The Hunter (26 page)

“I’ll need help here,” he said taking his robe from his shoulder and swaddling the pup tightly, immobilizing him before he
realized what had happened, leaving only his feet and his head exposed. Batta Flor moved to his side instantly and held the
pup firmly, clasping his swathed body between his powerful thighs and holding muzzle and paws in his hands. Beast whined and
thrashed in protest, but there was nothing he could do and Braldt suspected that his resistance was only token.

It was a simple matter to apply the thick ointment to the pup’s paws and Beast’s plaintive whines quieted with the application.
It was cool and instantly soothing. But opening his mouth was another matter for the pup had closed it firmly and locked his
jaws. Knowing the strength contained in those formidable mandibles, Braldt did not
think it likely that he could open them against the pup’s wishes.

Realizing Braldt’s predicament, Keri came forward. “Here, let me try, I think I can help,” she said.

“Why are we spending so much time on a stupid animal?” Carn asked impatiently. “It’s not like he helps us out or even likes
us! Let the cursed thing go, leave him here to fend for himself. We don’t need him, he’ll only slow us down!”

A look passed between Keri and Braldt and Batta Flor, Carn’s words binding them more closely in that single instant than anything
that had gone before. It was not necessary to respond to his words, each of them determined to help the small animal despite
anything Carn might say.

Keri leaned over Beast as Batta Flor cradled him in his arms and crooned to him softly as a mother would sing to a child.
Carn turned away in disgust and sat down against the wall, well clear of the carpet of stinging moss. Keri continued to croon
to the pup and, after a moment, began stroking the underside of his jaw, stroking downward from the point of his muzzle to
the base of his throat and then beginning again, the pressure soft but steady, blending in with the subtle song and becoming
part of it. The song and the stroke had a hypnotic effect and even Batta Flor was forced to look away. Braldt yawned widely.
Beast’s jaw sagged open.

Keri continued to stroke the pup’s throat, maintaining eye contact and singing her wordless lullaby as Braldt daubed a thick
coating of the ointment on the pup’s tongue and the roof of his mouth. The pup gagged and struggled briefly, but made no real
attempt to bite as the cool, soothing effect of the gel eased his pain. Nor did Keri cease her song even when Braldt was finished,
but waited until the pup sighed deeply and closed his eyes, falling into a peaceful sleep.

“There, that should keep him for a while,” she said quietly.

“That was amazing,” said Batta Flor, looking at her with admiration. “How did you do that? Where did you learn?”

“I learned it from Braldt,” she replied, her cheeks flushing red. “He taught me how to do it to lizards that we caught as
children. But it works on most animals. Since I am not mated, 1 am called on often to help with the infants and children of
others. I tried it on them in order to keep my sanity and it works on children as well as beasts!”

“Please understand that I mean no offense,” said Batta Flor as he cocked his head to one side and studied Keri intently. “Although
you are missing too much fur to be truly attractive to a Madrelli, I think that by two-foot standards, you must surely be
regarded as handsome. And surely you are well into the prime of your child-bearing years. How is it then that you are acting
as a warrior and not as a mate?”

Batta Flor’s words had a startling effect on Keri. Her cheeks flushed an intense shade of red that spread in all directions
and her eyes glittered with tears. She opened her mouth as though to speak, but no words came out, and she glared at Batta
Flor as though he had flung some foul curse at her. Then her gaze turned upon Braldt and he too felt the blaze of her fury.
Stunned, he took a step backward. Glaring angrily at both of them, Keri’s hands opened and shut in fists, and dashing her
tears away with the backs of her hands, she picked up her torch, leaped over the deadly bit of moss, and strode off down the
dark tunnel.

“Good work,” Carn said with a chuckle as he rose to his feet and started after Keri, pausing only to stare at the astonished
Braldt and Batta Flor. “This could prove interesting. And by the way, ‘brother,’ how do you explain why Keri isn’t mated yet?”

They continued their journey into the heart of the moun
tain with Batta Flor leading the way and Carn trailing behind, marking the walls with his chunk of chalk. There was no more
talk of mates or mating. In fact there was little or no talk and there was a new sense of tension in the air that had nothing
to do with the dangerous quest.

The tunnel had begun to branch. First there was an intersection on the left that presented no new choices for it slanted upward
and they could see daylight shining in the distance. Nor was the second branching a valid option for it had collapsed in upon
itself and the sound of running water could be clearly heard. But the third choice was not so clear-cut. This tunnel was equally
as wide as the one they traveled and slanted downward. There was no sign of instability nor was there the sound of running
water.

“What shall we do?” Keri looked at the new tunnel with troubled eyes. “How can we know where it goes?”

Carn advanced into the mouth of the new opening and examined it with his torch. “Look how it slants down. The angle is far
more steep than the path we have traveled thus far. Perhaps it will take us to our goal more swiftly.”

“And perhaps it will lead us to our death,” mused Batta Flor. “If it curves downward at such a steep angle now, while still
high on the mountain’s flank, it may plunge into the depths abruptly. We cannot descend at such a sharp angle; we would fall
to our deaths. I suggest that we continue on the way we are traveling. It is better to be slow and safe than fast and dead.”

“I thought you were so brave,” sneered Carn. “Where is your manhood?”

“Bravery is one thing, stupidity is another,” replied Batta Flor. “I have no wish to make this journey at all. I want nothing
more than to fulfill my promise and return to Sytha Trubal. I cannot do that if I am dead.”

Carn took a quick step forward and Braldt stepped between him and the Madrelli, placing his hands on Carn’s shoulders and
gently but firmly turning him aside. “The Madrelli has no reason to direct us falsely, brother,” he said in a low tone that
could be heard by no one other than Carn. “It is as he says. It is to his advantage to lead us to the chamber so that he may
take his leave of us. You are allowing your temper to rule your tongue. I ask you to consider your words before you speak.
Much depends upon the successful completion of this journey. We need this Madrelli as a friend, not an enemy. Can you not
put your personal feelings aside until our mission is done? Do you forget that Auslic’s very life depends upon us?”

“I have not forgotten,” Carn said hotly, making no attempt to soften his words. “But how can you trust this kark? You are
treating him as a friend, instead of the animal he is. So he talks pretty and he lives in a house. That doesn’t change anything,
he’s still an animal and he’s no friend of ours no matter what he promised. I think he’d gladly lead us to our deaths so as
to get back all the quicker to that ugly she-kark he wishes to bed!”

Carn’s voice rose until he was all but shouting at Batta Flor whose face tightened, the small, dark eyes glittering with anger
and the red stripes flaring crimson. Keri took his arm before he could act and tugged him back, away from Carn, pulling on
his hand and arm insistently, until she succeeded in drawing them apart. He was breathing heavily and Keri could feel him
trembling beneath her hands.

“Do not listen to him,” she whispered urgently. “Do not allow him to provoke you into a fight. It is just what he wants. He
is my brother and I know him well. He is hot-tempered and slow to reason when the rage is upon him.”

“But why does he say such things,” asked Batta Flor. “I have given my word. Is a man’s word not a thing of
value among your people? Once given, a Madrelli does not break his promise. It is not a thing that is done.”

“A man’s word is sacred among our people as well,” Keri said as she searched for the words to make Batta Flor understand.
“It is just that, well, you know how badly you felt when you thought that Sytha Trubal had taken Braldt to mate?” Batta Flor
nodded. “Well, Carn feels that strongly about this mission. Braldt is our brother, but he is different from us and sometimes
things come easier to him than they do to Carn. No, not sometimes, always. Carn has always lived in Braldt’s shadow. It would
mean everything to him to succeed in this mission, for the success to be his and his alone.”

The Madrelli cocked his head to one side; his intelligent eyes studied her carefully. “But wanting alone cannot make a thing
happen; there must also be thought and careful planning.”

“Sometimes a man’s desire can be so great, there is no room for anything else.”

“Or a woman’s desires,” he said softly, stroking her cheek with a single finger as a blush spread rapidly across her face.
“I understand, little two-foot. I will try hard not to allow your brother’s words to anger me. I will shut them out of my
mind, but speaking honestly, I hope that the future of your tribe does not depend upon your brother.”

Keri’s cheeks flushed again, this time in response to Batta Flor’s harsh judgment of Carn. But even as she opened her mouth
to speak, she stopped, knowing in her heart that he was right.

Carn had all the makings of a good leader, intelligence, compassion, and moral strength. But all too often he was governed
by anger and spite and jealousy. And always because of Braldt. All their lives they had been matched and compared against
each other simply because they were brothers. Carn was a superior example of the very best Duroni qualities. It was not his
fault that Braldt was even better.

But the constant competition, constant struggle, and constant loss to Braldt had taken its toll on Carn. Nor was
the blow softened by Braldt’s attitude, for winning truly did not seem to matter to him and his words of consolation or congratulations
stung like salt in a wound. Over the years, watching Auslic’s eyes light up at the mere sight of Braldt had caused the simmering
jealousy to grow until it had become a full-blown hatred that seethed and fed upon itself until all love or liking for Braldt
had been burned away. Unbeknownst to Keri, Carn was determined that there would be but one winner in this game they played
and only one of them would return, successful. And it would not be Braldt.

Calm words and logic prevailed at last and Carn bowed to Batta Flor’s decision to continue following the main flume, although
two spots of color remained high on his cheeks and his eyes burned with a feverish intensity.

Beast had been wakened by the loud exchange of words and he wriggled inside Braldt’s robe. The argument was put aside as they
discussed what should be done with the pup for he was too large and too heavy to be carried, and his feet were still blistered
and tender. At last they decided upon a course of action. Slathering the pup’s feet with more healing ointment, they wrapped
each foot in a piece of heavy leather and tied it firmly at the ankle.

“There, I’ll bet that’s the best pair of lupebeast boots ever made,” Braldt said, struggling not to laugh as the pup turned
in circles trying to catch his hind feet, snarling and barking at the strange appurtenances.

“I’ll go you one better,” chuckled Keri. “I’ll bet you it’s the
only
pair of lupebeast boots ever made!”

Beast sat down and began to gnaw on the foot coverings and Braldt clamped down on his muzzle. “Best be on our way or he’ll
have them off in no time.”

They traveled swiftly then with Beast forced to lope after them or chance being left behind in the darkness. They were swiftly
becoming accustomed to their new world and easily avoided the ever-present patches of moss, beat back the hissing advances
of the shadows with their flaring torches, and crushed the biting, stinging creatures beneath their boots without a second
thought.

Exhaustion and failing torches brought them to a halt
after a time, and they judged it to be nightfall on the world outside the mountain. Carn was in favor of continuing, but their
empty, rumbling bellies demanded to be fed. Then suddenly the walls of the tunnel fell away without warning and they found
themselves on the edge of a vast, black body of water that stretched away on all sides as far as they could see.

“knew we should have taken that other tunnel,” Carn said bitterly, and no one could deny that perhaps he had been right after
all.