The Hunter (13 page)

Even as he contemplated the possibility that the pup could be mistaken, Beast began to growl fiercely and darted forward,
barking wildly, disappearing from Braldt’s narrow range of vision. Then he was back, standing on his hind legs, head jutted
forward as though straining to see.

A wild cacophony of shrill barks broke out as the pup dropped to all fours, the fur rising all over his body until he appeared
to be twice his normal size. He stood his ground, head held low, barking frenziedly. Braldt turned his head to the side, desperate
to see what the pup was seeing, wanting to leap out of hiding and wield his sword instead of hiding in a pile of leaves like
some cowardly crawler, but caution held him in place for there was more at stake than his own valor.

A spear flew out of the darkness and thunked into the hard-packed earth next to the pup, striking him with its shaft as it
fell to the ground. The pup screamed as though he had been blooded and leaped into the air. When his feet touched earth, he
was off and running, down the defile, away from the approaching enemy.

Braldt’s hands closed on his weapons and he peered forward intently. Could it be slavers this far to the east? Never had he
heard of such a thing for even though they were nonbelievers and did not worship Mother Moon, even they honored the borders
of the Forbidden Lands; their disbelief lent them no protection and they too could be
struck down by the spears of the gods if they ventured beyond the borders.

The mutter of low voices came to Braldt within his leafy cocoon and he stilled all movement, tuning all his senses toward
the approaching enemy. But even though he had expected almost anything, he was not prepared for what he saw.

Karks! A party of six males and three females, all carrying spears, crudely made and poorly balanced but spears nonetheless.
And even more startling was the fact that they were speaking! No kark had ever been heard to speak! Never had such a thing
been suspected! Braldt was dumbfounded.

The karks trotted past the hiding place without slowing, although one female, slender and more upright than the others, turned
her head and looked directly into Braldt’s eyes. He thought he saw a flicker of recognition in those eyes, as though she had
seen him clearly, but she made no sound and did not call the others down on him, and they quickly passed out of sight. The
sound of their voices, thick and guttural, could be heard long after they were gone, carried back to them by the shape of
the gully or the wind. The words were oddly formed and stiff as though spoken by an outsider who had only just learned the
language, but still, it was clearly speech.

They were arguing among themselves as to whether or not to continue on for the encampment was behind them and others would
be wondering where they had gone. Nor were they entirely certain as to their quarry. Only one or perhaps two of the party
had actually seen them; the others were arguing against going on with nothing but a lupebeast to be seen.

And why would a lupebeast be in the company of the Duroni, asked one, suggesting that perhaps the viewer had been mistaken.
Since when had a lupebeast learned to build a fire, came the reply, and none too kindly. It seemed that arguments were not
limited to civilized people but existed among the karks as well.

The voices faded then as the karks moved farther down
the gully. Still Braldt did not move even though the leafy debris had crept into every crevice of his body and was itching
unbearably. There was still the feeling of danger. The mound that was Carn began to shift and Braldt’s hand tunneled through
the debris and caught hold of Carn’s arm and squeezed tight, signaling him to stay.

No sooner had he done so than the karks reappeared on their right, moving silently, without words. Had Carn continued to move
or had he emerged, it would have been the death of them. As it was, a few leaves and a small branch slithered off the face
of the pile, but drew no notice. From the grim expressions on the karks’ heavy features, it appeared that there had been some
dissension in their ranks.

As the pack moved past them, the female turned her head once more and stared directly at Braldt, seeking out and holding his
eyes. A shock jolted him as he held the contact, unblinking, until she passed from view. There could be no doubt about it!
The female kark had known that he was there! And yet she had made no move to betray him!
Why?
How could such a thing be so? Braldt was stunned, his mind reeling under the strange implications, and he wished more than
anything that Auslic was there to help him understand what had happened.

They remained in their hiding place for a long time, all of them shaken and fearful, wrapped in their own thoughts. Only when
Beast reappeared and sniffed at the wall of concealment before sitting and scratching with an apparent lack of concern, did
they venture forth to stand and stare at one another in utter and complete amazement.

They continued on throughout the night, making their
way even deeper and higher into the hills, supporting Carn between them. The tiny crescent of moon had long since ascended
and descended the dark roof of the sky when they came to a final halt in a thick copse of silverwoods. The shimmering leaves,
glossy silver on one side, opalescent on the other, shivered and trembled on their fragile stems, perhaps anticipating the
not-too-distant moment when they would fall from the branches in a brilliant cascade of glittering light to die on the cold,
hard ground. But for now, they clung to the trees like a dense coat, and the constant movement would hide their own, offering
some small degree of safety.

There had been no further sign of the karks, nor did Beast give any indication of alarm, trotting behind them with his tail
curled over his back or frolicking ahead biting and snapping at shadows. He showed no reticence at their nearness now, and
apparently held no grudge toward Carn at whose feet he curled up, wrapping his tail over his nose and going instantly to sleep.

Braldt would have liked nothing more than to emulate the pup for his weariness was bone deep and his thoughts offered him
no comfort. But there was Carn’s ankle to be dealt with and Keri as well.

Carn leaned against the shaggy bark of an immense, ancient silverwood and grimaced as Braldt rotated the ankle. Braldt studied
him intently. “Is it bad?”

“It’s bad enough and it’ll be stiff for a few dawnings, but don’t worry about me, I won’t hold you back. If I do, just leave
me behind and I’ll catch up.”

“Don’t be a hero, Carn. We can’t afford heroes. We must stick together; a man alone would not last long out here.”

“I can help,” Keri said simply. “You need me. Don’t let your pride get in the way of truth, you know that it is so.”

Braldt stared at her, trying to find the right words and finding none. They did need her, but it was wrong for her to be with
them. It was a man’s deed, a thing between men and the gods. It was not fitting for a woman to accompany them on such a sacred
mission.

Only men were allowed to attend the inner circles of worship and only men were allowed to become priests and learn the highest
mysteries. They themselves had been allowed to enter the Forbidden Lands only on the direct order of the priests, and were
spared the deadly bolts of the gods that would have struck them down otherwise. What would the presence of a woman do? Would
the gods be angered and kill them all with their fiery bolts? Braldt did not know the answer.

Yet denying Keri’s help would be impossible for despite his brave words, Carn would not be able to travel without their assistance
and to leave him behind was unthinkable—if the gods did not kill him, the animals or the karks would. Nor could he allow Keri
to return alone for it would be even more dangerous for her to travel by herself. Yet he could not risk leaving Carn alone
for the time that it took to bring her back. Even if they had had the time.

“We will sleep on this problem. Perhaps the answer will be clear when our minds are less tired. Sleep now and I will keep
watch. I will waken you when the sun is at its peak. From now on, we will journey only at night.”

Dragging her robe up over her shoulder, Keri settled herself between two roots of a great silverwood, cradled her head on
her arm, and was asleep before her body had fitted itself to the contour of the land.

Braldt climbed high into the branches at the edge of the copse and watched as the misty darkness faded into grey only to be
tinted by streaks of crimson pink as Sun the
Giver crept slowly over the rim of the Forbidden Lands and warmed the earth with its presence. The leaves of the tree wagged
back and forth in constant motion, twisting this way and then that, although Braldt could detect no wind. The effect was hypnotic
after a while and Braldt had to fight to shut them out of his consciousness, to keep the rhythm from creeping into his mind.

He concentrated on watching the lower elevations, the way they had come, watching for karks or whatever might come. Already,
the Duroni lands were lost in the wavering line of blue that marked the far horizon, although Braldt tried to tell himself
that he could still see the tip of the Guardian Stone.

He had traveled farther than most men would go in their entire lifetimes, gone to strange places and seen strange sights,
and yet he was loath to leave the Duroni borders behind him this time. Somehow he sensed that when and if he returned, nothing
would ever be the same again, and sadness rested on his shoulders like a cloak.

He watched throughout the coolness of the dawning, feeling the dew mist and bead on his chilled flesh, heard the first tentative,
sleepy chirps of the birds, and saw a silent herd of split horns browse from bush to bush and disappear as silently as they
had arrived.

There were karks, as well. Two bands of them passed beneath him on the lower elevations, trotting swiftly through the complex
channels of the water course, spears in hand with no hesitation in their step as though they knew precisely where they were
going and were in a hurry to get there. Later, a third party passed not thirty steps from their place of concealment although
Braldt did not see them until they appeared on the slope below him. He stiffened and held himself completely still until they
were out of sight. He prayed that none of his companions would choose that moment to waken, and none of them did.

The party too was laden with spears and heavy, stone-weighted clubs and ran in a determined line. Braldt stared after them,
brow furrowed with thought, and wondered where they were going.

He was grateful when Sun the Giver reached the appointed spot and he was able to waken Keri who opened her eyes, instantly
alert at his approach. She listened to his report without comment, taking in the news of the armed karks with an unexpected
calmness. Taking a water gourd and a round of hard cheese, she tucked the end of her skirt into the waistband and disappeared
into the branches.

Braldt fell into a deep and dreamless sleep, his exhausted body demanding its due. He did not hear Keri when she descended
the tree at the end of her watch, nor notice when Carn hoisted himself into position, but slept soundly until nightfall.

Upon waking, he could not think where he was for the sigh of wind in the trees was soothing and reassuring. Beast appeared
and snuffled wetly at his face, and then memory returned, rushing back to fill him with alarm. Why had they allowed him to
sleep so long? Had they been overcome by karks while he slept? Were they dead? But everything was functioning normally as
he could see at a glance. A tiny, smokeless fire had been built within a ring of stones and a gourd was suspended above it
filling the air with a pleasing aroma.

Keri was standing beside the ancient tree where she had slept, putting the finishing touches on her outfit. She had disposed
of her long, clinging underskirts and ripped the remaining overskirt halfway up the middle both in front and back, then tied
the ends around her calves. The result of her efforts was a pair of roomy pants that gave her freedom of movement. The underskirts
had been reduced to a narrow bundle that she had tied with strips of leather. She turned to face Braldt, her chin set at a
stubborn angle that he knew all too well.

“Everything’s been tended to. I watched until dusk and then Carn took over. There’ve been more karks, lots of them, all armed
and heading west.”

“Why didn’t you wake me?”

“What could you have done, Braldt? Caltan said that reinforcements were coming. They know that the karks are
becoming more warlike and have killed the herdsmen. What could we tell them that they don’t already know?”

Her reasoning was solid, Braldt mused. And the karks were moving swiftly. There was no way that they could overtake them and
bring a warning in time. They had their own mission that was equally, if not more, important.

Carn slithered down the trunk of the tree, landed with a soft grunt, and limped over to where they stood. He drank deeply from
the gourd and then passed it to Braldt who found that it contained a thick broth of some sort that flowed into his empty belly
and filled it with warmth.