{"id":1097,"date":"2019-02-12T13:35:39","date_gmt":"2019-02-12T18:35:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/read.whitefire-publishing.com\/?p=1097"},"modified":"2020-06-01T09:07:05","modified_gmt":"2020-06-01T13:07:05","slug":"the-journey-of-eleven-moons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whitefire-publishing.com\/read\/the-journey-of-eleven-moons\/","title":{"rendered":"The Journey of Eleven Moons"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n

The Journey of Eleven Moons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Twentieth Anniversary Edition<\/p>\n\n\n\n

by Bonnie Leon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A successful walrus hunt means Anna and her beloved Kinauquak will soon be joined in marriage. But before they can seal their promise to one another, a tsunami wipes their tribe from the rugged shore \u2026 everyone except Anna and her little sister, Iya, who are left alone to face the Alaskan wilderness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A stranger, a Civil-War veteran with golden hair and blue eyes, wanders the untamed Aleutian Islands. He offers help, but can Anna trust him or his God? And if she doesn\u2019t, how will she and Iya survive?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t

Chapter 1<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t

<\/p>\n\n\n

Alaskan\nTerritory<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1868<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna\u2019s hands stopped their rhythmic\nwork of basket weaving and lay still in her lap as she gazed out at the frigid\nBering Sea. Kinauquak had gone with the men, and this time he would be allowed\nto make a kill. Unable to concentrate, she looked around the circle of women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alulak met her gaze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the old woman\u2019s scrutiny, Anna lowered her eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alulak laughed and her eyes became half-moons, nearly\ndisappearing into the folds of wrinkled, brown skin toughened from years of\ncold and wind. With a toothless grin, she boasted, \u201cMy grandson Kinauquak will\nreturn with a great walrus. Of this I am certain.\u201d Eyes bright with\nanticipation, she said, \u201cTonight we will feast.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other Aleut women grinned and nodded, hands never\nceasing to weave the unyielding Aleutian grasses. Each occasionally looked up\nfrom her work to scan the empty sea. As always, they waited, anxious for the\nmen\u2019s return, not knowing if her loved one had perished or would come back a\nsuccessful hunter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet this hunt was special. Custom dictated that when\nKinauquak made his first kill, he would be counted among the men and ready to\ntake a wife. Anna and Kinauquak had been promised to each other while still\nchildren. Once they had played together, but that time was past. Now, as was\ncustomary and acceptable, they loved each other as adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, Anna could not dwell in Kinauquak\u2019s hut. Not until he\ncame for her. Anna looked at her mother, Luba. \u201cThe men will come soon?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luba smiled softly. \u201cYes. Soon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Were there bobbing splotches of brown on the horizon? Anna\nstared at the vast ocean. None. She released a deep sigh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mind preoccupied, she ran the sharp edge of a blade of grass\nacross her finger. \u201cOuch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blood oozed from a small cut. A droplet fell upon the\npartially finished basket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna put her finger to her mouth to stop the flow. This\nbasket, now marked with a dark stain, would be the first she would bring into\nher new home. How fitting that it should contain her lifeblood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sixteen summers had passed since her birth, and she was\nready to take her place as mate and mother. To have been chosen as Kinauquak\u2019s\npartner was an honor. He was a brave and noble man. Her heart swelled with\npride as she thought of him and how his eyes lit up when he looked at her. She\nonly hoped she would be worthy of such a man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna had worked hard to learn the skill of fleshing and\nsoftening hides, and her baskets were admired by even the old ones. She laid\nher hand across her abdomen and prayed the gods would favor her and Kinauquak\nwith many children. Already she carried his child. At the time of their joining,\nshe would tell him. Until then, she delighted in the certainty of his joy when\nhe heard of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iya and Inoki, her younger sister and brother, raced through\nthe circle of women. Iya squealed with delight as Inoki sprinted behind her.\nAlthough the younger of the two, Iya was swifter and more agile and easily\navoided her brother\u2019s pursuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alulak, the eldest of the women, stood. Stretching her\nfour-foot, eleven-inch frame as tall as possible, she planted her hands on her\nhips. \u201cYou children go and play where you are not a nuisance.\u201d She held her\narms away from her body and scanned the sand around her. \u201cLook what you have\ndone. You have thrown sand over all our work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With no more than a glance, the children scurried off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The women shook their heads, clucking their tongues, their\nirritation always more show than true annoyance. They tolerated childish\nbehavior because, all too soon, the children would shoulder the burden of\nsurvival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna\u2019s gaze darted across the vast expanse of water as she\ntwisted a strand of grass absentmindedly. When\nwill they come?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other women giggled knowingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna glanced about the circle as she felt blood rush to her\nface. She quickly looked down at her work. Has he killed a walrus yet? Would\nshe have to wait much longer? Or would she be his wife today?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bay remained empty except for the ever-present kelp\nfloating aimlessly in the currents and the birds who squalled as they fought\nover tidbits in the surf. In the small cove, the sun reflected off quiet water,\nbut beyond the bay, wind-whipped whitecaps danced across the tops of untamed\nwaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna closed her eyes and lifted her chin toward the precious\nsun, delighting in its warmth. The sun\u2019s rare appearance made it something of\ngreat value. Wind and rain were often relentless. Frequently Anna complained\nabout the lack of sunshine. If only the weather were brighter and warmer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luba would gently correct her. \u201cLife does not always give us\nwhat we want. We must cherish each day, no matter what it brings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna tried to do as her mother said, but some days were just\ntoo bleak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She breathed in the briny odor of the sea and returned to\nher work. Finally the women accepted her, although she sometimes felt like a\nchild looking in from the outside. Still, her mind was too full of Kinauquak to\ntake in much of the women\u2019s conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her mother watched her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna smiled, and Luba returned the gesture, but her smile\ndid not touch her eyes. \u201cIs all well?\u201d Anna asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luba didn\u2019t answer at first. Her chocolate-colored eyes\nsettled squarely on Anna. \u201cLife is good. The sea provides and our family<\/a> is\nwell.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The women quieted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut … I feel your absence from our home even before you\nhave gone. Soon, you will share the barabara of your husband.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tears pricked Anna\u2019s eyes, and she managed a weak smile.\nWhen her mother learned of the baby, she would forget her sorrow. But life\nwould not be the same after Anna left her family\u2019s hut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luba had named her eldest daughter after a great Russian\nprincess, telling Anna, \u201cYour name will be a symbol of your heritage. You will\nalways be special among our people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her father, a visiting Russian sailor, had come and gone\nbefore knowing of her existence. Instead of the usual straight, coal-black hair\nof Aleutian women, she had dark brown waves. Her eyes, though almond in shape,\nwere a vibrant gold rather than a dark brown. Her disposition, more than any\nother characteristic, set her apart. She was bold and determined, sometimes\neven argumentative\u2014a trait considered unattractive among her people. The elders\noften chastised her for her stubbornness. Anna tried to follow the dictates of\nthe village leaders but frequently failed. Still, she was accepted as one of\nthem and deeply loved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna held up her basket and studied her work. The grass she\nhad twisted marred the design. Should she remove it? No, perfection was not\nalways best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe hunters are coming!\u201d Inoki yelled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dropping her basket, Anna turned to look for the approaching\nboats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other women set their work aside and rushed to the\nwater\u2019s edge. They shaded their eyes as they gazed out over the sea at the\nboats bobbing in the distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna trembled as she pushed to her feet. She stood, unable\nto move, heart hammering beneath her ribs. She held her breath as the baidarkas\nsliced through the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What if Kinauquak had failed?It was too awful to imagine. He would be disgraced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I pray to you, god of the sea, do not let him be dishonored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The villagers crowded about the boats as they came ashore.\nAs the sealskin vessels scraped against the sand, men leapt into the shallows\nand, with the help of eager observers, dragged their crafts up the rocky beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna stood at a distance, hands clasped tightly together as\nshe searched for Kinauquak. Then she saw him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He smiled broadly as he emerged from his baidarka. He stood\nerect, spear in hand, and searched the landscape. As his eyes met Anna\u2019s, he\nheld his spear high in the air, a look of pride confirming his success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a small cheer, Anna ran toward him, but as she\napproached shyness slowed her pace. Eyes lowered, she quietly stopped next to\nhim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kinauquak, with a shout of triumph, placed his hands around\nher small waist and lifted her into the air and spun about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unrestrained energy flowed from Kinauquak to Anna and all\nshe knew was laughter and joy. Trembling with excitement, she wrapped her arms\nabout his neck, looked into his eyes and, with voice shaking, said, \u201cIt is our\ntime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kinauquak answered by embracing her even more tightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna threw her head back and laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alulak shuffled through the loose sand and embraced the\ncouple. When she stepped back she turned to Kinauquak and with a voice full of\npride, said, \u201cAs your mother would have done, if her spirit had not departed\nthis world, I will do. I will prepare a feast and we will celebrate.\u201d With a\nwide, toothless smile, she added jubilantly, \u201cCome, there is to be a joining.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the help of the other hunters, Kinauquak hauled the\ngreat walrus onto the shore. Like a strutting cock, he walked about the bloated\nanimal, chanting a tune of triumph. He stopped, placed his spear squarely upon\nit, and pierced it once more before allowing the men to drag it to Alulak\u2019s\nhut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna turned to follow Alulak when an ominous rumbling\nemanated from deep within the earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ground trembled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She moved toward Kinauquak, but the earth\u2019s violent pitching\nthrew her to the ground. As she fought to regain her footing, the land rose\nbeneath her, making it impossible to stand. Helplessly sprawled on the writhing\nsand, she screamed, \u201cKinauquak!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He battled the quaking ground as he tried to run to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A hut of mud and rocks collapsed, nearly burying him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others fell, helpless against the powerful, convulsing\nbeach. Cries for loved ones pierced the air. The earth swallowed bushes and\nscrub trees, then spewed them out as though they were bitter to the taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna tried again to stand, but the ground continued to heave\nand she could only watch as the village crumbled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A rack, draped with drying salmon, toppled, sending fish\nsprawling across the vibrating sand. A kayak tumbled from its stand. Alulak picked\nup a crying child, then stumbled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna\u2019s heart raced and she gulped for air. Although the\nground had trembled many times before, she had never felt it move with such\npower. She couldn\u2019t fight the undulating motion any longer. She sat, clasped\nher hands tightly about her legs, and pulled herself into a ball with her head\ntucked close into her knees. All she could do was wait and pray the earth would\nstop its violent pitching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kinauquak tried to get to Anna, but was thrown to the ground\nagain and again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The roar from inside the earth grew louder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna covered her ears. How long could it last? She closed\nher eyes and squeezed them tightly shut, blocking out the nightmarish scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It could not be banished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As quickly as it had started, the rumbling ceased, and the\nland ended its distorted dance. All was silent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heart still pounding, Anna lifted her head and looked about,\nafraid of what she would find. The village was all askew. Rocks, mud, and grass\nwere mounded where homes had stood minutes before. Huts tipped at odd angles.\nTrees and bushes no longer stood erect; some still swayed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whimpering came from some of the villagers. Others stood\nmute and stunned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna tried to stand, but her legs would not hold her. She\nremained huddled on the ground. She wanted to weep, needed to weep, but there\nwas no time for that now. She blinked back tears and dredged up practicality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kinauquak suddenly appeared beside her, grabbing her hands.\n\u201cAre you all right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She looked down at herself. Everything seemed fine. She\nnodded, still feeling dazed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kinauquak pulled her to her feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is so still,\u201d she whispered. \u201cEven the birds have\nstopped complaining.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blood fell from Kinauquak\u2019s arm, trickled down his wrist,\nand dripped from his hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou are hurt!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kinauquak glanced at his wound. \u201cIt is nothing.\u201d He brushed\nat the blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna ignored his indifference, led him to the surf, and\nknelt in the water, pulling Kinauquak down beside her. She washed a deep gash\non his arm, then waded a little farther out into the surf and fished out a\npiece of seaweed. \u201cHere, this will help.\u201d She wrapped the seaweed about his\nwound. When it was in place, she patted it gently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna\u2019s mother wailed. \u201cIya! I can\u2019t find Iya!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna scanned the beach, but there was no sign of her sister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHelp me!\u201d Luba pleaded, voice on the edge of hysteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of the village quickly set out to search for the\nmissing girl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna ran to her mother. \u201cWhere was she before the ground\nshook?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luba looked about frantically. \u201cI do not know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe will find her,\u201d Anna said with a confidence she didn\u2019t\nfeel. As she scanned the village, her gaze fell upon the family\u2019s partially\ndestroyed home. Iya might be inside. <\/em>She\nsprinted across the sand toward the tilted structure, fighting the impulse to\nrush inside. Instead, she peered through the door, then patted the walls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sturdy enough to stand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She stepped inside. As her eyes adjusted to the half-light,\nshe gasped. The hut was in shambles, nearly unrecognizable. Everything had\nfallen from the walls and lay scattered about the dirt floor. Their table was\ntipped on its side, and the furs looked as if someone had tossed them about. A\nseal-oil lamp had landed on the floor, its light extinguished. The morning fire\nstill smoldered beneath the debris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna turned to leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soft sobs came from beneath a pile of skins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She hurried across the room, searched through the hides, and\nfound Iya hiding from an unseen foe at the bottom of the heap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eyes shut tightly and face streaked with tears, she trembled\nconvulsively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna gently lifted the little girl and held her close. \u201cIya,\nall is well. The earth has stopped moving. You do not need to be afraid.\u201d She\nkissed the little girl\u2019s cheek, stroked her straight black hair, and carried\nthe frightened child out of the hut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, my sweet Iya. Here you are.\u201d Anna\u2019s mother gathered her\ninto her arms and cradled her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oovie Dunnak, Anna\u2019s stepfather, assembled the family\noutside the damaged hut. The stocky, powerfully built man quickly took command,\nbarking orders at Anna and her brothers. He instructed the two older boys to\nrebuild the fish rack and told a younger brother to clean the partially dried\nfish and rehang them. The oldest son joined his father, and the two began\nrepairs on the wounded hut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna worked inside with her mother, and Iya was told to stay\nout of trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shaking dust from the seal pelts used for bedding, Anna put\nthem back in place while her mother removed the debris from the fire pit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luba hummed an ancient chant of good fortune as they worked\ninside the dark, musty house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna\u2019s sweet, clear voice blended with her mother\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They smiled at each other. Singing always brought them\ncomfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her tiny mother tried to lift the driftwood table, but\nfaltered. \u201cAnna, could you help me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna quickly grabbed the other side of the table and\ntogether they managed to lift it and set it against the back wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The promised joining \u2026 A sharp pang of disappointment seized\nAnna\u2019s stomach. There would be no celebration tonight. She swallowed her grief,\nchiding herself for such selfish thoughts. Now was not the time to think of her\nneeds. There would be plenty of time for Kinauquak and her. They had a\nlifetime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luba surveyed the room, which looked much as it had before\nthe quake except for the partially crumbled wall. She placed her arm about\nAnna\u2019s shoulders and pulled her close. \u201cThat is better.\u201d She stopped and faced\nher oldest child. \u201cYou have always been a faithful daughter, bringing me great\njoy.\u201d She reached out and took a strand of Anna\u2019s silky brown hair between her\nfingers then tenderly smoothed it back. She leveled tear-filled eyes on Anna\nand her voice quavered. \u201cI will miss you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna lay her hand over her mother\u2019s, unable to keep the\nregret out of her words. \u201cThere will be no joining today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo. But tomorrow, or the next. Your time is soon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know I will be Kinauquak\u2019s wife, but I had hoped it would\nbe today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luba\u2019s expression turned soft, understanding passing between\nthe two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat more can I do to help?\u201d Anna asked. It was time to\nleave regrets behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luba thought for a moment before a smile brightened her\nface. \u201cThere are blueberries ripening on the bluff. Your father enjoys them\nvery much. Would you take Iya and pick some to celebrate our good fortune?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna\u2019s eyes widened. \u201cGood fortune? Everything has fallen\ndown around us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luba cupped Anna\u2019s face between her hands. \u201cThe ground shook\nin a way I have never known, yet we live.\u201d She looked toward the heavens and\nwhispered with passion, \u201cGod has protected us. Tomorrow will come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna said nothing. She had never trusted the God the Russian\npriest, Father Ermelov, spoke of. She believed in the ancient gods of her\npeople\u2014the creator god, god of the sea, and god of the moon. She turned away.\n\u201cThere are not many berries ripe yet, but I think there are enough for one\nmeal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luba said nothing more about God, but reminded Anna, \u201cDo not\nforget Iya.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She would rather go by herself and spend time on the high\nbluffs that overlooked the beach. It was the perfect place to be alone. But she\nsmiled and said, \u201cI will not forget. We will bring back many berries.\u201d She\nslipped a leather pouch over her shoulder, picked up two baskets, and went to\nlook for her sister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iya\u2019s chatter gave away her location before Anna rounded the\nhouse. The little girl sat on a rock, watching her father and brothers work. \u201cIt\nwas dark inside the hut. I heard a great roar and the world tipped from side to\nside. Is that how it always is when the earth shakes? Will it come again?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There would be more quaking. It could go on for many days.She cut into the little girl\u2019s\nprattle. \u201cNo, Iya, it has gone. Would you like to come pick berries?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iya jumped to her feet. \u201cYes.\u201d She raced across the sand\ntoward her sister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna\u2019s father stopped his labor to look at his two\ndaughters. \u201cBerries will taste good. Thank you, Anna.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe will return soon,\u201d Anna said, taking Iya\u2019s hand. She led\nher sister to the trail that led up the steep cliffs above the beach. After\nhelping Iya over the large rocks at the bottom of the winding path, Anna\nstopped and looked out over the village.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A cloud moved across the sun, casting a shadow on the beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A vague sense of unease fell over Anna. Unable to explain\nthe feeling, she shrugged it off and followed Iya up the cliffs.
<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n