An Absence of Truth

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An Absence of Truth

Chapter Three

Bird song and warmth encompassed me. The darkness of slumber crept away through the imperious sound of one determined bird that seemed to be sitting by my ear if the noise was any indication. I opened one eye and there standing near my ear was a tui. He tilted his head and squawked, his beak tilted to ensure my ear got the full blast of his annoyance.

"I heard you the first time," I growled.

My mouth tasted like dry sandpaper and I coughed trying to build saliva. I wasn't sure how long I had been out, but my body was stiff. The bird hopped away to give me the space to raise myself up.

He eyed me, tilting his head side to side. He turned around, flicked his tail in the air and shot off.

I snorted, "Same to you too, buddy."

I sensed, more than felt a presence to the left of me. The young Patupaiarehu strode towards me. Fruit and seeds in a kete, or a flax basket in his arms. Beside the basket was a gourd with what I assumed was water. He squatted offering the food, his eyes lowered and hands raised up with his bounty.

Moreover, what a bounty he most certainly was. I saw all the assets he had on display mere feet from my roaming eyes. A defined eight pack, delineated by the squat position he held. A nice pair of balls dangling in the wind, with his tackle swinging. There seemed to be little hair around or on his scrotum, or over the root of his penis.

He never saw my lascivious gaze, or the smile I gave while I openly admired his form. However, as much as I would like to tease and tempt this young Patupaiarehu, seduction wasn't on the cards. I grabbed the gourd, grateful for the blessed liquid as I swallowed.

"How long was I out?" I asked, wiping my mouth.

"Half of a day." Was his reply, head still lowered, subservience plain in this body language, there was a musical lilt to his speech, one that made me frown. It wasn't an accent I could place.

"Where did you learn to speak English?"

He bowed lower, "I am speaking my native tongue, it is you who speaks my language. Oh great Chief."

I blinked, nonplussed at the honorific. The cloak was still around my shoulders. The inside material felt smooth, like silk, and it kept my body at a comfortable temperature. Not a feather was out of place even though it had obviously been used to wrap around me.

"Why aren't I feeling any pain, my body should be feeling aches and I should have been asleep for days."

"It is because you are Chief of Chiefs, the mantle of mana you wear is protecting you while you heal."

"Mantle of mana?"

I pointed to my cloak, assuming this was what he meant. He nodded quickly placing his eyes firmly on the ground and not looking at me. I had a sinking suspicion that Nana may have known something like this would happen.

"You call me, Chief of Chiefs, where are the Elders and the rest of the Patupaiarehu?"

Loneliness flowed from him like water in a stream. The scent of his emotions were entirely different to humans, and yet I understood them as if I had studied Patupaiarehu most of my life. Perhaps it was due to my ancestry I shared with this young man that I knew what I was sniffing. Maybe it was due to this korowai bestowed upon me, either way, he was lonely. He had been by himself for a long time. Again, my talents were picking up on his energy, his signature and through it, I was studying him, understanding him without his need to express or explain.

It made me pause. This absolute knowing. When it involved humans, I actively needed to connect with their energy and meld it with my own. By doing that, I read a human like a book.

I didn't need to draw energy from the Patupaiarehu to grasp his life story. Images bloomed in my head, the way a Ponga fern uncurls its leaves to show its silver underlining to the world.

Rakau was his name and it was his honour to guard and protect his home from all enemies. The only Patupaiarehu born in this era, he didn't have others to grow up along. Many of the Patupaiarehu were taking the long sleep, waiting to be awoken when the chief arrives. For those who'd lost hope they'd travelled to Te Rereinga Wairua to seek their final rest.

Rakau was still young, vibrant and full of vigour. The second youngest Patupaiarehu after Rakau was almost one hundred and forty nine. His name was Koru and he had been the last guardian to watch over their home until Rakau was born.

Since Patupaiarehu matured quickly during childhood and adolescence, he had only been alive for five human years before Koru took the long sleep. It seemed all Patupaiarehu were imprinted at birth, which allowed them to garner and absorb knowledge and teachings of the Patupaiarehu that came before them. It was why Koru left Rakau to his own devices when he saw he could fight, defend and feed himself at what most humans would think was too young even if at the human age of five, Rakau looked like a thirteen year old.

Like the many Patupaiarehu before Rakau, they all knew the story of the Chief of Chief's. He'd be known by his korowai cloak, dressed in the feathers of their forefather, Nga Tui i te Rangi. Rakau's heart was filled with joy, the time for the Patupaiarehu to rise once more was at hand. Their Chief was here to guide them into a new era.

I slammed my mental walls into place, turning away from Rakau's kneeling form. I was not the Chief of Chiefs. I didn't want the title this young man obviously believed me to be. Even with the damn cloak swirling around me telling the damn prostrate bush fairy that I was his chosen messiah.

For a split-second I was angry at Nana, for this felt like a set up. Something that I had no control or decision over. I paced towards the Kahikatea tree. They were considered the tallest native trees in New Zealand. To me, I knew without understanding how, that the grove of Kahikatea trees was the resting place of Koru. I wanted answers and if that meant smacking the shit out of a Patupaiarehu to wake him up, I'd do the honours and laugh while I did it.

I understood why the ground had a network of mana in the root system of this forest. The resting places of the Patupaiarehu created sources of mana that protected them and the forest from the prying eyes of humans. By day and sometimes at night humans were relatively safe in this forest.

The only time Rakau was notified of true danger was when the trees themselves were heavily damaged outside of the natural forces of nature, or if the animals screamed silent warnings a predator walked the lands. There were other animals and defences put in place, but ultimately Rakau had the last say in who or what was allowed to live in the forest.

My human eyes couldn't discern anything lying between these tall trees. If it wasn't for the outline of a body made up of thousands of miniature glittering particles that I saw with my third eye, the Sight, as some in my family called it, this place would have remained undisturbed. I sensed more than saw Rakau follow behind me. He didn't say a word, just followed, a presence at my back.

Vines, bracken and thorny plants kept Koru's resting spot from easy access, but I strode forth, a new instinct deep inside, understanding this forest was mine. It was as the plants and bracken moved aside that the realisation dawned and my anger began to cool.

The land beneath my feet, the trees all around and even the animals and insects were a presence I sensed on the edges of my mind. There were a few animals I'd never known existed waiting on the periphery to be accepted, I figured once my anger was a little calmer they'd approach.

I shouldn't be able to do any of the things I was currently doing. I knew my skill set and the ease I commanded this forest and the recognition I felt with every living thing that walked the forest, told me a story I wasn't truly willing to face. I was fucked in the ass and not in the fun way!

There was a mound of lichen and moss in the centre of the Kahikatea trees. Here lay Koru. Placing my hands on the mound I breathed in. Again, instincts that I would have been questioning until the cows came home, helped guide me.

A chant filled with dirge and the pounding beat of Mother Earth's heart spilled from my mouth. A dialect older than what was used today flowed into the woods, carried on the wind. I sensed Rakau's joy and amazement to hear the old tongue spoken, and that amazement flowed into the animals, trees and even the soil and water. The flowers and budding plants bloomed in that moment.

The mossy mound stirred. I had to blink twice. What once looked like moss, turned into a man curled into a foetus shape. Green moss and lichen made up his skin, and eyes the colour of grey slate, blinked open. His green hair was long and there was a single brown vine that blended with his tangled mane.

He raised his head and stared at me. I expected him to prostrate himself at my feet the way Rakau had, but a frown creased his forehead.

"You are a Child of the Mist," he mumbled, his voice sounding like the boughs of branches rubbing against each other. "What are you doing on our land?" He may have only just awoken but the look of disgust was plain on his face and it was a trigger. A look that I'd seen too often on uncle Henare's face. Coming home had opened wounds I thought healed a long time ago.

With a rumble the land beneath my feet responded to my anger, a cold unrepentant force. The trees above me bent over, curling towards Koru like grasping claws. In the distance I heard the howl of a dog, and it was racing towards me, his mind clearly intent on protecting me and rending whatever had angered me with teeth and claws.

Koru's eyes widened in shock and then fear as vines, bracken and thorns trailed over his body faster than he could move. Tree branches created a lattice work cage, trapping him in place. From above there was a musical screech and the sky became overcast as the Haast Eagle, an endemic bird thought to be extinct cried out, balancing his large claws on the lattice cage of tree branches. The boughs bent under his heavy weight. Yet, a strange sensation came over me as I heard the musical screech of the eagle. It was like I could hear a chant from Nana floating on the wind and also in the call of this eagle staring at me. It was soothing and weird at the same time.

Beside me a dog that came easily to my waist moved beside me, his eyes staring at Koru, lips curled in a snarl. Grey fur, the colour of granite, long and shaggy rubbed against me. He closely resembled a terrier collier, just made on a large scale.

There was a blur of speed and Rakau stood in front of the dog, head bowed, one leg bent at the knee. A warriors bow and a plead for clemency. I felt the skin bunch beneath my hand, the dog ready to pounce.

"That's enough," I said.

Holding onto the scruff of his neck I made him look my way. His eyes were a bottomless pool of darkness with pinpricks of light that moved like willow-the-wisps. There was a connection with this fairy dog that punched me in the gut. He was mine, and I was his. I'd always wanted a dog, but due to my job, knew I could never have one.

I lowered myself so I could blow in his face. He chuffed, and then licked my nose, his tail wagging.

There were different types of fairy dogs, some were known to take you to the underworld, kicking and screaming if necessary, others to turn you into stone if you looked at them wrong, and others were known to call up storms. I guessed what type this dog was and found it very fitting, considering my occupation.

"What do you think you'd have been able to do with the tree cage and bracken in your way?" I asked the dog.

He chuffed again, turning to growl in the direction of Rakau.

I laughed and buried my face into his fur. It was surprisingly soft.

"Yes you may have been able to bite the one standing outside the cage, but he is not the one I was angry at."

There was another chuff and an extra growl that made me smile, yet I knew my smile wasn't pleasant. "I suppose you could have ripped Koru's soul out, but I need him to answer questions."

I looked at Rakau. "I suspect our baby Patupaiarehu over there is still too new to his imprint to give me solid answers."

The dog tilted his head looking at me, a question in his eyes. I frowned, he had a point. "I think, like the baby Patupaiarehu, I'm kind of new to the imprint too, so I don't know how to access all this knowledge. So far I've just been winging it and following my instincts."

He chuffed and snorted, turning to look at Koru. Our audience of two Patupaiarehu were staring at me wide-eyed. Around the grove I sensed the animals waiting, watching and if I told them, they would attack at my command, the trees around me pulsed that they two would stand by me.

"You understand the Kuri?" Koru asked.

"His name is Reinga Toa, and its all the animals in this forest I understand apparently." I couldn't hide the rueful tone in my voice.

"Where did you get the feathers?"

"Brother, pay more respect to our Chief," Rakau said in an aside.

I laughed, I'd been an irreverant child growing up at the best of times. I'd been beaten often enough for my impertinence that by the time I grew into adulthood, I wasn't very tolerant of many authority figures.

Kapa haka had given me a foundation for trusting in a team and peers, but it was my training in black ops that taught me the value of a chain of command and authority. Admitedly if I didn't agree with the higher up I wasn't afraid to speak my mind and back it up, and my team and those who I worked with knew I was a big pain in the ass if I didn't agree with what they wanted me to do unless they gave a good reason. I was no one's dumb soldier, I asked questions and expected a reasonable explanation behind their motives. Should their motives include killing or torturing, then I needed a damn good reason. The higher ups also knew that I could get into the minds of my victims so if they ended up in my tender care I got to judge if they were innocent or not. I'd come across only two in my entire career that was innocence of wrong doing. It made me see the world in a very different light when I had to deal with a lot of scum.

Rakau's voice brought me back to the present. "Have I offended you, Chief of Chiefs?"

I frowned trying to figure out why he was bowing lower than before. "You have not offended me, why would you think that?"

"You were laughing," he seemed hesitant to continue, and his fawning was starting to get on my nerves. He was meant to be a damn warrior.

"Get your ass off the ground, stand up and stare me in the eyes."

He stood up, and looked at me. His adams apple bobbing with his nervousness, but thankfully he stood taller and lifted his head.

"The reason I laughed, is because I like your brother, Koru's stubborn attitude in refusing to bow down to me."

I shrugged, "I've never been a fan of unnecessary rituals or bowing and scraping to those supposedly higher up. I found them tedious as a child and have gotten worse the older I've become. I hate pomp and ceremony."

Rakau bit his lip, confusion and puzzlement settling over his features. "I don't know how to address you?"

I clapped him on the shoulder, he looked at me, his frown deepening. It made my smile widen. "There are a lot of things I need to teach you about this modern world of ours, but you can call me Hemi."

He paused, going deeper inside himself. That was fine by me. I stepped around him heading towards Koru. I had to admit that I may have gone a little overboard on trapping him and the animals still remained on high alert. The Haast Eagle as extraordinary as he was, had not been idle. His musical screech told me that he too had made sure our enemy knew his displeasure. There was a hiss and growl as Koru tried to dodge the birds very large droppings. Of course, trapped as he was, it was a futile endeavour.

Reinga Toa whimpered and gave me puppy dog eyes with his mesmerising speckled orbs.

Koru snarled the veins in his forehead and neck standing out as he tried to move, "You will NOT shit near this cage, Kuri, or I will cut your head off."

"RT," I whispered to my dog, "Why are Koru's eyes about to pop out of his head?"

His shaggy grey face tilted one way and then the other,

"You don't like the nick name?"

He barked once. I sighed, "Fine, how about Toa?"

His tail tick-tocked once and he chuffed.

I smiled, "Now that's settled, why is Koru about to have a heart attack the closer you get to his cage?"

My eyes blinked with surprise and then laughter at his answer. "All this time it's been you and your brethren that used to create the piles of shit and not the Patupaiarehu?"

Toa stood tall, tail raised and head standing high. "So the Patupaiarehu used to ask your brethren to send out the warning to offending humans?"

He moved jauntily towards Koru, who hissed and snarled. My dog was as cocky and mischievious as I was. It was instant love. He got as close to the cage as physically possible, turned and rubbed his ass on the branches. I laughed and laughed.

Once Toa was done with his antics he lay down beside my feet, face on his paws and watched. I'd managed to convince the animals to return to what they were doing. The Haast Eagle flew off, a golden brown feather floated down towards me. It landed on my korowai and faded. The outside of the cloak didn't look any different, but I knew something had changed. Besides, I had other matters to focus on.

Behind me I sensed Rakau standing watch, facing outwards. He'd move around the perimeter and pause a little in the same spot each rotation.

Koru in the meantime watched everything now that he was sure Toa wasn't going to be shitting near him. I had to admit if the stories of how terrible the smell was in the human stories were to be believed it was a horrible stench. Perhaps I needed to make sure my dog had a better diet.

"Did you mean it about not liking titles?" Koru asked.

I nodded, "It's an attitude I've had since a kid, but lets get onto more important topics."

"I won't answer your questions until you tell me who gave you the feathers of Nga Tui i te Rangi?"

I looked down, the cloak had moved its position. I blinked in surprise, frowned and then sighed. I should expect this shit from damn bush fairies. When I awoke it had been wrapped around my entire body like a blanket. Now, it was draped over my left shoulder and secured under my right armpit, allowing the right hand free-range of movement and hiding the left. It was a traditional position that men of status used while wearing a korowai.

"It was gifted to me by my grandmother with a promise that I do right by those who must live under my banner." I sighed, "That includes you, too."

Impatience flittered across his face, "What is the name of your grandmother."

Something was nagging me, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Although judging by the dread on Koru's face I was about to find out soon enough.

"Her name is Tini Whetu Tira. Her English name is Star."

I shook my head, disbelief clear in my gaze, when I figured out what was bothering me. "You can't be the little boy she met in this forest. That would make Nana well over a hundred and forty years old!"

Another thought flowed through my mind. "If I've been here for almost a day, how many fucking months have passed in the human world?"

Koru lay his head down and gazed at the sky above. "Is your grandmother well?"

It was my turn to turn the tables on him. "Answer my question first, how long will I be away from the human world?"

"You are Chief of Chiefs, if you willed it, you can return the same time you entered the forest. Or you can let months or years go by. I wouldn't recommend too much time though. For some reason the time line stops at a certain date and no one knows why. It's why the last of our seers prophesized a Chief of Chief's to help us usher in a new era. A different way for us Patupaiarehu to live. Besides, our forest has maintained a similar time continuum with the human world for nearly a hundred and forty years."

I tapped my lip in thought. "Are you telling me that the moment Nana left with the feathers, this place was no longer a place out of time?"

Koru nodded, "It is why my brethren chose to sleep. It helped to protect our forest since Nga Tui i te Rangi was gone. For some of us it was a strain to lose so much of our mana when the feathers left."

Raw emotion, painful and dark with filaments of desire and hope threaded its way through the air towards me.

"Although your grandmother's coming was prophesized, my people were not happy when they lost a lot of their mana. Because I was the one decided upon to give her our greatest treasure, I was also the one my people chose to blame. They traveled deeper into the forest towards Mother Earth's beating heart and left me on the outskirts, barely tolerated."

I willed the vines, bracken and thorns away from his body. The trees groaned and shook as they too removed their interlocked branches, returning to their stalwart states.

There was a bitter smile on his face as he hesitantly raised himself. "The only thing that kept me company in my silent vigil was the kuri by your feet."

"Although," he said in a disgruntled voice, "The pokokohua never communicated to me through all those years."

I smiled as Toa, chuffed and lowered his head back down. Pokokohua was literally the worst swear word known to Maori. It is an old word, some believe it translates to bastard, or mongrel, others argue it means cutting ones head off and in Maori beliefs that is where the soul resides, so it is the stripping of all that makes a person who they are. Either definition describes that word as the most foul of swear words.

"Rakau," I called out.

"Yes, Chief?"

He hastily corrected himself, "I mean, yes, Hemi?"

I liked he was a quick study. "Come over here and sit with us."

I could literally smell his hesitancy. I glared at Koru. "What the hell did you do to the poor kid?"

Koru rolled his eyes. "It is not me he's afraid of, it's you!"

"You were supposed to train him to be a brave soldier, not this fawning little mouse."

Koru sighed, shaking his head at me. "You may have our blood running through your veins and although the imprint is too new for you to grasp the nuances of our culture, I must remind myself that you were not raised as one of us."

Turning he nodded his head at Rakau, "Boy, come sit with us, and be quick about it."

Rakau scuttled towards us, his face flushing, but I'll give him credit, he raised his head and stared me in the eyes, once he sat down.

"The problem Rakau has is similar to how I felt around your grandmother." Koru explained.

Which literally didn't explain anything to me. I made a rolling motion with my hand to enourage him to elaborate.

"Patupaiarehu are drawn to humans. It is part of our nature, but it is more potent when a young Patupaiarehu meets their first human. It's why stories of us stealing human children is a common theme. Most of the human children that come and play within our forests are dealing with our own young Patupaiarehu and the connection is instant. Should the human child feel the connection too, it's harder to separate the pair without causing a lot of harm to them both. In the past, we've separated the pair too early and human children have returned to their world changed, less able to differentiate between their world and ours. Missing parts of their minds due to the breaking of the bonds."

"Huringa," I whisper.

Koru nods, "Yes, a changeling and its sometimes permanent."

"What about the young Patupaiarehu?" I asked, "What happens to them if the bond is broken too soon?"

Koru looks away, "They either fade and take the journey to Rereinga Wairua, or they change, their skin turning as white as the moon above us, and hair as red as blood. They too can end up being lost, trying to look for their chosen bond mate but not strong enough to cross into the human world to find them."

I shook my head. "It's stupid shit like this that causes so much misunderstanding from both parties."

I turned to stare at Rakau. I remembered the instant connection I shared with him, picking up on his feelings without even using my energy to meld with his and wondered if that was the connection Koru was talking about.

"Did you sense my emotions or energy the way I felt yours earlier?"

Rakau nodded and then blushed. "I felt your eyes on me when I offered you food and your desires washed over me like the tides."

I tried to hide my grin, but I guess I was failing. I'd never been shy when I liked what I saw. I shrugged instead. "I enjoyed the up close intimate view."

Rakau blushed further and it was the interrupting cough that drew my attention away from him and towards Koru.

"As you can see," Koru said, "There is an instant connection. You have enough human blood that the bond formed, but like your grandmother before you, the connection you share with Rakau is strong, with neither of you suffering for it. The problem in the past, was the bonded pair stopped eating, or taking care of themselves. It was destructive for both and we would be forced to separate, or lose them."

He shook his head, "It was never an easy choice."

"You said it was different for my grandmother, and by extension, myself, how?"

Koru's shoulders sank and he looked weary and...heartsore. I inhaled to get a sense of his true emotions. Holy shit!

The guy was heartbroken. He might be Patupaiarehu and for that reason I assumed that they didn't feel emotions deeply the way humans did. So it came as a surprise to feel the rich and various emotions that emanated from his pores.

"I can still sense Tini even now. But I knew when her heart finally shifted away from me. I was merely a fond memory. A childhood crush. She never saw me grow into adulthood, but thanks to her, I was able to peek into her memories and see how she lived. When she met her...husband, that's when I knew it was time to let her live her life without me prying." He glanced my way, "I suspect her longevity is due to our active bond."

"It's possible," I said, "But it could also be because she is like me, Huakina o te Wairua, her gift may be long life."

Either way, I thought, I was going to have a long talk about this when I saw Nana next. How did the family not know, and if they knew how old she really was, how had they kept all this hidden?

"What are you going to do now?" Koru asked, interrupting my musings.

A strong sense of isolation and being left behind smashed into me. My head turned sharply towards Rakau. My body was moving before my mind caught up to what I was doing. Beside me I felt Toa trot along, his body leaning against my leg.

I grabbed Rakau's chin raising it and staring at his mismatched eyes, one blue, the other green, surrounded by all those thick pretty lashes, and rub his smooth skin gently beneath my fingers.

"I made a promise to protect what is mine." I said to the young Patupaiarehu. "If you wish to travel with me, then I won't stop you from leaving."

His joy was instant balm, I tightened my grip, "However, the human world is big and filled with many new things. Some of them may be frightening to one who is used to the natural splendour of our forest. If I allow you to accompany me, then you must be prepared to adapt and to learn. You must be willing to keep an open mind and absorb everything around you. The moment you stop trying or give up, I will send you home. Fair deal?"

There was a determined light in his eyes and he nodded affirmatively, his spine straight and head high.

Toa chuffed and my eyes widened as his meaning sank into my brain. "No shit?" I rubbed his ears, watching his eyes close in pleasure. "Aren't you the talented dog."

"What did the kuri say?" Rakau asked.

"Apparently since I am his master, he knows wherever in the world I am and can teleport directly there. He also said that since you are a child of Pirongia Forest, he is able to bring you back whenever you feel the pull to return."

A thought crossed my mind and I directed it at Toa. He sneezed once and his tail swung. A huge smile flowed across my face.

"So because the blood of the Patupaiarehu flows in me," I directed my glare at Koru, "No matter how weak, I can be teleported back here too," Toa chuffed, "That's good to know. We may need to use this place as our base of operations in the future."

"Is it only those with the blood of Patupaiarehu that you can teleport, and if so, how many?"

I was silent as I figured out the logistics. It was a handy talent to have at my disposal but it was limited to how deep my mana reserves were and the power of the Korowai. I'd figure it out. I just hoped that I didn't kill anyone while practicing. That was an issue for another time.

"Koru, its time you came out of retirement. I'm going to need you to awaken the remaining Patupaiarehu left. If we have any remaining seers ask them for an update and anything they might be able to tell me concerning the date that no one can see past."

Koru frowned, "Our people don't measure time the way humans do."

I patted him on the shoulder, "That's fine, I suspected that might be the case, but I'll be sending a human representative to help not only teach our people to understand time the way humans do, but an education about what lives outside this forest. Your job is to ensure they learn without prejudice because of humans in their territory or I will deal with them and they might not like my methods."

I started walking away, but stopped and turned. "One last question, how the fuck is Toa able to teleport to me anywhere in the world if he's never left this forest?"

Koru smiled, it was enigmatic and mysterious. "It was rumored that your Kuri was once a God himself who took on animal shape, seeding the rest of the spirit dogs. If that story is true, he was here when the creation gods themselves were still new."

Jesus H Christ, my dog was once a god, if that was true he may have been one of the original meta's.

Thank you everyone for your kind words of support, if you wish to contact me here is my email address: monkurchakar@yahoo.com.au

Sincerely

Monkur