The White Road - Lynn Flewelling [154]
"We've grown in number since those early days. We could take your town of Wolde with ease."
"I hope it never comes to that."
"So do I."
"But I'm still not going back with you."
Rieser sighed and would say nothing more.
As soon as the sails were changed, Rhal had the sailors hoist all canvas and pounded on for Skala. Rhal either shared their concern over Rieser or was anxious to have him off his ship; it was bad luck for a sick man to die on board. In the meantime Rhal's shore party made their preparations, grinding swords and cutlasses to a razor edge and checking the buckles of their cuirasses and chain. Chain mail shirts were found for Seregil, Alec, and Micum, as well. This time they were prepared to meet the Ebrados.
Nowen had stopped sending scouts into the hills behind the waterfall. Turmay had made it clear that it was an intrusion into Retha'noi land and that the number of people up there had increased, though he could or would not say how many, only that it was more than the number of Ebrados. All he would say was for them to stay out of the hills.
Owls hunted and hooted in the darkness close by. There were so many here, for some reason. One little one had come down and perched on Sebrahn's shoulder the other night. It had even let him stroke its back and wings. When it flew away, he followed it with his eyes, then pointed after it and said "aldrakin," whatever that meant. Some Tir word probably.
She looked around the fire that night, listening to the owls hunt and counting her people. Rane and Sona were on watch at the edge of the forest; the Retha'noi hadn't circled around there--yet. With Thiren dead and Rieser gone, that left only eight of them: Taegil, Morai, Relian, Sorengil, Kalien, Allia, and Hazadrien, who did not fight.
And there was Sebrahn. He'd used his song magic against them once; would he do the same to the Retha'noi? She doubted it, after the conversation she'd had with him that afternoon.
Kneeling before him, she'd taken his hands and he did not resist. He just stared up at her.
"Will you sing for us, if we need you?"
"Hurt?" he replied with no hint of expression.
"Hurt those who hurt us."
"Baaaaad."
"Yes, they are bad. Will you help us?"
"Help. No. Bad. Ahek no bad."
Whatever that meant, it didn't sound like a yes.
She scanned the heights, counting fires. There were six visible, and she could see dark figures crossing the firelight.
How many of you are there? How are we supposed to get back through the mountains when the time comes?
And then there was Turmay, who came and went between the two camps, and seemed troubled. But he still would not speak of what was going on. Nowen began to think of killing him in his sleep. She wished Rieser were here to make such a decision. The Ebrados did not take killing lightly.
Manab, an elder of Sky village, ran a hand down the length of his oo'lu. "I say we kill them all now."
"No, we must wait until the ya'shel returns," Naba replied. "And this book Turmay speaks of."
"What do we care for books?" Orab, chieftain of the Blue Water Valley village, scoffed.
"They are powerful things, books. So Turmay says," Naba told him. "This one tells how to make the abomination, and the ya'shel with two lives carries the blood of abomination in his veins. Turmay says to let the Retha'noi kill the ya'shel. He says that the tayan'gil can kill, but only a few. Let it kill them. Then we will strike."
"Turmay does not want any killing," the witch woman, Lhahana, reminded them. "They may be outsiders, but they do not wish to stay, any more than we want them to. Why spill blood on our soil unnecessarily? Do you want their ghosts to take this sacred place? Bad enough that the lowlanders use our road. They do not come that often and they do not stay. Ghosts will."
Naba nodded. "Better to see what the Hazad people will do. Turmay says they want the two lives dead, too. Let them take