“Quntah, what is all this?” Tiberius asked, pointing to the large pile of goods in the wagon.
“That is yours, Swanee.”
“Mine?”
“Yes, you won the Tuscogee. You are the new chief. Everything that was Moswanee’s is now yours. His animals, his wives, his treasures.”
“Wives?” Rafe said, and Tiberius saw the smirk on his face.
“Shut it,” he told his friend, then looked back at Quntah. “Doesn’t the tribe need these things?”
“The Swanee should have great treasure. It has always been thus.”
“Well, I don’t need it,” Tiberius said. “I want you to disperse everything to the tribe except the weapons. Rafe will see to that. Make sure the people with the most need get first pick.”
“And hang onto those Graypee hides,” Rafe said. “Those are mine.”
Quntah looked confused.
“Is that not acceptable?” Tiberius asked.
“Oh, yes, it is very generous, Swanee,” Quntah said. “But I do not understand Graypee?”
Rafe drew his rapier and pointed at the slick gray hides rolled up with the Graypee brains inside.
“The stinky ones,” he said.
“Ah, the hulpatah skins. I will see they are prepared for you, Swanee.”
“Thank you,” Tiberius said. “Which way did the Rogu go?”
“They followed Bellana’s tracks that way?”
“Bellana?” Tiberius asked.
“It means short hair, it is the name you gave her,” Quntah said with a smile.
“Bellana,” Tiberius said. “I like that.”
“Let’s go,” Rafe said, turning his horse.
Tiberius felt a little unsteady on the strange saddle. He was forced to used his legs to secure his seat on the back of the large horse. He waited until he was out of the Hoskali camp to take hold of the horse’s mane again.
“I miss our old saddles,” Tiberius complained.
“I don’t know,” Rafe said. “These wouldn’t do for a fully armored knight, but you can really feel the way the horse moves. It’s a little more intuitive, don’t you think?”
“All I’m thinking about is not falling off.”
“You didn’t train enough,” Rafe said with a smirk.
“Paladins don’t ride horses. There’s no need for them in the city.”
“There hasn’t been a need for mounted warriors since the cataclysm, but we still trained on them,” Rafe said. “So tell me how your night went?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, a man with a harem must stay busy.”
“Shut up about that.”
“How many wives do you suppose old Moswanee had?”
“Too many,” Tiberius said. “Can we please change the subject?”
“Why are you so touchy about it? Obviously they aren’t your wives, not really.”
“Lexi is missing,” Tiberius said. “I’m worried about her.”
“You sure finding her is the best thing? I mean if she finds out about all your wives, she’s liable to do something crazy.”
“Shut up.”
“I thought you seemed a little familiar with all those women back at the big shelter.”
“The tribe brought me back to that shelter last night. I had no idea there were women inside.”
“So they were waiting for you, huh?”
“Look, they helped me undress, but nothing happened. I was exhausted. I fell asleep.”
“What a shame,” Rafe teased.
Tiberius ignored him and urged his horse past his friend toward the group of hunters who were gathered around something not far away. Tiberius felt a huge knot forming in the pit of his stomach. If what they had found was Lexi, ravaged by some wild animal as she tried to escape, he would never forgive himself. He felt unsteady in the saddle, and wanted to slow the horse down, but he couldn’t. He had to know what was lying in the grass that the hunters, the Hoskali Rogu, had found.
He silent prayed that it wouldn’t be Lexi’s body laying twisted and torn. The group of men pulled back as Tiberius rode up to them. For a moment, he had trouble getting the horse to stop, and then he almost lost his balance in the strange saddle. When he finally got control, he looked down, his whole body tense for what he feared would be a gruesome sight. Then he felt so much relief that he almost laughed.
“What is it?” Rafe asked as he rode up behind Tiberius.
“It’s the missing saddle,” he said. “Just the missing saddle.”
Chapter 3
Rafe
Rafe glanced over and saw the look of relief on Tiberius’ face. He could relate to that feeling. When Olyva had been trapped by the killer trees, he had thought he might die from concern for her. When they rescued her, he felt such relief that it was almost too much to contain.
“Why would she bring the saddle way out here?” Rafe asked. “You think she was planning on taking all the horses.”
“Tiswanee,” Te’sumee explained. “The horses here a long time. See the grass, see the droppings.”
“She brought the horses out here,” Rafe said. “Maybe she thought that if I died you and Olyva might somehow escape?”
“No,” Tiberius said. “How could we have known where she was out here in the dark?”
“Well then, why the third saddle?”
“She needed it to stand on,” Tiberius said. “She always had trouble getting the saddle up onto the horses’ backs.”
“We follow the tracks,” Te’sumee said. “That way.”
He pointed north, away from the camp and to Rafe’s surprise, away from Avondale. One of the hunters carried the saddle back toward the camp; the others set off at a fast jog across the plain. Rafe and Tiberius followed on their horses.
“Strange that she would have left the horses there,” Rafe said. “I wonder what she was waiting for.”
“To see who won the Tuscogee?” Tiberius guessed.
“But if she did that, why not rejoin us? Why would she leave the camp by herself, in the dark, if she knew we won?”
Tiberius’ face dropped. Rafe still didn’t understand what had happened. He wondered if she had been kidnapped or if she and Tiberius had fought. Nothing made sense.
“I think she saw me with the other women,” Tiberius said quietly.
“What other women?” he asked.
“The chief’s harem,” Tiberius said bitterly.
“But you said you didn’t do anything.”
“I didn’t, but I was tired. The tribe carried me to the shelter and I went inside. I didn’t even know the women would be in there.”
“So, why would Lexi be mad about that?”
“She just would, trust me. She warned me about being unfaithful.”
“You weren’t unfaithful,” Rafe said.
“I know. That’s why I have to find her and convince her that I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Rafe was quiet after that. He knew women and relationships were difficult. A man knew his duty, he had responsibility to guide him in life, but add a woman to the mix and things changed so radically that it was sometimes hard to decide what to do. He still couldn’t believe the change that had come over Lady Olyva. She had been so passionate, so exciting when they were in Avondale, but that all changed when Leonosis betrayed them.
He couldn’t help but wonder what he would do if he couldn’t save her from becoming a tree. It was so ludicrous that he almost laughed just thinking about it. Never in his wildest imaginings had he ever considered trees to be a danger, but everything was different in the blighted lands. The land itself was lush and beautiful, but there were dangers and he had a lot to learn before he would feel comfortable below the thick layer of mists that covered the sky.
They rode at a quick canter for over an hour. Rafe couldn’t help but marvel at the endurance of the Hoskali hunters. They jogged quickly, never slowing down and never complaining. They didn’t even look tired, he thought. Finally, they saw a massive herd of animals in
the distance. To Rafe, it seemed like the entire horizon had come alive with shaggy dark fur. He couldn’t make out the creatures, but he could tell there were thousands of them roaming together.
“Tiswanee!” Te’sumee said excitedly. “The Tamakas’ are moving! We hunt.”
“No,” Tiberius said. “We have to find Lexi... Bellana.”
“The Hoskali always hunt Tamakas,” Te’sumee said.
“Not today,” Tiberius said.
“Must hunt... tribe must eat.”
“He’s got a point,” Rafe said. “There isn’t much food or water out here.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” snapped Tiberius. “It’s obvious that they use these creatures for everything from clothes to shelter. But I have to find Lexi.”
“Tracks gone,” Te’sumee said. “See, trampled by Takamas.”
Rafe was not a great hunter. In Avondale, he’d gone on hunts with his father and the Earl, but they had been guided hunts by men who lived in the forest around the lake and managed the wildlife there. Rafe had no real woodcraft, but he could tell the plain had been trampled and grazed on by the massive herd of bovine creatures.
“No,” Tiberius said.
There was a note of heart wrenching sadness in his friend’s voice. Rafe put his hand on Tiberius’ shoulder. There wasn’t much more he could do.
“Let them hunt,” Rafe said. “We’ll keep looking for Lexi.”
Tiberius looked over at his friend and Rafe saw a slight glimmer of hope.
“She has been overtaken by the herd,” Te’sumee said. “Will be that way if she still lives.”
He pointed beyond the herd, although it was impossible for Rafe to see past the great dark smudge on the horizon. Then he had an idea.
“Look,” Rafe said. “We can go with the Rogu until they catch up with the herd. Then you can use that spell to see past all the animals. If Lexi was here, then she must have had to move to stay in front of the herd.”
Tiberius thought for a moment, then he nodded.
“Okay, Te’sumee. Let’s hunt,” Rafe said.
They hurried forward, no longer studying the tracks but moving straight across the wide open prairie toward the herd of bovine creatures the Hoskali hunters called Takamas. It wasn’t long before the horses were completely exhausted.
“We need to walk these horses,” Rafe said.
“I know,” Tiberius agreed. “They can’t keep up with the Rogu. Who would have thought it?”
“They’re plow horses,” Rafe said. “Useful, but not the best mounts.”
“Lexi doesn’t really know horses.”
“I doubt that any horse in Avondale would be able to keep up with the Rogu for long.”
“I’ll lead them,” Tiberius said. “You stay with the Rogu. I’ll catch up when I can.”
Rafe slipped out of the saddle and handed the reins to Tiberius. He unstrapped his sword as well and secured it around one shoulder and across his back. Then he was running to catch up with the Rogu. They were all sweating freely, their tanned skin glossy from running all morning. Rafe’s thick hair clung to his face as the sweat ran down. His tunic was soon soaked through and his boots felt heavy. He fell into pace with the hunters and focused on breathing. He was in good shape, and could wield his sword for hours at a time, but there wasn’t much call for running in Avondale. Still, it felt good to Rafe to stretch his muscles and push himself. He vowed silently to keep up.
The smell of the herd hit Rafe almost like a physical blow. He still couldn’t make out the animals, but he could smell them. He had to focus on each step to keep from trampling the round droppings the creatures left behind. Their dung hadn’t had a chance to dry out yet, and each one had the consistency of mud. The Rogu ignored the droppings, although Rafe rarely saw them step on any. The hunters were surefooted, and light on their feet. Rafe began to envy their bare feet as his tall boots grew heavy. He was temped to stop and pull his boots off, but he didn’t want to fall behind the others.
As the Tamakas came into view, he realized that they were large animals. They were taller than the cows he was used to in Avondale, and easily twice as wide. They had thick legs and their fat, shaggy bodies were huge; their round stomachs almost touched the ground. Most had a large hump on their backs where their shaggy fur was less thick, the hair a striking silver color, or in some cases, completely bare. Their heads were wide and flat, with short, thick horns that curved back over their heads toward each other.
Rafe realized that the Rogu had no weapons that he could see other than the short clubs they carried and had attacked with during the night. He knew the clubs were not stout enough to slay one of the huge shaggy Tamakas. They needed spears and he mentally kicked himself for not bringing the three he had brought from Avondale.
“Te’sumee,” Rafe said, panting for breath. “What’s our plan?”
The hunter looked at him strangely.
“How are you going to kill a Tamaka without any weapons?” Rafe asked.
Te’sumee pulled out a small knife. It was made of steel, not one of the stone knives he’d seen that were so prevalent among the tribe, and he breathed a small sigh of relief. Still, the blade of the knife was barely as long as Rafe’s index finger. He couldn’t imagine what it would take to bring down a huge beast with just a knife.
“You’re going to kill a Tamaka with that?”
“We kill many, you will see,” said Te’sumee. “Stay here, watch.”
As the Rogu closed the distance with the herd of Tamakas, they began to fan out in a long line. The herd was so massive that even though the beasts in the rear were crying out with fear, they couldn’t run away because most of the herd was moving slowly and grazing. The beasts at the rear of the herd were the weakest. Many were young and only half the size of the bigger adults. Some were obviously old, others sick. The Rogu ignored the sick creatures, and focused on several young Tamakas, and just a few of the full size adults.
The hunters began to shout and make high-pitched yipping noises. The Tamakas brayed fearfully. Many ran forward only to be kicked by the powerful hind legs of the beasts in front of them. Rafe saw that most of the Tamakas were wide eyed with terror and he understood why. The herd was a place of safety for most of the huge, shaggy creatures, but for those on the fringe, it was a dangerous place. They had only two choices, leave the herd and try to escape on their own, or turn and fight. The herd at large simply ignored Te’sumee and his band of Rogu. Most of the beasts were too terrified to do much of anything but press against the creatures in front of them.
The Rogu darted forward whenever they saw an opening. They struck with their small knives, stabbing the Tamakas and then darting away. Blood flowed from the wounds, but the Tamakas weren’t defenseless. They kicked at the Rogu, and swung their massive heads to butt the warriors, but the Rogu were expert hunters. They dodged in and out, darting between the massive beasts so nimbly that Rafe was completely amazed. The hunters risked death with every strike. To get one small stab on the big animals, they had to avoid being kicked or butted, which would have broken bones at the least and knocked the hunters off their feet where they could have quickly been trampled to death.
It took a while to bring the beasts down, but the Rogu knew just where to strike, their small knives cutting tendons or slashing veins. The Tamaka’s grew weak and moved more slowly as their life blood drained away. Some were limping from the wounds the hunters had inflicted, but eventually each one turned.
“Watch!” cried Te’sumee when the first of the shaggy beasts turned toward him. “This is the Lagusae. The dance of death.”
Rafe started to shout a question, but then to his surprise, the Tamaka Te’sumee had been hunting charged the wily hunter. Te’sumee held his ground, waiting for the huge creature. He switched the knife to his left hand and took up the club with his right. At the last possible second, Te’sumee darted to the side. The weakened Tamaka was still dangerously strong, but it couldn’t turn fast enough to catch the a
gile Hoskali hunter. Te’sumee lashed out with the club, swatting the beast right on its snout. The Tamaka bellowed with rage and turned around, charging Te’sumee again, but Rafe could tell it was moving slower.
He guessed that the creature knew it was dying. Perhaps if Te’sumee hadn’t enraged the beast it would have run for many miles away from the herd before dying. Instead, it charged at Te’sumee over and over. Each time the hunter dodged the charge, he swatted the Tamaka on the nose. The creature attacked over half a dozen times, before finally falling to its knees. Several other Tamakas were now taking up the Lagusae and charging their hunters. Rafe was in awe of the entire scene.
Te’sumee, his own kill down, gasping for it final few breaths as it bled to death from the many wounds the hunter had inflicted, now turned and helped the other hunters. Before long, the entire hunt was over and a dozen Tamakas lay dead or dying on the ground as their herd moved slowly away, oblivious to the fight that had taken place behind them.
“That was amazing,” Rafe said to Te’sumee.
“Holmek was too slow,” Te’sumee said, waving over one of the other hunters. “He will have to find a new place in the tribe.”
“Maybe I shall walk with the tree people,” said an aging hunter, who was cradling one arm close to his chest.
“You’re hurt,” said Rafe.
“If he cannot hunt, he cannot remain with the Rogu,” Te’sumee said.
Rafe stepped closer to the wounded man. He knew instantly that the hunter’s arm was broken. One of the Tamakas must have caught his hand as he tried to hit it with his club. The way Holmek was favoring his wounded arm reminded Rafe of Tiberius after they had fought the Graypees. Rafe knew his friend was hurt, but Tiberius denied it because he didn’t want to reveal too much about his healing power.
“Tiberius can help you with that,” Rafe said.
He looked back over his shoulder to find Tiberius, but the young wizard was nowhere to be seen.
Chapter 4
Lexi
She had always been a light sleeper. She prided herself that no one had ever been able to sneak up on her, not even when she was sleeping. The smell of the herd of Tamakas invaded her dreams. Then the ground began to tremble. The herd wasn’t running, so the tremor was slight, just enough to rouse Lexi, but not enough that she knew what was happening. She had only been asleep for an hour, but the heard had spread out around her and were moving toward her as they grazed. She heard them grunting and puffing, their huge hooves stomping the soft turf as they walked.
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