Lupi 04 - Night Season

tunic with an embroidered band around the neck; furry vest; loose trousers tucked into workman’s boots.
    He was the sheriff. Sort of. One of the gaggle of children who’d met them at the fringes of the village had said, “Michael’s gone to get the sheriff to meet your honors.” At least, that’s what Cynna thought he’d said, via the charm, but his words had gotten mixed up with the other kids shushing him, then insisting that Derreck wasn’t a real sheriff. They just called him that sometimes.
    The kids had followed them at first, but mothers and fathers had called them inside. Not many were out at this hour. It was probably about eight bells, which meant most people had eaten supper and were tucked up warm at home. Everyone she’d seen so far looked human.
    â€œI thought humans stayed in the City,” Cynna said to Cullen, who rode beside her. “At least…do they smell human to you?”
    â€œOh, yeah. They look human to my other vision, too.” He widened his eyes in fake shock. “You don’t suppose Bilbo misled us, do you?”
    She snorted. “You think? Only I don’t see why. He must have known we’d find out otherwise, so why did he bother? Habit?”
    The guard riding behind them—one of the two humans—spoke softly. Cynna’s charm whispered his words in her ear: “Humans are discouraged from settling outside the City, but do it anyway. They don’t like it when we get out on our own because we start thinking we should be in charge of ourselves.”
    â€œHarry,” the guard riding beside him said, warning in her voice. She was not human. Half-half, maybe, and sort of catlike, with those pointy ears and the short orange fur.
    â€œWhat?” He glared at his friend. Cynna knew they were friends because she’d seen him humping her one night out on deck. She’d been purring, too. “Every other species in Edge has some region they dominate, where they rule according to their own ways. Not humans.”
    â€œHalf-halfs don’t,” his friend said in the manner of one who’s made the point many times before.
    â€œYeah, but almost all of you have human blood. That’s why you’re looked down on.”
    Cullen glanced over his shoulder. “This seems to be a human village, but the region itself belongs to…” His voice drifted off, inviting them to fill in the blank.
    â€œHoko,” the guard named Harry said. “He’s sidhe. Allied with Rohen, sometimes. Sometimes not. Hoko collects rent from the farmers around here when the mood strikes, but otherwise leaves people pretty much alone, so a number of humans have migrated to his territory.”
    Cynna tried a question. “Why is this Derreck not a real sheriff?”
    â€œThat would suggest they were governing themselves, wouldn’t it? The village is in fief to Hoko, who probably hasn’t bothered to appoint a sheriff, so the villagers elected one. Which isn’t allowed if you’re human.”
    â€œWhy?” Cynna asked. “Why so down on humans governing themselves?”
    â€œBecause we’re so damned warlike.” Harry snorted. “As if the Ahk aren’t.”
    â€œBabies,” the female guard said suddenly. “That’s the real reason. Humans are too bloody fertile—fertile with almost all the other species, too. If you were allowed to govern yourselves, you’d not regulate your reproduction the way it is now. In a few generations, Edge would be overrun with humans.”
    â€œFertility is regulated?” Cullen asked sharply.
    â€œAmong humans, it is.” Harry was bitter. “In every region of Edge. Ashwa is one of the few things everyone agrees on.”
    â€œAshwa?”
    â€œThe practice of—”
    â€œHarry,” the female guard said, “remember when to shut up.”
    He shot her a sullen look. “You brought it up.”
    She faced forward, expression frozen. “Hsst.”
    Tash was riding toward them. As soon as Harry saw her, he shut up.
    Tash told them about the inn. The bad news was that there weren’t nearly enough rooms available. The good news was that those rooms did have beds—really large beds with feather mattresses. Cynna was excited about that as she slid off her horse at the nearby stable—and wobbled on legs suddenly turned to goo.
    Cullen chuckled and slid an arm around her waist,