Wolf Captured (24 page)

Derian saw a slight frown crease the face of Earth’s representative, and guessed that Tiridanti had oversimplified some point of theology, but the frown melted instantly away, as soon as she noted Derian’s gaze upon her.

Tiridanti went on, “Now, unlike in your own land, the yarimaimalom had never retreated from the territory which our colony claimed. Perhaps this is because although they were hunted, there was never an attempt to exterminate them. Indeed, in many small towns and villages they were revered alongside the resident disdum. When the plague had driven the Old Country masters away, representatives of the yarimaimalom came to the disdum who remained. They spoke as follows:

“‘Let the sacrifice of all animals end, for it is not pleasing to the deities. Moreover, give over the hunting of the yarimaimalom even for food, for we truly speak to you for the deities. Long before your coming did we regulate our own growth, so we shall continue to do.’

“‘In return for your promise to do this, some of our number will come and live among you. Give us the fine islands out in the bay for our own and make other preserves in areas we will divine as being within the deities’ will. We shall come peacefully among you then, and speak to you for the deities. Never will we raise paw or hoof or horn against you or your children unless harm be offered first. There will be peace among us, and the deities will smile upon you and you will prosper.’

“As you can imagine,” Tiridanti said, “the people were happy to make such a pact, for they could see how it would be pleasing to the deities. Moreover, as if to show their hearts were one with ours in this matter, the yarimaimalom offered one other promise.

“‘We will also keep watch for you against the return of those who have fled. Truly the deities have punished them, but someday survivors may seek to return. From our place on the islands in the bay we will watch. We will speak to our lesser kin and learn what they see as well. Thus we will have warning well before our old enemies return. Then they will find you have prepared and are ready to resist them. The deities will be pleased, as they have ever been pleased to see their worshipers standing up for themselves, asking only for guidance, not to be forever treated as children.’

“And the people were also happy to do this, and to this day a small gathering of disdum lives on the islands in the bay—we call them Misheemnekuru, the Sanctuary Islands—and to them the yarimaimalom will bring warning if ever our common enemy return.”

Tiridanti folded her hands, and when she spoke again her voice was less formal, so it was clear that she spoke now for herself, rather than as a repository of sacred lore.

“So you see,” she said, looking directly at Firekeeper, “why we were astonished when you claimed we kept the yarimaimalom captive. They associate with us by their own desire.”

Derian thought it was a pretty good story, but Firekeeper was obviously not ready to believe it.

“In story you say the Beasts say this, Beasts say that,” she said, “but you tell me you not can talk to Beasts. How is it then?”

Tiridanti replied a trace stiffly, “It is a short way of explaining that the yarimaimalom communicated their will to us through the methods of divination we were accustomed to use. They are laborious, but communication is possible.”

Firekeeper nodded, her gaze resting on Truth so that Derian suspected that the jaguar had added some collaboration or further information.

“But the yarimaimalom are on islands, mostly,” Firekeeper said, her dislike of traveling over water quite evident. “To me this seems like big cage.”

Tiridanti spread her hands. “I can offer no answer to that but to remind you that Truth sits there calmly and she wears no collar, no chain, no restraint upon her actions.”

“That I see,” Firekeeper growled. “I give parole to Harjeedian or he hurt me and mine. How I know it not the same here?”

“You can ask,” Tiridanti said mildly. She looked at her associates and then went on, “Apparently, Lady Blysse needs more reassurance than we can give. What if we let her go to the wolves who live on the islands in the bay? She can speak with them, and learn that we have done them no harm. Then, perhaps, she will feel clear of mind about sharing her knowledge with us.”

Magic’s member of u-Liall, Noonafaruma, nodded approval.

“There is inspired wisdom in that suggestion, Tiridanti,” she said. “However, I know that Varjuna, senior keeper of the Horse, has heard that Derian Counselor is knowledgeable in the way of horses. He had hoped to consult with him. May Derian Counselor remain on the mainland?”

Firekeeper looked at Magic’s representative with unguarded anger.

“I have said, no hostage, no more, not even Blind Seer who is dear to me from my home.”

Noonafaruma spread her hands in what Derian knew was a gesture of apology—a great concession, he suspected, on the part of one of her rank.

“We do not intend for Derian Counselor to be kept hostage. We sincerely honor his knowledge.”

Derian saw that Firekeeper was still unconvinced. He rose and gave his best bow.

“U-Liall, may Lady Blysse and I withdraw and discuss this matter in private? As I explained, I interpret human ways for Lady Blysse and she will be more comfortable if we speak alone.”

“Go where you will,” Tiridanti said immediately, “but only within the bounds of the temple city.”

Firekeeper gave a very thin smile, one that said without words that she knew herself a prisoner still, no matter what polite words were spoken.

Derian bowed. “Thank you. When will u-Liall give us audience again?”

Tiridanti glanced—not at her associates, but at Truth. The jaguar rose from its lambskin pad and crossed to one of the sections of mosaic on the walls. After careful consideration, she reared onto her hind legs and indicated a particular symbol.

“Noon tomorrow,” Tiridanti said, “is the time for which the omens are propitious. That gives you nearly a full day to consider.”

“Thank you,” Derian said.

Noonafaruma added, “Speak not only among yourselves, but also with Varjuna. It would be good if you were to know what we offer you, Derian.”

Derian bowed again, but though Firekeeper rose to her feet she remained stiff and straight.

Tiridanti looked at her, and Derian thought he saw the Ahmyndisdu swallow a sigh.

“You are dismissed. Harjeedian, you and your sister shall announce what u-Liall has decreed. Let none trouble our guests unless our guests first approach them. You are to remain available to them in case they have questions.”

Harjeedian’s expression left no doubt that this was a tremendous honor.

“I will do as the Blessed Five command.”

Firekeeper snorted and turned. Without further comment, she headed toward the double doors, moving so swiftly that the two servants barely had time to pull them open.

Derian, fearing the worst, eschewed courtesy and hurried after her. He hoped his rudeness would be forgiven.

X

“FIREKEEPER,”
BLIND SEER SAID as he ran alongside her down the ramp,
“you are being rude. Whatever you think of them, those five humans are the Ones in this land—and surely even you have learned that human Ones hold power beyond that of personal fang and claw. That younger one in the center even seemed to be trying to help us.”

Firekeeper couldn’t listen—didn’t want to listen might be more honest. The tale Tiridanti had related had shaken her as perhaps only one other story had shaken her. Even being forced to acknowledge her own human heritage had not bothered her as much. What troubled her was once again learning that her knowledge of her own people was far less than complete.

“It does not seem to trouble you,”
she said heatedly,
“to find our own captives of these humans—to find Royal Beasts so turned from themselves that they think it an honor to live among humans as their vassals.”

“One does not judge an entire herd from a single fawn,
” Blind Seer replied from his seemingly endless store of wolf proverbs,
“nor a pack from a solitary hunter.”

Spinning to a halt in the walled garden that surrounded the step pyramid, Firekeeper glowered at the wolf.

“Sometimes I think you make those up,”
she said accusingly.

“Flat folded ears do not hear as clearly as those carried alert,”
Blind Seer replied.
“Neither anger nor fear make for good judgment. What has you so upset, Firekeeper?
”

Firekeeper walked a few steps to where a cluster of shrubs gave at least the illusion of privacy. None of the humans still gathered in the reception hall had followed them outside. She almost wished someone would. It would feel good to have someone to snarl at—someone other than Blind Seer, who was only being reasonable.

She plopped down onto the soft dirt, and patted the earth next to her. Blind Seer came over and put his head in her lap, but his question remained in the air between them.

“I am upset,”
Firekeeper replied after taking time to think,
“because I cannot believe that wolves would make themselves dogs to these humans. Maybe the jaguar would. Jaguars are cats and cats are lazy, but wolves?
”

She sighed and in that sigh was all her belief that a pack of wolves would take what it wanted without the need for truces with anyone. It also contained her memory of how when she had come east with Earl Kestrel and his companions there had been a long time when she had been content to be fed and cared for, to not make any effort for herself. The memory was made no sweeter by the fact that Firekeeper could not forget how only the mocking comments of the peregrine falcon Elation had shaken her into action.

“I am very confused,”
she admitted.

“‘Crossed game trails must be backtracked,’”
Blind Seer quoted,
“‘if one is to find the truest scent.’ How then do we untangle these?”

“We go and talk with these yarimaimalom wolves
,” Firekeeper said without hesitation.
“Relying on the word of humans and cats is not enough.”

“And our return home?
” the wolf asked.

“We do not know enough to go,”
Firekeeper replied,
“at least not if we are to take Derian with us. You and I might manage, but I could not leave him here, not when I think his being in this place has much to do with me.
”

“Well said,”
Blind Seer agreed,
“but do you think going and talking to these island wolves will help us find our trail home?
”

“No,”
Firekeeper said bluntly.
“However, I do not like the thought of slinking away with this question left unanswered. These humans have learned the sea road north. How long before they meet with the people of Bright Bay or Waterland and mingle their strange ideas? I can think of many terrible things that could come from this. Better we know first, so we can prepare our people.
”

Blind Seer thumped his tail in agreement, then he panted laughter.

“Besides, you are curious.
”

“I am,”
Firekeeper admitted,
“and angry. Perhaps Harjeedian’s people think that their agreement with these tame yarimaimalom mean they can rule all Beasts. I wish to show them differently.

“And,”
she continued, stroking the wolf between his ears,
“if there are captives here as we are captives, I wish to do what I can to help them go free.”

ALTHOUGH HE INTENDED TO follow Firekeeper as quickly as possible, Derian found himself delayed by the crush of people still assembled in the reception hall. Without Truth to clear his way, Derian found himself trapped. In the babble of many voices, he had difficulty making out what was being said.

Barnet came to his rescue.

“Lady Blysse came through here a few moments ago,” the minstrel explained in Pellish. Oddly, the crowd quieted, as if in silence they could better understand the foreign tongue. “She was so intense no one thought to stop her—though Blind Seer may have had as much to do with that as anything. They’re outside now, just a few running steps from the door, but these … people …”

Derian had the distinct impression Barnet had been about to say “idiots,” but had remembered in time that there were a few present who spoke at least some Pellish.

“These people are seeing omens in everything from the number of steps she took once she left the temple to the color of the flowers on the shrubs near where she is sitting. What is going on?”

Derian tried to decide what could and could not be said in such a public place.

“During Lady Blysse’s audience with u-Liall, she learned a great deal about local history, some of which she found unsettling. She also doesn’t like being closed in, and though the conclave chamber was large, I think she felt cramped.”

That’ll do,
Derian thought.
Better than the truth, at least.

“Someone will be down to explain u-Liall’s ruling,” he continued. “Meanwhile, I’m going out to Lady Blysse.”