Whisperer

When I woke, the streaks of the central fire were waining from apricot to the sumptuous purples. It was nightfall again. There was a soft wiggle beneath the furs near my stomach and I peeped just to make sure. It was Amiya, the daughter of Kelch and Driandra. They had long ago ceased the hand wrenching searches for her knowing that for some reason ... here with me was her favored spot to hide from her brothers. I had no complaints. Nor did my mate. She was always welcomed even if I found her curled near my warmth when I woke. Tucking the furs in close, I allowed the next door wagon's sleen in .. and .. let it on my furs to keep her company. I had to chuckle softly to myself as her arm draped around its scruffy neck and she drew it up in the crook of her arm ... tight. It made the creature's eyes bulge but the sappy grin he had seemed to say it all.

I dressed hurriedly and was off to the fires of the clan. There is always some banter among the handlers, trainers and breeders of the kaiila. A steaming bowl of blackwine and catching up on the latest gossip was only a slight portion of it all. Tonight the voices were abuzz. I had known Fonce had returned long before these tongues wagged to tell the tale. Brows rose and there were prods to say just how I knew but I let them think what they wished. They were going to anyway and explanation was not going to fray the edges of it one iota. Instead of being the entertainment for the night I decided to get Fonce' two kaiilas groomed to take to him. I was thinking too maybe a basket of something that everyone else hadn't already dropped by with would be good but I couldn't think of anything right off the others wouldn't have seen to.

I think we all turned in one wave of motion as sound and movement disturbed the peripheral of the shadows. With arms stretched out from his sides he seemed to emerge from the darkness like a spectre. As if in a trance we all watched as he walked by us toward the railed fences and stepped through. He bent only to cup handfuls of dust into his palms and rub it up his arms and smudge his face. I am not sure anyone even breathed for a while as we witnessed the rest. His approach was to the biggest and baddest of the kaiila the clan had tried to break. More than one Tuchuk had hit the fence and came out sputtering profanities. This kid .. and after later though he was just that .. a young buck without the first traces of scar on his cheek that we could tell, walked up .. no waltzed up with his arms extended from his sides again, right up to the beast then placed his palms around the kaiila's nostrils. If I didn't know any better I would have thought he placed his mouth over the slather of the mount's like a kiss. There was an instant jerking of that massive head up trying to get away then ... the kaiila began to still. By the time we all figured out the boy was about to get killed we began heading for the fence. I managed to hop the top of the rail and just froze there. From my vantage point I could see what others couldn't. The youth wasn't blowing into the kaiila's nostrils, he was .. inhaling its breath. A fine white mist in fingerlet streams. What the...??

By now the other members of the clan had made it to the railings and was as astounded by what they saw as I was. The giant of a kaiila had become as docile as a giani kitten. Leave it to Barhk to break the spell. He yelled over the corral asking whether the boy was gonna saddle it or make love to it. If the boy got any closer then there was probably going to be half warrior/ half kaiilas running around the camp. All the young warrior did was turn around in the partial moonslights so we could see his face and claim his place apprentice among the clan. He whispered though the sound of his voice carried as if it held the roar of a larl ...

I am Nuudal.