The Rare Pearl (Broken Water Series Book 1) Page 10

  During the quiet days of riding, nestled behind him in the saddle, she softly hummed. It relaxed him. As the afternoon sun bore down on them, he felt her stretching. “Do you need a break?” he asked. “The elk could use one.”

  “Yes, I’m thirsty. And I can’t feel my legs. How much longer?” She wondered if traveling Aquapopulean children asked, “Are we there yet?”

  “We’ll start heading north now and should be there tomorrow, maybe the day after. We’ve made good time. These beasts are worthy.” Kodiak affectionately slapped the thick neck in front of him. “We are close to the tribe’s city, so let’s make this stop brief.”

  They refilled their canteens from the stream under the shade of surrounding trees and allowed the elk to graze. Kodiak watched Harmony pull her hair aside and rinse her face. She stood and started for the woods.

  “Where are you going?” Kodiak ran to catch up to her. “You need to stay close.”

  “I need a moment of privacy.” She raised her eyebrows.

  “Okay, but not alone.” He turned to Binda, who sat in the leaves adjusting the buckle on her sandal. He sent a low whistle to get her attention. When she glanced up he pointed to Harmony, who stood with her hands on her hips, impatiently tapping her foot. Binda reluctantly nodded. She followed Harmony into the brush.

  Ankle deep in the stream, Kodiak plucked berries off a bush. He popped them into his mouth, intently listening for the girls’ return. The water flowed shallow for several feet before the bend, where deeper water surged south. Something whistled past him and thumped into a tree a few feet away. The arrow vibrated within its target. Kodiak moved before it stopped.

  Harmony! He raced in the direction the girls had gone, but they quickly emerged, crashing through the brush and screaming. On their heels came the fierce looking tribal hunters mounted on their spirit animals. The powerful paws pounded the earth chasing prey. Breaking sticks and war cries filled the air. Several more arrows whizzed by. Rio urged the elk into the stream, drawing his knife.

  “Into the water,” Kodiak hissed as the girls passed him. “Swim downstream.” The elk could swim fast. Hopefully they’d be able to retrieve the animals later. They just needed to make it to the deeper water. But as they rushed into the streambed warriors jumped from the riverbank, blocking their escape.

  The thunderous lion roar stopped them in their tracks. The biggest lion Harmony had ever seen leaped from the bushes and took down one of the lagging elk. The elk bellowed in surprise as it landed in the shallow water. When the lion’s vice-like jaws circled its neck, it puffed out its last breath. The water turned red.

  Harmony screamed, covering her eyes. When she opened them, a second lion appeared, sniffing the fresh kill. Rio struggled to control the other elk, yanking at its reins.

  The warriors advanced toward the streambed with knives in hand. Two more lions appeared, with archers on their backs, poised to continue the attack. A woman astride a big cat advanced to the water’s edge and demanded, “Halt!” She slid off, her stance, commanding.

  They were trapped, each frozen in place, chests heaving. “Okay. We don’t want any trouble.” Kodiak held up his empty hands, his knives still tucked into his belt.

  The woman waved Kodiak closer. “Who are you and why are you on our lands?” A fur-covered headband with cat ears held back her chin-length hair.

  He said, “We have only come to gather herbs. We didn’t mean to disturb you.”

  “What have you brought to trade?” she demanded, waving him closer still.

  Wading back to shore, Binda pulled aside her tunic to reveal her mark. “I am a Linker.” They hadn’t discussed what they’d do if they were caught; her idea might save them. She heard the tribe currently had no Linker.

  “We will take you to our city. You can speak with the chieftain, who will decide on a fair trade.” She motioned to the hunters to put down their arms. “Come, we will give you safe passage.”

  “We agree,” Kodiak said, reclaiming the leadership role. The foursome trudged through the stream and up the bank, Rio leading the remaining elk. “This is Binda and her brother Rio. That’s Harmony, and I’m Kodiak. We are from the coastal village near the sacred island.” Kodiak noticed the way the woman eyed him. To his advantage, he offered her a lopsided grin along with an open stare of admiration for her prowess.

  The huntress’s lips curled at his meaningful look.

  “I am Catori,” she announced, her stance displaying her power and beauty. “I am the lead huntress of our city and these are my fellow hunters. I apologize for your animal.” She motioned to two men, who quickly bound the lifeless elk to a pole for easy carrying. The big cat, still licking blood from its mouth, watched every move the men made with his kill.

  Binda asked, “May I retrieve our saddlebags?” At Catori’s command the men removed the saddlebags and handed them to her.

  Kodiak glanced over his shoulder at Harmony, who stared in disbelief at the big cats. She tore her focus away from the brutal death scene, caught his eye, and moved close behind him. He felt her hand slip into his, and he squeezed it for reassurance.

  “This is Chaser.” She mounted the lion. “Kodiak, you can ride with me.” Catori scrutinized Harmony and narrowed her gaze when she observed their linked hands. “You, with hair the color of my lion, can ride with her.”

  Harmony looked like she wanted to bolt. “It’s okay,” Kodiak whispered softly. “You like cats, remember.” His comment brought her gaze back to his. With one last squeeze of her hand, he let go and strode up to Catori’s lion. He swung up behind her, resting his hands on her muscular shoulders. Looking over the huntress’s dark head, he kept a watchful eye on Harmony.

  Another woman urged a cat forward and held out her arm. Harmony inched closer as the cat sniffed the air. When it turned its orange eyes on her, she froze.

  “He won’t hurt you. I told him you will ride with me,” the woman said softly. Harmony clasped her elbow, swinging her leg over the soft back of a giant lion.

  Rio mounted the still-skittish elk and his sister jumped up behind him.

  Four women rode lions and a dozen jogging men made up the rest of the party. Even the pair carrying the dead elk didn’t lag far behind. Harmony locked her arms around the huntress’s ribcage above her weapon-studded belt. Her companion wore a short dress slit on both sides, exposing her hips and powerful leg muscles. Harmony’s thighs could barely grip the beast beneath her.

  Rio guided the elk as close as he would go near the lion, giving Harmony reassuring smiles. Binda, mouth grimly set, looked away from her, clearly disgusted. Harmony figured Binda blamed her for getting captured. After their privacy break, Harmony heard something and went to investigate, despite Binda’s protests. Harmony spotted a group of warriors and stepped closer for a better look, breaking a stick underfoot. The warriors were on the move as the girls dashed away. Harmony closed her eyes, ashamed. It was her fault.

  But her mood changed when she opened her eyes and saw Kodiak snug up against Catori, chatting in her ear as if he were enjoying himself. Not long ago, she was the one riding cozy behind him. She painfully ground her teeth when Catori smiled seductively over her shoulder and slid her hand along his forearm, now wrapped around her waist. Neither of them aware of Harmony’s condemning stares.

  By the time they neared the city, Harmony seethed. She couldn’t keep her gaze from straying back to them. Making friends with the enemy…harrumph!

  The distance roar of the great falls pounded louder as they traveled closer. Exiting the forest, the city was revealed. Distracted, Harmony gasped at the beautiful metropolis. The wide bridge shaped like a Roman aqueduct spanned the falls, connecting to the gateway on the other side. A pair of massive, seated stone lions flanked the entrance. The entire city filled the landscape and continued downwards into the falls, cut into the side of the earth.

  The big cats and men slowed once their feet touched the stone surface of the bridge. Harmony peeked over the low curb at the
structures shrouded by mist. Beyond the entrance, inside a courtyard, they dismounted. The men carried the dead elk through an archway and disappeared. Another man led its companion away, after Rio removed the saddlebags. Kodiak rejoined his friends.

  Catori said, “We will wait in the great hall. This way.”

  15

  They moved along with the flow of residents into the great hall, with its flying buttresses, vaulted ceilings, and enormous arched open-air windows it resembled a cathedral. Fountains spouted into stone bowls near tables bursting with food. As tribespeople passed, they perused the food, walking off with fruit or nuts. The women who rode back with them stood munching and chatting, their cats stretched at their feet. Though a lovely place for refreshments and conversation, Harmony felt like an unwelcome guest.

  Unlike the coastal clan, the tribe’s wardrobe consisted of more than tunics and pants. The undyed fabric appeared to be the same though. Several men were clad in sleeveless tunics with decorative trims that reached their thighs. They wore belts with an additional strap crossed their body, secured around one shoulder. Their sturdy footwear, primarily boots made of leather and fur, probably to protect their feet from the forest floor, was in contrast to the coastal clan’s sandals, which were easier to kick off for quick access to the water. The hunting party wore less fabric and more animal skins.

  “Do you think we can slip out before their chieftain returns?” Rio asked in low voice as they clustered together.

  “It’s too risky,” Binda answered, glancing again at the men who stood by the door.

  Harmony glowered at Catori, but Kodiak blocked her view as he stepped closer. “We’ll figure this out.”

  “What did you say to Cat Ears? You two seemed cozy.” Her flippant tone and name-calling apparently were not lost on him. His expression changed and he tried not to smile.

  “I was flirting with her, to help things go our way,” he answered honestly.

  The roar of an approaching lion caught their attention. Kodiak took a protective step in front of Harmony and Rio did the same for his sister. Through the arch twenty men jogged into the chamber. Several women followed and slowed their giant cats to open a wide path for their chieftain.

  Entering the hall, the revered chieftain rocked to the rhythm of the big cat beneath her powerful thighs. Her air of authority commanded the bowed heads of everyone she passed by. She wore a crown Harmony thought was reminiscent of a Native American headdress. The chieftain slid off, and the cat followed her toward the fountain, where a girl handed her glass of water. The others follow suit and soon the hall was filled with more people drinking and talking. Catori approached the chieftain and spoke, but it was too noisy for Harmony and her companions to hear.

  The chieftain glanced in their direction and gave Catori a nod. Catori clapped her hands and the hubbub in the hall quieted. Catori summoned the travelers to approach. The onlookers were curious to see coastal people in their great city. Kodiak stepped forward ahead of his group and bowed, his friends did the same.

  “Welcome to our city. You are far from home.” Her voice rang clear and loud. “I am Nakoma, the chieftain of the Forest Tribe.”

  Kodiak flashed his charming smile and led the introductions. “Thank you for allowing us safe passage into your city. I am Kodiak. This is Rio, his sister Binda, and Harmony. We are from the coastal region. We’ve come seeking herbs grown only on your lands. We don’t have much to offer, but Binda is a Linker in training and she also has a gift.” He paused for dramatic effect. “She is an artist.”

  Binda pulled aside her tunic to reveal her sacred mark, but Nakoma’s gaze shifted to Harmony, who kept her head down.

  Binda spoke, “Perhaps I could be of assistance to your people for the afternoon or leave you some of my drawings in exchange for the herbs we seek.”

  Harmony felt a moment of relief; the chieftain seemed to forget about her as she conversed with Binda.

  “Where are these herbs?”

  “It’s a day’s ride north by elk in a grove alongside Big Bear Lake. Once we obtain them we will leave your land straight away. May we have your permission to pass through your lands?” Kodiak said humbly.

  “You have come a long way for this herb. It must be very valuable to you.” Nakoma shrewdly didn’t mention they’d snuck into her territory when Catori’s hunting party spotted them.

  Harmony listened to Kodiak’s believable lie. “Our Linker, Calder, who is training Binda, has sent us along with her to gather herbs so she can become familiar with the varieties throughout our realm. We were journeying here to ask your permission when we unfortunately startled your people in the woods.”

  Nakoma remained impassive and then advanced brushing past the boys to stand in front of Harmony. Her lion hunkered on the stone floor to rest, sensing no danger, joining his fellow felines.

  Alarmed, Harmony looked up into the strong-featured face of the chieftain in her imposing feather headdress. Even without it she stood as tall as Kodiak. Harmony swallowed nervously as Nakoma’s gaze appraised her.

  “And you? Why are you here?”

  All Harmony wanted was to be invisible. Strangers stared at her, whispering. Her cousins and Kodiak too—everyone stared. “I’m visiting my cousins. They invited me along.”

  Nakoma broke into a wide smile, softening her features. “Since you were coming to my city to seek my permission and grant me something in trade, I will have you safely escorted to Big Bear Lake by my hunters.” Several men advanced and gave an obedient nod. Her gaze never left Harmony. “However, Binda, your Linker, and this girl will stay here during your journey.”

  Rio, fearing for his sister, said, “But this journey is for her to gather knowledge. We need her to locate them. Surely after an afternoon or a day of Binda’s service here, we all can be on our way.” The chieftain’s lion rose from its resting place at Rio’s exasperated tone.

  Nakoma smiled waned. “Of course, I have many talented artists.” She indicated the tribal tattoos on her face and the others that ran from her shoulders to her fingers and her waist to her ankles. No fabric covered her hips, only the thick strap of a belt. A scant loincloth rested like a miniskirt, showing off her powerful body. “So it is settled. Your sister will accompany you while Harmony remains my guest. When you return, Binda can spend a few days preparing salves and helping with injuries.” Nakoma waltzed toward her immense cat, standing beside it, they made a fierce pair.

  Panic rising, Harmony desperately hoped her friends would intervene. Before they had a chance to protest, Nakoma called to Catori.

  “Have rooms prepared for tonight. They will share the evening feast with us and their party will leave at first light. I will arrange the escort. Place my guest in my suite.” The chieftain left the hall, her posse falling in behind her. The lions joined their masters in the theatrical parade.

  As everyone bowed and watched the procession, Harmony hissed to her group, “Don’t leave me here!”

  “We can’t refuse,” Binda whispered.

  Kodiak brought his lips to her ear. “They will keep you safe until we return. Don’t mention where you are from. It’s only for a few days. We’ll come back for you.”

  Catori crossed the hall, a woman beside her. “She will escort you two to the west tower,” she announced to Binda and Rio. The woman led them toward a corridor and they disappeared from view.

  “I’ll take you both to the east tower. Your room will be near mine,” Catori said to Kodiak. “Harrrmony.” Catori pronounced her name harshly, rolling the r. “You will be an honored guest in Nakoma’s suite. Be sure to follow her instructions,” she warned.

  “I think I would feel more comfortable in my own room,” Harmony suggested.

  “Nakoma has commanded you remain with her.” She led them down vast corridors, eventually climbing stairs. At the landing, they advanced past two wooden doors and stopped at the third. “Kodiak, this is your room. Mine is just across the hall. I will fetch you for the evening feast in a
couple of hours. Fresh clothes will be brought to you in the meantime. Also, someone will launder your items and have them returned to you by morning.” Catori held the door open for Kodiak.

  He paused before Harmony. “You are an honored guest, so do as Nakoma asks of you,” he cautioned. “I will see you at the feast.”

  Harmony contemplated arguing, but he reached for her hand. What she mistook for a caress became his thumb brushing the surface of her pearl ring. They both looked down at it. Her anxiety over their impending separation vanished. He wants me to do as I’m told so they can get what’s needed and he can collect his prize. She yanked her hand away and raised her brows expectantly at Cat Ears.

  Catori smirked at their exchange before she led Harmony away. Leaving Kodiak in his room, Catori and Harmony continued up a second curving staircase.

  16

  Nakoma entered her suite and said to her attendant, “Amadahy, I have a guest arriving soon. Prepare a bed for her in one of the antechambers.” The chieftain’s suite occupied the entire level of the tower and was guarded by a pair of women and their cats.

  A guard knocked and Catori waltzed in along with her apprehensive guest. Catori pointed to an open space on the floor and her cat submissively lowered its bulky body.

  Amadahy removed Nakoma’s headdress. When she stepped away with the bulky feathers, Nakoma turned to Catori and praised her talented huntress, “You have done well this day. I am pleased.”

  Catori lifted her chin in pride. After a brief pause, Nakoma shifted her gaze to her golden-haired honored guest.

  “Harmony,” Nakoma pronounced. “Harmony…what kind of a name is Harmony? What does it mean?”

  “Umm,” Harmony eyeballed the lions and stepped closer to Nakoma. “Umm, my name means unity. It’s musical.”