Chapter 2-32

For a moment after Batu fell, there was silence. The gathered clansmen all waited with bated breath, eyeing the other Ootrin to see if **** would break out. Unfortunately the remaining Pure patsies controlled themselves, though their anger and disbelief was clear. They withdrew without another word, moving to pack up their camp, seething.

Once they began to withdraw, a celebratory air settled on the moot. A tension that I had felt, but not recognized, was dispersed. Many warriors offered their respects to Hati, and many clan heads and advisors spoke to Siobhan, presuming that we were attached to Clan Ket. Which we were, to an extent.

“She’ll need to make a show of considering you now.” Saoirse’s voice was a surprise to me, not least because of her tone. For the first time she didn’t sound as though she was angry and hated me. Instead she sounded resentful, and resigned. I found that I preferred the anger.

“Consider me for what? Our aid?” I couldn’t recall if I had even spoken to Siobhan about an alliance against the Pure yet. We’d been here so little time, that we hadn’t gone into much detail as to my purpose.

“Fucking,” Saoirse replied, causing me to ****. “She has no daughters, and I’ve no patience to lead. Right now, clan Ket ends with us.”

“That’s why all the warriors she brought are men,” I realized. “They’re all hoping to be the father of the next UnKet. Can’t Ket just grant her aspect to another, if Siobhan doesn’t have a daughter?”

“It isn’t so simple, and isn’t something that should be discussed here.” The older woman from Clan Ket, whom I’d seen but not been introduced to, approached us. Saoirse shrugged off the admonition, her face settling into a disinterested mask.

“I am Riona,” the woman said. “Druid of Clan Ket. And I hear that you wish to aid us against the Pure, and to learn of our runes.” Her manner was brusque and professional, setting me immediately at ease. I wasn’t surprised that she knew my aims. I’d been clear about my goals with Airt, and what one druid knew, you could assume all druids knew.

“That is mostly correct.” I responded. “I need an understanding of the runes that I have found the Pure using. I don’t know how runes function, so I do not know what the differences might be.”

She frowned and nodded. “If you are able to help our clan, then I will teach you what I am able to.”

I hesitated, “And what can you teach me? That seems like a very specific way to phrase things.” She smiled, looking pleased at my question.

“I won’t know until I try. But know that I am considered very good at teaching the use of runes. I taught many of those who are now considered masters of the art.”

It struck me as odd that she didn’t reference her own skill with runes, just her ability to teach. Then again, it was the teaching that I needed. Despite her prevarication, I had a good feeling about Riona, so I gave her a respectful nod.

“I will do my best to aid Clan Ket,” I said. “I have my own reasons to fight the Pure, so I would already have done my utmost, but I am grateful for the promise of your instruction.”

“Already set then, is it?” Siobhan wandered up to us, Petad and Myta in tow. The broad grin on her face, and the harsh expression on our quartermaster’s, made me realize that perhaps I had spoiled their negotiations.

“It seems you’re coming to face the raiders regardless.” UnKet crowed. “Then I see no need to give you anything. Perhaps you should offer me a toll to camp in our lands?”

Our quartermaster looked as though she had just bitten into a lemon, but I stepped forward before she could respond.

“Our presence amongst the clans, to aid against the Pure, is guaranteed. My goodwill toward Ket and your clan is strong. But we cannot be an ally to anyone who would fight our presence.”

“I was just having a laugh,” Siobhan pouted. “Your mother here wanted to negotiate like a merchant. So I returned it.”

“She is a merchant,” I replied dryly. Petad bristled, though I wasn’t sure if it was from the dismissive tone or being called ‘mother’. “Ramana suggested that we use our aid as leverage, to obtain a better deal, and more resources, but I want your respect and goodwill more.”

“We could be friends to your clan.” Sati spoke up, stepping forward to take a place in our conversation. “Not mercenaries, but true friends. We’ve brought goods, animals, and warriors. All to support the clans.”

The way she said it, made me think that Sati was speaking of something more formal than simply a suggestion of aid. As if being a friend to the clan or clans was a designation like ambassador or vassal. But I wasn’t familiar with it, so I stayed silent as a speculative expression crossed Siobhan’s face. She looked at Ket with a raised brow, and the spirit blinked slowly in approval.

“We’re in a bad way, and could use the aid.” She finally allowed. “Ootrin has been raiding hard the past two years, the tribes are gathering now to push us hard, and many of our best warriors have disappeared. Now the other clans are pushing us too.”

“Why would the other clans push you?” My brow furrowed as I tried to make sense of that one. “With Ootrin and the Pure threatening them all, shouldn’t you be working together?”

“Aye, you’d think so.” She spat on the ground. “When war comes, the clans join forces. But too many say that this isn’t war. They say Clan Ket is just weak, that we’ve been weak for years now. Never mind that they’re all losing shifters too. Some of the others are saying that they should hold the… the border. That we should be pushed out of our land for the good of all.”

Sati spoke again before I could ask about the verbal slip.

“A clan with powerful friends is a powerful clan.” The apsara noted calmly. “What would it take to prove our strength to the other clans?”

“Too broad a question.” Siobhan snorted. “Each clan respects different things but,,. Mealla UnMath will stand for us if she knows that we are able to protect and care for the land. She’s widely respected. If she supported us, the others would as well.”

“What does that mean?” I asked. “Caring for the land. And how would we show it?”

“Mialla is a druid, the only druid to lead a clan directly. She’ll know, whether we speak to her or not.” Siobhan hesitated, searching for the right words. “Caring for the land is complicated. Our clan needs to live in harmony with nature, protect it.”

“So this is where those rumors of not killing animals or cutting down trees comes from.” I said dryly. “But I ate plenty of meat here, and I know you use wood furniture.”

“Those are nothing but children’s stories,” she scoffed. “We cut trees and hunt, even mine just as anyone else does. The point, is that we try not to take too much, and help the land recover. It’s not religion, or superstition, it’s just sense. Take too much one year, and you won’t have enough for the next.

“What farmer kills their entire herd? Only the most foolish. Even a **** man can see that slaughtering them to the last means ending your own future early.”

“An easy thing to understand,” I nodded slowly. “But the world is full of the **** and foolish. And sometimes the choice is between **** now, or **** later.

“Not as often as people claim.” Siobhan sounded bitter. “Most often people don’t need more, they just want it. And they are willing to sell not just their own future for it, but that of those around them.”

I could feel Myta’s grim agreement, and knew that she was thinking of her father, and Petad’s bark of laughter was undoubtedly for the same reason. What surprised me was the sudden spike of shame that came from Sati. It shouldn’t have, I supposed. I’d chastised her before, pushing her about her callous disregard in the past for the people she’d hurt in her bid for more power. But she had been more adversarial then, far less open to hearing my criticism. It seemed that having someone new phrase it differently had hit home with her.

“So, we will visit your land, if you’ll have us?” I waited for Siobhan’s nod, as that hadn’t been explicitly confirmed. “Our company will do all we can to aid you against the Ootrin, and the Pure. And we will all work to ensure that your livelihood is sustainable. But, I need to warn you, we will also need to prepare for the future. I’ve heard that Ootrin is massing a larger **** to invade Ramana. If they’re pushing there, they’ll push here as well.”

“I know it,” the head of clan Ket looked far older in that moment. “I haven’t been thinking that far ahead, as we’re struggling just to hold on to what we have right now. But Saoirse has seen the signs. If we can rally the clans against them, we might be able to hold them at the scar.”

“One step at a time then.” I sighed. “Where should we start?”

“Kill the ambushers.” Saoirse spoke up for the first time since her sister had joined us, and her familiar anger was back, though not directed at me this time.

“Ambushers?” I was lost for a moment, feeling like I had missed a beat.

“In the woods, below the hill.” The small shifter’s voice was impatient, and I felt the bloodstained threads of her presence push against me. Not aggressively, just from her control slipping. “The Ootrin who are waitingp to kill us.”

I glanced at Myta, who nodded. “Denu guessed at their presence when we arrived. The company should be set up to defend the base of the path. I left Jito with orders to look for them, but cautiously. And be prepared for an attack.”

“How many are there?” I was wondering, but it was Siobhan who voiced the question. Her sister shrugged.

“Not many, forty maybe. But they have some leashed, I’m sure.”

“Leashed?” It took a second for the answer to hit me. “The corrupted shifters. They’re controlled by the Pure. Shouldn’t the druids have felt that? Isn’t that why you don’t guard the moot more heavily?”

“Aye, they should have.” Siobhan’s tone was grim. “Only another druid could have concealed a **** like that. Why didn’t you say anything?!”

“I’m saying it now.” Saoirse shrugged. “Didn’t notice until we were up here. There was nae point until we were ready to leave. Besides, no one would believe me.”

Siobhan’s looked for a moment as though her sister had stabbed her, but then the pain faded to understanding. “The other clan heads would have ignored us, aye. With multiple druids here, they never would have trusted the word of a ‘broken’ shifter going against them. They would have dismissed it, or even turned against us.”

“But now we can strike.” Saoirse squeezed her sister’s shoulder by way of apology, and then looked to Myta and I in turn. “Your people have killed the leashed before. I’m not sure how many there are, but if you can contact your men, we can make them bleed.”