Aahana Swrup
In ‘Chief of War,’ after Keoua joins forces with King Kahekili to ensure the death and destruction of his cousin, an ominous threat looms over the Kohala district. Although this compels Ka’iana to call for an offensive stance against the king of Hawai’i, Kamehameha refuses to throw the first violent punch. Naturally, this creates a level of friction between the two. Furthermore, the Maui Chief finds himself in a dissonance with his family as well. Where Namake and Nahi have been eager to follow where he leads so far, their trust inevitably wavers in their brother’s leadership. Even so, it’s the last thing anyone expects when Keoua manages to get the drop on Nahi, cornering him and Heke in the deeper edges of the forest. Thus, surrounded by danger on all sides, the younger brother runs the deadly risk of facing a precarious demise. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Nahi Faces His Fate at the Hands of Keoua
In episode 8 of ‘Chief of War,’ ‘The Sacred Niu Grove,’ Ka’iana’s brother, Nahi, perishes following a great fight. In the aftermath of the paleskins’ ruthless and ravenous attack on the beach, the Maui Chief loses his faith in Kamehameha. Since he believed in Captain Metcalfe’s capacity for grave violence from the very start, he held the Chief and his council accountable for their unwillingness to act first. For the same reason, once it becomes clear that Kamehameha has no intentions of using his red-mouthed weapons to fight the war against Keoua, Ka’iana prepares to leave Kohala. He wants to return to their old way of life, on the shores of Kaua’i. Nevertheless, Nahi opposes this idea. In the past few months, he and the others have managed to build a life for themselves much better than their old ones.
Furthermore, Ka’iana’s travels into the outside world have clearly changed him, which compels his family to doubt his judgment. Nahi believes that where his brother was once governed by bravery, he has now submitted to the power of fear. Therefore, he was against the idea of leaving the Kohala district and turning their backs on Kamehameha and his people. This familial disagreement finds Nahi seeking an escape in the woods. Eventually, he and Heke, who is torn up over the beachside massacre, manage to find love and comfort in each other. However, their bliss is short-lived. Soon, they realize they have unwanted company in the forest once they hear a nearby ruckus.
A quick investigation reveals that Keoua has reached the edges of the district with Maui soldiers in tow. However, before Nahi and Heke can make their escape, they’re caught by these same soldiers. Although they attempt to make a run for their lives, a fight inevitably breaks out. Nahi goes head-to-head against Keoua and initially has to be restrained away from the Chief by his guards. Nonetheless, the King too steps into a fair fight, engaging in a ruthless exchange of fists. Unfortunately, Keoua manages to overpower Nahi in the end and finishes the job by slamming a heavy rock onto his head, killing him instantly. In the aftermath, the Chief catches Heke and chooses her to deliver the message of war to Kamehameha and Ka’iana.
Nahi’s Family Mourns His Death and Ka’iana Vows to Avenge Him
After the ambush that ultimately kills Nahi, Heke returns to her family under the dangerous company of Opunui. While Kupuohi stays behind to comfort her traumatized sister, the two brothers take off in an instant, desperate to grasp at the possibility of saving Nahi’s life. Nonetheless, once they arrive at the clearing, they only find their brother’s dead body. Thus, Ka’iana can do little else but rid the corpse of the boulder and pull Nahi to his own mourning body. Afterward, the family carries out their lost member’s funeral rites. The warrior’s bones are preserved and wrapped in cloth. Afterward, the departed was cremated in a mournful service with only the family present.
As the morning light begins to breach, Ka’iana carries Nahi’s burial remains on his back. He climbs up the mountains until he arrives at a cliff. There, he stores his brother’s bones in a small rock cave, a secret location to guard Nahi’s spirit. During this, Ka’iana makes a promise to bring justice to his brother’s death, even if he has to tear through the hearts of numerous men to achieve it. Initially, the warrior is prepared to achieve this feat on his own, with no one but his family and his red-mouthed weapons by his side. However, Ka’ahumanu manages to convince him to stop taking such a big gamble on his and his family’s lives. She makes him realize that the best way to honor Nahi would be to continue living rather than dying in the name of revenge. Even so, there’s still vengeance to be had, one that can be achieved through both integrity and honor, with the unity of Kamehameha and Ka’iana.
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