Upon a Savage Shore Ch. 17

Seschiqal did not understand the words the creature used, but he knew what they meant.

"None will molest you or your mates again," Seschiqal said loudly and cast a warning glance at his hunters. He lifted his spear above his head, showing it to the tribe, then broke its haft across his knee. "Take this as a sign of my pledge. Let us live in peace, mighty one."

Liam took the broken spear and looked the chief in the eyes for a long, hard minute. The chief did not look away and Liam nodded. He saw Wile E stir and sit up. Liam spit on him and kicked him in the face, laying him out again.

The tribespeople gave Liam and Rover a wide berth as they left the kraal. It wasn't until he had passed out of their sight that Liam clutched the wound in his side, staunching the flow of blood. He took the radio from Tem'Ma'tel's belt and clicked the transmit button twice.

"Commander, are you there? Over," he said into the mic.

"I'm here, Sergeant. You're injured," she replied.

"Bastard caught me in the side," he said. "I don't think it's too bad. Tem'Ma'tel took two shots to the head. She's not really conscious. Not responsive. I'm going to see how fast I can get her back to you. How's Clot'ilda? Over."

"Better," M'pel E'kmel said. "A small fracture of her skull and much swelling, but the drugs are already taking effect. My medical kit is healing the fracture and eliminating the swelling as we speak. I suspect she will be back to her old self in a day or two. Over."

"Thank God," Liam breathed. "We'll be there as soon as possible. Over."

"I will meet you on the plain," she said. "The sooner we treat Tem'Ma'tel's wounds the better. Out."

"Understood. Out." Liam clipped the radio to his belt and patted Rover on the side of his thick neck. "You did real good, boy. Saved Clot'ilda. You'll always have a place with us. Always."

Rover snorted and nudged Liam with his head, then broke into a trot, going as fast as he could without spilling the female from his back. Liam followed, trotting as well as he was able while keeping his hand pressed to his side. The wound was bad, but not the worst he'd ever had. He could get the med kit to stitch him up. He was just worried about Tem'Ma'tel.

***********

"What are we to do with Stilmnah, now?" Sneisqlik asked. He and Seschiqal stood over the body of the dead huntsman, looking down on the broken, bloody form with a small measure of satisfaction. Stilmnah had gotten no more than he deserved.

"He shamed the tribe by breaking my peace," Seschiqal said evenly. He turned to the still shocked tribespeople. "What would you have done with Stilmnah's body? He who broke the peace. He who challenged my decree. He who brought this death upon himself."

Looks were exchanged among the people, but none spoke. They knew their own actions were nothing to be proud of. A few minutes ago they had all been pleased with Stilmnah and the prize he had brought to the kraal in defiance of the chief's decree. Now they saw the consequences of his actions and many felt shame for their part in what had happened.

"We must decide what to do with him," Sneisqlik said to the crowd. "Will none speak? Will the people leave this choice to the chief?"

"Take him across the stream to the edge of the forest," a young female said from the back of the crowd.

"Who speaks?" Seschiqal asked.

"Sscuha, mother of Chhal speaks," said the young female. "I was ward of Stilmnah. I say he deserves no better than that. His death was earned many times."

"He was huntsman of the tribe!" objected a young hunter.

"He was cruel and stupid," Sscuha said frankly. "My husband died because Stilmnah was stupid. From the time I became his ward until today I and my son have had to endure his cruelty. Ever he spoke to us as if we were the dirt of a path. He provided no more than what was necessary, even when he had plenty. My son has no bow such as his father would have made for him. My son has no knife. He has no spear. What other ward has done with so little as my son?"

"Sscuha speaks true," Ssteilssniq the hunter said, stepping from the crowd. "Stilmnah had two bows. He had many knives. He could have made a spear for the boy. I have seen Stilmnah kick dirt upon Sscuha when there was no cause for it. I have seen him push the boy from his hut, forcing him to feed his landstriders when Stilmnah could not be troubled to do so himself. These were not acts of a good steward. I have taught the boy what I could, as his father would have done. The huntsman would not stir himself to such tasks. He wished for no son and knew nothing of raising one. Take Stilmnah's body across the stream to the edge of the forest. Let the carrion beasts have him if they will."

"Two speak of the same mind," Sneisqlik said. "Do others say differently of Stilmnah's body?"

Again the people looked from one to the other, but none spoke.

"Let it be so, then," Seschiqal declared. "Hunters, take him away and be quick, lest his ill luck infect the tribe further."

"We must decide what is to be done with Qlikchissal, cousin," said Sneisqlik as the hunters gathered up Stilmnah's corpse. "He also broke the peace. He must be dealt with."

"Take his name away," the chief said without hesitation. "He will be known as Qlik until he earns a new name. Let none harbor him. He must earn his place again. He will live among the youths. He will have no landstrider. He will keep only a bow, bolas and spear. No more than the youths."

"It is just," Sneisqlik said with a nod of his head.

"Send for our wives. We must consider what to do about Sscuha," Seschiqal said. "She cannot remain without a steward. It is not right."

Hours later, when the sun was halfway down the sky, Sscuha was summoned to the long hut. She expected to wait until called in, but the chief's wife, Qlikssuqss, met her outside and placed her arm over Sscuha's shoulders in a motherly fashion. Inside the long hut Chief Seschiqal, Keeper of Wisdom Sneisqlik and Sneisqlik's wife, Ssusstilha all sat waiting around the low fire near the back of the hut.

"Come child," Qlikssuqss said gently. "There are choices to be made. Things you must consider. Much has changed this day."

***********

"How could you be this stupid?" demanded M'pel E'kmel examining Liam's side. He was pale and shaking from loss of blood. "Are all males fools no matter the species? Sit down!"

"It's not bad," Liam slurred in protest. He felt fine, didn't he? "Let's get Tem... Tem..."

"Oh shut up and quit moving!" M'pel E'kmel snapped. She shoved him down, none to gently, and pulled his shirt up. Blood dribbled steadily from the wound just above his hip and she shook her head. "Just as well I brought two stretchers. Let me get this in place and then you can lay down, Sergeant. Rover, keep watch."

Rover blinked at her. Couldn't she see he was already keeping watch? He huffed out a breath and stood up, taking a few paces back towards the kraal and sitting down again. Maybe that would satisfy her.

"For the love of the Forger and Builder," M'pel E'kmel hissed, packing gauze into Liam's wound. "You would have bled out before reaching the gate if you'd kept on."

"I would have made it," Liam mumbled. "We need to get... get... somewhere."

"Sergeant, as a commander I am ordering you to be silent," she said. The blood had more or less stopped flowing, but the gauze was already soaked through. She wrapped a bandage around his waist with quick, sure hands. Liam's trouser leg was soaked through all the way down to his knee. She pulled a hypo from the med kit and injected him with a light sedative to keep him calm. Covering him with one of the thermal blankets from the kit she said, "You're in shock, Liam. Lay still. I'll get you back to the villa and patch you up properly. Just lay still."

She helped him lay back on the stretcher and then had to fumble with the controls, smearing them with blood as she tried to remember how to activate the impulsers. Finally the stretcher rose on its gravitics, rocking to an even keel as it adjusted to the weight distribution.

"Tem'Ma'tel, can you hear me?" the commander said into her marine's ear. She used a thumb to open Tem'Ma'tel's eyes and check for dilation. Nothing out of the ordinary. That was something, at least. M'pel E'kmel set the med kit on Tem'Ma'tel's chest and applied a sensor to her temple to monitor brain activity. Readings indicated nothing too severe had occurred, but she couldn't waste time out in the middle of the grassland to find out more. They were far too vulnerable here.

"Rover, come on," M'pel E'kmel called to the beast as she activated Tem'Ma'tel's stretcher and pulled it alongside Liam's. "We have to get going."

Rover rose and walked beside her as she struggled to push both stretchers at the same time. Finally she gave up and moved to the uphill ends of them, dragging them as she should have done in the first place.

"If any of them die, Rover, what will I do?" she worried. The thought of losing even one of her companions terrified her. What would they do? What could she do but try to save them?

Thunder rumbled in the distance and a light rain began to fall again. The journey back to the villa was the longest M'pel E'kmel had ever undertaken, followed by the longest night of her life.