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  Semessa’s face turned stern. “Eish, there is a problem. At the edge of the forest, right behind us… ahh kuk… not good at all.” She was out of breath. “There is a giant dragaodon. It attacked the herd of perytons. We weren’t able to catch any. It’s… it’s coming this way.”

  Sephonei stepped forward and cocked her head toward the large sebra woman who seemed to elongate each and every word she spoke. Sephonei made out most words, but the sebra woman had turned her ‘th’ sounds to d’s, and r’s seemed to be non-existent. The sebra woman spoke loudly, with animated gestures as if she was angry.

  “It’s comin’ here? ’S not good.” Balin turned and brought his hands to his mouth, yelling, “Ku-aya! Ku-aya, yer services be needed! We’ve a ladgeful mess over ’ere.”

  His aura flashed between yellow and red with flecks of purple. Sephonei thought yellow and orange signified confusion and worry; was red fear? What did the purple specks signify? What was a dragaodon? Sephonei had never heard of that before.

  Semessa’s aura danced around her; it was much more saturated than the humans’ auras. Come to think of it, so were Harper’s and the fauns’. Maybe it was a mystical creature thing—to have saturated auras. Whatever it was, the auras sang to Sephonei.

  Ku-aya ran from the other side of the lodge and didn’t startle at the sight of Semessa. Instead, she greeted her, like they knew each other.

  “Ayo, what’s wrong?” Ku-aya said.

  Balin shook as he wobbled over to greet Ku-aya. Sweat ran down his face in streams. “There’s a wee kuk o’ problems over ’ere. Firs’ly, the Order insisted I provide ye with transportation for yer journey, so I hired Semessa to capture three perytons for ye. They went out this morn, but a giant dragaodon attacked ’em and they couldn’ capture the perytons. The second problem… well…”

  Ku-aya tapped her foot. “Spit it out, Balin.”

  Balin gulped. “’S headed this way!”

  Ku-aya’s foot stilled. She turned and yelled for Abil.

  Semessa addressed Ku-aya. “The dragaodon injured a lone peryton and chases it now. If we could save it, you would at least have one.”

  Ku-aya nodded. “Take us to it then, yaa?”

  Semessa offered her arm to Ku-aya, helping her swing onto her back.

  Abil appeared out of one of the stalls, eating the last bite of something. “What’s up?”

  From Semessa’s back, Ku-aya pointed to one of the hybrids. “Get on Sandara. We’re gonna wrangle us a peryton!”

  Abil ran over and hopped on Sandara’s back. Sandara, like Semessa, was larger than the third sebra-hybrid.

  Ku-aya called out to Sephonei and pointed to the other hybrid. “Come on, we go now, yaa!”

  The smaller hybrid came to Sephonei and stretched out her hand. Sephonei accepted and swung onto her back.

  Sephonei had ridden a horse before, but this was different; the hybrid was smaller than a horse. A woman’s muscled back was where the head of the horse should have been. Sephonei wrapped her arms around the creature’s waist and held tight.

  They burst after Semessa and Ku-aya, racing down the path to save a peryton. Adrenaline rushed through Sephonei, and she didn’t even think of home.

  ROEG

  Unn Returns

  T

  he moon was almost full and hung high in the blackness of night. After the night’s cookfire, and more than likely a short storyfire, they would leave for the Great Hunt on the morrow. The challenge had been a success; Roeg and the twins would join Krukk on the Great Hunt. This would be a good hunt for the clan. They would bring in a lot of meat. Not like the last Great Hunt.

  There had been less meat stews this season. The saberslash’r stew that sizzled on the cookfire tonight was a welcome change from the usual root and mushroom brew. The cookfire lasted longer than usual as everyone reveled in the festive feeling. The clan sat around the glow of the fire, slurping at their bowls of stew. Even Krukk was grinning.

  Ookum and Tsisa elbowed each other while they licked their bowls. Luli had made a tasty stew. She laid slabs of the saberslash’r meat on large flat stones right on the cookfire. The seared meat snapped and popped, the juices dripping and sizzling. She lobbed off chunks of the meat and added it to the mushroom brew.

  Her bone-carved pots were perfect for slurping stew. Luli was creative. After seeing her pot, each clan member crafted their own smaller pots. Now, they dipped their small pots into the large one on the cookfire when they wanted more. It was a great new way to eat. Before the pot, they ate mostly charred meat and raw roots and mushrooms. Stew tasted much better.

  Krukk dropped his small bone pot to the ground and let out a long deep belch.

  He wiped the glistening stew from his lips and beard, then cleared his throat. “Everyone. Listen.”

  The clan quieted. This was the moment the cookfire became the storyfire. Roeg missed Unn. He looked to the darkened hills to the west, wondering where Unn could be. It had been almost a full small moontide since Unn left. The storyfire wasn’t the same without him.

  Krukk had a wide grin on his face. “This is the season that my younglings, Ookum and Tsisa, will join me on the Great Hunt!”

  Luli eyed Roeg then elbowed Krukk in the side. He yelped then followed Luli’s gaze to Roeg as she cleared her throat.

  Krukk paused then scowled. “Uh, and Roeg will join too. Last season was a disaster.” He looked up at the moon then let out a sigh. “We all remember why.” Krukk looked to the west, to the Great Spirit Mountain, no doubt thinking about Unn.

  Tsisa elbowed Roeg. She wore a wide grin and was fidgeting with excitement.

  Krukk grunted and muttered, “My brother. The clan chief is on another one of his Spirit Walks. Last season, we almost missed the Great Hunt because of one of his dreams.”

  Roeg didn’t like where this was going. Why was Krukk against Unn? What if Unn never came back? Then Krukk would be chief. Roeg shuddered at the thought.

  Luli elbowed Krukk again. He scowled then edged away from her.

  She cleared her throat. “Unn is our chief and has led us well. We all love and respect him, despite his Spirit Walks. Right, Krukk?”

  Krukk groaned then continued his story. “We have had a hard season and little meat. The herds have thinned, and there is a growing concern with more and more meat-eaters coming close to the village.” Krukk pointed at the saberslash’r meat sizzling on the fire. “This Great Hunt will be different. We head south tomorrow, beyond the Whitewoods. There is a pass the herds will go through, and it will slow them. That is where we strike. We will have enough meat to feast like this through the rainy season!” Krukk stood and howled as he finished his story. The clan erupted in cheers.

  Roeg got caught up in the moment. He howled too. His belly was full, and on the morrow, he would go on the Great Hunt. Luli walked over and sat beside Roeg. She nudged him with her shoulder and winked at him.

  “How are you?” she asked.

  Roeg rubbed his belly and smiled. “Full.”

  He nudged her back. She motioned for him to follow her. Sidestepping the storyfire, she cut through the clan of listeners—Roeg followed.

  As he left the glow of the storyfire, the crisp night air blew through his hide coverings, giving him goose flesh. He looked down at his tattered shoulder covering. Only a few strands of sinew held the bits of hide together. The marks of the saberslash’r’s claws were visible through the ripped hide. Luli disappeared inside her hut. Was he to follow? He stepped closer to the hut and strained his eyes. He saw an orange patterned hide emerge from the doorway of the hut; it looked like a saberslash’r. Roeg froze for a moment, his body coiled with fear—he jolted back, ready to run.

  “I stitch’d this for you,” Luli said, as she came into view. She held in her hand a woolly orange saberslash’r hide.

  Roeg sighed in relief.

  Luli tilted her head then lowered her eyebrows in concern. “What’s wrong? I thought you
would like it. I noticed your shoulder cover was torn from the saberslash’r.”

  Roeg stepped closer then chuckled. “I thought… I thought you were a saberslash’r”

  Luli belly laughed, and her eyes crinkled. She stepped closer and hugged Roeg with one arm. “Sorry for scaring you.” She handed him the shoulder cover.

  He held it up and gazed at the dark-spotted pattern of the short fur hide. A stitch line of tawny sinew ran down each side of the shoulder covering in a looped pattern.

  Luli watched as Roeg studied the shoulder covering. She reached over, gripped the hide, and stretched it. “The sinew holds the two pieces of hide together, making it more comfortable.”

  “Thank you, Luli,” Roeg said as he tore off the old shoulder covering. He gasped when the brisk air licked at his skin. He lifted the saberslash’r hide over his head and tucked his arms through. He looked down and smiled. “It fits perfectly.”

  Luli winked then called out, “Tsisa, come here.”

  Tsisa’s woolly red hair popped up from behind the seated clan members who listened to Krukk as he told his storyfire tale. She clambered through the seated clan members, only stepping on one person, who let out a low growl then clicked, indicating his frustration.

  “What’s up?” Tsisa clicked as she approached Luli and Roeg. She eyed Roeg’s new shoulder covering then gave him a playful punch.

  Luli laughed then handed Tsisa a similar patterned loincloth. “Here, this is for you, daughter. It’s a good fit, since you both had a part in hunting the saberslash’r! We honor her sacrifice. We wear her hides to carry her spirit with us.”

  Tsisa snatched the orange patterned loincloth from Luli. “Nice!” She wrapped it around her waist without attaching it. “I love it!”

  Tsisa slammed into Luli, gripping her tightly in a big bear-squeeze. Luli chuckled in appreciation.

  Roeg yawned and thanked Luli again then stumbled to his hut and entered through the small cut-out doorway and looked to Unn’s corner. His hide cover nest was empty. Where was Unn? It was lonely without the old man. When Unn first left, Roeg thought he might sleep better without the old man’s tusksnort’r night breathing. Their small hut was beside Krukk’s larger hut, and he also snorted like a tusksnort’r. Every night, the huts would rattle and shake as the great tusksnort’r battle raged.

  Roeg lay on his hide nest. He tossed and turned as he thought about the Great Hunt. Would he be able to throw the spear? What if his stone burned again? What if Unn didn’t come back? He eventually fell asleep, but restlessness disrupted his slumber; this time, when he hit the firewater he did not stir or wake up. He sunk into the depths, gasping and gulping for air, while the gripping pain choked him. He heard the quaking voice. “You have something of mine boy. I want it back.”

  Roeg startled awake, gasping and reaching for his chest. Eventually he settled, rubbing at his eyes. They focused, and he saw Unn’s face. Streams of the night’s dim light snuck through the cracks of the hut; the moonshine highlighted the old man’s gray hair and straggly beard.

  Unn gently shook Roeg. “Wake up, my boy.”

  Roeg embraced the old man and squeezed tight. “Unn! You’re back!”

  Unn shifted his finger to his mouth. “Shhhhh.”

  He handed Roeg his satchel and motioned for him to pack it, gesturing for Roeg to hurry.

  Roeg was confused. Were they leaving for the Great Hunt? Already? It was still night. Why was Unn hushing him? He remembered the fire dream—they were getting worse. He was soaked in sweat and was still breathing heavily.

  Ookum and Tsisa stood in the doorway of the small hut; strung to each of their backs was a hide bag. Tsisa scowled in the dim light and rubbed her eyes. Her hair was a tangled mess—more so than usual. Ookum leaned against the hut door, half asleep. His eyes closed, and drool fell from the corner of his mouth.

  Unn refilled his satchel with dried meat and berries from the storage hole at the corner of the hut. He slid the stone slab back over the hole and motioned for Roeg to hurry, then left the hut. Roeg filled his satchel, grabbed his walking stick, and followed.

  The village was quiet—the rest of the clan slept. The night air was brisk. Roeg blew out and saw his breath float away. He was glad to have his new shoulder cover. He looked for Unn. Where did he go so fast?

  Roeg peeked around the hut. “Unn? Unn… Where are you?” He walked to the cookfire and still couldn’t see anyone. “Tsisa? Ookum?” No answer.

  Three figures in the darkness caught his eye—they were headed out of the village. He could tell by the wobbled gait that one of the figures was Unn. He chased after them only catching up as the three night-walkers crossed the outskirts of the village.

  “Where are we going?” he asked.

  Unn gestured for quiet. “Not here. We don’t want to wake the others.”

  Roeg looked to Tsisa, who was still scowling. Ookum was rubbing the sleep from his eyes and dragging his feet. He made slapping sounds with his tongue as if he tasted something foul and shrugged his shoulders lazily.

  The Great Hunter’s moon peered down at them from the night sky. Night shadows formed and reformed as they walked. Other than the crunch of dry grass beneath their feet, the night was still.

  Unn kept walking, his hobbled gait not wavering. “It’s good to see all of you. I’m sorry I woke you.”

  Tsisa couldn’t hide her frustration. “Where are we going?”

  Unn let out a long sigh. “We will travel to see a friend who can help us.” He kept walking, and he didn’t look back when he spoke.

  Tsisa and Ookum fought for space, elbowing and jostling each other. Roeg slid by them and walked beside the old man. He couldn’t contain his excitement. “It’s the time of the Great Hunt! Are we going to scout ahead? Krukk said we could go. Are you coming with us?”

  Unn stopped. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His hand came to his forehead, and he rubbed at it like it hurt.

  Tsisa and Ookum didn’t notice Unn had stopped and knocked into the old man. Unn stumbled then caught his balance. He turned and scowled. “Enough!” He waved his walking stick at them in an attempt to bring order then his face softened. “Come, I need to tell you all something of great importance.”

  Roeg nodded then narrowed his eyes at the twins, warning them to pay attention.

  “Roeg, you didn’t stick your hand in a fire as a youngling,” Unn began. He looked at Roeg as if to measure his reaction.

  Roeg tilted his head and scrunched his eyebrows like he didn’t hear right. “What?”

  Ookum and Tsisa stopped making faces at each other and listened.

  Unn sighed then stood tall and put his hand on Roeg’s shoulder. “I only told you a half-truth. Your mother did abandon you thirteen seasons ago on the Great Spirit Mountain. That is true. She did run from her people. She said they chased her, and they were bad. She said you would be safer with me than with her. She was terrified, Roeg.”

  Roeg was still. He held his breath as his mind reeled. If he didn’t stick his hand in the fire, what happened?

  Tears welled in the old man’s eyes. “The stone around your neck,” he motioned to the stone with his chin, “is a powerful stone. It has great magic that I don’t understand. But I saw its power when you were a baby.”

  Roeg thought of the saberslash’r and how his vision had changed. Did the stone allow him to speak to the beast? Did a fireball really surround him? Why didn’t he burn?

  Unn continued, “Your mother called it the Firestone.”

  Roeg’s stomach knotted. Why did Unn lie to him? What happened? Why was he telling him this now?

  “Is she still alive?” Roeg asked.

  “I don’t know. She left you with me on the Great Spirit Mountain, and I never saw her again.”

  “Roeg talked to a saberslash’r!” Tsisa shot in, letting the click ring.

  Unn turned to her, and his face bunched. He looked at Ookum, who nodded, then he set
his eyes on Roeg. “We will talk about that later.” He paused and said, “I made my way down the Great Spirit Mountain back to the village with you in my arms. You carried the stone in your tiny hand. It was the end of the dry season as it is now, and I thought it was safe, but we crossed paths with a great cave-bear. She was with cub and thought I would harm it. She reared up and stood as tall as the trees. Each of her claws was the size of you. I couldn’t protect myself or defend you. I couldn’t drop you, so I stood there and called out to the Great Mother to protect us.”

  Unn’s grip tightened on Roeg’s shoulder.

  He wiped at a tear that streamed down his face. “A great shadow covered the mountain as the bear struck. It roared, and the trees lost their leaves and fell to the ground. I just stood there. You, a baby in my arms, started to cry… then a great flash burst from the Firestone. I saw a burning red and closed my eyes. I thought I was on my way to meet the Great Mother. I held my eyes closed tightly for a long moment, then another. I opened my eyes and saw a pile of ashes where the bear once stood. You held the stone in your hand, but you cried great tears. Your hand had blackened, and you were in pain. You saved me, Roeg. That is how you earned your second name. Roeg Stonehold’r.” With that, the old man turned and continued down the worn path to the waterhole.

  Roeg and the twins stood in silence.

  They didn’t speak on the walk to the waterhole. The black of night faded to the dim light of morning.

  Unn pointed to the waterhole. “Go, fill your pouches.”

  The twins took off at high speed; Ookum pushed Tsisa over and shot to the water. Tsisa growled then leaped up and charged. She tackled her brother and wrestled him until he submitted.

  Unn stepped into the water and splashed himself. He had been dirty from his trek up the Great Spirit Mountain. He stayed there and looked into the Whitewoods south of the waterhole for a long time.

  Tsisa left Ookum in the shallows and called over to Roeg as he strapped his water pouch to his satchel. “Where are we going? Krukk said we were going to head south for the Great Hunt, but I don’t think that’s where we are going.”