Wandering Souls

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Enjoy!

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Adam was led into the village, closely watched by dozens of warriors as if he posed a high threat.

The tall Indian with a long scar across his stomach followed him, never taking his eyes off him.

They passed by a large fire and a very tall stone but didn't stop. Adam quickly noticed that this village was better organized than he had expected. The longhouses were aligned with military precision, and there was no litter on the ground.

It was only packed earth, but it was clean.

He was escorted to a longhouse that didn't seem different from the others and entered after the woman, who appeared to be in her forties.

All the villagers stayed outside.

Inside the house, there was only one person—a very old woman, perhaps sixty or seventy years old. She had long gray hair, many necklaces, eyes so small they looked closed, and held a strange twisted stick adorned with teeth, bones, some beautiful shells, and feathers.

As soon as she entered the house, the woman guiding Adam bowed with respect, causing all her necklaces to jingle. She must have had about ten around her neck.

Oh, she looks very important. Should… Should I bow?

Adam mimicked her gesture and remained silent while the two women spoke in their unfamiliar language.

The older woman, who must have been very important in this village, barely spoke, listening closely to what the other woman had to say.

When she finished, a heavy silence filled the house. The old woman with the staff stared at Adam without showing any emotion.

Because her eyes were not clearly visible, it was impossible for the young officer to guess what she might be thinking.

What should I do? Do I say something, or should I wait until they address me?

He glanced around the house and saw many trinkets, totems, and small constructions made of wood, cloth, and thread hanging from the beams. He had almost hit his head twice upon entering the dark, long room.

Without the fire burning peacefully between the two women and himself, he would have seen nothing.

"You're very far from home, young man," said the old woman in surprisingly good French, though with a strong, indescribable accent.

"Uh, yes. There was an accident. I apologize for disturbing the village with my presence."

Adam bowed lower to avoid causing any offense.

The old woman's lips curled slightly, deepening the wrinkles on her face, already highlighted by the dancing flames below her. The fire cast large, unsettling shadows throughout the house.

"You're referring to what happened with Tehonwaskaron, I presume?"

"Who?"

"That's the young boy you saved from that bear. You have our gratitude for that. He's one of the many sons of our chief. He's young and going through a difficult phase where he tests his limits. He left the village to play and once again wanted to explore the surroundings."

The woman tapped the packed earth floor three times with her staff, making the decorations hanging from it clink.

"He will be punished," the woman continued, "though this misadventure could be considered punishment enough. I believe… he's learned his lesson. Ah… As for our peace, it's already been quite disturbed, so you don't need to worry too much about that."

"Phew! That's a relief! Uh, I mean, I'm relieved that I don't need to worry about that, not that your peace was already disturbed!"

The old woman tilted her head to the side, but that was her only reaction. As if Adam hadn't said anything, she continued in a grave voice.

"However, it's true that we could have done without your visit. Young man, you're not unaware that we're at war with you French, are you?"

What? We're at war?

The old woman seemed to look him directly in the eyes, her kindly smile gone. Now, she resembled more a stern judge.

"We… we're at war? I'm sorry, but I don't know much about these territories or the people living here. I only arrived from France not long ago."

"Hmm? So you entered this village without knowing it was a Mohawk village?"

Mohawk? Wait, isn't that one of the Iroquois tribes? Holy hell!

The old woman seemed amused by Adam's reaction. The woman beside her simply raised an eyebrow as she scrutinized him.

"No, I didn't know, madam. Uh, excuse me, what should I call you? I don't want to be disrespectful."

"Oh, you may call me 'Matriarch.' So, you didn't realize you were helping your enemy."

"That child is not my enemy, Matriarch," Adam replied calmly, his voice almost indignant. "Even if I had known the boy was from this village, I wouldn't have acted any differently, because he's a child. How could I look at myself in the mirror if I'd left him alone in danger?"

"Hmm, perhaps you speak the truth."

"I followed him here, but believe me, it wasn't intentional. I asked him to guide me to Fort Edward."

"Fort Edward…" said the Matriarch thoughtfully, her brows furrowing. "You've traveled quite a distance…"

"I got lost while chasing an enemy. An Englishman. He ran faster than me, and by the time I realized I'd lost him, I was alone in the middle of the forest. I walked randomly in one direction and came across the boy, perched in a tree next to two bear cubs. Then the adult bear arrived."

"Randomly, you say?" she asked without waiting for a reply.

A tired smirk appeared on her lips, as if she found the word amusing.

"What is certain," she said softly, nodding, "is that you saved his life."

Adam noticed the woman becoming strangely silent. It was both encouraging and unsettling.

"Matriarch, may I stay the night in this village and ask for help to return to Fort Edward tomorrow morning?"

The second woman seemed uneasy, and he could understand why. After all, their nations had been enemies for years, perhaps even generations. Maybe she had lost friends and family in this war.

"It's possible," the matriarch said nevertheless. "But before I let you go, I have a question to ask you.

"W-what question?" Adam asked nervously, fearing he might have to reveal important information about their army.

"At the beginning of this conversation, I said that you were far from home. I wasn't referring to Fort Edward. You're not from this time, are you?"

W-what?!

"H-how do you know that?"

The second woman turned to the matriarch but stayed silent. Yet, her face showed all her surprise.

"So, you are indeed the wandering soul I was waiting for," said the old woman with a complex expression on her face, revealing her dark eyes for the first time.

"A wandering soul?"

"That's what we call people like you. The previous matriarch told me this story she heard when she was trained by her own matriarch, and so on. It's not something everyone should know. Ayonwahta, who will succeed me as matriarch, already knows certain things about wandering souls."

"…"

Shocked, Adam remained silent and listened to the old woman with utmost attention and hope.

"What time do you come from, my boy?"

The young man hesitated for a few seconds, but hope led him to answer her question.

"2024," he finally admitted, making the younger woman flinch.

For her, it must have been no different than someone in her time suddenly meeting a person claiming to be from the year 2200. The difference, and a significant one, was that in her time, there was no abundance of science fiction books and movies.

"2024," the matriarch repeated softly. "How long have you been in this body?"

"A-a little over a year," he replied honestly.

How does she know I'm from the future?! What is going on?! What are they going to do to me?!

Ignoring all his silent questions racing through his mind, the matriarch continued asking questions that flowed like a river.

"How did you arrive in our time?"

"I… I touched a watch I found by chance."

"Was this watch special? Was it important to the owner of this body?"

"Y-yes! It was his watch! In fact, it was his grandfather's!"

Adam was starting to get excited and answered each of the matriarch's questions eagerly.

"But I don't understand. Why did it happen when I touched the watch? I have nothing in common with François, do I? I can't be his descendant if he died at the Battle of Hastenbeck! Unless he had an illegitimate child before going off to war, but I doubt it."

"My boy," the matriarch said with an almost gentle voice, "there are bonds much stronger than blood. You and this François share something much deeper."

"W-what?"

"The soul."

"The soul?"

Adam looked, stunned, at the matriarch's hand resting on her own chest. He tried to understand what that implied.

"You share the same soul, because before being you, you were François. Perhaps you've been other people in the meantime, but it was François's watch you found."

"So if I had found… Good lord, this is completely crazy! If I had found an object belonging to another of my past lives, I might have ended up in a different body and time?"

"Not necessarily," the matriarch said after some hesitation. "François was deeply attached to that watch. You say he died in battle, right? He likely had many regrets. Maybe he wasn't truly dead, but his soul had merely left his body? You mentioned he had a severe head injury? Perhaps that's another condition for traveling."

Adam, mouth agape with a bewildered look on his face, struggled to make sense of it all. But he had no other explanations. For simplicity's sake, he decided to simply accept it.

"If that's true, shouldn't more people end up like me?"

The matriarch seemed amused by this idea and folded her arms, using her staff for support.

"Do you think so? What are the odds that someone would find a precious item belonging to a past life, with regrets and a soul that escaped? My boy, you don't realize it? I think you'd have better chances of finding a specific tree in a forest ten years after your last visit."

Once again, for simplicity's sake, Adam nodded obediently.

"But how do you know so much? And how did you know I was one?"

"You're not the first wandering soul to come through this village, my boy. As for your second question, let's just say I was informed by friends."

"Friends?" Adam raised an eyebrow, confused.

"As matriarch, I have many roles. I give counsel, I appoint the chief, but I also communicate with the spirits. They are very talkative, and they warned me of your arrival."

Spirits…

Instantly, Adam felt his excitement and confidence crumble, as if he had just been doused in ice water.

What is this nonsense?! Wandering souls and now spirits?

"They're quite fond of you, my boy. They didn't go into detail, but they said that the fate of our tribe would change because of you."

"The fate of your tribe? I'm not sure I understand," the young soldier said in a tone more weary than he had intended.

"We have a saying here: time is like a raging river. You can't swim against the current; you can only follow it. But you, wandering souls, you're not bound by that rule. You have a boat. You can row against the current. You can change the course of events, just as the Great Peacemaker, Deganawida, once did. Do you know this name?"

"No, I'm sorry."

The old woman looked disappointed, but continued her explanation.

"He's the most illustrious figure in our tribe. With others, he built the Iroquois Confederacy. Without him, we would have already disappeared, crushed by the French, the English, and other tribes."

Adam looked in surprise at the two women, but neither of them seemed to be joking. Quite the opposite; they looked deeply dignified and respectful just by mentioning his name. It was as if they were speaking of Jesus, Muhammad, or Buddha.

"So this, um… Great Peacemaker, he's like me?"

The old woman nodded.

"And your spirits say I can change the destiny of your tribe?"

"No, my boy. You will do it. Perhaps you've already done so," she said confidently.

"How can I change anything without even knowing it? That doesn't make any sense!"

"Being aware of the changes you bring with your actions doesn't make them any less real, my boy. Every action has consequences, whether you want it to or not. All you can do is guide them by making the best choices and accepting the outcomes."

Adam wanted to argue, but he couldn't find a single reason to counter her. The matriarch continued, and for the first time, there was a hint of excitement in her voice.

"The Great Peacemaker left a stone in our village. We have kept it safe for three hundred years. Perhaps you can help us interpret it? It's indecipherable for us who are not wandering souls."

But the second woman could stay silent no longer. She turned swiftly toward the matriarch.

She spoke quickly in a language Adam couldn't understand, seeming anxious and disapproving of showing this stone—considered sacred by people in this village and all Iroquois villages—to a foreigner.

The exchange was as quick as it was sharp.

In the end, the matriarch-in-training bowed respectfully.

Though it was very late, Adam was led outside the longhouse to a tall stone, about eight feet high. One of its faces had been carved smooth.

The craftsmanship was remarkable; one could almost think the stone had been laser-cut.

On that face, fine characters were engraved, covering the entire stone, illuminated by the large bonfire.

"We asked our English friend, William Johnson, but he couldn't translate this text. But you're a wandering soul. Can you understand the message left by the Great Peacemaker?"

Adam looked at the stone and it took him only a second to give an answer.

"Sorry, matriarch, but I can't translate this text. I don't speak Korean."

The young man saw disappointment fill the matriarch's face, as her hopes had been very high. In truth, they had only grown since their conversation had started focusing on wandering souls.

Korean… I don't know that language at all. The stories I used to read on the internet were all translated into English, sometimes French.

"It's not your fault," said the matriarch. "If you don't know this language, there's nothing to be done. One day, perhaps, this mystery will be solved."

Adam was then led to a longhouse at the northern edge of the village. He took one last look at the tall stone, wondering what was inscribed on it.

Had he been able to read these characters, here is what he would have read:

"My name is Park Don-yul.

I was born on April 13, 1922, in Busan. I joined the Japanese army like many of my peers, since we were colonized at that time.

I fought in a war for those who occupied my homeland before realizing that we Koreans could drive them from our land, but that we would have to fight for it.

I lost many comrades, friends, and family members, often during waves of repression. They called me a terrorist, but that's only the enemy's perspective. Later, they called me a hero, but I didn't care for their medals and celebrations.

My country was not freed.

My beloved Korea was divided. I watched the southern half of my country develop rapidly, while the northern half remained trapped in the past. I wanted to fight, but I lacked the courage or strength. I would have been called mad, seen as a danger to peace.

I felt too small in a system too vast and complex, so I ignored the war that continued to divide my cherished country and led a peaceful life.

I did what was expected of me: I worked hard, held many jobs, contributed in my small way to building South Korea, got married, and had children.

My eldest son, Ha-jun, who moved to America and got married, invited me to meet my grandchildren, so I went there as my health declined. It was the first time I left Korean soil since the war and the first time I flew in an airplane.

He lived in Buffalo, at the northern border of the Democratic Republic of America.

I got to spend time with him, his lovely wife, and my grandchildren, a boy and a girl. My grandson, James, loved history, so we went to a museum largely dedicated to the Native Americans who once populated this region long ago.

That's when I saw a necklace in a display case. It was nothing extraordinary, but as soon as I saw it, I felt it calling me, speaking to me. So, I approached it. Then I felt ill, as if all my strength was leaving me. And I collapsed.

When I awoke, I was injured, surrounded by trees and half-naked bodies with painted faces. I was in the body of a young man named Deganawida.

I was in such pain that I thought I was going mad.

Around my neck was the necklace I had seen in the display case, and just by touching it, I returned to the museum. Immediately, the pain vanished like an illusion.

No time seemed to have passed while I was in Deganawida's body, and when I touched the display case again, I was once more in that blood-covered, wounded body.

I then thought that here I could play a role other than that of a spectator.

My injuries, received in a great battle with the Senecas, healed over time, and I regained my strength. I then fully became this young man and lived this second life as best I could.

I traveled extensively and did all I could to make my tribe strong. But it wasn't enough. So I told everyone I met what I knew, thanks to what my grandson told me about these tribes: the arrival of the white man, disease, division, war, and finally the conquest that would annihilate them all.

Thankfully, I was heard, and we managed to create a confederation, despite our conflicts and differences. For this, they called me the Great Peacemaker.

I am certain it will last long after my death.

To you who have managed to read this text, know that I have no regrets. I lived two long lives, had many children, several wives, and most of all, I was able to change something.

You too can change things, and you don't need to know the future. All you need is to dedicate all your energy to it. Then, when your time comes, you will have no regrets."