Night fell fast on the Thunder Plains. The dark pressed in like a blanket, leaving the small band somber, despite the flickering light of the campfire. Nokom reclined against a bundle of packs the others had arranged for her, Ira asleep with his head in her lap. Everyone ate their dried meat and berries in silence. When someone bothered to speak, it was only a murmured sentence or two.

Kellen felt uncomfortable in the presence of the Gray Dawn warriors. With Nokom dozing, the others did their best to avoid his eyes. Except for Shani, of course, who Kellen caught staring at him with her jaw set. It seemed she resented his very presence with the group, whereas the others simply wanted to dismiss him.

Even Vex seemed to sense the heavy mood. Both he and Kellen still felt drained after the bird’s attack, and the fox was content to stay curled in Kellen’s lap. It was the quietest Kellen had seen him since they’d met, a testament to how much the fight had taken out of the little Mana Beast.

Although he wished he could wrap himself up in a blanket and sleep, Kellen found himself in the twilight area between sleepy and exhausted, where he remained wide awake. Insides twisting with the surrounding tension, he stared at the fire, dark thoughts invading his mind.

It occurred to him he hadn’t been introduced to anyone aside from Tama, Shani and Nokom. Now that he knew their relationship, he could make out family resemblances in the three — mostly their eyes and noses. None of others shared any of the features, so he guessed they might not be extended family. Not for the first time, he wondered why there weren’t any men in the hunting party. Each warrior woman had proved themselves more than capable, but the way Nokom had talked, they were part of a larger camp.

Kellen wondered if the rules in Oras were even more different than Earth that he’d seen thus far. He’d heard Ira reference some kind of Mother that sounded like a goddess or sorts — maybe he’d found himself in a world where there were no men? He knew plenty of guys his age who would have dreamed of such a reality, but the thought only made him more anxious. All the things unknown pressed in on him. Just when he seemed to figure something out, another twist reared itself.

“Where are they taking them?”

The woman with the center braid and the sides of her head shaved who given him the water earlier that day broke the silence. Kellen thought her name might be Ishtas. Since no one bothered telling him their name, he’d tried to listen to the conversations back and forth to pick some out. It distracted him from the other, less appealing places his mind wanted to wander to since the fight with the bird.

“All that is south and west are the mountains,” Tama said. “They are the lands of the Earth Badger Empire and beyond them, the Kingdom of the Sun Hawk.”

“The Earth Badger do not keep slaves,” Shani said.

“The Sun Hawk are said to sacrifice outsiders at the peaks of their temples,” Nokom said. Kellen looked her way but the old woman’s eyes remained closed, her face peaceful and resting. “And they have slaves. But I do not think this Ubira is a Sun Hawk. If he were, he would not dare travel so far into Storm Horse lands. ”

“But the Sun Hawk have the mountains belonging to the Earth Badger between them and us,” Tama said. “Even if they risked angering the Storm Horse Elders, they are far, far away. And the Earth Badger Empire is a nation of traders. They would not want to be caught between a war — it would be bad for their profits.”

“Before we kill this Ubira, we will make him tell us all he knows,” Shani said. At some point, she’d taken out a knife and was running a sharpening stone down its sides. The action, painted in the shadows of the fire and combined with the markings on her face, gave her a sinister look. The other young warriors muttered their agreement.

“Do not underestimate Ubira,” Nokom cautioned. “He has strong mana. One does not live to become an old raider by luck or accident.”

“And the bird,” Tama added. “We did not think there were any beastcallers in the attack, but if the Mana Beast is with the group, they are much more powerful than we expected.”

The group fell silent once more, the somberness pressing in once more when conversation faded. Kellen didn’t want to draw any more attention to himself, but the quiet was even more.

“How-how many of your people did Ubira take?” he asked, then quickly added, “If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Our band is small,” Tama said. “There were only thirty-three among Gray Dawn. They killed eight and four were taken.”

“Two of our men, one of our sisters and a child,” another of the women said. Kellen had heard the others call her Shinopah. He remembered her because she was the only one in the group with a completely shaven head.

Well that answered the question about other males. Kellen was grateful he hadn’t asked and looked like an even bigger idiot. He did the math in his head. That only left twelve members of the band back wherever their camp was. Knowing that, he better understood their urgency to reunite their people. Strength in numbers seemed a vital thing in this harsh world.

“Among the Storm Horse, the men are the defenders of our camps and the women the hunters and raiders,” Tama said as if sensing Kellen’s question. “We leave the men to protect and defend the old and young at camp while we hunt. In this case, as we seek to rescue those taken.”

“And pay these slavers back in blood,” Shani added. “They will suffer for what they have done to us.”

Once more, the rest of the young warriors voiced their agreement. Kellen got the sense that Shani’s bloodlust was shared among the group, though Shani’s desire for revenge burned hotter than the others.

“It is bad mana to discuss these things before we sleep,” Tama said. “They will pay the blood price but it is most important to get back our people.”

Without further argument, Shani pulled her blanket around herself and lay down, facing away from the fire.

“I want two on watch tonight, in case the slavers try another attack,” Tama said. “Shinopah and Night Rains will take the first.”

Kellen filed the name away as the woman to Tama’s left nodded. Her name would be easy to remember as one half of her face had what Kellen had guessed were white tears but now thought must be rain drops painted over it in a repeating pattern, from forehead to chin. Taking the bedtime cue, Kellen gently lifted a sleeping Vex out of his lap and laid down facing the fire.

He pulled his blanket around him as best he could and wrinkled his nose at the smell. He’d been through two fights and a day and a half riding on a horse in the same clothes. His hoodie and pants were getting a crusty feel. Thinking about the state of his underwear and socks too long made him shudder. Curling around Vex, Kellen tried not to wonder about the next time he would get a bath and definitely not the next time he’d enjoyed a hot shower. Lulled by the crackling fire, he soon fell asleep.

“…and I left the decision in your hands. He has already proven himself to be a hindrance. He puts us all in danger.”

Kellen blinked awake at the sound of Tama’s voice. Processing the words, he remained still, knowing he could be the only one the chief was talking about.

“That was hardly two days ago,” Nokom said. Kellen felt a stab of guilt that old woman had to come to his defense. “Do you think we would have fared any better without him and his Mana Beast here? If nothing else, they provided a distraction against it. Ira and I are… not what we used to be, you know this. The bird was a guardian-strength beast. Do I need to remind you that Vex is a ward and Kellen’s powers have barely awakened? His use of mana is that of an infant.”

“You told me our fortunes would change if we added another beastcaller to our band,” Tama said. “One still capable of higher strengths. Who is to say he will stay with us after we find his sister? Who is to say he won’t be killed and waste all of your efforts?”

Not exactly a vote of confidence from the chief, but Kellen couldn’t blame her. He wondered the same questions himself, at least the latter. As far as a way home, he’d pushed that out of his mind until Allison was safe and sound. There was no reason to even think about it until she was with him.

“Who is to say anything?” Nokom replied. “But what is the risk, Tama? Our bloodline has failed. The chances that Shani will awaken at her age are slim. Gray Dawn is a shadow of what the band was in my mother’s time. We have very little to lose.”

“Which is why I am not willing to risk what little is left,” Tama snapped.

“If you are worried about what is left, worry about Shani,” Nokom replied in a soft voice. “Gray Dawn needs her. She is all the future we have left.”

Another reference to Shani. Kellen wondered what they could mean.

Tama sighed. Kellen realized she must have taken the watch. She and Nokom wouldn’t be discussing such things if there were others awake — especially Shani.

“We do not have enough time,” the chief said. “After today, I am even less certain how to proceed. Ubira’s slavers have greater numbers and a more powerful beastcaller… our chances are not good.”

“Which is why I am trying to even the odds,” Nokom said in her best patient, grandmotherly voice. “Trust me, daughter. The boy has the ability.”

“It’s not his ability, I doubt,” Tama said. “It is his will. Now get some rest. You’re almost as worn out as Ira — you may fool the others but you can’t hide it from me.”

Nokom groaned, and a yawn muffled her next words. “Were I still what I used to be, I would fly into Ubira’s camp and handle this myself.”

Tama didn’t reply and the conversation ended. Kellen realized he’d gripped his blanket so hard his hands ached. He eased them loose just as Vex nestled himself deeper behind his fluffy tail and muttered something about pizza ice cream cones. Something the fox had said earlier still bothered him. Vex’s life was tied to his own. If Kellen did the impossible and not only rescued Allison but found a way for them to go home, what would happen to the little Mana Beast? Could he snuff Vex from existence just like that? The question came with a whole new set of worries.

A bolt of self-anger flashed through Kellen’s body, stiffening his tired, aching muscles. He hated worrying and over analyzing every little thing. Where had the guy who charged a gigantic spiked bear come from the day before? And where had he gone? In his wildest dreams, Kellen would never have imagined himself capable of that. Thinking of doing it again in the future seemed just as unlikely.