Feathers for the arrows were a problem. The Uchendi had several different kinds of domestic fowl, and Blade tried them all. He collected so many different feathers that the Guardian himself wondered why.
«Before the war with the Rutari comes, I must make a war bonnet of feathers in the English style,» Blade said. «I must test each kind of feather with my magic, where it will not disturb the village. The Rutari would not let me do that. This is one reason why I left them.»
«None of the Uchendi will speak against the ways of the English without answering to me,» said the Guardian.
«I thank you,» said Blade. He would have been even more grateful if the Guardian had promised to make the warriors speak for English ways. But the Guardian ruled the Uchendi only in matters of telepathy and religion, not war.
Eventually Blade discovered that the best feathers came from something called a greenfoot, about the size of a chicken and the shape of a goose, with a nasty temper but a delicious flavor when roasted. Blade fletched two dozen reed arrows with greenfoot feathers and made all the rest into the promised war bonnet. Then he took everything out to his chosen archery range in a little fold of hills south of the village.
He was a good archer, but he wanted to be even better before he demonstrated archery to the Uchendi. He had to show them not only that it existed, but that it would work.
Four days before the Great Game of nor, Blade reached his archery range. It was midmorning and he'd left the village before dawn, with his stomach empty except for a drink of water. The first thing he did was eat a handful of nuts and a slab of dried meat. Then he settled down to practice.
By noon he'd used all his arrows several times, broken four of them, and brought down two birds on the wing. He was particularly proud of that. The birds were no larger than quail, and he'd picked them off at fifty yards. The reed arrows were better than he'd expected, and if he could find a poison for them they might do a job even against the shpugas.
He decided to make up for missing breakfast by roasting the birds for lunch. He was squatting in the shadow of a boulder, plucking the birds, when he heard the faint scraping of feet on stone above him.
Blade jumped up and away from the boulder in a single motion, then snatched up his spear and drew his knife in a second one. Soft laughter answered him, and Eye of Crystal's head appeared over the top of the boulder. She was grinning complacently.
«How did you get here?»
«I followed your trail. A child could have done that.»
«A child can follow anyone who does not think he is being followed.» It was true that Blade hadn't bothered to hide his tracks. He hadn't thought he would need to, either. «Very well. I have not been wise. That does not tell me why you are here.»
«I wanted to see what you were doing, so that I might tell my father if it was dangerous to the Uchendi.»
«You took a big chance. Suppose it was so dangerous that I decided to kill you to keep you from talking about it?»
«I did not let you hear me until I knew it was not dangerous. I knew you would not kill me unless you thought I would put you in danger.»
Blade couldn't deny that. In fact, he wasn't sure he'd rather not leave the Uchendi than speak a word against Eye of Crystal. He wasn't exactly in love with her, but he'd bend over backward not to hurt her.
«So what do you think of what I am doing, now that you have decided it is no danger to the Uchendi?»
«I think it might be a danger to the shpugas of the Rutari. Is that what you want it to be?» she asked with a sly smile.
Blade's well-trained sixth sense for other people's tricks told him there was something more behind Eye of Crystal's grin. Probably not dangerous, but something he needed to know. «Yes. You see clearly. But it is not ready to be taken to war against the shpugas, or anything more dangerous than those birds you saw me kill.»
«I know. It cannot be taken to war at all, unless my mother's brother, Winter Owl, allows it. He has the last word in such matters of war.»
Here it comes, thought Blade. «Why do you tell me what I already know? Do you think I have lost my wits?»
«No.» She laughed. «At least I do not think that playing against Winter Owl's team in the Great Game of nor is a sign of madness. But if he also learns that you are making weapons-magic without telling him-Blade, what did you say?»
What Blade had muttered under his breath was, «There must be something in the water of this Dimension!» First Cheeky, now Eye of Crystal, playing at blackmail. «I do not wish him to know this, indeed. Do you wish to tell him?»
«That depends.»
«On what?»
«On whether or not you take me with you when you go against the Rutari. «
«Into the war? You little-«He counted to ten, then said, «You are not a warrior. You would need much protection. Also, either River Over Stones or-«
Eye of Crystal spat and nearly hit Blade. She giggled at the expression on his face. «I am sorry, Blade. But that is what I think of River Over Stones. He will not lift a finger, let alone a spear, to take me one step outside the village. And Winter Owl-he will have too much else to do, leading the warriors.»
«But-what makes you think I will not have just as much to do?»
«When Winter Owl speaks for all warriors to learn the new weapons-magic, you will teach them. When the warriors march, your work will be done. I will not take one moment of the days while you teach. The nights, perhaps, but not the days.
«When we march, though, you will be as one warrior among many. It will not be hard for you to let me see the battle. Not as hard as it will be to have Winter Owl speak for your new weapon, if I talk to him now.»
Blade gritted his teeth. How to convince this girl that she was putting her people in danger, just because she wanted to see a battle? If she told Winter Owl about his «weapons-magic» maybe Winter Owl would see reason, but he was even more likely to see Blade's superior knowledge of warfare as a flat-out challenge to his authority. That authority was something he valued; he'd won it by years of fighting and hunting and the pain of a dozen wounds. He would not take lightly any challenge to it by an English wizard-warrior.
Eye of Crystal sat down on top of the boulder, cross-legged, with her hands in her lap. She wore only her loinguard and in that position looked stark naked. There was a fine sheen of perspiration on the upper slopes of her breasts ….
Blade tore his eyes away from her and shrugged. «I will not defy your father, mother, or mother's brother if they do not allow me to take you into the battle. If I did that, I would probably die. Is that not so?» She nodded reluctantly. «Then I would not be able to protect you. Otherwise, I swear to do my best to see that you march with me against the Rutari. Is that enough?» He did not add the thought, It had bloody well better be!
«Oh, yes,» said Crystal. «I know you are only a man, as good a one as you are. I will not ask for more than a man can give.»
«At least you haven't since the night before last,» said Blade with a grin.
«Have you missed it?» she said with a laugh. Then before he could answer she leaped down from the top of the boulder, as lightly as a gazelle. In landing she managed to fall against him and throw her arms around him, while nuzzling his throat with her lips and pressing her breasts against his chest.
He lifted her and carried her off in search of soft ground. They didn't go fast, because he was kissing her breasts, and she had her hand under Blade's loinguard as they moved. By the time they got to a grassy stretch of the bank of the stream it didn't really matter whether they were in telepathic contact or not. They were both so eager that they pulled each other down and were locked together in moments, laughing and giggling, then sighing, groaning, and finally crying out in release. Crystal's happy scream was so loud that birds flew up in panic from around the bend of the stream.