By late afternoon, everyone was competent in guiding the sonoke. But they weren’t skilled enough to ride them into danger. They’d have to work on that as they went. When they stopped at dusk, Narbenu and Kemsu instructed them in the proper art of cutting ice and compacted snow to make snow houses. Motekeru remembered it from before and began cutting immediately. He constructed one snow house with Kurine’s help and settled the sonoke into a trench in the time it took the others to make half of a snow house.
At Narbenu’s insistence, the girls again piled into one snow house with Motekeru and the hounds, while the boys went into the other. In the night, strange beasts howled in the distance. Even worse things hunted them. Turesobei curled up on the blanket, cold and miserable on the hard ice.
“This stinks,” Zaiporo muttered.
“Get used to it,” Kemsu replied. “We’re going to have a lot of nights like this.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
As they rode, Narbenu pointed out tracks of various creatures that could serve as game, though wild sonoke were preferable. “Starting tomorrow, we’ll devote an hour each day to hunting. More, if we don’t find enough game. We have to keep our stores up in case we get into trouble or get pinned by a blizzard. There are few places to stop for supplies along the way, and I have nothing to trade.”
Kurine held up a tiny purse. “Father gave me ten jade and an ingot of iron.” She smiled at Turesobei. “My dowry. Enough for a week of food for all of us.”
“That’s quite the dowry,” Narbenu said appreciatively. Kemsu nodded in agreement.
“It was very generous of him,” Turesobei said. He glanced at Zaiporo whose eyes were wide with surprise. In their world, Zaiporo had earned ten jade every month as a guard. Since he was a zaboko, he was considered by the ruling baojendari society to be a second-class citizen and wasn’t paid nearly what he deserved. In addition to that, the Kobarai had fed him two meals each day, plus clothing and any equipment he needed.
“Are blizzards common?” Turesobei asked.
“Anything more than a light flurry is rare,” Narbenu replied. “But blizzards do happen every few years. And you can’t predict them. They’ll come up out of nowhere.”
“You do all know how to hunt, right?” Kemsu asked.
“I do,” Iniru replied.
“I knew you would,” Kemsu replied with a wink.
“Well, of course she can,” Zaiporo replied. “Iniru is awesome like that.”
Enashoma scowled at Zaiporo. Turesobei sighed.
“Zaiporo has hunted a little and is excellent at butchering kills,” Turesobei said. “I’ve only hunted a few times. Once with magic.”
“Cheater,” Iniru said, almost playfully. She started to smile at him, but then she stopped and scowled.
“I can also detect the presence of any creatures nearby using a spell,” Turesobei said. “Though I can’t keep it up all the time.”
Iniru snorted, and Narbenu stifled a cough. Turesobei glanced at them and shrugged. He almost asked what was so funny, but decided not to.
“I can use the spell periodically to make sure nothing’s creeping up on us. Lu Bei can scout from above. We have the hounds, too, though I’m not sure of their footing on the ice. I won’t be able to sense exactly what’s out there if I’ve never encountered it before. My range is normally limited to about two hundred paces, though it uses air kenja, which is strong here, so I can probably do three times that. I’ll have to test it.”
“I’ve gotten decent at cooking,” Enashoma said.
“Unfortunately,” Narbenu said. “We can’t cook out here on the ice. No fuel for the fires. We can warm water to melt it with the star stones, but that’s about it.”
“You mean we have to eat the meat raw?” Enashoma asked. “That’s gross.”
“Only way to do it,” Narbenu replied. “Cooking is a luxury. And you’ll get used to the flavor. I prefer raw, personally.”
“I’ve eaten raw as part of my qengai practice,” Iniru said. “I didn’t like it much, except for fish. Speaking of my training, the goronku may not have to worry about it with their fur and fat layer, but for all of us, you three more than me, we have to make sure we don’t sweat. The moisture will freeze to your skin. Take off layers if you get hot. We have to avoid frostbite at all costs. Keep your circulation going. Watch your feet. Make sure they stay dry. Check them every night and rub them. You may not be able to feel frostbite setting in. If they do get frostbitten, don’t warm them too fast and don’t rub them.”
“Where’d you learn all that?” Zaiporo asked.
“I had to learn cold weather survival in my qengai training, in case I ever had a mission to the mountains in winter. A qengai must prepare for all possibilities.”
“We’ll take an extra break each day to walk around,” Narbenu said. “I forget you’re not adapted to the cold like we are. Rotate your feet as you ride. It helps.”
“If we have to take time every day to walk and hunt,” said Enashoma, “won’t the yomon catch up to us?”
“I think they’ll have to hunt as well,” said Kemsu.
“Maybe,” said Turesobei, “but I’m certain they have much more endurance than us and can probably run through much of the night. I’ll summon the moon mirrors so we can ride an extra hour or two. That’s all we can do. Truthfully, I’m not even certain the yomon eat, since they’re sort of like Kaiaru and sort of like demons.”
“They eat,” said Narbenu. “Though whether for pleasure or out of necessity, I don’t know. I’m sure the witch must eat, though, right?”
Turesobei hoped so, but he wasn’t sure what Awasa was capable of now. “At least we have mounts. We should be faster than them.” That was all the comfort he could give.
* * *
The third morning passed without any sign of game. They crested a long, low hill, and before them stretched another expanse of endless ice in all directions, though to the northeast was a blotch that Narbenu claimed was the outer buildings of another goronku village.
As they traveled, Turesobei rode beside Iniru as much as he could. It wasn’t that he was tired of Kurine. He was just tired of the endless questions about his life in Okoro. And he missed Iniru. Despite rescuing her, he still hadn’t had a chance to spend much time with her. His excuse to Kurine was that he had to let Zaiporo talk to Enashoma, and that his sister would miss him. He doubted she bought it.
Whenever Iniru became relaxed or grew tired, she’d start to forget that she was mad at him and relax. She would tease him or exchange barbs with Lu Bei. They would talk about their adventure fighting the Storm Cult and trekking through the rainforest of Wakaro, and they would have long discussions about magic and fighting. But whenever Iniru remembered Kurine, she’d stop talking and cast dirty looks at him.
Kemsu, when he wasn’t taking point, would ride nearby and try to butt into their conversations. Kurine never did that; he didn’t think she was listening. When Turesobei wasn’t nearby, she’d ride quietly, occasionally speaking to Motekeru or the hounds, who rode with her in their makeshift saddle. Turesobei felt guilty for cutting her out.
“Sobei,” Enashoma asked late that afternoon, “do you think Aikonshi and Hakamoro are okay?”
“Tough as they are, I’m sure they got down from the mountain with no problem. They’re survivors. And if I missed any yomon, I’m sure they’ll track them down and find a way to get rid of them.”
“I wish they were with us now,” Enashoma said. “We sure could use their help.”
“I’m glad they’re not here,” Turesobei replied. “They’re where they belong. I just wish I could say that for all of you. I wish I hadn’t dragged you in with me.”
“You did what you had to,” Zaiporo said. “It’s not like you had a lot of control over the dragon.”
“I barely had any control.”
“Are you still having nightmares about the dragon?” Iniru asked.
“No,” he responded.
She gave him a d
ubious look. “Liar.”
“Well, they’re not as bad now. They’re back to the level they were at before we set off to rescue you.”
Visions of the huge, shadowed monster with the flaming eyes had mostly replaced his nightmares of the Storm Dragon, but there was no way he was going to tell them about that. He didn’t want to worry them.
* * *
Turesobei scanned their surroundings with the spell of sensing presences as soon as he woke up each morning and again at lunch, dusk, and just before going to bed. On the fourth morning, he got a hit — a feeling, a knowing that something was out there — and in this case, exactly what it was.
“I’m picking up a reitsu following us. He’s at the edge of my range. His energy signature closely matches the ice. If I hadn’t come into contact with one, I’d have never noticed him. He’s keeping his distance. If there are others following, they are farther away.”
“I don’t get it,” Zaiporo said. “What’s he going to accomplish by tracking us? His comrades won’t be able to catch up or find him.”
“Could be an assassin,” Iniru suggested.
“The reitsu have a weak psychic link with others of their kind, even over great distances,” Narbenu said. “So they’ll be able to follow him if they come in roughly the same direction and aren’t too far behind. I know they want revenge, but as to what they’re planning, I have no idea. They know they can’t take out Motekeru easily.”
They stopped a few leagues from a goronku village. Narbenu rode in to let the people know about the yomon heading this way. Kemsu invited Iniru to scout around with him to search for game.
“I don’t know,” Iniru said, “maybe we should all stick together.”
Kurine grabbed Turesobei’s arm. “Why don’t we take a short walk? Just you and me.”
“You know what?” Iniru said. “I think I will scout around with you, Kemsu. Right now. Let’s go.”
As the two of them rode off, Turesobei said, “Can you believe that? What does she see in him?”
“Who cares?” Kurine said, perplexed.
“I don’t know what she sees,” Zaiporo commented, “but I don’t blame him.”
Lu Bei, who had been flying around, zipped in front of Zaiporo. “Lady Shoma, do you want me to claw his eyes out?”
“What?!” Zaiporo said. He turned to Enashoma. “Did — did I do something wrong?”
“Did you do something wrong?” she asked. “You idiot — you’ve been hanging around Sobei too much.”
“Hey!” Turesobei said.
“Don’t claw his eyes out, Lu Bei,” Enashoma said. “Not yet.” She stalked over and played with the hounds, who seemed to enjoy running and sliding on the ice and snow.
Motekeru shook his head and said nothing. Lu Bei turned back into a book. Kurine tugged at Turesobei, so he hopped off his sonoke and walked with her, leaving Zaiporo on his own to figure out what he’d done wrong.
“Look,” Kurine said, “I know you don’t love me. No, shush. Let me finish. I know you don’t love me. And you probably think I’m rash for choosing you without us really knowing each other …”
“Yeah, honestly, I kinda do think that.”
“Well, it was rash. I admit it. But you’re cute and smart and … different. You’re the most exciting thing to happen here in ages. Goronku life … it’s pretty much the same, year in and year out, generation after generation. And then I saw you. And you flirted with me —”
“I did?”
“And so I knew you were interested in me.”
“I was?”
“And so I went for it. I knew, suddenly, that my life could be special. That it didn’t have to be predictable, and I could be someone special, too.”
“You already are someone special, Kurine. You’re incredibly talented.”
“Just like my mother and my grandmother and my great-grandmother? I knew you could change everything for me, maybe even all the goronku people. And since I did find you attractive, it was worth the gamble. The only other boy I’d ever been interested in … it just wasn’t meant to be. It never can be. And I’m sorry about the kiss. I tried to be fair by asking you.”
“I thought I’d embarrass you if I said no.”
“You would’ve, but I’d have been okay — I’m tough. And it’s not the end of the world if a kiss gets refused. It happens. I never stopped to think that in your culture, a public kiss might not mean the same thing. And now …”
“We’re stuck together because of your society and the rules. Hey, it’s not my first time. My first betrothed, the witch chasing us … my future marriage to her was arranged by our parents when I was only three years old. I had no choice.”
“That’s terrible.”
“Your way is better than that, for certain.”
“Iniru,” Kurine said. “I know you like her … maybe you love her. I watch you with her, riding beside her as much as you can, talking and laughing, enjoying each other’s company. But tell me, what does she offer that I don’t? I’m pretty, too.”
“You are.” And it was true.
“I’m witty. Maybe I don’t have all her exciting skills — but she’s a killer, a trained assassin. Doesn’t that bother you?”
“Well … I’ve never really thought about it that way.” He had grown accustomed to not questioning how the Sacred Codex of the qengai worked, and it was easy to forget that Iniru was an assassin when she had never killed anyone except in self-defense — at least as far as he knew — and she hadn’t been able to bring herself to kill the Winter Child. “What she does, it’s to bring about a greater good.”
Kurine cocked an eyebrow. “If you say so …”
“Honest.”
“Sobei, give me a chance. That’s all I ask. Let me earn your love. I know I can make you happy.” She stroked a finger along his lips. “Please.” She stepped in until their bodies were touching. “Pretty please …”
She kissed him.
Maybe Lu Bei should gouge my eyes out, he thought. He returned her kiss — but briefly. “I promise I’ll give you a chance, Kurine. But Iniru is my friend. I risked everything to save her. You have to be nice to her. You must become friends with her.”
Kurine frowned, pouted, then sighed. “If that’s what it takes. Come on, we’d better head back.”
A few minutes after they returned, Kemsu and Iniru rode in carrying four rabbit-like creatures they’d killed.
“Not much game around here,” Kemsu said. “This area is over-hunted, being so close to a village. But we got dinner. The real way. Didn’t even need magic.”
Iniru snorted and dismounted.
Zaiporo skinned and butchered the creatures. Narbenu returned, carrying a block of cheese the village had given him in appreciation for the warning. They ate some of the cheese along with the raw meat. Turesobei hated the meat. The taste wasn’t the worst, but it wasn’t good either, and it was tough to chew, though the goronku and Iniru, with their sharper teeth, made quick work of it.
“You know,” Iniru said to Enashoma, “your hair has really grown out. I like it.”
Enashoma turned away from her. “I don’t want to talk to you right now.”
“What did I do?” Iniru asked.
“It’s … nothing,” Enashoma said. “I’m just not in the mood for chatter.”
Iniru turned to Turesobei. “Sobei?”
“What?” he snapped miserably.
“Oh fine,” Iniru said. “Never mind.”
“The cold,” said Motekeru, and it was the first thing he’d said all day, “is getting to all of you. Maybe you should try silence for a while. You might learn to like it.”
* * *
Three more days of riding, eating rations and some raw game, and three more nights spent in freezing snow houses flared everyone’s tempers, except Motekeru and Narbenu. The goronku was so used to these conditions as a scout that they didn’t faze him. They were now out in the true wilderness, far away from most settlements. It was an unusu
al route to take, and more dangerous, but it was the most direct route, and they didn’t want to endanger any communities.
Having just finished a late afternoon stretch and walkabout, Turesobei cast the spell of sensing presences. Their reitsu stalker didn’t appear, but Turesobei doubted he was gone. Probably he was just hanging further back. He did pick up something else.
“There’s a beast northwest of us — two hundred paces. I think it’s a sonoke.”
“I don’t see anything,” Kemsu said. “Must be in a hollow, or maybe lying behind some rocks.” Gullies and rocks had become increasingly common over the last day of riding. “But then it’s hard to see anything right now.”
The sky was deeply overcast, and a fine snow was misting down on them. The goronku considered this to be fairly heavy weather. Upon Kemsu announcing it as such, everyone from Okoro laughed, especially Iniru, who had grown up in a rainforest.
“Only one sonoke?” Narbenu asked Turesobei. “You sure?”
“He’s on the outside of my range, but I think so. Why?”
“They’re herd animals … small herds, usually. It’s not common to find one alone this time of the year, but it may have gotten lost or injured. Kemsu, you and Iniru go after it. We could use the meat. If we all go, we’ll be more likely to scare it off.”
“What about you?” Kemsu asked.
“I have … business … to attend to,” Narbenu replied, eyeing a particularly tall boulder he could hide behind.
Storm Phase Series: Books 1-3 Page 77