In the Skin of a Nunqua (12 page)

A snarling animal licked its snout, cornered but not ready to come out of hiding and fight. Shanti didn’t see the beast. Rather, she felt it, was part of it. It was a wolverine, hair standing on end, claws digging into the pine needles and dirt. Shanti wanted to bury her fingers in the fur of the wolverine, touch the rough bark of a tree, prick her skin on the thorn of a bush. What was going on? The smell of soil was intoxicating. Life teemed around her; heartbeats echoed in her head. Worms crawled through the dirt, and ants gathered food for their colony. Shanti was no longer an observer, but a worker ant with jaws ready to puncture the queen ant buried deep in the ground. Other ants scurried around her, oblivious to her murderous intent.

“An ivory ant inside the ebony colony touched antennae with Shanti.
Killing the queen will kill the colony. Your paths are linked.

She released Bayla, silencing the ivory ant and the heartbeats in her head. The pavilion came back into focus. Shanti placed the heels of her hands on her forehead, dazed at the sensations coursing under her skin. A hidden world had broke open. It felt like solving a difficult puzzle for the first time.

The ivory ant was Madiza, the white-haired fortune-teller who had put her under a spell at the inn. Madiza communed with that magical world, as did Bayla. Shanti had merely stumbled upon the dimension as an outsider, a thief taking power from another.

*

Shanti watched Vittorio and Jun play a board game inside the pavilion. Smooth white and black stones were strategically positioned on the board between them. Jun moved two white game pieces, then leaned back in his chair, smiling smugly.

“You cocky son of a bitch!” Vittorio slapped a coin on the table. “I’ll beat you yet.” He stomped away, his hands balled into fists. Soldiers parted to give the commander a wide berth.

“You realize that Vittorio is trying to trick you,” Shanti said to Jun. “He let you win. Now he will double or triple the bet, then play you in earnest.”

“Jun pointed to the board. “Are
you
“up to the challenge?”

“Not today. I wanted know if you could get some medicine, a salve for sore muscles. You can get it at any encampment with a proper medical section.”

“For you?”

“For Bayla. Her shoulder’s strained from overuse. I’m sure she’s hurting in other places, too, although she’s too proud to admit it.”

“I can’t believe you’d allow that. You’re going out of your way to be nice to her?”

“I’m trying to prevent bigger problems. Besides, Commander Gy has saddled me with taking care of the sick and wounded. One of them just happens to be the crown princess.”

Jun slid the stones off the wooden board, into a tightly woven basket. “I wasn’t planning on leaving, but I suppose I could. There’s a larger encampment two days’ ride from here.”

“Thank you. It’s a yellow ointment. Make sure the jar is full, and don’t accept any used medications.”

“I really wish you’d stop telling me how to do my job.”

Shanti hadn’t intended the remark to sound patronizing. “You might not want to mention my name, either.”

“Afraid I’ll run into Commander Mossgail?” he said.

“How do you know Mossgail?”

Again Jun pointed to the game.

“We’ll play half the board, usual stakes.” She picked the black stones out of the basket.

“I’ve been a soldier longer than you,” Jun said. “It’s inevitable I would hear something.”

Others inside the pavilion conversed or played cards. No one was paying any attention to the two commanders. Shanti moved a black stone across the board. “There was an investigation, and my name was cleared.”

“I heard.” He moved two white stones. “Commander Mossgail was in charge of supply. He woke up one morning to find all his provisions gone—stolen in the night. Even his clothes were taken. Is that right?”

Shanti chuckled at the memory of Mossgail running around and looking ridiculous in his underclothes. He was so angry, he didn’t care what he wore as he screamed, “She did it! Shanti’s the thief!”

“How come you know so much?” she said.

“I happen to be friends with one of the investigators.”

“Then you should also know Mossgail was black-marketing medicine to fill his own pockets. The medical section was low on supplies—supplies he wouldn’t give to us. Mossgail didn’t demand a proper military inquiry, because he knew it would expose his own criminal activities.”

““Ah, yes, you used to work in the medical section with the other women. Still, it was pretty daring. You stole everything from Mossgail’s supply area
while
“he was there.”

She studied the game board before making a move. “Who said it was me?”

“Commander Mossgail.”

“From what I hear, he was asleep at the time.”

Jun leaned forward. “You can tell me.”

She wanted to tell him. She wanted to brag and laugh and tell him the whole story of how that bastard wouldn’t give them the supplies they needed. She didn’t regret the robbery, but she had to be careful. “Since you’re friends with the investigator, why should I tell you?”

“If it makes you feel any better, Commander Mossgail wasn’t popular. My friend thought what you did was hilarious: securing his weapon and moneybag out of reach on a rafter, cutting off a lock of Mossgail’s hair, and tying it with twine to hang in the doorway. Personally, I think it was dumb. The hair confirms that you stole his supplies. Only Nunqua warriors cut the hair of their enemies. I’m curious, though: how does a Willovian woman find herself in such brutal company? How come the Nunqua let you stay with them—as a warrior, no less? More importantly, why did they let you leave?”

“Who says the Nunqua are brutal?”

“They’re not like us, not human.”

“The Nunqua are . . .” A question popped into her thoughts. Jun was friends with one of the investigators.” Do you know Commander Taran?”

He moved two pieces across the game board. “I win.”

“He had answered her question by not answering. Jun knew Taran, who, according to protocol, was unable to talk about what happened with Mossgail. Why would he discuss the incident with Jun?
Because Jun’s an investigator, too
“. He didn’t act like any quartermaster she had ever met. Supply was his cover. So a spy lurked inside the camp, but who was he spying on?

Shanti pulled a coin from her pocket and placed it on the table. “You’ve certainly done well tonight, Commander.”

He took the coin. “I think you let me win.”

*

Bayla jogged to keep up with the men as they headed deep into the woods toward the mountains. By the time they reached their destination, she was out of breath.

“Rega Bayla,” Aiden said.

“Please, drop the ‘Rega’ and just call me ‘Bayla’ while we’re at camp. Besides, I don’t feel very regal at the moment. Do you know why we’re here?”

“Obstacle course.”

“Fantastic.” She frowned.

“It’s not so bad. In fact, it can be fun.”

Commander Vittorio put his hand against the rocky side of a cliff. “The obstacle course begins here on this path, marked by orange ties on the trees. Do not deviate from the course, do not skip any obstacles that stand in your way, and do not be careless. Nobody gets hurt. That’s an order. Any questions?”

Only the birds chirped in the trees.

Vittorio pointed to two men. “Go.”

Soldiers watched their comrades climb the steep slope. When the men reached the top and disappeared from view, Vittorio pointed to two others. “Go.”

“What had she gotten herself into? She couldn’t compete with the men physically.

The next two disappeared over the hill. Vittorio pointed to Aiden and Bayla. “Go.”

Rocks jutted from the cliff, creating small handholds and footholds. Bayla climbed to the top and gazed down at her accomplishment. It had gone easier than it looked. Perhaps she could do this.

Along the path marked with orange ties was a shoulder-high wall of wood. Behind it stood another wall, taller than she was. She shook her head. “There’s no way . . .”

Aiden tugged on her arm to get her to move.

Bayla climbed over the first wall without much difficulty. The second proved impossible on her own. Aiden balanced horizontally on the topmost beam, held out his hand, and pulled her up and over. They ran toward narrow logs lying on the ground—easy to navigate. Next, they scrambled over a net. Two soldiers passed them, but Aiden stayed with her.

Bayla jumped, swung, climbed, and crawled through the dirt on the long path marked with orange ties. She crossed a shaky rope bridge positioned high above the ground and ran around a bend in the road. She stopped.

“Keep going!” Aiden said. “We’re almost at the end.”

She stared straight ahead.

Shanti stood on the trunk of a massive fallen tree blocking their path. The dark roots, no longer buried in the ground, spread out in an ominous circle at the tree’s base. “Ready to take off that uniform, Princess? You know you can’t handle it.”

“I’ll distract her.” Aiden focused his attention on their next obstacle. “You’re going down, Shanti.”

““Mapmaker, is that you?” Shanti moved to the center of the trunk. “You don’t have what it takes to push me off. And it’s ‘
Commander
“Shanti,’ you worm.”

They ran toward the uprooted tree with Shanti on it, blocking their way. Aiden hoisted himself up and kept low, but Shanti kept her distance from him and waited for Bayla. He crept forward, positioning himself lengthwise on the tree, and clutched the ankle of Shanti’s boot.

Her head swung around to face him.

Aiden didn’t let go.

Shanti bent low, putting her hands on the rough bark for balance. She clenched the back of his shirt and maneuvered her body on top of him. Her knee dug into the center of his back, and Aiden released her boot.

Bayla climbed over the tree trunk without confrontation.

“How chivalrous,” Shanti said. “Remember my order, mapmaker.”

Others on the path gleefully called Shanti’s name as they drew near the fallen tree.

She released her hold on Aiden. “Don’t ever touch me again, and get off my tree.”

He rolled off the trunk and caught up with Bayla.

“Thanks,” Bayla said.

“It was nothing. As a matter of fact, I rather enjoyed having Commander Shanti sit on me.”

“I noticed.”

“Jealous?” he called out as he ran to the next obstacle.

Yes
“. Bayla chased after him, and they finished the remainder of the course.

Sweat dripped down her face, and someone handed her a flask of water. She was back at the beginning of the obstacle course. It must have been set up in a circle, winding up and down the steep hills. Bayla stayed near Aiden and tried to calm her breathing.

Pirro joined them. “So, Rega, how was it.”

“So much fun, I’m ready to do it again.” She wiped her face with her sleeve. “What’s wrong?”

“Pirro held on to his hand. “Shanti stepped on my fingers. Oh, I mean
Commander
“Shanti.”

When all the soldiers had finished, Commander Vittorio hopped onto a rock and announced, “Now we race.” He divided the soldiers into four-man teams.

It couldn’t be. Bayla was so fatigued, she felt like falling flat on her face. One thought kept her going: Shanti’s insult about her being ready to take off the uniform. She wouldn’t be intimidated.

Vittorio split Aiden, Pirro, and Bayla into different teams. At least she knew somebody in her group, and Zindar didn’t even seem tired. Commander Shanti joined the soldiers and was also placed on a team. Vittorio put himself in another. Apparently, the commanders would join in the competition.

It was inevitable that Bayla’s team should be paired against Shanti’s. Perhaps, Commander Vittorio believed it fair since they were the only two females.

The race began. Bayla watched her opponent climb the cliff, and her spirits sank. Shanti was a natural athlete.

“Rega!” Zindar yelled from halfway up the slope.

She followed him up. Her group was fast and worked well together, but Shanti’s team was faster. Bayla realized she was slowing her teammates down. She had to do something about it. She didn’t want to lose.

*

Shanti jumped across a succession of parallel timbers positioned high above the ground. She stabilized herself with ropes stretched across the path, above her head. A black spider scuttled toward her. More spiders followed—hundreds more. Cave crickets with long legs and thin antennae joined the spiders on the log. Shanti squashed the bugs with her boots, but there were just too many. The log cracked but did not break, and she lurched downward. Despite the roughness of the bark, her feet slid on bug innards. She tightened her grip on the ropes above.

Spiders jumped onto her legs; crickets hopped onto her sleeves; fat beetles and ants crawled out of the log onto her boots. She tried to shake the insects off. The log collapsed, and Shanti lifted her feet, entangling them in the ropes above. The knots loosened instead of tautening as they should have, and the ropes gave way. Shanti dropped through the air. Putting her hand out to break her fall, she ripped through a sticky spider web. Her thumb hit the ground first, bearing her weight and bending painfully backward.

Shanti shrieked. She pulled the web out of her hair with one hand while cradling the injured thumb close to her body. “That witch!” She saw the princess on the trail behind her, eyes cold but triumphant. The insects retreated. Swallowing her pain, Shanti bypassed the parallel timbers with her teammates.

“Are you all ri—”

“We finish it!” Shanti avoided using her throbbing thumb the best she could as they raced to the end. She and her team crossed the finish line first, and Bayla’s team finished shortly after. The brooding princess leaned against the cliff.

Shanti tromped past Vittorio. “Parallel logs are unsafe. That obstacle is off limits.” She went over to Bayla. “You pull a trick like that again, and I’ll recommend your training be stopped.”

“No one will believe I conjured those bugs to attack you, especially out here in the wilderness.”

“Shanti towered over the princess. “How many soldiers went through the course before me? Fifty? Sixty? It’s interesting that such a delicate spider web could have survived all those people running over it. Not to mention that the bugs chose to jump on
me,
“and the log broke at the exact moment I was on it. The ropes came unbound when I hung in the air—not a coincidence. I’ve seen you change a caterpillar into a butterfly back at the castle, so don’t play innocent.”