Free Stolen Away by Christopher Dinsdale

enormous barrier of felled trees extended in both directions as far as the eye could see.
    On the near side of the river, Kiera could see trails of smoke, dozens of small huts and canoes lining the river's edge. Many people streamed between the structures, busy in their various tasks. She guessed that there must be over a thousand people awaiting them in the valley below!
    Sooleawaa brought her a piece of salted fish and berries for lunch. Chocan, exhausted, lay down and relaxed in the highland grass with his hands behind his head. Kiera nodded towards the large village.
    â€œIs that the Meeting Place?”
    Chocan opened his eyes momentarily. “Yes, we will be there tonight.”
    Kiera decided to let the weary man rest. She turned to Sooleawaa. “Is that a wall of trees on the other side of the river?”
    Sooleawaa straightened with pride. “It was created by my ancestors long ago. We use it to bring the Great Herd to us. It stretches for over a ten-day walk in both directions.”
    Kiera shook her head in disbelief. “A ten-day walk? That's incredible! How could you make something so big?”
    â€œWe use trees that were knocked down by great storms. Sometimes, we can push them down, like this.” She put one hand on top of the other.
    Kiera was in awe. “Tell me, what did you mean by the Great Herd?”
    â€œCaribou,” answered Sooleawaa.
    â€œCaribou?” asked Kiera, shrugging. She had never heard the word before.
    â€œIt is easier for me to draw one for you.”
    Sooleawaa took a stick and drew a magnificent animal in the dirt between them, long-legged with strong shoulders and neck. From its thick, deerlike head stretched an impressive set of antlers, and she finished off the picture by drawing a person next to the caribou. Kiera was impressed with Sooleawaa's artwork but was shocked to see that a person's head only came up to the animal's shoulder. The beast must be huge!
    â€œCaribou,” repeated Kiera. “It looks something like the deer we had in my homeland, but this animal looks much larger and stronger. The biggest animal I have ever touched is a cow.”
    â€œCow?” questioned Sooleawaa.
    Chocan's voice interrupted the conversation. His face bore a smile, but his eyes remained closed.
    â€œAh, Kiera, surely a caribou is greater than that fierce animal that you call a cow. You have never seen a caribou? You will see caribou…many, many caribou…very soon.”

    It was just after midday when they entered the largest mass of humanity Kiera had ever seen. Her farming community in Ireland had numbered, at most, a hundred people. The Icelandic town in which she had briefly stayed before being auctioned off as a slave was large, but never had she seen so many faces all at once. Everyone was coated in the same red ochre, giving Kiera the feeling that she had entered a colony of red ants. It was then that she remembered she was now just as red as they were.
    As the band entered, the entire village stopped its milling about and stared at the newcomers in stony silence. The sudden stillness was eerie and unnatural. The only sound Kiera could hear was the rumbling of the river and the footsteps of her band as they made their way toward the heart of the encampment. Then she noticed that the eyes of the crowd were focused on her.
    â€œWhy is everyone staring at me?” she asked Chocan as casually as she could.
    Chocan didn't answer but continued to drag her further into the mass of icy stares. Kiera could feel the fingers of panic begin to tighten around her stomach. She wished she had Shawnadit on her lap for support, but the little girl was nowhere in sight.
    From her backwards vantage point, Kiera stared in horror as the mass of red bodies closed in behind them, cutting off any chance of escape. Escape? She couldn't even walk. She was completely at their mercy. She closed her eyes and prayed for deliverance from the encroaching