For Khon’Tor, matters were going from bad to worse. He had hoped there was an explanation of some extraordinary circumstance, but Adia had intentionally defied the laws of the People. When she was done, he had not heard the compelling reason he hoped to hear. This was not good for the community, and that meant it was also not good for his position as Leader.
“You should have left it to die, Adia. It was not our problem. You have broken one of the Second Laws. You have put the People at risk by bringing that monster here. I have no comprehension of what you were thinking,” said Khon’Tor.
“The offspring is innocent, Khon’Tor,” said Adia.
Her contradiction enraged him. The muscles in his jaw tightened, “The offspring is a monster. It should have died back there with its own kind.
“Were you not listening to anything I said? What the High Council has shared? The Waschini, if they are not our enemy now, soon enough will be. The path has been set. It is not our doing. It is theirs, by their soulless and evil nature. And you think to bring one here? To our very home?”
Khon’Tor made wide sweeping motions with his arms as he spoke. Hakani’s behavior and now Adia’s talking back at him were too much.
What is going on with the females in my community? First Hakani and now Adia? But no, Hakani betrayed me openly. She physically attacked and hurt one of the People. Hers was the greater sin. And as revered as Adia is, if anything were to happen to her, I would be held responsible. I have already lost one Healer to tragedy—the last thing I need is for the High Council to get involved in this.
But at the moment he could only deal with the one overriding problem. “The offspring cannot stay. Either you return it to where you found it and let it meet its fate, or I will have someone else do it.” He stood facing the Healer, his arms and legs staunchly tensed.
A standoff had been created. Adia’s posture, which had relaxed a bit in telling the story, was now back in full offensive position. Adia was making it clear she had no intention of taking the offspring back to let it die, or of letting anyone else do so.
Some movement arose from the back of the room. Slowly, the crowd parted, letting four figures move forward. The females walked in unison to the front of the room—Donoma, Haiwee, Lomasi, and Mapiya. Everyone’s eyes turned to watch them as they lined up between Nadiwani, who still held Oh’Dar, and Khon’Tor. The females’ statement was clear. Khon’Tor then realized that some time must have passed between when Adia had brought the Outsider in and his return from the High Council meeting—giving her time to gain support for her actions.
Khon’Tor had to think quickly. Females were revered among the People. Their safety and protection were of the utmost importance. By effectively creating a barrier around the Healer’s Helper and the offspring they were saying to him, “We stand with her. Do you want to make this about you against us? Choose wisely.”
Several scenarios of how this could go ran through the Leader’s head. None of them went in his favor.
They were only four females, but they were influential, and he knew the females of the People all shared a special bond. If he forced his point, he could well lose the favor of all the females of his community. If he lost favor with the females, the males would eventually turn against him—or at least blame him for the resulting miserable and uncomfortable state of their relationships. More than an icy silence or neglecting their roles and tasks, should they wish, the females had the right to refuse to mate. And it was one of the First Laws: Never Without Consent.
At the moment, Adia had violated only one of the Second Laws: No Contact With Outsiders. And being a female and the Healer, it would be a great deal to expect Adia to leave the offspring to die.
Khon’Tor knew that as Leader, he had the authority to take any tack he wanted. It was his decision, but the consequences would also be his. From his experience, in a direct confrontation based on a show of power, there were always two losers, not one. He had to buy some time by allowing both sides to back down without it looking like the females had won this round. Whatever else must happen between them had to take place outside of the public view.
“Clearly, this is a difficult situation,” started Khon’Tor, feeling that this was an insipid opening statement. “There are strong beliefs on both sides. Much has happened here, and emotions are running high. I can see we will not come to a resolution now; therefore, I am calling for a moratorium.
“Adia, Nadiwani, and the Waschini will be allowed to return to the Healer’s Quarters. I will place guards at the tunnel to protect them,” he added, looking squarely at his mate, his eyes dark and cold.
His message to her was loud and clear. “You are not innocent. I will deal with you later.”
He looked over at Acaraho. As if on cue, the High Protector raised his hand and looked over to the left, and four very large Sasquatch males came forward. Though seldom needed, the People did have a group of males prepared to respond to a threat if necessary, and they fell directly under Acaraho’s command.
Khon’Tor waited for them to reach the front of the room. When they were finally standing in front of him, the Leader addressed them, loud enough that everyone could hear.
“No one is allowed entrance to the Healer’s Quarters except the Healer, the Helper, and these four females you see here.”
As he said that, another female rose cautiously from the crowd and stepped forward. It was Oh'Dar’s wet nurse, Pakuna.
Khon’Tor looked over at the younger female and then at Adia. Adia tilted her head in the female’s direction as if to say, “Her too.”
Though not in a mood to grant Adia any favors, he growled to the guards, “And Pakuna also.” He paused.
“Any other visitors must be brought in escorted by Adia or Nadiwani. They will be allowed to move freely at will, but the Waschini must remain in their quarters until we can address the situation further.
“Anyone,” he said, “Anyone breaking these rules will suffer swift and serious consequences.” And he glared in Hakani’s direction.
Khon’Tor continued, still addressing the crowd. “This has been a trying day. It is not behind us yet; no doubt, more trying days will come before this is over. I urge you to seek a place of rest and allow your emotions to settle. Try to keep discussion among yourselves to a minimum so as not to fuel the fire regarding this turn of events. After I have considered all the arguments, I will convene another meeting and let you know of my decision.
“That is all,” he finished, and raised his left hand overhead, palm forward, as his usual signal that the meeting had ended. He then stepped down, breaking eye contact with everyone; signaling that there would be no more discussion on the matter.
The crowd dissipated slowly. All those in the front, at the heart of the drama, stayed in place while the rest straggled out. When the Great Chamber was otherwise vacant, Adia took her leave with her accompaniment of females and guards in tow.
At the same time, the Chief and Is’Taqa approached Khon’Tor and said they were going to be on their way. This was clearly the People’s business, and they both felt they were intruders and should never have witnessed such intimate events that were not of their village. Unnecessary to say it aloud, they had pledged their silence and discretion in the matter, as well as that of Arina. Though neither the Chief nor Is’Taqa was quite sure how Arina had gotten there, there would be time to hear the story on their way back to the village.
Khon’Tor nodded, and the three took their leave.
As the Brothers left, Hakani decided also to make her escape. She started to step away, and Khon’Tor reached out, grabbing her arm quickly and yanking her over to him, none too gently.
“Oh, no. Not you. Not yet,” said Khon’Tor, one corner of his top lip curling up.
Khon’Tor released her arm, confident she would not try to leave. He turned away from her momentarily, running his hand up and back through the thick crop of silver hair that adorned his crown. He shook his head as if he could not wrap his
mind around her actions.
“Hakani,” he said, turning back to face her, “I do not know where even to begin. So why don’t you start by explaining your actions here today.”
Hakani offered up not one word. His directive meeting with silence instead of answers, Khon’Tor tried a different approach. “How long has the White Man’s offspring been here?”
“About seven days.”
“Have you and Adia already argued over this?”
“No.”
“How did you find out about the offspring then?
Hakani stood without answering him, eyes lowered.
Khon’Tor was not stupid. He remembered her unusual friendliness with him the morning after his return, and he realized she must have been planning this whole debacle. It was not a spur of the moment act; she had intended it to be as disruptive as possible. But who else had known and who had tipped her off about the offspring?
He knew Hakani hated Adia. He still did not know why, but what he had not realized until now, was just how much she must also hate him, to create such a problem, such a spectacle, in front of the entire community. She had to know this would put him in an extremely difficult position—possibly a no-win one. Though that remained to be seen, he knew it would take a stroke of genius to find the middle ground and resolve this without permanently and perhaps irrevocably dividing the People.
Hakani stood quiet and subdued, not volunteering anything. Tired of this cat and mouse game, Khon’Tor turned away and dismissed her with a wave of his hand, but not without turning back to deliver a fierce look, letting her know it was not over yet.
His glare spoke volumes. The next time they spoke, he would expect real answers, and would not allow his questions to be answered with a deceptive wall of silence.
Everyone had left, and Khon’Tor was alone in the Great Chamber. He had no desire to return to his quarters; the ones he shared with his traitorous mate. Adrenaline subsiding, the physical and mental strain suddenly overtook him. He was suddenly tired; so very tired.
Not knowing where to go, and fatigued beyond measure, Khon’Tor, Leader of the People of the High Rocks, exited the great cave of his people. He stood looking up at the peaceful, dark sky for a few moments, then found a secluded grassy spot, stretched out his full eight feet and fell asleep under the canopy of stars.
In the Healer’s Quarters, Nadiwani and Adia checked over Oh'Dar before turning in. Nadiwani made him a calming poultice and gave him a small dose of Ginseng Root tincture to help him relax and fall asleep.She spent a while holding and rocking him, and eventually, he calmed down. She hated that he had been traumatized. It was bad enough that a stranger had stolen him from her arms, then apparently hoisted him roughly and precariously above the others with no comforting support, but the resulting chaos and din had even further frightened him. Adia had been in such a towering rage that she had not realized how terrified Oh'Dar was. It’s just as well because had she, Adia might full well have gone ahead and killed Hakani right there in front of everyone.
As she looked at the sleeping offspring, Nadiwani realized how much, the Waschini and the Brothers resembled each other; they were both frail and slight with virtually no hair, except for a ridiculous collection on the top of their heads. No wonder they both fashioned wrappings to cover themselves; she had often thought they must always be cold.
In truth, the Brothers and the People also had similarities. Their underlying skin tones were close, and though the People were slightly darker, their facial features were not dissimilar. The most marked difference was in size and strength, and the People had large, sharp canines—which were only really visible when they were snarling or growling.
The People’s fine down hair covering was also not that evident on first notice, though the males’ chest hair was fuller, as well as that around their hip areas, making the need for loincloths or other wrappings generally unnecessary. With very few having the heavier body hair of the males, most of the females traditionally wore wrappings, especially those who had sparser body hair, or fairer coloring.
In spite of Oh'Dar’s unnaturally pale skin and his spindly, hairless body, he no longer looked as alien to Nadiwani as he had at first. She was starting to think he was so ugly he was almost cute. Those sky-blue eyes, his sweet disposition, and endearing smile had helped her see past what he was to who he was. As she cuddled him and held him close, she realized she did indeed care for this pathetic, awkward seed of the White monsters.
To her surprise, Adia found the guards posted outside the tunnel to her quarters to be a comfort. In no way did she feel she or Nadiwani were prisoners. She accepted at face value that Khon’Tor had placed the guards there for protection and no other reason. Knowing Hakani could not violate her quarters again helped her relax, and a bit of their comforting and sanctified atmosphere was restored.
Adia knew it would not be long before Khon’Tor called for her. At least, that was what she surmised; he had just bought himself time and moved the altercation out of the public eye to where he could figure out what to do without the entire community witnessing the process. She also knew information might surface about which he would not want all the People to know.
Looking back, she realized how very deeply it must have enraged Khon’Tor when Hakani took over the meeting. He hated to lose control, and she could only imagine the state he was in by the time it was over. She almost felt sorry for him.
Try as she might, Adia could not figure out why Hakani would set her up this way. She knew Khon’Tor’s mate did not care for her, though she had never understood why; but to create such a scene, to instill such turmoil among their People, and to create such great problems for Khon’Tor? Hakani must have had a very good reason for it—or a very bad one. I doubt she cares one way or the other about Oh'Dar. It was just a way to cause trouble—but to what end?
Hakani woke in their bed and realized Khon’Tor had not returned to their quarters. Where he had slept, she had no idea. As the night deepened, she realized he was not coming and felt a huge sense of relief. She knew she still had to face his anger but was grateful for the chance to get a little sleep first. She had not slept well the night before, busy honing her plot to steal the Waschini offspring.
She wondered how Khon’Tor was going to decide the punishment for her and the Healer. Knowing him as she did, she suspected he would call a meeting with all of them and get everything out at once. Hakani hoped she would be smart enough to see his questions coming but knew she had crossed a line that could not be uncrossed.
Her relationship with Khon’Tor had never been a good one, but at least up until now, there had not been out and out war between them. How quickly things had gone downhill. She could still remember standing next to him when he chose her as his mate, excitedly looking forward to an enjoyable relationship with this strong, compelling Alpha male.
Chapter 7
The next morning, the community was abuzz with talk about the previous day’s events. Mostly there was shock at the idea that a Healer could break one of the People’s laws, but opinions were divided. Some defended Adia, but others were against her, citing that there was no excuse for someone in her position of authority to violate any of the People’s laws. Nobody remembered a time when anyone in any of the three direct positions of authority—Leader, Healer, or Leader’s Mate—had intentionally broken any of the laws. In particular, it was shocking that it could be Adia. She was among the most highly respected Healers of any of the People’s communities, known for her strong connection to the Great Mother—which reinforced the opinions of those who firmly believed she must have had an excellent reason for her actions.
By late morning, Khon’Tor had called for them. Acaraho, the High Protector, came down to escort Adia and Nadiwani to the rooms that were located off one of the Great Chamber tunnels and used for smaller meetings.
He had brought Donoma with him to stay and care for Oh’Dar. Adia trusted Donoma but was uneasy about leaving Oh’Dar behind. Still, she kne
w the offspring’s presence would be inflammatory. Perhaps it was just as well that this should take place without him being there. Adia and Donoma exchanged a few private words before Adia joined Nadiwani to follow quietly behind Acaraho. She was glad to see the two original guards still at their stations outside her quarters. She was confident that no one would be able to get through them; they stood a good seven feet tall and were broad-shouldered, stalwart.
Acaraho was even bigger than they. As the People’s High Protector, he held a position of great authority and responsibility. A leftover from earlier times of conflict, the position had survived within their community structure. Though there was presently no direct threat requiring an organized army, Acaraho commanded the males under him in performing specialized duties other than those of the guards and watchers, as needed.
Considering Acaraho’s reputation and high rank, Adia realized Khon’Tor had assigned his best guard to protect them as they walked to the meeting. She doubted it was solely for their welfare; it was more likely that he did not want one more thing disrupting his control of the situation.
The last thing Khon‘Tor needs is for word of problems between his Second and Third Rank to get back to the High Council. He cannot risk misjudging just how far Hakani might go to make further trouble. Khon’Tor is not a trusting man; I do believe Acaraho might be the only one he does trust.
Adia’s eyes remained on the High Protector as he escorted them to the meeting room. He was easily as tall as Khon’Tor, and in equally good physical condition. Even by the People’s standards, he was, in a word, huge, and she doubted anyone could get to her or Nadiwani through him. His eyes were always in motion, sizing up his surroundings.
Khon'Tor's Wrath Page 7
