Stallan was as concerned by the picture as Vaintè had been. “Is this the only picture?”
“Yes, I went through them all before Krunat took them away.”
“The picture is at least two days old,” Stallan said, then pointed to the model. “If the ustuzou is still coming south it — or they — could be at this place by now. What are your orders, sarn’enoto?”
“Double the guards around the city. Be sure the alarms are functioning as they should. Then tell me what the terrain is like here. If these creatures are coming towards Alpèasak can you get in front of them, stop them?”
Stallan pointed her joined thumbs at the model, towards the wooded scrubland beyond the city. “Thorn bushes and thick brush here, almost impossible to get through unless the game trails are followed. I know these tracks well. Let the birds fly, the owls will be best, and find where the ustuzou are. When they have been located I will take my best hunters and lay a trap.”
“Do that.” Vaintè’s crest was erect, vibrating. “I think that Kerrick is out there. Only he would have the temerity to come this close to Alpèasak, to bring other ustuzou with him. Kill him for me, Stallan. Bring back his hide. Pin it with thorns to this wall where we can watch it dry.”
“Your wish is my wish, Vaintè. I want this death just as you do.”
“This is the last of the smoked meat,” Kerrick said, using a twig to clear the maggots from the hard lump. “A few of the hunters have ekkotaz left, not very much though.”
Herilak chewed firmly on his leathery fragment of meat, maggots and all. “There is game closer to the city. We’ll have fresh meat then.”
Even here, in the shade of the pine trees, the air was close and hot. Flies buzzed about their heads, landed in the corners of their eyes. It had been a long march, and a tiring one. Yet weary as the hunters were, there were no complaints. Only a few of them were visible beneath the trees, the rest out of sight. But Kerrick knew they were there in the forest, tough and ready. His only fear was that he was leading them to their certain deaths. He had this morbid thought more often now, the closer they came to the city.
“We march,” Herilak said, climbing to his feet and slinging his bow over his shoulder where it rested against the hèsotsan in its carrying bag. The big hunter felt more secure with his spear in his hand when they walked.
Kerrick signaled to the nearest hunter who passed on the order. The march began again with Herilak leading as he always did. They followed him across the rolling, brush-covered plain, then along the edge of a tree-hung swamp where stinging insects rose up in swarms. The swamp had its outlet here, through a gorge between low hills. Herilak slowed, nostrils flaring, then signaled a halt. When the command had been passed he walked over and sat by Kerrick under the shade of a willow at the water’s edge.
“Did you see the birds ahead? They circled the trees, then flew away without roosting.”
“No, Herilak, I never noticed.”
“You must notice everything in the forest if you wish to remain alive. Now smell, breathe in deep. What do you smell?”
“Swamp.” Kerrick smiled, but Herilak’s face remained grim.
“I smell them ahead. Don’t turn to look. Murgu.”
Kerrick felt his heart beat wildly and it took an effort of will not to turn his head. “You are sure?”
“There is no doubt.”
“What do we do?”
“Kill them before they kill us. Stay here. Wait until I send word, then go slowly into the valley. Keep your death-stick ready.”
“Do I go in there alone?”
“No. The Sasku will be with you. The hunters will be with me. They know how to stalk.”
Herilak slipped silently back along the trail, spoke quickly to the hunter sitting there. They both vanished among the trees. Soon after that Sanone appeared leading his spear-armed Sasku.
“What is happening?” he asked. “Herilak signaled us forward speaking your name. Where have he and the hunters gone?”
“Keep spread out along the trail,” Kerrick called out. “Don’t bunch up.” Then in a lower voice he told Sanone what was happening. The mandukto was not happy.
“Are we bait for a trap then? When we have been killed will their deaths be our vengeance?”
“I think that we can trust Herilak to stalk them among the trees. He has done it before.”
They waited in silence, looking around at the dark wall of the jungle that concealed unknown dangers. Something moved and Kerrick raised his weapon before he realized that it was one of Herilak’s hunters. The hunter waved them forward before vanishing among the trees again.
Kerrick led the way, trying to ignore the fear that gripped them all. The dark gorge looked menacing; an army of Yilanè might be concealed there. Weapons ready, aimed, about to fire… He took step after slow step, clutching the hèsotsan so hard that he felt it stir in his grip.
There was a sudden scream of pain from among the trees, then another, followed instantly by the sharp crackling fire of hèsotsan. Kerrick hesitated, should they go forward? What was happening in the gorge? He waved the Sasku down, ordered them to seek cover and keep their weapons ready.
There was the sound of breaking brush, running footsteps coming towards them. Kerrick raised his weapon as a dark figure came into view under the trees ahead, burst out into the sunlight.
A Yilanè! He aimed, fired, missed when the dart was deflected by a bush. The Yilanè turned and looked at him.
Time stopped. He was close enough to see the rapid rise and fall of her chest as she fought for breath, the wide-gaping mouth and rows of teeth. To look into her face and recognize her. There was recognition in her eyes as well, a change in posture that revealed naked hatred.
The moment ended as one of the Sasku spears slammed into a tree at her side. She dived sideways and vanished between the trees before Kerrick could aim his weapon and shoot again.
“Stallan!” he cried, “It is Stallan!”
He crashed wildly after her, heard the Sasku following him, but stopped again when he saw how thick the undergrowth was. He would never find her in there — though she might find him. He went back to the game trail just as Herilak came trotting up. Soaking in sweat, but smiling and shaking his spear victoriously.
“We hit them from behind, stupid murgu. They lay in hiding and never stirred until we reached them. All are dead.”
“All but one. The leader, Stallan. I shot and missed.”
“That happens. It does not matter. They know we are here but there is little that they can do about it. But we are warned now and they won’t get that close a second time.”
“What do we do?”
“Take their death-sticks. Go forward. I think that the battle for this city has begun.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Vaintè was conferring with Malsas‹ over details of the planned trumal when they heard the rising sounds of the ambesed. Yilanè, turning to look, were brusquely pushed aside by Stallan as she made her way towards the Eistaa. As she came close the reason for the disturbance was obvious. Her skin was scratched and filthy with mud; some of the cuts still ran with blood. She came on until she stood before Malsas‹ — then slumped in defeat. This in itself was shocking for no one had ever seen her other than erect and proud. They listened in silence as she spoke.
“Disaster, Eistaa. All dead. I alone have returned.”
“I do not understand. Dead, how?”
Stallan raised her head and her back straightened with anger. “I set a trap. We were to kill the ustuzou when they came close. But they are animals, I should have known better. They came behind us and we were not even aware that they were there. Every hunter and fargi, killed. I fled. If I had stayed to fight I would be dead. You would not know what happened. I have told you. Now I die for I am shamed. You have only to speak the words, Eistaa…”
“No!” Vaintè called out as loudly as she could, angry and demanding, the negation rude in its intensity. Stallan gaped, alarmed, her
death request forgotten for the moment. Even Malsas‹ reacted only with shock at this interruption. Vaintè spoke quickly then, before surprise turned to anger.
“I mean no insult, Eistaa. I spoke as I did only to save the life of Stallan. Do not command her to die. She is too loyal to the city, the city must be loyal to her. I ordered her to take her hunters and trap the ustuzou. If there is blame then the blame is mine. We need this brave fighter. The deaths were not her fault. We war with the ustuzou. Do not let her die for taking that war to them. I know I spoke in haste. I now await your judgement.”
Vaintè stood with lowered head. She had taken a terrible risk speaking out like this and might very well die herself for her temerity. But Stallan was too valuable to lose now. Stallan, the only Yilanè who had greeted her when she was the outcast within this city.
Malsas‹ looked at the two figures bent before her and considered what they both had said. In the silence the only sound was the shuffling rasp of feet as every Yilanè in the ambesed pressed forward to listen. A decision must be made.
“You spoke with crude haste, Vaintè. At any other time that would have been unforgivable and your death would have followed. But I smell too many other deaths in the wind and I would have you live to defend Alpèasak, just as you would have Stallan do the same. There is need for you both. Now tell me the meaning of this cruel event.”
“First my thanks, Eistaa. Like Stallan I live only to serve Alpèasak. The meaning is clear, and the meaning of past events are clear as well. An armed and dangerous force of ustuzou marches on Alpèasak. They must be stopped. The meaning of the visit by the creatures to the coast is now known as well. It was a ruse to distract us. When they returned to the mountains they separated and this pack of savage animals came south, secretly, determined. As soon as I found out about their presence hunters were sent to attack them. We were defeated. It must be our last defeat or I fear for our city.”
Malsas‹ was shocked by her words. “What harm can these beasts cause to Alpèasak?”
“I do not know — but I fear. The determination of their advance, the strength of their attack causes that fear. Would they dare risk so much if they did not plan damage of some kind? We must see to our defenses.”
“That we must do.” Malsas‹ turned to Stallan. “I understand even more why Vaintè risked her own life to save yours. You were the one who designed the defenses of this city, Stallan, is that not true?”
“It is, Eistaa.”
“Then strengthen them, reinforce them. You speak for the Eistaa. Demand anything you need. The safety of our city is between your thumbs.”
“I shall not let it slip, Eistaa. With your permission I shall see to it now.”
Malsas‹ looked after her retreating back with confusion and disbelief. “It is hard to understand affairs in this new land of Gendasi. Nothing is as it was in Entoban*. The natural order has been violated with ustuzou killing Yilanè. Where will this end, Vaintè? Do you know?”
“I know only that we will fight these creatures. And we must win.”
Yet try as hard as she could, Vaintè still could not keep the movements of doubt from what she said. All there could see the fear clearly in what she said.
Herilak held up his arm when he heard the shrill scream from the forest ahead. The hunters stopped as well — then looked around in fear as the scream echoed again: a heavy thudding shook the ground beneath their feet.
“Do you know what that is?” Herilak asked.
“I think that I do,” Kerrick said. “Go forward slowly now because the first fields should be just ahead.”
The trees were close together here and the game trail that they were following wound between them. Herilak led the way with Kerrick close behind him. The thudding sounded again and more screams — then Kerrick called out.
“Stop here! See those vines ahead, across the trail? They stick to the skin and can’t be pulled off. I was caught by them once. Warn the others. We are at the outermost fringes of the city now.”
They went forward cautiously, though any sounds they might have made would surely have been drowned out by the tumult in the meadow ahead. At the forest edge they stopped and looked with awe at the open field beyond.
Two immense creatures, each larger than the largest mastodon, were circling each other in the high grass, while a third looked on. Their wrinkled hide was yellowish-brown, their wide heads were heavily armored, while blood-red, bony plates covered their backs. One of them lunged at the other, snapping a horny, toothless beak, screaming loudly. The other turned sideways, swinging its tail around so that the great bony club at its tip lashed out. It hit the earth with a ground-shaking thud as the first creature moved aside to avoid it.
“Ruutsa,” Kerrick said. “They do that when they are fighting over a mate. That’s the female, there, eating grass. I know this field — I know where we are!”
He stamped a flat spot into black soil, then bent and scratched lines on it with the tip of his stone knife.
“Herilak, look — this is what the city is like. They have a model there that I have studied so long that I know it by heart, even now. This is what it looks like. The sea is here, these are the beaches, then the wall. Here is the ambesed, a big empty space where they all meet.”
Herilak watched intently as Kerrick sketched the city, then the fields about it.
“The fields surround the city in circles, wider and wider, and the ruutsa are right here.”
Herilak looked closely at the scratched lines, tugging at his beard in thought. “Are you sure that is where we are? It has been a long time since you left this place, they might have changed the fields, moved the beasts around.”
“Never, not the Yilanè. What is, is, and never changes. Little things may be different from day to day, but once a thing is set it is that way forever.”
“Then I believe you, since you are the only one who knows the murgu so well…”
A cry of pain cut him off and they turned to see one of the Sasku hunters rear up, then fall heavily to the ground. They ran to his aid and Herilak reached to tear the thorn-tipped vine from his arm: Kerrick stopped him.
“Don’t touch that — or you are dead too. It is too late to help him. The poison is in his body.”
The Sasku’s back arched with pain and there was foam on his lips, pink with blood where he had bitten his tongue.
He was paralyzed and unconscious — but it took him a long time to die.
“Unless you want this kind of death, don’t let anything touch you until we are well inside the fields,” Kerrick said. “Watch where you walk, don’t brush against any kind of plant. Some of the vines will stick to you, or as you have just seen — others will kill.”
“Is all of the city like this?” Herilak asked.
“No, just the outer edge. To keep marauding animals — and Tanu — away. Once we get past this barrier the only danger will be from armed guards. They are protected and hidden behind walls and may be hard to see.”
“But they must sleep at night,” Herilak said.
“They must, but there may be night alarms here now. We will find their positions and stay well clear of them.”
“What is the plan then?”
Kerrick went back to the diagram on the ground and pointed to the outer circle. “We must get past these fields. Most of these creatures, grass-eating ones like the ruutsa in this field, won’t attack unless they are disturbed.”
He lifted his head and sniffed the air. “The wind is from the west, so we must circle around to this spot, to have the wind behind our backs. Once past the fields the trees of the city begin. They are close together there. Once the fire starts and spreads there will be nothing to stop it.”
“Is there any dry wood to be found there?” Herilak asked.
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Then we will search for it now, take it with us.”
“Wait until we have reached the fields to the west of the city. The wood can be collected the
n, everything made ready. We want to get through the outer barrier around sunset. All of the Yilanè, other than the guards in their outposts, will have returned to the city by then so we will not be seen. We will avoid the guards and reach the place where the trees begin by dark. Then we will start our fires.”
All three ruutsa were grazing quietly when they left, their battle forgotten!
It was late afternoon before they had worked their way around the outermost fields. None of the game trails seemed to go in the right direction, so they had to force their way through the groves of trees and thick, tangled undergrowth.
When they carne to a sluggish stream Kerrick called a halt, then passed the word for them to gather together. The water ran clear towards the center of the stream so they waded out there to drink. When they had drunk their fill Kerrick told them what was to be done, stopping often to translate his orders to the Sasku. They all listened with grim attention for this was journey’s end. Victory or certain death.
They listened intently, not noticing while he was talking that the sky was clouding over. Kerrick broke off as a few drops of rain struck his skin.
Herilak looked up at the sky and scowled. “If it rains then we cannot attack — for the city will not burn.”
“It is still the dry season,” Kerrick said, with more assurance than he felt. “This won’t last.” He did not dare consider what they would do if it did rain.
They spread out to find dry wood, glancing apprehensively at the sky as they went. It stayed dark and the wind increased; thunder rumbled on the horizon.
“We cannot wait until evening,” Herilak said. “We must start the fires before it rains.”
“There will be murgu about, we may be seen.”
“A risk we will have to take. Help me prepare a way through the thorn barrier while the others find wood.”
They tore thick branches from the trees and pressed them down over the tangled and poisonous vines. In the open field beyond great duck-billed creatures looked at them with widened eyes, before they bounded away. Herilak trampled down the branches and crossed first, waving the others after him as they came back with the dry wood.
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