didn’t you tell me?” Thakur’s voice was faintly reproving, though still gentle.
“Knew you had waited. So long. Wanted to try. For you. Means a lot to you. Didn’t want to make you wait ... anymore.”
She heard and felt the depth of his sigh.
“Oh, Thistle ...”
She snuggled closer to him, felt the warm weight of a paw as he draped it over her. He, more than any of the Named, could accept her for what she was. Yet there was coldness inside her because she had disappointed him.
“All ruined, Thakur? No chance to talk to others?” she asked. “Because of me?”
“Without you we would never have been able to try at all. Next time, though, you must tell me.”
“Next time?”
“Yes. If you are willing to try again. If you start feeling strange, though, we will back off and wait.”
“Won’t they fight us? Chase us away again?”
“I don’t know. One time they chased me; another time they let me approach. It is hard to tell what they will do. The only way is to approach them cautiously.”
“Want to help you, Thakur,” Thistle said. “Will try hard as I can. Maybe next time... bad thing... will stay away.”
Feeling his warmth and his tongue licking the back of her neck, Thistle drifted into sleep.
Chapter Six
Three days later, Ratha settled with the other members of her group beside an evening campfire. Thistle crouched beside Thakur, her eyes closed, her whiskers drooping. Ratha’s heart went out to her daughter. She had watched Thistle try again and again to approach the hunters, only to be attacked and overcome by the prowling terror that lived inside of her.
The thing that wears my shape and uses my teeth, Ratha thought bitterly.
And then Thakur had tried, both alone and with Bira. The face-tail hunters refused. Each encounter was more savage and frightening than the last.
Thakur is going to get himself killed. When I watched from the bushes, I saw nothing to suggest these strangers might be like us. There is no reason to try to talk to them now.
The Named had then changed their tactics, leaving the hunters alone and concentrating on the animals. This hadn’t worked either. Any attempt to capture or kill a face-tail sparked retaliation from the other clan. They might not speak, but they certainly thought they owned the face-tail herd, Ratha thought. When the Named even ventured near, they were met with blind ferocity.
Ratha tried to groom her matted and soot-streaked fur, but gave up. Everybody else looked equally bedraggled and out of sorts.
Too many skirmishes in the last few days had taken much out of them. Ratha could see how her people were starting to suffer. It angered her.
She heard Khushi muttering to Bira as the young Firekeeper and her treeling tended the flame.
“Those hunters are greedy,” he growled. “There are plenty of face-tailed beasts for all, yet they keep driving us away.”
Bira agreed, her fur ruffled and her usually calm green eyes fiery with indignation. From the corner of her eye, Ratha caught a glimpse of Thakur and Thistle, who had heard Khushi’s words. She couldn’t help seeing Thakur bristle. Thistle looked tired and defeated. She was also limping slightly—having to run away from the attacks had strained her leg.
Seeing her daughter struggle inflamed Ratha’s anger even more.
“I think we have shown enough patience with these hunters,” she said. “I heard what Khushi said to Bira and I agree. Trying to speak to them is getting us nowhere.”
“I disagree,” Thakur said slowly. “Thistle and I did make some progress when we first tried. I understand them a little better than before.”
“I don’t understand them at all,” Bira said, wrinkling her nose. “There is plenty of meat for everyone. Why don’t they share? As far as I can see, they are no different than the savage Un-Named.”
“Ratha?” The clan leader felt Thakur’s gaze go to her.
She answered, trying to control her own impatience. “I
“Knew you had waited. So long. Wanted to try. For you. Means a lot to you. Didn’t want to make you wait ... anymore.”
She heard and felt the depth of his sigh.
“Oh, Thistle ...”
She snuggled closer to him, felt the warm weight of a paw as he draped it over her. He, more than any of the Named, could accept her for what she was. Yet there was coldness inside her because she had disappointed him.
“All ruined, Thakur? No chance to talk to others?” she asked. “Because of me?”
“Without you we would never have been able to try at all. Next time, though, you must tell me.”
“Next time?”
“Yes. If you are willing to try again. If you start feeling strange, though, we will back off and wait.”
“Won’t they fight us? Chase us away again?”
“I don’t know. One time they chased me; another time they let me approach. It is hard to tell what they will do. The only way is to approach them cautiously.”
“Want to help you, Thakur,” Thistle said. “Will try hard as I can. Maybe next time... bad thing... will stay away.”
Feeling his warmth and his tongue licking the back of her neck, Thistle drifted into sleep.
Chapter Six
Three days later, Ratha settled with the other members of her group beside an evening campfire. Thistle crouched beside Thakur, her eyes closed, her whiskers drooping. Ratha’s heart went out to her daughter. She had watched Thistle try again and again to approach the hunters, only to be attacked and overcome by the prowling terror that lived inside of her.
The thing that wears my shape and uses my teeth, Ratha thought bitterly.
And then Thakur had tried, both alone and with Bira. The face-tail hunters refused. Each encounter was more savage and frightening than the last.
Thakur is going to get himself killed. When I watched from the bushes, I saw nothing to suggest these strangers might be like us. There is no reason to try to talk to them now.
The Named had then changed their tactics, leaving the hunters alone and concentrating on the animals. This hadn’t worked either. Any attempt to capture or kill a face-tail sparked retaliation from the other clan. They might not speak, but they certainly thought they owned the face-tail herd, Ratha thought. When the Named even ventured near, they were met with blind ferocity.
Ratha tried to groom her matted and soot-streaked fur, but gave up. Everybody else looked equally bedraggled and out of sorts.
Too many skirmishes in the last few days had taken much out of them. Ratha could see how her people were starting to suffer. It angered her.
She heard Khushi muttering to Bira as the young Firekeeper and her treeling tended the flame.
“Those hunters are greedy,” he growled. “There are plenty of face-tailed beasts for all, yet they keep driving us away.”
Bira agreed, her fur ruffled and her usually calm green eyes fiery with indignation. From the corner of her eye, Ratha caught a glimpse of Thakur and Thistle, who had heard Khushi’s words. She couldn’t help seeing Thakur bristle. Thistle looked tired and defeated. She was also limping slightly—having to run away from the attacks had strained her leg.
Seeing her daughter struggle inflamed Ratha’s anger even more.
“I think we have shown enough patience with these hunters,” she said. “I heard what Khushi said to Bira and I agree. Trying to speak to them is getting us nowhere.”
“I disagree,” Thakur said slowly. “Thistle and I did make some progress when we first tried. I understand them a little better than before.”
“I don’t understand them at all,” Bira said, wrinkling her nose. “There is plenty of meat for everyone. Why don’t they share? As far as I can see, they are no different than the savage Un-Named.”
“Ratha?” The clan leader felt Thakur’s gaze go to her.
She answered, trying to control her own impatience. “I
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