Клэр Белл - The Named - The Complete Series

She pulled her thoughts away from the past. What mattered at this point was the fuzzy mewling bundle she held by the scruff and the others being carried along behind her.

Red-brown soil and dried pine needles became mixed with crunchy white pebbles that soon grew into rocks and then boulders between the trees. The creek grew steep, from a brook to a torrent, and pine boughs hung so low that they stroked Named backs passing beneath.

When the creek veered away from clan ground, Ratha’s party found themselves rock-hopping up an increasingly narrow gorge as the stream rushed beneath them. She was afraid for a moment that the stream flow might have destroyed her former refuge, tumbling its gray and white granite down the creek bed. No, there it was, perched on a ledge ahead, sparkling in the dappled sunshine, looking light and welcoming to weary feet.

Carrying the cub, she slipped into a crevice made by gray-and-white-speckled slabs leaning against one another. She heard Thakur follow, and then she emerged from the rock shadow into a naturally guarded courtyard formed by fallen granite. Sun warmed its rock benches, pine boughs swayed overhead, and cooling breezes found their way through the stone maze. Yes, the refuge was as she had remembered it, although perhaps during her struggle, she hadn’t appreciated it enough.

The darker gray rocks absorbed more heat from the sun. Here she and the clan males made a nest for their spotted burdens. Mondir had done as he promised — Ashon and Bundi were now with her group along with the cubs they carried. Mondir hadn’t found Quiet Hunter, but he had managed to locate and bring Mishanti.

Of course, along with Bundi and Mishanti, usually came…

No. Ratha shook her head. The rumblers couldn’t have followed us here.

As if on cue, a resounding bellow echoed from below, followed by a second. Grunt and, what was her name? Belch.

Ratha grimaced. This was absurd. Of all the things the Named did not need… She glared at Bundi and Mishanti.

“You’d better get rid of those creatures right now or—”

“We didn’t think the rumblers would see us,” Bundi protested. “We were thinking about the cubs, not them.”

“Saw us, followed us,” put in Mishanti. “Nothing we could do to stop them.”

“Their noise is going to lead the renegades right to us,” Ratha yowled, her voice rising. She turned to Thakur. “Herding teacher, make those two understand.”

Bundi kept arguing.“Why should New Singer think we’re with them? He doesn’t know we have them. To him, they’re just another beast.”

“Bundi …” Ratha began, her voice dropping to a growl, her ears flattening.

She felt someone’s whiskers against her side and smelled Thakur. “Easy, yearling,” he said gently. “Don’t pounce on Bundi. He’s right — the rumblers won’t give us away.”

“But they’re such a noisy nuisance,” Ratha began, and then broke off. “All right, Thakur. We’ve got more important things to worry about than a pair of stupid—”

“We’ll go quiet them anyway. Come on, Mishanti,” Bundi said, scrambling away and dragging his friend with him.

“At least they can’t get up here and knock this place flat,” Ratha grumbled to herself.

As for Quiet Hunter, she couldn’t spare the effort to look for him. The Named were stretched pretty thin. If he came under New Singer’s control again, he would be more dangerous than helpful. He’s probably searching for Thistle-chaser. When things stabilized, she would look for both.

By now, all of the Named were inside. They deposited the litterlings they carried in the makeshift nursery. Cherfan and Mondir curled themselves around the cubs while other males settled themselves nearby. Ratha was grateful that her party had saved enough youngsters to require two big herders to encircle them.

Several litterlings head-bumped Cherfan’s belly.

“They’re hungry.” Mondir patted one cub with a paw. “I never thought I’d say this, but I wish I had … Well, I wish I had milk so that I could feed them.”

Several heads turned to Ratha.“Don’t look at me,” she said crossly. “Even if I can make milk, it will take a few days and that’s too long. We’ll have to feed them on chewed meat.”

“I think they’ll be all right for a little while,” Thakur put in softly. “We need to rest and think about what to do next.”

“I’ll get them some creek water in my mouth,” Ashon offered. He got up and went out. Several other young males followed. They ferried stream water to the youngsters, warming it in their mouths. The cubs lapped the liquid from the sides of their fathers’ jaws.

“So who gets to eat and then burp it up again to feed this bunch?” Khushi asked. He had cleaned himself up and now looked less damp and pink.

“I will,” said Cherfan, cracking the dried blood on his face with a yawn. “I’ve got a big stomach and I don’t mind.”

“You eat so much garbage that you’re used to burping things up,” Mondir said, poking him in the belly with a foot.

“You’ve got a big stomach, too,” Cherfan retaliated. “But it’s your big mouth that gets you in trouble. You’re helping me warm them, you can help me feed them.”

“Settle down, both of you,” Ratha said. “Let the cubs sleep.” Both males complied and soon joined the litterlings in slumber. Ratha moved herself and the others away in order not to disturb them.

“Well, I never thought I’d see that,” said Khushi, settling down beside Thakur. “A big bruiser like him trying to play mother.” He cut himself off, was silent, and then said, “I wish we had my mother with us.”

“I miss Fessran, too,” Ratha said softly. “And Thistle and Bira and Drani and all the others. If I hadn’t … ”

Ratha felt Thakur press against her as if saying, Don’t tear yourself up, yearling. We need you.

She pressed back in acknowledgment, more than grateful for his silent support.

“Never mind that,” she said, her voice still slightly rough. “We have to take stock. What we have and what we don’t have. It’s hard for me to say this, but we have lost a lot. In the confusion of the fight, we lost the Red Tongue and the treelings. I think the treelings will be all right — I felt Ratharee jump from my back into a tree when things got wild.”

“I tucked Aree into a safe place,” Thakur answered. “She’ll stay there until I get her, hopefully soon.”

“Cherfaree and Biaree got away when the renegades took Thistle and Bira,” Khushi added, then stopped himself again. “Ooops, I’m sorry, clan leader…. ’

The stab into Ratha’s belly had only begun, but she endured the pang of grief and said, “I’m not going to say that I don’t miss Thistle and that it doesn’t hurt. I do and it does. Badly. But I’m not going to ask anyone to spare me. I think and I hope that Thakur is right — that my daughter and the others are still alive.”

Thakur raised his head.“I can tell you why I think so.”

“I’ll welcome it, herding teacher, but later. First we’ve got to get meat to feed the cubs, and that means Thakur and I will have to hunt.”

“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? Since you’ve hunted? Do you remember how?” This was from Khushi.

“I’ll have to,” she replied shortly. She went to the snoozing Cherfan, told him what she was going to do and then let him sleep again. Designating Mondir to be in charge while she was gone, she left the shelter through a crevice. Thakur followed.

He said that he was better at fishing than hunting and that the tumbling brook held trout. Ratha said she would go after grouse, although she wasn’t as good at stalking them as Bira. If she found lizards, she would take them, too.