Future Leaders Journey

1 Time for Another Adventure

The morning sun crested the mountains turning the clouds to a pink and yellow array floating slowly across the light blue sky.

Both Taelo and Golden Hawk sat in their usual morning boulders sipping hot broth from a bowl. They had spent the last few summer cycles traveling around to the various clan encampments where they taught the young men and women to track, hunt and to ride their mounts. They also identified the young men and women that ran fast enough to be taught how to hunt in the most successful way.

On these trips Quiet Rabbit and Busy Bee spent much of their time showing the young men and women how to make pottery and make the outfits that they could barter with when all the Elk Clans held their annual gathering. They also often hunted and displayed their ability to match their mates skill. They felt that was important to demonstrate that women could keep up with the men.

They made it a point to let the young people know that their mothers were the ones that had taught Taelo and Golden Hawk the hunting technique of out running the buffalo and placing the spears for them to spear themselves..

These visits were welcomed by all the clans. But none welcomed them quite as vigorously as Feather-in-the-Wind’s Paradise Elk Clan where Taelo and Golden Hawk each had their own hutches at the foot of Paradise Falls.

They talked about all the events that she had participated in from the first days of meeting Feather-in-the-Wind in their “Journey of the Heart.,” her participation in the Journey of Discovery where they had first captured the mounts that they were now depended on. She had also been on the journey to the land of their origin, then on their circumvention to prove that their world was round and the last journey where they had taken all the elders around a huge body of water and returned to their starting point.

They laughed and agreed that it all blended together into the fabric that wrapped them and even in the depth of the winter cold gave them warmth. They were fond remembrances of watching Feather-in-the-Wind grow and mature as a fearless young woman into the leader of the Paradise Clan.

The two were discussing their next adventure that once again would require the building of large rafts. They had spent many hours planning a trip similar to the Journey of Sages.

This time they thought they should take the next generation of clan leaders. They wanted that generation to have an appreciation of the size of the world in which they existed.

They hoped that their best friends who they considered to be among the top leaders of the Elk Clan would all join them. Their focus was on the younger clan members that stood out as future leaders. They figured they would have many more young members wishing to make the journey than they could take. They decided that the journey participant selection should occur at the seasonal all Elk Clan meeting and be done by the leadership council.

The Elk Clan gathering as always was a time of reconnecting with old friends, trading goods of every kind and making adjustments in the sizes of the different clans.

Quiet Rabbit and Busy Bee had both been honored by receiving the Golden Feather designation that made them members of all the Clans. This put them on an equal basis to Taelo and Golden Hawk and all four of them were part of the leadership council.

Quiet Rabbit and Busy Bee were recognized for their continuing development of the young women but also because they had repeatedly demonstrated their ability to fight in battle as well as hunt the buffalo with skill beyond what most hunters were able to do.

Feather-in-the-Wind, the second woman on the leadership council, put forward the suggestion that the leadership team identify young women and men for a trip with Taelo and Golden Hawk. She made the point that such an experience would develop them as future leaders of the Clan. She added that the number would be limited to roughly ten of each gender and they had to be between the ages of ten and twenty seasons.

She then named Red Fox, Black Wolf, Yellow Flower, Silent Sparrow, Aristosa, Spear Tip, Flint, Neiva and Wise Rabbit.as the participants she was naming to be on the trip.

The Eastern Elk Clan Leader asked why she got to name nine candidates.

Feather-in-the-Wind replied by asking him for his candidates.

By the end of each council member making suggestions there were thirty candidates that had been named.

Taleo stood up and said that he was willing to include the extra number, but each candidate needed to supply his or her own mount and the food for those mounts. He added that three additional people were needed to travel with them until the coast of the far sea so they could return with the mounts.

The meeting ended in harmony and then there were many questions about why Taelo was on yet another of his journeys.

Taelo shook his head and replied that he did not know why but only that he heard a calling, and he felt he had no choice but to do as he was called to do.

Broken Spear smiled and added that he had also talked to the ancients and had been told that this journey would be his last and that he should enjoy flying with the eagle and seeing what Taelo and the band of thirty would see.

Taelo walked over to Broken Spear and put his forehead on his and quietly said that he wanted him to have enough energy to make the complete voyage and live to tell about it at the Elk Clan meeting when he returned.

That evening, he and Quiet Rabbit were sitting with Lasher. She asked whether Lasher would be able to make the journey.

Taelo stroked Lasher and commented that like Broken Spear, Lasher’s days were numbered but he would make this last trip before his passing. He planned to have Lasher ride on the sleds or on a travois on the way toward the far sea. Then he would be riding on the raft until their return and then he would get a ride back to the Northern Elk Clan valley were most likely he would end his days.

Quiet Rabbit had tears in her eyes as she stroked Lasher. She remembered the fact that he had saved each of them. She once again thanked him for saving her from the war priest who was about to cut her head off.

Taelo nodded but could not say anything. He was overwhelmed with the thought of losing Lasher. He knew that Lasher had lived well beyond the age most of his kind. He, like Broken Spear, had defied the normal length of their time.

Before leaving the meeting valley, Taelo, Quiet Rabbit, Golden Hawk and Busy Bee sat with the thirty that had been identified. The parents of the thirty sat behind their child and almost all the other clan members surrounded the gathering.

Taelo announced that the journey would begin when the next moon was full. The departure point was from the Northern Elk Clan valley. Each of them were to present themselves and their mounts by that time. Those that were not present would be left behind.

Quiet Rabbit quietly added that it was not an opportunity that should be missed. She added that those from the Eastern Elk Clan and those from the Paradise Elk Clan would be picked up along the way.

She made the point that they would travel in the dead of winter, and everyone would be expected to take turns guiding the sleds and feeding the team of wolves that would be doing the pulling. Feeding all the animals would take an enormous amount of work that would be equally divided among everyone on the journey.

Busy Bee added that there would be two hunts. One would be before reaching the Eastern Elk Clan and second would be before reaching the Paradise Elk Clan. Each time three teams consisting of a pair of two women and two men would hunt and three buffalo would be targeted.

Golden Hawk smiled and said that it would be an adventure of a lifetime, but it would also be more work than any of them might expect. If it sounded like it was going to be too much work, they should at this time choose to drop out.

There were no drop outs. Everyone sitting around the fire knew that they were lucky to have been named.

Their parents were proud of having their child named by the leadership council to make the journey and were doing everything they could to ensure their child was ready to make the trip.

Broken Spear, who had been sitting just behind Taelo, quietly commented that when they saw an eagle, he would be watching and would share what he was seeing with those who he would invite to the cave of the Others and if the journey lasted beyond the next meeting of the Elk Clan, he would tell the story to all of the Elk Clans.

Taelo ended the meeting when he called each of the young persons by name to come forward to receive a gift. He, Golden Hawk, Busy Bee, and Quiet Rabbit took turns hanging a shark’s tooth pendant around their necks saying that they expected them to be the next great leaders of the clan.

2 Return to the Northern Elk Clan Valley

The journey from the clan meeting back to the Northern Elk Clan valley always included a brief stay at the Cave of the Others. This time there was special meaning to the stay. Aristosa, Meadow Flower’s and Burley Bear’s daughter, Spear Tip, Saber Scar’s and Marigold’s son and Single Leaf’s and Sharp Blade’s son Flint were to go on the upcoming journey. The clan had three future leaders that had been accepted. They were one of the few clans with three candidates.

Burley Bear announced that all of the parents from the Clan of Others were honored by having their children selected for the journey and all their parents would also go. This meant that the rest of the clan had agreed to having their elder leaders step forward. He thanked all of the clan for understanding the desire for he and the other parents to accompany their children and that it was only possible because they were all veterans of Taelo’s other journeys.

They all discussed the fact that the journey for their group of friends would be special in that they would get to be part of their children’s transition from ordinary clan members to members that were thought of as future leaders of the Clan.

They knew some would be lead hunters, some would be aids to their elders and a few would one day rise to lead a clan. Their growth would be in understanding that each level had dignity and value that ensured each Clan did well.

Taleo thought about the original team that included Talking Wren, Little Otter and on this journey their daughter Silent Sparrow who would be the youngest of those going. She was the youngest of the thirty going and she was the youngest of the eleven children of the team members that had been on previous journeys.

It was comforting to know that Taelo’s original group had done well and had risen to the highest leadership positions in the Elk Clan. He was not surprised that more than one third of those on the trip were sons and daughters of the original team or those who had been on previous journeys with him.

On their way from the Cave of the Others, White Swan said that she knew that one of his needs for the journey would be a large supply of salt. She let Taelo know that the Northern Elk Clan had several large blocks of salt from the mine that he could have. She figured it would make it easier for him to get ready.

Taelo thanked her and said that indeed having the salt would make it easier for him to concentrate on getting the sleds and all the supplies ready to go. He said that he had enough dried goods to get them to the far sea. Once there they would need to spend time to fish and hunt so they had enough food to sail across to the far coast as they had done once before. He added that this time he would not be burning his rafts but riding them southward and following the coast.

Quiet Rabbit asked what he expected to see or find.

Taelo shook his head and replied that he had no clue what he would find but he was sure that there would be other people and somewhere as they went along the coast, they would possibly find their Black warrior friends who had traveled with them when they had gone around the world.

Golden Hawk nodded and said that if they did find their old friends it would be great. It had been many moon cycles since they had last enjoyed each other’s company.

Taelo agreed and added that he wondered if they would once again travel together.

Quiet Rabbit commented that might be possible until they turned to return to their starting point then once again, they would wish them well.

Taelo said that he had a dream about meeting his old friend and he hoped that it would happen.

Grey Fox Running pointed to the twin mountains and commented that he hoped the fishing on the lake would be good and that a few frogs were willing to give themselves up so they could all enjoy grilled frog legs.

Red Fox and Black Wolf both volunteered to get the frog legs.

Yellow Flower asked to go with them so she could learn how they hunted the frogs.

Red Fox put his arm around her shoulder and said that the trick was to prepare a long wooden spear and split the point so it had multiple points with barbs so that when the spear went into the frog it could not get away.

Black Wolf added that they would teach her how to skin the frog and salt it so that it was ready to be roasted over the fire.

White Swan smiled and commented that the journey had already started for the three.

Busy Bee said that she was happy to see it happening.

Taelo, Grey Fox Running and Golden Hawk walked slowly around the lake as they held their spears ready to try for a few fish. Their goal was to spear just enough so everyone had at least one fish.

Golden Hawk, who was in the lead, was the one that ended up with the most fish. Taelo, who was the last of the three ended up with the fewest. However, they got a few more than they had planned.

Taelo petted Lasher who had kept him company as they walked around the lake and let him know that he would get his share of fish.

Quiet Rabbit had gone out and retrieve several roots to flavor the variety of dried vegetables that were slowly cooking as hot stones were dropped into the bag that held them.

White Swan sliced strips of the fresh buffalo that had been given to them at the cave of the Others. She then kept adding salt until she was satisfied with the taste.

Busy Bee took out all the stones from the bag and dipped a bowl in and served the stew to everyone now sitting around the campfire roasting the frog legs and the skewered fish.

Taleo shared the story that he had told many times about the first time that he, Golden Hawk, and the rest of the team had camped at the lake the night before they had found the valley that was now known as the Northern Elk Clan Valley.

Thank you for reading this far.