19. A Sinking Man Will Cling to Foam
19
A SINKING MAN WILL CLING TO FOAM
The landscape blurred around them as the tigers ran, and they arrived at the site of the Great Gathering Grounds before they broke up their final meeting. Their little group waited in the trees while the guide disappeared, heading into the melee to find the one they sought. When he returned, he gestured that they should follow him, but held up a hand to indicate the tigers should stay, bowing several times and pressing his palms together in apologetic supplication as he did.
Trailing him, the men wove between bands of people who were breaking camp and setting out in all directions, heading home now that their council meetings had been completed. Their guide led them to a large reindeer-skin tent, one of the only tents left standing in a sea of bare log tentpoles and smoldered campfires. After calling out and hearing a brusque reply, he opened the flap and bid them enter. They did and were escorted to seats by a crackling fire, where they found a woman still adorned in her council attire.
She was a handsome woman with bright, shrewd eyes and a straight posture. Her dark hair was braided with colorful strips of dyed reindeer leather and was tied at the ends with tufts of white fox fur and polished animal bone, which also trimmed her magnificent beaded coat. Danik envied the skillfully made reindeer moccasins and might have asked about trading for a pair if he thought such a thing wouldn’t be inappropriate.
Before they could even begin to form a word, she spoke in perfect Russian. “So, you have come to hunt our great striped treasure, have you? You mean to take him from us?”
“Not at all, my lady,” Zakhar interjected quickly. “We do not come to hunt. We are only here to?—”
She held up her hand. “I do not speak to men of the cloth any longer,” she said. “You mean to convert my people to your ways. To convince us to be like you. Too many of our young men and women have left us. Seduced by your world. By your promises of a better way of life. Who is to say which way of living is best?” She gave Zakhar a long look. “No. I would venture you have not yet discovered your own path in life. Such a one cannot think to guide others. You are as yet untested.”
Next, she appraised Danik. After examining him, taking in his clothing, glancing at his hands, she asked, “What are you?”
“What do you mean?” he asked in reply. “Do you ask about my family, my town, or my profession?”
“Yes. Exactly.”
Danik opened his mouth, but he was uncertain where to begin.
“I see. You, like your priest, are lost. And you?” she asked, turning to Nik. “It is easy to discern you have the stance and training of a soldier, and yet there is much more to you beneath the surface as well. And I fear if I pierced the skin I would uncover a putrefaction so vile no surgeon or shaman could cut it away quick enough for it to heal.” Leaning forward, she picked up a stick and jabbed it into the flames, then held the hot poker up, gesturing to the young man. Looking into Nik’s eyes, she said, “There are some sicknesses you must burn out. Only sweat, tears, and searing pain will bring an end to the suffering. Even then, there’s a chance it will reemerge. A watchful eye is key.”
She sighed and tossed the stick back into the flames. “Very well. If we are meant to leave things of great import in the hands of the untrained and inexperienced, then so be it. Take me to your tigers. Perhaps they will not prove to be as disappointing as you three.”
The men rose uncertainly, feeling as if they’d just been scolded by a schoolmarm, and headed out the tent flap. None of them questioned taking the Evenki leader to the tigers; they just obeyed. Within a few moments, they were standing back, watching her as she assessed the tigers as boldly as she’d just done with them.
Absolutely unafraid, she walked around them—first Stacia, clucking her tongue as she did, and then Veru. When she was finished, she said, “I don’t know how it is that your people managed to harness this magic. Even if the tiger tokens were traded or gifted to your parents, it shouldn’t have worked. It’s meant to belong to our people. You can’t keep it. You must give it back. Even if you were one of our people, it is a sacred trust. One must be deemed worthy to carry a tiger token and wield its power. Grave evils come upon the one who attempts to harness the magic unworthily.”
“That’s just it,” Nik said. “We want to lift this curse so the tsarevnas can go back to their land and fight the demon who is trying to take over the empire. The soldier who sent us here said your people could help. His mother was Evenki.”
“How old was this soldier?” the leader asked.
“Perhaps the same age as yourself,” Nik replied.
She laughed in response. “I am much older than I appear.” Clasping her hands behind her back, she turned and looked up at the sky. After a moment of silence, she said, “That young soldier could be any of our sons. So many of them leave us searching for a better life in a land not watched over by our ancestors. We have lost far too many of our youth in such a way. They abandon us for the bright futures they believe come from living in ever-expanding metropolises. What they often find is a poor existence. One without purpose, family, and home, and one where they slip into the neglected and castoffs of society.” Spinning, she asked, “Why did he not accompany you himself?”
“He stayed to fight and protect the empire,” Nik said simply. “He is... was very brave. We don’t really know if he’s still alive.”
“Hmm,” she said. “He’s alive. We would have heard otherwise.”
“I... I think he must have recognized the magic wielded by the sorcerer. That man was looking for some simple charms worn by the tsarevnas. I believe he has more of these tiger tokens. He was extremely powerful. In the forest, he read my mind, and he commands an army of the dead.”
The leader of the Evenki began pacing, her eyes narrowed. “I see. We have heard whispers of this man—this sorcerer of whom you speak. He has left the palace, I think, and has gone on the hunt. Many tigers have been killed. I suspect this is his doing. He is searching for these two. This must be why power and magic are draining from our lands. If this man has begun collecting the Tokens of the Tiger Emblem, then he can bring about the end of all things. Already hunters are returning empty-handed. River water is polluted and sluggish. The fish refuse to spawn in them. The snows are coming later each year, and the winters are harsher, the summers hotter. The reindeer are dropping calves too early. Now I understand why all this is happening. The above and beneath are out of balance.”
“So you’ll help us break this curse and free the tsarevnas?”
“You do not understand,” she said. “The tigers do not come as a curse. They come as a gift. They are a blessing to our people. If they show themselves in your tsarevnas, then they have deemed them worthy hosts, even if I do not see it myself.”
Mumbling a few words in her language, she shook her head. “I must find out why.” Then softer, with a pained expression, she added, “Perhaps it is something I have done. Regardless, the error must be repaired for the good of all.” Approaching Stacia and Veru, she asked politely, “Will you change so we can talk?”
The tigers blinked and looked at one another.
“Why will you not change?” she asked, a wrinkle appearing between her brows.
“What do you mean by ‘change’?” asked Danik.
“I mean transform to their human selves.”
“Transform?” Nik said incredulously. “They’ve never done that since they changed the first time.”
“Not once?” she asked with surprise.
“No. Never,” Nik replied.
“Interesting,” she said. “And when did their first transformation... I mean, when did they alter their forms into tigers for the first time?”
“When the sorcerer attacked them at the palace. That would have been...” He began calculating on his fingers. “The night after was a half-moon. We’ve passed another half-moon since and are nearing a third.”
She was quiet for a moment, and then she turned quickly, saying, “Come. We must hurry.”
“You’ll help us, then?” Zakhar asked.
“Yes. But I believe it is you who have been sent to help me.”
“I don’t understand,” Nik said.
“I know you do not. Be patient and I will try to explain as best I can.”
When they arrived back at her tent, she issued orders, and the entire structure was broken down in a matter of minutes. The only piece that remained was the large pole at the center. The clansmen who had traveled with her began heading east on their own, packing her large tent with them. They’d seemed hesitant to leave her behind, but no one argued with their leader. She dismissed their guide, sending him back on his own to reunite with his clan. He smiled at the three young men, clapping them on their backs and giving them a respectful nod before leaving.
Then, with her own bag on her back, the leader of the Evenki walked back with them to the tigers and watched with fascination as Nik readied them for the trail. When she saw the laces flutter in the air next to Stacia as if trying to create a third harness before settling into two, she sucked in a breath. “It means to create the Transcendent Troika. I’ve heard stories of such a thing told to me by my grandmother as told to her by her grandmother and hers before, but not a one of them were a witness to it.”
She climbed into the sleigh. “We must find Iriko.”
“Who’s that?” Danik asked.
“He is my son—the gray tiger that you seek. But he will be hard to find. You see, he is the one who has truly been cursed.”
“Where do we go?” Nik asked, offering the reins to the Evenki leader. “Would you like to take them... um? We don’t even know what to call you.”
“You may call me Matriova, and no, I do not wish to guide the tigers. In fact, you should let them take us where they will. When we draw near to Iriko, they will sense him. His presence will call out to them. If they instinctively desire to form the Transcendent Troika, the magic will pull them where they need to be.”
“Is your son truly invisible and blind as the other clan suggested?”
For a moment, the Evenki leader, Matriova, was quiet, then she said, “Iriko was not always. But yes, he is blind now. He can, however, be seen if he wishes it, but even so, he is invisible to his people, for he has been banished.”
“Banished!” the three men said at once.
“But may I ask why?” added Zakhar.
Matriova sighed deeply, then snuggled into her fur-lined cloak. The tigers began to run, and the sleigh rocked side to side before the world blurred around them. “It is a long story,” she said. “And it is one that we do not usually share, especially with outsiders, but perhaps the time has come for a change to our way of doing things.”
Before she began her story, Zakhar took out a fresh sheet of parchment and a pot of ink, raising his quill to tap her on the shoulder, asking with his eager expression if he could document her tale. Giving him a long, thoughtful look, she nodded. He handed his pot of ink to Danik, who tried to keep it warm enough in his hands so Zakhar could keep writing, which was difficult on the bumpy terrain. But Danik knew his friend well enough now to know that Zakhar was only jotting down notes so he’d remember, and then he’d fill in the details later when they had time to spare and plenty of fire or lantern light.
“Iriko was my last child,” Matriova began. “I have had many children and several mates over the years. And I’ve outlived all of them. Such is the way of our clan leader. You see, the one who wears the tiger token is granted an exceptionally long life.”
“Then you mean that you?—”
She held up a hand. “I know you are young and impulsive, but try to listen without interruption as best you can.”
When she saw the men nod in agreement, she continued. “When one of us senses it is time to leave this world and make the long journey to join the sky people, we examine our offspring carefully and select the one we think will be the best suited to carry on as a leader and protector of the people. A few years ago, I announced it was my time to journey to the sky people and step aside. I would imagine there are several husbands waiting for me there, each one singing his best song so I will choose to enter his tent in the sky and live with him. Truthfully, not a one of them had a good enough singing voice to catch my attention.
“After gathering my children together, I selected Baikali, my beautiful, strong daughter, to take my place. Before I can pass the leadership of the clan to her, she must first take on the responsibility of the tiger and wear the tiger token for one year. Then, if she and the tiger agree with one another and the bond is sure, she will also take on my leadership role.”
“When exactly did you take on this role for yourself?” Danik asked.
Matriova was quiet for a moment. “I don’t count years like most people do. But I have seen many of my children marry, grow old, and join the sky people. I’ve seen thousands of nights, season upon season. I lingered only because I was waiting for a daughter who was special. One who I felt was ready to carry the burden. It is not an easy thing to wear a tiger token—one of those special charms, as you called them.”
“Is that why Iriko is banished? The tiger needed to be passed to a female?”
“No. That is not the reason. And no, the charms have been worn by men in the past, but in my tribe, it has always been passed traditionally to females. As I was saying... it is not an easy thing to wear a token. They are special.
“In fact, they are pieces of a very powerful emblem or seal. When combined, they give the person who holds it power to change the world. A long, long time ago, the pieces were contained within our borders, or so the legend goes. Over time, they disappeared, one by one. Lost to the ages. It is one of the reasons our peoples venerate the tiger. To destroy one results in one of the worst of all punishments.”
Zakhar interrupted, “Let me understand: When you wore a tiger token, or a piece of this tiger emblem, you could change back and forth into a tiger at will?”
“Yes. But to do so required me to pass a test.”
“What sort of test?” Nik asked.
“The test is different for each person. For some it is a test of bravery. For others a test of knowledge. The tiger must deem you worthy.”
“What happens to you if you fail the test? Do you not become a tiger? Or can you not change back?”
“It is not that simple. Your tigers, your tsarevnas, haven’t even begun their trials yet. With the Evenki, we choose our candidates very, very carefully. Never, to my knowledge, has an aspirant failed a test, though it has taken some longer to access their full abilities than others.”
Nik spoke up. “You said you selected your daughter to replace you, yet here you are. And your son is the tiger, not your daughter, so what happened? Did she fail the test?”
“No. Baikali did not fail. She was halfway finished with her first year wearing the tiger token when the terrible accident happened. The reindeer were just coming into their winter coats, and the leaves were kissed with fire but hadn’t yet fallen, and my son Iriko wanted to fish. He was a boastful, proud, fractious boy and prone to thinking his mother’s advice and counsel were about control and not about keeping him safe.
“He loved ice fishing, and that year the ice came early. I warned him that it wasn’t safe, and he needed to wait for it to harden before he tried it. He told me he would obey, but one morning I woke to find his favorite pole missing. I sent Baikali out to find him since she could scent his path and bring him home. She discovered her brother easily enough, but when she went out on the ice to confront him, she was still in tiger form. Baikali was much too heavy for the ice, and it cracked. Both of them went under.
“With the tiger token, she would have survived, but she was determined to save Iriko. She switched to her human form and held on to him, swimming for an opening. He was only a boy of twelve back then. He clung to her desperately, clawing at her neck and clothing, not realizing that in his desperation, he tore the token from her body.
“Baikali managed to thrust him up through an opening, but she was swept away beneath the ice. Iriko returned to us many hours later, clutching the token in his hand. We found my daughter’s poor broken form two days later when the ice melted. She’d drowned, her body bruised, turgid, and pale. We buried my beautiful daughter with her feet pointed east so she could watch the sun rise every morning. It was a tragic death, and though I knew the boy was young, I blamed him for killing our hope. For destroying my vision for the future with his thoughtlessness.
“Ashamed by having caused the death of his sister, especially knowing how important she had been to the Evenki, which I had made abundantly clear to him, Iriko sunk into despair. He tried to beg forgiveness from me and the people, but there was no way for him to make restitution for what he’d done. There are some things that, once broken, are gone forever.
“Iriko tried to return the tiger token to me, but no longer would the tiger recognize me as its companion. Instead, it bonded to Iriko, but Iriko, in his shame and misery, defied the tiger spirit. His soul grew bitter and dark, and he refused any attempts the tiger token gave as a test. Since he was determined to defy the tiger, turning a blind eye to its call, his own eyes grew dim. Soon his demeanor proved too volatile for the people, and he was banished.
“I regretted my harsh treatment of him then, but I didn’t see any other way to remedy the situation. The people wanted him gone. They considered him bad luck. A wanderer who brought only wickedness and vengeance. I had no choice but to do as they asked, as much as it broke my heart. So you see, not only did I lose my daughter but I lost my son as well. And the people lost the gift of magic they’d relied upon for centuries.
“It was a tragedy unlike anything I’d ever experienced. Until now, the magic Iriko possessed was the last hope for our people. I’d feared it was gone from our lands forever. But perhaps all is not as I thought. Perhaps the magic has found its own way to return. Maybe I was too hasty, too quick to judge. Maybe there is still something left for me to learn before I join the sky people.”
Zakhar had been scratching furiously with his quill, only stopping long enough to dip it in the inkpot held by Danik, but now he paused. “I think there is never an end to one’s learning,” he said. “Perhaps even after we join the sky people there is more to be learned. Don’t you agree?”
Matriova snorted. “I thought you men of the church believed only in heaven and hell. Are you trying to say you now believe you may have a place among our sky people instead?”
Tilting his head, Zakhar blinked rapidly. Whether that was due to deep reflection or bits of sleet disturbing his vision, Danik couldn’t be certain. Zakhar finally answered, “To my way of thinking, though the stories of our origins on this world differ, there are basic fundamentals in common enough to ascertain certain things that ring true across cultures.
“Those who treat their fellow man with goodness and kindness, who value life and live in such a way that they leave behind more than they take, people who edify and teach the young, passing on their wisdom and values, will, when they depart this world, return to the bosom of their creator, living in a condition that is typically defined as a place of peace and joy.
“In that sense, yes, when my time here is finished, I would hope I have contributed enough and sacrificed enough for others to have earned a position with my creator. I am content in the knowledge that a being powerful enough to bring life and such diverse beauty and wonder to this world is perfectly capable of revealing to us our role or further wisdom should we have need of it. I see no point in foisting my personal theories on others since that’s all they are at present—theories. Though I do admit, I am committed to the study of God and His law.”
“You are a strange priest, indeed, young man. But I... hear wisdom in your words. I will ponder them further myself and perhaps... I will amend my policy of speaking to men of the cloth in your case.”
Zakhar lowered his head. “I am honored and look forward to such a day, for it is obvious I have much to learn from one such as yourself.”
There was a sudden jerking of the sleigh as the two tigers unexpectedly veered to the north.
Matriova grabbed on to the sleigh’s side to right herself and said, “They must have sensed him!”
Their speed increased, and Zakhar was forced to set aside his paper and stopper his bottle of ink. It was all they could do to hold on. They sped past a large river and then a lake and a second even larger body of water before climbing a series of hills. Then they came to an abrupt stop. The tigers panted hard, and when the passengers stepped out of the sleigh, the laces immediately unwound, and the two tigers collapsed in the snow.
Nikolai and Danik hurried to their sides, offering them meat, and began searching for firewood so they could melt snow to water. As the three men worked, Matriova walked slowly, her eyes searching the area and studying the ground, looking for tracks.
“He’s here,” she said. “I can sense him.”
“I don’t see anything,” Danik said, joining her, lending his hunter’s eye.
“Nevertheless. My son is here. He’s studying us somehow. I believe he senses our presence as we do his.”
When everyone was settled, Zakhar and Danik headed out into the trees to hunt. This time with only simple traps and nothing large enough to catch a tiger. Danik didn’t want to trap Iriko by mistake, remembering Veru’s poor leg as it tried to heal over and over again against the steel teeth. When night fell, they returned with a few birds and roasted some of the meat left in their packs. Stacia and Veru were exhausted and slept deeply. Soon the men laid down to doze as well. Only Zakhar and Matriova remained awake, as he was showing her the pages he’d drawn.
He’d just unrolled the scroll he’d recovered and discovered to his delight that she knew the language, when she shushed him at hearing the crack of a branch. The circle of firelight didn’t light much area past their small camp, so they peered into the darkness, looking for traces of life.
“Hello?” Matriova called out. “Is that you, son? Please come out.”
They heard a snarl and a deep growl in response. Immediately, Stacia and Veru rose from their sleeping positions and darted quickly toward the trees. They disappeared into the darkness beyond the campfire. Danik and Nikolai rose as well, blinking sleep from their eyes.
“What’s happening?” Danik asked.
They heard a roar and a tussle in the snow. Then all went quiet.
“Should we go after them?” asked Nik.
“Wait,” Matriova said, holding up a hand.
Straining, they heard a noise, very soft, like a rhythmic pulse that grew louder. They realized it was the sound of paws on snow. Soon they saw the dark shadows of the tigers followed by a third shadow. When they stepped into the light, Veru growled softly, and Stacia whined. Behind them, treading in the snow barefoot, as lightly as the two tigers had, was a young man, tall and handsome.
His long, dark hair hung loose down his back. The reindeer tunic and leggings he wore no longer fit and were torn in places. Where the tunic should have been closed, he’d cut it open down the center to account for his expanding, muscular chest, and he’d ripped off the arms and widened the holes so his arms could fit through. The leggings hung on his narrow hips and were now far too short to provide any warmth from the snow. Around his neck hung an all too familiar charm.
A keening sound came from Matriova as she took in the sight. Zakhar could see crystal tears coursing down her cheeks. His heart broke for the older woman, but then he looked at the young man, and he saw nothing but flint in his expression.
“Oh, my boy,” Matriova said. “My Iriko.” She rose and removed her own fur-lined cloak to wrap around his shoulders.
But as she was securing it, he grabbed her hands, stopping her, then stepped back, wrenched the beautiful wrap from his body, and tossed it mercilessly to the snow, saying, “I am no boy, woman. And I have no mother. You should know better than to try to warm a glacier. Don’t you remember that ice feels nothing?”