A Whisper of Wings (32 page)
Read A Whisper of Wings Online
Authors: Paul Kidd
She released them to spread their questions to their friends and neighbours. Zhukora sat back to talk quietly to her inner circle; Daimïru knelt at her feet, her golden hair shining in the sun. Zhukora felt the power of their faith glowing within her like a storm.
Javïra edged out into the open as the last few listeners departed. The girl looked completely wretched; her butchered hair hung limp with sickness, and bandages were bound about her ribs. Hate consumed her like wasp larvae chewing through a spider’s flesh. One or two of the hunters laughed at her; Zhukora gave the girl a contemptuous glance before turning to her friends.
“What do you want, Javïra? If you’re looking for another beating, I’m sure we can find Shadarii somewhere.”
The Skull-Wings chuckled. Javïra shivered, her voice somehow bubbling brightly out between clenched fangs.
“Oh really? And where will you find her, Zhukora? Can you tell me where your sister might be?”
Zhukora gave the girl an icy glance.
“She is where she is supposed to be, amongst the dancers! She was brave enough to show herself in public, even if you could only cower in the shadows.”
Javïra’s face gave a twitch; she smiled sweetly past her swollen lips.
“Is she out there with the dancers? Why how very odd! Mistress Traveesha hasn’t seen her all day.” The girl’s mad eyes gleamed with malice. “Do you know where your sister is, Zhukora? You see, I rather think you’ve lost her. I think you might have just lost her permanently. Now what ever will the High Priestess have to say?”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that your sister has made some interesting plans! Plans for a husband - for a nest filled with squealing brats. She’s running away, Zhukora! She’s leaving you for good!”
“What?” Zhukora shot to her feet. “Where? How long ago? Speak!”
Javïra tittered and made a little dance of glee.
“She’s running, Zhukora. She’s already left, but I know where she’s gone! I know where!”
“Where?”
Javïra hissed in triumph.
“Ha-ha! Our little cripple has a lover. In a few hours her maidenhood will all be gone. Poor Zhukora! No shiny bauble to trade off to the priests.” The girl grinned and flexed her claws. “Oh yes, I know where you can find Shadarii, but there’s a price! I’ll tell you where she’s gone if I get something in return.”
Zhukora merely looked at her; Javïra stroked her claws.
“You’ll go far in this tribe, Zhukora - very far! I want to get back all she took from me and more. You’re on the council. I want you to have me promoted to the first circle of dancers, second only to Traveesha herself! I want power, Zhukora! A fair exchange; my promotion for your precious little sister’s tail!”
“Where is she, Javïra. I will ask you only once.”
“Do I get my reward?”
“Certainly. Where is my sister?”
“Why she’s flown off to meet her lover and escape. The Vakïdurii team captain - would you believe it? They’re heading west towards the Vakïdurii tribal lands. I can show you where to find their trail.”
Zhukora clicked her fingers, and Daimïru snapped into a bow as she received her orders.
“Daimïru, I want your best trackers. Armour. Weapons. Food for three days. There is a parcel in my lodge, a skull wrapped in an oilskin. Bring it to me.”
Daimïru cracked her wings out in salute and barked orders to her men. Zhukora held out her arms as hunters relieved her of her clothes, then brought her uniform and began to strap her inside its armoured shell.
Within seconds her transformation was complete; the skull face turned to stare coldly down at Javïra.
“Show us where to find Shadarii. Lead me to her lover, and you shall have your reward.”
Javïra threw back her head and laughed. Finally revenge was hers! Javïra looked up at the face of death and felt a thrill of joy.
She had won at last; Shadarii was destroyed!
Raindrops thundered through the ferns as the storm crashed against the forest roof. Kotaru whooped with laughter as he led Shadarii in a dash beneath a cliff. They dove down into the mouth of an enormous cave to shelter from the gale. Kotaru snorted and gleefully shook the water from his fur.
“Whoooo! Well it looks like we’ll be flying no further tonight, eh? Old Mother Rain and Father Wind are feelin’ a wee bit frisky!”
Shadarii’s eyes were bright. It was so exciting! Shadarii gripped Kotaru’s hand and stared out across the churning trees. The leaves tossed and whipped like wild things, and Rain brought a fresh, clean smell that made the world seem new.
Kotaru thrilled to the sight of his lover’s tossing hair. He nuzzled her and laughed as she buried herself in his arms. Shadarii’s silks felt impossibly warm and soft beneath his hands. She slipped reluctantly from his grasp and shed her belly pack, then stood to peer around their refuge.
The cave formed a vast shelf slicing back into the living rock. Wind dashed leaves and grit across the walls. Shadarii raised her hand and let a bright glow spill between her fingers; shadows writhed and faded as she filled the cave with light.
Aha!
A sheltered cleft of rock dove further back into the mountain, well and truly hidden from the bitter wind. Shadarii flew up onto the rockshelf and gave a grateful sigh. Kotaru clambered up behind her, peering up at Shadarii’s eerie ball of light.
“How do you do that? Your bag of tricks just never ends. Is it the result of a deprived childhood or somethin’?” He stopped as he saw Shadarii’s find, then clapped his hands for joy. “Ha! Now we’re lookin’ good! I’ll go get those packs and we’ll see about a meal!”
He dove off to fetch their gear while Shadarii stood and quietly laid her hand against the rock. The roof towered overhead, folding far above her like a pair of praying hands. She felt the mountain whispering in its endless slumber, filling her with its timeless gift of peace.
Kotaru stumbled up the rocks behind her and opened up their packs. He gathered wood and crackling twigs, his tail twirling merrily as he tried to turn the cave into a home.
Behind him, Shadarii trembled slightly as she opened up their packs and dragged out the things that would be needed for the night. It had to be perfect! There would never be another first time. There had been no mother to tell her what to do; no older sisters to advise her. Still, she had heard other girls talking about the art of making love. Shadarii laid their sleeping mats side by side and rolled spare clothes into a pillow for the bed. Her hands shook so badly she could scarcely put it into place.
There should be flowers; why weren’t there any flowers? Shadarii wilted in dismay. Kotaru innocently went about his own pursuits, quite unaware of the preparations going on behind him. He heaved a sigh of satisfaction and dusted off his hands.
“Well that’s that done! Tea’ll be a while, but we’ve some warmth now, eh? I’ll just get everything ready and then we’ll…”
His words faltered as he swung around to look at her. Shadarii knelt beside a wide, soft bed. The sleeping robe lay well turned down, beckoning in silent invitation. Shadarii stared at him from pupils wide with fright.
Shadarii stared mesmerised into the fire; Kotaru had no idea what he should do.
He remembered the jiteng game. Nervous faces, fear and trembling. Kotaru slowly moved to settle on the bed beside his love, and she felt stiff as hardwood in his hands. He softly laid her head across his lap and stroked her hair. Moving with slow, careful grace, Kotaru drew his old flute from its sheath. With the firelight sparkling in his eyes, he softly raised his pipes to play.
The fire gave warm protection from the storm as Kotaru’s music rose to fill the night with peace. Shadarii sighed. Her fear vanishing as she snuggled deeper down into Kotaru’s lap.
The music slowly trailed away, and the lovers nestled closer on their little bed. Behind them the fire rose bright and clear against the restless sky.
***
Black shapes ripped through the bushes as the air lit with lightning flash. A skull face bent above faint marks beside a pool, antennae sniffing at the soil. The tracker crumbled earth between his fingers, nodding slowly in the wind.
“Two Kashra. One male, one female. The male’s moccasins are cut differently to ours - Vakïdurii style.”
Daimïru coldly gazed across the mountain peaks, the storm stirring through her hair.
“Where did they go?”
“West. The trail is feint, but the girl’s ïsha spoor is unusually powerful.”
“Can you follow it?”
“No. Electrical discharge from the storm will disperse their traces.”
Daimïru cursed and spared a glance towards Zhukora, her tail twitching fitfully as she tried to make decisions.
Soon it would be impossible to fly; her wings already itched and burned like fire. Soon there would be no holding back; sometime tonight their wings would break and fall away. New wings would come, but days would pass until they hardened. If they were stuck out in the wilderness, it might take days to walk back home.
“Daimïru. What have they found?”
“She was here, Zhukora. They’ve gone off to the west. The storm gives us no chance of following their spoor.”
Zhukora slowly nodded. She stroked the shaft of her spear and gazed out across the waterfall.
“Gather the hunters and prepare to move. We will follow on their trail immediately.”
“Zhukora, the trackers say we have no hope!”
The leader gave a slow smile in reply. She reached out to touch Daimïru’s shoulder.
“Gather the people, my love. My sister has her role to play within a greater destiny. I will show you powers to put a storm to shame.”
Daimïru hesitated, but Zhukora pulled off her mask and smiled down at her friend.
“Go. Go! This is something all of us must share! Something wonderful.”
Javïra paced beside the pool, tugging at her bandages. She watched in suspicion as Zhukora placed a strange bundle on a rock.
“What are you doing? Why aren’t you going after them?”
“All in good time. We must meet someone else before we go. It shan’t take long. You might even find it rather interesting.”
Zhukora smiled as she uncovered the withered skull. Her faithful followers knelt all around her as Daimïru drew aside her mask, her thin face staring up at her beloved leader.
“We are here, Zhukora. We are ready.”
Zhukora reached out to take the skull within her hands. She shivered as she felt her mission filling her with power.
“The time of conflict comes upon us. Our enemies will use every weapon in their power to bring us down; armed struggle is inevitable.
“We must be ready to face our terror. If we are to succeed, we must hurtle mercy behind us! We must lay our lives as sacrifices to our Dream. Let no person follow me who fears to give as much as I!”
Zhukora raised the skull towards the storm, and suddenly its power burst forth above the crowd. ïsha blazed as lightning streaked behind Zhukora’s hair.
“All our weapons must be gathered! Each spear, each mind, each spark of energy must be ready for our struggle! Finally we have the means of power to destroy the peoples’ enemies!”
Energy blazed forth to pulse with rage. Zhukora screamed out in triumph as the storm reached its height.
“Lord Serpent! I, Zhukora summon thee! I draw you to my body and make your power my own!”
The skull burst into a ball of light, and a stream of living energy crashed against Zhukora’s heart. Zhukora screamed and threw back her head as force raged through her soul. All around her rocks and trees exploded into flames.
Suddenly the lightning stopped. Zhukora clutched her head and writhed in agony. Sparks arced across her body, wreathing her in pain.
Zhukora gave a scream of rage and hurtled the pain aside. She stood arcing energy into the rocks, the rain, the trees, blinking as her hunters hastened to her side.
“I’m alright! Leave me, I can stand!” She stared off into the emptiness, her face blank with shock. Zhukora blinked and felt the ïsha spill like syrup through her claws.
“Poison - the power! I never thought it could feel so sweet!” Zhukora stretched out her hands and slowly closed her fingers; energy dripped like liquid fire to splash upon the ground.
~Serpent, do you feel? Do you see?~
Something stirred inside her, and she felt a tingle running through her limbs. Lord Serpent shivered, rippling through her body like a glorious blaze of laughter.
*I see! I touch! I feel!*
Zhukora felt his thrill like a delicious drug. She ran hands across her curves, feeling Serpent gasp within her. *So this is life! This is beauty? Too long I had forgotten! Oh Zhukora, this is a bargain indeed! Thou shalt have thy power and more. I shall give thee fire in payment for the softness of thy lovely hair! I shall give thee healing as thanks for these hands to touch! I shall show thee undreamed of weapons - tools to blast thy enemies to ruins! We shall laugh at their destruction and feel this body blaze with life!*
Zhukora laughed. He was there inside her - a rider such as mere priests had never dreamed! Zhukora lashed out to shear a boulder clean in two, then screamed and threw her arms out to the storm, thrilling to the brilliant crack of lightning in the air.