Page 137 of Sun Warrior

“He’s talking to them about the cloak things he wants them to weave for the traveling cocoons.” Jenna came up behind Mari to sit beside her friend.

“I’d just about figured that out. It’s funny to see a man teaching Clanswomen, isn’t it?” Mari said.

“Well, yeah, it’s funny strange. What’s seriously funnybizarreis the fact that the man is a Companion,” Jenna said.

Mari turned her head to meet her friend’s gaze. “How are you doing with all of this? Companions killed your father and captured you. It has to be hard, sometimes, to be around them now.”

“I had to make a choice. I could either hold on to my anger and allow it to color the rest of my life or I could let it go, start over, join the Pack, and move into the future. I chose to let it go.”

“Do you think the other women have chosen that, too?” Mari asked.

Jenna studied the women listening carefully to Nik and nodded. “I think the ones who are content made that choice. The others? We’ll know about them soon enough. It’s hard to hide hatred.”

“I missed you so much while you were gone,” Mari said. “And that night—that terrible night your father was killed—I tried to help you. I wanted to help you.”

“There’s nothing you could have done except what you did—get free and live for another day. Because you did, we’re all here right now, starting a new day with a new Pack.” Jenna dimpled at her.

Mari returned her smile. “I’m glad you asked to be trained as a Healer. You’re really good at it.”

“Thank you, Moon Woman!” Jenna said happily. “I did think my best friend was sickly for many years, so I guess you could say I grew up wishing I knew how to cure illnesses.” She paused and then added, “It feels so strange to be getting ready to leave here forever. I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited and so frightened at the same time.”

“I know what you mean. I’m excited about where we’re going, but frightened about leaving our home,” Mari said. “I think that’s how change is, though.”

“It’s what your mama would want for us,” Jenna said.

“She’d be the first one going through the pass!” Mari laughed softly at the thought of how excited her mama would have been about their upcoming adventure. Then her expression sobered. “I am worried about Nik going back to the Tribe.”

“It’s dangerous—that’s for sure—but if anyone knows what he’s doing back there it’s Nik. And Davis and Cammy will be with him. If they get into trouble, you’ll know about it,” Jenna said.

“If I have to go back to that place and get Nik out of there again, I’m not going to be so nice this time.”

Jenna’s gaze grew hard. Her voice lost its youthful lightness. “I hope you don’t have to go back there, either, but if you do, teach them a lesson, Moon Woman.”

“Oh, I will, Jenna. I promise.”

***

Wilkes coughed—a terrible, wet sound—and scratched at his elbow. “This is a stupid time to get sick,” he muttered to Odin, who was watching him with worry clear in his intelligent amber eyes. With a moan and more effort than it should have taken, Wilkes stood up from the seat he’d taken on the burned ground at the base of what remained of a blackened pine that used to hold nests for an entire family. “Warriors, to me!” he called, and then coughed again.

From the forest around him, Warriors and their Shepherds stood, shaking off leaves and sleep, coughing fitfully. As a group, they were grim faced and quiet. The Shepherds mirrored their Companions’ state of mind, staying close to them and lending them strength through their bond. When they were all gathered around him, Wilkes spoke, his voice as dark as his mood.

“We now officially change our mission from a search for survivors to body retrieval. Are we all in agreement?”

Nods and muttered yeses washed through the group.

“Okay, then we begin salvaging everything we can from the ruins. Get all of the metals and mirrors that didn’t melt in the fire. Go to each of the lift sites. Let’s hope we can salvage at least a few of the pulleys. I don’t think many of us are up for making a run to Port City to try to scavenge metal.”

“Not with this swarm-be-damned flu that has us all coughing and scratching and thoroughly sick to our stomachs,” Claudia said.

“But at least we’re alive. Our Companions are alive. The faster we rebuild, the faster we can get the wounded off the ground and back to the safety of the trees,” Wilkes said.

“If we have any wounded left,” Renard said. “More and more are dying every day. This sickness is taking them more quickly than their burns.”

“How is your father?” Wilkes asked the younger man.

Renard rested his hand on his Shepherd Wolf’s head. “Not good. He’s very ill. I thought he would recover from the burns, but now…” He shook his head, unable to continue.

“I’m truly sorry,” Wilkes said.