Atatarho pointed his finger straight at the two men. “All of you who left me will have to do this. Men, women, children, old people. All fifty of you will run the gauntlet. All of you must come as one. If any person from your group of cowards and fools is missing when they return, everyone will be shot with arrows.”

Burnt Hair was biting his lip to keep himself from speaking. Holds the Door Open was drawing in a deep breath in an effort to remain silent.

Atatarho sat back and grinned again, folding his hands over his chest and nodding his head. He pointed with his chin to the right and the left to indicate his bodyguards. “Further, the gauntlet will be made up of men such as these. One hundred of them. And they will not be holding little sticks. They will have heavy clubs and they will strike hard!”

Atatarho laughed, a laugh in which there was no trace of humor. “I will give you some time to consider my generous offer. But if you do not all return here by the end of two moons, then I may just send my warriors to destroy you and your pathetic little village.”

Atatarho opened his hands and swung them forward as if shooing away flies. “Now go. For now I spare you.” The terrible smile returned to his face as he pointed his chin toward the place where Okwaho still hid. “All three of you.”

Neither Holds the Door Open nor Burnt Hair said a word as Okwaho joined them at the head of the trail that led from Onondaga. Nor did any of them speak on the journey back to their small village. But they placed him in between them as they walked. And when they were within sight of their home, his father reached out and put his arm around Okwaho’s shoulders.

chapter seven

SOMETHING USEFUL

The visit of the two messengers to Atatarho had not made things better. When Holds the Door Open and Burnt Hair had related what happened to the gathering of everyone in their peaceful village, the shock that everyone felt was like a blow from one of those clubs in the gauntlet. There could be no return. They were truly on their own. If anything, their mission to speak with the cruel chief had just made things worse. If they did go back to Onondaga, none of them might survive the gauntlet. But if they stayed in Kanata, after the passage of two moons Atatarho might still send his warriors to attack them.

Okwaho shook his head and opened his eyes to another day. No matter how long he stayed in bed, nothing would be different. His best friend would still be gone. And their small village, even though they had tried to find peace, was no longer safe.