Page 55 of Sun Warrior

“I’ll see she takes care of herself,” Jenna said. She was walking justbehind Danita with Davis. They both carried torches that cast dancing shadows around the group.

“Thank you, Jenna,” Mari said.

She saw that Antreas was nodding in agreement as he kept watch on Danita. Now that the rich stew and Sora’s excellent bread had lifted the terrible fog of exhaustion from Mari’s mind, she had a bunch of questions she’d love to ask Antreas about Bast and life as a Lynx Companion in general. Nik had told her Antreas had come to the Tribe of the Trees looking for a mate. Mari flicked a quick glance back at Danita—really looking at the girl—and realized with a small start that even though she was young, just over sixteen winters, Danita was definitely old enough to choose a mate.

Mari’s gaze slid to the sleek feline who padded possessively beside Danita, her huge paws making no sound as she gracefully picked her way along the trail. The Lynx looked up then, meeting Mari’s eyes. Within that light-filled gaze, Mari saw intelligence and confidence and kindness.

“What is it?” Nik asked softly.

“Just that life seems to get more interesting as it gets more complicated,” she said.

“Couldn’t agree with you more,” Antreas muttered.

The path began to turn sharply to the right, and Mari raised her hand. “Okay, the birthing burrow is just around that bend and then up a length of rock stairs.” She paused, breathing deeply of the night air, feeling a great sense of relief when she caught the scent of lavender. “Smell that lavender?” The men nodded. “That means Sora has set up a perimeter of lavender oil and salt. It keeps out the wolf spiders. She’ll also have campfires and torches lit.”

“Sheisgoing to Wash the males!” Jenna said happily.

“Males? No. No, I don’t want them here.” Danita crouched beside Bast, her arm around the Lynx.

“Bast and I won’t let anyone hurt you,” Antreas said.

“No one is going to hurt you, Danita. But I do want you to stayinside the burrow until all who are Gathered have been Washed of Night Fever,” Mari said.

“I don’t really understand this Night Fever stuff,” Antreas said.

“It’s usually simple,” Jenna explained. “Every Third Night all Earth Walkers must be Washed of Night Fever by a Moon Woman.” She held out her arm so that Antreas could see that her skin had begun to flush a silver-gray color. “This is a sign of Night Fever. It’s not so bad with Danita and me, because Sora Washed us last night.”

“Yes, and even if she hadn’t, we wouldn’t be dangerous, just really sad,” Danita said.

“Like all the Scratchers—oh, sorry, I mean Earth Walkers—on Farm Island?” Davis asked. “You didn’t have a Moon Woman there to Wash you, so that’s why the only Earth Walkers I knew before Mari were so depressed that they seemed childlike and unable to take care of themselves, right?”

“That’s right,” Mari said.

Davis shook his head. “I wish we would have known. I wish the women would have told us.”

“Have you ever tried to reason with someone who has taken you from your home, imprisoned you, and made you perform slave labor for them?” Jenna asked pointedly.

“No, I haven’t. I know it sounds like too little too late, but I’ve sworn I’ll never have anything to do with capturing another Earth Walker, and I will keep to my oath,” Davis said. “You’re all so different than I thought you were, and now that I know it, I won’t go back to unknowing it—I couldn’t, even if I wanted to. Just for the record—I don’t want to.”

“I believe you,” Jenna said.

“I believe you, too,” Mari said. “So, you understand now about what happens to Clanswomen if they aren’t Washed of Night Fever. It’s different for our men. Night Fever doesn’t make them sad. It makes them angry—very angry. A Clansman who hasn’t been Washed can be dangerous, but usually only to himself.”

“But once they’re Washed they’re okay. Like my father. He was—” She broke off, her eyes shining with unshed tears, her gaze going soft with remembrance. “He was the best father in the world. Right, Mari?”

“Absolutely,” Mari said.

“What you’re saying is the Clansmen will be drawn by the fire and by the scent of lavender and want to be Washed, which means they’ll be dangerous, but only until you’ve performed your ritual?” Davis said. “Ritual?Is that the right word for it?”

“Yes, though you can also call it drawing down the moon. Here’s the thing about tonight. We don’t usually hold a Gathering at the birthing burrow. It’s a women’s place of sanctuary, where they give birth, tend babies, and hold classes for the older children. I don’t know how many males will be close enough to be drawn here.…” Mari paused and then added, “And there’s another problem. None of us knows what happens to our males after they have gone so long without being Washed of Night Fever. Our Clan has never had a Moon Woman die so suddenly without a properly trained heir to take up her role immediately.”

“You’re saying the men haven’t been Washed since your mother’s death?” Davis said.

“Yes, that’s what I’m saying.”

“I thought you were a Moon Woman,” Antreas said.

Mari sighed. “I am, but only by default. Mama hadn’t finished training me—or Sora, Mama’s other apprentice. It’s my fault, really. I didn’t take over Mama’s duties after she died. I had Rigel to think of, and the Clan didn’t know about him, or that my father was a Companion. Mama kept that hidden from them, afraid that she and I would be banished if they found out.” Mari lifted her chin and admitted, “And I didn’t want to be Moon Woman. Not after Mama was killed. I just wanted to be left alone.”