Dream of Legends by Stephen Zimmer Page A

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.”
    There were many nods of assent among the gathered tribal sachems. Deganawida knew that they all felt a distinct difference in the manner of their trade with Gallea and Midragard.
    The Gallean merchants were very discreet in their trade, as many of their clergy condemned association with the forest-dwellers, and their strange religious practices. To the east, many genuine friendships had risen up among the Midragardans and those of the Five Realms, including shared visits, feasting, and exchanges of gifts.
    Gallea had always looked upon the Five Realms as something savage, primitive, and pagan, where Midragard’s sons and daughters had recognized a proud and honorable people, with a resolute spirit. As each sachem reflected on the individual Midragardans that they knew and traded with in recent years, Deganawida was confident that they could not help but believe his judgement, as to who would remain faithful to them.
    Yadajiwaken, one of the newly risen members of the Grand Council, then hung his own shell-belt for the very first time. “Some among the Anishin are not our enemies at this time. Some have vessels that can travel the Great Waters far enough to reach the first islands. We should send our elderly, and the smallest children, mothers, and the great matrons. If the Midragardans decide to help, then the ones most vulnerable can take refuge on those islands.”
    “You will be an excellent member of this Grand Council, Yadajiwaken of the Onan,” Deganawida stated approvingly, seeing that even in one of their darkest hours, new individuals were stepping forward with wisdom guiding them. “You speak truly. There are Anishin villages out on the eastern shores who are not at war with us. It would not be difficult to reach them.”
    Yadajiwaken looked very pleased at Deganawida’s words, though he made no reply. After he returned to his place, he was followed by several others who spoke of the difficulties facing an exodus to the southeast, though Deganawida noted that none of the others counseled anything in direct opposition to Deganawida’s own advice. At last, there were no others that desired to speak.
    Glancing upward, Deganawida saw that daylight was beginning to fade. The time had arrived for decision, and he hoped that there had been enough discussion. He feared for the worst, knowing that many lesser decisions of Grand Councils had taken days to deliberate and decide. What he had asked of them was monumental, and unprecedented, in comparison to those issues.
    “Now, we must see if there is consensus. There is little time, and the day is nearly gone. Before we are in danger of coming under the influence of the Dark Brother, I put this matter before you to decide,” Deganawida said. “What do you say?”
    One by one, the sachems indicated their opinion on the matter. Even when the first twenty of the sachems had agreed, Deganawida knew that he could not get his hopes up, as even one sachem’s disagreement was