S’aahiri glanced around at the others, each of them frowning. Remembering most likely. Kess and Tali were both older than she, and were likely a few years old when Saamu took the title. S’aahiri, however, had been born after. Her mother had only ever touched on the years before her birth briefly, to say that things had been terrible. Her father had never spoken about it at all. But, in fairness, her father never spoke to her much about anything.

  Kess eventually offered an answer. “I only had three or four winters behind me, so I remember little of anything. My parents didn’t like to talk about things from before, so I never really asked.”

  “That bad winter—the one that took Kenta’s two boys—my father would tell me how things used to be much worse. That things were so bad once that bodies were left out in the open because folk were too hungry to move them. I always thought he was trying to get me to stop complaining.”

  Kess chuckled in response, the sound clashing violently with the mood around the fire. He shrugged apologetically, a strange smile on his face. “Before she died, when I complained about being hungry, my mother always used to tell say ‘you don’t know real hunger until you’ve enjoyed the taste of your own boots’.”

  “Those things,” Alana said, eyes distant. “Are not exaggerations. Things under Kae’shi had become untenable. We were already starving when winter came, and as our children withered away to dust, and the cold took our elderly, he refused to act.”

  Alana’s gaze never left the fire, but as she spoke, some of the woman she used to be seemed to fill her, and her eyes smouldered at the mere remembrance of the things she spoke of.

  “A leader in name only,” Saki remarked quietly, and it was only then that S’aahiri noticed the reverence with which the man looked at Alana. “In truth, it was Saamu who kept us hunting and fishing, even when death seemed easier. He was our Chief even before he took the title for his own.”

  Alana nodded solemnly. “Kae’shi was… Saamu respected his skill, but it was clear the man was not fit for the job. The decision to challenge him was not an easy one, but it had to be made.”

  “And he defeated Kae’shi, who fled in disgrace, and then completed the task the Inari-da set for him, making him rightful Chief,” S’aahiri finished, only a hint of the impatience she felt bleeding into her tone. “I think most of us know this part of the story, even if we only got a watered-down account of how bad things were.”

  “Ah, but there is the core of it. Kae’shi didn’t flee in disgrace and die alone in the snow, like in the stories most folk tell. He went north, to the Su’kenai, and sought refuge there.”

  S’aahiri frowned, palm finding the hilt of her mother’s dagger as she tried to puzzle out where this story was going. The Su’kenai were a tribe that made their home further north than the Su’roi, in the depths of the wastes. Technically, they were neighbours, in that their territories shared a border. In reality, there had been no contact between them outside of Kuchisoto for at least as long as she had been alive.

  “Bitter, and needing to prove his value to the Su’kenai’s Chief, he told them the new Chief of the Su’roi intended to expand his territory north, taking it from the Su’kenai.”

  She had known Saamu for most of her life—well, she had thought. Even so, S’aahiri couldn’t help the question that escaped her lips. “Did he?”

  Alana shook her head, but there was guilt written across her face. “No, but I had convinced him of the value of expanding eastwards. We needed food, and I thought our best chances were by claiming the territory that divides us and the sea. The Su’bokken held it, but most of their territory lies south of Kuchisoto—”

  “Barely ventured past the damned place—practically southerners,” Saki spat, looking abashed when he realised he had interrupted.

  A ghost of a smile crept on to Alana’s face. “Indeed. I didn’t think they would contest us if we moved into a small enough area. A few small skirmishes aside, I was right. Saamu met with their Chief and the Inari-da representing both clans in Kuchisoto to discuss the land, and they agreed it wasn’t worth the lives it would cost for the Su’bokken to defend it. We claimed the land officially and could feed ourselves by the sea.”

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  The smile faded from Alana’s face as she appeared to consider her next words carefully.

  “It was a much needed victory. We were simply relieved that we could finally feed ourselves again. The Su’kenai did not see it this way. To them, it was a confirmation of Kae’shi’s words—proof that we were intent on stealing land from the surrounding tribes. They began by attacking a hunting party that got too close to their borders. Killed them all, and sent us their heads, a long with a written demand to hand the territory we had gained back.”

  Saki snorted, but his face remained deadly serious. “Naturally, good Saamu told them where to go with their demands. They came at us with everything they had. Never made it to the village, thank the Gods, but the fighting was… Well, let’s just say the crows ate better than we ever have.”

  “Aren’t the Su’kenai a much larger tribe than we are?” Kess asked.

  “Aye, boy. Far more of the bastards than is healthy, I’d say. Which is why Saamu did what he did, desperate as it was—if he hadn’t, I don’t reckon they’d have left any of us breathing.”

  “And that was?”

  “Planned a surprise attack,” Saki replied, smirking even as he stared into nothing, remembering it.

  “S’aamu waited until the largest battle of our conflict, and led a smaller group of hunters around and into Su’kenai territory. Their Chief had meant to finish us that day, and had left only a skeleton force behind to guard their village,” Alana said, and S’aahiri noticed she was rolling her peculiar spherical gem around in her hand as she spoke.

  “While the Su’kenai chased after our men, who Saamu had ordered to retreat and go into hiding after a certain amount of time, Saamu stole into their home and took the Chief’s children, slaughtering any who tried to stop them. The Su’kenai forces returned to their home aflame, and their young in our hands. We kept some as blood-price, including their Chief’s son, to ensure they would not retaliate, and handed the rest back in exchange for peace.”

  Alana let out a deep breath as she finished, and the vigour that had filled her as she talked dissipated, leaving her with slumped shoulders and weary-eyed once more. The younger hunters sat in stunned silence. S’aahiri had known nothing of their conflict with the Su’kenai, nothing at all, and the mention of blood-price had her thinking of Mura.

  “Haven’t heard from the bastards since,” Saki said, with no small amount of pride. “But don’t be thinking they wouldn’t leap on the chance for revenge if they were to find out about our situation. Especially not with Saamu’s own bloody son out in the wastes close to their territory.”

  S’aahiri glanced towards Alana at the mention of T’aakshi, but the woman appeared lost in the flames once again, clutching that jewel in her hand, and looked not to have heard.

  “So,” Kess said with false brightness, “no asking Kuchisoto for help, then.”

  Something in Kess’ words, together with the image of Alana’s crystal sparked something in her, and she leant forward, an excited smile on her face.

  “What if we don’t go there asking for help?” she asked, barely concealing her eagerness.

  Tali frowned. “Why else would we go?”

  “To trade,” S’aahiri answered simply.

  “We have nothing of value, girl. Nothing we can afford to give up, at least,” Saki said.

  “Nothing of value to a Tagayan—but we’re not the only ones who trade in Kuchisoto, are we?”

  “The southerners,” Kess said, eyes widening in understanding.

  “Alana, you made jewellery back in the village—is there anywhere close where we can pick up some metal to catch a southerners eye?” S’aahiri asked.

  Alana blinked owlishly, as though surprised to be brought back into the conversation, and it took her a few moments to gather herself enough to nod in answer.

  “I do. There are gold deposits not far south of the village. I could lead you there simply enough.”

  S’aahiri grinned. “There must be some willing to part with some food supplies for it, T’aakshi always said they prize it highly, strange as that might be.”

  “It would be a difficult journey,” Kess said, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth. “It’s not like we have the supplies for it—not to mention the fact the wolves are still out there.”

  “Sitting around here waiting to starve isn’t any less dangerous, Kess. You can sit here and pray that game wanders past where it hasn’t for nearly two weeks before you drop dead, but I won’t. I can’t sit by while our people starve,” S’aahiri bit back, her hand tightening around the hilt of her mother’s dagger.

  Kess raised his hands placatingly. “I didn’t say it wasn’t a good idea! I just wanted to make sure the hunger hadn’t driven you mad before I agreed. I’m in.”

  “Me too,” Tali said, before S’aahiri could respond to Kess. “You’ll need more sense than Kess can provide, and the tribe can’t to lose any of the more experienced hunters in case there is still prey to be found here. Let’s do this.”

  A grin spread across S’aahiri’s face slowly, and she glanced over at Saki, who nodded once in approval.

  “Then let’s get some rest—we leave tomorrow.”