Chapter One hundred thirty-nine (Patreon)

Somehow, Kaz managed to sit there, silently eating the stew that his tongue could no longer taste, as those around him discussed everyday topics. Lianhua was fascinated by the story Berin had just told her, and was scribbling away in a book. For the first time, Kaz realized that she must have many such books, because she had to have filled several by now, but there always seemed to be more blank pages to write on.

Li trilled softly in his ear, and a memory rose up in his mind, one they had watched together before. In it, Oda snapped at a young Kaz, telling him, “Everything the ancients ever said, everything they left, it’s all a lie.”

Was she right? Was Berin’s tale just that, a myth told to credulous puppies to explain the way their world worked, and convince them to obey rules that otherwise had no logic behind them? Or was every word fact, carried faithfully down through the centuries, taught to young kobolds by their den mothers so they wouldn’t repeat the mistakes of their ancestors?

He had a feeling that, like so many things, the truth was some combination of the two, but in this case that truth wasn’t something distant and irrelevant, but rather very personal. If his mother was Oda Magmablade, and also Oda Broken Knife, then who was his father? How had Ghazt come to have the Woodblade’s knife, and how and why had he hidden it from his mate, instead passing it to an unmated female of the tribe?

Appetite gone, he lifted his plate to his shoulder, where Li was pleased enough to finish off the contents. He had been passing her a good bit of the meat, but she was just as willing to eat the lichen and mushrooms, though Kaz’s instincts still told him that growing creatures needed meat in order to be healthy.

When he looked away from the gluttonous dragon, he found Berin’s gaze on him, calculation in her yellow eyes. When she realized he’d seen her, she smiled, tongue lolling and one ear cocked to the side, but Kaz didn’t let her slightly ridiculous appearance fool him. This female was dangerous, but at the same time, she might be able to give him at least some of the answers he sought.

“This is the first time I’ve ever seen a fuergar choose to stay with someone,” she said conversationally, setting her own plate down beside her, the contents barely touched. “More than one puppy has brought one home, and we let them keep them until they run away, at least so long as they can’t hurt the pup badly. One of my cousins keeps a niu, and another is trying to tame a woshi that’s still in its water-form, but it only spits water at her when she gets close.”

She yipped a laugh. “Maybe I should tell her to stick to fuergar instead.” 

Kaz shifted, turning his head so Li was mostly hidden by his muzzle. “I saved Li when she was a baby,” he said. “And I don’t try to make her stay. She can leave whenever she wants.”

Berin smirked. “So the illusion of freedom is all it takes to make it choose captivity? I’ll have to keep that in mind.”

Kaz had a feeling they were holding two entirely different conversations, so he stood up, placing the cleaned plate back on his stone seat. Turning to Lianhua, he said, “I’m going to go check on Ratre, unless you need me for something.”

Lianhua looked up, blinking, then stood as well, tucking her book and pen back into her pouch. “Let’s go together. I need to know how long it’ll be before we can continue on.”

Berin stood, and her expression of surprise looked genuine. “I thought you would stay with us for a while. At least until Tezne gets back. She’ll want to meet you.”

“When do you think that’ll be?” Lianhua asked, face almost as unreadable as Chi Yincang’s.

“A day, two at the most. Our tribe has been tasked with keeping the Goldblade section of this level clear of monsters and beasts that could endanger the Deep. Thanks to Senge, a particularly dangerous aberration made it down the stairs, and Mother has gone to deal with it.” Berin’s lip curled when she said her sister’s name.

Lianhua glanced around, then shook her head firmly. “I want to reach the city as quickly as possible. Now that we’re so close, there’s no reason to delay.”

Berin glanced back at Jia, who was obviously listening as she stirred the stew. “Even if that male might die if you force him to leave too soon?”

Sighing, Lianhua shook her head. “We told these kobolds we’d leave them behind if they couldn’t keep up, and they agreed.” She looked only mildly regretful, and Kaz wondered what she was hoping to gain. He knew her too well to believe that she was as callous as she appeared.

Berin’s mate had risen to his paws when she had, and to Kaz’s shock, he stepped forward, saying, “That male won’t be able to walk for at least a few days. Jul wants to keep him until he’s sure the qingmai has killed the infection. We can take him to his tribe once he’s able to tell us who they are.”

The Goldcoat female turned to glare at her mate, who bowed slightly before saying, “My mother, too, will wish to speak to the humans. Best that we don’t delay them too much.”

Berin twitched, then nodded stiffly. “I think Tezne would prefer to be the one doing the introductions, but perhaps you’re right.”

Dat bowed again, more deeply, then turned to Lianhua. “I am Dat, mate to Berin. My mother is Idla, chief of the Goldblades. She often dealt with humans when the mountain was open, so I’m certain she can help you find what you seek. My mate and I can bring you directly to her, if you’ll wait until tomorrow.”

A soft whimper came from somewhere behind Kaz, and Dat’s ear twitched, but he didn’t look away from Lianhua. Kaz did, however, and caught a glimpse of Dett, who was peering out from beyond Raff’s bulk. The little male’s blue eyes were wide and shocked, fixed on Dat’s broad, yellow-furred muzzle. Dett claimed to be the son of the Goldblade chief as well, which would make Dat his brother.

Lianhua made a soft, thoughtful sound, drawing Kaz’s attention back to her. “I suppose that’s acceptable,” she said. “We’ll need someplace to rest tonight, and water to cleanse ourselves.”

Berin nodded, seeming more comfortable now that Lianhua had agreed to wait, even if only a little. Her grin returned, and she waved to a few of the Goldcoats nearby. “Bring the humans to their huts, then show Lianhua to the water-”

Lianhua shook her head. “I still want to check on the injured kobolds. Kaz knows the way, so he’ll take me.” Her tone was absolute, leaving no room for Berin to insert one of her own tribe members.

“But then you won’t know the way to the huts. Kibbiz will guide you there first.” She waved her hand, and a female with light brown fur stepped forward, bowing.

Lianhua smiled. “Then Kibbiz can show us all to the healer, then the sleeping huts and water. After that, Kaz can take me everywhere.”

It was obvious to Kaz by now that Lianhua didn’t want him to go off on his own, and though he wasn’t sure why, he was glad of it when he saw a flicker of frustration in Berin’s eyes. “Well enough,” the female said through gritted teeth, then gestured again to Kibbiz.

Lianhua didn’t sigh in relief, but her shoulders relaxed, and she hurried away from the eating area more quickly than was strictly necessary. Raff and Chi Yincang went with them as well, Raff in between Kibbiz and Lianhua, and Chi Yincang bringing up the rear.

As soon as they passed into the vast main cavern, Lianhua sketched the sound suppression rune on her palm and flashed it at Kaz, though he could see that she put more ki than usual into it, because power settled around them in a pale, gleaming shell.

“She started asking about you as soon as the formalities were over,” Lianhua murmured. “What is that blue kobold’s name, where did he come from, was he in this mosui city, what tribe is he from? At first I just thought it was normal curiosity, because you spoke to her, and perhaps also because she was interested in Li. She didn’t ask about anyone else, though, just you, and sprinkled her questions in among other conversation, as if the questions had just occurred to her.”

Kaz felt his shoulders growing tight again. “What did you tell her?”

“Your name, of course,” Lianhua admitted. “But when I said you came from a tribe from the top of the mountain, she became much more interested.” She put her hands up, fingers extended beside her head. “She did that thing you do, where you turn your ears straight toward me, and I can tell you’re really focused on what I’m saying.”

A red flush suffused her cheeks, and she hurried on. “Not that you don’t listen, but your ears are usually-” She turned her fingers this way and that, as if tracking the sounds around them, and Kaz huffed a laugh.

“Because that keeps me alive,” he said, but he was beginning to relax again. “What else did you say?”

“You never claim the,” her voice lowered to a whisper, even though no one should be able to understand what they said, “Broken Knives as your tribe. Usually you say you’re from the Longknife tribe, but I heard you tell Senge you’re a Longtooth instead. You don’t lie, so I thought there must be some reason you did that time, so I told Berin the same thing. After that I changed the subject whenever she tried to ask about you.”

Kaz thought back to the moment Li had urged discretion when he was about to answer Senge’s question. He had nearly told Senge the truth, hoping that she might have more information about the tribe his mother had left behind, but when the dragon reminded him of Oda’s tendency to leave only enemies behind her, he had claimed neither his own tribe, nor the one his sister, Katri, had created when she merged the Broken Knives with the Longtooths.

How did you know? He silently asked the dragon perched on his shoulder, but she just yawned, tongue curling as she pointedly looked away from him. He suspected she didn’t know any more than he did, and her caution had been driven by another of the mysterious instincts that had yet to lead them astray.

“I’ll be careful,” Kaz said, trying to sound unconcerned, as the healer’s hut came into sight.

Lianhua reached out and caught his arm, stopping as she stared down into his eyes. “Do more than that, Kaz,” she said, her tone more pleading than commanding. “I want you to stay with one of us at all times. It’s not just that Berin is interested in you. I’ve seen others watching you, whenever you’re not looking. It’s mostly the females, but Dat does it, too. And you told me yourself that kobolds will sometimes steal puppies or males from other tribes. What am I supposed to do if you just vanish, and they claim they don’t know where you went?”

Her lips twitched. “Or if they try to take you, and you kill or injure half the tribe fighting them off?”

Kaz blinked. That simply… hadn’t occurred to him. The idea that he might be taken and have to run away, that was always a possibility, if a distant one. But could he really kill or drive off grown warriors long enough for Lianhua and the others to come to his rescue?

Yes. Yes, he could. He was at least as capable of protecting himself as any female, especially now that he could create a shield. It was currently only large enough to protect his head and keep out fulan, but he suspected that he could make it larger if he was forced to try. Besides, his skin could no longer be pierced by anything short of what should be a killing blow, and if they were trying to take him, they wouldn’t be willing to chance such an attack.

He had never received full training as a warrior, since Oda never allowed him to go on his spirit hunt, but he had had more than most pups, and he had been used as a warrior in all but name. He had fought woshi, and janjio, and a fuergar nearly as large as he was. He easily took down a husede, and used his ki to kill an ancient, insane being who was at least as much a monster as the things created by the fulan.

Kaz had no interest in hurting anyone, but he was no longer a helpless puppy. He had learned this lesson over and over, but somehow it never seemed quite real until the moment when he was forced to fight back. But this time he wouldn’t let it get that far. He would stand up for himself, and if anyone came for him, he would do what he had to do to protect himself. Better yet, he would use wisdom to prevent the need for strength.

He nodded as he began to walk again. “I’ll stay with you or Raff, but if anyone tries to do anything to me, they’ll find that they’ve taken on a lopo, where they expected a stalactite.”

Lianhua smiled, then hesitantly asked, “Kaz… was your mother Oda Magmablade?”

Kaz sighed. “She never used that name, but she certainly was Oda Broken Knife.”

They stopped outside the hut, and Kaz sniffed deeply, drawing in the calming scent of jejing moss, which had always filled his nose when his aunt Rega hugged him, in those brief moments when she allowed such contact. Beside him, Lianhua wrinkled her nose, clearly not finding the smell as pleasant as Kaz did.

“Are you coming in?” he asked her, and she shook her head. She had braved the jejing and the stench of sickness when she sat with Ehlan Redmane, so he wasn’t sure why this was different, but females weren’t supposed to go into a hut with an unrelated male, so it was just as well.

“I’ll be right back, then,” he said, and pushed open the door, ducking inside.