Blade shook his head. «One of us has to stay behind and train the warriors in archery. Plus, you could not speak as well as I to the Cheeky, who knows where the Idol is to be found. That means it must be I who goes north. Also, if the warriors are properly trained, the Uchendi will have their victory whether or not I come back. We must think of that as well.»
Nobody was foolish enough to ignore that idea. Winter Owl had to agree with Blade, and started talking of what Blade and Eye of Crystal would need on their trip.
Afterward, Crystal pulled Blade aside into a doorway and kissed him with surprising warmth. «You have done more for me than I could tell you with Winter Owl listening,» she whispered. «One who becomes the Guardian must pass a Warrior's Test. That is why no woman has ever been a Guardian.»
After a moment Blade realized what she meant. «Then-our trip north will be your Test?»
«It can be, if you will bear witness that I have done as a warrior should.»
She was obviously dead serious. Blade put an arm around her and said, «I will.»
«Bless you.»
Blade wasn't sure it deserved a blessing. Did Crystal know what she might be getting into, going against so many customs and taboos? Probably not. On the other hand, it was her life and her people. If she wanted to succeed her father and become the first female Guardian, why not help her?
Chapter 22
(«Is that it?») Blade asked, pointing to the mouth of the cave.
Perched on Blade's shoulder, Cheeky said «Yes» by tugging twice on Blade's right ear.
So their journey to the Idol was over. Now all that remained was to get down the rocky slope below them into the mist-hung valley, enter the cave, find the Idol, and get themselves and it safely out of reach of the Rutari.
If you were a comic-book superhero, easy enough. But if you were a comic-book superhero, you didn't have to spend ten days of foot-bruising, muscle-wrenching hiking just getting this far. Your stomach didn't rumble when you hadn't found any game for two days, and you didn't pick up more bruises ducking for cover to avoid Rutari patrols-or rolling on the ground with an enthusiastic young lady.
As Blade watched, the mist thinned for a moment. He could see farther back into the cave. He could also see two men sitting by a small fire in the lee of boulders just beyond the cave mouth. Both wore loinguards and had their spears propped against a boulder. They didn't look alert, but their presence was still a problem.
(«Were there men with spears here when you came with Ellspa and the Wise One?»)
After a moment's hesitation, Cheeky tugged Blade's ear once for «No.»
So Ellspa or at least a message from her had reached home. Now the Rutari knew things weren't going quite the way the Wise One had planned. Or perhaps Ellspa herself was visiting the Idol?
(«Can you hear any of the thoughts of the Mistress Ellspa?»)
Cheeky was silent for so long that before he replied the mist blotted out the mouth of the cave and the sentries. Then he gave the «No» tug.
That didn't prove that Ellspa wasn't present; she might be asleep or making love. At least she didn't seem to be in kerush-magor or some other state of telepathic sensitivity where she might pick up Blade's thoughts no matter how he tried to conceal them.
Telepathy, Blade realized now, had a good deal in common with radio. For example, when you broadcast, you had to be sure you had some chance of telling if the enemy was alert and likely to intercept you. For Blade, it made it easier to understand telepathy to be able to compare it to something he already knew.
So on the way north, Blade and Crystal had been able to work out security precautions, and Cheeky was cooperating nicely. The two humans would use no telepathy at all to each other. They would use it as seldom as possible to Cheeky. When they did use it, he would answer whenever possible with ear-tugs for «Yes» or «No.» Blade hoped this would produce the telepathic equivalent of radio silence. He would have been more careful with the Wise One and Moyla still alive, and not used any telepathic communications. Against Rutari, dependent as far as he knew either on Ellspa or kerush-magor, the limited telepathy should be safe.
Blade mentally crossed his fingers and looked down at the sentry post again. He could see one man coming out of the cave with an armload of firewood. This lack of alertness was encouraging. It was hard to believe that Ellspa or any warrior who knew his business would allow it.
«I don't think Ellspa is here, or any other strong leader,» he said to Crystal. «Do you know why?» He was testing her knowledge of war.
She gave him the same reasons he'd already considered, then added, «There may be more back in the cave. But if we move fast, we will be able to kill the two outside before the others can help them. Then we can wait for them to come out and be killed.»
«Perhaps,» said Blade. «It would be better if we killed the two outside so fast that they give no warning. Others inside might hide the Idol, or even take it out another way, Are you sure there is only one mouth to this cave?»
Crystal looked annoyed with herself, then shook her head. Blade patted her shoulder. «Never mind. You thought like a warrior, and I will swear this before all the Uchendi. Some things that you must know, you will learn only with experience. Winter Owl did not know everything either when he was your age. «
There was still one problem. Blade wouldn't have a good shot with his bow unless the sentries could be lured out into the open. With better arrows or the crossbow, he would have risked picking them off in their shelter of boulders, but with the weapons he had it was necessary to make other plans.
He explained those plans to Crystal while he strung the bow and checked the feathers on his arrows for damage from the wet weather. He had a dozen of the best wooden arrows the Uchendi could make; that should be enough against two surprised men who would never have heard of archery.
Crystal listened wide eyed, trying to stifle giggles. Then she crept behind the nearest boulder and stripped naked. She went on giggling as she did so, and Blade hoped she didn't think this whole thing was a game. There wasn't much he could do or say if she did, though-not with her whims of steel!
With Cheeky on her back and clinging to her hair, Crystal crept off down the slope on hands and knees. Blade did the same, moving off at a sharp angle. By the time he reached the floor of the valley, Crystal was already in place. She sent him a brief mental picture of what she could see from where she was, and Blade had to admit she'd chosen the place well.
(«Good thinking. But don't go into your act until I tell you.»)
Blade lay still for another minute, to make sure the telepathic communication hadn't alerted the sentries. Then he crept forward to the boulder he'd picked. It was big enough to hide him while he stood and drew his bow, and around it was clear ground to give him good footing while he shot. Blade picked his best arrow, nocked it to the bow, and sent his message to Crystal.
(«Now!»)
Fifty yards up the slope from the mouth of the cave, a dark-haired figure rose into sight. The sentries looked up and saw a naked woman standing there watching them. Perched on her shoulder was an animal. They looked again, and Blade could almost read their thoughts without telepathy, from the looks on their faces. Then:
«Wise One! You didn't die!» one of them shouted. «Blessings for that!»
«No blessings for lazy swine like you!» shouted Crystal, pitching her voice as low as possible. The two guards looked at each other. «Is this her or-?» one of them said, afraid to follow his own thoughts to their conclusion.