Free A Whisper of Wings by Paul Kidd Page A

vain. It had all started going wrong; it should have been so-so simple. The Katakanii tribe were wealthy, everybody knew that. When someone had suggested raiding the Katakanii larders the idea had seemed so good. Even when the raiders had first set out, it had all felt like a childish prank.
    It was a Katakanii holy day, and that meant jiteng. A game of jiteng meant no screen of hunters roaming through the woods. The idea to strike on such a day had been Kotaru’s. It was all his fault! Plain armour - blank facemasks. The Katakanii were never to have known who had even done the deed, but now they would search. By Fire and poison, how they’d search! No forest would be wide enough to hide in…
    A female shriek ripped through the air. Kotaru froze, and the scream came again, a jagged sound of mindless terror. The young hunter threw out his wings and raced across the forest floor, smashing through a grove of ferns to find a pair of raiders tearing at a weeping twelve year old girl. She flailed out with a huge burst of ïsha power, spilling one man from his feet as Kotaru burst though the fern fronds up above.
    “Leave her alone!”
    Kotaru’s spear butt cracked across a tribesman’s face; his victim’s head snapped back, blood spraying from his shattered teeth. The girl cringed away, sobbing weakly as Kotaru’s spear point jabbed against the other man.
    “You sickenin’ filthy animal! Pick up your spear! Pick up your cursed spear and fight!”
    The other raider licked his lips. Kotaru snarled with hate.
    “Pick it up, y’ skregin’ coward. Pick it up and fight me!”
    Men drew back as a suave figure cruised serenely from the ferns. Prince Tekï’taa slowly looked around the glade, and one eyebrow raised as he saw the warrior held at spearpoint on the ground.
    “There is… a problem?”
    The injured man moaned, blood spilling from his broken teeth. Kotaru stared in fascination, mesmerised by the violence he had done. The second raider panted, his eyes nervously measuring Kotaru’s weaving spearpoint.
    “He-he hit Gotaiku! He-he was… He was goin’ to…”
    “Yes… So I see.”
    The little girl crammed her fist into her mouth and sobbed. The nobleman disdainfully ignored her, turning his gaze upon Kotaru.
    “All this nonsense… So unnecessary. You are a foolish man, Kotaru. One wonders why you bothered to tag yourself along?”
    “Lord! These-these animals were goin’ to-to…”
    “To rape her? Why of course they were.” The Prince explained himself patiently, as if speaking to a child. “And what of that? You are acting like a fool.”
    Kotaru stared up at his liege lord, amazement slowly dawning in his eyes as the nobleman wearily spoke on.
    “We came here for a raid, Kotaru. Did you think I’d led us here merely to fill the bellies of some squealing villagers? - We came her for a set of reasons; reasons that you clearly are not capable of understanding.”
    “They were goin’ to rape her!”
    Prince Tekï’taa sighed.
    “Kotaru - I am most disappointed in you. There’s no place for fools within my hunting group. And you, boy, are a fool.”
    Kotaru slowly drew himself erect.
    “If I am a fool, my lord, then t’is proud I am to be one.”
    Kotaru contemptuously turned away. The little girl cringed as Kotaru knelt to take her hand; he took her safely in his arms and bore her off into the forest
    The alpine tribes virtually knew no violent crime. Now Kotaru found himself involved in theft, destruction and anger. He swallowed hard, trying to hide from the horror that he felt, then squatted down to tenderly stroke the weeping girl.
    “Are you alright girlie?”
    She was skinny as an insect, with silver fur, silver hair and pearl grey wings. The girl nodded, staring at him in fright until Kotaru stripped away his facemask and dropped his helmet to the ground.
    “Sssssh, it’s alright now. No one’s going to hurt you anymore.”
    She wept against his chest, her whole body quivering in shock.