Chapter 24

- Noker -

I sprint through the jungle, not caring how much noise I make. I have no spear, but at least I will surprise the outcasts.

Starting to sense the smell of acrid smoke, I speed up. A fire under the camp is one of the few things the clan fears. The trees at the new campsite should be too tall and their trunks too thick to take much damage from a regular forest fire, but Unin'iz is a wily warrior, and he may have some other plan. But we have thought about some things an attacker might do. If he recognizes that one of the trees is a perendi tree, he may set fire to it.

The smoke gets thicker and thicker as I go on, especially up in the treetops where I hope the platforms are now. It does smell like perendi. Hopefully the clansbrothers have the sense to lower the platforms so they don't suffocate. And hopefully they remember what Melr'ax told them about the perendi tree and how to deal with the smoke.

I spot the group of outcasts, standing casually in the middle of our camp, swords out and looking up, chatting and laughing as my clansbrothers suffocate above them.

I'm filled with an anger so white-hot that I can't control it. Shaman Melr'ax has told us to not kill if we don't have to, and he's implored me specifically to control my Big side as much as possible and not use my special gifts. I have tried to adhere to his words of wisdom.

Right now, with my clan and Bronwen in danger, I can't control myself. It's simply not possible. The Big in me is in charge. A spear would have been completely superfluous. I have better ways, if only I allow myself to use them. I haven't before. But now I can't stop it.

My vision goes narrow and crisply sharp as I pick out the first of the outcasts to kill.