Free Wolf Captured by Jane Lindskold Page A

could locate them. I think there must have been a pact of some sort among the Old Country rulers to keep all the colonies in ignorance of those things that would let them challenge their masters. The consistency is otherwise impossible to explain.”
    Derian agreed.
    “So that storm proved to be a fortunate wind,” Derian said, prompting Waln to continue, feeling that the answer to why he, Firekeeper, and Blind Seer had been kidnapped must lie in the next part of the story.
    “Fortunate for me,” Waln agreed, his smile arrogant and greasy once more, the taunting smile of a bully who knows he holds the upper hand. “However, I wonder if you will think it is so fortunate for you?”
    Derian refused to be goaded, though he heard Firekeeper shifting slightly behind him and knew she was growing impatient. Waln’s accent was an Islander’s and doubtless the wolf-woman did not understand everything he had said—or worse, she understood and was growing impatient with Waln’s account, wanting to know precisely how it applied to their situation.
    Waln couldn’t resist continuing to gloat.
    “Yes,” he said. “My good fortune—and perhaps your own. The captain and senior officers had given their lives in keeping the ship afloat during the storm. I assumed command of the survivors.”
    Of those who, like you, cowered belowdecks while others risked wind and waves , Derian thought. I’m sure that the few who survived the loss of their officers were too exhausted to deal with your relative strength.
    “In that capacity, I worked with our rescuers. My first task, of course, was to learn something of their language, and in return grant some knowledge of our own. When we arrived at their capital city, this kept me quite busy, as did answering questions about from where we had come. In turn, I learned something about their culture.
    “I gathered that the Liglimom have no king or equivalent. Instead, they are led by a small group of religious leaders. I cannot say I understand the intricacies of their belief system, but it bears some small resemblance to our societies in that various animals are held to represent certain traits. However, they have a great respect for the elements as well.”
    Waln shrugged, dismissively. “Their beliefs are not important. What is important is that I soon learned that this priesthood keeps a collection of animals—a menagerie. Whether they are for worship, sacrifice, or inspiration, I could not quite understand. It seems they are chary of sharing their secrets with a foreigner.”
    Derian was beginning to dread where this thread was heading, and from Firekeeper’s soft intake of breath he thought she was on a similar track.
    Waln rubbed at the stiffened fingers of his gloved left hand.
    “As soon as I could speak the language well enough, I told my new friends that I knew where they could find a fine representative of at least one of their sacred animals—an enormous wolf.”
    Blind Seer growled, raising his head from where it had rested on his paws through much of this account. Beside him, Firekeeper—who had eschewed her usual nonchalant seat beside the wolf to stand—took a step forward.
    “I told them about Lady Blysse as well,” Waln went on unctuously, “how some say she can speak to the beast. And I told them about you, Derian Counselor, the keeper of wolf and woman—the only one known to make her obey anything but her own bestial urges. The rulers of Liglim were very excited by this, but thought you might not accept their invitation for an extended visit.”
    “Extended?” Derian repeated.
    “As in for the rest of your life.”

IV

    “EASY, DEAR HEART,” Blind Seer cautioned when Firekeeper would have reached for the knife hidden within her shirt. “Killing him would be satisfying, but it would pull your one fang.” Firekeeper froze almost before her hand moved, knowing Blind Seer was right. Her only chance of hitting Waln was if she threw the knife. Whether or not she