Qaletaqa

by Gladden, DelSheree

  My next task was to figure out whether these beasts were merely sentries or were lying in wait with the first trap. They stood in a small clearing that did not seem to hold any traps, but the Matwau was cunning. I could not pass this pair off too quickly. Beginning a careful survey of the area, the answer soon became clear. They were not simply keeping a look out for Uriah, they were there to bait him a little further down the trail.

  Lying in the middle of the trail was a piece of clothing, a light weight button up shirt that was streaked with scarlet slashes. The smell of the blood made my fur rise in agitation. It had to be a simple ploy to keep Uriah headed in the right direction. Uriah had not mentioned Melody being harmed, which he definitely would have felt. Although, these injuries could have happened after I was separated from Uriah. Still, I told myself that the girl remained unharmed. At the worst, the Matwau had only injured her enough to draw out the needed blood.

  Why the clothing was lying there was the real question. Uriah needed no guide to find Melody. The rancid smell of the creatures still permeated the area. Staying well away from the trap, I scanned either side of the trail. On the east side, opposite the bloody shirt, were two large boulders laying haphazardly against each other. The awkward angle created a small cave between them. Taking in the scents more carefully gave me confidence that one or several of the creatures were waiting in that fissure.

  No doubt the creatures expected Uriah to stop and examine the discarded shirt, giving them the opportunity to attack him while he was distracted. My claws dug into the ground and tore at the dry pine needles littering the forest floor. They would not kill Uriah, not here. Their goal was likely only to injure him and drag him back to their master.

  Disgust wrinkled my face. The Matwau held power very near the gods’ own power and still he looked to make this fight as unfair as possible. If Uriah was brought before him injured he would have no hope of surviving. Retracting my claws, I quietly stalked back the way I had come. I knew the nature of the traps now. I had wondered what to expect since the creatures were still only animals. They had no hands to dig pits or sharpen sticks to deadly points, some of the ideas my humans friends had considered. Plus, I knew the traps would only be aimed at maiming Uriah rather than killing him. Anybody who hoped to accompany Uriah would not be so lucky.

  Just in case the first trap did not work as the Matwau hoped, there would most likely be a few more bits of bloody clothing that would lead Uriah on, fueling his desperation and trying to force him into making a mistake. With my warning, I felt sure Uriah would be able to avoid such a disaster. Distancing myself from the scent of the creatures, I sprinted back toward Claire and Harvey.

  32: Risks

  “Did you find anything?” Claire asked as soon as I emerged from the trees.

  Thoughts began forming in my mind to explain what I had seen before I remembered neither of these humans could hear me. Pushing away my irritation, I nodded that I had indeed found something and tried to think of a way to explain. Claire and Harvey exchanged hopeful glances and then simply waited expectantly.

  I looked at Claire and noticed her clothing. Her shirt was not like the one I had found on the trail, but I supposed she would understand either way. Reaching up, I grabbed the end of her shirt carefully with my front teeth and tugged on it. Claire’s face scrunched up in confusion. I tugged a little harder, then patted the ground with my paws.

  “You found a shirt? On the ground? Was it Melody’s?” she asked. Harvey’s eye flew wide.

  Letting go of her shirt, I nodded. I really had no way of knowing for sure that the shirt was Melody’s, but I could not imagine whose else’s it would be. If it had belonged to someone else, I did not want to think about that at the moment.

  “But, why would the Matwau need to lure Uriah with Melody’s shirt, he’s already following the bond,” Claire asked again.

  I had really been hoping that she would figure that part on her own, sparing me from having to act it out. Feeling very foolish, I snatched Harvey’s cap off a rock where he had left it and dropped it on the ground. Harvey almost objected before he thought better of it and took a step back instead. I dropped the hat on the ground and pushed Claire over to it. Melting back into the trees, I left Claire staring at the hat. She still looked unsure of what I was trying to get her to do. I pawed at the ground, trying to indicate the hat.

  Bending over, Claire finally moved to retrieve the hat. At that moment I leapt out of the trees at her. I must have been a little too convincing. Claire jumped back and Harvey scrambled behind the rock he had left his hat on. Confident that I had demonstrated the trap well enough, I sat down. Harvey cleared his throat as he tried to recover from the startle, and Claire laughed.

  “They’re waiting by the shirt to attack him?” she asked.

  I nodded again. She asked nothing else. She understood as well as I did that the creatures would only drag Uriah before the Matwau after that. Instead, her face grew even more serious. The traps were disturbing, certainly, especially knowing how difficult seeing the blood would be for Uriah even when he knew to expect it, but something more was bothering her. I could do nothing but wait for her to explain.

  She spoke out loud as well as through her thoughts to me.

  “Before I left Uriah he asked me to do something for him.” She paused, glancing over at Harvey. “He asked me to look into his future.”

  Harvey just shook his head. I didn’t think anyone had bothered to explain to him about Claire’s newfound abilities, but he let the announcement sink in with relatively calm acceptance. I supposed there was little at this point that could surprise any of us. Taking obvious note that Harvey was not going to try and discredit her claim, Claire continued.

  “I’m not really used to doing that kind of stuff, yet, so it didn’t go as well as it could have. Actually, I made Uriah blackout, but regardless of that I did see something.”

  It could not have been good the way she was so reluctant to tell us about it. I wanted to shake her, get her to hurry up and tell us what she saw before Uriah caught up to us, but I was forced to wait. Eventually she explained.

  “Basically, what I saw was that if Uriah faces the Matwau alone Melody will die,” she said.

  Now Harvey reacted. I didn’t understand what he said after he jumped up from the rock and started waving his hands around. I could hear the level of his speech even without understanding the words. By the way he was yelling he was obviously very angry, or very scared. More likely than not it was both. Claire went to his side and tried to calm him down. It was not until she captured both his hands in hers and forced him to look at her that he began to stop shaking.

  “I saw something else, too,” Claire said, speaking to me now as well. “I promised Uriah that I would stay back and let him fight, but I can’t keep that promise. In my vision of Uriah’s future I saw another possibility. If we help Uriah, Melody will live, but one or all of us will not.”

  The hope that had sprung up on Harvey’s face at the mention of Melody surviving the fight faded away quickly with the rest of Claire’s words. He asked a question I did not understand, but Claire gave her answer to both of us.

  “I don’t know who might die,” she said. “I saw it play out hundreds of time. Sometimes Talon died. Sometimes it was Harvey. And other times it was me. I’m sure you both want to help Uriah and Melody, but I don’t want you going after him without knowing what you’re risking. I’m not asking either of you to come with me when I join Uriah. The choice is yours, and I won’t judge whatever you choose. I just want you to know that I will go after Uriah. I won’t let him face this alone.”

  It should have been already understood that I had never planned on letting Uriah go against the Matwau on his own, either, but I dipped my head and rubbed it against Claire’s leg to show that I would accompany her. It took Harvey a few seconds to digest what Claire had said, but as soon as he did he was quick to nod that he would follow as well.

  “We can’t tell Uriah
,” Claire sad. “He’ll make us promise again that we’ll stay behind, most likely, and I want each of you to make the promise. Fight him a little so he’ll believe you, but we have to make him believe we’ll stay behind or he’ll find a way to make sure we stay out of the fight.”

  Thoughts of Claire seeing herself tied to a tree floated across to me. I chuckled at the thought, especially since I doubted Claire meant for those thoughts to reach me. Uriah would most definitely tie her to a tree if he really thought it would protect her. I grunted as I realized he would do the same to me. If he actually could, I thought smugly. Remembering the strength he had gained in preparation for this fight, my pride slipped away as I imagined myself bound with cords and left behind for my own protection. Yes, I thought, we would have to deceive Uriah. For his own protection.

  I thought of the traps again. They were also aimed at destroying any humans or animals who might try to follow after Uriah. The Matwau would not allow his opponent any kind of aid if he could help it. If we followed, and the Matwau’s creatures found us, we would never even make it to the desert. Thanks to Claire, though, we already knew where this trap ridden trail would end.

  Uriah would be forced to follow pull of the bond to avoid letting the Matwau know he knew his plan, but we were held by nothing. There was no reason for us to go traipsing through the forest, wary of what might attack us. Why follow the trail when you knew where it led? Especially when you knew a much faster route. It meant having to drive with Harvey again, but the advantage gained would be worth the risk.

  “We should get going if we want to check the desert, too. You were gone almost two hours, and we may not have much time left,” Claire said.

  I loped toward Harvey’s death trap of a car as Claire began talking very quickly to Harvey. Eager to get down to the pueblo and find the final meeting spot, I pawed at the closed passenger’s door. Claire caught up to me and yanked open the door just as the rumbling sound of a vehicle filled the valley.

  33: Made

  Claire and Harvey stood frozen as Talon darted away from the car. I knew how they felt. I had been hoping for a longer route to Taos than I had been forced to make. Apparently the Matwau had grown as tired of the winding route as I had. After leaving Denver I had been pulled almost directly south. I stuck to the exact speed limit the whole way, and even with losing more than half an hour when I stopped to sleep and speak with Melody, I knew by the looks on their faces that I had not bought them enough time.

  I just hoped they had been able to find something I could use. My original goal in having them go before me was to keep them at a safer distance and give them a mission of their own. I wanted Claire and Harvey both to feel like they were helping me without them actually helping me how they wanted to the most.

  That was before, though. Before I knew about the reason for the Matwau choosing Taos and the special power it would grant him, before Claire told about what she had seen in her vision of my future. And most especially, before I found out about what Claire had hidden from me. Now I needed every hint and small advantage I could find, and a foolproof plan to keep everyone else out of the fight. Information I was still short on, but a plan had been brewing in my mind as I drove.

  “Uriah,” Talon said, invading my thoughts before I even made it out of my truck, “I have news for you.”

  Claire grabbed me and pulled me into a hug before I could answer. My arms wrapped around her fiercely. My stranglehold masked my frustration at her, and came off as mere pleasure to be with her again. I was still angry and hurt at her lies, but I indulged in the hug, too frightened that it might be the last one to make myself hold back. All too quick, Claire pulled back and looked at me. Pleasure and frustration played on her face.

  “I can’t believe you’re already here,” she said. “I was hoping we’d have more time. We didn’t even get the chance to go down to the desert.”

  “The desert? Why would you go down there? You’d be right in the Matwau’s territory then,” I said.

  What were they thinking? Did Claire have some kind of plan of her own? I knew she had no intention of staying out of the fight, but she couldn’t possibly mean to drop right into the center of battle. Thank goodness I made it here before they acted on such a disastrous idea.

  “We would not have been seen, Uriah,” Talon growled. “You know I am a better hunter than that. I scouted the mountainside to uncover the traps without being seen once.”

  “Maybe you wouldn’t have been seen, but Harvey and Claire would have been in danger. Neither one could have gotten anywhere without being seen and you know it,” I snapped. Talon had promised me that he would protect Claire. Even if he had to sit on Claire to do that, I fully expected him to follow through.

  “Claire and Harvey would have stayed behind, just like they did when I went into the forest.” Talon’s haughty tone called me an idiot even if his words did not. His opinion of me aside, I knew Claire better than he did.

  “Claire and Harvey may have stayed behind this time, but when it comes to the battle do you honestly expect them to do the same?” I asked. Maybe there was hope in Claire keeping her promise to me after all, but I doubted it.

  “Yes,” Talon said. The way he said it felt the lie I knew it to be. My face twisted into a scowl. I let my displeasure slap into him hard. A slight flinch interrupted his firm stance before it hardened back up.

  My glare only intensified. “You know she won’t stay behind, and neither will you.”

  “You told me to protect her. I will.”

  “You know that’s not what I meant when I asked you to watch over her.”

  Talon shrugged, a decidedly non-feline movement, but an expressive one. “I am helping you because I want to. How I help you is open to my interpretation.”

  “You’re helping me because you were compelled to,” I grumbled.

  “If that is truly what you believe…” He turned as if to leave.

  Rolling my eyes, I called him back. He had definitely been spending too much time with humans. Somehow I doubted reverse psychology was a common cougar tactic. “Shut up, you overgrown housecat. You just better listen to the conversation I’m about to have. When it’s over, we’ll see if you feel the same.”

  At that, Talon’s ears perked up. His eyes bounced between me and Claire. No sense in dragging this out any more than it already had been. I turned back to Claire, but she beat me to the first question.

  “Are you talking to Talon?” Claire interrupted.

  I stared at her for a moment. Was there any guilt in her for the things she had decided not to tell me? She stared at me as if waiting for a question to be answered. Had she been saying something while I argued with Talon?

  “I’m sorry, Claire, I had something to discuss with Talon. Did you say something?”

  “It’s okay,” Claire said. “Talon will probably be able to explain it better anyway. Let me know when you’re done.”

  Taking my hand again, though the pain of her touch seemed more poignant than in recent times, Claire turned to look at Talon. She seemed to be focusing on him very hard. I couldn’t help but wonder if she was speaking to him, reminding him of something? Telling him to keep his furry mouth shut? What had they had discussed without me? I wondered if Talon already knew everything Claire did.

  “Talon, what did you find?” I asked, trying to keep my suspicions reigned in.

  “There was a trap, and I believe there will be more of the same if the first one fails,” Talon said.

  “What was the trap?” I asked. Listening to the details of what Talon saw, from the scouts to the bloody shirt and little nook that hid the creatures, I found myself searching the bond. Even the idea of blood stole a piece of me away. I had felt nothing recently to tell me that Melody had been hurt in any way, but I felt the need to search every inch of the bond just to be sure.

  Nothing but the usual hum of underlying fear. Relief flooded through me. Thoughts of who had been made to supply the blood made my stomach churn.
The unknown person was added to my list of people I had hurt. I hoped I could get through this without adding anymore names.

  Before I sent Claire off with Harvey she had asked me to consider letting her follow me to the end. Her request had been eating away at me all day. A couple of times I came close to giving in, but now I was more adamant than ever before that I would face the Matwau alone. Whether her power was the key or not, I wouldn’t let her die for this. What I had to do next was the only way to protect her. Even if she was right, I couldn’t lead her to face the most evil and dangerous being in the world. I refused to lead Claire to her death.

  “I didn’t make it any further than the first trap,” Talon said, pulling me back into the conversation. “I had no more time to search. There will be other traps, I’m sure. Probably similar traps that will cause you to fear for Melody and tempt you to make rash and foolish decisions. Be wary and listen for the creatures thoughts.”

  “I will, my friend. Thank you.” He had already done so much, and was ready to do even more. “Now it’s your turn to listen. I believe you when you say you’ll protect Claire, but mine and her ideas of how to do that are pretty different. I need you to back me up on this.”

  “Uriah, listen to yourself as well. Yours is not the only way,” he said.

  I tried to guess what exactly he knew. It must not be everything or he would never be arguing with me. Bracing myself for a fight, I turned back to Claire. “I need you three to drive back down the mountain, take my truck with you, and wait for me at Pueblo de Taos.”

  Claire’s face hardened and her hands sprang up to her hips while Talon observed me carefully. Talon had said they were about to do just that, so I hoped it would soften the blow about to come.

  “You three are to be ready to help once the battle is over. Not until then,” I said. “You absolutely cannot leave the pueblo before the fight has ended. I don’t care what reasons you think you have, but it would have been too dangerous. You could interrupt something or stumbled on one of the creatures.”