Clanless (14 page)

Zo remembered the first time she met Stone up in the treetop hideout—a headquarters for the Nameless insurrection. Stone had ordered her capture. They dangled her over the edge of a platform high in the trees (some Raven construction) to get her to disclose her work as a spy for the Allies. She hadn’t exactly liked the man, but his passion for freedom could not be questioned.

As Eva and Zo rinsed their dinner bowls in a nearby stream, Stone shouted orders to “Circle up!” This sparked a flurry of movement among the people. They gathered their supplies and arranged the company so that the men slept on the outer rim of the circle, protecting their women, children, and supplies within. Zo noticed that every man also slept with a stick sharpened to a point like a spear. A Ram weapon.

Several men reported to Stone and received orders for night watches. Joshua turned to Zo. “This guy’s a good leader. The Nameless follow his orders without question.”

“We resent the term ‘Nameless,’ boy.” Joshua startled when Stone appeared behind him. “We have names and we’ll never be forced to live without them again.”

“Stone,” said Eva, taking the Nameless leader’s hand. “Joshua didn’t mean any harm.”

Stone didn’t look so sure as he eyed the boy. “I just don’t love the idea of a Ram in my camp.”

Eva threw her head back and laughed, drawing the attention of many of the company. “And here I thought I’d be sharing your bedroll tonight.” She made as if to walk away, but he snatched her around the waist. “Point taken.” He turned to Joshua. “You’re welcome here, boy. But you’ll refer to us as ‘Freemen’ from now on. Understood?”

“Yes, Sir,” Joshua said.

Zo kept Tess close as they lay under the dark sky. The wind died, leaving them to enjoy the charcoal night dotted with stars in peace. Tess smelled like campfire, sweat, and salted venison. Zo committed to scrubbing the girl for a solid hour once they reached the Allies. She could use the bath herself.

Thoughts of warm water heated over a fire, her straw-stuffed mattress, and the protection of Commander Laden’s men carried her into a dreamless sleep.

Until a man’s cry of pain startled her awake.

By the time Gryphon and Sani reached the bottom of the tree stairs, the entire Raven Clan was in chaos. People ran in all directions, preparing to leave their homes, while others shouted warnings that the boats would be leaving within the hour. Some Raven looked to Gryphon as if he were a hero, while others—mostly the older set—scowled in his direction.

“What did you do to me up there?” Gryphon stumbled over an exposed root but still managed to keep pace with Sani. “Why did I see those things?”

“I’m to bring you to the edge,” said Sani, ignoring his questions.

Gryphon grabbed the boy’s shoulder and spun him around. He refused to take another step until he understood what had just happened in that tree. “Tell me,” he demanded.

Sani sighed. “In our ancient language, the word
Hai
means winter. Only our shaman understand the secrets to the smoke, but I do know it is prepared and blessed by their holy hands and that it forces men to face the cold and darkness inside them.”

“It sounds more like torture than a test.”

Sani shook his head impatiently. “That’s why you’re given the dagger. Only a person with enough good, or light, inside them can survive the trial. Anyone whose darkness is greater than their light kills himself. This way the Elders can stand blameless in punishment.”

Only then did Gryphon notice the ash rubbed all over Sani’s skin. He wiped his finger along the boy’s arm, smearing the chalky soot. “Burial ritual for your uncle?” Gryphon had heard they covered their bodies in ash to protect themselves against the dead.

Sani shook his head. “For you.”

Gryphon couldn’t muster a response.

“Come,” said Sani, pulling him along behind him. “We’re needed at the edge.”

He shook as he staggered after Sani. His arms tingled without Zo dangling from them—as disturbing as that had been. Now that his brain was clear of the drugged fog, he knew that he had not killed Zo. The glorious truth seeped into his soul just as one weeds reality from visions after waking from dream-filled sleep.

Gryphon wasn’t Zo’s murderer. Zander had given the command. By killing Zo, Zander had robbed the world of so much goodness. Robbed Joshua and Tess of someone they loved. Robbed Gryphon of a future happiness he cringed even now to consider. Zander would pay for his crime.

They moved through the main dirt road that ran directly down the center of the island. Gryphon expected to hear the sounds that usually accompanied war, but all was quiet as they reached the cliff separating the Raven home from the mainland.

People stared at the blood staining Gryphon’s shirt, their questioning eyes wandering to his face. They backed away as he and Sani neared the chief and the small group of men surrounding him. Gabe broke free from the group and ran to Gryphon, folding him into a giant bear hug. “You’re the luckiest bastard I’ve ever met, you know that? If we survive this, you owe me a story.”

Gryphon patted his back, doubting the Wolf would like to hear about how he had almost helped to kill him. The details were blurred, fading from the grasp of his memory like a dream. The more he tried to remember, the further away the details of his hallucinations slipped.

“What’s happening?” Gryphon asked as they pushed their way through a flock of stoic Raven warriors to the front of the group at the edge of the cliff.

“See for yourself,” said Gabe.

Gryphon stepped to the edge and peered across the chasm to the mainland below to find hundreds of Ram warriors in mess formation. Their calm stance exuded arrogance. At the head of the army stood Barnabas, legs planted wide near the edge of the cliff. His cape caught the breeze off the ocean. Rarely did the Ram Chief venture outside the walls of Rams Gate, but these were hardly normal circumstances. The Raven had eluded the Ram for years. Today marked a major victory for his people and apparently Chief Barnabas didn’t intend to miss it.

The wrinkles on Chief Naat’s already heavily lined face deepened when he spotted Gryphon. “
You
.” If that one word were an arrow, Gryphon would have been pierced through the heart. “I don’t know how you survived the
Hai
, but you have cost my people their souls! Instead of fighting alongside the spirits of our ancestors, my people are fleeing, leaving their heritage and livelihood behind.”

The man had no idea what he was saying. “I didn’t force you to do anything.” Gryphon growled. He was done taking blame for risking his life to save this ungrateful man and his people. He pointed at the Ram army. “You don’t know what they’re capable of! They will murder everyone within range of their spears. Leaving was always your only option.”

Sani went to his father’s side. “We are evacuating the people into boats anchored on the other side of the island. We have five large vessels with room to take the entire clan.”

Gryphon nodded at Sani, grateful that at least one of the Raven wasn’t completely crazy.

The chief pinched the bridge of his nose. “What we lack is a heading. Those ships are fishing vessels. We don’t have the supplies to store enough water and food for my entire clan. After a week at sea we will be in a great deal of trouble.”

“I can help with that,” said Gabe. “Your clan has been friendly to the Allies. I know that Commander Laden would welcome your entire people to the Allied Camp if your men will join in the fight against the Ram. You’d have to sail south for several days before we’d make the hike inland, but the Ram will not know to pursue us there, and your ships will travel faster than the Ram could on land.”

“You will lead us to the camp?” A spark of hope entered the chief’s voice. Then he bowed and shook his head in obvious defeat. “We shouldn’t be leaving at all. The Nest is impossible to attack. Without the bridge their forces are useless.”

“But father, the
Hai
,” said Sani. “The spirits have made their decision. We can’t just ignore their wishes.”

The sound of chopping wood called everyone’s attention. Gryphon peered down at the mainland to find men swinging axes at the bases of the giant redwoods. Each mess crowded around a different tree with shields raised to protect those wielding axes.

“Not the trees,” Chief Naat moaned, clutching his stomach as though he might be sick.

“The redwoods are sacred to them,” whispered Gabe. “They believe the trees are tunnels that allow their dead to travel to the underworld. They also believe all blessings come through the trees, gifts of livelihood sent by their ancestors.”

“Trees?” Gryphon asked, amazed.

Gabe shook his head. “To them the trees are family.”

“Kill them. Stop them!” shouted Chief Naat.

The Ram had plenty of time to link shields and the chopping didn’t cease. The massive trees were tall enough that, if felled properly, they could act as a bridge to the Nest.

Ashen and beaten, Chief Naat turned to Gabe. “I accept your offer, Wolf.” He looked over at Gryphon. “On the condition that this
Ram
stays behind with a group of my best warriors to hold off his clan and destroy what we can’t carry of our grain stores.”

Gryphon wanted to hit the man. “I need to meet my apprentice at the Allied Camp. He’ll be waiting for me there.”

“Then you can travel with my warriors once you complete this task.”

“I do
not
belong to your clan, Chief. You have no authority over me.” Gryphon’s hand flexed around a non-existent spear. The longer he went without a weapon the more naked he felt.

“Maybe so, but I will not allow a Ram on my ships. Even if you are a Clanless now.”

Gryphon winced. The word
Clanless
made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. There wasn’t a lower class of person than someone who wasn’t claimed by
something
.

Gryphon looked out at his people across the chasm.
Not my people anymore
. He didn’t know how they planned to take the island, he only knew that they would find a way.

“It’s settled then,” said Gabe as he shook the Raven Chief’s hand. Gabe didn’t really have a choice but to accept the Raven’s terms, but his readiness to do so stung Gryphon.

As Chief Naat and his entourage walked back to the heart of the island, Gabe turned to Gryphon. “I’m sorry, my friend. You can’t expect a man who’s about to lose his home not to hold on to prejudices.”

“I know what it feels like to lose a home, Gabe,” Gryphon snapped. He pressed the heels of his hands into his forehead and sighed. “I will follow whatever Raven survive to the Allied Camp. They know the way.”

Gabe studied the ground, shifting his weight from one foot to the next. “Have you considered what you’ll do after all this is over?”

I’ll hunt and kill Zander and Ajax.
“I’ve tried not to think about it.”

“Well, I know you have no interest in joining the Allies, but what about Joshua?”

Gryphon frowned. “What about Joshua?”

“He’s a good kid, Gryph. Don’t you think he deserves a chance with a clan?”

“There is no way I will ever be accepted in the Allied Camp, Wolf, and you know it.”

“But Joshua is young and orphaned. Commander Laden would let him join up. He’d have a home with the Allies. A future.”

“What are you saying?” Gryphon whispered. Gabe was, of course, right. But that meant …

“Joshua will follow you anywhere, Gryphon. If you come back, there will be no leaving him behind.”

“You think I shouldn’t travel to the Allies with the Raven?”

His silence was a way of offering Gryphon another knife.

When Gabe finally spoke, Gryphon wished he hadn’t. “You know him better than anyone. Do what you think is best for the boy.”

Zo blinked away the sunspots in her vision as fire lit up the dark night. A child next to Zo sat up from her blanket and wailed. Zo pulled her and Tess under the wings of her protection. A woman cried out for help a few yards outside the circle, clutching the foot of what must have been her husband as he was being dragged away by two men with long, wild hair and tattered clothing.