Denna’s expression was sympathetic. “What is your tribe? I’ve never heard you speak of them.”
“It is a small tribe.” Feather was about to say softly, “The Wobans,” when she caught herself. “Hana says it is best if I forget my old home and think only of the Blens now.”
“That is true. I am not so sad when I think of this tribe as my family.”
“You were not born a Blen either?”
“Who is born a Blen?”
“Well, Tarni.”
Denna smiled. “Yes. Tarni is the first baby I’ve ever known to be allowed to live with the Blens.”
“Weren’t there other babies in the past?”
“Yes, but the mothers had to get rid of them or leave the tribe. They would rather snatch older children, like you, who can march and do the slave work. I was your age when they took me. It seems so long ago now.”
Denna’s eyes grew misty, and Feather was shocked to find herself wondering if she could trust Denna. Perhaps they could be friends after all.
The bushes rustled, and the great panther slid between the lowest branches. Denna gasped and pulled her legs up under her.
“Make him go away!”
Tag’s laugh preceded him into their sanctuary. He put his hand on Patch’s head. “Lie down, boy.” As the cat stretched out, he said to Denna, “He won’t hurt you unless I want him to.”
Denna squinted up at him, and her expression was no longer wistful but awed. “How did you get such power over him?”
Tag smiled and sat down beside Feather. “Ah, that is a secret.”
Denna was clearly not satisfied. “Read, then.” She thrust the book into his hands. “I don’t know how you rule the cat, but there is something very, very strange about you.”
Chapter Fourteen
The Woban hunters were two days journey from home when they found the isolated farm.
Karsh was out with Hunter, Shea, Neal, and Hardy this time. He was feeling very good, as he had shot a large hare that morning with his bow. The men had found plenty of small game but had yet to make a large kill that would provide a good meat supply for the village.
“It’s a homestead,” Hardy said in wonder, as they looked down on the cabin and fenced pasture below them in the shadow of the hill.
“I never would have guessed this was here,” Shea said. “Let’s go and meet these people.”
“We’ll scare them if we all march up to the door,” Neal said.
“I’ll go,” said Hunter. “The rest of you wait here.”
He returned a quarter of an hour later to where Karsh and the men waited in the shade.
“They seem like good people,” Hunter reported. “And the man knew about us. Can you believe it?”
“How?” asked Shea.
“He said he saw our smoke last fall when he was out hunting. He didn’t dare come near, but he suspected someone was living up our valley.”
“How many folk are here?” Neal asked.
“Just him and his wife and their three children.”
“A dangerous place to homestead,” Shea said with a frown.
“They have been here five years. I told them if they ever need refuge to come to our village. And they might be interested in trading with us. The wife would like to get some fleece.”
They left the secluded valley, and an hour later they came upon a herd of elk. Karsh was glad, since it meant they would soon head home. As much as he had longed to hunt with the men, he found that he missed his reading lessons terribly. With Hardy and Hunter, he spent many hours studying the history books and planning to build one of the siege engines pictured. He was certain they could do it. He thought about the diagrams in the book as he walked along behind Hunter.
When they returned to the village on the first clear day following their hunt, Karsh slipped away from the village and returned to the berry patch where Feather had been captured. It seemed different now that they had excavated the cellar hole.
He entered the thicket and peeked out down the hillside, as he had the day the Blens took Feather.
“I will find you, Feather,” he said aloud.
He stood still for a long time. The wind blew chilly from the river. The young grass rippled. The berry bushes were leafing out, but had not yet blossomed. How would he find Feather? He could not expect to help her by staying in the safety of the village. Would he have to go off on his own, southward toward where the Blens wintered, hoping to intercept the band that held her?
Karsh looked up toward the ridge. Somewhere up there, Rand was keeping watch. Had he seen him cross the ridge and come down here? If so, he was probably angry and would scold him for going off by himself. Karsh felt very small and alone.
When he climbed the ridge again, he was surprised to find Hunter waiting for him at the crest. Karsh looked along the high ground and saw Rand farther up.
“You are thinking of Feather,” said Hunter.
Karsh nodded. “Did you follow me?”
“Yes. I was concerned about you.”
Karsh walked ahead of him down the steep trail. Before they reached the village the path widened, and Hunter came up beside him.
“Be comforted to know she is alive.”
Karsh bit his lip. Yes, she was alive at some point after she left them. She had made an arrow for the Blens last fall. That did not mean she had survived the winter.
“It is not enough,” he said.
Hunter sighed. “Be patient, Karsh.”
L ate that night, Karsh woke in the lodge. He heard the soft murmur of voices.
“The boy mourns inside for his sister,” Sam said.
“Yes. They were very close.” It was Hunter’s voice.
“The Blens took two boys from outside my town once,” Sam said sadly. “It was back a while, before the final attack when the entire town was destroyed. We chased after the Blens and tried to get the boys back, but the warriors were too strong. The boys’ families were killed in the raid.”
“How long ago?”
“Oh, it’s been two or three years. I never expect to see them again. As it turned out, they may be better off with the Blens than they would have been at home. Our town was ransacked and burned last year, and few survived.”
“You lost your family then,” Hunter said.
“Yes.”
The men fell silent. Karsh squeezed his eyes tight shut to keep the tears back. The people where Sam had lived might be weak, but Feather was strong. She would live, even among the vicious Blens, and he would see her again. He would not stop hoping.
Chapter Fifteen
"They are talking about your tribe again!"
Tag seized Feather’s hand and pulled her into the woods. “They are going to attack them. I heard Lex and Dell talking about it.”
Feather clenched her fists. “That Denna! She must have told them about my tribe.”
“What did you tell her?”
“Not much. Just that they are a small village. But even that was too much. Lex is always looking for small bands to conquer.”
“Yes, and he wants more skilled people.”
Feather took a deep breath. “Well, I don’t think we are near my home yet.” She nodded toward a large, broadleafed tree. “We don’t have any trees like that where I lived. I think it will be some time before we get there.”
“Lex will remember where he found you,” Tag said uneasily.
“Then you must listen and tell me when he says we are close. Before he finds the Wobans, I must flee to them and warn them.”
“We could leave now,” Tag whispered urgently. “Get ahead of them.”
“We?” Feather didn’t dare hope.
“Yes. I will go with you. Patch, too.”
She clasped her hands together and bounced on her toes. “Thank you! But we need to wait. If we left now, Lex would come after us. Even if he did not catch us, I’m not sure I could find my way home from here.”
Tag nodded. “We are agreed then. When we are c
lose to your village and Lex plans the attack, we will leave together.”
“Yes! ”
Tag held out his hand, and she took it.
“Don’t say a word to Denna,” he warned.
“I won’t.”
“And stay clear of Lex. He’s angry.”
“Why?”
“His bow broke. He was aiming at a huge animal, some sort of ox, but when he pulled the arrow back, the wood just snapped.”
Feather swallowed hard. “He’ll need another bow.”
“I just hope he doesn’t take mine.” Tag gritted his teeth. “See you at supper.”
You help me,” Hana said after the evening meal was served. “Get your tools.” Feather followed her without comment, but her heart beat fast. Hana was carrying Lex’s cracked bow, and Feather’s anxiety made it difficult to keep her hands steady as she unpacked the glue and sinew.
Hana examined the broken wood where it had split on the back of the bow and shook her head. “Too bad Kama is not with us now. Can you fix this?”
Feather swallowed. “I don’t know if anyone can.” She looked doubtfully at the little pouch that held the hard chunks of glue. “I wish . . .”
“What?” Hana’s dark eyes bored into her.
“Nothing.” Feather reached for the bow. I wish I had some of Rand’s glue, she had been thinking, but if she said
that, Lex’s belief that the Wobans had superior weapons would be confirmed. “If the sinew holds, the bow will be as strong as before,” she said.
Hana’s eyes narrowed, but she nodded. “Where you came from, what wood did they use for their bows?”
Feather tried to keep her hands from trembling as she chose a sliver of wood to spread the glue with. “I think . . . I think it was elm.”
“Those trees grow farther north, yes?”
“Yes. They are tough, and the wood is hard to work, I’m told, but they make good bows. Springy and strong.”
“Did you make bows, as well as arrows?”
“No. No, I never did the wood working until I worked with Kama. Only the fletching.”
Hana sniffed. “Well, now that Kama is gone, you will have to do that too. When you see trees that make good bows and straight arrows, you tell me, and Lex will make the boys cut them down. Now, do what you can to mend that. There is no time to dry wood for another bow now.”
Feather nodded and got out several bundles of sinew to cover the split on the back of the bow. She kept her eyes on her work. After a few moments, Hana left her.
“Broken things are mended,” she whispered to herself, recalling Kama’s words. She raised her chin and stared after Hana. They were near the spring equinox. They must be. It might even be today that the sun shone as long as the darkness lingered. “And lost things are found.”
She smiled as she put a chunk of glue in her mouth to soften it. She would mend the bow for Lex. And soon she would find her people.
Chapter Sixteen
"Run!” Hunter commanded and Karsh sprinted down the path toward the lodge.
Rose and Weave were alert. They had seen the signal before Karsh reached them and were already calling to the others to prepare to hide the children.
“Strangers coming,” Karsh panted.
Rose immediately dispatched Cricket to run to the gardens, where several of the adults were working that day. “How many?” Rand came from the lodge, awkwardly carrying one of the hunting lances as he strapped on a long knife.
“Only a few—we saw maybe five. They’re moving quickly, but they don’t seem to care to surprise us. Should I run back up there and see if Hunter has spotted any more?”
“I’ll go.” Hardy took off and was halfway up the ridge before Rose spoke to Karsh again.
“Will you go with the children to the tree platforms?”
“I will stay with the men.” He straightened his back. He was armed already with his bow, quiver, and knife.
She nodded. “I will go now with the others. Don’t forget to send us word. And Karsh, a few of the boys were fishing down at the lake!” Her brow wrinkled as she turned helplessly toward the path that led to the shore.
“I will go warn them.”
Karsh glanced up toward the signal pole once more. “Wait! Rose!”
She looked where he pointed. “False alarm, it seems.” The blue flag had been replaced by the yellow. “Not the trader,” Rose said with a frown. “You said there were several people.”
“Friends,” Karsh crowed. “It must be people from the homestead. Hunter would recognize them when they drew near.”
He saw Hardy, now a tiny figure, climb laboriously up the last few yards to where Hunter stood. They spoke for a minute, then Hunter headed down the trail, leaving Hardy to stand sentry.
Before he reached them, the figures came into view, moving up the valley toward the village. Hunter waved at him, and Karsh ran toward him. Together they met the homestead family a hundred yards below the lodge.
“Blens in the area,” the man said. His wife and children hung back a little. All were panting from their trek.
“Where?” Hunter asked. “At your house?”
“No, but we dared not stay. I saw smoke this morning.
It was a big smoke, too big for a campfire. I climbed the hill west of our place, and I judged the fire to be several miles away. It could be the old village site on the Black River. A few folk camped there last summer, and I thought they might be thinking of settling.”
“You are welcome here,” Hunter said.
“I hope they won’t find my place,” the man said, “but with the children and all, we thought it best not to tarry.” The three children looked scared.
Karsh smiled at the boy who was a few inches shorter than he was and likely a year or two younger. The boy nodded solemnly. The two little girls just stared at him.
“It’s a difficult decision,” Hunter acknowledged.
“Yes,” the man said. “If we stayed to defend our property . . .”
“Property isn’t everything,” the woman said.
“Agreed.” Hunter gestured toward the village. “Come. We have a plan in place in case we are attacked. You can sleep outside or in one of our shelters tonight.” He nodded in the wife’s direction. “One of our women will explain to you where our women and children flee if an alarm comes.”
“Blens,” the man said bitterly. “I hoped we were far enough north to avoid them.”
“They were here last summer about this time,” Hunter said.
Karsh winced. He would never forget the day. A whole year!
“But they did not find you?”
“Nay.”
The man sighed in relief and walked with Hunter toward the lodge. “We tried to hide our trail. We wouldn’t want to lead them to you.”
“Perhaps we had better have cold meals for a few days and not risk smoke giving us away,” Hunter said. The elders met immediately, and most of the men joined them and the farmer in their council, though Hardy, Jem, and Neal all stayed in high spots to stand guard. Karsh sat small in the corner of the lodge and listened to the men’s talk.
“If they are that close, we ought to corral the goats and sheep in the woods now,” Rand said. “It would take too
long if they came upon us suddenly.”
“I don’t know as there’s need to panic,” Hunter said.
“It wouldn’t hurt to pen the animals for a day or two,” Shea countered.
Alomar nodded. “Shall we send out a scouting party?”
Shea ran a hand through his hair. “That might work against us. If they spotted our scouts . . .”
“You remember how close they came last year,” Rand said. “Just over the ridge. It’s a wonder they didn’t find us then.”
Alomar looked at Sam. “Have you an opinion on this?”
Sam shook his head. “I am the newest member of the tribe. I have not seen your defenses in action. But I must warn you, even with the new measures you have taken, it doesn’t
pay to be overconfident. Seeing your village burned and your people slaughtered is a terrible thing.”
Hunter stood. “Then we will go into the siege plan. All women and children sleep in the trees. Sheep and goats to the forest. We ought to cache the vegetables we can harvest now, as well as any dried meat and beans not already hidden.”
“I’ll organize the older children to carry more water to the platforms,” Rand said.
Karsh jumped up. “Shall I tie up the dogs?”
“Send them with Cricket and Bente when they herd the animals to the secret place,” Shea said.
Karsh hurried to obey. As soon as he had run to the meadow with instructions for the boys to take the animals to their hiding place, he sought out Hunter.
“Do you think . . . ?” he panted.
“What?” Hunter asked. He was stacking ammunition near one of the new weapons they had made.
Karsh reached to help him pile stones in a neat cairn.
“Do you think these might be the same Blens who came here last year?”
Hunter frowned. “There is no way of knowing.” “But Feather could be with them!”
Hunter sighed and stopped working for a moment.
“Don’t get your hopes up, son.”
Karsh felt tears forming in his eyes, and he squinted, trying to keep them back. “But she could be.”
“It’s possible.”
“Or they might know where she is,” Karsh insisted.
“They might,” Hunter conceded.
“Couldn’t we try to capture one of them, to make them tell us?”
Hunter put his hand on Karsh’s shoulder. “It is safer to stay hidden. We don’t want any of our people to be injured or taken away. You know that.”
“But she might be close by! Think of it.”
Hunter looked toward the lodge and drew a deep breath. “Karsh, I want you to have your sister back. Believe me, there is nothing I would like more.”
“Then go out with me to look for their camp. We can watch them and see if she is there.”
“It’s too dangerous.”
“You promised you would help me find her!” Karsh couldn’t stop the tears now.
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