Page 65 of Mates for the Raskarrans #1-6

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Anghar

A fter a few days, I angle us away from the river, striking out into the deeper forest. We are not so far from my territory now, I think. Any day, we could come upon one of our sentry posts, and we will know we are home.

I hope soon we come across my brothers, that we will find them accompanied by the human females.

All of them safe and well. I know my linasha is eager to see her tribe sisters again.

To know that they are healthy and happy and unhurt.

I know my brothers will have looked after them, but thoughts of the Cliff Top tribe worry my headspace.

I suspect those males followed us a way down the river - hopefully a good long way before they realised there was no chance of finding us.

It would have bought my tribe brothers some time to tend to the females and their immediate needs before packing up and heading back to the village.

I am sure this is what they will have done.

The sands are an interesting place, but they are not home, and not very safe against marauding tribes.

My father talks of days from his youth when he would travel with other young males to the sands and play in the waters, meeting up with wandering tribe youths and learning from them how to catch fish and other creatures.

Back then, no raskarran tribe would have turned on another.

Why would they risk doing that when they could find their linasha among that tribe?

How could a male look his linasha in the eye knowing he had hurt her brothers and sisters?

But these days are not like the days of old. Sarkry and his tribe of warriors would fight ours just for the thrill of it. If they thought they would win. And the Cliff Top tribes have started going the same way, it would seem. So eager for a female body to use, they turned their blades on me.

I send prayers to Lina, asking her to protect my tribe brothers, to keep the cliff tribe males away from them.

Confuse their trackers, Lina. Let their hunters follow an ensouka herd by mistake. Lead them far from my tribe and my Ellie’s.

I hope it is enough.

My Ellie walks tirelessly beside me. Every day, she looks a little better.

Her cheeks are filling out, her eyes glowing with a brightness that was not there before.

But more than just the physical effects of her hunger being alleviated, she holds herself differently.

She walks taller, with more confidence. She watches me closely, copies what I do.

Her headspace is busy with learning the ways of my world and my role as a hunter.

It fills my heartspace with joy to see it.

Her skill with a bow grows as well, and one night, she brings down a frenelle large enough to feed us both with fresh meat.

I show her how to skin the creature, prep the meat.

I teach her the prayers we say to Lina, and she copies my raskarran words with a faltering tongue, but the right kind of reverence in her eyes.

I think of all the creatures she has killed in her time in her slaughterhouse, and how much it must have hurt her spirit to have done that for such wasteful ends - feeding other mouths while her people went hungry.

The frenelle is a good kill. Clean, quick, and in service to keeping us both fed. We have rations enough to get back, I think, but a wise traveller takes their chances to hunt when they can.

We spit the frenelle over a small fire in a sheltered spot we find, keeping the flames low and hidden as much as possible so as not to draw any attention.

I am sure it is the best meat I have ever tasted, the joy of it being a creature hunted with my linasha improving the flavour.

Ellie eats heartily, almost moaning with pleasure as she tastes the freshly cooked meat.

My mind goes to other means of making her moan, but I refrain from touching her.

I cannot afford to be so distracted. Not when I need to keep a keen eye on my surroundings, ensure no other hunters approach.

I have scouted much of the surrounding area already and found no trace of other raskarrans and my noisemakers should alert me if anything approaches, but after our encounters with the cliff tribes, I feel it pays to be wary.

So I let my Ellie doze off, as I have every night since we left the cave. The closer we get to my village, the longer I sit up and keep watch. The djenti berry tonic keeps me going for now, though I am very glad we near my territory. I cannot keep the lack of good rest up much longer.

I am keen to have my tribe brothers at my back again.

Though it has been a real pleasure to have time alone with my linasha, I long for the comfort of knowing they will help to keep her safe.

They are good males and will take a share in that responsibility gladly.

It will be nice to sleep without fear, to touch my linasha in the waking world once again.

When I rise in the morning, my Ellie has already prepped everything for travel and made me a small meal from our supplies. I think she has guessed that I stay awake late, and lets me sleep in. She is such a clever, thoughtful mate. I am reminded afresh how blessed I am.

We set off as soon as we have eaten, walking through the trees in silence.

I notice my Ellie’s footsteps less and less every day.

She is hampered by her boots, but her close attention to how I walk has taught her how to place her feet to best reduce noise.

She is a quick learner. I decide that a new pair of boots is the first thing I will make for her - from supple ensouka leathers that are tough enough to protect her delicate feet, but will move and bend with her.

I imagine presenting them to her one morning, bringing them to the hut we share at the village.

I imagine her smiling, pressing her lips against mine in expression of her happiness.

In my headspace her belly is rounded - not full, but curved outwards with a youngling some time from birth.

The image makes me smile, even as I feel a sense of sadness for myself before I was blessed with my Ellie.

I never truly realised how empty my life and future were until I saw how full they are with her in it.

It is midmorning when I spot it. Twigs broken in a certain way, disturbances in the undergrowth that suggest several things have passed through the area, and travelling quickly.

Not enough disturbance for an ensouka herd.

Far too much for a merka beast, or other predators and smaller creatures.

It is what I would expect to see of the trail my tribe left running from our village to the sands. A trail left by raskarrans.

I gesture for my Ellie to be silent, covering my mouth. She nods, saying nothing, showing her understanding. I pull out one of my blades and hand it to her, then string my bow ready before gesturing for her to follow me.

I walk quickly, expending some stealth for pace.

I do not know how long since the raskarrans passed through this place, or who they were, but it is not the route my brothers would have taken to our village from the sands.

They would have travelled back directly as they came.

Perhaps those making this trail are friendly, simply come to investigate the egg on the beach as we did, but I will not take any chances. Not with my linasha to protect.

My linasha who follows behind me without question, trusting in me to keep her safe, to protect her and the other members of our tribe.

My heartspace is so full of joy since our time in the cave, I feel it has stretched and grown within my chest. I will be worthy of that joy. I will not let her down.

For some time, we creep through the trees, following the raskarran trail.

My senses are all alert to the sounds of the forest, listening for bird calls that do not belong, listening for heavy footsteps, or murmured voices.

I hear nothing, but I do spot something that makes my heartspace drum with fear.

I gesture for my Ellie to stop, then bend to the ground, picking up the leaves that have been discarded, crumbs of meal bars on them.

Supplies wrapped the way my tribe would do it.

Only the leaves belong to no tree that grows in the deep forest. It is one of the trees that grows nearer to the sands.

Which means it is either a wandering tribe or a Cliff Top tribe.

If it is a wandering tribe, there is a chance it is Ferzan’s, and all is well.

But much as I pray to Lina that is the case, I cannot rely on prayer alone.

If it is the Cliff Top tribe, my brothers need my help.

I gesture for my Ellie to come close to me.

I remove the pack from her shoulders, setting it on the floor, before taking off mine and placing it on her.

I do not like her bearing the weight of it, but there is little choice.

Her own pack contains only pelts - less vital supplies than the ones I carry. It can be left behind, collected later.

I turn round and gesture for her to climb onto my back. She hesitates a moment before wrapping her arms around my neck. I lift her into place, her strong legs clutching at my waist, her chin resting on my shoulder. Then I loose my claws and start climbing up into the trees.

I feel my Ellie’s arms tense around me, her legs squeezing tighter as I pull us higher into the branches, but she does not cry out. She is too clever for that. Her hunter’s spirit knows the value of silence right now.