Warriors Of Latan

Blade hoped the Rutari would give them at least enough time to carry out his plan. However, he himself wasn't going to do anything to slow down the coming of the war. In fact, he told the Uchendi that he intended to make sure it would happen as soon as possible, at a place of the Uchendi's own choosing.

«Or as close to it as you can hope for in war,» he added.

«We are not ignorant of war,» said Winter Owl. Kyarta and the recovering Eye of Crystal nodded. «We know you hope for much. Now tell me how this is to be done.»

«I will go north and bring back the Idol,» he said. «The Rutari will immediately march south to bring it back. We will wait for them. «

Three sets of open mouths and wide eyes greeted that statement. It was Kyarta who came to first.

«You know where the Idol is?»

«Yes. Cheeky told me.» He scratched the feather-monkey's crest. «He learned it from the Wise One and Ellspa. In fact, he stayed behind to learn this because he knew I wanted to know. I did not know that this was his reason for staying with the Rutari, so I was angry with him. Now I know that he may have saved the Uchendi.»

Nobody here knew about Cheeky's relations with Moyla, except possibly Crystal: Blade was quite happy to keep it that way. He also didn't bother telling them that Cheeky had actually gone to see the idol with the two shamans of the Rutari. Nobody would believe that.

Winter Owl was nodding. «It is indeed best to make your enemy come to you. We would have to send many warriors north to beat the Rutari. While they were away the Rutari might come south and attack the women and children in the villages.» Winter Owl's expression said the rest to anyone who hadn't seen the Rutari dealing with enemy prisoners.

«But-is the Cheeky trustworthy? I do not doubt that he is lawful, Blade. If he was not, he could not have lived around you as he has. But does he know as much as he thinks he does?»

Blade felt Cheeky stiffen and start to bristle under his hand. Some of Winter Owl's doubts must be reaching him telepathically. Blade stroked Cheeky and spoke more sharply to the warrior than he would have over an insult to himself.

«I have trusted my life to Cheeky many times, and I am still alive. Do you doubt my word on this?»

Winter Owl did not, and said so. But he still looked worried, and Crystal noticed it. «Blade,» she asked, «might I come with you to seek the Idol?»

Both her mother and her uncle stared and started to protest. She raised her voice sharply. «I can watch over the Cheeky to see if he is leading us astray. I can also guard Blade's back, for I have eyes and ears if no great war skill, although I can carry a bow and hunt with it.»

She lowered her voice. «Also, I am the daughter of the Guardian, gifted with the Voice. I am not stronger than Blade, but I know that I or someone like me should be present when the Uchendi take back the Idol. It might be angry otherwise.»

Kyarta nodded slowly. She was clearly torn between reluctance to risk her daughter after losing her husband and knowing the girl was telling the truth. Loyalty to her tribe won out. «Yes. You will know the ways of the Idol better than Blade. His Voice is strong but it is not ours.»

«I have no weak Voice,» said Winter Owl. «Also, I am a proven warrior. I think it would be better for me to go. «

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 thi

(«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 pla

(«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.