by Kate L. Mary
“Will your husband talk to a woman?” I asked.
When Zuri smiled, the creases at the corner of her eyes deepened, accentuating her age. “We are not Trelite. Roan will talk to a woman or he will hear from me.”
It was my turn to smile, and the expression was laced with relief. When I looked back at my friends, it was clear they were feeling it, too. The Mountari were an intimidating tribe, and even more than the Huni, we had been concerned we would be met with hostility. It was nice to find out we had been wrong.
“You may follow me.” Zuri nodded toward the forest before turning.
She and the other women led the way into their village, and as we entered, people turned to stare. Our marked faces identified us both as outsiders and Winta, but like Zuri, the expressions of the people we passed seemed more surprised than angry. It helped ease my worry even more. Though people rarely said it out loud, the Winta had long thought of the Mountari as savages. Perhaps we had been wrong. It would not have been the first time.
Here the homes had been built on stilts that raised them high off the ground so that they towered over my head, and I could only assume it had something to do with how close the village was to the lygan infested cliffs. The bones, skins, and teeth of the scaly creatures were everywhere. Their skulls lined up outside huts like trophies, while the Mountari seemed to use the animals’ scaly hides for nearly everything—clothes and water skins, as well as bags to carry things. They had even been sewn together and stretched across the roofs of huts to keep the weather out. It made the village bright and colorful, even surrounded by the drabness of winter.
Zuri stopped outside a hut before turning to face us. “Wait here while I will speak to Roan.”
“Thank you,” I said.
She nodded once before climbing the ladder in front of her, and only a beat later she disappeared into the hut, leaving us alone. I turned to face my people and found them looking around. Like me, curiosity shone in their eyes, and even a little bit of awe. Around us, the Mountari had mostly gone back to their work, as if their surprise at seeing us had already worn off, and the total indifference they showed us was almost welcoming.
“They are much more friendly than the other tribes,” Xandra said.
“It is a good sign,” I replied.
“I did not expect it,” Mira whispered. “We had always been told they were savage.”
“Can you blame us for thinking that?” Emori alone did not work to lower her voice as she looked toward the lygan skulls lined up in front of us.
I did not want to give her the satisfaction of agreeing, but silently, I did. Going by appearances alone, the Mountari did look savage.
They were the only Outlier tribe that did not mark their faces, and the women we passed bore no passage markings at all. In the Mountari village, a boy did not become a man until he had killed his first lygan, and it was their custom to pierce the two sharpest fangs of each kill through the man’s skin. Every lygan that met its end at the hands of a Mountari man elevated his position in the village, and the arms and chest of the greatest hunters were usually covered in piercings.
Despite the cold day, many of the men in front of us wore no shirts, openly displaying their fang-pierced skin for all to see. The man closest to me had a line of them on each arm, going from his wrist to his shoulders and across his chest. There the two lines met just below his collarbones before moving down to his belly button. He had even more teeth on his chest, in swooping lines that mirrored one another, and the sheer number of them was difficult to comprehend. I had only seen a handful of lygan in my life, and the idea that this man had killed so many made me wonder if he was the greatest hunter in the village. I could not imagine anyone having killed more than this.
My attention was dragged away from the display of fangs when Zuri reappeared, followed by a man who was quite a bit younger. His face was unlined, and the dark hair under his headdress did not have even a streak of gray in it, and the broad muscles of his shoulders reminded me of the Fortis men I had gotten so used to seeing in Sovereign City.
Together they climbed down, first Zuri and then the man. He did not smile, but there was nothing about him that said we were unwelcome, and at his side, Zuri stood wearing the same friendly expression as before.
“I am Roan,” the man said when he had stopped in front of us, “Head of the Mountari.”
A lygan skull that had been fashioned into a headdress sat upon his head, and just like the other men in the village, Roan wore no shirt despite the cold day. The sheer number of fangs piercing his flesh was staggering, at least twice as many as the man I had just been studying. The teeth were stark white against Roan’s dark skin, and two rows moved up each of his arms while so many decorated his chest that he almost looked like he wore a shirt made of fangs. Every time he moved, the skin pulled tight, making it seem as if the teeth were shifting positions, and I found myself wondering how he ever got comfortable. It seemed like every move would hurt.
I had to work hard to meet his gaze and not stare at the fangs decorating his skin. “I am Indra, Head of the Windhi.”
Roan’s eyebrows lifted in surprise just as his wife’s had. “You have formed a new tribe.”
“We have,” I said even though it was not a question. “A tribe of hunters, and we have come here today to ask you to join us in our fight.”
“Your fight against who?” Roan asked, but the way his head tilted to the side told me he knew, or at least suspected, what I was about to say.
“The Fortis.”
“We have heard whispers that Fortis hunters who come into the wilds often do not make it out alive,” Roan said, and just like I had suspected, he seemed unsurprised by the declaration. “Is this your doing?”
“It is,” I told him. “I have been hunting and killing the Fortis for over a year now. After they burned our tribe to the ground, I taught others to hunt as well. Together we have taken out hundreds. We wish to finish the job, to go into the Fortis village and wipe them out for good. We do not have the numbers to do it alone, but if we unify the tribes, we will. That is why we are here, to ask the Mountari to join us in taking out the Fortis.”
“What you ask is a lot.” Roan’s mouth turned down in one corner. “If we fail, the Fortis will unleash vengeance on us. They will destroy us all.”
Unlike the Huni, Roan did not tell me that his people were no match for the Fortis, and it made me like him. It also made me wonder if these people might be even greater allies than the Huni.
“There is a lot to risk,” I acknowledged, “but there is also a lot to gain. We would be free, and it would leave the Sovereign vulnerable. Without the Fortis, they can do nothing.”
I scanned the people standing around, trying to gauge their reactions. They did not seem opposed to the idea, and a few even wore an excited gleam in their eyes, as if the idea of fighting the Fortis was no more risky than hunting a lygan. Roan was one of those men, which was no surprise. The number of fangs pierced through his skin illustrated how much he enjoyed the hunt. Still, though, he said nothing, but instead seemed to be thinking it through.
“The Huni have already agreed to join us,” Xandra said when the silence had stretched out too long.
For the first time, Roan’s eyes widened in surprise. “The Huni are not known for being welcoming.”
“They were hesitant at first,” I told him, “but their Head is a reasonable woman, and like us they are tired of being slaves to the Sovereign. Their numbers will give us a great advantage, but if we can get you to join our fight, your men and women both, we will have no problem destroying the Fortis. They are strong and they are warriors, but we outnumber them.”
Roan looked toward Zuri. “Will your women fight?”
I had been wondering the same thing. I was under no illusion that the Trelite would allow their women to join us in the fight, but the Mountari were different. At least I hoped so.
Zuri smiled, an expression she seemed used to and one I had n
ot expected to find so readily on the faces of the Mountari. “We spend our lives fighting. How many times have I fought for the right to remain in your bed?”
Roan was the one who smiled now. “Many times, my wife.”
The Mountari were more committed than the Huni—although their relationships could sometimes be short lived—but unlike the Winta, they did not choose a mate for life. Here, the greatest hunters were the most sought after mates, and the women of the Mountari tribe fought one another for the privilege of being a man’s wife, even leaving their current mate because he had fewer kills. No weapons were involved in the battles, just shear force of will, and the last woman standing won her mate. Mountari women were tough, and I had no doubt that having them in the fight would be a huge advantage.
“I have not given up fighting yet, and I do not intend to. This includes the Fortis.” When Zuri looked toward me, there was determination in her eyes, but something else as well. Pain. Anger. “I have a daughter in the city, held prisoner by the Sovereign.”
“I am sorry,” I said. “We have people there as well. How many, we do not know. There are so few of us left because of the Fortis, and I refuse to stand by and do nothing while our people suffer. Not anymore.”
Roan nodded, as did Zuri, and then the Head said, “I must speak to the elders of the tribe before I make a decision, but I would like to join your fight, Indra of the Windhi. We have been told we are weaker than the Fortis because they train as warriors, but I am not weak.” He waved to the fangs decorating his chest. “I proved that at the age of twelve when I killed my first lygan, and then at twenty when I took my place as Head. For twelve years, I have maintained my position as the greatest hunter in our village, and killing the beasts is no longer a challenge for me. The Fortis will be no different.”
At his side, Zuri stood tall, her back as straight as a spear. She wore her pride at being the wife of the greatest warrior the same way Roan wore the fangs of the lygan he had killed. The age difference between them had to be at least two decades, something I could not comprehend, but the way they consulted one another as they spoke told me they were well suited. Even if he had not had a say in their relationship.
Roan left to gather the elders while Zuri led us across the village toward the fire where a pot sat poised above the flames, steam rising from it. Using a bowl, the Head’s wife scooped up some of the stew before passing it to me, repeating the process until each of us had been served, and then we lifted the bowls to our lips at the same time.
The stew was earthy, but good, and I had no doubt that the chunks of meat floating in the broth were lygan. I had never tasted the creatures before—the couple times Mira and I had killed one on the way back from Sovereign City, I had turned the carcass over to the village—but I was not one to turn my nose up at food, and I had no interest in insulting the woman in front of me.
“I am sorry to hear about your daughter,” Xandra said after she had lowered her bowl. “How old is she?”
Zuri’s mouth turned down for the first time since we met her, her own steaming bowl suddenly forgotten. “She is seventeen. Her position in Sovereign City came from her father’s family, passed down from her grandmother. Her father was a great hunter before he was killed by a lygan. Roan had only been Head for three years when my husband died, and his wife was young. Too young to be married to the Head. I challenged her. I was not the first, not even that day, but I was the strongest.” She smiled like she found the memory of the fight amusing. “There were five of us, and I was the oldest. I do not think anyone believed I could win, but I did. I took the Head’s wife out first, and then the other three one by one until I was the last woman standing.” Zuri lifted her chin. “Roan and I have been together for nine years now, and no woman has been able to defeat me.”
“Will the men in your village agree to let you fight with us?” I asked.
“They will have to.” Zuri lifted her chin. “I have no desire to stay behind, and I know I am not alone in that. The women in our village may not hunt lygan, but we are strong.”
“Yes,” I said. “I can see that.”
It did not take long for Roan to return, followed by four other men. All I needed was one look at their expressions to know they had decided to join us, and the knowledge that we would soon be waging war on the Fortis had my heart pounding like the beat of a drum.
“We will join the Huni and Windhi people in taking out the Fortis,” Roan said when he had stopped in front of us.
“Thank you.” I bowed my head slightly, first at him, and then toward the elders who stood at his back. “We have one more stop, the Trelite, but we wish to have the Heads of all the tribes meet tomorrow at sunset, in the clearing by the pond. It is a neutral area, and it will help our good relations if we meet on common ground.”
“You are wise, Indra of the Windhi, but do you think the Trelite will agree to such an arrangement? We have never had a woman Head, but that does not mean I do not value them.” Appreciation shone in his eyes when Roan looked toward Zuri. “I know firsthand how much a good woman is worth. But the Trelite do not see it that way.”
“We know it will be difficult to get them to agree, but we must try. They are as much a part of this as the rest of us.”
Roan’s head bobbed as he pressed his lips together. “I do not wish to overstep, but if you think it will help, I would be willing to offer my assistance. I could go with you to speak to the Trelite.”
I glanced toward Xandra as I had a habit of doing, and found her already looking my way. “What do you think?”
“It might be useful,” she said. “The last time we were there he only offered to help so we did not die. He may see our return as a sign that you are ready to accept his marriage proposal.”
Roan chuckled, and when I tore my gaze from Xandra, the Head held his hands up. “I am sorry.”
Zuri’s smile disappeared as she looked from her husband to me. “What is so funny?”
“The thought that the Trelite Head believes he is what this woman needs.” Roan gave me an appraising look. “You seem very capable to me, Indra.”
“Yes, but you are not Trelite,” I told him. “I could fight the Head to the ground and hold a knife to his throat and he would still think I am weak.”
“That is very true,” Roan conceded.
“Which is why I will accept your offer. It may help pave the way with the Trelite more than anything I could ever do. We plan to head out at first light. Will you meet us by the pond?”
“I will,” Roan said. “I will come alone so they do not feel threatened.”
“Then we will see you tomorrow.”
20
True to his word, Roan was waiting for us when we arrived in the clearing the next morning. Since the presence of women was already going to be a stressful point for the Trelite, Xandra and I had elected to go to the village alone this time, and it was a relief not to have Emori with us when we headed out.
“You will not think I am disparaging you if I take over the negotiations when we arrive?” Roan asked as we wound our way through the forest, the snow crunching beneath our feet with every step.
Although we had established a decent rapport with the tribe, I was not a fool. Even if they had learned to tolerate us, they would respond much better to a man. Even a Mountari man.
“I will not.” After our meeting the previous night, I had spent hours in the forest searching the wilds for a Fortis hunting party, and I motioned to the bag I carried. “Even with you taking over things, I know it will be difficult for the Trelite to believe we are capable. That is why I have brought the head of a Fortis hunter. So they can see with their own eyes.”
“It is a good idea.” Roan looked me over, admiration shining in his eyes, and I suddenly found myself wishing we had not agreed to let him come with us. “I very much admire the things you have done for your people, Indra. If you were Mountari, I would ask you to challenge Zuri.”
On the other side of Roan, Xandra’s
eyebrows jumped up in surprise. “That is something your people do?”
Roan glanced her way for only a beat before turning his gaze back on me. “It does not happen often, but if a hunter finds another woman more desirable than his current mate, he can ask her to fight for him.”
The Head’s gaze was still on me when Xandra asked, “Did you do that with Zuri?”
“I did not.” Roan looked away, focusing on the wintry forest in front of us. “I value Zuri very much, but she is a great deal older than me, and I was satisfied with my previous mate. She was not as sharp as Zuri, but she was pleasant company and a good fighter. I do not think anyone else would have been able to defeat her, just as no one else has been able to defeat Zuri.”
Xandra and I exchanged a look, but we chose not to respond. Like me, she probably had no idea what to say. Roan did not seem angry that Zuri had overthrown his mate, and he seemed to care for her, but he admitted he had not wanted it to happen. Even that he would have been open to someone overthrowing his current wife. It was a sad state, having someone you were comfortable with replaced just because they were not as strong.
We walked the rest of the way in silence, but the forest around us was not quiet. Branches concealed by the snow snapped under our feet, and the trees above us were alive with the call of rawlins. Here and there I spotted a forest rodent scurry from sight, and even though I longed to notch an arrow, I did not. Having my weapon ready when we were so close to the Trelite village was not a good idea.
Just like on our last visit, our presence was announced by a horn before the Trelite huts had come into view. Xandra and I fell back, allowing Roan to take the lead, and only a few beats passed before the same men who had greeted us before appeared, Zaire leading the pack.
“Indra of the Winta,” he called out even as his gaze focused on Roan. “We did not expect you back so soon.”
Before I had a chance to respond, Roan took a step forward. “I am Roan, Head of the Mountari, and I have come to speak to your Head.”