Chapter Three hundred sixty (Pilla)

She had waited as long as she could, but new howls were rising up from the mid-levels and the Deep. Supposedly, there was a whole city in the mid-levels, and it had once been occupied by the beasts that lurked in the dark, slaughtering any kobold tribe that dared reach too far into their territory. In some howls, the beasts were all dead, and the city destroyed, while in others the beasts had been driven off, and hundreds of captives freed. She had even heard one where the beasts and kobolds now lived together in peace, but that was too much, even for her, even given the familiar name that appeared within each of these howls.

Kaz. Kaz had killed the chief of the beasts. Kaz had destroyed the city. Kaz had freed the captives. Kaz had commanded that all kobolds would live peacefully in the new city, and he would appear to strike down any female who attempted to take it over or force a male to her will. This last she actually believed, at least a little, and there were parts of the other howls she recognized as well, though they couldn’t all be true.

But what she took from all the stories was that Kaz would not return to her. She had all but offered for him, made her interest as clear as possible given that he was still a puppy, but he hadn’t come back. It was time to admit that she, too, needed to move on, and find a mate who would give her strong pups, while also leading her males with a firm but fair hand. Bek was doing his best, but he was growing older, and he deserved to be able to focus on his own family, especially as his pups grew closer to adulthood.

Which was why she stood here, clutching a package wrapped in some of the precious niu-fur cloth she’d brought from the mid-levels. She’d approached several nearby tribes, including one recently risen from the mid-levels, who confirmed that the fulan was nearly gone, though the levels had been stripped of food, other than in this mysterious city.

Several of those tribes had warriors of the right age, including two sons of chiefs. A mate descended from strong females was always preferable to one with a weaker family, so these two became her top choices. Of the two, the son of the Bonewalker chief was larger, with short, thick fur. It would be good to have pups who didn’t have to struggle to keep tangles out of their fur, and weren’t among the smallest members of the tribe. The Bonewalker chief was also strong for the heights, and seemed intelligent, choosing to form lasting alliances with the nearby tribes, rather than attempting to force her way into new territory via luegat.

The two Bonewalker guards shifted in place uncomfortably, but didn’t move out of the way to allow Pilla, Bek, and their guards into the den. Had Charren, the Bonewalker chief, not told them to expect Pilla? It wasn’t like there were any other small female kobolds with long fur and drooping ears who would show up at the entrance to their den smelling of weiba.

At last, a female hurried up, her bright green fur the same color as Charren’s. She gave Pilla a bow, but didn’t turn her head, offering her throat. That was fine, but not a great start, given that the Copperstrikers were a mid-level tribe and quite a bit stronger than the Bonewalkers. “My apologies, Pilla of the Copperstrikers. I am Rekken, daughter of Charren. Another visitor arrived earlier today, and Cherren cannot leave them yet. She hopes that you will wait just a bit longer.”

Pilla’s eyes narrowed, but she gave a short dip of her nose. “Of course,” she said. “We may be family soon, and family always has time for one another.” That was a two-bladed knife, of course, since the implication was that Charren should have told her other guest to wait, not Pilla. She could tell from Rekken’s twitch that the blow landed, but the other female didn’t back down.

“Please, come this way,” Rekken said, motioning for the guards to step aside. They did so, but Pilla didn’t think she imagined the speculative glances they exchanged as she and her Copperstrikers passed between them. The whole thing made the fur between her shoulder blades lift. What was going on here?

Rekken led them through the den, which was surprisingly active for what she thought was the middle of their day. The gatherers should be out, and the warriors should be guarding them and hunting for meat. Instead, it seemed like everyone was here, and though none of them stared at her, she felt their regard.

“Something is wrong,” Bek murmured as they passed through an area with fewer Bonewalkers. Pilla nodded, but didn’t answer. She held her shield ready, however, and flicked her fingers toward Szo, the female she’d brought with her. Szo gave a soft rumble of acknowledgement, and Pilla knew she, too, was prepared to do what she must in order to get them out of the den if things went further astray.

“We just had lunch. Would you like something to eat?” Rekken said as they arrived in what was obviously the cooking area. Some of the pups were cleaning stone bowls near a waste crevice, while their den-mother watched over them. That was the first positive sign Pilla had seen. Surely no one would leave pups near a potential battle-site, even with a den-mother to protect them.

Pilla shook her head. “We ate before leaving.” Which was true, though her stomach grumbled unhappily at the words. She had been too nervous to eat well, and now she was regretting it. She would have more power if she’d eaten properly. Really, she should know better.

“Well, sit here, then, and Mother will send for you when she’s ready,” Rekken said, with an even shallower bow than the first. She turned and walked away, and as she did, Bek’s nose quivered.

“She smells of weiba,” he said quietly, not looking after the green-furred female. “I wasn’t sure at first, with your- But I could tell when she got further from you.”

Pilla kept her gaze moving, trying not to look like she was too interested in the activities of the tribe. “Is she courting?”

He gave the smallest shake of his head. “It’s on her, but it’s light. She’s been around someone else who is looking for a mate.”

That was when it all began to make sense. The ‘guest’ Charren was with was another female who hoped to take her son as a mate. This was a tactic Pilla had heard of, but never expected to deal with herself, where a chief played multiple suitors against each other, trying to get the best possible trade for a male. Charren must believe that her son was truly something special, in order to attempt such a thing when Pilla had so many other options. Unless, of course, Pilla didn’t have as many options as she thought she did. Had one or more of the other males she’d considered recently been taken as mates? Perhaps even by Bonewalkers?

Pilla felt her lip start to lift and forced it back down. She didn’t like being manipulated, and she especially didn’t like being manipulated by her potential mate’s mother. While he would technically become a Copperstriker, cutting all ties to his old tribe the moment he became her mate, his family and friends were here, and she hadn’t had any intention of cutting him off from them. In fact, she’d hoped to form a true alliance, at least for as long as it took for the mid-levels to recover from the fulan.

A puppy yelped, catching her attention, and she saw that the den-mother had a male pup by the ear. A broken bowl lay on the ground by the pup’s paws, but even from here Pilla could tell that the pup was small, while the bowl was large and heavy. How had the den-mother expected such a small pup to carry something like that alone?

A young warrior was standing nearby, watching over the pups. He was probably one of their guards when they went out to gather, and was waiting for them to finish cleaning up before going out again. He didn’t react when the den-mother grabbed the pup, but when the female leaned down to deliver a fierce nip, he looked straight at Pilla and gave a quiet bark, reminding the den-mother that they weren’t alone. She was well within her rights to correct the pup, but in the moment when she looked toward Pilla’s group, the warrior motioned for the pup to scamper off, joining the other puppies who were leaving to gather water, rather than cleaning dishes.

Pilla nodded to the den-mother, acknowledging that she’d been watching, and the den-mother bowed in return. Again, that bow wasn’t as deep as it should have been, and Pilla wondered what trap she’d walked into that these kobolds were so confident. She at least no longer believed she was facing a physical assault, but she didn’t like the way things were going.

Rather than continuing her apparently idle examination of the den, Pilla allowed her eyes to linger on the male who’d helped the pup. He was taller than her, but not particularly large, and his fur was slightly longer than that of most kobolds. It was also a rich, true green, rather than the yellowish-green to yellow of the rest of the Bonewalkers, He even had some dark green shading into black fur around his paws and on the end of his tail. She couldn’t tell what color his eyes were from here, but they were paler than the dark green or brown she’d seen while walking through the den.

Time passed, and the pups finished their work, but didn’t go back out to gather. The den-mother was distracted as some younger pups - not yet wearing loincloths - emerged from a nearby hut, rubbing their eyes. They must have been taking a nap after eating, and now that they were up, the female had her hands full with them, which left the older pups to the young warrior. He moved among them, crouching to show a male how to hold a gathering knife, and gently guiding a female into the correct place beside her male ‘guard’. A male had to know where the female he was protecting was at all times, so she had to learn to be predictable in her movements, while the male had to learn to predict them.

Without even realizing she was doing it, she began to drift in the direction of the pups and their guard, her ears lifting as she tried to overhear what he was saying. It mostly seemed to be guidance, but he was free with his praise, often patting the pups on their heads when they did a good job, and only once gently pinching an ear when a male got so distracted that he failed to notice the female he was supposed to be guarding had wandered off.

She knew the moment he got a full whiff of the weiba she’d liberally applied before leaving her own den. He looked up sharply, nostrils twitching, and she met the bluest eyes she’d seen since Kaz left. He stared at her, and she stared back, until one of the puppies launched himself at another male, rolling over and over in a mock battle that involved much growling and barking. The warrior broke eye contact, turning his back to Pilla as he watched to make sure the play didn’t go too far, but she could see how the fur down his spine had lifted.

Short howls announced Charren’s arrival a short time later, and Pilla wasn’t surprised to see that she was accompanied by Liku, a granddaughter of the chief of the Stoneborn tribe. Pilla had met the other female when she approached Listet to find out if there were any unmated young males from strong families among the Stoneborn. She’d been introduced to a few, and they were certainly possibilities, but they hadn’t really seemed interested in leaving their own tribe.

Liku also smelled strongly of weiba, confirming Pilla’s guess that Charren was about to try to play the two of them off against each other. Liku was accompanied by her own guards, but she had five to Pilla’s four. Was that a sign of her importance in her own tribe, or was she considered too weak to protect herself in the uninhabited spaces that were so common on these levels? Pilla supposed it didn’t really matter, but she pushed a hint of power into her eyes anyway. Using her sight took a lot of power, but she wanted to know who her competition was.

Soft blurs of light formed around all of the females in the area. Most of them were what she expected - a gentle glow, indicating a female of average power. A few of the ones going about tasks in the den emitted little more than pale glimmers, while Charren and her daughter, Rekken, were fairly bright. Pilla had never seen anyone else with as brilliant a light as Kaz, and Liku was no different. The Stoneborn female was stronger than average, but not even as powerful as Szo or the other Stoneborn escorting her. Curiosity satisfied, Pilla let her sight drop so she didn’t drain her power any further.

Pilla felt an unwanted sense of triumph as she nodded to the other females. Charren nodded back with an almost smug air about her, while Liku had a hint of desperation beneath her own calm countenance. The group of females came to a halt, and then the Bonewalkers stepped aside, revealing Durren, the male Pilla and presumably Liku were here to offer for.

He really was an attractive male, with thick fur that looked like it was coated in some kind of light oil that made it extra glossy. He was tall and muscular, with a confident set to his shoulders, and sharp green eyes. Honestly, he was exactly what she’d hoped for, and both his mother and sister were impressively strong for the heights. He would help her produce powerful, healthy puppies. Still, she found her gaze slipping away from him, back toward the warrior who had been watching the pups, though now he was busy moving them away from the group of females.

“Pilla!” Charren said, her eyes the same shade of green as her son’s, with the same calculation in them. “I’m told you know Liku. If I’d realized, I would have brought you together sooner. This is all a bit difficult, though. It seems that the Stoneborn, too, are interested in Durren. As his mother, and the chief of my tribe, I must choose the best mate for Durren, and make the best trade possible. Liku has offered-”

Pilla’s hand lifted, and she pointed at the warrior who was about to chivvy the pups from the eating space. “I want him,” she said, though she barely recognized the voice coming from her throat. There was something deep about it, not her usual light, relatively high-pitched tones, and it held far more certainty than she felt.

“-three… What?” Charren’s jaw dropped, her eyes going blank for a moment before snapping around to stare at the male Pilla had indicated. “Nath? He’s…an orphan. His parents died when he was a puppy, and we took him in. You don’t want him.”

Pilla took a step back, forcing her eyes away from Nath. Nath. It was a good name. Simple and strong. She couldn’t look too interested, though. Not in front of this smart, scheming chief. Turning to Liku, Pilla gave a shallow bow. “Respect to your grandmother. I wasn’t told the Stoneborn had expressed interest in Durren. I have no interest in creating bad blood between our tribes, and I’ve barely spoken to the male. Honestly, any warrior will do.”

Not true. Pilla was actually very selective. She had seen too many mates who barely spoke except about their pups. Some of them even lived in separate huts, and lived entirely separate lives except when the female’s time came. Pilla wanted someone she could speak to, someone who would support her in ways other than standing by her shoulder when they fought. Battles should be rare, and she didn’t want to be alone for most of her life. When she met Kaz, she’d seen a male who would speak up for himself and others, who was kind and thoughtful, but also strong. That was what she wanted.

Again, Pilla indicated Nath, this time with a flick of her wrist. “I’m related to all of the males in my tribe, so I must choose from outside of it. I can feel my time coming,” also not true, but it could explain her impetuosity, “and if Durren is unavailable, that one will do.” She held up the bundle of niu-fur cloth.

“I have two iron knives, sixteen forged iron arrowheads, a pouch of weiba, and,” she turned the cloth aside, revealing her greatest treasure, “a mithril-alloy blade forged in the Deep for our first chief, who was the daughter of a Goldblade. I had intended to offer this for Durren, but I’m sure the Stoneborns have made a better offer. I will take this Nath, if he’s willing, or I will return to my den. There was a male Stoneborn I liked as well. Lan or Lok, I think?”

Now that Pilla had ceded Durren to Liku, the Stoneborn female looked positively thrilled. Her tail wagged as she said, “Ah! They’re my cousins. Lok is-”

But Charren’s eyes were fixed on the glitter of mithril. It was incredibly difficult to forge the metal, so it was seen only rarely even in the Deep, and was almost unheard-of in the mid-levels. Charren had probably never seen any before. The Bonewalker chief could see that her plan had fallen apart, but she wanted that knife.

“Fine,” she said, “you can have Nath.” She reached out her hands, but Pilla drew back the bundle, dropping the cloth over the contents.

“If he wants to be my mate,” Pilla said, and Charren’s lip lifted, just a little. Was that contempt for a female who listened to the wishes of a male, or anger that Pilla continued to block her?

Charren turned, yipping for the male who was watching them all with wary blue eyes. Pilla couldn’t tell if he’d heard what she said, but if he had, the caution with which he approached wasn’t a good sign. Was she about to be rejected again? She had a feeling this would be more painful than when Kaz had left her. Even when she asked, she somehow knew he wasn’t for her, but Nath…Nath had nowhere else to go. Unless. There was no mate bead on his necklace, but perhaps some other female had already begun to court him, and it simply hadn’t been made official yet?

“Nath,” Charren said. “This is Pilla. She wishes to have you as her mate. I have given my approval, but she wants to speak to you first.”

Ah. This was actually better than Pilla had hoped. She nodded to Charren, then turned and walked away, letting Nath trail after her uncertainly. Bek and Szo stepped between Pilla, Nath, and all of the other females.

Pilla turned to Nath. She met his blue eyes, desperately hoping that her sincerity reached him. “Nath, I’m the chief of the Copperstriker tribe. I need a mate, but not just any mate, in spite of my words before. We came from the mid-levels when the fulan contaminated everything, and we hold the stairs leading to the mid-levels now.

“In a year or two, when the areas ravaged by fulan begin to recover, I intend to take my tribe back down, and recover our old territory. I have even heard rumors of a hidden city, which I would like to investigate. I need a male who is strong, intelligent, but not afraid to speak his mind, at least when we’re alone. I hope he’ll be a partner in raising our pups, and my tribe lost many members to the fulan and battles we fought to reach safety. We will need to have many pups.”

A spark of humor lit Nath’s eyes, and his ear twitched. “How many pups, exactly?”

Pilla’s tail began to wag. “Ten?”

He winced. “Five?”

She shook her head. “At least eight.”

Nath glanced over his shoulder at Charren and the other Bonewalkers. “Seven, and I never have to return here.”

Her heart hurt for him when she realized what that meant. He had lost his parents when he was young, and the tribe who had taken him in obviously didn’t value him. “I promise,” she said.

Growing serious, he said, “My original tribe was from the Deep. We were subsidiaries of the Woodblades, but we left when they died. Males were respected and treated fairly there. I don’t… I would rather be alone than be ignored or treated as a tool.”

Pilla met his gaze with equal solemnity. “We’ve been a mid-level tribe for many generations, but we take care of our males, and for the most part, we listen to them. I, personally, will never dismiss or belittle my mate. I promise to listen to you. If you doubt I speak the truth, you can ask Bek.” She tilted her head toward the squat, strong old warrior who had accompanied her. “He’s been telling me what to do for years, and I haven’t even nipped his ear.” She hesitated, then whispered, “He’d probably bite me back.”

Nath let out a sharp bark of surprised laughter, then nodded slowly. “I will be your mate, Pilla of the Copperstrikers.”

Pilla finally let her tail begin to wag, and walked back to Charren, intensely aware of Nath walking just behind and to her left, in the position a mate would take. Thrusting the bundle of cloth and metal toward the Bonewalker chief, Pilla said, “Done. I thank you for your hospitality, Charren.” She glanced at Liku. “Give my respect to your grandmother.” Then she bowed to the lot of them and walked out of the den, taking her new mate with her.