Gladiators Of Hapanu

Chapter 9

Blade went on spanking the woman until his arm was tired and her buttocks were dark and swollen. He didn't like hurting her even this much, but he couldn't afford to be so easy on her that anyone would get suspicious-particularly Guno.

Toward the end the woman was quivering all over and trying to hold back her tears. When Blade released her and stood up, she rolled limp onto the floor for a moment, wincing as her battered rear end rubbed against the mats. Then she crawled over to Blade on hands and knees, kissed his feet, and burst into loud sobs.

Blade wondered if he'd hurt or humiliated her worse than he'd intended. Kneeling at his feet was about the last place he liked to see a woman, particularly if she was young, lovely, and naked. He started to bend down to her, she raised her head, and for a second time their eyes met. No one else in the room saw the look that passed between them, but it told Blade all he needed to know. She'd understood the game they both needed to play and her part in it. In spite of everything that had happened to her or might still happen, she was keeping her head. Blade found himself looking forward to getting to know her better.

«What is your name?» he asked.

«Meera Ku-Na-«followed by a long string of syllables Blade couldn't understand at all. The other men in the room did seem to understand. Both Tuk and Swebon stared hard at the woman, then at Blade, their eyes widening.

Swebon shook his head. «Blade, you have made a great prize, if… No, you have made a great prize. This woman-she is the daughter of the chief of these villages. He is second among all the chiefs of the Yal. She is also by blood kin to the very first priestess of the Forest Spirit among the Yal.»

«Is she a priestess herself?» asked Blade.

«No, but she has learned many of the rites, and she is a virgin. Her being captured here and now-I think it is a sign. Perhaps the priests will tell us what kind.»

«Perhaps we should ask Meera herself why she stayed behind when all the other women were fleeing,» said Blade. «Perhaps it is no sign at all, just her bad luck.» He could hear in Swebon's voice and see on his face a reluctance to take Meera with them unless the priests approved. Swebon might be willing to just leave her behind, but Guno at least would probably want to rape and kill her.

Meera answered by pointing at the other figure in the box under the floor. Blade looked closer and saw that it was another young woman, now writhing slowly and moaning as if in a fever.

«Jersha was sick,» said Meera. «If she went into the Forest she might die. If she stayed here alone she also might die. I thought that if I hid her and stayed with her, we would not be found. She was my friend, so I knew I had to do this for her.»

«Very true,» said Blade. He looked around the room, stroking Meera's hair as he did. «I say that Meera has been brave and wise. The capture of such a strong woman is a good sign. Do we need priests to tell us that?» Some of the Fak'si apparently wondered, but none of them seemed quite ready to argue the point with Blade.

«Good. Then Meera shall come with us, as my prisoner. But we shall also reward her. We shall give her friend Jersha water and what medicines will do her good. Then we will leave her here, among her own-«Blade had to stop, because Meera was clasping his ankles, kissing his feet, and crying again. This time she wasn't acting.

By this time Guno had also recovered enough to stagger to his feet and join the others. He glared at Blade and looked with interest at Meera, her body bent into a graceful curve. Her breasts were perfect cones with small dark nipples, the muscles of her thighs were firm, her skin had a faint sheen of sweat or oil-in fact, she seemed lovelier to Blade each time he looked at her. He didn't blame Guno for being interested, but he also hoped the man would leave Meera alone. Any trouble over her would bring the simmering quarrel between Blade and Guno into the open, perhaps dividing Four Springs village into hostile factions.

Blade pulled Meera to her feet. «I will take you to one of our priests,» he said. «He will give you water and medicine for Jersha. Then I-«

Before Blade could finish several warriors came running up the stairs. Their leader knelt briefly to the two chiefs, then said in a breathless voice, «The Yal of the other villages are coming against us by land. They are very many.»

«How many?» said Tuk.

«Three hundred, maybe more,» said the man. «Our people lay in wait and took the ones who came first. They told us how many followed.»

Swebon frowned. «I did not think the other villages had so many warriors.»

«Perhaps some from other Yal villages were here for a feast when we came,» said Guno.

«Perhaps,» said Swebon. «They are too many, however they came here. It is time for us to be on the river and on the way home.»

Blade untied a water gourd from his belt and handed it to Meera. «Give this to Jersha, and hurry. I fear we will not have time to take you to a priest.»

«It does not matter,» said Meera. Then she said very softly, «I already have much to thank you for.»

The Fak'si were as efficient in retreating from the Yal village as they'd been in attacking it. Since the Yal were all coming by land, Swebon decided the Fak'si would retreat by water. There weren't enough of their own canoes to take them all, but there were plenty of Yal canoes drawn up on the banks or tied to houseboats and trees. Instead of simply setting these canoes adrift, the raiders would paddle off in them.

Swebon and twenty warriors went out to reinforce the rear guard, while Tuk led the men in loading up the canoes. There were about forty women and children beside Meera, and an entire canoe-load of loot. Seven of the raiders were dead or dying and twenty more wounded, half so badly they couldn't walk. The bodies and the crippled were loaded into the canoes first, then the walking wounded, then the prisoners carrying the loot. By that time the noise of the fight against the Yal counterattack was rising to an uproar.

Just as it seemed the rear guard might need reinforcements, a horn sounded and the men came running along the bank to the canoes. They were carrying their dead and wounded with them, and Swebon brought up the rear. Tuk shouted an order, and all the archers in the canoes nocked arrows and crouched, ready to let fly. The rear guard scrambled aboard and everyone who wasn't holding a bow grabbed a paddle. The canoes slid out from the bank, as some of the prisoners began to wail and cry.

The last canoe was just out of spear range from the bank when the first warriors of the Yal counterattack ran up. Some of them took cover behind huts and trees, other bolder ones dashed out onto the open bank and hurled spears after the retreating Fak'si. Tuk shouted another order, and the archers let fly almost as one man. Most of the Yal in the open went down, and some of them didn't get up again. The Yal behind the huts replied with arrows of their own, but most of these fell into the river and none of them hit anyone. Then the canoes were rapidly pulling out of range, and all the surviving Yal could do was shake their fists and scream curses and threats.

Blade turned to Swebon, wincing at the pain in his shoulder. In the excitement of the last half hour he'd almost forgotten that he'd been wounded. He examined the shoulder again. The wound had stopped bleeding, but he'd have to boil some water and wash it out when they stopped for the night.

Swebon saw Blade's concern about his wound. «Do not worry, Blade. You will receive the Shield of Life along with our own wounded-unless it is against the laws of the English?»

«No. I do not think it will be.» It might be against his stomach, if taking the Shield of Life meant having to swallow that revolting brew the priests had cooked up. But who could tell? It might do some good.

«When will it be given?»

«Tonight, when we can stop and give proper care to our dead and wounded.»

«What about the Yal coming after us?»

Swebon laughed. «How are they to do that, Blade? We took all the canoes from the first village. They must run back to the other three before they can come after us on the river. By the time they do this, we will be so far ahead that the Yal cannot hope to catch up with us before dark. They will not risk the Horned Ones to chase us by night. Our victory has good strong roots, Blade. The Yal will not pluck it up.»

Blade was inclined to agree. The whole raid had been a little masterpiece, well-planned and carried out with speed, skill, and good discipline. Swebon and Tuk would have made first-class commando leaders in World War II. Unfortunately the victory was also a waste of skill, strength, and lives the Forest People could put to better use against the Sons of Hapanu. The Yal might accept their defeat for now, but sooner or later they'd try to avenge it. The petty warfare among the Forest People would go on, until it ceased to be petty-and then the Sons of Hapanu would advance and the Forest People would be swept away.

Blade found that thought a good deal more painful than the wound in his shoulder.