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Chapter 10

"What did you do to Keeno, Daddy!" Zalia shrilled. She had been helping Aliona prepare supper, but the moment Kel and Kilyan walked in, she leapt to her feet.

Kilyan snorted as he put his spear in the wall rack. "He about killed him," he muttered under his breath. He caught his mother's eye and bit his lip when she shook her head darkly.

"Kilyan," Kel said, putting up his spear, "go to your room."

Kilyan obeyed, exchanging a look with Zalia that said one thing: Kel had gone too far this time. Aliona saw the look and returned to preparing supper, her pretty face grim. Their children were both angry with them, and this time, they had every right to be. Glancing over at Kel, Aliona could see her husband's sadness and regret, and she knew Kel was not going to be stern or firm with Zalia. He was going to stand there and let his daughter berate him. And he did.

"Mom said Keeno was bleeding, Dad! Bleeding!" Zalia shrieked, pointing a finger in her father's guilty face. "She went to see Hye, and here comes Keeno - with a big crack in his skull!"

It was true. After her conversation with Zalia, Aliona had gone to see Hye at her home. The mothers were startled to see a furious Yzlo dragging his son into the hut by the ear. Yzlo had wanted to whip Keeno immediately, but calmer, more temperate Hye had stopped him. Aliona had tried to leave, but Hye insisted that she stay, and the three adults spoke with Keeno about his playboy reputation as his mother carefully bandaged his head.

When Aliona later returned home, she assured Zalia that Keeno had earnestly devoted himself to Zalia. He was with Zalia now. And only Zalia. It was something Zalia already knew, but it gave her no small amount of private satisfaction. The adults had all thought she was simply another of Keeno's conquests! Well, now they knew differently!

Kel held out his paws in supplication. "I didn't mean to hurt him, Zalia --"

"How could you hurt him like that? Mom said you would handle this well, but I knew better! I knew you would act like a lunatic!"

"I only act this way because I love you," Kel protested. "I love you and I'm frightened!"

"Listen to your father, Zalia," Aliona said wearily from the fire. "He's trying to apologize for his foolishness. Something like this is a once in a lifetime event."

Kel sighed. "You aren't helping, Aliona."

Aliona glanced over at him, her sapphire eyes disapproving. "I warned you to leave this to Yzlo and Hye! Now my friend is nursing her son's_head injury_."

"And Keeno's father whipped him anyway!" Zalia cried, tossing her paws.

Kel winced.

"What did you _do_to him?" Zalia demanded. "Did you beat him on the head until he passed out?"

"I . . . slammed him into a tree," Kel admitted, scratching the back of his ears. "Twice."

"Dad!" Zalia practically screamed.

Stirring the pot over the fire, Aliona shook her head.

"Do you have any idea how frightened I am for you?" Kel insisted. "Zalia, you could be pregnant! If the council finds out, they could decide to punish you. And if Keeno chose to claim a disgraced female . . . he would have to leave with you. I'd never see you again." He touched a tender paw to her cheek.

Zalia bit her lip and her lashes fanned down. "Oh, Dad . . . you're so crazy!" She suddenly hugged Kel tight.

"Only because I love you," Kel said into her mane. He held her with trembling arms. "Only because I love you . . ."

After supper, everyone went to bed, and Zalia thought her father was as meek and humble as a lamb the rest of the evening. When he kissed her goodnight and looked at her with his sad green puppy eyes, she found herself actually feeling bad about having yelled at him. As they stood in the curtained doorway of her room, she hugged him tight and assured him that she was not angry anymore. Kel knew better - Zalia's anger always lasted a long time -- but allowed the relief to wash over his face nonetheless, knowing that at least the worst of the storm had passed.

Lying in her narrow bed, Zalia waited until the hut was still and silent before creeping into the hall. She listened again - just to be certain that no moans or gasps were coming from her parents' bedroom. When she was certain all was still, she went to Kilyan's room . . . intent on crawling into his bed.

Bothering Kilyan in the middle of the night was one of Zalia's lifelong habits. Having discovered her parents' active sex life at a very young age, she was quick to learn that bothering Kilyan was always preferable - even if Kel was better at chasing away imaginary monsters. Tonight, however, Zalia was not afraid of monsters. She was simply afraid.

Zalia paused outside the curtain of Kilyan's room, listening with her ears pricked forward. The older they became, the more risky it became to crawl into Kilyan's bed as well. Since the moment he hit puberty, Kilyan had spent his nights fondling himself and whispering Lea's name. On more than one occasion, Zalia had barged in on her brother in the middle of said fondling, and they always both regretted it.

Kilyan seemed to be sleeping tonight, however. Zalia pushed the curtain aside and entered, lustrous black curls bouncing around her slanted eyes. Kilyan's room was that of a typical teenage boy trying to ascertain that he was now an adult: his basket of toys had been stuffed away in the closet, which was half-open to reveal his failed attempts to make slings and fletch arrows. Kilyan had never been much of a hunter, Zalia knew, and she had often teased him about it. But like their father, Kilyan was very good with his spear. He was also a decent fisher.

Zalia paused at the end of Kilyan's bed. Her brother was much bigger than the year before. She smirked: he had begun to work out extra hours in order to impress Lea. Now he was all muscles and height, a deep voice and serious green eyes. Like her, he was determined to have the life he had envisioned for himself: a life with Lea, protecting her, loving her, and raising pups together. Kilyan was going to claim Lea if he had to fight the entire village, Zalia knew. She was happy for Lea. When before she would have balked at the idea of her goofy brother and her best friend together, now she was glad. Kilyan had truly made himself worthy of Lea, she thought. No more was he the clumsy, stammering boy of before. He had transformed. And for Lea.

Kilyan was sleeping on his back, one arm behind his head, mouth slightly open. Zalia was glad to see there was no bulge in the sheets: at least he wasn't having sexy dreams. She crawled under the sheets with her brother and nuzzled her cheek in his shoulder. She smiled when he pulled his big arm from behind his head, and without opening his eyes, he put it around her.

"Kilyan . . ."

"Mmm . . ." Kilyan frowned. "What is it, Zalia . . ."

"Don't go back to sleep!"

"I'm . . . I'm not . . ."

"Liar!" Zalia pinched him with long black nails.

The green eyes sprang open. "Hey! Alright, what is it!" Kilyan demanded irritably. He yawned and dropped his paw on his belly. His other paw rubbed Zalia's arm absently.

"Mom and Dad are going to the village council for me."

"I know. Is this what you woke me up for?"

"I might get to have a mating season with you --"

"Once again: I know. And just remember to stay the hell away from me during the whole thing, alright?"

Zalia laughed softly at her brother's irritation, but her eyes became distant and frightened. "Kilyan . . . what if Keeno can't protect me?"

"He can protect you," Kilyan assured her. "And if I see anyone else on you - god forbid - I'll protect you too. That's what brothers are for. Unfortunately."

Zalia smiled when Kilyan pulled her tighter in his arm.

"Keeno also said he'd help me protect Lea. We've got each other's backs."

Zalia rolled her eyes. "Why don't you just claim each other?"

"Shut up."

Zalia laughed softly.

They fell silent as outside the window, crickets chirruped. Kilyan was starting to drift off again. Zalia lightly smacked her flat little paw on his chest to keep him awake. He frowned.

"Zalia . . . why are you _bugging_me?"

"How was Keeno? You were there when Dad carried him back."

"It was . . . kinda terrible," Kilyan said hoarsely. "There we are having lunch with Loryn, and Dad comes out of the forest with Keeno draped in his arms. Blood was dripping down his face - we thought lone wolves had attacked, there was an uproar. Loryn calmed everyone down, and Dad explained that he'd . . . slammed Keeno into a tree," Kilyan finished darkly.

Zalia glowered. "Dad is such a lunatic."

Kilyan laughed flatly. "I know. And Keeno's father wasn't far away. He was watching over his own group of students, but he left them to see what was happening. He didn't even get mad at Dad! It was like he already knew everything! He took Keeno in his arms and tapped his face until he came to. And get this . . . the _second_Yzlo knows Keeno is alright, he grabs his ear and drags him home for a whipping!"

Zalia closed her eyes. Oh god. What had she done in ratting out Fielle?

"Everyone starts laughing as Keeno runs after his father all hunched over. And all the time Yzlo is going . . . 'I'm going to whip your tail until you have a permanent limp!' Then, of course, Loryn had to make some terrible sex joke about permanent limps . . ."

Zalia squeezed her eyes shut. "You do a terrible Yzlo."

"I do not!" Kilyan puffed out his chest, making his sister giggle as he said in a deeper voice, "'Wipe that damn smile off your face, boy! You think learning to kill is a joke?'"

Zalia sighed with giggles. "Alright, alright . . . you're not that bad."

Kilyan frowned. "After Yzlo took off with Keeno, Dad and me started arguing . . ."

". . . what?"

"We yelled at each other . . . Okay, I did most of the yelling . . ."

Zalia closed her eyes guiltily. Kel had been yelled at by both of his children today.

"I grabbed his arms and shook him. He grabbed me and we fell to our knees in the dirt . . . and everyone else is looking on all scared. Loryn came over and just stood there, like he didn't know what to do. And I kept yelling at Dad. He grabbed me and hugged me and told me he was sorry. I guess I did get a little dramatic . . ."

Zalia rolled her eyes. What else was new?

"But all that blood on Keeno's face . . . I've never seen him hurt like that before, Zalia. It really scared me."

Zalia rubbed Kilyan's chest soothingly. Kilyan was so sensitive whenever it came to Keeno getting hurt. Once when they were little, Kilyan and Keeno got into a fight and Keeno hit his head then too. He only got a little bump, but Kilyan was beside himself that he had caused it. Zalia couldn't understand why Kilyan was always so beyond upset: Keeno always bounced back with a grin from his injuries.

Still, Zalia had to admit that she'd been worried all day for Keeno. After the fight with Fielle, her mother sent her to Grandmother Xela's and went home for lunch. Zalia spent all her time at her grandmother's with Lea, nervously sewing pup carriers as she wondered when and how her mother was going to break the news to Kel.

After all, Aliona had known about Keeno and Zalia for a year now. The fight with Fielle only confirmed that the two of them were still seeing each other.

"After Dad calmed me down," went on Kilyan, a little dismally, "we went over to Keeno's house to see how he was. Mom was already there." Kilyan hesitated, as if there was more to tell, but Zalia didn't notice: she was staring sadly at her fingers as she smoothed them through Kilyan's chest fur.

"Keeno's alright," Kilyan assured his sister and squeezed her in his arm again. "Dad hit him harder than he meant to, is all. And can you blame him? He was really scared - I was really scared!"

"Kilyan . . ."

"I wanted to _strangle_Keeno when I found out why Dad had hit him. Do you know how stupid you two are? What if he got you pregnant!"

Zalia scowled. "You and Lea had sex in the sun village, Kilyan!" she said defiantly and wasn't surprised by her brother's shock. "Yeah, that's right!" Zalia cried when Kilyan looked at her sheepishly. "Lea told me. She tells me everything!"

Kilyan rolled his eyes. "I'm older than you."

"So? That means you're allowed to take risks and I'm not?"

"Yes! And Lea and I only did it that one time . . ." He blushed the slightest bit, but his eyes were hard. He was determined to change the subject now, but Zalia wasn't going to let him off that easily.

"One time!" Zalia repeated mockingly. "Try six!"

Kilyan's blush came harder. "Shut up about me and Lea! We did it close enough to our first mating season that if I got her pregnant, no one would even know or care. But you and Keeno? Zalia you're only fifteen! Think of what the council would do to you!" He frowned sadly.

Seeing the fear and sadness in her brother's eyes, Zalia whispered, "I'm sorry, Kilyan."

Kilyan glanced at her miserably, then pulled her close in his arm and kissed her on the head. "Maybe everything will be alright. The council isn't picky about females going to mating seasons early. Traditionally," he said contemptuously, "the whole point of the mating season is to continue the cycle of life . . . one female starting a family two years earlier won't put them off."

There was a pause, and Zalia watched anxiously as Kilyan glared at the ceiling. Since everything that had happened with Lea, her brother had returned a different male. It wasn't simply the fact that he no longer stammered and fell and walked into the walls. Now he was . . . angrier. And a little bitter. It frightened her.

Zalia rubbed her brother's chest to sooth him. "How's the new hut coming?" she said to take Kilyan's mind off the council.

Since he had turned seventeen, Kilyan had been preparing a new home for himself and Lea. As tradition decreed, Kel helped him with constructing his new home, as well as Loryn from time to time. Traditionally, their grandfather also should have been helping Kilyan, and Kilyan confided in Zalia that he had. Careful to avoid Kel and Loryn, Gurwin came around from time to time and helped Kilyan build his new home, sometimes staying with him for long hours into the day. Gurwin had offered to do it on the condition that Kilyan told no one - especially not Kel. There was one day when Aliona - arriving with Kilyan's lunch - had almost discovered Gurwin. Gurwin hid inside the house as Kilyan ate outside with his mother, and Kilyan later told Zalia that he was convinced Aliona knew Gurwin had been there.

"Granddad wants to help me tomorrow," Kilyan said wearily, "which means I have to make up some lie to keep Dad away. Maybe I'll say I'm gonna help Keeno with his house."

Zalia's lip almost trembled. Keeno's new house . . . the house she may or may not get to live with him in . . . "All this sneaking around," she said, pushing thoughts of Keeno away. "Why can't Daddy and Grandpa just make up!"

Kilyan laughed humorlessly. "I'm guessing Dad never told you."

"Told me what?"

"There's a lot of tension between Dad and Grandpa for a reason, Zalia. It goes back to when Dad was really little . . . did Mom ever tell you where Dad's family is from? She knows."

"No," Zalia said, her ears pricking forward. "No one ever told me!"

"Dad's family is originally from the crow tribe," Kilyan explained, rubbing his sister's shoulder absently as he stared at the ceiling.

"The crow tribe," Zalia repeated, huddled snug in Kilyan's arm. "Who are they?"

"They live far to the north, in forests even the winter wolves wouldn't enter. Their society is run by females."

"What! You're lying!" Zalia accused.

Kilyan smiled at her sideways. "It's true. Grandpa hated living there, being told what to do by his wife. He did all the work, I'm told.All of it. He would cook, clean, do the laundry . . . and on top of that, he had forest patrol and he had to hunt. He was basically a slave, and he would complain to Dad about it all the time as he was growing up, reminding him again and again that Dad had it good here."

"So . . . how did Grandpa wind up here? With Dad?"

"One night he took his wife and ran away. Grandmother was pregnant with Dad. They made it all the way here, and she gave birth to Dad . . . then she left."

Zalia gasped. "She . . . abandoned Dad?"

"Yeah," Kilyan whispered sadly. "When he was about three. Grandpa talks about her a lot when we're together. He misses her, even though he does nothing but complain about their marriage!" Kilyan added with a laugh. "He thinks she went back to her tribe. It was all she talked about. Grandpa wanted to go after her but said he'd rather die first. He . . . had a difficult childhood among the crow wolves. He witnessed his father's death . . . a lone wolf killed him. . . ."

Zalia's ears flattened. Grandfather Gurwin was a stern male, black fur, angry green eyes. She couldn't remember a time when Gurwin had ever smiled. Now she understood why.

"But why blame Dad for it?" Zalia whispered. "It seems like all they do is argue . . ."

"I don't think Grandpa blames Dad. I think Dad blames Grandpa. He's angry that his mother left him and blames him for chasing her away. I don't think he understands how much Grandpa went through when living with the crow wolves. If only he would talk to him . . . the way I do."

Zalia snorted. "Don't hold your breath."

Kilyan laughed. "Not that it would matter. There's still the fact that Grandpa seems to hate tail chasers, and after traveling with Dad . . ."

"What?" Zalia demanded.

Kilyan bit his lip. "Well . . . I'm starting to think Dad and Loryn . . . I mean, I don't believe they're doing anything. They seem to just be friends. But sometimes the way they look at each other . . ."

Zalia stared at her brother with round eyes. She had never guessed.

"But don't say anything to Dad about it," Kilyan warned her. "If he wanted us to know he liked guys, he would have told us."

"Tch. Of course I wouldn't say anything! I'm not stupid, Kilyan!"

"I dunno, Zalia . . . the things you've been doing lately . . ."

"Oh, stop riding me already!" Zalia hissed, and Kilyan laughed.

Zalia was glad to see him laughing, but she still felt worried and frightened. If the council didn't let her be with Keeno . . . she could feel her heart crumbling already. She glanced over at Kilyan to find he was watching her sadly. He suddenly hugged her tight, and she didn't have to ask: she slept in her brother's arms that night.