Page 75 of Planet Zero
She reached into her hiding spot to get out Nessi fruit to perk her companions up, but a shout of alarm stopped her halfway. She rose to her feet and turned. People were rising to their feet and turning all around the settlement. Men palmed their weapons and women called children in.
Strange men emerged from behind a hill and were upon them. Seven of them. Addie experienced an immediate and frightening flashback from her time in the city when the unsuspecting traders had shown up only to be ambushed by Hoban.
The men were armed, and even though each of them had a sack tied to his back, the sacks were small, too small for them to be traders.
They halted when they reached a wall of the tribe’s warriors that had formed between the newcomers and the women. Chief Net’ok raised one hand. His other hand was gripping his oversized battle axe. “No closer.”
The man at the front of the party, a leader, acknowledged the warning with a nod and signaled for his men to stop. His axe matched Net’ok’s in size.
“We are a scouting party,” the man announced. “Passing through.”
His sharp eyes, and the eyes of his men, roved intently over their tribe clustered tightly behind the backs of the frontline warriors. The tension mounted, amplified into fear among the women’s ranks. A child started crying.
Theother sidewas starting to really suck.
Missing nothing of the tribe’s reaction, the leader lowered his axe, letting the heavy stone head touch the ground. “We have not come to fight. We didn’t know a tribe was camping in these parts.”
“We’ve just crossed the Olzol Mountains,” Net’ok informed them.
The leader nodded. “My name is Ell.”
A round of introductions followed, and then Chemmusaayl stepped forward. “All who harbor no ill intentions are welcome here. The time is growing late. Stay the night as guests. Have a conversation with us.”
Smart move on Chemmusaayl’s part, Addie thought, observing the foreign warriors step into their midst. As they settled in a circle in the center of the camp, questions began flying. Who would better answer Chemmusaayl about thisother sideif not the folk who had dwelled here for some time? Maybe it would help him to finally make some informed decisions.
Queen Qalae expertly dispensed orders, and Illied, Chele, and Vircea set off in search of more Boroms and Nipi berries to feed their guests. Addie wanted to go with them, but Qalae called her name.
“You stay and prepare the fare.” She gave Addie a small bowl of tiny dried fungi that Addie recognized as a rare variety, only enjoyed on special occasions. “We want to put forth a good meal tonight.”
Surprised, Addie stood awkwardly in place, the bowl in her hands. Being relegated to the “kitchens” didn’t faze her. Qalae’s trust in her did.
As she laid out the ingredients on a large flat rock she’d repurposed as a table, Addie kept an eye on the goings-on.
Several of the tribe’s men of a lower rank, including the untapped Oh’nil and Iguell, went in search of something, anything, to hunt. The scouts also left to patrol, but only three out of the usual five. Zoark was one of the three, and Addie kept watching his lurching, uneven gait until he disappeared from sight. His hobble was more pronounced these days, the lithe glide of his moves giving way to a tired, choppy way of getting around.
The rest of the men stayed in, telling Addie all she needed to know about how little trust was granted to the newcomers. She strained to hear what was being said around the circle, but she was too far away.
Chele brought out more foodstuffs.
“What are they saying?” Addie couldn't contain her curiosity.
“They are telling the chief about themselves,” Chele replied in a low voice, “where they traveled before settling here. They are staying two days away to where Ehr rises. They said two of their women recently died, ambushed by a Gosor pack when foraging. We need to be careful when we go out.”
“I figured. Maybe leave Oh’na behind for the time being.”
Chele nodded, looking worried.
Much later, after the men had eaten, Addie retired to her teepee while Chele went to help clean up. Oh’na was being fussy and uncooperative, refusing to complete the nightly cleaning ritual Addie insisted upon. It had been a long day, and it took all the patience Addie had to deal with the girl. She blew a breath of relief when Oh’na finally fell asleep, snuggled under the covers. Sitting on her pallet with a blanket over her shoulders, weary and worried about their situation, Addie strained her ears for sounds of danger, the memories of Hoban’s ambush crowding her mind. But everything was quiet, with the guests settling in for the night without any treachery perpetrated by Chief Net’ok.
Soon, Chele came, awkwardly hobbling around the neatly stacked pots and other household belongings that lay unpacked near their sleeping pads.
“What’s wrong, Chele?” Addie roused from her pallet while Chele lowered onto hers with a groan.
“The funniest thing. I fell.”
“You did? Where?”
“Back where they put the large pots we use for the gatherings.” She gingerly probed her hip and winced. “Broke a pot, too. Good thing the High Counselor did not see it - but no worries. Plenty of tongues are itching to tell him how clumsy Chele is. Mark my words, Illied will find a way to mention it.”
