No Hands but My Own

Chapter 16 - Curiosity

Sle and I walked back to our latest camp in silence. I was sure that Sle was irate -- I would have been furious if he had acted the same way towards me but I was beyond caring.

It was bad enough to know that I had killed (and this was the truth I was avoiding) for no reason other than to make a statement but to have family throw in it in my face, to doubt my own loathsome actions; that was beyond my very comprehension. It was too painful. And so we walked in silence, both of us mulling over the problem of how to fill this new gnawing gap.

A voice broke into our musings. "Canium. Sle. We have a problem." Gahnenal appeared, his face creased perplexedly.

The hairs at the back of my neck raised. I was picturing another scene of destruction -- this time of the meager makeshift little lean-tos that were our new home. The image of our latest camp decimated by a handful of goading riders, while the rest of our little family lay crushed underfoot flashed before my eyes. My body stiffened as if preparing for a blow and my eyes widened as the panic resting in my chest crawled its way upwards, its sharp claws choking me.

Sle must have had the same reaction as I did as Gahnenal immediately tried to calm us, raising his hands as if we were wild beasts. He spoke in a low, soothing tone. "Some members of the other clans have shown up."

"What?" Sle and I echoed at the same time.

"Yeah. They want to join us. Go against the invading King." Gahnenal's voice barely contained his excitement. Sle and I looked at one another, bewildered. No one had ever wanted to voluntarily associate with us before -- it had all been a matter of courtesy and tradition.

A terrifying possibility occurred to me. "Did you take them to the camp?" I asked anxiously.

"Of course not. I found them meandering around -- making a hell of a lot of noise actually -- a good ways away. I brought them here. It's still pretty far from camp for anyone who doesn't know how to get there."

I nodded agreement. 

"Who showed up?" Sle was watching Gahnenal, head tilted and eyes sharp.

"Two Oncorhynchion, one Hapagornian, and three Smilidian."

I blinked in surprise; quite a number of our old neighbors seemed to have changed their minds about associating with our clan.  

"They've got some news that they wanted to tell you." Gahnenal looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to break the awkward pause.

"Lead the way, Gahnenal."

We had walked for about five minutes when we could hear their chattering voices ringing out clearly through the woods. I sent Sle a dubious look; he returned it with a shrug. It was almost like these people had never lived in the woods before. A new bairn would be quieter.

We picked up our pace slightly and within a few minutes we could see the slightly obscured outlines of the new-comers. I signalled to Gahnenel and Sle to continue and join the strange group -- I wanted to see what these new folk looked like. Tying the heavy bags across my body, I shimmied up the nearest tree gingerly.

They were all young. Admittedly, they were no pups but it was clear that none of the young adults had been trained. I sighed as I watched them mill around Sle and Gahnenal excitedly. I did not want to go down there and become surrounded by those high-pitched, much-too-loud adolescents.

I rested my cheek on my hand as I sat and stared at their chaotic movements between the brush. Three of the tourists were loudly proclaiming their importance and gesticulating wildly. I could see Sle's expression from above and I sniggered. He did not look impressed at all. Gahnenal was wearing a sheepish expression -- all too aware of the new-comers lack of decorum.