by Tora Moon
“You did!” Histrun snapped.
“Well, if you hadn’t insisted on going to a battle at your age, you’d be just fine.”
“I was just fine until you exploded that damn janack. One of its tentacles snapped and tossed me clear out of the fire-ring. Busted my arm when I landed.”
“Sorry, sir.” Rizelya ducked her head. “I heard you’d been hurt. It was the only way I could see to destroy it. Your venom wasn’t working or was taking its sweet time killing the stupid thing.”
“I know, I know,” he waved away her apology. “Seems like no one can kill them except by exploding the vile creatures. But”—he gave her an angry look— “because of you, they won’t let me go out and fight anymore.”
“Hey, sir,” Aistrun piped in, “that’s probably a good thing for a man a hundred and five years old.”
Rizelya put her hand to her forehead as she shook her head, groaning. Sometimes Aistrun didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut. Her posture also hid her relief; her father was too old to be fighting the monsters.
“What was that, boy?” Histrun roared as he surged to his feet. The effect was lost when he abruptly crashed back down in his chair, his face pale with pain.
Both Aistrun and Rizelya rushed around the desk.
“Histrun are you all right?” Rizelya couldn’t keep the concern out of her voice.
“Yeah,” he nodded after a few moments. “Busted my leg and a couple of ribs, too. I guess I might be getting old. I can’t roll like I used to.”
“Sorry, sir,” Aistrun voice was full of contrition. “I didn’t know you were so hurt or I wouldn’t have teased you.”
“You’re a damned cur,” Histrun swore, “and a lazy whelp.”
Aistrun grinned. If Histrun was swearing at him, he was okay.
“Now, get back over there where you belong.” Histrun shooed them back to the other side of his desk. “So, they’ve finally talked you into taking a squad-pack, huh, cur?”
“Hey, they didn’t do any talking. Just told us we had one,” Aistrun snarled. “They know I don’t want to be an alpha. She doesn’t either.” He pointed his thumb at Rizelya.
“Nope, I don’t.”
“You’re both leaders whether you admit to it or not. Something tells me we haven’t seen the last of the changes in the Malvers monsters. We’ll need every alpha we can get. Now, for your squad-pack. It’s small so you can move fast but safely.” Histrun pushed a map in front of them and pointed at it as he spoke. “Here is the route we want you to take. You’ll go first to Strunell, then east to Strunville and Strundale. Then head north to Strunheim and Strunven and from there to Strunlair. Stop at each of the territory Keeps and talk to the Keep Alphas. You’re to arrive at Strunlair Keep by the last of Sandar.”
Rizelya whistled. It was the middle of Neydar now; they had twelve chedan to cover nearly a thousand measures. She leaned over the map and traced the route, which circled the entire Strunlair Province, again with her finger. “It will be pushing us and our mounts to their limits, sir.”
“It will. We don’t have time for lallygagging. We chose you two because you will push each other and your squad-pack hard and not feel guilty about it.”
Rizelya and Aistrun looked at each other and nodded.
Histrun picked up a piece of paper and handed it to Rizelya. “Here are the names of your new squad-pack.”
Aistrun leaned over to look at it with her. There were four names on the list. Rizelya knew three of the four, who were age-mates, and had worked with them at various times in different squad-packs. Aistrun and Rizelya were too dominant to stay in a squad-pack for long without the squad-pack alpha feeling challenged. As a result, they’d been assigned to numerous squad-packs over the years.
“These are good people, we can work with them,” she told Histrun. She pointed to one name. “Except this one. He’s new here and I don’t like him.” Aistrun nodded in agreement. As the female alpha, she was the ultimate authority within their little pack; just as Kelstrun bowed to Naila, Aistrun would bow to her. She trusted him to argue and disagree with her if he felt she was making any wrong choices. But in the end, all of the decisions were hers—and so were the mistakes.
“I don’t care if you don’t like him. You will take him as ordered.”
Rizelya glared at Histrun until he snarled. She bowed her head in submission.
Histrun put the map with the indicated route in a packet and handed it to Rizelya. “There’s letters of introduction for each of the Keep Alphas. It will allow you to requisition supplies. You won’t be carrying much with you. Go, they are waiting for you in the meeting room.” He turned in his chair to look out the window, clearly dismissing them.
***
Aistrun pushed open the door and waited for Rizelya to go in first. At the table sat the four people who would be their first squad-pack. Rizelya stood at the door, assessing her new pack. Over the next lunadar and a half, they would be spending all their time together.
Leistral was beautiful with her dark green eyes and copper-red hair. She exercised her Green Talent by spending most of her spare time in the kitchens. During the journey staying at safe houses along the way, it would be nice to have a good cook with them. No one wanted to eat Rizelya’s cooking. Leistral seemed more resigned than pleased to be in the group.
The other Red assigned to them was Dehali. Her fingers were drumming a nervous staccato on the table. She stopped when she saw them at the door. She didn’t appear to be a strong Red with her strawberry-blond hair, until you looked at her eyes. They were an unusual red ringed with gold, and Rizelya knew she was an intelligent fighter.
Eidstrun was three years younger than the rest of them. Rizelya had worked with him several times and was glad he was assigned to her squad-pack. His twin sister was her friend Eiden and he was just as impetuous. His hair was pale blond and his eyes were a golden brown. He stood almost six-foot, with broad shoulders, and well-defined muscles. His warrior form was one of the strongest Rizelya had seen.
The last of the group stood behind the table, glowering at the door, with his arms crossed. He was the one Rizelya didn’t know or want. She bet Keandran didn’t appreciate being given this task. He recently moved to Strunland Keep from the Andranlair Province. He seemed to be an arrogant know-it-all, and followed Histrun around like a puppy. Maybe that was the reason Histrun saddled her with Keandran—to get him out of Histrun’s hair. He was tall, blond, and most would think him handsome. His pale watery blue eyes were hard and cold.
*They must have been scraping the bottom when they chose him,* Rizelya mind-spoke to Aistrun. *There’s something about him I don’t like.*
*Hey, it’s only for a lunadar and a half and then they’ll dissolve this little squad-pack,* Aistrun replied.
Rizelya didn’t think they would. Once they became alphas of this tiny squad-pack, there was no going back to being just a fighter. She let Aistrun keep his fantasy.
*Well, shall we?* Stepping into the room, Rizelya addressed the waiting group. “Hello, welcome to our new squad-pack. Did Histrun tell you what we’ve been assigned to do?”
“Something about a fast trip to Strunlair Keep to take a message to the Clan Alphas,” Dehali said, moving her hand off the table. Rizelya noticed she continued to drum her fingers on her leg.
“Hey, that and more,” Aistrun said. “You all noticed the changes in the Malvers monsters and the new janack, right?”
The four at the table nodded.
“Damn crazy stuff,” Eidstrun interjected. “What’s going on?”
“No one knows,” Rizelya said, leaning against the wall. “It’s the real reason we’re going to the Clan Keep. We’re to find out if this is isolated just in our territory or if it’s happening in the other Strunlair territories.”
“How are we going to do that?” Leistral’s eyebrows were furrowed in confusion. “Strunlair Keep is only a few days’ ride from here.”
Rizelya took out the map Histrun had given
her, put it on the table, and pointed out the route. “Like this. We’ll ride east to Strunell and circle around the province to go north to Strunheim and Strunven, and from there to Strunlair Keep. The only one we aren’t visiting is Strunhelos.”
“Damn!” Keandran swore. “That’s a lot of travel. How long do they expect us to take?”
“Hey, they said fast,” Aistrun smiled. “It would normally take nearly three lunadar or more to make the journey. We’re doing it one and a half. We have to be in Strunland Keep by the last of Sandar.”
“You trying to kill us, Rizelya?” Dehali glared at her.
“Not me! Blame it on Naila and Kelstrun.” She narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice. “This is bloody serious. We have to know what we’re up against.”
“But why us?” Leistral complained. “Why not wait until the clan alphas send for information?”
“Hey, you know whose plan this is,” Aistrun laughed. “Can you honestly think Histrun would let this go and wait for the clan alphas Nestrun or Beladi to think of gathering this information?”
They all shook their heads mumbling, “No.”
Rizelya glanced at each in turn. “Go get ready to go; we leave in the morning. Pack light as we’re moving fast. Meet at the stables an octar before dawn.”
There was some muttering and grumbling. “What was that?” Rizelya asked in a hard voice. She might as well start being the alpha. If they wanted a show of dominance, she’d give it to them.
All of them immediately lowered their heads in submission, except Keandran. He looked her directly in the eyes before dropping his head. “Yes, Alpha!” they shouted. She shooed them off.
“If you don’t get in a fight with Keandran before we’re two days out, I’ll be surprised.” Rizelya said. It was the male alpha’s job to discipline the warriors.
“Hey, I may not want to be an alpha, but I am. I’ll wipe the insolence from him.”
“Just don’t kill him. We may need him.”
Rizelya gathered up the map from the table and put it back in the pouch. The two new alphas sat down at the table and went over the written orders Histrun had included.
The Keep Alphas were asking a great deal out of her little squad-pack. If the increase in Malvers monster’s nests was as bad in the rest of the Strunlair Province as it was here, it would be a miracle if they didn’t run into a nest alone on the way. They weren’t a full platoon and fighting a nest with so few people would get them killed. She prayed another fighting-pack would be there to help them when they did find a nest. Until then there was nothing she could do, except get them the supplies they needed and do everything in her power to keep them all alive.
***
Rizelya tossed and turned, unable to get to sleep. Her mind wouldn’t stop whirling. At the evening meal, she and Aistrun had gone over their preparations with Histrun. He had told them a bit about each of the Keep Alpha pairs they would meet. Even though he was no longer an active alpha, he kept informed about all the alphas in Strunlair Province. He’d finally shooed them off to bed well into the night.
Kaieli climbed into bed with her and snuggled close. She didn’t say anything, just held Rizelya in a loving embrace.
In the dark with Kaieli, Rizelya could look inside and admit she was afraid. “What if I fail? What if I’m not a good leader?” Her fears tumbled into the dark. “What if I get them all killed? There won’t be a Gray around to guide them to Summerland.”
“Shh, shh, Dear Heart,” Kaieli crooned. “All will be well. If they die—which they won’t—they’ll find their way to a Gray.”
“But I don’t want them to be ghosts!” Rizelya wailed.
“If it happens, it happens. Nothing you can do about it.”
“Just because I’m dominant and can be an alpha doesn’t mean I will be.”
Kaieli snorted. “Now you’re being morose. I know you.” Kaieli leaned over Rizelya, nose-to-nose.
This close Rizelya could see the intensity in Kaieli’s face. And the love.
“You. Are. A. Good. Leader.” Kaieli paused between each word. “Believe in yourself. Trust the training you’ve received. They’ve been training you since you were born to be not only a squad-pack alpha, but a clan alpha. You can’t hide from your gifts forever. The only reason you’re not a platoon-pack Alpha is because up until now you’ve refused to even lead a squad-pack.”
“You’re right,” Rizelya huffed. When she was fourteen she had continued to follow a fighting-pack when they went out to battle the monsters until they finally gave up and let her join them. As a result, she’d been offered a squad-pack at the unheard of age of sixteen. She had refused then because she believed they were only trying to give it to her because of the legacy of her parents and sister. And she kept refusing on the same grounds.
“They finally found the only way I wouldn’t refuse.”
“A dangerous mission and a challenge,” Kaieli finished for her, chuckling. “You’ll do well, Dear Heart,” Kaieli murmured. She snuggled back down beside Rizelya, her head tucked on Rizelya’s chest, arm flung over her. She began softly singing an old lullaby.
Rizelya suspected Kaieli was weaving a light sleep spell as she felt her mind and body relax. Kaieli hadn’t even finished a full verse when Rizelya’s eyes closed.
Chapter 3
Rizelya arrived at the stable well before the rest of her squad-pack, including Aistrun. Her mare, Kymaya, whinnied when she entered the stable. She rubbed the horse’s nose affectionately. The letters Histrun had given her authorized them to replace their horses at the other keeps. Only if it was a dire circumstance would she leave Kymaya behind. They had been partners since she was thirteen.
Both of them had scars from past battles with the Malvers monsters. Sometimes they didn’t get to a nest site in time to leave the horses behind and Kymaya was a Haaslair battle-trained horse. Rizelya ran the curry comb through Kymaya’s dark-blue roan coat admiring the fine blue-gray stripes marking her body. Her mane, tail, and ears were a deep charcoal gray, almost black.
Aistrun came in and nodded to her in greeting. He led his gelding, Jezhan, from his stall. When Aistrun had first seen the horse, he had fallen in love with Jezhan’s deep red-gold sorrel coat. He had a pale gold mane, darker gold tail, and white socks on his hind legs. After months of cajoling, Aistrun had convinced Jezhan’s original rider to part with the horse. Rizelya often teased Aistrun that the only reason he liked the horse was because the two of them made a striking pair. The sorrel and gold horse set off Aistrun’s red-gold hair and gold eyes.
The others soon trickled into the stables. As each person came in, a young apprentice of the stable-pack ran to get their horse for them. Those, like Keandran and Eidstrun, who didn’t ride a plains horse with superior stamina also had a remount horse. Only the soft croons as people cared for their horses broke the predawn quiet. Soon all of them had their horses saddled and their packs and bedrolls secured to the horses.
As they led the horses out of the stable, pale pink brightened the sky. Rizelya mounted Kymaya and walked her toward the keep gate, the other horses clopping behind them. She waited impatiently for the gatekeepers to open the huge doors for them. As soon as the gates were open enough for Kymaya to get through, Rizelya nudged her horse out, kicking Kymaya into a ground-eating trot.
They passed fields surrounded by stone fences to guard them from Malvers monster intrusion. A wide lane of crushed white sheadash stone separated each field and pasture. The monsters couldn’t cross the stone, so it provided additional protection in the event a nest wasn’t stopped before it reached the keep. Rizelya shuddered. It used to happen often, causing heavy casualties of not only livestock but people. That is, until thirty years ago when her parents had come up with the innovative technique the fighting-packs now used. Rizelya only had to remember the lost lives to know why her parents were so celebrated.
“Hey, what are you thinking about?” Aistrun’s cheery voice broke into her thoughts as he rode up beside her
. They had passed the fields and were now riding through the empty pastures surrounding the keep. It was too early for the animals to be herded to the pastures.
“My parents,” she said. When he kept looking at her expectantly, she sighed and continued. “I was thinking how lucky we’ve been since my parents developed the fire-ring technique that separates the monsters at the nest site.”
“Yeah, my parents’ pack talk about how bad it used to be.” Aistrun came from the shepherd-pack. It was one of the packs that had lost many members as they had fought off the monsters from their livestock. “Even after all these years, they still mourn the loss of my older sister, Aistral. I think it’s because she’s the only girl they had.”
He never talked about what happened to Aistral, in fact, Rizelya knew very little about it. She knew he hadn’t been born when his sister died.
“What happened?”
When he answered, his voice was filled with sorrow. “The fighting-packs weren’t as efficient back then. Aistral had found a ewe with a new lamb and wouldn’t leave them. The ewe was comfortable next to the pasture wall.” He spat, anger tightening his voice, “Stupid sheep never learn that’s a dangerous place. A brecha smelled them out and its janack reached a tentacle over the stone path and fence and snatched up the ewe. Aistral was just a Brown. She tried to fight off the janack with only her helstrablade. She almost saved the ewe when another tentacle crushed her. A squad-pack was fighting the janack on the other side of the fence, but was too late to save her.”
