More Than Fire

During their journey so far, Kickaha had not taken the Horn of Shambarimen from its deerskin bag. If the sisters knew that he had it, they would not hesitate to murder him and Anana to get it. However, the time would soon come when he would have to use it.

Once a day, while the others rested, he or Anana climbed to the top of a high tree and sca

If the raven was following them, it was keeping well hidden. And there had been no sign of the bearish creature. His brief encounter with it might have been accidental, though that did not seem probable.

Next day, during the noonday halt, he went out into the woods for a pit call but stayed there to watch. Presently, Eleth left the campsite, seemingly for the same reason he had left it. Instead of selecting a tree behind which to squat, she went deeper into the forest. He followed her at a distance. When he saw her stop in a small clearing, he hid behind a bush.

Eleth stood for a while haloed in a sunbeam shooting through a straight space among the branches overhead. She looked transfigured, as if she were indeed the goddess she thought she was. After a while, the raven waddled out from behind a bush. Kickaha began crawling slowly so that he could get within hearing distance. After a few minutes of very cautious progress in a semicircle, he stopped behind the enormous flying-buttress root of a giant tree.

"... repeats that you are not to kill them, no matter what the temptation, until he has found the gate," the raven said.

"Which will be when?" Eleth said.

"He did not tell me, but he said that it will probably not be long."

"What does he mean by `not long'?" she said. She looked exasperated. "A day? Two days? A week? This is a hard life. My sister and I long for a high roof, warmth, clean clothes, a shower, good things to eat, much time to sleep, and plenty of virile leblabbiy men."

"I don't know what he means by `not long,'" the raven said. "You'll just have to do what he says. Otherwise ..."

"Yes, I know. We will, of course, continue to obey his orders. You may tell him that-if you're in communication with him."

The raven did not reply. She said, "What about the oromoth?"

Kickaha did not know what an oromoth was. He would have to ask Anana about it.

"It is trailing you for your protection. It won't interfere unless it sees that you're in grave danger from those two."

"If that happens," Eleth said, "it may be too slow. Or it might be off taking a piss somewhere at that time."

The raven sounded as if it were trying to imitate human laughter. When it stopped that, it said, "That's the chance you have to take. That's better than what will surely happen if you fail. I wouldn't even think about betraying him by telling Kickaha and Anana what's going on and throwing in your lot with theirs."

The raven laughed again and said, "Of course not! Unless you thought you'd have a better chance to come out on top! Just remember what he will do to you if you turn traitor!"

Eleth said, stonily, "Is there anything else you have to tell me? If not, get out of my sight, you stinking mess of black feathers!"

"Nothing else. But don't think I'll forget your insult! I'll get my revenge!"

"You stupid snakebrain! We won't even be in this world! Now, get the hell away from me!"

"You Thoan don't smell so nice yourselves," the raven said.

It turned and disappeared into the forest. Eleth looked as if she were about to follow it. But she turned and walked into the woods. As soon as Kickaha was sure that she could not see him, he rose, and he ran bent over along the edge of the clearing. Then he went more slowly and in a straight line. Presently, he saw the raven. It had entered a large clearing and was heading for a fallen tree lying half within the other trees and half into the clearing. The raven hopped up onto the trunk, clawed its way to the upper part, and began ascending that. Obviously, it pla

Kickaha took the beamer from its holster. The weapon was already set on half power. Just as the raven leaped from the end of the fallen tree, Kickaha aimed at the bird and pressed the trigger. A faintly scarlet, narrow beam shot part of the raven's right wing off. It squawked, and it fell.

Kickaha ran around the tree. The bird was flopping on the ground and crying out. He grabbed it from from behind by its neck and choked it. When its struggles had become feeble, he released it. It lay on the ground gasping for air, its legs upraised, its huge black eyes staring at him. If ravens could turn pale, it would have been as white as a snowbird.

He waved the beamer at the raven.

"What is your name, croaker?" he said harshly. The bird struggled up onto its two feet.

"How do you like Stamun?"

"A good enough name. But what is yours?" Kickaha said. He stepped closer and shoved the end of the beamer close to the raven's head. "Now is not the time for wisecracking. I don't have much patience."

While he spoke, he kept glancing around. You never knew what might be creeping up on you.

"Wayskam," the raven said.

"Who sent that message to Eleth?"

"Awrk!"

Kickaha translated that as an expression of surprise mingled with dismay.

"You heard us?"

"Yes, dummy. Of course I did."

"If I tell you, will you let me live? And not torture me?"

"I'll let you go," Kickaha said, "and I won't touch you."

"You could not touch me and still could torture me," it said.

"I won't give you any pain," Kickaha said. "Unlike the Lords, I take no pleasure in doing that. But that doesn't mean I won't make you talk if I have to. So, talk!"

The raven was doomed to be killed or to die of starvation. It could never fly with half of its right wing sheared off. But the bird was still in shock and had not thought of that.

Or could it, like Lords, regenerate amputated limbs?

It did not matter. It would not survive long enough in the forest to grow back the severed part.

"I'll talk if you'll take me back to your camp and nurse me until I can fly again. And then release me. Not that my life will be worth much if Red Orc finds out I betrayed him."

The raven was thinking more clearly than Kickaha had expected it would. Also, its remark that it could, if given time, fly again showed that Eye-of-the-Lord ravens could grow new parts.

"I promise I'll take good care of you," he said, "if you tell me the truth."

"And will you protect me from the iron-hearted daughters of Urizen? Those bitches will try to kill me."

"I'll do my best," Kickaha said.

"That's all I can ask for. You have a reputation for being a trickster, but it is said that your word is as solid as Kethkith's Skull."

Kickaha did not know that reference, but its meaning was obvious.

"Talk! But keep to the point!"

Wayskam opened its beak. A squawk grated from it. Out of the corner of his eye, Kickaha saw something dim and moving. He jumped to one side and at the same time, started to whirl. His beamer shot its scarlet ray, but it did not hit his attacker. Something-it looked like a paw moving so fast it was almost a blur-struck his right shoulder. He was slammed down onto the ground; pain shot through his shoulder. For a second, he was not fully conscious.