People of the Raven(41)
“Pitch!” Rain Bear dropped to one knee and said, “Roe, what happened?”
“Dzoo dragged him into camp, called me to tend his wound, and left. I don’t know anything else.”
“We were attacked,” Pitch said through gritted teeth. “Just outside of the village. We thought we’d lost them yesterday, but apparently not.”
Rain Bear said, “Where’s Dzoo?”
“She went after them.”
Rain Bear swung around to Dogrib. “Take a war party. Go.”
Dogrib left at a run.
Rain Bear looked at Roe. “How is he?”
She shook her head. Long red-brown hair draped the front of her cape. Roe looked a great deal like Tlikit, right down to her light brown eyes. “Once the bleeding stops, I’ll take a good look at the wound. The spear didn’t break the bone, though it may have nicked it. The important part now is to stop the bleeding.”
“Who attacked you?” an old gray-haired man demanded from the edge of the crowd. “Was it one of Cimmis’s assassins? Or Ecan’s warriors?”
The crowd went silent. Several people backed away, muttering with worry.
“I don’t know,” Pitch said with a gasp.
Rain Bear rose and faced the crowd. “We don’t know anything yet. I want you to stay vigilant. Know where your children are. Make sure that your elders are safe. There may be one North Wind warrior out there, or five tens.”
Some of the women pushed away through the crowd and sprinted for their lodges. The gaps they left were quickly filled as people jostled for new positions.
Rain Bear knelt again. “Pitch, you said you thought you’d lost them. So you knew you were being followed?”
“Yes.”
“How many were there?”
“I saw two, but there had to have been more.”
Rain Bear looked up when War Chief Talon pushed through the crowd, glared uneasily at the silent Evening Star, and turned his attention to Pitch.
Talon shoved his hair away from his dark eyes and squatted beside Rain Bear. “I sent my best trackers with Dogrib. We’ll find them.”
Rain Bear nodded in gratitude, his eyes boring into Pitch’s. “Tell me what you saw. Every detail.”
“Just glimpses of hide capes. I managed to cast my spear before I was wounded. I’m sure I got him. I stabbed another.”
“Were they Wolf Tails?” Talon asked. “Assassins?”
“Maybe. I don’t know.”
Rain Bear’s gaze went to the crowd, as though searching for the culprit, expecting to see him out there leering at them.
Pitch pulled his wounded arm forward, trying to ease the pain. Blood leaked around the edge of the bandage. Rain Bear scooped up snow and packed it onto the wound. Pitch shuddered, woozy, and wondered if he’d throw up again.
“I know it hurts. I’m sorry.”
Pitch bit his lip.
“Tell me about Antler Spoon’s village. Were you followed when you left? Is it possible that you were attacked by his villagers?”
“It’s possible … but not likely. We had problems …” He flinched when Rain Bear pressed harder on his wound. “Someone tried to kill Dzoo.”
Talon’s brown eyes slitted with deadly intent. “Who tried to kill Dzoo?”
“It’s … it’s a long story. A man they called ‘Coyote’ tried to buy Dzoo’s life from the elders.”
Rain Bear asked, “Buy her life? Are you telling me the elders had the audacity to try to sell Dzoo?”
Pitch groaned softly as he dug into his belt pouch and removed the bag of fetishes. “They tricked Coyote. Traded another woman in Dzoo’s place. For these.”
Rain Bear took the bag and poured the fetishes into his palm. Talon sucked in a worried breath. People moved forward, trying to see.
Talon murmured, “Hallowed Ancestors, don’t let anyone see those, or you’ll be the target of every starving person within a moon’s walk.”
Rain Bear cupped a hand over them, shielding them from sight. He shivered, as though chilled by the gorgeous obsidian fetishes. “Coyote made these?”
“Dzoo thought so.” Pitch paused to clench his jaw. “But whoever made them is very Powerful. I wouldn’t touch them for long, if I were you. They drain a man’s strength.”
Rain Bear shoved the fetishes back into the bag. “Was it Coyote who speared you?”
“Maybe.”
At a call, Rain Bear stood, looking beyond the crowd. “It’s Dogrib,” he said, and tucked the bag into his belt pouch.
Pitch forced a swallow down his dry throat. He glanced up, seeing Evening Star. She kept shooting furtive glances at Rain Bear. Thinking what?