|
The Chosen travelled again. After they had left
the stench of the Rama den Lekopo awakened, and helped to carry some of the
load. Kikia was quite disappointed with the loss of the contents of his bag, but
then so was everyone else. Moana’s seaweed and mintcake had fused into an
untasty slush at the bottom of her bag, and Pirihi’s box of ice lilies could be
found nowhere. In fact everything that wasn’t made of metal or wood had been
shattered by the intense cold of the descent on the Kahu back, or by the impact
of hitting the ground. Kohuke’s bag was crushed completely, only his claws
surviving the impact, and cut into his back.
They stopped for a couple of days near the highway to Onu-Koro, in the hope that
being closer to his home would help to revive Kohuke. He eventually awoke in the
middle of the night, and complained he was hungry. So they fed him, and
continued on, Kikia, Kohuke and Lekopo helping to carry the equipment of the
others. They walked fast because of it.
It’s a shame we don’t need the speed now… thought Kaiwera bitterly.
The Chosen pestered him to where they were going, but he could only say it was
Ga-Koro and couldn’t say why. He hoped that they would trust him. They did. His
confidence grew when they didn’t ask him again.
Pirihi had to use educated guesses at what they could eat. When they were
begging to climb up the Kini Nui mountain, he had seen a type of berry he said
would make them all walk faster. They ate it, and they did. It had an unusual
taste, like that of a new and foreign food. They took some with them. As they
walked, and climbed, they came across various wild Rahi, and took it in turns to
disable them using their elemental powers. Lekopo was taught how to summon winds
and storms, and loved it. As they moved into Ko-Wahi he used the wind to swirl
the heat from Kaiwera’s Firesword around those who felt the cold. Kohuke, Pirihi
and Moana walked outside of the little whirlwind, Kohuke lagging behind them.
They spoke, as they crossed the icy vales and ravines. They talked of things
they had done, things they wanted to do, and the Chosen were surprised to find
Pirihi opening up what he thought about things. As they walked, they formed a
kind of bond, and the iciness between Kaiwera and Pirihi soon disappeared, and
they returned to how they were when they first cooked together, that morning in
the Po-Wahi snow fields.
Sometimes, Moana and Pirihi would walk away from the group for a while, and then
return a few hours later. Kaiwera looked at them solemnly as they left, but he
knew their fate already.
“Pirihi… do you remember, someone. Um, this is very hard…”
“No, I think I know what you mean. Yes, I do. She was very special.”
“Well, I have something to tell you…”
“What?”
“…”
“I mean, what is it?”
“Well… I think it was me.”
Pirihi stopped. He looked at Moana, paused, then fell upon her with a tight
embrace.
“Moana! For so long I have thought of you and not known who you are, or who you
were! You remember don’t you? Us? What we had?”
Moana nodded quietly. She began to cry.
“What? What is it?”
“Pirihi… I loved you. You were special. We both knew it then. But now… we have a
mission to for fill. I don’t want to take that chance that I might loose you
again…”
“Moana, you’re not going to loose me! We’re the Chosen – we cannot be defeated!
We have part of the Toa within us!”
“No Pirihi, you don’t… you don’t remember do you?”
“What do you mean? Of course I remember! You were the only thing I can remember!
From the before time, there was nothing but you!”
“That’s what I mean. And it was the same for me. But then you weren’t there
anymore!
“And for me, my life ended there. I don’t know what happened next, but I felt I
didn’t exist anymore. I just remember calling your name over and over, and then
it was so cold… and I could think of nothing but you… Ow… Pirihi, even now my
heart hurts to think about that… I can’t risk that it might happen again!”
Pirihi looked at her. The pink setting sun was reflected by the white snow
around them onto her face, making her look a beautiful deep purple. She looked
up at him through her tears.
“Do you understand?”
“Yes. But I don’t want to. Surely the Toa have been summoned now, and Makuta
will be defeated?”
“No… Pirihi, I can’t… not again. I’m so sorry…” she sobbed, shaking.
There was the sound of faint squeaking, and the other Chosen came into view,
their footsteps compacting the snow with a squeeeeek, squeeeeeek noise.
And they kept walking.
When they had reached the jungles that lay between Ga-Koro and Ta-Koro, Kaiwera
ordered that the Chosen rest for a time. After a day, they asked him why they
were still resting. He then told them that they had to wait twenty days since
they had left. They accepted this, and enjoyed each others company for a few
days, cooking small Rahi on a campfire. After the second day, Kaiwera felt very
ill, and Pirihi became agitated.
Kaiwera was bundled in blankets and kept muttering strange and dark things.
After a few hours, he became better, but was very anxious. On the nineteenth day
they saw fireworks erupt in the sky, and wondered what they meant. On the
twentieth day they set off for Ga-Koro, only a few miles away.
As they approached, they could see it was a hive of activity.
As they walked through the gates they were jostled and budged. Moana said hello
to a few people, but when they looked up and seemed not to recognise her. They
came to Nokama’s hut.
Inside, the six Turaga were waiting.
|
