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“It’ll spoil,” Alturk stated “And we have not the salt to preserve so much”
Wise Bear replied with a baffled frown and it took so “Spoil, hah Meat not spoil on ice Too cold Just smoke over fire Keep many many days” He beckoned to Kiral and started for a narrow track leading to the shore “We hunt, you build fires”
They toiled on the shoreline for the best part of another week, building fires and butchering the unfortunate seals at Wise Bear’s instruction He skinned the first victi a coly only a few strokes of his knife, a feat none of theed to match despite continued labour Theover the fires to smoke whilst the hides were set aside to be cured, the sha it clear they would be needed later, his eyes constantly returning to the white line on the horizon
“Have we ht They sat together on a rocky outcrop near the shingle beach where the bloody work had been done, Iron Claw happilyon a pile of entrails nearby
“Still ti a narrow gap “Slanced over his shoulder at the ca as Kiral translated Lorkan’s sohter, a cautionary tale of unrequited love involving h not usually in such quantity or detail
“Not all s on the ice Always takes some, even Bear People”
“The islands?” Vaelin asked
“Where we go Other side of ice Hoht your people lived on the ice?”
Wise Bear shook his head, eyes low, lit by a pale green luht sky the Lonak called Grishak’s Breath in honour of their wind god “Only small times,” Wise Bear said “Our travel to your land the most time ever on ice for Bear People”
Vaelin recalled the emaciated, hollow-eyed folk clustered at Steel Water Creek, a nation raised to survive the harshest cliht to their knees by the ice “I would not ask this of any soul,” he said, “if I didn’t know in my heart it must be done”
CHAPTER SIX
Lyrna
“Are there no words I can speak to dissuade you from this course?”
They had requested the audience early thatand stood before her now in the throne roo no eriroith no one to hunt therass We are needed on the plains”
Lyrna turned to the Seordah war chief, speaking in her barely adequate Seordah “And you, forest brother?”
“We heeded the wolf’s call,” he replied “Now it fades The forest calls us hoht infantry and cavalry in the world, Vaelin had called them, not assets to be easily lost “Our enemies will return if we cannot defeat them,” she told them “And when they do I ht for this land,” Hera Drakil insisted “We are glad to have done so The land across the great water is not ours to fight for”
She knew there was so more behind his words, a faint flicker in his eyes she knew all too well She recalled the forest people’s discomfort in Lady Dahrena’s presence, their inherent revulsion at what she had done for Vaelin and their intense dislike of the sea The Seordah saw much when they left the forest, she surmised And came to know fear