The Beast Warrior

by Nahoko Uehashi

  Unable to sleep, she searched through distant memories until an old familiar face rose behind her closed eyelids.

  I’d hate to be kicked out of home! Good thing I was born human.

  She recalled Yuyan’s soft voice, the grimace on her face as she’d whispered in Elin’s ear. Following that voice, the memory came back to her.

  Ah, that’s right. It was in class.

  A day long ago floated into her mind like a faded picture. Her desk bathed in honey-colored light from the afternoon sun; Yuyan sitting in front of her; Professor Losa, a teacher Elin disliked, lecturing on how foxes raised their young and sent them out into the world …

  But why would I remember something that happened so long ago? The fever must have affected her brain. After all, there was no way Leelan could have talked to her about children and nests.

  Something clicked inside. Opening her eyes, Elin stared blankly at the darkness, watching an idea take shape in her mind.

  * * *

  “Honestly! You never learn, do you?” Esalu said with a sigh.

  Jesse had dragged the headmistress to their house, and Elin was now struggling to sit up under her stern gaze. “You haven’t changed a bit,” Esalu continued. “You get so caught up in things that you never stop to consider your health. If you go on like this, you’re going to get really sick. You’re not as young as you think, you know.”

  After scolding Elin roundly, Esalu knelt down and rested a hand on her forehead. “Your fever’s not so high.”

  “It went down after I broke into a sweat,” Elin said weakly. “I’m so sorry you had to come out here this early in the morning.”

  Esalu snorted. “I’m used to it. Children are always getting into mischief at odd hours of the day. Although no one gets into as much trouble as you.” She unwrapped the bandage on Elin’s hand and deftly examined the wound. “Considering that you were grazed by Leelan’s teeth, it’s a pretty clean cut. Not much swelling either.”

  Esalu glanced at Jesse, who was peering at his mother’s hand. “Now, boy, when someone gets bitten by a beast and comes down with a fever, what do you need to watch out for?”

  Jesse wrinkled his nose. “I haven’t learned that yet.”

  “In that case, remember what I tell you. There are several things you need to keep an eye out for.”

  Jesse’s face blanched as she described the symptoms of rabies and tetanus. “Does she have those?” he asked fearfully.

  Esalu shrugged. “Who knows? But I think we can assume she doesn’t have rabies by now. You should watch out for signs of tetanus, though. Make sure you take good care of her.”

  Jesse nodded, looking quite anxious, and Esalu smiled. “Time to start your nursing duties. Go make her some breakfast. She’s got a fever, so make something that’s nutritious but easy to digest to build up her strength.”

  “Okay.”

  “Hop to it!” Esalu snapped. Jesse jumped to attention, then disappeared into the kitchen to escape any further scolding.

  Esalu and Elin smiled as they watched him go. “It’s good to give him a fright sometimes,” Esalu said. “After all, his mother never gave up no matter how many times I scared her.”

  With a wry smile, Elin nodded. Then she turned serious. “May I ask you a favor?” she said. “Could you please send for Olamu? I want to see him.”

  Esalu frowned. “Olamu? You mean the Beast Hunter?”

  “Yes.”

  “But what for? He must be quite old now. I heard that his son took over his job.”

  Elin nodded. “Yes, that’s what his son told me when he brought Lesseh here. Olamu may be old, but if his mind’s still sharp, there’s something I want to ask him.”

  The gleam of curiosity in Esalu’s eyes deepened. “You went and visited him once before, didn’t you? With Jesse on your back.”

  “Yes. Olamu helped me when I was trying to learn about Royal Beasts in the wild. I doubt there’s anyone alive who knows them as well as he does.”

  Esalu’s brows rose. “He’s pretty stubborn, though.”

  Elin grinned. “Yes, he is. But all the Beast Hunters are.”

  “True.” Having disinfected the wound, Esalu began winding a bandage around it. “What do you want to ask him?” she said.

  When Elin told her, Esalu paused and raised her face. She stared at Elin for a moment, then nodded slowly. “I see. That’s a possibility all right,” she murmured. Excitement kindled in her eyes. “Are you going to tell the Yojeh?”

  Elin shook her head. “No, not yet. I’ll describe the current situation, but in a way that lets her know I haven’t given up hope that Alu and the others will mature.”

  Esalu nodded. “Yes, that would be best. I’ll tell the messenger to wait a little longer. You won’t be able to write properly with that hand, so dictate what you want to say. I’ll write it for you.”

  “Thank you. I’m sorry to trouble you.”

  Esalu’s lips twitched. “I’m sure the Yojeh will be happy I’m writing it. Your handwriting’s so hard to read.” Although her words were sharp, her expression was bright and cheerful. Elin loved this teacher who never lost her curiosity, no matter how old she got.

  4

  THE BEAST HUNTER

  Olamu came to visit just before the snow melted. He had grown somewhat stooped with age, but with a leather satchel slung across his back and a hatchet hanging from his waist, he still resembled the tough and vigorous hunter who used to dart through the deep forests to capture Royal Beast cubs.

  Sitting down at the hearth in Esalu’s office, he gruffly accepted the hot tea the headmistress served him. The refreshing citrusy aroma coupled with the hiss of steam from the earthenware teapot reminded Elin of when Joeun had brought her here so many years ago. “Thank you so much for coming all this way to see me,” she said.

  Olamu pulled in his jaw a little at this. “Ain’t much fer me to do right now. It’ll be a while before the rulers of our valley start movin’.”

  The hunters called the Royal Beasts “rulers” and named each one after the territory it controlled. When Elin had trekked through the mountains with Jesse on her back to visit Olamu, he had told her to leave the wild Beasts to the hunters and slammed the door in her face. She was a teacher from the sanctuary, he’d insisted, so she should have stuck to caring for the Royal Beasts they captured. That was her job.

  Hunting grounds were passed down from father to son. As these boundaries were considered sacred, it was no wonder that Olamu had taken offense when Elin had trespassed on his territory. But she’d felt crushed, having hoped he would teach her what he knew about these creatures’ habits.

  Still, she hadn’t given up. She forged into the mountains with Jesse, setting up camp in the woods each night after spending the day searching for Royal Beasts. Three days after Olamu turned her away, she was overjoyed to stumble upon a Royal Beast perched partway down a steep cliff. She set up her tent well outside the Beast’s personal territory and began watching.

  She had been there for about four days when Olamu appeared in front of her tent. Although he looked just as fierce as when he had shut her out of his house, this time he didn’t shout at her. Clearing his throat, he said, “My son thinks you’re the one who rescued the lord of Akadake. Is that true?”

  By the lord of Akadake, he meant Eku, the mature male that had been wounded trying to protect his cub and brought to Kazalumu for treatment. It was Olamu who had accidentally caused the injury, a miscalculation he thought would shame him for life. He had wept when he learned that Eku had not only been healed at the sanctuary, but had mated with Leelan and miraculously conceived a cub.

  All this he told Elin. From then on, he had guided her through the mountains, sharing experiences from his long career. Although she had only been able to stay a month, Elin had gleaned much from Olamu about how Royal Beasts lived in the wild.

  In Esalu’s office, Olamu placed his cup on the table and raised his face. “That talkative chap who brought me here, i
s that the babe you were carryin’ on your back?”

  Elin’s mouth crooked. “Yes, and my apologies. I hope he didn’t talk your ear off.”

  Olamu’s eyes twinkled. “Well, he certainly was full of questions, that one. ‘What’s that hatchet for? What’s in your bag? How d’ya find them Royal Beasts?’ Couldn’t get a word in edgewise.” He sighed. “If your babe’s grown that big now, no wonder I feel old.” He reached into a small pouch on his belt and took out a roll of tobacco. Lighting it in the hearth, he took a long, leisurely drag. Esalu, who hated tobacco smoke, frowned but said nothing.

  “This here’s the only good thing about retirin’. Can’t smoke when you’re a hunter. It’s taboo.”

  Before entering the mountains, Beast Hunters rubbed their bodies with different things to change their scent and erase any human odor. Royal Beasts were extremely smart. Once they knew a hunter’s scent, they would be on their guard whenever they detected it again.

  The tobacco flared and hissed as Olamu took another pull. His face relaxed. Jutting out his chin a little, he asked, “So? What do you want?”

  Elin put down her cup. “There’s something I want to ask. Do Royal Beasts do anything to help their young come of age?”

  Olamu’s forehead wrinkled. “Come of age? You mean somethin’ to make ’em leave home?”

  “That’s right.”

  Olamu grinned. “You called me all the way here just to ask me that?”

  “Yes. I thought if they did, only the Beast Hunters would have seen it. It’s a question I never thought to ask before.”

  Olamu’s expression grew serious. “Hmm. So the ones in the sanctuary don’t, huh?”

  Elin leaned forward eagerly. “You mean Royal Beasts in the wild do, then? They have a way of forcing their cubs to leave?”

  Olamu nodded. “Yup. Sure do. Seen it many times. They won’t let their cub back in the nest. Pretty rough business. They spread their wings wide, like this, see? And screech. When the cub tries to get at the nest, they beat it off. Bit of a shock I guess. Cubs probably wonder what’s goin’ on. They keep tryin’ to get in, but’re driven off every time. Sometimes it gets real bad. The parents even kick and bite their cubs.”

  A stillness spread through Elin’s chest. Just as I thought. Here lay a clue to why Royal Beasts born in the sanctuary failed to mature and reproduce.

  Olamu flicked the ash from his tobacco. “Bit heartbreakin’ to watch. But that don’t happen in the sanctuary, huh? Well, I suppose it wouldn’t. Not when you feed ’em all the time like a cub. No need for ’em to grow up and hunt.”

  Elin nodded. “That’s right. The Royal Beasts here don’t hunt. I think that everything else may actually be related to that fact.” Pouring more tea into Olamu’s cup, she asked, “What happens to a cub when its parents chase it away?”

  Olamu smiled. “There now. That’s the real question. ’Cause wherever it ends up, that’s where new cubs’ll be born. For us, that’s what matters.”

  “Do they set up their own territory as soon as they leave the nest?”

  “Nope. Ain’t that easy. They have to fly pretty far. Far enough to find a place to nest where they won’t meet up with their parents when they hunt. But those places’re usually already taken. Still, Royal Beasts rule the valley. No need for them to have lots of kids like weaker beasts. Guess in a way, their worst enemy is themselves. They’re pretty long-lived, but most only bear about two cubs in their lifetime, probably ’cause it’s too hard to find new territory.” Esalu nodded slightly at his words and glanced at Elin.

  “Leelan was raised at the Kazalumu Sanctuary,” Elin said to Olamu. “She and Eku have already had three cubs, but none of them have matured. Not only that, but even beasts brought here from the wild don’t mate. I think the environment in the sanctuary must have something to do with it.”

  “Hmm.” Olamu stroked his chin. “Might be it’s too small.”

  “I agree. I also think that having so many Royal Beasts living here together is a big part of the issue. The sanctuary’s much smaller than the territory Royal Beasts are used to in the wild, and it’s a flat meadow surrounded by a fence. Instead of staking out territory in a river valley with no other Beasts in sight, they’re all forced to live in this space where they can see one another all the time. Maybe they form a large artificial family unit so they can live together without fighting and killing one another.”

  “With Leelan and Eku as the parents and the rest as their children,” Esalu murmured. “I see.”

  Olamu breathed out a long stream of smoke. “Could be. After all, they hate livin’ close together. If they see other Royal Beasts in the distance, they make a sound to warn ’em not to come closer. And any that do come close suddenly swerve and fly away, as if to avoid hittin’ an invisible wall or somethin’.”

  He turned and looked out the window. “On a flat plain like this, with all the Beasts in sight, you’d have one terrible battle on your hands if they all began matin’. Wouldn’t put it past ’em to figure that out and avoid matin’ at all.”

  His eyes narrowed, as if lost in thought, then he looked at Elin. “Did I ever mention how our territories are made?”

  “You mean the hunters’ territories?” Elin asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “No, I don’t think you did.”

  Olamu nodded. Fingering his tobacco, he began. “What I’m about to tell you is a secret just for the hunters, so first promise you won’t tell anyone.” He waited until he saw Elin and Esalu nod before continuing. “The territory of each hunter family’s just a single valley that’s passed on from one generation to the next. Each valley’s ruled by one grand pair of Royal Beasts, and hunters only capture the grand pair’s cubs.”

  Elin’s eyes widened. “Grand pair?”

  “Yup. Like I said, cubs booted from home fly a long ways away, but they never leave their valley. If they flew into a different one, they’d be in trouble. The offspring of the grand pair that ruled that valley would chase ’em out.”

  Elin leaned forward. “You mean Royal Beasts born from the same parents stake out territory in the same valley?”

  Olamu drew on his tobacco, then slowly exhaled the smoke. “That’s right. The grand pair produce a lot of young, but their offspring don’t. When the female of the grand pair grows too old to mate, a female in her grandkid’s generation usually starts bearing more young. We look at her and her mate and think to ourselves, Ah, there’s the next grand pair that’ll rule the valley.”

  Elin and Esalu listened enthralled.

  When the female of the grand pair grows too old to mate, a female in her grandchildren’s generation starts bearing more young. Excitement stirred in Elin’s breast. Even in the sanctuary, Leelan got pregnant as soon as one of the other Beasts died, almost as if she was trying to control the number of cubs she bore to keep from over populating the space.

  After another drag of his tobacco, Olamu continued. “Royal Beasts avoid livin’ too close, but a mated pair and their offspring get along pretty well. Siblings’ll stake out territories next to one another, pretty big territories, so they’re scattered throughout a single valley. Kinda like a loose pack.

  “Females stay in the same valley all their lives, but when it’s matin’ season, young males’ll fly to other valleys to find mates. If they tried to enter a different valley at any other time of year, all the siblings in that valley would gang up on ’em to protect their territory.”

  “They cooperate to fight off intruders?” Elin asked.

  “Yeah. Well, not really fight. More like chase ’em out. If they see one in the distance, they’ll warn ’em not to come close. But they do fight, and fiercely, too, if an outsider trespasses to get food or tries to take over their territory.”

  Elin stared at him. So I was right, she thought. Royal Beasts live in packs. Probably not very large ones. They looked like solitary creatures because they each had their own large territory and lived scattered through a single valley. But
she guessed that if she could view them from above, she’d see the shape of the pack with the grand pair at the top ruling over their children and their mates.

  She rubbed her hands, which had grown clammy and cold as a quiet excitement had spread through her. Her hypothesis had been right. Leelan and Eku are the grand pair that rules Kazalumu.

  Olamu looked out the window again and exhaled a puff of smoke. It was still early spring, and a gentle light caressed the meadow. His eyes narrowed. “Wind smells like sasha,” he murmured. “Means it’ll be matin’ season soon.” He turned his gaze to Elin. “So what’re you gonna do?”

  For a moment, Elin could only stare at him. Glancing at Esalu, she finally said, “I’ll write to Her Majesty, the Yojeh, and ask her to expand the pasture area. There’re some good places in the valley where I’ve been training them. I’ll move the younger beasts to those places before mating season begins and…”

  She swallowed what she was about to say, but Olamu could guess. He smiled wryly. “No need to look so apologetic like. Sure, if you succeed in increasin’ the Royal Beasts, you won’t be needin’ us no more. Some of the hunters’ll probably hate you for it.” He tapped his tobacco with a finger to knock off the ashes. “But there’s no changin’ the flow of the times, is there? Maybe I’ll be cursed for sayin’ this, but everythin’ changed the day Her Majesty wed the Aluhan. I hear the next Yojeh’ll have dark eyes. If so, shouldn’t be any problem if the rulers of the valley’ve changed, too.”

  He ground his tobacco into the edge of the hearth and stood up. “Well, if that’s all, I’ll be off, then.” Without waiting for Elin to stand, he slung his satchel across his shoulder and left the room.

  Elin ran after him. He strode so quickly down the corridor that she only caught up with him at the entrance. Outside, he stood gazing at the pasture bathed in the soft light. Here and there, Royal Beasts napped in the sunshine.