AHuntersDream (2 page)

“Did anyone see?”

“The young woman saw, but she is unlikely to speak of it. Something about a beltharo trying to kill you has a tendency to blur social niceties.” Iris offered her mother some scones.

The baker had been by early in the morning, as had the farmer. Iris had bought her supplies for the next few days, including butter and milk. She grinned at her mother. “The cream is full fat.”

Ravon grinned. “Thank the stars. It has been harder on me than it has your father. Do you have any butter?”

Laughter spilled out of Iris as she and her mother exchanged pleasantries over scones, muffins and tea.

“Your father and I had an interesting visitor yesterday.” Ravon took a sip of her tea and smiled.

“Did you? That’s nice. Visitors are always welcome and interesting ones are so hard to find.” Thwarting her mother’s teasing was always entertaining and a very easy thing to enjoy.

Her mother let out a gust of air. “Fine. The Citadel has heard that there is a morinial in our town and they want to meet her.”

Iris leaned back in her chair. “You don’t say. How do they know it’s a she? And why did they come to you?”

“Your father does have certain status as mayor, you know.”

“What did he tell them?”

“He would look into it and get back to them today.”

“He is so very politic when he has to be.” Iris smiled. “I did wonder how long it would be before someone spoke out. What was the Citadel offering?”

“They were very vague. Something about a position and an assignment to seek out something. They seemed eager.”

Iris looked at her chiller and the breadbox. “If I am away for a few days, can you eat my food and weed my garden?”

“Of course, peapod. Do you think you will be gone long?”

Iris cleaned up the dishes and washed them in the sink. “Well, Mama, last night, I dreamed of the stars.”

Iris rode Teddi up to the gates of the Citadel outpost Keroa. The two men on guard in their smoke grey and black robes greeted her. “Welcome, traveller. How may we help you?”

She dismounted from her rhesh and looked at them in turn. “I understand that someone at the Citadel has been looking for a morinial. I decided to audition for the position.”

One of the men stepped forward and held out his hand, palm up. “Allow me to lead you inside, candidate.”

“And read my talent at the same time? Certainly. Take my hand, Teller, and determine if I am a freak by Keroa standards.” She put one hand out and kept her other on the reins.

“Harvin will take your rhesh for you and get it something to eat.” The other guard took Teddi and led him into the compound. The gates shut and locked with their guards inside.

Iris was inside the Citadel and she had to find out why folk were looking for her. In her eleven years as an active talent, or morinial, no one had ever come looking for her for anything other than her skill as hunter. Some days, anything new was interesting.

The outpost was small, it held twenty members of the Citadel who involved themselves with the community and used Keroa to propel themselves to the outer planets of the system.

Few Keroans had ever been inside the buildings, so it was fascinating to see them up close.

The guard who had a grip on her hand suddenly looked nervous. She came to the awareness that he had just determined her talent.

“Don’t worry. I have not accidentally discharged my blades in almost a decade.” She chuckled at his small sigh of relief.

“Thank you. When awareness of your talent struck, I was pointedly focused on where your hand was.”

Iris almost hooted with laughter, but she restrained it to a light snigger.

They passed into the main building and the guard took her to an office. He knocked on the door. “Administrator. There is someone here to see you.”

“Come in.”

The guard left her with a bow and she opened the door in front of her. Two creatures were inside and since Iris had never seen an alien before, she had to guess at what they were based on Alliance information streams.

Two men turned to her, one crimson and one bronze, both with savage features. She grinned at them and inclined her head. “Gentlemen, I believe that I am the morinial you are looking for.”

Chapter Three

To her shock, both men’s nostrils flared. She knew that expression. They were both of species that used scent to gain information.

“What have your noses told you, gentlemen?” Her lips were twitching in amusement.

The one sitting behind the desk, the red one, sat up and spoke. “You are a blended female with at least nine races muddled together, you have power and you rode a rhesh here.”

The bronze one smiled. “Also, you are not in season and you like butter on your bread.”

Iris laughed. “Very nice. May I have your names?”

The one who had just spoken got to his feet, his midnight robes swirling around him. “I am Venin, traveler of the Citadel. This is Administrator Hyak.”

“I am prime hunter and morinial, Iris Markee. I hear that you have been looking for me.”

Venin smiled and held out a chair for her. “If you are the one we seek, we need your help off world.”

She slid into the chair and settled the knives she wore on her hips. The ones on her thighs were tightly bound, as were the ones tucked into the tops of her boots.

“How will you know if I am the one and what do you need me for?”

Venin sat back and gestured for the administrator to speak.

Hyak cleared his throat. “Venin is travelling to locate a lost temple and a psychic crystal. We need someone to go with him who is familiar with forests and the beasts within. He needs a bodyguard.”

Venin shrugged. “I am better in cities, there are too many hunting smells in a forest. They confuse me.”

She laughed. “They distract you.”

His grin said it all.

Hyak broke in, “Hunter Iris, may we see a demonstration of your talent?”

She raised her hands and extended her psychic knives. “What other kind of demonstration would you like?”

Hyak was out of his chair. He extended his arm. “I have heard that it cuts without breaking the skin.”

“Are you sure? It hurts from what I have been told.”

Hyak smiled. “I am sure that I will be able to deal with it.”

Shrugging, she stroked the edge of the blade along his skin once before rearing back and plunging it in.

The words that he used as he cursed were distinctively Wyoran as he jerked his arm back and slammed into the wall.

She winced. “Usually, I make a debilitating strike at a nerve cluster. Don’t worry, the feeling will return in a few minutes.”

Absently, she retracted the knives and resumed her seat.

Venin asked her, “Do you have complete control over them?”

“I do. Trust me, I was a quick study after the first time I spiked myself in the head. Now, I am far more precise where I lay my blades.”

Hyak was busy working the feeling back into his arm. “That must have been painful.”

“A little, but waking up on the back of my rhesh miles from where I started was far worse. My father found me six hours later, headed the wrong way. He started my hunter training that very day.”

The memory of that day made her smile. Her hunter education had become necessary even though it was not something her father had wished for her. He had wanted her to live, love and have little ones, but that had not been her destiny.

“You are an accomplished hunter then?” Venin was leaning forward intently.

“I am the best Keroan hunter you will find. I have been named this area’s prime hunter just this week. Now, tell me what you are seeking.” Iris sat back and waited.

Venin stood and began to pace.

“What do you know of the dead gods?”

His tone was that of a teacher and her lips quirked in amusement.

“Not much. I know that there were once elder races that chose to blend with more recent ones, but the only ones who know of them first hand are stars and planets.”

Venin and Hyak were both surprised.

Hyak mentioned, “You know more than many in the Alliance.”

She chuckled. “There isn’t much out here but reading and hunting. Keroa-Uli has been a good friend and we spend many nights playing board games and talking.”

“The planetary avatar?” Hyak seemed surprised.

“Well, technically the planet is the one who comes over to play. He likes the children’s games and delights in moving the pieces around the board. Uli watches and comes out when needed, I am pretty sure that Keroa uses him to cheat.”

Both men seemed surprised at that, but Venin continued. “The dead gods were once living, powerful beings that offered their talents to those near them. In exchange, many temples were built in their honour and objects were accumulated to assist them in their worldly work.

“On Thiiril, there was a dead god who controlled the weather using a large crystal. We have been given intelligence that the Raiders are seeking this crystal for themselves. The Citadel is determined to get to it first.”

“Why do you need me? This seems like the sort of thing would be better handled by others.” She cocked her head, genuinely curious.

Venin sighed and Hyak rubbed his face with his hand.

“What Venin isn’t telling you is that nine teams have walked on Thiiril and none has even gotten close to the temple. The area is a rain forest and full of deadly beasts. No scanners penetrate the gloom and since we are not sure of exactly what we are looking for, no Finder can locate it.”

Iris raised her eyebrows. “And you think I can find it?”

Venin chuckled. “No, but I think you can watch my back while I find it. The animals on that world are hostile to all invading forces. They mean business, but killing something that is simply engaging in its instincts is unacceptable to me unless there is no other option. Finding a hunter that could stun and not kill the deadliest of beasts led me here. Hyak didn’t even know you existed until I asked to meet with you.”

Iris quirked her lips. “I am a well-kept secret, but how did
you
learn I was here.”

“You have a proud community. When can you leave?”

She chuckled. “I have my provisions and clothing in my saddle bags. I am ready when you are.”

Administrator Hyak raised his hand. “Wait, there is one formality to attend to. Iris, will you agree to be an adjunct member of the Citadel? It means that when you go off world like this, you will draw a wage in our service.”

She grinned. “Where do I sign?”

He rolled out a contract and quickly crossed out several paragraphs.

“What were those for?”

“Training to use your talent. If you are using your talent and you trained yourself, you do not get charged room, board and instruction fees.”

She laughed and gave the contract a quick perusal. The writing was direct. As a self-trained talent, she was hiring herself out to the Citadel as a subcontractor. They would pay her a fee for every assignment depending on the level of difficulty but always enough to compensate her for her time away from home and duties.

The contract would last for three years, at which time, either party could opt out.

She signed the document and looked up with a smile.

She pressed her credit slip to the recorder and grinned when Hyak said, “Your funds are in your account. You are now an acting agent of the Citadel.”

“Excellent. Well, Venin, shall we go?”

He blinked. “You are ready to go, just like that?”

“I have already arranged for my mother to watch my house and weed my garden. What more do I need to do?”

He seemed surprised. “You knew you were leaving today.” It wasn’t a question.

“Of course. I dreamed of the stars, now take me to them and take care of my rhesh while you are at it.” She got to her feet and stood by the door. “I am waiting.”

He laughed, saluted Hyak and turned to her. “Far be it from me to keep a woman waiting.”

“I am not a woman, I am a hunter. Try to keep the distinction in your mind and what happens on the surface will be easier on you. You will be my charge and I can and will get you through the jungle alive.”

Hyak grinned. “It seems like you are in good hands, Venin. Enjoy your journey and give me a full report when you return.”

Venin blinked. “It seems I will. Thank you for your assistance in this, Iris Makee.”

She smiled. “Thank me when we have found the object and return intact. Until then, this is a hunt with an uncertain outcome.”

Venin joined her and together, they walked through the halls of the Citadel outpost, gathered her saddlebags and walked to the small shuttle pad at the back of the facility.

Her first look at a shuttle surprised her. While they looked relatively small overhead, in person, the vehicle was approximately a quarter of a kilometer long.

“It is far larger than I thought it would be.”

Venin grinned. “That is not the first time I have heard that. Please. Come on board and stow your bags. We have a window of opportunity to catch a jump ship and it is closing rapidly. The sooner we get sky bound, the better.”

She snorted and stowed her bags in the cupboard he showed her to. “Fine, but it is my first flight. Be gentle with me.”

He chuckled. “Not the first time I have heard that one either.”

She sighed and realized that this was going to be a very long flight.

Chapter Four

The feeling of disorientation was almost overwhelming. “Is it always so intense?”

Venin laughed. “You are providing me with endless opportunities for inappropriate comments, Iris.”

“Zip it and tell me that I will get used to it, traveler.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and tried to focus.

“You will get used to it. We have left the atmosphere now, look out at the stars.”

She did as he said and focused on the constellation she recognised. The hunter. Her mother had always told her that those stars had guarded her birth and now, she was flying toward them. It was a peculiar change in location that was bringing her to the places that she had only dreamed of before this moment.

In her mind, she let space take the place of her forests, alien races and other ships were now the beasts and the stars were the trees and landmarks that she used to find her way. It was a surprisingly easy transition.