Клэр Белл - The Named - The Complete Series

Even as they watched, a body rode out on the flow, tumbling over rocks and boulders until it was finally pushed to one side and left. Ratha could see others, some lying limp and still in the rain, some trying to crawl away from the growing cataract.

Charred logs that hurtled out on the flood about the entrance gave evidence that the cave-fire had been drowned and washed away. The conspirators gazed at each other, awed by the destruction.

Ratha’s imagination gave her an image of what the inside of the cave had been like when the water came pouring in. First, a small dribble that hissed into steam when it struck the Red Tongue and startled the dancers. Then more rivulets falling from the ceiling, glinting in the firelight. The dancers would have stopped, laying back their ears and snarling at this strange invasion. And when the full force of the flood hit the great fire and plunged the cave into sudden darkness, she could almost hear the howls and screams above the echoing roar that grew louder and louder …

Some would have tried to flee the cave in a panic near madness, guessing that the earth itself had turned against them for their wickedness in worshiping the Red Tongue. She could imagine that terror in the eyes of the half-drowned Firekeepers.

“It must have been terrible,” said Bira softly, saying what Ratha saw in the eyes of the two others.

“Let’s find Shongshar,” she said roughly and turned away.

They found him farther downstream, in a small gorge beside the trail. The rush of water had carried him with it, tumbling and turning him until at last it flung him aside. Now he lay, a sodden mass of silver fur, among the boulders at the bottom.

Carefully Ratha made her way down into the gorge, followed by the others. If Shongshar was dead, he shouldn’t be left to rot in the stream and taint the water. He should be taken elsewhere and buried. And if he wasn’t dead, she should know.

He remained so still as she approached that she was convinced life had gone from him. She was about to tell Thakur to take Shongshar’s tail in his jaws when Shongshar’s eyes suddenly cracked open. With a gasp, Bira skittered back, bumping into Fessran.

Shongshar’s eyes widened and focused on Ratha. She felt a sudden chill that was not just the wind on her wet pelt.

“Your rule is ended, Shongshar,” she said, trying to keep the tremor from her voice. “The Red Tongue in the cave has been destroyed and the Firekeepers are too frightened to listen to you again.”

“Then it was you who sent the angry water into the cave,” he hissed and drew a shuddering breath.

“Yes.”

“You have grown great indeed if water moves itself to do your will,” he said hoarsely. “The weaker power must yield to the stronger. That is the law of all things, clan leader. I offer you my throat for your fangs.” He rolled his head back as he spoke.

“Be careful!” Thakur hissed beside her. Behind her she could hear Fessran growl, “Kill him for me, Ratha.”

But Ratha stepped back from him.“No. There has been enough death among us. I offer you this, Shongshar. You may leave clan ground with your life, if you never return.”

“You offer me nothing then,” he snarled weakly.

“You say there is nothing for you outside the clan. What about your cubs?”

His eyes narrowed, and orange blazed between the lids. His lips drew back from his fangs as he spat.“You are crueler than I am, Ratha. You killed them. The thought of their deaths only left me when I gazed into the heart of the Red Tongue, and now that is gone, you torment me again with their memory.”

“Would you believe me if I told you I didn’t kill your cubs? Thakur and I took them off clan ground and left them in a place where they could find food and water. They might still be alive.”

Shongshar looked at her and she saw a faint hope warring with rage in his eyes. He sought Thakur.“Does she speak truth, herding teacher?”

“Yes,” Thakur replied.

“You couldn’t have told me, could you?” Shongshar said bitterly, turning his gaze back to Ratha.

“I couldn’t trust you. Listen, when you are ready to leave clan ground, I’ll tell you where we left them.”

Shongshar sank back, a strange glaze over his eyes.“You should have trusted me then, clan leader … it’s too late now.”

Ratha barely heard Thakur’s warning cry before a fierce blow struck the side of her head, sending her reeling. Shongshar was suddenly on top of her, raking her sides with his claws. She writhed underneath him, heaving and bucking, trying to dodge the plunging teeth. A fang scored her side and she lashed up, dragging her claws across his cheek.

“I offered to let you go … to find your lost cubs,” she gasped. She twisted underneath him, ignoring the rocks that bruised her back.

“What good would it do me to search for them now?” he hissed. “If they were as witless as you believed, they wouldn’t care who fathered them. And if they weren’t, they have been gone from me too long to know me.”

She understood then that hate had worked inside him too long for anything to turn it aside. The fierce glow of his eyes was the fire of madness.“No, Ratha,” he hissed, baring his fangs in front of her face. “All I want from you now is your death or mine.”

Again he strained his head back for a killing downslash. At the instant his throat lay exposed, Thakur struck. The momentum of the herding teacher’s attack thrust Shongshar aside from Ratha. She scrambled to her feet as Fessran and Bira leaped to Thakur’s aid.

Fessran made up for the handicap of her injury by the intensity of her rage. Shongshar was bleeding from many wounds by the time the three bore him down, but their combined strength could scarcely hold him.

“All right, Shongshar,” Ratha panted. “You have a choice. Either you leave clan ground now, or your life ends here.”

His only answer was a lunge at Ratha. Thakur cast her a look of despair that told her Shongshar had made his decision, and there was nothing the herding teacher could do about it.

“You are going to kill me,” Shongshar said, narrowing his eyes at Thakur. “That is a bitter thing, to have to kill one who was a friend. If you don’t, I will bury my teeth in her. Choose which one of us you will grieve for, herding teacher.”

Again he lunged for Ratha, nearly throwing off his captors. They seized him, throwing him back. Thakur opened his jaws for the killing bite.

“No,” Ratha said. “I brought him among us. I will take him to the dark trail.”

She felt the herding teacher tremble as he moved aside for her. He looked at her, his eyes dark with grief.“Be quick,” he said and stared away.

When it was done and Shongshar lay still, Ratha lifted her head with a deep weariness that seemed to fill her. She stared down at the blood oozing onto the silver fur, as the others backed away from the body.

“We will carry him into the meadow and place him beneath the tree where Bonechewer died,” she said softly. “He deserves at least that much.”

“Ratha!” The harshness in Thakur’s voice jerked her gaze from Shongshar. Fessran was looking up at the rim of the gorge, her tail starting to wag. Angry eyes glared down. The Named were all about them, descending the steep slope of the gorge on both sides. It was too late to run or to hide Shongshar’s body. Ratha knew she would either have to win the clan over or fight.

She felt Thakur edge against her, protecting Bira between himself and Fessran. The bitter smell of vengeance-hunger filled the stream as the Named crept down into the gorge.

“It’s a bad place for a fight,” Thakur growled softly.

“Stay together,” Fessran hissed. “To reach any of us, they’ll have to kill us all.”