Read Online The Sight by David Clement-Davies - Free Book Online
Authors: David Clement-Davies
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legs of the pack hounds. The dogs saw her and, completely forgetting about their intended prey, bounded after her, barking and snapping, keen to make up for their lost quarry.
Palla’s mind was on fire and she couldn’t stop shaking as she thought of what she had just heard. Whatever it all meant, now the humans were roused, her cubs and her pack were in greater danger than ever. She was desperate to tell Huttser the news, but it would be a long while before it was safe to venture outside. As the sounds of the dogs disappeared into the night Palla looked tenderly at her little ones, trembling helplessly beside her, then laid her head down on the damp earth. They were all exhausted and it wasn’t long before sleep had folded them in her gentle paws.
Palla woke suddenly. Light was filtering into the badger’s set but it wasn’t the morning that had roused her. Again something was moving about above their heads. Palla heard a scratching and she thought that the dogs had returned. Again her claws opened and she readied to attack as a huge muzzle appeared in the tunnel mouth.
‘Huttser,’ cried Palla delightedly.
Huttser was standing proudly in the sunshine. Bran, Khaz and Kipcha were with him, but Palla gasped as she saw them. Huttser’s right flank was covered in blood and Bran was shaking badly. Kipcha’s face was terribly scratched and Khaz had a deep gouge on his back.
‘We had a scrape with our friends,’ growled Huttser, ‘and it was lucky for us these two turned up when they did. Though you didn’t fight badly, did you, Bran? I tell you, even a Sikla can fight when his back is really up against it.’
Bran smiled at Huttser and wagged his tail proudly. Huttser’s eyes suddenly glittered too as he caught sight of Brassa, limping towards them along the river bank. The whole pack was safe. There was a yapping and growling behind Palla now and the wolf pups popped up the river bank. As soon as they saw their father they bounded forward in the grass.
‘Children,’ cried Huttser, as the cubs jumped at his legs, barking and biting at his fur, ‘I bet I look worse than Morgra.’
Palla growled as soon as Huttser mentioned her sister.
‘Huttser,’ she whispered, ‘there’s news.’
The pack was exhausted and dazed by their battle, but Palla’s tale made them all gasp. Khaz snarled and Kipcha began to tremble. Brassa’s ears came up too. But it was Bran who was most affected by what he heard.
‘Palla, Huttser, don’t you realize? It’s the legend,’ he said.
‘The legend of the Sight.’
Huttser and Palla swung round to face the Sikla. He suddenly looked very nervous and Bran turned to Kipcha for support. Brassa was shaking her head.
‘Legend?’ whispered Palla.
Huttser began to growl angrily as Kipcha told Palla what she had heard of a wolf with the Sight stealing a human.
‘Brassa,’ Palla said suddenly. ‘You know more of this than you are saying, don’t you? Why don’t you tell us what’s going on?’
The nurse was pawing at the grass.
‘I heard a rumour about it once, Palla,’ she shrugged. ‘The legend of the Man Varg.’
‘Man Varg,’ gasped Palla, and Bran swung round to look at Kipcha. He had recalled what she had said on their return about the legend having nothing to do with some silly transformation.
‘But it’s rubbish. Just a bit of foolish nonsense,’ said Brassa.
‘Foolish nonsense?’ growled Palla angrily, ‘but a wolf has stolen a human child, Brassa. That is not nonsense. What is this legend?’
‘Tsinga told me about it once,’ muttered the nurse. There was something strange in Brassa’s voice.
‘Tsinga?’
‘You were probably too young to remember Tsinga, Palla,’ said Brassa almost hopefully. ‘The old fortune-teller who lived in the valley beyond the rapids?’
But Palla did remember, if only faintly. As cubs, they had known the valley as the Vale of Shadows and although
Palla’s mind was on fire and she couldn’t stop shaking as she thought of what she had just heard. Whatever it all meant, now the humans were roused, her cubs and her pack were in greater danger than ever. She was desperate to tell Huttser the news, but it would be a long while before it was safe to venture outside. As the sounds of the dogs disappeared into the night Palla looked tenderly at her little ones, trembling helplessly beside her, then laid her head down on the damp earth. They were all exhausted and it wasn’t long before sleep had folded them in her gentle paws.
Palla woke suddenly. Light was filtering into the badger’s set but it wasn’t the morning that had roused her. Again something was moving about above their heads. Palla heard a scratching and she thought that the dogs had returned. Again her claws opened and she readied to attack as a huge muzzle appeared in the tunnel mouth.
‘Huttser,’ cried Palla delightedly.
Huttser was standing proudly in the sunshine. Bran, Khaz and Kipcha were with him, but Palla gasped as she saw them. Huttser’s right flank was covered in blood and Bran was shaking badly. Kipcha’s face was terribly scratched and Khaz had a deep gouge on his back.
‘We had a scrape with our friends,’ growled Huttser, ‘and it was lucky for us these two turned up when they did. Though you didn’t fight badly, did you, Bran? I tell you, even a Sikla can fight when his back is really up against it.’
Bran smiled at Huttser and wagged his tail proudly. Huttser’s eyes suddenly glittered too as he caught sight of Brassa, limping towards them along the river bank. The whole pack was safe. There was a yapping and growling behind Palla now and the wolf pups popped up the river bank. As soon as they saw their father they bounded forward in the grass.
‘Children,’ cried Huttser, as the cubs jumped at his legs, barking and biting at his fur, ‘I bet I look worse than Morgra.’
Palla growled as soon as Huttser mentioned her sister.
‘Huttser,’ she whispered, ‘there’s news.’
The pack was exhausted and dazed by their battle, but Palla’s tale made them all gasp. Khaz snarled and Kipcha began to tremble. Brassa’s ears came up too. But it was Bran who was most affected by what he heard.
‘Palla, Huttser, don’t you realize? It’s the legend,’ he said.
‘The legend of the Sight.’
Huttser and Palla swung round to face the Sikla. He suddenly looked very nervous and Bran turned to Kipcha for support. Brassa was shaking her head.
‘Legend?’ whispered Palla.
Huttser began to growl angrily as Kipcha told Palla what she had heard of a wolf with the Sight stealing a human.
‘Brassa,’ Palla said suddenly. ‘You know more of this than you are saying, don’t you? Why don’t you tell us what’s going on?’
The nurse was pawing at the grass.
‘I heard a rumour about it once, Palla,’ she shrugged. ‘The legend of the Man Varg.’
‘Man Varg,’ gasped Palla, and Bran swung round to look at Kipcha. He had recalled what she had said on their return about the legend having nothing to do with some silly transformation.
‘But it’s rubbish. Just a bit of foolish nonsense,’ said Brassa.
‘Foolish nonsense?’ growled Palla angrily, ‘but a wolf has stolen a human child, Brassa. That is not nonsense. What is this legend?’
‘Tsinga told me about it once,’ muttered the nurse. There was something strange in Brassa’s voice.
‘Tsinga?’
‘You were probably too young to remember Tsinga, Palla,’ said Brassa almost hopefully. ‘The old fortune-teller who lived in the valley beyond the rapids?’
But Palla did remember, if only faintly. As cubs, they had known the valley as the Vale of Shadows and although
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