Blood Rain

by Nancy Gray

  “Stealer of Secrets, what took you so long?”

  Mercy snapped, “Good to see you too, Green Arrow. Stand aside. I need to talk to my father.”

  “Now that you’re here, he’s not your father yet. There has to be a ceremony first. Just because the beasts attacked us, doesn’t mean that we’re throwing all of our traditions away. Our traditions are part of what makes our people who we are, and I won’t see them disrespected.”

  “Funny, I would think that you have too much to worry about already than to argue semantics with me. Very well, I’m going to see the chieftain now, if you’ll stop blocking my way.”

  “Well, now that you’re back, perhaps you would like to accompany me for a walk. I have something I would like to discuss with you alone. A proposition.”

  “If this is the same proposition you usually want to discuss with me, you can forget it. I learned a lot of interesting things while I was in Concord, and if I were to leave by myself with you, only one of us would be coming back.”

  Mercy felt her muscles shaking with rage as she spoke.

  Green Arrow smiled in an infuriating way. “As spirited as ever, I see. Even the most prideful spirit can be broken.”

  Erebus glared down at him. “Are you threatening her? I will not stand by and let you threaten my Mistress. Mistress, may I deal with him for you?”

  “That won’t be necessary.”

  Green Arrow scowled. “Who is your friend, or should I say your servant?”

  Mercy felt ill. She had forgotten to come up with a fake name for Erebus. To her surprise, he spoke up for her.

  “I’m called Walks in Darkness. Mind of Mercy saved me from my cruel master in Concord. I owe her my life.”

  Erebus’ arms wrapped around Mercy’s waist, and she felt his head resting against her shoulder for a moment. She glanced at him, and from the corner of her eye she saw the smug smile on his face, and it brought a smile to her own. She wasn’t sure if Erebus could simply tell how much she hated Green Arrow or if he hated him for his arrogance, but he was clearly delighted with Green Arrow’s jealousy almost as much as she was. Mercy reached up and ran a hand through Erebus’ golden hair and then planted a kiss in the corner of his mouth. She felt a flush of pleasure and embarrassment from him, but overall, he was relishing Green Arrow’s furious reaction.

  Green Arrow snapped, “He’s not one of our people. You can’t marry him, especially now that you’re acknowledged as the chieftain’s daughter.”

  Mercy laughed. “You said yourself that there has to be a ceremony first, and who said anything about marriage?”

  She ran another hand through Erebus’ hair and he took her hand and kissed the back of it. She waved goodbye to Green Arrow as she brushed past him. Erebus and Green Arrow stared at one another with mutual loathing until the crowd closed in behind them. Green Arrow’s hatred was a tornado in an open field; there was nothing he could take his rage out on and that infuriated him further. The impotence of his rage made Mercy laugh aloud.

  Erebus laughed as well. “What an officious prick. That was the most fun I’ve had since this whole thing started. Do you have any other enemies I can pick a fight with?”

  “Just Green Arrow. I was serious about what I said. I could kill him. I found out recently that he was responsible for the death of someone I cared about. I’ve wanted to do something like that for a long time. Thank you.”

  “Trust me, it was my pleasure.”

  Mercy said, “Don’t forget, you’re not allowed to physically fight anyone according to our pact. When you challenged him like that, I thought that you were really going to attack him.”

  “I knew you wouldn’t let me, but I really wanted to fight him. Maybe we could make another pact so he could be an exception to that rule.”

  Mercy smiled. “We’ll see.”

  The large tent that was acting like a new chieftain’s hall was made in the style of the other tents of the Desert People, only much larger and more colorful. Up close, she could see that it was made from the hides of multiple horse sized lizards, and they varied in coloration from brown to glass green. Some were even whitish blue like the reflection of the glass dunes around them. She saw a large lizard skull over the archway, with teeth in several rows like those of a shark.

  She could hear her father and the elders arguing in the common language from the outside, though it was muffled by the thick, hide-covered entryway. They were talking about the war with the beast men, the potential cause of the rain, and the elders were trying to enlist the help of the Desert People in the war. The desert dwellers were clearly not interested, and Mercy couldn’t blame them. She pushed her head against the flap and listened to the conversation.

  “I still think we should wait at least two more days to see if my daughter was successful.”

  One of the elders said, “You’re just stalling now. We sympathize with your loss, but she failed to earn her waranin. She was brave to go searching for the cause of the rain, but it’s clear that she failed.”

  Mercy threw back the flap. “With all due respect, Sir, she didn’t.”

  14

  Mercy’s father’s jumped back in shock. Confusion ran through the circle of elders as she boldly walked into the room. She glanced around at the gathering. There were far too few. There were only thirteen from her village in the group, and what looked like five dark skinned men with light colored cloaks and brightly colored clothing.

  The hair of the men was about the same color as their cloaks, long and whitish brown. She guessed they were the Desert People. There was also one young girl about Mercy’s age with them, with golden hair and matching golden eyes but the same tanned skin. Something about her bearing reminded Mercy of a cat, watching everything with an intense curiosity but remaining relaxed and calm all the same. The Desert People regarded Mercy politely, but the elders regarded her only with cold glances.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt. I heard that the chieftain needed to talk to me, and when I heard what you were discussing, I felt the need to correct you.”

  The elder that she addressed was called Wandering Soul. He was as shriveled as a raisin, and his brown hair was short and thinning, giving his head the look of an old coconut. Mercy tried not to concentrate on the image. It made her want to giggle. She wondered if the events of the trip were finally getting to her as she fought back against hysterical laugher. Wandering Soul didn’t look amused.

  Wandering Soul scowled. “Is something about this situation funny to you, Stealer of Secrets?”

  “No, Elder. I apologize.”

  “Well, we can see that you did make it. But, you know the rules. You shouldn’t have disrupted a meeting, and you don’t bring outsiders in on village matters either.”

  Erebus spoke up. “I go where Mind of Mercy goes. I’m her bodyguard, in her debt since she saved my life.”

  Mercy glanced around the room. “And, begging your pardon, but it seems you’ve brought outsiders into our affairs as well.”

  Her father grinned widely and said, “Your point is relevant. Very well, Mind of Mercy, did you complete your quest?”

  “Yes. I know the cause of the rain.”

  The young girl with the golden eyes turned in her direction, regarding her with almost frightening intensity.

  Wandering Soul smirked as though he didn’t believe her. “And what did you discover.”

  Mercy took a deep breath. “Magic has resurfaced in the world, and the storm was created by an outside force…”

  Before she could continue, the room exploded with accusations. She heard elders shouting everything from the Ashen People, to conspiracies between other nations and the bat tribe. Several others were vehemently denying that she knew what she was talking about and that she had to be mistaken. Wandering Soul was shouting for war. He said that the storm was clearly caused by the bat tribe, and that they were going to finish the survivors off if the desert tribe didn’t deal with them first.

  Mercy shouted, “I’m not
finished!”

  Everyone looked at her, shocked. She took advantage of their stunned silence.

  “I know that the storm wasn’t created by the bat tribe or the Ashen capital. I don’t know who caused it, but I can find out. I had to leave before I could find out any more information though, because I had to come and warn you. The Ashen capital knows about what happened to our village. They’re going to come here to see what remains of our tribe, and if they see what I saw on the way here, all of us will be slaves to the capital before we can go to war with anyone.”

  Wandering Soul said in fury, “How did they find out?”

  Catches the Eye quickly said, “Who cares how they found out? We should be thankful that we were given a warning in time. If you don’t mind, I would have a word with my daughter alone before we continue. I also think that all of us need to calm down and discuss this like rational leaders. It’s sad that Mercy, who is still barely considered an adult, is acting more mature than any of us right now. Until further notice, everyone may go, except for Mirilee.”

  The girl with the golden eyes looked up and nodded in silence. Everyone walked slowly out of the tent, muttering to themselves, until Mercy, Erebus, and her father were alone in the tent with the girl. To Mercy’s surprise, her father rushed up to her and hugged her, picking her up and spinning her like she was a little girl again. Mercy felt herself beginning to cry.

  “Mind of Mercy, I’m so glad that you’re okay. I knew you would succeed. I didn’t want to pronounce you dead, but the elders were insisting you should’ve been back.”

  “I understand. I’m just glad I made it back in time to warn you.”

  The golden haired girl slowly approached and bowed slightly. “My name is Mirilee. I came with some of my people’s warriors, because I had a vision that your tribe was in need. I was also sent on a mission from my people to investigate the cause of the storm.”

  The girl’s accent was odd even though she was speaking in the common tongue. Mercy was able to catch most of what she said immediately.

  “My name is Mind of Mercy, but you can call me Mercy. It sounds like we were on the same mission. My mentor said you wanted to see me.”

  Mirilee nodded. “When the storm reached us, it created a dust devil that swirled with red, bloody sand. My people thought it was a terrible omen and we suspected it was caused by something unnatural. I believe you, about magic resurfacing, but it might take more convincing for some.”

  Her father shivered. “Is it true?”

  Mercy nodded. “From what I’ve observed, yes.”

  “I’ll need you to tell me everything.”

  Mercy glanced at Mirilee and asked, “In front of her?”

  “Yes. She can be trusted, and she needs to tell her people what happened as much as you need to tell us.”

  Mercy took a deep breath and sat down. Erebus sat beside her, looking at the ground. She could feel his apprehension. He was worried that she was going to tell them his secret, and he was right to be afraid because it was exactly what she intended to do. She needed her father’s help to save her people along with Erebus,’ so she would have to tell the chieftain the entire truth no matter how dangerous it could be for both of them.

  Her father and Mirilee were silent through most of her story, only occasionally stopping her to ask a question. All of them spoke in whispers to make sure that no one could hear them by listening at the walls of the tent. Even Erebus seemed rapt with the story, especially the part where she was talking to Carmine, and the story that Wind Dancer had told her about what happened the night that her brother disappeared.

  By the end of the story, Catches the Eye was slouching in his chair, running his hands through his hair. Every now and again, he would look up and glare suspiciously at Erebus. Erebus just shrugged or pretended not to notice his accusatory gaze. Mirilee was also looking at Erebus, but her expression was one of fascination, like a bird examining a shiny object.

  Catches the Eye groaned. “I never should’ve sent you alone. So, if I understood you correctly, we have about five days to make ourselves look entirely recovered or the Ashen capital is going to send soldiers to capture us?”

  “It depends on how much time Pyron bought for us, but he’s probably told the Ashen capital by now.”

  “And, you need me to somehow stop the rest of our tribe from retaliating against the beast men so we can focus on the threat from the Ashen people?”

  “Yes. More bloodshed isn’t going to save anyone or bring anyone back, and right now the Ashen capital is more dangerous.”

  Her father began to pace. “But what would you have me do? If I say that we need to go back to the village, the people will be furious. They need to attack the beast men, not because it’s what’s best for them, but because they need a way to release the rage that they feel. Green Arrow is going to incite a rebellion against me if I tell them to call off the attack.”

  Mercy swallowed hard. “Then, we need to give them something else to focus on. It needs to be something to distract them from their anger at you and direct their anger to something they can all hate, besides the beast men.”

  “And what in this world would that be?”

  “Me.”

  Erebus and her father asked at the same time, “What?”

  “You’ll tell them that I trusted a man from the Ashen capital. You can even lie and say that I was smitten with him and told him our secrets as a lover. Say whatever you think will make them hate me the most and show that I’m the one responsible for the situation that we’re in. And, when you’ve done that, you’ll publicly exile me from the tribe.”

  Mirilee stammered. “But, that would be horrible. You nearly died to save your people. Chieftain, you couldn’t…”

  “No. I couldn’t do that to my own daughter. The others would be furious with her. Some of them might even try to kill her. It’s out of the question.”

  Mercy shook her head. “It’s the only way. It’ll make you look strong to banish your own heir, and it’ll show that we’re still strong enough to keep our laws and traditions. They need to know that we’re still a proud people. Just knowing that will give them the attitude they need to face the Ashen spies.”

  “Even if I did banish you, how could we prove that we’re still strong in the eyes of the Ashen people and in the eyes of the bat tribe?”

  “I’ve been thinking of that since I left Concord. First, you need to bury the dead in a mass grave to hide the number of people killed. This includes the members of the bat race. Bury all the remains when you get back.”

  “We were planning to do that anyway, but just covering how many we lost isn’t going to be enough to…”

  “Next, you need to assemble orphans, warriors, and hunters. Send them to kill a behemoth.”

  Mirilee’s eyes glittered with a feral light. “That’s quite a challenge, even for a full tribe of people. I’ve seen one once. Even though they don’t live in the desert, you can hear them bellowing. It echoes for miles.”

  Catches the Eye frowned. “What good will killing a behemoth do? It’s too dangerous. We’ll lose too many warriors.”

  “It will show them that we’re still strong. And, if the orphans that assist survive, then they’ll become honorary warriors, so you’ll gain more than you lose. When you’ve killed it, drag the body back to the village and use the meat to feed the wounded and tan the hide. When the Ashen spies see the hide drying they’ll know that it’s a fresh kill. They’ll know you were still strong enough even after the attack to kill a minor god.”

  Erebus asked, “God?”

  Mercy explained. “Our people respect and revere nature. In our culture, killing a behemoth is like challenging a god. Its spirit is revered, and the warriors that kill it are heroes.”

  Catches the Eye stopped pacing and sat down. “But we still can’t hide the fact that we lost so many people.”

  “How long ago did the Ashen people actually send someone to speak to us or to try to show that they re
spected us?”

  Catches the Eye said bitterly, “It was decades ago, before I became chieftain.”

  “From what Pyron said about what he knew of you, it sounds like they only know rumors about our tribe. So, when they actually came here, our population was much smaller than it is now. They have no reason to believe that our village would be much bigger. They probably think that our lives are so rough and that we’re so primitive that we haven’t grown as a tribe at all.”

  “You’re probably right.”

  “I went through the remains of our village and figured out which buildings were beyond salvaging. The only one that is beyond repair is the chieftain’s hall. The orphans’ commune would make a good hospital for the wounded. Everyone else could assist in cutting down lumber and repairing the buildings.”

  Catches the Eye gasped. “By the forest gods, this could actually work.”

  Erebus spoke up. “There’s one other thing that you need.”

  Catches the Eye scowled at him but asked, “And what is that, Beast?”

  Erebus ignored the insult. “Good presentation. Present yourselves as being as savage as possible. One of the things the beast men do to frighten your people is to try to look terrifying. Have your people decorate themselves with more face paint and tattoos. Tell them to glare at and threaten anyone that gets too close. And you, being the reasonable leader, should present yourself as the only sane member of your tribe.”

  Catches the Eye was rubbing his chin, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

  Mirilee grinned. “Listen to them, chieftain. They’re smarter than any of the elders that I’ve seen here.”

  “I know that you can do it, father. If there’s anything you know how to do, it’s how to make an impression. The spies will be disguised as aid workers. Don’t show them the wounded. Make it seem like the casualties were minimal, and that we don’t need their aid. Offer to trade with them, but don’t take anything from them for free.”