Keeper of the People (Book One)

by Karah Quinney

  He didn’t have to see to know that the animal stood directly in front of him poised to strike. He only wondered how he would fight with access to his knife or any other weapon. He wasn’t sure if Jon’lan knew the threat, but he refused to make a sound which would give away their location, although he felt that the animal could sense the three men, even more keenly that Anaay could sense the wild cat.

  Anaay breathed in through his nose and raised his head so that he could catch the scent of the animal. It was a large cat; the smell was distinctive and similar to Rhea when she had not bathed in a long time. He heard the sound of scuffling feet and his insides twisted painfully as he realized that he faced not only one large cat but perhaps more.

  Anaay pressed against Jon’lan urging the man to stay silent by his body language alone. Jon’lan wanted to get into a defensive position and he shifted slightly even as he felt Anaay move into a crouch. The boy bristled and growled low in his throat, it was such a good imitation of an animals warning growl that Jon’lan almost pulled away from Anaay.

  The young man snarled and his voice was greeted by a loud snarl from Jon’lan’s right. Roark shifted, getting his feet underneath him with much effort. The men were frozen to the bone and now they faced a great threat. Jon’lan put himself in front of Anaay but the young man snarled viciously jumping in front of both Jon’lan and Roark. It was Anaay that had led them to this cavern and he alone felt responsible for the situation that they now faced.

  It wasn’t possible that the cat Anaay saw was Rhea, for even as his mind replayed the events of the last few moments he realized that the cat he had seen was a different color, a tawny dark brown, not black. His feline friend was lost to him, perhaps forever and it was wishful thinking that had gotten him where he was now, he would have to fight to the death, there was no other way.

  Anaay braced himself as he felt the animal stalk towards him, he knew that the cat would be crouched low to ground, unsure of the threat it faced. Ordinarily a large cat would lead a solitary life, never to be seen by the People, yet nature had forced them into the same cavern for shelter and Anaay meant to be the one that sacrificed his life if needed to make sure that Jon’lan and Roark lived.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Sirion had done well to take make an alliance with I’naram, which would only be solidified when he became her mate. He was a man easy to manipulate with the use of her woman’s wiles. So far, he and his people had accepted their ways, conforming to her desires with little protest. Already they had cleansed themselves of the protective layer of mud that they had worn as a matter of defining themselves as people of the river.

  The only problem that Sirion could not overcome as of yet, was the woman called She’teth who was mate to I’naram. Thankfully Marad had taken notice of the woman after she was forced to clean herself in the river.

  The two young people lusted openly after one another and while I’naram made no secret of his interest in Sirion he would not be fooled for long by his wife’s advances to Marad.

  Sirion thought the matter over carefully and she could come to only one determination. She’teth must be disposed of and quickly. She knew that Marad wanted the woman but he only wished to revel in his fascination momentarily.

  His true desire was to possess their former Ada’na at all costs. Sirion continued to hold that objective out in front of her son who wanted only to please his mother.

  She’teth was disposable and Sirion had gained knowledge of the various poisons available in this new land. Even now her trusted serving woman searched for a specific tree frog that carried poisonous secretions on his back. Sirion had already created a bond with She’teth offering her the honor of sleeping in her own Haik until one could be constructed for her.

  The younger woman had eagerly accepted and even now she sat across from Sirion studying her surreptitiously as they drank a tea that came from her own supply. Soon She’teth’s tea would have more than just dried berries and plant roots; it would be the death of her. Sirion gave it no further thought as she smiled at the young woman who smiled back in return before sipping gently at the warm brew.

  Winter was upon them, yet the valley sheltered them from its brutal wrath. Here in the valley all was calm and the ground was only gently blanketed with snow. Soon Sirion’s son Marad would return from his search of the mountain and he would tell her if he found any sign of the trader. Sirion hungered for the capture of the man that was the impetuous for the destruction of Aztlan and more than anything she wanted to see him suffer.

  She squeezed the small root that she held in the palm of her hand until it was unrecognizable and when its juices ran through her fingers she imagined that it was the trader’s lifeblood and her eyes glittered in excitement. Soon. Soon all that she dreamed of would be hers.

  Marad followed the trail that the trader and his band left behind. He laughed without mirth as he saw evidence of their arrogance. It was obvious by the way that they failed to cover their trail thinking that they believed no one would follow them this far into the frozen waste land of the mountain. But Marad had been eager to track down the trader and his woman. He wanted the man’s blood, even though his mother commanded that the man be brought back to her alive. Marad planned to make the man suffer greatly for stealing his possession, the Ada’na.

  Marad thought of the woman that had been his by right and he wondered if she still thought of him, he wondered if she dreamed that he would find her one day and claim her as his woman. It would only be a matter of time before he found her, soon, very soon, she would be his, her husband would wander the world of the dead forever without eyes to see or hands to feel. Marad smiled wickedly as he thought of new ways to make those that betrayed him suffer. His mother would look at him with new eyes when he returned with the trader as his captive. She would let him have any woman that he chose, including She’teth, I’naram’s young wife.

  He would keep the Ada’na as a slave and she would serve him in what ever way that he requested. His blood quickened at the thought of the power he would possess once she was within his grasp. He would hold her and bind her to him and he would never let her go.

  Only then would he be able to rule over his people, returning their depleted village into a great people once more. He drove his men relentlessly on into the pounding snow and he left any who fell by the wayside to die upon the mountain. With each step he hardened his heart until he no longer felt the cold, an all consuming rage was his nourishment and his thirst for power and victory was his sustenance.

  One of Marad’s men continued to draw his attention to the large unidentifiable tracks that they came across. Marad did not know the beast that walked this mountain, but he feared no being living or dead. Marad implored the gods that protected him from birth to walk with him now as he traveled in his search for his enemy. Already he felt the power of their answer as he drank more of the elixir that his mother had sent along with him. It strengthened the men, giving them faster reflexes and more stamina and once again Marad was thankful to his mother for watching over him, even from a distance.

  Marad and his men traveled well into the night, they stopped only for a short while to warm themselves by the fire. His best tracker once again showed him the tracks left be a beast that must stand higher than two men standing feet to shoulders. Marad cautioned his men to be alert and he told made sure the foreign warriors that traveled with them understood his words.

  The Hetmos warriors were a bloodthirsty lot and they were more than ready to do battle with anything that threatened them, they studied the foreign warriors over the blazing fire looking for an opportunity to fight each other. He listened as his men boasted of their accomplishments in battle and he drank more of the elixir that gave him strength, yet even as he drank he felt his rage build until it was a living and breathing thing. He laughed cruelly when the men began to bicker and fight with each other over the last portion of meat.

  One of Marad’s fiercest warriors lifted his hand to strike one
of the foreigners, but first he looked to Marad for approval. Marad nodded once and the men began to circle each other ready for a fight, they were well muscled and evenly matched. Marad’s men began to chant in earnest at their leader’s evident support and Marad stood eager to see the fight that was now imminent. He resented the need for the foreign warriors to accompany him in search of the trader and his band.

  It would be good to see the foreign warrior defeated at the hand of one of Marad’s men. Marad joined in the shouting as the men circled one another, looking for any sign of weakness. At first the men used their hands to fight but Marad wanted to see blood flow and so he threw each man a weapon, allowing them to arm themselves against each other. He wanted his first in command to destroy the man who challenged him and Marad knew that a victory over the foreign warrior would sway the balance of power to his side.

  His first in command, Tar’in, fought with great skill and Marad relished the victory that swept over his men as his first in command placed a crippling blow to the side of the contenders head. The foreign warrior stumbled allowing Tar’in to gain the upper hand as he threw the man onto the ground with a mighty roar. Tar’in looked into Marad’s eyes as he made the decision to end the battle with the weaker man’s death and Marad did not flinch as Tar’in’s spear pierced the heart of his contender.

  Tar’in smiled victoriously as he let out a battle cry, his eyes blazed with even as he claimed the heart of the man that he killed. Marad watched the foreign men return to the fire with sullen looks and carefully concealed fear. No longer would they challenge his authority. Already they were his to control with nothing more than a word. Tar’in would be richly rewarded for his efforts and Marad would not forget the challenge in Tar’in’s eyes, although briefly offered, it had simmered there for all to see and Marad would remain watchful from this night onward.

  The female cat sniffed the air, she was unsure of the threat that she faced, there was no light to see by only smell and her heart beat in anticipation. Her litter had only started to stray from the shelter of the cave a few days ago. Already they were eager to explore the world around them. She had sensed the storm and had not permitted them to leave the safety of the cave.

  Hunger had forced her to leave and return time and time again, even though her body told her that a storm was approaching, she was forced to leave in order to feed. She still nursed her litter, even though they were almost old enough to be weaned. They were fat and strong; even now they played with each other unaware of the danger that had invaded the security of their cave.

  The female cat snarled drawing their attention and they quieted immediately, their mother was their one source of food and protection. She left them for a moment and though their coats of fur were warm they felt the bitter cold more so when she was gone, than when she was near. The cat stalked her prey; she sniffed the air as her brain registered a familiar smell. Then she heard sounds from the cave entrance and her instinct took over, she must protect her young at all cost, even at the risk of her own life. She growled low in her throat as she approached the creature that dared to invade the sanctity of her cave.

  Anaay felt around for anything that he could use as a weapon, his hand found a large rock, it was almost too big to hold, but fear gave him strength. He seized it with one hand and with the other he made his hand into a claw. He would rip out the eyes and the throat of the beast that hunted him and his hearth father and uncle. He planned to use the rock and his bare hands and he braced himself for the pain of sharp claws that would slice into his skin as if he wore nothing at all. Anaay gave a mighty shout as he rushed towards the cat that stalked him hoping to startle it even as he ran.

  The female cat was startled by the war cry of the beast that hid in the dark and then her heart tripled in beat as she recognized the familiar call of Anaay. It was the same war cry that he gave in mock battle with her when she was a young pup and they would run and play together. Rhea skidded to a halt as she felt rather than saw Anaay run towards her in the darkness. She chuffed deep in her throat as she always did when answering him and she waited.

  Anaay’s shout echoed off the cave walls as he scrambled forward in an effort to confuse and startle the large cat. He ended his shout as he took another breath into his lungs and he heard a sound that lived only in his memory. It was the sound of his closes friend, Rhea.

  She beckoned to him and he skidded to a halt with the rock trembling in his hand only a space away from making impact with her head. Rhea chuffed again and Anaay felt her rough tongue flick over his arm and then shoulder. She sniffed him under the arm as she always did and he gasped in shock. He wanted to believe that it was Rhea but he couldn’t see her and he needed to be sure.

  Jon’lan used one of the fire sticks that Taikiuu had given him and he hoped that the mammoth chips that he carried in a bladder skin would still be dry. He saw a spark and then watched as the mammoth chips caught fire and simmered low, but it was enough to light the small space that they were in and what Jon’lan and Roark saw was etched into their minds.

  Anaay crouched before a large cat that chuffed and growled as playfully as a child as Anaay wept tears of joy at reuniting with his cat. They all turned as one to look at the bundle of fur in the farthest corner of the cave and Roark was the first to speak. “Let’s hope that her mate doesn’t live here with Rhea and her litter.”

  Anaay looked at Roark and Jon’lan for a moment as the words sank in and then he went back to petting and laughing as Rhea licked him anywhere that she could actually reach. Anaay shivered in response and Jon’lan realized how cold they all were. He added whatever he could to the fire and used some of the cave rocks to surround it. Soon it had grown into a gentle blaze. He saw that there was a small opening at the top of the cave which would allow the smoke to escape. He wondered if they were truly snowed in and if they would be able to escape. Roark looked Jon’lan in his eye and they both thought about the women and children, as well as the Old One.

  Taikiuu shivered as the storm raged directly in front of them, they were shielded from the worst of the weather, but Taikiuu felt that the storm was building instead of subsiding. She scooted forward so that she could see out of the small crevice that had been carved into the side of the mountain. She knew that even with the rain, there was still a chance of flooding.

  They should be fine as they were still very high up in the belly of the mountain. Taikiuu trembled not from the cold, but from the worry over the men who were out in the weather, unprotected and unsheltered. She said a prayer to the Creator, begging for their safety, thanking the One for the blessing of a safe journey so far and asking protection for those of her band, who sought only a life of freedom from those that would enslave and oppress them.

  Taikiuu repeated the same prayer aloud as the storm grew in fury. She moved so that she was poised to look outside for only a moment and before she could get into position she heard a sound of such crashing force that it took her breathe away, it roared through her body, shaking them all to their core. She scurried backwards as she peered up and out and her soul trembled as she saw snow crash down from the top of the mountain.

  “Avalanche.” The Old One whispered the word and although Taikiuu had never heard the word before, his utterance made the meaning very clear. They were in dire trouble, but the men would surely be buried alive unless they were able to find a secure place to wait out the storm.

  She refused to believe anything else; she rejected all negative thoughts even though they pounded through her mind like the sound of a running mammoth herd. The snow fell until Taikiuu imagined that it would reach from the base of the mountain up to their place of shelter. She waited without speaking and each person in the shelter of the crevice thought of the three men that were caught in the massive snowfall outside.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Kii closed her eyes and envisioned Anaay alive and safe in a cavern similar to their own. She saw her father and Roark with him and in her heart she believed that they w
ere alive and well. She focused her thoughts on their safety and shelter. She created a world that held all of her loved ones safe and happy, together again, united as one strong band. With all of her heart she wished it was so and she allowed nothing and no one to distract her from her single minded focus. Her heart beat in sync with Anaay’s, wherever he was so too were her thoughts.

  Yaa felt safe in the shelter of her mother’s arms, she held her little brother close to her chest as he was buddle under his warm furs. She knew that Mantiloff preferred to see the world around him, he would never settle for being protected from the fury of the storm, but even Yaa, who feared very little naturally feared the enormity of the storm.

  It was outside of her control and she had never seen anything like it. Except for the shaking of the land that had destroyed Aztlan Yaa had no reference for such a catastrophic occurrence. Yet even that destructive event seemed buried in the forgotten past.

  She thought of her father and believed with all her heart that he was able to withstand even the rage of this storm. The mammoth had not saved him from certain death only to lose him the next day to the wrath of the weather. Yaa heard the Ada’na speak as she moved beside her and she wanted to believe that her Aunt had shed her denial of being a woman born of power. She needed to believe that the Ada’na would protect them against all forces set to destroy their band. In the glow of the small fire that Kii created, Yaa glanced carefully at Taikiuu and she saw that the woman sat with her eyes closed and her face was serene.