Episode Eight: Lapses

Otawniack returns from hunting and proceeds to skin and gut the deer. After a peaceful, warm night's sleep they leave early in the morning to speak with the shaman.

After winding their way through the valley again they come to the steep cliff. There is no easy way up and it is one of the trials to see if one is worthy of seeing him to ascend the mountain. Otawniack says he cannot promise he will see them once they arrive, that decision is up to the shaman. They scale the cliff with only a minor mishap of Marco nearly falling and instead only showering Castor with rocks.

At the top they find a small hut, small wind chimes tinkling in the breeze, smoke billowing from a hole in the roof. Castor enters first. Inside they find a calming atmosphere, incense burning, crackling fire, spartan furniture. A man sits, eyes closed, legs folded. Grey braids lie on his chest, slightly obscuring his colorfully beaded clothing. When they enter he says “I sensed your arrival. Come, have a seat. Who is it who comes to the shaman’s hut?”

Marco starts to say “we come from a faraway land…” Castor elbows him and says “We’re here to learn.”

“A wise man knows that he can only know so much knowledge. A wiser man knows to let the spirits be his guide.”

Ivetta chimes in, “We want to learn about the creature in the forest, to try to protect your people.” “For others’ gain or your own?”

“To broker peace between your people and those who have come to your land.”

“What do you offer that others could not?”

“We are guided by God.” Marco says.

“Ah, I have heard whispers on the wind through the trees of travelers. The spirits they speak through the natural world, to those who will listen. But tell me is He with you now?”

“Of course, God is everywhere, he is within us, always watching.”

“Then it is you four about whom they spoke. I will help you as much as I am able. I am but a simple shaman, a holy man. That creature which we call the Wendigo is a manifestation of the gods, of nature itself. It is brought about by the imbalance of man, we are wary of travelers who enter these lands as they further the imbalance. The wendigo is a deeply spiritual beast, complex. It hunts us but it is the way of nature.”

“Is there any way to stop it?” Ivetta asks.

“We have spiritual ways to defend against the beast. The English have another way. It is ever more ferocious since the English arrived. They may be harboring thoughts and actions that displease God but I cannot speak for Him. It is with the language of my people in conjunction with song and dance and fire that keeps the Wendigo from our borders. Only in togetherness can we keep it at bay.”

“Can you teach us?”

“It cannot be explained, only seen.”

“Might we attend a ritual?”

“That is for the chief to decide.”

Viridis pipes up, “Why live alongside rather than defeat it?”

“It is one of God's creations. To destroy it would be an affront to nature. It is not like the other creatures. There is only one and it has always been. To destroy it would be to destroy one of God's creations, completely.”

Castor tears up a little, “We- we don’t want to kill it. But we need to get near it.”

“Then I suggest going in the daylight when it is asleep. A piece of sage advice: but bring the light of the sun that is not seen or heard.”

Marco and Viridis begin bickering about what they should do. They do so for several minutes. Marco and Viridis continue talking as they leave the hut, followed closely by Ivetta. Castor stays a moment longer to thank the shaman and apologize for her friend’s rowdiness.

Otawniack waited for the group to emerge and led them back down the cliff. Despite what he said the night before, he accompanies them to the cave, although he stays a good distance back holding their horses.

The four head toward the cave. Marco shows off that he can make a tiny flame sparking the idea that hey, we should have torches, this is a dark spooky cave. So Castor goes and breaks off a branch from a tree by the cave.

The howl of the Wendigo echoes from the cave sending a chill racing through each and every spine.

The two facing the cave, Ivetta and Marco shout “Run!” and they all book it back to their horses. Otawniack shouts “what have you done!?” He pulls out his bow and looses an arrow before climbing on Ivetta’s horse with her. Stampede to get out of there.

When they get some distance between them Otawniack gets off and says “I can no longer help you. You are all fools!” and he yeets off into the forest.

The four try to return to Jamestown and get kinda lost. Snow begins piling up and a blizzard engulfs them. Just as they’re getting tired and long to stop for the night they hear a growl. This spooks the horses to keep running and at long last, make it to Jamestown. The guards at the gate let them in. They are questioned as to who they are and what their business is. Castor says “We need shelter.”

The guard looks at them saying “look, I don’t know who you think you are but strangers aren’t welcome here.”

Castor, Ivetta, Marco, and Viridis all look at each other like ??? “uh sir, we were here yesterday. John Smith or- or the quartermaster can vouch for us. Please, its very cold.” this does little to convince the man. Just before he shoves them back out into the blizzard the quartermaster appears. He calms the guard and assures him that he knows these four. He takes them to his home.

There he is peppered with questions.”What on earth was that about? “Why didn’t he remember us?” “we were chained in the town square, I thought everyone would remember that??” he brushes all these off and asks where his treasure is, face beaming.

“We- uh- didn’t get it yet.” His smile falls and he berates them. “It was a simple task and yet you return here empty handed. I thought you were eager to learn.”

“There-there’s a monster there! We need weapons, guns, to fight it off.” Ivetta says.

Marco adds “that’s the Wendigo’s home, we can’t just walk in there.”

The quartermaster narrows his eyes “Wendigo? That is what those savages call it. So you have made contact with them?”

“Yeah, you said we might need a guide so we talked to one of them.” Castor supplies.

He says nothing to this but denies them weapons, “those are just stories to frighten children. You *will* get me my shipment.”

Viridis bursts out, “Get it yourself! It's way too dangerous to go there without weapons! If you’re so powerful, you do it. Unless you’re afraid the town will burn you.”

He rounds on her, “I hope that you were not threatening me. You know,” a ball of fire appears in his hand growing larger, “magic is very difficult to control, I would hate for some accident to occur.” He trows the fireball into the already burning hearth. “You will get it tomorrow. No guns. Now get out.”

They leave, Ivetta, Marco, and Viridis furious, Castor just scared. They head to the church but find no Imilia. Needing to cool off, Ivetta goes outside to the small graveyard in which she finds three graves that read respectively:

Steven Smith  1606-1611

Richard Lincoln 1607-1610

Sally Gunderson 1587-1609

They have a fitful rest in the chapel and in the morning prepare to storm the Wendigo’s lair once more. They make some torches and look for a shovel in case they need to dig for it.

As they leave the church people look at them very strangely. One woman asks “who are you? What were you doing in there?”

“Travelers. We were just worshiping a moment this fine morning.”

“We’ve never seen you!” “Probably thieves!” “Get out of here!” John Smith himself is out and about as well, he gets out his gun and aims it at the four strangers. The quartermaster, once again steps in insisting they’re leaving and have caused no harm. At that he pushes us out the front gate. The only answer to further questions from the group is that “they have lapses in memory.”

They ride four hours toward the cave and arrive around 1pm.

They tie their horses loosely and approach the cave. This time bringing dead wood for torches.

Inside is damp and quiet. A downward incline causes them to take extra caution while descending. About halfway down, however, Marco slides a bit but is able to steady himself. Viridis misplaces her footing and rolls down the incline. Marco makes a grab for her, just managing to grab her ankle. Rocks and pebbles skitter their way to the bottom of the incline. Her torch, thrown from her hand, rolls and hits a crate at the very bottom. A calm pool of water slightly further in the cave breaks its stillness. Ripples dance across its surface and once more do cold spikes of fear stab at their spines as the piercing howl echoes.

Marco rights Viridis and tries to pick up the box but can't. Castor goes slowly to him. Giving up on carrying, Marco pops the lock to potentially empty it of smaller contents. The lid swings open and the four see bottles of brown liquid.

Hairs prickle at the backs of their necks telling them they need to go. *Now.*

Twice, Marco thought he felt claws latch onto his ankle and get dragged away but no, he picked up that box and ran for his life. They all made it out into the overcast prairie. The Wendigo not pursuing.

A good distance away, out of breath and shaking with fear, they stop to rest. Ivetta grabs a bottle from the crate and takes a swig. A crest burned into the lid of the chest sports a shield with two columns, a lion, lotus, red and yellow stripes and a castle in the left. Marco inspects the booze, finding it to be regular old alcohol.

Viridis inspects the box itself and finds a false bottom. Inside is a flintlock pistol as well as a letter that reads:

Mr. Gabriel Smith,

My nations state has recently come into information that may be helpful for our ongoing efforts within the colony of Jamestown. A nearby fauna we have ascertained may incapacitate people of Jamestown to such a degree that my nation may be able to undermine their efforts of colonizing this land. If you can speed up this process we may be able to considerably increase your pay.

Signed, Raffaelle Garcia

Diplomat to the crown of the Spanish Empire.

They realize that the quartermaster, Gabriel Smith, has been poisoning the people of Jamestown. They debate blackmailing him with this information. They also deliberate on whether they should poison him as he was doing to the people but decide they don’t know how quickly that would take effect. Eventually they decide to go to Otawniack and explain how the people of Jamestown have been hoodwinked and that the quartermaster is probably the one who stole the English’s document and blamed Otawniack’s people.

They head toward his hut but he finds them first. They explain what they found in the Wendigo’s lair. He leads them back to his home and they talk more in depth there.

Otawniack says “Peace is the only option. Perhaps if my people can give the crate with the note and broker a deal with their John Smith then faith in my people would be restored. I will tell my chief and return tomorrow.”

They sleep in his hut once more then make their way to Jamestown in the morning.

Outside Jamestown there’s a big crufuffle about a hundred natives stand or sit about. The chief and John Smith sit across from one another, the box in between them. It looks like they’ve been talking a while. The English have opened the gates. After a time, Smith and the chief stand and shake hands. Two guards drag the quartermaster out of the town kicking and screaming. John Smith walks over to him and gives him a few good punches.

The group gets closer and the chief himself speaks to them. “Otawiniac told me of you four, you who allowed peace between your and my people. You would do well to talk to John Smith; he seems quite confused.”

They then approach John Smith who is, indeed, a bit confused. “I am told I know you?”

“Ah, yes, we’re travelers. You met us a few days ago, and received us off the boat.” Castor says. “Look you wouldn’t happen to know where this important paper with three lions on it is would you?”

John Smith looks off and hold his head, “paper… the charter? He made me… bury it… my son…I’m sorry.”

Castor says “its alright, you- you didn't know. It's alright.”

He nods, not really knowing for sure otherwise. Ivetta asks if she can get a shot at the quartermaster. The guards and John Smith all look the other way as she gives him a solid punch. Satisfied with her work they all turn to leave when he shouts at them “You! Your four! You did this to me!”

Castor retorts, “You did this to yourself!”  A searing heat catches them all off guard as the enraged quartermaster’s arms turn to flames, burning the poor guards holding him into ash. Viridis pulls the flintlock on him, aiming at his head. The quartermaster smiles, “Make sure your aim is true, peasant.”

Viridis pulls the trigger.

Gabriel Smith, the traitorous quartermaster, smiles as his eyes glow orange and the bullet stops in midair.

TBC

Episode Nine: Showdown at Jamestown