Primal Quest Read online

  Sera sat up straight and her eyes brightened with interest and hope. “How would you find these planets? We have looked.”

  “So many people look just along the primary, the main gate path. It is so well known that most of those planets are taken. There are second and third gates on all of the planets. They are able to take you places too. One, of course, is the world you came from, but the others, you might only be able to access from that gate.” Caidi smiled and tilted her face back to enjoy a soft breeze.

  “You aren’t just talking. You really know where such places are, don’t you?” Sera asked.

  Caidi chuckled. From their Charal’s attitude, she knew that they hadn’t had a chance to live as she had. “I wasn’t always a closely guarded Shadatai. I was a Zarain Acine with a pack to care for before I met my chalon, and there were no males.”

  “How do you know all of this?” Kala gave her a suspicious frown. It was obvious that she was wondering if she was being tricked.

  “Like my mother did before me, I held exploration of the worlds on the gate paths to be a very high priority. I always knew where all of the gates were on a world, if I thought that there would be any chance of my meeting a shifter on it. I was always prepared just in case we were discovered.” Pride in what her mother had accomplished and what she herself had carried on rang in her voice. Since she had met Raven, she had discovered just how strange her life had been compared to most female shifters.

  “You memorized them so that you could have an escape route if needed,” Sera guessed.

  “To a certain point on the gate paths around my home world, I know them better than anyone outside of my pack.” She shrugged. It had always seemed to be a very intelligent decision to know of the worlds around her.

  “Where is your home world?” Lori asked curiously.

  “You wouldn’t recognize its name. It is off the known routes. Have you heard of the trade world of Esden?” Caidi waited until her audience nodded. “Carait is near Esden.”

  “Your home is that far away from here?” Lari questioned with surprise clear on her face. “They really didn’t want anyone to be able to come to your aid.”

  Caidi merely nodded agreeing with her. “Yes, they wanted to be very certain that I wouldn’t be easily found and would be lost should I try to escape. They didn’t know that I was anything more than a human.”

  “It is lucky for you that they didn’t know that you were more. The Bavaok hate anything that is even slightly different. They have even been known to kill psychic humans,” Briana related with a shudder.

  “They were more concerned with what they had lost when we ceased trade with them than who they had taken and who they had offended in doing it. I had traded with them for many years, unaware of their hatred and their violent reactions to shifters,” Caidi admitted easily.

  “Sometimes, it is hard to know just who is an enemy and who is friend, especially when you don’t have very much contact with other groups of shifters, be it some of your own kind or other shifters. There is really no easy way to get information about what has happened without actively searching for others,” Kala acknowledged.

  Caidi nodded in agreement with what the woman had said, but noticed another presence in her mind—Raven. Merely by the touch, she recognized his presence. She wondered how long he had been there with her, unnoticed, just quietly listening to her thoughts and the conversation.

  The women smiled, thanked her for talking with them and took their leave. She noticed that a few of them went to talk with some of the Kaden men, but Caidi thought nothing of it. She was familiar now with the male-oriented way of doing things. They were merely reporting what she had told them, confirming the men’s beliefs about her being Shadatai.

  You know that you are a trial even to a warrior such as me, Raven offered in a tone that carried a great deal of masculine suffering even on the mental path. You have more talent at stirring up trouble and creating havoc without even trying than any other person I have ever met.

  Caidi had to laugh at that dramatic statement. What do you think that I have done now? I’m not doing anything. How can I have caused any trouble merely sitting here waiting for you?

  You have neatly destroyed a few long-held beliefs taught to me and every other shifter who was raised in an established pack. Raven could hardly credit just how blind he had been and he had traveled the gate paths probably more than she had.

  If you will tell me what beliefs that you think I have shattered and if they are really that important to you, I will try to pretend ignorance on the subject and let you keep them. I wouldn’t want you to be put through any trouble, Caidi teased good-naturedly. You can hold on to your beliefs until some male finds the same answer that I have if it will make you feel any better.

  Unfortunately that won’t work, my chalie, Raven whispered through her mind with a mental sigh. The truth has been revealed to me and it must be faced even if it should have always been obvious even to a blind man. I am sure that a man would have found it, probably has found it, but he didn’t feel inclined to go telling it to everyone.

  Caidi smiled at his teasing and asked curiously, And this truth?

  You have shown me that the second and third travel gates on a world offer travel opportunities. You have revealed that they can open new worlds for exploration. As I said, you have shattered my beliefs, Raven growled. Maybe if I hadn’t believed that the gates were but a straight line I would have found you before you had concocted that scheme of yours.

  Your beliefs were wrong. I don’t see the loss. Caidi pictured his face, drawing comfort from the contact.

  Like most people, the Shadatai in the pack where I grew up forgot that the different gates on a world offer many different paths to choose. Too often, the gates are simply seen as a way for an enemy to gain easy entry onto your world, not as a door that gives access to other planets, Raven advised.

  That seems a bit paranoid, Caidi observed. You big warriors certainly have the skill to defend yourselves.

  Second and third gates are often seen as an evil when they are merely gates, a part of the path to a different place. Raven heaved a huge sigh. He decided he might as well get used to Caidi. She always had an effect. With luck, he would be able to curb most of her troublemaking tendencies, but he knew that she would never be the typical Zarain female. You have made me decide against closing the other gates on Carait.

  I didn’t think that anything could change your mind once you had made a decision, Caidi told him with utter seriousness and was shocked that he showed such willingness to give her opinion so great a value.

  The only person with much of a chance to change my mind is you. Raven knew she often found him arrogant, but he did respect her abilities. You will have a chance to change the beliefs of many other people as well, because I will be talking of this with others and we will still be going to Askara. Do you have all of the linked worlds near Carait memorized or do you have it written somewhere?

  We put everything that we learned about the worlds we explored in a book we call the Worlds book. Any of the women would know which book I am talking about, but if you want to look at it, I will warn you before you do that it can get very confusing even to someone who knows how it is organized. Caidi could only smile when she thought of that book. It was a mess, but they couldn’t think of any other way to do it.

  I am sure that it isn’t that bad. Raven was more interested in what it held. What did you put in the book, just the names or is there more?

  We diagrammed the worlds linked to a certain world’s gates and then logged which gates they link to. We described the terrain outside of the gatehouse, the weather and if we knew where the other gates were in relation to that one. Caidi could only shrug and then laughed softly as she realized what she must look like. The Kaden must think that she was insane, gesturing and shrugging when there was no one near her.

  That is all? Raven’s question brought Caidi’s focus back to him.

  We also noted
if the person visiting might want to use caution because of dangers from the inhabitants or simply dangerous terrain. We have been trying to think of a better way to organize it, to map it out clearly, but we haven’t yet found a simpler way. Caidi heaved a sigh as she thought of all of the hours she had spent studying that book.

  There are sages on Askara who live to solve difficult problems. Maybe they can help you with your book, Raven offered.

  Why would they want to do that? Our little book isn’t really unique or of interest to them. If they had wanted to map the links of the travel gate paths, I am sure that they would have done it many years ago. Caidi raised her brows with genuine curiosity.

  As I told you, my little troublemaker, you have opened a whole new way of looking at things for me. They will at least want to see why you think what you do, why you believe that the gate paths are so complex, Raven chuckled.

  If you say so, but I haven’t seen any interest in the gate paths from the sages. Caidi had tentatively approached the sages a few times, but hadn’t gone into any details.

  Teril is coming with my ally Achan Zaden Felinian. He was taking a message to Askara for me when you were taken. He has waited there and traveled to join Zaden’s men in the search for you on my orders. Raven felt that she should know that there would be someone there who knew her.

  I will contact you when they get here, Caidi assured him. It will be good to see a familiar face.

  You stay out of trouble. Raven couldn’t hold back the admonition. He knew she was restraining herself, but worry swamped him. He would only feel that she was truly safe when he was finally with her. Stay in the camp and don’t go wandering around.

  What trouble could I possibly get into here, Raven? Caidi asked with a long sigh. If she didn’t know any better, she would be convinced that the man was paranoid. I’m not going anywhere or likely to be allowed to do anything remotely exciting.

  I know you, Caidi. Somehow, trouble will find you or you will stumble over it. Most people would have been absolutely safe in a market with a guard, but with you, two guards wouldn’t have been enough. Arron ended up with thirteen stitches in the back of his head and you got taken all the way to Astien. Raven couldn’t resist pricking her temper by pointing that out to her.

  That isn’t my fault! Righteous anger swept over Caidi. I don’t control the actions of others. I didn’t make or ask for the Bavaok to take me. I would hardly have asked to have to take that hike in Zarain form.

  Just be careful and stay with the Kaden until Teril and Zaden get there. I am sure that they can handle any trouble that you manage to find once they are there, Raven ordered, ignoring her protests of innocence.

  Caidi rolled her eyes in exasperation as she felt Raven break the connection. The only time that she had ever sought out anything even remotely resembling trouble was when she had gone to Mijohin. She had found him and a load of trouble that she hadn’t thought of when she had started her journey.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The large group of Shadatai warriors arrived after midday two days later. She had known of their approach for some time. They had been seen by some of the hunters earlier. Three wagons were pulled by large michkal, shaggy, strong beasts that could pull heavy loads, but the animals were slow.

  The large men immediately began to set up a second camp next to the Kaden camp with practiced moves. Teril, one of Zaden’s Terchal, accompanied by a big, black-haired, golden-skinned warrior, came toward her after speaking briefly with the Kaden Charal. Teril wore a smile, but the man beside him showed no emotion.

  “Acine, this is the Achan Zaden Felinian, an ally of your chalon. Achan, this is Acine Caidi Talinian of the Oroyai pack of Carait.” Teril introduced them formally as was customary.

  “It is good to meet you, and I thank you for coming here, Achan Felinian, although, I would have hoped that our meeting could have come under better circumstances than my being taken by a Bavaok fool.” Caidi smiled as she stepped forward and bowed her head respectfully to him.

  “The Bavaok have forever been nuisances and usually when we have to deal with them, it is for a far different reason than this. At least, you can be assured that this particular band won’t cause you any problems in the future.” Achan Zaden Felinian returned her smile. His voice was cheerful and held genuine warmth. “I was very happy to hear that Raven had finally found a mate and a place to call home. He has been looking for some time.”

  “Ah, but the Acine found us when we were between assignments and not actively looking,” Teril relayed with a smile. “How were we supposed to know that we were looking in the wrong direction? If she hadn’t found us, it isn’t likely that we would have ever found her. We brought clothing for you, Acine, and you will have the privacy and comfort of your own tent while we wait.”

  “Raven said that there was an Indiri woman who helped you while you were held by the Bavaok and that you wanted her rescued before her next-father chanced to find her secret,” Achan Felinian stated.

  “You will find her before her father harms her?” Caidi raised her brows. She had expected to have to wait until Raven arrived for anything to be done about that.

  “I will send my men to rescue her. She will be brought here safely and you won’t have to worry about her any more. Can you tell us where to find her? Do you have any idea of where you were held?” Zaden tilted his head, his eyes watchful.

  “Well, I couldn’t point it out on a map to you, Achan Felinian. I traveled northeast—I got that from the wind and just general sense of direction—away from the house where I was held by the Bavaok, but I stopped running that way when I was certain that I was out of sight of the house.” Caidi laughed lightly, able to see a little humor in the situation now that she was out of it.

  “Can you describe the land, Acine?” Teril probed, trying to get more detail. “Which direction you took?”

  “The land was all flat plain there, Terchal. Then I traveled east to the river where I could shift form without much worry and kept moving east until I found this Kaden encampment where I found shelter. I wasn’t too worried about being followed in Zarain form, so there might even be a trail for them to follow in places.” Caidi smiled brightly.

  “Call me Zaden.” The big warrior tossed her a cheerful smile. “We will find her.”

  “I will call you Zaden if you will call me Caidi.” She returned the smile, although she had her doubt that anyone could do as he had said. “I doubt that they will still be there in that house. After I escaped and they couldn’t find me, it would have been stupid to wait around that place wasting this much time after the first two days of searches found nothing.”

  “The Bavaok have always been overconfident about their abilities and the results of their plans. They will still be in that house, confident that they will find you wandering around the forest without a stitch on. My men will find them,” Zaden promised with an air of certainty.

  “I wouldn’t think that anyone would believe that for very long, but you do have experience with them.” Staying there would be stupid and while the man had been a little dense, she wouldn’t have credited him with that much audacity. “Do you know where Raven is?”

  “Your chalon is on his way here as we speak, although with the distance he has to travel, it will be a few days before he gets to Astien’s second gate, Lady. In the meantime, I believe that we will find much to talk about during the days. I can tell you much about your chalon that he probably hasn’t told you yet and you can tell me about the worlds in the area around Carait.”

  “I will tell you anything you need to know since I owe you a debt and I know that you are a good friend to my chalon. You merely have to ask if you are looking for a world to call your own and I will try to help you find one to suit your people,” Caidi replied easily. “I didn’t realize that so many people would be interested in what my pack has learned over the years.”

  “You owe me no debt for coming to your aid, Lady,” Zaden said with seriousness and utter form
ality. “In fact, I owe your chalon my life for his aid on several occasions in the past. He did it without question or possibility of gain to him. Your mate is one of the few I would call both ally and friend.”

  * * * * *

  Caidi found Zaden to be a friendly man, quick with a smile and a laugh, but he was definitely overprotective where she was concerned. From a few comments he had made during their discussions, she knew that Raven had informed him that she was pregnant and she thought that that was likely part of it. She had an escort at all times, even when going for a simple walk to the river which barely qualified as out of sight with the expanded size of the mixed camp of Kaden and Zarain. She was served heaping portions of food at every meal and urged to eat. It would have taken a person at least twice her size to finish what they gave her. Caidi barely managed half of the portions.

  Raven arrived near sunset five days after his Shadatai comrade Zaden had walked into the camp. Caidi was walking around the camp, trying to ignore the watchful eyes of every Zarain warrior present and the occasional urging from them to go rest. She had to move.

  She had so much energy coursing through her body and there was no way to expend it with the limited area of space she was allowed to roam. Caidi was irritable and inclined to frown at anyone who stopped her or urged her to sit which happened all too often. That didn’t help. Her frowns didn’t intimidate the warriors.

  She was also anxious for news about the search for Mandi, the Indiri who had helped her. She had asked Zaden, but he had said that his men hadn’t found her yet. Most of her days were spent wondering where Raven was. She talked with him at least once a day, but whenever she asked where he was or when he would get here, all he said was that he was coming and soon. His cryptic replies had begun to grate her. He treated this as a game and she wasn’t in the mood to play. The man could be more irritating than any other male she had ever dealt with.