Thorunn

3-2

The Innah looked up sharply as her human son came tumbling through  the spinner-floss curtains of the council room. To his credit he  rolled into a bow, forehead touching the floor, before he jumped up,  eyes burning with a brightness the Innah had thought lost to him.

"We're all going to die."

A collective gasp rose from the seated council members, and the  Innah struggled not to lash her tail in annoyance at Kenton's  theatrics. But he wouldn't make such a dire statement without reason, so  she folded her arms in her sleeves, took a long pull of her pipe,  and tipped her head at him to continue.

"Apologies, Innah, council, but it's true. Maybe not next week, or  next month, or until after first frix, but by year's end, the men of  Ethaba are going to come and kill the hinnom trees and slaughter us. Bo  and I overheard them at the outskirts today. Somehow they know what  hinnom sap can do, and they're more than eager to destroy everything  in their lust to possess it."

Kenton paused, and the Innah bid him sit beside her, giving his trembling legs a break.

"Their suspicion of us blinds them to the fact that they could but  ask, and we would be willing to trade knowledge with them." She let  the weight of her words settle upon the room. "Instead they take and take,  like they took your father from you, dear child, when his only crime was  befriending me. This time it does not seem they will be content to leave  until they have accomplished our complete annihilation, just as they  destroyed our brethren who lived on Mount Lalethusl."

She turned to address the council. "What do you propose we should do?"

Immediately, a loud commotion broke out as the members of the council  argued furiously with each other, ears pinned back and snarling  fangs exposed as they hissed and growled and generally failed to come to  a consensus.

"And what about Igis?" Irja called out during a momentary lull in  the heated discussions. "We simply can't resolve this issue and hold the  trials at the same time."

Kenton tensed, and the Innah's stomach tightened. To not hold Igis―to  deny the young of their tribe their opportunity to be recognised  as fully-fledged adults? From the crestfallen expression on his face, she  knew that Kenton hadn't even considered that possibility during his mad  dash to the council room. He and Seri and all their friends were supposed  to pass the ordeal before first frix. Another thing the men from Ethaba  were about to steal away.

"What if we can?" Kenton said, jumping to his feet. "Igis is all  about stealth, cunning, surviving on our own to prove we're worthy.  We could do that and keep the forest safe."

The Innah took her pipe from her mouth and caught her son's eye challengingly, waiting to hear what madcap scheme he'd devised.

Kenton met her gaze without flinching before doing the same of every  council member in the room. A few looked away under the weight of it, and  the Innah made a note to speak with them later―if they couldn't hold the  gaze of an Igis hopeful with far less wisdom and experience than they,  their time on the council might be drawing to a close.

"We divert the scientists' attention away from the forest and onto  their own settlements and outposts," Kenton said, his words drawing  a collective gasp from the room. The Innah arched a brow, flicking  her right ear as Irja addressed the proposition.

"You expect to carry this out without retribution? Kenton, any move  we make against the humans gives them all the pretext they need to finish  what they started back then."

"Not if they don't know it's us behind it. Any strikes we make would  have to one, appear as if they're perpetuated by other humans, by  two, looking as though they come from the northeast, and three,  destroy only the scientific equipment centres without any loss of human  life. That would slow them down, give us time to formulate a better plan  of action. We can accomplish all that by first frix. I know it."