The Hunter Read online

  Batta Flor entered first, then Carn and Keri, who turned at the last moment and found the slim sickle of Mother Moon rising over the edge of the pale horizon and touched her head and her heart in a sign of obeisance before following after her brother. Braldt entered last with a whining Beast following close on his heels, wondering if and when they would ever see sun and moon again.

  17

  It was not as quiet within the mountain as Braldt had thought it would be. He was conscious of the great weight that surrounded him, the masses of rock that could snuff out their lives with one twitch of the rocky flank into which they burrowed.

  There was no sign of the shadows although there were sounds aplenty, whispered rustlings just beyond the circle of their light and a multitude of creaks and groans and rumblings that emanated from the mountain itself. There was also the constant sound of water dripping from a hundred different points, the falling water creating a multikeyed backdrop to their every step. Into this strange world crept the small band, feeling their way forward and banishing the darkness with their torches.

  The passage was wide and smooth and tall enough so that they were able to walk side by side. Their torches illuminated the tunnel, reflecting off the dark, glassy surfaces and holding back the darkness. The light refracted and splintered off every angled edge and filled their eyes with a dazzling glare.

  The tunnel appeared to plunge directly into the heart of the mountain without even the slightest downward angle and it was this that concerned them most. “Are you sure we’re going the right way?” asked Carn, carefully marking the wall beside him with a string of arrows to indicate the way they were traveling.

  “All tubes go down sooner or later,” replied Batta Flor. “They cannot do otherwise for they were born in the very heart of the mountain.”

  “What if a tunnel collapsed in on itself, we could be following a path to nowhere!” Carn persisted.

  “Then we will turn around and go back, following your excellent trail of arrows, and find another tube,” answered Batta Flor. “But this tube appears to be well formed, I do not think that it will end.”

  Carn muttered beneath his breath but said no more. Keri kept close to his side and trod on his heels several times, but even though he threw her an exasperated look, he did not chastise her, which was most unusual.

  Beast appeared to be the most nervous among them and it was clearly evident that he did not like the close confines. He trotted forward to the edge of the circle of light and then halted abruptly, his ears plastered flat against his skull, teeth bared in a throaty growl, and eyes glowing in the torchlight. He allowed the others to overtake him and then hung back at Braldt’s feet, all but tripping him up in his desire to remain close. Numerous times he rose up on his hind legs and scratched Braldt, begging to be picked up, whining low in his throat. But Beast had grown quickly and was no longer the tiny pup he had once been. It would have been an added burden to carry the pup and Braldt refused, ordering him down with a harshly whispered word. Thereafter, Beast slunk behind him, his belly nearly scraping the ground, tail tucked between his legs and whining nervously all the while.

  It was the Madrelli who next sensed what Beast alone could hear, holding up his hand to stop them. And then they could hear it as well, a soughing sound, like wind gently drifting through the branches of a forest, stirring the leaves with its passage. But there was no wind in this place. And then it seemed that they could smell the presence of another as well, a scent like musty leaves left to crumble and rot. The sound came again, this time closer, almost daring to edge past the circle of light, and Beast began to bark, high and sharp, clearly the sound of alarm. The sound swelled in the narrow enclosure until it beat upon their eardrums and shut out all other sounds.

  Then Braldt saw it. A long, thin, segmented body, nearly the length and thickness of his arm bearing aloft two immense pincers. It was pure white in color, or perhaps merely no color at all, and was propelled into the circle of their torchlight by a multitude of swiftly moving legs. The rear portion of its body carried no appendages and was lifted above the ground and arched forward ending in a third and even more deadly looking pincer that opened and shut with a continuous rattling clack.

  Braldt could see no eyes on the horrid creature, but it seemed quite able to track them, moving when they did, stopping and changing direction as they did themselves. Hesitant at first, it grew bolder after a short time and advanced toward them on its scuttling blur of legs, headed straight for Keri, singling her out as though it could sense her fear.

  Keri screamed and the thing moved even faster, a gaping maw opening in the bulbous segment that was its head. Keri screamed again and brought her spear down with all the strength she could muster, plunging the point into the hideous head, skewering it like a fish in the water.

  None of them were prepared for Keri’s move. Braldt and Carn had raised their own spears only to have Keri strike the first blow. No one was prepared for what followed. Either the thing did not have a brain or it was situated elsewhere for the blow did not kill it. Instead, it flung itself about madly, thrashing and flapping wildly, the strength of its gyrations so strong that it pulled the spear from Keri’s grasp. Dragging the spear along, the wound spewing a pale greenish ichor, the thing flung itself at Keri, all of its pincers opening and shutting in a frenzied manner, turning head over heels, the base of the spear clacking against the ground and the walls as the creature backed toward Keri, the third and largest of the pincers reaching for her legs.

  Keri retreated from the awful creature until she bumped into the walls of the tunnel and could go on farther. She looked down on the thing, her eyes wide with terror, and even though she gripped her sword in her hand, she seemed frozen with fear, unable to think, much less act.

  Braldt had no such problem, stepping on the base of the spear as it clattered along the ground. He brought the creature to a halt and with two well-aimed strokes severed the monster into sections. But still it did not stop, each section continuing on, writhing forward as though each contained a mind of its own. The tail continued toward Keri while the midsection wandered off the way they had come and the head minced its way toward Braldt.

  Braldt’s action seemed to have freed Keri from her trance and she yelled aloud and attacked the thing, sword swinging until it was reduced to numerous small bits, and still she continued hacking at the remains until they were little more than a pool of gore. Only then did she stop and rest upon her sword, breathing heavily.

  Braldt, Batta Flor, and Carn made short work of the remaining sections and soon there was nothing left that could harm them. Only Beast was not satisfied with their efforts, continuing to circle the various bits that still twitched and writhed upon the ground, even after death, growling and slavering though he would not venture close enough to touch them. Finally, he too slunk away from the grisly remains though he watched them constantly as if afraid that they might resurrect if he relaxed his vigil.

  “What was that thing?” Keri asked as they hurried on, all of them anxious to leave it behind them.

  “Some sort of stinger, grown large,” said Batta Flor. “We have seen them in the control chamber, but they are small things, smaller than my little finger. Their bite is painful but not deadly. I would not care to test the venom of one so large.”

  Keri shuddered at the thought and held her spear away from her body and shook it to remove the last of the creature’s pale blood. “I do not like them,” she said firmly, and the manner in which she uttered the words caused them all to laugh, for none of them had liked the ugly thing any more than she.

  “It was brave of you to move so swiftly,” Batta Flor said softly as though uncertain how Keri would receive such words from one who was not of her tribe. To his relief, she grinned broadly and seemed to relax. “Yeah, it was kinda brave, wasn’t it. You know, you men could move a little bit faster next time and not leave all the work to me.” And smiling at their astonished expressions, she held her torch high and led t
he way forward.

  They met many such stingers in the time that followed, although none so large as the first. Keri seemed to have overcome her fear of them, although not her dislike, and she took great pleasure in cutting them to bits or smashing them beneath the heel of her boot.

  They saw other things as well, some which they could put a name to and others for which there were no names. There were rats, ranging in size from the tiniest mouse to those large enough to carry Beast off in its jaws. There was an abundance of bloodwings and numerous giant slugs and centipedes, most of which fled at the first sight of their torches.

  There were others for which the flames appeared to hold no fear. Among these were the shadows that blended in with the rock and sometimes were not seen until after they had passed, and these attacked with all the stealth their limited brains were able to command. Fortunately, Beast had an uncanny knack of sensing the lizards and his loud alarms gave them adequate warning.

  It was Beast himself who discovered the most deadly of the dangers that were to confront them, all the more dangerous because of its very innocuousness. They were in a portion of tunnel that was broken and shattered and filled with bits of fallen rock. Water dripped from the ceiling and lay in shallow pools and Beast bent forward to lap from one of them, treading on a large patch of what appeared to be moss or fungus. Instantly Beast leaped into the air, shrieking with pain and jumping up again and again, each time landing on the moss. No one could comprehend what had happened until the lupebeast pup managed to leap clear of the harmless-looking stuff and began licking his paws and crying piteously.

  Braldt bent down and examined the pup’s feet that had already broken out in a huge mass of watery blisters, some of which burst under the ministrations of the pup’s tongue, revealing the angry red flesh beneath. Beast whimpered and looked up at Braldt with pleading eyes.

  Carn crouched down and examined the moss, careful to touch it with the point of his spear, keeping it well away from contact with his skin. “Look,” he said, severing a tiny bit of the plant and raising it for all to see. “Look there, on the end of each little bit of foliage there’s a tiny bubble. If they are broken the fluid contained within is released.”

  “Obviously, it is capable of burning the skin,” said Braldt. “Look what it has done to Beast’s feet and they are thick and toughened with travel.” Beast began to cry again and Braldt saw that blisters were forming on his tongue as well which had begun to swell inside his mouth.

  Braldt realized that if the pup’s tongue swelled much farther, it would inhibit his breathing, perhaps fatally. At the very least, it would send the young creature into hysterics and a hysterical Beast was not something they needed. Thinking swiftly, he pawed through the contents of his pouch until he found what he was looking for, a horn of the healing ointment. He knew it would work on the pup’s feet, but he had no idea if it would be effective on his tongue or if the pup would even tolerate being ministered to.

  “I’ll need help here,” he said taking his robe from his shoulder and swaddling the pup tightly, immobilizing him before he realized what had happened, leaving only his feet and his head exposed. Batta Flor moved to his side instantly and held the pup firmly, clasping his swathed body between his powerful thighs and holding muzzle and paws in his hands. Beast whined and thrashed in protest, but there was nothing he could do and Braldt suspected that his resistance was only token.

  It was a simple matter to apply the thick ointment to the pup’s paws and Beast’s plaintive whines quieted with the application. It was cool and instantly soothing. But opening his mouth was another matter for the pup had closed it firmly and locked his jaws. Knowing the strength contained in those formidable mandibles, Braldt did not think it likely that he could open them against the pup’s wishes.

  Realizing Braldt’s predicament, Keri came forward. “Here, let me try, I think I can help,” she said.

  “Why are we spending so much time on a stupid animal?” Carn asked impatiently. “It’s not like he helps us out or even likes us! Let the cursed thing go, leave him here to fend for himself. We don’t need him, he’ll only slow us down!”

  A look passed between Keri and Braldt and Batta Flor, Carn’s words binding them more closely in that single instant than anything that had gone before. It was not necessary to respond to his words, each of them determined to help the small animal despite anything Carn might say.

  Keri leaned over Beast as Batta Flor cradled him in his arms and crooned to him softly as a mother would sing to a child. Carn turned away in disgust and sat down against the wall, well clear of the carpet of stinging moss. Keri continued to croon to the pup and, after a moment, began stroking the underside of his jaw, stroking downward from the point of his muzzle to the base of his throat and then beginning again, the pressure soft but steady, blending in with the subtle song and becoming part of it. The song and the stroke had a hypnotic effect and even Batta Flor was forced to look away. Braldt yawned widely. Beast’s jaw sagged open.

  Keri continued to stroke the pup’s throat, maintaining eye contact and singing her wordless lullaby as Braldt daubed a thick coating of the ointment on the pup’s tongue and the roof of his mouth. The pup gagged and struggled briefly, but made no real attempt to bite as the cool, soothing effect of the gel eased his pain. Nor did Keri cease her song even when Braldt was finished, but waited until the pup sighed deeply and closed his eyes, falling into a peaceful sleep.

  “There, that should keep him for a while,” she said quietly.

  “That was amazing,” said Batta Flor, looking at her with admiration. “How did you do that? Where did you learn?”

  “I learned it from Braldt,” she replied, her cheeks flushing red. “He taught me how to do it to lizards that we caught as children. But it works on most animals. Since I am not mated, 1 am called on often to help with the infants and children of others. I tried it on them in order to keep my sanity and it works on children as well as beasts!”

  “Please understand that I mean no offense,” said Batta Flor as he cocked his head to one side and studied Keri intently. “Although you are missing too much fur to be truly attractive to a Madrelli, I think that by two-foot standards, you must surely be regarded as handsome. And surely you are well into the prime of your child-bearing years. How is it then that you are acting as a warrior and not as a mate?”

  Batta Flor’s words had a startling effect on Keri. Her cheeks flushed an intense shade of red that spread in all directions and her eyes glittered with tears. She opened her mouth as though to speak, but no words came out, and she glared at Batta Flor as though he had flung some foul curse at her. Then her gaze turned upon Braldt and he too felt the blaze of her fury. Stunned, he took a step backward. Glaring angrily at both of them, Keri’s hands opened and shut in fists, and dashing her tears away with the backs of her hands, she picked up her torch, leaped over the deadly bit of moss, and strode off down the dark tunnel.

  “Good work,” Carn said with a chuckle as he rose to his feet and started after Keri, pausing only to stare at the astonished Braldt and Batta Flor. “This could prove interesting. And by the way, ‘brother,’ how do you explain why Keri isn’t mated yet?”

  18

  They continued their journey into the heart of the mountain with Batta Flor leading the way and Carn trailing behind, marking the walls with his chunk of chalk. There was no more talk of mates or mating. In fact there was little or no talk and there was a new sense of tension in the air that had nothing to do with the dangerous quest.

  The tunnel had begun to branch. First there was an intersection on the left that presented no new choices for it slanted upward and they could see daylight shining in the distance. Nor was the second branching a valid option for it had collapsed in upon itself and the sound of running water could be clearly heard. But the third choice was not so clear-cut. This tunnel was equally as wide as the one they traveled and slanted downward. There was no sign of instability nor was there the sound of running water
.

  “What shall we do?” Keri looked at the new tunnel with troubled eyes. “How can we know where it goes?”

  Carn advanced into the mouth of the new opening and examined it with his torch. “Look how it slants down. The angle is far more steep than the path we have traveled thus far. Perhaps it will take us to our goal more swiftly.”

  “And perhaps it will lead us to our death,” mused Batta Flor. “If it curves downward at such a steep angle now, while still high on the mountain’s flank, it may plunge into the depths abruptly. We cannot descend at such a sharp angle; we would fall to our deaths. I suggest that we continue on the way we are traveling. It is better to be slow and safe than fast and dead.”

  “I thought you were so brave,” sneered Carn. “Where is your manhood?”

  “Bravery is one thing, stupidity is another,” replied Batta Flor. “I have no wish to make this journey at all. I want nothing more than to fulfill my promise and return to Sytha Trubal. I cannot do that if I am dead.”

  Carn took a quick step forward and Braldt stepped between him and the Madrelli, placing his hands on Carn’s shoulders and gently but firmly turning him aside. “The Madrelli has no reason to direct us falsely, brother,” he said in a low tone that could be heard by no one other than Carn. “It is as he says. It is to his advantage to lead us to the chamber so that he may take his leave of us. You are allowing your temper to rule your tongue. I ask you to consider your words before you speak. Much depends upon the successful completion of this journey. We need this Madrelli as a friend, not an enemy. Can you not put your personal feelings aside until our mission is done? Do you forget that Auslic’s very life depends upon us?”