Daughter of the Moon (The Moon People, Book Two) (18 page)

"You might welcome me with a smile, Adel," he said. "It has been long enough—"

"Have you taken the title of alpha yet, Karel?" she replied coldly.

He frowned. "No. Father still lives—"

"Then do not dare presume you may approach a den mother so. Step out of my way."

A glare crossed Karel's features. "So many years, and still this is how you greet your own kin?

"You are not of my pack, nor of my kin." Adel raised her voice. "Run back and fetch your alpha if you would have words with me, or else step aside."

The look of indignity refused to leave Karel's face, but already he was attracting glares and hushed words of reproach from those nearby. Brother to Adel or not, he was still addressing a senior female inappropriately. Rather than make a fool of himself, the dark-haired man stepped aside silently, a look of wounded pride on his face as his eyes followed his estranged sister.

"Adel has a brother?" Netya whispered to Caspian.

"A mother and father, too," he murmured back. "They are all likely to be present."

She glanced in Karel's direction, but he was still glaring after his sister. Adel had always been such a powerful presence in the recent years of Netya's life, it seemed strange to think that she had once been a normal woman just like any other, with parents and siblings of her own. Caspian had told her the story of how the den mother and her family had last parted ways, but it was one thing to hear the tale and quite another to see it made real before her own eyes. It seemed that she was to learn many new things at the gathering.

The ripple of their arrival spread through the crowd, and many new faces pushed their way to the forefront to watch as they walked by. Some gazed at Adel with apprehension, others with curiosity, and a few with what almost seemed like a sad fondness. Netya was thankful that her mentor drew the larger part of the gathering's attention, for it helped to muffle the growls of
sun wolf
and
false daughter
that followed in her wake after the noses of inquisitive wolves latched on to her unique scent.

She kept her eyes focused ahead, hiding beneath the fur of her headdress and trying not to be reminded of the hostility she had felt the first time she walked among the Moon People. She was one of them now, and yet she was still half an outsider. She expected many of the wolves here had good reason to hate her kind. Perhaps her seer's garb would help to shield her from the brunt of it, but she could already hear indignity in the voices of those questioning why a girl of the Sun People was dressed in such a fashion. Had it been a mistake for Adel to bring her here?

The gathering thinned as they approached its centre, where the cluster of men and women seemed to give way to those of greater status; hunters and seers who sat around their own cooking pits in private groups.

"The alphas gather within the ring of fires up ahead," Caspian explained to her. "They often keep their most trusted warriors and advisors close by when they meet, but they will all have their own camps closer to the edges of the clearing. It is tradition for an alpha to announce himself here when he arrives."

"And will they recognise Adel as an alpha?"

Caspian gave a half shake of his head. "I suppose we shall soon see.

The den mother held up a hand to halt her followers when they arrived at their destination, then walked alone between two of the great fires to approach the small group of people seated within. Even without their striking adornments and the powerful cut of their bodies, Netya would have suspected these people were alphas by the colour of their dark hair and the confidence with which they held themselves alone. If status was a crucial part of leadership, then each and every one of these men had ensured that his outward appearance reflected it.

She cast her gaze over the group, sneaking lingering glances at them one at a time, wondering what kinds of leaders they were and how their packs might differ from her own. An old man whose eyes had almost disappeared within the wrinkles of his sagging brown skin squinted back at her from beneath the horned ram's skull crowning his head. The lobes of his ears drooped beneath the weight of the etched bone hoops that pierced them, and white hair hung to his waist like the wisps of a horse's tail. Another alpha seated at his side was naked save for the markings of red and orange paint that adorned his body, watching the others with dark, beady eyes possessed of a cunning that belied his savage outward appearance.

Netya was used to the way the tanned complexion of the Moon People contrasted with her kind's own pale skin, but two of the men in front of her had bodies so dark they were almost the colour of rich mahogany, their appearance so strange to her eyes that she could not help but stare at them for several long moments in fascination. It was difficult to overhear the words that passed between them, but they seemed to converse in yet another language that Netya did not understand.

Despite being unable to spot Khelt among the other alphas, one familiar face did stand out to her. The hunter she had met in the northlands, Orec, was seated beside a man Netya could only assume was his brother, Alpha Turec. She hoped they still recalled the assistance she had offered their wounded brethren.

Most curious of all, however, was a bearded man with hair the colour of dark silver. He stood at the back of the gathering on his own, his deep brow furrowed as he stared at Adel, an unreadable expression on his face. Despite his age he was still fearsomely handsome, and something about him almost made Netya believe they had met before. It was not until he stepped forward and she made out the striking blue in his eyes that she realised she was staring at an older male version of her mentor. He was Adel's father. The man who had traded his daughter away to Khelt's pack as a peace offering.

If Adel's shock at seeing him was even a fraction of what Netya felt, she betrayed no sign of it. She did not even appear to look at him as she stood before the assembly of alphas, waiting for them to acknowledge her.

"You," the wrinkled old man said. "At last you see fit to attend the gathering alongside your alpha. Where is he?"

"And who is he?" the painted alpha interjected, eyes darting up and down Adel's body. "And who are you?"

"She is Den Mother Adel," one of the dark-skinned men answered in the tongue of the Moon People, before turning toward Netya's mentor and offering a respectful bow of his head. "We all know her name, even if the years have changed her face."

A tense ripple ran through Adel's followers as another figure strode into the ring of bonfires from the opposite side, his dark braid of hair hanging over his shoulder, a look of subtle anger on his face. Miral was breathing heavily, clearly having made the final stretch of his own journey in a great hurry. He stared at Adel, ignoring the greetings of the other alphas, then his lips split with a ferocious laugh.

"What is the woman doing here, in a place fit only for men? Find your alpha and bring him back in your stead. I would have words with Khelt."

The others did not share in Miral's mirth, but neither did they reproach him for it. The old man looked to Adel expectantly, as if waiting for her explanation.

"If Khelt was still my alpha," she said at last, "then I would not be standing here before you at our great gathering. My seers and I have split from his pack, and we come here now to stake a claim as our own clan."

Miral's expression darkened. Netya could see his mind working, the quickness with which he made sense of the deception that had been played upon him, and the momentary flash of indignation that followed.

"Khelt must have been greatly angered, or greatly foolish to allow such a thing to happen," Alpha Turec said. "What caused this parting?"

"That is between me and him," Adel replied. "Know only that I lead my own pack now, and that I intend to sit here alongside you when we make our agreements and disagreements in the days to come."

A moment of silence followed.

"You know it is not custom," the old man said.

"I would not be the first woman to take the place of an alpha here."

"One exception is enough in a generation," Miral said, then nodded to Netya and the others. "Are these few the only ones you count in your pack?"

"No," Adel replied steadily. "Many more of my seers remain behind at our den. Khelt will attest to this when he arrives."

The alphas looked to one another in silent debate. It seemed that no single man held the authority to make a decision on what should happen next. Netya held her breath, trying to avoid looking at Miral as he paced back and forth between the others. Adel's father had remained silent throughout the exchange, a steady hand brushing his beard as he watched impassively from the sidelines.

"I see none of us wish to speak out on this," Turec said. "We must await the arrival of the other alphas, then make a decision. When all our voices have been heard, then we will decide whether there is a place for Den Mother Adel among us."

"And whether or not the spirits ordain it," the old man said with a nod.

Adel bowed her head respectfully. "That is all I ask. In the meantime, I trust my pack will be afforded the same respect as any other?"

The old man nodded again. "For now, yes. Even those packs whose alphas are not yet worthy to sit alongside us have a place at the gathering. Make your camp wherever you please, and we shall send word to you of our decision once it has been made."

Her piece said, Adel cast a glance of acknowledgement over each alpha in turn, and took her leave. Netya could not be sure, but she fancied she had seen her mentor flinch after forcing herself to lock eyes with her father.

The group of leaders went back to their own discussions, but Miral was not so quick to let them leave. Chasing down Adel with a purposeful stride, he took the den mother by the arm and yanked her back forcibly. Caspian stepped forward, baring his teeth, but the alpha stood his ground.

"Put your fangs away, not even I would break the code of honour here," Miral said with a grimace.

"Then take your hands off me," Adel replied. "You are no fool. You know why we deceived you."

"Because you have no warriors of your own. You are weak. Witches with nothing but the dark tricks you snatch from the spirit world to protect you. You are right, I am no fool. I know you are the ones responsible for hunting in my territory. Making your den upon my borders. No man of honour would tolerate such disregard for his authority."

"We wish no quarrel with you, Alpha," Netya interjected, her eyes pleading with him. Adel was not known for her tact when dealing with those who matched her stubbornness, and Netya had managed to soothe similar disagreements between the den mother and Khelt in the past.

Miral looked her up and down, barely seeming to acknowledge her presence, but just as he seemed about to glance away his eyes lingered on her. "Then you should have come before me with respect and obedience, Sun Wolf. I scented the fear on you when we approached this place. Your whole pack is rife with it." He wrinkled his nose in distaste, finally releasing Adel's arm. "Know that you have made an enemy this night." With that, Miral turned his back on them and withdrew to join the other alphas.

Adel corrected her gown and motioned for the others to follow. "Come. We need not worry over Miral for now. Let us find a spot to make our camp."

"What about when the gathering is over?" Netya pressed for more answers. She did not like the thought of returning to the valley knowing that they were on the borders of a rival alpha's territory, least of all one who now seemed to regard them with great contempt.

"By then, spirits willing, we will command respect and loyalty enough to stay Miral's hand," Adel said. "That is our task at this gathering. Not just mine, but yours also. Gain allies, win respect, and show the other packs that it will benefit them to make friends of us."

They made their way back through the gathering, attracting a fresh surge of attention as those who had missed their arrival pressed forward to lay eyes on the strange new pack. Taking Adel's advice to heart, Netya swallowed her anxieties and put on a smile, hoping to assuage some of the sceptical glances being thrown her way.

She noticed during the short walk that their group was attracting the attention of many young males. She suspected that Adel's beauty had been the subject of many a wistful legend retold around the fires of young hunters over the years, but it was not only the den mother that caught the eyes of their admirers. Fern, Netya, and Selo were all pretty young women, and of an age ripe for mating. Even Yenna and Ura cut striking figures beneath their deer and otter pelt headdresses, and with so few men accompanying them it was clear that at least some of their number had yet to be claimed by males.

Netya wondered whether such attention would be to their aid or their detriment, and it recalled to mind something that Adel had said during her meeting with the other alphas. Something that had struck a note of curiosity in the young seer, and that she wished to learn more of.

"Adel said she would not be the first woman to take the place of an alpha at the gathering," she said, directing the question at no one in particular. "Have there been others like her in the past?"

"See for yourself!" Fern said excitedly, tugging at her friend's clothing as she pointed across the crowd to their left, where another ripple of disturbance seemed to be forming a short distance away. Netya stood up on the balls of her feet, trying to get a clear look at what was happening, but her short stature did not match up to that of her huntress friend.