by Джеффри Лорд
With Cheeky on Blade's back, he and Eye of Crystal walked hand and hand into the mist as the valley of the Idol vanished behind them.
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.
Chapter 25
A Uchendi warrior ran up the hill to where Blade and Eye of Crystal lay side by side behind a rock. He was hardly more than a boy and carried only a spear and a knife. The archers were too valuable to use as messengers. Most of the archers were also older warriors who considered such a task beneath their dignity. Fortunately most of them could shoot well enough to deserve their bows, but Blade couldn't help wondering how many expert archers were being lost by this respect for seniority.
«Winter Owl says that from his place he can see smoke over Red Stones village,» said the messenger. «To him it has the look of the Rutari warriors.»
That seemed likely enough. «Have any of our people come out of the village?»
«Not yet. «
The Rutari burning the village might not be the main body. Until messengers came from the rear guard holding the village, Blade couldn't be sure. Until he was sure, he didn't dare order either Winter Owl with the archers or Friend of Lions with the cavalry into movement.
There were several routes the Rutari could use to advance from Red Stones village. Blade's plan would work only if they used one that let the archers spring an ambush. Otherwise he would have to refuse battle, then keep the Uchendi under control until they could retreat under cover of darkness. Moving five hundred warriors by day would raise a dust cloud a child would recognize.
Also, any further retreat would expose half a dozen more Uchendi villages to the enemy. If they were all evacuated of everyone but the warriors, the Rutari would surely become suspicious. If they weren't evacuated-Blade closed his mind to the thought of what would happen to the women and children. They would have to fight here, if the Rutari gave them half a chance.
«Return to Winter Owl with this message,» said Blade. «Tell him to stay where he is until he hears the strength of the Rutari at Red Stones. By then I will have come to him myself.» The archers were the key to the battle; Blade wanted them under his personal control. At worst, the cavalry could save themselves by retreating fast, which the archers on foot could not do.
Retreats would do no more than buy time, though, and at a gruesome price. The Uchendi needed a victory.
The smoke of the burning village was growing so thick that Teindo wanted to cough and his ezinti was showing signs of distress. He refused to move back as long as his men were plunging even deeper into the smoke to search the huts and houses.
At last they came out. All of them were as black as if they'd been swimming in a tar pit and coughed like old men with rotten lungs. Several were staggering and being helped along by comrades. One was being carried; his arms and legs hung down in a familiar way.
The men carrying the body set it down. «There was an Uchendi in one hut, doomed by a belly wound. So he chose to take one of us with him.»
«Any other warriors?»
«No living ones. Three bodies.»
«Anyone else?»
Several heads were shaken. «No women, no children, and not much that could be carried away. A few baskets of dried fish and green-feet to eat, that was all.»
«Same as the other two villages,» someone added.
«Thank you for telling me what I already know,» Teindo growled to cover his unease. He turned his mount and rode out of the village as the warriors headed for the well to wash off the soot. At least the Uchendi were not blocking the wells!
Ellspa was sitting cross-legged at the edge of the fields on her leather mat with her women around her when Teindo rode up. He dismounted and told her what he and his men had found. She frowned.
«Three times they do this. They are saving too many of their women and children. Also, the ezintis do not feed as they should. They grow weak. I can hear this.»
Teindo looked at her sharply. This was no time for her to enter kerush-magor merely to read the thoughts of animals! If she'd learned something more important, however-
But Ellspa looked fully in the waking world. Her eyes met Teindo's straight and clear. «This is not as I expected. I did not think the Uchendi were foolish, but neither did I think they were wise enough to do this once, let alone three times. Perhaps Blade has taught them more in less time than I thought he would need.»
Teindo's joy at this admission was tempered by his suspicion that she was testing him. She wanted him to advise her about what they should do next, in order to see if he would advise caution. He would not fall into that trap. Also, there were the hungry ezintis and Great Hunters.
He pointed at the horizon to the south. «There lies the Mountain of the Ice Cave. On either side of it are valleys wide enough to let us all move freely. The nearest other valleys like that are a day's march to the east or two days to the west. Nearer than that are only little trails where we could lose Great Hunters and ezintis.»
«What lies beyond the Mountain?»
Definitely he was being tested. She knew that as well as he did. «More villages of the Uchendi than I can count on the fingers of one hand. If we come upon them suddenly, we will have their women and children, certainly their food and houses. Perhaps we can then offer to sell the villager back to the Uchendi in return for the Idol.»
«Once we have them, I will listen to that idea again. For now, let us march.» She stood up.
Teindo thou
ght of sending a handful of the best riders down each valley to make sure there were no Uchendi in them. However, that would seem cautious. Even worse, by the time the riders came back it would be too late to get the whole of the Rutari through the valleys before nightfall. Then a few Uchendi could do much harm, and surely accidents would take their toll of the beasts.
Also, riders who might give warning of Uchendi could also give warning to Uchendi. Haste could give the Rutari the advantage of the element of surprise. Against a man like Blade they would surely need it.
By the time Blade and Crystal reached Winter Owl; the last of the rear guard from Red Stones village was also coming up.
«It's all of them we expected and more,» said the warrior in command. «A hundred shpugas. Five hundred warriors. Remounts, the young Wise One, girls for fun at night, everything you'd expect.»
«Good, — «said Crystal briskly. «When they are all dead, the Rutari will not even think of war until the time of our sons' sons.»
Blade would personally have said «if» rather than «when,» but otherwise she was right. The Rutari were making an all-out effort to take back the Idol. Smash them now, and the ancient war between the two tribes would probably be decided for all time in favor of the Uchendi.
«Best you keep down,» said Winter Owl, looking at Blade and Crystal. «I think there are no Rutari following the men from the village, but if there are they might learn too much by seeing you.» He led Blade and Crystal into the cover of some scruffy trees at the bottom of a little gulley.
As much as Blade wanted to be out where he could see, he had to admit that Winter Owl was right. Both he and Crystal were eye-catching. Since each wanted the other to wear the Guardian's full war costume, they'd compromised on both doing so-beads, leather leggings, embroidered headbands, shell-set loinguard, copper bracelets, and all. Blade wore his feather bonnet and had made another for Crystal.
