Shadow Singer

by Marcia J. Bennett

  They were surrounded by derkat so quickly that there was no time to think of escape. The growls rose in timbre as more and more of the furred beings pressed closer. A young, male derkat, bolder than the others, made a move toward Screech.

  Screech growled fiercely, warning the young male back.

  The derkat surrounding them took exception to Screech’s warning and replied with a chorus of growls that made the air vibrate with thunder.

  Dhal, Poco, and Screech stood in an arc, their backs to each other. Taav lay near their feet. Both Dhal and Poco raised their weapons, ready to strike.

  Suddenly Screech let loose with a scream that raised the hair on the back of Poco’s neck. She desperately wanted to turn around to see what was happening behind her, but she could not take her eyes off the circle of derkat closing in.

  Dhal, who stood to her left, was in a better position to see. He watched as Screech stepped forward a pace and signed to a female derkat with sagging teats.

  The rumble of anger faded as Screech continued to sign.

  “What is going on, Dhal?” Poco asked, keeping her voice low.

  “Screech is talking to one of them, a female,” Dhal answered without turning. “Keep your position.”

  “I will. What is he saying?”

  “He is going too fast,” Dhal answered. “I cannot read his signing.”

  Another female, gold and tawny, pushed her way through the crowd. She snarled when she saw Poco and Dhal; then she saw the tall, gray-furred derkat who stood with them, and she raised her voice in a yowl that brought instant silence.

  Screech took a step backward, which allowed him a quick glance at the new arrival. She was younger than the derkat he had addressed; the intricately woven leather band around her waist told Screech that he had been talking to the wrong female.

  Dhal, Screech, and Poco stood almost shoulder to shoulder, their backs to the pile of bomal hides. Taav crouched near their legs, his glance darting fearfully from one derkat to another.

  Poco took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves, then moved a half step to the side, so she could keep her eyes on the young female derkat who had just arrived. Poco knew little about derkat radgs, or their hierarchy, but it did not take much to guess that the newcomer was a being of some importance.

  The other members of the radg stepped back, allowing the young female room to pace back and forth in front of Dhal, Poco, and Screech. Finally, she stopped in front of Screech. Her amber eyes narrowed, and her thin, black lips drew back in a silent snarl of distaste, as she signed to Screech.

  “There is Cergar blood on your claws, Gray sides. Why do you attack this radg?”

  “You took from my radg!” Screech answered. “I came to retrieve that which was taken!”

  The female’s glance touched the three who were not derkat. “Name yourself and your radg!” she signed, speaking to Screech.

  “I am called ‘Ssaal-lr.’ My radg is “Jamba.’ ” Screech spoke his name and the name of his radg aloud.

  “I have never heard of the radg ‘amba’!” the female said, imitating the sound she had heard. “Who is your tiyah?”

  Poco missed the last word; she had never seen that sign before. She concentrated on the interplay of hands and fingers as the female derkat spoke again. Poco forgot about the sword she held until she felt Dhal’s hand on her wrist.

  “Let me take it,” Dhal whispered. “You read sign better than I do. Tell me what they are saying.”

  Poco nodded. Releasing her sword, she stepped behind Dhal and moved to stand beside Screech. The gray-furred derkat was aware of the change in positions but did not take his eyes from the female derkat.

  “Who is your tiyah?” the female derkat repeated.

  Screech started to sign but was interrupted by a male derkat pushing through the crowd. The male touched the young female on the arm to gain her attention, then he signed.

  “They are alone.”

  The female derkat turned to Screech, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

  “You have no radg! You are renegade!” she signed.

  “No!” Screech responded. “I am no renegade! My radg is small. It is what you see. Once I was of the Salgar radg. I was taken from the plains by trappers. For fifteen cool seasons I have lived in a man-place called ‘Bhalvar.’ I returned to the plains with my radg in order to find something the Green One has lost.”

  The female looked at Dhal. “The Green Ones are no longer seen on the plains. Tell me, what has he lost here?”

  “The truth about his people,” Screech answered.

  “What truth?”

  “Where they have gone.”

  The female looked at Dhal and Poco, then faced Screech again. “I still see no tiyah. There can be no radg without a tiyah.”

  “Screech,” Poco said softly. “She keeps using a sign I do not understand. What does it mean?”

  Screech continued to stare at the female derkat as he answered Poco’s question. He made the sign for tiyah slowly, so Poco could see the sound pattern. “It means leader. The tiyah is always female.”

  “And we are not a radg because we do not have a female derkat with us?” Poco said softly.

  “We have a tiyah,” Screech responded.

  Screech drew Poco out in front of him. Startled, she froze as Screech reached around her and signed to the female derkat.

  “This is our tiyah, and in her name I call challenge, one to one.”

  “Screech, what are you doing?” Poco snapped, trying to keep her voice low.

  Screech did not answer.

  Poco looked at the derkat surrounding them. They all were watching quietly; their looks of expectation sent chills down Poco’s back.

  “Screech, what is this about a challenge?” Poco demanded.

  Unable to keep up with the entire conversation, Dhal finally chanced a few words. “What’s happening, Poco?”

  He had kept his voice low, but his interruption did not set well with the derkat closest to him. Their growls of displeasure were quickly taken up by others behind them.

  Distracted, the female derkat growled and again there was instant silence. She looked at Poco.

  “You are no tiyah!” the female signed.

  Something in the female’s manner stirred Poco’s ire. She was not sure what Screech was trying to do but she decided to follow the lead he had set.

  She pushed Screech’s arm aside and answered the female’s challenge. “I am Pocalina-fel-Jamba, and I am tiyah of this radg.”

  The female stood quietly, her large, amber eyes unreadable as she gazed at Poco.

  She is trying to stare me down, Poco thought.

  Knowing how good Screech was at that game, Poco refused to play. With Screech standing behind her to back her up, she decided to take the initiative.

  Relax and do this right, she thought. Make a mistake and none of us will live to regret it. She looked at the female derkat and coughed a greeting.

  “I have given you my name. I ask yours in return,” she signed.

  The female derkat was startled; she hesitated, then returned Poco’s cough as courtesy demanded.

  Poco waited, presenting an appearance of calm she did not feel.

  Finally the female growled softly and lifted her hands to sign.

  “I am ‘Ho-law,’ tiyah of the radg Cergar.”

  Poco acknowledged the introduction with a nod. Now what? she wondered. In the back of her mind, she wondered if Dhal was following the conversation.

  When Ho-law made no move to continue the conversation, Poco spoke again, trying to find out just where she stood.

  “Our radg is new to the plains. We did not mean to intrude upon your hunting territory. We only wanted to pass through.”

  “Your male attacked one of mine!” Ho-law accused.

  “True” Poco agreed. “But only that he might free members of his own radg.”

  “There is blood between us and your male has called a challenge. Do you agree?”

&n
bsp; Screech nudged Poco in the back.

  “I agree,” Poco signed, hoping she had not misread Screech’s silent command.

  Ho-law growled softly and her upper lip lifted in a derkat expression of satisfaction.

  “Screech, what have I just agreed to?” Poco asked aloud, hoping the other derkat did not understand trader.

  “A fight,” Screech answered.

  “Between the two radgs?”

  “No. I called the challenge. I will fight Ho-law’s champion.”

  Poco was prevented from asking any further questions because Ho-law was signing to her again. “The challenge will be answered tonight upon the return of my hunters,” the derkat told her. “You will march with us until that time. Agreed?”

  Again came that gentle nudge in the back. “Agreed,” Poco signed.

  Ho-law nodded, then began giving orders to her followers. The barks, growls, and coughing noises which accompanied her signing made Poco think of a pack of gensvolf fighting over a bone.

  As the derkat began to disperse, each to some unknown task, Dhal lowered his sword and turned to Poco. “Would someone kindly tell me what is going on now?” he said. “Where is everyone going? Are we free to leave?”

  Poco glanced at the five female derkat who remained in a loose circle around them. “No, Dhal, not free. Not yet. It seems we have got to fight for our freedom.”

  “Fight?” he echoed.

  “Screech against one of their champions.”

  Dhal looked at Screech and frowned. “When does this fight take place?”

  “Some time tonight after their hunters return,” Poco answered. “We are to march with them until that time.”

  “What are the terms of the fight?”

  “I don’t know. Screech, I think you had better explain that to both of us.”

  “It is simple,” Screech signed. “I win, we gain our freedom. I lose, I die and you become saato again.”

  “Die?” Poco said, a chill settling in her stomach. “What do you mean, Screech?”

  “Derkat challenge is to the death. It is our way.”

  “Isn’t there any other way we can get out of this mess?” Poco said.

  “Once a challenge is accepted, there is a peace pact between the radgs until the fight is over.” Screech looked at the five derkat standing around them. “We are Cergar guests now, but we would not be allowed to wander away from the radg. The challenge will have to be met.”

  Damn! Poco thought as she turned away. Her eyes were suddenly moist with tears. She kept her head down as she reached for the knife in Dhal’s hand.

  “Here, let me have that. I will cut Taav loose.”

  She quickly cut the ropes holding Taav. As Dhal helped the atich-ar to his feet, Poco wiped at the tears in her eyes, then stood up, resolved not to show weakness before their derkat guards.

  Suddenly it dawned on Poco that they were one member shy.

  “Dhal, where is Gi-arobi?” she asked.

  Dhal shook his head. “I don’t know, Poco. I have not seen him since that night in camp. One of the derkat picked him up and put him in a sack. The morning after the raid, when the derkat finally stopped their march, I asked about Gi, but none of the derkat seemed to understand me, or if they did, they pretended not to. And with my hands tied I could not sign to them.” Dhal’s voice dropped. “During the day when it was quiet, I listened for his whistle, but I have heard nothing so far.”

  “Is it possible he has not regained consciousness?” Poco asked.

  “After five days?”

  The hopeless look on Dhal’s face was almost more than Poco could stand. Again she felt the pressure of tears and cursed herself for a weakling. What a crybaby you are getting to be, fel-Jamba. Snap out of it! She banished her tears by sheer willpower.

  “Screech,” Poco said, turning to the derkat. “Is there any way we can find out if they have Gi?”

  “We can ask,” Screech signed.

  He left them and walked over to one of the guards. His hand movements were shielded by his body so Poco was not able to see what he said, nor was she able to see the guard’s answer.

  When Screech returned, Poco’s heartbeat quickened. If anything had happened to Gi…

  “Little Fur still lives,” Screech signed. “His kind are not common to the plains. Ho-law keeps him for her own.”

  “What will she do with him, Screech?” Poco asked.

  “Play with him. Eat him. Anything she wishes.”

  Poco felt her stomach turn.

  “Is Gi all right, Screech? Can we see him?” Dhal asked.

  “Little Fur sleeps much of the time and does not eat.”

  Dhal’s frown deepened. “Screech, I have got to see him! If he is sick, he may need my help!”

  “No!” The growl accompanying Screech’s refusal startled both Poco and Dhal.

  “What do you mean, no?” Dhal demanded angrily.

  “Easy, Dhal,” Poco said, putting a hand on his arm. “Let him explain. Screech, please, why can’t Dhal help Gi?”

  Screech made sure none of the derkat could see his hands as he tried to explain. “If Ho-law learns that Dhal is a Healer, she will never let him go.”

  “Even if you win the challenge fight?” Poco asked.

  “If I won she would release us, then send her hunters out to capture us again.”

  “Then we would just challenge her again,” Poco said.

  “She would not accept.”

  “Are you saying that if Ho-law knew what Dhal was, she would keep him and make him use his power for her own people?”

  Screech nodded. “The derkat know of the Green Ones, and some have witnessed Healer magic. They would be willing to risk much to possess one like Dhal.”

  Dhal shook his head. “That may be, Screech, but it does not alter the fact that I must see Gi!”

  Screech nodded in understanding. “I will ask again.”

  When Screech returned, he still had no positive answer. “The guard will speak to Ho-law. I told her that Little Fur was of our radg and asked that he be returned to us.”

  “Do you think she will let him go, Screech?” Poco asked.

  Screech looked down at her. “The tiyah will do as she pleases. The only way Little Fur might be returned to us is if you, as our tiyah, demand that he be included in any agreements made.”

  Chapter 15

  THE NIGHT WAS GROWING DARKER BY THE MINUTE. POCO judged that they had been marching with the Cergar radg for a good four hours. While it was still light, she had been able to count the number of derkat in the radg; the count was thirty-two adult and seven young, including the ten hunters still away from the radg.

  Screech told her that it was one of the largest radgs he had ever heard about. His own radg had numbered only seventeen.

  When Poco asked Screech about the yearly migration route of the derkat, he explained that each radg had a home territory, usually somewhere in the Ha-far Mountains to the west of the High Plains. Each year at the end of the warm season, the derkat left their cave homes and followed the herds of bomal which grazed the plains during the cool passage, hunting and trading with other radgs along the way.

  Since the arrival of men in that area, the derkat had also begun to trade with them, but trust between the two peoples was still a tentative thing, and peace agreements were easily overlooked by either group if chance of gain was in the foreseeable future.

  The yearly trek back and forth across the plains took the derkat radgs ten months to accomplish, their routes ranging from the Chen-garry Mountains to the northern edge of the Enzaar Sea.

  Dhal asked if anyone guarded the derkat’s home territory when they were gone.

  Screech said no, explaining that the cave homes were used only during the birthing season, when for four months time the derkat radgs settled down.

  “All radg leaders are chosen at this same time,” Screech signed. “A tiyah may reign one year or many. It depends upon how well she leads.”

  “How m
any radgs are there?” Poco asked.

  “Many small ones, some no more than our number. Only a few as large as the Cergar radg.”

  As they walked with their guards, Poco went over the different points Screech had said she must make during the trading session preceding the fight: freedom for them all, the return of their packs and weapons, food and water for four days, a promise that they would not be followed after leaving the Cergar radg—and a pact of nonaggression should the two radgs meet again that season.

  Poco glanced past Dhal to Taav. The atich-ar walked close to Dhal and held tightly to a fold of Dhal’s tunic. It was obvious that he was frightened by the number of derkat that surrounded them. The days in which Dhal and Taav had been prisoners had sent the atich-ar back into his own silent world; not once since releasing him had he tried to sign to them. Poco hoped that Taav’s mental progress would not suffer because of the fright he had sustained. If irreparable damage had occurred to him, they might well have lost their entrance into the world of the atich-ar, wherever it was.

  “Poco?”

  She turned and looked at Dhal, but all she could see was the outline of his head against the sky.

  “Poco, are you all right?” Dhal asked, a worried tone in his voice.

  “Yes, Dhal. I am fine,” she answered.

  “You have been quiet a long time.”

  “Just thinking.”

  “About what?”

  “Everything. About us, Gi, the fight coming up. About Taav and the gate. You haven’t told me what happened that night after I left.”

  “The night Taav and I were captured?”

  “Yes.”

  “Not much to tell. I was digging the grave and thinking about the atich-ar we had killed, then suddenly I was surrounded by derkat. They approached so silently that I never heard them. I used the sword I had been digging with, but only managed to nick a couple of them before I was taken from behind. While I was being tied up, I saw several derkat pick up Gi and Taav. I watched while they killed one of the bomal, then one of them doused the fire with water and it was too dark to see.

  “I spent the rest of the night running or walking between two derkat—one of them used the points of his claws to keep me moving. In the morning when they stopped, I located Taav. Ho-law was looking him over. When she finished with him, she came and looked at me. I tried to speak to her, but she just growled and showed her teeth.