“So, what now?” Mari was finally the one to ask the question they all must have been thinking. The group of them—Mari, Nik, O’Bryan, Antreas, Davis, Sora and her Chloe, Sheena, and Rose—had gathered around the center bonfire area after settling Sarah and Lydia back in the burrow for a much-needed nap.
“What do you mean, what now? Chloe’s mine. I’m hers. That’s it. Nothing to what now about,” Sora said stubbornly, cradling her pup close.
“Sora, no one is going to take Chloe away from you.” Mari sat beside her friend on the soft, mossy ground and leaned against the big log. “But she is very young, and can’t be parted from Fala yet.” Mari looked to Rose for help. “Right?”
Rose nodded. “Yes, Chloe’s only a couple of weeks old. Fala won’t wean her until the litter is about six or seven weeks old, and they won’t leave her until they are twelve weeks old or more, which is why Chloe choosing you is such a surprise. Actually, I’ve never heard of a pup this young choosing a Companion. They always make their choice when they’re between about four and six months old.”
“Oh, I thought everyone was so shocked because I’m an Earth Walker,” Sora said.
“Well, that’s surprising, too,” Nik said. “But a canine’s choice can never be manipulated—so little Chloe knew what she was doing when she let her choice be known.”
“Yeah, I think you’ll find that that little one has a definite mind of her own,” said Davis.
“They do tend to have the same personality as their Companions,” Nik muttered.
“What did you say?” Sora narrowed her eyes at him.
“Not a thing! Not one thing,” Nik said, grinning. “But Mari is right. We do have things that need to be discussed, especially because of Chloe’s age.”
“All right. Let’s discuss,” Sora said.
Mari shared a long look with Nik before she began speaking. “O’Bryan, Davis, Rose, Claudia, and Antreas. All of you belonged elsewhere before the fire. Since then you have chosen to find safety and healing here, with us. Some of you—Davis and Antreas—have even sworn to follow Nik and to be part of his new Pack, allied to our Clan. And we welcome you. Others—Rose, Claudia, and O’Bryan—have yet to decide, or at least have yet to tell us their decision.”
“What does that have to do with Chloe?” Sora asked.
Rose answered right away, “Well, Chloe should stay close to Fala for about ten more weeks. Which means if I choose to return to the Tribe of the Trees, Chloe will have to return with me until she’s old enough to leave Fala and join Sora permanently.”
Sora’s face had gone white and she hugged Chloe so tightly that the pup yelped in protest, which had Sora loosening her grip and covering Chloe’s face with apologetic kisses. When Sora recovered, she stared up at Rose and spoke slowly but emphatically. “If you decide to return to the Tribe, I ask that you let me go with you. I can’t be away from Chloe.”
Rose sighed with relief. “And that’s all I needed to hear—that you love Chloe enough you would risk your freedom, maybe even your life, just to be with her. No, Sora. I’ve already made my decision. After being here and feeling the peace and acceptance I’ve found with your people, I’ve realized I don’t want to go back. I want a life that isn’t tainted by slavery and laws we’ve outgrown. And I’ll admit that your ability to cure the blight weighed heavily on my decision. So, if you’ll have me, I’ll swear loyalty to the Pack as well.”
“Oh, thank you!” Sora said, taking Rose’s hand and squeezing it.
“Of course we’ll have you,” Mari said.
“Yes, you, Fala, and the pups will be a wonderful addition to our Pack,” Nik said.
“I wish to swear to the Pack as well.” Sheena spoke up. Mari and Nik turned to her in surprise. She shrugged. “I can’t go back there without Crystal. Captain and I need a new beginning, and I like these people, these Earth Walkers. I like that they’re ruled by women. It’s how it should be.”
“We happily accept you,” Mari said.
“I go where Nik goes.” O’Bryan looked from Nik to Mari. “But I wonder something. Would you accept other Companions if they wanted to leave the Tribe?”
Nik didn’t hesitate. “Yes,” he said firmly.
“That’s right,” Mari said. “All who wish to make a change—to live together in peace, without prejudice, without judgment, without enslaving others—are welcome to join us.”
“Then I want to join the Pack,” O’Bryan said.
“Nik, when are you going back?” Davis asked, causing everyone to turn to him.
“But I didn’t think anyone was going back!” Sora said.
“I have to,” Nik said. “I have to get a Mother Plant.”
“What’s a Mother Plant? And why are all of you clustered around Sora?” Isabel asked as she, Danita, and Jenna joined the group, their arms filled with herbs, and baskets and wooden bowls that held the salves and tinctures they’d been working on.
“One of Fala’s pups has chosen Sora as her Companion,” Rose explained.
“Seriously?” Jenna asked.
“Wow!” Danita said. “Congratulations, I think.”
“I didn’t even know that could happen,” Isabel said. “I mean, Mari’s half Companion, so Rigel choosing her made sense. But Sora’s one hundred percent Earth Walker. She doesn’t even like canines—do you?”
“Well, Chloe is different. She’s my canine. And I said from when I first met her that puppies are much less horrible than I’d imagined. Um, she’s not going to get as big as the Shepherds, right?”
Sora looked beseechingly at Rose, who laughed and said, “Right. She’ll only be Fala’s size.”
“She’ll be perfect,” Sora said, snuggling Chloe close.
“I think this proves that we’re all more alike than different,” Isabel said.
“Exactly!” Nik said. “And that’s what our Pack is going to be about—we can be different. Our differences make us strong. Earth Walkers have skills Companions know nothing about, and Companions can do things, like build a City in the Trees, that Earth Walkers have never done. Together, we can change the world.”
“Or build a new one together,” Mari added.
“But first Nik has to go back to the Tribe and get a Mother Plant,” O’Bryan said. “And I’m going with him.”
“No, no, no. I need to go in alone, quietly. Sneak a Mother Plant, and get out of there,” Nik said. “If I’m alone, I’ll have less chance of getting caught.”
“You’ll also have less chance of getting out of there if no one’s watching your back,” Davis said. “Cammy and I will go with you. We’re Hunters. We know how to stay on the outskirts without being seen or scented. If you don’t return, I’ll know you need help. If bad goes to worse and I’m caught, too, Cammy can escape and track his way back here.”
“And then we’ll come get you out of there,” Sheena said.
“Find that Claudia woman,” Antreas said. “She seemed like an ally. But stay away from Thaddeus. He’s trouble.”
“Agreed,” Nik said.
“Wait; why is it so important to get a Mother Plant? I’ve never even seen one; though the Tribe had us farming all of their food, we never once had anything to do with something called a Mother Plant. What’s so special about it?” Isabel asked.
“Nik thinks it’s why the Tribe doesn’t get Night Fever, and he could be right. I was swaddled in a Mother Plant, and I’m immune from it,” Mari said.
“But I thought that was because of your father’s blood,” Jenna said.
“So did Mari,” Nik said. “But my gut is telling me there’s more to it than that. We are more alike than different, and the Mother Plant is what allows us to channel sunlight, to strengthen our bodies and thrive. And we never get Night Fever. Maybe it can do the same for Earth Walkers if you start swaddling your infants in the Mother Plant, too.”
“If there’s even a chance that the Mother Plant will rid our children of Night Fever, we have to try,” Danita said.
“Then we’re all in agreement? I return to the Tribe to harvest a Mother Plant,” Nik said. “And to see how bad it is there. See how long we have before…” His words trailed off, and he looked to Mari.
“Before we have to leave here,” Mari finished for him.
O’Bryan nodded somberly. “I knew it would come to this.”
“As did I,” Davis said. “And you didn’t even hear Thaddeus last night. He was filled with hate, especially after that Terrier of his was wounded. He’s not going to give up until he’s tracked and killed Nik and Mari, and enslaved Earth Walkers again.”
“I’ll never go back to that,” Jenna said.
“Neither will I,” Isabel added.
“None of you will have to. We’re going to leave before the Tribe comes after us again, and any who are part of the Pack may join us,” Mari said.
“Wait; are we all part of a Pack now?” Sora asked. “Or are we Clan Weaver that is allied to Nik’s Pack?”
Nik and Mari shared a long look. He said, “I’d like it if we were all one Pack, but that’s up to Mari.”
“And Sora,” Mari said quickly. “She’s a Moon Woman, too, so together we make decisions for our Clan. What do you think, Sora?”
“Would the basic rules of the Clan still apply? Would women still rule the daily life, and men be in charge of protection and building?” Sora asked.
Mari turned to Nik. “Well?”
“I like the way the Clan is ruled,” Nik said honestly. “You’ve never enslaved another people, have you?”
Mari’s lips twitched up. “No, we have not.”
“And you don’t intend to?” Nik said.
“Absolutely not,” Sora said.
“And you also don’t intend to subjugate men in general?” O’Bryan spoke up.
Sora laughed. “How in the world would we do that?”
O’Bryan smiled at the Moon Woman. “I don’t think there’s much a Moon Woman can’t do if she puts her mind to it.”
“Well, my mind definitely doesn’t want to subjugate anyone—and that includes men,” Sora said.
“Good to know. I’m still in,” O’Bryan said.
Sora nodded slightly to Mari. “So are we,” Mari said. “We’ll be a Pack!”
“Um, that’s nice. I like the sound of it,” Jenna said. “But where is our Pack going if we have to leave our homes?”
There was a long stretch of silence. Mari tried to think of the right answer. Should she recommend they follow the scattered Clan Weaver and go south, or west to the coast? Or even north to the Winterlands or Whale Singer territory? But how would that be any different? Earth Walker Clans would be no more accepting of their mixed Pack than the Tribe of the Trees would be. Sure, none of the Clans would try to enslave them, but the Clans also wouldn’t welcome them and very well might try to execute any Companion who trespassed on their territory.
“I know where we should go.” Into the silence Antreas spoke the words that would forever change the future of their combined peoples. “The Plains of the Wind Riders.”
Nik sat up straight, anticipation animating his handsome face. “Wind Riders! And you know the way!”
“I do, but that doesn’t mean once we’re there—and keep in mind it’s a long, dangerous journey—they’ll accept us and let us settle on their plains.”
“But you must think we have a chance or you wouldn’t have mentioned it,” Nik said.
“I do.” Bast padded up. She sat beside Antreas and looked up at him as a mixture of purr and her strange coughing meow rolled from her throat. “Bast agrees, and Bast is always right. I can lead us to the plains, but it’s up to all of us once we get there to show the Equine Companions that we deserve a place in their land—that our presence will be a benefit to them.”
“And if we can do that, they’ll let us stay?” Mari asked.
“They will. It’s their way. But you should know that if we don’t impress them they will force us to leave, and if we don’t leave they will execute us,” Antreas added.
“That won’t happen,” Nik said.
“They’ll want us to stay,” Mari said, nodding her agreement.
“What’s an equine?” Danita asked.
“An animal with hooves like a deer, only they aren’t split. They’re bigger than the largest stag you’ve ever seen, and their Companions ride them,” Antreas told her.
“Are you making that up?” Danita asked, frowning at the cat man.
“No, he’s telling you the truth,” Nik said. “I’ve wanted to meet a Wind Rider since my mother told me stories about them when I was a boy. She saw one once, and used to carve little equine figures for me to play with.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard stories, too,” Sheena said. “Crystal’s grandfather talked about them. He made a trade run decades ago to the plains and was mesmerized by the huge equines and their beautiful riders. He told her they were majestic.”
“They’re also a strong matriarchy, which is something they have in common with Earth Walkers, and our new Pack,” Antreas said.
“So, we’re agreed? I get a Mother Plant, and we move our new Pack to the Plains of the Wind Riders,” Nik said, eyes shining with excitement.
“We’re agreed. Let’s announce to the rest of the Clan tonight and see who wants to join us,” Mari said. “Antreas, we’re going to need to know everything we need to do to get ready to travel—and even though the Tribe is preoccupied right now with recovering from the fire, my intuition tells me the sooner we leave the better.”
“Well, your intuition is right, and not just because of the Tribe. We have a small window to cross the Rocky Mountains before snow closes the passes. We’re lucky it’s still early enough in the spring to make the crossing possible at all. I’ll get a list together of what we’ll need,” Antreas said.
“Nik, when are you going back to the Tribe?” O’Bryan asked.
“And are you taking me with you?” Davis added.
“Yes, he’s taking you with him,” Mari said, ignoring Nik’s frown. “He’s right, Nik. You need someone there in case something goes wrong. I’d come, but—”
“No! Thaddeus can’t get his hands on you,” Nik said. “Davis and Cammy can come.”
“But not today,” Mari said. “No, you can’t argue about this, Nik. You’re injured, remember? And if you have to fight to get out of there, and run and hide and race back here, you need to be healthy. How about we say you can go as soon as Sora says you’re well enough to go?”
“Me? Why me? You’re a better Healer,” Sora said.
“I’m also biased when it comes to Nik, and you’re not.”
“Oh, well, that’s true enough. Fine. I’ll let you know when his wounds are healed.”
“And then our future begins,” Nik said. “As we head to the land of the Wind Riders!”