Dream of a City of Ruin: Dreams of QaiMaj Book II

Chapter 4: The Traveling Camp: Stasia

After several hours of rushing over ice, tiny white hills appeared in the distance. As they came closer, Stasia saw that it was a group of about twenty ice caves, covered with the soft snow left by the storm. Deep cuts in the snow ran from cave to cave, and children played in these cuts, throwing handfuls of snow at each other. Smoke rose from the roofs. A large fire burned in the center of the camp, and around it, women were hanging strips of meat on racks to dry.

A shout sounded when they were spotted, and a rush of spear-bearing warriors hurried to greet them. Stasia tensed. She could not fight them off without wasting so many vaerce that the loss would kill her. She drew T'Jas from the ice, but only held it, ready.

Hakua stood in front of the tallest ice cave. Dismounted, he was a surprisingly short man, brown and stout like Maia, with dark, narrow eyes and sleek black hair tied back like Dynat's. The long, hollow boareal tusk hung at his belt, and he leaned on a spear whose butt had sunk into the snow. He watched the party approaching with a steady gaze worthy of a king.

In spite of Maia's assurances, Hakua looked as if he longed to spit the lot of them with his spear. But as the runners stopped and Maia stepped down and began chattering in the language of the Khell, his expression changed.

He smiled wide, showing rows of straight, white teeth. "I am Hakua of the Liathua Khell. Welcome to the Liathua Traveling Camp. I must apologize for my haste in capturing you before. We meet unfriendly tribes on the ice, and it is always safer to take captives than risk an attack. Maia has assured me that you mean my tribe no harm, and so you are welcome."

He was lying. Maia had already told Stasia that the Liathua took captives to give to the Dhuciri. That had been his true intention. The lie irked her and increased her sense of misgiving. Dealing with Hakua would be like dealing with the Council. She needed shelter and food in this land, and with him in charge, she would have to be diplomatic.

She stepped around Maia and put a fist over her heart in the way of the Iskalon salute. "I accept your apology and your welcome, Chief. I am Stasia, Chieftess of Iskalon. I thank you for your hospitality. I trust we won't be too much trouble."

If he was shocked by her sudden aging, he hid it well. Dynat followed her lead, introducing himself simply as Dynat of Chraun, and Hakua said, "Maia has said you will ride with us to Pebble Beach. She also said that this will become a storm" he gestured at the grey ceiling "so we will be trapped here a little longer. I have ordered an egla built for Maia, which she will share with you, our honored visitors."

"Stasia will have her own egla," Maia said swiftly. "She is Chieftess of her people, and a Healer and Chief cannot live under the same roof."

Hakua's eyes narrowed, and his gaze shifted to Dynat, as if seeing him for the first time. Dynat stood up off the sledge and walked a few paces forward to face Hakua, his height giving him the advantage. Stasia held her breath. Would he do something stupid and endanger them both?

"I will have my cloak back now, Semija."

The man glanced at Maia again, as if looking for help. She stared back unblinkingly. A snarl crossed the Khell chief's face, but it was quickly replaced by the same placating smile he'd started with. He turned without a word and hunched over, crawling into his dwelling. The world seemed to go still with waiting. Even the sounds of the children playing seemed to fade.

When the chief emerged, he still wore that sickly smile. He handed Dynat his cloak, and Dynat shouldered it with enthusiasm, disappearing into its dark shelter. Stasia could practically feel him warming up inside it.

There was a tense silence, and then another figure emerged from the egla behind Hakua. She brushed past Hakua and spoke rapidly in the Khell language. She was even shorter and more heavy-set than Maia, but her features were different. Her eyes were a soft, glowing brown where Maia's were dark pools. She wore so many strands of beads and shells that Stasia could scarcely see her leathers underneath them.