by P. C. Cast
“I think his skills have something to do with his beautiful teacher,” Nik said.
“You think Sora is beautiful?” Mari didn’t ask out of jealousy. She was truly curious. Earth Walkers and Companions had several differences in their appearances. Earth Walkers were shorter, with darker skin, hair, and eyes, as well as thicker features. The Tribe of the Trees people were tall and predominantly blond, with more delicate features. Mari thought both peoples were beautiful, but since she was a child she’d heard her fellow Clansmen remark on the light-skinned giants and compare them to long-limbed praying mantises, or even fish-belly-colored spiders. And she knew Tribesmen belittled Earth Walkers, calling them Scratchers who were barely human and too ugly to live aboveground.
“Sure. Sora is pretty, but it’s my cousin who I’ve heard describe her as beautiful. You look strange. Is something wrong?”
“No, I just suddenly wondered how you Companions see us Earth Walkers,” Mari said.
Nik gently turned her to face him, his hands resting on her shoulders. “I see you as unique, exquisite, and more beautiful than the moon you can draw.”
“But I’m part Companion. I look different than the rest of the Earth Walkers. It’s why I had to hide my appearance for so many years.”
“Well, O’Bryan thinks Sora is a great beauty. And I heard Sarah and Lydia flirting openly with Mason today. Does that answer your question?” Nik asked.
“Actually, it puts my question to rest.” Her hands went up around his broad shoulders. “Would you like me to teach you the steps to the Weaver’s Tune?”
Rigel and Laru rushed up, their evening meal all finished. They were wagging enthusiastically, and Rigel even whined as he gazed longingly at the dancers, sending Mari waves of emotion that basically translated to Please please please please please let’s dance!
“You think you can teach them, too?” Nik ruffled the fur atop both Shepherds’ heads.
“Them—yes. You—I’m not so sure…” Mari said.
* * *
The Pack didn’t dance long into the night, as they would have had the safe familiarity of their burrows been close by, but when it was time to bed down, there was a sense of happy hopefulness that remained with them, allowing those whose turn it was to sleep to drift off contentedly, and those who took first watch to do so with smiles and shared conversation.
So it was shocking when the night neared the midway point, all was dark and quiet, and the Pack’s serenity was shattered by Dove’s terrified scream.
Several things happened at once. Every canine alerted—tails up, ears pricked. Growls rumbled across the campsite as sharp noses tested the air for intruders.
Bast was at Danita’s side, her sharp yellow eyes scanning the area around them as she hissed a warning to the night.
Antreas was calling for the Pack to gather with their backs to the enormous stone monolith that stood sentinel at the edge of the beach.
With Rigel and Laru beside her, Mari rushed to Dove and Lily, who had made their pallet not far from the campfire.
“What’s happening? Where is the danger?” Mari snapped.
Dove reached out blindly, and Mari took her hands. “Forgive me, Moon Woman! The danger is not living. Please, tell everyone to return to their pallets. I am so, so sorry.”
“Not living?” Nik asked, rushing up to join them. “Explain!”
Dove raised her pale face. “Spirits. They came to me in my dream. They were all around us—watching.”
“But dead, right?” Mari asked.
“Yes, dead. I give you my word,” Dove said.
“Can they harm us?” Mari said.
“I—I think they can, but I sense that they will not.” Dove answered slowly, as if considering each word.
“Antreas! All is well. Everyone may return!” Mari called up the beach to where the Pack had gathered with the huge stone behind them.
They muttered and sent Dove dark, confused looks, but the Pack made their way back to their pallets and their watch spots. Mari sat cross-legged before Dove, still holding the girl’s cold hands.
“If it’s okay with you, I’m going to take Laru and Rigel and walk the perimeter of the camp,” Nik said.
“That’s a good idea,” Mari said as Nik left and Sora hurried up to the women.
“What was all of that about?” she asked.
“It seemed so real, but it must have only been a dream. Forgive me, Moon Women,” Dove said, her hands trembling in Mari’s.
“What kind of dream?” Antreas asked, joining them without Bast. Mari glanced around, finding the big feline curled up beside Danita in the pallet she shared with Isabel and Jenna.
“Terrible. They were pressing all around me. Watching. Always watching. Always near the river. Cold. They made me so cold.” Dove shivered, and Mari rubbed her hands.
“Her skin is freezing,” Mari said.
“Lily, I have tea brewing for those taking the second watch. It would help warm Dove if you got her some,” Sora said, sitting beside Mari and studying Dove closely. “No dream has ever made me lose my color and my warmth.”
“It wasn’t a dream. Or not just a dream.” Antreas sighed, and looked at Mari. “I didn’t think I needed to say anything until we were farther upriver, and then I was only going to warn you and Sora. I didn’t believe anyone else would be intuitive enough to feel them.”
“Who are they?” Dove asked, her voice still shaky.
“Spirits of the ancients,” Antreas said, his voice low so that it wouldn’t carry. “This land that runs along the river is lush, well irrigated—an excellent place for a Tribe or Clan, or even a Lynx Chain to settle. But the Saleesh are the only people who live near it.”
“The spirits must tolerate them,” said Dove.
Lily returned, and Mari guided Dove’s hands to wrap around the wooden mug.
“That’s what the Saleesh say,” Antreas explained.
“And you were going to wait until when to tell us this river is haunted?” Sora frowned at Antreas.
“Until after we passed the Bonn Dam tomorrow. I have never led anyone who could sense the spirits this soon. Truth be told, in all my journeys I have only had two other people who sensed them at all, and that wasn’t until we were just before the entrance to Lost Lake, where they are strongest. I’ve never sensed them.”
“So they aren’t dangerous?” Dove asked.
“Only if we attempted to settle by the river,” said Antreas.
“Then what would happen?” Lily said, her voice tremulous.
“Crops would fail. Babies would wither in our wombs. We would go mad. We would go mad.” Dove’s voice took on a strange, singsong rhythm.
“Good thing we’re not settling here.” Mari spoke matter-of-factly. She stood, brushing the sand from her. “Sora, let’s walk among the Pack and let them know that all is well.”
“Please tell them how sorry I am,” Dove said.
“I will not,” Mari said sternly. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”
“True,” Sora said. “And you just proved that you are some kind of oracle—or at least have a connection to the spirit world.”
“And that could be a very good thing for our Pack,” Antreas said. “Wind Riders hold those who can communicate with the spirit world in high esteem. There is an entire Herd whose leaders commune with crystals. They are strong and prosperous and called Crystal Seers. I think they would be very interested in Dove.”
“Truly?” Dove said as Lily took her hand and blinked tears from her eyes.
“Truly. You could be one of the reasons they allow us to settle in their territory,” said Antreas.
Dove bowed her head. “Oh, thank you, Great Earth Goddess, Giver of Life.”
“Sora and I will let the Pack know that you sensed danger, but that danger will not come to us as long as we keep moving,” said Mari.
“The Pack will be grateful to have a Seer with us,” said Sora. “Because we are grateful.”
As
the two Moon Women moved away, heading to spread the news to their Pack, Mari spoke quietly to Sora. “So, a Skin Stealer with no eyes can see ancient spirits and may be the reason we’ll be able to make our home in a magickal land where people ride the wind and speak to crystals?”
“Yeah. Proving once and for all the Goddess has a rather strange sense of humor,” said Sora.
“That’s what Mama used to tell me, and I never believed her,” Mari said.
“Leda was right,” Sora said.
“I wish I could tell her,” Mari said.
Sora bumped Mari gently with her shoulder. “She knows, Moon Woman. I promise you, she knows.”
CHAPTER 13
The morning began bright and early, with the Pack breaking their fast with leftover baked wapato roots and scrambled gull eggs with a pinch of Sora’s precious salt. Then, led by their Sun Priest, Nik, the Pack—the entire Pack—faced the rising sun and joyously greeted it.
Mari loved watching Sora and Jaxom absorbing the powerful rays of the sun alongside their Companions. She also loved the fact that the Earth Walkers were now eagerly interacting with the canines, especially Fala’s puppies.
The boats were packed and everyone was ready to cast off when Antreas raised his hand and drew the Pack’s attention.
“We have about six hours of river travel before we come to the ruins of the Bonn Dam. This part of the river is wide and, at this time of year, mostly placid. We will pass the ruins of two ancient ships, but it is easy to steer well clear of them. Other than that, there are no major obstacles until we reach Bonn Dam and the home of the Saleesh.”
“Antreas, did you say that we are going to have to leave the river to pass the dam?” Mari asked.
Antreas nodded. “Yes. The river turns to white-water rapids around the dam. The Saleesh are the only people who understand how to traverse it. We will beach the boats on this side of the dam. The Saleesh will greet us and we will gift them with our offerings.” He paused. “We do have offerings for them, correct?”
Adira spoke up. “Yes! We finished weaving two new travel cloaks last night—the kind that can be used to overnight in the boughs of trees like cocoons.”
“And the women did a perfect job with them,” O’Bryan said, smiling warmly at the older woman. “They are even better made than our old ones.”
“Why, thank you, O’Bryan. You were an excellent teacher,” Adira surprised Mari by saying.
“And this morning I woke early and finished these.” Sora held up a woven basket that held several fat sticks of dried lavender, sage, and pine that she’d bound together.
“Will those gifts be enough?” Nik asked.
“I believe they will,” Antreas said. “The Saleesh aren’t greedy. Actually, they are quite wealthy in their own right. The gifts they expect are a sign of respect, and these cloaks and the smudge sticks should be very well received.”
“What happens after we beach the boats? Will we have to drag them across the ground until we get past the ruins of the dam?” Mari asked.
“No. The Saleesh pilots will take over for us. There is a narrow passageway that only the Saleesh can successfully traverse. It goes through the dam area, the rapids surrounding it, and then past the ruins of an extremely dangerous bridge they call Of the Gods—and it’s white water the entire way. They will steer the boats through the passage while we travel across ground—through their campsite—and meet the boats on the other side of the dam, where the water is calm again.”
“Are there any rules we should know about the Saleesh? Anything we might accidentally do to offend them?” Mari asked.
“They’re patriarchal. Each of their villages is led by an elder priest they call Father.”
Sora narrowed her eyes. “You didn’t say anything about that before. Are they going to have a problem with the fact that two women lead our group? Are we going to have to pretend to follow around behind you and Nik and the rest of our men?”
“No. We won’t be spending much time with them. We beach the boats and then travel through their village, and keep following the pathway along the river until we’re clear of the rapids and the ruins. We’ll do that several times in different villages as we continue upriver. And I didn’t mean to imply the Saleesh women are abused. As far as I’ve been able to tell, they are loved by their men and treated with care.”
“But they have no say in the governing of themselves or their people?” Mari asked.
“No. I do not believe they do,” Antreas said.
Sora snorted.
“What else should we know?” Mari said.
“The Saleesh are a deeply religious people. They have a distinctive greeting,” Antreas explained. “They will say ‘Blessings be with you,’ and the correct response is ‘And also with you.’ It’s more than just ‘Hello, how are you?’ to them. They literally are blessing their visitors and asking for the same in return. Also, don’t stare at the Teteplates. The backs of their heads are distinctively flattened, which they see as a sign of great beauty. I know that we’ve discussed this before, but remember that the Saleesh and the Teteplates exist together, as one people. Yes, they do have a caste system, but they say it works for them—for all OF THEM. Also, remember that they are a devout people. They worship Mother. You’ll see idols of her throughout the village. It is a sign of respect to leave an offering before an idol, so if you feel compelled to, the Saleesh will be appreciative, but it is not necessary. The worst thing you could ever do to one of the Saleesh would be to desecrate one of their Mother idols—so, keep that in mind.”
“‘Mother’? That is the name of their Goddess?” Davis asked.
“That is all I have ever known them to call her by. The idols are really quite beautiful. Oh, blue is a sacred color to them, but you’ll see that for yourself. Any other questions?”
“How are they with canines?” Mari asked.
“As long as you keep them from urinating on their idols, they’re just fine with them. I’ve led several small groups of Companions through their village with no incidents.”
Mari ruffled the fur on Rigel’s head. “You hear that? No leg-lifting on the idols.”
Around her, the Pack chuckled.
“Also, the Saleesh are great traders, known for their silver jewelry, their blue cloth, and their carvings. We aren’t going to linger in their village, but if you have anything you’d like to trade—like one of your woven baskets—be sure you take them from your boat and bring them with you as we walk through their village.”
“Are there any rules to the trading?” Sora asked.
“Only to be fair,” Antreas said.
Mari was just about to speak—to inform the Pack about what Dove had discovered last night—but the girl beat her to it.
“I do not have a question, but I would like to say something. Moon Women, might I speak?”
The Pack turned to stare at Dove. She stood beside Lily, her hand resting on her friend’s arm.
“Yes, of course,” Mari said.
Dove bowed her head slightly to Mari before drawing a deep breath and addressing the curious Pack.
“Last night I was visited in my dreams by spirits of the ancients. I am truly sorry that I disturbed everyone. That was not my intent, but I am new to communicating with the spirit world, and it was quite a surprise.”
Dove smiled shyly, and Mari thought, not for the first time, how truly beautiful the girl was and how strange it was that her beauty seemed enhanced, rather than marred, by her lack of eyes.
“Why did the spirits come to you?” Spencer called from her spot across the beach beside the boat she shared with Davis, Isabel, Dove, and Lily.
Dove didn’t hesitate in her answer. “To warn us.”
“Well, I was going to do that as soon as we passed Bonn Dam,” Antreas said. “The river is haunted. Or more specifically, the land on both banks is haunted. No one settles successfully here except the Saleesh and their Teteplates.”
“So, we aren’t in danger u
nless we try to settle along the river?” Wilkes asked.
“Correct, though I also wouldn’t stay in one campsite for more than a few nights. A storm trapped a group I was leading several years ago. We had to spend ten days waiting just a few miles upriver from a Saleesh settlement for the weather to clear enough for us to get back on the river, and by day ten my skin was crawling and everyone was more than eager to leave, though no one was harmed.”
“Then it seems odd that the ancients would feel the need to come to Dove to warn us,” Nik said. “They must be acquainted with you, which means they would recognize you as a guide and not a settler.”
“The warning was not about settling,” Dove said.
Mari felt a cold finger trace a line down her spine. “Then what were they warning us about?”
Dove shook her head, causing her long, straight hair to wave around her waist. “I do not know. I only know that there is much more to it than warning us not to settle here.”
“Maybe they’ll come to you again,” Mari said.
“And if they do you could try to communicate with them—ask them what it is they’re warning us about,” Sora added.
“Moon Women, I will try. I will do my best for the Pack,” Dove said, bowing her head reverently.
“That is all Sora and I ask from any of our people,” Mari said. Her gaze swept the Pack. “Is that it? Are we ready to launch now?”
The Pack members nodded their heads and, with Antreas leading, began to launch the boats. The day was almost completely cloudless and there was little wind, which meant the current wasn’t too terrible to struggle against. Mari could already see that the Pack was growing increasingly more confident with the boats—herself included—and she was able to look around as she matched Nik stroke for stroke.
The land on either side of the incredibly wide river was mountainous, rocky, and covered with enormous pines. In the clear day they looked like jewels crowning the land, and Mari imagined how cool and inviting it would be under their protective canopy.
“Wow, a beautiful City in the Trees could be built anywhere along here,” Mari said, more to herself than Nik.
