Intended Ch. 07

"Of course, please."

"You must stop telling yourself your fear makes you weak. It takes incredible courage to face that which makes us afraid, and even more so when it is something so frightening it paralyzes both body and spirit. We all have our weaknesses, Sala, and it makes you strong, not weak, simply by your willingness to confront yours." Nira leaned over and spoke softly in her ear. "And considering that you even came back to our Camp, after everything you have been through, makes you perhaps one of the strongest among us all."

Jakal had been enjoying the conversation with his friends so much that he did not realize the fullness of his bladder until he started to become uncomfortable. Excusing himself, he hurriedly passed through the camp on his way to relieve himself when he was suddenly accosted by Veba.

"Hello, Jakal! It is good to see you this night, Light-Eyed One," she greeted brightly, speaking rapidly as she gave him a friendly smile.

The man thought her geniality a bit unusual considering the outcome of their last encounter. "Hello, Veba."

"It is such a beautiful night for a gathering, do you not agree?"

"Yes, it is a very pleasant evening."

"Are you and your mate enjoying yourselves?"

"Yes, we are. Veba, is there something I can do for you?" he asked abruptly. Jakal did not wish to be rude, but as the pressure on his bladder grew, so did his discomfort. Given the circumstances, he was not in the mood for small talk.

"N-no, I just wanted to say hello," she replied, flustered.

"Oh. Well, I thank you for your greeting, but I am afraid there is something I really must do right now. Perhaps we can talk again later. If you will excuse me."

Why is the Light-Eye still so angry, the woman wondered as she watched him practically running away from her. What does he expect me to do? I said nothing to offend him. I even mentioned his mate, she thought in frustration. She reminded herself to be patient. I cannot expect him to warm up to me immediately.

Perhaps I need to try a different approach; do something nice, show him that I hold no ill will, that I wish us to be friends again. I know; I will prepare a dish for him. I will even be extra friendly to Sala, make it seem like I made it for them both. That will prove to him I am sincere.

~*~*~

During the first meal of the third morning, the couple discussed which boat to use for Sala's first foray onto the lake. Both options possessed advantages and disadvantages.

The reed boats were lighter, and as such the dips and sways of the rippling surface were more obviously felt. On the other hand, once occupied they sat rather deeply in the water, making them less subject to tipping over.

In contrast, the canoe was solid and sturdy, making the structure itself feel more secure. However, because it sat more shallowly in the water, the risk of capsizing increased.

Jakal did not know which was better when dealing with a fear such as his mate's; the perception of security or the reality. They were not going to venture far, nor very deep, so technically either choice probably worked out to be the same as the other.

But he also understood the importance of success for this initial journey. The summer had grown long and there would be few, if any, opportunities to make another attempt like this until next year. From talking privately with Nira he learned that generally speaking, the longer it took to confront the source of the anxiety, the longer and more difficult it became to resolve. He did not at all expect Sala to conquer her phobia on this day, but he did believe that at least one successful voyage would make a great difference in her long-term recovery.

He tried to put himself in her position and eventually came to the conclusion that were he powerfully afraid of something, perceiving it was safe would matter more on an instinctual level than rationally understanding it was safe; when gripped by panic the last thing a person felt was rational.

"I think you would probably feel most comfortable in the canoe, my mate," Jakal finally stated, hoping he sounded more confident than he was, "though either option is safe. Which feels more comfortable to you?"

"Neither," she admitted, trying to calm her thumping chest, "but I will follow your advice. Let us take the canoe."

Because the Clan had caught all the fish they needed by the end of the second day, on the third day the boats were free for anyone's use. Given the amount of labor put into their endeavor, those who paddled for pleasure typically were individuals young enough to still have energy to spare after working intensely for two days -- girls and boys on the cusp of adulthood or newly emergent men and women.

Energy was not the only thing they had to spare. Eager to impress the objects of their attention, young men in particular often used such days to show off their prowess behind the paddle, racing against their competitors or simply demonstrating their ability to skillfully maneuver.

Since the two mates were older, and one a Light-Eye on top of that, Sala and Jakal had first choice of craft. Immediately after they made their selection, however, the remaining boats were quickly occupied and soon zipped in all directions across the lake.

The couple paddled along the shoreline at first as the woman adjusted to the unsteady sensation of buoyancy.

"How are you doing?" her mate inquired. He spoke in a gentle, soothing manner, recalling that in the past she responded positively when he kept his voice even.

Facing him on the opposite end of the canoe, knuckles white as she clutched either side, she responded in a shaky voice, "Not badly." She drew in a long, choppy breath and tried to smile, but it ended up looking like a grimace.

"I am so proud of you, my brave woman," he praised, his eyes full of love. He wanted to reach forward and touch her reassuringly, but he could not risk possibly rocking the boat when she was clearly doing everything in her power to control her rising anxiety.

"Do you wish to stay here, return to the shore, or shall we try going a little farther out?" he asked after it appeared she was beginning to feel more comfortable.

Sala's eyes flitted closed and he knew she struggled; her instincts told her to get to land immediately, but she was also aware she had made far greater progress than anticipated and hoped to stretch herself just a little more.

Finally she opened her eyes. "Let us go a little bit further. But not too far," she added quickly.

Giving her an encouraging smile, Jakal carefully paddled a short distance from their previous location. And so they spent part of their morning creeping, bit by tiny bit, away from the shoreline.

Though nowhere near the center of the lake, nonetheless they had traveled an impressive distance. Even so, he could see that his woman was exhausted now, both physically and emotionally from the sustained tension.

"Sala, you have done so wonderfully, and I am very proud of you, my love. How would you feel about heading back to the shore? My arms are a bit tired."

His eyes glimpsed relief.

"Yes, that sounds like a good..."

A scream followed by many voices shouting bounced across the water, abruptly silencing their conversation.

Jerking their heads toward the source of the outburst the couple saw three of the reed boats at varying distances from the fourth, the occupants of each calling out and waving their arms frantically. From Sala and Jakal's location it appeared that the center craft had run into some kind of difficulty and those surrounding it were trying to help but not very successfully.

Suddenly it registered. They all were in the section of the lake above the old grove.

Most likely one of the boats had been snagged by a branch, possibly enough to do damage, and the others did not know how to navigate the area well enough to avoid the same fate.

Within a few moments of hearing their cries, the clamoring of those on land, urging them to assist the troubled vessel, reached the couple's ears. Jakal flashed a hesitant look at Sala, aware they must go to their aid, but worried about the journey's effect on his mate. Her face tense and pale, the young woman checked her grip on the canoe and, finding it secure, nodded once.

"Go," she whispered. "I will be all right."

They skimmed across the surface so swiftly she was taken aback; she had not realized until that moment how restrained Jakal had been when paddling earlier. He handled the canoe skillfully, however, their ride smooth as he raced to the other side. Still, Sala screwed her eyes shut for much of the journey. From her perspective they traveled backward at great speed; coupled with her preexisting unease, she found the sensation highly disorienting.

As they approached the others their advance slowed to a more cautious pace.

"Light-Eye! Light-Eye! You have to help us!"

As he suspected, the inexperienced young people steering the disabled vehicle unexpectedly encountered one of the submerged trees, tearing a hole through the craft; not only were they unable to extricate themselves, their boat was filling with water and sinking fast.

"That is why we are here. Everything will be fine," Jakal replied sedately, trying to mask his agitation. He glanced at Sala, obviously in great distress. Her skin had lost its color as she wheezed, her body completely rigid, and he knew she shook not only from fear but also from the incredible effort she was expending to resist panicking and complicating an already stressful situation.

Taking control, he addressed the occupants of the other boats. "I will need all of you to follow my instructions quickly and precisely, without question; can you do that?"

The boys and girls nodded.

"Good. Who among you has the most experience?" Two of the older boys, not yet men, lifted their hands. "Very good. I will need you to follow our canoe. Stay as closely as you can, and do not stray from our course; there are many trees hidden here and we do not want anyone else to become stuck." He looked at the young people in the third unimpaired craft. "You remain here for now, but be ready to act should we need your assistance."

They nodded.

"Light-Eye, please! We are sinking!" the girl in the leaking boat begged.

"We are coming to help you, Rila. You must stay calm."

Snaking amongst the branches of the underwater forest, the trio finally arrived at the place where the young couple was trapped.

"You both can swim?" Jakal asked, seeking confirmation. Normally he would have assumed that they would not be on the water in the first place if they were unable to swim, but given the foolish behavior which got them into this trouble, he could not assume anything.

"Yes."

"Good. You," he directed, speaking to the boys in one of the boats, "very slowly ease your way over here and stop." He watched them gingerly slipping into the location he indicated. "Excellent."

Steering the canoe on the opposite side of the damaged craft, the man stopped and turned to the occupants of the remaining boat. "You, come to the other side of us here."

"Hand me your paddle," he instructed the boy in the sinking vehicle. That done, Jakal gave it to a girl in the boat next to the canoe. "Listen carefully, everyone. We are going to use the paddles to brace our boats together so that Rila and Sobir can exit theirs safely and climb into our canoe without capsizing us."

He heard a soft whimper escape Sala's lips.

"Light-Eye," one of the boys stated hesitantly, "your mate does not look well."

"She is fine, Molek," Jakal answered sharply. Fully aware of his woman's condition, he could not afford to have his attention divided at the moment.

Contritely, the chastised youngster's mouth snapped shut.

Passing his own paddle to a boy in the boat opposite the waterlogged one, the Tracker continued. "Hold firmly onto your paddles. I want you to lay them flat across both our vessels, here and here." He indicated two places across the front and back of the canoe, just in front of where each of them sat. "Your task is very important. We will need you to keep us steady so your friends can climb into our boat. Are you ready?"

The young men and women nodded. Jakal glanced at Sala, hair damp and stuck to her white skin; her eyes had rolled up into her head and she appeared on the verge of losing consciousness.

"Quickly, we must hurry," he pressed, his face finally conceding to them that his mate needed to get to solid ground right away.

Paddles locked, a pair on either end, Rila reached out her hands, cold and wet from water and fear. The Light-Eyed One grasped them in his, guiding her carefully into the canoe. Despite bracing the two crafts together, the individuals holding the paddles were inexperienced and lacked the strength of adults; as the girl started passing from one boat to the next, Sala and Jakal's canoe began rocking violently.

The young woman lost her balance. Despite Jakal's warnings not to hold onto the vessel, Rila was frightened and, in a desperate attempt to keep from plummeting into the lake, she clutched at its wooden side. The uneven distribution of weight only hastened her fall, flipping the craft and all its occupants into the water.

No longer able to contain her terror, Sala unleashed a blood-curdling scream. Again and again she frantically tried to cling onto the overturned vessel, but its smooth surface was slippery and she found herself unable to attain a secure hold.

"Jakal, help me! Please! I do not want to die!" she shrieked, splashing and flailing wildly as chaos erupted all around. Shouting, some of the young people reached out their paddles, endeavoring to provide the alarmed woman something to hold onto, nearly tipping over their own boats in the process.

"I am coming for you, Sala. Try to remain calm," her mate called, doing his best to keep his voice low and steady to cut through the high-pitched noise of panic while he quickly closed the distance between them.

Reaching her just as she began to splutter, sinking under the surface, Jakal placed a strong arm under hers. "Sala, I am here now. Wrap your arms around my shoulders and I will get us back into the canoe."

With a fierce grip which nearly choked him, Sala clung to the man, her arms wrapped more around his neck than his shoulders. Her muscles were so tense that her body was like a dead weight, making it difficult for Jakal to swim and keep them both above the water; he did not know how he was going to turn the boat upright and get Sala into it.

Fortunately, the youngsters in the third reed vessel witnessed the accident and, following Jakal's route, managed to reach them. With Rila and Sobir treading water, they assisted the others, surrounding the canoe to prevent it from floating away. Diving underneath the surface, the young man and woman reemerged within the pocket of air created by the hollowed out log. Pushing up at one side with all their might, paddles slipped into the gap they created and continued lifting up, slowly turning the canoe into its upright position.

With relief in his eyes, Jakal reached the boat with Sala clinging to his back. "Can you hold it steady while I get Sala back inside?" he asked Rila and Sobir.

They nodded and the young man dove under the water again, his head reappearing on the other of side of the canoe opposite the young woman. With the two holding either side with even pressure, Jakal turned his body around, facing his mate. Head limp, her eyes barely open, Sala's jaw hung slack. With great haste the Light-Eyed One lifted her upper body out of the lake and into the canoe. It began to rock again but between the paddles of the other three boats and Rila and Sobir holding on from the water, they kept it stable long enough for Jakal to roll the rest of her body inside, her legs landing with a thump on its wooden bottom.

With gratitude the man briefly scanned all their faces. "Thank you all. That was very quick thinking on your part." Then, "I must get Sala to shore as quickly as possible; can you do the same again so the three of us can get back inside?"

"Yes."

"Good. Let me go first so I can move Sala's body out of the way; I do not want anyone to fall on her."

When Jakal managed to crawl into the canoe, he noticed that his mate had lost consciousness; though it was partially a blessing given that the entry of the other two still remaining in the water would most likely cause the craft to sway once more, her state convinced him more than ever the necessity of reaching the dry land immediately.

"Quickly, and please be careful," the man urged.

This time both the Rila and Sobir were able lift themselves into the boat safely. Jakal looked toward the shore and then back at the young people waiting for his cue. He knew he should not even consider what he was considering, but he needed to help Sala, now, and guiding them all back was going to take precious time he felt he could not afford.

As if hearing his thoughts, Molek spoke up. "Light-Eye, you should return to the shore with Sala. She needs help and we will be all right if we stay here. If you will send someone for us when you arrive, I will make sure no one goes any further until an adult comes."

"Thank you, Molek. I would not normally accept such an offer, but..."

"There is no need to explain, Jakal," the young man interrupted. "We will be fine. Please go and get your mate to safety."

~*~*~

Stumbling out of the canoe, Jakal lifted his limp mate, carrying her dripping body a short distance before collapsing on the grass. As several others raced back onto the lake to rescue the remaining young men and women, a crowd of people formed around the couple.

"Light-Eye, what is wrong with Sala?"

"I will go get some furs. They are freezing!"

"Is there anything we can do to help?"

"What happened out there?"

"We need to get them to a fire."

The man heard none of this; at that moment no one else existed in the world but Sala. Stroking her entire face with his large hands, he felt the cold clamminess of her blanched skin.

"Sala, we are back at the camp now. You are safe," he informed her, his voice pleading with her to open her eyes.

Her lids flickered and a soft moan passed between her lips.

Jakal put his lips to her ear. "Beautiful Sala, I am so sorry," he whispered. "Please, wake up; I need you."

He suddenly felt them both being lifted as bodiless hands rubbed their soaked skin with thick furs. Someone -- he did not know who -- was helping him to his feet.

"No, I need to stay with her. I need to protect my mate," the dazed man insisted, weakly trying to break free.

"It is all right, Jakal. Sala is coming with you. We are just taking you someplace where you can get warm and dry," a voice replied as others murmured unintelligibly.

"...cannot let her be harmed."

"Get them to the shelter, quickly. We need to remove their wet clothes and get them both under the furs."

"Please, I need her!"

"They are both in shock."

Carrying Sala in his arms, Kitad followed Belak and Ritol as they staggered to the shelter holding up Jakal between them. The rest of the others came along behind them, but only the Clan Leader, Nefa and the men's mates entered the temporary dwelling. Peeling off their wet garments, they lay the naked couple onto a thick pile of furs, tucking more of the pelts around them. Yaja quickly exited to fetch hot water from the outdoor pot to make a tea to help warm their bodies from the inside, while Nefa and Nira spoke to them softly, reassuring them that they were now safe and in good care.

Keta looked at the others gravely. "Do any of you know what happened out there?"

Although they all shook their heads, the Clan Leader noticed one of the men hesitated first.