Dat had indeed ‘cleaned up’ his brother, whose fur had been ragged and dull after his long imprisonment. Someone had washed and trimmed Dett’s fur and claws, leaving the fur short but smooth, while all of his claws were a uniform length, and slightly glossy. Fur which had seemed light brown in the mines was now revealed to be a deep gold instead, a darker shade of his mother’s bright color.
Everyone except for Kaz and Berin stared for one long, uncomprehending moment, and then Idla and Avli let out simultaneous gasps of recognition. Avli started forward, but Idla was closer, and took the two steps necessary to pull the small male into her embrace. She stood half a head taller than him, and for a moment, they were the very image of a mother tenderly holding her pup.
It lasted only a heartbeat, and then Idla pushed herself back, releasing Dett with clear reluctance. She looked at Berin, eyes bright, and said, “How? How did you do this?”
It was Dett who answered, pulling away to glare from Berin to his brother. “They didn’t do anything except chop off my fur and make me smell like weiba. Kaz is the one who saved us. Mother, you should reward him immediately!” His chin lifted imperiously, but then he glanced at Avli from the corner of his eyes, and it dropped again as he tucked his tail bashfully.
Idla turned to Kaz. “How is this possible?”
Kaz and Lianhua had tried to tell the chiefs about the mosui and the fulan, but they were so fixated on the Magmablades that they barely noticed. Now, however, Idla and the others listened as Kaz gave a carefully adjusted version of the events in the mid-levels, leaving out his own involvement as much as possible. He didn’t want to encourage them to think he was even more valuable than they already did.
When he was done, Idla shook her head, and her gaze went back to Dett. “I told you you weren’t ready to go to the mid-levels for your spirit hunt! If you had listened to me, you would have spent the last two years at home, where you belong, and-”
“And been mated to Berin,” Dett finished, glaring at the young Goldcoat female.
Idla blinked, then nodded. “Of course. Without you, she had to take Dat-”
Again, Dett cut her off. “Who is perfect for her, since they’re both power-hungry and sly. I told you I wanted-”
“Avli was the Mithrilblades’ heir!” Idla broke in. “There was no way Zava would allow her to take a lesser son as mate.”
Avli herself stepped up now, sliding between Dat and Dett, blue eyes shining as she reached out and took Dett’s hand in her own larger one. “But now my mother has no voice in the decision, and I, Avli, chief of the Mithrilblades, ask Idla, chief of the Goldblades, for her son, Dett, as my mate.”
All of the other females turned to stare at her. “You said you weren’t ready to take a mate,” one of the unnamed Mithrilblades yelped.
Avli grinned, stepping even closer to Dett so her long white coat mingled with his short gold fur. “And now I am,” she said, fluffy tail swaying gently behind her.
Kaz was close enough to see Dett’s fingers tighten on hers spasmodically, and then he looked straight at his mother and said, “I, Dett, youngest son of chief Idla Goldblade, accept chief Avli Mithrilblade’s offer for me.”
A choked little sound emerged from Idla’s throat, and she said, “But- We haven’t even discussed-”
Dett glanced toward Kaz, and his voice shook only slightly when he answered, “You once said that a male who survived a week in the mid-levels deserved to choose his own mate. I survived more than two years, and Avli is my choice.”
“I meant your father,” Idla spluttered, then shook her head in defeat. “And you’re far more like him than I knew. Fine then, but Avli, rest assured I’ll be asking a good deal for him.”
Both Avli and Dett relaxed slightly, their hands shifting so their fingers could intertwine. “And I will bargain well, so you can be proud of your son’s mate,” Avli said, eyes sparkling.
Kaz looked between them, glad that things were working out well for Dett. He couldn’t say that Dett was a friend, or even that he particularly liked the other male, but all those who had been trapped in the mosui city had suffered enough for one lifetime. Still, Kaz had other things to do, and the confines of the hut were even tighter now that Dett and his over-large brother were crammed into it.
An image popped into his head, and he looked down, meeting Li’s golden eyes. She tilted her head slightly, and he crouched, allowing her to climb up onto his arm, and from there to his shoulder. He sent a query back to her, and she gave him an incredulous stare, as if shocked that he could possibly doubt her.
Backing up, Kaz felt his tail brush against Lianhua’s robe, and glanced over to see the blur of Chi Yincang’s ki in a section of the hut that was suspiciously dark, given how many light orbs were currently illuminating it. Kaz lifted his hand, tracing the silence rune before whispering, “Stay close.”
Li clicked in satisfaction, and her power rose around them, encompassing both Kaz and Lianhua. Kaz could feel her pulling hard on his ki, as well as her own, and moved as quickly as he could. Always before, Li’s ability to conceal herself and her companion had required that they hold completely still, barely even breathing until whatever they were hiding from had moved away.
Recently, however, Li had become strong enough to maintain the effect while she was moving slowly, using her skill to sneak around the mosui city and eat the ki crystals used everywhere. Now, she assured Kaz that she could hide both him and - if he really found it absolutely necessary - Lianhua as well.
As soon as Kaz was certain no one was looking his way - the dragon’s ability urging them to focus on something else, like the happy couple standing by the door - Kaz slid around Lianhua and pressed up against the wall. Pulling the Woodblade from his belt, he made a slit in the leather, which parted easily and in complete silence. Then he simply took hold of Lianhua’s hand and pulled her after him, slipping out of the crowded confines of the hut.
Almost instantly, Chi Yincang came through after them, and Li dropped her skill, ribs heaving with the effort. Her middle dantian was nearly drained after only a few seconds of covering all three of them, but she had done it, and if she was a kobold, Kaz thought she would have howled in pride. As it was, she lifted her wings, spreading them wide behind Kaz’s head as she arched her neck haughtily.
Lianhua chuckled at the dragon’s antics, then murmured, “Where are we going?”
“One moment,” Kaz said, glancing toward Chi Yincang’s blur. Kaz peered around the side of the hut to meet Raff’s astonished eyes. The big male started to say something, but Kaz shook his head vehemently, clamping his hands around his own muzzle to indicate that the human should likewise keep his mouth closed. Raff frowned in puzzlement, then, when he saw Lianhua peeking out from behind Kaz, the human just shook his head in bemusement and circled around to join them.
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Wiping the rune from his hand, Kaz murmured, “I need to check on Ratre and,” he racked his brain for the other male’s name, finally coming up with, “Minc. And I want to know where the other Magmablades are.”
Lianhua nodded thoughtfully. “Someone needs to stay here to prevent them from panicking when they realize we’re missing,” Lianhua said, looking at Raff.
Raff sighed, starting to run his hand through his curly hair before glancing at Kaz and stopping himself. “I suppose that’s my job, eh? I gotta warn you, Lianhua, diplomacy isn’t one of my strengths.”
Kaz shook his head, ears cocked to catch any sound that might indicate their absence had already been discovered. “Be blunt. They were taking too long, so we went to check on our companions. They won’t like it, but you’re just a male, doing as you’ve been told.”
“Just a male, huh?” Raff muttered, and this time he did run his hand through his hair, making it stand up wildly. “Then I guess I better give ‘em what they expect. Get goin’ before they stop nattering and start lookin’ around.”
Kaz and Lianhua exchanged a glance as Li gave a quiet whistle of agreement. The group split, Raff returning to the door of the large meeting hut, while Kaz followed his nose, Lianhua followed Kaz, and Chi Yincang followed Lianhua.
Out of all the Magmablades, Kaz had had the closest contact with Kyla, Ija, and Sika. Unfortunately, they were all in the hut behind them, so instead he pulled up the memory of the scent of puppy, mingled with the lingering smell of stinking chouchou fungus and sickness.
The Magmablades, adults and puppies alike, had been taken away as soon as they all entered the Goldcoat den, so Kaz tracked back toward the main entrance, ignoring the surprised looks passing kobolds gave him. So long as none of them took it upon themselves to send up a howl or try to stop him, it didn’t matter if they stared. He wasn’t really trying to hide, after all, just make sure everyone was well before he left.
As Sika had noted, chouchou was very difficult to completely remove from fur, and when someone accidentally set one off, they usually just washed until it became tolerable, then waited for time to finish the job. That was exactly what had happened with little Gram, and the distinct smell lingered along the path the Magmablades had followed.
Kaz led the way through a narrow passage leading to a much smaller cavern which was being used for storage. Leather bags and stone pots held various things that his nose told him were mostly food, but also other things that were harder to identify. He felt an urge to check one of each, much as he had when wandering through the mosui storehouse, but he restrained himself. These kobolds were, if not his allies, then not his enemies either. Stealing from them would be both risky and inappropriate.
A single tunnel led away from this open area, and Kaz veered sharply toward it, then stopped only a few feet in. The ceiling was low, and the passage was just wide enough for two kobolds to pass each other, which meant that Lianhua and Chi Yincang would have a hard time squeezing past the guards posted there. Two males and a female, all wearing a large golden bead at front and center of their necklaces, stared back at Kaz’s party.
“No one may pass,” the female said, looking from Kaz to Lianhua, clearly uncertain who she should be addressing. Her shield shimmered around her, fed by the bright gold core in her belly, so her uncertainty only extended to the formalities, not to whether or not she was prepared to do her job.
Kaz held up his hands. “I’m Kaz,” he told her. “I was with the Magmablades when they were captured. One of the puppies is sick, and I know how to help him.”
The female softened slightly, and the two males behind her exchanged a glance. The mountain was no gentle place, and puppies died far too often. Even though the adults of a tribe didn’t coddle their young, they all tended to be very aware not only of their presence, but of any sign that one wasn’t doing well. Kaz was certain that these three had noticed Chix, and knew Kaz was telling the truth about that much at least.
Finally, the Goldblade female gave a soft yip, and one of the males ducked into the dark opening behind him. A moment later, fierce puppy barks emerged from the hole, and then the male returned. Chix was tucked beneath one arm, and Gram dangled by the scruff of his neck from the other hand. Gram was still trying to bark and snap, but stilled when he saw Kaz, bright blue eyes going wide.
Kaz crouched, and the warrior put down both puppies, giving Gram a soft warning growl when it seemed like the little blue puppy might try for one last nip. Chix was already heading for Kaz, though, so Gram darted after his friend without any further hesitation.
When Chix reached him, Kaz set a hand on the pup’s head, though he didn’t pick him up this time. Chix still looked better than he had when Kaz first saw him, but his core was already noticeably dimmer, so Kaz sent him more ki. The frail puppy instantly perked up, his large gray eyes gazing up at Kaz worshipfully.
“Is everyone all right?” Kaz murmured to the pups, as they crowded close to him.
Chix nodded, but Gram bared sharp little teeth. “They took Acha and the other females away,” he said. “I don’t know where they are. They said they’d hurt them if we tried to escape.”
Kaz frowned, but he wasn’t really surprised. The best way to control males was by threatening the females, and the best way to control females was by threatening the young of the tribe. Still, he had hoped to find them all together so he could be sure Idla hadn’t done anything without waiting for the other chiefs to agree.
“I just saw Ija and Sika,” he told the little ones. “So I think everyone else must be safe somewhere, too.”
Chix’s eyes were beginning to flutter closed as blue ki cycled through his body, healing some of the damage created by the weakness of his core. Kaz caught him just as he started to slump, and the female Goldblade took a step forward, her shield shining as she put more power into it.
“What did you do?” she demanded.
Gram had crowded up against his little friend, trying to lift him as he fell, and he stared up at Kaz with eyes full of questions.
Kaz smiled at the female, whispering, “He was in pain. He feels better now, so he can rest.” Then he looked at Gram and took the pup’s little hand, pressing it against Chix’s abdomen, just above the brittle gray core. Pulling on his own ki, he passed it through Gram’s hand and into Chix, seeing Gram’s eyes widen at the sensation.
Kaz formed the ‘obscure sound’ rune in his mind, holding it as he said, “Did you feel that?”
Gram nodded eagerly.
“Chix doesn’t have enough energy,” Kaz told him. “Each time he grows, he gets weaker, because his body gets bigger, but he only has the same amount of power to feed it. Soon, he’ll grow too large, and I think he’ll die when that happens.”
Gram’s ears flattened, but he glared at Kaz. “Then you have to keep him healthy,” he demanded, and Kaz smiled sadly.
“I won’t be here to help him,” he said gently, watching the way Gram’s face fell. “But you will.” He allowed another pulse of ki to travel through Gram’s hand and into Chix.
“If you can learn to push your power out, you can save him yourself,” he said.
Gram’s face crumpled in confusion. “I don’t have any power.”
Kaz leaned in, as if imparting a great secret, which, in fact, he was. “You do,” he told the blue-furred puppy. “And Chix does, too, but not as much. Not enough. But you can learn to do what I do, and share your power with him. I think you have enough to keep both of you alive.” And then some, he thought wryly, looking at the sapphire burning in the puppy’s belly.
The hand that Kaz wasn’t holding clenched into a fist, and Gram stared up at Kaz, eyes blazing with determination. “I’ll do anything to help him,” Gram said, and Kaz lifted his hand, giving the small one a last pat.
Before he could say anything else, the female Goldblade interrupted again. Her yellow eyes were suspicious, and she looked over the puppies as if they might be hiding a weapon in their fur. “That’s enough,” she said. “You say the puppy is better, so he should go back with the others.”
Kaz stood, taking a few steps back, almost bumping into Lianhua. He wiped his hand out of habit, though this time the rune had only been an image in his mind. He felt almost as tired as Chix, but he had one more thing to do before the chiefs caught up to him.
“Go on,” Kaz urged Gram, and the puppy gritted his teeth, straining to lift Chix. The Goldblade warrior stepped forward, but Gram growled at him, staggering off down the tunnel with Chix’s paws dragging behind him.
When the puppies were gone, Kaz bowed politely to the female, as well as the two warriors, then turned to Lianhua.
“Let’s go visit the healer,” he said.