Gambit of the Gods

by Ashley, Angela

  We reach the main fire pit, which is already filling up. Someone lit the fire and it dances merrily, though I can't feel its warmth because of the cold fury burning within me. Some of the women are off to one side preparing the evening meal, but the rest of our fellow Clansmen and women watch solemnly from their seats as we are led into their midst and seated apart from the rest. Our guards stay standing behind us, knives still at the ready, while Whisker and Shy Mouse continue to walk until they’re across the fire from us. Another young warrior takes Whisker's place holding the knife to my sister's throat, and Whisker sits down.

  I see Spark near him. He’s watching me somberly, his older brother at his side. I stare back, wondering why he’s just letting this happen. Has his family been threatened too? I locate his father and mother in the crowd, appearing unhurt and free. Searching for Thunder Echo and Song at Sunrise, I find them among our Hunting Cat Clansmen, closely guarded by more young warriors wearing the red and black shoulder-ribbons and face paint. Song at Sunrise looks like she’s been crying. She doesn't take her eyes from my sister for a moment. Thunder Echo looks back at me, showing no emotion on his face.

  Just then, Whisker clears his throat loudly, and he, Spark, and Spark's brother Swift Blaze stand as one across the fire from us. They have the red and black ribbons and face paint as well, I note with surprise. Our guards prod us to our feet.

  "The Three have been called,” Whisker proclaims, “to stand in judgment of the accused, Little Squirrel and Artan. They stand accused of attacking one of The Three without provocation using evil Outsider witchcraft. Do the accused deny this accusation?"

  "We do," Artan and I say together.

  "You attacked us first," I add with a growl.

  Whisker just smiles and turns, oddly enough, to Spark. "You were there too, Sudden Spark. Did I at any time attack these two directly?"

  Spark blinks, careful not to make eye contact with me. I get a hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach just before he says, "I swear by the Lady that you did not."

  "A sacred oath," Whisker says, nodding solemnly.

  "You had your dead animals attack us," I argue, but Whisker just chuckles.

  "What ridiculousness is this? How could dead animals attack anyone?"

  Shaking his head as if I’ve lost my mind, he announces, "The Three have heard enough. We hereby sentence you to banishment from the People, and send you to face the Lady. We will leave for the Queensrealm at first light."

  Our guards force us to sit, but rage makes me lose control and I fight them, not knowing if I intend to attack Whisker with my bare hands or Change into my Spirit Animal in front of everyone and fly away from this madness. Whisker grabs my sister roughly by the neck, his knife hovering over the swift pulse beating at her throat. Song at Sunrise screams, a choking, horrified shriek that reminds me of the sound a dying animal makes.

  Young men and women all throughout the tense crowd with black and red ribbons decorating their shoulders silently stand in that one frenzied moment, knives glinting in the firelight, and several move to surround Thunder Echo and Song at Sunrise, their menace clear. I freeze, holding my hands up and sitting down hard to show that I mean no harm.

  Whisker gestures to them to back away from my father and his mate. They do, their knives still poised in their hands. Whisker’s knife nicked Shy Mouse’s throat, I realize numbly. A thin trail of blood dribbles down into her shirt as he pulls his knife hand away. The crowd goes silent.

  “If you wish to watch your father and your sister die, we’ll gladly indulge you,” he murmurs as if savoring the taste of every word. “Your beloved brother will die much more slowly, unfortunately, each agonized cry wrung from him as you watch. He will take several days to die, then you will endure the same treatment. The decision is yours.”

  My father’s eyes remain cold and emotionless, though his mate is sobbing brokenly beside him. He’s not angry with me, I sense—in fact, there’s a hint of pride in his eyes as we stare at one another over the heads of our enemies, both of us prepared to die for what is right. But the cost is far too high. My sister’s eyes are wide and fearful, staring at me. Turning to look at Artan, I sense his love for me and know somehow that he is not afraid to trust me in this moment. Yet looking into his love-filled eyes, I know in my soul that I cannot allow any harm to come to him while it’s within my power to save him.

  “I will do whatever you want,” I tell Whisker, bowing my head in defeat. “Please don’t hurt them.”

  “Good,” Whisker says dismissively, turning away. I sense his keen disappointment. Gesturing to a group of young men standing apart from the others, he says, “Bring them.”

  The young men walk over to the nearest hut and pull back the flap. Others wearing the ribbons and paint lead out the Elders, who move with heads held high as if walking of their own volition towards the fire pit. The crowd silently parts before them. Their guards lead them to an empty log. They sit, their ancient faces dispassionate as they calmly survey their surroundings.

  With a shock, I recall that Whisker’s own father is an Elder. I think I can tell which one by the way Whisker sneers as one of them walks by. The Elder, shorter than the others and the only one whose hair and beard isn’t pure white, doesn’t acknowledge him.

  I glare accusingly at Spark, but he looks just as shocked and appalled. Apparently, at least one of The Three was not aware that the Elders would be put on trial. He still refuses to look at me.

  Truth Seeker sits on the end of the log nearest to me. His eyes meet mine for a long moment full of meaning before they move on, seemingly aimlessly. He’s the one who gave me my name and proclaimed that Naira would be allowed to stay with me, the one who has closely followed my progress as I grew up among the People. He brought me to Prairie Blossom because he knew I needed a mother figure, and gently rebuked my foolish pranks. He’s been like the earthly representation of the Spirit Over All to me, deserving of my deepest respect. It hurts my heart to see him and the others brought low like this, their dignity profaned. Yet his spirit is at peace, and his eyes, in that long moment when they meet mine, hold love and pride.

  The guards behind the Elders prod them to their feet. Whisker, Swift Blaze and Spark stand once more. Whisker addresses the crowd, his eyes alight with his triumph.

  “The Three have been called to stand in judgment of the accused, these traitors to the People. The Lady has revealed to us the evil in their hearts. They claimed to uphold Clan purity and the Old Ways, saying it was for our own good, yet all the while, evil grew within them. But the truth has at last been revealed to us through the all-seeing eyes of our blessed Lady—they lied to us all. Their true purpose was to promote the seed of their own loins within the Clans and weaken all others because of their towering pride and arrogance.”

  The crowd murmurs uneasily at these words, for these were their leaders, and family members of the Elders sit among them. But fear of the armed young warriors scattered throughout the crowd quiets them quickly. Whisker continues as if he hadn’t heard them.

  “The power we gave them went to their heads, destroying all reason,” he says gravely. “The evil in their hearts must not be allowed to destroy our People, so we’ve had no choice but to take action.” Addressing the Elders directly, he says, “You stand before us now with one last chance to cleanse your souls of evil and join us as free men. All you need to do is declare your undying loyalty to the Lady and The Three from this point forward.”

  The Elders look as one to Truth Seeker, their leader. He stands to speak for all of them. His deep voice, as always, is calm and reassuring.

  “The only time men and women are not free is when they fail to stand up for what they believe in,” he says, deliberately looking not at The Three as he speaks, but instead addressing everyone else. “Our descendants came together to this great forest to flee the plague that ripped through their cities. Most of them would have died here if the Spirit Over All had not intervened and given us the great gift of our
Spirit Animals. He didn’t give us all the same animal, but instead gave us different animals to reflect our individual differences. We have followed the Old Ways through all these years, not intermingling bloodlines between the Clans, and we have been blessed. Yes, we have faced dire challenges, but we have overcome similar trials before. The Spirit Over All gave us the Old Ways to keep the Clans pure. Yet the Old Ways are not what is being destroyed here today.”

  Whisker says in a bored tone, “Are you going to get to the point, old man?”

  Truth Seeker continues as if he hadn’t spoken. “What is being destroyed here today is our faith.”

  The silence is so profound, I can hear the wind in the trees behind me. Whisker’s face flushes red with anger and he begins to shout, but Truth Seeker speaks right over him, and Whisker subsides.

  “Who is this Lady, who claims to be able to see what is in our hearts? Where was she when our ancestors were struggling through this forest, searching in vain for a way to feed themselves after years of soft city life? Where was she when so many of our newborns fell ill and died several summers ago of an unknown illness? If she is so powerful that she can see into men’s hearts, then she must be a goddess, but we already worship the Spirit Over All, and he never mentioned this Lady. He did mention an Evil One…”

  Whisker gestures frantically to the warriors with the red and black ribbons nearest him. They storm over and surround Truth Seeker, their knives flashing in the firelight, stopping just under his jaw. Truth Seeker stills but looks unafraid, his eyes still searching out each person lit by the firelight as if willing them to take a stand. No one moves for a long, uncomfortable moment. My heart is in my throat. Am I about to watch them murder this kind, caring man?

  Whisker’s thin lips twitch as he surveys the silent crowd and the glinting knives around Truth Seeker’s head.

  “No one blasphemes the Lady,” he grates. “The being we worshipped as Spirit Over All IS the Evil One, you old fool. The Lady is the one who has been helping us throughout our history. The Evil One murdered our infants and used your arrogance to further seek the destruction of the People by forbidding the one course of action that might save us. Look to the fire, all of you, and you will see that what I speak is the truth.”

  In a kind of horrified curiosity, I watch as the fire leaps up, towering into the sky with a life of its own. Out of the leaping flames floats the image of an impossibly beautiful woman with two shadowy wings flowing out behind her and two more imperfectly covering her provocatively nude form. Her eyes are highlighted dramatically with black, her cheeks bearing the same black and red paint as her followers. She smiles at our open-mouthed stares, seeming to enjoy the attention, then reaches out as if to embrace us all.

  “My dear children, I have been watching over you for so long.” Her voice is like that of the sweetest wood flute, lilting and pure. “I have not shown Myself to you before now because I wanted you to lead your lives, free and unconcerned by My Presence among you. But I have chosen to show Myself to you now because you are being misled by the Evil One and I fear for the continuation of My People. I have deposed the evil Elders and put The Three in their place because they are pure in heart, knowing they will lead you well. You must mate between the Clans in order to make them strong again. You must root out from among you the evil Outsider magic of this girl and her brother.” She gestures imperiously in my direction without looking at me. “And you must root out all those who secretly serve The Evil One and refuse to stand up for Me.”

  Her huge eyes, a color I’ve never seen before, soften, and I feel something strange—a feeling of strong compulsion and an overwhelming feeling of love and joy—wash over me. I fight it instinctively, tearing my eyes away from hers, watching the reaction of the crowd instead. They, too, seem strongly affected by her power, many of them standing without seeming to realize it, their hands slowly rising above their heads in mindless adoration, their eyes glazed over in ecstasy.

  Glancing at Artan, I see he’s looking at me. We huddle together, our eyes averted from the fire, while the Lady’s power washes over us in wave after powerful wave. Out of the corner of my eye, I see that Truth Seeker and the other Elders are still seated as well, looking down at the ground to avoid the compulsion in her eyes.

  “I love you more than you can ever imagine, My children. Your ancestors are here with Me in the heavens, cheering you on in your quest to follow Me. Root out the evil from among you, and I will walk closely beside you and bless you in all your ways. The choice, dear children, is yours.” Glancing over, I see her beautiful form fading, until the fire is just a fire once more. I feel a sort of loss and shake my head to clear it of her evil compulsion. I recognize the same loss written plainly on most of the faces around the fire and shiver despite the heat from the flames.

  “This is your choice,” Whisker announces, addressing the Elders. “Either stand now and declare for the Lady, or die.”

  This time, the crowd stays silent. Their eyes appear glazed, I note with growing despair; I sense nothing but awe from them, as if an afterimage of the Lady still burns within their minds.

  Truth Seeker and the other Elders say nothing.

  “Very well,” Whisker says. I sense deep satisfaction from him. “You will each be given one final choice. Either we will slit your throats here, one by one, as your families watch, or you will be allowed, one by one, to Change into your Spirit Animal and be given a head start into the forest before I send others after you. Truth Seeker, you will be first. Which do you choose?”

  Horrified, I watch this nightmare play out in front of me. But an idea begins to unfold in my mind.

  Truth Seeker, head held high, answers by beginning to unbutton his shirt. When he does, Whisker gestures to some of his followers, and they too begin to undress. They’re all from the Wolf and Hunting Cat Clans, unfortunately. Nine young, strong warriors against one old man—he has no chance, I think furiously. They will tear him apart. Unless…

  I bow my head as if in despair. Reaching out to my animal friends with my mind, I broadcast my message to as many as I can, showing them the image of what will happen next and what I need them to do, from the greatest to the smallest. Then I begin to pray. We will only have one chance at this. Thank the Spirit Over All that Truth Seeker will go first.

  The crowd parts to make a way for Truth Seeker to flee. He stands there proudly, naked and tall, his white beard gleaming in the firelight. Reaching toward the heavens, he begins to Change. I watch in fascination. I have only ever witnessed a few from my own Clan Change before, except for Spark, of course.

  He falls forward onto all fours, his skin sprouting stiff red-brown fur. His hands and feet harden into hooves and a short tail sprouts behind him. His torso and four legs elongate, his neck and shoulders widen, his jaw lengthens, and horns sprout from his head, spreading toward heaven as his hands had done. His muzzle is grey, but his eyes are alert and he holds his head regally. Pawing the ground once, he leaps away into the forest.

  Choking back a sob, I send my consciousness out to my female wolf and watch through her eyes as he darts past her. She and her pack of seven fan out in the forest facing the direction he came, and other animals of all kinds join them, flank to flank, fangs bared. Birds flutter down onto branches overhead. The forest falls eerily silent, as if it, too, lies in wait.

  Nine furry bodies shoot out of the underbrush in pursuit of Truth Seeker, heedless of the danger awaiting them. Silently, we fall upon them with teeth, claws, talons and beaks, tearing into them viciously and without mercy. The taste and savor of their blood explodes in my mind as if it were on my tongue. Growls turn to cries of pain as their blood flows freely, for these are men, long hated by those they have hunted, unable to protect themselves against an onslaught both round about them and from above as well.

  The cries of pain become whimpers, swiftly silenced. In death, they revert to their natural forms. Nine human bodies lie curled in upon themselves, their throats a bloody ruin, their bod
ies torn. Animals and birds alike make a feast of them, fighting over the choicest bits as I watch. Yet I feel no pity for my kind. They would have done the same to Truth Seeker if we had not stopped them.

  A hard slap brings me jarringly back to my own body. Whisker is standing over me, his face a thundercloud. I clasp my cheek and glare up at him.

  “How dare you act against the will of the Lady!” he snarls, hauling me to my feet, shaking me in his rage. My hands are tied behind my back so all I can do is try to keep from falling. His hands go around my neck and he tightens them, cutting off the air from my lungs. I stare up at his mad little eyes, choking, tears running out of the corners of my eyes as my vision blurs and dims.

  “Stop it! The Lady wants her alive!”

  I hear Spark’s voice from far away, but the fingers around my neck loosen. As I gasp, desperately gulping air, I see he’s grabbed Whisker’s wrists. Spark stares him down and Whisker backs away, hands up as if in surrender. Spark catches me before I fall and cradles me in his arms protectively as I fight to breathe. I sense sorrow, shame, anger, need and confusion fighting within him.

  In one swift motion, Whisker’s fist comes down, hitting Artan full in the mouth. Artan falls over the back of the log and hits the ground, unmoving. Blood trickles from the corner of his lips.

  “Artan!” I cry, fighting Spark to get to him. He lets me go and I fall awkwardly to my knees beside Artan, bending over to nudge him with my nose since my hands are still tied behind my back. He groans and turns his head to spit blood onto the ground.

  “Stand her up,” Whisker commands his followers. Strong arms drag me to my feet. I try to fight them but they pinion me between them until I can no longer move. Whisker, his smile taunting now, moves to stand in front of me. I see Spark behind him, helping Artan back onto the log.