It was as if Liliha now read his thoughts. “You were a warrior, armed—not a helpless and frightened youngling. It may be that the Demon wanted no trouble with captives so he chose the least dangerous that could be found. How much farther are these caves of yours?” she ended briskly.
“If we do not have to turn from the straight trail, we shall be there shortly after sunrise.” They kept on under trees, using brush as a canopy where trees thinned or failed. They crossed any open space with a rush, always listening for ominous sounds from the air. Dawn found them working their way into the higher lands of the caves. Furtig heard the yowl of the first Sentry, alerting the next. That cry would pass from one to the other until it reached the ears of the Elders. He did not know if he had been recognized for himself, or merely as one of the People.
But the fact that the three came openly was in their favor. Sentries and guards would loosely encircle them as they went but would not try to stop them. However, as the three breasted the next-to-the-last slope before they reached the cliff of the caves, they were fronted by one who rose out of the dried grass to await them. Her gray fur was silken, shining in the sun. And though she was small, she held herself proudly erect.
“Eu-La!” The sight of her brought back the warm memory of how she had sent him forth on this venture armed not only with the fighting claws she had found, but also with her belief in him.
“Cave brother,” she said gravely, as gravely as one who had mothered younglings, so dignified was she. But her eyes slid from him to Liliha and her lips part-ed on a hiss.
“You bring a strange Chooser—!” She spat the words as if they were an ill saying.
“Not so!” He should have known. Just as a warrior would flatten ears and twitch tail at the sight of a non-kinsman, so would female meet strange female.
“This is Liliha, an Inborn of the lairs. She has not chosen, nor will she, save among her own kin—that is lair law.”
Eu-La was openly suspicious, but she looked again to Liliha, studying her carefully.
“She is not like the cave Choosers. That is true.”
“And it is also true, as your kinsman has said,” Liliha uttered in the throaty, purring voice of friendship, “that I have not come to choose among you, but to speak of other things, things of danger, to your Elder Chooser.”
She moved closer, and, as if Eu-La were suddenly convinced, they each extended a pink tongue, touched it to the cheek of the other, in the touch-of -friend.
“Open is the cave of Eu-La to Liliha of the lairs,” Eu-La said. Then she looked to Foskatt, who had fall-en a little behind. “But this is also a stranger.”
“Not quite so, cave kin. I was once of the caves be-fore I went seeking Gammage. I am Foskatt, but per-haps you have not heard my name, for I went forth seasons ago.”
“Foskatt,” Eu-La repeated. “Ah, you are of the cave of Kay-Lin. The Elder Chooser there has spoken your name.”
He was startled. “And who is that Elder Chooser?”
“She is Fa-Ling.”
“Fa-Ling! Who was litter sister of my mother! Then indeed I still have close kin in the caves!”
“But you, Furtig, have you learned all Gammage’s secrets that you return?” There was a teasing purr in Eu-La’s voice.
“Not all, sister. But a few—yes.” His hand went to the lightning thrower at his belt. “But more than any talk of secrets, we bring news for the Elders.”
“Two sets of Elders now,” she told him. “There have been changes at the caves. The western People have come to join us. They have taken over the lower caves. A new tribe of Barkers moved into their lands and they lost five warriors and an Elder in battle. There is much fear now that the Barkers move against us next. And it is a large pack.”
Furtig listened closely. Perhaps now the Elders might agree to Gammage’s plan. If they believed that they could not hold the caves, even uniting two tribes, they might be pushed into trekking to the lairs.
Save—the Demons and what had happened to the younglings of the Tuskers. Perhaps one could suggest that the cave clans take to flight, yes. But away from both Barkers and lairs, not into the buildings where Rattons and Demons alike waited. Bad or good, Furtig could not judge. He could only deliver the message and warning he carried.
Resolutely Furtig continued on, Eu-La matching him step to step. Now and then she glanced at him measuringly, as if so trying to read his thoughts. But she asked no questions, seemed pleased enough that he had returned.
Her acceptance of Liliha had been quick. Furtig hoped that was a sign that the other females would do the same. If the Inborn could continue to make it clear that she was no threat to their mate-choice, he did not see why they would be hostile. Compared to Eu-La—or Fas-Tan—her scantily furred body might not please, might seem to be ugly. Though being used now to the Inborn Furtig did not consider it so. But he hoped, for the sake of their mission, that the others would.
If Liliha had any vanity she had not displayed it. And perhaps now she was quick enough to see that the uglier and stranger she made herself seem, the more acceptable she would be. Ugly, strange—the two things Liliha could never truly be certain things, until a small pile of vials and tubes lay on the bunk. Possession of those gave her weapons and defenses. But she must find somewhere to conceal them.
Ayana moved in the medic cabin. Her body was stiff; she had held herself so tense, her muscles had cramped. At least she had a plan, but its success de-pended upon a great many factors. And most of those could only be resolved by time. She had no idea how long she had crouched here, considering what Tan might do, and then what she could do to oppose him.
Yes, time and patience. She must hold on to patience as if it were a safety line. Yet patience had never been a strong part of her.
She rubbed her hands down her cheeks; her face was cold, she shivered slightly. Nervous chill. Suddenly she wished for a mirror, to look into it and see the new Ayana, how much she had been changed by this time of facing black truths and learning that she might live and die by uncertain choices. Just as Tan would never again look to her as when he wore that mask he must always have assumed before her.
As she arose she swayed, clutched for a hand-hold. Not only was she stiff, but movement brought vertigo, as if the whole world were unstable. But Ayana reached a cabinet in the wall, brought out a tube of tablets. One of those she held to dissolve under her tongue. She did not mind its bitter taste.
Now she worked swiftly, stripping the shelves of
“Thus it is.” Furtig faced the Elders, and not only them but all those in the caves, who had crowded in crouching rows behind. He could read no emotion in their eyes, which, when the light of Gammage’s lamp touched them, were like disks of glowing fires, orange, red, and green. At least the messengers had been’ given cave hospitality—not warned off.
Before him lay the weapons they had brought. And he had demonstrated each. There were two lightning throwers, another producing a thin stream which made ice congeal about the target, even though this was not the cold season.
The fourth, which Liliba had carried and which she alone knew how to operate, was the strangest of all. For a warrior might escape by luck or chance the other two. However, from this tube spun small threads at Liliha’s twirling. Those floated as might a wind-borne spider’s web. That web, once launched, was drawn instantly to the warrior at whom Liliha had aimed it, in this case Foskatt. Once it had touched his shoulder, as if that touch was a signal, it straightaway wrapped itself about his body so he could not move. Nor could he break that hold, though the cords of the web were very fine and thin. Liliha had to cut it in two places, and then the whole thing withered and fell in small black particles to the ground.
The Elders, in spite of this display, kept impassive faces. But from the others came growls and small hisses of wonder and alarm that such things existed. Liliha was frank: these tanglers were few, some did not work at all. But the lairs held endless caches of other wonders.