Lost Bloodline 5 - Chapter 10

Chapter 10

After Koda’s assertion with the young brave, things changed rather quickly. The expression of power, his claims, and the fact that both Arthene and Finna had started radiating their own intense power was enough to back their claims until cooler heads prevailed.

It turned out that the Hillstrider tribe had been fending off small bands of Crooked filtering in from the south for the last month, which Koda accepted as a reasonable explanation as to why they had been tense.

Jonas, the larger of the trio that had confronted them, was apologetic for how his brother had acted. And while Koda was accepting of the apology, Sienna and Samira were most certainly not.

“The insults leveled by your brother are unacceptable. Even in a time of war, to treat those who approach peacefully in such a way is nearly the most vile actions you can take,” Samira growled, a faint rumble underlying her words while her tail lashed the air behind her as they sat inside one of the large, hide yurts towards the center of the camp.

Jonas and his brother sat at an angle from Koda’s group, while a quartet of elders took up the other third of space.

A low fire burned in a cleared spot on the ground between them, mostly unnecessary but the light was needed to see in the dark tent.

“I can only offer an apology for my brother’s actions. Several people close to him were killed in skirmishes with Crooked raiding bands only weeks ago,” Jonas replied, bowing his head first towards Samira and then towards Koda.

“You should have restrained him sooner if you knew what the problem’s source was. It is quite obvious that none of us are Crooked,” Sienna huffed, her ears still pinned back.

“I should have, and again I apologize,” Jonas said again, this time directing a bow to Sienna. “I was taken by surprise over the encounter and worried over Tanner’s statements. I spent too long trying to analyze the situation to see if he’d spotted something that I’d missed, and now regret giving him the opportunity to run off like that.”

“Enough,” Koda said gently, reaching out to pat his wives on the thigh gently. “We didn’t come here to harass, hound, or gripe at honest people. And the Hillstriders made an honest mistake.”

As soon as Jonas had started apologizing for his brother’s actions out in the fields, Koda’s blood had cooled and his bloodline ties retreated once more into his soul.

He’d been too upset at the time to notice it, but he remembered the flecks of silver in the normally ruby-colored fire that had manifested his totemic weapons in the past. And that thought, along with the larger hooked claws lingered in his mind as potential clues that might help him answer the question.

“If that is our husband’s wish, we should respect it,” Arthene rumbled from her spot at Koda’s back.

The massive bear-spirit hadn’t been as vocal as the others, but she’d spent her fair share of time glaring intimidatingly at the Hillstriders. She sat right behind Koda, and her larger height was in full effect as she glared over the top of his head, alternating between the two groups in front of them.

“You mentioned that you were bringing word of a larger threat? Are the Crooked making problems to the north?” asked one of the elders, a weather-beaten mare with her long gray mane elaborately braided.

“They were,” Koda answered before one of the others could speak. “But they were dealt with in short order. No, the issue is the forces of the human baron that are massing along the frontier. I would expect that they are either preparing to move south and hunt for any remaining signs of the Crooked from last year, or are seeking to expand the frontier and using the threat of the Crooked as an excuse.”

That news didn’t sit well with the Hillstrider elders, and they shared more than a few glances amongst their number before one spoke up.

“How sure are you of their intentions?”

“I’m not,” Koda answered bluntly, his arms crossing over his chest. “But I have a distinct feeling that waiting to find out their intentions would be just as bad of an idea as approaching them directly to question their presence.”

“Especially for you,” Finna murmured in an amused tone. “It isn’t safe for Aegisclaw to approach them directly. The slim chance of him being recognized by another champion is too much of a risk at this point.”

“Frankly, I am astonished that you still live on the lands held by human kings,” said another of the elders, this one a man with black hair like Koda’s though shot through with bolts of gray. “Wouldn’t it be better to secret yourself amongst the wild tribes, away from the possible influence of those who would wish you harm?”

Koda took in a long breath and let it out slowly, allowing his gaze to fall to the small fire that sat between them. He didn’t respond immediately, taking time to consider the elder’s words as it was something that had passed through his mind over the winter.

The others around him were silent, allowing the man to think things through and decide how he was going to answer the question. At his back, his companions waited silently, the only movement the occasional stirring of a tail or flick of an ear.

“Partially, it is a connection to my past and the legacy that the Ivory Spear has upheld,” Koda answered slowly. “There is a security in our location, distant from the edge of their lands but close enough to get news from the nearby town. It would also raise suspicion if an entire village vanished without warning.”

“Why would the village vanish?” asked the older mare, her horse-ears flicking rapidly as she leaned forward. “You and your mates would be the only ones that need to go into hiding.”

“And you think that the rest of the tribe would let him get away after they’ve spent centuries as the guardians of the secret?” Calandra huffed in amusement, drawing the attention of everyone around them.

The dwarven woman had shed her armor for now, but sat with her Dane-axe across her lap, the enchanted bone weapon gleaming in the dim light of the fire. Even though Calandra didn’t need to sharpen it, she’d developed a habit of smoothing the edge with a stone when she needed something to do with her hands. Right now, that stone made quiet rasping noises as she worked.

When no one spoke up, Calandra snorted and shook her head, making her trio of thick braids dance behind her. The dwarven woman gave them another few seconds to answer her before she spoke again.

“Seriously, think about it. The folk of the Ivory Spear tribe had a hero delivered into their midst in their moment of need. A hero that has worked hard to protect, uplift, and enrich them. The village sits on top of not only a rich deposit of mithril, but also iron and other smaller deposits. They are secure in their little valley, and surrounded with resources. They can also act as go-betweens for the plains tribes for trading while this all happens, so why not make the most of it?”

“I can guarantee that if Koda were to suggest we leave the village behind, at least two-thirds would go with him and not hesitate,” Sienna added, dragging attention off the dwarven woman to herself. “Those that would hesitate would mostly be those who needed to transport their equipment, like the blacksmiths, carpenters, and other trades.”

Koda blinked at his first mate, surprised by her blunt statement. He’d known all of what Calandra had mentioned, as it had come up before as part of their talks during the winter months of what had happened since he’d come to this world. But Sienna’s blunt statement of numbers and the confidence in her tone when she said it threw the whole thing into a different kind of focus for him.

“There is merit in both sides,” Koda admitted when he noticed the elders beginning to stir uncomfortably at his long silence. “My home here is with the Ivory Spear, and it gives us a secure base to operate from. But it would be good to have plans to retreat into the vastness of the plains and the unclaimed land beyond if things get tense.”

“Having an exit strategy is good,” Finna confirmed, glancing towards the Hillstriders meaningfully. “Which is one reason why we are here, if you had not forgotten. There is a potential threat coming your way, and we wanted to spread word to anyone who might be in danger while gathering information to confirm other reports.”

“About the Crooked to the south?” asked Jonas, the senior hunter’s expression turning grave when Koda nodded firmly.

“We have skirmished with several groups over the spring, and have heard from other tribes that they have encountered them as well. We worry that this is a precursor to a larger force showing up…”

“An accurate fear.”

Koda twitched at the deep voice that spoke then, searching the room with his eyes and trying to find the source. No one else reacted, though several of the Hillstriders were giving him odd looks as he flinched.

“Peace, Aegisclaw. They can’t hear me, I am speaking only to you,” said the voice. Hearing it a second time, Koda blew out a sigh as he finally recognized the aged and wise voice.

“What is it?” Koda said aloud, searching the room with his eyes and finally spotting the familiar puff of white fur in the corner.

“Koda, what are you looking at?” Samira asked, and he felt her hand on the back of his arm. But he was focused on the figure of Pippin as the fox spirit locked eyes with him.

“The elven army has done what they threatened through their emissaries. The Crooked forces are flowing out into the plains and are moving north. It appears that a small force of the elven army are running ahead of them to lure them out to cause problems and away from the elven holdings. Additionally, the baron’s forces ready themselves to march and I believe they will be heading south into the plains soon.”

Koda felt the bottom drop out of his stomach at that, he’d been hoping that the elves wouldn’t go through with the threat, but it appeared those hopes were in vain.

It’s not like they were required to fight, and turning an enemy onto someone else is an entirely valid tactic. Especially if the theory that the elves snuck onto this world as well is true, Koda thought, trying to parse the information quickly. He’d discussed this subject at length over the winter, given what the elven envoy’s had said to him.

Samira’s hand on his arm squeezing pulled Koda back out of his thoughts, and he realized that during his distraction, Pippin had vanished once more. Which wasn’t surprising. The elusive white-furred creature wasn’t prone to hanging around and he’d already delivered the message that he’d come with.

Koda blew out a long breath, glancing back to check on his girls before looking at the assembled Hillstriders.

“Our mission became all the more urgent just now,” Koda said grimly. “A messenger from the goddess just spoke to me, and the Crooked are pushing a large force up from the south. If we are lucky, they’ll clash with the forces from the baron that I mentioned, which are preparing to move south even now, but I don’t like to count on luck. We need to warn the other tribes.”