The Mask of Tamirella Read online

  Sam smirked as he gathered the sticks and pebbles into two piles. “Three out of four?”

  Cait wanted to, but her primary’s eyes burned into her back. “No thanks. I’m sure my luck’s run out by now. You two go ahead.” She scooted toward the cave opening to watch the rain. She was tired anyway and could use a rest.

  “Isn’t this incessant rain ever going to stop?” Jen complained. “There won’t be a dry road for miles if this keeps up.”

  “We’ll have to wait a couple of days after it ceases. We can’t chance any mud slides,” Paulucas said.

  “Don’t remind me.” She groaned and turned her head toward the tunnel. “Damn you,” she mumbled.

  Jen seemed as upset about losing the Mask as Cait. Once again, she wondered what the Elders had promised the finders. Her mind drifted to the mysterious painted-face woman and she turned to study her primary. No one would’ve ever known by Marjordan’s demeanor what had happened that day. Cait would’ve never guessed what the woman confided to her. Part of her wished she hadn’t found out the terrible family secret.

  Marjordan smiled warmly at her. She smiled back and turned to watch the rain. She took in a deep breath. The wet stuff didn’t bother her as much as before. In fact, she found the constant patter somewhat calming. With her back pressed against a rocky outcrop, she wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her head on her knees. When she opened her eyes, nighmeal was being prepared. She must have slept.

  Again, they had no fire to cook large meals over, only a small one near the entrance to keep them somewhat warm, and the days were getting colder, especially with the frequent rains. There didn’t seem to be many seasons in this area of the mountains. Summer led to winter then back to summer, with very little temperate weather in-between. The rains were a welcome respite from the summer heat but always left risks of overflowing riverbanks and mudslides. Winter rains here brought colder weather and the seasons were shifting.

  Cait’s sub-sanction was in the northern mountains, and she missed the bright colors of seasonal changes. Now that this dig had been canceled, she believed the trip home would come very soon and she longed for her warm bed.

  She rolled her stiff neck around then tucked her hands under between her folded legs and rested her forehead on her knees. She felt exhausted, though she hadn’t done anything physical in three days, since Marjordan shut down the dig. She peered to her right and caught sight of Natjulie chewing on a tuber. The thought of food repulsed her just now and she closed her eyes, pulling her legs in tighter to ward off the chilled air. Her head felt heavy and she drifted off again.

  Chapter 22

  Fever

  “Cait? Cait?”

  “Mmm?” She pulled toward consciousness and the voice of her primary. “P-Marj?”

  “Be still,” the woman said in her healer’s tone. “You’re sick.”

  That’s when she realized she was lying down, wrapped in blankets. Someone’s cool hand rested on her forehead, and she opened her eyes to see Marjordan hovering over her. She tried to sit but the woman held her in place.

  “Keep still, Cait. Jen, is that water warm, yet?”

  “Almost, Healer.”

  “What happened, P-Marj?” She felt as though someone had punched her, everywhere. “I hurt all over. The Froth?” Panic sent her heart racing.

  “No, my Cait, not the Froth. Winter fever.”

  Relief came at the woman’s reassurance. “But I was fine yesterday. And winter’s not here, yet.” She coughed and her head pounded.

  “That’s how it comes. Quickly. Sometimes before the leaves finish changing colors. But you’re a hardy girl so this shouldn’t last more than a few days.”

  “A few days?” She didn’t like the sound of that. And she certainly had no desire to stay in bed that long. Again, she attempted to sit.

  “Stay put,” the healer said firmly. “Or I’ll tie you down.”

  She studied her primary’s face and knew the woman would make good on that threat, so she relaxed back onto the blankets.

  “Much better. I’ll help you drink some fever tea when it’s ready but you lie still until then. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” She sniffed and realized that her nose was a bit stuffy. Then she wondered about the others. “Is anyone else sick?”

  “Not yet. I’m keeping you away from them.”

  She shivered. “I’m cold.”

  “That’s the fever. Quin, toss me another blanket, please.”

  “Yes, Healer.”

  A slight breeze touched Caitlanna’s face as Marjordan caught the blanket. Once it was wrapped around her, she felt better.

  “Tea’s ready, Healer,” Jen said.

  “Just leave it right there. I don’t want you too close.”

  She couldn’t see Jenellen but she heard footsteps come closer then head outside. Marjordan stepped away briefly. “Has the rain stopped?” Cait asked, as the woman came into her view again and helped her sit.

  “Yes.” Marjordan held a warm cup to her lips and urged her to drink.

  She relaxed in her primary’s support and sipped the slightly bitter tea. She noticed a strong fire burning just outside the cave. Knowing it was there seemed to help warm her. The tea helped, too, and she drank all of it before Marjordan lowered her onto her blankets again.

  “You sleep. There’s nothing to do anyway except fish and care for the mounts. Not with this wet ground.”

  Cait smiled because her primary had just answered her next question. She didn’t like being a burden. Satisfied that she wasn’t holding the group up, she snuggled under the covers and closed her eyes.

  ****

  When she awoke again, it was dark outside except for the fire. The others slept on the opposite side of the cave but still close to the entrance. All except Marjordan, who lay nearby. Cait turned to her side to find a more comfortable position and her primary immediately awoke.

  “How’re you feeling?” The woman scooted close and placed a hand on Cait’s forehead.

  “Thirsty.”

  “Your fever’s gone down. I’ll get you some water.” Then she paused and smiled down. The flickering light made her strong features appear to jump around her face.

  “What?”

  “Remember when you were little and you used to tell me you were thirsty just to stay up a few minutes longer?”

  She reached back in her memories, plucked that one as the woman told of it, and smiled. “Yes.”

  Marjordan brushed her cheek and stood, stepping from view.

  “Healer?” Ian’s low voice carried.

  “She’s fine. Go back to sleep.” In a matter of seconds, the man snored again. “Here.” Marjordan helped Cait sit and gave her a cup of cool water.

  It tasted wonderful and she drank slowly to make it last. “Who’s on watch?” She looked toward the fire.

  “Paulucas. He’s just outside.”

  She finished her water but now her bladder needed emptying. “I have to leak, P-Marj.”

  “Stay here. I’ll bring you a pisspot.”

  “I’d rather go outside.” Even with her illness, she felt the need for privacy.

  “You’ll use the pisspot. I’ll hold a blanket up in case someone wakes.”

  She didn’t argue. Her need outweighed any embarrassment she might’ve felt about someone hearing her. Once her bladder was empty, she snuggled under her blankets again and drifted off to sleep.

  ****

  When morning came, she was alone in the cave. The fire burned strong outside the entrance and the smell of cooking food made her hungry. She sat up and sneezed. Her nose was stopped up and she looked around for a rag to blow it.

  “Ho, my Cait,” Marjordan said as she quickly entered the cave. “How’re you feeling?” Her hands felt Caitlanna’s cheeks and forehead and inspected her eyes.

  “I’b a liddle ‘ungry.” She rolled her eyes at her pronunciation.

  Marjordan chuckled. “Your fever’s gone. But you do
have the stuffies.”

  “Wha’ gabe you dat idea?” She had to breathe through her mouth so her speech was a bit slower than normal.

  The woman smiled and produced a rag. “Blow. I’ll get you some broth.”

  “Ho there,” Quinpatrik said from the entrance, after Marjordan stepped around him. “How’re you feeling?”

  “Bedder.”

  He smiled. “I’ll let Nat know. She’s been anxious ever since you got the fever. We’re all afraid she’ll twist that braid right out of her head.” He grinned.

  Cait chuckled. “Dell ‘er I’ll be okay.”

  “Will do,” he chimed and disappeared.

  One thing about illness was it quelled any desire to mate. Cait felt no attraction to Quin just now, except that of friend. Marjordan returned with a cup of steaming fish broth for her and she drank it all. She felt stronger and requested another cup. Then, of course, she had to use the pisspot again.

  The movements tired her and she was promptly forced to lie down afterwards. Sleep didn’t take her immediately this time and she listened to the conversations outside. She learned that Paulucas and Jenellen left that morning to see the Elders. Whit’s queazies had subsided. One of the horses got spooked during the last storm and broke free. They hadn’t been able to locate him. Cait lay wondering which horse had run off. She hoped it wasn’t Graypony and she dozed off to that thought.

  ****

  The next time she woke was just before noonmeal and her stomach wanted more food. She ate broth again, along with some cheese and bread. Marjordan seemed pleased with her returning appetite. After noonmeal, the healer gently washed her with warm water, careful to keep her from drafts. The bath lifted her spirits and she talked her primary into letting her sit outside by the fire, wrapped in blankets of course.

  Marjordan stayed within a few steps of her, checking for fever periodically, until she began to feel smothered. “P-Barj, I’b fide.” The stuffies began to irritate her and she blew her raw nose again.

  The woman raised a dark brow. “You’re still sick, Cait. And I’m going to see that you recover. You’ll put up with my attentions or I’ll put you back to bed.” She tugged the blankets tighter around Caitlanna’s neck.

  “Yes, ba’ab.” She knew better than to argue with a healer.

  The others sat across the fire from her, and Sam gave her a huge grin. “That’s some dialogue you have there.”

  Cait flicked her tongue at him. Suddenly, Natjulie let out a forceful sneeze that caused Cait and Sam both to laugh.

  She sneezed again and Marjordan closed in on her, placing a hand on the girl’s forehead and checking her eyes. “Not you, too?” She clicked her tongue. “You have a fever, Nat. Come on. Let’s get you to bed.” She pulled the girl from her stool and led her into the cave.

  A sense of relief that her primary had someone else to fuss over flooded Cait and she smirked. It felt good to be out of bed. She turned to chat with Sam.

  “Caitlanna!” Marjordan called from the cave. “You come get some rest, too!”

  “Aw,” she moaned, and Sam chuckled. She stuck her tongue at him again and made her way to her primary, keeping the blankets around her as she walked.

  “I want the two of you where I can keep an eye on you,” Marjordan said, as Cait shuffled to her sleeping area and sat.

  “Thanks a lot,” Nat said when Marjordan stepped outside.

  “I didn’t bean to ged sick,” Cait shot back. Her pronunciation irritated her even more now.

  The other girl sighed. “I know. I’m sorry. I just hate being sick, especially with the winter fever.”

  “Yeah. You had id before?”

  “A couple times. I always seem to keep it longer than most.” She coughed then sniffed. “I’m sorry about the Mask, Cait. I know how much you wanted to find it.” She smiled. “I’ll be a finder someday but I’ll never be as good as you.”

  She felt uncomfortable with the girl’s praise and flicked a dismissive arm at her.

  “You are good, Caitlanna Mullen.” Nat pulled to her elbows. “You have the determination. That’s important in a finder.”

  Marjordan entered and Nat quickly lowered herself. The woman carried two steaming cups. She gave one to each and allowed them to sit long enough to drink then motioned them both under their respective covers.

  Caitlanna grew tired and welcomed the nap. In her dreams, The Mask of Tamirella taunted her from beneath a mound of dirt, beckoning and laughing when she couldn’t reach it, until she began to cry.

  Chapter 23

  Headed Home

  Two weeks later, with the girls well and no other illnesses to hinder them, they headed toward M3. Paulucas’s group decided to go with them so Whit could gather her things and say goodbye, since she would be moving into Paul’s home. They also wanted to make certain no one else attacked them and the larger number helped. Cait learned that Paul and Jen had taken the artifacts with them on their previous trip to the Elders. The group was promised handsome profit for what they’d found and would receive payment once they returned home. They were to send word to the Elders upon their arrival. Cait was anxious to know just how much she’d earned for her sub-sanction. But that was days away.

  The morning seemed to drag and her heart skipped as they approached Rotted City. Uneasiness replaced her disappointment at losing the Mask. She remembered all too well the near tragedy she had caused Graypony the last time they trekked through this ancient place. The sight of the ruins made her stomach tighten. The horse that ran off during the storm saddened her, too, but she was grateful it wasn’t Graypony. Ian had spotted the runaway about a mile out of camp as the group traveled. Dagbeasts had gotten to him, and the image of the stripped skeleton burned in Cait’s mind. The horse had belonged to Paulucas and he had covered the bones out of respect to the animal. The man now rode the dead healer’s mare with added bridle chains in memory of the woman Cait never met.

  Ian stuck close to Marjordan. The two chatted as they rode and every once in a while Cait heard light laughter from one or both. The two, who’d known each other since childhood, were involved in each other’s lives with frequency. Cait had always thought of them as merely friends, but watching them together now, she wondered if they could be more. Of course, Marjordan would never be anything but discreet with those types of feelings.

  She chided herself for such thoughts. She was the one with those kinds of feelings. Putting them on others was unfair, especially to her primary.

  As the remains of Rotted City closed in, she felt smaller. Her callused hands tightened on the reins and she focused her mind on the trail. She began to sweat despite the cool weather but didn’t dare remove her sheepskin overtunic.

  Marjordan, who rode directly in front of her, turned. “Cait?”

  “I’m fine,” she said in a strangled voice.

  “Just relax and stay alert. We’ll get through this.”

  “I know.” But she didn’t know. Doubts filled her head, and she desperately fought them down as she shifted her weight in the saddle and pulled her body straight.

  Someone had cleared the Rotted City trail of any debris from the last rains, for which the group was grateful, especially Caitlanna. Ian appeared cautious, though. He studied the trail and surrounding ruins with obvious interest. Suddenly, Cait’s concerns grew as she worried how Nat would handle the trail. But she had to admit that the younger girl was a better rider and had more confidence in a saddle. Sam stayed close to his future mate and the two looked like they were up to the dangerous task. Better than Cait felt about it.

  ****

  The trip through Rotted City took a little over two hours without any occurrences, yet Cait was dripping with sweat by the time they were free of the ruins. Ian stopped the group for a rest, and Marjordan had Cait change out of the damp clothes.

  “I don’t want you ill again.” Her primary tossed fresh undergarments, a tunic, and leggings to her.

  The dry clothes felt soothing against her sk
in. When she was dressed, she sat on a rock to eat a snack of tubers and cheese. They still had the mutant forest to get through and that brought Marjordan’s twin sister to mind. The woman hadn’t mentioned another thing about their talk and kept the necklace out of sight.

  Despite the group’s failure in retrieving the Mask, spirits were high, and Cait found herself smiling a few times at Whit and Paul’s friendly banter. The woman was beginning to show and her mate had trouble keeping hands off the slightly swollen belly. Whit constantly batted him away and accused him of tickling her. She claimed tickling a warrior was against her sub-sanction rules and regs. Caitlanna wouldn’t see the rules and regs until she reached full-grown or finder status, whichever came first—she hoped for the latter—but from Ian’s expression, she doubted Whit’s objections.

  “You’re full of dagbeast dung, Whit,” Paul said playfully. “All mountain sub-sanctions have the same rules and regs.” He pinched his chin in thought. “I don’t recall any such law about tickling warriors.” At that, he pounced and attacked her belly until she screamed with laughter.

  “She’s definitely good for him.” Nat gave her brother a sly look. “He’s so happy. I haven’t seen him this way since before our parents were killed.”

  “Babies change people,” Cait said, watching the couple.

  She would miss Whithelen. She hadn’t thought much about people leaving her home until recently. Everyone she knew had been knot-tied within her own sub-sanction. Marjordan had explained that new bloodlines were healthy. Healers believed that mixing up the sanctions helped decrease some of the ancient diseases that caused mutants.

  Quinpatrik sat nearby, observing the couple, too. Cait watched him for a moment. His blue eyes stood out against his tanned skin and he wore his sun-streaked hair, that had grown past his shoulders, pulled back in a ponytail. His gaze fell on Jenellen but the woman was focused on a loose bootlace. Now that Finder’s Fever had subsided, Cait’s thoughts often turned to Quin, but she’d noticed lately that he took opportunities to observe Jen. She liked the woman but couldn’t help her jealous feelings.