Page 66 of Moon Chosen

“Father, be reasonable.”

“I am being reasonable. I’m learning from my past mistakes. You will not be alone.”

“Are you ready to share your secret with the rest of the Tribe?” Nik asked.

“No. But I’m also not ready to lose you. I don’t want you out there alone. Who do you trust, Nik?”

“With a secret of this magnitude? No one!”

“Not the entire secret, Nikolas, only a portion of it. Just the fact that you saw a Scratcher girl who appeared to have the power to draw down sunfire, and that I have tasked you—confidentially, so as not to cause panic within the Tribe—with learning more about this girl on fire. At the same time you’ll be looking for the pup.”

“O’Bryan. I trust him,” Nik said. “After him I’d say Davis.”

“I’m more confident of O’Bryan’s trustworthiness. You’ve been more big brother to him than cousin. But Davis is a good second choice, and I can imagine that you’ll need the tracking skills of a Terrier. Start with O’Bryan, but I’ll let Latrell know that I’ve given permission for Davis and Cameron to search with you as needed.”

“I’ll begin tomorrow morning.”

“I’m afraid the best place for you to search is to go back to that Gathering Site,” Sol said.

“I think so, too.”

“Take O’Bryan tomorrow. See what the two of you can discover on your own.”

“I will,” Nik agreed. “I’ll only call on Davis for help if O’Bryan and I can’t find any trace of either the girl or the pup.”

Sol took Nik’s shoulders in his hands and gave his son a little shake. “Be smart, Nik. And be safe.” Then Sol hugged him with a tightness that seemed almost desperate to Nik. Before he released him the Sun Priest whispered, “I’m sorry you have to carry this with you. I’m sorry you know.”

Nik closed his eyes and returned his father’s embrace. Aloud he said, “That’s okay, Father. That’s okay.” But to himself Nik admitted silently,I’m sorry I know, too. Very sorry…

20

In the weeks following Leda’s death Mari would have died had it not been for Rigel. It’s not that she actively contemplated killing herself. She didn’t think about jumping off a cliff, drowning in a river, or walking into Port City and letting the monsters who ruled the ruins flay the skin from her living body until it lived no more. No, Mari wouldn’t have done any of those things.

She simply would have stopped living.

She wouldn’t have struggled to get out of bed and feed herself so that she had the energy to feed Rigel. She would have just stopped everything—eating, drinking, and, eventually, living. Mari would have curled up on Leda’s pallet and stayed there until she joined her mother in death.

But Mari couldn’t sentence Rigel to the same death. She knew he would die with her. She’d known that since the fire at the Gathering Site. If she wished it, her Shepherd would lie on the pallet beside her and the two of them would sleep forever.

Mari couldn’t ask that of Rigel. He’d escaped the Tribe of the Trees and fought his way through hell to find her—to choose Mari as his Companion for life, and he hadn’t even really lived yet. He deserved better than being entombed with her.

So Mari lived for Rigel.

The morning of the first day was the worst. She woke up in Leda’s bed with Rigel beside her. In that moment between awake and asleep, her mama was still alive, and for a few heartbeats Mari was just confused about why she’d slept in Leda’s bed and why she was so sore and achy—and dirty.

“Mama?” she’d called, yawning and stretching stiffly. Rigel had whined and nuzzled her, waking her more fully, and cruel memory came alive.

Leda was dead.

She and Rigel were alone.

Mari curled into herself and began to sob.Where do all the tears come from? Will they run out? They should. They really should.

She wasn’t hungry at all, just thirsty. Mari made her way slowly to the big stone water trough that she and Leda had just filled together yesterday—right before they’d left to hide Rigel’s tracks. She stood staring at the water, her reflection indistinct in the otherworldly light cast by glowshrooms and glowmoss. Mari’s fingers touched the surface of the water, cool and inviting. She used the small ladle to fill Rigel’s wood water dish first, and the pup began lapping almost frantically. Then Mari drank, and drank deeply—once, twice, three ladles full.

Wiping her mouth she went to the viewing hole and peered up at darkness.

“We slept all day. Or maybe more than one full day.” Mari talked to Rigel, as she normally did, though she tried not to think about the truth—that her pup was all she had to talk to, all she had to live for.