Андрэ Нортон - Beast Master's Circus

Storm was a trained fighter, a beast master who'd fought the Xiks across a dozen worlds. Tani, small, slender, untrained, was still in many ways Storm's equal. They'd stood shoulder to shoulder against the enemy before. And Logan, his wild-blooded son who loved the wilderness more than civilization. Logan who'd lost his half-brother's beasts and a fight against the raiders. They were three to take up a war trail indeed. And that they would do. He had only to find the trail head for them. That was his work.

He set his teeth and willed calm. He'd be of no use if he allowed his anger to rule. First let them land at the clan camp and see what they could do to help there. He leaned forward to touch Kelson on the arm.

"The Nitra, they know we're coming?"

"The Thunder-talker has spoken. We are welcome to land and collect the dead. Tani's coming back to High Peaks with us. Jumps High and a couple of his people will lead Tani's mount back to the basin."

"Any word of the paraowl?"

"Not when I left."

Brad fell silent again. If his young daughter-in-law had lost not only her beloved coyote friends but also Mandy she would be utterly devastated. When the copter sank to a landing the girl was the first there. She was leading Djimbut warriors who carried four bodies, one trampled and hoof-slashed almost beyond recognition as human. Brad grunted. That would be the work of Destiny, Tani's filly, three-quarter duo-corn and wholly ferocious to any she deemed a threat.

Tani was everywhere now: guiding the bodies into the copter cargo hold, finger-talking rapidly with Jumps High, then the Djimbut medicine woman. Finally she came to stand looking at Brad.

"Asizi." She used the ancient word of address. "We have none of our own dead. The Nitra will leave vengeance to us unless we ask. Of what lives were taken none were theirs, by the Thunder's will." The Thunder-talker moved up to stand by the girl. She spoke and her interpreter's hands flickered with quick fluency.

"The enemy would have taken the gems which mark my power. But for the quick thinking of my younger sister all would have been lost. Her spirit-friends twice heard the enemy and twice that aided us to be ready. The clan stands with their clan-friend. If there be anything in which we can aid in return, let it be known." Kelson gave the bow over linked spread hands which was the Nitra acknowledgment in all formality of the Thunder-talker's power. Then he lifted them to sign.

"Gratitude. The enemy evil ones were ours. To ours the law which judges. Our clan is greatly angered, we ride in war. Yet if there is need, be sure we shall ask."

She made the small cupped-hand gesture of acceptance and turned away. From where Tani stood, there came a loud cry and the girl was running. Both Brad and Kelson jumped from the machine to follow. They reached her as she halted, half laughing, half crying.

"Mandy. She's all right." From the brush along the camp edge stumped a weary, still almost flightless paraowl. She had flown where she could, walked where she must, and Mandy had not appreciated the walking part of the journey. Tani dropped linked arms to make a bridge and the tired bird clambered up to sit on a padded shoulder. There she rested, drawing her beak gently down Tani's cheek and crooning softly as she sent a series of pictures. Tani examined the indicated wing and sighed before turning to the men.

"I sent her to take you a message, Brad. The copter came in faster and spray-stunned farther out than I expected. The stunner fringe caught Mandy as she flew, and knocked her silly. She landed several miles away without breaking more than some of the flight feathers in one wing. So she couldn't fly more than a few yards at one time. She's been flying and walking back here ever since."

Mandy made a disgusted spitting sound and there was laughter. Kelson had been translating Tani's words into sign-talk as she went. Even Nitra faces broke up in amusement at Mandy's obvious disgust at having to walk.

"She has very good hearing though. The copter came back very low still past her and she heard a few words. Say them for us, Mandy." The ferocious beak opened and an incongruous voice sounded. It was female, the accent was inner-systems and over-cultured.

"...men. Oh, all right... go to this place. But there'd better be something there worth having besides those stupid animals. Your boss won't thank you for more of them dead either..." Mandy stopped and waited for the generous praise she promptly received.

Kelson looked at them. "That might be useful. We can't run a voice scan on an imitation but it's so good to a human ear I'd bet experts at the school can tell us which world the woman comes from. Maybe more. Right now, we'd better head for High Peaks." He waited for Tani to settle Mandy before leading the way back to the copter and ushering them inside. He leaned out to sign to Jumps High.

"What do you want of us?"

"The bow hands of the enemies who do this," was the swift reply. "If that cannot be done, then bring us sure word of their deaths. Bring us a death-trophy we can hang in the medicine tent." Kelson's hands moved in acknowledgment of that. Then he slid the door shut and started the engines. Tani glanced at the paraowl as they lifted. Mandy's feathers could be fixed as soon as they reached the basin ranch and had a night's rest. She hoped Logan would be well. Brad had mentioned only that he'd been hurt.

Logan had been more than merely hurt. Storm, when he came running into the house, had found his brother lying in a spreading pool of blood. His eyes opened as Storm knelt by him and he tried to rise.

"Lie quiet. I'll get this bleeding stopped. Think about what you want me to know." He worked for several minutes before sitting back. "That's well. Wait now." He turned to slide open the door in a cupboard. Behind that was a small chilled area with a palm-lock. From it he took medical items and used them quickly. "Now, talk fast, brother."

Logan looked up. "Raiders. Copter." He spoke between gasps, his strength fading again. "Took Surra, Hing, her babies. Surra bad hurt, still alive. One..." his voice slid into silence before he drew on the last of his strength. "Woman, Storm. Woman shot me." His eyes shut and his body went limp in his brother's arms. Storm checked the medkit frantically. No, all was well. Logan might be long in mending completely. But he'd survive.

He rose, lifting Logan to carry him to a bed. Then he permitted himself to consider the words briefly. It was possible. Arzor had rarely suffered pirate raids. It had little of portable value save for the cat's-eyes, and for those alone major raiding cost more than it could recoup. At a glance he'd seen at least two rooms had been looted of small valuables. They hadn't attempted to open the safe though, as real pirates would have done. And the raiders had also gone out of their way to take beast master animals. That argued they were tied in with the other deaths and abductions.

Yet if they wanted the animals why hadn't they seen by now that it was futile? The beasts died. Why would they continue? He shook his head. Maybe this time the raider boss had been lucky. Surra could die, that was quite likely if she was in their hands and away from Storm too long. The meercats would probably survive. He hated to think of small, affectionate Hing and her new babies in cruel or uncaring hands. She'd never known anything but affection.

There was no time to think any further of that. He reached for the com. Kelson at the other end was almost incoherent with haste. No time to talk. He'd be there with Brad and Tani in two or three hours. Storm should hold on and wait. He did so but it seemed far longer than the time promised before he heard the ranger copter slipping in from overhead. Tani was first out and straight into his arms.