Fire Study Read online

  “Let’s go.” Leif held his machete tightly, a fierce countenance on his square face.

  “You do not know for sure if the Vermin have your father,” Moon Man said. “Or where they are. Or how many Warpers there are. Or how well defended they may be.” The words tumbled out in a rush. Moon Man’s eyebrows pinched together, reflecting his obvious discomfort with being surrounded by walls.

  “All right, Mr. Logic. How do you propose we get this information?” I asked.

  “Marrok and Tauno will search for trail signs and report back.”

  “Where?” I asked.

  “To the east.”

  “And stumble into the same ambush as my father? They’ll be caught and killed,” I countered. “It’s too risky to send people out there. The jungle is the perfect setting for ambushes. Unless—” A sudden idea circled in my mind. I thought it over, looking for any holes. If the Daviians hid behind a null shield, no magic could pierce it, but mundane physical things like sound and light would.

  “Unless,” Leif prompted.

  “Unless we could get a bird’s-eye view,” I said.

  “They probably have men stationed in the trees,” Marrok said. “Isn’t that how the scouts would have been captured?”

  “Actually I was being literal. I could link with one of the birds in the jungle and see out through its eyes.”

  “You will not see much during the daytime,” Moon Man said. “The Vermin will be well camouflaged. In the night, they will need a small fire and the moon to perform even the first level of the Kirakawa ritual.”

  A cold wave of dread washed over me. “The moon rose last night.”

  “Too soon. They need time to properly prepare themselves.”

  “For someone who claims the old rituals have been lost, you certainly know a lot about them,” Marrok said. Accusation laced his voice.

  “The specifics of the ritual have been forgotten, but some knowledge about them has been included in our teaching stories,” Moon Man replied, meeting Marrok’s stare. “It keeps us from making the same mistakes over and over and over again.”

  A warning to Marrok or just cryptic Story Weaver advice, I couldn’t tell. Marrok rubbed his healed cheek. He tended to stroke the spot whenever he was upset or frightened. The wounds from Cahil’s beating went deeper than shattered bone fragments. Broken trust was harder to fix than bones. I wondered if Marrok would change his opinion about Moon Man if he knew the Sandseed had helped repair his injuries.

  “Can a bird see at night?” Leif asked, bringing our attention back to the problem at hand.

  “There’ll be light from the fire,” Marrok said.

  “But what about guards in the trees or outside the firelight?” Tauno asked. “We need to know how many Vermin are there.”

  I considered the difficulties and a solution flew into my mind. “Bats.”

  Tauno hunched over. “Where?”

  “I’ll link with the bats to find the Vermin. Their fire should attract insects the bats like to eat,” I said.

  “Can we afford to wait until dark?” Leif asked. “What if Yelena can’t locate them with the bats? Then we will have wasted time that could have been spent searching for Father.”

  “Yelena will find them,” my mother said. She had kept her promise and controlled her emotions during our discussion. Her confidence in me was heart-warming, but I still worried. Three lives were at stake.

  “What happens when we find the Vermin?” Marrok asked.

  “An army of Zaltanas could capture them,” Leif said.

  “That might or might not work,” Moon Man said. “It will depend on how many Warpers they have with them.”

  “No. It’s too risky.” Oran Zaltana broke the silence he had held during our discussion. “I won’t send clan members until we know what and who we’re dealing with.”

  I glanced at the floor beneath the ceiling’s smoke hole. The patch of sunlight had shifted. It would be dusk in a couple hours. “Let’s find the Vermin first and determine their strength. Everyone else should eat and rest. It might be a long night.”

  When we filed out of the common room, Chestnut touched my arm. He had stood apart from our group as we talked. His dark brown eyes showed concern. “Esau is my favorite uncle. Let me know if I can help.”

  “I will.” I followed Leif and Perl back to her apartment. She made us sit down on the couch Esau had built from vines. The leaves in the cushions crackled under my weight. Perl went into the kitchen and fetched a tray of food and tea. Our mother hovered over us until we ate. I pushed the fruit and cold meat past my numb lips and chewed without tasting.

  Eventually fatigue from climbing through the jungle caught up to me and I dozed on the couch. Nightmares about serpents coiling around my body plagued my sleep as they hissed in my ear.

  “—wake up. It’s getting dark,” Leif whispered.

  I blinked in the gray light. Perl, curled in a ball, dozed on one of the armchairs. Moon Man stood near the door to the apartment.

  I woke my mother. “Can you fetch the clan elders? We’ll need to make plans once I’ve found Esau.”

  She hurried out the door.

  “Where do you want to go?” Leif asked.

  “Upstairs, to my old room,” I said and headed for the lift.

  Leif and Moon Man joined me in the closet-size lift. Two thick ropes went through holes in the ceiling and floor. Moon man bent over to fit. His breath came in uneven huffs and he muttered about Sandseeds, the plains and suffocating.

  Leif and I pulled on the ropes and the lift began to move. We ascended to the upper level and walked down the hallway. My room was on the right. Pulling back the cotton curtain, I let Leif and Moon Man precede me into the small clutter-filled space.

  A few years after my kidnapping, Esau had started using the area for storage. Fourteen years of collecting jungle samples had resulted in rows and rows of shelves filled with glass containers of every size and shape. The only places free of the assortment were a small bed and a wooden bureau.

  Wanting to focus all my energy on linking with the bats, I stretched across the bed. “Try to keep all distractions away from me and be ready to help.”

  Leif and Moon Man signaled their understanding. Both had enough magical energy I could draw from if needed. I tried to keep the horrible thoughts about Esau’s plight in the back of my mind as I projected my awareness toward the mouth of the cave. The bats would soon be leaving their roost in search for food.

  My mind met the dark consciousness of the bats. They didn’t perceive the world by sight, but by sensing objects and movement around them. Unable to direct them to where I wanted to go, I flew with them, my mental perception floating from one bat to another, trying to make sense of my location in the jungle. The flutter of wings and hum of insects cut through the silent night air.

  Even though the bats had spread over many miles, they remained connected to each other, and I soon had a detailed mental image of the jungle. It was a bird’s-eye view without colors—just shapes, sizes and movement. In my bat mind, the trees and rocks were not visual, but in scapes of sound.

  The straight walls of the Zaltana homestead felt odd to the bats. They avoided the clan’s dwellings, but I jumped over to the minds flying east of the homestead.

  Frustrated because I couldn’t affect their movements, I had to wait and watch until one bat found a small campfire. I channeled my awareness on the bat as it dived and flew through the hot rising air, snatching the insects that danced above the light.

  Instinctively avoiding the creatures below, the bat stayed high in the air. I used the bat’s senses to determine the number of Vermin. Three around the fire, two crouched in the trees and four stood guard outside the camp. A pair of tents were close to the fire. Three unmoving forms lay flat on the ground next to them. Alarmed, I focused my attention on them until I felt their chests rise and fall.

  When I had the exact location of the Vermin’s camp in my mind, I withdrew from the bat’s cons
ciousness.

  “There are nine of them,” I said to Leif and Moon Man. “I don’t know how many are Warpers.”

  “We should have enough Zaltana magicians to overpower them,” Leif said. “If we could surprise them, it would give us the advantage. Can you form a null shield?” Leif asked Moon Man.

  “No. That is not one of my skills.”

  I sat up. A wave of dizziness crashed into me and I hunched over until the feeling passed. Linking with the bats had used my energy. Moon Man put a steadying hand on my elbow and his strength coursed through me.

  I thought about what Leif said. If we attacked with a large group, the Vermin would know we were coming, and they would either flee and hide again, or fight back. Either way they would have time to kill their prisoners. The element of surprise was key, but how to achieve that?

  “Could Tauno shoot the guards with Curare-laced arrows and immobilize them?” Leif asked. “Or could we blow treated darts through reed pipes?”

  “Too many trees,” Moon Man said.

  “It would be hard in the dark,” I agreed. “We could get close and jab them.”

  “But what about the guards in the trees? Getting close without alerting them is a difficult if not impossible maneuver,” Leif said.

  If I’d had the ability to control the bats, I could use them as a distraction. We needed something else to cause a commotion. I followed the logic and found an answer.

  Leif, sensing my mood, smiled. “What are you scheming, little sister?”

  9

  WE DIDN’T HAVE MUCH TIME to waste. Leif, Moon Man and I rushed down to my parents’ living area. Perl had returned with Oran and Violet.

  “Did you find them?” Perl asked.

  “They’re about three miles southeast of us.”

  “We’ll need some magicians and soldiers,” Leif told Oran.

  “How many are there, and what do the Vermin plan to do?” Oran asked me.

  “Nine. And it doesn’t matter what they plan. The Vermin have Esau and your scouts. We need to rescue them!”

  Oran hemmed and hawed. “We should consult Councilman Bavol—”

  “Bavol’s at the Citadel. It will take weeks to get a reply.” I suppressed the desire to wrap my hands around Oran’s thin neck.

  “We can’t leave our homestead unprotected,” Violet said. “We’ll call a meeting and request a few volunteers.”

  Sitians! I thought in exasperation, couldn’t do anything without consulting a committee. “Fine. Call your meeting. Do whatever.” I shooed Oran and Violet out the door.

  “Yelena—” my mother began.

  “You can scold me later. We’re leaving now.”

  Leif and Moon Man looked at me as if waiting for orders. “Get Tauno and Marrok. I’ll catch up to you at the base of the ladder.”

  “Where are you going?” Leif asked.

  “To get our distraction.”

  They hurried from the room and I was about to follow when my mother grabbed my arm.

  “Just a minute,” she said. “There are only five of you. What are you planning? Tell me now or I’m coming along.”

  That Liana stubbornness radiated from her and I knew her threats weren’t idle. I sketched a brief outline of my plan.

  “That won’t work without some help,” she said.

  “But I’m going to—”

  “Need more incentive. I have just the thing. Go. I’ll meet you at the base of the ladder.” Perl rushed off.

  After a few minutes of frantic searching, I found what I needed. By the time I slid down the ladder, the others were ready. Shafts of bright moonlight pierced the darkness of the jungle floor, giving just enough light to make out the shadowy shapes of the tree trunks.

  I told Tauno and Marrok how to approach the Vermin camp and guards and instructed them on where to position themselves nearby. “No noise. Keep your distance. Wait for my signal before attacking.”

  “Signal?” Marrok asked. His face hardened into grim determination, but uncertainty lurked behind his eyes. Even though Cahil had issued orders to his men, Marrok had really been the one in charge.

  “Something loud and obnoxious,” I said.

  Marrok frowned. “This isn’t the time to joke.”

  “I wasn’t joking.”

  After a mere moment’s hesitation, Marrok and Tauno set off.

  Moon Man stared after them. “What about us?”

  There was a faint rustling from above as someone took hold of the rope ladder. A few heartbeats later, Chestnut joined us on the jungle floor. He wore a dark-colored tunic and pants, and his drum was tied to his belt. The green paint and dye had been washed from his hair.

  “I’m glad I could help,” Chestnut said. “But you need to know I’ve never done this before.”

  “Done what?” Leif asked. “Yelena, what’s going on?”

  “I’m hoping Chestnut will be able to call a few necklace snakes to join the Vermin’s party.”

  “Ah. Your distraction,” Moon Man said.

  “How close do you need to be?” I asked Chestnut.

  “Probably within a mile, but it’ll all depend on how many snakes are around.” He hesitated. “I’m used to chasing them away, not calling them. What if it doesn’t work?”

  As if on cue, the rope ladder swung with the weight of another person. Perl descended. She moved as graceful as liquid, and I would have bet Nutty hadn’t been the only Zaltana child to drive her parents crazy by learning to climb before she could walk.

  “Here.” My mother handed me ten grape-size capsules and several straight pins. “Just in case your first plan fails.”

  “What if the second plan fails?” Leif asked.

  “Then we’ll storm the camp and hope for the best. Come on.” I put the capsules in my pocket, put the pins through my shirt so they didn’t stick me, adjusted my pack so its weight rested between my shoulder blades, and pulled my bow.

  “Be careful,” Perl said.

  I hugged her before setting off. While I had told Marrok and Tauno to take a wider more circuitous path to the Vermin, I wanted to lead the three men straight toward them. Once again I made a light mental connection to the bats flying above us. Guided by the bats’ shape map of the jungle, I moved with ease through the tight trail even though the tree canopy blocked the dim moonlight in places.

  The jungle’s night sounds echoed in the damp air. A howler bat cried in a loud staccato. Valmurs climbed and swung through the trees. The rustle and shake of branches and bushes hinted at the unseen activity of other night creatures.

  About a mile from the Vermin camp, I halted. Chestnut leaned his forehead on a nearby tree and power brushed my skin.

  “There is only one snake nearby,” he said. “He is waiting for the men in the trees to stumble into his trap. Necklace snakes are not active hunters. They prefer to lie in wait, using the element of surprise.” Chestnut looked at me. “And I don’t want to teach them how to hunt.”

  “That is a good point,” Moon Man said.

  “Now what?” Leif asked.

  “I’m thinking,” I said.

  “Think faster,” Leif urged.

  One snake wasn’t enough. Time for Perl’s suggestion. I handed everyone two capsules and a pin. “Get as close to the guards as you can. Poke a small hole in the capsule and squirt the liquid near them. Don’t get it on you,” I instructed.

  “Why not?” Leif asked.

  “You’ll have a necklace snake trying to mate with you.”

  “Gee, Yelena. I’m so glad you’re home,” Leif grumbled. “It’s good to know Mother is doing something useful with her time.”

  “I thought your mother made perfumes,” Moon Man said.

  “It all depends on how you look at it,” Chestnut said. “To a male necklace snake, that stuff is a perfume.”

  “There are six guards. Moon Man, Leif and I will each spray two,” I said. Taking off my pack, I stashed it behind a tree. “Chestnut, you stay back here. Can you keep the snakes fr
om grabbing us when they come?”

  “I’ll try. They have an excellent sense of smell so get clear once you spray that stuff.”

  “What about the guards in the trees?” Leif asked.

  “Aim high and be quiet about it.”

  Leif muttered to himself as the three of us fanned out to approach the Vermin guards. Chestnut stayed behind to communicate with the predators while we moved into position. Once our distraction arrived and the guards became busy dodging amorous snakes, Leif and Moon Man would find Marrok and Tauno and await my signal. I would spy on the Vermin in the camp.

  I crept through the trees, seeking a sign of the guards. I disconnected with the bats and reached out with my mental awareness, searching for the Vermin.

  Beyond the outer guards, I knew the camp held six people, three Daviians and three Zaltanas, yet I couldn’t detect them, which meant someone had erected a null shield. At least one of the Vermin was a Warper and he could be performing one of the Kirakawa rites while we snuck around in the dark. It was then I realized the sounds from the jungle had ceased.

  My heart drummed a faster beat as my stomach cramped with fear. A presence hovered above me and I connected with a man crouched in the lower branches of a tree. His mind was alert for signs of intruders, but he hadn’t detected me. Poking a hole in one capsule, I sprayed the liquid along the tree’s trunk, and then slipped away.

  Five minutes later, I found my second guard. She failed to notice my approach and I squirted some of Perl’s snake perfume on the bushes near her. I hoped she would rub against them at some point.

  As I retreated, I tripped over a buttress root and fell. I turned over on my back in time to see her aim an arrow at me.

  “Freeze,” she shouted. “Hands up.”

  So much for being quiet. I raised my hands and cursed myself for not reestablishing my link with the bats. Through their eyes, I never would have tripped.

  She called to another guard.

  “Stand up slowly,” she ordered. “Leave your weapon.”

  My bow rested on the ground within reach.

  She stepped closer and peered at me in the semidarkness. The guard gasped and said, “Soulfinder.”