The Broken Land by W. Michael Gear Read Free Book Online

the older women listen to you?”
    Zateri wet her lips, and her protruding front teeth flashed with firelight. “They’ll have to. As the leader of the Matrons’ Council, I could directly influence the outcome of decisions. Now I am but one very small voice in the din.”
    He hesitated, afraid to ask the question that was making his throat ache. “Then, you’re leaning toward agreeing to the high matron’s request?”
    After a long time, she said, “Maybe.”
    She turned her face away to stare at their daughters again, and her eyes tightened with the weight of the decision. “When is the War Council tomorrow?”
    “Just after dawn.”
    “Dawn,” she repeated in a forlorn voice and squeezed her eyes closed. “You’re leaving tomorrow afternoon. No one has seen Sky Messenger in over one-half moon. What makes you think you can find him?”
    “If he truly wants to hide, I won’t. I’m just hoping he needs a friend.”
    “Well,” she said with authority, “you know he does. The news has been running the trails like wildfire. Every Trader who enters our village says that Matron Kittle has accused him of treason and made him Outcast. Do you think he really helped the Flint captives escape?”
    “I do … and you and I both know why. None of us can tolerate taking child captives.”
    “Yes, but declaring him Outcast without hearing his side of the story seems extreme to me.”
    “He also abandoned his war party, Zateri. That’s not in question. He was deputy. No high matron could condone such a breach.”
    “I pray he went back to Baji. Perhaps they married, as they intended, and all is well.”
    “Perhaps, but I think such news would have reached us by now. His desertion of the Standing Stone nation would be a great coup for the Flint People. They would be paying every passing Trader to carry the news far and wide.”
    She filled her lungs and expelled the words, “If anything happens to him, it will crush my heart, too.”
    Hadui thrashed the leather curtain that covered the longhouse entry and blasted his way down the central corridor, throwing ashes high into the smoky air. Dogs leaped up barking, searching for the intruder, while people cursed and rolled over to go back to sleep.
    “What if you don’t find him?”
    Hiyawento tilted his head and shrugged. “I’ll return home.”
    “How long?”
    “You mean how long will I give myself to search? One moon. No more.”
    She flipped over, threw her arms around his neck, and hugged him fiercely. “One moon. One entire moon. So much can happen in that amount of time. Be careful. Promise me you’ll take no foolish chances. You are my heart and my strength. I couldn’t stand to lose you.”
    “I will be careful. Now,” he said and pulled slightly away from her to face her, “promise me something.”
    “What is it?”
    “Promise me you will not make your decision about the high matron’s offer until I return.”
    Her delicate brows drew together over her wide nose. “Grandmother has scheduled another Wolf Clan meeting three days from now. I promise you I will try to stall them, but I may not be able to. Why did you ask that?”
    Barely above a whisper, he said, “Your father.”
    Zateri rolled onto her elbows, her dark hair hanging in a torrent to the bedding hides. Her voice was thoughtful, but not surprised. “So you think he’s behind this, too?”
    “Chief Atotarho always has hidden motives.” Across the fire, he saw Pedeza cock an ear. Had he spoken so loudly? He lowered his voice, “I suspect he wants you in his village for another reason.”
    “Perhaps because if grandmother dies, and I do not return home to take up my rightful position as high matron, our clan may lose its right to rule, and the next clan, undoubtedly the Bear Clan, will replace him as chief?”
    A hard smile edged his lips. That was something few people noticed about Zateri. Beneath her slow words lurked a stiletto-sharp mind with an almost supernatural sensitivity