On Earth, there are three Triads intending to integrate
not only the three peoples and stop the war that threatens to break loose and
slaughter Humans and devastate their world; but to stop the war that consumes
Kiiote economy and Yown’Hoo moral fiber. All three intelligences hover on the
edge of extinction. The merger of Human-Kiiote-Yown’Hoo into a van der Walls
Society might not only save all three – but become something not even they
could predict. Something entirely new...
The young experimental Triads are made up of the smallest
primate tribe of Humans – Oscar and Xiomara; the smallest canine pack of Kiiote
– six, pack leaders Qap and Xurf; and the smallest camelid herd of Yown’Hoo – a
prime eleven, Dao-hi the Herd mother. On nursery farms and ranches away from
the TC cities, Humans have tended young Yown’Hoo and Kiiote in secret for
decades, allowing the two, warring people to reproduce and grow far from their
home worlds.
“We had nearly fallen into stagnation when we
encountered the Kiiote.”
“And we into internecine war when we encountered the
Yown’Hoo.”
“Yown’Hoo and
Kiiote have been defending themselves for a thousand revolutions of our Sun.”
“Together, we
might do something none of us alone might have done…a destiny that included
Yown’Hoo, Kiiote, and Human.” (2/19/2015)
It was full on winter and it was dark.
The three Kiiote emerged from a concealed exit at the bottom
of a sand pit, ringed with scrubby pine, loping to the surface and instantly
split up, doubling back a few times before trading directions to confuse the
trail. Like Earthly canines, they were deeply scent animals. Unlike dogs and
wolves, they could biologically manufacture scents, sometimes even consciously
triggering certain scents by a series of thoughts Humans might have called
mantras.
Scent mantras.
It wasn’t long before any Kiiote happening along – or
deliberately set on them – would have lost the original scent in a heady
mixture of sex stimulants and pup scent that would elicit protective scent
blindness. Their world was as complex in scent as a Human’s was in color and a
Yown’Hoo’s was in movement.
Pack Leader Qap used slang – Yipe*fart – to communicate with
the mini-pack, “We head north. Follow the scent of cold and veer to the
stirring of Plains and mountain snows.” Holding a loose formation three or four
lengths apart, they made their way northwest – by Human orientation – keeping
low to the ground and occasionally back tracking to confuse their trail.
Unfortunately, they had not arrived unnoticed…
Qap was focused on leading her micro-Pack. Qilf, already
Pack second female, would one day Lead her own Pack if she could find a male
strong enough to pull together in the same direction. Towt was still neuter, a
wiry pup who might one day lead its own Pack – perhaps even a Triad. It was not
only smart, but worked well with Humans. It did not care for the Yown’Hoo, but
knew the future of the Home Mountain, the world of Kiiote’s origin might depend
on being able to work with the Grasseaters.
It was the one who yipped for attention, then sprayed a
scent of caution tinged with Yown’Hoo.
Qap came alongside Towt. She was auntie and so deserved
respect; but she was even more the Pack Leader. Towt fought down the urged to
press his belly to the ground and roll over. They had to keep moving the Old
Human’s direction had been perfectly clear. His ability to deliver scent messages
was eerily Kiiote-like. She said, “No Yown’Hoo should be here. Baksh,” Old
Human’s name was so much like a bark-snarl that Pack in the Triad could easily
speak it, “said that we must scent for the metals Humans use to build, not our
own or those of Yown’Hoo. You are certain?” The last was a challenging growl
and even Towt couldn’t avoid scraping his belly even as they ran for the cover
of the nearby woods.
Qap snapped her jaw, surging forward, low to the ground,
driving deeper into the wood. Qilf and Towt followed. She ran up a hillock,
stopping just short of the top, then circled once before stepping free of the
underbrush irritating all of them. She sat and the other two curled at her
feet. After a moment, she said, “We are being watched. I think some version of
Human, but the scents I catch are not completely the Always-Walkers. There is
that of the Grasseaters as well, but it is not completely right, either.”
Towt had a thought, “What do we smell like to them, Auntie?”
She looked sharply at him, opened her mouth for a nip at
Towt’s insubordinate query – he’d released a bit of challenge scent in what he
said. She paused. “That is a wise question, Neuter. Have we been stained with
Human and Yown’Hoo scent? What would we smell like to one of the Stupid,”
Triad-name for any of the idiots, Pack, Herd, or Tribe, who fought the endless
war without hope of any victory. “We must be, in their noses, tainted.”
“Then perhaps our scent is confusing to watchers?” Qilf
growled.
“Or it is our scent that it follows,” said Towt. This time
Qilf did nip the neuter. It stifled its surprise.
Qap snapped. They both fell to their chests as she did as
well. Softly in Human Speak, she whispered, “Then we must lead our watchers on
a chase.” She rumbled low in her chest, a second set of vocal cords evolved to
give Kiiote the ability to use words emphasized with other sounds. It could
also be used to mimic Human sounds as well as speech. With a slow lift of her
lip, baring double rows – one set sharp, an inner row bladed – of teeth. She
began to laugh a low, very Human laugh. Qilf and Towt knew the sound.
It was the sound announcing a game of Run, Hunt, & Kill.
Towt howled and dashed north. Qilf waited, crouched forcing her bones into
their long-running configuration then sprinted straight west.
Qap, proud of her Pack headed directly at the source of the
watcher’s scent, nearly flying from the ground as she attacked.
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