A Whisper of Wings (25 page)
Read A Whisper of Wings Online
Authors: Paul Kidd
Priests! Oh Rain, she’d forgotten! She was promised to the priests! The girl swiftly turned away and began to see to dinner. Her eloquent body was her own undoing; Kotaru saw the fear flickering through her aura.
“Lady! What is it? What’s wrong?”
The girl sighed and put her hand across her eyes, then finally looked up at Kotaru and shook her head.
<
It would all solve itself somehow. She shook her wings and threw away the mood. The girl’s ïsha flashed as she sparked the fire ablaze, and the crayfish were set to toasting while Shadarii skinned a brace of cool, crisp lily bulbs.
Lunch tasted magnificent, and fresh, sharp air had made for a pair of hungry appetites. Finally replete, Kotaru rolled belly up towards the sun and stretched luxuriously in the warmth. Shadarii obligingly began to scratch Kotaru’s ribs, and Kotaru’s face went slack with pleasure as his left leg began to twitch. Shadarii scratched him harder as she felt him groan in bliss.
Shadarii’s hands finally grew tired. The girl tapped Kotaru’s snout and pantomimed a question.
<
“Oh yes lady! Mmmmmm dinner was very good indeed.”
<
She looked sidewise at Kotaru, pleased to see him give a guilty jump, then curled a finger idly through his fur.
<
Kotaru’s face was troubled. Shadarii patiently waited for an answer, her antennae drinking in every nuance of his ïsha posture. There was no hiding from her; there never would be. Shadarii read a man’s soul with unnerving ease.
“The raid?” Kotaru sighed, unhappy with the stupid decisions of his past. “I - I don’t know why I really came. Everyone else was goin’ along, I guess. Only that’s not really why… I regretted it the moment we all left home. The Prince, he seemed to be takin’ it all as somethin’ a bit more sinister…”
Shadarii’s eyes were pools of strange, deep thoughts. Kotaru tried to face her trust with utter honesty.
“I don’t know, Shadarii. I used to listen to stories once. Stories about folks who rescued people - folks who made a difference. I always dreamed about bein’ a hero.
“There’s no food left back home, Shadarii. The game’s all gone, far worse than it is here. Children get ill without meat. Rickets - malnutrition. I think they might die soon. And-and the Katakanii are rich! Everyone knows that. I just thought… Well, you know, maybe it would all be for the better good.”
The hunter hurtled a piece of grass into the bushes. “Aaaah - It’s all gone and done now. I did what I could to make amends. What do you want to know all this for anyway?”
The girl motioned gravely in response.
<
Kotaru gave a smile.
“There’s really not so much to tell.” The man idly ticked points off on his fingers. “I’m the sad result of an unmarried dalliance. Someone decided to make me captain of a jiteng team. I don’t like grapes but I do like onions. I can’t play the pipe half as well as I’d like to. Most of all I just like thinking.”
Kotaru looked around at Shadarii, his eyes shy and anxious.
“Is that what you want to know? Is it a start? I really can’t think of much else more to say…”
It was worth another scratch on the belly at least. Shadarii roughly plied her claws all up and down his fur. The hunter sighed and let ennui take hold of him, his lashes drooping as he felt the sweet warmth of the sun. Finally Kotaru stretched and gave a sigh.
“Hey, should we be getting back? I’ve a team who’ll be wonderin’ where I am. Don’t you have dancin’ to do?”
Shadarii’s eyes went wide; Hatïkaa would have been waiting all day for their practice session! The girl held her face in dismay. Kotaru saw expression and rose to his feet.
“Oh you do, eh? Well, I suppose I can bear to go back now.” He smiled at her. “It’s been a precious day. Thank you for bein’ my friend.”
Shadarii licked her lips and edged in closer; suddenly she lunged in, kissed Kotaru’s mouth, and swiftly fled.
“Hey!”
With a silent blaze of laughter the girl shot into the ferns, and Kotaru whooped as he raced off in pursuit. They whirled into the endless green, the whole forest shining with their merriment.
Notes:
1) Riders: Allied spirits tied to the body of a sorcerer. The process is dangerous, and has rewards usually of interest only to a priest.
2) Healers tattoo their plams with symbols of the Wind and Rain. They kill no meat, nor handle unclean objects, thus p reserving them from the attentions of malicious Ka.
Chapter Nine
Shadarii danced and whirled, hacking her knife blades at an old dead tree. Chips flew as the weapons blurred. She swept back into guard, ducking and twisting as she pushed her speed up ever faster.
The ‘Wrens’ gathered by their campfire, finishing up the last few crumbs of breakfast. Totoru, the Wren’s massive goal guard, leaned against a tree, watching as the buxom noblewoman drove herself through her paces.
“She’s good.”
“She’s very good!” Mrrimïmei stuffed her mouth full of bread. “Mmmph, ‘ve never sheen anything like it.”
Kotaru’s breakfast lay untouched. The team captain watched the strange noblewoman practice, his fluffy tail waving merrily behind him. The poor man heaved a heartfelt sigh and murmured something to the breeze.
Mrrimïmei glanced slyly at Kotaru, then clasped her hands to her heart and fluttered her long lashes.
“Oh Kotaaaaaruuuu…”
Kotaru dreamily cocked an ear. “Hmm?”
“Would you like to be alone, darlin’? Your rear end’s on fire.”
“Mmmm? That’s nice…”
Mrrimïmei sighed.
“Bloody hopeless! D’ you reckon he’ll snap out of it by practice time?”
“Aaaah he’ll be alright. We’ll just move that girl’s tail down to the practice field. Kotaru’ll follow her sure enough.”
“A quiet kinda girl, if you ignore her hobbies.” Mrrimïmei scratched her chin as Shadarii clove a branch clean in two. “Me sister has a girlfriend like that. All knives and spears and such. Neither of ‘em ever did get married…”
Shadarii had finished her routine. She scrubbed her sweaty palms with a piece of rag, grinning at Kotaru as he gazed adoringly down at her. His tail quivered as he caught the scent of her, all warm and salty on the morning air.
Slim, lanky and guiless, Mrrimïmei leaned on Kotaru’s shoulder and tugged at his antenna.
“Psssst, Kotaru! Heloooo… Hey, who’s the lady?”
Kotaru blinked. He looked blankly around at Mrrimïmei as if seeing her for the very first time.
“What? Shadarii? Oh just a friend of mine. No one special.”
The girl gave a snort.
“Oh come on! T’is the first time we’ve ever woken up to find a noblewoman makin’ breakfast. T’weren’t us she was doing it for, either! The look on thy face when she knocked on the door was priceless.” Mrrimïmei idly studied her nails. “You were out awful late last night; any special reason she was makin’ you breakfast?”
“What? No, no special…” Kotaru’s eyes went wide as her insinuation suddenly sank home. “Most certainly not!”
“Ah, and here’s me thinkin’ you always liked thy meat lean. Bye the bye, isn’t that your necklace that she’s wearing?”
Kotaru absently raised his hand to his own neck.
“Oh, I suppose so. Yes, I guess it must be.”
“Ah well, never mind. Where there’s a will there’s a way, eh!”
Kotaru leapt to his feet as Shadarii walked towards the camp.
“Here she comes! Just all stay here, I want to introduce you! You’ll like her, really you will!”
Kotaru began to dash off towards Shadarii, then screeched to a halt and swiftly ran back to the team.
“Oh! Look, just - ah - just one little thing. She doesn’t speak, alright? So just bear it in mind.”
“She can’t talk?”
“Oh she can talk, she just can’t speak. Come on, she’s dying to meet you all!”
Kotaru eagerly ran down to meet his friend, his tail wagging like a dizzy little pup. He chattered gaily as he led her up towards the waiting ‘Wrens’.
“Ah! My Lady Shadarii-kai-Nochorku-Zha, may I present the Vakïdurii champion jiteng team. This is our Forward Rover Mrrimïmei, the fastest thing with wings! This is Totoru, our movin’ mountain. Tingtraka, our magic specialist - the other lady on the team. Rotïka, Kefarii…” Kotaru reached out to grip each player’s arm, warming them with his special smile. Shadarii shyly bobbed her head, then swept out her hands and clenched her fingers above her heart. A great warm rush of ïsha swept across the team.
Kotaru grinned. “She says ‘hello’ to you all. Most pleased to meet you.”
Tingtraka looked from Shadarii to Kotaru in amazement.
“You understand her?”
“Of course. I told you she talks. You only have to listen!”
Shadarii prodded Kotaru on the rump, then wagged her fingers and danced a little dance, seeming to scold him over something. Kotaru’s ears wilted guiltily.
“She-uh-she says I have practice to be gettin’ on with. She says she’ll sit and watch, but I’m not to stop until we’ve all put in a good two solid hours.”
“Ha! I like her already!” Mrrimïmei had an arm about Totoru once again. “We’all take him off and make him work, my lady, never fear.”
Shadarii gave the thumbs up and curled herself upon a log to watch them practice. Kotaru reluctantly lead his team across the open meadow.
Kotaru gathered his folk around him, shuffling his feet through the soft green grass.
“Uh, people? I just thought I’d let Shadarii meet you all. I know we’re here to win a game, but still, this is important. The lady is very special to me.”
Kotaru looked from face to face, seeing their enjoyment. Kotaru gave a cough and briskly clapped his hands.
“Alright, alright! ïsha thrusts and parries will be gone through after lunch. Shadarii can show you all how to up your power control. Rotïkaa, Totoru, your ball handling is atrocious! Mrrimïmei, what do y’ call those turns you’ve been tryin’ to pull on us?” Kotaru whirred up into the sky. “Up! Up! Come on, there’s a game to win tomorrow! Tomorrow we beat the best the Katakanii have to offer!”
High up in the trees, a flock of Katakanii dancing girls peered down into the clearing on their way to class. Srïhoonii twitched her antenae in puzzlement.
“What on earth is fatzo up to now? Who are all those people?”
“Who cares? Just some ragamuffins from another clan.”
“I’ve seen them somewhere before. Who’s the dopey looking one who keeps on staring at her?”
“Who knows. Come on, there’s practice to be done! Javïra, are you coming?”
Javïra stared down at Shadarii, her eyes suddenly intense and bright. The white-furred dancer’s tail waved slowly as she let out a long, slow predatory hiss.
“Javïra?”
The girl’s breath seemed somehow faster. With an agile flip of wings Javïra raced off after her companions, while far below Shadarii drew her knives and danced beneath the gentle morning sun.
***
“Now watch carefully, Kotaru! The winners will be the team the Wrens shall have to play tomorrow.”
Prince Tekï’taa sat on a platform high above the ground. Below him, a crowd of ten thousand had gathered around the jiteng field. It would be a match to end all matches; two teams from the same clan fighting bitterly for the Tribal title. The Skull-Wings and the Orchids were to clash at last.
The Swallow-Tails had turned jiteng into a hard and violent game. It was going to be a foul match, and for once the people seemed to be thirsting out for blood. Food shortages had made tempers fray to breaking point.
The Katakanii priests sealed the sacred circle. Once the game had begun, no one could pass onto the field. Prince Tekï’taa watched the ceremonies while he ate a tiny peach.
“Kotaru, do pay attention. I’m sure you will find the local playing styles most interesting.”
“Never fear, my lord!” The young captain tried to be all attentiveness and eyes. “We’ll bring you a victory! I’m sure we will.”
“Quite.” The Prince leaned forward to prod Kotaru with a peach pit. “It is important to me. See to it that you do.”
Shadarii knelt quietly on the rear edge of the platform, making the Prince’s tea. It had taken her a whole string of beads to bribe another girl into giving her the post, but it was worth it just to be beside Kotaru.
The Prince was treating her Kotaru like a piece of dirt; what’s more, Mrrimïmei said that the man enjoyed beating girls. Shadarii peered at the Prince, her tail slowly lashing through the air behind her.
The Prince idly clicked his fingers at Shadarii.
“You there! The fat one! Go and find us more tea, and be quick about it.”
Shadarii looked at Prince Tekï’taa and gave a slow, sly smile. She retreated far too innocently for Kotaru’s liking; he almost made his excuses to dash off in pursuit when the Prince deigned to speak to him once more.
“The Katakanii seem blessed with a fine crop of tender beauties. That last one was a touch overripe, perhaps. Still, she seems entirely pleasant.” The Prince sighed. “A virgin and a noble, too! Ah me. Too bad she is already spoken for.”