Page 63 of Moon Chosen

“Father, what are you talking about?”

“Tell the rest of it and I’ll explain. How did the fire start?” Sol said.

Nik swallowed past the dryness in his throat, wishing he’d brought up his mug of ale. “This is the unbelievable part.”

“Go on, son.”

“The woman died and then from across the creek I saw a Scratcher girl. She’d just stepped out of the cover of a big willow. She was screaming no, and staring at me. Before I could say or do anything, her eyes changed, Father. They glowedourcolor—the color of sunlight. She lifted her arms, and then the brush on either side of her exploded into fire.Shedid it. I didn’t imagine it—I swear to you I didn’t. That Scratcher girl can call down sunlight and channel fire, like you can.” Nik went very still, waiting for his father to scoff or laugh or patronize.

“Who else knows about this?”

“Thaddeus and Davis were there, but they didn’t see the girl. As soon as the brush caught fire she disappeared.”

“How do they think the fire started?”

“Thaddeus thinks the Scratchers set a trap for us. Davis doesn’t think so, though. He agrees with what I told him.”

“Which was what?”

“I said that there must have been other Scratchers around and that as they ran from us they scattered a campfire, catching the dry brush around the willow on fire.”

“You said Davis agrees with you?”

Nik nodded. “That’s what he’s going to report to Cyril.”

“Good. Good.” Sol wiped a trembling hand across his brow.

“Father, you believe me?”

“Completely,” Sol said.

“You even believe me about the girl on fire? The Scratcher girl?”

“I especially believe you about her, Nik. And I don’t believe she is a Scratcher girl, or at least not a full-blooded Scratcher girl.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I’m afraid I do,” Sol said. “And it has to do with Galen.”

“Who is Galen?”

“Not is, but was,” Sol said. “Hewasmy friend. Until I killed him. And I believe he was also that girl’s father, which makes her part Scratcher and part Companion.”

19

Utterly shocked, Nik stared at his father.How could it be true? Father was a good man—a kind man—the spirit of the Tribe. How could he have killed his friend?

“It was a long time ago.” Sol spoke quietly, his voice weary with old regret. “Almost twenty years now. You were so young I’m not surprised you don’t remember Galen, but I’ll bet you do remember his Shepherd—Orion.”

Nik blinked in surprise. “Orion! Of course I remember him. He was huge! Or at least my child’s imagination remembers him as huge.”

“Orion was the biggest Shepherd the Tribe had ever known. Even Laru isn’t quite as massive as was that big male.”

“Wait, I do remember his Companion. He left to join a more northern Tribe. I remember crying because I hadn’t been able to say good-bye to Orion.” Nik met his father’s gaze. “You told me Orion and Galen had to go north because that Tribe needed a Shepherd to sire a new line.”

“That was what we told everyone,” Sol said. “That he never made it to the northern Tribe was a tragedy his family, and I, mourned.”

“But you didn’t kill him, right? He died making the trip north.”