His large, dark eyes and stoic face regarded Deganawida closely. Deganawida could see past Shadekaronyes’s outer facade, and knew that it hid the rising fears which were now assaulting his spirit and mind.
“Shadekaronyes of the Onondowa, my good friend, we do hold a deep friendship with the people of Midragard. It has long been that way. I do not think that they would serve the Unifier. Messengers have already been sent to the ones that are nearest to us, on the island in the Great Waters. We do not yet know their full reply,” Deganawida admitted. He started to turn to take his shell-belt, before drawing his gaze around the faces of the gathered sachems. He then concluded with deep sincerity, “I believe… very strongly, my brothers… that they will stand with us if the storm should break.”
Deganawida knew that his path was uncertain. It was important that questions and any challenges were spoken aloud, or he would have no chance at gaining consensus.
Always, it had been the way of the tribes to openly discuss any initiative. Deganawida had to make sure that others spoke freely. Even so, it was still a few moments before the next sachem stood to place his own shell-belt on the pole. Deganawida was not surprised at the delay, as he knew that many of the sachems were carefully working through the situation in their own minds.
“What is your counsel, Deganawida of the Onan? You have always spoken truly to us. The Light Brother and the Creator have favored you greatly with wisdom. You have spoken to us of the danger, but you have not told us of the answer to the question that faces this council. We would hear what you believe should be done,” stated Deshayenah, another sachem of the Onondowa.
The confidence had not been lightly given, for Deshayenah, as Deganawida knew, was one of the wisest and eldest among the Onondowa. He was a first Great Sachem of the Onondowa, of the Firaken clan.
Eyes turned back to Deganawida as he got up once again to face them.
“I am most honored by your generous words, Deshayenah of the Onondowa. If I have been given any gift, I only hope that I use it well and return it to my Creator in a greater manner, one that has done well by our people. I shall always speak what is truly in my heart to you, my brothers. What I have to say is no easy thing. It comes with no easy price… and it brings great risk.”
Deganawida paused for a moment, to take in the somber faces surrounding him. Several mouths were pensive, and many brows were furrowed in deep concern. Yet there was little that he could read in their expressions to know whether they understood the vital need for consensus, and the imminence of their peril.
“As we have always done, we must move as one will, as we have always made decisions of the Grand Council in consensus. I ask for you to listen to me now, and heed my words more than you ever have before. Know that this is the hardest counsel that I could offer you. It is a terrible thing that I ask, but there is no other path that I can see. My heart tells me that we must move our people to the south and east, towards the shores of the Great Waters,” Deganawida stated, with great solemnity. He spoke slowly, letting each word settle upon the throng of Great Sachems.
“It is our only chance. The villages, as you know, are no protection. The west is not a choice, as our enemies will be striking with great power from that direction. Our nearest hope for help lies to the east. We must seek help from others beyond our lands, and we must move our people as far from harm as we can. We cannot remain here.”
When Deganawida sat down again, it was with the heaviest of hearts. He realized what he was asking of all of them. An unsettling silence permeated the area, a foreboding and fearful atmosphere taking hold, as the sachems grasped exactly what he was proposing. There was an even longer silence before the next sachem rose to make the first comments following Deganawida’s response.
“If we have consensus, do we bring the tribes together and then go east? Or does each tribe move on its own?” Wadondaherha queried.
He was a Great Sachem of the Gayogohon, the northernmost tribe in the Five Realms. Their lands bordered the remnants of the war-like tribal groups that had long ago held power over most of the eastern forests. It was little secret that these brutal tribes were now aligning with the enemy. The pressure upon the Gayogohon, in particular, was very considerable, as they were likely to find themselves beset from two directions at once.
“We have held our enemies back for many long years,” Wadondaherha continued. He then added, before taking his seat again. “They watch us closely, and will surely seek to fall upon us as we leave our lands. It is better if we were to make haste to join our numbers with the other tribes, than to try to make the journey by ourselves, where a stalking enemy can better find a moment to strike.”
Deganawida nodded as he rose up, taking his place in the center yet again.
“Together is the only chance we will have,” Deganawida stated firmly. “There will be no villages left standing soon. No one tribe among us can withstand the attack that is coming. We must bring together our strength.”
“And the war sachems?” a shorter, stocky sachem of the Onyota, named Ronyadashayouh, asked Deganawida. “And the Bregas? The Bregas were the greatest of gifts from this land to our people.”
“Ayenwatha, a war sachem of the Onan, of the Firaken Clan, has sent messengers out with the ceremonial leaf to all the tribes. We will soon know who will join him,” Deganawida said, looking to the relatively youthful Great Sachem.
Like Ayenwatha, Ronyadashayouh was a skilled sky rider, and it was no surprise that his concerns included the noble race of the Brega. The Bregas were precious to all of the tribes, and Deganawida knew that any undertaking would have to involve an attempt to preserve the winged creatures.
“The Bregas should be brought along with us. Those of the west do not know the Bregas or their ways. We must try to save them, just as we try to save our people,” Deganawida answered.
“And what of the Wendaton? You have heard Wadondaherha of the Gayogohon. The Wendaton ever wait on the border of the Gayogohon. They have long hungered for all of our lands. And we have warred with all of the Anishin tribes, but it is also the Gayogohon that are next to lands where other Anishin tribes yet dwell. You know the scouts have said that several from Anishin tribes move among the enemy,” Ronyadashayouh stated firmly. “The Gayogohon have suffered much to hold the Wendaton and others at bay. They will take our lands if we leave.”
“They may for a time, yes,” Deganawida responded bluntly, for he could not soften the words. “You know that they serve our enemy, and our enemy may reward them with our lands.”
“Curses on them. They are no different than a tribe of witches,” Ronyadashayouh responded, all but spitting the words out after he sprang up and took his own belt. His expression darkened, tension and frustration chiseled deeply into his face. “I do not dispute you, Deganawida. But we must defend ourselves. Still, I must ask… what will happen when we reach the Great Waters? There is nowhere we can go then. Would it not be a trap?”
“We must keep our people alive,” Deganawida replied strongly, endeavoring to remind Ronyadashayouh of the priorities facing them. “It will do us no good to have our tribes slaughtered. It is a trap if we stay here. And we can be surrounded here. I have faith that Midragard will honor our friendship, in a brave and generous manner.
“It is not as the days far in the past, when their raiders first came to our lands, and some tried to settle. As Shadekaronyes of the Onondowa has said, there has not been any war among our peoples for many long years. They are a people of great courage and will. They also do not bow their knee to this Unifier. I do not think that they will abandon us. We have little other choice than to trust them. We have hope and a chance to the south and east. I cannot see the same if we remain here.”