Galewing looked up sad, fearful. Then we've not only destroyed their tribe but we also damned the souls of all their men to live as raveners.'
Krow looked ill. Ravan was gazing uneasily over the battlefield, but then burned doubt away with anger. 'It's what they deserve. Rather them than us.'
Binding up Carnelian's wounds, Fern made no attempt to hide his contempt for his brother. Unabashed, Ravan strode to his aquar and when he was mounted, said, 'Let's go and save their women and children.'
Riding over a ridge, they saw an encampment spread on the plain.
'So many,' someone exclaimed.
'Even without their men they would still outnumber the Tribe,' said Fern.
'How can we hope to feed them all?' said Galewing.
'If you set them to work in the ditches you will be free to hunt more,' said Osidian. 'In time you can use their labour to extend the Koppie.'
As they rode closer, Carnelian saw the Bluedancing had formed their drag-cradles into a barricade behind which they stood waiting. Osidian brought the warband to a halt when the women's faces could clearly be seen peering out from under their head-blankets.
A shrill voice cried out a challenge.
'What?' Carnelian asked Fern.
'I'm not sure,' his friend replied. 'Something about their men. By the tone of her voice, a warning.'
They don't know what's happened.'
Fern looked morose. 'I think it more likely they're clinging to the hope we've got here by somehow eluding their men.'
'I wouldn't like to be the one who has to tell them,' said Krow. His statement was greeted by a murmur of agreement.
The Elders talked quickly among themselves. Kyte called over to Crowrane, who sat hunched in his saddle-chair, but the old man showed no sign of having heard. He had been like that since the battle and the death of his son.
Galewing forced a decision. 'We'll go down and talk to them.'
Osidian interrupted Ravan as he began to translate. 'I understood.'
They watched the Elders and the men who had lost children to the Bluedancing ride down towards the barricade. What if the women became violent? Carnelian did not doubt Osidian would be prepared to attack them.
The Elders were dismounting. They addressed the women over the meshed drag-cradles. Kyte made a speech. His head dropped before he was finished. A wave of consternation moved round the circle of the defenders. They began detaching themselves from their defensive ring and running to where Kyte was speaking. His posture betrayed his shame, as he turned to point up the slope. Wailing wafted on the wind. The Elders fell into a long discussion with them.
'Father above, what can they be finding to talk about?' said Ravan.
Osidian made him fall silent with a look. 'Everything depends on how much they love their children.'
Carnelian's heart was down there with the Bluedancing women. He watched the Elders remount and ride back.
They'll agree to come with us for the sake of their children,' Galewing cried out while he was still some distance away. 'But they demand that they be allowed to collect the bodies of their men for proper burial.'
Osidian waited until the Elders had reached him before he spoke. 'We can't allow this.'
'Why not?' Kyte asked.
Osidian raised an eyebrow. 'If you insist, I shall point out the obvious. Firstly, it would delay our return to the Tribe. They'll already be worrying about us and, besides, the longer we remain out here the greater the danger to us all from raveners. Secondly, this would mean we have to take those bodies back to the Koppie. Can you imagine the Ochre welcoming so many dead? Not to mention the sheer labour of it. Thirdly and, perhaps, most importantly, how do you think those women down there will feel towards the Ochre when they see all their men dead? You can see how numerous they are. How could we hope to control them in their grief?'
Kyte frowned and glanced back at the barricade in misery. He shook his head. 'Perhaps we should just let them die.'
'If that's your wish,' said Osidian.
The old men returned to the barricade, round-shouldered. When they gave out their decision, the wailing grew so that even at that distance, Carnelian felt harrowed. The children stolen from the Ochre were being given back. The women untangled their drag-cradles and began to load them up.
The Elders returned wan and tearful. 'We should help them.'
Osidian shook his head. 'In their midst we'd only give their grief a focus for revenge.'
So it was the Ochre sat and watched until at last a mass of the Bluedancing came up the slope towards them, a great march of aquar pulling drag-cradles. Looking among them Carnelian could see the dejected faces of the women, their snotty children, but it was to the people leading them that his eyes were drawn: old women, their grey hair jewelled with salt, their eyes brighter still with hatred and a staring disbelief.
Uncertain, the Tribe watched their men approach followed by the mass of the Bluedancing. The returning men and their women gazed at each other over the divide and Carnelian could feel the yearning drawing them together. The pull of it was stronger than their wariness at the crowd of strangers. The riders accelerated into a wild rush and the women came streaming out to meet them. Carnelian found himself left behind with Osidian and the Elders; the dead and wounded. The aquar slowed, then intermingled with the advancing women. Men were slipping down from their saddle-chairs into the continuous turmoiled mass in which everyone was shouting, hugging, kissing. It was through this the women Elders came riding with Harth and Akaisha at their head.
Carnelian smiled at Akaisha but her eyes were fixed on the people and drag-cradles coming up behind them.
The Bluedancing,' announced Galewing.
'All their women. All their children,' said Kyte.
Harth frowned. 'What are they doing here?'
'It'll take some time to explain,' said Galewing.
Ravan's aquar advanced. He grinned. 'We won a great victory and killed all their men.'
'All?' Akaisha gasped, in horror.
'Did anyone tell you, child, that you could speak?' said Harth, severely.
Ravan recoiled as if she had slapped him. He opened his mouth to say something, but a sharp look from his mother made him shut it again. He focused on his knees, struggling to contain his anger.
Harth turned her glare on the Elder men. 'What is this you've allowed to happen?'
The boy spoke out of turn, Harth, but he spoke truth,' said Kyte. 'We snatched victory from a dangerous defeat.'
'You mean the Master did!' erupted Ravan, before he rode off towards the Ochre crowd.
Harth gave Akaisha a glance of approbation and then her eyes fell on the Elder men. 'Did we suffer loss?'
Her face paled as she saw none were prepared to meet her gaze. She noticed Crowrane, head bowed. 'Husband?' She rode to him, spoke again but still he did not respond. She noticed the drag-cradle hanging behind his aquar. She dismounted and, seeming infinitely old, walked round to find her son lying dead in it.
'How many dead?' asked Ginkga, tearful as she watched Harth collapse to her knees beside her son.
Nervously, Kyte gave a full account of their casualties.
Akaisha indicated the Bluedancing. 'And why are they here?'
'We couldn't very well leave them to die,' said Galewing.
'Which they would do without their men,' added Kyte.
Akaisha looked severe. 'We don't need lessons in husbandry from you, though perhaps you could tell us how we're going to manage to feed them all?'
'If you set them to work in the ditches we will be free to hunt more,' said Galewing.