The Great Hunt (Eurona Duology, #1)(46)

“I agree, Tiern,” Lief said from across the fire, not having seen. “It seems to set out at random. There’s no pattern to where it chooses.”

“Jes,” said Kalorian man who’d seemed to have a leadership role among his men, and one of the few who spoke Euronan. His hair was shaved along the sides, a strip of black slicked down the middle. “This is like no animal I have hunted. I cannot predict.”

Paxton and the others nodded.

“Auda,” Zandora said in a low voice from where she sat behind him. Paxton nodded. He recognized the Zorfinan word for water.

A hissing sound was made from across the fire. Paxton was surprised to see the Zorfinan men staring at the Zandalee with contempt. When Zandora made a gesture with her fingers, they all looked away.

“Why do you think they hate each other?” Tiern asked Paxton.

“They say our tribe is cursed,” Zandora murmured from behind them. “They are fools.”

Paxton, Tiern, Samuel, and Harrison all swung their heads around.

“You speak Euronan?!” Tiern said.

Zandalee gave a shrug. “When it suits me.” Her accent was strong.

“Why am I not surprised?” Samuel chuckled, shaking his curly head.

The three Zandalee looked smug in their black head scarves wrapped securely around their dark faces and necks. They each sat on the grass lazily, two leaning back, Zandalee in the center with an elbow on her raised knee.

“My sisters speak only Zorfinan.”

“They’re your sisters?” Tiern nodded to the other girls.

“Jes. I am the oldest. Some call me queen of our tribe.”

“So, the girl you lost,” Paxton said respectfully, “she was your sister, also?”

Zandalee kissed her fingers and touched her shoulder in some kind of tribal sign. “Jes. Our youngest. She brings our tribe much pride with her bravery.”

The men nodded. After a quiet moment, Tiern asked, “What is the story with you and them, then?” He nodded across the fire to the other Zorfinan hunters. “I mean, if it suits you to tell me.”

Zandora threw back her head and gave a rich laugh. “I like you, Tiern Seabolt. My sisters enjoy you even more.”

“Oh, erm.” Tiern rubbed his neck and gave a nervous laugh as the sisters watched him like prowling cats. “Thanks . . . ?”

“Why do they think you’re cursed?” Harrison asked. “Because women rule your tribe?”

“No. It is because the Zandalee allow magic. We do not give census keepers permission to enter our lands. If they try, we kill them.”

Paxton’s heart thrummed erratically. The other men raised their brows. Samuel said, “You mean, you allow your Lashed to work freely?”

She gave him a fierce look. “Is that a problem for you?”

“No.” Samuel raised his hands. “I have no problem with the Lashed.”

Paxton tried to keep his voice steady. “I didn’t know there was any place in Eurona where it wasn’t outlawed.”

To this, she shrugged. “Zandalee do not care for laws of Eurona. Or Zorfina. We make our own. In this way, our people flourish.”

The men nodded, eyebrows still raised. None of them dared say anything against this.

“Do you have children of your own, then?” Tiern asked.

This brought a smile to Zandora’s face. “A son and daughter for me. A son for my sister.” She motioned to the older of the two, then the younger. “This one married just this summer.”

“So many children . . .” Samuel’s words trailed off and his eyes glazed as he stared off.

A clang echoed from the commons gates, and they turned their heads toward the sound of running. A military commander from the castle burst through the tents to the fire pit, out of breath. Paxton jumped up with the other hunters to hear the news.

The man’s forehead was creased in remorse. “A fishing village in the north was attacked during the night. Doors ripped from the hinges, men were devoured while their wives and children watched helplessly.” He stopped, swallowing.

Curses. It was breaking into homes? Why couldn’t the beast have shown itself where any hunters had been instead of a helpless village? The hunters shared horrified expressions.

“Perhaps we can station hunters in the sea towns with horns, so they can alert us if the beast comes,” said Samuel.

Paxton shook his head. “We don’t have the numbers for that. But we can send word to towns to have their own men with horns at the ready. Each town could come up with their own system of alert, stationing their people at different intervals, maybe in trees—”

“But there are curfews throughout the kingdom,” the officer said.

“Blast the curfews!” Paxton shouted. He closed his eyes to calm himself.

Harrison stepped forward. “With all due respect, sir, if people are willing to help, I think they should be allowed.”

The officer set his jaw. “I will speak with the king’s commanders. If they agree, we’ll send mounted messengers to towns to set the plan in motion.”

The hunters nodded, and the officer left them to prepare for that night’s hunt.

They hunkered over the maps.

“Our greatest success was the night we were all close enough to hear one another’s calls,” Paxton reminded them. “If they approve the horns, we can afford to spread a bit farther, but it’ll be at least two days until we know.” He ran his finger along a length of the waterway.