Free Breakaway: Clan of the Ice Mountains by C.S. Bills Page B

invite the spirits of fever to come upon you, my son.” And ignoring Paven, she pushed at him again.
    “I’m all right, Mother,” Attu said, embarrassed by his mother’s actions in front of this clan leader. “Get me my parka,” he ordered her, a bit too loudly.
    Yural, suddenly realizing what she was doing, stopped trying to get Attu back into the shelter. “Yes, my son,” she said quietly, and brushed past him, returning in a moment with his over shirt and parka, which she proceeded to help him put on in front of everyone.
    Attu tried to ignore the men who now surrounded their shelter. He thought he saw an amused look flick across Paven’s face, but it was hard to tell with the man’s scars. Surely he must think me a child, being ordered about by my mother, Attu thought, and he was tempted to scold Yural in front of the men, put her in her place. But, he didn’t. She was his mother, after all.
    Attu struggled into his clothing, forcing himself not to let out a cry when the weight of his heavy fur parka settled on his wounded back, pulling at the stitches and sending tremors down his arms.
    Attu glanced into his mother’s eyes, and his anger vanished at the look of love and concern he saw there. “Thank you, Mother,” he said to Yural and briefly touched her shoulder as she stepped away.
    “A mighty hunter and a good son,” Paven remarked, and Attu flashed a look at him. He saw no sarcasm in the man’s scarred face. Looking past him for a moment, Attu saw Moolnik scowl and his father smile. Suka, standing a bit behind his father, gave Attu a broad wink.
    “You are a strong one,” Paven said, and he held out an arm for Attu. “Walk with me, and we will talk of ice bears and swap stories of how we both survived killing one.”
    Turning away from the cluster of angry men, Paven steered Attu out across the rocky edge of the land they were camped on.
    Attu looked back to see Moolnik kick a loose stone and stomp away with his sons, a few other hunters following behind him. Men on the other side wandered away as well. Ubantu didn’t follow the other men, but limped slowly toward the shelter and Yural.
    “Don’t be concerned, young hunter,” Paven said as Attu turned back. “We’ll not come to blows over land, not this time. My clan isn’t staying on this trysta-forsaken place any longer. It’s the dwelling of the ice bears, and there’s no question they are the strongest among us. Their claim will not be taken from them. Eventually Moolnik will see this truth, hopefully before any of your clan are killed.”
    Attu said nothing. He wanted to tell Paven that Moolnik was a stubborn fool and would probably not leave until several of his clan had died, victims of the ice bears. All Moolnik could see was the plentiful supply of nuknuks. That was, of course, what the ice bears saw as well. As hunters they would require large amounts of meat to sustain themselves. And to the ice bears, Attu’s clan was simply more game, easier to catch and kill than the nuknuks because the humans couldn’t escape under the ice. Except here, the ice bears can get under the ice also, it’s so thin everywhere. What if they chased hunters onto thin ice, just to let them fall through and kill them under water?
    Attu shuddered at the thought of ice bears hunting and feasting on his people. At the same time, he felt the old frustration toward Moolnik’s rivalry with his father rising up in his spirit. Right now he was so weak he couldn’t possibly confront Moolnik if his father wouldn’t, and no one else in their clan would even try. It shamed Attu to think his people would follow such a leader. How has it come to this? What is it about Moolnik that others seem drawn to him? And why hasn’t my father done something about his brother? It’s as if Moolnik has some spirit power over them all.
    Meanwhile I can barely lift my arms, let alone wield a weapon. What if I don’t heal? What if I don’t grow strong enough to hunt