Chapter 9
Khul na Ty'ha
Mah na Hal'ha, Ral'gha Territory
No matter how many winters passed since the King's decree, the Ral'gha were not meant to be tied to the land like the Tall Apes. They were made to roam free, to go where game could be found, to find shelter where Nature provided, their own skins the only covering they needed. However, more and more, they were made to live like the Tall Apes, sleeping in tents, clad in skins and woven things, eating the flesh of beasts kept in pens. It was a wonder they were not expected to eat grass like the cattle. It disturbed the natural order, angered the spirits. It was the reason for their people's misfortune.
The Khul na Ty'ha was the first among the warriors of his clan. He was not necessarily the strongest or the cleverest or the most seasoned, but he held all three in balance to prevail over any challengers to the title of Khul. 'Khul' meant 'claw' in their language, as they were the claws of the King. Warriors of the Ty'ha and their sister clans the Shibr and Bin'gl were among the largest and strongest, rivaled only by the ruling G'hih Clan.
Speaking of the G'hih Clan, the Ah ih Khul na G'hih was standing outside the King's tent, waiting for the Khula to arrive. Just as the Khul was the first among his clan's warriors, the Ah ih Khul was the first among the Khula, second only to the King in matters of war. Their word for King was Hal'ha, or 'mane', for the mane of the King was as the crowns worn by the kings of the Tall Apes. As such, the males of the G'hih tribe had to cut their manes to look as if they were yet half-grown.
"You are late, Khul na Ty'ha," the Ah ih Khul said. "Is his how you honor the Hal'ha?"
"I honor the Hal'ha by doing my duty, which is to defend the borderlands," the Khul na Ty'ha replied. "I honor him by quitting my post only at his summons. If you can more quickly move an entourage from the banks of the River to Mah na Hal'ha, I would learn from your example, Ah ih Khul."
"Your entourage would move faster if they were given a taste of the lash," the Ah ih Khul said. "Or perhaps it is you who needs it."
"If you think adding more stripes to my back will make me any faster, you are welcome to try it."
The Ah ih Khul narrowed his eyes at the Khul na Ty'ha as a low growl rumbled in his throat.
"You would do well to remember your place, Khul na Ty'ha."
The Khul na Ty'ha did not heed the threat. To do so would only serve to invite further abuse.
"Is not the Hal'ha waiting for us?" the Khul na Ty'ha asked.
The Ah ih Khul growled again before storming into the tent. He had never once succeeded in making the Khul na Ty'ha bend to him and he hated him for it. The Khul na Ty'ha would not go out of his way to antagonize him, but neither would he submit to him like a weakling.
He entered the tent and proceeded to the throne chamber. The throne was made of wickerwork, festooned with feathers, claws, fangs and tusks, trophies from the hunt. Whenever a new Hal'ha was crowned, the trophies of his predecessor were removed and he would have to establish his splendor through his own deeds. The current Hal'ha was quite accomplished, a King worthy of respect. For him the Khul na Ty'ha did not grudge to kneel along with the other Khula.
"Your claws are bared, my king," the Ah ih Khul said. "Where is your prey?"
"I have heard the reports from the borderlands," the Hal'ha replied. "The Tall Apes grow restless."
"Something has happened, my king," the Khul na Ty'ha said. "I do not know what. Their movements are strange."
"You speak out of turn," the Ah ih Khul growled.
The Hal'ha raised his paw to quiet the Ah ih Khul and asked the Khul na Ty'ha, "What do you make of it, Khul na Ty'ha? Does it seem like they are preparing a new invasion into our lands?"
"If so, they are not moving as they have before, my king," the Khul na Ty'ha replied. "It could be some trickery... or something else entirely."
The Hal'ha ran his claws through the beard of his mane as he considered the situation. He then looked to his right and asked, "What do the oracles say?"
The chief shaman, the G'hah ih Sh'ach, stepped forward. It was nearly unheard of for a warrior to become a shaman, but the current G'hah ih Sh'ach was the former Ah ih Khul and close kin to his successor. Scarred from many battles, he was missing an eye, but as a testament to the high honor he held, he sported a full beard. Only the top of his head was cut back, covered with the skull of one of the great birds of the northern forest. While any accomplished hunter and warrior adorned himself with a number of trophies, the G'hah ih Sh'ach had a great abundance of dry bones hanging off his body and the ornamental spear he carried that rattled with his every movement.
Speaking in a low, rasping voice, he said, "The clouds gather in the south... A storm is coming... You may stand against it and be scattered... or you can flee and be driven from the land of our fathers..."
"A lesser defeat if we fight or a total defeat if we do not..." the Hal'ha mused. "It is not much of a choice. Is there nothing we can do to win the spirits' favor?"
"A sacrifice of blood may sate the spirits' hunger."
"Do we not daily make offerings from the hunt?"
"In desperate times, the spirits hunger for something more precious."
"The blood of our own," the Hal'ha said grimly.
"Not just anyone," the G'hah ih Sh'ach said. "That which is most precious."
The Hal'ha was silent. Surely it was not necessary, but the G'hah ih Sh'ach gave voice to the answer the Hal'ha would not say.
"Your son. Your firstborn."
No one could call the Hal'ha a coward, so his dread was all the more dramatic. You could smell it.
"He was to lead our people after me..." the Hal'ha muttered under his breath.
"He still can," the G'hah ih Sh'ach said, "from the land of the spirits. Or he can be left to rule over a broken people on the verge of destruction."
The Khul na Ty'ha saw no gain in throwing away the life of the future Hal'ha, but he held his tongue. It was not wise to speak against the spirits or those who stood in their stead.
"Are you certain this will win us the spirits' favor, that we might prevail over the Tall Apes?" the Hal'ha asked.
"Nothing is certain with the spirits," the G'hah ih Sh'ach replied. "Perhaps a larger sacrifice will do better to sate them, say, one hundred firstborn males from among the clans."
The Khul na Ty'ha restrained himself before but could do so no longer.
"I would rather see those sons shedding their blood on the battlefield. At least there they can do the Tall Apes some hurt."
"Again you speak out of turn!" the Ah ih Khul snapped.
This time it was not the Hal'ha but the G'hah ih Sh'ach himself who intervened. He struck the ground with his spear, causing the bones to clack together noisily. He began to approach the Khul na Ty'ha, saying, "The spirits move darkly about you, Khul na Ty'ha. I must wonder where your heart lies."
"I may not have as many scars as you, old one," the Khul na Ty'ha replied, "but I have enough to prove my loyalty."
"Sometimes when the heart is bled, it does not fill again."
The Khul na Ty'ha growled and took a threatening step forward.
"Are you calling me a coward?"
The Khul na Bin'gl put a paw on his shoulder and said, "Bear it, Brother. It is the G'hah ih Sh'ach."
The Khul na Ty'ha gritted his teeth and stood down. The Hal'ha held his head wearily.
"I have much to consider," he said. "In the meantime, my Khula, assemble your warriors at the River and be ready to meet the Tall Apes should they cross over. That is all. You are dismissed."
The Khula bowed their heads and departed. All except the Khul na Ty'ha.
"I have dismissed you, Khul na Ty'ha," the Hal'ha said. "Why are you still here?"
"There is another matter I wish to discuss with you, my king," the Khul na Ty'ha said. "Not only in my clan, but in the others as well, young ones have been going missing. There are stories that these young ones have been sold as slaves to the Tall Apes, that there are traitors in our midst. I would like your leave to investigate this matter further."
The Ah ih Khul, who had not left either, growled, "War is on the horizon and you would quit your post to go chasing idle tales?"
"These are dangerous lands, Khul na Ty'ha," the G'hah ih Sh'ach said. "You should know this all too well. Like as not, these missing young ones were torn by wild beasts and carried off. The females will whelp again in their season. It is of no concern."
"You were named Khul to lead your clan against our enemies," the Hal'ha said, "not to go looking for young ones. Fulfill your duties and do not go seeking to add to them."
"But, my king—"
"I have spoken, Khul na Ty'ha. Now go. Leave me."
Reluctantly, the Khul na Ty'ha bowed his head and turned to go. He had not even gotten outside the tent when he was stopped by the Ah ih Khul.
"You speak out of turn, you defy the G'hah ih Sh'ach, and you trouble the Hal'ha with trifles. You will not remain Khul for long if you continue like this."
"The missing young ones are no trifle," the Khul na Ty'ha replied, "especially if it is true that they have been sold to the Tall Apes."
"Nonsense," the Ah ih Khul growled. "It is not seemly for a warrior to give ear to the ravings of addlepated females."
"You dishonor the mothers of our people. If it were my mate you insulted, I would have you answer for it."
The Ah ih Khul drew himself up and snarled, "You would challenge me?"
The Khul na Ty'ha did not yield, meeting his display and replying, "If honor demands it. Are you prepared to take it that far, Ah ih Khul?"
The Ah ih Khul was growling and it seemed that the two of them would come to blows when one of the Hal'ha's guardmates intervened.
"Ah ih Khul."
"What?"
The Ah ih Khul did not turn to the guardmate but kept his eyes locked with the Khul na Ty'ha.
"The Hal'ha would have words with you," the guardmate said.
The Ah ih Khul continued to growl but abruptly turned and stalked back into the throne chamber. It was just as well. There was nothing to be gained by escalating the challenge further, but neither one of them was willing to back down. The guardmate nodded to the Khul na Ty'ha and then withdrew.
The Khul na Ty'ha returned to his entourage's camp on the outskirts of the village. He was met by his In'kibh K'bla and E'i'ha. K'bla was his second but also close kin, the son of his mother's brother. In the days before the War of Fangs, the bonds of kinship in their clan were weak, but now that they were banded together, they had come to appreciate those very bonds. K'bla was an able warrior. You could ask for none better to have at your side in battle, but of late he was gripped with melancholy. It was why the Khul na Ty'ha brought him along rather than leave him behind to command their warrior's in the Khul's absence.
E'i'ha was a scout of the J'baht Clan. The J'baht were among the lowest of the Ral'gha. Only the clanless Kha'shil and the slaves from races outside the tribe were deemed lower. They had no Khul nor Okh—-the clan chieftain. Though somewhat frail, they were fleet of foot and made excellent scouts and message runners. No band of warriors was complete without them. They may not have enjoyed much honor, especially in the eyes of the G'hih who hated them, but any wise warrior knew their merits all too well.
"What news, Brother?" K'bla asked.
"Nothing good, I am afraid," the Khul na Ty'ha replied. "The Hal'ha has heard our report and would have our warriors stand ready to meet the Tall Apes should they cross the River."
"That is nothing unexpected," K'bla said. "There is something else."
"The G'hah ih Sh'ach presses the Hal'ha to make a great sacrifice to appease the spirits. One hundred firstborn sons from among the clans."
Being both J'baht and female, one such as E'i'ha would normally keep silent, but she enjoyed a particular measure of indulgence usually reserved for the female warriors of the Khul na Ty'ha's own clan, and so she did not hesitate to say, "It is madness."
"Mad or no, none will defy the G'hah ih Sh'ach," the Khul na Ty'ha said, "not even the Hal'ha. And any who would defy him would be torn apart by those who fear him."
"They cannot take away what has already been lost," K'bla said glumly.
The Khul na Ty'ha rested his paw on K'bla's shoulder and said, "It is still too early to give up hope, Brother."
"Did you tell the Hal'ha?"
"I did, and were it not for the G'hah ih Sh'ach, he might have listened."
"Then there is nothing to be done."
"No," the Khul na Ty'ha vowed, "I will do something."
* * *
They were a day away from the main encampment of their warriors. Stripped of his armor, the Khul na Ty'ha sat patiently while two Tall Ape slaves were cutting away his ornaments: the rings in his ears and the bangles on his wrists and ankles. Though the Tall Apes were weak, they had nimble fingers and that made them useful for crafting things the Ral'gha could not. In truth, the Khul na Ty'ha did not like the ornaments of gold and silver, but the other Khula wore them and because he was the representative of his clan, he could not dishonor them by appearing impoverished in the company of his peers. Now, however, such ornamentation was only a hindrance.
One of the Tall Apes was careless and the tool he was using nicked the Khul's arm. Reflexively, he snarled at the slave, prompting both of them to cower in fear. He looked at his wrist. A mere scratch. A forgivable offense. He was not in the mood to dole out punishment at the moment.
"Continue," he said in the Tall Apes' language.
Hesitantly, the slaves returned to their work. As they were finishing up, E'i'ha entered the tent.
"Tym'r... You really mean to go through with this?"
Tym'r was the name given to the Khul na Ty'ha when he was young, after passing the Hunter's Trial. Once he was granted the rank of Khul, he rarely heard his old name. E'i'ha was one of the few who still called him by name, but only when they were alone.
"If no one else will act, then I must," he replied.
"You are the Khul na Ty'ha. There are others who could go."
"Never send another where you would not go."
"We face a new war with the Tall Apes and you would leave us?"
"The young ones are the future of the clan, of the tribe. And if there are traitors dealing with the Tall Apes, they must be exposed."
"You may only end up getting killed, or be made a slave laboring in the far mountains. What then?"
"If this does not end, no victory on the battlefield will matter. This is how I serve the Ty'ha, how I serve the Ral'gha."
E'i'ha was silent. She knew she could not sway him.
The Tall Apes were finished. The Khul na Ty'ha stood up and looked at himself. It had been a long time since he had last been completely unadorned. It should have been a mark of shame, but instead it felt freeing. This was as Nature intended.
The Khul na Ty'ha approached E'i'ha, places his paws on her narrow shoulders and pressed his forehead against hers.
"Tell K'bla to take up my armor," he told her. "He is Khul until I return... if I return... Tell him that if S'botai is out there, I will find him."
"Do not go, Tym'r," E'i'ha said in a low voice.
"I must."
"I know why you think you must, but no good will come of it."
"Perhaps not, but if I succeed, the sacrifice will be worth it."
"And if you fail?"
"Better to try and fail than to do nothing as evil works in the land."
"You never listen to me..."
"I listen," the Khul na Ty'ha said, "but your mind is on lesser things. Mine is on the greater."
"You males always say such things."
The Khul na Ty'ha stepped away from her and said, "Farewell, E'i'ha. If the spirits favor me, I shall return."
E'i'ha said nothing as he went out of his tent. He looked out toward the River. Beyond was the land of the Tall Apes. The land of the enemy. Only by confronting the enemy without would he uncover the enemy within. Even though he said it was better to try and fail than to do nothing, it would amount to nothing if he failed. That was why he had no choice but to succeed.