However, his wits were not tired. Even if they had been, he would still have spoken out. To do otherwise would be to betray the warriors of the Rutari. There had been enough betrayal already, without his adding more.
«Is it still your command that we ride at once into the south, to seek the Idol?»
Ellspa sat up. Although she still looked splendid, she was clearly angry.
«Did you think that bedding me would make me change my mind? I did not worship a man's weapon even when I was an unbroached girl. Now I am the Wise One of the Rutari. «
«Between us you are. The lawful rites have not taken place. And who knows what other rites may be needed, with the Wise One dying as she did?»
«And how long will all of these rites take?»
«I am not-«
«Teindo, you are not an adept in the kerush-magor. Therefore how can you know anything of these matters?»
«Perhaps I cannot. But you cannot be the Wise One simply by saying so.»
«Then let the war against the Uchendi begin without our having a Wise One. I shall go and do what I can, and we will think of rites when the Idol is returned.»
Teindo closed his eyes. The idea appalled him. Ellspa slapped him across the cheek, lightly, to get his attention, but in a way that told him clearly she was in a rage and not to be trifled with.
«Teindo, what purpose would there be in war, if the lawless have time to hide the Idol or even destroy it?»
«We do not know what new war-magic the Englishman Blade may have taught them. The Idol will not save our warriors if they cannot face his magic.»
«You think a warrior of the English has greater power than the Idol?»
«The Idol allowed him to take it back to the Uchendi, Ellspa. That is not a message I would ignore.»
«It proves nothing. Also, consider that Blade will need time to work his magic. If we ride now, we may come upon the Uchendi before they are ready for battle. If we wait as you wish, the Uchendi may make themselves too strong even for you and your warriors.»
The attempted flattery did not impress Teindo. «Perhaps. And perhaps not. To charge like a bull shpuga in the mating season, that is not worthy of the warriors of the Rutari. «
«You fear the lawless ones, it seems to me. Has your courage deserted you? Is the only weapon you can still use the one between your-«
He slapped her. Hard, much harder than she'd slapped him. She rocked on her haunches but did not fall over or make any effort to stop him with her mind, although she could probably have done so. She merely glared at him and spoke with anger crackling in her voice.
«Go on. Strike me, beat me, kill me. And then the Rutari will learn of what you did and kill you. There will be no one to lead them, the Uchendi will learn of this, and no English magic will be needed to destroy us. Follow your anger where it leads you, Teindo. Follow it and destroy your people.»
For those words Teindo wanted to strangle Ellspa slowly. He also knew that she was telling the truth. He was certain that she wanted an immediate war against the Uchendi because she felt betrayed by Blade, not because she'd thought out the wisdom of the matter. He was certain that his own fears of a trap were justified.
He was also certain that he and Ellspa had to agree in the sight of the tribe. The Rutari were in too much danger to permit quarrels among their leaders. Perhaps she would think again if there was bad luck in the war.
And perhaps the River of Life will flow straight up into the sky and water the Gardens of the Moon.
He sighed. «Ellspa, it will be as you wish. I ask only one thing, that we take only riders and shpugas. No one on foot. And we take no prisoners. Those Who Went Before must ask for some other offering until we have the Idol safe home again.»
«I do not question any of this,» said Ellspa. «Forgive me, that I doubted your manhood or wisdom.» Her eyes glowed with the anticipation of victory as she came into his arms.
Chapter 25
A Uchendi warrior ran up the hill to where Blade and Eye of Crystal lay side by side behind a rock. He was hardly more than a boy and carried only a spear and a knife. The archers were too valuable to use as messengers. Most of the archers were also older warriors who considered such a task beneath their dignity. Fortunately most of them could shoot well enough to deserve their bows, but Blade couldn't help wondering how many expert archers were being lost by this respect for seniority.
«Winter Owl says that from his place he can see smoke over Red Stones village,» said the messenger. «To him it has the look of the Rutari warriors.»
That seemed likely enough. «Have any of our people come out of the village?»
«Not yet. «
The Rutari burning the village might not be the main body. Until messengers came from the rear guard holding the village, Blade couldn't be sure. Until he was sure, he didn't dare order either Winter Owl with the archers or Friend of Lions with the cavalry into movement.
There were several routes the Rutari could use to advance from Red Stones village. Blade's plan would work only if they used one that let the archers spring an ambush. Otherwise he would have to refuse battle, then keep the Uchendi under control until they could retreat under cover of darkness. Moving five hundred warriors by day would raise a dust cloud a child would recognize.
Also, any further retreat would expose half a dozen more Uchendi villages to the enemy. If they were all evacuated of everyone but the warriors, the Rutari would surely become suspicious. If they weren't evacuated-Blade closed his mind to the thought of what would happen to the women and children. They would have to fight here, if the Rutari gave them half a chance.
«Return to Winter Owl with this message,» said Blade. «Tell him to stay where he is until he hears the strength of the Rutari at Red Stones. By then I will have come to him myself.» The archers were the key to the battle; Blade wanted them under his personal control. At worst, the cavalry could save themselves by retreating fast, which the archers on foot could not do.
Retreats would do no more than buy time, though, and at a gruesome price. The Uchendi needed a victory.
The smoke of the burning village was growing so thick that Teindo wanted to cough and his ezinti was showing signs of distress. He refused to move back as long as his men were plunging even deeper into the smoke to search the huts and houses.
At last they came out. All of them were as black as if they'd been swimming in a tar pit and coughed like old men with rotten lungs. Several were staggering and being helped along by comrades. One was being carried; his arms and legs hung down in a familiar way.
The men carrying the body set it down. «There was an Uchendi in one hut, doomed by a belly wound. So he chose to take one of us with him.»
«Any other warriors?»
«No living ones. Three bodies.»
«Anyone else?»
Several heads were shaken. «No women, no children, and not much that could be carried away. A few baskets of dried fish and green-feet to eat, that was all.»
«Same as the other two villages,» someone added.
«Thank you for telling me what I already know,» Teindo growled to cover his unease. He turned his mount and rode out of the village as the warriors headed for the well to wash off the soot. At least the Uchendi were not blocking the wells!
Ellspa was sitting cross-legged at the edge of the fields on her leather mat with her women around her when Teindo rode up. He dismounted and told her what he and his men had found. She frowned.