Lost Bloodline 4 - Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The last time that Koda had been amongst the people of the Silent Plains tribe, they’d been recovering from what amounted to a natural disaster. While they’d been happy to have his help in dealing with the threat, it had been enough to drive them from their homes for a time. That sort of experience left a mark on people. In the battle's aftermath, Koda had told Vysin to focus on the recovery and reconstruction efforts rather than a party for him.

Now, though, the tribe was ready to celebrate once more. Koda could see evidence of their hard work as Vysin led them to the meeting hall.

New roofs protected the homes from the snow, while fresh wood shone against the weathered walls where repairs had been made. He could hear the distant bleating of goats and sheep from the pens behind several large barns, telling Koda that the villagers had either been successful in finding replacements or had discovered some of their livestock had escaped the depredations of the trolls.

Learning that the strange party comprised their fellows returning to the village with guests made the hunters and tribesfolk of the Silent Plains much more welcoming.

The hunters and warriors of the tribe flowed in a group around them, chattering with those who had traveled with Koda, awed by the speed with which they’d covered the terrain. There were an eager few who descended on the returning traders to see if they’d been successful in finding something particular, such as a new spearhead or knife.

It only took a hundred yards before the women of the tribe engaged with Koda’s girls as well. Samira’s gregarious nature aided this, as the caracal woman called out to people she recognized and pointed them out to the girls. Arthene continued to draw stares, as the woman towered half a head or more over everyone save Koda, her garb in this weather making her even more notable than normal.

Soon, there was a crowd walking all around the sleigh as Koda towed it along through the frozen streets, chattering animatedly and laughing despite the chill in the air. The churned mud of the street made for rougher going, but the sleigh’s runners were more than up to the task, since Koda did not slow down at all.

“Again, I have to thank you for everything you have done for us, Champion Aegisclaw,” Vysin was saying as Koda pulled the sleigh through a rough patch, shattering the earth under the sleigh’s runners and making his harness creak. “The village recovered quickly and made repairs before the snow hit. Driving the trolls off preserved most of our supplies, with only our herds being decimated.”

“They weren’t driven off, Vysin,” Koda reminded him pointedly. “We exterminated them. Driving them off implies that they might remain a threat in the wilds.” He wasn’t sure why, but the way Vysin had said that irked Koda, and he had to suppress that anger.

“You are correct, Champion,” Vysin was quick to respond, bowing his head rapidly. “That is what I meant. It is just that there was no evidence of them being defeated to show the other tribes when they asked, as you were so thorough in destroying the bodies.”

“Leaving dead trolls lying about is a great way to attract more of their kind, I was told,” Koda answered curtly as the meeting hall came into view.

“That is also true,” Vysin hedged, clearly hesitant about continuing the subject. “But most would have kept a skull or something as a trophy…”

“Most are stupid,” Arthene growled, having gotten to the headman without being noticed despite her size. “If a troll can sniff out any remains of their kind that have not been purified and ground down to the earth, they can devour that to claim back some of Oluk’s power.”

Arthene’s words made Vysin twitch, but the elder did not argue with the incarnate spirit, something that Koda found amusing.

While Arthene happily obeyed Koda, most who knew the large woman considered her his superior. Given that she was the incarnation of a primal spirit—and basically a demigoddess in her own right under Thera—it made sense that she would outrank him in the eyes of the faithful.

“Something I hope to address to the doubters,” Vysin said in agreement with Arthene’s previous statement. “Those doubters who have brought it up always question why we cannot find any remains of the trolls. Their bones are dense and strong, and bones are notorious for enduring fire as at least fragments.”

“My mate buried those bones, encasing them in stone to ensure that they remained out of reach of any trolls to return to the area—” Koda began, annoyance in his tone, before Vysin interrupted him.

“Indeed, I remember that part. Samira told me about it before she left, as well as a number of other tales. They would have sounded fanciful if not for the exhibition of power that we saw when your mate created shelters for our people from the earth itself. I do not doubt what you did—I am just relaying the issues that were brought up by the tribes that visited.”

“They will soon learn the folly of questioning the honesty of my mate and the power of our wives,” Arthene growled, the tone of her words rumbling and low, far lower than a human throat should have been able to produce.

With Arthene getting angry about it, Koda got a handle on his emotions instead. He reached out to catch her forearm with one hand and give it an affectionate squeeze. The touch was like flipping a switch; it dismissed the large woman’s anger and replaced it with an affectionate smile she bestowed on Koda.

“I can understand their doubt, since it’s been so long since something positive has happened. But I sincerely hope that none of them are disrespectful in their approach,” Koda said once Arthene had calmed down. “I don’t mind answering questions and assuaging doubts, but I don’t have time to put up with people being obstinate and insulting.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem. Not anymore, at least,” Vysin said quickly, his face morphing into a relieved expression as Koda calmed the incarnate spirit with a touch.

“Oh?” Koda asked curiously. Vysin nodded quickly at that and hooked a thumb over his shoulder.

“No, not after the display you made hauling a fully loaded sleigh like a team of reindeer. And definitely not after Melia and Jordan finish filling in their heads when they arrive.”

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The interior of the meeting hall was warm and smoky from the large, central firepits which burned to warm it. Not that the pits were needed, given the sheer number of bodies crammed into the building.

Built down into the earth to help insulate it, the wood-and-stone building was about half the size of a football field. It had enough seating for every member of the tribe to settle in and talk, filling the space with the rumble of conversation.

Samira had explained this to him before, that the tribe would gather and talk like this during the winter. The central hall was easier to heat than individual homes for longer periods, and it gave the community an opportunity to socialize while they completed minor tasks.

Men and women tended to tools and sharpened weapons, passing different whetstones back and forth as needed. Others mended clothes or baskets woven of dried reeds. Several large looms sat against one wall, clattering away as elders taught their juniors how to weave cloth and patterns during this quiet time.

Through it all, though, conversation flowed. Elders taught the young tales of their tribes, showed them how to fletch arrows or treat leather, and just told stories. The hunters who had come with Cyrus repeated the story of their speedy transit on the sleigh again and again, as well as the other casual feats of strength they’d witnessed Koda and his mates perform on the journey.

Gossip reigned supreme, though, as expected. Everyone liked a juicy story, and while Koda talked with Vysin, Cyrus, Melia, and Jordan, he could hear their stories going back and forth.

“I just don’t understand how none of you are with child yet!” exclaimed an older beastfolk woman with lynx ears poking through her hair. “Surely he doesn’t work constantly.”

“Oh, it is not for lack of trying,” Sienna answered with a shake of her head, sending her red hair swaying. The dimmer light inside the room helped hide her blush, but Koda could see the faint coloration on her cheeks.

“You aren’t taking any herbs, right? There are some that can throw off your moon cycle and make it harder to catch,” advised another woman, this one far younger and sporting an obvious baby-bump under her dress. She sat close to the fire, being fussed over by several other women.

“No, no herbs,” Arthene answered for Sienna, the bigger woman sitting cross-legged on the ground between Sienna and Calandra. “And I know Koda isn’t taking anything either.”

“And none of you have had any luck so far?” a third woman asked, her face pinched with worry. “That makes me fear that there is a problem with—”

“No, trust me,” Calandra interrupted with a wave of her hand and a laugh. “There is no problem with Koda’s virility.”

That comment set off a storm of giggles amongst the women that drew the attention of others, who drifted over to the group to see what they were talking about.

“I apologize for the ladies of our tribe,” Vysin murmured to Koda when he noticed the Champion’s distraction. “They are excited for the next generation, and celebrate every birth. I think some of the older women were hoping for good news on that front, so they could pass along their wisdom to your mates.”

“It doesn’t bother me,” Koda answered quickly, though he could feel his ears burning as complete strangers asked some very prying questions of his wives.

He’d have shut down the prying, but his girls didn’t hesitate to answer everything, from how often they made love, to how vigorous they were in the bedroom, as the women of the tribe tried to figure out why he hadn’t gotten his mates pregnant yet.

“Better to leave the women to it. They know the most about pregnancy as it is their bodies that craft the child,” Jordan said with a sage nod that was ruined by the bemused snort from Melia. The harsh woman had mellowed some in the last few days, and gave Jordan a one-armed shove.

“Of course you’d say that. Your mind is too shallow to fully comprehend what a woman’s body goes through, anyway.”

“Just because I can’t comprehend it doesn’t mean I cannot appreciate the wonder of the entire affair,” Jordan protested, waving his hands to block the next shove. “Besides, I’m sure that Aegisclaw knows enough that he has to put it in the right—ack!”

This time, Melia didn’t just shove Jordan, but elbowed him in the side hard enough that the horned man doubled over with a groan.

“You deserved that,” Cyrus said dryly, causing Jordan to groan a second time, more theatrically.

“Disregard the violence and the cretin, please,” Vysin murmured, trying to drag their conversation back to the earlier topics. “So Melia and Jordan are here representing their own tribes, along with a delegation. There are three more tribes that sent word they’d be joining us, and I expect them in the next few days.”

“But the storm may affect that, yes?” Koda asked, happy to accept the distraction. He still caught Arthene beginning to tell a rather lurid rendition of her first time with him, though Sienna’s protests cut off the bear woman, sending her into fits of laughter instead.

“Yes. If their groups had to turn back, then that is understandable. They aren’t late yet, but if we do not see them within the next week, then I would assume they are not coming.”

“I can’t fault that,” Koda said with a nod. “The weather would inhibit normal travel unless you were ready for it. The sleigh was an unexpected boon from my headwoman and allowed us to move far quicker than before.”

“Not to mention your mate’s magic and your own strength?” Vysin said dryly, raising one graying eyebrow in amusement.

“Those two would have still helped us travel, but it all hinged on the sleigh. Without it, we wouldn’t have been able to cover the ground as quickly and might have had to decline instead,” Koda answered.

On the other side of Vysin, Cyrus nodded his agreement to that. The older hunter had explained to Koda the different ways the hunters would still travel the plains during the winter. But without the extra tools and supplies, it would have made the journey much harder.

“Not to mention the fact the cold doesn’t seem to bother you much,” Melia said, turning her attention away from tormenting Jordan, allowing the horned man to scoot further away from her. “I don’t know how you did it, because I was near freezing even under the blankets and hides with how fast you were moving.”

“My cloak helped a lot,” Koda said with a shrug. Cyrus, Jordan, and Melia all shot him disbelieving looks at that.

“Bison hide cloaks are common garb for our hunters,” Vysin explained slowly. “But even they are not perfect against the cold of the winter. I would expect that the goddess has bolstered you against the chill somehow, either intentionally or as a side effect of your status. I’ve noticed that the Den Mother does not seem bothered by the cold either.”

Koda couldn’t really argue with that, as Arthene had been even less concerned with staying bundled up than he was. The only reason she’d spent time in the sleigh under the blankets was because Koda’s other mates had asked her to come in and snuggle with them for warmth. And if Arthene was one thing, she was a sucker for cuddles from her lovers.

“Regardless,” Koda said with a wave of his hand to push the conversation onwards, “we got here and that is that. And we are waiting for the other tribes whom you contacted to arrive with their trading groups. Cyrus mentioned you had some leads on a few other sites of power that I might claim for the Pack Lady?”

“Indeed, that is the case,” Vysin’s wrinkled face split with a large smile. “It took some time to speak with the knowledge keepers and the hunters so that we could separate fact from story. But there are two more locations that I think might fit the bill in our territory.”

“I know of at least one on the border of our lands,” Melia suggested helpfully.

“And I can think of at least two for ours,” Jordan volunteered, resuming his seat now that he was safely out of range of Melia’s retribution. “We can talk with the others from our tribes to see if they know more, but that would require traveling further across the plains. If not for the speed of your sleigh travel, I wouldn’t mention them. But…”

Jordan let the sentence trail off, and Koda was quick to pick up on the horned man’s suggestion.

“But I can easily head out there to claim them and get back myself. But I’d need guides that could keep up or bring them with me.”

Jordan dipped his head in agreement with Koda’s statement, a broad smile crossing his face.

“I wouldn’t object to tagging along to guide you, if you don’t mind. I’ve never traveled that fast before and I would dearly love to experience it again.”

“As loath as I am to admit it,” Melia interjected, “I am the same. If you give us tonight to talk with our people, we could set out in the morning to make a large loop of these sites and then double back to the village. Normally, I wouldn’t want to travel more than I had to during this season. But the opportunity speaks for itself.”

“It would be best to not overload the sleigh,” Koda murmured as he thought it over. “That way, we can travel quicker and get back sooner. I’d hate to leave on this errand while we wait for the others, only to have them turn up the day after and then leave before we get back.”

“I doubt that will be an issue,” Vysin reassured him with a low laugh. “If the other tribe’s representatives make it, then they will want to wait to meet with you in order to make the trip worth it.”

“I can speak with Samira and give her the locations that I have,” Cyrus offered. “She should have no problem guiding you to the locations in our territory. If you take just her, Melia, and Jordan with you, then your speed is guaranteed.”

“I’d need Calandra as well—her magic with wind will speed us further,” Koda muttered, glancing over at his dwarven mate.

As if she could feel his eyes on her, Calandra glanced his way. The firelight glimmered in her olive-colored eyes while she sent him a loving smile. Koda returned the smile and winked at her, which surprisingly made the dwarven woman blush.

“What about Sienna to prepare campsites?” Jordan suggested, not noticing the interaction between Koda and Calandra.

“I’ll ask her, but I think she’ll probably want to stay behind. I know she was the one who masterminded the idea of bringing supplies to trade with the Silent Plains, so she may want to stay behind to handle that,” Koda said with a shrug. “I’ll talk to her tonight and figure things out in the morning. How close is the first site?”

“Less than two days travel on foot normally,” Cyrus said thoughtfully, tapping two fingers against his chin while he considered. “With the sleigh and your Calandra’s magic, maybe half a day?”

“Then we can set out at noon tomorrow,” Koda said with a nod. “That will let us all get a good night’s rest without having to rush, and let you two talk to your companions.”

Melia and Jordan nodded in understanding, both suppressing grins while their eyes shone happily. Koda could tell that they both knew what this meant. If Koda claimed a site of power within their clan’s territories, then a shrine for Thera would form there. And that would be a boon that their tribes would not hesitate to accept.