I touched his face, wanting to brush some of his black hair out of it. But something drew me in, and suddenly I wanted to get closer.
I looked away and took a step back. I couldn’t, for I didn’t know if it was the right thing for me, the right thing for him. According to custom of the Qaletaqa, the one you first kiss, that one is your lifelong mate. I did not want to make a mistake, did not want to put him in a position that he didn’t want to be in.
“I love you,” I thought as I looked at him, forgetting that he could hear me.
His eyes softened, but I turned and started to walk back to where we left the cloak. I shook the snow off and held it out for him to take.
“It is best that we continue on, we are late as it is for oversleeping,” I said, trying to change the subject.
Ezhno shook his head.
“I gave it to you, don’t try to give it back because I won’t take it,” Ezhno said in regarding to the cloak in my outstretched hand.
“Either way, we need to get going. We are close,” I said as I reluctantly swung the cloak around me to where it set on my shoulders. It was too big for me, but I didn’t mind for it was very warm.
Ezhno gave a sharp nod as he softly smiled down upon me.
“What?” I questioned him for I have never seen him smile.
“You are not completely stubborn all of the time,” he said as he continued to smile. His smile was almost unrecognizable upon his lips, but his eyes…they seemed to glow from it.
I walked over to Istas, gently running my hands through his thick fur. I smiled as I looked at him. Can such a powerful creature have such doe like eyes such as this? I let my hand run from his bit down to his reins, which I handed to Ezhno.
He pulled himself onto Istas’ back and held out his hand to help me up too. Refusing it, wanting to prove to him that I can do things on my own, I lifted myself onto the buffalo; seating myself right in front of Ezhno. As soon as I was on, we were off with Istas trotting steadily in the direction of the abandoned villages.

It is difficult enough to return home when you have been gone for many years. It is even more difficult to return home when there is no one there; only the vacant emptiness of what once was there, what life it used to hold now washed away.
Istas slowed down to a walk, as if he too felt the eeriness of this place. The strangers due to their mass amounts of people had wiped away all of the Nashoba who had lived here; the former occupants of these villages have either fled to other areas or are now dead. Either way, ghosts of what once was roamed around, captivating Ezhno’s thoughts.
Against her attempts to give Ezhno his space, Onida clung to him fearfully. The stillness of the village got to her, for in every way its emptiness didn’t seem right. Though there were underground houses, no smoke came from them, no laughing, no life; just barrenness. Nothing dared to disturb the snow here, not even a rabbit.
“Ezhno, how much further?” Onida whispered, breaking the silence.
Ezhno didn’t reply, he was lost in memory. He had left shortly after he had lost his family, but he had no idea how bad it truly got here until now. As he looked around, he could hear the screams of those he once knew as they were attacked by the invaders, houses being burnt down, everything they had being destroyed.
Suddenly, he felt guilty for leaving after his family was gone. Maybe if he had been there for his village, if they had one more pair of hands to defend them, then there may still be people living here. Maybe he could have amounted to something more than a rebel running from himself, running from pain.
Pain. You never know its true meaning until you have lost everything precious to you. Pain is when you lose hope, lose what you love, lose the dream that is deeply rooted within your soul; where you lose the longing to see another day. The reasons of it may vary from person to person, but the darkness of pain deep within the heart remains the same; it is a deep dark abyss that one can fall forever into.
Ezhno closed his eyes, realizing this. He couldn’t run from it, couldn’t cover it over, and couldn’t move on because he wouldn’t let himself. He refused to forget.
Ezhno guided the buffalo past the main part of the village; his father always liked to have more space around him, felt crowded when in the middle of the clamor of the village. It was a quality that Ezhno shared with his father.
Ezhno pulled on Istas reins, and stared at it as they stopped. His home.
It still had the stench of the strangers within it, along with their careless tools that by now are long forgotten. His home was mostly underground, with a mound of earth above it. The door that once was there is long gone, as well as the garden that his mother at one time she could be found tending to.
He slipped down and landed softly into the snow, and walked around slowly; feeling like he was in a dream. Every moment he was here antagonized him.
He walked to the opening of his house, softly touching its brim where the door should be. He stooped his head and walked in, half expecting his father to greet him as if it had been only a prank all this while. But he was greeted only by silence.
He sensed Onida behind him, and the faint sound of snow crunching beneath a soft boot confirmed it.
“Ezhno, I’m so sorry,” she said as she touched his arm.
He turned around to face her, and saw that tears were streaming down her face. She hated to see him hurting.
“My father,” Ezhno said shakily with a tint of pride, “He built this place on himself, with his own two hands.”
Onida looked up at him, not knowing what to say. But Ezhno wasn’t waiting for an answer; he didn’t even look back at her.
“He was a good man, trusted by many. I have let him down with the life I’ve chosen…” Ezhno said more to himself than anyone else.
“We all have our moments of weakness, Ezhno. We all do something wrong every now and then. We just need to learn from our mistakes, make them form us into better people since either way they are going to always be apart of us. Ezhno, your father couldn’t be disappointed in you, not from what I have seen, not from who I know you are,” Onida tried to comfort Ezhno. But when she got no response, she continued talking. “You are brave; you do what you feel is right no matter what anyone else thinks. You are strong; you take what life throws at you no matter how hard it is. You have a great love for your family, and you are selfless, selfless enough to take me in even though you could be killed because of it…”
“Stop,” Ezhno said exasperatedly. “Did you not hear Igasho say ‘it is Ezhno’s job to find her and bring her back to Matchitehew’? That was my job as I wandered the forest, to find you and bring you back to Mapiya so that Matchitehew could kill you!” he paused there, waiting for some kind of response from her, but she remained quiet so he continued on. “Do you still think that you have made a good choice in giving me this?” Ezhno yelled as he slipped out of the necklace and waved it in front of her face. “Do you still think you have made the right choice? Do you still not regret finding me?”
Onida was quiet for a few moments, taking everything in. Neither of them could look at each other, not after what had just been said. Onida then stepped inside Ezhno’s home, and sat down along the wall as Ezhno leaned against the opposite wall, holding the bridge of his nose.
“Yes,” Onida said softly
Her answer completely surprised Ezhno.
“Well you should hate me. You shouldn’t trust me at all; I had every intention of betraying you. I easily could have too,” Ezhno said softly.
“But you didn’t. That says something about you,” Onida answered as she looked up at him, giving up at avoiding his eyes.
Shocked by her response, Ezhno remained silent not knowing what else to do. Suddenly, he wanted to tell her everything, tell her about his meeting with Nahimana. But he couldn’t, out of fear that she would hate him. He didn’t want to be the first person who completely betrayed her, the first man whom she learns to hate. But, his seeing Nahimana was in fact betraying her, for he was faking a friendship with the daughter of Matchitehew, the one who killed father: pretending to approve of her as queen. But how could she trust him after he told her? How could she trust him when his last secret was revealed? Though it wasn’t much, could it be the last straw, the one thing that destroys her faith in him?
“Onida,” Ezhno said tenderly as he saw that she was still fighting her tears. She was scared, she trusted him but she was scared of him breaking it, scared as to what would happen to her, what would happen to her people.
He walked slowly up to her and knelt beside her, soothingly brushing her hair out of her face. Ezhno then ran his hand down her arm and held her close to him, feeling her sobbing close to his chest.
“I’m sorry,” Ezhno started, “I love you. It’s just that I hate myself for ever wanting to hurt you, for ever blaming everything on your kind. I hate myself for what I was before you came into my life.”
“I love you too, please don’t hate yourself,” Onida softly pleaded for her crying had died down.
Ezhno held her tighter, not wanting to ever let go.
They lost track of time, sitting there holding each other like two people broken in spirit who have recently found out who they are again. It was Onida who remembered the reason that they were there.
“Ezhno, do you know where the scepter is?” she broke the silence as she looked up at him.
Ezhno nodded and stood up slowly and walked to the center of the room with Onida close behind.
“He stashed it here when he thought I was asleep. No one was supposed to know where it was,” Ezhno said as he squatted down and brushed a thin layer of dirt from the floor, revealing a worn handle that obviously hadn’t seen the surface in years. He then pulled the handle up, disturbing a great amount of dirt and mud, sending it every which way within the house.
There inside was the scepter, covered by a thick layer of dust. It was made out of the same stone as the wolf and the eagle necklaces, and stood four and a half feet tall. There were delicate designs upon its surface that looked like the trunks of trees and vines, and its whole surface was smooth.
Onida delicately brushed the dust from its surface, and looked up at Ezhno.
“King Sahkonteic gave this to his trusted friend, my father. Now I give it to you, for you rightfully own it as the last Qaletaqa,” Ezhno said softly as he handed the scepter to her.
“Thank you, you don’t know how much this means to me, means to our people…” she started as she held it in her right hand. She then noticed the wolf necklace on the ground, so she picked it up too.
The stone of the wolf tugged to the end of its chain towards the scepter, both of them starting to glow and scatter colors around the room. Surprised, Onida held the necklace away from it, not realizing that the attraction between the two objects was a sign of how highly magnetized the scepter was.
“I want you to have this,” Onida said as she looked down upon it, rung her left thumb over its smooth surface, “because I know you could be of great service to your people, could be of great service to me. I know you are already risking a lot, but when we get back to Mapiya, the original Mapiya, we could use your help, your guidance to help us mend what is broken. You understand the divisions between the Nashoban tribe, for you are not quite a rebel, and not quite a loyalist. You follow your own path. So I don’t want you to take it unless you want it.”
Ezhno smiled gently at her as he accepted the necklace and slung it around his neck, but this time it didn’t seem like such a burden to him.
They both decided to spend the night outside, for their years alone in the forest had made them unused to sleeping under a roof; they both preferred the starry heavens to be their roof, and the ground to be their bed.
Though they didn’t know it, this was to be their last night of peace. Trouble lurked nearby as a dark grey wolf searched the air for Ezhno’s smell. Once she smelled it, she let it fill her lungs before she let out a howl, starting in a low pitch and gradually going higher until its sound pierced the very mountains. Nahimana was close.

Though we both lay down, neither of us could find sleep and ended up staring up at the stars instead; watching how they sparkled and danced against the endless dark sky. Each of us was lost in our own thoughts.
The sky made me so small, so insignificant in comparison as if whatever happens here doesn’t really matter in the big scheme of things.
I turned my head towards Ezhno, watching how the moonlight hit his danced on his skin, how the snow stuck to his thick black hair, how his eyes softened as he looked at the sky. I realized at that moment that every wall he had built around himself had fallen down.
He felt my eyes wander to his scar, felt them wander down its length all the way across the bridge of his nose to where it ended at his right cheekbone.
“Ugly isn’t it?” He said as he let out a halfhearted laugh. “If you could, would you change it.”
“No,” I answered without hesitation.
Ezhno turned towards me, confused. I saw that I would have to explain myself.
I reached out my hand, gently touching his scar with my fingertips. His eyes closed as soon as my fingers touched the skin on his face, and I started to slowly run my fingers along the path this scar created.
“So much of who you are is connected to that painful event. Yet you are learning how to become a better person because of it. You have learned how to take it, to accept it though it will always have an effect on you. But you must remember that event is not all of you,” I looked away from my fingers and into his green eyes. “…for I know you are so much more than that.”
Ezhno held me closer to him.
“Please don’t leave me. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you,” Ezhno whispered.
I knew he was scared, for I was too for the same reason. Both of us know how easily everything you love can be taken away. Neither of us was willing to go through that pain, to visit that darkness again.
“I never will,” I whispered back to him as I ran my hand down from his cheek.
Ezhno’s hand gently touched my cheek, and he leaned into me, he stopped inches from my face, just close enough for me to feel the warmth of his breath. But he needn’t have hesitated, for I kissed him back. In that moment, I was forever bound to him. Yet, we still yearned to get closer. I never forgot that night for it became a memory that I often returned to, a refuge from events yet to come.
In years to come, when asked about this night I would only talk about how the stars seemed to shine brighter than any other night. But secretly to myself, I would remember it as the night I first began to carry Ezhno’s child. He was my first husband, and with every fiber of my being I wanted him to be my last.

Ezhno woke up to her howl, immediately sensing that she is close. He got up slowly, not wanting to wake up Onida, and put on his clothing, making sure that each knife is in its place, for some reason he felt like he was going to need them. But just as he was going to search for Nahimana, she found him.
“I followed your scent here, and found that with it I smelled another scent; the scent of a stranger. But no, I told myself, my Ezhno travels alone. Now I see that I have been proven wrong,” she said as she slowly walked from the shadow of Ezhno’s house.
“I never was yours,” Ezhno corrected flatly as he looked a few yards back to where Onida was still sleeping soundly, praying that she won’t wake up.
Nahimana, now enraged that she can’t even hold his attention, slapped him hard. But Ezhno didn’t react, he just took it.
“You will be my king!” Nahimana hissed at him.
“I never wanted to be your king, like I told you before I don’t look to put airs upon myself,” he said flatly without giving in to her.
“Well you obviously wanted to be her king!” Nahimana yelled back at him.
“There is much more to her than her title,” Ezhno said firmly without looking away from Nahimana’s eyes.
Nahimana saw that she wasn’t backing down, and she hated it; hated not getting her way in things. Jealousy’s black fingers grabbed a hold of her, completely consuming her from the inside out.
Nahimana jumped into the air, shifting to the form of an eagle, gliding past Ezhno to where Onida slept. There she shifted to her human form and pulled out a knife.
“If I can’t have you, then neither can she!” Nahimana called out to Ezhno as she held the blade to Onida’s throat.
Ezhno started to rush over in an attempt to save his wife.
“Any closer and she is dead,’ Nahimana warned.
He stopped not knowing what else to do. He couldn’t handle losing her, not when he finally learned to love, learned to trust, to feel all over again.
“Don’t hurt her,” Ezhno pleaded.
“You want her to live?” Nahimana laughed as she found her opportunity. Her string that allowed her to get what she wants. “Now how far would you go to give her that opportunity? I will place her life in your hands, the choice is yours. You stay with her, remain loyal to your sweet new wife, and you will become a widower. But, when she wakes up, tell her that all you have been doing is lying to her, manipulating her for the opportunity to become king of the rebels. We will then turn her over to my father, and if you agree to become my husband, my king, I will see to it that she lives. But if you don’t…” Nahimana toyed with the blade close to Onida’s throat. “It is your choice. Don’t take long in making it.”
Ezhno stood there, shaking. He couldn’t betray her, but he couldn’t make the choice to have her killed. With her death, the hope of the people dies. The hope of getting out of this mess dies. Her death would kill him, but the last thing that he wants to do is hurt her.
“Fine,” Ezhno said after a long pause. He could take her hate more than he could take her loss.
“Good decision,” Nahimana said in her lighthearted way. She then looked past Ezhno where Igasho and Ahiga had silently stood behind Ezhno; Igasho with the smirk that had always remained upon his face, but as for Ahiga, his eyes darkened, as if he couldn’t stand to see what is happening. “If either of you two mention this agreement to my father, I will see to it that you are silenced for good!” she threatened them.
She then kicked Onida, and she started to wake up.
“Here is your chance to save her life,” she hissed as she stared at Ezhno. But Ezhno couldn’t look at her, couldn’t look at anything. It was the moment where he had to break one promise to keep another.
“Onida,” he called her softly, calling her from her dreams.

“What is it that you want to know about him, my son?” the Queen asked Ezhnou.
“Who was he? All I know is that you loved him,” he questioned.
“Ezhno was many things. He was the one who took me out of my solitude, the one I first met after my years of hiding. He was a rebel. But that wasn’t all of him. He was a loyalist. But that wasn’t all of him either. He loved me, he fought for me, and he betrayed me…” the Queen started, but she was cut off by her son.
“He betrayed you?” Ezhnou questioned.
“Shortly after we were married, he brought me over to Matchitehew, the one who had it in his heart to kill me,” Onida elaborated.
“How could he? How could you love him after even that?” Ezhno exasperated. He couldn’t understand, but she was patient.
“Ezhnou, my son, if you look at only one quality of a man you are doing him as well as yourself wrong. You don’t see the whole picture, and not giving him the opportunity to reveal it. It is a lesson you need to know before you are king, since you will have to look at our people as a person. Take the good with the bad; for if you only allow yourself to see the good, you will never rise to the occasion when improvement is needed. But, if you only allow yourself to see the bad, you are not doing your people right, for you will be overlooking their efforts to do right,” she scolded him before continuing on. “Though he betrayed me, in the end he saved my life more times than even he would know. Can you put a price on one life? What about the lives of a nation? Yes, your father did lead the Kwahu warriors against the rebels to victory, but Ezhno was the one who saved my life. If I were to have died on that day, none of us would be here. So really, he too deserves some credit for saving this nation. But he never asked for it, and in the end never got it.”
“Why did you love him?” Ezhnou asked after a long pause as he took in what she said.
The Queen smiled before she answered his question, letting her mind wander into memory.
“He was both a rebel and a loyalist, and he followed his own path. Though he hurt me, I know he had a good heart. He was brave, the only thing that he couldn’t handle, couldn’t face is losing someone he loves. I felt his pain deep within my own self, for I myself have gone through similar pain. He was the first that I gave all of myself to; my whole heart, my love, my trust, my respect. Being with him taught me how to live again, not only as my father’s replacement, but as myself. He gave me the strength and courage to become a good Queen. He is the one person that I let know all of me, and he let me know all of him in return. I never could forget him, though I have tried,” the Queen explained.
“Have you ever stopped loving him?” Ezhnou asked softly.
“No,” The Queen answered, but before she could say more he continued to speak.
“Did you ever love my father?” he asked with a hurt look in his eyes.
“Yes, I did love your father very much. But it was a different kind of love, more of a friendship. He was a good man, and made a very good king, I admired him for that,” she defended herself.
The silence that followed let her know that the discussion was over, so she looked up at her son trying to give him some words of encouragement before she went.
“My son, I know you will make a great king. All I ask of you is this, look after your sister, and your people. Remember that we all have our flaws; that we all fall from time to time. So step back, and don’t forget to look at the whole person. Know this; I love you and your sister more than words can say. Goodbye my son, I will be leaving now.”
At that, the Queen held up her scepter which has been set to return her to Earth and return alone, without her. The colors spun around her and in a flash of light, she was gone.

Voices. Angry. Fearful. I was scared but still I held out my hand to Ezhno. But this time he reached for it, his fingers touching mine.
“Finally,” I thought, “my hope, my love, my waiting repaid.”
But then the Earth shook, and opened its dark jaws. The ground beneath his feet crumbled.
I clung down to his hand tighter, not wanting to let to, not wanting to lose him. But as I did so, I began to slip from the place that he had worked so hard for me to be.
Seeing this he looked up at me, eyes full of only sorrowful goodbyes.
“Let go. Let me fall. But please, don’t have me take you down with me. I have fulfilled what was asked of me, what I have asked of myself,” at that he let go, and the earth swallowed him, crushing him away from my sight as it again closed its ever hungry mouth.
I opened my eyes, shaking; needing some sort of reassurance that he was still there. But instead found the woman that I saw when we were with the Kwahu. She is the one soon to be the rebel queen, Nahimana, and she was holding a knife to my throat.
What had I missed?
“She is awake. Isn’t it about time that she knew the truth, Ezhno?” she said as she looked over me to where he stood. But Ezhno couldn’t even look at me, couldn’t even stand to be close to me. There, behind him stood the two rebels that were at the Kwahu shelter. One stared at me dauntingly; the other was looking at me, but didn’t really seem to see me.
“Ezhno? What is going on?” I asked him, trying to hope that what I saw could be easily explained, that everything could be alright again. But it couldn’t.
“Did you really think that I could be with someone whom I couldn’t stand, for you are so high above me? You are of a different kind than me; you could never see through my eyes, could never understand my pain. None of your people could understand, always looking down on our kind, the Nashoba and the Kwahu. You were meant for a different life, a life that I cannot follow you in. A life that now has to change, for you cannot become queen of the Qaletaqa for the people have changed,” Ezhno started, but he had difficulty continuing.
“You see Onida, Ezhno has been lying to you the whole time. He is loyal to me, to my father and the quest he assigned. He was to bring you to my father, doing whatever it took to get you there. His loyalty is commendable, as is his ability to fool people, you naive Qaletaqa. You know, he will make a good king. King of the new empire, that is his reward for finding you,” Nahimana continued for Ezhno, forgiving him for his loss of words only if he agrees with her.
I sat there, shocked. I couldn’t believe it, didn’t want to. But my early feelings that I shouldn’t trust him came back to mind, and I didn’t know what to believe.
“Ezhno,” I called out pleadingly, wishing with my whole heart that he would give some sign that it wasn’t true.
Ezhno continued to avoid my eyes, the look in them indefinable, covering over the feelings hidden deep within them.
“I told you that you should hate me. Did you think that I didn’t mean those words?” Ezhno said as he started to walk toward Istas.
Everything that I had trusted shattered. I couldn’t see my way out. Pain seeped from the emptiness where my heart should be. I couldn’t hate him. He wants me to but I can’t. This truth, it didn’t feel right. It didn’t make sense but it agreed with my earlier doubts. What is left of me now? What is left for my people? Have they truly all betrayed me, am I truly, completely alone?
The weight of my position held me down, the last of my kind. There is nothing left for me now, my people obviously don’t want me, and there is no hope. What hope could there be if I can’t trust anyone, when your most trusted betrays you where do you dare to turn to? Can courage be found without hope, wisdom be found out of ignorance?
Emptiness. That is all I felt as Igasho tied my hands in front of me, as Ahiga lifted me onto the buffalo, as Ezhno took Istas’ reigns and started walking in the direction of Mapiya.
“We are not far,” he choked, as if talking pained him. For someone whom has just completed such an important and honored task successfully, he seemed almost as broken as I was.
Hopelessness. It doesn’t cut like a knife, or pulse pain through you. It is a deep hole that grows deep inside the heart. It is a hole that crushes as it grows; an empty ache that doesn’t easily go away. It can’t be called pain, for it is a numbness that goes against you; numbness that effortlessly takes away your love for yourself. After it consumes your whole heart you don’t care what happiness to you. Don’t care whether another day comes to your life. Don’t care if you die today, and if your next breath is your last. If you stay too long within its grasp, you cannot escape. Not ever.
And there, beside me, Nahimana walked with Ezhno with my father’s scepter in her left hand and her right holing Ezhno’s hand, and she occasionally kissed his shoulder. But her eyes didn’t close; they were open, watching me.
Trembling, I looked away; couldn’t stand the sight; couldn’t bother to even see anymore.
I closed my eyes, letting the tears roll down my cheeks as I hid within the hood of Ezhno’s cloak. I didn’t even bother to wipe them away, not caring as they froze against my cheeks; the water shining brightly like Ezhno’s scar.
I remained silent throughout the journey to Mapiya, not seeing the point in talking. There was nothing to say. And if anything was spoken by anyone around me, I didn’t hear it. I didn’t see the purpose in putting in the effort. Each breath took effort. I felt like I was dying from this emptiness. I was gone, even from myself.
Breath. Take the emptiness, the deep ache.
Nahimana was right; we were close, closer than I thought. It only took half a day to get there.
My eyes wandered the city, its great walls standing before me. The stones were smooth and strong, the only thing that remained of us Qaletaqa.
A crowd gathered around the castle, made up of all those of the Qaletaqa. On the left were the Nashoba, and on the right were the Kwahu just as it had once been in my father’s ruling days.
The crowd parted as we came, with Nashoban rebels holding either side back.
I looked emptily out at my people, and saw that they were afraid. I saw that they were afraid. The one they thought to be dead had come back to life, and now is here where they gathered to welcome their new king.
Is this what they really want?
I looked up from the tears frozen on my face, reading their faces. Is there hope? Is it right for me, just because I lost my hope to take away theirs? No. What would I be if I were to do so, it isn’t what I would want to be remembered by.
I held my head up, fighting my emptiness as I clung to Angeni’s words.
“…Hope, even when it is lost is not too difficult to regain. You will see,” I whispered to myself, quoting Angeni.
I held on to my last traces of hope before they too faded away. I had to hold on, not for me, but for the people of the Qaletaqa. Though Ezhno is gone with my hope for myself, but I refuse to go with the hope of my people. Whatever Matchitehew has in store for me, I can take it. What is the risk when you have nothing to begin with?

When someone does something wrong, and takes the punishment without complaint, without striking back; it is considered commendable though it is expected of the person. But, when someone takes the blame, takes the pain and punishment without doing anything wrong, it is beyond what is expected, something rare and extraordinary.
They had taken Onida to Mapiya, and there she stood undaunted and unmoving though she was alone. There was emptiness in her eyes, but her fighting will would not let her back down.
They all stood upon the balcony that King Sahkonteic used to give his speeches. Now the stain of his blood was all that remained of him, and here they were, Matchitehew standing superiorly with Nahimana, Igasho, Ahiga, and Ezhno beside him.
But Onida stood alone, with no one by her side, yet she was still strong.
“For years,” Matchitehew started as he strutted around the balcony. “The Qaletaqa had kept us under their rule. What gave them the right to rule over us, did they get our permission? No. A haughty and self important people, they continued to rule over us not sharing their power. Now, I ask you this: was that right of them? What could they possibly know that we don’t? Nothing! So now is our chance to overthrow their rule forever, then we will be free! Free to fight a war without anyone’s permission! Free to take upon ourselves whatever weapons we want!” he rallied them, and the rebels shouted in approval while others remained silent.
He turned from the people to Onida, where she stood quietly.
“You, you are the worst of them; trying to bring back what is already gone! How dare you try to interfere with the inevitable! Yet, I will give you one chance to save your own life. Go! Give your ruler ship to my daughter, Nahimana, in front of all of the people of the Qaletaqa. Then you will be free to live your own life, and your people will be free to do as they please.
Onida stared back at him, her gaze not moving from his eyes.
Ezhno watched her pleadingly from the shadows. He wanted her to live; he had paid a high price to give her that opportunity. He wanted her to go, to be safe; but deep down he knew she wouldn’t.
“Let me address my people first,” Onida said flatly, not giving a clue as to which direction she was going to go.
Matchitehew stared at her for a moment suspiciously before he nodded and gave her permission to do so.
Ezhno’s eyes followed her every movement as she walked to the edge of the balcony, looking out at the nation for a few moments before she spoke.
“My people,” she said slowly, carefully picking her words. “There is a secret that the Qaletaqa has been keeping to themselves, a secret that I admit should have been let known many years ago. We do not belong here, not in this world. We do not belong in this endless winter; we do not belong in a place where we are being pushed aside for another species. The strangers, out of their ignorance they are killing us. They do not know our kind, and I doubt they ever will.
We are a strong people, the survivors of our original home. I ask of you to come, come with me and let us return to our home in the stars together and united as one people. We don’t have to live like this; live under the rule of the power hungry that are not afraid of abusing others to get their way…”
At her last statement Matchitehew slapped her, sending to the ground.
Ezhno started to rush over to her, but Nahimana stopped him; her eyes threatening him with what would happen if he were to leave her. He just hoped that it didn’t get any worse.
“You vile thing! How dare you lie to your people in order to gain their support!” he yelled at her.
“How dare you suppress others to get your way! You call this justice, murdering and threatening yourself to rule? I don’t care what happens to me, your daughter has so easily taken away everything that is precious to me, but I will not back down. No, I cannot for the sake of my people. Your hand will guide them to the freedom of death!” Onida yelled back.
Matchitehew took a step back with a sneer upon his face and anger flashing in his eyes.
“Too bad you had to meet the same fate as your father. Like father, like daughter, you shall die in the same place that he did!” He then turned to Igasho and Ahiga. “Stand her up!” he commanded.
Ezhno tensed as he watched Ahiga and Igasho each take an arm, and held her upright. But she gave them no struggle, she didn’t care enough to. She stared down Matchitehew, her yellow eyes flashing and dancing. All courage, all fire; that is all that she was willing to show.
Matchitehew pulled out a long blade and strode towards her and held it to her chest.
“Now I ask you, Onida, did you ever think that you would die without anyone caring for you? So ends your rule and the rule of the Qaletaqa!” Matchitehew screamed in fake valiantly.
Ezhno lost control, and his protective nature took over. He shifted into his wolf form as he lunged at Matchitehew, and they both fell to the ground together nearly falling off the balcony without railing. If either way, they are going to try to kill her then he’d rather be the one fighting for her even if he was the only one on her side.
Matchitehew flung Ezhno from him, and Ezhno stepped back and stood before Onida refusing to let any more harm come to her.
When Matchitehew stood up again, Ezhno shifted back into a man and pulled out his sword.
“I have had enough of this. I am not going to sit back and watch injustice occur out of hope of gaining my own justice!” Ezhno yelled.
“Then it is two against a nation, easily silenced and taken care of!” Matchitehew cried out.
A murmur started in the Kwahu tribe, and grew into an uproar throughout the whole nation.
A golden colored eagle flew up and shifted its form when its feet touched the balcony.
“Did you miss me?” Angeni said in his ever lighthearted manner to Igasho, as he held his longbow in hand, its arrow pointing at him. “Now you will see hope return with all of its strength and it will wipe you rebels aside! Long live the Queen of the Qaletaqa!” he shouted as the loyalists who have just regained hope let out a battle cry behind him.
Angeni released his arrow, and because of his deadly accuracy, Igasho fell to the ground given a quick death. The war has begun.

What I have heard about war and all of its horrors came to life before my eyes. Men, women, each were slaughtering each other for their own freedom. I didn’t want to see one man fall because of my taking my place as queen, but now I see that many will fall because they don’t take the chance to learn, to leave their ignorance.
Freedom, is it worth the lives of many, is it what they love the most on their dying breath?
I couldn’t stand their cries of pain, the sight of even more blood being spilled for me.
Matchitehew, seeing that I was stunned by the sight that lay before me, lunged foreword in an attempt to take away with my life, knowing that with my death these warring people will become obedient to him.
Ezhno leaped in front of the blow, taking the blade deep inside as a welcomed friend.
“Ezhno!” I cried out, but something about the way he stood stopped me from rushing over to his aid. He stood tall; he stood strong though his legs were shaking with the pain of the deep wound in his stomach. No, he was no stranger to this pain.
Matchitehew held out his bloodied knife as Ezhno held his sword with both of his hands. He didn’t expect Ezhno to have much strength left, if at all. But he was wrong.
With a staggering step, Ezhno swung his sword from behind his head to Matchitehew, slicing him across his face from his right eyebrow, to his left cheekbone down do his chin.
“Now you are marked, just as I have been marked,” Ezhno called out to him.
Matchitehew covered his face from sight, his hands filling with his own blood. Blinded by it he took a step back, trying to stay out of Ezhno’s striking range. He started to teeter over the edge of the balcony, and Nahimana rushed over to save her father. But as he grabbed on to her, they both fell and hit the ground with a heavy thud.
Silence. Their death stunned everyone, both the loyalists as well as the rebels.
Seeing that the danger is gone, Ezhno let his guard down, his sword slipping from his hands and hitting the ground with a loud clang of metal against stone. He tried to take a step back, but instead fell to his knees.
I rushed over to him, kneeling beside him, but the Earth had its hold on him, drawing him closer until he was lying on his back without the strength to pull away. I felt him slipping away to a place that I couldn’t pull him back from.
“Ezhno,” I said pleadingly, pleading him to stay. But I knew he couldn’t, the wound was too deep, and his blood was leaving him along with the life it belonged to.
“Please forgive me. My wife, I should have never done you wrong; not the first time, not the last. I love you, that wasn’t a lie along with everything before today. Forgive me,” his words seeped to my memory, full of the sorrow of goodbye.
“Please don’t let go. Please, just hold on. We can mend this wound…” I whispered as I reached out to touch it but his cry of pain stopped me.
“Forgive me. But if you can’t, then at least promise me one this; promise me that you will never lose hope. I know you will make a great queen, move on, find another husband, have children, and die a very old woman who has lived a fulfilling life. Promise me that you won’t give up. For if you don’t, then I would know that I have at least done you some good…” he continued.
“But…” I protested, for making a promise meant accepting that I was losing him.
“Promise me,” he whispered.
“I promise,” I choked out, fighting back the tears as I leaned my head onto his chest. But it did not rise or fall. He was still. When I sat up and looked into his eyes, I saw that he was gone by their blank and lifeless expression. He couldn’t hear my answer.
I didn’t want to move, didn’t want to leave him.
Angeni placed his hand on my shoulder.
“There will be time to grieve, but that time is not now. Your people need you,” he said delicately as he placed his eagle necklace in my hands.
I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath, but I could still see his bloodied body in my mind.
I opened my eyes, letting the tears fall as I slipped the wolf necklace from Ezhno’s neck. I couldn’t look at anyone’s eyes, didn’t want them to see the depth of my hurt.
Ahiga handed me my father’s scepter, and I walked towards the edge of the balcony. Part of me wanted to jump, so as to end my own pain but I couldn’t; not with all we have fought for to make it this far.
My knees felt so weak, and my will was shaken. The only thing that was keeping me standing upright was my father’s scepter which had already caused the necklaces to glow.
“My people, you loyalists and rebels of the Kwahu and Nashoba tribes, I beseech you and ask for your forgiveness. We have lost so many to get this far, there is no turning back now. We cannot let their lives amount to nothing…” I paused as I choked on my words, but after a few breaths I could continue on. “We all have lost loved ones, whether their deaths are by the stranger’s hands or by the hands of our own people doesn’t matter. Their lives are gone beyond return, but we must remember them for these may be the people who have moved us the most. We are the people of the Qaletaqa, though each of us individually is different, we must stay united! What would be left of us if we separate and divide but scattered remnants of what once was? No! We are stronger than that! We have to stay together, for otherwise how are we going to survive under the stresses in our new home? We were only meant to be alien residents here, nothing more. We don’t belong, here. But we belong together! So let’s not fight against one another over whether or not we will declare war on the invaders for coming into this land since this land isn’t ours to begin with. My father, along with the rest of the Qaletaqa, died in order to provide a way of escape for us. Some of you in the crowd may even have had a hand in killing them. Let us not make their deaths vanity!” I shouted as I released the necklaces. They immediately gravitated to the tip of the scepter, and started to orbit around it sending the colors of the northern lights all around us that blocked out the sun and the whiteness of the snow. “Let us return home!” I shouted at the top of my lungs as the colors pulsed faster and faster around each of us.
A flash of light, and we were gone. We had returned home.

The Queen slowly walked the forest that she had known in her youth, completely oblivious to the changes time has made. Though there was greenery and no snow lay on the ground, she saw a snow covered ground and felt the chill of the wind. Her body was there, but her mind and heart had remained in the past.
There, in the distance, her mind’s eye saw a wolf with a deep black coat approaching. As it came closer, its scar that streaked across its face became more apparent.
“Ezhno,” the Queen said breathlessly.
Hearing her call its name, it shifted into the form of a man. He hadn’t aged at all, for in her mind, he remained forever young even as she herself grew old.
“Onida,” he said lovingly as he reached out his hand.
But as she reached out her hand, she felt nothing and the image of him vanished. She collapsed into the ground sobbing. Oh, how often she had lived in memory, torturing herself with could have been, should have been if he were still here. Grief’s claw never left her heart. He became the wound within her that could never heal.
She gave up; let her life that is within her give out until there was no breath left in her to breathe. She died thinking about him; feeling his hands brush the hair out of her face, seeing his green eyes looking down upon her, his pain gone as his eyes lit up and he smiled down upon he. That was all she could see as the life within her breast escaped. She is now free.
The strangers found her body lying on the forest floor, her face tear stained and her eyes empty. They never could truly figure out who she was. They couldn’t understand how someone who looked so young could have eyes that seemed so old.
They covered her body with flowers, and buried her deep into the ground.
She had kept her promise to him. She led a good life, according to his wishes.
There are some, who walk into one’s life and leave without a trace. There are others that enter and destroy the life before they go. Yet still, there are a select few that walk into a life and by their brief presence change it for the better. That is what Ezhno was to Onida, for he had brought her out of her solitude and taught her to love and to trust again.
Because of him, she became a courageous queen that put her people first. She saw their pains and felt them as her own. She was fair, and she was able to unite the broken tribes of the Qaletaqa, and mend the hate between them. Her steady hand guided them from the darkness of hopelessness, she gave them light and peace. All because of him. Ezhno.
She was later remembered as the last and the greatest Qaletaqa.
Onida Natta; the one searched for, hope. She truly did live up to her name.