Chapter 49: The Sun of His Heart
#49 of Fox Hunt 3: Sword and Stone
The Sun of His Heart
Chapter 49
Leyta had murdered Atieno, slit his throat as he was sleeping with her skinning knife, so Azrian wasn't the least bit surprised that her brother's spirit had found some way to get revenge. Azrian wanted to take back what she'd said but it was too late. Tatuk was confused by her protesting and had it firmly fixed in his mind that Leyta should die for all the harm she had caused Azrian. Blood Price was the way of the Harbor, after all.
Leyta was led to the chopping block to the dire sound of drums, and as Azrian stood in the cold wind, she hugged her coat tight to her breasts and begged Tatuk to call it off. He seemed firmly convinced that Leyta had put the wounds on Azrian's back, and when Azrian feebly attempted to explain away the wounds, he shook his head and demanded to know why she had asked for Leyta's head in the first place if it wasn't true.
"You are a good and kind soul," Prince Tatuk said, looking at Azrian with soft eyes. "The sun of my heart would never ask for a beast's head unless they deserved it. Now tell me why she deserves it. I wish to know." He looked at Azrian steadily.
"She killed my brother," Azrian said, though once again, they were not her words, and she bit her lip.
Prince Tatuk's chest heaved angrily. He nodded and looked away again. "Then the Blood Price must be paid. The Way of the Harbor demands it."
Azrian stared miserably at the snow. It seemed Atieno would have his revenge, even from the grave. Leyta was being marched to the chopping block, and as she passed up the avenue of watching villagers, they booed her and threw bones and garbage. Azrian saw Natasha with her husband in the crowd. Nonuntak had his arm around her and she was crying freely as she watched the proceedings. Nkwe, of course, was nowhere to be seen. But as Leyta knelt down and set her head on the chopping block, Chase came bursting through the crowd.
"No! I won't let you!" Chase roared. He pushed his way directly for Leyta. Several warriors scowled and lowered their spears, blocking the mastiff's access to her. Leyta went very still, tears in her eyes as she waited for the axe to fall. Azrian noticed she was shaking, and in that moment, she seemed small and helpless, and nothing like the wild warrior who had killed a giant bear on her own. Thinking of that day now, Azrian suddenly understood why Tatuk "the bear slayer" had loved Leyta. Even now, he looked at her with pity.
"What is the meaning of this!" Chief Marmuk barked. She stood beside her son, wrapped in a white bearskin with white feathers dangling from her ears. Like her eldest daughter, she was carrying an ornate spear, the spearhead of which appeared to made of something like Skkye Glass, and she banged the spear in the snow for silence when the crowds began to murmur.
Chase fell wretchedly to his knees before the chief and held out his paws in supplication. "P-Please, Chief Marmuk. You can't let them do this!" He was speaking in the dog language of the nine kingdoms, and the northerners seemed to hate the sound of it. Azrian saw their faces twist each time Chase spoke.
The chief was unmoved. "Why can't I?" she said with narrowed eyes. She spoke common tongue for Chase's benefit. "Have you some evidence as to her innocence? Or have you only blubbering and tears?"
Chase swallowed miserably and his scarred, hairless cheek flexed, looking like raw bacon in the sunlight. "I have no evidence, great chief. I have only my heart. . . . I _love_her."
The crowds murmured again.
Chief Marmuk looked at Azrian. "As the injured party, it is your right to decide, Princess Azrian Clan Poallu. What is the fate of Leyta Clan Poallu?"
Azrian hesitated, frightened that Atieno might take control of her mouth, but when she spoke, the word was her own, "Exile."
The crowds murmured again, and Azrian saw many of them nodding in approval, while many others seemed to believe that Leyta deserved death. Princess Na-na-luk shook her head bitterly, as if she had been hoping for Leyta's execution, while Prince Tatuk seemed very relieved. He smiled at Azrian and touched an affection paw to her long mane.
"I am proud of you this day, my wife," Prince Tatuk said. "You have shown mercy where others could not."
Azrian smiled unhappily under his doting affection and hated it when the villagers bowed to her.
"So be it," said Chief Marmuk, who also seemed pleased. She banged her spear. "Leyta Clan Poallu, you are hereby exiled from the clan and you will be Clan Poallu no more. We will put you on a plate of ice and break it away. And wherever it takes you, you will not return here."
"I will go with her!" Chase cried at once and leapt to his feet.
"So be it," Chief Marmuk repeated.
As two warriors pulled Leyta to her feet, her bitter eyes connected with Azrian's, and Azrian knew what she was thinking: Leyta was - once again -- being exiled in disgrace, while Azrian was - once again - seen as merciful and wise. Leyta's lip curled in a sneer and it seemed she would have burned Azrian to a pile of ash with her gaze alone if she could have.
Prince Tatuk wandered some feet away to speak with a group of male warriors, and it was then that Natasha approached Azrian, leaving her husband behind.
"How could you _do_this!" Natasha cried in astonishment. She looked at Azrian with wide eyes, as if she just couldn't believe it.
"I did nothing," Azrian answered in a low voice and glanced around for fear someone was listening. No one appeared to be paying them the slightest bit of attention, though. She looked at Natasha again. "I think my brother just wanted revenge."
"What!" Natasha gasped.
"Keep your voice down," Azrian begged. "Don't draw attention."
"I'm sorry! I just . . . Is he still alive? Where is he?"
"He was a child of a god," Azrian returned. "Had he been immortal, he would have gone to Skkye. But Atieno died mortal. He will never reach Skkye now." She watched as Leyta and Chase were marched to their home to collect their things. "I'm hardly surprised he wants revenge."
"Did you get the dagger from Leyta, then? Because if not, she's about to bloody leave with it," Natasha said, suddenly frantic.
"I have the dagger. I'll steal away with it tonight."
Natasha nodded. "And break the poor prince's heart in the process. Pity. He's such a nice bloke."
Azrian glanced unhappily at her sleigh dog husband. That was true. She regretted hurting Tatuk, but she had to be away. S'pru was burning, Ettoras was lost . . . and Etienne was in danger.
"I guess this is goodbye then," Natasha said heavily.
Azrian nodded. "Yes," she said, smiling sadly at Natasha. "I suppose it is."
"Where will you go?"
"The SummerValley. Atieno was heading there for a reason. I'm going to find out what that reason was. Because whatever it was, it must've been very important. Then it's off to S'pru, to take back my world."
Natasha nodded. "I wish I could help."
"Don't you worry about me. You worry about that handsome husband of yours, and let me worry about you. I'm the deity, remember?"
Natasha laughed and glanced across at her husband, who was talking with a group of warriors. "Nonuntak _is_handsome, isn't he?" she said dreamily. "I never dreamed someone like him. . . . It was just like a fairy story. He's even a prince of another clan, the seventh son, so he can marry who he pleases. He's just here visiting Tatuk. They're friends. When we go home, we'll have what he calls a 'proper' wedding, with piles of gifts and feasting all night."
Azrian's brows went up. "Suppose I don't have to worry about you, after all."
"Azrian . . . take care of Nicky, will you?"
Azrian frowned. "What?"
"He's unhappy here," Natasha said miserably and her eyes went to the distant hut on the very edge of the village, where Nkwe lived. "And because of me. When Nonuntak and I go back to his village, Nicky will be here alone. He's so heartbroken, I think he's given up. He thinks Zeinara is dead and Mogethis beyond his reach. I can't get through to him."
"And you think I_can?" Azrian said in amazement. "Nkwe _despises_me. Why he hasn't _killed me by now is beyond me."
"Please, most holy. Maybe you could help him find Zeinara. Whatever you have to say to him, get him to listen. He must leave this place with you." She shook her head, still staring at the distant hut. "Or he'll be miserable the rest of his life."
Azrian watched Natasha sadly. "You really love him, don't you?"
"What?" Natasha blinked and came to her senses. "No! I just - I want him to be happy." She looked away. "Please take him from here. Someone has to look for Zeinara. It was my sworn duty, but after everything with Captain Franklin, I . . ." She swallowed hard, close to tears.
_Captain Franklin . . ._Azrian thought and remembered Etienne's gasps and moans, the violent way he had rocked as someone rode him fast over a chair.
"I c-can't go back to Varimore," Natasha said. "But I know Nicky will need help finding the princess. Will you consider it?"
"I'll take him, Natasha. Or I'll try."
Natasha laughed, and Azrian knew she was imagining Nkwe's disgust already. "I wish you luck." She looked at Azrian fondly. "Truly, I do." Suddenly overcome with emotion, Natasha hugged Azrian tightly. Azrian stood stiffly, caught completely by surprise. But she smiled and slowly enfolded the taller female in her arms. As they held each other, she looked past Natasha's thick tawny mane and saw Prince Tatuk watching them curiously.
***
Later that night, Prince Tatuk made love to Azrian, and he was so sorrowful, so heavy in his movements, that he seemed to know Azrian was prepared to leave him. It made her feel terrible, and she wished she could leave knowing he would be happy once she had gone.
While Prince Tatuk lay sleeping, Azrian slipped out of bed and pulled on her clothing. It left a bitter taste in her mouth, knowing that every article of clothing was something Prince Tatuk had provided for her. Her deerskin pants, her bearskin coat, the feathers in her mane, all of it came from beasts he had slain to provide clothing for her. She was still wearing the necklace of bear teeth he made for her when they were married, and she hesitated to take it off. She laid it beside him on the pillow and was almost out the door when he called to her.
"Wife . . ."
Azrian froze, her back to the room.
"Aren't you at least going to say goodbye to me?"
Azrian turned to find him watching her sadly. "Farewell, sweet prince," she said.
He smiled. "You aren't who you said at all." His eyes narrowed. "Who are you? And . . . why must you go? I love you, Azrian."
Azrian shook her head miserably. "You do not want an old cow in your bed."
Tatuk sat up on his elbow and frowned slightly, as if offended. "My wife is no cow. She is radiant as the sunlight on the water."
Azrian smiled sadly. "I have a son your age."
"And you must go to him," Tatuk said, nodding. "I understand. Couldn't I help you find him? The both of you could live here with me. I would care for both of you."
"That's very sweet," Azrian said, looking at him fondly, sadly.
"But it can not be," the prince realized. He rose from the bed and came to Azrian. "Then I wish you well, my princess. Where so ever you roam . . ." He lifted the bear tooth necklace and lowered it carefully over her head. ". . . you will always find yourself welcome among Clan Poallu. And you will always be . . ." He dropped to one knee and kissed her paw, "the sun of my heart."
Azrian's lashes fluttered sadly. She stroked the prince's wild red mane, then turned with a flash of her tail. And was gone.