Secrets of the Wolves (27 page)

None of the Stone Peaks answered. If we howled for Yllin, the Greatwolves would know we had found her and it would give them the advantage.

“I will tell the others, wolf,” Tlitoo said. He circled Yllin one more time and then took flight back toward Swift River territory.

“They should be the ones to sing for her anyway, Kaala,” Ázzuen said.

I sat, staring at Yllin’s body. Ázzuen sat at my side, not quite touching me. I couldn’t make myself decide what to do next. I looked at Ázzuen, but he was still watching Yllin, as if she might suddenly get to her feet and talk to us.

“Take them back to Swift River land,” Torell said at last, addressing Pell. “Keep them safe in their passage through our lands.”

“I will do so, leaderwolf,” Pell said formally.

“Find your Greatwolves and your pack, youngwolves,” Torell said to me. “We will await your decision about what you wish to do.”

Ázzuen and I each touched Yllin’s cool flesh one more time, inhaling her scent so that it would always be part of who we were, and so that she would always be part of Swift River. Then we left her to the earth. Pell led us silently through Stone Peak territories. I was grateful to him for not trying to talk to me and not trying to get me to talk to him. As soon as we could hear the river that divided our lands, he touched his nose to my face, dipped his head to Ázzuen, and left us.

W
e didn’t have to search for Frandra and Jandru. They were waiting for us at the riverbank. I stopped a few wolflengths from them, not knowing where to begin, what to tell them first, but as soon as they saw us emerge from the woods, Jandru spoke.

“We know about the prey, youngwolf,” he said. “And the raven has told us about your packmate.”

Tlitoo balanced on a very small rock in the middle of the river, watching the water intently. The ancient raven stood on a larger rock next to him. I was glad I wouldn’t have to say aloud that Yllin was dead; it made it too real.

“What are you going to tell the council?” I asked. Amid my grief I felt the smallest measure of relief. The council would have to act against Milsindra now. She was tampering with the very Balance.

Frandra shook river water from her shaggy coat. They must have swum across to the Stone Peak side of the river just before we arrived at the riverbank.

“The council won’t punish Milsindra for disciplining a wolf trying to leave the valley when forbidden to do so,” she said. “As for the prey, the council, for now, is choosing to do nothing. We will, when the time is right, try to change their minds.” She lowered her muzzle just a little. “I am sorry for the loss of your packmate.”

She didn’t sound sorry. She sounded like Yllin was just one more part of the Greatwolves’ power struggle.

“Why aren’t they doing anything?”

“That isn’t your concern,” Frandra snapped. “You will go back to your humans and let us deal with the council.”

I didn’t think. I just launched myself at her, slamming into her hard, muscular chest. I fell back on the muddy riverbank and leapt again, forgetting everything Torell had taught me about fighting. Frandra snapped her teeth together, seizing my neck fur. She shook me once, then dropped me on the ground. When I got dizzily to my feet, Ázzuen was standing between me and the Greatwolves and Tlitoo was soaring across the river. He didn’t touch the Greatwolves, but he hovered above them for a moment, talons extended. The ancient raven screeched at him, and Tlitoo settled next to Ázzuen and began jabbing at nonexistent bugs in the river mud.

“I will allow you that, youngwolf,” Frandra said, her voice flat with anger. “I understand you are grieving. But do not try my patience.”

I was shaking. With fear. With anger and sorrow. With frustration at my inability to get the Greatwolves to avenge Yllin’s death, or even to admit it was wrong. I was more grateful than I could express when Ázzuen spoke.

“Why can’t you get the council to do anything about the prey?” he asked. His voice was even, controlled. “Every wolf in the valley will suffer, and the council is supposed to take care of us.”

If I hadn’t been watching her so closely, I wouldn’t have seen Frandra’s shoulders sag. She immediately straightened.

“Milsindra is winning more wolves over to her side. We will try to reason with the council, but they may not listen.”

“Pell said ten Greatwolves were chasing the prey, Kaala,” Ázzuen said over his shoulder. “Remember? Half the council.”

“Exactly half,” Jandru said, shuffling forward to stand beside his mate. He didn’t ask us how we knew; he would assume the ravens had told us. “Any wolf with sense can see that Milsindra should not drive away the prey. But when wolves wish to believe in something, the truth won’t stop them from doing so. Milsindra’s followers believe that the Ancients wish them to rule wolfkind and control the humans. She has convinced them that if they wish the Ancients’ favor, they will help her prove that you and your humans are a threat to wolfkind.”

Ázzuen spoke into the silence that followed, his indignation clear. “So, first the council said that if we couldn’t live with the humans for a year without fighting, it would show that the Ancients don’t approve of humans and wolves being together. Now, they’re saying that it’s acceptable for Milsindra to
make
us fail because that’s what the Ancients would really want?”

Jandru blinked a few times, trying to catch up with Ázzuen. I knew how he felt.

“Yes,” he said, slowly. “I had not thought of it that way, but it appears to be so.”

“So you’re just giving up?” I said, finding my voice at last. I didn’t understand how they could be so weak. Torell’s words sounded in my head. He spoke of fighting and taking chances. Frandra and Jandru sat on the riverside as if the fight were already over. I couldn’t keep the contempt from my tone. “You are giving up.”

“Why don’t you fight them?” Ázzuen challenged. “We can get the other packs in the valley to help us,” he said, carefully not mentioning Torell.

“We are not giving up!” Jandru’s growl made the ground beneath my feet shake. “We have been fighting for longer than you have been alive to give us trouble. And the other packs will do nothing for you.”

“How do you know?” I demanded.

Jandru shook his head hard. “Idiot. Why do you think your packmate was killed? Do you even know?”

“To trap us.”

“They made the prey leave and now no wolf can leave to follow it,” Ázzuen added. Tlitoo quorked softly, still pretending to be intent on his search for food. The old raven had joined him on the riverbank.

“That is only part of it,” Jandru said. “You’re supposed to be smart,” he growled at Ázzuen. “Think about it. What other message does it send?”

I didn’t know. That they had power over us? That they could kill us whenever they wanted? We already knew that. Neither Ázzuen nor I answered.

“By siding with us,” Frandra said, “Ruuqo and Rissa have made enemies of Milsindra and her followers. Milsindra is letting other packs in the valley know what will happen if they take our side against hers. Ruuqo and Rissa did so, and Milsindra killed one of their most promising youngwolves.”

I nearly vomited up the stagnant pond water I had lapped. Frandra didn’t need to say the rest. Ruuqo and Rissa had helped me, and Yllin had died.

“It’s not Kaala’s fault!” Ázzuen said. For once I wished he couldn’t read me so easily. Tlitoo looked up from his investigation of the riverbank and clacked his beak sharply. “It was Zorindru’s idea,” Ázzuen said. “We didn’t have any choice.”

“Of course it’s not her fault,” Frandra said, surprised. “We never said it was. But it’s why you must leave the council and its affairs to us.”

Zorindru. The ancient Greatwolf leader had said he couldn’t help me, but surely if he knew what Milsindra had done he would come out of hiding.

“We have to let Zorindru know what the other Greatwolves are doing,” I said, forcing my eyes up from the ground.

“He won’t interfere,” Jandru said.

“He will if he knows what Milsindra is doing,” I said stubbornly. “We have to find him.”

Both Jandru and Frandra smiled at that.

“If that oldwolf doesn’t want to be found, you won’t find him,” Frandra said. “He could be standing two wolflengths from us and we wouldn’t see him. If he wants to come to us, he will, but I wouldn’t wait for him to do so.”

She shook what was left of the water from her fur and turned back to the river, then growled. Three wolves stood at the far bank, in Swift River territory, watching us. When they saw us notice them, they lowered their ears, waded into the river, and swam across to us. The whole time they swam, their lips were pulled back slightly in smiles of submissiveness. I wondered how they could swim that way without swallowing water, but they were doing everything they could to show that they were no threat and that they were being as respectful as possible. As well they might, with two Greatwolves awaiting them.

At first I thought the river was unusually deep, since the wolves had to swim almost all of its width, but when they emerged, tails tucked between their legs and ears flat against their heads, I realized that they were particularly small wolves, the size Ázzuen and I had been when we were five moons old. I didn’t recognize any of them, and their scent was unfamiliar to me. To my surprise, after the three wolves greeted Frandra and Jandru and after Frandra gave them permission to stay with a slight inclination of her head, the three wolves greeted me with almost as much deference as they had shown the Greatwolves.

“What brings Vole Eater pups here?” Frandra asked.

That was why they were so small. Vole Eater wolves were the smallest in the valley, and if Fandra was calling them pups, they had been born at the same time Ázzuen and I had. One of the Vole Eaters lowered his head to acknowledge Frandra, but it was me he addressed. He kept his eyes lowered.

“You’re Kaala, aren’t you? I’m Prannan of Vole Eater and this is Amma and this is Briall,” he said, nodding to the two other wolves. “We want to help you.”

“Help me what?” I asked, mystified.

“Help you with the promise,” he said, surprised. “Help you with the humans. We will watch them for you when you go to find your mother.”

“What? What is this about Neesa?” Jandru demanded.

I winced. Frandra and Jandru knew nothing about my plans to leave the valley and find my mother.

“A raven told us,” Amma said apologetically.

I considered lying to Frandra and Jandru, but I no longer had the energy to keep secrets. I told them of my plan to leave the valley, find my mother, and then return. Jandru shook his head so hard water from his ears hit me in the face.

“When will you learn not to keep things from us?” he demanded. “We cannot work together if you keep secrets from us.”

“I don’t trust you,” I said simply, too tired to care if I made him angry. “And you keep secrets from us. I know there is something you aren’t telling us, so why should we tell you everything?”

I thought the Greatwolves would be furious, but Jandru just gave a soft, weary growl. “It’s important, Kaala,” Frandra said. “Your mother is important. I want you to find her. As for our secrets, we cannot share them with you. It is not our decision to make. We have taken a sacred oath not to reveal the secrets of our kind.” She pressed her head against Jandru’s and whispered something to him. I strained my ears to hear what it was but couldn’t. The three Vole Eater youngwolves weren’t even paying attention to the Greatwolves. They were looking at me with awed expressions on their faces. My skin grew uncomfortably warm under my fur, and I returned my gaze to the Greatwolves.

“We will allow this,” Frandra said to me, then addressed Prannan. “Do you have an adult wolf to help you with this?” she demanded.

“Our leaderwolves will help,” Prannan answered.

“And Trevegg will, too,” Ázzuen said. “He was planning to, anyway.”

“Good,” Frandra said. “If we win against Milsindra we will allow other wolves to take over for you while you find your mother.”

I was stunned. I’d never expected them to help me find my mother. For the first time since finding Yllin’s body, I began to feel some hope.

“And if you lose?” Ázzuen asked.

Frandra barked a laugh. “Then you’ll be on your own, since we’ll be dead. But don’t worry, so will you.”

She lowered her head to touch Prannan’s cheek with her nose. “Go back to your pack. We’ll send for you if you’re needed.”

All of the Vole Eaters bent their forelegs to bow to the Greatwolves and then, to my embarrassment, to me.

“We will keep the promise,” Prannan said. He dipped his head to his companions, and the three of them waded into the river and swam back across. The ancient raven took flight and soared across the river to follow the Vole Eaters. When they had disappeared into the thick woods, Frandra turned back to me. “I won’t bother to order you to tell me everything you know, Kaala.” She laughed a little. “There’s not much point. You’ll do what’s best for yourself and your friends. I know that. But if we are going to continue to risk ourselves, you must tell me: Will your pack continue to support us? Will Ruuqo and Rissa lose their nerve? There’s still time for us to build a truce with Milsindra if not. It’s our last chance to stop all-out war between the Greatwolves.”

“They’ll keep their word,” I said. Torell was wrong about them. “I know they will.”

“Then we will do what we can about Milsindra. You must stay out of trouble until then. The two of you must return to your humans. Do not confront Milsindra or Kivdru. Don’t do anything that will draw more attention to yourselves.”

The three youngwolves had distracted me from my grief and anger. Now both returned with even more intensity than before. I growled in protest.

Frandra looked at me sharply. “Do
nothing
to make the other Greatwolves look for you. I know you’re angry. I know you want revenge. But you have a responsibility to the wolves of your pack, who have risked everything for you, and to us. Tell us when the humans have realized the prey has left and take no action that will disrupt things further.”