Faith Hunter: Jane Yellowrock World Companion

Beast on being thankful:Writer says to list Stuff I’m thankful for, five each day: People, Food, Natural, Memory, and Personal. I can count to five.

MONDAY—

People: Writer.

Food: Turkey feathers stuck in mouth after hunt.

Natural: Moon reflected in water.

Memory: Teeth sinking into throat of human who destroyed forests.

Personal: Big killing teeth. ( Chuffs with laughter .)

TUESDAY—

People: Jane Yellowrock. And Yardboy.

Food: Deer. Standing over water. Under tree with tall branch.

Natural: Herds of deer, running in rut.

Memory: Kits, sleeping in curve of Beast-body and legs, smelling of milk.

Personal: Bitsa.

WEDNESDAY—

People: Ricky-Bo. He smells of big-cat and hot, steamy jungle. Bruiser. Want Bruiser.

Food: Want to hunt bison. ( Looks at Writer. Flicks ears. Writer says no .)

Natural: Sound of world at dawn. Silent, waiting.

Memory: Sight of Wesa eating kill. Little cat, who changed life of Beast.

Personal: Claws ( Cleans claw sheath on tall tree, bark scraping away, leaving Beast-sign .)

THURSDAY—

People: Molly and Angie Baby. Miss them – Molly and Angie Baby. . . .

Food: Rabbit!

Natural: Sound of wild turkey goggling. Easy to hunt stupid noisy bird.

Memory: Wind in nose when Jane rides Bitsa, full of good food smells.

Personal: Visit with angel Hayyel. Was short but was good.

FRIDAY—

People: Big Evan.

Food: Once caught fish jumping through water. Was good.

Natural: Water running fast down river.

Memory: World before white man stole the trees.

Personal: Leo. ( Chuffs with laughter .)

Six Geese A-Laying

Jane Yellowrock is listening to Christmas Carols about good food. A feast. Beast wants feast like song Writer talks about! ( Licks muzzle. Thinks. Flicks ear tabs, listening to song .) Jane sings along. Jane cannot sing. Sounds like bison stuck in ditch. Or hawk calling for mate. Jane cannot sing, but Beast likes Jane’s song food! ( Listens. Thinks .)

Most of song is about more-than-five foods. Beast cannot count that high but knows that more-than-five is many! Beast is hungry. ( Thinks about food and hunting and eating fresh kills .)

Beast does not want seven swans a-swimming. Swans are good fighters. Swim fast. Peck hard with beaks. Swans leave mushy stuff on ground that gets in Beast’s paw pads. Tastes bad to clean pads with tongue. ( Looks over at writer .) Writer is making gagging sounds. Beast does not know why writer is sick.

Beast wants Six Geese A-Laying! That is more-than-five! Maybe more-than-seven! Geese sitting on nests will not be able to fly fast! ( Thinking .) Geese are fat and mean, but when on nests will be slow. Goose meet is good! ( Song goes on .)

Five golden rings . . . ( Thinks hard .) Beast does not want gold. Does not taste good. Should not be part of feast song.

Four calling birds are tasty! But loud birds would tell other prey Beast was near. No. Do not want Calling Birds. Want geese! More-than-five geese! ( Looks at writer .) WANT GEESE!

Three French hens are full of fat and slow to fly. Easy to catch! But only three. Want more-than-five geese!

Two turtledoves are small mouthful. Crunch and gone. Good, but six geese are better! Beast thinks more-than-five! Like geese!

And a partridge in a pear tree. ( Thinking hard .) Do not want bird in tree. Would fly away before Beast could get there. Beast likes six geese a-laying. Thinks this is more-than-five geese. Could get eggs too. Eggs are tasty. Chomp through shell and lick insides from ground. Good winter food. ( Sits up and stares at writer .)

Want six geese a-laying. Want them now!

Writer raises eyebrows. Looks amused.

Beast growls low.

“Hey. I put you in the books,” Writer says, “I can take you out of the books. Be nice.”

Beast chuffs with displeasure, but will not growl again. Sits and looks away, stares into distance, tail twitching, not looking at writer. Mad at writer. Want geese!

Writer sighs.

Writer says to write haiku. Beast cannot count to more-than-five, so writer will help on line two.

Beast is good hunter.

Beast hunts bisons in Beast dreams.

Beast eats bison heart.

(Beast is great poet! More hunting number poems later! Beast is napping now on warm rock in sun.)

Leo predator

is fierce, strong, bloodthirsty vamp.

Want Leo as mate.

Writer is mad. ( Chuffs with laughter .) Beast likes making Writer mad. Beast is good poet-with-numbers called haiku.

Writer is home now.

Home from big city New York.

Did not bring home cow.

Politician’s words

fighting hunting debate words

Beast would rather sleep.

(Writer is laughing. I do not understand.)

Beast naps on warm rock.

Sun heats Beast pelt and Beast purrs.

Too warm to hunt now.

(Beast is sleepy poet-of-numbers.)

Sun is warm on Beast.

Rolls over, sun on belly

Beast stretch out in sun

( Thinks. ) Did Beast count right?

Aggie One Feather: An elder of the People, mid-fifties, black hair without any gray; her parents are both Wolf Clan; serves as counselor for Jane; first appears in Skinwalker.

Angelina Everhart Trueblood: Daughter of Molly Everhart and Evan Trueblood, six years old with strawberry blond hair; has the witch gene from both parents, which means many people and organizations would want her; given her parents, the extent of Angie’s powers are not yet known; first appears in the story “Kits,” first book, Skinwalker.

Antoine: Male witch; first appears in Skinwalker; dies in Skinwalker when attempting to kill the liver-eater/rogue skinwalker masquerading as Leo’s son .

Bethany: Mithran Outclan healer/shaman, black-skinned, former slave, mentally and emotionally unbalanced; first appears in Blood Cross.

Bobby Bates: Jane’s friend from the Christian children’s home, childlike mentality but later discovered to have a unique magical ability; has bright red hair and freckles; first appears in the story “The Early Years,” but plays a significant role in the plot of Blood Trade .

Brandon and Brian:Grégoire’s twin primos. First appear as Big-Gun Red Shirt and Big-Gun Navy Shirt in Skinwalker . They are onorios.

Bruiser:see George Dumas.

Derek Lee: African-American former marine that Jane meets while tracking a rogue vamp; does work for Leo; first appears in Skinwalker.

Eli Younger: Former Army Ranger hired by Jane, along with his younger brother, Alex, as her private team; first appears in Death’s Rival.

Esmee: Elderly but very feisty woman with bright red hair whose home in Natchez Jane and her team rent out briefly in Death’s Rival , but she returns for a larger role in Blood Trade.

Evan Trueblood: Male witch, six foot four and burly, red hair and beard, brown eyes; married to Molly Everhart Trueblood, Jane’s best friend; first appears in the story “Kits,” first book, Skinwalker.

Evangelina Everhart Stone: Molly’s oldest sister and coven leader who develops a demon addiction; first appears in the story “Signatures of the Dead,” first book, Skinwalker ; dies in Raven Cursed at Jane’s hand.