“Tell the mothers they can keep their cubs for the day,” Thakur growled. “I don’t feel like teaching. I may be doing some other things, such as asking a lot of questions. Maybe I should start now.” He raised himself up and started to crawl out of the den, but Ratha put a paw on his back.
“No,” she said. “You stay here. If there are any questions to ask, I will ask them and I will bring you the answers.”
“I suppose you can get better ones than I can.” Thakur laid his head on his paws again.
His dejection and the misery in his voice made Ratha hot with indignant anger. Whoever had taken the treeling or driven it away had done more than deprive Thakur of a companion. They had stolen his hope and wounded him badly.
She licked him gently on the forehead, trying to comfort him in his grief and anger. At last he fell into a troubled sleep and she left, resolving that she would either find Aree or have her revenge on whoever had stolen the treeling.
Chapter Twelve
The face of the sunning rock was lit with orange as Ratha emerged into the night meadow. Against it, she could see the forms of the assembled Firekeepers, and in front of it, someone paced back and forth. Ratha could hear the drone of a voice mixed in with the hiss and roar of the bonfire.
Irritation stung her and quickly turned to anger. The Firekeepers were meeting again without her permission and without her knowledge. Again they had built the nest for their overfed fire right at the base of her sunning rock.
Too angry to feel unwelcome, Ratha galloped across the meadow and pushed her way through the gathered torchbearers until she faced the firelit form in front. She felt the warning touch of fear when she realized that it was Shongshar, not Fessran.
She looked for the Firekeeper leader and found her sitting off to the side. Her eyes were narrowed and cold, but suddenly they opened and a false welcoming expression forced itself onto Fessran’s face. That look on the face of one who had been a friend made Ratha’s belly twist and she looked away.
She turned instead toward the others and saw Bira sitting behind Khushi, crouching as if she wanted to hide. Nyang was in front of the crowd, gazing at Shongshar with a rapt expression and adoration glowing in his eyes. Someone else also sat in front, someone she had not expected to see.
The herder Shoman turned and stared at her, his eyes filled with uncertainty. Slowly he lowered his head and began to lick his foreleg. The motion drew Ratha’s gaze to his leg. She saw an ugly red streak that oozed and glistened in the orange light.
“Clan leader.” Fessran rose to break the tension that Ratha’s arrival had brought. “I am glad you have come. I was going to send Nyang to fetch you.”
Ratha ignored her. “Why is Shoman here? What happened to his leg?”
“Ask him,” said Shongshar and looked toward Shoman.
The herder answered, “I ... was warming myself by the herders’ fire. There were no Firekeepers there. I tried to give the Red Tongue more wood, but it grew angry and hurt me.”
“You have done wrong, Shoman,” said Fessran severely. “Only the Firekeepers may tend the Red Tongue. You should have gone and fetched one of us.”
“Why is he here?” Ratha demanded. “If he has done wrong, let Cherfan punish him since he is a herder, not a Firekeeper.”
“He has come to make amends,” answered Fessran. “He agreed to come and show the cubs what can happen if the fire-creature is angered by carelessness.”
Ratha looked again at Shoman. He crouched, huddled, nursing his leg and grimacing in pain. His glance was furtive and resentful. Fear flitted across his face as he caught Shongshar’s gaze; she knew he hadn’t come here by choice.
“All right!” she cried, suddenly sickened. “The cubs have seen enough. Shoman, go to Thakur and have your wound tended.”
Shoman slunk off into the darkness, limping. The look he gave Ratha was still heavy with resentment, but there was a strange tinge of relief in his eyes.
“We are glad you have come, clan leader,” said Fessran. “You have seen with your own eyes the danger the Red Tongue presents to herders, who are not trained to care for it properly.”
Ratha waited, trying not to twitch her tail. Fessran eyed her and continued, “As leader of the Firekeepers, I am asking you to forbid anyone to approach the Red Tongue unless one of us gives permission. This would prevent any of the herders from injuring themselves as Shoman did.”
“I am glad you are concerned about those who provide meat for the clan,” she answered, letting a little sarcasm creep into her voice. “However, I don’t think the herders would like it if they had to ask a Firekeeper for permission to warm themselves or see by the Red Tongue’s light.”
“Cubs do not like being forbidden to do dangerous things, but we must restrict them to keep them safe. Those who do not understand the fire-creature’s ways should not meddle with it,” said Fessran.
Ratha gathered her temper as she faced the Firekeeper leader. “Fessran, I understand your worry and I agree that there is some danger, but I wish to hear from the herders themselves before I make any decisions.”
“That is reasonable, clan leader,” Fessran answered.
Those who do not understand the fire-creature’s ways should not meddle with it. Ratha turned to the group, repeating Fessran’s words silently in her mind. Did that include Thakur and his treeling as well as ignorant herders?
She surveyed the gathering, looking briefly into each face, as if she could find an answer there. Some of the Firekeepers answered her gaze directly, some held hidden defiance and others were uncertain or afraid.
“All of you know the herding teacher Thakur and the treeling he carries on his back,” said Ratha. “Some of you were at the gathering where he showed us how Aree could tend the fire-creature.” She looked meaningfully at each one of them. “I have just spoken with Thakur. The treeling is gone. We can find no trace of him. I came here to ask if anyone has seen him or knows where he might be.”
“When did this happen?” Fessran said, and Ratha heard honest concern in her voice.
“This evening. He had to leave Aree in his den while he went to get thornwood. He says he wasn’t gone long and when he came back, Aree had vanished. Does anyone know where the treeling is?”
The Firekeepers looked at each other and muttered negatives. Ratha waited.
“Perhaps the tree-creature ran away and returned to his own kind,” said Shongshar, after a long silence.
“That is possible, but Thakur and I don’t think so.”
Fessran crossed in front of the fire and sat down beside Shongshar. “Poor Thakur. He really liked that queer little animal. I didn’t think that he should have taught the creature how to play with the Red Tongue, but I didn’t want Thakur to lose him.” She thought for a moment. “I suppose you are wondering why he disappeared this evening, since we were to see him perform again tomorrow.”
Fessran’s gaze softened and Ratha felt less irritated with her, although she could not allow her suspicion to relax. Either Fessran knew nothing about Aree’s disappearance or she was good at deceit.
“Yes, I was wondering about that,” Ratha admitted.
“I tell you honestly that I knew nothing about it until you came to this gathering. I don’t think Shongshar knew either.” She turned to her companion. “You were with me all day, so there was no way you could have known until Ratha told us.”
“I did not know, clan leader,” Shongshar said, but Ratha found it difficult to tell whether truth was hiding behind his orange gaze. Fessran had begun to pace back and forth, her tail shaking with indignant anger.
Ratha wondered if she was outraged because Thakur’s treeling had been taken or because her Firekeepers were under suspicion.