by Tora Moon
“The sound is gone, and so is the watcher.”
“Watcher?” Naila narrowed her eyes.
“Yeah. Both times immediately before I blacked out I thought I saw someone with charcoal gray hair and black eyes. Something was wrong with them; they were so skinny.”
*That isn’t good. You need to tell the White Priestess.*
“I will.” Now the danger was over, Rizelya couldn’t ignore the flaming pain from the acid burn on her bicep. Naila was holding her arm carefully. The areas around both of their wounds were inflamed, tinged an awful gray, and beginning to stink. Time was up; a healer needed to purge the janack’s toxins from their wounds. Rizelya glanced around and found her helbraught by her side. She used it to lever herself to a standing position. Her head reeled, but this time she didn’t pass out. “Let’s get out of here. There’s nothing more we can do.”
“Yes. Need to burn the rest.” Naila released her fire-ring around the janack remains.
As soon as the fire shield was down, Kaieli bolted across the ring toward Rizelya and Naila, adroitly avoiding the haphazardly strewn monster debris as she ran. Three of the Reds crossed the boundary and began walking the area setting all the monster debris on fire.
“Riz! Dear Heart, what in the Crone’s fires happened?” Kaieli kneeled in front of Rizelya and gently cupped her face. “I felt you pass out twice and I couldn’t cross the fire-ring to get to you. You look awful.”
“Gee, thanks. I feel awful. Drained.”
“Let me take care of your and Naila’s wounds, then we’ll see what else is wrong with you.”
Kaieli went to Naila, which she should have done first since Naila was the Keep Alpha. Rizelya knew Naila would let the transgression slide since Kaieli was Rizelya’s heart sister. The only bond stronger within the pack was a bond-mate.
No one noticed when Rizelya’s legs gave out and she dropped like a stone to the ground.
Sitting, Rizelya watched as Kaieli ran her hands in the air over the monster ichor on Naila. Beautiful bronze light poured from Kaieli’s hands and covered Naila’s wounds. The light grew darker, deepening to a dark, mud brown as the poison from the monster’s ichor was drawn out of Naila’s body. It took a bit longer than usual since they had waited for over an octar to get it removed. Kaieli made a motion and gathered the noxious light into a tight ball. One of the Reds came over and sent a tendril of fire to the ball. It flared and fine ash trickled to the ground. Naila’s wounds were raw and red, but now they didn’t have a ghastly gray tinge to them.
“How’s Histrun?” Naila asked as Kaieli smeared some ointment on her wounds and bound them with strips of clean cloth.
“He’s hurt but alive. Damn fool.” Kaieli shook her head. “He shouldn’t be fighting monsters at his age.” She turned to Rizelya, her face scrunched with worry when she saw Rizelya sitting on the ground. “What are you doing down there?”
“Seemed like you were taking forever. You getting sloppy?”
“Yeah, and you’re getting weak.” Kaieli sat next to Rizelya. Bronze light spread out over Rizelya’s bicep. Kaieli looked her deep into her eyes and asked quietly, “What happened? You don’t pass out.”
“Not sure. There was a new janack in the nest. I could hear it humming during the fight and after I blew it up, I could hear it screaming. I felt fine until then. Then it felt as if my magic and energy was draining away from me.”
Kaieli finished bandaging Rizelya’s arm. “Light a fire for me,” she commanded.
Rizelya lifted her hand to make fire dance on her palm. It was of her favorite tricks. “What in the Crone’s name!” For the first time since she was a little girl, no fire danced. She reached deeper to her magic and tried again. No fire. None. Not even a spark.
“That isn’t good,” Kaieli commented. She pulled a package out of her rucksack and unwrapped it. “Here, eat this.” She handed Rizelya a trail bar. It was dense, rich with nuts and fruit, and full of calories. A flask of hot, spiced taevo followed. “It will help revitalize you until we get back to the Keep.”
Rizelya nibbled on the trail bar trying not to get any fruit. She didn’t like fruit, especially dried. As the first bits hit her stomach, she realized she was ravenous. She stuffed the rest, fruit and all, in her mouth, barely chewing. She gulped down the taevo. Finished, she felt a bit better and looked around. The Reds were finished. Nothing but piles of ash were left of the janack. The fire-ring she and Naila had created to corral the strange janack had burned hotter than normal. A hand-width band of burned ground provided a clear demarcation of the area where they had fought. As she watched, Eiden moved through the clearing. A breeze blew in front of her, gathering the ash into a cyclone. The dirty cyclone lifted above the trees and toward the swamp where it dissipated, dropping the ash.
Eiden crossed the boundary, concentrating on gathering all the monster ash. The little group around Rizelya needed to leave so Eiden could finish her task. They couldn’t leave with Rizelya lounging on the ground. She lifted a hand to Naila. “Here, help me up.”
Naila grasped Rizelya’s hand in her strong grip and tugged her to her feet. Rizelya was glad she had the helbraught in her other hand as she swayed. Her head cleared a couple of breaths later so she started to walk away, only she found herself sitting on the ground, instead. She grimaced. Well at least I didn’t pass out this time.
“She can’t walk back to the horses in this shape,” Kaieli observed.
“True,” Naila answered. She looked around the battlefield. “Aistrun!” she called. He was one of the males still in warrior form. He turned their way, and seeing them, loped toward them.
Rizelya groaned. Of all the warriors, it would have to be him. He’d tease her unmercifully for her weakness. It’s what best friends did.
“Carry her,” Naila told Aistrun when he reached them.
“I can walk,” Rizelya insisted as she struggled to get her feet under her.
“Hey, Little Red. Troubles?” Without bothering to hear her answer, Aistrun swept her into his arms. He was careful to keep his claws from her tender skin.
“Wolf!” Rizelya cried. Woe to anyone else, even Kaieli, who tried to call them those names. It had started when they were children, when she was the littlest one training in their group and he was the tallest. At six-four, he was still one of the tallest in the pack and at five-two she was still the shortest. She struggled in his arms but it was futile with his greater strength.
“No worry, big bad wolf not eat you … this time.” He let his tongue loll out and panted a little. He looked more like a friendly dog than a frightening wolf. Most men didn’t talk much in warrior form and when they did it was a word or two at most. It was difficult to form the words around the different mouth shape and teeth. Aistrun was a jabber-mouth in either form.
“Let me down. I can walk.”
“No can do. Alpha said carry you, so I carry. Can’t disobey Alpha, can I?”
He had a point there. Not even as Naila’s sister could she disobey an alpha order. Rizelya gave up and settled against his chest. Aistrun shifted into an easy lope as he ran toward the horses. The movement lulled her to sleep. She didn’t rouse when he transferred her to someone else’s arms.
Chapter 2
Rizelya crossed her arms over her chest and whined, “Kaieli, can I please get out of bed now? It’s been two days and I feel fine.”
Kaieli glared at her. “Riz, you were drained!”
“So? If I don’t get out of this bed, I’m going to go crazy.”
“You were drained.” Kaieli’s intense gaze made Rizelya squirm. “It was serious, Riz, almost all of your magical reserves were gone. Dear Heart, I almost lost you.”
Rizelya reached up and touched Kaieli’s face. “You didn’t lose me. I’m here. I’m fine.” She wiggled on the bed, sitting up straighter. “But I won’t be if I don’t get out of this miserable bed!”
Kaieli laughed. “If you can complain this much, you must be back to normal. You can get up.�
�
Rizelya gave Kaieli a quick hug then jumped out of bed. She spun in a circle, arms up in the air. “Oh thank you, Maiden! I can move again.” She gathered up some clean clothes, then looked at Kaieli. “Your sponge bath didn’t get all the monster goo off. I’m going to the bathing room, want to join me?”
“Oh, that sounds wonderful,” Kaieli sighed, brushing a wayward curl from her face. “It’s been a long three days.”
“It wasn’t me keeping you busy, I just slept.”
Kaieli gathered some clean clothes for herself. They shared one of the smaller sleeping rooms in the pack house. Kaieli’s side was immaculate and organized. Rizelya’s had clothes tossed on the floor and piles of books and papers on the desk in organized chaos.
“No, it wasn’t you,” Kaieli said as they left the room.
There were dark circles under Kaieli’s blue-gray eyes. Her walk was slow and she kept one hand on the wall for support. Her usual bouncy curls hung in limp strands around her face.
The corridor took them past the doors of other sleeping rooms. They went down the flight of stairs to the main floor and living area of the pack house. Rizelya offered surreptitious support to Kaieli as they wound down the long flight of winding stairs that lead to a large, round, underground round room. Most of the closed doors fanning around the circumference were storage rooms. One door, though, had a blue plaque with a stylized tub on it.
Rizelya stopped inside the threshold. The large room was quiet and empty. “Where’s everyone?”
“Out fighting.”
“Again?”
Kaieli sighed as she stripped off her clothes and filled a bucket with water. “The nests and monsters aren’t acting normal. We’ve had to fight monsters every day you’ve been ill, sometimes more than one nest.”
Rizelya gulped. As she stripped off her own clothes, she couldn’t help recall the gray woman she’d glimpsed as she passed out.
They washed, rinsed, and climbed into the large soaking tubs. They sat next to each other and Rizelya wrapped her arm around Kaieli, who rested her head on Rizelya’s shoulder.
“We’ve had many injured and too many are dead,” Kaieli said quietly. “The nests aren’t following the same patterns they have for generations. All of the nests have had one of those strange janacks you killed.”
“Has anyone else heard them?”
Kaieli shrugged. “Naila would know.”
“I’ll talk to her later.”
After a long time relaxing in the tub, Kaieli stretched, stood up and grabbed a towel. “I have work to get back to and you need to see Naila.”
“Spoil sport.” Rizelya stuck out her tongue. Kaieli laughed and dried off. Rizelya sighed and climbed out of the tub. After they were both dry and dressed, Rizelya sat on one of the benches. Kaieli stood behind her and combed out Rizelya’s long auburn hair. She braided it tight on either side of Rizelya’s head and then into a thick braid down her back.
“There, you’re presentable,” Kaieli said as she kissed the top of Rizelya’s head.
Rizelya turned on the bench and wrapped her arms around Kaieli. She buried her head in Kaieli’s stomach for a long moment. She looked up at Kaieli and said, “I know you worry about me, but I can’t stop being a Red and fighting.”
“I know, Dear Heart.” Kaieli leaned down and kissed the top of Rizelya’s head. “We can’t change who we are.”
Rizelya wondered anew why this amazing woman had become her heart sister. Kaieli was soft and gentle and an extraordinary healer. Her deep brown, almost black hair spoke of how Talented she was not only as a Brown, but in most of the Talents except Red and White. Kaieli’s blue-gray eyes were more blue than gray today. They changed colors depending on the type of magic she was working.
The women climbed the stairs back into the world hand in hand. At the top of the stairs, Aistrun stood lounging against the wall.
“Hey, Little Red,” he said as he pushed off the wall. “You’re looking better. Hey, Kaieli, the fighting-pack just came in; there are some seriously wounded.”
Kaieli squeezed Rizelya’s hand and rushed off.
“Were you waiting for us or guarding us, Wolf?” Rizelya asked.
“Both,” he said. “I knew you two needed some time alone. She was really worried about you this time, Rizelya.”
“What’s up?”
“Naila and Kelstrun want to see us.”
Rizelya and Aistrun strode toward the Keep Alphas’ office located near the front of the house.
“Hey, Rizelya, are we in trouble again? I can’t think of anything we’ve done lately.”
The two tended to find themselves in front of the Keep Alphas more often than most of the pack. It was a good thing they were the best fighters of the pack or they might be relegated to doing menial labor. She’d end up in the stables and Aistrun in the nursery, although Aistrun would love the job. He spent his free time telling stories to the children.
Rizelya shrugged. “I’ve been sick. I haven’t had a chance to get in trouble. What have you done?”
“Nothing.”
When Naila bade them enter, they slunk into the room, eyes downcast.
“Don’t look so forlorn. You’re not in trouble, this time,” Kelstrun told them. His red hair was clipped short as was his beard he wore just around his mouth.
“Come. Sit,” Naila said in her rough voice. She was wearing a turquoise blue tunic with geometric shapes embroidered in rose, the high neck partially covering the scar on her neck. Her light yellow-gold eyes crinkled as she smiled at them.
Rizelya and Aistrun perked up a bit as they crossed the room to sit in the chairs in front of the large desk.
Kelstrun’s green eyes narrowed as he watched them sit down. “You know about the changes in the Malvers monsters’ behavior.”
“Yes, sir,” both of them responded.
“We need to know if this is happening in the other territories.” Kelstrun turned to Naila. “You sure they’re the best ones for this?”
“Yes.” Naila looked at Rizelya then at Aistrun. “Trouble finders they may be, but good fighters.”
“We could use them more here.” Kelstrun didn’t like them much; he thought they were slackers. But he did respect their fighting ability.
“Decided. They are best. Tell them.”
“We want you to go to Strunlair Keep, tell our Clan Alphas what has been happening here. Visit all the territory keeps along the way, find out if this new janack has shown up anywhere else. If it has, ask them if they’ve found a way to kill the damn thing without exploding it. We haven’t and it makes a terrible mess. We’ve had more injuries from falling debris than from fighting.”
“We were lucky.” Naila pointed at Rizelya and then back at herself. “You, me, strong Reds.”
Kelstrun continued. “Your fight is the only one without serious explosion injuries. We haven’t managed to get it surrounded alone since then. It seems as if the new ones are learning from the mistakes of the others.” He slammed a fist on the desk, anger darkening his voice. “Damn! I’ve read every alpha log we have in this keep and nothing like this has ever happened before. These things may be the death of us. We’ve had one janack and two of its brechas escape a nest because we were so focused on the strange janack.”
“Oh, Sweet Mother, no!” Rizelya swore.
“What! Where?” Aistrun asked at the same time.
“Near the pasture. They were after the goat herd. We caught them before they reached it, thank the Mother. We haven’t had any escapees in more than twenty years.”
“When do you want us to leave, sir?” Aistrun asked, his usual buoyant nature subdued.
“In the morning,” Naila answered.
“Will it be just us, or will we have company?” Rizelya asked. “I doubt it will be safe for just the two of us.” It would take over a chedan to reach Strunlair Keep and she didn’t relish the idea of spending it alone with Aistrun. He was one of her best friends and she loved him as a pack-mate or
even a brother, but not as a bond-mate. They’d been lovers once and she’d hoped it would put an end to his desire to be bond-mates. But it hadn’t. She had the bond with Kaieli; she didn’t need anything else.
“Yes, small squad.” Naila’s eyes twinkled with suppressed laughter. After all these years, she had at last found a way to force Rizelya and Aistrun to assume alpha duties.
“Go see Histrun,” Kelstrun ordered. “He has the details and will give you the assignments.”
Aistrun groaned. “But I don’t want to be an alpha. I’m too young. Can’t someone else be the alpha?”
Naila and Kelstrun shook their heads in unison.
“Time you be alpha,” Naila grated. “Old now.”
“You’re what, twenty-four?” Kelstrun speared Aistrun with his eyes. “You should have had a squad four years ago. No complaints.” He turned to Rizelya. “You either. Both of you are quite capable, if not for your trouble making, to be squad-pack alphas.”
Aistrun hung his head in submission. “Yes Alpha.”
“Come on, Alpha Aistrun,” Rizelya teased. “We need to go find out who is in our squad-pack.”
Although Histrun was no longer an active alpha, he was a revered elder with great wisdom. He had been the Strunlair Clan Alpha for sixteen years, the longest term of any clan alpha in any of the eight clans. He and his bond-mate, Zehala, had developed the current method of using fire-rings to separate and divide the monsters in the nest. Now he trained the young warriors.
Aistrun knocked on Histrun’s open door. Courtesy, and Histrun’s status, forbade them from just entering, even if his door was open.
“Oh, it’s you two,” Histrun grumbled. “Well, come in.”
Rizelya gaped. She hadn’t seen him since she exploded the new janack. He now sported a black eye and bruises down the side of his face. A patch of his dusky red hair had been shaved above his right eye. His right arm was in a sling.
“What happened to you, sir?” she couldn’t help asking. Histrun was her father, which was why she was so surprised and angry at him being at the battle. He was too old. Children were raised by the pack, especially those born to legendary Alphas like Histrun and Zehala. Other than when he was her stern instructor she didn’t have much contact with him. She tried not to be bitter about it. None of the other children of fighting-pack alphas, famous or not, had much contact with their parents. But there were children of non-dominant, non-fighting parents, like Aistrun, who had a close relationship with their parents and birth pack. Sometimes it made her jealous.
