Himgar sighed. «I wish by all that I believe that this were true. But Rilgon's army will not fall on a united city.»
Blade's eyebrows went up. So there was something to Rilgon's talk about a fatal weakness among the city's women. «Explain, please.»
As quickly as possible, Himgar did so. There was a struggle going on in the city to choose the new Mistress of Fertility, who had charge of the House of Fertility and everything in it. Obviously, it was a vitally important post, and the two factions struggling for it spent all their time watching each other and none watching the forest that bordered the male-ruled lands. Even the routine patrols of the farmlands around the city had been abandoned. A few hunting parties still went out, but that was all. Even within the city itself, the fighting women of one faction would not submit to the orders of commanders from the other.
«So Rilgon's army will march across the lands of the city and up to its walls with small danger of being seen. It will fall on a city unwarned, unprepared, and divided almost beyond defending itself. And the city will fall, and much of our hope for Brega with it.»
«How is that?» said Blade. «I did not think you had so much love for the women of the city and their ways. I certainly do not.»
«I know,» said Himgar wearily. «But I ask you to believe me. Even in the Purple River lands, we have almost none of the knowledge from before the disaster. And Rilgon's people have even less.
«But in Brega they have much of it, at least in medicine and other arts of that kind. We have some hundreds of sympathizers in the city, who have been passing that knowledge on to us bit by bit. It has been slow, but we have been making things better for ourselves here by the Purple River. All of those who have worked for us, risked their lives for us, will die if the city falls.
«And even if there were no such women in the city, we still would not want it to fall. For the knowledge of old arts is still there as long as the city stands. If the city dies, so does the knowledge. And it will stay dead for the Spirit knows how many thousands of years, until time brings it back to our descendants, or men and women alike perish and leave the land to the animals and the insects.»
Himgar's voice had risen to a passionate crescendo as he made his prophecies. Blade could not doubt the man's sincerity. But Himgar didn't seem to have any specific plan to prevent the disaster. Blade did not think much of causes without plans.
«What are you planning to do?» he asked bluntly.
Himgar was ready with an answer. «We are going to lead the people of the Purple River lands down to the city. The women who have worked for us there will come out to join us. Then we shall all march north, over the mountains where they come down to the ocean. We have sent explorers into the lands there, and they are good lands. We and the women will go there and a new people will take root and grow.»
«I see.» Blade was telling the truth when he said that. He was not sure that he believed in Himgar's dreams, though. At best, it was a desperate solution-but perhaps Himgar saw the problem as desperate too. It was not really his place to judge. Certainly working for Himgar would be better than serving Rilgon. Meanwhile-
«What exactly do you want me to do?»
«We must send a small party of scouts to the city, to warn the women to be ready to march out and join us. That party will be better off if they can fight without arms as well as with them. Nugun said that you are marvelously skilled in fighting only with your hands and feet. Can you teach the other scouts to do the same?»
Blade hesitated. He was not going to promise miracles, even to keep Himgar happy. But he probably wouldn't need to perform any. If unarmed combat was a comparatively unknown skill in Brega, even a few weeks' training should be of great benefit to the scouts. It would certainly be enough to give any of the women of the city a nasty surprise.
«How much time will I have?» Blade asked.
«Not more than one moon-span. By the time the next moon-span is half gone, the scouts must be on the march for the city.»
Blade considered this. About a month to train the scouts. About six weeks before they marched out.
«I shall give you my best,» he said.
Himgar could not keep back a sigh of relief.
Chapter 11
Two days' hard marching, and the raiders with Blade and Melyna reached the Purple River settlements. Melyna kept on her feet with the rest during those two days; her white, sweating face told of the courage it cost her. Once more Blade had to acknowledge the courage and determination of the women of the city. Disunited they might be, but Rilgon was going to have a fight on his hands that might well bleed his own people white. Blade hoped so.
On the morning of the third day they reached the main settlement. Looking down into the river through the tall ferns along its bank, Blade could see how it had gotten its name, for as far as the eye could see, the river bottom was a mass of dark purple gravel, tinting the clear water running over it.
Blade's contemplation of the river was broken by a sudden, explosive roar that could not have come from any normal human throat. He spun around, snatching his sword clear. Then he dropped the sword and held up his arms as he saw Nugun come dashing out of a hut toward him.
The Senar's right shoulder was heavily bandaged. But his rush nearly sent Blade flying back into the river, and his embrace nearly cracked Blade's ribs. He jumped up and down several times before he could finally speak.
«Blade here, Blade here, Blade here,» he kept saying. The Senar was nearly incoherent with happiness. Blade himself could not help grinning broadly. He gave the hairy man a clap on the shoulder that would have flattened a normal human.
«Thank you, Nugun,» said Blade, when the Senar had calmed down. «I owe you a lot for that trip. And Melyna owes you her life.»
Nugun's eyes took in the girl, and his face fell. «Nugun sorry Blade not have Wyala now. Nugun sorry not save Blade's woman.»
Blade shrugged. «Yes, it is sad. But she was dead before you could have done anything to save her. Do not feel badly about it. You will have plenty of chances to avenge her.»
«Yes.» Nugun's head bobbed enthusiastically. «Nugun kill many Hairless Ones, bad Senar, send them after Wyala.» He took another look at Melyna. «Blade have new woman now?»
Blade also looked at the girl. Melyna was looking about her curiously, although she was obviously almost ready to pass out on her feet from exhaustion. But the sight of civilized men and civilized women living and working together was too strange for her.
Blade shook his head. «She is not my woman, at least not now. And I do not think right now she even wants a man. She was a prisoner of the bad Senar for two years.»
Blade was wrong about Melyna, as he discovered later that night. Himgar led him to a hut in the heart of the settlement and told him to relax and wait.
«For what?» said Blade. He looked dubiously around him at the hut. It was cleaner than the one where he had been a prisoner. It also had a bed, table, chairs, a small charcoal brazier, and other luxuries. But Blade wondered if he hadn't exchanged one captivity for another.
The War Councilor looked genuinely horrorstricken when Blade mentioned the possibility and shook his head sharply. «No, no, not at all, Blade. It is just that-well, I am only one of several Councilors to our people. And they must all agree to my plan for you before you can go to work. Until that time you would be wise to stay here, within this hut. Our people have small love for strangers. Were you to wander about at night, the Spirit alone knows what might happen to you. And believe me, I do indeed want your aid in the saving of our people.»