Daughter of the Moon (The Moon People, Book Two) (71 page)

"Miral's clan?" Netya whispered, a tension gripping her body that she had spent all winter trying to forget.

"We shall soon see," the den mother replied, wiping her hands free of dirt as she rose to her feet and hurried to the edge of the glade, scaling the rocks and peering out over the lands to the north.

"They must have approached quickly, or Fern would have brought word of them before now," Netya said as she joined Adel in her vigil.

"And they must know where to find us, if they are this close already. Gather everyone. Have them prepare the traps and set the fires at the west end of the valley."

"What about the scouts, and those who are out hunting?"

"There is no time to bring them back. Look." Adel pointed to a gap in the trees where a slash of open valleyside cut a light green path through the rolling forests surrounding it. Netya had to squint, but after a few moments she made out a fuzz of dark shapes crawling slowly across the open space. From where she stood their progress seemed glacial, but she knew that anything she could see moving from so far away had to be travelling at least as fast as a running wolf.

She hurried to gather the others, organising them to collect the stacks of spiked traps that had stood ready all winter while Lyucia began to boil a fresh bowl of her poison. An entire cave had been packed with mounds of the spirit herbs that littered the valley, dry and ready to burn as soon as they were heaped into bonfires. They were carried out by the armful, people and wolves dashing up and down the valley as they prepared for the worst.

Before sunset Fern arrived back with Eyan, the pair of them panting for breath as they reverted from the shapes of their wolves and staggered arm in arm over to Adel and Netya.

"How many are there?" the den mother demanded immediately. "And how close by?"

"At least a dozen," Fern gasped. "We only saw them from a distance before hurrying back, but they stopped... perhaps an afternoon's walk from here."

"Why?"

"I do not know. They must have heard my howl, then decided to wait."

The den mother paced for a moment, deep in thought. "Go back out there, but be careful, and be quiet. Watch them. If they begin moving toward the valley again, let them pass by you, then howl for us."

Despite their exhaustion, the pair obeyed without complaint, leaving Netya and Adel to continue heaping herbs upon the bonfire they were building. Dusk began to fall, and still no more howls were heard. The clan itched in readiness, the traps set and the pyres built, warriors hiding among the rocks on the valleyside while the seers prepared to ignite their fires.

Caspian and Netya waited together with Adel beyond the small forest at the end of the valley, ready to call out to the others at the first sign of enemies approaching. The light dimmed, and still no one came. At the first glimpse of the moon, Fern's low howl murmured a short distance to the north, but it was no urgent bark of warning. The huntress emerged from the shadows soon after, picking out the trio with her night eyes and bounding over to them.

"They are still waiting?" Adel asked.

Fern nodded, looking weary, but not out of breath. She had made no tireless dash home this time. "Not just waiting, but making camp. They have a fire burning and meat roasting. I do not think they mean to attack us tonight."

"They may be planning. Hastiness was Miral's undoing the last time he faced us," Adel said.

"But a fire, and cooking?" Caspian raised an eyebrow. "Only a fool would leave his enemies such an invitation to attack so close to their den. How many did you say they numbered, Fern?"

"Fourteen. We counted this time. Both men and women. They travel with a great many supplies, as much as a clan would bring with them to a gathering."

"The warriors of Miral's clan were all men," Netya said, giving her mentor a cautious look. "Perhaps they are not here to attack us."

"And we outnumber them," Caspian added. "If we gathered everyone we could go to meet them without fear of a fight."

Adel considered for a moment, before giving Fern a half-nod. "You are sure they were making camp for the night?"

"Yes. They had sleeping furs laid out and roasting pits dug for tomorrow."

"Very well. Get some rest and send two of the others to take Eyan's place. If these people are still there at first light, we shall go to meet them."

Adel spread the word that some of the clan could return to the caves for the time being, but most were too anxious to abandon their vigil, Netya included. She stayed with Caspian in the long grass, their wolves huddled together in the darkness as they watched the land to the north. Some time before dawn Fern joined them, bringing a breakfast of fresh mushrooms for them to share. As dawn began to seep into the horizon Adel reappeared from the trees, with almost the full strength of the pack following in her wake. She was dressed in her shawl of black feathers, eyes painted with fresh charcoal and Netya's staff gripped in her hand. She passed the ornamented totem back to her apprentice as she approached, leading the procession out of the valley and to the north.

"They must fear our power, no matter who they are," the den mother said. Sure enough, all of the seers were clad in their ceremonial garb, faces painted and bodies adorned with trinkets and talismans.

The pack struck a slow pace as they threaded their way through the undergrowth and into the shallower valleys nearby, walking all morning until they were met by Rokan and the other scout. The two men reported that the group of interlopers had been camped all night, just as Fern had said. Even after daybreak they had not moved, as if they were already expecting what was to come. This gave Adel reason to pause, but once she glimpsed the camp on the open valleyside ahead of them the den mother resumed her march, as determined as ever. Caspian had been correct; if these people were here to make war on them, then they were far more foolish than Miral had been. Their camp was exposed and their numbers few, barely even a sentry posted to keep watch.

When Adel and her followers emerged from the trees, no cries of alarm went up. The men and women occupying the camp drew together in a cautious clump, and for a moment it seemed that they were more likely to flee than stand their ground. But the group held fast, and when a man moved forward to meet them Netya's heart leaped in surprise when she recognised his face.

It was Orec, brother of Alpha Turec, and with him stood men and women who could only have been warriors if their muscular builds and weathered looks were anything to go by. Perhaps their strength could have outmatched even that of the larger group approaching them, but they showed no signs of aggression.

"Den Mother Adel." Orec dropped to one knee as he approached, showing the kind of respect that would have been due an alpha. "We heard your scouts last night. We thought it best to wait, as we walk in your lands uninvited."

"Only our enemies have ever dared stray this close to our den," Adel replied, fixing the man with a freezing look. "How did you come to know of this place, and why are you here?"

Orec's eyes hovered over the group facing him. He was too proud of a warrior to show fear, but Netya saw the tension in his fingers as they tightened into the palms of his hands.

"We received word from Alpha Miral's pack shortly before winter. Their new leader, Alpha Halau, sent dire warnings of the curse that had befallen him and his kin. The young man who came to us spoke of demons made of fire, warriors who rose to fight on even in death, and a witch who burned his alpha's life away with a touch of her hand."

"My clan was told the same stories," a second man said as he stepped up alongside Orec, then bowed his head in respect and knelt before Adel.

"And mine," a third, this one of the dark-skinned clan, added, beating a fist against his chest in a similar gesture of respect.

"Word of our vengeance upon Miral spreads far," Adel said. "He was a brave alpha, but a fool who thought the strength of his warriors could equal the power of the spirits."

Orec nodded. "Believe us, Den Mother, our alphas hold nothing but respect for the spirits. Halau called upon us to join him in battle, to drive what he called a great evil from this world, but we refused. Our alphas desire only your blessing, Den Mother."

"You bring a pack of warriors just to seek my blessing?"

Orec looked to his companions, rising slowly to his feet. "At last summer's gathering, my brother sent two of our girls to learn from you. He has no desire to see them come to harm, but he can spare few warriors of his own to help protect you from foes like Halau. So I carried his message to the other clans, and those who stand here with me now are the men and women of the packs who would prove themselves worthy of your friendship."

"Strange, that they did not care for it when Miral threatened me at the gathering," Adel said, prompting a sharp look from Caspian.

"Forgive us, Den Mother, but none of our alphas wished to make an enemy of Miral."

"And now you wish to share in the power that defeated him?"

Orec lowered his eyes again respectfully. "It is yours to share, Den Mother. All we wish is for you to see our clans as allies."

Adel folded her arms, remaining silent for a long time as she considered the man's words. Netya held her breath, praying that her mentor would embrace this gift. With the aid of so many warriors, their pack could no longer be considered small or weak. They would rival many of the other medium-sized clans in strength, holding power that would make even the most aggressive alphas question the wisdom of meeting them in battle.

"My clan is one of seers," Adel said at last. "I will not take so many warriors into my fold, not when you all hold loyalties to other alphas. How am I to know you are not here to learn the secrets of our magic and then turn against us?"

"That is not our intent," Orec said. "You are right, we are no seers, and in truth I have no desire to witness the ways you make your dark magic. Some secrets were not meant for men to know. As you see, we have brought our own supplies. We will never venture into your den if that is what you wish, but allow us to stay nearby, where you can call on our aid whenever you need it. We would share the spoils of our hunts and send our own scouts to keep watch over your territory. Allow us to be your guardians. Our own clan, but loyal to you."

A slow smile spread across Adel's face. This was the kind of strength the den mother had always desired. Netya could sense her mentor's pride. Her fulfilment at having accomplished everything she had ever been told was beyond her grasp. And as much as Netya shared in those feelings, she could not help but feel a twinge of unease as she looked upon a woman who now held the power not just to defend her own clan, but to exert her will upon those who challenged her.

As if sensing her apprentice's thoughts, Adel turned to Netya and curled her fingers around her shoulder. "What do you think, my witches?" she said. "What shall we do with this power that has been gifted to us?"

The Moon People saga will continue in
Daughter of the Night
, coming soon.

# # #

Thank you very much for purchasing this title, I hope you had as much fun reading as I did writing!

If you have a spare moment to return to where you purchased the book and leave a review it would be much appreciated!

Reviews help new readers find my work and decide if the book is for them, along with providing helpful feedback for my writing.

If you would like to hear about my new releases directly then please feel free to
sign up for my email list
. No more pesky checking (and forgetting to check) your online retailer of choice—you'll be the first to know when a new book of mine hits the shelves!

Claudia King is a writer based in the United Kingdom, she studied Creative Arts at university and continues to maintain a passionate interest in storytelling across many forms of media. She owns a banana plant.

Explore more of my titles or follow me online:

Smashwords -
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ClaudiaKing

Blog -
http://claudiakingerotica.blogspot.co.uk/

Twitter -
https://twitter.com/CKerotica

Mailing List -
http://eepurl.com/bM3kY

Drop me an email! I love hearing from readers -
[email protected]