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 thought 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.

Both were also armed to the teeth-two knives and a spear apiece. Blade carried his plastic bow and a quiver of carefully picked arrows, half poisoned and half plain. Crystal carried the Idol.

Much to Blade's surprise, both the UZI and its ammunition were still useable. He'd fired off half a magazine, then let Crystal dry-fire it.

Blade didn't expect Crystal to find the UZI a very useable weapon. He had her carry it mostly because he hoped that fear of having the Idol recaptured would make her stay clear of the fighting. He wasn't terribly optimistic-Crystal was too fond of a good fight-but it was his only hope.