"This small one. She is always curious. She seeks pretty things to play with. She finds the arrows and brings one to me. I go in search of the owner."
"Why search?"
Storm's swiftly moving fingers explained his reasoning and the warrior nodded. The Nitra reached out, moving slowly and gently with one hand while he signed with the other.
"She is like horse? She is spirit friend to you?"
"Yes."
The long slender fingers touched Hing's coarse fur, stroked her back cautiously. Hing rolled over in Storm's arms so that her belly could be tickled and the Nitra gave a small grunting chuckle. From those watching came similar sounds. The Nitra dropped to a squat. Storm followed suit, Hing swarming up to sit on his shoulder.
"Our Thunder-Drummer sent us. She says we must find one whom spirits have chosen. We are to bring that one back to our camp. She will speak to that one of great danger that walks the land."
"Danger?" Storm's fingers queried.
"Death comes out of the desert lands. Many die. More are found dead each time. They not cry to their clan for aid. There is no sign they fought to live. They seem to die in their sleep. Only bones are left. At first only those far from camp died. Herders, hunters. Females on name-trial. Then those who sleep alone in camps. Now all fear to sleep alone. Even those who sleep by a campfire die. We leave the desert, forsake our own clan lands, when one of our warriors wakes at first light. He celebrated a good hunt with food and zerel beer. He is a warrior, he slept well but would have woken at a cry. He finds his mate is stripped bones beside him. It is horror past bearing and the clan flees."
Storm bowed his head. He could taste the horror that must have been. "What did that warrior do?"
"He prayed to the Thunder the next night, then killed himself to lie with his mate." The slit-eyed pupils widened as they studied Storm. "You know of this Death-Which-Comes?"
"We know. We seek ways to destroy it. Our wise ones say we must know its spirit before it can be destroyed."
The warriors around him nodded approval. "Your wise ones are truly wise. So say those amongst us Who-Drum-Thunder. Our Thunder-Drummer says to bring you to talk with her. You will come with us?"
Storm considered that. It was what he'd been hoping for a week ago when he thought of taking the Carraldos to talk with Nitra under peace poles. No one at the ranch expected him back for days. He'd stay on the alert, write a note quietly and give it to Baku. If anything happened to him he'd order her return to Brad. There was also the thought that right now the Nitra were asking him politely. If he refused they might insist—not so politely.
Normally the Nitra fought anything that wasn't Nitra. This time they'd approached him almost as someone who could be a friend. They were warriors and not fools. Nor were their medicine men and women, Those-Who-Drum-Thunder. If they wanted him to talk with them it was possible he'd be allowed to depart again in one piece. He asked. Fingers flicked agreement.
"You come and talk, then go in peace. That is our Thunder-Drummer's word."
Storm stood slowly, letting them see he intended no attack. "I ride with warriors. We talk of Death-Which-Comes-in-the-Night. Maybe we learn from each other. To learn is good."
The leader nodded, signing, "To learn is good. We ride. Call your spirit friends. They will come with us."
Storm signed back, "The bird flies, the large furred one follows on foot, the small one rides with me. Is that good?"
"It is good."
The oldest warrior mounted, then leaned down to give orders to his comrades. He led off and Storm followed, Hing nestled against his chest as they rode. Surra padded along quietly as Baku swung on leisurely wings overhead. Behind them three warriors made sure that the pitiful bones were sent to the Spirits, as was custom. They mourned briefly according to ritual before they, too, followed. They caught up with their leader and the human close to midday, when they made a brief camp.
At another camp, Tani had heard the same request. She looked around at the earnest faces. They were alien but she could feel the sorrow for their dead, the fear of their own lands turned against them. She lifted her hands to sign.
"My kin will worry. I should return to them today. But I can send my bird to tell my kin not to fear. I will tell them I ride with warriors who will protect me."
The Nitra leader breathed out. Praise be to the Thunder. The female's name-trial had ended this morning. Their offense in asking her to ride with them was that much less and—he had an idea.
"You ride with us in safety, I swear. Our Thunder-Drummer will listen to you, give you a new name for the clan. All shall be well."
Tani grinned happily. That was great. Her father had told her of such naming customs when she was small. Her own ancestor, Wolf Sister, had received that name because of courage in raids upon the Kiowa. Tani's father had always been very proud of his bloodline. Her fingers moved.
"I shall be proud to take a new clan name from your Thunder-Drummer. Wait a very short time. I will speak to my bird. She flys to my clan to tell them I am safe. I return soon?"
"Maybeso five days."
Tani laughed. "I say six," her fingers said. "Maybeso I spend a little time with friends."
Around her the Nitra's eyes met. This one was surely the one they'd been sent to find. She was fearless, naming them as friends who were warriors feared by the settlers and Norbie tribes alike. She was like no other human they had ever known in their lifetimes. They sat in silence as Tani gave the message. Mandy drifted into the sky and was gone. The leader watched her out of sight, then turned to the girl.
"Will the bird find you if we ride?"
"She will find me. We ride now?"
A nod was the reply and Tani stood, reaching for her gear. The Nitra noted her movements as she packed swiftly. They saw experience in the way she tucked the items away without hesitation, each in the correct place. Tani hefted the pad-saddle and bridle, then walked to where she knew her mount was grazing out of sight. The warriors had not sought out the female's horse. One horse was like another. They followed Tani now, to gape incredulously as the filly answered the girl's call. What was this? No horse they had ever seen wore horns such as this. Nor had they ever seen one of silver with eyes that turned, lavender as the sky, to study them in turn.
They saw the horned head lower to nuzzle the girl. Tani hugged the thick, powerful neck, whispering to the filly. "I'm going to call you Destiny. Look what's happened and all because we went riding together."
The filly snorted softly. Then she stamped a warning at the gaping Nitra warriors. No one rode her whom she did not approve. It had been so with humans, it would be so with these not-people. The Nitra leader backed a pace obediently. The female had strong protectors. No wonder she could wander without fear.
Tani read the warning. She turned as she mounted, signing to the Nitra leader. "My horse is also a warrior. I ride her who is my spirit friend. Those who are not spirit friends to her cannot so ride."
The leader nodded. It was seen. Nor did he wish to lose a man to the strange beast. He'd read her attitude; unlike horses, which rarely attacked, this mount would kill happily. He had no knowledge of Astra, the world from which the duocorns came. It was lush and fertile in most places, but it hosted many very formidable predators, and the duocorns had evolved as herbivores but also as fighters, eager to protect their own lives and those of their foals. The warrior spoke firmly to his subordinates as they fetched his and their own ponies. They should leave the female's horse alone. Let her care for it, let her ride the beast. The Thunder had sent her to them, let them not anger the Thunder. Behind his back the youngest warrior scowled angrily. He had killed his enemy. He was not to be ordered like a child.
On the back of her Destiny Tani looked down, waiting. The leader swung up and led them slantwise down the long slope heading toward the Peaks, where the clan now had their camp. They had no time to waste; he shifted his mount to a rocking canter with a nudge of his heels. Five riders accompanied by two coyo
tes headed toward the mountains. One-Who-Drummed-Thunder waited.
A short time later a paraowl planed in to a landing by an agitated Kady. "Mandy!" She called her husband. "Brion, come quickly. Mandy's just flown in. She must have a message."
Her husband appeared running. Logan and his father arrived at the call. They'd been almost as worried as the Carraldos. Logan had ridden to the Zamle clan of the Shosonna tribe and even now his friends were scouring the edge of the Basin for signs of the missing girl. Both Quades knew of the filly's ferocity. They feared for Tani despite Kady's assurances that with her Beast Master gifts Tani would have taken the filly only if the mount had accepted her. Kady waited until they were standing by her, then turned to the paraowl.
"Give message to Kady."
Mandy spoke in a voice in which the inflections and manner of speech were all Tani's.
"Aunt Kady. I'm sorry but I just had to go for a ride. I met four of the natives and they've asked me to their camp. I think they want to talk about that killer thing. I'll be back in six days. Don't worry, they've said they'll take good care of me, and they're really nice. Oh, and I took the silver filly from the corral. I hope that's all right with Mr. Quade. She's behaving very well and she's wonderful to ride. I love you both and I'll be back soon."
The paraowl eyed the stunned people before rising quickly into the air. She ignored cries to wait. She'd delivered her message, now she'd find Tani again. This world was providing Mandy with more interest than there'd been for her in many months of ship traveling. The live food she was finding here was far better than the mix she was given aboard ship, too. If she stayed with her human's family they'd only have her speak her message over and over. She knew about humans. She was gone, leaving four people to stare at each other.
Mandy caught up with her human just as the small group rested at midday. Destiny wasn't tired, but the Nitra mounts had been worked hard for several days before Tani's tracks had appeared; they must be rested. To the Nitra, horses were almost as precious as the secret water holes of the desert tribes. The Norbies who lived in the more fertile land and often worked for the settlers could obtain horses by trading or as payment for herding work. The wild tribes had nothing to do with humans and preferred it that way. The only drawback was that they thus had far fewer chances to obtain horses.
Most of those they did get were stolen—from the more civilized tribes or the settlers. Life in the Big Blue was ferociously hard. Nitra died, and so did their mounts all too often. The four warriors traveling with Tani eyed the silver filly with awe and envy. Tani was aware of both emotions, and through her the filly also knew the feelings. She showed off while the other mounts rested, standing hipshot in meager shade. The youngest warrior stood first once they were ready to ride on.
He moved to one side toward the coveted mount. Then, acting as if he were just about to stroke her, he reached out. His hand closed about the bridle rein. This was only a young mare, even though she was beautiful. He was a horseman from the moment he'd been born. But on Astra the duocorns contended with predatory birds similar to giant eagles, they were also preyed upon by huge fast-moving lizards and cat-like animals. They had developed the reflexes, muscles, and fighting spirit as well as the weapons to handle them. They ate grass as herbivores but their attitudes were those of predators.
On the Terra now gone there'd been other herbivores that it was unsafe to anger. But the young Nitra had never heard of elephants, nor would he have believed the warnings. The filly was young and smaller than most of her purebred kin, but there was no lack of speed, power, or will to fight. The warrior ignored her readiness. He'd ride her a little, show the human female that the Nitra were warriors.
He had no chance to show Tani anything except how he could die. As he leaped for the filly's back, Destiny struck with savage speed and lethal intent. Her head dropped, then swept upward as her horns slashed open his chest. She seized his shoulder in razor teeth and flung him down, and as he fell her hooves drummed a death tattoo. Then she stood in feral alert, waiting to see which of the natives would approach her next.
Tani had sprung to her feet as the filly struck. She reached her first and spun to stand before Destiny. Her hands stumbled through frantic signs.
"Do not harm her."
From the brush Minou and Ferarre snarled a soft warning. One wrong move and they too would fight. From the skies Mandy saw her human below and dropped to join her, only to shear upward again as she read the danger. She hovered above them, her deep sweet piercing cry also a threat to any who would hurt her human friend. Destiny stamped in warning. Then she spat. The taste of not-people blood in her mouth was disgusting. The action was so Nitra-like and so unexpected that the leader jumped. Then, slowly, he began to smile.
Mentally he was assessing the situation. If that stupid one had not been killed by the filly, he might have had to slay him anyhow. No leader could afford a warrior in his group who directly defied him. The boy had been overproud and too quick to act. Sooner or later he'd have died, or gotten one of the others killed. It was better he was the dead one. They'd take the body back, that they owed the boy and their clan. As for the female and her mount. . . His fingers twisted as he admired the ready stance of Destiny, Tani, and her team. They were warriors, and the Nitra admired none more than a true warrior. He signed, speaking the words at the same time.
"We do not hurt the horse." His words were warning to his comrades as much as reassurance to Tani. "The horse did right. I ordered that foolish one not to touch her. He chose to disobey me, who was his leader. He paid the price for his stupidity and disobedience. The horse's spirit is strong. You stay with us? We ride again for clan camp?"
Tani sighed in relief. Somehow she was sure that was all the truth. She signed agreement and followed as the leader walked his mount off down a winding animal trail. Behind them the body was bundled into its blanket and tied to the pony. Then they trotted in pursuit of the two ahead.
That night the native mounts were leg-weary and hungry. They camped early so that they might graze. Minou found them all a small supply of water, cupped in a large, half-hollowed stone. They drank sparingly while admiring the coyote's abilities. After the day's ride they were out into the desert fringes. Any water found was a blessing from the Thunder. The Nitra leader marked the spot in his mind. Another day's ride and they would be in the new valley the tribe had taken for their own.
Tani unsaddled Destiny and went hunting grass hens. With the coyotes' aid she found enough to feed the three of them. She looked at the bodies, hung them in a nearby Erlan bush, and gave the signal to continue. Mandy was swooping happily on rock-mice and had fed well. She ignored further hunting, drifting off to sit on a bush and digest her dinner. The coyotes looked up, then spread out again. Tani gathered more stones and finally added two more grass hens to her bag. She returned to lay them down by the warrior's supplies.
"Share this food. Save our dried food until it's needed."
The grass hens were accepted with enthusiasm. Dusk was approaching but something was making Tani nervous. She moved and moved again, looking around and behind her. The Nitra saw and queried her discomfort.
"I don't know," Tani signed back. "There's a strange feeling in the air. Some sort of danger. We should go from this place." They eyed her. "Perhaps the thing that kills in the night comes. I only know death is close to us."
She'd been reluctant to speak in case they thought her silly. But her father had often said it was better to be wary than careless. Better to have the living laugh than the family weep over their dead. The Nitra leader seemed to be taking her seriously.
"From which way do you feel death comes?"
Tani stood and looked around, trying to feel the answer. At first she could not be sure, then it was as if a signal strengthened. Her hand rose to point. "From out of the desert, I feel it from that way."
There was no discussion. The leader twittered several words to the other Nitra and the camp was packed again. The indignant
horses were saddled and riders and beasts departed, heading briskly away from the perceived danger. The new camp was less comfortable, but they slept unharmed. Soon after dawn Tani woke to see one of the Nitra warriors slipping from the camp. He returned just as the swankee was ready. The leader waited, listening to the report. Then he turned to look at Tani. It was a long slow considering look with a hint of awe.
He did not need to tell the female how many other Nitra rode in search for one marked by the Thunder. But one such four-group had found the old camp and taken it as their own. The warrior who had returned had seen them. They lay, heaps of fresh bones around the ashes of the fire. Taken by that which kills in the night. Taken in place of the three who had listened to the female. They owed her three lives of the clan. A blood-debt must always be paid. Moving deliberately, he drank from his mug until every drop of the precious drink was gone. Then he squatted and waited until her attention was focused on him.
He made a sign with his fingers. Tani followed the motions. They were new to her and her fingers said so. There was a moment's stillness, then the leader signed again, slowly.
"You shared your food and drink with us. You saved our lives with wisdom given you by the Thunder. Those who came to the camp we left, they lie dead. One to whom the Thunder speaks warning is an honored warrior. We are warriors. I lead. It is proper I share my small-name with you. I—" Again his fingers twisted. "In clan I am known as Mafiikyy. It means one who jumps high."
Tani was interested. "Why did you jump?"
The other warriors who did not know the finger-talk so well had been following the signs as best they could. They saw from Tani's face what the question had been and for the first time she heard native laughter. It was a soft spluttering sound and her happy gurgle mixed with it.
The signs flickered again. "I was young. I killed a bird, the mountain flyer. It is no easy prey even for a warrior, and this one was large of its kind. I took the claws for a necklace. I thought myself a great hunter. I showed the claws around our clan fire. I stood up that night and tell everyone of how I killed the flyer. It is true it is a strong fighter, but perhaps I boast too much. I sit down again on my blanket. Rock-mouse has crawled into a fold for warmth. I sit on the rock-mouse. He is angry and bites me very hard. I jump very high, yell very loud in surprise. So I am given that as a small-name. You understand, do your people have small-names?"
Beast Master's Ark Page 9