A word here and there of Pavi entered Kaitanu’s mind and stayed, but not until Dravite spoke to him in Common did he have any real idea of what was wanted. Even then there was the usual sorting through the few words for meaning. Dravite’s gestures added some context, but on the whole Kaitanu wasn’t sure he quite understood. Dravite’s loose sketch of the plan made things as clear as they could be under the circumstances, but Kaitanu didn’t think much of his own chances. Even if the kelvic followed everything to the letter, there were too many variables to account for, and too many ways to fail spectacularly. That thought frightened him, as he believed he would be blamed for an unsuccessful hunt if he wasn’t killed in the process. This was not an unfair assumption, given his life experience. The kelvic had suffered more than one beating as a scapegoat. However, as he had no real choice in the matter, Kaitanu merely bowed his head in the ankal’s direction.
“I hear and obey.”
Sliding off of Cree’s back and stripping off his clothes, Kaitanu folded them and placed them carefully in the knapsack Dravite had bought for him. This was handed over to the ankal, at which point he stood back and shifted. Kaitanu felt genuine relief to be in horse form, and not merely because the chill morning air had turned his body to one large chunk of gooseflesh. Cree’s reaction to the plan, when Kaitanu explained it to him in their language, was so confident that the pale horse kelvic thought better of it. Not that Dravite could come up with a poor strategy, but Kaitanu had doubted his own part. He was more willing to believe encouragement from the stallion than the man.
Cree and Kaitanu trotted off toward the lake, keeping their posture and attitudes as calm as possible. For the kelvic this came naturally; for Cree it was a matter of experience. Spooking the herd too early would ruin Dravite’s plan. As it was, the elder bison of the herd were eyeing their approach with caution, but as they were only horses it would be assumed that Cree and Kaitanu had just come to drink or to graze. That was what both horses were counting on. As they slowly circled the herd, Kaitanu bade Cree- with an exceedingly polite tone -to slow his pace so he fell to the back of the herd. It was a strange thing for the meek kelvic to be giving orders, but then again he had done business for his previous masters. This was roughly the same thing. Knowing the orders came from Dravite, Cree made no argument and the two horses parted.
To Kaitanu’s further relief, their movements went largely unnoticed by the herd of huge, shaggy, grazing behemoths. Until the last few moments he hadn’t realized just how massive these beasts were. The kelvic was not fooled by their size into thinking they wouldn’t be able to outstrip him if they wished. He wasn’t even sure how fast he could run himself. Had he ever raced before? Or gone full-tilt until he was flying? Kaitanu had heard of such things, but couldn’t remember feeling them himself. No…no, that was wrong. He had once. Almost, he could recall frozen wind filling his nostrils, and fear nipping at his heels. That thought forced Kaitanu to slow to a walk and stop near the middle of the herd, rather than taking off at once. His gaze turned back to the half-hidden figures of Lian and Dravite on their mounts, waiting for him to act out his part. Whether he was swift enough to keep from being trampled by bison didn’t matter. If he was, there would be only one way to find out.
Keeping one eye on the herd, and the other on the path ahead, Kaitanu bent down as though going for a mouthful of grass. In reality, he was trying to think of the best way to get the herd to scatter in a planned direction without the huge beasts turning on him. That meant recalling what little he could of his time alone on the plains. Surprisingly, an idea came to his almost at once. Kaitanu might not know much of his own kind, and still less of bison, but one thing he understood intimately; fear. Little wonder the notion occurred to him. That very feeling simmered under his calm demeanor almost constantly. It was not so different for herd animals. Their lives were continually on the edge of danger. For probably the first time in his life, the kelvic was going to use that fear against others, even as it propelled him to action.
Just as the bison were certain that he wasn’t going to bother them, the kelvic’s head suddenly shot up, ears forward, eyes scanning the endless sea of grass as if he had spotted a predator. Kaitanu recalled the herd he had followed before Dravite took him in, and how the stallion had reacted to danger. He mimicked this behavior, blowing sharply through his nostrils and pawing the earth, then bursting into a gallop as though there was something behind him. On seeing this, the bison were suddenly thrown into a panic. Kaitanu ran beside them, barely needing to force their path. With bloodshot eyes rolling and mouths agape, they swelled ahead in a great, dark cloud, some kicking up dust behind, others leaping into the shallow end of the lake or across the river. Not one stopped to look back and see that there was nothing behind them but another horse. Nor did they see the two men on their mounts galloping toward them until it was too late to turn around en masse.
Kaitanu knew the men were coming, but he had not realized that the opposite end of the herd had already been thrown into confusion by Lian’s attack. He had not understood that the men would shoot first and, as usual, had to improvise. Asking for clarification to a master’s orders could bring punishment, so often it was better to think on one’s feet and hope for the best. In any case, the plan was working more or less as it should. Enormous bodies plunged one by one through the water, crying out with fear. Cree drove through them, splitting the herd, and Kaitanu hedged their way, plunging into the water with no more fear than on land. Though he could not remember his time in Ravok, at least he had learned a few good things. His presence in the water kept the bison from crossing the other way. In spite of the wounded beast among them their terror-blinded minds and the horses were driving them alongside their real attackers.
“I hear and obey.”
Sliding off of Cree’s back and stripping off his clothes, Kaitanu folded them and placed them carefully in the knapsack Dravite had bought for him. This was handed over to the ankal, at which point he stood back and shifted. Kaitanu felt genuine relief to be in horse form, and not merely because the chill morning air had turned his body to one large chunk of gooseflesh. Cree’s reaction to the plan, when Kaitanu explained it to him in their language, was so confident that the pale horse kelvic thought better of it. Not that Dravite could come up with a poor strategy, but Kaitanu had doubted his own part. He was more willing to believe encouragement from the stallion than the man.
Cree and Kaitanu trotted off toward the lake, keeping their posture and attitudes as calm as possible. For the kelvic this came naturally; for Cree it was a matter of experience. Spooking the herd too early would ruin Dravite’s plan. As it was, the elder bison of the herd were eyeing their approach with caution, but as they were only horses it would be assumed that Cree and Kaitanu had just come to drink or to graze. That was what both horses were counting on. As they slowly circled the herd, Kaitanu bade Cree- with an exceedingly polite tone -to slow his pace so he fell to the back of the herd. It was a strange thing for the meek kelvic to be giving orders, but then again he had done business for his previous masters. This was roughly the same thing. Knowing the orders came from Dravite, Cree made no argument and the two horses parted.
To Kaitanu’s further relief, their movements went largely unnoticed by the herd of huge, shaggy, grazing behemoths. Until the last few moments he hadn’t realized just how massive these beasts were. The kelvic was not fooled by their size into thinking they wouldn’t be able to outstrip him if they wished. He wasn’t even sure how fast he could run himself. Had he ever raced before? Or gone full-tilt until he was flying? Kaitanu had heard of such things, but couldn’t remember feeling them himself. No…no, that was wrong. He had once. Almost, he could recall frozen wind filling his nostrils, and fear nipping at his heels. That thought forced Kaitanu to slow to a walk and stop near the middle of the herd, rather than taking off at once. His gaze turned back to the half-hidden figures of Lian and Dravite on their mounts, waiting for him to act out his part. Whether he was swift enough to keep from being trampled by bison didn’t matter. If he was, there would be only one way to find out.
Keeping one eye on the herd, and the other on the path ahead, Kaitanu bent down as though going for a mouthful of grass. In reality, he was trying to think of the best way to get the herd to scatter in a planned direction without the huge beasts turning on him. That meant recalling what little he could of his time alone on the plains. Surprisingly, an idea came to his almost at once. Kaitanu might not know much of his own kind, and still less of bison, but one thing he understood intimately; fear. Little wonder the notion occurred to him. That very feeling simmered under his calm demeanor almost constantly. It was not so different for herd animals. Their lives were continually on the edge of danger. For probably the first time in his life, the kelvic was going to use that fear against others, even as it propelled him to action.
Just as the bison were certain that he wasn’t going to bother them, the kelvic’s head suddenly shot up, ears forward, eyes scanning the endless sea of grass as if he had spotted a predator. Kaitanu recalled the herd he had followed before Dravite took him in, and how the stallion had reacted to danger. He mimicked this behavior, blowing sharply through his nostrils and pawing the earth, then bursting into a gallop as though there was something behind him. On seeing this, the bison were suddenly thrown into a panic. Kaitanu ran beside them, barely needing to force their path. With bloodshot eyes rolling and mouths agape, they swelled ahead in a great, dark cloud, some kicking up dust behind, others leaping into the shallow end of the lake or across the river. Not one stopped to look back and see that there was nothing behind them but another horse. Nor did they see the two men on their mounts galloping toward them until it was too late to turn around en masse.
Kaitanu knew the men were coming, but he had not realized that the opposite end of the herd had already been thrown into confusion by Lian’s attack. He had not understood that the men would shoot first and, as usual, had to improvise. Asking for clarification to a master’s orders could bring punishment, so often it was better to think on one’s feet and hope for the best. In any case, the plan was working more or less as it should. Enormous bodies plunged one by one through the water, crying out with fear. Cree drove through them, splitting the herd, and Kaitanu hedged their way, plunging into the water with no more fear than on land. Though he could not remember his time in Ravok, at least he had learned a few good things. His presence in the water kept the bison from crossing the other way. In spite of the wounded beast among them their terror-blinded minds and the horses were driving them alongside their real attackers.
