The Questing Game

by James Galloway

  Just as Triana predicted, Tarrin was healing very quickly.

  His days were full of lessons. Triana was a very abrupt teacher. She expected his undivided attention at all times, so she only said something once. And if he couldn't recite it back to her accurately, she gave him one of those withering looks and punished him for his lack of attentiveness. Her preferred method of punishment was an hour with nothing to do but stare at the room. Before the pain had lessened to where he could sleep on his own, that had been a very effective punishment, relying on the fact that he started getting stir crazy after only a few minutes of boredom. But since the pain had lessened, he could now simply go to sleep for the hour, and wake up when it was time to resume. Tarrin had the sneaking suspicion that she used his "punishment" as a convenient way to put a break in the lesson so he could rest. When he started getting tired, he found it very hard to concentrate on her lessons, and he wouldn't tell her that he needed to stop. He had to learn it all as quickly as he could.

  There had been other events during those six days. He had met Shirazi and Singer. Shirazi was a very tall Were-cat with auburn hair and grayish striped fur, but she hadn't really impressed him that much. All she could talk about was hunting. It consumed her, it dominated her every thought, and it was all she wanted to talk about. Even when not talking about hunting, she couched all her words in hunting metaphors and phrases. Aside from that, she seemed to be a pleasant enough Were-cat, kind and considerate. He just found her one-track mind a bit annoying. Singer was Shirazi's daughter. She was a very young Were-cat, only thirty, and she looked just like a very young version of Shirazi. She looked like a teenage girl, albeit it a very tall one. She had her mother's grayish striped fur, but her hair was brown. Her facial features were much like Shirazi's just as sharp and angular. Both of them looked like they were Nyrian, a dark-skinned, slant-eyed race of humans from a kingdom on the other side of Yar Arak, except their skin was too light.

  He didn't see them that often, because they had been out killing people. Literally. Dolanna had told him all about it. The five of them had been slinking around both cities, wiping out pockets of Wikuni and human enemies. They were very thorough, and they were completely merciless about it. The only one that didn't participate was Kimmie, who stayed behind to defend Tarrin from any kind of attack while the rest of them sallied forth to destroy his enemies. It only took them three days to completely drive every Wikuni out of the two cities. They had all gotten onto their ships and sailed away. They were still rooting out all the pockets of human thieves and cutthroats, though. Triana didn't know which ones were working for Tarrin's enemies, so she was simply being thorough in destroying all of them.

  And the fact that nobody knew who was doing it was testament to his elders' abilities. Nobody had so much as seen one of the mysterous assassins that had killed a complete company of Wikuni Marines, then started randomly targeting Wikuni of any kind until the entire complement of them fled. And after the Wikuni were taken care of, the killings had begun among the two cities' populations of thieves and scoundrels. The thieves seemed to realize that it was the hiring the men with silver swords had done that had started it, but they were helpless to do anything but run, because those men were among the first to be singled out and killed. That had started the mass exodus of thieves, beggars, murderers, footpads, and other low-lifes in both cities, fleeing for greener pastures.

  That left him alone with Kimmie a bit more than the others. Kimmie seemed to like him, she was bright and thoughtful, and she seemed to strike up an immediate friendship with Dar. Allia was still feeling her out, though. Tarrin rather liked her. He could relate to her, because she had once been human as well, and she could sympathize when he told her about his experiences. She too had had to adjust to the inctincts, and had had to face her own personal demons. But unlike him, Kimmie had been found by Mist not long after her turning, and Mist had managed to help her adjust without too much trauma. The act seemed out of character for Mist, who didn't even fully trust Triana. Kimmie wouldn't really talk about it, though.

  "Alright, cub, what do you do when you find yourself on a Were-boar's range?"

  "Stay where I am and wait for three days," he replied mechanically. "If he doesn't come in three days, I can pass through his territory after I leave a mark that can identify me to it."

  "Why don't you just leave?"

  "Because a Were-boar will track you down if you run away," he answered. "Were-boars don't like unannounced tresspassers."

  "Correct. How do you greet a pack of Were-wolves?"

  "We don't. Were-wolves will attack Were-cats in their territory. We flee from their territory when we realize we're on Were-wolf ground."

  "Good. What do you say when a Were-bear asks you to fight?"

  "I accept. Were-bears like to fight, but not in anger. It's a form of play for them, and they won't hurt me on purpose."

  "What do you do when you enter a Were-fox's den?"

  "Surrender any weapons I'm carrying, even things like eating knives."

  "Very good, cub. You retain knowledge very well. Alot better than any of my other children ever did."

  "Thank you, but when are you going to teach me about Were-cat customs?"

  "I won't," she replied bluntly. "We don't have what you'd call an organized existence, cub. We all live day by day. Other Were-kin teach their cubs to be wary around us, but we don't have any little customs that the others have to know about. Other Were-kin can be classified by their type. Some are a little different here or there, but they all still react in the same basic way to some things. We don't. Every Were-cat is individual, but the one thing we all share in common is a feral disposition that shows itself most often in our short tempers. As a race, we're generally quick to anger and are very unsociable to others. What angers one Were-cat won't bother another one at all. Since we don't have 'racial quirks' other than our tempers, it's hard for the others to deal with us."

  "Oh. So, just take each Were-cat as he or she comes."

  "Just about. There aren't many of us, so you'll learn how to deal with the others as you meet them. But I'm not going to sit here and describe each one to you. Those are lessons you'll have to learn on your own."

  "You said a feral disposition. We're all feral?"

  "To varying degrees," she affirmed. "It's the one thing that marks us as different from the other Were-kin, other than this," she said, holding up her arms. "Some, like you and Mist, are way further up on that pole than others. Kimmie's probably the least feral of us all. But all of us are a touch feral."

  "Then we do have a common trait," he challenged.

  "Technically, but since each Were-cat is different, then they still can't use that to try to approach us."

  "What makes it different?"

  "Well, the biggest reason is how we've learned to deal with rage," she said, sitting down. "All of us have rages, cub. It's part of being Were-cat, and it's one reason we're all considered feral by other Were-kin. None of us are ever in total control. Some, like you, have found that being feral helps deal with the guilt. After all, when you're feral, you don't care. It's a simple solution, and probably one that saved your sanity. Others have found other ways to deal with it without having to take that step. The only problem with the feral solution is that it opens you up to more rages," she said, looking directly at him. "If you don't care, then you're much more likely to snap, because you don't fear the consequences. I've felt you go into a rage twice. That's pretty frequent for the amount of time I've had your bond, but then again, you've been hunted that entire time. I can forgive you for it, because I know what touched it off. Mist can fly into a rage at any time, and she's completely indifferent to the havoc she can cause. That's why we don't let her come into human civilization unless absolutely necessary. I'm taking a big risk letting her stay here, but I need her. She's probably the best tracker in the Heartwood. Her nose is so sensitive that she can tell you how many deer were in a herd a month after they went by. Mist's nose makes
sure that nobody can hide from us."

  The door opened, and the slender Rahnee stepped in. She gave Tarrin a grin as Triana turned to look. "Shirazi and Mist are back," she said. "They found another hideout. You want me to get Singer?"

  "How many are hiding there?"

  "Twenty or so. Nothing major," she shrugged. "You're looking rosy, cub. I think Triana'll let you out of that bed soon."

  "We'll see," Triana said.

  "When's he going to be healed?"

  "For what you want out of him, at least a month," Triana said sharply. "You're not going to aggravate his wound, Rahnee."

  "I wouldn't do that," she protested. "I know how to be gentle."

  "You bit a huge chunk out of Jared's ear."

  "He shouldn't have put it in my face," she retorted.

  "What are you talking about?" Tarrin asked suspiciously.

  "What do you think we're talking about?" Rahnee asked bluntly, giving him a very direct look.

  Tarrin blushed slightly.

  "Face it, cub. You're the only male around, and I'm starting to feel a little frisky. You're old enough for what I want to do with you. And you'll like it," she said with a throaty purr.

  "Out," Triana ordered. "Go find Singer." Triana closed the door behind her, then leaned against it and gave Tarrin a calm stare. "Get used to that, cub," she said. "There's only one male for every seven females. That means that we share."

  "I know that, Triana," he said with a bit of courage in his voice. "Jesmind explained that to me."

  "She didn't prepare you for the reality," Triana said. "You're going to be very popular, cub. You're cute, you're tall, and you're strong. Unlike human women, we always have the urge to find strong sires to give us strong children. If there were more males, we'd probably force them to prove their worth, but I'm afraid that we don't have that luxury. We have to take what we can get."

  "I'm tall," he mused, giving her a slight smile. "I barely come up to your chin."

  "I'm about nine hundred years older than you," she answered with a grin. "We tend to grow as we age, cub. Not much, but as you can see, when you get to be my age, it starts to show. You're a full head taller than my son, Laren, and he's three hundred years older than you. Then again, that boy of mine is short. He's not much taller than Mist. Anyway, you're just a bit taller than the average Were-cat male, mainly because the oldest male is only three hundred years old. The average female is about four hundred, so the females tend to be a bit taller than the males."

  "Why are the males so much younger?"

  "Bad luck," she shrugged. "There weren't all that many elder males to begin with, so the occasional accident or fight has taken a greater toll on our males than our females. We may be ageless and regenerate, but we do still occasionally die."

  "I didn't know that."

  "Now you do," she said. "I have to go take care of this. You just rest a while. I'll see you later."

  After she left, Tarrin leaned back in the bed, a paw resting lightly on the wound in his chest. He guessed it made sense, and to be honest, Rahnee's invitation didn't frighten him. He knew how things were in Were-cat society. He didn't hide from that part of himself, either. But it would have to wait a while, because there was no way he'd even allow himself to do something like that with a woman in his condition, a woman that was probably strong enough to rip off an arm.

  There were other things to think about, though. He really worried about Keritanima, Miranda, Azakar, and the Vendari. The Goddess said they were being treated well, but more and more as time went by, he found that he just needed to know for himself. Not that he doubted her words, but that was then, and this was now. Things may have changed. Keritanima was his sister, and he wanted to talk to her. He wanted to know if Miranda and the others were alright. He wanted to know what was happening with them, and what Keritanima was going to do. He remembered her telling him about the amulets. He had to tell Allia about it, but not until after he was sure that it was going to work.

  He remembered the Goddess' directions. Reaching up and putting his paw on the amulet, he closed his eyes and concentrated on Keritanima, willing her to hear him. "Kerri," he called. There was an odd feeling to it, like he was trying to speak over the distance, yet he didn't have to raise his voice. It was a feeling of reaching out through the amulet, and it did require a little bit of effort. No wonder the Goddess told him not to try until he was stronger.

  There was no response. For a moment, he thought it didn't work, but then he realized that if she heard him, she'd have no idea what to do to respond. "Kerri, if you can hear me, put your hand on your amulet and use it to reply," he said again, keeping his eyes closed and concentrating on his sister. "You have to concentrate on me and reach out to me through the amulet."

  "Tarrin?" came the hesitant, startled response. Keritanima's voice sounded hollow, ethereal, and it emanated from the amulet itself. The strange sound of her voice was probably an effect of hearing it through the amulet. "Is that you?"

  "Of course it's me, deshaida," he said with an explosive sigh. "The Goddess explained how to use the amulet to speak with you. Are you having any trouble?"

  "No, no! It's so good to hear your voice, brother! I was absolutely worried sick! I dreamed that you were alright, but it's so good just to hear your voice and know that you're alive! Are you alright?"

  "I'm a bit banged up, but I'll recover," he told her. "The crossbow quarrel put me in a sickbed, but Triana says I should be up and about in just a few days."

  "Triana? What's she doing there?"

  Tarrin chuckled. "Well, Triana's taking care of me," he told her. "She's teaching me what I need to know to get Fae-da'Nar off my back. Because of that, she's not trying to kill me anymore."

  "It's just weird. What is it about your kin that makes them so fickle? I mean, they try to kill you one day, then they're your best friend the next. Why don't they make up their minds?"

  Tarrin laughed, which sent a bit of pain through him. "I think it's more a woman thing than a Were-cat thing," he teased.

  "Let's not ruin this," she teased back. "How are Allia and the others?"

  "They're all fine," he answered. "Are Miranda, Zak, Binter, and Sisska alright?"

  "A little peeved, but alright," she replied. "They took Azakar, Binter and Sisska's weapons. Binter reacted very well to that. He only brained two Marines that tried to take his hammer. I had to order him to give it up."

  "I don't blame him. In his eyes, he can't protect you without his warhammer. Are they treating you alright?"

  "It's a gilded cage, brother," she grunted. "I'm still princess of Wikuna, so they have to treat me with the respect due to my station. But I'm also a prisoner, so they have to take those precautions too. I'm doing my best to make everyone on the ship regret abducting me."

  Tarrin chuckled, but that made him cough, which brought a knife of pain into him. "The Brat is back?"

  "Oh, is she," she said in a dangerous voice.

  "Where are you going now?"

  "Well, right now, we're about two days west of Dayisè. We should arrive at Wikuna by the middle of next month. The captain has so much sail on, he's nearly split his masts. They're getting me back to Wikuna as fast as they can manage."

  "Why didn't you just get off at Dayisè?"

  "Tarrin, brother, they've threatened to have all of you killed if I start rebelling," she told him. "Wikuna has agents everywhere. They know where you are, so that's a threat I can't ignore. But about right now, I don't want to come back yet. We're going to Wikuna, and I'm going to make my father pay for interfering with me," she finished in a fearsome voice full of fury. "After I make sure that my father doesn't do something like this again, I'll be on my way back. Now that I see we can talk to each other, it won't be hard for us to find you."

  "Heh, well, the threat on us isn't here anymore, sister," he informed her. "Triana was very angry with the Wikuni over what they did to me. There isn't a Wikuni left in the two cities. The ones that were smart enough to r
un away did so days ago."

  There was a pause, then Keritanima started laughing. "Well, that explains the warning for all Wikuni to stay away from Shoran's Fork and Var Denom. I hope Triana gutted a few of them for me."

  "Any Wikuni that was part of the attack is dead," he told her. "The rest fled when Triana started branching out. She didn't want to see one of them in either city. I have to say, I'm impressed. Triana knows how to chase people out."

  "I think I need to meet this Triana."

  "You can, when you come back. She adopted me. She's my new bond-mother."

  "I told you it wouldn't work for you," Keritanima seemed to say. "Miranda says hello, Tarrin. She's trying to pull the amulet out of my hands."

  "Tell her hello."

  "She can hear you, but it seems I'm the only one that can talk. I'll have to study this. It has to be a weave in the amulet. Can Allia do this?"

  "The Goddess said she can," he replied. "Our amulets are all linked together, so we can talk to each other using them."

  "Good. I think I'll surprise Allia with a call," she said with a wicked little chuckle.

  "No, let me explain it first. She'd think you were a ghost."

  "Alright. Azakar wants to know if Dolanna is alright. We saw her laying on the dock."

  "She's fine," he assured her. "I was the only one that really got hurt. Dolanna got a bump on the head, probably to keep her from using Sorcery. I have to admit, the Wikuni planned the ambush well."

  "There's not going to be any letting this go," she promised in an ugly voice. "When we get home, every officer that took part in it is going to meet with a very unfortunate accident. They're not getting away with hurting you."

  "Don't get in trouble, sister."

  "They'll never pin it on me," she said confidently. "I know how to arrange a murder. I know all the right people."

  "Well, be careful," he cautioned. "Listen, Kerri, I have to stop this. It's tiring me out, and if Triana catches me doing something that wears me out, she'll skin me. She's not the kind of person you upset."