Namir sighed. “I thought I was,” she said quietly. “In another life.”
Coll swallowed. Wolf’s territory was large. She fought Raven and Hyena, and occasionally Puma to the east. This new thing, Dragon, was somehow stronger than them. But Tiger… Tiger was legend. Tiger owned all the far eastern lands, from Endwall to Silverhead. Tiger, Lion, Eagle, Bear – they were gods.
Coll turned to Dolen. “What about you?”
Dolen laughed. “As if they’d take a fool like me! No, no. I was just a bodger, getting about, selling this and that. A Worm, as you like to call us. And then one day I met Mrs B…”
“And I realised I wasn’t what I thought,” said Namir. Her face still had that blade-like sharpness, but it softened as she watched Dolen. “We created Beetle and we made a life.”
Rieka looked around at the desolate landscape. “Not much of a life.”
“It’s our life,” said Namir sharply, and Rieka looked down. Namir sighed. She lifted her arm and let the shawl fall away, revealing her tattooed Tiger stripes, and gazed at them in the flickering glow of the heater. “Where else could we go, child? With these marks? Any Construct would kill an exiled Tiger. Any township would hand us over. Folk aren’t keen on different. Things they don’t understand … they get uncomfortable. Scared even. Isn’t that right, Coll?”
Coll shrugged. Almost without thinking about it, he pulled his sleeve down over his hand, and Namir nodded. “Tell me,” she said. “Why are you so keen to find Wolf?”
“They need our help,” said Coll. “And … it’s Wolf. I am Wolf! And Rieka, and Fillan! We are Wolf!”
She smiled. “How would you know, if you’ve never had a choice?”
“Soup’s up,” said Dolen.
For the rest of the evening Dolen kept up his chatter, talking about the river and the Glass Lands and Beetle. After dinner he brought out a guitar and played as Namir sang. She was a good singer, and the night filled with ancient songs.
“Who’s next?” asked Dolen, when she had finished. “You got a song?”
Coll shook his head, and the others pulled back. Dolen laughed. “Come on, you must know something.”
Brann said hesitantly, “I know a dance.”
Coll and Rieka stared at her and she blushed. But Dolen beamed. “Well then, show us, lass!”
Brann stood and did a little shuffling dance, moving her feet in quick double-steps. She lifted her arms as she stepped, and dropped them and lifted them again. Her face grew tight with embarrassment and she stopped.
Coll stifled a laugh, but Fillan said, “It’s a bird!” He smiled at Brann’s scowl. “It’s a bird dance!”
“It doesn’t matter,” muttered Brann. She went to sit down again, but Fillan stood up beside her.
“Show me!” he said. “Please?”
Brann stared at him as if trying to decide if he was mocking her. But she showed him and he copied her steps. Dolen picked out a tune to go along with it, a high rippling note that curled and strummed like the wind. Fillan and Brann danced.
After a few seconds, Rieka stood and joined them, trying to copy Brann’s feet. She was terrible. She tripped over Fillan and stumbled back and forth. She was as graceful as a rock. But Fillan just laughed happily, and even Brann gave a rare, awkward smile.
“Come on, Coll!” said Fillan.
“It’s a Raven dance!” scoffed Coll. “I’m not doing that!”
“But it’s fun!” said Fillan. He looked at Coll hopefully, until at last Coll sighed.
“Fine,” he muttered. “Show me, then.”
Dolen played his guitar, Namir clapped a rhythm and the Cub crew danced.
“See?” laughed Fillan. “It’s fun, isn’t it?”
Brann smiled again. Rieka’s face was a mask of ferocious concentration. Coll shook his head but grinned.
After the dance, Brann said, “Fillan, your turn – show us something Boar.”
Fillan looked awkward. “I’m Wolf now,” he said, glancing at Coll.
But Brann insisted. “You were Boar once, weren’t you? Come on, give it a go!”
So Fillan showed them a Boar game, with mock wrestling and butting. He was quite ferocious, crashing into them, roaring, even knocking Coll over.
“Yield!” Coll shouted, laughing.
Fillan grinned, and Brann held up his hand in triumph.
Then Coll and Rieka led the others to the top of one of the small hills.
“Feel it in your bones,” Coll instructed them. “Let it come out any way it wants. It’s a living thing, let it sing.” He opened his mouth, felt the warm air around him, and howled like Wolf across the broken land. Rieka joined him, and their call spread over the air. Fillan’s voice was high and short, like a yip. Brann’s was a long caw.
The empty night listened, as the Cub crew howled to the moon.
