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Rosahad come to help save the camp.
Thatbizarre claim jangled throughLouisa’smuddled brain as she stammered her thanks toRosa, and welcomed her fellow travellers.Whichturned out to include not onlyRosa’smateJohn-Kaand their sons, but alsoJohn-Ka’sclosestKa-esh brothers — two handsome, vaguely familiar orcs namedTristanandSalvi.Who,Louisabelatedly recalled, she’d met back when she’d first helpedRosa— and who, apparently, were now also fathers toRosaandJohn-Ka’ssons, and had come to care for them, whileRosaandJohn-Kahelped…save the camp.
ButRosadidn’t elaborate as she cheerfully greeted the rest of the camp, and then willingly acceptedUlfarr’soffer to stay the night.AndasUlfarrguidedTristanandSalviand the orclings off toward the brand-newkofi,LouisatookRosaandJohn-Kadown into the underground common-room, withKillikclose behind them.
“Er, so what do you mean?”Louisafinally asked, once she was seated withRosaandJohn-Kaat one of the common-room’s tables, whileKillikhovered behind her with palpable annoyance. “Whydo you think the camp needs saving?”
Rosahad been rummaging in a pack she’d brought, and she swept out a sheaf of paper, several quills, and a bottle of ink. “Twothings,” she said crisply, as she began preparing her quill. “Firstof all, back at the mountain, you said that horridLordRikardthreatened both you and the camp — and we’ve seen enough of these lords to know youcannotignore that threat.Andsecondly…”
Sheangled a wary glance up behindLouisa, toward whereKillikstill looked supremely irritated, his lip curling, his arms crossed over his chest — but his brows had snapped up, too, his eyes glittering onRosa’sface.Asif daring her to say the rest of it, and toRosa’scredit, she straightened in her chair, and drew in a breath.
“Andsecondly,” she repeated, “IknowSimonandMariaare coming here soon, andSimonwill be evaluating your camp, andUlfarr’sleadership.AndwhileIlike and respectSimon, andIknow he’s a goodEnforcer,Ialso think” — she took another breath — “he’s far too close to the situation to be trusted to make a clear judgement on it.AndwhileSkaileadership structures are a matter for another day, for now we’re stuck with it, which means” — she jabbed her quill betweenLouisaandKillik— “if you want to redeemUlfarr, you need to reach beyondSimon.Youneed to convince the rest of theSkai, too, and maybe even the rest of the clans.Youneed to make a plan, and make animpression.”
Louisahad already nodded, amidst that memory ofKilliksaying,Wemust put on a good show.Butwhen she glanced back toward him, he was still glowering atRosa, and he had one of his daggers in hand, too. “Wehave already made a good plan,” he snapped back. “Weseek to show our camp as strong and safe, andWolfas a good leader and host.Andas for this fool lord, we are watching him each day, and guarding these lands.Heshall not bring harm to any of our kinagain.”
Heshot a brief, narrow glance towardLouisa, and it jolted sudden and odd in her chest.Killikhad been — spying onRikard?Guardingher land against him?Everyday?
Butacross the table,Rosascoffed, and shook her head. “It’snot justRikardyou need to worry about,Killik,” she countered. “Thiscamp is only a short walk away fromDusbury, and do you realize” — she jabbed her quill toward him — “that’s the nearest any orc settlement has been to a human town in at least a hundred years?AndifRikardcan get an entire town of people worked into a frenzy about the trespassing orcs in their terrifying camp,that’swhat you need to worry about.”
Thetruth of that alarming statement struckLouisato stillness, because yes, that was absolutely somethingRikardwould do, wasn’t it?Especiallyif he couldn’t find another way to throw her — and the orcs — off the property?
Andwhat ifRikarddid succeed in whipping up the town against the camp?Wouldanyone notice or care if a rabid mob attacked the camp, or drove the orcs offLouisa’sproperty?Wouldthe orcs have any real recourse, beyond fighting back?Anaction that could surely lead straight into a war?
Louisa’suneasy glance back atKillikfound his mouth pressed tight, his hand rigid on his dagger.Buthe wasn’t replying this time, andRosadrew in another bracing breath. “And,” she continued, “Idon’t think your plans for impressingSimonand your clan are going to cut it, either.Yourcamp being strong and safe, andUlfarrbeing a good leader — that’s all the bare minimum, isn’t it?Youneed to do something bigger.Somethingso spectacular,no onewill question it.”
Louisa’sbreath caught, and she hadn’t even noticed she was clutching her own knife, her fingers clammy and tingling.Becauseit was too close to her own thoughts, wasn’t it?Theircurrent plan wasn’t enough.Theyneeded to put on a good show.Somethingspectacular.
“Iagree with you,Rosa,” she said, in a rush. “Weneed to do everything we can.Ulfarris too important.Thiscamp is too important.”
Hervoice sounded hoarse, pleading, and her glance up atKillikfelt pleading, too.Buthe still wasn’t speaking, still just frowning at her, and gripping his dagger.Butmaybe… maybe listening.
“Didyou — have anything in mind?”LouisaaskedRosa, squaring her shoulders. “Anyideas or suggestions?Initiativesthat have worked in similar situations before?Maybe” — she groped back through her memories — “some kind of expanded communications effort inDusbury?Continuingthe work you’ve been doing there, somehow?”
Rosalooked deeply gratified by this suggestion, but then her eyes again flicked up toKillik. “Ithink we need to hear from theSkaifirst,” she said, slower. “Yourclan has borne so much, maybe more than any of the other clans.So” — her head cocked sideways — “what’s something you think the clan needs,Killik?Ifyou could conjure up anything to help your clan, anything at all — what would it be?”
Killikblinked, as if this wasn’t a question he’d ever before considered — and then he jerked a shrug, and gave an aimless wave of his dagger toward the room around them. “Just— a place such as this,” he said, his voice cracking. “Aplace where we can rest, and heal, and welcome the weak and weary amongst us.Aplace with good tall trees to live in, and deep tunnels to hide in, where our sons can play, and learn, and grow — and mayhap meet humans nearby to be friends and mates with, also.Aplace where we can finally beSkai, and yet be…safe.”
Hislonging quivered through the air, clutching inLouisa’sbelly, and perhapsRosafelt it too, her eyes large and bright, her tooth biting at her lip. “Aplace to beSkai,” she repeated, hushed. “Andto welcome the weary, and play, and grow.Andmeet humans…”
Shewas tapping her quill on the table, her expression now distant, thoughtful, focused.Andthen she choked an excited little yelp, and began writing.Herquill rapidly sweeping across the page, whileLouisaexchanged a brief, bemused glance withKillikbehind her.Butthen his narrow gaze flicked back toRosa, and to where her mateJohn-Kawas smiling at her with fond approval, and even reaching over to tap his claw at something she’d written on the page.
“Yes,Iagree,”Rosareplied, with a quick, distracted smile toward him, before writing even faster. “Theentire town.Andthe mountain.Andall the other camps?”
John-Kanodded, whileLouisa’sbemusement just kept rising, and finally she took a breath, cleared her throat. “Well?” she asked. “Whatare you suggesting, then?”
Rosa’ssparkling eyes snapped up, her grin warm and eager. “Youneed an open house,” she said firmly. “Ora camp-warming party.Orbetter yet” — she gave a triumphant flourish of her quill — “an officialSkaiSummitforRehabilitation,Reconciliation, andRejuvenation.Allages welcome!”
45
Louisa’smouth dropped open, as disbelief cracked through her whirling thoughts.AnofficialSkaiSummitforRehabilitation,Reconciliation, andRejuvenation?Really?
Herdisbelieving gaze darted back up towardKillik, who looked just as stunned as she felt — but he quickly recovered, and jabbed his dagger towardRosa. “No,” he snapped. “No, you irksomeKa-esh.Weshall not” — he took a breath — “call it this!”
Louisajolted, gaping up atKillik’sface, because he was quibbling over — the name.Notthe idea altogether.Right?
“NoSkaishall even be able tospeakthis,”Killikcontinued, with another sharp jab of his dagger towardRosa. “Letalone invite their kin to thisSummitforRehabilitation,Reconciliation, andRejuvenation!”
Therewas an instant’s startled silence, but thenRosa’smouth quirked, and she rolled her eyes. “Oh, fine,” she snapped back. “Whatfar superior name wouldyougive it, then?”
