Along with Deganawida himself, the sachems represented the nine clans that were present within the Onan Tribe; The Bear, The Wolf, The Firaken, The Beaver, the Shadow Flyers, The Tortoise, The Hawk, The Moose, and The Deer.
The venerated clan matrons of the substantial village had appointed each of the other eight sachems, just as they had appointed Deganawida. The clan matrons could similarly remove any of them, if they were ever deemed to be failing in their charge of guiding the village judiciously.
As of yet, all of the sachems present had served steadily and capably ever since their appointments. It had been quite some time since a sachem had been deposed for perceived failure in their given duty.
In addition to the sachems, the Wise Ones, the elderly men of the village, were also in attendance to give their own counsel and insights.
At first, all of the men had engaged in a sequence of chanted prayers, offering the rhythmic devotions to the One Spirit. As always, the prayers to the Sky Lord had largely centered upon simple thanksgiving, rather than the asking of any favor.
The men had then shared sacred tobacco together. They had smoked it reverently in the special, ornately carved wooden pipes, affixed with eagle feathers, that they passed carefully amongst each other.
A spirit of openness and harmony predominated within the longhouse when it finally became time to discuss the important village and tribal matters at hand. At this particular council meeting, there was one predominant issue that stood forth from all others.
Deganawida’s task, as always, was markedly different than that of the other ruling entities in the neighboring kingdom of Gallea. It was true that Deganawida carried more authority within the village in a more direct manner than he did on his seat at the Grand Council of the Five Realms. Yet his challenge was still to build consensus and wield influence, rather than issue indisputable and binding commands, as did the rulers in the western lands.
The thunderclouds of looming war were most certainly casting broad shadows upon the minds of the clan sachems and Wise Ones. The unexpected appearance of the strange foreigners had not helped matters in the least.
The presence of the foreigners had evoked thoughts of old prophecies and tales, all of which were set within a foreboding, worrisome context. If the foreigners were truly from another world, then there was likely much more to worry about than just the massing forces on the western borders of the tribal lands.
Aside from the daunting, broader implications, there also remained another underlying reality if the foreigners’ story was indeed true. Assuming that their tale was sincere, they were still seven fellow humans, vulnerable and lost within an entirely unfamiliar world.
That, more than anything else, weighed heavily upon Deganawida’s conscience as he looked out to his fellow council members.
Underneath the wampum banners, signifying the tribe itself, and referencing momentous events of their heritage, Deganawida convened the village council with a few opening words. When finished, he sat back down and waited with an attentive ear and apprehensive heart.
One by one, in the time-honored fashion, all of those wishing to speak rose up to address the council, taking a seat again when they had concluded.
The implications of this particular village council meeting were far reaching. Likely, its conclusions would reverberate all the way to the Grand Council itself. Deganawida was not the only man of the village who was also involved with the Grand Council of the Five Realms. There were three other men present who served as Pine Tree sachems for that august body. Their duties to the Grand Council included the running of messages, and acting as emissaries from time to time on behalf of the Five Realms.
Deganawida could not help but watch the faces of those three men in particular, knowing that they were listening to the discussion with some thoughts already given towards Grand Council matters. Their reactions might well give him a hint of what to expect in the times to come.
The series of speeches that ensued were quite uninhibited, as each speaker spoke frankly regarding their own perceptions and counsel. None would take offense for bluntly given comments during such an assembly. Candor was the way of the Onan, as it was for the other four tribes.
In general, the sentiments that were expressed by the litany of speakers were not particularly harsh. They tended to be ones of caution, balanced with the typical desire to show generosity towards accepted guests of the tribe.
Nearly all of the speakers expressed a concerted desire to keep the guests under close watch, as well as keeping them guarded should they venture beyond the boundaries of the village. It was clear that no man of the council felt comfortable enough to allow the seven free reign, both for their own protection as well as to address concerns of the unknown.
Their impressions of the guests themselves, for the large part, were very positive.
As a whole, the seven were being regarded in good favor, if not yet unconditionally embraced. To a man, the council members that spoke sensed that the seven’s claims of being from thoroughly foreign origins were genuine.
Furthermore, there were no troubling suspicions raised by any of the council members in their lengthy orations.
Deganawida’s hopes rose incrementally throughout the parade of speeches. He knew that Ayenwatha already felt very strongly about the seven, and Deganawida himself saw something very monumental in the abrupt appearance of the seven strangers.
Deganawida, like Ayenwatha, would abide by the consensus of the village council. Yet also like Ayenwatha, Deganawida greatly desired to have the seven harbored amongst the Onan, as their greater purpose was fathomed.
On a deeper level, he also did not want to see them sent unprepared out of the village, and left to the mercy of the wilderness. Such a thing would be far beneath what the Onan stood for, and would be a failure on many levels.
In addition, there was the very real dilemma facing the tribe of having the seven turned away, only to discover later that they were truly the ones heralded by ancient prophecy.
White Flower, the great Clan Matron of the Bear Clan who had been highly influential in Deganawida’s position in the village and Grand Council, also shared his many concerns. Before the council had taken place, Deganawida had spoken with the wizened matron, receiving encouragement and advice that had reinforced him greatly going into the meeting.
Her heavily creased face did not diminish the lively sparkle in her eyes, as she counseled Deganawida to listen to his deepest inclinations on the matter. Her passion for the well-being of her village and tribe richly emanated through her words and demeanor. She had reminded him that he had always based his own positions on what was just, and that he could never really fail in using such a measure.
White Flower never told Deganawida what he should or should not do, or what to think. Yet when he had left her presence just a short time before the council, Deganawida was certain that his heartfelt inclinations had White Flower’s full blessing.
Deganawida now brought those deep inclinations into his words when he spoke to the members of the counsel. He freely spoke about his perceptions of the seven, the timing of their appearance, the prophecies, their great vulnerabilities, and his hope that they could find haven among the Onan.
He cautioned the village council to bear in mind that whatever their origin or place in events, the guests were each living human spirits brought into being by He Who Holds the Sky. He implored them to do what was right for the seven on a human level, irrespective of their importance in larger matters.