Tribal Heart Chapter 2

Chapter Two - Spirits and People

Sol tucked Io into bed; a bed made out of string that hung suspended over the ground and covered him in a blanket made out of stretched animal fur. She looked out of the doorway to find that fires were brightening across the settlement, the grass long burned away, but the spirit of the earth remained within the tree in the centre. Leda would often speak of tiny creatures that were the spirit’s servants called Kodama; they were shape shifters, transforming into either your most feared nightmares or your deepest dreams. Sol respected them; they were only protecting their spirit.
Io mumbled in his sleep, turning over so hard the string bed rocked gently. Sol left, bringing the skin that acted as a door forward to block out the light and shadows of fire. Fire spirits were deadly to sleepers. Uncontrollable.



An elderly woman sat by a growing fire, throwing a few small branches on it to keep it going; her eyes watching it without blinking. She was a beautiful woman with long grey hair that was brought over her shoulders, almost down to her crossed knees. Her eyes were the deepest emerald, only appropriate for a speaker to the spirits. She noticed Sol pass, raising her head.

“Good night, Sol.” she spoke, her voice just over the crackle of the fire. “Did you have a good day at the beach?”

Sol stopped dead, turning with hardly a sound, she couldn’t remember mentioning going to her. “I-yes, thank you.”

“The Kodama are active tonight, they dance in the stars.” Leda sighed looking up at the patterned sky “They are celebrating Ceres’s child.”

Sol followed her gaze but saw no movement in the sky “I imagine so. She was waiting a long time for her baby.”

“No longer than any other mother-to-be.” Leda chuckled “Nysa is thrilled for his big sister.”

Sol said nothing in reply, she simply looked towards the tree, its twisted branches bore them enough fruit to last them through the entire winter and more every year came. Every spring, children of the past year would plant the seeds, giving back the life and part of the spirit they had eaten.

“Yes.” Sol mumbled

“Your adult mind has changed you.” Leda spat, bringing her back from her distant state “You can no longer see the Kodama play.”

“I have more things on my mind than innocent spirits.” Sol grunted folding her arms

“You have become more distant by the day, Sol.” Leda answered back “You are named after the bright light that brings time itself. Why is this?”

Sol leaned back; standing straight and upright, she and Leda had talked about this many times in the past two moons

“I was named ‘Sol’ for my birth was at the time-of-no-shadows.” Sol spoke bluntly, her voice the tone of chanting “The hunt disappears. The animals fight. The fish flee.”

Leda glanced back at the fire for a brief second, noticing it was clicking and spitting more with every word Sol spoke. She gave a small smile, one that barely touched the corner of her lips. “The spirits of the world connect with you, Sol. You refuse them. In two suns you will take the trip to Kodama Isle to see what is real.”

“Two suns?!” Sol stammered, bringing her hands to her mouth “My birth night is not for seven suns!”

“Two suns, Sol.” Leda muttered settling back down “It is the word of the spirits.”

Sol scoffed “Not everything is spiritual, Leda. You can’t stuff it down my throat as truth anymore!”

Leda’s eyes gleamed off the flames as she turned her head one final time. “So what is at work?”

Sol’s jaw dropped, that question had caught her off guard. She had nothing to offer as evidence, nor much of a claim in that field. All that she knew was something was afoot. She had been taught the way of spirits all her life, she understood what they did and why. If she was not careful, she would get into a lot of trouble.

“I see.” Leda dismissed turning back to the fire. Sol lowered her head.



Sol took her leave, taking a sundried plate and filling it with slow roasted fish and berries from the food pile. There were other members of the tribe around, many her own age as their parents had gone inland; despite their ages, both male and female alike were capable hunters, bringing in larger and cleaner prey than most adults. Sol wasn’t in much of a mood to converse with them; they were still painted with blood.

Sol sat down near an almost empty fire; Nysa sat on the opposite side holding the tiny life that was his nephew. Ceres was next to him; her furs clean and soft. Kale was also there, it was his first grandson; the one he had been waiting for. He noticed Sol across the fire, eating quietly.

“Sol, come here.” he beckoned smiling at her under his feathered cap and short white hair.

She got up, carefully balancing a plate on her open palm “Good night, Kale.”

“Good night, Sol.” Kale replied patting the ground next to him. “Leda says the fire spirits told her something about you.”

“Yes, she’s sending me to Kodama Isle early.” Sol muttered picking a few berries up off her plate and eating them without so much as looking at the chieftain.

“You seem a little sore about that.” Kale spoke placing a hand on her back “Why?”
Sol didn’t really want to explain her reasons, though Kale was always a reasonable man. He had light emerald eyes and was almost bald, thankfully the feather cap covered that fact, not that he was worried about being bald, he just looked weird without the collection of feathers and fur coming from his forehead down his back.

“Nothing.” Sol finally said pausing her chewing. “Just nervous, I guess.”

“Sol, I know you better than that.” Kale answered taking her plate and standing, leading them away from the fire to the outskirts of the settlement to where there were less on lookers.

Sol took her plate back and began to eat from it, her tone dismissive. “I’m worried about our food supply, but I don’t dare mention anything other than it the earth spirits taking stuff away.”

Kale folded his arms “So what is your theory?”

Sol nearly choked “You want to listen?”

“Of course. As a hunter, you’ve seen your fair share of spirits and demons to tell otherwise.” Kale offered leaning on a tree. He was meant to be suspicious of anyone acting in such a manner that would suggest the human spirit was under attack; but with Sol it was different; she always had agreed with the spirits ways but had her own strange beliefs too.

“I think someone’s out there.” Sol said quietly “I think we’re competing for the same food supply.”

“It’s possible, more that possible.” Kale agreed cocking his head, there was a Kodama on her shoulder. A tiny creature with huge eyes and wide mouth that held a smile; it was completely see-through and wore no furs, neither did it have hands or feet; just stumps where they would be. Kodama trusted her.

“You can see one, can’t you?” Sol asked, Kale gave a shallow nod and pointed to her shoulder, but when she looked she saw nothing.

“I suggest you test your theory before you go. I’ll look after Io for you and I’ll get Nysa to give you some tools and weapons in the morning.” Kale said watching the Kodama stand and walk away off her shoulder, vanishing when it left her contact. “In the meantime, get some rest.”



Sol woke early; Io was still tucked up in a small ball in his string bed; drool making a small puddle on the dirt floor. She climbed out of her string bed yawning with her hands in the air before making up a small breakfast for Io when he woke at first light. She began by taking a few crab legs and edible seaweed and put them on a clay plate for him, followed by a handful of berries and some dried leaves. She covered it with a cloth to keep the bugs away and stood up; smoothing down her furs and tying up her hair before stepping out into the cold morning.

Fog lined the trees like they were wearing coats, early risers were just visible around the waking fires, some were even holding torches up as they moved around so they looked like pairs of floating eyes. She could make out Nysa stocking up a fire with some dry grass; chattering away to himself, but as she came within view, it became apparent he was speaking to a Kodama.

“Morning, Nysa.” Sol greeted sitting across from him, Nysa smiled and poked the fire. Sol watched his gaze follow the creature as it disappeared from his sight.

“Hi.” he replied throwing the stick he had been using to poke the fire with in. The fire spirits began to chew at it, crackling and spitting. “Dad told me to get you a bow and arrows.”

“Yes.” Sol agreed passing him to get to the food pile across the settlement, Nysa followed carrying his empty plate

“Why are you doing this?” he asked, his voice harsher than he meant it to be

“Kale told you, didn’t he?” Sol sighed lowering her shoulders in remark

“Don’t do this, please! Even if you have to pretend about seeing the Kodama.” Nysa whined holding her shoulders so she could look at him

“I got Kale’s permission.” Sol muttered “I’m going to search for reason.”

“Come to your senses, Sol! You used to be able to see them!”
Sol lifted his hands away “I still believe. But there is a chance there are others out there, other animals that look like us.”

“There’s no way that could exist. If it did, the fire spirits would tell Leda.” Nysa grunted. Sol said nothing in reply, merely just setting her plate down and walked a few paces to the tree, keeping her back to her friend

“No disrespect, Nysa. But it’s possible that they did.” Sol spoke slowly, just gazing over her shoulder before picking up an ash wood bow leaning against the tree and a stretched, thin furred quiver filled with stone tipped arrows with owl feather flights. Dashing off into the fog to leave Nysa just staring out, contemplating what she had just said.

He dropped his plate so that it landed with a smash on the floor. Leda had no reason to lie…right?