Page 17 of Sun Warrior

Sora chewed her lip contemplatively, nodding slowly as she brushed her hair back from her damp forehead and stifled another cough. “It’s not a bad plan. At least the birthing burrow is big enough for everyone and with a little help from the Clanswomen we can repair the door and bar it against the night.” Then she frowned, as if understanding the rest of Mari’s words. “Wait, while I’m doing that, what’ll you be doing?”

“I’ll be saving Nik.”

***

Mari ran. She didn’t let herself think about Sora’s worry, the Clan’s fear, or the refugee Companions she’d left in the care of strangers and enemies. She thought of nothing except keeping up with Rigel and of Nik.

I’m not going to let him die. I’m not going to let him die. I’m not going to let him die.The litany played through her mind as she sprinted up inclines, scrambled over rocks, and dodged fallen logs. She paused only once at a stream, calling Rigel to her and coaxing him to roll in the water, soaking his thick, double-layered coat as she splashed water all over herself, thoroughly soaking her clothes, as well. Then she met her Companion’s wise gaze. “Rigel, find Nik!” She repeated the command she’d given him as they sprinted away from Earth Walker territory.

The Shepherd surged out of the stream, heading directly into the thickening smoke. Mari tore a soaked strip of wet cloth from the sleeve of her ragged tunic and tied it over her nose and mouth. Then she ran after her Shepherd and as she ran she sent images to Rigel of avoiding people—any and all people except for Nik.

She knew Rigel understood. She didn’t question him or hesitate as he led her, winding and twisting around trees and brush, sometimes coming to a sudden halt to avoid more and more of the walking wounded.

The closer she got to the burning City in the Trees, the more surreal the day became—if it could be called day. Smoke tainted everything, hiding the sun while it made tears fill her eyes and its acrid scent coated her nose and throat. She wondered if she’d ever get the taste of it from her hair, her skin, her mouth. And always, always there was the keening of the wind as it battered the forest, changing directions as if it couldn’t make up its mind, carrying with it the seductive sound of distant thunder that teased at rain.

It was easier than she’d expected to avoid the Tribe. Those who straggled past her in the smoky haze moved as if they had no energy to spare for anything except putting one staggering foot before another.

Mari felt for them. A large part of her, the part that belonged to her mother and her Clan, ached to be the Healer—to gather the injured together and begin tending to their terrible wounds. But she couldn’t. She had to keep going. She had to find Nik.

No one paid any attention to her. With her face hidden by the wet strip of cloth, Companion Shepherd beside her, they assumed she was a member of the Tribe as she ran into the heart of the City in the Trees and the ravenous forest fire.

Rigel led her to a wide, clear stream that they splashed into gratefully, stopping to gulp the cold water. This time Mari didn’t have to encourage the pup to soak himself. He waded straight in and lay down, lapping thirstily. Mari quickly washed her face, drenching her hair and clothing before retying the cloth around her nose and mouth. When she was ready Rigel got to his feet, though he didn’t leave the stream.Together they waded with the current taking them closer and closer to the center of the Tribe.

She heard and felt the blaze before she saw it. The sound was feral, almost alive, as it ate through the ancient pine forest and the City in the Trees, and as they got closer and closer to it the heat that radiated from the inferno was terrible. Sweat mixed with soot and water dripped down Mari’s body. She and Rigel came to a gentle curve in the stream; the young Shepherd stopped, backing suddenly against Mari, growling softly.

Automatically, Mari left the water. She moved slowly and carefully, inching her way forward as voices raised in anger drifted to her with the smoke like wrathful specters. Using the thick trunk of an enormous pine to hide them, she peered around it at the scene just yards before her. She wiped her sleeve across her eyes, clearing her vision, and Mari’s stomach tightened with a sickening twist.

Nik was there, on the far side of the fast-moving stream, standing with his back to a newly felled pine. Laru stood before him, fangs bared at the group surrounding them. Even above the ravenous sound of the not so distant fire and the shouts of men, she could hear the Shepherd’s deep warning growl as he faced a group of grim-faced Companions led by a maliciously grinning Thaddeus.

Mari scanned the crowd, trying to judge their intention. Thaddeus appeared swollen with rage. Companions who Mari knew must be Hunters because they each had a Terrier beside them were milling with obvious discomfort behind Thaddeus. Mari thought she recognized the Companion Nik had called Davis. She saw him and his little blond Terrier backing away from the group led by Thaddeus and disappearing into the smoke

There were other Tribe members present, men and women who had no canines with them but were working grimly to fell trees and clear foliage as they sent surreptitious glances at the crowd surrounding Nik.

“I said arrest this fucking traitor!” Thaddeus’s hate-filled voice carried easily over the water. “He and his Scratcher whore caused all of this!”

Thaddeus’s words were like a physical blow to Mari. She felt them hit her in the gut, but instead of being knocked to her knees, Mari embraced the anger and allowed it to begin to build within her.

It was the hatred of men like Thaddeus that had killed her father.

It was Thaddeus himself and the tunnel vision of his bigotry that had killed her mama and Nik’s father.

Mari wasn’t going to let that poison destroy Nik, too.

She had a momentary wish that she had her slingshot and a basket of rocks. She even searched the ground and found one flawless round stone that fit smoothly in the palm of her hand. Mari fisted her hand around it, even as she understood that something as mundane as a stone or a slingshot wouldn’t get Nik out of this mess. She needed power, and she needed it fast.

Mari looked down at Rigel. The young Shepherd met her gaze. She sent to him one intention, complete and perfect like an unfolding blossom—we save Nik.

And then Mari stepped from the concealing pine and began striding forward, with Rigel so close beside her that his powerful shoulder brushed her leg.

The other canines noticed Rigel before the Companions. Terriers sniffed the smoky air and turned their heads in the pup’s direction. Mari felt more than saw Thaddeus’s mean little Terrier shift his attention to them. His warning growl was surprisingly fierce for such a little dog.

“It’s her! The Scratcher whore!”

Nik’s head snapped to the side and Mari saw his eyes widen in disbelief as he caught sight of her.

The crowd behind Thaddeus shifted their attention to Mari. “Get her!” Thaddeus shouted the command. A couple of the Hunters started toward her.

Rigel’s response was instantaneous. He moved so that he was standing between the approaching men and Mari. His ears went up with his tail. The thick sable fur along his neck and back lifted as he bared his teeth, pressing even more closely against her. His growl came from deep in his strong, wide chest, echoing in perfect accord with Laru.