CHAPTER SIX

WILD HORSE

Wild Horse saw Blue Bird’s whole body shudder. She looked desperate.

‘Are you sure that you’d rather be out here on your own, than in a camp with the safety of your tribe?’ he asked. ‘Wolves and sabretooth cats hunt these parts, and only two sunrises ago I saw a mammoth on this side of the river. These are all dangers more fearsome than Burning Fire or your father.’

‘I am sure. It is good to be free,’ said Blue Bird, her eyes flashing. ‘I won’t go back, and Paska and I will fight if we have to.’

‘It is a brave path you choose, Blue Bird. I honour your courage.’

‘What will you say?’

Wild Horse looked at the approaching hunters, Bear Face and Grey Wolf either side of Mogoll, each most likely telling the visiting chief how they expected their son to be the victor. Then he glanced at Blue Bird, standing proud and ready to fight for her freedom. How could he let her down?

‘I’ll tell Mogoll that he should be proud to have a daughter who is so good at hiding her tracks that we lost her trail,’ he said finally.

A shimmer of relief lit up Blue Bird’s face. ‘Thank you, Wild Horse. May the Spirits of the stars always guide you.’

‘That is kind, but it is you who needs their help. You are safe for now, but who knows what lies ahead? Beware the wolves. And Zuni. He is determined to find you, to beat me at this challenge and win your sister.’

Blue Bird leant forwards and traced the shape of a star on his forehead. ‘I will remember your kindness always.’

Wild Horse watched the girl soar up the rock, her tread soft and light as a bird’s. A bird with strong wings, strong enough to throw a spear. He put his hand to his forehead. Her touch had been as soft as her tread, yet he was sure he could feel the outline of the star, as if a force had fluttered through her fingertips, leaving an unseen mark so that he’d never forget her.

She disappeared behind bushes, Paska beside her. Just in time. He could see Tall Tree and the two hunters running from one direction along the riverbank as the chiefs and their hunters approached from the other.

He scrambled back down the rock face. ‘May your Spirits be with you,’ he whispered as he looked up to where he’d seen Blue Bird, trying to ignore the twist of anxiety tugging at him. How long could she survive on her own?

But first he had to make sure she wasn’t found by Zuni. And then, somehow, he had to find another way of gaining honour with his father and Mogoll. He splashed across the river.

Zuni was waiting for him at the edge of the woods, with Dark Wolf and Mogoll’s other two hunters.

‘Look at me,’ said Wild Horse, pretending to shiver as he pulled on his leggings and moccasins. ‘I wasted my time getting cold and wet by crossing the river. You were right, Zuni. The girl must have gone into the woods. You have succeeded where I have failed. Where is she?’

Zuni’s dark eyes narrowed. ‘We searched thoroughly; there were no further tracks. Are you sure she didn’t cross the river?’

‘Do you think I’d come back empty-handed if I’d found anything?’ said Wild Horse. ‘I climbed high to see further. If you look carefully you can see the branch I broke. But you can wade across the cold water yourself if you want to check if I missed anything.’

Wild Horse knew Zuni wasn’t interested in broken branches. His cousin was too busy seething about his failure to find Blue Bird.

He let Zuni stride past him to meet the advancing chiefs.

Mogoll spoke first. ‘Do you come to tell me that you have found my daughter?’

‘We did not find any further clues along the river,’ said Zuni, ‘and we all agreed your daughter had gone into the woodland. I led my men through the trees. Wild Horse let Tall Tree take your hunters along the riverbank while he wasted his time splashing across the river. We saw animal tracks, droppings, but no signs of the girl.’

Wild Horse saw his father shake his head in dismay. For a moment he considered telling them he’d seen Blue Bird’s tracks, but that they showed she was long gone. He soon cast such thoughts away. He must not betray her.

‘Mogoll,’ he said, pausing to gather his thoughts, ‘it is possible that your daughter has been attacked and killed by one of the predators that roam these parts.’

‘Yes, I fear that is what has happened,’ said Mogoll, carelessly.

Wild Horse paused. Was the chief really so ready to accept his daughter’s fate? ‘But as we found no trace of such an attack,’ he went on, ‘is it possible that she has some hunting skills? And is able to hide tracks as well as find them?’

Bear Face shook his head, his brow bleak as a storm-filled sky. ‘Girls don’t hunt.’

‘But the boy is right.’ Mogoll stepped forward and laid his hand on Wild Horse’s shoulder. ‘For too long I was not blessed with a son, so Blue Bird joined me on many hunts.’

‘Then she must surely be a daughter to be proud of.’ Wild Horse watched Bear Face’s face lighten as he realised his son’s remarks had impressed the other chief. So he had gained favour with Mogoll, and given his father pleasure.

Best of all, he could see the storm raging behind Zuni’s eyes.

But he needed to stop them crossing the river to the rock face. He didn’t know how long she intended to stay there. If her plan was to follow a course to where the sun rises, she would walk downriver. But that led back towards the camp. Hopefully she’d know that and instead head across the Land of Hills. A longer route, but a safer one, where many hills of rock, like the one where Blue Bird had found shelter, jutted out of the ground.

Wild Horse wanted to give Blue Bird time to get away.

‘If she still lives she might have taken cover somewhere,’ he added, ‘knowing you’d pick up her tracks and then lose them by the river.’

‘The boy thinks well,’ said Mogoll, ‘but he thinks like a man, like a hunter. Not like a girl.’

‘But you taught your daughter well,’ – Wild Horse could see Mogoll was pleased by the flattery – ‘so she might think like a hunter too. There is a bison trail nearby that passes the Sacred Rock. It would be an easy route for her to pick up.’

‘The Sacred Rock,’ said Mogoll. ‘It is known for its spiritual powers. It is many winters since I saw it. I had not realised we were so close.’

‘If we set off now we can get back to the camp as darkness starts to fall.’

‘Then we must go. I will touch it to ask the Spirits for another son.’

And to find your daughter, thought Wild Horse, though he was glad to be leading the chief away from her.

‘And if we meet a herd of bison my son can show you how well he hunts,’ said Bear Face.

‘A hunt as well?’ said Mogoll. ‘Even better.’

Wild Horse turned away from the chiefs to hide his smile. He’d outwitted them all, gained praise from both Mogoll and his father, and given Blue Bird the chance to flee.

Tall Tree caught the edge of the smile, though, and gave him a careful look. Wild Horse ignored it. He was enjoying the sight of Zuni stomping towards Great Wolf, his teeth bared like a raging sabretooth.