A Whisper of Wings (35 page)

“Quite so. And who should arrive upon the scene than Tekï’taa! Tekï’taa the provider. The man who brings us a glorious jiteng victory!”

The flames licked ever higher; when Tekï’taa concentrated, he could almost hear his father’s fat sizzling in the fire. The priest laid a hand upon the Prince’s arm.

“Celebrate well, my Prince, for tomorrow you shall be King.” The man leaned closer, his long fangs gleaming in the firelight. “But remember, oh King. Remember who it was that placed the power in thy hands.”

Out in the edges of the crowd, Mrrimïmei fought her way towards Totoru. The girl shouted to be heard above the deafening sound of drums.

“He’s not here! No one’s seen Kotaru!”

“His lodge is empty. The other bachelors say they’ve not seen hide nor hair!” Looming huge above the crowds, Totoru creased his muzzle in thought. “He must have never made it home with the girl.”

The lovers clung together, wincing as the crowds surged back and forth, and Totoru bellowed into his fiancé’s ear.

“He’s the smartest man alive! How could anything go wrong?”

“He’s a love-struck fool! Anything could happen to him.” Mrrimïmei looked around in panic. “Why? Why did we ever let him do it? The whole idea’s too dangerous! I should have known something bad would happen!”

“They must have changed their plan and gone another way.”

The girl shook her head, her eyes bright with panic.

“No, I can feel it! Somethin’s wrong!” Mrrimïmei clenched her fist. “Call the team! We’ll search. Comb the likely routes, and then all the unlikely ones. If he’s out there, we’ll find him!”

Totoru reluctantly began to move.

“There’s a whole forest out there, love. How can we ever hope to find him?”

“He’s ours, and I’ll never give him up! That man’s done everything for me!” Mrrimïmei glared bitterly towards the fire. “I knew this would happen! We search! I’m damned if I’ll ever give him up.”

The two Kashra pushed off into the churning crowds to find their team. Behind them the drums crashed like the sound of ancient storms.

***

Kïtashii lay beneath her sleeping robe listening to the approaching dawn. A magpie warbled somewhere in the distance; leaves squeaked and rustled in the dark. The little girl blinked, wondering if she could see the ceiling of the lodge. Was it dawn yet? Would anyone be stirring in the village? Hunters might; dawn was the time to catch the possums as they returned to their lairs. Zhukora’s men might already be combing through the trees…

The room lay still and quiet. Kïtashii strained to hear if her mother was awake, then rolled over in her bed with painful slowness. Each rustle of the sleeping mat sounded like a snapping branch.

Night still hung above the forest; vast tree trunks shimmered in the dark. Kïtashii balanced awkwardly on one leg, pulling on her little skirt and halter. Finally done, she spread her wings and sank into the treetops.

No one would tell her where Shadarii was hidden; they merely said that she had fallen sick. Shadarii wasn’t in her father’s lodge or with the healers or the priests. That only left Counselor Chitoochi’s lodge. Since the counselor had died her house had been left sealed and deserted, but for some strange reason Zhukora had been made warden of Chitoochi’s keys…

Why? Why didn’t they want Shadarii to be seen in public? Had they hurt her somehow? She wouldn’t have come back from her escape attempt without a fight. The poor girl might be lying there in pain, needing her! Kïtashii flung herself through the dark at reckless speed and only slowed her pace as she neared Chitoochi’s lodge.

Kïtashii clung beneath the boughs of a nearby tree to search the darkness for the slightest sign of danger. Half hidden by the spiders webs and mistletoe, a haze of ïsha shimmered in the gloom. Someone sat above the lodge, quietly keeping watch.

Kïtashii’s hung upside down and thoughtfully waved her tail. Any aerial approach was sure be be seen. The guard had made only a single error; his view was blocked by the huge bulk of the treehouse below him.

Kïtashii withdrew her claws and fell silently towards the ground, plunging through the dark for long seconds before finally flicking out her wings. Wind roared all around her as she curved up into a loop; treebark brushed her belly as she shot towards the treehouse’s floor. As her momentum slowed, the girl reached out to catch the rugged bark with her claws.

Ha! Easy! The little creature swarmed busily up the tree trunk, scuttled up beneath the treehouse and twirled her tail in glee.

The windows of the lodge were covered by sturdy wooden bars, and the front door had been well and truly locked. Kïtashii crouched uncomfortably in the dark space beneath the floor and tried to think. She couldn’t break the bars and she couldn’t force the door; Kïtashii took her tongue between her teeth and tried knocking softly on the floorboards overhead. Five minutes of effort gave her no result at all.

Kïtashii petulantly rammed herself back against a branch. Wood creaked alarmingly behind her. Kïtashii froze and then pushed back against the branch once more, and the floorboards gave slightly overhead.

Aha!

Clever little hands began to run across the floorboards. The wooden pegs that held the planks together had started to work free. Kïtashii plucked the pegs out one by one and stuffed them down her tiny halter top.

The girl softly drew a floor plank free and placed it down between the branches, then clung beneath the gap and whispered hoarsely up into the dark.

“Shadarii! Psssst, Shadarii? Shadarii, are you there?”

Kïtashii’s ears pricked up as she heard a sluggish movement overhead, and her sensitive black nose caught hold of Shadarii’s smell.

A second board came free, and then a third. Kïtashii flattened back her wings and pushed up through the hole, wood scraping painfully against her ribs as she wormed her way inside.

“Oh Rain! Thank the spirits you’re alright. I found you. They tried to stop me but I found you!” The little girl ran fingers through Shadarii’s tangled hair; she smelled strangely dull and sick. “I’ve made a hole in the floor. We can drop out and be gone before they know it!”

There was still no answer; Shadarii stirred and let her head fall back to smack against the floor.

“Shadarii?” Kïtashii blinked. “Shadarii, can you hear me? Shadarii, wake up!”

Shadarii’s eyes were open, and yet she didn’t seem to see. The woman reached out to touch Kïtashii’s face and gave a dreamy little smile. Kïtashii croaked in shock as Shadarii sighed and cuddled happily against her.

A bowl of boiled roots lay on the floor. Kïtashii reached across and suspiciously sniffed the remnants, and a sharp acidic scent rose out to burn her nostrils.

“Poison root!”

Kïtashii looked at her friend in fright. Poison root was a forbidden thing! Lazy hunters used it to poison waterholes; dropped into a pool it could stun every fish within a hundred spans. Laws had been passed against its use long ago, since it caused untold damage to the forest balance. To use it on an animal was forbidden, but to use it on a fellow Kashra?

“Alright Shadarii. Now you listen very, very carefully. We have to get you out of here. Now you mustn’t eat the food, alright? Don’t eat the food they give you! Just empty the bowl down the hole in the floor.”

Shadarii’s head lolled, and Kïtashii wrenched her face upright once again.

“Shadarii! You listen! Don’t eat the food. Not one bite. They’re poisoning you! You mustn’t eat anything today. I’ll bring you food tonight.

“Drink this water now. Drink up! We have to flush your blood clear of the poison. Drink all you can today, you hear? Drink all the water they can give you.”

Footsteps scraped on the roof overhead. The guard had begun to stir, and soon he would come to check upon the prisoner.

“Shadarii, I have to go now. They’ll find me if I stay. You just hold on tight and I’ll come back again tonight. I’ll help you get away and find Kotaru.”

Shadarii suddenly blinked at the mention of Kotaru’s name.

“That’s it! Kotaru. You remember Kotaru! He’s waiting for you. We have to go to him.” Kïtashii began to squeeze back through the floor. “I’ll be back tonight! I love you!”

The little girl blinked in shock as she saw how light it had become. She crouched in hiding and replaced the floorboards. Her task done, Kïtashii turned nose down to the ground and simply let go of the branch. She fell silently into the gloom and made her way back home.

“I have to dance today, Mama! It’s important. There’s five rugs made already. You can sell them today. I’ll do the rest tonight, really I will!”

“You do the work I give you. We’ll cure you of this dancing.”

Kïtashii bowed her head and wandered out into the morning light. Behind her the baby cried as her mother went back to sleep.

Flying possum.

It was a flying possum - a little creature no bigger than a mouse. Shadarii lay back on the floor and looked at the tiny creature through befuddled eyes. The world turned underneath her as the sun began to shine. The bad time of the night had passed and everything was good again.

Sun. Nice sun to warm her. Sun and a little possum high up in the sky.

She beamed dreamily as she held out her loving hands. The tiny possum sprang from the skylight and parachuted down into Shadarii’s grasp. The dancer gave a sigh and held the creature to her breast, where the little possum promptly snuggled up into a ball and went to sleep.

A cup rose up and dipped into the water bucket, then drifted down into Shadarii’s hand. She drank carefully, trying not to wake the sleeping possum. It dozed like a little baby, quite oblivious to the world.

A baby…

Shadarii liked babies. She was going to have one soon - a nice grey one like the possum. She was going to make the baby for someone very special. A very special present all of her own…

A present for who?

Shadarii floated the possum high up in the air and softly placed it in the rafters. It would be safe there. The blonde girl wouldn’t see it.

Her head whirled; thinking made her feel sick. It was nice once the sun came up. Soon it would be food time once again, and everything would feel good and lazy.

No, she wasn’t going to eat the food today. Why ever not? She felt so very hungry, and her head had begun to hurt. It always hurt when they took too long with the meal…

Something scraped at the door, and Shadarii rolled, saliva running from her mouth. A figure came and stood inside the door; buckets clanged - water splashed, and the delicious scent of breakfast filled the room. The door slammed tight, and Shadarii made the food box slide across the floor towards her.

It was porridge! Shadarii dizzily sat up, her face alight with smiles as sdhe dipped her paw into the nice warm goo. She closed her eyes and touched the food against her lips.

No.

Shadarii frowned and put down her hand, the food slopping back into the bowl. Moving with elaborate care, she tipped it out through a hole in the floor.

Now why had she done that? Shadarii slumped against the wall and stared into space with troubled eyes. The sun streamed down across her fur, but this time it brought no glow of comfort.

Her head hurt. Her senses swam.

Something was terribly wrong.

Power recoiled in Zhukora’s mind; Serpent snarled and hissed as Zhukora clutched her skull and bared her fangs.

“What? What is it?”

*She fights me! This creature has true power! I hurt…*

“Fighting you?” Zhukora unsheathed her claws. “Don’t be ridiculous!”

*She sits and watches me! When I approach her, she attacks. Her overmind is not properly subdued.*