«I am honored,» said Blade. He was also feeling much less ready for another full-scale fight than he'd implied, but he could hardly drop out now. Swebon seemed ready to fight all day, although he looked as if he'd been wrestling a bear, with cuts and gouges in a dozen places.
The chief led the way toward the village, and a score of warriors fell into line behind them. They found the village firmly in the hands of the men from the canoes, except for the chief's house. This was on a single large triangular platform, supported by a tree at each corner. Tuk, Guno, and several more warriors were standing at the foot of the stairs up to the platform. All around them captured women and children were being tied up and dead and wounded Yal warriors laid out.
The two chiefs led the way up the stairs, shields and spears ready, with Blade following Swebon and Guno following Tuk. Guno was covered with blood, none of it apparently his, and glowered at Blade as they climbed.
There were four rooms in the chiefs house, separated by light walls of reeds. The floor was covered with rush mats, some of them torn up. Bowls, gourds, and bedding were scattered all over. The two chiefs probed each piece of bedding with their spears.
«Sometimes the Yal will leave snakes in such places, to give us evil surprises,» said Swebon. «In my father's time, none of the People did such things, but ways change.»
Yes, thought Blade. Ways change. They change, and war becomes more bloody at a time when the People need their strength against the Sons of Hapanu.
Guno laughed harshly. «Swebon, is this Englishman a child, that you must explain such things to him?»
Blade saw the chief stiffen, but his voice was light as he spoke. «Ask the Yal who fought him today. If they call him a child I will eat my own shield for dinner tonight.»
Blade smiled. «I think Swebon will eat meat tonight, Guno. Among the English, snakes have not been used in war for many years, so I did not know what Swebon told me. Among the English it is not the sign of a child to be told things-only to think or say that one knows everything.»
With their picked warriors the two chiefs searched the captured house. They found no snakes, but a fair amount of valuable loot-carved bowls, ornaments of iron and bone, a decorated shield and several spears. Swebon gave one of the spears to Blade, who found it much better-balanced than any other he'd handled in this Dimension. It was a bit light, but it would certainly throw easily and accurately.
They searched the whole house without finding a living soul. They returned to the first room, and were piling the loot by the door when suddenly Blade heard a faint sneeze. He stiffened and looked around, then saw Swebon doing the same.
«Who sneezed?» the chief said. Everyone looked blankly at him, then at their friends, then up at the ceiling and down at the floor.
«Ghosts,» someone muttered, and Blade saw some of the curious looks change to fearful ones. He shook his head.
«Living men, I think,» he said. «Perhaps we should pull up the matting?»
Swebon nodded. Several warriors dropped their weapons and started tearing at the mats. Blade and the chiefs held onto their spears and kept watch.
The mats came up swiftly. Guno seemed to delight in showing off his immense strength, not only pulling the mats up but ripping them to pieces. At least he gripped a section that seemed to bulge slightly in the middle. He gave a tremendous heave and the mat tore free so suddenly that Guno sat down with a thump. Where the mat had been was a neat wooden box between the beams of the floor. In it were two cloaked human figures.
Before anyone could stop him, Tuk stepped forward and prodded one of the figures with the point of his spear. There was a sudden animal screech of rage that froze everyone, and the figure suddenly exploded into a young woman with a knife in one hand. She grabbed the shaft of Tuk's spear and heaved. Caught by surprise, the chief was jerked forward, tripped over the edge of a pulled-up mat, and landed flat on top of Guno.
The young woman leaped out of the box, looking ready to fight the whole roomful of warriors. Someone raised a spear. Before he could throw, Blade stepped forward. He dropped his own weapons and closed in bare-handed. The woman struck at him with her knife but he sidestepped the thrust and chopped her across the side of the neck. She went down, but struck again as Blade reached for her. He gripped her knife hand in both of his and twisted until the knife dropped to the floor.
He knelt beside her, holding her down, while Tuk and Guno got to their feet and came over to look at the captive. She glared up at them, and Blade saw that she was not only young but quite lovely, slimmer than the usual full-figured woman of the Forest People. She didn't say anything, but she didn't need to. The look in her eyes said enough.
«For what she has done to a chief, she should be turned over to the men,» said Guno. The woman's expression didn't change, but Blade saw her shudder. «Then she should be-«
«She is Blade's captive,» said Swebon. «It is he who must say what is to be done with her.»
«Thank you, Swebon,» said Blade. He pulled the woman to her feet and held her hands firmly. «In England, a woman who thrusts herself into matters of war is not raped or slain. We think she is no more than a child, and punish her as a child.» He released the woman's right hand and started to turn her around.
She promptly bit him on the wrist. Guno laughed and started forward. «Are English warriors also children, that they cannot do with a woman as a man does? Here, Blade, let me help you, since-«
Blade was just about to release the woman in order to have both hands free for fighting Guno, when Tuk swung his club. It caught Guno squarely in the groin. He gasped, bit off a scream, and started to raise his spear. Then he saw four other spears already raised and pointed at his chest. He gave everyone a look as ferocious as the girl's, then hobbled off to a corner and sat down with a groan.
Blade used this moment of confusion to pull the girl close enough to whisper in her ear, «If you bite me again I'll have to knock you out. You're in no real danger as long as you don't make it impossible for me to protect you.» The woman's eyes widened and for a moment Blade thought she was going to spit in his face. Then she nodded, so slightly that Blade was the only one who saw it.
Blade jerked the cloak over her head and threw it aside. Then he sat down, pulling the naked woman across his lap on her stomach. He took a firm grip with his left hand, and with his right began spanking her bare bottom as hard as he could.
She didn't scream, but even if she had Blade might not have heard her. Everyone else in the room except Guno was laughing too hard.
Chapter 9
Blade went on spanking the woman until his arm was tired and her buttocks were dark and swollen. He didn't like hurting her even this much, but he couldn't afford to be so easy on her that anyone would get suspicious-particularly Guno.
Toward the end the woman was quivering all over and trying to hold back her tears. When Blade released her and stood up, she rolled limp onto the floor for a moment, wincing as her battered rear end rubbed against the mats. Then she crawled over to Blade on hands and knees, kissed his feet, and burst into loud sobs.
Blade wondered if he'd hurt or humiliated her worse than he'd intended. Kneeling at his feet was about the last place he liked to see a woman, particularly if she was young, lovely, and naked. He started to bend down to her, she raised her head, and for a second time their eyes met. No one else in the room saw the look that passed between them, but it told Blade all he needed to know. She'd understood the game they both needed to play and her part in it. In spite of everything that had happened to her or might still happen, she was keeping her head. Blade found himself looking forward to getting to know her better.