Free Ghost Hunter by Michelle Paver, Geoff Taylor

made out a shadow that wasn't a rock. It sat hunched over the remains of a small deer, with an axe near to hand.

    Fin-Kedinn loosened his knife in its sheath and took a step closer. Stopped. Went on again.

    The shadow rose, snatched the axe, and swung at him.

    Fin-Kedinn gripped the axe-arm by the wrist. Face to face, they strained against each other. Abruptly, the tension went out of the axe-arm. Fin-Kedinn relaxed his hold. "Time to make amends, old friend."

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    SIXTEEN

    The fish-hooks came up empty, and a wolverine had raided the snares in the night. "So no daymeal," said Torak, flinging down the lines.

    Renn blinked at the empty hooks. "We'll have to eat lichen."

    He threw her a doubtful look. "Can people eat that?"

    "I think so." But she didn't sound too sure.

    Torak helped her scrape a few handfuls from under the ice, and they put them to soak in her waterskin. While she fed the fire, he went foraging. After a long, cold search, all he'd managed were a few crowberries and

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    some frost-bitten sorrel.

    Renn added them to the cooking-skin, where the lichen had stewed to a dark, slimy sludge.

    "Are you sure people can eat this?" said Torak after the first mouthful.

    "The Mountain clans do. If times are bad."

    "They'd have to be bad. Very bad."

    "Maybe Wolf will have better luck. We could share some of his."

    Torak didn't relish the idea of scavenging one of Wolf's kills, but Renn was right. It had been two days since their last ptarmigan. It was now vital to find the reindeer: not only to find the Mountain clans, but to eat.

    By midmorning, they reached a river which, surprisingly, was still awake. It rushed noisily between stony hills crowned with three more of the strange turf men. Its shallows were free of ice. Torak and Renn grubbed up clumps of brilliant green horsetails, and munched the swollen root-buds raw.

    As he straightened up, Torak's head whirled. The horsetails had done little to assuage his hunger. His belly was beginning to hurt.

    Renn slumped on a rock and took off her mask. Her eyes were ringed with blue shadows. "You'd think there'd be fish in it," she said. "But I haven't seen any."

    They glanced at each other. How long could they go on?

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    "When we find the reindeer," said Torak, "I'm going to eat a whole one. Starting at the neck and working my way down. I'll kill another one for you."

    She smiled wanly.

    He squatted to refill his waterskin. "What river is this, anyway?"

    "I don't know and I don't care. If I don't get meat soon, I'll eat my medicine pouch."

    But Torak had stopped listening. Whipping off his mitten, he plucked something from the water.

    "What is it?" said Renn.

    He showed her: a light-brown hair, as long as his thumb.

    Reindeer.

    "They must be upstream," said Renn.

    They listened. The river was too loud.

    Its banks were boulder-strewn and impassable. They'd have to make a lengthy detour around the hills, or climb them. They decided to climb. It would be quicker, and give them a better view of whatever lay on the other side.

    Climbing proved harder than they expected. Torak was appalled at how weak he'd become. Black spots swam before his eyes, and every step was an effort. Beside him, Renn's breath came in gasps.

    Wolf appeared above them, pausing beside a turf man before racing down to Torak. His fur was fluffed up with

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    excitement. Reindeer! Hurry! We hunt! Torak translated for Renn.

    Behind her snow mask, her eyes gleamed. "Let's go."

    Swiftly, Torak told his pack-brother in wolf talk that he must hunt without them, as he'd have a better chance of making a kill. Wolf didn't argue, and disappeared over the hill.

    The thrill of the hunt gave Torak and Renn new strength. As they neared the top of the hill, they dropped to the ground and belly-crawled. Reindeer have keen senses. If there were any on the other side, it was vital not to spook them.

    Slipping his bow from his shoulder, Torak took an arrow from his quiver. Renn had already