Page 46 of Moon Chosen

Nik let out a long, relieved breath. “Agreed.” He paused and then, before Nik could talk himself out of speaking the words aloud, he said in a rush, “Father, have you ever thought that maybe the Tribe’s Law about only allowing bonded Companions to serve in leadership positions is flawed?”

Sol’s brows shot up to his hairline. “Whatever are you talking about, Nikolas?”

“It’s acknowledged by the entire Tribe that Mother was the best carver to have lived in generations.”

“Yes, that is truth,” Sol said with a quizzical smile. “What are you getting at, son?”

“Yet she was not allowed the title of Master Carver because no canine chose her, even though she deserved the title and basically served as Master Carver for most of her adult life.”

“Well, yes, but—”

“And you just said that I am the best bowman in the Tribe, and have excellent powers of observation, but I can’t lead the Warriors because no canine has chosen me. It just doesn’t make much sense to me.”

His father studied him silently for several breaths before finally saying, “This is the hard truth, Nikolas—if you were chosen by a canine our laws would make sense to you. Son, you only question tradition because you arenotbonded.”

Nik didn’t look away from his father’s gaze. Instead, with a sad sense of resignation, he said, “You may be right, Father. We’ll only know if Iamchosen and I still feel the same then as I do about it now. So, if I may have your blessing on my venture I will go find Davis and Thaddeus and let them know we’ll be heading back to Scratcher territory this morning.”

“You will always have my blessing, Nikolas,” Sol said. “And I do appreciate your keen, questioning mind—as would your mother.”

“Thank you, Father.”

Nik knelt before Sol. The Sun Priest put one hand on his son’s bowed head and lifted the other to the window opening that was letting in more and more light. “I bless you with the Sun’s touch, Nikolas, son of Sol. May you carry warmth and strength and light with you in your quest, and may you return home safely before darkness extinguishes day.”

Nik closed his eyes as the warmth of the sun cascaded into his body, but instead of concentrating on the pup he so desperately wanted to find, all he could see against his closed eyelids was Jenna’s pale, tear-streaked face.

14

Even after they were safely in their burrow with the bramble thicket protecting and camouflaging them, and the door barred firmly behind them, Mari and her mother at first spoke in hushed tones, their heads near one another. Though they knew little about canines and the specifics of their tracking abilities, both women understood that something had to be done to confuse Rigel’s trail so that any returning Companions, especially the one named Nik, would have a difficult, if not impossible, time tracking the pup.

“I wish I knew more about what canines can and cannot track,” Leda said.

“I wish we had time to test Rigel—to find out how to make him lose a trail,” Mari said. “But we don’t, Mama. I have to go back as soon as it’s close enough to dawn to be sure that any swarming roaches will have finished.” Mari paused, shuddering. The roaches would, for sure, have followed the wolf spider pack and the deadly raid of the Companions at the Gathering, looking for the leavings of death.

“Do you have a plan, Mari?”

“I have an idea. I know what makes it most difficult, impossible even, to track deer or wild boar. I’m going to try to duplicate as many of the circumstances that have messed up a day of hunting for me—and for you.”

Leda nodded slowly. “Interesting, and it just may work.”

“It will. It has to. So, let’s finish eating, and then try to get a little sleep.” Rigel stayed so close to Mari that she had to be careful not to trip over him as she got up to replenish the hearty rabbit stew that seemed to disappear from their bowls. While they ate, Mari studied Leda, not liking how pale she looked.

“Don’t go with me in the morning. Stay here and rest, Mama. Rigel and I will be just fine, and back in no time.”

“Absolutely not.Wewill make sure Rigel is safe. Together.”

Mari nodded slowly as she ladled more stew into their bowls and fixed Rigel another bowl of the raw rabbit mixed with grasses and grains that he preferred over cooked food. Mari was worried about her mother, but she did need Leda’s help if they were to be sure that nosy Nik wouldn’t be able to track Rigel back to their burrow.

“He’s not going to give up. No matter what we do in the morning, that Companion is going to keep searching for my Shepherd,” Mari said.

Rigel whined and Mari opened her arms so that he could try to curl as much of his growing body as possible on her lap.

“From what you told me it seems this Nik Companion believes Rigel was going to choose him,” Leda said.

“Well, he’s dead wrong!” Mari snapped, and then gave her mother an apologetic smile, and petted Rigel soothingly. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to take that out on you.” She sighed as she took her seat beside Leda. “It was so bizarre to hear him talking about Rigel like he belongs to him. Bizarre and scary.”

Leda patted her knee. “What you heard answers one of our questions about how the Companions could have lost a treasured Shepherd pup.” Her mom smiled for the first time since Jenna had been taken. “Clever Rigel escaped so that he could find you!”

Mari grinned back at her. “Yes, he did!” She hugged Rigel around his neck and the pup licked her enthusiastically. Then Mari’s expression sobered. “And that’s why I know that man won’t stop searching for him. They weren’t being careless. They haven’t stopped cherishing their canines. I’ll bet Rigel is the first pup to have escaped them in a long time.”