Tuya moved at the slug's pace, retracing Batu's tracks to the good flow of the river. The path itself wasn't too challenging to traverse as Batu had cleared many of the branches, bushes, and not-bushes in his earlier tromp. This was a place for two-legs, little-tailed shriekers, and colorful birds that were so small they'd need fifty of them put together to be the great eagle's size, as the big bird himself was keen to remind her when she marveled at the destruction he had wrought.

Nor was she moving slow because she stalked prey or hid from predators. Her mind sense was on alert for higher level sentience, trying to pick it out of the abundant life around her. But just because she didn't want to be ambushed by the purple-fur arrow girl or other Atmana didn't mean she was hiding from them. If she could move faster, she would gladly be gone from here. But she shouldered a burden, in the form of a naked boy slung sideways over her shoulders.

Tuya had a renewed appreciation for Yaha who had carried her through the treetops like this on the first night of their escape from the Hollows.

Am I not appreciated? Batu projected, good-natured rather than truly hurt as he followed her.

What you are is so big and strong, brother, that I envy you right now. I wish I could carry two-legs as easily as you can.

Batu's pride saturated the link. Tuya was happy for him. He'd carried her for hundreds of miles and deserved immense gratitude. But that didn't make Wolf any lighter on her shoulders.

At first, she'd tried to support Wolf by walking beside him. Though he tried to hide it, walking had been painful for the Atmana boy even with Tuya supporting his weight. Worse, she worried that his movement would reopen the arrow wound. They had to move slow because she wasn't as strong as Batu, or even Yaha, and fast movement risked Wolf's health.

In truth, Tuya would've preferred to let him recover more but she wanted to be rid of him. She couldn't leave behind the yearning to look at him and make his pain smaller if she watched over him. Nor did she expect the purple-fur arrow Atmana would let them rest. As was her way, Tuya had to keep going.

She carried the naked boy sideways on her shoulders with one arm on his arm and the other on his leg. She tried, or rather failed, not to think about his breeder sleeping on her upper arm. There were too many memories to block it out; none of them good. At least it wasn't in its breeding state where shrimp turned into snake. It was the little things in life to be grateful for.

If only all of him could make itself smaller then she wouldn't feel the burning throughout her body. Seasons of training in the dark place didn't make this an easy thing but they gave her the strength to do hard things. She tried to be grateful for that. Anything other than focusing on her body. Or Wolf's.

Do you think it would be easier if he changed? Batu asked.

Tuya had thought of that. She would've felt more comfortable with a wolf breeder grazing her shoulder. But that wouldn't work whether she wanted it to or not.

No. He'd be bulkier with less arm and leg to hold on to. If I dropped him it could be very bad, Batu.

Just like why I can't carry him?

Yes. If he bounces around too much, it could make him bleed again. If the bleeding happens inside of him, he might die. This is the best way. I've endured far worse. I will endure this too.

Batu's respect filled the link. You are big and strong too, sister. Just in different ways.

That felt good. Carrying Wolf became easier, if not easy. For a bit.

Almost to the good water, Tuya projected to Wolf. Almost home.

Wolf let out a few soft whines. He'd been surprisingly still for a person so animalistic. A sense of peace emanated from him. Despite knowing almost nothing about her, he seemed at complete ease.

So often, in the earlier seasons of her life she'd wanted to be trusted, wanted the other girls to not be afraid of her so that she could help them the way she and Sarnai helped each other. No smaller had been her desire for tamers not to hate her, to suspect her every action was in defiance or failure.

This is a good thing, Batu thought. It means he comes from a place where it is safe to rely on others. You should be happy about this, sister.

She knew that. But knowing and feeling were often distant strangers that didn't want to come together. Even though his response, his trust and his acceptance, was what she'd craved all her life, it felt wrong to Tuya. Like a tamer smiling, she couldn't be comfortable with it. Nor did she want to be.

It means he doesn't need to rely on us. Let's get him home to his people and be on our way.

It also means you can rely on them, Batu countered. I don't want to be in this stupid tree land any longer than you, sister, but we shouldn't miss our chance to make allies that could help us hurt the evil man.

Making friends with them would only get them hurt by Gurg, Tuya projected.

They don't have a choice. He will hurt them whether you make friends with them or not. At least get them to warn the other changers. They deserve to know what comes for them and maybe they're stronger than you think.

Batu wasn't wrong. The more she thought about it, the more she didn't want to think. This was supposed to be nothing more than a stop for food, water, and rest. Tuya needed to move forward, to find allies and help save the world from Gurg and his tamers. But that led her back here, to folk like Wolf who were worth saving and might be able to help even in small ways.

Tuya shifted her focus back to her mind sense, running from the possibility of needing to spend more time with this increasingly heavy boy. If she had to attack herself with arrows while she was carrying a man on her shoulders, the river would be the place to do it. Not only would she be vulnerable from wading and carrying Wolf, there were less branches to block the arrow and plenty of places to hide on either bank. Now that she could sense the thousands of fish swimming nearby, she sought signs of Atmana on the other side of the river.

And detected one. They worried, like a little khorota trying to find a way to carry good water back to her tamer.

His family? Batu asked, unconsciously sharing images of tearing through a purple-fur Atmana as well as seeing Tuya smile at a new two-leg friend. Tuya was uncertain which he preferred most. The pleasure Batu took in killing prey and what he saw as bad two-legs sometimes alarmed her. But she understood, remembering the first time her spear had taken a life and the pride she felt feeding herself in the dark place as a little girl. They were both killers. Another reason Wolf was better off the quicker she left.

Tuya focused on the Atmana across the river, learning as much as she could before she reached the water. They're nervous about something, alone, and moving along the far side of the river.

I probably lost a feather and scared the two-legs.

Tuya doubted that was it, but tried to mute her thoughts to not ruffle Batu's feathers. She would be able to handle it either way. She smiled, sensing this change in her from the cowering little khorota to the confident wilder. If she survived the Hollows and a battle against a windjumper empowered by the mightiest tamer alive, one scared Atmana shouldn't be the thing that ended her. This confidence carried her to the river, louder in her mind than the protests of her legs, arms, back, and shoulders.

The sound of the water flowing was as welcome as a dear friend's smile. She hadn't realized how far she'd gone after crossing the river. Back then, distance didn't matter except for putting it between her and Wolf as quickly as possible.

You ran too far, too fast, Tuya. We could've avoided this if you listened.

You're right, Batu. I'll do better next time.

Batu was too surprised for his typical snark. Good. Few things were as annoying as when people, or big birds, punished you for admitting mistakes. As far as Tuya saw it, the hardest part of learning shouldn't be dealing with shame for getting it wrong the first time. People could make mistakes without being mistakes.

Where is the Atmana? Batu asked, his good bird eyes scanning the crossing.

Tuya's magical eyes saw even further, in more detail, no matter how dim it was beneath the canopy. She tracked the Atmana's mind to the far side of the river, near where her fire and resting rock had been. She couldn't see the Atmana, but knew that they were perched in a tree. Their worry was replaced with a sharpened sense of awareness, fear and courage in equal balance. This was no creature taught to make themselves small but neither was it one that ran recklessly into danger. They must've heard them approaching, or were counting on them to return to their fire.

Wolf shifted on her, whimpering and sniffing. "Tuya," he said, growling out her name in a way she'd never heard it spoken.

Tuya spoke low, in Leverian, as she projected the words as thoughts to Wolf. "There is an Atmana, a person born in this forest, across the river where we met. They're up in a tree. Say my name if you think they're your family. Squeeze my arm if you think they're not." For good measure, Tuya projected images of him saying her name or squeezing her arm.

"Tuya."

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Say my name again if you're certain. Squeeze my arm if you think it could be someone else.

Wolf gave off a spike of confusion, a brief break in the sense of peace he'd felt this entire time, then squeezed her arm and growled, "Tuya."

Before she could make sense of his weird response, Wolf let out an earsplitting howl that was much too close to her ear. Tuya appreciated it about as much as she might a vicious slap to the side of the head. She'd remember this when he'd use those pretty eyes and that little whimper to try and make her stay.

Across the river, a weird roar answered. To Tuya, it sounded like a bear but lower-pitched and louder than anything that howled in the Hollows. She became more aware of her spear, point down with the bottom of the haft poking out through Wolf's legs. She'd need to set him down if there was to be battle. A bear that climbed trees and could be so loud would indeed be a powerful foe.

Might be good food, Batu thought.

Didn't you just eat a bunch of fish and three purple-furs?

I like food.

Wolf gave off joy, barking toward the river, then howling again. Tuya nearly dropped him. A part of her wishing she had.

Please don't howl in my ear! she told him, letting him feel all of her frustration.

He whined, but his cries were overpowered by the second Atmana. The climbing bear thing, or whatever it was, didn't come down from its tree but unleashed a series of noises that weren't all as horrible as that first one. Tuya sensed joy, excitement, if anything, that was larger than Wolf's, as well as relief.

His family, she thought to Batu. But she wasn't one to assume. Not anymore. Never again.

"Wolf, is that your family?"

"Tuya!"

Satisfied, Tuya carried him to the water. The river was shallow, going only as high as her chest at the center. Carrying him across was still safer than asking Batu for help. But if she dropped him, she'd need to find more numbroot to keep the blood clean. She hesitated at the water's edge, her eyes seeking the Atmana on the other side. A pretty brown eye surrounded by black flesh and red fur gazed toward her, about two body lengths high in a tree not far from either the waning fire or river's bank. The rest of them was covered and no matter how good Tuya's eyes were, they couldn't see through trees.

I'll go first, Batu said, his wings beating as his clawed feet darted toward the river. He glided, talons skimming the water, white head staying below the branches.

Wolf laughed, an oddly human sound, as Batu took flight. The purity of it, like good water for the thirsty, helped cleanse away Tuya's agitation toward him. She stepped into the water as Batu landed masterfully on the far end with a proud squawk.

I needed that, the bird projected. Way too much waddling in this place.

When they first arrived in this region of the Great Atmana Forest, Batu descended upon an orange four-leg, Tuya's ears forever scarred by its hideous shrieks. Thus, when a much larger, person-sized orange four-leg with the cute little tail leapt from the tree, landing on Batu's back, she should've been prepared for his frantic squawks. In theory.

Wolf burst into laughter, his fingers rapidly gesturing in front of Tuya's face, giving off a degree of amusement that would never be felt in Celegana's Hollows.

Batu screeched, panic flooding the link, as the creature on top of him let out short squeals of utter delight. Tuya's eyes never saw anything like the chaotic but somehow controlled movement the Atmana made. Their arms floated like feathers on the wind, their legs shuffled with the sole purpose of enjoying being alive. There was no violence in the orange four-leg's rhythmic flailing, just joy. Tuya remembered memories shared by a Mahagan woman, Renisha, and the word for this weird movement: dancing.

Marveling at what she saw, wondering what it was like to dance, Tuya tried to soothe Batu. Easy, Batu. They mean no harm. Stop fussing and they will get off.

Coherent thoughts didn't pass through Batu, only a mixture of embarrassment and anger. Feathers floated in truth as he tried to toss the creature. He leapt backward, hoping to fling them. The Atmana jumped almost like a Mahagan windjumper, wrapping its tail around a branch. Amazingly, the skinny long, skinny tail held up the person-sized four-leg as it swung on the branch.

Batu, on the other talon, dipped his backside in mud. Screeching at the orange strong-tail, he waddled to the river and fluttered in with a huge splash.

Cool off, brother, Tuya said, sending calm through the link. I will handle the rest.

I've changed my mind, Tuya. We leave this place at once. Give this wolf boy back and let's fly away. May their stupid trees burn!

Tuya waded through the river, Wolf growing no lighter on her shoulders. As soon as Batu was ready to let go of the Atmana, she felt an impulse to hold on despite trying all morning to get him to see her perspective on why leaving was the best thing to do. Flying away was still the thing to do, but she knew it was also the wrong thing. All the obstacles removed, instead of being relieved that she could fly away, Tuya felt more pressured to stay than ever.

Still, this wasn't where she needed to be. This dancing thing and brave wolf were better off without her. Perhaps she could find allies before Gurg and the tamers found them. It didn't seem likely. But each day she delayed was another day the tamers advanced, that Masarga and the other wilders had to endure, that Tuya could give up and just life free of all the promises. She had to go. Had to leave before she couldn't let go. The world was on her shoulders and she didn't have strength to carry the world and the boy.

I will give him to his family. Then we will keep flying toward Isihla, toward my motherland. To where she and Darrakh were supposed to return to: a great lake in the middle of a vast land of sand, where the Sun Priestess would hear her story and help her fight Gurgaldai ezen Celegan before he extinguished all the light from the world.

She watched the orange strong-tail as it dangled from a branch. They crossed their arms and shook their head, amusement pulsing from them as they smiled and made a high-pitched shrieking noise that made Tuya's lips rise from their usual flat line. They released the branch, landing on all fours. Orange fur gave way to red-tinted skin—much redder than Wolf's. The human form that emerged was muscular with a chest that could've been a man or woman's, a sharp, handsome face with puffy cheeks, the same pretty brown eyes as Wolf, and wild black hair that went down to their waist.

Tuya would've been uncertain whether the strong-tail Atmana was a man or a woman if not for their nakedness revealing femininity between the legs. This person unlike any other Tuya had known made exaggerated kissing gestures with her lips blowing them toward Tuya, winked at her brother, pointed toward his mouth, and made many more smooching gestures.

Wolf barked and barked. Tuya might've been linked with him for the way his mind streamed with the same embarrassment she felt. Wolf's sister made hand gestures and high-pitched shrieks that seemed no less suggestive than the more obvious smooches.

Ready to fly away, Tuya hastened toward the shore.

At least Batu was enjoying this, his murderous genocidal anger already gone like a leaf carried in the currents of a river. This one is a trickster. I've met winged ones like her.

There are more like you then?

Batu beamed with pride, recollecting fond memories liking pooping on Leverians and hiding food from hatchlings. I get it now, he thought gleefully. I'll get her back. Batu unconsciously sent an image of picking Wolf's sister up with his talons and flying her high, savoring her nervous shrieks like the tastiest morsels. If birds could have creepy, unsettling laughs, Batu would demonstrate the noise about now. Instead, Tuya just felt the sensation of it. Which was even more uncomfortable and did less than nothing to relieve her embarrassment.

But, like it had been for Batu, it was hard to stay mad at Wolf's sister. She danced through the forest like that was her true purpose in life, smiling in a way that could only lift up anyone with a heart in their chest rather than a hollowed-out place where only hate resided. She gathered flowers, putting them through her hair as she swayed to the rhythm of the river. Never in all her life, had Tuya imagined that a girl could grow to be so carefree, so smiley, so whimsical.

Wolf's sister wasn't just alive. She lived. This was a beautiful place to allow such things to grow.

That realization rattled Tuya to the roots. She set Wolf down, knowing that their innocence wouldn't last. Wolf would be slaughtered by the first tamed he met. Worse, this beautiful, wild woman would be claimed and broken like the rest of them. By the time she was brought to the Hollows, her muscular stomach would be swollen with tamer seed. The energetic, lively creature that danced and put flowers in her hair would be deprived of life until she had no will to live. A wilted flower, plucked from the place it belonged, transplanted to a place where it could only die.

Tuya stared at her feet, trying not to let anyone see her cry.

We have to tell them, Batu said.

Wolf, leaning against a tree, made gestures toward his sister, carrying out a conversation in a language Tuya couldn't comprehend. Their hands moved so fast she had no hope of trying to interpret more than the smallest portion of their communication. She couldn't understand them, nor could they understand her.

You saw how he responded earlier when I asked him for simple answers. Even if they believe it, they won't comprehend it. At least not well enough to do anything wise about it.

Then share your mind with them.

Tuya shut that down with as much force as she could without breaking their link. She couldn't risk it. She lost count of how many sunrises were between her and the last time Gurg saw her. But it was more than enough to be confident that Gurg could only find her with incredible luck. If she broke her link, even for a moment, he would be able to sense her from anywhere in the world. Then he would send his mind to her. He would use these people and any beast in this place. Her spear would have blood on it again, and not the kind she wanted. Silver eyes staring into eternity as the consciousness seeped out of the body. A mother giving away her pearl necklace before she gave her life.

Tuya gripped Yaha's pearl. She didn't die for Tuya to throw it away trying to talk to people who might neither be able to understand or listen. Tuya wouldn't return to the Hollows. Not until the end when she'd drive Gurgaldai ezen Celegan to his knees and tell him that Captain Yaha of Caleel sent her. Until then, she wouldn't break her link.

We need to go, Tuya told Batu, still holding the pearl and remembering that Yaha didn't make her promise to safe everyone but trusted her to do what was right.

Tuya looked at the smiling faces as Wolf and his sister did the gesture where they locked their little fingers together. Both twisted their necks toward her, extending the locked little fingers together, smiling like family welcoming you home after a long time away.

I can't do this, she thought, seeing the blood, the holes Gurg would leave in them, in Tuya's heart. She didn't even know them, couldn't speak with them, why should she care? Why couldn't she just let go? Thousands of women were born or brought to the Hollows each season, why did the idea of this dancing Atmana going there hit her like a tamer's kick?

So many seasons later, she could still hear Makhun's little voice. You did this, khorota.

Batu stayed silent in the link, letting her sort through this on her own as he waited in the water. Like Yaha, he placed his faith in her, accepting her choice before she even made it.

Wolf, too wounded to move from his sitting place, kept that finger outstretched, his gorgeous smile waning as Tuya fought off tears. His care, his compassion, hit her like an arrow. Loud as his howl in her ear, she could sense his desire to make her pain smaller. Wolf's sister plucked a flower from a nearby tree, leaping for it like she was still in her beast form. She danced toward Tuya, fell to a knee, head down, and offered the flower with heartbreaking whimsical grace. Neither of them had any idea what was coming for them but neither did Tuya trust herself to keep them safe if she stayed. Everybody she'd ever tried to protect was either left behind or dead. Why should this go any differently?

Tears gliding down her cheeks, Tuya shook her head. She pushed the thought out with her mind, even as she spoke it in Celegan. "I can't stay," she said. "This isn't where I belong."

"And where do you belong?"

Taking the spear from her back, Tuya stepped into empagong stance, then turned toward the source of a voice that spoke perfect Celegan.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.