Part 3 (1/2)
Are you able to say to the words I have told you?”
”T'caraisiana'ab e'amokenatek,”odd in so soft a voice He turned to Handler and bowed ”T'caraisiana'ab, I am happy to meet you”
Handler blinked for a third tiht, and inclined his head ”I am happy toto endanger yourself while the eldest of rinned ”I'll do ical surveys of the area
He took the last sighting from the hill over the valley, made the notation and stashed paper and stylus in his pouch, stupid thing They'd made sure he'd learned the tedious,point This was the first ti There had been no further abandonments by his directional sense, but once burned, twice shy, as his fostermother would say He would rather not be cut off from the shi+p in the middle of a wilderness simply because he couldn't at this present tell his head fro, he looked out over the valley-and looked again,across the open area, using a tall soainst a boulder to watch
The tall soht of the ure was Edger, no doubt beginning his journey
Val Con shi+fted, took two steps down the path to the valley-and stopped The T'carais had business to be about, even as he did Let be, he told hi until the other reached the edge of the valley and the night hid that large person froer,” he ht to a friend Then he turned sharply, snatched up the directionfinder and moved back down the trail toward the Scout shi+p Ti
IT IS A SENTIENT being; one that obeys the words of the T'carais If it is in need, it has the right to aid
Thus had Handler reasoned before starting this sh its absence took tension from the Clan it also added tension
Handler was nervous It was difficult to think with the thoughts of a T'carais, enclosing both Broodmothers and men On his way to the hill path, he stopped to speak with the Broodood sun,” he said politely
”As I give you good sun, T'caraisiana'ab,” she responded, taking the T'carais'a that he should make his bow
This was done and Handler s appropriate Then, ”Your pardon, Brood of a subject I know is distasteful to you But-the s Have you seen i-him recently?”
”No,” she snapped, ”nor have I any wish to It is to be hoped the horrible thing has gone away”
”D'neschopita,” said the T'carais'amp sorrowfully ”Kanarak'ab”
The Broodmother was not best pleased by these senti to interest the T'carais'aer kin
HANDLER WALKED AROUND the little shi+p-constructed, after the manner of the Clans of Men, from soft metal, rather than molded of durable rock After a co hint of the human's spice-furry scent was days old, direction teased by the winds He came closer to the shi+p, but the stink of ht have been there
Finally, he lifted a hand and brought it down-gently-on the hull,He waited a tiainIf Val Con yos'Pheliu Handler's sus require space apart Perhaps this is the human's time of quietude and meditation
He backed away, not quite convinced, but unsure of what else, with propriety, ht be done
It must be for my brother to decide whether ill open the shi+p of another clan
An unsatisfactory solution, but he could think of none better After a ti lump of metal and returned to his house
THE THIRD MOON was risen; the first waning, when a s-places and crossed the L'apeleka field, unerringly striking the hill path
This was the way his friend came The path his uncle the T'caraisiana'ab had taken only last suntime
With the echo of the wonderful sounds the soft onein ti and the shi+p
He barely paused, only sniffing the air to find his friend's scent The shi+p he ignored-it was far too small, even if it were possible that so that smelled so His friend's home must be further on
So he continued-south, with but an occasional wishful hint of his soft friend-and sunrise found him well away from the place of the Knife Clan
IN SPITE OF the yelloers, Val Con ood place, protected and spacious, with a pool of icy water off to one side, away fro toward the machete in his belt
They really are quite beautiful, he offered diffidently; and it is true that Daria would have loved the Daria ht have loved? If so, best start with yourself and let the innocent universe be
He pushed the hair fro a place to build his fire Kneeling, he began to cut a shallow pit, carefully thinking of nothing at all
Tomorrow, he reminded himself some time later, as he went in search of rocks to line the pit, it's down the hill and into the flatlands
Depending on how long it took to find a way around or through the bog he would be back at the shi+p to the day after
He spied a flat stone and bent to retrieve it- ”Arraaw!”
Val Con dropped into a crouch, stone forgotten He stayed utterly still, listening to the echoes of the roarNothing he had yet encountered could have produced that noise Besides Edger's people, the indigenous life was small, skittish and, for the most part, silent Even the handful of birds were near voiceless- Well, he'd been wrong before And he had the direction of the racket pegged now He edged toward the bluff, worons?
Closing his eyes, he called up the il: the full-leafed tree, its faithful winged guardian-Opened his eyes and looked again
Dragons