Tara The Great [Nuworld 2] (2 page)

have traveled with her clan if it weren’t for him. The fact that she stayed by his side

proved the extent of her love. Tara’s nomadic blood would always exist, but Darius

knew he had tamed her a bit. He doubted any other man ever could keep a hold on this

beautiful woman sitting next to him.

“What are your plans for their return?” Darius asked.

“Hilda’s in charge of the settling in of the clan. It’s hard to believe your mama, who

once cringed at the mention of a Runner, is now working the poor Gothman women in

town to death in preparation of the Runner ceremony.” Tara giggled.

Darius watched her pale blue eyes grow bright.

“I had to give her all the details about the festivity. There will be a banquet

tomorrow night in Bryton so the Gothman and Runners can celebrate together.”

Darius nodded. He stared at the pictures of his children and Tara hanging on the

wall above the desk. He’d hung them there, himself, over a winter ago, after Tara had

disappeared for six cycles, imprisoned by the Neurians. The only time he’d ever hung

anything on a wall.

His thoughts shifted to that time without her, and how he had been crazy in the

head with longing. It now seemed so far in the past.

“We also talked about the Neurians.” Tara met his glance quickly and added, “We

need their oil.”

“I won’t deal with Gowsky. I won’t, Tara.” He still boiled inside when he thought

about the man who had held Tara hostage for all those cycles, unconscious, lying in his

barn. Dorn Gowsky, the leader of the Neurian council, had claimed no one had touched

Tara, but Darius knew no man could keep Tara captive for so long and not enjoy her.

“Their economy is bad. We could have the upper hand in the negotiations. I believe

it’s worth an initial contact,” urged Tara.

“Who’ll make this contact with them?”

“That hasn’t been decided yet.”

When Tara wouldn’t look at him, Darius knew she was lying. And he knew who

would be going.

Chapter Two

Syra helped secure the twins in sidecars attached to Tara and Darius’ motorcycles.

Tara
noticed the teenager’s bike sparkled and imagined that Syra wished to impress

her papa, Balbo. The older woman also surmised that Syra worried she might discuss

the scene in the shed with Balbo. The girl had a wild side to her. Tara could see that. She

doubted talking to Balbo would do anything other than make the man worry. Tara

remembered the power she had felt when the teenage boys in Tara’s clan had fallen at

her feet with desire. More than once, she had disappeared with a boy and fooled

around. Syra did the same with Torgo.

The small procession departed for the Blood Circle Clan, where Tara’s clan had

permanent rights to land just north of Bryton. Darius and Tara rode in front, a blond

curly haired child riding alongside each of them. Syra followed, while two guards, one

Gothman and one Runner, brought up the rear. Each guard displayed symbols on the

rear of their bike, representing two nations who had fought many bloody winters

against each other, and now rode next to each other in peace.

Tara
’s clan had grown in size over the past few winters. Hilda, Darius’ mama, often

teased that the Gothman had taught Runners the joy of breeding. Small children ran

through tall grass in the plush valley that would be home to the clan through the

remainder of the cycle.

Tara
clicked the mouthpiece attached to a thin wire that secured her

communication device around her ear. “Patha? We’re here.” Tara listened to Patha’s

response, then smiled at Darius. “He’s ready for us.”

Members of the Blood Circle Clan spread in clusters across the open field outside

Bryton. Runners, all clad in black, worked to assemble tents, line trailers in rows where

they would be grounded for the next few cycles, and, in general, turned the nomadic

clan into a settled community in preparation for the new winter. Older children hauled

branches, while those younger eagerly followed with bundles of sticks, so fires could be

started throughout the clan. Those fires would provide light once darkness arrived, and

would also be the focal point around which Runners would enjoy social time after work

ended. And as tradition merited, the settling in celebration would allow Runners to

relax and party after their clan turned itself into a small town.

Runners ceased activity to salute the procession as Tara and Darius entered the clan

site.

“Long live Tara.”

“Hail to Tara and Lord Darius.”

“Behold, Tara the Great!”

Her clan members remembered Tara fighting successfully in the Test of Wills, a

contest in which Tara had won and claimed the right to lead the clans once Patha

stepped down. Tara had defeated every other warrior in the contest, an unheard-of feat

in Runner history. The Test of Wills had made Tara a legend in her own time.

She smiled and waved at familiar faces as they drove across the field, while more

and more Runners stopped their activities to welcome the small party.

“Tara-girl!” Reena embraced her daughter before she had a chance to climb off her

bike.

“This is quite a reception,” Tara whispered to Reena as she watched ten or twelve

Runner guards contain the crowd.

“Ah, the stories around the campfire have made you larger than life, they have. I

daresay the story has grown with each telling to the point that I do believe you killed a

hundred giants with the swing of your hand, you did.” Reena smiled, running her bony

fingers through Tara’s golden brown hair. “And look at you, the most beautiful lady in

the land, yes. You have everything, you do. A mama couldn’t be more proud.”

“And we hear about it all the time.” Patha approached the women, arms extended

to hug his daughter.

Tara
noticed how old he looked. His bear hugs used to take all the wind from her

lungs. Now, his shaking limbs merely patted her back as he embraced her.

Patha turned to shake Darius’ hand.

Tara
saw an exchange of looks, making her wonder if they hadn’t formed a tighter

bond than she’d realized.

“I’m ready whenever you are,” Patha said.

Tara
turned quickly. “Ready? Where are we going?”

“Back to the house.” Darius’ expression was unreadable.

“I’d like to walk around and say hello to the clan.” She pointed toward the trailers

parked around them. “Patha, you always used to do that whenever we settled in.”

“I know, child, I did.” He patted his daughter on the back. “But I’m an old man

now, and you’ll have plenty of time for public relations tonight at this party you’re

throwing.” He reached for both Tara and Darius, turning them toward their bikes.

“Come. Tell me of the goings-on.”

“Well, hello, dear sis.”

The voice came from behind Tara and she turned.

Syra looked wide-eyed at her aunt as if she’d never seen her before. Andru took the

opportunity to escape Syra’s grasp and run to his papa.

Tasha laughed. “I didn’t startle you, did I, Syra?”

“Uh, no.” Syra stiffened with a look of indifference.

“Go get the children loaded up.” Tara frowned, wondering why Syra would react

to Tasha as if startled to see her. “I’ll be there in a second.” Tara turned to Tasha.

“Welcome back.”

Tasha’s smile was hesitant.

A hand on Tara’s shoulder stopped her from asking her sister about her trip to the

mountains.

“Let’s go,” Patha said.

“How nice to have your children taken care of for you.” Tasha’s familiar tone of

displeasure didn’t faze Tara.

Tara
intentionally ignored the comment. “I’m lucky to have everything I have.” She

added a quick, silent prayer: Thank you, Crator. It’s you I owe for all of it.

“I didn’t say I was impressed by what you’ve got,” Tasha snapped. “I just

commented on how you get treated.”

“Tasha, watch your tongue.” Patha’s baritone was almost a growl as he glared at his

daughter.

“See what I mean?” She held her hand out to Patha as an example.

“Tasha,” Tara spoke quietly to her sister’s rising voice. “If you have a problem with

me, I’d be more than willing to talk to you about it. But not here.” Tara indicated all the

people could overhear them. “And not now.” Tara turned to leave with Patha.

“At least it’s reassuring to see how far a bastard half-breed can make it in this

world,” Tasha spat under her breath.

Tara
glanced at Reena, her Gothman mama, then over at Patha, her Runner papa.

“With all the bastards Gothman breeds, maybe others will follow in your path.”

Tasha chuckled, ignoring Darius as he turned his attention on her.

Tara
lunged at Tasha.

Darius moved even faster and grabbed Tara around the waist.

Tasha glared at her family, her eyes fuming with hatred.

Darius pulled Tara toward the bike, even though she dug her heels into the ground

and pushed at the steel grip his arms had around her.

“How dare you!” Anger ran through her like the venom from a snakebite while

Tara
watched Tasha stand by Patha’s trailer, keeping her distance from the group of

clan members who still lingered. Tasha’s eyes were bloodshot, making them look red

through the openings in her headscarf.

“I wish Gowsky would have killed you!” Tasha moved closer to Tara as Darius

continued pulling her away. “Tell us, dear sister, what did you do to talk him out of it?

And Kuro…did you weaken his defenses too, before you killed him?”

Tara
’s jaw dropped at the implication that she had acted inappropriately while held

captive in the Neurian nation. And her sister had to know that Tara hadn’t killed Kuro.

After surviving the Test of Wills, Kuro had been killed by Darius after the Gothman

leader had heard his confession. Kuro had admitted to being responsible for Tara being

held captive by the Neurians. All this was common knowledge.