When he opened his eyes, he found Rrusharr standing over him and Columbus holding Madison back while blocking three other people from crowding too close. The fact that he was looking at a generous amount of Rrusharr’s belly finally sank in, and he realized he was sprawled on the floor.
“Canis, you’re alive,” said Columbus. “That wolf of yours won’t let anyone near.”
“That is why I brought her,” he said as he slowly climbed to his feet and leaned on the edge of the bed for a moment.
The occupant of the bed reached over and touched his hand. “Thank you,” he whispered, then closed his eyes again.
Canis looked at him and was fully as stunned as anyone else in the room. The man’s skin was whole again and his breathing was no longer rasping. Though he remained very weak, he was healed – completely.
As soon as Canis had regained some of his strength, he turned to the now silent audience clustered near the door. “Nnarr, tell Cepheid I am well. Well, Mistress Madison…” He swiftly stepped forward and grasped the woman’s wrist, and before Columbus could react, he placed the woman’s hand on his forehead. The rush nearly dropped him to his knees again, but he grasped Columbus’s shoulder for support, as well as to stay his interference. “Perhaps you will believe me now,” he said as he dropped her hand and swam his way out of the room using each shoulder he passed for support.
By the time he had covered half the length of the hall, he was walking under his own power, and before he stepped out into the sun, his knees were only slightly wobbly.
Madison and Columbus caught up to him shortly after he stepped out into the chill air of the courtyard. “What was that?” asked Madison as she snagged his arm.
Canis allowed her to turn him to face her. “As I tried to explain to Neola, I am merely a carrier. I carry the gift so that I may give it to those the Mother deems worthy. In my opinion, you should consider yourself lucky that she still considers you worthy to feel her touch, after what you have done here. I would not have agreed, but the decision is never mine.”
“No, please wait. I need to understand,” said Madison as Canis started to turn again.
“I can teach you nothing. There is nothing for you to understand. I am leaving now. I expect you to use the Mother’s gift well.”
“Where are you headed?” she asked.
Canis sized her up. He didn’t like her, and she had done little to earn his trust. “I am heading east.”
She tried to look chagrined, but it was not something she was accustomed to. “We owe you much. We will pay your passage on whatever ship you wish, and if you will wait a while, I will get the gold we already owe you. But the reason I ask after your destination is that there is someone here who desires to go east as well. Would you consider taking him with you?”
Canis thought for a long time about this. All the while, he stared at the woman. When he came to his decision, it was not one she wanted to hear. “No,” he said and turned away to rejoin Cepheid. He didn’t see the quiet exchange between Madison and Columbus.
He took his reins from Cepheid and started toward the path leading to the docks. He was drained and tired.
Columbus caught up with them once again and said, “Canis, you’re still determined to go directly east?”
Canis paused to look at him. “Before I came here, I knew nothing of horses, but I learned, we both learned. But boats – what I know of boats is limited to the ferries I have needed to use to cross some of these larger rivers. Perhaps the boats you speak of are better, but from what I know, I do not think I want to learn more. Water is made for drinking or for washing, but not for walking on. I think I will stick to what I know.” He extended his hand toward Columbus who took it. “Fare well, my friend, and travel safe.”
“The same to you, but if you still plan to go east, you’ll want to cross to the south side of the river and you might as well do it here. Come with me, I’ll show you.”
He took them to the south side of the island were there was another sprawling dock.
Before they descended to the water, Canis paused to look across the river at the darker spread of civilization that fringed the southern bank.
Columbus followed his eye and said, “Those people are river rats and the families of river rats. They’re a rough lot. You be careful over there.”
“I am always careful,” said Canis as he headed down the slope.
“Yes, I suppose you are at that,” he said to his retreating back before following.
After they found a ferryman who would take Canis’s entire party across, Columbus vouched for their fare from the school and saw them loaded. He stood there and watched them until they were safely on the other bank and disappearing between the buildings. Mistress Madison would be furious with him, but he could bring himself to do no less. He could see no point in delaying him any longer
Into the Wastelands
Ggrrawrr found them a campsite a couple miles south and east of the fringe of humanity hugging the south side of the river. They stayed there for most of a week while Canis and Cepheid prepared for crossing the desert that Canis was sure lay to the east of them. If it was the desert, it was the northern most reaches of it. He couldn’t compare this crossing with the others he had made with Patro’s slave train, but he wasn’t a fool to discard his experiences there, even if they were the experiences of a child dependent on the care of others at the time.
Using the things he had learned from all the men he had traveled with, he went to the docks every day where he bought supplies. He bought meat, which Cepheid dried over their small fire. He bought wheat and oat grain. He also bought a wide stretch of sailcloth when he overheard men speaking of the winds in the wastes. He was very familiar with the winds that swept across the miles they had already crossed and such winds would carry desert sands at a scouring force. With that in mind, he then went to a blacksmith and ordered heavy stakes; he ended up buying an old hammer from him as well. Before he left, Canis bought a pair of water bladders that would fit down in his panniers. He didn’t think they would have much trouble finding water, but there was no sense in being foolish about it.
When everything was as prepared as he could make it, the end result looked puny. He had no idea what was ahead of him. He had no idea how far he had to go. He didn’t even know if the city he was searching for was north or south of his chosen direction. The only thing he was sure of was that he would run into someone someday who would be able to tell him where Chicago was before he was too far off track.
Even with all the people he had had around him, he felt more lost and adrift than he had the day he set out from the Yellowstone Clan in the company of only three Wulfen close to two years ago.
As if she could read his mind, Cepheid wrapped her arms around him. “We’ll be fine. We’ll find what you’re looking for and everything will be fine.”
He held her close, pulling her inside his coat mostly because of his desire to feel her as close as possible and wishing that it could be so much closer. Last night he had slept with his hand cupping the slight bulge of her tummy. Can I keep them safe? Can I provide her with the home she needs? “Perhaps you should have chosen another mate. No proper mate would drag his pregnant wife off into such an uncertain future.”
“There have been uncertain futures in the lives of the clans ever since long before we found our way out under the stars. I am happy with the husband I have chosen. Just as our ancestors have done, we will make our future. I love you and I would change none of my choices, nor would I try to steer you to a different path.”
With a long deep sigh and a long rub up her back, he set her away from him then helped her into her saddle.
He led them down onto a frozen flat stretch of ground that he suspected might be swampy in the summer and headed roughly east. They soon came across another small river where he swam them across. Perhaps there was a better crossing somewhere, but he saw little point in searching for it. As it turned out, the horses hadn’t needed to swim,
and he only got wet to his knees and none of the wet got through to his skin. Cepheid was able to pull her legs up high and didn’t get wet at all.
On the other side of the river, they came across a stretch of a high road, and Canis set them to an easy lope in order to warm up and dry off. It felt so good to stretch out for a while.
They took to traveling this way almost every day. With many stops for the puppies, the pace was not difficult. Even Star, who carried the bulk of the weight, seemed to delight in the change of pace.
The road lasted for three days before it was lost completely, so Canis opted to stay with the edge of the scrub grass poking its way above the dry snow. As soon as they left the road, they discovered that someone had passed this way before them.
With a wary eye to these tracks, Canis made no attempt to catch up with them, but they were moving much slower than he was, and unless he wanted to range far around them, he would catch up to them anyway.
He came across the remains of their campfire and knew why they must be moving so slowly. Their party had brought at least twenty horses, but if they were prepared like Columbus had been equipped, there was likely only four or five men among them. The extra horses would be laden with water, and obviously wood, or there wouldn’t have been a fire.
Two days later, Canis caught sight of a sparkle on the dark horizon as he was topping one last ridge in search of a lower spot to make their camp. After seeing Cepheid secure under their staked down shelter of sailcloth, he said, “Stay here until I return. I’m going to see who our trail companions are.”
“Will we be traveling with them?” she asked.
Canis shrugged. “We’ll see.” He discarded his furs for his black cloak, pants and jacket and dug out his facemask. With Rrusharr and Ggrrawrr, he disappeared into the night.
When he reached the camp, he spotted two sentries, one on either side of the camp. They were in a decent location, but they could have chosen better. He slipped up behind one man and pulled him into his chest with a hard hand across his mouth. When the man lunged for his knife, he trapped his hand there and used the lever to lift him off the ground then he whispered into his ear, “Do you like to breathe?”
After a moment’s hesitation, the man nodded; the very long, sharp steel claws that were so very close to his face helped him make his decision. Canis set him back on the ground. Without letting up on the pressure across his mouth, Canis tossed his hand away from his knife hilt and relieved him of his sword belt. “You will remain silent,” he whispered and stepped away giving the man a prod toward the campfire.
The man took about three steps, then turned to say, “Where did…” The rest of what he would have said was lost, as a blow laid him out senseless.
Canis knelt over him. He hadn’t intended to break the man’s nose, but the blow couldn’t be taken back. He still lived, so Canis straightened his smashed nose then heaved him over his shoulder. After depositing him by the fire, he bound him with his own sword belt, and after gagging him with a wad of cloth he found in a pocket, he went after the other sentry.
The sun was almost clear of the horizon before anyone stirred inside the tent. “James should have woke us up hours ago. If he’s dozed off, I’ll…” The speaker froze when he saw the black shadow sitting on the other side of the blackened fire pit. Nearby lay the bound and gagged forms of two men, and only a couple feet from them, rested two huge wolves. The two wolves and the strange man, all three, looked quite relaxed; that is, if a loaded and drawn catapult at rest could look relaxed.
The man sat on the ground, his cloak was ruffled in the wind, he was so still, he could have been carved from wood, if there was any trees around large enough; and then there was the steel claws he openly displayed. They were about the only thing about the man that wasn’t shadowed.
Another man and what looked like a half grown boy pushed their way out of the tent to take in the deadly scene as well, then the boy noticed the unusual eyes staring out of the black mask.
“Columbus said you’d headed east.”
Canis slowly unfolded from the ground, but he said nothing.
“After Madison recovered from her little tantrum, she gave me something. She said I was to give it to you as soon as I found you. Columbus said it was more likely you’d find us instead, and he made it sound like he wasn’t too sure you’d bother. He indicated that Madison managed to piss you off, and you might not want anything to do with us.”
Canis continued to study the young man who was speaking. Something about him was ticking at a distant memory, but he couldn’t place it.
The young man continued once again after a short pause. “My name is Dagon. My father sent for me. I wanted to return to Chicago by the shortest route.”
After another moment of silence Canis said, “I knew a man named Dagon once.”
“So you can talk. I was beginning to wonder. Did you kill them? Since they’re tied up, I don’t suppose so. Their names are Tory and James. They are knights provided by the school. These are Folco and Earl. They’re my bodyguards.”
“Who chose your guards for you?” asked Canis.
“Apparently not you. Uh, are we hostage or something; what are you going to do with us?” asked Dagon.
Canis studied the young man. “How old are you?”
Dagon pulled himself to his fullest height, which was only a few inches taller than Cepheid, and replied, “I’ll turn sixteen in a few days.”
Canis looked the three men over, taking in their tent and their picket line in the process. “Pack up and be ready to move. I’ll be back in an hour.” He strode off past their horses. Twenty-five horses. Insane.
Cepheid had their camp already packed up and she handed him his coat. After she put his cloak away, she handed him a handful of jerky and a cup of water. “So, are we going with them?” she asked.
“After a fashion,” replied Canis.
They must have worked like a team of slaves to have all of those horses saddled and loaded by the time Canis returned with Cepheid. He only had to wait long enough for them to mount up.
As soon as he was mounted, young Dagon rode up beside Canis and tossed him a small pouch. “There’s four gold coins in there and what Madison called a ‘pass’. From what I understand, you’re quite a healer. Everyone at the school will be talking about you for years.”
Folco handed Dagon the lead to his train of horses and he turned away to tend them.
Canis set a leisurely pace for them. At least it was leisurely for his party. For the men leading five packhorses each, the pace was grueling.
“Show yourselves a little,” said Canis. The leader of the train, Tory, looked at him strangely, though the expression could have been the result of the spectacular set of black eyes that were rapidly turning blacker as a result of his broken nose. “Let the horses see you just enough to wake them up a little.”
“What did you say?” asked Tory, but he couldn’t spare much attention to any answer because he just caught sight of the black wolf that had rested so close to him that morning in the camp. The horses saw her too, and others, and had definitely perked up at the sight.
The Wulfen had all been around horses long enough to know how much they could push before panic set in, and that is the limit they set for the entire day. Canis was with them sometimes and not sometimes. Unknown to them, he rode ahead or aside somewhat and let the puppies have their way with their mother then he scouted around for game or water. Both were scarce, but not gone altogether, and invariably, he either brought back meat or led them all to some small spring.
Canis had little to do with their camp and typically vanished off into the dark after they stopped. After three nights of this unusual distancing, Cepheid said, “What is it about them that bothers you? They seem nice enough.”
Canis shrugged. “I am not sure, but the boy might be the son of a man I am not ready to face yet. He was nice enough too, at first.”
“Is that the man you owe money to?”
“No, that is another man. I do not expect to see him until spring.” He reached for the warmth of her body and further conversation was swept away by the wind that howled over their shelter.
Canis was following an indistinct line between grass and sand, but his chosen route began to bend too far south so he led them across the sand, through a dry creek bed and up onto another stretch of grass. That night, they made their camp down in another dry creek bed and relished in being out of the wind for a while.
Two days later, they found a small spring and spent the day filling their water stores. The spring was small enough that it took that long to gather that much water plus water all the animals.
He took the time to hunt as well and brought in two of the grazers like he had shot before spending the night with the Greenfields on the other side of Deemoin. These were mostly red with a white face, belly and legs rather than black. They were strange creatures, but the meat was good.
He butchered the creatures a short distance from camp and Cepheid insisted the meat be shared between all of them. She also insisted they accept Dagon’s invitation to eat at their campfire.
The hot meal of juicy steaks and potatoes was good and the heat from their small fire was nice. Canis had thought about fire along the way, but suspected he would have to haul the wood for it. That’s why he’d had Cepheid dry their meat. Such trail rations weren’t quite as satisfying as a good hot meal such as this, but it would do for a while. One look at the number of horses these men had seen fit to bring only confirmed his decision. Ten horses hauled nothing but wood for their fires. The other ten all carried a partial load of water as well as food and their camping supplies.
During the meal, the five men were poking fun at each other and going out of their way to try to make Cepheid laugh, even Canis started to smile at some of their antics and jokes. All of their jokes were about healers and Canis didn’t understand them very well, but watching the men laughing was funny enough to win a smile out of him. Cepheid was doing much the same thing. She was laughing at the men, not necessarily at their jokes. Most of the time they were making fun of the way Tory talked since he was the one telling most of the jokes and his words were coming out all stumpy since his nose was so swollen. All in all, they had a good time.
Half-Breed Page 37
