“So you say,” Pirra responded. “But how are we to know that you speak the truth? I’ve heard that you don’t always do so.”
I blinked. I had been accused of being stupid and reckless, of being prideful and too quick to act, but no one had ever accused me of being dishonest. I saw Unnan standing next to Pirra, a self-satisfied expression on his weasel-face. Then he pressed up against his new leaderwolf and shot me a look of such hatred I could only stare at him. I don’t think I realized until that moment how deep his loathing for me was.
“I have also seen the Greatwolves driving away the prey,” Pell said. “All of Stone Peak has. As have the ravens.”
Pirra laughed. “I trust the Stone Peaks no more than I trust ravens. Neither has the interest of most wolves at heart.”
Ruuqo spoke. “You know that it’s the Greatwolves themselves who have set this challenge, Sonnen, who have bid us stay with the humans. And every wolf in the valley dies if we don’t succeed.”
Sonnen looked levelly at Ruuqo and Rissa. His mate stepped to his side. Her voice was surprisingly soft for a leaderwolf’s.
“That is no longer so,” Krynna said. “Milsindra and Kivdru have told us that if we support them in their struggle, things will be as they were before. We will not be allowed near the humans nor permitted to kill them. The Greatwolves will take over the task of guarding the humans once again, and we will live in peace. Things will be the way they were before.”
“The offer is open to your pack, too, Ruuqo,” Sonnen said. “I made sure of that.”
“And you believed the Greatwolves?” Trevegg said. “When they lied to us and were willing to kill us all not four moons ago?” He stood beside Ruuqo and Rissa, who had both gone silent. I couldn’t tell what they were thinking. Milsindra had said she would do whatever she needed to do to win, but it had never occurred to me that she would ask smallwolves for help. Trevegg looked at Ruuqo and Rissa, waiting for them to speak. When they didn’t, he stepped forward to stand nose to nose with the Tree Line leaderwolf.
“There is more going on here, Sonnen, than a power struggle among the Greatwolves,” he said, speaking as a lead-erwolf would to an inferior. “You must look beyond this season’s prey.”
“I realize that, elderwolf,” Sonnen said. “Do you think so little of Tree Line that you believe we would sacrifice our honor and the well-being of wolfkind just to fill our bellies?” He lowered his head and stepped back and away from the oldwolf.
Yes, I thought, dread creeping up on me, you would.
“What Milsindra and Kivdru spoke of only confirms what has long troubled us,” Krynna said, “that the only way wolves can live with humans, as your youngwolf is trying to do, is to give up that which makes us wolf, as has happened every time wolves and humans have come together.”
It was the paradox again. But they had known of it before, when they agreed to help us. Every wolf knew of it.
“They say that if your pup is allowed to continue on her path,” Sonnen said, “wolfkind will be weakened and the humans will wish to enslave us once again. That is unacceptable to us. It’s too great a risk to the safety of our packs. Have you been submissive to them?” he asked me.
“Only a little,” I said, startled to be addressed. “So they wouldn’t fear us.”
“More than a little,” Unnan said, interrupting me. “I saw it. She let their leader grab her and shake her as if she were prey. And she did nothing to him. She licked his hand.”
I hadn’t seen or smelled Unnan anywhere near Oldwoods that day. He must have been hiding, sneaking around as he always did. I was beginning to understand why Pirra had brought him along.
Ruuqo grunted. I turned to see that he and Rissa were watching me. We hadn’t told them about that part of the hunt at Oldwoods.
“And she is drelshik,” Pirra said, not even trying for Sonnen’s polite tone.
“So Milsindra says?” Trevegg challenged, fury deepening his voice to a low rumble. Ruuqo and Rissa remained silent. “That wolf will say anything to get what she wants. Swift River lost one of our most promising youngwolves not three days ago. And you tell us about risk?”
“You are not the only ones to lose a wolf!” Pirra darted forward, and for a moment, I thought she might break verge neutrality and attack Trevegg. Her mate slammed his shoulder into her hip, and Pirra stopped just in front of the oldwolf, who hadn’t moved a pawswidth.
“Nine nights ago, Ivvan, the strongest pup of my last litter, disappeared. Right after your youngwolf hunted with the humans. Vanished as no wolf should. Just as your pup vanished five moons ago.” She swung her head to Ruuqo and Rissa. “Why did you allow the mixed-blood drelshik to stay in your pack when your pup disappeared? Now the prey is gone, and my pup has gone missing.” She began to stalk toward Ruuqo and Rissa. Ruuqo stepped forward to meet her.
“We have never thought her a true threat, Pirra,” he said. “You overstep yourself.” The cold anger in his voice made her stop and raise her hackles.
“Was Kaala responsible for your pup’s disappearance, Ruuqo?” Sonnen asked.
Ruuqo was silent.
“She was,” Unnan said. “There were three of us she didn’t like. She made the horses stampede and kill Reel. Then Borlla disappeared. That’s why I left Swift River. She would have done something to me next. She’s drelshik.”
“She’s unlucky, Ruuqo, and that’s the truth,” Sonnen said, almost kindly. “No one blames you for keeping her. No leaderwolf wants to send away a pack member, especially a pup. But we all must do what is best—for our packs and for the valley. The Denning Moon nears, and we must prepare for our pups. We will support Milsindra. As will Vole Eater and Wind Lake. As should you.”
“What does supporting involve, Sonnen?” Trevegg asked. “If you hurt Kaala, or stop her from going to the humans, you will have Frandra and Jandru to contend with, and I promise you, they won’t be gentle.”
“We would not harm the youngwolf,” Sonnen said. “We have promised Milsindra and Kivdru that we will stand by them if there is a fight. As for stopping her from going to the humans, that’s not up to us.”
“What does that mean?” Ruuqo asked.
It was Pirra who answered.
“The prey is gone, and we are all hungry. If you’re busy helping your youngwolf grovel to the humans, you will not be able to defend your territory well. And, as of tonight, you are no longer welcome to hunt in our lands to feed your humans.”
“They want your pup to fail, Ruuqo,” Sonnen said. He lowered his eyes. “If you lost much of your territory you would struggle to support your pack, and you wouldn’t be able to help this wolf in her task. I suggest you accept the offer Milsindra has made. Your pack and your pups will live, and things will be as they were before.”
I was furious. They were all just doing what was easiest for them, for all they said it was for the good of wolfkind. And they were being stupid. The Greatwolves’ way of watching over the humans was failing long before I had pulled TaLi from the river, long before the battle at Tall Grass. Milsindra had lied before and would lie again. But the other wolves didn’t want to hear it. Trevegg was still arguing with them, telling them that Milsindra and Kivdru were not reliable, but Pirra just smirked and Sonnen and Krynna wouldn’t even meet his gaze. Ruuqo and Rissa were looking at each other, still silent, obviously tempted by Sonnen’s offer.
Youngwolves weren’t supposed to interrupt leaderwolves, but I didn’t care. “I can prove Milsindra’s wrong,” I said. Pirra, who was telling Trevegg that the mark on my chest was another sign that I was a drelshik wolf, stopped talking to glare at me.
“It’s too late for that,” Pirra responded, dismissing me.
Before I could respond, Pell spoke.
“You should know that Stone Peak will not accept Milsindra’s offer. And we will stand by Swift River if they choose to fight against you. We will help them defend their territory and will help the youngwolf Kaala find food for her humans and her pack.”
&
nbsp; He bowed to Ruuqo and Rissa, gave me a sharp look, then turned his tail on the other wolves and trotted from the verge.
The Wind Lake and Tree Line wolves shifted uncomfortably, and I smelled uncertainty rising from them. Stone Peak and Swift River had been rivals for so long, it had probably never occurred to any of them that we might fight together. It would make it much harder for them to take our territory or our prey. It was Sonnen who broke the silence.
“I respect you, Ruuqo. I always have. You speak your mind and do what you think is right. I can stall Milsindra for a quarter moon’s time, tell her I have to find a denning site for this year’s pups. I owe you that much for what happened at Tall Grass. In the meantime, I advise you to think about the offer Milsindra has made. I do not wish to have you as an enemy.”
He dipped his head to his mate and his secondwolf, and led them from the verge. Pirra and Velln did not make eye contact with any of us as they returned to their packmates and set off for Wind Lake lands.
None of us spoke until we were well into our own territory. Ruuqo and Rissa led us to the top of a breezy hillock. Any wolf could see us standing there in the moonlight, but the small hill also gave us the advantage of seeing any attack that might come. The leaderwolves must have been nervous if they were that fearful of attack. I was concerned at how quiet Ruuqo and Rissa had been at the Gathering. So, apparently, was Trevegg.
“Don’t do it,” Trevegg said to the leaderwolves as soon as they stopped. “I don’t care what Milsindra and Kivdru say they’ll do, you can’t trust them.” Ruuqo looked across the plain, Rissa back toward the heart of Swift River lands. Trevegg looked from one leaderwolf to the other. “You can’t be considering it.”
“We have to consider it!” Ruuqo said. “We can barely survive as it is. If other packs are challenging us we’ll have to put all of our energies toward protecting our lands. We won’t be able to feed ourselves.”
“Much less the humans,” Werrna added. I remembered how much she hated giving up the walking bird for the humans. “My advice is to accept Milsindra’s offer. We will eat well and won’t have to deal with the humans anymore.”
Like that worked so well before, I thought.
“I can bring us enough food,” I said. “The humans will help feed us.” I told them of Torell’s offer, of his belief that Milsindra and her followers were hiding something and that if we could find it, it would weaken her. I did not tell them of his plan for rebellion. I had promised Torell I wouldn’t. Ruuqo considered me.
“The question of whether or not you are drelshik remains, Kaala,” he said. “You know I have never been certain that Jandru and Frandra were right to spare your life. If I have protected a drelshik wolf, I will have to answer for that. If keeping you caused Borlla’s disappearance and the Wind Lake pup’s disappearance, I must answer for that. If Jandru and Frandra are wrong, it is more than our pack that is at risk.”
“Borlla left on her own,” I said, annoyed that he was bringing her up. She was long gone.
“You should not so easily dismiss your responsibility,” Rissa rebuked. “If you want to be a leaderwolf someday it’s your responsibility to care about wolves you influence. And I don’t like making agreements with the Stone Peaks.”
She seemed ready enough to consider an agreement with Milsindra. And I didn’t see why Borlla’s choices were my responsibility. I opened my mouth to object. Trevegg bumped my hip with his own.
“What if Sonnen and Pirra are wrong and Milsindra doesn’t defeat Zorindru?” he said.
“It’s a risk,” Rissa admitted. “But Zorindru won’t kill us if he succeeds. Milsindra might.”
“So because Milsindra is more ruthless, she wins?” Marra asked, incredulous. “You follow her because she doesn’t honor her word and Zorindru does?”
“Quiet, youngwolf,” Ruuqo snapped. “You cannot possibly understand the complexities of what we’re dealing with.”
“I understand it,” Marra said. “I understand that you’ll follow a wolf who scares you rather than one who does what’s right.”
We all stared at her. Marra had strong opinions, and she was clever enough to know when to express them. I could tell by the trembling of her flanks that she was furious.
“Leave,” Ruuqo commanded. “You can come back when you obey the rules of the pack.” Marra looked from Ruuqo to Rissa, then stared hard at me. She stalked down the hill.
I was tempted to follow her. To take Ázzuen, Marra, and our humans and take our chances getting out of the valley. But the pack was in trouble because of me, and I had promised Zorindru, Jandru, and Frandra that I would stay. I remembered the three youngwolves who had come to me at the river. Sonnen didn’t know as much about the Vole Eaters as he thought he did.
And Rissa was right. It wasn’t just about what I wanted anymore. But it wasn’t just about what Swift River wanted, either.
“I’ll get us more food,” I repeated. “And I’ll prove that Zorindru is right and Milsindra is wrong.”
Ruuqo came to a decision. “I want to talk to Sonnen again, and with Vole Eater, and I want to hear what Frandra and Jandru have to say. We will make use of the quarter moon that Sonnen has given us. If you can bring us good food, Kaala, it will bear on our decision.”
Without another word, he set off down the hill. Rissa and Werrna followed him. Trevegg did not.
“I’ll talk to him,” Trevegg said to me and Ázzuen, “but be prepared for the worst.”
I pushed away my worry. Ruuqo and Rissa just needed to know the pack could be fed and safe. I would show them we could easily do so. They had responsibility for the entire pack, and I would prove to them it was in the pack’s best interest to stick with the promise.
“Go speak to Torell,” the oldwolf said. “Hunt with your humans. Then find me at NiaLi’s. I will tell you if I’ve made progress with Ruuqo.”
“Why NiaLi’s?” Ázzuen asked.
“I’m worried about her,” Trevegg said. “While you were asleep, Kaala, she told me of her troubles, and I fear for her. She told me perhaps more than she told you. I think she fears for her life. She is not afraid to die but said she doesn’t want to do so before TaLi is established as krianan. Send the ravens if you need me.” He took my muzzle and then Ázzuen’s in his jaws, and trotted down the hill after the pack.
Ázzuen and I followed Marra’s scent to the bottom of the hill. She stood when we came near.
“That took long enough.”
“Let’s go find Torell,” I said.
15
The trick to hunting aurochs,” Torell said, “is to make them so angry that they lose what good sense they have. If you hunt them the way you hunt elkryn or other prey, you might succeed in the hunt, but you will likely lose a packmate.”
I believed him. I had never seen an auroch up close before. They were nearly as tall as the elkryn and broader bodied with thick, shaggy fur that kept them warm even in the coldest days of winter. Their shoulders were huge, and hard muscles bunched up underneath their dark fur. Their eyes moved restlessly in their faces. Torell had not exaggerated the length and sharpness of their horns, which curved out from their heads and gleamed in the sunlight. The aurochs looked formidable even as they grazed. I had hunted elkryn, snow deer, and horses, but I shivered at the thought of being gored by those sharp auroch horns. Torell had insisted that I sleep for several hours before we began the long run to the auroch feeding grounds, even though that meant we would have to hunt them in the daylight. So I was rested. But I was still nervous about my ability to hunt the great beasts.
“So how do you make them angry without getting killed?” Ázzuen asked. He was trying to sound nonchalant, but his ribs were heaving and his breath came in quick pants.
“You’re about to find out,” Torell answered. “You don’t learn to hunt aurochs by watching.”
I jerked my head up to stare at him. Ruuqo and Rissa always made us watch them hunt new prey before allowing us to take part in the hunt. Torell ignored
my surprise.
“You’re the fastest,” he said to Marra. “You go with Pell. The two of you will be the ones to anger the auroch.” Marra blinked at him a few times, then dipped her head.
“You two will be with me,” Torell said to me and to Ázzuen. “Ceela and Arrun will wait and come to our aid if needed.”
He trotted out onto the plain as calmly as if he were hunting rabbits and voles. Ázzuen, Marra, and Pell followed. I looked at Tlitoo, who was busily stripping bark from a twig.
“Are you coming?” I asked him.
“I am not stupid, wolflet,” he said. He flipped his wings at me and flew to the low branch of a pine. I saw Jlela there waiting for him. Jlela ran her beak through Tlitoo’s back feathers, and then both ravens flew to the higher branches of the tree. I peered up into the branches, trying to see them but could not. I followed Torell and the others onto the plain. They were all waiting for me, standing in a small group and watching the aurochs.
“In auroch hunting,” Torell said when I reached him, “you don’t necessarily find the weakest beast, as you do with other prey. You seek the ones that react most strongly to your presence.”
They all seemed to react to us. Their eyes followed us suspiciously as we moved among them. A beast standing right next to me shook its head sharply. I leapt nearly a full wolflength off the ground and scrambled away from it. All four wolves just looked at me.
“It’s just getting rid of flies,” Pell said kindly. I felt like an idiot.
“What do we do once we select one?” I asked Torell, trying to make up for my cowardice.
He didn’t answer. His head was lowered, and he was staring an auroch full in the face, his jaws open to reveal all of his sharp teeth. The beast met his gaze and scraped its hoof in the dirt. I hadn’t noticed before, but even their hooves were sharp and dangerous. I wondered if it would speak to us as the elkryn did, but it just blew a great gust of air from its nose.
Secrets of the Wolves Page 24