Hunters Unlucky Part 55

Storm sighed. "In that case...there's one who'd like to meet you."

Teek darted forward, but he became shy at the last moment. Storm couldn't blame him. Arcove would have made a leopard seal shy. Teek tucked his tail, bristling a little, and crouched. "h.e.l.lo," he whispered.

"He has apparently been weaned on stories of Storm's chases," said Roup.

"Oh?"

"Yes, don't be surprised if he asks you to explain your failures."

All the ferryshaft laughed. Charder, in particular, seemed thoroughly amused.

Arcove took it in stride. He looked down at Teek. "So...am I the hero or the villain in these tales?"

"Both, I think," said Roup.

Arcove c.o.c.ked his head at Storm. "Well. That is interesting." He bent and gave Teek's head a lick that nearly knocked him over. "h.e.l.lo, Teek Ela-creasia."

That seemed to unstop Teek's mouth. "Storm says you can run really fast!" he said, bouncing up and down. "Have you ever been in Groth before? Did you know that an ely-ary-?"

"That's enough," interrupted Storm. Although I'm sure he'll repeat it all later. "Let's get this over with."

The hike up to the council ledge was steep, but relatively short. It was a sheltered path worn into the cliff, almost a tunnel, with a rock wall that obscured their view of the plain until they reached the top. They had to go two-by-two, and the noise of the waterfall made conversation impossible.

However, by the time they reached the council ledge they were high enough above the waterfall that they could easily hear one another again. Kelsy got right to the point. "There are about eleven hundred ferryshaft down there."

"There should be about a thousand," said Arcove.

"At least a hundred will die of natural causes this winter," said Kelsy.

"And more than a hundred will be born this spring," said Arcove.

Kelsy licked his lips. "I think I can control the breeding this fall."

Charder rolled his eyes. "No, you can't. I have tried everything you're thinking, and, trust me, you can't. Let him take a hundred. It will be less painful in the end."

Teek sidled over to Storm. "What are they talking about?" he whispered.

"I'll tell you later," Storm said and hated the lie.

"Let me try with my own herd," said Kelsy quietly. "I'm certain we can figure something out."

"No," said Arcove. "One herd. That's not negotiable. I will entertain your breeding experiments, so long as it results in a thousand animals by this time next year. If not, the cull will be larger, and you will have a very b.l.o.o.d.y winter."

Charder spoke quietly. "What will you do with the ones who breed out-of-turn, Kelsy? Because they will. More than you think."

Kelsy sighed. "I suppose we could cull just those."

"So you'll do it yourselves?" asked Arcove.

"No, of course not."

"So, you'll tell us who to kill? That will certainly make you a popular leader."

Kelsy made a noise of exasperation. "The cull is already uneven. The lower ranking animals are more likely to be taken. They're more likely to be hungry, to run slowly, to be on the edge of the herd. It's obvious why the elders agreed to the cull. They are hardly ever killed."

Storm's head came up sharply. Suddenly, a great many things made more sense.

Arcove flicked his tail. "You are now one of those 'elders.' Yet you argue for something more fair. I think that speaks well of you, Kelsy, but you're not telling me anything that seems likely to produce fewer ferryshaft by this time next year."

Roup spoke. "What do you think, Storm?"

Storm was staring out over the plain. The herd certainly looks smaller from up here. "I think you're creating a problem where none exists." He turned to look at Arcove. "We don't need you to regulate us. Leave the herd alone."

"No," said Arcove. "Anything else?"

Storm shut his eyes. The waiting seemed intolerable. Why can't this just be over? "Why am I here?" he demanded. "So that I can watch you convince Kelsy of what you convinced Charder a long time ago? This isn't a real conference. You have all the power. What do you want from me?"

There was a moment's tense silence.

Arcove's voice dropped to a murmur. "Tell me about Syriot."

Storm felt that he should have seen it coming, but he hadn't.

"You've been there recently," continued Arcove, "as you keep reminding me. How many telshees are down there now, and what do they plan to do?"

"I'm not your spy," spat Storm.

"No, but you would like me to do something for you," said Arcove. "I'll take the cub, and I'll make sure he's safe, but you need to give me something in exchange."

Teek, who'd been looking confused, sat bolt upright. "What?"

Roup gave Arcove a frantic shake of his head.

Arcove looked surprised. "You mean he doesn't-?"

"Take me where?" Teek whirled to face Storm. "What's he talking about, Storm?"

Storm looked at Teek. Half a dozen lies struggled to come out of his mouth, but they all stuck in his throat. "You're going back to Leeshwood, Teek."

Teek's big, dark eyes darted over his face. "No," he whispered. "No, no, no."

"Yes." Storm tried to put both finality and compa.s.sion into his voice. "You're not a ferryshaft, Teek. You won't be happy in the herd. You don't belong there."

"But I am happy!" Teek's voice had risen an octave. "I'm happy with you! I'll go wherever you go, Storm."

"The creasia will have all kinds of hunting stories," Storm began, but Teek interrupted him.

"I don't want their stories! I want your stories!" He was growing frantic in the face of Storm's calm determination. "Why do you want to get rid of me? What did I do to make you want to get rid of me?"

Storm felt his composure slipping. "I don't want to get rid of you, Teek. I just can't keep you."

Teek started backing away from him. "I won't go. I'll run away. I won't come back until you say you'll keep me."

Storm followed him. "Teek, stop it."

Teek was whimpering. "You don't want me. You've never wanted me. You always tried to get rid of me. What did I do? What did I do, Storm?"

"It's not what you did; it's what I did," Storm heard himself say.

"I'll always be good," Teek pleaded. "I'd never hunt you, Storm. I promise! I promise! Please-"

"I killed your mother!" Storm shouted. The words felt as though they'd always been there, crouching in the back of his throat, a hideous monster waiting for a chance to spring free. Storm wanted to run after the monster, to cram it back inside him, but he couldn't.

There was a moment of perfect silence on the council ledge. Teek's eyes had dilated until they looked completely black. He took another step away from Storm and stumbled.

Storm's voice broke. "That's why she never came for you after the Volontaro. I felt responsible for you. I felt...sorry for you. But I can't keep you, Teek!" And I don't deserve to.

Teek took another step back. He opened his mouth, but didn't make a sound. Storm felt certain that the expression of hurt and betrayal on Teek's small face would haunt him as no ghost ever could. Teek whirled and bolted down the trail.

Roup stepped in front of Storm before he could follow. "Let him go," said Roup quietly. "I'll track him down later. I doubt he'll go far. For now...just let him go."

Storm inclined his head. He didn't dare look at any of their faces. "I don't know how many telshees are in Syriot," he said. "I don't think Shaw plans to attack you anytime soon. I don't think she wants anything to do with you. But if Keesha wakes...you'd better look out."

"He's asleep?" asked Arcove, and there was a note in his voice that made Storm raise his head. Caution? Fear?

"He's been asleep since the end of the war," said Storm. "He woke up and talked to me, though."

"I'll bet he did," muttered Roup.

"What did he tell you?" asked Arcove, his voice still guarded.

"Only what you did on Kuwee Island," said Storm darkly. He hesitated. "I found-" Should I not tell them this? But I don't see how it can hurt anyone. And they seem to want some piece of information in exchange for taking care of Teek. Maybe this will be enough. "I found Coden's blue stone in Groth. The Shable, Keesha called it."

That brought them all to attention. Even Charder turned from where he'd been looking over the plain. Arcove spoke. "You found...the Shable...in Groth?"

"Keesha and Shaw seemed as confused as you are," said Storm. "I'd tell you that Coden's ghost gave it to me...if I thought you'd believe that."

Roup looked like he wanted to know more, but Arcove spoke again. "So Keesha has the Shable now."

"Yes." Storm took a deep breath. "Is that enough? Will you take care of Teek?"

"We'll take care of him," said Roup quickly. "You can even come and visit if you like."

Arcove shot him a warning look as though to say, "We'll discuss this later." He turned back to Kelsy. "So. Raid or not raid, Kelsy? I told you I'd let you try this year, so it's your decision, but there will be a lot of killing next winter if you can't control them. And if you try to start a new herd without my blessing, I will kill you and every one of your followers. Do you understand?"

Kelsy seemed untroubled by the threats. "I understand, and I'd like to try to control them without raids."

"So be it," said Arcove and, behind him, Charder gave a deep sigh.

"Storm," said Arcove, and Storm fancied he could feel the weight of Arcove's gaze like a heavy rock on his shoulders. "I would like you to rejoin your herd."

Storm watched him warily. "What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly what I said. I do not approve of rogue ferryshaft. They tend to be the seeds of new herds. Is your sister still in Syriot?"

"As far as I know," said Storm carefully. No need to mention Valla.

"Then I would like her to rejoin the herd as well. Tell her."

"And if we don't?"

Arcove's tail lashed. "If you don't, I will send creasia to hunt you. However, if you rejoin your herd and do not incite them to break treaty laws, I will treat you as any other ferryshaft." He glanced at Roup. "Perhaps you might even come and see Teek."

You're going to use him to control me, thought Storm with a sinking feeling. At least you haven't threatened him. Yet.

"I'll think about it," he said.

"One of our rules stipulates no contact with telshees," said Arcove.

"I heard what you said," grated Storm.

"As long as you understood what I meant."

"Do you always get your way?" Storm demanded.

"Usually," said Arcove. "Charder, you're being very quiet. Do you have anything to add?"

"No," said Charder. "And I think we should go down. The herd is behaving oddly."

Storm followed his gaze, but the plain looked as it had before. Only now he understood what Charder meant. The herd looked small because it was small. Most of the ferryshaft must have gone into the belt of trees by the river. There were not nearly enough shapes on the plain to account for eleven hundred animals.

Arcove was looking down as well. "Agreed," he said after a moment, and Storm thought he sounded puzzled.

They all started along the path, walking just a little more quickly than was necessary. They were halfway down when they found the first body.

Chapter 3. Run.

A young male creasia lay sprawled across the path, eyes glazed, chest soaked with blood. Deep scratches cut into the muscle and meat of his flanks. Roup bounded forward. "Nevin?"