Te' peered over the top of the sand for a long moment as her eyes grew wider and wider, then she ducked down again into the pit.
"What is it?" I said. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"It might as well have been," she said. "Those men weren't from my tribe. They must be from the tribe on the other side of the island. And they weren’t singing. Those were war chants. I think they have something far more sinister on their mind."
16
"There's another tribe on this island?" I asked. "Why didn't you mention this before?"
"I didn't think it was important," Te' said. "It's a big island and they usually stick to themselves, so I didn't think we'd cross them. But they're venturing further afield than usual and coming from the direction of my village, which worries me."
"Have the two tribes never had contact before?"
"Many years ago, we all lived together in peaceful harmony. But when a power struggle erupted between the chief and my grandfather, my tama matua was killed in battle and the chief banished the other faction to the other side of the island. My father became the chief of our clan and built fortifications to keep the other tribe away. Since then, everybody's been content to mind their own business. At least until now."
"What makes you think they mean to threaten your village?"
"It's unusual for them to venture so far from their side of the island. Their normal fishing grounds are to the north, not the west. And they were wearing war paint. But it was what they were chanting that worries me the most."
"What were they saying?"
"Something about taking back their land and reunifying their clan. I think they intend to recapture the women and children and kill off all the men. This was probably an advance reconnaissance mission to scope out our village's defenses before sending in their full war party."
"Oh my God!" I said, widening my eyes in horror. "What do you intend to do?"
Teuila paused for a moment as her gaze darted from side to side in thought. Then she looked up at me and frowned.
"I don't think I have any other choice. I've got to warn my father of their intentions before my tribe gets slaughtered. I'd never forgive myself if I didn't do everything in my power to save them."
I peered into Te's brown eyes, considering the implications of her plan.
"But aren't you risking your own freedom if you go back? After you've already disobeyed his wishes, he'll never let you out of his sight a second time."
"I can sneak in under cover of darkness and warn my nona. We can trust her to protect our safety. She'll tell my father, then we can retreat back to our hiding place."
"While you worry about the safety of your family? Do you really think you'll be able to stay here while there's a battle raging on the other side of the island?"
Te' looked at me with a pained expression. I could tell she was torn between the loyalty to her family and her love for me. My stomach sank, realizing I was putting her in an impossible situation.
She paused for a long moment as she considered her predicament.
"There might be another way," she finally said. "If I sneak into the other tribe’s camp, maybe I can gather information about their plan. If there's still enough time, my father might be able to set up a meeting to defuse the tension. If the other tribe realizes that we know about their plan, hopefully they'll be less likely to attack."
"That sounds almost as dangerous as your first idea," I said, shaking my head in dismay. "What can I do to help?"
"I don't think you should go anywhere near either village. Your blonde hair and white skin will stick out like a sore thumb and be that much easier to detect. The best thing you can do is hide out here and wait for me to return. Now that you've learned the essential survival skills, you should be fine on your own for a couple of days."
"Screw that!" I said, fearing for Te's safety. "I'm not letting you go there alone. What if you get caught? At the very least, I can be a lookout and send for help if you get captured. You mean far too much to me. I'm not taking any chances that we'll get separated again."
Te' peered into my eyes and sighed in resignation.
"Okay. You can come with me—but only if you promise to stay further back while I scope out the situation. There's no point in both of us getting captured.
"Besides," she said, scanning my bare breasts, "there's no telling what they'd want to do with you if they got their hands on you."
"It's a deal."
"Come on then," she said, grabbing my hand. "There's no time to lose. We need to be there when the scouting team returns to their village so I can hear their plans."