They rode into the nomad camp on the morning of the twelfth day of Patchwall. The forest was a fiery, autumnal kaleidoscope of brilliant oranges, flame reds, and golden browns as alder and oak, balsam and birch, sablewood, yarpick, and the majestic roanwood burst into their final transcendent displays of color.
The cold breath of winter would soon be upon them, and Mika rejoiced in the beauty of the forest as they entered the clanlands. Throwing back their heads, Mika and Hornsbuck each howled out their own individual wolf cry, announcing their arrival to all within hearing, as was demanded and expected by proper Wolf Nomad etiquette.
There was a moment's silence, and then the air was shattered by a cacaphony of wolf cries that rose and fell and shivered along the nerves. Each nomad developed his own cry, his own special voice that was as distinctive and as easily identifiable to his clansmen as was his face.
Soon, there was the first glimpse of movement and then the woods were full of them, wolves and nomads as they raced to meet the newcomers.
The wolves appeared first. All sizes and colors. They leaped and bounded and sniffed the new wolves from head to tail, each in turn going through the ancient ritual.
Tam and RedTail were both dominant males. Normally there could only be one dominant male in each pack who ruled completely and bred with the dominant female. It was extremely unusual for two such males to occupy the same territory. Never would such a thing occur in the wild, where they would have been required to fight for dominance, leaving only one of them the clear victor.
But Tam and RedTail were both dominant males who had been brought together by the association of their humans, and they adjusted their behavior to fit the needs of the situation, respecting each other, living in harmony, and fighting shoulder to shoulder when the situation demanded it.
But they were still interlopers in foreign territory. They found themselves confronted by a tall, rangy, white wolf whose tattered ears and scarred neck and shoulders told of many batdes. His mere presence told of his victories. He sniffed them carefully, and only when he stepped aside and urinated on a nearby tree, slating his ownership of the territory, did they know that they had been accepted without challenge.
The princess faced a gauntlet of a different sort. Although posing no threat to the males, she was of great interest to them sexually, and she was sniffed from head to tail, over and over and over. One inexperienced young male, whose enthusiasm was larger than his propriety, tried to mount her. But her patience was frayed beyond its limits, and she turned and snapped at the youngster, nipping him painfully on the ear. He leaped away, bright dots of blood beading on his velvety, gray ear, and slunk off into the brush, tail tucked between his legs amid a chorus of yips that sounded suspiciously like laughter.
Then the females crowded in, sizing the princess up with hot eyes, sniffing, prodding, poking, shoving her with their noses, searching for a sign of weakness. But while she had endured the inspection of the males-had almost seemed to enjoy it, even-she had no patience with the females. Baring her teeth, she growled at them. They drew back and averted their eyes, yet they did not leave her side. She felt a sudden flash of fear and looked to Mika for some small guidance, some hint of assistance.
Mika rode into the throng, nudging the wolves aside with the big roan, scattering them like dried leaves. The princess trotted alongside the horse, grateful in spite of herself for his intercession as they approached the clansmen.
The youngsters were first, as usual. Boys only, as was seemly, ran forward on hard, calloused feet, yip- ping and hooting out their juvenile cries, throwing up their arms and cavorting with the exuberance of youth. They wore tunics of roanskin and necklets and armbands of horn and bone. Few of them wore wolfskins or tails, and none had wolves of their own, for they were still too young.
The women followed close on their heels, always glad to see newcomers, interested in anything and everything, their dark eyes flashing with excitement.
They were dressed in a wide variety of styles. Some wore full overblouses, bare of ornamentation, that hung in shapeless folds to the waist, and long, full skirts that swept the ground, giving each the charm of a fat bear. Others wore softly tanned tunics that clung to the body and gave more than a hint of the charms contained within. But despite their appearance, their behavior was circumspect, for the Wolf Nomads would not tolerate licentious behavior from their women. At least not in public.
The men came last, strolling leisurely, unwilling to sacrifice their dignity by increasing their stride. The men, all those old enough to have passed through the initiation, wore the usual male nomad attire: sleeveless leather tunics that reached from throat to mid- thigh, tall, knee-high leather boots, and little else.
Many wore wolfskin cloaks, for the season was well advanced and the days were becoming chill. A few wore leather helms, adorned with wolf ears. Others wore full wolf skulls perched atop their heads. Most wore wolf tails in some manner, dangling from the sides of their braid, hanging from the earlobes or simply attached to the edges of their helms.
The men wore jewelry more often than the women, ornaments of bone, horn and fangs fashioned with great skill, and using copper, gold, and silver inlaid with precious and semi-precious gems. This ornamentation was outward evidence of their bravery and courage, prizes taken in battle or won through adventure, for bravery and courage were much admired among the Wolf Nomads.
Clustered at the fore of the men were the chief of the clan, and the senior shaman and magic-user.
Behind these two titular heads of the clan were a gaggle of lesser chiefs, all of whom were to be accorded the proper note of respect, and none of whom mattered to Mika, for his attention was taken by a lissome beauty with dark, curling hair and a lascivious smile. She looked direcdy at Mika with a promise in her eyes.
To Mika's delight and absolute confusion, he felt definite stirrings of interest! It was suddenly obvious that the curse had not yet ruined him completely. He threw his shoulders back and grinned at the girl, anxious to hold her to her promise, whatever it might be!
But first there were all the boring rituals to be gotten through. He sighed and turned his attention back to the far less-attractive men and, following Hornsbuck's lead, he raised his hand in greeting.
"Welcome, brothers," said the chief, a tall, thin man with a beaked nose and sharp eyes; a fur cloak comprised of the pelts of winter weasels hung around his shoulders. The fur was thick and luxurious, and white like drifting snow, but all of the heads, tails, feet, and claws had been left on when the cloak was stitched so that it seemed like the man was covered with scores of litde, dead bodies. Their empty eyes stared out at Mika, and the litde feet that had once sped through the forest so lighdy dangled lifelessly against the man's chest.
"We do not see many visitors here in the Phantom Forest, and we welcome you to our humble camp. You honor us with your presence. Refresh yourselves, and when you are rested I would be honored to welcome you properly at my fire."
"It would be our honor, noble one," replied Hornsbuck, bowing low in the saddle before the chief. Mika mimicked the older man, knowing that tradition demanded complete and utter respect be shown a chief.
The chief nodded and withdrew, leaving Hornsbuck, Lotus Blossom, and Mika to go with any one of the many women who volunteered their dwellings for rest and refreshment. A woman so chosen would achieve great esteem, and Mika and his companions were besieged by those clamoring for the honor. Mika had no difficulty making his choice. Leaving Lotus Blossom and Hornsbuck surrounded by matrons of dubious charms, he dismounted and started toward the dark-haired beauty who hovered silently at the edge of the crowd.
"Mika," hissed Hornsbuck, laying a cautioning hand on Mika's arm. "Do nothing foolish," he warned. "Clean up. Eat. Be polite, stay out of trouble, and meet me back here no later than sundown."
"Fear not, Hornsbuck," Mika boomed in his new, deep voice. "I shall do nothing wrong."
Hornsbuck stared at him a minute longer, then shaking his head and sighing deeply, he allowed himself to be drawn into a conversation with Lotus Blossom and another woman of similar girth.
"Come, Tam," boomed Mika. Smiling at the s oman, he set out to discover just how much damage v J curse had exacted.