I said nothing. I felt slow and stupid and couldn’t think of anything that would contradict Milsindra.
She took two more steps toward me. There was nowhere left for me to back up.
“Where is your raven friend?” she asked, almost nonchalantly, lowering her head until her nose pressed against the top of my muzzle. I again caught the pungent scent, the smell of a wolf waiting to attack.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I haven’t seen him.”
“Don’t lie to me,” Milsindra said, allowing a threat to enter her voice. She took my muzzle between her teeth, then released it. “I can smell a lie as well as I can smell your fear. What did he say to you when you met with him at the river? What did he say to you today? Has he asked you to go on a journey with him?”
I watched her, trying to figure out how much she knew—why she was interested in Tlitoo.
“He just said he was busy,” I lied. “That’s all.”
“You know, Kaala,” Milsindra said, almost gently, “that I would kill you now if I could. But Zorindru still holds too much power. I will take word of what happened with the humans today to the council. It may be enough. But if not, when you fail, and fail you will, I will have all the proof I need that I am right and Zorindru, Jandru, and Frandra are wrong. I will stop you from destroying wolfkind and will lead the krianan wolves to new strengths. Once we rid the valley of these humans and you streck wolves, we will succeed. We will fulfill Indru’s promise.”
The promise you lied about, I thought. The promise you almost killed us over.
All at once, fury rushed through me. Ever since Zorindru had told us of the task the Greatwolves had invented for us, other wolves had been telling me what I must and must not do. I had all of the responsibility for keeping humans and wolves from fighting but no power to do so, and now Milsindra was telling me that she would thwart me even if, in spite of this, I succeeded.
It was all I could do not to growl at the Greatwolf. There was no way I could challenge her, no way I could stop her. I stared at the ground beneath my paws, keeping myself from looking into Milsindra’s eyes, trying to hide my emotions from her.
She whuffed a small laugh and took a few steps back. Then cocked her head. “You are not the only Swift River wolf who is troublesome, are you?” she said.
A moment later I caught Yllin’s scent and heard her steady pawsteps. She walked calmly into the copse and greeted Milsindra. Then she walked over and stood by my side.
“Lordwolf,” she said to Milsindra, her ears and tail lowered and her voice the very model of respect. “Our pack would like Kaala to join our snow deer hunt, if you don’t need her anymore.”
Yllin was standing with ease. Although her ears and tail were lowered and her legs slightly bent to show respect to Milsindra, her bearing was confident. If she had actually said so, it could not have been clearer that although she honored the Greatwolf’s dominance, she was a strong wolf in her own right. I watched her in admiration and envy. I would never be that confident.
Milsindra looked Yllin over, her gaze considering. She could certainly kill both of us, but it wouldn’t be an easy fight. Just then Ázzuen’s bark sounded through the trees.
Milsindra planted her huge paws in the dirt and stretched, her lean muscles rippling under her fur. “Of course, if she is needed for a hunt, she must go.” She kept her gaze on Yllin, then smiled her narrow smile once more. She turned her tail to us and bounded from the copse, as light of heart as any pup.
A moment later, Ázzuen dashed into the spruce and juniper grove, just as I released my anger and frustration in a low, fierce growl. Ázzuen stopped, startled. He greeted Yllin and then touched my face with his nose. My fury abated, just a little.
“Ruuqo wants us to come to the snow deer hunt?” I asked Yllin.
“No”—she grinned—“but when you left for Oldwoods, I thought you might need some help, so I’ve been following you. The humans are sensitive, aren’t they?” She slammed her head into my shoulder, knocking me to the side.
I laughed in spite of my concerns, and felt warmth and gratitude wash over me. Nothing bothered Yllin. She always seemed to be able to find a way to rise above anything that happened.
“How did you do that? With Milsindra?”
“She wasn’t going to hurt either one of us,” she said. “I could tell. And even Greatwolves respect a wolf who seems assertive; it’s instinctive.” She thought for a moment. “There are ways to get around those in power without actually challenging them. You have to follow the rules so you don’t get in trouble, but still get what you want. You just have to find new ways of doing things.”
“I’ll never be as strong as you are,” I said to her.
“Why? Because you couldn’t stand up to a Greatwolf when you’re not even a year old?” she said. “You’ll be fine, Kaala. You’re strong and smart and have packmates who stand with you. Just don’t get stuck thinking about what you can’t do.” She licked my muzzle. “I have to get back to the snow deer hunt. I told Ruuqo I was following a forest deer trail.” She poked Ázzuen in the ribs, picked up a pinecone in her jaws, and ran from the copse.
I took a breath, controlling the anger and frustration that still roiled in me, allowing them to feed me rather than overwhelm me, trying to be as calm and confident as Yllin was.
“Trevegg sent you to bring me back?” I asked Ázzuen.
“Yes,” he answered, his gaze intent upon my face. “He said that he thinks we can still get HuLin to trust us. HuLin laughed at DavRian after you left. But we have to get back to Oldwoods before the humans leave.”
“We’ll go back,” I said, “but not quite yet.” An idea was forming at the edges of my mind, a way to thwart Milsindra in her attempts to undermine me. Her own words had given me the idea. And Yllin’s encouragement made me think it was possible. If Yllin could stand fearlessly, face-to-face with a Greatwolf, I could try something different. First, however, I needed to know about my mother—if she had really called to me. And I knew who could tell me.
I raised my nose to the light breeze, trying to catch any nearby raven-scent. Tlitoo had told me that he would be gathering with other ravens. My guess was that they would be at Rock Crest, a steep, rugged hill not far from Fallen Tree Gathering Place. It was a favorite meeting place for the ravens, since its sharp rocks and craggy cliffs provided plenty of hiding places and perches. Sure enough, I could smell raven not far to the south of us. Rock Crest was in that direction. Keeping my nose lifted to the breeze, I began to track the scent.
“Where are you going?” Ázzuen demanded, scrabbling to follow me.
“To find Tlitoo. I’m going to make him go outside the valley to find out if Demmen was telling the truth.”
“You’re going to make him?”
Ignoring his dubious tone, I set off for Rock Crest. Ázzuen, huffing in protest, followed. As we ran, I told him what Milsindra had said. About the council, about me, about Tli-too. Ázzuen listened, his ears twitching. He asked me several questions as we ran, most of which seemed pointless to me. I was just getting annoyed enough to tell him to shut up when raven-scents grew strong all around us. We were nearing Rock Crest, and soon we heard belligerent raven voices. Suddenly uneasy, I stopped. This was not the normal strident raven conversation. The birds were angry; they sounded like they did when they attacked something.
Ázzuen and I crept cautiously up the hill until we could peer down into a round rocky depression where the ravens had gathered. They were indeed surrounding something, attacking it with sharp jabs of their beaks. I had an impression of black feathers and furious, clacking beaks. I had seen the ravens attack a weasel that way once. Ravens despise weasels, who steal and eat raven eggs. They kill any weasels they find and attack anything that gets between them and their quarry.
I began to back away.
Then I heard a familiar krawk, distorted by fear and pain. I met Ázzuen’s wide eyes, and we began to run down the hill as we realized at the same moment: i
t wasn’t a weasel the ravens were attacking. It was Tlitoo.
8
We ran full pelt down the craggy hill, hurtling the last wolflengths to land hard amid the horde of angry ravens. A beak struck my shoulder as wings smacked my head. A sharp talon caught the skin behind my eye, another the soft folds of my neck. My fur, still winter-thick, protected my neck, but the claw digging into the skin near my eye made me yelp. I swung my head from side to side, knocking ravens aside. I saw Ázzuen bat several other ravens away with his paws. I didn’t want to bite any of them. I’d recognized Sleekwing and Rainsong, Tlitoo’s parents. They were the ravens who most often led our pack to prey. They would be angry enough at us for intervening, and I didn’t want to risk making permanent enemies of them—or any raven, for that matter. Tlitoo darted behind me, and I lowered my head and closed my eyes, preparing for the onslaught of raven beaks and claws. The ravens abruptly ceased their assault. A low muttering and a clacking of beaks rose up around us.
I opened my eyes. Beside me, Ázzuen crouched down, his vulnerable nose buried in his paws. When he realized he was no longer being clouted by raven wings, he raised his head, then stood.
I looked at the beady eyes regarding us. I counted nine ravens, all of them glaring at us, some of them with wings half-raised. I waited for them to say something, but it was Tlitoo who spoke, his voice ragged.
“Why are you here, wolflet? This is a raven place,” he rasped. I bent my head between my front legs and lifted my tail to look at him. His head and chest were speckled with blood, and more feathers were pulled out than could be attributed to molting. The skin on one of his legs was torn to shreds. He held his head hunched down below his wings.
“They were hurting you,” I said. I looked up and found Sleekwing among the ravens. “Why were you hurting him?”
“Because, wolf, he flies from his duty as you scuttle from yours,” Sleekwing hissed. “Wolves may accept such cowardice. Ravens do not.
“Wolves may run and hide
When tasks grow hard or daunting.
Ravens never whine.”
I whuffed in annoyance. I had already been nearly gored by DavRian, threatened by a Greatwolf, and had all but ruined our chances to succeed with the humans. On top of that, somewhere outside the valley my mother needed me and I could not go to her. I didn’t need to hear criticism from Sleekwing, some stupid bird who was not even part of the challenges I faced.
“What does it matter to you?” I snapped, glowering at Sleekwing as I had seen Rissa do. Sometimes you have to remind the ravens that you are the larger hunter, she had said once, so that they do not get above themselves. “You get food either way,” I said, “whether it’s from us, or the humans, or the Stone Peaks. What do you care what I do with the humans?”
“Wolflet, hush,” Tlitoo quorked from behind me.
Sleekwing darted forward so quickly I saw only a dark blur before something stabbed me hard on the head. I yelped. Sleek wing pecked me twice more as I backed up against a rock, almost tripping over Tlitoo, who rolled to get out of my way, then rolled again to crouch between me and the rock I had backed into. Ázzuen stood by my side, growling softly. Sleek wing settled back to glare at us. His mate, Rainsong, strode forward to stand beside him.
“Stupid, whiny, arrogant little wolves,” she spat, the feathered ruff around her neck puffed out so far I was surprised she could see anything. “Do you really think the Gripewolves’ challenge involves only mewlers like you? Do you think we spend our time with you because we cannot find food of our own? We have bound our destiny to that of wolfkind and thus must put up with your stupidity. We do not, dimwolves, have to put up with your insolence. Neja has a duty, and he will fly from it no longer.”
“That is not my name!” Tlitoo said, peering out from behind my rump. “I am Tlitoo, named for Tlitookilakin, the raven king.” He hunched his head down between his wings again, as if expecting another attack. “I am Tlitoo,” he whispered.
My head ached from my ears to my teeth from Sleek-wing’s attack. When the raven sprang forward again, I winced but held my ground.
“Two wolf pups and a raven barely fledged,” he said in disgust. “Together you understand as much as a half-eaten worm.”
When he spoke again, his voice was gentler.
“It is the same thing, Nejakilakin,” he said to Tlitoo. “It is your task to speak for ravenkind as did Tlitookilakin.”
“Tlitookilakin was the raven king, wasn’t he?” Ázzuen said to Sleekwing. “Ruuqo and Rissa told us about him when we were smallpups. He argued with the Ancients in the time of Indru. He was the one who convinced the Ancients to let the wolves try to watch over the humans.”
Tlitoo had told me that, and I’d forgotten. Wolves and ravens had been partners ever since, which was why Tlitoo had befriended me in the first place.
“You’re part of the challenge the Greatwolves set us, aren’t you?” Ázzuen said, his eyes agleam and his words tumbling over themselves as they tried to keep pace with his quick mind. “You’re part of the promise! That’s why you care about the humans.”
A deep thrumming arose from the throats of the ravens standing all around us. A few of them clacked their beaks.
Startled, Ázzuen took a few steps back.
“Be quiet, babblewolf,” Tlitoo hissed from behind me.
Four ravens strode forward, still humming. I braced myself for an attack. Then Sleekwing screeched something at the advancing ravens. I didn’t understand what he said, but it made the ravens stop and swivel their heads to look at him. Then they turned away, as if they did not much care what we did, and flew to perch on nearby rocks.
“Ha!” Sleekwing quorked at Ázzuen. “You are the one who is not as moss-brained as other wolves.” He stalked forward to stand in front of Ázzuen. Sleekwing was a large raven, his raised beak almost level with Ázzuen’s nose. I could see Ázzuen tense up, trying not to flinch away. Sleekwing cocked his head to one side, examining Ázzuen, then spread his wings, slapping Ázzuen in the muzzle as he did so, and flew up to a rock a few paces in front of us. Rainsong flew to join him.
“The Gripewolves are not the only ones who talk of saviors and destroyers,” Sleekwing said, looking at me, “and wolves are not the only ones whose future depends on what the humans do and do not do. It is time for Neja to fulfill his role in the destiny of ravenkind. We will not allow him to avoid it any longer.”
“And you, wolf,” Rainsong said to me, “must now help him, as he has helped you in your puphood.” I was surprised at the kindness and sympathy in her voice. Ravens didn’t usually evince much of either. She blinked at me several times. “It is time you stopped being afraid to take on that which belongs to you, wolf. It is time that you stop acting on what you fear and start acting on what you know to be right.
“Time to make a choice
To no longer follow those
You should be leading.”
Sleekwing krawked. “If you are done coddling the mewler, we will leave.” He glared at Tlitoo. “Remember your duty, Neja. Next time, our reminder will not be so gentle.” He fixed his beady gaze on me once more. “As for you, ask Nejakilakin what he did not tell you when he woke you the morning of Ice Moon’s wane.”
With that, he hopped upon a higher rock and then upon another and took flight, krawking something I didn’t understand to the other ravens, who rose as one to follow him, leaving us alone with Tlitoo on the rocky hillside.
Tlitoo limped out from behind me and hopped unsteadily onto the rock that Sleekwing and Rainsong had occupied. Carefully, he began to preen, pulling out some feathers and smoothing others. “Thank you, wolves,” he said.
I wanted to find some way to comfort him. Had he been wolf, I would have licked his muzzle, or bumped my hip against his. I took a few steps toward him, but he leapt away from me. He looked so uncomfortable, I decided to stay where I was.
“So, what was that all about?” I asked him. I looked up at the sun, now more than halfway down the sky.
I had to get back to Oldwoods before the humans called off the hunt for the night, but I also had to know what Sleekwing and Rainsong meant.
“I cannot tell you, yet,” Tlitoo said. “I will tell you soon.”
Ázzuen opened his mouth to protest, then looked up, startled. I followed his gaze to see two raven-shapes soaring toward us.
I readied myself for another attack, but Tlitoo warbled in welcome as the new ravens spiraled down to us. I recognized Jlela and Nlitsa, the two females I had seen with Tlitoo at the river. They landed beside Tlitoo on his rock and immediately began preening his feathers and crooning to him.
“I am sorry,” Jlela said to Tlitoo. “We were too far away to get here before now.” She glared at me. “Why did you let this happen?”
“I didn’t let anything happen,” I protested.
“You did not fulfill your task and brought to the attention of the raven leaders the fact that Neja had not yet fulfilled his. We needed more time. If you were not such a bumblewolf we would have had that time.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, snarling a little. Ravens could be indirect and evasive in the best of circumstances, and I needed to know what was going on.
Jlela did not answer me. She and Nlitsa turned their heads right and left, as if something on the hillside held their attention. Tlitoo started to speak and then, after a darting glance at Jlela, closed his beak.
Ázzuen woofed impatiently. “It’s obvious, Kaala. It’s important to the ravens that you succeed in the Greatwolves’ challenge. And it’s obvious that Tlitoo’s task is linked to yours. Otherwise, Sleekwing and Rainsong wouldn’t care about what you did today, and Milsindra wouldn’t have asked about Tlitoo. What I haven’t figured out,” he said to Tlitoo, “is exactly what it is you need to do, and if we don’t know that, we can’t help you.”
Secrets of the Wolves Page 11
