By dawn, Howaru was up and waiting inside the village gates, waiting for his provisions get packed. Gifted weapons, food, and clothes, along with his new slave, needed somewhere to go or something to do. Makosoi, a warrior, had been sent along with him, despite his protest, to assist with anything he required.

  "What about dogs, champion?" asked Makosoi.

  "Why would I want dogs? Too loud and stupid. Like you."

  Makosoi turned his reddening face away, "Au. I'm not stupid."

  Howaru slapped him softly on the back of the head, "I know. I'm just teasing bro. I only meant the first part."

  "So dogs aye?"

  "No dogs Makosoi. No Moa. No Eagles. Just me and Totokono."

  "And the old man."

  "And the old man. What's his name?"

  "Kanopolu. Just call him Kano. He'll carry the rest of the gear."

  "And is he loud and stupid?"

  "You'll see."

  Howaru eyed Makosoi suspiciously. "If he slows me down I'll remember it Makosoi. Your brother, the Chief, promised me the best slave in Matavai. You want me to hunt you like Baby Eater?"

  "He won't slow you down. He's a legend." Makosoi laughed, then

  added, "ask him about his ancestry when you get a chance."

  Howaru stopped smiling and stared at Makosoi. "I don't care about his ancestry. If he's a slave it meant he was once a captive, he won't have an ancestry anymore, understand?"

  Makosoi nodded and quickly turned away from him, picking up the spear and close combat weapons from off the ground. Howaru spotted a well-used tiaha, and obsidian blade, and greenstone patu, wondering if he would ever use them. Makosoi handed the weapons over to the slave Kanopolu, to stow in the provisions kete.

  Along with the weapons, Kanopolu carried the sleeping mats, torches, and wet weather gear, gifted by the women of Feke, a hastily weaved sitting mat and some loincloths, gifted by the Matavai women, and fishing and hunting gear including a spear and a machete. Additionally, Howaru asked for and was gifted rope, a conch, a bundle of tapa cloth for wrapping game or injuries, ten preserved pigeons in case they failed to flush out dinner, coconut bowls, and two water gourds.

  "You don't want to wait for my brother before you leave?" Asked Makosoi, helping Kanopolu load everything into carrying baskets.

  Howaru strapped Totokono to his back and around his waist. "Why? Another speech? Another prayer?"

  Kanopolu hauled the bags up over his shoulders, looping stringy arms through the flax straps before turning to face Howaru, waiting for the signal to leave.

  Howaru pressed noses with Makosai. "There's nothing else e hoa. Thank you for your help this morning finding my slave and getting me on my way. I would have sneaked out in the darkness otherwise. Old habits aye."

  And as he passed under the gate, he called back, "I used to do the same with your mother too. Sneak out before your dad came home."

  Howaru laughed, not bothering to turn and see Makosoi's reaction. "I could be your real father boy!" He laughed hard again, glad to be rid of village life already.

  By midday he was in thick forest heading due east, expecting to intercept the river Wainimata, winding its way from the base of Takali Foto. Takali Foto thundered again before the ground shivered. Thump, thunk! The slave picked up two coconuts from palms lining the path. He held out one in front of Howaru who nodded, and the old man hacked the husks off with a machete before lopping off the top, presenting it to him.

  "Thank you," said Howaru, finishing it all.

  The slave nodded, did the same to the other. Howaru tossed the empty shell into the bush and carried on walking. Once we reach the river we'll follow it to Ulu Waimate falls, he decided. There are two villages between Matavai and the falls, both built at the river's edge, and I'll speak to as many witnesses as I must before trying to track this Baby Eater. There will no doubt be a slave who has kept their mouth shut for too long and wants to tell me the real story.

  "You seen this Baby Eater old man?"

  The slave turned his head and stared at him for a moment before shaking 'no' and continuing with his fast pace. He had a wobble to him, a limp from an old war injury no doubt, but it hardly slowed him down.

  By midday, there were fewer signs of habitation; people no longer walking paths. The last fisherman passed an hour or so ago, returning with a line of eels, and before that a group of women carrying baskets of kumara on their heads, returning from a private grove.

  Now, the sounds of the forest became more vocal and frequent. There was birdsong from every direction, wild boar digging in the undergrowth, the endless pulse of a thousand cicadas, croaks and buzzing from ponds and the haunting cries of river taniwha. Each step further into the forest Tāne's children became more aware of these two travellers, while forest spirits faded in and out of sight. All were making themselves known, talking at once, announcing themselves.

  At the hottest part of the day, they reached Wainimata river and rested near a still bend on the banks, among tall flax. Kanopolu dropped the gear and walked along the edge of the river to where the current picked up, holding a fishing spear. Howaru jumped into the water to wash off the dirt and sweat. He swam for some time, chasing crayfish along the bottom of the water into hiding under tree roots poked through the riverbank into its waters. When he got out, he prepared a fire intending to heat one of the pigeons, but as he went to remove the preserved bird from the clay, Kanopolu had returned with an eel trap in his hands, loaded with four eels and six crayfish, each one the size of a fist.

  Howaru eyed the trap suspiciously. "Is that yours au?"

  Kanopolu smiled and nodded, pointing at himself, before emptying the trap onto the ground. Howaru handed him the knife, and the old man dispatched the eels. The crayfish struggled on the grass, and Howaru picked four of them up, avoiding the claws, and threw them straight into the fire. Then he lay down a mat and rested on top of it, sipping puga from his gourd while the old slave finished preparing lunch. He filleted the eel before skewering it on a couple of branches and hanging it over the open flames, and once the crayfish were cooked enough, flicked them out onto the grass with a branch to cool.

  Soon the puga took hold of Howaru, and his eyes became keen and focused. He sat up and measured the old slave for a moment, trying to see the colour of his mana. There was nothing there, no aura, and disappointed wondered, how does the puga know if a man is a slave or not, and therefore has no mana? Is that what people see when they look at me too? Am I nothing, after all of my feats? He knew the answer already, and his resentment grew. Kanopolu was a reminder of his place forever in the dark.

  "We're similar, you and I, aye?"

  The slave said nothing and Howaru stared up at the sky. A single white cloud pushed south by the wind god Tawhiri. Or maybe Matavai's god Degei influenced the weather, since we're in his domain. So many gods, he thought, too many. Most of them useless and never around when one was in trouble. Except for my own. Twice in as many days, Takaroa revealed himself, once in front of his people, further proof his true lineage might be with gods. His mind shifted quickly, from one thought to another. The cloud has changed shape; it looks like a dog. He sipped a bit more of the puga before laying on his back to doze in the sun.

  I remember the first day I found Potaru. The Chief's son had beaten me up, for spilling water outside the door of the house. It was my first broken nose. I ran to escape the blows, between the wall at the back of the house and the village barricades. They were wide enough for a child but not for older kids.

  Howaru heard himself snoring as the memory grew into a dream. The crackling fire, sounds of Kanopolu cooking eel and crayfish, and the lull of the river all faded into nothing.

  I see her, your mother, panting and still in labour. She has four pups at the tit already. She whines as I approach, tail wagging, recognising me. She is Tutuli, from the west side, owned by a warrior named Qasi. His lead hunting dog, just as these pups will be once they are grown. All four are mostly brown with darker spots. Look, they are helpless and weak, like me. I looked around to make sure nobody had followed. She whimpered again, and I sat beside her, stroking her and whispering that I was her friend. She got up and walked in circles before squatting to squeeze out one more. You. As soon as you were born, I decided we were going to be brothers.

  Howaru felt a nudge of his foot and woke. Kanopolu handed him a banana leaf filled with the eel fillets, cooked banana, and all six of the crayfish. He gave two back to the slave who went and sat down under the shade of a coconut palm to eat by himself.

  They reached the foothills of the Mahana ranges well before dark. Kanopolu even got in a hunt, spearing three fat pigeons drunk on kopi berries. It was the first time Howaru had set foot through this part of Kafiki. The ranges, twenty or more sharp peaks, looked like they had been hacked from the earth by a vicious god.

  Along the river route he noticed well-walked paths leading off into the forest.

  "We must be nearing the village," he announced.

  Soon the river turned back east, but Kanopolu spotted a broad path leading south, and he agreed to follow it. After an hour they could see the gates of Lidopo village. He was keen to camp on the outskirts and not be tempted by Lidopo's hospitality, raising his arm for Kanopolu to stop a few paces behind him.

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  Howaru turned to the slave. "I don't want to disturb the village or raise awareness that I'm here. Understand?" He searched the perimeter for a spot where the trees provided extra cover.

  "There," he said, pointing north from where they came, "we'll set up camp back there for tonight."

  Kanopolu nodded and together walked back to the forest edge. Howaru unstrapped his bedroll and weapons onto the grass. He lay Totokono over the bedroll and sat cross-legged before taking a small gourd of coconut oil from this kete, rubbing his hands with the lotion, and applying it to Totokono. Kanopolu entered the woods to look for kindling. Once alone, Howaru sang to his clubaxe:

  "When I found you

  in the shape of a tree,

  Tāne gifted you to me,

  I cut you from your roots

  in the shape of a log,

  I carved you over winter

  and oiled you in spring,

  In the shape of an axe

  I'll test your blade

  against my enemies."

  Kano arrived back with an armful of firewood and made camp. Howaru finished with Totokona, covering it with a cloth before laying down on his mat, drinking gourd in hand. He took the small box of puga out of the kete and sprinkled a pinch of the magical coral into his water. By the time the moon rose above the treeline Kano had cooked all three pigeons.

  Howaru began to nod off as he ate. This puga is powerful stuff. Either that or I'm still weak from my time on Little Rock.

  As he finished his second bird, he wiped the fat from his beard and lay back down on the mat, watching the fire dance. What if Baby Eater attacked tonight? A nervous thought entered his mind. Was I ready for a real fight, to the death? Was Baby Eater even human? He tried to recall what Faturaki, Pakuu and Chiefs had told him about the monster, quickly realising he knew nothing. He didn't even know what type of weapon he wielded.

  Howaru got to his feet. "I'm going for a wander." He picked up Totokono and walked towards the village while the slave cleaned up.

  I must find someone in Lidopo, he thought, who can tell me about the monster. But if the village were asleep, he would have to wait until they got to Namolilomo village, due South along the Waimate river.

  He stood at the village gate. It was without guard and empty. Or we could take the line of ranges south-east and travel to the Ulu Waitmate falls instead. But is that where Baby Eater hides or just another hunting spot? It would be a waste of time to go there right away and find nothing.

  "I'll find the chief of this shithole before I decide what to do," he said aloud to nobody and walked through the gate into the village. Towards the centre, he could see a bonfire burning high with a circle of men and women around it. Three large men crowded around a boy of fifteen or sixteen, with bound wrists. One of the men was already speaking as Howaru arrived at the edge of the crowd.

  "We caught him up a tree spying on the village. He says he's from Feke Island up north and is helping Howaru catch the Baby Eater."

  Another of the men asked, "If you are with Howaru, where is he now?"

  "He will be here soon, but you should let me go so that I can fetch him. I was scouting for him and need to tell him I have found Lidopo."

  The older man scowled. "It's Lidopo. And how do we know you aren't some Akumai spy?"

  Howaru got closer to the group, at the edge of the bonfire light. The boy looked familiar, but he failed to recognise him, and asked, "Did you escort Faturaki to pick up Howaru from little rock?"

  The boy shook his head.

  "And you're with Howaru's hunting party?"

  "Yes. He-he is my father."

  Howaru laughed and stepped into the light. "I do not recognise this boy. I hunt alone. But if he is from Feke, he is one of my tribe. Please free him so that he can return home."

  All three men holding the boy looked up at Howaru. "Au, it is Howaru!"

  Howaru laughed again, "Yes, and I am here to kill the Baby Eater!"

  A look of shock and disbelief among the small crowd of villagers, turned to surprise as they erupted into laughter.

  An older woman began to wail piteously, crying tears of joy. "You have come! The gods have finally answered our prayers. My grandchildren will have utu and can rest in peace!"

  The pressed closer from all around. Women and men placed hands on him and Totokono, blessing and thanking him, before the Chief pushed his way through to greet him.

  "Welcome to Lidopo Howaru. I am Caucau, Chief of the village."

  A few more women exclaimed, "Let's prepare a feast!"

  The Chief led him towards the meeting house and called for kava and to slaughter a pig. "Howaru is here - wake up the village!"

  Howaru protested, but the crowd quickly grew urging him towards the main fale as people began shouting. "Our troubles are over! Degei has answered our prayers!"

  He looked around for the Feke boy, but there was no one at the bonfire. Children were now leading him by the hand, laughing.

  "Run! Wake the dancers and get them ready to perform."

  The children led him inside and pulled him to the floor. He sat on the middle of a small open walled meeting house, beside the Chief and his family. More villagers entered the fale and lined up, waiting to greet him. By the time he met the village, and everyone was seated, he was being hand-fed delicious pieces of fatty pork and drinking bowls of kava.

  "Hurry! Bring out the feast!" Caucau called.

  Women, wrapped in dyed tapa cloth, tattooed in the style of Matavai, placed steaming leaf parcels before him. Arranged on the floor in front of him were yams and kumara and taro, while marinated fish served raw in a giant turtle shell was pushed under his nose. It was a favourite dish of his, one he'd been dreaming about eating since his arrival back on Kafiki, and he grabbed for it straight away.

  "Ah, you like the fish Howaru." Said the Chief's wife. "Good for you, it's from the river."

  "But we have proper specialities here - do you want to try the enemies of Lidopo?"

  "Enemies." Howaru shifted in his seat, his stomach shrinking. "I don't eat the flesh of captives anymore."

  "Really? Why not?"

  "It's made me sick in the past, and I have lost the taste for it."

  "You must try this then. It's not of an enemy it is of an elder," then she added, "he is as close to a tohunga as are allowed."

  "How did he die?"

  "He sacrificed himself after you turned up. He cut his own throat while we were walking over."

  Howaru felt a pain in his skull. "I did not ask for that. It was a waste Caucau. I would have been fine with the pork and fish."

  Chief Caucau looked horrified and explained, "I'm sorry Howaru. This man, he was a slave to the Matavai big man himself, for twenty years. He knew about you that you were once a slave."

  "He heard wrong. I am the Champion of Kafiki, descended from Takaroa, a god."

  "Of course, you are Howaru! Son of Takaroa himself!" The Chief nodded vigorously. "Did you hear that my people! He is not a slave but he is a son of god!"

  His people looked confused but nodded regardless, smiles carved into faces.

  Howaru added, "and slaves shouldn't be eating the flesh of each other. It is reserved for enemies, to acquire their mana. A slave has no mana!"

  His voice boomed throughout the meeting hall where the entire village had, now congregated, grew silent. Eyes now looked downwards at the floor, shamed by Howaru and his harsh words.

  "Your people begged your captors in Matavai for help, to rid yourselves of a menace eating your children, when you yourselves do the same!"

  "But it is tradition Howaru. You know this." Begged one of the older women beside him.

  "Is the Baby Eater a tradition now too? How many has he stolen into the night? One hundred?"

  "One hundred? No Howaru, in ten years, Baby Eater has eaten over a thousand children."

  "A thousand! Chief Kuanua told me much less."

  Caucau shook his head, looking disgusted, "And so we know the truth, and Howaru confirms it. Thank you for telling us this. Now we know they are hiding from the rest of the island what is going on here."

  Villagers stood up and began shouting in anger. "The nobles have lied for too long. It took only one hundred lives to get Howaru back to Kafiki when we have suffered ten times that!"

  "They knew for so long and did nothing! Our lives are worth nothing to them!"

  Howaru rose to his feet. "You wasted a sacrifice on me, and I apologise for this but please do not let this food go to waste, share him with the village so they can all benefit from his mana."

  Chief Caucau laughed bitterly. "But as you said Howaru, he was a slave. He has no mana."

  I lied. That man had mana. Everyone does, I do, and each of those babies had mana. They don't deserve to become food for a monster who eats alone in the night. He is the one without mana, without people, without pride! Howaru thought the right words to say but never spoke it. Instead, he piled a handful of yams onto a turtle bowl laden with fish and stepped over the Chief into the night. "I've set up camp on the edge of the forest north of here. I'll stay for the night only. Thank you for honouring me as your guest."

  In the morning, Howaru broke up camp early and made his way south along the river towards Tuakau village. A thousand in Lidopo, he thought, and how many more in Tuakau? They trekked the edge of the river for the entire day, stopping once to swim and to eat the yams taken from Lidopo. As night approached, Howaru set up camp well ahead of Kanopolu, carrying the bulk of provisions. When the slave finally wandered into camp Howaru was trying to get the fire going, his mind still distracted by what had happened last night in Lidopo. Kanopolu laid down the provisions before tending the fire, ushering Howaru to sit.

  "What's your story old man?"

  Kanopolu said nothing.

  "Hey. I'm talking to you, slave."

  The old man remained kneeled stacking kindling, with his back to Howaru.

  "Too proud to speak now? I should tear out your tongue to teach you its value."

  The slave continued to ignore Howaru, his fire almost lit, smoke billowing now. Howaru began to seethe. Even this slave knows your real history and thinks he is above you. Look at him, he is laughing at you.

  Howaru stood up and lined up a kick to his head. THWACK! Kanopolu collapsed in a heap on top of the fire.

  "That's right old man! You're my slave!"

  Howaru bent down and rolled the unconscious man off the fire as flames erupted around them both. He patted the flames off Kanopolu, and then slapped him back into consciousness.

  Kneeled over him, he shouted, "That's what happens when you ignore me!"

  The slave rubbed the side of his head while making circles with his jaw. His mouth opened wide for a moment, and Howaru saw he was tongueless. "Can you hear me, Kanopolu?"

  The slave stared up at him with a blank expression, nodding.

  "You are mute. Were you born without a tongue or did your captors cut it out?"

  Kanopolu crossed his wrists together, holding them up in front of his face, before indicating with his thumb a cutting motion near his mouth.

  Howaru stood up. "I see now. You must have been a worthy foe but now look at yourself. You're just like me. No mana remains."

  He stepped over to his bedroll and sat down. "Don't be angry with me for kicking you aye. You could hear me the whole time."

  The slave nodded and smiled a toothless smile before returning to the fire to pile on more wood. Soon Kanopolu was laid atop his matting, turned away from him, so he could watch the fire dance in peace.

  Pataru is licking me awake. I feel the softness of the tongue and the sticky wet of it, on my cheek, then behind my ears. I mumble 'stop it', and roll over to escape the attack. He follows and begins licking me again so I cover myself head with my arms but he nuzzles my ears instead, and I laugh and beg him to stop. He his relentless in his attack and I turn onto my back, crossing my arms over my face. Pataru lunges forward kissing and licking at me between gaps in my arms until I wrap him up in a hug and trap him, turning over and laying my head beside his, leaning in and pushing aside his attempts to get at me with his muzzle. Can't you be still just once Pataru?

  We lay for a moment, silent and still. We both hear the footsteps and roll onto our stomachs to watch, from under the floorboards. I can see the legs now, four pairs, approaching the front of the storehouse, but instead of going up the ladder they stop. The kumara storehouse is my home, my job to guard it and track hoe much kumara is there. I see legs marked with the ink of ariki, and I wonder what they are doing at my doorstep. Are they here to kick me out? Soon my name is called. 'Howaru! Bring me the dog Pataru.'

  Patara's ears prick up, and I hold onto him tight. 'Why?' I ask, but I get no reply. Again the demand for Pataru and again I ask why. After a moment of silence, the four warriors crawl under the storehouse. Two go for my legs and drag me from under the house while the other two go for Pataru. I let him loose and yell at him to run, but like the dumb dog he is, he remains by my side baring his teeth and growling at the men. The warriors tell me hold the dog but as I reach for him he bites at my hand before ripping into the face of the nearest warrior. I kick out of the hold of the warriors and roll from under the storehouse onto my feet. They come at me again, so I aim for the face just like Pataru, and attack the nearest, knocking the warrior out with a single blow. The other warrior tackles me down before someone spears my face with a tiaha. Blood pours into my eyes and I sink into darkness, the sound I hear is of Pataru my brother barking at me to rise up.