A Whisper of Wings Read online

  Daimïru looked down at the forlorn little figure on the floor. The last rays of the evening sun lingered on Shadarii’s softness.

  “A shame really. She’s quite beautiful in her way.”

  Zhukora gave a derisive snort as she contemptuously shoved the sleeper with her foot.

  “Beautiful? No. Too soft! No strength, no will, no vision! Beauty? No. You are beautiful. Your passion rings out like a glorious song! But this - this pudding?” Zhukora gave Shadarii another brutal kick. “Dust beneath our boots! A tool to use - no more.” Zhukora swept back her hair. “Come. T’is time we were gone. We don’t want anyone to find our little prize.”

  The two women retreated from the lodge and firmly barred the door. Behind them, the sleeper whimpered, and a single tear slid down into her fur.

  ***

  A heavy drumbeat pounded though the darkness, and the air thundered as an entire tribe shook the trees with mourning. Feeling drained from a long hard march, Mrrimïmei hung on Totoru’s arm as the horizon glowed with fires.

  “A funeral dirge - and so big? Now who warrants that kinda send off?”

  Prince Tekï’taa’s ears lifted as he pondered the distant music. He then smiled and waved one hand towards the Vakïdurii village.

  “Come along, my little Wrens. It seems we are almost late. Do try to show some of that agility you’re all famous for.”

  The group of travellers emerged from the forest night at the edges of a Jiteng field. A vast funeral pyre blazed at the centre of the clearing. Smoke boiled furiously up into the air while hundreds of dancers leapt and swirled across the flames. Dust hung heavy in the air as the world trembled to the crash and boom of mighty drums.

  Prince Tekï’taa wandered through the crowds, pushing forward to the ring of priests who knelt solemnly before the blaze. The man hung a suitably grieving expression on his face as he stared towards his father’s funeral pyre.

  The High Priest of the Vakïdurii came to stand beside him, leaning down to whisper in the Prince’s ear.

  “Thy father died two nights ago, quietly in his sleep. We are now a tribe without a king.”

  “How tragic!” Tekï’taa placed a hand across his heart. “He died without warning, I suppose.”

  “Quite suddenly. Ah well, he was always overweight. The healers had warned him of the dangers to his heart.”

  “Just so. What an appalling tragedy.” Tekï’taa looked sidewise at the priest. “So tomorrow the tribe must select its new King?”

  “Quite so. And who should arrive upon the scene than Tekï’taa! Tekï’taa the provider. The man who brings us a glorious jiteng victory!”

  The flames licked ever higher; when Tekï’taa concentrated, he could almost hear his father’s fat sizzling in the fire. The priest laid a hand upon the Prince’s arm.

  “Celebrate well, my Prince, for tomorrow you shall be King.” The man leaned closer, his long fangs gleaming in the firelight. “But remember, oh King. Remember who it was that placed the power in thy hands.”

  Out in the edges of the crowd, Mrrimïmei fought her way towards Totoru. The girl shouted to be heard above the deafening sound of drums.

  “He’s not here! No one’s seen Kotaru!”

  “His lodge is empty. The other bachelors say they’ve not seen hide nor hair!” Looming huge above the crowds, Totoru creased his muzzle in thought. “He must have never made it home with the girl.”

  The lovers clung together, wincing as the crowds surged back and forth, and Totoru bellowed into his fiancé’s ear.

  “He’s the smartest man alive! How could anything go wrong?”

  “He’s a love-struck fool! Anything could happen to him.” Mrrimïmei looked around in panic. “Why? Why did we ever let him do it? The whole idea’s too dangerous! I should have known something bad would happen!”

  “They must have changed their plan and gone another way.”

  The girl shook her head, her eyes bright with panic.

  “No, I can feel it! Somethin’s wrong!” Mrrimïmei clenched her fist. “Call the team! We’ll search. Comb the likely routes, and then all the unlikely ones. If he’s out there, we’ll find him!”

  Totoru reluctantly began to move.

  “There’s a whole forest out there, love. How can we ever hope to find him?”

  “He’s ours, and I’ll never give him up! That man’s done everything for me!” Mrrimïmei glared bitterly towards the fire. “I knew this would happen! We search! I’m damned if I’ll ever give him up.”

  The two Kashra pushed off into the churning crowds to find their team. Behind them the drums crashed like the sound of ancient storms.

  ***

  Kïtashii lay beneath her sleeping robe listening to the approaching dawn. A magpie warbled somewhere in the distance; leaves squeaked and rustled in the dark. The little girl blinked, wondering if she could see the ceiling of the lodge. Was it dawn yet? Would anyone be stirring in the village? Hunters might; dawn was the time to catch the possums as they returned to their lairs. Zhukora’s men might already be combing through the trees…

  The room lay still and quiet. Kïtashii strained to hear if her mother was awake, then rolled over in her bed with painful slowness. Each rustle of the sleeping mat sounded like a snapping branch.

  Night still hung above the forest; vast tree trunks shimmered in the dark. Kïtashii balanced awkwardly on one leg, pulling on her little skirt and halter. Finally done, she spread her wings and sank into the treetops.

  No one would tell her where Shadarii was hidden; they merely said that she had fallen sick. Shadarii wasn’t in her father’s lodge or with the healers or the priests. That only left Counselor Chitoochi’s lodge. Since the counselor had died her house had been left sealed and deserted, but for some strange reason Zhukora had been made warden of Chitoochi’s keys…

  Why? Why didn’t they want Shadarii to be seen in public? Had they hurt her somehow? She wouldn’t have come back from her escape attempt without a fight. The poor girl might be lying there in pain, needing her! Kïtashii flung herself through the dark at reckless speed and only slowed her pace as she neared Chitoochi’s lodge.

  Kïtashii clung beneath the boughs of a nearby tree to search the darkness for the slightest sign of danger. Half hidden by the spiders webs and mistletoe, a haze of ïsha shimmered in the gloom. Someone sat above the lodge, quietly keeping watch.

  Kïtashii’s hung upside down and thoughtfully waved her tail. Any aerial approach was sure be be seen. The guard had made only a single error; his view was blocked by the huge bulk of the treehouse below him.

  Kïtashii withdrew her claws and fell silently towards the ground, plunging through the dark for long seconds before finally flicking out her wings. Wind roared all around her as she curved up into a loop; treebark brushed her belly as she shot towards the treehouse’s floor. As her momentum slowed, the girl reached out to catch the rugged bark with her claws.

  Ha! Easy! The little creature swarmed busily up the tree trunk, scuttled up beneath the treehouse and twirled her tail in glee.

  The windows of the lodge were covered by sturdy wooden bars, and the front door had been well and truly locked. Kïtashii crouched uncomfortably in the dark space beneath the floor and tried to think. She couldn’t break the bars and she couldn’t force the door; Kïtashii took her tongue between her teeth and tried knocking softly on the floorboards overhead. Five minutes of effort gave her no result at all.

  Kïtashii petulantly rammed herself back against a branch. Wood creaked alarmingly behind her. Kïtashii froze and then pushed back against the branch once more, and the floorboards gave slightly overhead.

  Aha!

  Clever little hands began to run across the floorboards. The wooden pegs that held the planks together had started to work free. Kïtashii plucked the pegs out one by one and stuffed them down her tiny halter top.

  The girl softly drew a floor plank free and placed it down between the branches, then clung beneath the gap and whispered
hoarsely up into the dark.

  “Shadarii! Psssst, Shadarii? Shadarii, are you there?”

  Kïtashii’s ears pricked up as she heard a sluggish movement overhead, and her sensitive black nose caught hold of Shadarii’s smell.

  “Pssst! Shadarii, it’s me!”

  Still she heard no answer. She must be hurt! Kïtashii began tearing at the other floorboards, her ears flat in anger.

  “Hold on Shadarii. I’m coming. Just stay still while I come to get you.”

  A second board came free, and then a third. Kïtashii flattened back her wings and pushed up through the hole, wood scraping painfully against her ribs as she wormed her way inside.

  Shadarii’s orange wings fluttered limply in the gloom. Kïtashii gave a little cry and raced over to her side.

  “Shadarii! What have they done to you? Oh sweet Rain what have they done? Oh my poor friend!”

  Warm arms fumbled out to hold her. Kïtashii buried her face deep in Shadarii’s breast and whimpered in relief.

  “Oh Rain! Thank the spirits you’re alright. I found you. They tried to stop me but I found you!” The little girl ran fingers through Shadarii’s tangled hair; she smelled strangely dull and sick. “I’ve made a hole in the floor. We can drop out and be gone before they know it!”

  There was still no answer; Shadarii stirred and let her head fall back to smack against the floor.

  “Shadarii?” Kïtashii blinked. “Shadarii, can you hear me? Shadarii, wake up!”

  Shadarii’s eyes were open, and yet she didn’t seem to see. The woman reached out to touch Kïtashii’s face and gave a dreamy little smile. Kïtashii croaked in shock as Shadarii sighed and cuddled happily against her.

  A bowl of boiled roots lay on the floor. Kïtashii reached across and suspiciously sniffed the remnants, and a sharp acidic scent rose out to burn her nostrils.

  “Poison root!”

  Kïtashii looked at her friend in fright. Poison root was a forbidden thing! Lazy hunters used it to poison waterholes; dropped into a pool it could stun every fish within a hundred spans. Laws had been passed against its use long ago, since it caused untold damage to the forest balance. To use it on an animal was forbidden, but to use it on a fellow Kashra?

  “Come on Shadarii! Up! Come on, wake up. We have to get you out of here!”

  It was hopeless. Shadarii had been drugged up to her eyeballs. Kïtashii held up Shadarii’s head and tried to meet her eyes.

  “Shadarii! Can you hear me? Come on now, blink twice if you can hear me. Come on! Just try for me…”

  Yes! Shadarii smiled happily and blinked her eyes - once! twice! Kïtashii lifted up Shadarii’s face and shook her by the hair.

  “Alright Shadarii. Now you listen very, very carefully. We have to get you out of here. Now you mustn’t eat the food, alright? Don’t eat the food they give you! Just empty the bowl down the hole in the floor.”

  Shadarii’s head lolled, and Kïtashii wrenched her face upright once again.

  “Shadarii! You listen! Don’t eat the food. Not one bite. They’re poisoning you! You mustn’t eat anything today. I’ll bring you food tonight.

  “Drink this water now. Drink up! We have to flush your blood clear of the poison. Drink all you can today, you hear? Drink all the water they can give you.”

  Footsteps scraped on the roof overhead. The guard had begun to stir, and soon he would come to check upon the prisoner.

  “Shadarii, I have to go now. They’ll find me if I stay. You just hold on tight and I’ll come back again tonight. I’ll help you get away and find Kotaru.”

  Shadarii suddenly blinked at the mention of Kotaru’s name.

  “That’s it! Kotaru. You remember Kotaru! He’s waiting for you. We have to go to him.” Kïtashii began to squeeze back through the floor. “I’ll be back tonight! I love you!”

  The little girl blinked in shock as she saw how light it had become. She crouched in hiding and replaced the floorboards. Her task done, Kïtashii turned nose down to the ground and simply let go of the branch. She fell silently into the gloom and made her way back home.

  Her mother’s treehouse lay hushed and silent. Kïtashii slipped through the curtain and tried to creep back into bed.

  “Kïtashii?”

  Mother! Kïtashii froze.

  “Uh… Mama?”

  A sleepy voice yawned somewhere in the dark.

  “Draw water for the tea and get breakfast going. Must I do everything?”

  Kïtashii felt her spirits wilt.

  “There’s last nights bread, mama. There-there isn’t anything more!”

  “Then go dig in the gardens. And weave more mats for sale!”

  Kïtashii’s mother snorted and rolled over in her bed while Kïtashii looked towards the pile of half finished rugs.

  “I have to dance today, Mama! It’s important. There’s five rugs made already. You can sell them today. I’ll do the rest tonight, really I will!”

  “You do the work I give you. We’ll cure you of this dancing.”

  Kïtashii bowed her head and wandered out into the morning light. Behind her the baby cried as her mother went back to sleep.

  Flying possum.

  It was a flying possum - a little creature no bigger than a mouse. Shadarii lay back on the floor and looked at the tiny creature through befuddled eyes. The world turned underneath her as the sun began to shine. The bad time of the night had passed and everything was good again.

  Sun. Nice sun to warm her. Sun and a little possum high up in the sky.

  She beamed dreamily as she held out her loving hands. The tiny possum sprang from the skylight and parachuted down into Shadarii’s grasp. The dancer gave a sigh and held the creature to her breast, where the little possum promptly snuggled up into a ball and went to sleep.

  A cup rose up and dipped into the water bucket, then drifted down into Shadarii’s hand. She drank carefully, trying not to wake the sleeping possum. It dozed like a little baby, quite oblivious to the world.

  A baby…

  Shadarii liked babies. She was going to have one soon - a nice grey one like the possum. She was going to make the baby for someone very special. A very special present all of her own…

  A present for who?

  Shadarii floated the possum high up in the air and softly placed it in the rafters. It would be safe there. The blonde girl wouldn’t see it.

  Her head whirled; thinking made her feel sick. It was nice once the sun came up. Soon it would be food time once again, and everything would feel good and lazy.

  No, she wasn’t going to eat the food today. Why ever not? She felt so very hungry, and her head had begun to hurt. It always hurt when they took too long with the meal…

  Something scraped at the door, and Shadarii rolled, saliva running from her mouth. A figure came and stood inside the door; buckets clanged - water splashed, and the delicious scent of breakfast filled the room. The door slammed tight, and Shadarii made the food box slide across the floor towards her.

  It was porridge! Shadarii dizzily sat up, her face alight with smiles as sdhe dipped her paw into the nice warm goo. She closed her eyes and touched the food against her lips.

  No.

  Shadarii frowned and put down her hand, the food slopping back into the bowl. Moving with elaborate care, she tipped it out through a hole in the floor.

  Now why had she done that? Shadarii slumped against the wall and stared into space with troubled eyes. The sun streamed down across her fur, but this time it brought no glow of comfort.

  Her head hurt. Her senses swam.

  Something was terribly wrong.

  Power recoiled in Zhukora’s mind; Serpent snarled and hissed as Zhukora clutched her skull and bared her fangs.

  “What? What is it?”

  *She fights me! This creature has true power! I hurt…*

  “Fighting you?” Zhukora unsheathed her claws. “Don’t be ridiculous!”

  *She sits and watches me! When I approach her, she attacks. He
r overmind is not properly subdued.*

  Daimïru lifted the lantern and came swiftly to Zhukora’s side.

  “Zhukora! What is it?”

  “The bitch is fighting us! Somehow her mind’s still active. Serpent just took a beating! What went wrong? Did she take her food?”

  “Every scrap. It was the usual dosage.”

  “Damn! Why did I ever pin any hopes on this stupid little cripple? Was there nothing unusual about today?”

  “She was pacing around the cage all day. She’s never even moved a muscle on any other time.”

  Zhukora clenched her hand about the handle of her dao. “Our schedule is tight! We only have one more night to work on her. After that the High Priestess will come.”

  “We can do without the priests! They have no place in our new order.”

  “They are a cancer we shall slice out from the heart of our society!” Zhukora whirled and slammed her fist against a wall. “I’ll see their blood run like rivers! We shall tear them apart, just as they have torn our people into classes!”

  The girl’s wild eyes froze. She slowly unclenched her fists, her breathing slowly calming.

  “For now we need them. They legitimise us in the eyes of King and council. We can’t move against them until we’re more secure.”

  They turned back to the wretched creature shivering on the floor. Shadarii’s fur lay dull and matted, and she twitched in her sleep with lips drawn back from her fangs.

  Zhukora sneered down at the little dancer in contempt.