Trepeeset looked down at the medallion and grabbed it, looking closely
at the hair kept there that floated inside its clear turquoise prison.
His eyes started watering up only by watching it there, and by what it
meant. He walked to a nearby tree and looked up and down the stem
Chotsalak silently watched him pad back to him, where Trepeeset
cracked the stone in two and pulling out the hair. Then he resumed
taking the piece of hair and the clump of resin he had in is other
hand to create a ball at one end of the hair. Then he took some sand
and rubbed onto the resin so it wouldn't stick and put it in one of
his satchels.
"You're actually going to keep it?" Chotsalak asked.
"I just cannot throw it away, all of it was his gift to me. If I just
discard it the moment I realize the secret of the stone, I'd be
dishonoring him."
"But you know what it means..."
"Yes! But..."
Trepeeset looked at the medallion once again and shifted it in his
hands slowly. His breath turned out ragged again. Chotsalak came
closer and put a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the face.
Trepeeset's eyes were tearing and he glanced up at him but turned his
head away as if to avoid his gaze.
"I could see some of his memories... I-I just want to remember him..."
Chotsalak put another hand on his other shoulder.
"You take it!" Trepeeset said quickly and looked him straight in the
eyes with a frightened expression.
"You know very well I can't. What Chief Yolanuwek did for your
father's Nant'o Das would not let anyone in this village ever carry
this medallion of yours except you. Your father was very dear to all
of us."
Trepeeset's eyes rove wildly for a few moments before he dropped down
to his very knees and sulked. Chotsalak sat down on the sand with his
legs crossed and waited patiently.
"But I have to keep his hair." he said after having regained a bit
more composure after a few minutes of desperate grief.
"It's yours Trepeeset. I cannot say I really approve of it, but I can
see why you need it." Chotsalak said and quietly recalled the burial
less than half an hour ago.
Trepeeset stood up a bit too fast and did his best to look strong; a
warrior. He grabbed the stone firmly with one hand and looked down on
Chotsalak sitting on the sand.
"So, what do you think we could do with this?" said Trepeeset.
"Well... there is just so much we can do with this!", Chotsalak looked
upright excited, quickly rose himself and grasped both his hands into
tight-clenched fists. "But first I think we should see if the
medallion can turn you into an animal. Imagine the hunt if you were my
horse! Or the things you could see as an eagle! It's as if the Heavens
gave you the stone just so you could see its greatness!"
Trepeeset looked at him with a fixed gaze. He slowly turned his
surprised expression to a smile. "The things we could do..."
"Yes, we could seek out our prey with you in lead as a bear, or
scouting the Pale Men's settlements from up above in the skies! Maybe
we could do something about them as well, the Pale Men I mean, for
encroaching our lands and killing our game."
Trepeeset now looked fully confident, taking a deep breath he grabbed
Chotsalak's arm and started running along the beach. "I know just the
place!"
Chotsalak laughed heartily as he was being forced to tag along. "And
where would that be?"
[[OT: Great writing anonymous! Glad to see so much thought put into
the story from the very beginning]]