Taita rose in the stirrups and looked back. The pursuit was spreading
'¦ THE QUEST
out as the faster horses pulled ahead, the slower ones dropping back.
Onka's plumed helmet was conspicuous in the centre of the leading rank of three Jarrian horsemen. He was pushing hard, closing the gap steadily.
As he urged Windsmoke onwards, Taita looked at the mountains ahead.
He could now see the notch that marked the gap, but it was so distant that they could not hope to reach it before Onka was upon them.
Then something else caught his eye. There was a fine smear of pale dust on the plain ahead. His heartbeat quickened, but he tried to control it.
No time for false hope now. It is almost certainly a herd of gazelle or zebra. But as he thought it he saw under the dustcloud a bright flash of sunlight reflected off metal. 'Armed men!' he muttered. 'But are they Jarrian, or is it Hilto returning with the reinforcements?' Before he could decide, there was a faint shout from behind. He recognized Onka's voice.
“I see you, you traitorous bitch! When I catch you I will rip out your womb. Then I will roast it and force it down your throat.'
'Close your ears to his filth,' Fenn urged Sidudu, but tears ran down Sidudu's face and splattered the front of her tunic.
'I hate him!' she said. 'I hate him with all my soul.'
Behind them, Onka's voice was clearer and closer as he yelled, 'After you have dined, I will have you in the way you most hated. The last thing you will remember will be me inside your bowels. Even in hell you will never forget me.' Sidudu let out a racking sob.
'You must not hearken to him. Close your ears and your mind,' Meren urged.
“I wish I had died before you heard that,' she sobbed.
'It means nothing. I love you. I will not let the swine harm you again.'
At that moment Sidudu's filly stepped with its off fore into a mongoose burrow that was hidden in the long grass. The bone snapped like the breaking of a dry branch and her horse somersaulted. Sidudu was thrown headlong. At once Meren and Fenn wheeled back for her.
'Get ready, Sidudu. I will pick you up,' Fenn called, but Sidudu rolled to her feet and turned to look back at the pursuit. By now Onka was well ahead of the men who followed him. He was leaning forward eagerly, pushing his horse to its top speed, bearing down on Sidudu.
'Prepare to meet your constant lover! he shouted.
Sidudu unslung the bow from her shoulder and reached for an arrow.
Onka laughed with delight. 'I see you have a toy to amuse yourself. I have something better for you to play with before you die!'
He had never seen her shoot. She took her stance and brought up the
423 I i
bow. He was close enough now to see her face clearly. His mocking laughter died as he recognized the deadly anger in her eyes. She drew the fletching back to her lips. He sawed his horse's head round and tried to turn away. Sidudu loosed her arrow. It took him in the ribs and he dropped his sword to try with both hands to pluck it out, but the barbed head was buried deep. His horse pranced in a circle, righting against the curb. Sidudu shot again. He was turned away from her, and the arrow struck low in the centre of his back. It went deep and skewered his kidneys, inflicting a mortal, agonizing wound. He twisted to reach for the arrow. She shot again, hitting him in the chest, cutting through both lungs. He uttered a sound that was half groan and half sigh, then fell backwards as his horse lunged under him. One of Onka's feet caught in the stirrup and his horse broke into a gallop, towing him away, the back of his head bouncing over the earth as the frantic animal kicked back with both hind legs at his corpse.
Sidudu slung her bow over her shoulder and turned to meet Fenn as she galloped up. Fenn reached down, Sidudu jumped up and they linked arms. Fenn used Whirlwind's speed and impetus to swing her up over the hindquarters. Seated, Sidudu wrapped both arms round her friend's waist, and Fenn spun Whirlwind round.
The next three Jarrians were close upon them, howling with anger at the killing of Onka. Meren met them head on. He cut one man down, and the others broke away rather than risk a collision. They circled him, waiting for an opening, but his blade danced in a glittering arc they could not penetrate. By this time Taita and the two Shilluk had taken in his predicament and were coming at full tilt to support him.
'Nobly done!' Taita shouted to Fenn, as they passed each other. 'Now ride for the Gap. We will cover your retreat.'
'I cannot leave you, Taita,' Fenn protested.
'I will be close behind you!' he shouted over his shoulder, then plunged into the fray. He hacked one of the Jarrians from the saddle, and the other found himself heavily outnumbered, the rest of his squadron still far behind. He tried to defend himself, but Nakonto thrust his long spear into his side and Imbali swung her axe into his raised sword arm, severing it above the wrist. He broke away and galloped to meet his comrades, swaying in the saddle.
'Let him go!' Taita ordered. 'Follow Fenn.' With the rest of the Jarrian squadron coming up behind them, they raced away. Taita gazed ahead: the band of strange horsemen was much closer now. They were heading directly towards each other.
424 I
THE QUEST
'If they are Jarrians we will fort the horses and stand to meet them,'
Taita shouted. They would form the animals in a circle, dismounting behind them, and use their bodies as a defensive wall.
Taita watched the newcomers intently. His eyesight was so acute now that he recognized the leading rider even before Meren or Fenn could.
'Hilto!' he cried. 'It is Hilto.'
'By the sweet breath of Isis, you're right!' Meren shouted. 'By the look of it, he has brought half of Tinat's regiment with him.' They slowed to a trot as they waited for Hilto to come up. This confused the pursuing Jarrians, who had thought the interlopers were a detachment of their own forces. They halted uncertainly.
'By the wounded eye of Horus, you are welcome, Hilto, old friend,'
Meren greeted him. 'As you see, we have left a few of the rascals for you to test your blades upon.'
'Your kindness is overwhelming, my colonel.' Hilto laughed. 'We will make the most of it. We do not need your help. Ride on to where Colonel That Ankut awaits you at the Kitangule Gap. It will not be long before we are free to follow you.'
Hilto galloped on with Tinat's men in a tight group behind him.
He gave the order and they extended their line into battle formation. He led them in the charge straight at the milling Jarrians. They crashed into them and sundered their ranks. Then they chased them back in rout across the plain the way they had come, cutting them down as they overhauled the winded horses.
Taita led his own band on towards the blue hills. As they caught up with the two girls on Whirlwind, Meren reined in beside them. 'You shot like a demon,' he told Sidudu.
'Onka brought out the demon in me,' she told him.
'Methinks you have paid off all your debts in gold coinage. Now you and your demon can sleep peacefully at night.'
'Yes, Meren,' she answered demurely. 'But I never wanted to be a warrior - it was forced upon me. Now I would rather be a wife and mother.'
'A most laudable aspiration. I am certain you will find a good man to share it with you.'
'I hope so, Colonel Cambyses.' She looked at him from under lowered eyelashes. 'A short while ago you spoke to me of love .. .'
'Whirlwind is already tiring under the great weight Fenn is forcing him to carry,' Meren said seriously. 'I have room for you behind me. Will you not come across to me?'
'With the greatest pleasure, Colonel.' She held out her arms to him.
He swung her across effortlessly and placed her behind his saddle. She circled his waist with both arms, and laid her head between his shoulder blades. Meren could feel her trembling against him, and occasionally her body heaved with a sob before she could choke it back. His heart ached. He wanted to protect and look after her for as long as they should live. He rode on after Taita and Fenn, with Nakonto and Imbali bringing up the rear.