Red Dog’s burly shoulders hunched as he leaned toward Hunter to whisper, “I thought I saw something earlier.”
Annoyed, Hunter asked, “What?”
“Well, I’m not sure. It was tiny, Dancing around her, spinning like a child’s top.”
“Windblown snow.”
“This windblown snow had rocks in its fists and was covered with thick red hair.”
“For something you thought you saw, you saw it pretty clearly.”
“And it had antlers.” He held his fingers spread over the head. “Just like a deer’s.”
Hunter set his sharpening stone aside. “You’re telling me you saw one of the Noisy Ones?”
The story was told among the North Wind People that the Noisy Ones were miniature creatures covered with hair. In the day they were invisible and could throw rocks with great accuracy and kill people. Holy people said that the Noisy Ones walked the thin thread of light that separated life and death, light and dark. Hunter believed none of this. He leveled all of his disdain into a hard glare.
“I’ve heard stories that the Noisy Ones are her Spirit Helpers.”
“So you thought … what? The Noisy Ones had come to free her?”
Red Dog swallowed, big-eyed. “Doesn’t that worry you?”
Hunter threw up his hands. “If she really had Powerful Spirit Helpers like that, you and I would already be dead, and she would be on her way to Rain Bear.”
Red Dog considered that. He tore off another bite of jerky and, around the mass, said, “Maybe the Noisy Ones are waiting for something.”
Hunter pointed his stiletto at Red Dog’s bent nose. “The next time I have to stand guard, I’m … . Oh, never mind.”
Red Dog’s bushy brows lowered. Time passed before he added, “You’ve heard the stories about Dzoo? About when she was a child?”
“What stories?”
“White Stone told me that a terrible priest among the Striped Dart People saw her fly into his village on wings like Owl’s. Dzoo could send her souls flying at the age of four summers! That’s why the old priest sent a war party to steal her away.”
“Stories change over time, Red Dog. Who knows what really happened?”
Red Dog looked at Hunter askance. “She’s got a small soapstone bowl in her pouch. White Stone said she uses it to see long-dead people.”
Hunter wiped the stiletto on his hide pants and tested the sharpened tip on his thumb. “Did Mica tell you that Ecan forced him to examine that pack?”
“You mean Ecan was afraid to look inside the pack himself?”
“Apparently.”
“And?”
Hunter made an airy gesture with his stiletto. “He found the soapstone bowl and six leather bags.”
“What was in the bags? Witch pellets? Evil charms?”
Witches shot enchanted pellets into their victims to cause illness or death. The area around Hunter’s heart started to itch. He scratched it and answered, “Mica said three of the bags contained dirt. Another had twigs and bark. Yet another was filled with bird droppings. And the last apparently had bat dung in it.”
“Bird droppings and bat dung?” Red Dog said as though disappointed.
“Mica claimed he had to open two outer bags before he got to the tiny inner bags with the dirt and droppings.”
“She triple-bagged droppings?”
“Yes,” Hunter said in a scary hiss, “as if she’s afraid they might get out.”
Red Dog’s brows lowered. “You know, truly, someone should take that pack away and burn it.”
Hunter shrugged. “Ecan peered into each bag that Mica opened. He said everything looked harmless.”
“Dirt and droppings,” Red Dog mumbled. Gray-streaked black tangles framed his round face. He shifted uncomfortably before saying, “Doesn’t it worry you that Ecan wouldn’t touch the bags himself?”
“He’s a Starwatcher. He would have known if she’d carried anything dangerous, like Spirit plants or witch amulets.”
Red Dog crossed his arms. “Her pack should be destroyed. Just in case.”
Hunter waved a hand. “Fine. Reach over, take it away from her, and throw it in the fire.”
The furrows in Red Dog’s forehead deepened. “Me? This is Dzoo we’re talking about. If it were up to me, I’d untie her, dust her off, give her everything I own, and set her free.” He rubbed his chin with the back of his hand. “Then I’d pray like I’ve never prayed before.”
“You are such an old fool!” Hunter got to his feet, stiletto in hand, and boldly walked toward the prisoner.
Red Dog looked like he was going to throw up.