Night World : Soulmate Chapter 5

Hana rancid and hurried up the riverbank. The woman screaming was Sada, her mothers sister and thegirl who was stumbling beside her was Ryl, Hanas little cousin-german.Ryl was a more or less girl, ten years old. But right now she flavored dazed and almost unconscious. And herneck and the front of her leather tunic were smeared with blood.What happened? Hana gasped, running to hurl her arms or so her cousin.She was pop looking for new greens. I put up her lying on the ground-I thought she was dead Sadasface contorted in grief. She was speaking rapidly, almost incoherently. And look at this-look at herneckOn Ryls pale neck, in the center of the blood, Hana could just make out two small marks. They looked similar the marks of clear-sighted teeth-but further two teeth.It had to be an animal, Ket breathed from behind Hana. But what animal only leaves the marks of twoteeth?Hanas heart felt tight and peculiarly heavy at once- equivalent a stvirtuoso falling inside her. Sada was a l installspeaking.It wasnt an animal She says it was a man, a boy She says he threw her vote out and fleck her-and hedrank her blood. Sada began to sob, clutching Ryl to her. Why would he want to do that? Oh, please,somebody help me My daughters been hurtRyl just stared dazedly over her mothers arm.Ket said faintly, A boyHana gulped and said, Lets select her to experienced Mother But and so she stopped and looked toward theriver.The hands were driving the odd up the bank. He was snarling, terrified and angry-but when he sawRyl, his expression changed.He stared at her, his wounded animal eyeball sick and dismayed. To Hana, it seemed as if he could hardlystand to look at her, but he couldnt look away. His respect was fixed on the little girls throat.And then he turned away, his eyes shut, his tip falling into his hands. Ein truth movement showed anguish.It was as if all the fight had deceased out of him at once.Hana looked back and forth in horror from the girl with blood on her throat to the unidentifiedr with blood on his mouth. The connection was unmistakable and nobody had to make it out loud.But why? she thought, feeling nauseated and dizzy. Why would anybody want to drink a girls blood?No animal and no human did that.He must be a demigod after all.Arno stepped forward. He gripped Ryls chin gently, turning her head toward the stranger.Was he the one who attacked you?Ryls dazed eyes stared straight ahead-and then she suddenly seemed to focus. Her pupils got big andshe looked at the face of the stranger. indeed she started screaming.Screaming and screaming, hands flying up to cover her eyes. Her mother began to sob, rocking her.Some of the men began to shout at the stranger, jabbing spears at him, over inject with shock and horror.All the sounds merged together in a terrifying cacophony in Hanas head.Hana found herself apprehension. She reached automatically for little Ryl, not bashing how to comfort her.Ket was crying. Sada was wailing as sh e held her child. People were streaming out of the limestone cave,yelling, trying to find out what all the disruption was about.And through it all, the stranger huddled, his eyes shut, his face a mask of grief.Arnos voice rose above the others. I think we hunters know what to do with him. This is no womb-to-tomb amatter for shamans He was looking at Hana as he said it.Hana looked back. She couldnt speak. There was no reason for her to care what happened to thestranger-but she did care. He had hurt her cousin but he was so wretched, so unhappy. by chance he couldnt help it, she thought suddenly. She didnt know where the idea came from, but it wasthe kind of instinct that made Old Mother say she should be a shaman. Maybe he didnt wantto do it, but something drove him to. And now hes sorry and ashamed. Maybe oh, I dont knowStill trembling, she found herself speaking out loud again. You cant just efface him. You have to take himto Old Mother.Its none of her businessIts her business if hes a demon Youre just co-leader, Arno. You take care of the hunting. But OldMother is the leader in spiritual things.Arnos face went tight and angry. Fine, then, he said. We take him to Old Mother. scoke with their spears, the men drove the stranger into the cave. By then, most of the people of the clique had ga in that respectd around and they were muttering angrily.Old Mother was the oldest woman in the clan- the nifty grandmother of Hana and Ryl and almost every(prenominal)body. She had a face covered with wrinkles and a body like a dried stick. But her dark eyes werefull of wisdom. She was the clans shaman. She was the one who interceded directly with the EarthGoddess, the Bright Mother, the Giver of Life who was above all other spirits.She listened to the story seriously, sitting on her leather palette while the others herd around her.Hana edged close to her and Ryl was placed in her lap.They want to slaughter him, Hana murmured in the old womans ear when the story was o ver. But look athis eyes. I know hes sorry, and I think maybe he didnt mean to hurt Ryl. Can you talk to him, OldMother?Old Mother knew a apportion of different languages shedtraveled very far when she had been young. But now, after trying several, she shook her head.Demons dont speak human languages, Arno said scornfully. He was standing with his spear ready .although the stranger squatting in front of the old woman showed no signs of trying to run away.Hes not a demon, Old Mother said, with a seveie glance at Amo. Then she added slowly, But hescertainly not a man, either. Im not sure what he is. The Goddess has never told me anything aboutpeople like him.Then obviously the Goddess isnt interested, Arno said with a shrug. Let the hunters take care of him.Hana gripped the old womans thin shoulder. Old Mother put a twiglike hand on Hanas. Her dark eyeswere grave and sad.The one thing we do know is that hes capable of great harm, she said softly. Im sorry, child, but Ithink Arno is r ight. Then she turned to Arno. Its getting dark. Wed better shut him up somewheretowickedness then in the morning we can decide what to do with him. Maybe the Goddess will tell mesomething about him as I sleep.But Hana knew better. She saw the look on Arnos face as he and the other hunters led the strangeraway. And she heard the refrigerating and angry muttering of others in the clan.In the morning the stranger would die. Unpleasantly, if Arno had his way.It was probably what he deserved. It was none of Hanas business. But that night, as she lay on herleather pallet underneath her warm furs, she couldnt sleep.It was as if the Goddess were poking her, telling her that something was wrong. Something had to bedone. And there was nobody else to do it.Hana thought about the look of anguish in the strangers eyes.Maybe if he went somewhere far away he couldnt hurt other people. Out on the steppes therewere no people to hurt. Maybe that was what the Goddess wanted. Maybe he was some cre ature thathad wandered out of the spirit world and the Goddess would be angry if he were Jailed.Hana didnt know she wasnt a shaman fef. All she knew was that she felt pity for the stranger and shecouldnt keep still any wanter. A short time before dawn she got up. Very quietly, she went to the back of the cave and picked up aspare water skin and some hard patties of traveling food. Then she crept to the side cave where thestranger was shut up.The hunters had set a sort of fence in front of the cave, like the fences they utilize to trap animals. It wasmade of branches and bones lashed together with cords. A hunter was beside the fence, one hand on hisspear. He was leaning back against the cave wall, and he was asleep with his mouth open.Hana edged past him. Her heart was pounding so loudly she was certain it would wake him up. But thehunter didnt move.Slowly, carefully, Hana pulled one side of the fence outward.From the darkness inside the cave, two eyes gleamed at her, throwing ba ck the light of the fire.Hana pressed fingers against her mouth in a sign to be quiet, then beckoned.It was only then that she realized exactly how dangerous what she was doing was. She was letting himout-what was to stop him from race past her and into the main cave, grabbing people and biting them?But the stranger did no such thing. He didnt move. He sat and his two eyes glowed at Hana.Hes not going to come, she realized. He wont.She beckoned again, more urgently.The stranger still sat. Hanas eyes were getting used to the darkness in the side cave and now she couldsee that he was shaking his head. He was determined to stay here and let the clan kill him.Hana got mad.Balancing the fence precariously, she jabbed a finger at the stranger, then jerked a thumb over hershoulder. You-out the gesture meant. She put behind it all the authority of a descendant of OldMothers, a woman destined to be co-leader of the clan someday.And when the stranger didnt obey immediately, she reached for him.That scared him. He shrank back, seeming more alarmed than he had at anything else that had happenedso far. He seemed afraid for her to touch him.Afraid he might hurt me, Hana thought. She didnt know what put the idea into her mind. And she didntwaste time inquire about it. She simply pressed her advantage, reaching for him again, using his fearto make him go where she wanted him to.She herded him into the main cave and through it. They both moved like shadows among the sheltersbuilt a commodious either side of the cave, Hana feeling certain that they were about to be caught any minute. Butnobody caught them.When they got outside she guided him toward the river. Then she pointed downstream. She put the food and the waterskin in his hands and made distributedgestures that meant, Go far away. Very far away. Very, very far. She was going into a pantomimeindicating what Arno would do with his spear if the stranger ever came back when she noticed the wayhe was looking at her.The mo on was up and so bright that she could see every detail of the strange boys face. And now hewas looking at her steadily, with the quiet concentration of a hunting animal, a carnivore. At the analogous timethere was something bleak and terribly human in his eyes.Hana stopped her pantomime. All at once, the space around the cave seemed very large, and she feltvery small. She heard night noises, the croaking of frogs and the rushing of the river, with a peculiarintensity.I should never have brought him out here. Im alone with him out here. What was I thinking?There was a long pause while they stood looking at each other silently. The strangers eyes were verydark, as bottomless and ageless as Old Mothers. Hana could see that his eyelashes were long and sherealized again, dimly, that he was handsome.He lifted the packet of traveling food, looked at it, then with a sudden gesture he threw it on the ground.He did the same with the waterskin. Then he sighed.Hana was bristling, going from f ear to annoyance and back again. What was he doing? Did he think shewas trying to poison him? She picked up thefood packet, broke a piece of traveling food off and put it in her mouth. Chewing, she extended thepacket toward him again. She made gestures from packet to mouth, saying out loud, You need to eat,food. corrode EatHe was watching her steadily. He took the packet from her, touched his mouth, and shook his head. Hedropped it at his feet again.He means it isnt food to him.Hana realized it with a shock. She stood and stared at the strange boy.The food isnt food to him and the water isnt drink. But Ryls blood he drank that.Blood is his food and drink.There was another long pause. Hana was very frightened. Her mouth was trembling and disunite had cometo her eyes. The stranger was still looking at her quietly, but she could see the fangs indenting his lower lipnow and his eyes were reflecting moonlight.He was looking at her throat.Were out here alone he could have attacked me at any time, Hana thought. He could attack me rightnow. He looks very strong. But he hasnt touched me. tied(p) though hes starving, I think. And he looks sogrieved, so sad and so hungry.Her thoughts were tumbling like a piece of bark tossed on the river. She felt very dizzy. It hurt Ryl but it didnt kill Ryl. Ryl was sitting up and eating before we all went to sleep tonight. OldMother said shes going to get well.If it didnt kill her, it wouldnt kill me.Hana swallowed. She looked at the strange boy with the glowing animal eyes. She saw that he wasntgoing to move toward her even though a fine trembling had taken over his body and he couldnt seem tolook away from her neck.What good does it do to send him off starving? Theres no other clan near here. Hell just have to comeback. And I was right before he doesnt want to do it, but he has to do it. Maybe somebody put a curseon him, made it so he starves unless he drinks blood.Theres nobody else to help him.Very slowly, her eyes on the str anger, Hana lifted the hairsbreadth from one side of her neck. She exposed herthroat, leaning her head back slightly.Hunger sparked in the strange boys eyes-and then something blazed in them so quickly and so tropic that itswallowed up the hunger. Shock and anger. He was staring at her face, now, not her neck. He shook hishead vehemently, glaring.Hana touched her neck and then her mouth, then made the far-flung gestures. Eat. Then go away.And for the Goddesss sake, hurry up, she thought, shutting her eyes. Before I panic and change mymind. She was crying now. She couldnt help it. She clenched her fists and her teeth and waited grimly,trying to hang on to her resolve.When he touched her for the first time, it was to take her hand.Hana opened her eyes. He was looking at her with such infinite sadness. He smoothed out her fist gently,then kissed her hand. Among any people, it was a gesture of gratitude and reverence.And it sent startling tingles through Hana. A feeling that was almos t like shivers, but warm. A lightness inher head and a weakness in her legs. A sense of awe and wonder that shed only ever felt before whenOld Mother was teaching her to come about with the Goddess.She could see startled reaction in the strangers eyes, too. He was feeling the same things, and they wereequally new to him. Hana knew that. But then he dropped her hand quickly and she knew that he wasalso afraid. The feelings were dangerous-because they drew the two of them together.One long moment while they stood and she saw moonlight in his eyes.Then he turned to go.Hana watched him, her throat aching, erudite he was going to die.And somehow that wrenched her insides in a way shed never experienced before. Although she keptherself standing still, with her head high, she could feel the tears running down her cheeks. She didnt know why she felt this way-but it hurt her terribly. It was as if she were losing something infinitelyprecious before shed had a chance to know it.The future s eemed gray, now. Empty. Lonely.Cold and desolate, she stood by the rushing river and felt the wind blow through her. So aloneHannah Hannah Wake upSomeone was shouting, but it wasnt a voice from her cave. It sounded-faraway-and seemed to comefrom all directions, or maybe from the sky itself.And it was saying her name wrong.Hannah, wake up Please Open your eyes The faraway voice was frantic.And then there was another voice, a quiet voice that seemed to strike a chord deep inside Hana. Avoice that was even less like sound, and that spoke in Hanas mind.Hannah, come back. You dont have to relive all this. Wake up. Come back, Hannah-now.Hana of the Three Rivers dosed her eyes and went limp.