Page 50 of Moon Chosen

“Then the Clan has already been warned. I think you should wait here for me and care for the Earth Mothers.”

“You’re right, I’m sure. And you won’t be gone long, will you, Mari?”

“No, of course not. The sun is rising in a clear sky. Rigel and I need to get back to our burrow, and you need to come with us. Be watchful, Mama. The Companions came through the cherry grove.” Mari pointed behind them at the bud-filled trees. “Listen carefully. If you hearanythingget across the creek and run home. If you’re not here when I return I’ll know you’re waiting for us there.”

“You be vigilant, too, Mari. You have to watch for Companions as you lay your false trail, and then when you return here you must watch for any of the Clan who—” Rigel, bumping her thigh with his wet nose, interrupted her and had Leda laughing softly. “Ah, I see clever pup. You will warn our Mari of danger.”

“Yes, he sure will,” Mari said, stroking the pup and kissing him on his damp head affectionately. “Don’t you worry about us, Mama. I’ll come back quietly and listen carefully. If I hear your voice I’ll know you’re talking to someone from the Clan and I’ll be sure Rigel hides.”

“If anyone from the Clan is here I’ll be sure my voice is raised so you can hear me easily.” Leda smiled at Rigel. “I mean so Rigel can hear me easily and warn you.” Leda petted the damp canine, who wriggled happily.

“That sounds like the perfect plan, Mama.” Mari bent and kissed her mother on her head, just like she’d so recently kissed her pup, making both women grin and the pup wag his tail in shared happiness. “We’ll be back safely and soon. Then we can go home and rest for the entire day.”

“I will be here waiting for the both of you,” Leda said.

“I love you, Mama,” Mari heard herself speaking aloud the words she was thinking.

Leda smiled as she looked at her daughter. “And I love you, too, my sweet girl.” She turned her attention to the pup. “Rigel, I’m counting on you to take care of our Mari.” The pup galloped to Leda, licking her face and wriggling happily as she petted him. “Good boy, good boy,” she murmured. “And I love you, too.” Then, smiling and humming softly, Leda turned to busy herself with the first of the Earth Mother idols.

Mari watched Leda begin to gently remold the moss that had been ripped from the idol’s voluptuous, earthy body. Leda’s expression had shifted from sad to serene. As always, tending the Goddess idols seemed to soothe her and help her find her center. Mari was glad of it, even if the idols had never had the same effect on her.Maybe when I’m older. Maybe then the Earth Mother will speak to me like she does Mama.Mari sighed.Or maybe my father’s blood has ensured the Great Earth Mother will never speak to me at all.

Mari shook her head, scattering her gloomy thoughts, and waving a final time to her mother, motioned for Rigel to follow her into the creek so that they could begin trudging upstream.

15

Had the business of creating false trails not been so important to their existence, Mari would have been thoroughly enjoying herself. Rigel certainly was! While Mari threw stick after stick for Rigel to run after and then return to her, she walked through the creek, watching the pup sprint into the forest and return to her, plunging into the water and swimming to her as if he could never tire of their game. As the sun climbed the sky the spring morning grew warmer and warmer, and the cool creek water felt wonderful against Mari’s legs. She daydreamed about how she would have loved to take off her clothes and submerge herself, washing the dirt and clay and dye from her arms and face and hair. Then she’d choose one of the wide, dark boulders positioned directly in the sunlight and she would lie there—naked—and soak in the heat of the sun.If only,Mari thought.

As the creek began to bend to the right, Mari waded to the nearest bank and sat on a sunny log, dabbing sweat and water carefully from her face. Rigel came to lie by her feet, and set about tearing up a pinecone he’d fished out of the creek.

Mari stretched mightily, and her palms, pointing skyward, tingled as unimpeded sunlight beamed down on her. Mari glanced around her. The creek had taken a sharp turn to the east, creating a covelike area where the water pooled in the shallows and glistened like a forgotten promise made new. She and Rigel were absolutely alone in a little bubble of sunlight and beauty. Hesitantly, Mari lifted her hands over her head again. Opening her palms, she held them up so that they could catch the morning sun.

Through her palms, warmth swept into her body. Mari welcomed it, noting the difference between the golden power of the sun, and the cool, silver strength of the moon. She couldn’t say which she preferred—she hadn’t had enough experience with sunlight, which sounded silly. The sun did rise every day, and it wasn’t like she was a child anymore. It had been many, many winters since that first morning when she and Leda had been gathering berries in a clearing a little deer path had led them to. The sun had burned away the morning fog, leaving the clearing in brilliant, golden light. Mari remembered every moment of what had happened next. She had been so young that her features were as yet indistinct enough that she hadn’t needed the camouflaging clay, though Leda had already been working dye into her fair hair. The sudden sunlight had filled Mari with an indescribably giddy feeling, and she had flung wide her arms and done a little impromptu dance around the berry grove, singing happily to herself until she’d heard her mother’s horrified,No, Great Mother! Not Mari!

Mari had run to her mother, asking what was wrong—what had happened. Leda had been crying, Mari was sure of it even though her mother had carefully wiped her face and smiled before facing her inquisitive daughter and pointing to her bare arms.Nothing is wrong, sweet girl. You are your father’s daughter, and there is nothing wrong with that, nothing at all.

But Mari had understood. Earth Walkers weren’t fair-haired, nor did delicate, frondlike patterns of gold rise from beneath their skin when sunlight touched them. Mari had to pretend to be an Earth Walker, or according to Law she and her mother would be rejected by the Clan. That sunny day had been the official start of Mari’s life of hiding.

“But I steal moments,” Mari whispered. Purposefully, Mari spread the fingers on her raised hands wide, and let her head fall back so that her eyes could stare up at the clear morning sky. By her side, Rigel mimicked her actions, staring up at the sun. She knew without looking at him that his eyes, along with hers, had begun to glow, intensifying the warmth that filled and invigorated her. “Oh, Rigel! It feels so good, and the sun isn’t even at mid-sky yet.” And then Mari realized what she had just said, and she dropped her hands and shook her head, ordering her thoughts. This time when she looked around she saw more than the tranquil beauty of the cove. Mari saw the tall pines that the fat sun seemed to sit just above.

“Rigel, let’s go!” Mari was up and moving into the creek before she’d taken two breaths.Too far! I’ve gone too far and come too close to the Companions’ forest!

Wading into the creek with the pup swimming beside her, Mari turned downstream, glad that she could make up time going with the current. Then, as a floating log bumped against her, she had a wonderful idea. Snagging the log with one hand, she grabbed Rigel by his scruff and helped the soggy canine scramble up so that he was clinging to the piece of wood half in, half out of the water. Then, careful to stay low so that someone glancing at the creek would only notice floating flotsam with a log, but not so low in the water that she submerged her face and washed away the concealing clay and dirt and dye, Mari hugged the log to her, keeping one arm wrapped around Rigel. The current took them, and they began to float swiftly down the middle of the creek.

Mari kept her attention focused on the forest around them. She’d been gone too long—let too much time pass. Companions would certainly be on their way to continue their search, and maybe their hunt as well. Earth Walkers would definitely be stirring by now, and they couldn’t know that the Companions would be returning so soon. They couldn’t know that Nik and the other Hunters had only been there because of Rigel. Mari could imagine the Clan making their way back to the Gathering Site to look for evidence of lost loved ones and, like her mother, to care for the desecrated Earth Mother idols.

“Yeah, and they’ll be there, like moles peeking their heads up after a hard winter. They won’t be expecting enemies to come after them again,” Mari muttered to Rigel. “Of course Mama will be right there in the middle of them, trying to save everyone, but only succeeding in putting herself in danger.” As soon as she’d spoken the words, a terrible clenching fear fisted around her gut. “We need to get back and be sure Mama’s safe. Hang on, Rigel, I’m going to start kicking.”

Mari’s kicks added to the current and propelled them swiftly downstream, and except for bumping her knees on submerged rocks, Mari was feeling pretty good about her plan to make up time when the sound of women’s voices drifted across the water to her.

Instantly Mari released the log. Rigel close beside her, Mari swam to the shallows, and then, with a grunt and a huge effort, lifted the soaked Shepherd in her arms. She sent him soothingall is well—stay still and quiet—all is wellthoughts as she picked her way slowly and silently through the forest underbrush.

“Xander dead and Jenna taken? It’s so horrible!” Sora’s distinctive voice lifted above the others, causing Mari to freeze in place. The pink, fragrant cherry blossoms were perfuming the air as she searched the area, trying to find somewhere she could hide Rigel. Remembering a huge willow positioned not too far upstream from the Gathering Site, Mari cut back toward the creek as her mother’s answer was drowned by water and wind.

The willow was easy to find, and more perfect than Mari had expected. It sat by itself on a little bump of ground that lifted it and made the tree, with its graceful draping of thick boughs, look as if it was there to oversee the creek and the Gathering Site. Crouched low and still carrying Rigel, Mari approached the tree from the rear, slipping within the curtain-like branches.

She put Rigel down, whispering “Hide” before she crawled to the edge of the circle of gently swaying branches, parted them just enough to peek through, and went very silent as she studied the scene before her.

Leda had made her way into the creek with the stone face of another of the idols. She was still bent over it, her hands scooping water to wash away the muddy footprints left by uncaring Companions as they had trampled through the sacred site.