Warriors Of Latan

Chapter 24

They were in Uchendi territory, as far as Blade and Crystal could remember. They'd been in it since dawn, and both now looked forward to a good night's sleep with no worries about mounting guard. Cheeky shared their pleasure, though Crystal had been heard to grumble that he hadn't shared the sentry duty. Although there had been no physical or telepathic signs of pursuit, they still couldn't take chances.

«It would be just too shameful for us to end up spitted by some ezinti herder either of us could have slain with one hand,» Crystal said. «I will not go into the Great Sleep merely to gain more of the Little Sleep.»

Very sharp indeed, thought Blade. Eye of Crystal had enough common sense about war, apart from what he was teaching her, to make a good war chief. Of course they weren't going to let her take that job, but this wisdom might ease her way to becoming She Who Guards the Voice. She'd have to play that one herself, though. He wasn't likely to be around to advise her.

Now it looked as if they might not be able to sleep easy tonight after all. There were too many small signs of a large mounted party in the area-ezinti droppings and a few tracks, traces of campfires and latrines imperfectly hidden.

«Maybe it is Uchendi,» said Eye of Crystal.

«Maybe,» said Blade. «But then why would they be trying to hide at all?» Both tribes were careful about leaving clean campsites; they were natural ecologists. But neither spent the extra time involved in concealing all their traces when they were in friendly territory.

«You think the enemy is ahead of us?»

«I think we should be ready for the worst.»

Blade debated with himself the idea of burying the Idol, then the two of them splitting up and heading south separately. One of them should make it home and be able to lead the Uchendi back to the person with the Idol. However, the Rutari might already be watching them. Besides, he was reluctant to leave Crystal, and she would almost certainly refuse to leave him.

They moved on, eyes roaming the landscape, hands close to weapons. Blade had his bow strung and wished that he had a functional UZI or even a good automatic pistol with an extra magazine…

They came up to the bank of a stream, and Blade looked carefully up and down it, then at the hillside above the far bank. Lots of rocks and stunted trees, but nothing within spear-throw. He motioned Eye of Crystal forward after him. As she came she unslung their waterskins from her belt and dipped them into the stream.

Blade stepped up onto the far bank. Crystal was reslinging the bulging waterskins when suddenly the hillside sprouted human figures. Blade froze, then grabbed wildly for his bow, turned to shout to Eye of Crystal-then recognized the figures as Uchendi archers, raising and drawing their bows. Only one actually let fly, but that arrow went thuk into the gravel bank no more than a yard from Blade. He pulled it out and waved it at the archers, not sure whether he should curse them for their taste in practical jokes or praise them for their skill in laying the ambush. If all those archers had let fly, he and Crystal and Cheeky would now be punctured corpses turning the stream pink.

Cheeky was yeeeping with the tone Blade recognized as his laughter.

(«All right, you little bugger, what's so funny?»)

(«You are, Master. I felt you getting ready to die, when I knew the Masters on the hill were friends.»)

(«You-you heard their minds?») For a moment Blade felt like dunking the feather-monkey in the stream to improve his manners.

(«Yes. I am sorry if it was a wrong thing. I would have told you if I heard the minds of the bad Rutari Masters.»)

(«I should bloody well hope so!») Cheeky might be more intelligent now, but he was still an incorrigible practical joker. Blade shuddered at the thought of the feather-monkey's getting in telepathic contact with the Project's computer-then realized that under controlled conditions that might be a rather valuable experiment.

Meanwhile, the Uchendi warriors were running down the hillside toward Blade and Crystal, laughing and shouting their war cries. They ran up to Blade, each boasting about his skill in finding a hiding place. Several of the archers got into a lively argument over whether they should have been the one to shoot the arrow, and if they had whether they would have done better than Friend of Lions. They all expected Blade to praise them. He would have been perfectly happy to do so if he'd been able to get a word in!

Blade waited until the warriors started running out of breath and Winter Owl came down the bank. Then he said, «You have learned well what you must know, it seems to me. «

«It was Winter Owl's doing more than any others,» said Friend of Lions. «He said that we should learn to shoot from hiding and far away, so the poison would have time to work in the shpugas. A dying shpuga is as deadly as an unhurt one. The only shpuga it is safe to have close to you is a dead one.»

«Even better, a rotten one,» said someone.

«Well, they will all be rotting soon enough,» said Winter Owl. «And we will put their heads on the Guardian's grave, so his Spirit will know that we have finished his work.»

That got a chorus of agreement. Obviously Friend of Lions and Winter Owl were now getting along famously. While the warriors started talking again, Blade unslung his pack and opened it. As they saw what he was doing, the warriors seemed to realize what was coming. One by one they fell silent. By the time Blade raised the Idol over his head, the silence was like a graveyard's.

It lasted a long time. Even Eye of Crystal got down on her knees and closed her eyes, although she'd seen the Idol morning, noon, and night since they left the cave. She wasn't the only one closing her eyes, either. Half the warriors seemed to be afraid that if they looked at the Idol it would vanish. Were they dreaming or was Blade doing some magic to make them believe that they saw what was not there?

Winter Owl kept his eyes open, and it was finally his voice that broke the silence. «Rise up and look, Uchendi. It is the Idol returned.»

Then everyone was cheering and shouting, crowding around Blade and Eye of Crystal, almost ready to lift them up and carry them around. Cheeky was scared half out of his wits; he yeeeped frantically and burrowed out of sight in Blade's pack. Between the heads of the warriors Blade saw Crystal laughing and kissing every warrior who offered himself. For the first time since her father's death, Blade no longer saw his ghost in her eyes.

This was a victory, his first real one in this Dimension. But it was only one victory. They still had to win the war.

Teindo idly stroked Ellspa's bare thigh. It and the rest of her glistened in the firelight with love sweat. Teindo himself felt his hair matted and damp from their exertions. It had been some time since he was with a woman so eager and so young.

However, his wits were not tired. Even if they had been, he would still have spoken out. To do otherwise would be to betray the warriors of the Rutari. There had been enough betrayal already, without his adding more.

«Is it still your command that we ride at once into the south, to seek the Idol?»

Ellspa sat up. Although she still looked splendid, she was clearly angry.

«Did you think that bedding me would make me change my mind? I did not worship a man's weapon even when I was an unbroached girl. Now I am the Wise One of the Rutari. «

«Between us you are. The lawful rites have not taken place. And who knows what other rites may be needed, with the Wise One dying as she did?»

«And how long will all of these rites take?»

«I am not-«

«Teindo, you are not an adept in the kerush-magor. Therefore how can you know anything of these matters?»

«Perhaps I cannot. But you cannot be the Wise One simply by saying so.»

«Then let the war against the Uchendi begin without our having a Wise One. I shall go and do what I can, and we will think of rites when the Idol is returned.»

Teindo closed his eyes. The idea appalled him. Ellspa slapped him across the cheek, lightly, to get his attention, but in a way that told him clearly she was in a rage and not to be trifled with.

«Teindo, what purpose would there be in war, if the lawless have time to hide the Idol or even destroy it?»

«We do not know what new war-magic the Englishman Blade may have taught them. The Idol will not save our warriors if they cannot face his magic.»

«You think a warrior of the English has greater power than the Idol?»

«The Idol allowed him to take it back to the Uchendi, Ellspa. That is not a message I would ignore.»

«It proves nothing. Also, consider that Blade will need time to work his magic. If we ride now, we may come upon the Uchendi before they are ready for battle. If we wait as you wish, the Uchendi may make themselves too strong even for you and your warriors.»

The attempted flattery did not impress Teindo. «Perhaps. And perhaps not. To charge like a bull shpuga in the mating season, that is not worthy of the warriors of the Rutari. «

«You fear the lawless ones, it seems to me. Has your courage deserted you? Is the only weapon you can still use the one between your-«

He slapped her. Hard, much harder than she'd slapped him. She rocked on her haunches but did not fall over or make any effort to stop him with her mind, although she could probably have done so. She merely glared at him and spoke with anger crackling in her voice.

«Go on. Strike me, beat me, kill me. And then the Rutari will learn of what you did and kill you. There will be no one to lead them, the Uchendi will learn of this, and no English magic will be needed to destroy us. Follow your anger where it leads you, Teindo. Follow it and destroy your people.»

For those words Teindo wanted to strangle Ellspa slowly. He also knew that she was telling the truth. He was certain that she wanted an immediate war against the Uchendi because she felt betrayed by Blade, not because she'd thought out the wisdom of the matter. He was certain that his own fears of a trap were justified.

He was also certain that he and Ellspa had to agree in the sight of the tribe. The Rutari were in too much danger to permit quarrels among their leaders. Perhaps she would think again if there was bad luck in the war.

And perhaps the River of Life will flow straight up into the sky and water the Gardens of the Moon.

He sighed. «Ellspa, it will be as you wish. I ask only one thing, that we take only riders and shpugas. No one on foot. And we take no prisoners. Those Who Went Before must ask for some other offering until we have the Idol safe home again.»

«I do not question any of this,» said Ellspa. «Forgive me, that I doubted your manhood or wisdom.» Her eyes glowed with the anticipation of victory as she came into his arms.